Thursday is hanging in there?
Oct. 2nd, 2025 06:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. 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. I had forgotten how good they were. Funny, moving, and comforting all at the same time. There's a lot of really good jokes and one liners in these shows. The writers and actors have good comedic timing. Fear Itself is rather funny in places and has some excellent sight gags. Anya and Spike are good editions to the show, as is Riley, at this point. Even Harmony works - they managed to find a way to make her interesting. I still don't like the character - she annoys me, but pairing her with Spike is actually amusing. He's kind of torturing himself by being with her. And Anya and Spike, along with Riley, are good replacements for Cordelia and Angel - they add friction, and humor.
In the Dark and Room with a View are a mixed bag. I like Room better. Which surprised me. OZ doesn't help Dark much, while Spike is a great addition, and I almost wish they'd added Spike to Angel a lot earlier than they did. Or he'd been in it longer - since Angel and Spike work off of each other well - the actors have great chemistry. Spike also has good chemistry with Cordelia. OZ...sigh, at this point, Green was walking through the role - and clearly interested in doing something else. The guest star, Marcus, looks a lot like Anthony Edwards from ER. (He's not.) It was distracting. Maybe that was the point? It was interesting - that Spike felt the need to hire someone to torture Angel and couldn't do it himself. Spike to my knowledge hasn't tortured anyone on screen. He seems to get off on being tortured, but he won't torture anyone. Angel actually kind of makes fun of him on multiple occasions for this - in What's Your Line, he mocks Spike for not being into torture, and how its a failing, and here - he tells him he's an idiot for hiring someone to torture Angel, who is a vampire, and will probably want the ring. Also, as Angelus - when he starts torturing Giles, Spike steps in and suggests having Dru seduce and interrogate Giles instead. He really isn't into torturing people. Not sure why the writers chose to go in that direction with the character? Angel meanwhile doesn't seem to have an issue with torturing people - and almost gets off on it. Which indicates to me - that the writers saw Spike as more humorous, and not quite as nasty and dangerous as Angelus. Rm with a View - does a good job of getting across Cordelia's character, who is very self-involved. I also realized watching this episode - knowing what I know about the series and how it ends - that everyone who hooks up with Angel - dies. Doyle, Cordy, Wes, Fred, Gunn...all die. He's cursed to be alone.
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. Does her research, and executes it well. Also she's brought along some help with Rebecca Griggs and her husband Dev. Landau appears to know a good percentage of the supporting cast, and crew. So we've got interviews with the actors who played: Principles Flutie and Snyder, The Master, Spike, Darla, and so on. Also she has little vignettes - instead of full rewatch. For the Pack - she does a parody of the Three's Company song. Landau also brings along "Drusilla" or "Scooby Dru" - who rewatchs and comments on the episodes as well, while Rebecca Griggs facilitates. Dru is equal parts hilarious and annoying though. There were points in which I wanted to tell her to shut up, and get on with the good stuff.
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..
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. I had forgotten how good they were. Funny, moving, and comforting all at the same time. There's a lot of really good jokes and one liners in these shows. The writers and actors have good comedic timing. Fear Itself is rather funny in places and has some excellent sight gags. Anya and Spike are good editions to the show, as is Riley, at this point. Even Harmony works - they managed to find a way to make her interesting. I still don't like the character - she annoys me, but pairing her with Spike is actually amusing. He's kind of torturing himself by being with her. And Anya and Spike, along with Riley, are good replacements for Cordelia and Angel - they add friction, and humor.
In the Dark and Room with a View are a mixed bag. I like Room better. Which surprised me. OZ doesn't help Dark much, while Spike is a great addition, and I almost wish they'd added Spike to Angel a lot earlier than they did. Or he'd been in it longer - since Angel and Spike work off of each other well - the actors have great chemistry. Spike also has good chemistry with Cordelia. OZ...sigh, at this point, Green was walking through the role - and clearly interested in doing something else. The guest star, Marcus, looks a lot like Anthony Edwards from ER. (He's not.) It was distracting. Maybe that was the point? It was interesting - that Spike felt the need to hire someone to torture Angel and couldn't do it himself. Spike to my knowledge hasn't tortured anyone on screen. He seems to get off on being tortured, but he won't torture anyone. Angel actually kind of makes fun of him on multiple occasions for this - in What's Your Line, he mocks Spike for not being into torture, and how its a failing, and here - he tells him he's an idiot for hiring someone to torture Angel, who is a vampire, and will probably want the ring. Also, as Angelus - when he starts torturing Giles, Spike steps in and suggests having Dru seduce and interrogate Giles instead. He really isn't into torturing people. Not sure why the writers chose to go in that direction with the character? Angel meanwhile doesn't seem to have an issue with torturing people - and almost gets off on it. Which indicates to me - that the writers saw Spike as more humorous, and not quite as nasty and dangerous as Angelus. Rm with a View - does a good job of getting across Cordelia's character, who is very self-involved. I also realized watching this episode - knowing what I know about the series and how it ends - that everyone who hooks up with Angel - dies. Doyle, Cordy, Wes, Fred, Gunn...all die. He's cursed to be alone.
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. Does her research, and executes it well. Also she's brought along some help with Rebecca Griggs and her husband Dev. Landau appears to know a good percentage of the supporting cast, and crew. So we've got interviews with the actors who played: Principles Flutie and Snyder, The Master, Spike, Darla, and so on. Also she has little vignettes - instead of full rewatch. For the Pack - she does a parody of the Three's Company song. Landau also brings along "Drusilla" or "Scooby Dru" - who rewatchs and comments on the episodes as well, while Rebecca Griggs facilitates. Dru is equal parts hilarious and annoying though. There were points in which I wanted to tell her to shut up, and get on with the good stuff.
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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Date: 2025-10-03 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-10-03 08:52 pm (UTC)