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1. At least the weather has been nice lately - in the low 50s, 60s, and 70s. Nice breeze. Cool enough for a light jacket. Was able to take a few long walks. One up to the WTC, and another to the South Street Seaport. Played tourist yesterday and took photos.

Here's the Anne Frank Tree - "a white chestnut tree, a clone grown from an original tree outside the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family in Amsterdam, 188 Keizersgracht. Anne wrote about her view from the annex window: “As long as this exists, how can I be sad?” and referred to the chestnut three three times in her diary. This tree in Liberty Park is the eleventh clone of the tree in the United States planted by the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect. The date, June 12th, also marks what would have been Anne’s 88th birthday, sharing a birth year with Martin Luther King. Jr and Audrey Hepburn."



2. I can't seem to draw at the moment - which is putting a cramp in my painting project. I keep trying and its not fitting what is in my head. I'm frustrated. It's like I lost the ability or something - all of a sudden. I think I may be too much in my head or too self-conscious. I draw best when I'm not trying to make it fit something, or not worried about it. Art is hard when others eyes are upon you, or rather you feel their critical eyes upon you. It's easier when you or rather I forget they exist.

3. Buffy and Angel Fandom Bits

Started rewatch of Buffy S4 and Angel S1 - I watch an episode of one every other day, skipping episodes I don't want to re-watch, such as the Angel episode "I Fall To Pieces" (I saw that one twice, and that was one too many times, I don't need to watch it again. Angel S1 has some horrible episodes.)

Saw Fear Itself and The Harsh Light of Day - and both hold up really well. Read more... )

In the Dark and Room with a View are a mixed bag. I like Room better. Which surprised me. Read more... )

Also been listening to podcasts. It's the current trend/fad - actors doing podcasts. (Not the famous ones, the struggling ones, who are also doing conventions to make ends meet - which is a reminder of how tough a profession acting truly is - to make a living in. There are more actors than there are gigs, apparently.)

Of the podcasts - I'd say Juliet Landau's
Re-Vamped is the best.
She's a good interviewer and very funny. She doesn't take herself too seriously, which is more than I can say for a lot of podcasters. Read more... )

Landau's podcasts are informative though - about the process, how the series was made, backstage tid-bits, auditions, etc. She also, being a theater geek and theater actress - delves heavily into the theater and the film backgrounds of her guests. If you are interested in the nitty gritty behind the scenes stuff - they are worth checking out. (I found out for example that the actress who portrayed Sheila in School Hard, went on to produce two award-winning documentaries, one about a cult, and one about sexual allegations against a hip-hop record producer. Also, apparently Drusilla and Spike were Seinfield fans, and watched all the episodes more than once.)

5. The First Responder Memorial Statue at Liberty Park at the World Trade Center. (it's also where we're supposed to meet in case of a fire or evacuation of the building at Crazy Workplace. I figured that out today - when I looked up the Anne Frank Tree - because I didn't know where Liberty Park was until I looked it up.)



Here's another photo for the road, before I go to bed..

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I'm not allowed to buy more books. So I stared at the books at Lofty Pigeons, briefly picked up one on the art of making gluten free bread (hint, sourdough) and hobbled out again. I was dripping in sweat, since it was a hot and humid day and I'd walked three miles. So sweaty, that I could feel the booksellers giving me the side-eye (do not drip sweat on our books or touch them with sweaty fingers). That was yesterday not today.

Today - I went to work, got there way too early, and was so horribly bored, I found myself debating copyright law on Dreamwidth. (Thank you by the way for that. I may go back to it tomorrow. Note debate/discuss not argue. I'm conflict adverse not debate adverse. There is a difference. One is emotional, one is logical and analytical.) And then, unsuccessfully tried to revise my contemporary romance novel - which I'm becoming increasingly convinced doesn't quite work and requires a wee bit too much suspension of disbelief from the reader? Read more... )

Art History Major was back and felt the need to brag whine regale me with how busy she is. I wish people wouldn't do that. Yes, yes, we all know you are swamped and very very busy...bored now. (Actually all she does is chat in Teams meetings, or go to meetings in person, or go to training, or go chat in her boss's office - according to Breaking Bad - all AHM and her boss do is chat all day long. New agency that old agency was forcibly merged into is really into video chat and meetings. They have meetings about everything. ) So, I rarely talk to or see her. She might as well be out. We share a cubical wall, but I rarely see her outside of briefly in the morning or occasionally during the day.

Mother: does she accomplish much from these meetings?
Me: No, they never appear to.

I hate meetings - I find them to be generally speaking a colossal waste of time. Unless they are negotiations - in which case - those can be somewhat productive?

**

Allergies are beating me up this week a bit. Itchy eyes, sniffles, and a bit of chest congestion. It's fall - or end of summer - so allergy season.
COVID vaccine - didn't have any side-effects outside of the sore shoulder, unless we count the allergies, which showed up two days later, so probably not? Sore shoulder is over finally - thank god. I had to take aleve for that finally. It hurt more than it had the last time - this version of the vaccine really packs a wallop. Although I'm grateful it was just a sore shoulder.

**

Meditations - last night's and this morning's were helpful. As was the Sunday UU sermon. Or comforting at least.

Last night, I was listening to part four of a six part sleep story about a hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. Read more... )

The other one, this morning, was about not needing to please people all the time, or at all. And it told a fable - about a old man, a boy and a donkey.
fable ) (Both are in the Calm meditation app.)

And in Sunday's service - I was reminded of the Leonard Cohen song, Anthem"

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in"

It's similar to the Native American view that all art needs to have a flaw in it, so as not to attempt to improve on nature, and remain balanced. My grandmother actually taught me the Native American view - she'd learned to bead and create beaded art, and dream catchers from watching the Hopi and Navajo in Arizona and Nevada. And deliberately put flaws in all her work - to ensure that the light got in. You know a work is genuine and not mass produced - when it has the deliberate flaw.

***

The clothing I ordered from Talbots came - or three of the four items. And they all fit and looked good, or I was pleased with them. Whew! Since they were mostly final sales items.

**

The day was sunny but hazy, and not good for allergies. But I took a long walk - first briefly through the trees and garden, then along the pier with the water brushing its sides, looping back through the tall buildings, old and new to get two chocolate chip cookies from Insomiac cookies. (Every time I go, I'm both annoyed and relieved that they only have one type of cookie that is gluten-free and it is chocolate chip.)

The picture is of a mural that is around the corner from where I work. I found it striking, so took a photo of it. NYC is a city that just vibrates with an artistic vibe. It's as if all the artists in the world decided to perch here for just a bit, to drink coffee, tea, and play, before popping off again somewhere else.

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It was a lovely day, the sky bright as a robin's egg, so I took a long walk to the local art festival or Artmeggadon - which allegedly had over 400 artists participating. Read more... )

But I found it a bit crowded in places, and often hard to see the art, so chose not to walk any further into the fair, and zig-zagged back home taking in the scant offerings on the way. It being Brooklyn, I saw a variety of landscapes on the walk - from multi-family homes that one might well see in the wealthy suburbs of Connecticut or Mass, with their broad porches, arched roofs, and well manicured lawns - to the brick multi-storied pre-war apartment buildings, and old school shops. Upon two walls were painstakingly painted murals, telling their own stories of the people who lived here, with songs in their hearts.

As I neared my own block, I chose to snap a few photos of the sunflowers growing in wild abandon in front of stone and mortar house that dated well back to the 1950s and the pre-war apartment building next door.



Television this weekend

* Great British Baking Show - up to Episode 13

* The Newsreader on Prime - it only has season 1, and it's leaving in four days, after that you can only see it and the next season on AMC. S3 has aired in Australia but isn't available yet on streaming. It takes place in yesteryear - the yesteryear in question, 1986. And focuses on a National News/Local News broadcast station in Melbourne, Australia during 1986. It stars Sam Reid (Lestate in Interview with a Vampire), Anna Torv (Fringe), and Robert Taylor (Longmire). I finished S1. The later seasons aren't available on streaming (outside of AMC). But S1 kind of stands by itself, and wraps up neatly on its own. I didn't really need to see anything after it? It doesn't really require more episodes, although there is obviously more story there. It's a workplace serial. Also discusses homosexuality and bisexuality through a 1980s lens - which is painful at times, but accurate and informative - it's good to see how far we've come, I think.

* Call the Midwife - this is a partial re-watch continuation. I can't remember when I stopped watching the show? I think it was somewhere around S6 or S7? Since I vaguely remember the episodes I'm watching now.
But not well enough to skip ahead. It's a comforting series that takes place in the 1950s-60s in London - Great Britain. It's on Netflix, so it's just streaming from one episode to the next. I'd originally watched it on PBS several years ago.

*Angel the Series - started my re-watch. It's better than I remembered and holds up better than expected. Things I didn't realize? Read more... )

****

Question a Day Meme - End of September

22. Are you good at managing your time, or would you love to be better organized?

Yes. Perhaps too good - work wise. I've had to be - because of deadlines, and I get anxious. So, I don't procrastinate on big things, and get them done quickly. Also, I don't over-schedule myself.

23. Do you know how to perform the ‘Heimlich manoeuvre’?

No. I used to, ages ago. But I don't now.

24. Have you ever seen a comet in the sky?

No.

25. ‘Rotomontade’ is a bragging speech or rant. When was the last time you had a really good rant about something?

My rants tend to be more kvetching not bragging? I don't tend to brag? Bravado is not a skill of mine.

26. Have you ever been fruit-picking? What kind of fruit did you pick, and what did you do with them?

Yes. Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries as a child. We made pies with them and put them over cereal and ice cream. Also muffins and cake with the blueberries. I can't remember if we picked apples.

27. Do you know how to change a tyre/tire on a car? Have you ever had to do it?

No. And no.

28. Have you ever eaten caviar?

Yes. It's salty, but I'm not really a fan? Expensive but not worth the price or the bother.
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Good News From the American Resistance and Its Global Allies

Disclaimer: As always, Good News like beauty and humor is often in the eyes of the beholder, hopefully something makes you smile, even if its just a picture at the end.

1. Amazon will pay $2.5 billion to settle claims that it tricked customers into signing up for Prime, then made it hard to cancel.

How to determine you are eligible and how to get your refund

It's really just for folks who signed up in 2019, and it's no more than $51.

2. "Prototype device controlled by silent speech
Read more... )

Alterego - https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03084-7

3.The health and economic benefits generated by vaccines against COVID-19 in the first year alone — a return of $60 to $475 on the dollar.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496200-covid-19-vaccine-benefits-worth-up-to-38-trillion-in-first-year-alone/

4. "Podcast: an AI health oracle
Read more... )

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03026-3

5. Colorado pastor and wife ordered to repay $3.4M to victims of their crypto scam

Read more... )

https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/colorado-pastor-and-wife-ordered?publication_id=95153&post_id=173867959&isFreemail=true&r=335kz&triedRedirect=true

6. New research on nature’s effect on focus is so compelling.
Read more... )

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/nature-walk-focus-attention-1.7109264

7. "With dementia rates expected to double by 2060, it’s normal to think about ways to stay sharp. Unfortunately, many popular brain-training apps and games don't produce lasting memory benefits, but there’s a simpler approach that doesn’t even require a screen.

Read more... )

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/12/11/114

8.New research reveals a connection between grip strength and mental health.

https://www.askmen.com/fitness/mental-health/the-surprising-connection-between-grip-strength-and-mental-health.html

9.Remember the race to cure HIV? We're closer than you think. Remember the race to cure HIV? We're closer than you think.
A new clinical trial in South Africa delivered a rare but extraordinary outcome: One young woman may be cured of the virus.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/08/25/g-s1-84393/whatever-happened-to-the-race-to-cure-hiv-theres-promising-news

10. The Dutch are quietly shifting towards a four-day work week
Opponents say they make us less productive. Fans say they give us freedom. What do the results really say?

https://www.ft.com/content/7b61e52c-93fc-4634-b9ad-fdacac5d6538
mostly situations of resistance and medical health improvements like above - 46 in all )

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Humid overcast day, with sunlight filtering through - and a bit on the hazy side. In the mid to upper seventies, although felt warmer due to the humidity. I put on the A/C and installed the new reverse and inverse air window fan in the bedroom - which I'm hoping will help when it gets colder and they start blasting the heat. Now, it's not an issue. Read more... )

Also cleaned out the chemistry experiments in the fridge - basically transferred them to the compost bin, and the plastic to the recycling bin.
Didn't do a deep clean - I hurt enough, and that would kill my back.
Had lunch, which consisted of gluten free cheddar and chive "American Southern" biscuits (think American scones but puffy?) by way of Capulla's (an Italian Gluten Free Baking company). The biscuits are excellent by the way. Can't tell they are gluten free at all. (Turns out I didn't like biscuits previously because they had gluten - and made me sick.) Added proscuitto, cheddar cheese, and some English mustard, and it was a decent lunch.

Worked it off by going to the health food stores on Courteylou. Flatbush Coop and Frontier Health Food Store. I had an unexpected and somewhat toxic interaction at Frontier with an old guy that shelves things and advises people where to find stuff (he's always in my way, and I get a really bad vibe off of him every time I see him). Read more... )

The whole interaction left a bad taste in my mouth and rage in my heart at old farts, Turkish restaurants, people who are desperate enough to carry guns and gun manufacturers.

**

Spoke to mother, earlier, who regaled me with the story of a snake. They have poisonous snakes in Hilton Head, SC. She's also concerned about a Tropical Storm that is barreling in her general direction, but so far they are just sheltering in place.

Apparently one of her neighbors was watering plants in her garden and got bitten by a copperhead.
the evils of gardening and snakes )

Apparently the neighbor tried to drive herself to the emergency room, got woozy, and ambulance came to her. It had bitten her foot. They couldn't give her the anti-venom because she was on blood thinners. But they monitored her, and it was okay - since it was a more mature snake (younger ones release it all at once apparently), and it was her foot. She also got fined by security - for pulling over, even though it was an emergency. At least they didn't tow her.

***

Dinner was mixed greens, feta, black pitted kalmata olives, falafal, tahini sauce, glazed pecans, apple cider vinegar/lemon juice. With iced unsweetened black tea (and lemon juice) for beverage. And gluten free vegan chocolate chip cookie for desert. Read more... )

The photo was obviously not taken today but several weeks ago, I just never got around to posting it until now.

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1. Vaccines

Got the COVID vaccine after work. The New York Governor made it possible for everyone between the ages of 6-110 to take it for an expandable 30 day period, under an emergency order.

I scheduled it while at work for around 4:40pm, and ended up getting there early - so go it around 4:30pm. I got it today, in case there are any major side-effects. That way I have the weekend to get past them, not that I've ever had any outside of a sore arm. Read more... )

No, I didn't get either the Flu shot or the Shingles at the same time. My primary care begged me not to. I'm immune-compromised, so it's not a good idea. I tried to tell her that everybody else that I know of - has, but she was adamant. I could, I suppose, ignore her and do it anyhow - but I was afraid to - best not to take an unnecessary risk.

2. Take a photo of any book with your phone and have it instantly read to you - I keep seeing this weird app advertised on Facebook, in which you can take a photo of literally any book in a library or book store and automatically have it read to you.

Speechify reads books to you

Of course it does it in a monotone - but you can pick any number of digitized voices to do it.

I don't have any issues with having books read to me - my issue is that someone can willy nilly go to a book store or library, scan the book, and have it read to them for free? I don't know, that kind of screams copyright infringement? It's one thing if the writer is getting paid a royalty from the service...but what if they aren't?

3. Traveling Water Color Kit Another thing advertised on FB and Instragram that I'm resisting the urge to purchase: Tobios Travel Watercolor Kit, whomever is marketing this is doing an excellent job. I keep reminding myself - that this is not how I like to paint. I like to do it alone. In my apartment. With a large canvas. And room. Not in miniature. I have shaking hands, and no fine motor coordination - so can't do the miniature work well. I'm not a miniaturist, I tend to work better large? Big woman. Big hands. Big canvas.

But it is lovely for someone who wants a small traveling kit to wander about doing small stuff with?

Don't get it from Amazon - which apparently is selling knock-offs.

4. Shopping Went online shopping - via Talbots and Amazon - and picked up a few things on sale, including pjs, and a shawl.

Read more... )

As an aside? For the most part, I hate or dread shopping. But I did find it weirdly comforting doing it online this week. I prefer online than in-store shopping. Sales clerks and other shoppers and the dressing rooms, plus hunting stuff makes me edgy.

I like it displayed. I have no patience for hunting through the racks. I'm not a good bargain shopper. My mother isn't a shopper. The appeal of hunting for things in stores is kind of lost on us? But hunting for things online shopping is fun - even if it's a bit like playing Russian roulette? Since I suck at returning things, and some places don't let you.

Debating buying a pair of Uno Black Sneakers from Amazon. I don't really need them. I have enough shoes. But does one ever really have enough shoes? Ponders.

5. Buffy Revival or Continuation (Because it's not a reboot! Got it?) I keep stumbling upon online fights over whether it's a reboot or a continuation or a revival...which is kind of amusing. Welcome to the Internet - where people fight over semantics incessantly.

Anyhow, the latest: Gellar Reveals more about Buffy's Comeback and Insists its not a Reboot (But it's a lot easier to call it a reboot.)

"In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sarah Michelle Gellar was asked about the Buffy reboot which is under no circumstances to be called a reboot. “There’s so little I can say about what we just shot,” Sarah explains. “I will say that it’s not a reboot. It’s a continuation of a world - the world of Buffy, if that makes sense. It’s picking up 25 years later in a world of Buffy. It’s equal parts incredibly thrilling but also it’s very nerve-wracking. People have been asking for this for so many years but everyone also has an opinion on how it should be done."
Read more... )

[From what I've read - I don't think much of the original cast will return, outside of maybe one or two, and as either special guest stars or brief cameos...I think it's mainly a continuation of the world, with Gellar more in a Giles' role. The shift is the mentor/watcher will be Buffy herself. Which is also why - I don't think it will do that well or get picked up past one season? Because the fandom fell in love with the characters NOT the world? Joss sucked at world building. Star Trek, it's not. Also what was captivating was the dialogue and banter, the one liners, and the humor - also, sigh, the supporting characters. A good portion of the fandom did not watch for Buffy - they watched for everyone else. I know I did. Buffy did pull me in - but not Gellar, it was the writing, direction, and how Gellar played Buffy against and with the other characters. I've not liked her in anything else. And I didn't like books like Fray which were playing with the world - but didn't have the television characters in it. But hey, I could be VERY wrong about this? Just because it doesn't seem appealing to me...doesn't mean it isn't to other people?]
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Environmental Good News from the US Resistance and Around the Globe

[Disclaimer: As always, good news is often in the eye of the beholder.]


1. The United Nations confirmed that the ozone layer is on track to make a full recovery by mid-century, crediting swift action and international agreements for sharply reducing the use of ozone-depleting chemicals and slowing the annual growth of the Antarctic ozone hole.

https://www.france24.com/en/environment/20250916-un-says-ozone-layer-is-healing-hole-could-disappear-within-decades?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40

2.California officials and industry insiders say the state is sticking with its goal of developing 25 gigawatts of floating offshore wind energy by 2045 despite expiring federal tax credits and Trump administration hostility.

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-09-18/despite-federal-setbacks-california-is-staying-the-course-on-offshore-wind?_hsmi=381366794#:~:text=The%20Trump%20administration%20canceled%20nearly,efforts%20to%20support%20wind%20development

3.The Iowa Utilities Commission approved a settlement that authorizes the largest utility-scale solar project in the state’s history.

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18092025/inside-clean-energy-iowa-solar-potential/?_hsmi=381366794

4.In August, global electric vehicle sales increased 5% month-over-month and 15% year-over-year.

https://rhomotion.com/news/global-ev-sales-grow-by-5-m-o-m-and-by-15-y-o-y-in-august-2025/?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40

5.A landmark legal settlement will require a plastics facility in Pennsylvania to clean up the tiny plastic pellets — known as “nurdles” — that were found to be spewing out of its stormwater and wastewater pipes.

https://grist.org/solutions/plastics-settlement-pennsylvania-raccoon-creek-nurdles-styropek/

6.In the first six months of this year, the world built 64% more new solar energy capacity than it did in the first half of 2024.

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/global-solar-power-energy-installations-booming?amp%3Butm_medium=email&%3Butm_campaign=canary&_hsmi=381366794

7.After Trump administration cuts forced the popular climate.gov website to shut down, experts re-launched it independently to help boost climate literacy.

https://www.dw.com/en/fired-climate-scientists-crucial-extreme-weather-data-cut-us-president-donald-trump-v3/a-73977766

[It's a lot harder to regulate and censor the internet than it is radio or broadcast television channels. I'm grateful for that at least.]

8.A new nature preserve in Ohio will protect 3,000 acres of Appalachian foothills.

https://www.statenews.org/section/the-ohio-newsroom/2025-09-11/a-new-ohio-nature-preserve-protects-3-000-acres-of-appalachian-foothills?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40

9.EU lawmakers have given a final green light to a law that aims to slash the mountains of food wasted in Europe each year, and curb the environmental impact of fast fashion.

https://www.dw.com/en/eu-to-slash-food-and-fast-fashion-waste/a-73933529?ck_subscriber_id=2496857656

10. EV Realty, a San Francisco-based charging site developer, broke ground on what will be one of California’s biggest fully grid-powered, fast-charging depots for electric trucks so far.

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/ev-charging/ev-realty-funding-build-truck-depot-california?amp%3Butm_medium=email&%3Butm_campaign=canary&_hsmi=381203897
for the rest of the 37 items )



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1. Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-men has reached Episode 500
It's 11 years. How did they get there? Because the X-men are really confusing? (Which may be why I'm a fan of the X-men, because apparently the more convoluted a plot and soap operaish, the more I'm going to like it?)

Also Jay is transgender, and figured it out during the podcasts, and is a HUGE cyke fan.

Although in this episode, they x-plain the mysteries of magnetism, via explaining how magnets work.

2. Meanwhile Deliah H. Dawson promotes her book on Thor and Loki: Epic Tales from Marvel Mythology on Scalzi's the Big Idea. (Author's get to promote their book ideas on John Scalzi's blog).

"Because the thing about writing books is that just because you know how to write one book does not mean you know how to write another. Books are like fingerprints in that each one is wholly individual, unique in all the world. Books are unlike fingerprints in that they cannot be easily compared to koala bears.

Except—

Well, koala bears are notoriously single-minded and stubborn, and writers can be like that, too. "

That statement charmed me. It's true. I find myself writing books differently. Right now, I'm blocked. Mainly due to external issues, being tired, and mentally exhausted. And issues with health. Also the abusive friendship that I recently ended - had managed to creatively block me, one of the many many reasons it was ended. I'm happiest when I'm writing creatively.

3. Been sleeping better - changing my meds (I'd figured out various meds were interacting with each other and not in a good way - also that one was problematic, and stopped taking it for the time being. Note if you want to figure out your drug interactions too? Go to Drug Interaction Checker - Know More. Be Sure It can do up to three drugs together, maybe 4, without charging you.

Also digestive system has settled a bit. And I've figured out how to eat beans without my digestive system having a hissy fit. Which is good - considering beans help regulate blood sugar and are a good source of fiber and protein. (I no longer digest meat that well and am trying to get away from it - I'm slowly becoming a vegetarian. Considering 90% of gluten-free items are either vegan or vegetarian anyhow - half way there to begin with.

Had the kidney bean or red bean salad in blue corn cheese tacos with salad tonight.

4. This old song by Kris Kristofferson oddly comforted me tonight...or said just what I needed to hear, because I've been feeling lonely of late and thinking, does it matter writing, posting photos or drawing what people don't want to see or hear...am I just whispering to an empty space or ear?

The song popped up randomly on my phone headphones, as I walked home, through no prompting of mine. Amazing how music can get to the root of a feeling - an inexpressible one at that - and find a way of soothing it with a feather like touch.
the lyrics to the Song - To Beat the Devil by Kris Kristofferson, which he was inspired to write by Johnny Cash )
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Feeling much better today - so apparently I was right, and this may have been caused by medication. I've learned the hard way to police my own medication and not count on doctors and pharmacies to do it for me.
health care crap - cut for TMI )

I actually could focus. And Breaking Bad thanked me for my clear and concise analysis of the work we'd done on our end.

So, I made myself useful. Took a few short walks.

Went home - and hunted for Gluten Free Cookie Dough - but none was to be had at the local Met Fresh. Damn them. Probably for the best. My blood sugar is happier without it. If I still want it by the weekend - I'll get some from the health food stores on Courteylou.

***

The news irritates me. And it's becoming harder to avoid.

Jimmy Kimmel is back on, and Disney has basically told Sinclair Media to go frak themselves, since Disney cares more about their liberal image and their subscribers than their affiliates who pay them next to nothing in revenues. [I honestly think it was the Disneys and Eisner who persuaded them to change their minds.] In reality - Sinclair Media is the problem (my mother's cousin pointed out that they were a major problem way back in 2014) and sigh, the FCC (who has been a problem since their inception - people thought they needed to regulate what was on television and the radio, kind of similar to what they wanted to do with the internet and keep trying to do, but fail miserably at - because it is the internet and global and the US didn't put restrictions in place quickly enough and it doesn't serve Google et al's best interests if they do). Both are both much harder to fight - because they are more hidden and insidious in some respects, and the FCC really doesn't care what you or I think. Sinclair - you could possibly go after the advertisers? But you'd have to find them first.

The FCC has always been a problem. People have been fighting censorship wars with the FCC since its inception.

George Carlin on the FCC in 1973

The difficulty with human rights and freedoms - is if you want yours, you kind of have to put up with people you despise getting theirs. It can't just go one way, that's not how it works. People don't seem to understand this? I keep trying to explain it to folks but they ignore me. I swear SSEAS is kind of viral.

More Carlin on Time and well everything - this may be the longest uninterrupted rambling routine I've seen.

He's among my favorite stand-up comedians. Controversial at times, and not always...ahem politically correct, but he makes me laugh for the most part for his word-play.

**

I got a comment from Ao3 on a Meta that I wrote over ten years ago, and can't remember that well. The comment:

"I find it interesting that you mentioned Clarissa's Lovelace, but not Pamela or Lord B. If we're going all the way back to Richardson, I think some discussion of Pamela and Lord B. is in order. Why do you think Lovelace and Lord B have such different arcs?"

I didn't respond - because as a general rule, I no longer respond to any comments on Ao3, regardless of the content. Read more... )
shadowkat: (Default)
Called in sick on Friday - and for the most part stayed off the computer, and just watched television and dozed. wrestling with vertigo and loss of balance - most likely due to allergies and sinus issues, also caffeine withdrawl )
***

Question a Day Memage - September continued:

[As an aside - there's an interesting spelling difference between British English and American English. In British English they use "u" in words ending with or. Examples include favourite vs. favorite, colour vs. color, or colouring vs. coloring, flavour vs. flavor. I pick up on it partly because spellcheck on my computer is US, and the meme is British spelling.
I remember when I sent the book I published to an editor - he told that I was using a lot of British spellings for things, which I didn't catch because I was busy interacting online with a people who lived in the UK and were utilizing those spellings. I wonder about that difference. And others. And what is the origin of the difference - when did the American version split off? And why? I'm not a linguist so I wouldn't know.]

18. Did you have colouring books as a child? Have you tried any adult colouring books?

Yes. I didn't like them and drew, doodled, and colored outside the lines.

19. Are you adventurous with your menus, or do you stick to tried and tested ideas for meals?

I play around. I also get into routines. I am not good with a lot of left-overs. I can't prepare food for a week and eat it. My stomach is picky and I have scant storage space. (Small one bedroom apartment, with a refrigerator and small freezer). But I'd say I'm adventurous and I like to experiment - to the degree in which my body can handle it? Which unfortunately is insanely limited. Celiac tends to branch into other food sensitivities, if caught later in life.


20. Do you have a favourite quiz show that you regularly watch on TV?

I'll watch Jeopardy every once and a while.

21. How is Autumn treating you? What’s the weather like?

The weather is beautiful and mild. Feels like early spring, actually. 60s and 70s, occasional 80 degree day, sometimes 59 degrees.

Sunny. Not a lot of rain. Still see flowers, and all the trees are green and fully leaved.

I've been having issues with allergies, sleeplessness, back/leg pain, depression, and digestive issues - so I have been ill. And trying to figure it out.

Feeling a little better right now. Hence this post. Best I've felt in the last four days at least. Not stellar but better.
shadowkat: (Default)
Fair warning? Still sleep deprived, so irritable, tired and slightly depressed due to well lack of sleep. (I'm waking up in the middle of the night in pain and can't get back to sleep.) (I'm only revealing it - because I'm snappish at the moment, and not necessarily my best self.)

1. Having completed Buffy S3 in my rewatch. Am now finally in Buffy S4 and watched the Freshman, which has a couple of interesting guest stars, Pedro Pascal is in it. (Noticed something I hadn't previously? Spike is the front credits in various sections - previewing he's returning.) He's not going by Pascal, this is before he changed his name, also he's about twenty-five years younger. He plays the first victim and Buffy's friend in the episode.

I'm reminded of why I preferred the later seasons? I like the characters better? All of them. Willow's wardrobe is better and Willow becomes less of a damsel and more interesting. Also Xander is no longer a jerk, he's actually interesting and better developed. I actually like Xander. (Although he was more or less likable post the Zeppo. Xander's main problem was Angel - once Angel leaves, Xander kind of calms down.) Also his jokes are more self-deprecating and less nasty. (After the Zeppo, Xander becomes a touch more likable and gets over his skanky self - I finally figured out where I got the phrase "get over your skanky self" from? Buffy.) Giles and Joyce on the other hand - I wanted to smack - which feels like a continuation of S3, I wanted to smack them in S3 at various points, too. OZ remains as comforting and cool as ever.

Also the writing is a touch better - mainly because the writers are no longer attempting to write about their high school experiences which were about fifteen to twenty years ago? Read more... )

2. I finished reading The Perfect Rake - which didn't work for me? The writer was clearly trying to go for a Georgette Heyer style, and I found it tiresome. Also her prose was touch more purple than required. So you have bad Georgette Heyer with Purple Prose. I skimmed most of it. Otherwise I wouldn't have finished it? It's very skimmable - a lot of repetition. I don't know why I keep trying romance novels - I've clearly burned out on the genre? It's annoying at the moment.

Anyhow - I moved on to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novick rec'd by selenak. And so far? It's rather good. It's a retelling of the Miller's Daughter tale or Rumplestilskin. The second retelling that I've tackled.
The first was "The Croning" - a "cosmic" horror novel along the lines of HP Lovecraft that really disturbed me and I can't quite shake from my head. Read more... )

Also, stand a lone, like Uprooted was. I rather loved Uprooted and it stuck with me. So this is working for me for the same reasons it did.

I don't like "series" - I prefer stand-a-lone in novels. Read more... )

I do love fairy tales - or novels/stories that do twists on fairy tales, which is why I read The Croning. I find them interesting.

3. Greatest Comic Book Superhero of All Time - Prove ME Wrong via Screenrant
excerpt )
While I do agree with the selection, I don't like using the word "greatest" - and wish I could remove it from the current lexicon? After reading the comments - I also think this depends on how you view superheros? And what you are looking for in a character and that's subjective and personal? Read more... )

********

Question a Day - Memage

11. Do you like the taste of fresh basil? What other fresh herbs do you like or dislike?

I love basil, rosemary, dill, chives, sage, thyme. I hate fennel or anise, licorice and I don't get along.

12. Have you ever kept a paper journal? What about a bullet journal?

Yes. I don't know what a bullet journal is? Looks it up. Bullet Journal - and uh, that would be a no.

13. Did you have a baby doll when you were growing up? How about a Barbie (or equivalent fashion doll)?

Not a baby doll. A Barbie doll - yes, and Madame Alexander Dolls. My mother loved dolls and bought them for me. (I wasn't really that into them outside of using them to tell stories.)

14. When was the last time you had to dress up for a special occasion? What did you wear?

My father's funeral. Black skirt, red silk top.

15. Do you enjoy driving a car, or is it just a way to get from one place to another?

Just a means of getting from one place to another. Also I can't drive. And rarely use a car to get anywhere. I use subways and trains. The only time I'm in a car is if I'm going to the airport, or visiting and someone else is driving. And no, I don't enjoy driving, or riding in cars.

16. Do you have pierced ears? If not, do you still wear earrings?

Yes. I have pierced ears. I rarely wear earrings - because I wear head-phones to work and at work all day long.

17. Do you own a smart speaker (Amazon Echo, Google Nest, Apple HomePod). If so, what do you use it for?

No. I do have a speaker, that you can use Alexa with - but I can't get it to work properly. I'm not techie. Nor really into gadgets. Also the whole idea of a smart speaker creeps me out.
shadowkat: (Default)
Weirdly, and believe it or not? I sleep better now than I used to. I used to average between 3-5 hours. Now, it's between 5-7 hours, so progress. I even get 8-9 hours intermittently. The smart watch has made a difference - it inspires me to get to bed earlier - and the move to the financial district means that I'm sleeping twenty minutes longer.

I've always had problems with sleep - since I was a child. Busy mind. I used to sleep with my books. And a cat or two. I was raised with cats. I miss the cats, actually - but can't really own one now for multiple reasons not worth going into? They did not help me sleep better.
Read more... )
Last night, I went to bed early, turned off everything around 9:00 pm, and was in bed by 9:40pm. Fell asleep by 10:16 pm (according to the watch at any rate), and ended up waking up at 2:30am, and couldn't get back to sleep - even though I listened to three different sleep meditations on the Calm app. One...kind of triggered a bad memory - it was talking about imagining being in a peaceful and safe place...and managed to remind me of a horror novel that I read over a year ago, and still haunts me to this day. (PenPal, avoid at all costs).

Me: It was about walking through a forest and for some reason it brought to mind this horrible scene from a horror novel -
Mother: How odd that a meditation about Star War's the "force" would trigger horror novel, usually the force is a good thing.
Me: No forest.
Mother: yes, the force.
Me: No. F-o-r-e-s-t, Forest.
Mother: Ohhhh. That makes more sense. I thought you said force.

Sigh. It is possible to have conversations with folks, use words in the same language, and completely not understand one another.
Read more... )

****

Been seeing advertisements in the subway for "Friend.com" - stating things like, "Friend: listens to you, responds, and supports you" and "binge a entire television series with you", "share adventures"...and I thought, oh, this must be friending app, similar to a dating app, except for platonic relationships! I should go check this out.

Eh.

Turns out my definition of "friend" isn't exactly the same as others?

Friend is an AI wearable pendant that records everything you say and do, and after collecting all this data - analyzes it and talks to you about it

From the The Verge

An AI pendant that you wear around your neck constantly, records your voice and all your discussions, and supports you, talks back to you and is your friend )

Apparently he spent $1.5 M just to buy the domain name.

I don't know, I find the concept kind of frightening? And really disturbing? That's not how I define friendship. Friendship is supporting each other, listening to each other, and caring about each other, and enjoying things together, debating things, discussing things, and sometimes disagreeing but being okay about it.

Although I guess it is weirdly reassuring in a misery loves company kind of way that there are so many people out there, including this guy, who crave friendship and can't quite find it?

In more disturbing AI news?Read more... )

Okay. What happened to friendship apps - where you just, you know, meet folks with similar interests? I feel like I woke up one morning and suddenly found myself living in a science fiction horror series by way of Black Mirror and Philip K Dick? And how can I extricate myself? Does anyone see an escape route? Because I want out. Also is there a way we can make any of this stop?

****

I did spend about an hour this morning talking to Art History Major (cubical mate) who is stuck at home recuperating from a stress fracture, which I think is a broken foot. Read more... )

*****

I'm avoiding the news as much as possible. I know what's going on in the world. I wish I didn't. My way of coping is ruthlessly mocking it and making fun of everything. I managed to make myself and various co-workers laugh today. So, that's a win, right?

One co-worker thinks we should all go to group therapy for the trauma of Crazy Org's merger of the agencies. I'm beginning to think the entire United States needs some group therapy.

I found this "Portrait of Life/Portrait of Grief" rather moving and relatable:

shadowkat: (Default)
I'm thinking of going to bed earlier tonight and reading for a bit. I'm still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night and in pain.
So maybe Chamoille tea? I was trying to convince the doctor to prescribe muscle relaxants - but no, she thinks I should reduce my allergy meds, caffeine intake (decafe coffee and matcha lattes during the day), and drink more water instead. She's decided it's dehydration.

Well, she has a point. I'm taking way too many medications as it is. Mentioned this to mother, who felt the need to do a competition - apparently she's taking more than I am, and I have no grounds to complain.
I told her to stop - she was repeating some of the meds and giving me a headache. Mother had suggested the muscle relaxants - which is what she's taking.

Some doctors throw pills at you, mine is trying not to - considering I've already had too many pills from other doctors thrown at me.

**

Finished Buffy S3 rewatch - and as I mentioned on TV Talk - It's a mixed bag of a season. Ironically the weak link is Faith - and her relationship with Buffy, which should have been built better than it actually was. If it had been - I'd have cared more about the character. Such as it is - I was tired of her. Also, it reminded me of an issue I had with Whedon and his series (not just Buffy) - which is the whole Freudian crap. It was a bit too much on the nose with Faith and the Mayor (the guy turns into the Freudian equivalent of a giant phallic snake?). I think I liked Faith better when I first watched the series in the 1998-1999? But her character doesn't really date well? And has been handled better in other series since then? I liked her better on Angel actually, mainly because they built more of a relationship between Faith and Angel, than with Faith and Buffy. I think a huge mistake was not making Buffy bisexual or building up on that friendship in a way that they really became like sisters? As it is - Buffy doesn't really seem to have that much of a relationship with Faith - so it's hard to care. Angel seemed to have more of a connection with Faith somehow? I don't know. Other than Faith - I liked the season. I even like the Mayor as the villain.

The other difficulty I had with S3 - and it kind of drags towards the end - is one too many characters, and trying to do too many things, as a result several characters got lost in the shuffle, including Faith. Ensemble series are difficult to do well because of that.
shadowkat: (Default)
The world continues to be just a bit crazy?

It was a pretty day, and almost 9/11 weather but not quite. Also for the first time ever - I was in the Financial District on 9/11. About fifteen minutes away as the crow flies to the World Trade Center footprint. It is still called the World Trade Center - we just don't call it that - we call it the Freedom Tower. Trauma leaves its scars.



I thought it would be an issue? But it really wasn't. I work in a building that is closer to Battery Park and Staten Island Ferry, not near the World Trade Center. I can see the Freedom Tower out of my office window, but I'm not really near it? And so didn't run into any of the crowds or political power brokers who felt a need to make an appearance (basically all the mayoral candidates), Frump didn't go (he went to the Pentagon instead - because NY kind of made it clear he wasn't welcome), but he also came to the city, to visit the site in the afternoon and to go to the Yankees game (most likely will get booed again - like he did at the US Open). The only downside of NYC, is everyone and their entourage feels the need to come here. But, on the bright side? It's a huge city, so I don't tend to see them.

Speaking of Frump. Mother was amused that he sued the Wall Street Journal ("WSJ")for $81 million defamation suit, and Rupert Murdoch (aka Fox News, Tabloid King and Frump crony, owns the Journal and didn't back down and even let Fox cover the story. She couldn't remember what it was about. I was reminded today - via a headline on Mozilla Firefox home page, with CBS News covering it (also ironic considering), and an email from one of the many news outlets that I keep unsubscribing from and they keep ignoring me.

The skinny? Read more... )

Honestly, the satire writes itself now, doesn't it? No wonder SNL gave up.

In other news, Frump's NASA and a bunch of folks at Frump's Pentagon are worried about a globe that a bunch of drones tried to unsuccessfully take down.

US House UFO Hearing regarding US Missile Strikes on Unidentified Object - and it Bounces off of it

Read more... )

I saw the news blurb - when asked if it scared them by the House, they said yup.

I don't know but I feel like the science fiction novel that I wrote in my head and then on my computer between 2012-2016 is coming true? Frump became President, there was a pandemic, my brother went to Hawaii, and now we have aliens? Is a mutant zombie apocalypse next? I don't want to be a prognosticator - if causes a great deal of anxiety, is somewhat vague, I usually don't believe it nor does anyone else, and I can't do anything to change any of it. I'd much rather be oblivious.

Leaving you with a photo of the World Trade Center - on a bright sunny day like today. We rebuilt it better, and with a lovely memorial.

shadowkat: (Default)
I didn't sleep that well last night, allegedly got seven hours, but with a lot of intermittent wake-ups.

I listen to sleep stories at the moment, via Calm, to get to sleep - for the most part, it is working. Depends on the sleep story.

Catiching up on September - Question a Day Memage

6. What’s the last book you read – did you enjoy it/would you recommend it?

This is hard. Mainly because I'm in another reading slump, and have started and given up on a lot of books lately.

So, the last one I finished and recall? Was Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (I linked you to another person's book review - who liked the book, while I slogged through it and had issues with the narrative style and writing.)

It's about an elderly woman's friendship with an octopus - who helps her figure out what happened to her son, who went missing decades ago. The book is more focused on the quirky characters than it is on the plot, so as a result the plot is haphazard at best, and depends largely on the stupidity of its characters to move forward. And the characters are remarkably dense.
The octopus has to work overtime to help them figure things out.

I don't know - it's a popular book? I just didn't like it. Although I did finish it - which is more than I can say for the last seven books I've tried to read.

7. Is there anything you know is an extravagance, but you still pay for it regularly because you want to treat yourself?

Sigh. Most likely my television streaming subscription services, and the matcha lattes I get. Also an occasional gluten-free baked good (chocolate chip cookie, donut, muffin...brownie).

8. Can you take a nap and still sleep well that night, or are naps just for when you are unwell?

No. I only take naps when I'm sick or haven't slept the night before, and my body dozes off (so not feeling well). I'm not much of a sleeper. And if I nap, I get groggy and can't sleep at night. Everyone in my family seems to have this problem.

9. When you look outside, what do you see right now?

It's night, so the silhouettes of trees and leaves,reflections of things in the windows (pictures on my walls, easel, chair, stained glass stars hanging from window sills) and a dark sky, also for a while a spotlight. It's the week of 9/11 and they shine spotlights in the sky to remember the twin towers. It looked like the moon - so I wondered if it was, and realized, no a spotlight - the light went to the ground like a spotlight. It's gone now. Saw it last night too.

10. Are there any confectionary bars they don’t make any more that you miss (describe them)?

Okay, not sure what this is? Oh, candy bars.

I don't think there are any that I loved that they don't make any more? Ponders. No. Even saw a Whatmacallit recently. I just can't have them any longer. But that's not because they aren't being made.
shadowkat: (Default)
Sorry, it's been a while, and I don't know about anyone else? But I've found the news to be a bit tiring. And have emotionally distanced myself from it for the most part - for my own mental and emotional and physical health. Every time I look at it - I feel like I'm watching an absurd ping pong match to the death, between all the States, Federal Courts and Social Activists vs. the corrupt and ineffectual wannabee fascist Federal Government & their cronies. But hey, it is entertaining from a Civics/Student of Government perspective, also if you are a litigation attorney specializing in constitutional law and civil rights law, and anyone who is into political satire and not currently living in the US or affected by its policies. Basically if you are living on a remote island in the China Sea, and in which case, you're probably clueless.

Anyhow, despite all that, here's a list of good news items that I've found.
As always, keep in mind good news is in the eye of the beholder, and mileage may well vary on the below.

Good News Report from the Resistance and their Global Allies

100 Good News Items )
***

Quotes

* " “If something really matters to you,” Beverley Fehr, a University of Winnipeg psychologist, told me, “there’s a vulnerability in sharing it with someone else.” When we declare a favorite book, movie, or album and introduce it to others, Jeffrey Hall, a communications-studies professor at the University of Kansas, told me, “what we’re doing is saying, ‘This is an aspect of my identity that I’m willingly putting out there in order for other people to know me. And if you reject this thing, you reject me.’” Tom Vanderbilt, the author of You May Also Like, said that recommending something to someone can be like giving a gift, in that “it says something about you, but you’re also trying to anticipate what they might like.”
- The Atlantic

*“When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” – ELVIS PRESLEY

* "Hike your own hike." - Sleep Story (Calm).
***
Lusting after a Vacation

Ah, something to lust after: Skillcations to exotic places...such as photography in Uganda, Knitting in Iceland, cooking in Italy...
***

Nice News Book Rec: The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us About How to Live Well with the Rest of Our Life by Rob Dun

brief description )

***

Music Rec

In 1975, “Bohemian Rhapsody” became an instant classic. While countless covers (from The Muppets to Glee) have paid tribute to what’s considered one of rock’s most enduring anthems, Queen has never authorized a translation of the song — until now. Fifty years after the single was released, a new version is delighting fans, this time in the Zulu language and performed by South Africa’s acclaimed Ndlovu Youth Choir.
Read more... )
We’d say mission (above and beyond) accomplished: Watch the music video to decide for yourself.​

https://nicenews.com/culture/queen-bohemian-rhapsody-zulu-version/

Music Video of Zulu Translation of Bohemian Rhapsody )


shadowkat: (Default)
After high humidity, thunderstorms through most of yesterday afternoon and well into the night, and rain this morning, it's cleared off and is actually bright and sunny and kind of cheerful outside.

Also almost six pm. A bit late to take a walk. I need to make dinner, lunch for tomorrow. Eat. And go to bed - hopefully by 9:30-9:45. I did manage to sleep 9 hours last night, which is a first.

And for some reason or other, I'm still craving chocolate chip cookies. I caved and baked three. The blood sugar eventually went up. I regretted it. Such is life. I won't cave again.

I intended to go to church this morning and do the high line in the city - but alas, it was raining. So I stayed home and watched it on FB instead. Glad I did - their bathrooms and kitchen had no water, and they were offering ice cream instead of carousel rides to the kiddies - because the picnic in Brooklyn Bridge Park had been cancelled. They ended with my favorite religious song - Harry Belafonte's Turn the World Around. My father's was Amazing Grace, mine is "Turn the World Around" - I want Turn the World Around sung at my funeral - although I don't want a funeral - I hate funeral's. I want a small happy gathering on a mountain top, around a campfire, at a river bank, and at a beach, with my ashes spread at each, and this song sung at each place.

That song just comforts me and makes me really happy. The fact that my church keeps singing it about five or six times a year - keeps pulling me back towards it like a magnet.

****

I didn't do much this weekend. My brain required a break so it took one?
I did watch a few things and re-watched a few things. It's September now, and I've always loved September. (My favorite seasons are the fall and spring, I tend to like the in-between, more then the extreme in both temperatures and growth - the waning of the light, and the renewal of it.) I feel it's a kind of renewal? Or chance at new things, and letting go of old things. It was always the start of school, new television seasons, and theater seasons - and in NYC - the start of a new cultural year. While at work - the beginning of the fall holiday season.

Television

1. K-Pop Demon Hunters - on Netflix. This is a fun little movie. I adored it. And I wouldn't consider myself a fan of K-Pop? Pop music tends to annoy me after a bit, and K-Pop is kind of an extreme form of it? Although it has great choreography. This movie also is a kind of 3D computer generated version of anime - which I am not a fan of? But? I loved this. It's adorable, it has an uplifting message, the characters are likable, and it's fun.

I didn't understand what all the hype was about - until I saw it. It's kind of a hopeful movie in difficult times?

2. K-Popped on Apple TV - this is a reality competition show that takes place in Seoul, Korea - and where they split a popular and very large girl's k-pop band into two groups, and pair each group of five or six girls with a popular Western singer. Then the girls teach the Western singer their choreography, the singer teaches the girls their song, and they K-Pop it, while sharing aspects of the Korean culture with the Western singers. They two groups compete. One wins, and it's all very nice, and not all that competitive. They are established - so there's no need to compete for money or fame. It's just a fun little competition.

The one I saw was Keisha's Savage vs. Patti La Belle's Lady Marmalade.
Personally I think Savage was better choreographed? But I prefer Lady Marmalade. I also learned or was reminded of what "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir" - meant.

It's kind of fun? I'm not a huge fan of pop or K-Pop, and watching people be interviewed, doesn't do a lot for me, but it's good background noise.

3. Rogue One and Star Wars: A New Hope - these two films work really well as a two-parter. Actually, Andor S1 and 2, followed directly with Rogue One, and finally Star Wars - is highly satisfying, tragic, and uplifting, and hopeful all at the same time. Talk about a prequel that manages to make the original film that aired over forty years prior, better? Star Wars was good without Rogue One and Andor, but both the film Rogue One and the series Andor - manage to provide a depth and gravitas to Star Wars that wasn't there prior? The stakes are higher somehow. Star Wars is a more suspenseful film after you see Rogue One and Andor, because you see how much is riding on Han, Leia, Luke, Obi-Wan, C3-PO and R2-D2's success. A lot of people died so they could take out the Death Star, and save the Rebel Base of Yavin.
Read more... )

4. Alien: Earth - still watching. But it's creepy, and we'll see how long I stick with it. Read more... )
shadowkat: (Default)
At least it was a pretty day today. Clear and sunny, until clouds moved in at the end of it threatening rain. So I took a walk along the pier at lunchtime - and on the way back picked up two gluten-free chocolate chip cookies from Insominac Cookies (they are freshly baked cookies), and an iced matcha latte from Grumpy Coffee, which is conveniently around the corner from Gregory's and Crazy Workplace. It's not perfect, but it is a workable substitute to Gregory's and cheaper. Also it has decafe coffee.
And there's also Cafe Rumi, which has gluten free muffins and lemon loaf.
I'm slowly developing a list of places that provide gluten-free items around my work place and home.

Everything is confusing me at the moment. I've decided the world (inclusive of my work place) has gone bat-shit crazy, and I want to take a sabbatical from all of it to parts unknown. But I guess I could just attempt an internet and news sabbatical over the weekend - and veg on scripted and fictional television shows, books, and writing. Plus doing watercolors, taking long walks, and maybe going to church on Sunday - along with the High Line (depending on the weather). I'm also considering taking a page from colls book and trying the 30 day yoga/meditation challenge - to help center myself. I meditate for about ten to fifteen minutes every morning before work, and thirty minutes in bed - with various sleep stories. Utilizing mostly the Calm app, I think I've burned through everything of use on the Headspace app and will unsubscribe from it soon.

I'm confused and overloaded at work. They keep changing the process and procedures on me, and I'm no longer certain if the people running the organization know what they are doing? Example? It's been five years since the merger and creation of new departmental agency and we still don't have an org chart. Also, the real estate department keeps playing a shell game with people. The folks seated behind me where moved from Brooklyn to the City, and now are being moved back, except they can't be moved back yet, because the real estate department doesn't know what to do with the people currently occupying that space, and the people they want to move into their current space - don't want to move. Everyone is confused. I was taught that government is basically organized chaos, but lately it's becoming increasing more chaos and less organized.

My brain is taking the weekend off. It's tired of keeping track of everything. It needs a break.

***

Question a Day Meme

3. Do you like trying new things? What’s the last new thing you tried (a craft, a new food, a new activity or something else)?

Yes, although within reason. I'm a curious person but also an extreemly cautious one. Lately I've been trying gluten free chocolate chip cookies, and baked items. Last week it was bread from a new gluten free bakery I discovered. I also like checking out new music, new books, new television shows, new shoes, new foods...I'm considering tofu chocolate mousse (if I can find tofu, thinking health food store or Asian market). My brain is a bit of a blank at the moment as to new things I recently tried though?

4. Peter Mark Roget was born in 1779 and wrote the ‘Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition”. Roget’s Thesaurus has never been out of print – have you ever used a thesaurus?

Yes. At one point I had an online version. Also owned them. I'm a professional wordsmith - my job involves hunting the right or precise words to use in financial and legal documents, well it's a portion of the job.

5. It’s International Day of Charity – do you regularly (or occasionally) donate to any local or National charities?

Yes. Both. Read more... )
shadowkat: (Default)
And should just go to bed.

But I had keto cookie dough ice cream with chocolate and whipped cream (which kind of renders the keto portion of it null and void?) and it's keeping me awake for a bit.

From another post - I'm struggling to define "stealth anthology series" - this is going to bug me. My mind loves to torture itself with semantics debates - it's the downside of being a professional wordsmith, who has to be precise with phrasing for a living. My work bleeds into my personal life, no matter what I do to separate it.

Found a definition via AI:

"A "stealth anthology" is a series that functions as an anthology but presents itself to the audience as a traditional serial drama with continuing characters and story arcs

The anthology format is hidden, or "in stealth mode," for a portion of the show's run.

The term gained prominence in pop culture criticism to describe shows that subvert audience expectations by featuring a new story or set of characters in each episode or season, despite having a continuous element that keeps viewers engaged.

A prominent example is the television show Quantum Leap, where a time-traveler jumps into a different person's life each episode. While the time-traveler and his holographic guide are continuous characters, the central story of each episode (the person's life they inhabit) and the supporting cast are always new.

How a stealth anthology works

The framing device: A consistent character or small cast provides continuity from one story to the next.

The new cast: Each new installment features a fresh set of characters and a self-contained plot that resolves by the end of the episode or season.

The audience hook: The continuous framing device pulls the audience along, even if they aren't invested in a particular week's story, allowing the show to explore many different genres and premises.

The genre shift: By essentially doing a different show each week, a stealth anthology can seamlessly move between genres like hard-boiled detective fiction, domestic comedy, musical theater, and science fiction.

Critics Pick Their Favorite Anthology Series of All Time
Aug 20, 2019 — How are we defining “anthology,” exactly? A show that tells a new story with new characters each season? In that case, it's probably “Fargo,” even though I had ...

Hmmm.

I'd say a stealth anthology series that is by episode is most like Pokerface or Quantum Leap or maybe Murder She Wrote. I don't know about Doctor Who - it has a serial through line, as does most procedurals. The characters build new relationships. Also Doctor Who has recurring characters. Actually it may be the very definition of "stealth anthology" - since it is a serial whose characters often change entirely with each new Doctor. Fargo, True Detective, American Horror Story, and American Crime are all stealth anthologies.

Okay, my brain has figured it out now and will let it go, so I can sleep.
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