5 Things for July

some things I've been enjoying

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Ciao ciao! We’re back with my 5 Things post! Can’t believe July is ending (so glad). This month was an interesting and difficult one. I sort of hate July and August since they are typically the swampy months here in Wisconsin.

I also want to note that there was a murder by cop here in Madison two weeks ago that has greatly shaken our city. Corey Ruiz was a Black man who had already been tased by cops and held down by them when another cop shot him dead. There is now an encampment where the murder occurred with food, protesters, and more. The community is grieving deeply and coming together to tend to that grief.

In death school, we learn that not everyone gets a “good” death—dying in their sleep peacefully or dying at a fantastically old age surrounded by loved ones. Corey Ruiz didn’t get one. Renee Good didn’t get one. Gazans didn’t get one. It all bleeds together. We can’t talk about death and grief without talking about the systems that quicken it; push it forward. We can’t talk about cops killing Black people without also talking about the genocide in Palestine. None of us are assured a “good” death; we’re just assured death at some point. But how can we better care for people while they’re alive? What is clear is that we need to abolish the systems that aren’t helping. I hope to get there someday. RIP Corey Ruiz.

1. Holly and The Italians

   

   1. My fiancé and I picked up a pizza from Salvatore’s Tomato Pies last week and I saw an image of rad record on the wall for a band I had never heard of: Holly and The Italians. Girl what?! Tell me more! I looked her up and she was part of the new wave/pop punk movement in the 70s and 80s. I love the songs: “I Wanna Go Home” and “Tell That Girl to Shut Up.” The first starts with Holly saying, “Some people achieve greatness, others have it thrust up on them, and then there are those who are born Italian.” Holly Beth Cenuto is from Chicago and her band could have made it big, but her record didn’t sell much and her music went into obscurity. Listen to her album, “The Right to Be Italian.”

2. A Good Person by Kirsten King

   

   1. This book is so fucked up and such a page-turner. The protagonist is awful. She has a best friend named Jamie who she completely takes advantage of over and over again. Lillian puts a hex on a her situationship Henry and he dies. There are many parts of this book that reminded me of being a 20-something woman dating primarily cis men and the dance you have to do around not seeming “too much” or “too available.” The self-doubt that creeps in at the smallest thing, like sending a text at a certain time. The writing is good and King was able to create a truly deplorable character.

3. Moonlight Peaks for Nintendo Switch

   

   1. Very much obsessed with this game at the moment. It’s basically Stardew Valley but with witches, vampires, and werewolves! The actual game place for Switch has been a bit messy, though. The load time is as long as 12 seconds sometimes, which is insane for a game. I’m hoping the developers will fix this soon. I’ve also had a few instances where the game just crashed and I had to start further back. For a game that came out in early July, this one seems like it was maybe a bit rushed since they don’t have all the kinks worked out. Either way, I still really like it.

4. Mooncat Nail Polish

   

   1. This shit is so good! The magnetic ones are amazing. All are long-lasting. The Nail Elixir has saved my nails. I hate going to get my nails done (it’s never been relaxing for me and ends up giving me anxiety) so I do them myself. My favorites are: Weeping Willow, Werewolf’s Bane, Port 6666, and Taipan Venom.

5. Johanna Hedva Astro Reading

   

   1. This was my second time having Johanna read me and it was just as amazing and valuable as the first. Johanna is warm and badass and told me I have the “crip axis” (most disabled people they read for has this!), meaning I have planets in the 12th and 6th houses (I have 6H stellium so that one is intense). They told me to “get romantic about shit in a German romanticism way” and many other gems. It really helped me clarify some things. Next month, I have my first reading set up with Fariha Róisín which I’m super excited for! Yay for astro readings!

Tell me what you have been enjoying this month in the comments!

Nobody really talked about my book and I would love it if people reached out to me for interviews or if you just want to review in your space that would be amazing!