Notes from the week of June 17, 2024

This week I am thinking about: tourism, tornadoes, and tycoons. Also: food, always.

It was a really scattered week, fighting the heat and taking care of some to-do deadlines. So no strong theme or profound analysis for the Notes. It was just really hot, and really humid all week - and will be for a couple of weeks. Hopefully not reprising our little jaunt into "feels like 103F." 

I attempted an early daily walk Monday and Tuesday, but even by eight a.m. it was just unbearable to be in the sun. And, while there were definitely a few other big stressors this week, I think missing out on my perambulation detracted from my ability to handle other stuff with grace... 

But my meal prep was very successful, we didn't have to cook all week, and everything I made was delicious straight from the fridge. My riff on this chilled cucumber soup was a household hit.

Meanwhile, my low(er) income neighbors are not faring so well - community groups are already doing mutual aid fundraising for groceries in this week between the end of school and the beginning of summer meal programs. Boggles the mind in the wealthiest state, and frankly feels like 2020-2021 again...

Read a really interesting article in the Journal about tourism in southern Europe - specifically, how American tourist dollars are propping up historically sluggish economies in the region. It brought to mind this clip of Bernie Sanders critiquing the tourism industry in Vermont in 1981. And it's all giving me a lot to think about the economy, and social interaction generally, in Connecticut.

Economists call it "beach disease", I've been calling it the "instagrammification" or the "tourist-trapification" of the state. Nothing new, as CT has long been a summer/weekend getaway for the Manhattan elite - just particularly egregious ever since people discovered "outside" during the pandemic shutdowns... Much much more to think and say on that.

Spent a half hour in the basement during a rare tornado watch.

Not a new word this week, but I was curious about the origin of the term tycoon - because I see it a lot, and it seems just so lazy... So I turned to one of my favorite websites of all time, Online Etymology Dictionary.

tycoon: from "great lord" in 19th century Japan, to "important person" later in the west, and only referring to a wealthy businessman after the First World War.