Spontaneous Musings

Spent most of the day watching television, while it rained. It's not that bad where I am? But I know that five miles north of me, there can be flooding. NYC is crazy when it comes to weather? It's a bunch of islands.
And it can be sunny in one place, and high winds and drenching down pours in another. Also the subways really aren't set up for drenching down pours. They are working on fixing the problem - however. They have an emergency response network set up. I know, I listened to a presentation on it.

1. Lanterns - I'm up to date on Lanterns. The problem I'm having with it - is that the only Lantern, I like is Hal Jordan. John Stewart isn't bad - but he annoys me. He's an entitled ass. Guy Gardner, is also an entitled arrogant ass. Hal Jordan on the other hand has a world weary vulnerability and a snarky sense of humor. Plus he's played by Kyle Chandler who I adore.

Why is this a problem? ( spoilers )

Lanterns, Supergirl and Peacemaker underline an on-going issue with DC's films and why they aren't as popular as Marvel's.

Most of their heroes and characters bare a disturbing resemblance to Chris Pratt's Star Lord in behavior, temperament and sense of humor. And let's face it, a little of Star Lord goes a long way? And the only reason Guardians worked is all the other characters in it?

Yes, that may appeal to a few fans, but not a general global audience? Movies have to appeal to a much bigger audience than television shows and well, comics. They are more expensive to make.

Other than that - I am still enjoying it. I like the mystery set up. Even though, it doesn't quite work for me that everyone hates Hal Jordan, when he's the most likable and appealing of the three. Honestly, who could hate Kyle Chandler?

2. The Witch - directed by Robert Eggers, starring Ana Taylor-Joy (her first major film role - her face is fuller in this role and she's a lot younger).

Disturbing film. I'd place it the category of atmospheric psychological thriller? Although more creepy than scary? It is violent in places. Graphically so. But the colors are so muted, it's not clear. And most of the violence is implied off screen. Particularly the violence against children - that's not really shown - but it is implied.

Eggers adapts it from various folktales, historical documents, and legends of New England at the time. It takes place in 1630 New England - and is about a family of Pilgrims who have been outcast from their settlement. The father refused to follow the dictates of the settlement and its teachings. As a result, they were cast out to fend on their own. Things do not go well - to say the least or much chaos ensues.

The cinematography is well done for the most part. Although it is hard to figure out what is happening in some sections - the more horrific sections actually. Eggers is of the less is more school in horror. So he suggests what is happening. Also it's stripped of color for the most part, and is shown in dull color tones. (Thankfully. Since this is a graphically violent movie.)

Trigger Warning? Child death is heavily featured and while it's not exactly shown so much as implied and happens off screen? It's graphic. It's also rather brutal. If you have issues with the death of small children, violence against children, babies, or the molestation a ten year old boy - and that triggers you? Best to avoid.

3. Backrooms - directed by Kate Parsons, and distributed by A24. This is the horror film that A24 found on Youtube and funded the original director to turn into a movie. A24 has helped revitalize the horror film genre. And honestly A24 is turning out some of the more innovative films right now.

This is one mind-fuck of a movie. Eerie, disturbing and creepy on various levels. Takes the concept of psychological thriller to a whole new level.

I kind of went in blind. And I think you almost have to? Because the movie is difficult to describe without massive spoilers.

The setup? An owner of a furniture store - Captain Clark's Furniture Warehouse goes to Mary, a psychologist, to air out his issues. One night, Clark alone, watching television in his warehouse - he discovers something odd and goes to investigate. He probably should have left well enough alone. But curiosity and all that...and discovers well, a series of insane back rooms to the furniture store...rooms that shouldn't exist, and are designed in weird ways that make no sense. Alarmed and terrified, he tells Mary about them, who doesn't believe him. So he decides to go back and get proof...things do not go well and much chaos ensues.

To say this is a weird-ass film is putting it mildly. But it is really hard to talk about without spoiling you? So...leaving it at that.

Did I like it? I don't know? Does one ever really like horror? Is it a good movie? It's different, and interesting, and compelling, and very disturbing, not to mention creepy. But I have seen similar things - in some respects it reminds me a lot of Severance? Except better pacing. (It's a movie not a series. I couldn't get past the third episode of Severance - which kept putting me to sleep - this held my attention. Also it's scarier than Severance.)

4. Kate Moss's Labyrinth - this is the television miniseries adapted from Moss's novel. Not the David Bowie film (which I kind of liked better?). It does however have an interesting cast? Sebastian Stan and Vanessa Kirby star in it - and it is among their earliest roles. As does John Hurt, Tony Curran, John Lynch, Tom Felton...

It jumps back and forth between 2012 and the 13th Century (Medieval Times), following two separate women's searches for the holy grail. But not linked to Arthur. It's a thriller. In both time lines - the women are in danger.
The modern day time line has better pacing and is easier to follow. It's not executed well. I've seen this thing done better elsewhere.

It is okay? But the jumps back and forth are kind of jarring and not set up well or synced. And you can tell it was a made-for-network-television two part mini-series by the act cuts, where commercial breaks were supposed to be? Commercial television tends to be a bit jumpy? With lots of act breaks.

Also the film stock has faded a bit.

That said - Stan and Kirby, who aren't given much to work with, shine, along with John Hurt. I have a girl crush on Vanessa Kirby. That actress is good in everything. This is among her first roles. As it is for Stan. I'm admittedly watching it mainly for them. Other than that, it's kind of disappointing and I'm not sure yet if I'll continue with it.

(I found it on Amazon Prime, although it's also streaming on Roku and Tubi.)

Question a Day Meme - September:

20. Have you, or someone close to you, ever suffered a concussion?

Yes. I personally have suffered a concussion more than once. It's a good thing I have a hard skull. ( Read more... )

21. Have you ever played miniature golf?

Yes. Multiple times. Golf, sigh, all types, are insanely popular in the US. A long time ago, mainly in college. Not a fan. Golf seems kind of pointless to me? And not sustainable to the natural world. I'm not a fan of competitive sports that involve balls.

22. Larry Hagman was born today in 1931 – famous for I Dream of Jeanie and Dallas. What role do you remember him from?

I watched him in both I Dream of Jeanie and in Dallas (although infrequently, since I didn't watch all of Dallas) - I also watched him in the reboot. And I've seen him in a lot of things. He was the son of Mary Martin.

I saw him in the 1979 film Superman, Fail Safe, Desperate Housewives, The Simpsons, Primary Colors, Nixon, the Rockford Files (although I do not remember the Rockford Files - well enough to help anyone writing fanfic on it...vague recollection - I saw over 20 years ago?)..

He was a long-time character actor. You've probably seen him in things and not known it. Most famous for the iconic, love to hate anti-hero, JR Ewing.

23. Have you ever sewn seeds and grown them successfully?

No. I'm not even sure what sewing seeds means? I'm not a gardener. I inherited my father's dislike for gardening and camping. Also, I tend to kill plants. I did manage an air garden during the pandemic, but it was short lived.

In 1957, "Jailhouse Rock" was released by Elvis Presley. Do you have a favourite Elvis song?

I like Suspicious Minds, Suspicious Minds and Heartbreak Hotel and his rendition of Hound Dog is classic.

( Read more... )

***

Reading Meme

Almost done with Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4: Gate of the Feral Gods.
Soon will move on to Book 5: The Butcher's Masquerade. The books are definitely a cross between horror and sci-fi satire. I don't know why folks put it in the fantasy category? Maybe the whole Lit Role Playing Game bit?

I'm surprised I'm enjoying it. Maybe because I'm not reading it and just listening to the audio books - which are fun. They are among the best audio books that I've listened to date. And work very well as audiobooks - mainly because they are written like scripts? Heavy on dialogue. Description and exposition through dialogue mostly. I like dialogue laden books? Prefer dialogue to descriptive writing, mainly because it is easier for me to read? I can fill in the descriptive elements without much difficulty. I'm very good at visualizing things, and my mind can feel in the blanks. And I'm a minimalist in regards to both reading and writing styles. I don't like flowery or overly descriptive narrative styles. They have a tendency to feel a bit like the mental equivalent of trudging through quicksand to get to the story? I really don't need the writer to describe in explicit detail the smells, sounds, and every nook and cranny of a house.

DCC is thankfully not like that. Plus it has a sense of humor. And is satirizing our current political situation and culture with great aplomb.
Our global toxic society deserves to be satirized. I'm sorry, it does. And he leaves no stone unturned. Nothing is safe. He even satirizes show cats and the people who make money off of that sort of thing.

Plus, the main character has...well the voice of Bruce Campbell. The character seems to be a combination of Brisco County Jr and Ash from Evil Dead.

It's gory. But it's a book. And not overly descriptive, so I don't care.
I kind of need it right now. For reasons. And I'm apparently not alone in that?

Winterblaze - well I'm 55% of the way through the e-book now. It's gotten better? I almost gave up on it twice? It's scaled back on the lusting and brought in more plot and character development and world building, so yay. I like the premise - which is a woman who is running an organization that keeps supernatural creatures secret and from harming normal folks, who is married to an Inspector, who got attacked by an werewolf and almost killed. He found out who she was - when she sent someone to save him. But it was actually Death who tried to take him - for a demon that killed his wife's mother. And we go from there. The top secret MI5 style supernatural spy agency has potential. I wish it had more focus, and the love story had less focus. But alas, wrong genre. I should go back to The Rook for that?

I've also gone back to reading X-men comic books, with the way things are going, I may re-watch Buffy again. [Except every time I rewatch Buffy, I get annoyed that I can't have more Spike or specifically more Spike and Buffy and Willow. They were the only characters I wanted more of. I could have watched a Spike, Buffy, and Willow series. Only rewatched it recently, because Hulu lead me to believe I was getting more of Buffy, Spike and Willow. I haven't quite forgiven them for that.] So X-men it is. Less disappointing, more satisfying. Helps that there's some great character stuff with my favs. X-men has about five of my all time favorite fictional characters gracing it. I actually love all of the characters in that series. It hits my story kinks hard.
( Read more... )

**

Oh almost forgot? Warner Bros and Paramount Merger Settlement - Means Merger Goes Through.

Sigh. Now I have to unsubscribe from HBO in January. Or add it to my boycott. I'll miss The Pitt. But not a helluva lot else. Shame it's cheaper than the other services. Probably because they are afraid of losing subscribers since they are going bankrupt.

Off to bed. Hopefully. I keep waking intermittently at night. I blame digestive issues.

1. Duncan Sheik who composed the music and lyrics for Spring Awakening, died at the age of 56 from a heart attack.

2. I rented and watched the film The Arrival directed by Denis Villenevu, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitacker, today. Actually it got interrupted twice by mother's phone calls. And I drifted off to sleep during it after taking allergy med and migraine meds. So had to rewind a few times. I rented it for $3.99 from Prime Video. It's free with a subscription on Paramount + (which I won't subscribe to, because evil people own the studio and are destroying CBS News, donating funds to the thing in the White House, and to Israel's campaign against Gaza and I don't want to fund them. So I am actively boycotting CBS and Paramount. I don't know if it is doing any good? I'm not sure anything I'm doing matters right now? I'm a speck on a swiftly turning planet (yes I'm in a bum mood today). But Paramount is losing money, and going bankrupt. So who knows?)

What is it about? I went in mostly blind? But I knew it was a film about "First Contact with an Alien Species".

The film is interesting. It's two stories really - one about a woman struggling with the death of her adult child from an incurable illness - which leads to a broader concept about how we perceive time, and one about the intricacies of language and communication and how easily words can be misinterpreted. The two stories meet at the end of the film in an interesting twist.
( spoilers )

I'd say it is worth a $3.99 rental. It's beautifully shot. Villevneuve is one of the better directors out there. And the characters are handled well.
As are the themes. I think if I have a quibble - it might be the "time" theme, but that' s more a personal issue than a valid criticism.

3. Also saw the 2020 Oscar Winning Short Animated Film If Anything Happens, I Love You.
It's 12 minutes long and a beautiful film about parents grieving the tragic loss of their child during a school shooting.

I sobbed during this film. But it is truly a beautiful little film. The animation is minimalist, and well done. No dialogue. Just music and animation. So much expressed with so very little. I'm a fan of minimalism in art and words. Sometimes volumes can be said with so little.

4. Feeling depressed today. Overslept. After staying up later than I intended reading in bed. And slept fitfully, although well enough. I didn't want to get up. I just kept drifting back to sleep. It was like some sort of undertow? My brain said get up, my body was like - fuck you, I'm staying in bed for another hour. It's a Saturday.

Finally got up around 8:30. Took a shower. Mediated on how to handle criticism. Had breakfast. Read. Watched television. Ate lunch. Was in a funk. Took a long walk, about an hour, around the block. It was down to Courtleyou Road, and up to Beverly. Through Ditmas, Brooklyn which basically looks like Greenwitch, CT - it's residential with multi-family homes, gardens, trees, flowers, and on Courtleyou Road, a little book store, art gift shop, various coffee shops and bars, and grocery stores.

I ducked into Taylor & Co, which is a comic book store/sci-fi fantasy/general minority fiction/non-fiction book store. ( Read more... )

5. I decided to text sisinlaw, after mother informed me that my brother knew she'd tell - or he would have asked her not to. And if I didn't want her to tell him stuff about me - I should tell her not to, and not just assume she wouldn't say anything. Sigh.

So I texted her - hoping her abominable surgery goes well on Monday. Next, I have to confirm my Dental appointment and change the credit card on file, because I exceeded the amount for FSA, and they cut me off. (Stupid PT co-pays, although the Vestibular helped, the knee guy...was kind of meh.)

Fingers crossed that it goes well.

6. Question a Day Memage - September

17.RCA Victor released the first 33 1/3 rpm recording (Beethoven's Fifth Symphony performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra) in 1934. Do you own a record player and vinyl albums?

Not any longer. I got rid of the record player and albums over 20 years ago. Don't miss them. I didn't like records. I liked the album covers and the containers. Just not the vinyls. I always scratched them, usually multiple times. I had troubles getting the needle to set right? Record players and me are unmixy things?

18. Have you ever won a prize for something?

Yes, several. ( Read more... )

19. It’s International Red Panda Day! Red pandas spend up to 55% of their day sleeping – how long (on average) do you sleep each night?

I adore Red Pandas. They don't look real though. They look like a stuffed animal. Which is dangerous.

Anyhow, I sleep 6-7 hours on average. I can't really sleep much longer than that. While 8 is ideal, I don't think it is for me? I get 8 or over, I'm groggy. If it's under 5 and below, I am sleep deprived, irritable and jittery.

7. Oh almost forgot - here's a flower from my walk, there's also a hidden bee somewhere in there. And because I'm cheap not all that tech savvy? It's a link from a post to FB.

1. While discussing incidents that delayed trains today and yesterday, learned at work that two former Rutgers students with promising jobs and everything decided for unknown reasons to sit on the tracks at the Spring Street subway stop and chat calmy, until a train came along and hit them.
( Don't do that people )

Yesterday the R was delayed by an incident at Jay Street - requiring cubicle aisle mate and I to find separate routes home. The D was experiencing delays today due to signal issues. I don't take the D, thankfully.

2. I was aggravated at work today, partially work's fault, partially mine, no need to bore you all with the details...and took a walk at lunch time to my favorite spot in the financial district/battery park area - and that is the piers and park walkways behind the Jewish Heritage Museum.

I basically sat and watched boats, took photos, and enjoyed the sunshine. It was a beautiful day. Low 70sF/20s C, and 56F this morning. Nice breeze.
Perfect weather. Not a cloud in the sky.



Here's my view from the benches..





And below is a memorial to Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patron Saint of Immigrants
( memorial to Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini )

The cloak represents a sail against the adverse winds that Mother Cabrini faced throughout her life. The three figures are all facing the Statue of Liberty, a beacon of hope for immigrants as they entered New York Harbor to begin their new lives in America. The young girl, a reflection of Mother Cabrini’s youth, is holding a book, a symbol of Mother Cabrini’s commitment to educating children. As music has been important to the heritage of immigrants, the young boy is holding luggage and an ocarina, an instrument invented near Francesca’s birthplace, representing the music and culture immigrants have brought to America.

( The Paper Boat )

NYC is kind of into memorials and statues? And a lot of them appear to be in the Financial District and Battery Park.

3. On the commute to work - I watched a student attempt to do her homework on the train. She took out a binder, and was trying to edit a paper in the binder, standing up with bags around her - when a seat became available - she tried to snatch it, but a younger student with big headphones and fuzzy sweater grabbed it, and she wasn't doing anything but listening to music.
So, about one stop away from my stop, I got her attention and gave her my seat. Watching her attempt to do her work while standing in a middle of a crowded train, juggling and keeping track of her bags, was more than I could handle. She couldn't have been more than 16. My heart went out to her, and I was annoyed on her behalf at the inconsiderate younger girl, who couldn't be more than 14 that took her seat.

So, I guess that was my kind act for the day?

4. Question a Day Meme

14. What is your favourite filling for a doughnut, or do you prefer them plain?

Can't really eat them any longer? The ones I can eat? Don't have fillings?
When I could eat them? I liked the chocolate filled ones, and the icing cream filled ones. Boston Cream wasn't bad either. But that's in the past.
The best Gluten Free donuts don't have fillings, and the ones that do - are horrible jelly fillings and way too sweet.

15. It’s International Day of the Dot! The children’s book The Dot (by Peter H Reynolds) tells the tale of Vashti, a pupil who thinks she can’t draw until a teacher challenges her to start with a single dot on a page. Have you ever been encouraged to try something new by someone and found you were good at it?

Yes. Many things? Pottery - which I had to work at. A lot of art related things. Also, running and swimming as a child. Analysis. Logic games. Editing.

16. Peter Falk was born on this day in 1927. Most famous for his role as the detective, Columbo – have you ever seen him play the character?

Yes, I loved the Columbo series and Falk was brilliant. It was a nice twist on Sherlock Holmes trope, where the detective is kind of rumpled and acts dumb, and manages to trap the culprit into a confession. Poker Face with Natasha Lyon did a fresh take on it. As did the detective in the Knives Out series. Apparently Rian Johnson - creator of both series is a fan.

1. Took a longer walk than yesterday - walked around the block to the bookstore and back. Did not purchase any books.

The bookstore, which I admittedly frequent a lot due to its close proximity more than anything else, is a small independent book store attempting to cover everything including puzzles and merchandise (mainly of its namesake - Lofty Pigeons) - and as a result doesn't have a broad selection of anything that isn't general fiction or mainstream fiction targeting a twenty-thirty something crowd. It feels more demographic specific than category specific? It appears to be targeting an upwardly mobile well-educated very liberal twenty to thirty-something demographic. I'm the only person that's ever in there that is over the age of 40.

( Read more... )

Lofty Pigeons had one small shelf devoted to both fantasy and science-fiction, with the notable best-sellers with multiple novels. ( it's selection of books )

It's not a bad bookstore - I've bought a lot of stuff from it? But I'm not comfortable in it? Not that I'm much more comfortable in the greatly altered B&N. I actually prefer and feel more comfortable in Taylor & Company on Courtelyou, which is a tiny little hole in the wall book store with may four shelves. Yet, I like it better. Go figure.

2. Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4: Gate of the Feral Gods (which I'm listening to on audiobook)

Has this great satiric piece on toy merchandising. I can tell the writer had a need to vent about his experiences attempting to do a toy version of Princess Donut for his books. He really satirizes the marketing, advertising, and toy merchandising industry. I giggled throughout it.

I have a feeling it went over a lot of folks heads though. Not sure how? I felt it was obvious. But the online book fandom can be a bit obtuse?

[Now, people who write science fiction and fantasy novels - are into merchandising. They apparently can't sell enough books to survive - so go into merchandise. (ie. action figures, vellum edition book sleeves, art, book marks, pens, recipe books, kits, items mentioned in the book, tea from the book, etc...)]

I miss the good old days when people just wrote and published the book.

3. Supergirl Review

It's not a bad movie, but as previously posted, I can see why it flopped.
For whatever reason, the screen writer decided to use True Grit as a template.
True Grit is a 1968 Western novel by Charles Portis. It's been adapted twice - once by Henry Hathaway (starring John Wayne, Kim Darby, and Glenn Campbell, and then by the Cohen brothers (starring Jeff Bridges, Halee Steinfield, and Matt Damon), who chose to do a much closer adaptation to the novel. Supergirl is VERY loosely based on it - it's using it as a template for a science fiction superhero story. (True Grit is not exactly a happy novel? It's kind of dark and grim? Also it's feminist by 1960s standards? So it's an odd choice for a feminist take on Supergirl.)

What is True Grit about? ( plot spoilers )

Supergirl: ( plot spoilers )

I don't know what the original comic book Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow upon which this was based was about? I haven't read or seen it.

In theory this could work? But it had really poor execution. The script isn't very good. I'd heard the script was bad - which is why I told movie buddy that I was going to pass on it, and wait for streaming. Whichever reviewers (can't remember) stated that the script wasn't very good? Weren't wrong.

Also, True Grit is a dark, violent, and gritty tale. Light hearted superhero flick, it's not. I thought when I heard it was based on True Grit - Supergirl would be the Mattie character, and Lobo would be the Rooster Cogburn character? Because I couldn't envision Supergirl in the role of boozy, world weary, done with the world, grumpy, Rooster Cogburn. I was wrong. Lobo is in the role of LeBeuf, the bounty hunter (a minor supporting role in this film). And in the role of Mattie - is a self-righteous humorless 14 year old that grated on my nerves. (She lacked grit - which is what she's supposed to have in spades. Instead it's a kind of dumb pit bull mentality.) Also, they managed to make the story a lot darker and a lot more violent than it was originally - which, well, kudos? I didn't think that was possible, but they out-did the Cohens.

Milly Alcock (Supergirl) and Momoa (Lobo - who is not having the best luck with DC flicks) do sell their lines, but alas no one else does. ( Read more... )

All in all, it's a shame since this movie could have worked - if the execution had been slightly more on target across the board. Proof that good movies are kind of miracles in a box? Getting a good one made is close to impossible. Too many things have to line up just right.

Spiderman: Brand New Day - everything lined up perfectly, with few flaws.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow - too many things went awry.

Overall? 5/10 or solid B- effort.

And you might want to watch True Grit by the Cohen Brothers instead?

I've been pondering whether to post about this - this year. I mean, by this point, we've all grown tired of the stories, poems, and musings on that historic day. But it's been in the news, in my work emails this morning, and outside my window, I could see the long lone blue light shooting upwards into the night sky. On the way to work this morning - firefighters were in full gear, male and female, on the platform, along with three Chiefs in full uniform, inclusive of medals. And, this is the first time in very long time that I've been in the Financial District on this day. Last year, I managed to somehow avoid it.

Everyone has a story about this date, even those too young to clearly remember it. And, we've all grown weary of the telling. My mother went to a play today about a firefighter who was there. And there's a musical about it called Come From Away - about people stranded in Newfoundland - when their plane was forced to land there.

But if you all don't mind? I'd like to share mine. It's not a very large story. I wasn't a hero. I didn't really do anything at all. But it is a story. And sometimes telling a story - is a way of exorcising it. Or just seeing it from another perspective.

I'm not sure I've ever told all of it before now. I've told others stories, ones others have told me, over and over again until they've become ingrained in my memory.

Anyhow...I kind of need to set up that day, what came before it - so you can understand how drastically it upturned my life. Even if it wasn't so obvious at the time. It was, what I'd like to call, a conflagration of events - all happening at the same time.

In 2001, my life was going unexpectedly well for the most part. (I had a trip planned to Thailand for my birthday the very next year, and in July just two months prior - I'd gone to Portland and had a blast with friends I'd met on a Turkey sailing trip, and a literary agent was interested in my book. I was fearless. The world was safe. I finally felt comfortable in my own skin and was no longer suffering from imposter syndrome. This was up until roughly the end of August, when I hit a bit of a snafu, upon discovering that my boss with the assistance of a few management level colleagues and my associate was gaslighting me. I remember thinking how absurd it all was. So absurd, I wasn't quite sure I believed it. I'd not done anything to them, and was actually helping them. (He wasn't doing a very good job of it? Since I had non-management level friends whom he didn't know about and who weren't in on it with him. And they managed to persuade my associate, who had revealed it to them, to tell me truth. She (Janet) told me the truth on August 26, 2001. I immediately got a job interview with Barnes and Nobel on September 19, 2001.

The night of September 10, a friend and I had gone to a lovely concert hosted by a Lutheran Church in Hells Kitchen - where a bunch of Broadway singers sang a variety of hymns to bless the Broadway Season. That night, on the train ride home, we made plans to get tickets to a Peter Gabriel concert being held at the end of September at the World Trade Center. They were hosting a fall festival, and Peter Gabriel would be performing there. I volunteered to get tickets before work the next day at the World Trade Center.

My work hours were roughly 8:00 am to 4:00pm. I was planning on going early, and getting tickets then just getting to work late, around 9. I don't quite remember why I decided not to get tickets at the World Trade Center that morning and chose instead to get them on the way home from work? In any event, it was a split second decision, one I made on my way out the door.

To say it was a beautiful day is an understatement? It was the best weather ever. Perfect weather. Clear blue pristine sky. Not a cloud in it. It was cool but not too cool. Warm but not too warm. Perfect.

I can still remember what I was wearing that day. It's the oddest thing. I was wearing blue cotton/rayon blend pants, nice blue flats that matched them, ankle length hose, a white dress shirt with a lace flower over the chest, and a light weight baby's breath blue silk blazer. You know that light cornflower blue? Earrings. And a black satchel swung over one shoulder. The flats, were thin soled. And not something you can walk long distances in. Also a watch. (Not a smart watch - they didn't exist any more than smartphones existed.) I remember because I spent the entire day worrying about having to sleep in them. They were not clothes that I wanted to sleep in. Also there was no way I could walk more than a mile in those shoes.

I worked in the Bronx - on a hill just a few blocks from Yankee Stadium, overlooking the Hudson. The rooftop had a wooden deck nestled between two other buildings, one of which had a green light house on top of it. From the deck you could see the Hudson, and Manhattan with its fancy seemingly invulnerable skyscrapers directly south of it. Not clearly, but well enough. My brother lived in Chelsea and worked in Soho. My parents were traveling around Greece and not reachable. My grandmother, who was still alive at that point, lived in Liberty, Missouri.

Around 8:30 am or thereabouts, Janet, called me.
( Read more... )

Thank you for reading.

Workplace informed me that since the organization that provides us with our time-keeping mechanism has been bought out by a new organization, that new organization called WKH is providing training on how to use the new and improved model, which will provide a far more accurate record.

Sigh. Can't we just keep the current system until I retire in 2029? I like it. It's working for me. I swipe in when I get to work and when I leave, and I get paid. Plus I'm giving the stupid organization 15 more minutes of my time, so fail to see why it needs to be changed. Stupid organization keeps periodically changing things.

And, yes, everyone has to swipe in and out of time clocks (with their finger print proving it is really them) - because we have over 77 unions and the organization isn't savvy enough to know how to bracket off the employees who can get overtime pay from everyone else.

I guess it is Wed, so Wed reading meme?

I finished, third book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl Series, and am now on the fourth, The Gate of the Feral Gods (or the fifth floor of the Dungeon - each book appears to be a different floor, it's confusing since the first book does two floors, the second book - the third floor, and the third book - the fourth floor).

The fourth book takes place in what appears to be a portal bubble with sand, and a tower. I got to give the writer credit for being innovative. They are crass, crude, and violent books - think Kurt Vonnegurt meets Stephen King by way of Seth McFarland?

Listening to them in audio book. There is a down side? I find myself hearing the narrator's voice off and on when I think, it's like having Bruce Campbell in your head? I tend to mimic other's writing styles while reading their books. (In case you haven't noticed this. No reason why you should, I've been trying not to do that here - but alas, do not always succeed.)

I'm still reading the books because I'm invested in the characters. Also, for some reason or other, I'm entertained by the parody of the D&D Role playing game, and want to see what new satiric elements the writer dreams up? The books, for whatever reason, are working for me.

Although, I could do without Morris the Spider Guy & 3rd Level Psionic Psychiatrist (it's the same guy). (First Helca the Icelandic Psychiatrist who was trying to kill our hero, to get at Donut - actually she wanted Donut's manager. And now, the Spider Guy. My guess is the writer doesn't like psychiatrists all that much? Not that I blame them, I've not had the best experiences with this particular profession either. It's called a soft science for a reason?) Morris is described as a man with the body of a tarantula. Or a tarantula with the head of a man - then just Morris the Spider Guy. Thank god, this book isn't as descriptive as Tolkien. I really do not want to see the television series version of this. Sorry, just no. I prefer this in book form. (There's also a graphic novel series - but again, no.)

* Winterblaze - surprised me? I thought it was going in one direction, and it took a left turn that I wasn't expecting. It is not a werewolf shapeshifter romance as expected. So, now, I'm curious again.

[Everything else is pretty much the same as before, with no changes.]

***

Question a Day Meme - September

9. It’s International Sudoku Day! Do you like completing Sudoku puzzles?

Not really. But my mother adores them.

10. Did you have a teddy bear when you were small?

Yes. I have one now. (A different one). I can't sleep with it though (which I could do when I was small) - became allergic. It's highly annoying.

Quiet day. Pretty though, with blue skies, a smattering of clouds, and in the upper 70s. I've mainly looked at the sky and treetops out of my living room windows. (I live in a 3rd floor apartment in a building with steps and elevators). Did take a short walk around the block around 4:15 pm, for sunshine, and a small cold brew milk shake that I didn't need, but alas wanted?

Managed to do laundry this morning. Shared the machines with a woman from upstairs, looked to be anywhere from mid-40s to early 50s, about my height and weight. Longer face, and reddish brown hair. Also saw the guy in the basement apartment with his two little boys in tow. Other than that and the folks on the walk - haven't really interacted with anyone.

Besides listening to DCC (Dungeon Crawler Carl books on audible - I'm on the fourth book now, I don't recall the title...but they are now on the fifth floor of their dungeon, fighting weed smoking camels (an obvious parody/satire of the Camel Tobacco Ads), goblins, and lizards. Also have run into a bunch of idiotic male crawlers (like themselves), who are perpetually drunk. (Whomever thinks this series is misogynistic or sexist, hasn't read very far - the women are smarter than the men in it.) Also, it really does satirize everything, particularly RPG's, which is most likely why it's so popular and trending. There's people on Book Instagram and Book Threads that appear to think its the male equivalent of ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses serial by Sarah J Maas). It's not. ( Read more... ) I wish people would stop making generalizations based on "gender" or "sex-based" attributes. (I have always liked a lot of books, films, television shows, etc that are directed towards a male demographic by marketing people.) But let's face it - people make generalizations about literally everything? They are usually wrong, you'd think they would learn? But nooo.

I've been watching X-men movies on Disney Plus. (For some, it is Harry Potter? For me, it is the X-men. Note when hunting comfort media outlets - hunt for something with lots of actor, writer, and illustrator turn over - also not a lot of influence from the rights holder/owner/publisher - oh they influence it? But not quite as much as you'd think?). ( Read more... )

Question a Day Meme - September

6. Can you think of one (or two!) things that were common in homes when you were growing up, that aren’t around now?

Typewriters. Although how common it was, I don't know. Also cassette players and radios. Although, I know people still have them. Ponders.
Eh, drawing a blank. I think radios were more common then than now. Although I know a lot of folks still have radios that are separate from their phones. I think I got rid of mine, no, it's part of that white speaker thing that my brother got me that I can't get to work.

UHF television channel has bitten the dust. So too has the afternoon movie and the network television mini-series, which was very different than the limited series on streaming.

7. Do you eat regular meals three times a day? Or do you frequently snack?

Yes. I also snack more than I should, and often have to snack (do to blood sugar issues).

8. If your 10-year-old self were transported to your home today, what item would surprise you the most, do you think?

The smartphone. Guarantee that the smartphone would astonish my 10 year old self, well that and the smartwatch that looks like something out of Star Trek the Original Series and Space 1999.

Mother: someone asked me the other day if I was good at anything..and I couldn't think of anything.
Me: That's a deer in the headlights kind of question? Similar to do you have any hobbies...Mom, you sing in the choir, you are good at playing games, can teach games, can cook, garden, and are incredibly kind and caring.

Questions that make me blank: What are your skills? What are your hobbies?
What are you good at?

There's a reason I hate job interviews (and dating apps).

I wish people would ask - what five kind things have you done lately?
(Although I'm admittedly drawing a blank on that as well? But I can come up with five things my mother has done?)

Then...

Mother: You know folklore and folk music, right?
Me: Yes.
Mother: We were given this song - but I can't figure out who wrote or sang it. It's called the Circle Game, have you ever heard of it?
Me: You haven't heard of The Circle Game? I can't recite or remember the lyrics but -
Mother (starts reciting the lyrics)
Me: No, no, stop - I know the song. It's famous. I can't believe you haven't heard of it. It was my ex-college boyfriend's favorite song. He played it incessantly. It's by Joni Mitchell. It's not a folklore song - she actually wrote it, as a folk song.
Mother: Well we are singing it for free and for no pay.
Me: She's fine with that. Ex-boyfriend sang it incessantly, and for other people. Apparently his mother sang it to him as a lullaby.
Mother: I sang "Where have all the flowers gone..." to you as a lullaby when you were a baby.
Me: You realize that's a protest song, and by Pete Seegar?
Mother: Well you were born in the late 1960s...

[Personally, I like my mother's choices better?]

Question a Day - September:

3. Are there any athletic sports (javelin, discus, hurdles, high jump, etc) that you have tried in the past (or still take part in today)?

No. I was a runner in school, and did the hurdles once without much success. I was very good at sprints and cross country running however. I also did a lot of swimming and was on swim team. Now? I walk.

4. A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used primarily to flavour, colour, or preserve food. Distinct from herbs (which are the leaves or stems of plants), spices are celebrated for their pungent, aromatic, and sometimes fiery qualities. Do you have a favourite?


I use garlic, tumeric, cinnamon, dill, and parsely a lot. I love Pumpkin Spice (clove, nutmeg and cinnamon together). Also chili pepper. I have a lot of dried spices. They fight with the tea collection for space in my cabinets.

5. It’s International Bacon Day! What’s your favourite bacon dish (pork, turkey or veggie)?

Pork. Although I rarely eat bacon any longer. I've lost the taste for it, for some reason or other. I can't eat veggie (it tends to have glutens, also, eww?)

Returned to work, and ...it was slow. It's the tail end of August/beginning of September - it's always slow this time of year.

Breaking Bad wanted me to review a document that I reviewed multiple times last week. And inform him if it was okay for him to sign. I'd told him it was okay to sign last Thursday. But he wanted my okay by email in writing.

Art History Major who appeared to be sicker than I was last week, only stayed home one day. We don't know if she had COVID - since she didn't test for it. (No one does any longer in my work place - except me. Alrighty, then. But I like to know what the ailment is that is bugging me? I'm funny that way? Breaking Bad considered testing himself - but his tests had expired four years ago.) Also I was the only one on the train or at work with a mask on. ( Read more... )

After dreaming most of the night about making chocolate mousse, getting the ingredients of chocolate mousse - I ended up craving it, and bought some at Whole Foods. ( Read more... )

Reading Meme

I'm stalled in all the books I'm reading at the moment. It may just be a focus thing?

* Carl's Anacharist Cookbook - I'm listening to in audiobook. But it's kind of swung hard into absurdist body horror, which I'm not a huge fan of? That said? The jokes at NYC Transit's expense are amusing me tremendously. The main character keeps blowing up trains and complaining about stalled switch overs. I can't help but wonder if the writer spent time on the NYC subway system? Or worked on it? People on Threads or Book Threads keep fighting over "reading" the book, not the book itself, "reading" it. ( Read more... )

* Winterblaze - it's a wee too much of a romance novel for my liking. Nothing wrong with that in theory? It's really more of a me thing than a book thing? I've just burned out on sexy/erotic romance novels finally. Yes, yes, they are hot for each other - but they are also hunting and fighting a demon, who wants to kill them on an ocean liner - can we wait for a safer moment in time to do the sexy times? ( Read more... )

* This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me - which I've been reading in hardcover for over two months now? Maybe three? I've lost track? The difficulty is I finished the audio book first, and it is in hard cover. ( Read more... )

* Borrower of the Night - I'm using it as a sleep story? But as a result, I have to keep rewinding it - because I've no idea what is happening in it? Outside of a bunch of people wandering around an old Bavarian Castle at night, scaring each other witless, and thinking everyone is a culprit. And people keep injuring themselves. It reminds me of Laurel and Hardy or the Three Stooges meets the Thin Man. I can't tell you if it's funny or not - since I keep going to sleep during it? Does result in some odd dreams however.

Oh as an aside? Will Wheaton messaged "Calm" (which I also use for sleep stories) on Threads to get them to allow him to read a sleep story for their app. Apparently he uses it too? And thinks it would be cool to read a story on it? I thought he already had. Wheaton isn't a bad narrator - but you can tell it is Wheaton. I've listened to two audio books read by him - both by John Scalzi.

I prefer the ones by people I've never heard of. Like Alice Mason - who does the Pacific Trial. Or Eric Braa and his train stories.