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shadowkatIt's almost the end of 2020. One day left. Just one more day.
[I didn't walk around the cemetery today - this was from yesterday. It was overcast today - I just picked up stuff from the store.]
I keep taking pictures of the same angels and statues in different seasons.
And skylines. I doubt you notice that much since the previous pictures disappear after about a month. DW sucks at hosting photos. The only three things I miss from lj are: photo hosting, poll making, and some of the people who were on it. Why am I off? Copyright issues. If you don't pay for the platform, you have to give them (a Russian corporation in Russia) rights to your content to do whatever they or the Russian government wished to do with it. [I also know Russia doesn't respect international copyright laws). I balked. LJ was imported here and summarily deleted on lj. End of story.
[Note - in the 1990s- early 00s, I wrote and negotiated online content license agreements for an international online database - which included journal content from around the world and was sold around the world, and I've negotiated contracts for over 20 years now. So I knew what they were doing. ] The other reason? I got tired of the DDS attacks and Russian political and marketing spam. Not to mention the advertisements.
A Russian co-worker thought I was nuts for leaving it - but he's also Russian and doesn't understand intellectual property law.
New York vs. the Corona Virus
I'm thinking the Governor is losing patience? Today though, he proudly announced the opening of the new Penn Station or Monyhan Station, named after New York Senator Patrick Monyhan, whose essays I was tasked with reading in high school. Why? Because Patrick Monyhan lobbied for a new Penn Station, even since the old one got redone to house Madison Square Garden, to the woe of commuters everywhere.
The new one cost a measly 1.6 billion, actually it was slightly more than that. The planning study to figure out how to do it - cost 1.7 million. And they didn't include that, nor did they include the amount of the signage design. It took forever. I'll try to see it at some point - but I'm in no rush. The subway is now completely separate from the Long Island Railroad and Amtrak - which is a good thing. Part of the congestion was due to the people going to the subway running smack into the thousands of folks waiting for their trains. It was a mess.
He also is trying to figure out how to open up the economy while the pandemic continues to rage around him. The key appears to be rapid testing, which apparently is the key to everything. He is going to allow 7500 people to attend a Buffalo Bills home playoff game in an experiment. They will be rapid tested an hour or two before they go inside, if negative they get to go in. Then afterwards, tested again, and contact tracing measures employed. They figure since this is an outdoor stadium and capacity is well above that amount, this may work. They can have them evenly spaced. According to mother, they did try this at a Kansas City Chiefs game - where people were in attendance, but evenly spaced and wearing masks, and socially distanced.
The reporters asked why they were doing it - simple - open up the economy.
He is experimenting with the Buffalo Bills - so he can then experiment with restaurants, concert venues, Broadway theaters, movie theaters, etc. These can't remain closed for another 12 months.
Governor is trying to get people to stay the course regarding the virus. The Finger Lakes continue to rise in cases, and their hospitals are hitting capacity. NY State has risen to 7-8% infection rate, sill much lower than many other states. Jacob Javits Center is being readied for overflow.
This is closer to what today looked like, sans snow...
My parents are getting worse. I called and found myself talking to the news. My father had picked up the phone and couldn't figure out how to work it. He is trying to help my mother though - who can barely walk due to the excruciating pain in her hip, leg and back. We're worried she screwed her hip and back up helping my father. So now she's using a walker.
My brother offered to look into retirement/assisted care centers near him, when my father passes. It does make sense to move mother closer to us. And the city is not the best idea. But I hate to move her from Hilton Head where her friends are. I don't know. Thinking about it is painful. And there's nothing I can do from my end but weather on.
I got a little depressed after talking to her. Tried to work on the new fantasy story I'm playing with but drew a blank. My writing or muse isn't convenient - it wants to take off when I should be making dinner, breakfast, taking a walk, working or sleeping. Very annoying muse.
Went grocery shopping again - the store was not crowded, thankfully. I could not find marshmellow fluff to save my life - which means the universe doesn't want me to make fudge. Or have it. I did find the rest of the ingredients for a pumpkin pie and a quiche, I bought two gluten free pie crusts yesterday. Goal is to attempt it, at any rate. Also bought lobster tails for New Year's and filet mignon. I have sparkling wine in little cans to go with it.
And found a quiche recipe.
Television Shows
Making my way through The Great Pottery Throw Down - my difficulty with it is it kind of steadily slides down-hill per season, same problem I had with Great British Bake-Off, to be honest. Both start out really good with a clear focus, and then someone tinkers with the format and each year they tinker more and more, until they kind of begin to remove what I liked about it. It's annoying. I want to find the tinkerer and tell them to knock it off - stop trying to fix what isn't broken. Leave it be.
This is true of a lot of television series, unfortunately. More so post internet, although it happened pre-internet as well.
Also making my way through His Dark Materials (which I'm still enjoying a great deal because I adore the characters and the casting is spot on). And Bridgerton - also very good, but not for anyone who doesn't like historical romances. I like Bridgerton better than Outlander, mainly because there's no rape to propel the plot forward, or torture or violence. The problem with realistic romance is it tends to be violent and often includes sexual violence. I don't enjoy it nor find it interesting to watch. I know it is prevalent in the Outlander series - from the reviews, reading the first book, and the show-runner who seems to like to explore torture and sexual violence in depth. Ron Moore has it in all his series, and it's problematic in all of them. One of the reasons I did not like Deep Space Nine was the torture and rape implications in the later seasons. And it was also a problem that I had with BSG. This is by the way a problem that I have with a lot of Joss Whedon's work as well - he liked to explore sexual violence a bit too much for my taste.
The nice thing about Bridgerton is it's not in it nor does it focus on rape. When someone tries to sexually assault the heroine - she clocks him - knocking him clean out. Impresses the Duke, who is a boxer.
I don't know how to end this post. How about a pretty picture that will disappear in a month's time?
[I didn't walk around the cemetery today - this was from yesterday. It was overcast today - I just picked up stuff from the store.]
I keep taking pictures of the same angels and statues in different seasons.
And skylines. I doubt you notice that much since the previous pictures disappear after about a month. DW sucks at hosting photos. The only three things I miss from lj are: photo hosting, poll making, and some of the people who were on it. Why am I off? Copyright issues. If you don't pay for the platform, you have to give them (a Russian corporation in Russia) rights to your content to do whatever they or the Russian government wished to do with it. [I also know Russia doesn't respect international copyright laws). I balked. LJ was imported here and summarily deleted on lj. End of story.
[Note - in the 1990s- early 00s, I wrote and negotiated online content license agreements for an international online database - which included journal content from around the world and was sold around the world, and I've negotiated contracts for over 20 years now. So I knew what they were doing. ] The other reason? I got tired of the DDS attacks and Russian political and marketing spam. Not to mention the advertisements.
A Russian co-worker thought I was nuts for leaving it - but he's also Russian and doesn't understand intellectual property law.
New York vs. the Corona Virus
I'm thinking the Governor is losing patience? Today though, he proudly announced the opening of the new Penn Station or Monyhan Station, named after New York Senator Patrick Monyhan, whose essays I was tasked with reading in high school. Why? Because Patrick Monyhan lobbied for a new Penn Station, even since the old one got redone to house Madison Square Garden, to the woe of commuters everywhere.
The new one cost a measly 1.6 billion, actually it was slightly more than that. The planning study to figure out how to do it - cost 1.7 million. And they didn't include that, nor did they include the amount of the signage design. It took forever. I'll try to see it at some point - but I'm in no rush. The subway is now completely separate from the Long Island Railroad and Amtrak - which is a good thing. Part of the congestion was due to the people going to the subway running smack into the thousands of folks waiting for their trains. It was a mess.
He also is trying to figure out how to open up the economy while the pandemic continues to rage around him. The key appears to be rapid testing, which apparently is the key to everything. He is going to allow 7500 people to attend a Buffalo Bills home playoff game in an experiment. They will be rapid tested an hour or two before they go inside, if negative they get to go in. Then afterwards, tested again, and contact tracing measures employed. They figure since this is an outdoor stadium and capacity is well above that amount, this may work. They can have them evenly spaced. According to mother, they did try this at a Kansas City Chiefs game - where people were in attendance, but evenly spaced and wearing masks, and socially distanced.
The reporters asked why they were doing it - simple - open up the economy.
He is experimenting with the Buffalo Bills - so he can then experiment with restaurants, concert venues, Broadway theaters, movie theaters, etc. These can't remain closed for another 12 months.
Governor is trying to get people to stay the course regarding the virus. The Finger Lakes continue to rise in cases, and their hospitals are hitting capacity. NY State has risen to 7-8% infection rate, sill much lower than many other states. Jacob Javits Center is being readied for overflow.
This is closer to what today looked like, sans snow...
My parents are getting worse. I called and found myself talking to the news. My father had picked up the phone and couldn't figure out how to work it. He is trying to help my mother though - who can barely walk due to the excruciating pain in her hip, leg and back. We're worried she screwed her hip and back up helping my father. So now she's using a walker.
My brother offered to look into retirement/assisted care centers near him, when my father passes. It does make sense to move mother closer to us. And the city is not the best idea. But I hate to move her from Hilton Head where her friends are. I don't know. Thinking about it is painful. And there's nothing I can do from my end but weather on.
I got a little depressed after talking to her. Tried to work on the new fantasy story I'm playing with but drew a blank. My writing or muse isn't convenient - it wants to take off when I should be making dinner, breakfast, taking a walk, working or sleeping. Very annoying muse.
Went grocery shopping again - the store was not crowded, thankfully. I could not find marshmellow fluff to save my life - which means the universe doesn't want me to make fudge. Or have it. I did find the rest of the ingredients for a pumpkin pie and a quiche, I bought two gluten free pie crusts yesterday. Goal is to attempt it, at any rate. Also bought lobster tails for New Year's and filet mignon. I have sparkling wine in little cans to go with it.
And found a quiche recipe.
Television Shows
Making my way through The Great Pottery Throw Down - my difficulty with it is it kind of steadily slides down-hill per season, same problem I had with Great British Bake-Off, to be honest. Both start out really good with a clear focus, and then someone tinkers with the format and each year they tinker more and more, until they kind of begin to remove what I liked about it. It's annoying. I want to find the tinkerer and tell them to knock it off - stop trying to fix what isn't broken. Leave it be.
This is true of a lot of television series, unfortunately. More so post internet, although it happened pre-internet as well.
Also making my way through His Dark Materials (which I'm still enjoying a great deal because I adore the characters and the casting is spot on). And Bridgerton - also very good, but not for anyone who doesn't like historical romances. I like Bridgerton better than Outlander, mainly because there's no rape to propel the plot forward, or torture or violence. The problem with realistic romance is it tends to be violent and often includes sexual violence. I don't enjoy it nor find it interesting to watch. I know it is prevalent in the Outlander series - from the reviews, reading the first book, and the show-runner who seems to like to explore torture and sexual violence in depth. Ron Moore has it in all his series, and it's problematic in all of them. One of the reasons I did not like Deep Space Nine was the torture and rape implications in the later seasons. And it was also a problem that I had with BSG. This is by the way a problem that I have with a lot of Joss Whedon's work as well - he liked to explore sexual violence a bit too much for my taste.
The nice thing about Bridgerton is it's not in it nor does it focus on rape. When someone tries to sexually assault the heroine - she clocks him - knocking him clean out. Impresses the Duke, who is a boxer.
I don't know how to end this post. How about a pretty picture that will disappear in a month's time?
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 04:35 pm (UTC)Tinkerers also mess up the software and the websites I like. News of a big upgrade or refresh never augurs well.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 08:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 08:05 pm (UTC)I will say, though, that Rege Jean-Page is one of the most handsome men I've ever seen. It's just not fair how good looking he is. If he's the duke in question, well.....
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 08:45 pm (UTC)That's hilarious.
Bridgerton is kind of like Pride & Prejudice in that its a comedy of manners. And it really isn't intended for heterosexual guys, although they do watch it. It's for heterosexual women mainly. You're not the demographic or target audience. (Although I do know quite a few heterosexual men who like these shows.)
The humor is kind of subtle. I love it - but I love historical romance novels and soap operas. And that's exactly what it is. There are however historical romance novels with Buffy or Katniss style heroines in them. The one I'm reading now has a woman who is a clean shot, great archer, and learning to use a dagger - also works for her father as a spy. This series is more in line with the P&P trope, which is popular in Regency Romances.
Outlander - I read the first book. It ends with the male hero being brutally raped, and the heroine finding a way to reach him after he is rescued. So it flips that trope on its head. However, you get to see in the television series the male rape in graphic detail. And in S2, the heroine is raped, and in the third, a child is raped. And In the fourth season - I think it is the fourth, the heroine is gang raped. After I finished the first book - I went online and read reviews and found out that every single lead character in the series (I mean every single one, male and female) gets raped as either a plot point or a way of moving a character forward. Uhm no. The author has an obsession with the rape trope.
I will say, though, that Rege Jean-Page is one of the most handsome men I've ever seen. It's just not fair how good looking he is. If he's the duke in question, well.....
Yep, he's the Duke of Hastings. And he's...all that and more. Honestly, he's possibly the hottest leading man that I've ever seen in costume drama. And definitely outdoes both Spike and Angel in the hot department. If he'd shown up as Robin Wood or a competing vampire - Buffy would have forgotten everything but him.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 09:01 pm (UTC)Yeesh. I'm glad I never got into Outlander. Don't need that.
I told my daughter that I thought Jean-Page was the best looking man I've seen since Brad Pitt and George Clooney were his age (30). If you can legit be classed in that company then you've really got it.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 09:19 pm (UTC)There are some actors who look better on camera and with makeup than in reality. (See James Marsters.) Others, who just look amazing no matter what.
Although - I know from a friend who worked on a film with Brad Pitt that he has horrible skin. (So he looks better on camera than in reality too.)
no subject
Date: 2020-12-31 10:04 pm (UTC)That skin problem is common with actors. It was true of Robert Redford too. I guess the makeup hides everything but the bone structure and basic outlines.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-01 03:36 am (UTC)It's amazing what you can do with technology. I noticed it on Wonder Woman 84 - they clearly photoshopped Pedro Pascal's face - it was too smooth.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-01 01:37 pm (UTC)