Spontaneous Musings

1. Sigh, Let's Do the Time Warp Again

I don't know about anyone else? But regardless of what I do? I'm always thrown sideways by the time change. It's dark out - and I keep thinking it's 6:58 or almost 7pm, when in reality it's only 5:58 pm and almost 6. (I really wish they'd stop doing time change back and forth.

It just occurred to me that maybe this is the inspiration behind the song (or not as the case may be? I don't really want to know either way, and regardless - I posted it on FB too, so an annoying relative will most likely tell me) - Time Warp.

2. Watched the Associate Minister's last hurrah - so to speak - or her last sermon. The church really needs to acquire a Director of Religious Education who isn't interested in becoming a minister - this is the second one they've lost to the Minister path. There's clearly something about Religious Education that calls people to become Unitarian Minister's? That and yoga.

I didn't go in person - for various reasons - I had ambivalent feelings about the Minister in question, and my church isn't the most accessible on the planet? ( Read more... ) And I wasn't exactly close to the Assoc Minister, actually I'm kind of relieved she's leaving? And I can't say I didn't agree with her sentiment that letting go of this congregation and moving on to one out on Long Island, (the Assoc Ministers always go out to Long Island for some reason - the last one went to Huntington, this one to Shelter Rock), was a good idea for all involved? The church really needed to jettison the prior leadership - the music is fine, they can keep that, but the management of the church needed to be reconfigured.

Have you ever met people that you feel you are supposed to click with or should click with - and just don't no matter what you do? Or that you do sort of like, but sense that they don't really like or understand or see you - and wish you'd go away?

That's the energy I always kind of felt from the Associate Minister? I'm learning the best approach in these situations is to - back away and give that person plenty of space. It happens to me online as well. So it's not relegated to in-person interactions.

Also I'm irritable folks. ( Read more... )

I don't know if any of that made sense. Perhaps it did? Perhaps it didn't?

3. Television

* I've given up on Outlander. It's not my cup of coco. I don't like it and there are too many other shows to watch instead.

* I finished Rainmaker S1 finally - this is on Netflix. It's a legal procedural. And among the better ones. There are a lot of twists and turns.
It's more serialized than most - and far more character centric. It's based on the book by John Grisham, except instead of a big Insurance firm being the bad guy, it's a law firm. So a blending of The Firm and Rainmaker, I think? It has a lot of Grisham's legal tropes in it. ( Read more... )
Anyhow, recommend, the above doesn't really have any spoilers, or only vague ones.

* Watched two more Angel episodes from S1, She and I've Got You Under My Skin

A. "She" is the episode with the comedic dancing from Angel and Wes, and manages to get across both characters personalities with it. Also the humor of the writers - I think they were going for Seinfield's comedic bit with Elaine and the dancing? Hollywood writers like to make fun of how people dance for some reason? ( Read more... )

[I was going to skip it - glad I didn't - you kind of need to see it, to understand the Wes/Angel and Cordy dynamic. Also, it has great character moments. I think I kind of skipped over it the first two or three times I'd watched the series. I've not watched or rewatched since roughly 2005 or thereabouts. I think the only season I've rewatched since then was S5.]

B. In I've Got You Under the Skin - the writers pull an interesting twist, actually two twists. It's another episode written by Jeannine Renshaw - who was also responsible for co-writing I Will Always Remember You, and Parting Gifts. She's known for writing for The Cleaning Lady, In the Dark, and Grey's Anatomy, among others. The episode comments heavily on The Exorcist, and kind of makes fun of it - even has the name of the priest being the same name as the director of the Exorcist, and dead. It also furthers the bond between Wes and Angel. The writers are working over-time to develop Wes and Angel's bond to equal Doyle and Angel's. ( spoilers and length )

* Watched Jurassic World: Rebirth on Peacock - this is the latest Jurassic World flick. I have a weakness for these movies and have seen all of them. I saw roughly three of them in theaters. My favorites are 1, 3, and 5, or all the ones with Sam Neil and Laura Dern in them. Film 4 wasn't bad, and slightly better than film 2. But this film is horrible. ( Read more... )

Skippable.

* Welcome to Derry - this was on HBO. It's a prequel to IT. And I can't tell if it's a satire of Stephen King horror films and books or supposed to be taken seriously? It's a bit over the top? Even the credits are over the top and tongue in cheek. It's screaming satire or parody to me? And it's not real subtle about it. Reminds me a little bit of Fallout in that respect. ( Read more... )

***

Off to bed, have to get up early for eye doctor's appointment tomorrow.

Spent most of my vacation attempting to quell various aches and pains, brought on by various factors, some known, some guessed at, some not?
( Read more... )

***

The UU Church has a Devotional Poetry Writing Group. I flirted with it. But I'm wary of anything regarding the writing and sharing of poetry. ( Read more... )

UU Church is also featuring a singer/song-writer for tomorrow's service, who is (apparently) popular? I hadn't heard of them before the Church newsletter told me about him - but I'm also not really into religious music? While I have, as you've no doubt figured out by now, widely diverse taste in music, there are few genres I rarely listen to? They are "traditional classical opera", "electronica" (depending on the electronica), "religious music", "gospel", "choral music", "rap" (depending on the rap), and heavy metal (depending on the heavy metal). So, as result, I hadn't come across this person, who I think is trans, and is creating queer religious music and going across the country with it.

Anyhow...I checked them out last night, and their song, entitled Ploushare Prayer by Spencer LaJoye.

Folks, they made me cry? It really moved me. I was surprised.
( Ploushare Prayer Video )
But not sure I can deal with the crowd that will converge on the church tomorrow to hear them play for free. I'll do it on Facebook or Zoom instead. No steps. Sleep in. And better acoustics, not to mention I can see more.

***

Pain and fear of large crowds kept me from participating in the No Kings Day. I hope it went well. More to the point? I hope it accomplishes something?

Ah, it's getting darker earlier now. Sunset was at 6:30. My heart goes out to my brother - whose heating and cooling system has failed him. He's tried to get it fixed multiple times. The first time, they came out, he paid them, they claimed that they fixed it. They didn't. They came out again, claimed to fix it, they didn't. Then they got bought by someone else. Who kept claiming they didn't get my brother's calls or emails, and came out, and then well up and disappeared. So he found a new company - and the whole system has to be replaced. He has a wood burning stove - but it's not going to heat the entire house, and his bedroom is one floor below it, and heat rises? And it gets cold up there? And my brother gets cold easily. [I'm so glad I rent. Let all of that be somebody else's problem. We've had hitting issues - but they tend to get resolved quickly - since there's about 100 people affected.)

****

Television

1. Weirdly I'm enjoying Angel the Series better now than I did way back when I first watched it in the late 1990s. If I was to hazard a guess - I think it would be lowered expectations, and no longer wanting Angel and Buffy to be together - or being disappointed that they aren't? I wasn't in the fandom until roughly 2002 - or midway through S6. ( Read more... ) At any rate - I'm enjoying Angel more now. Partly, because I like Angel, Wes, and Cordelia better now than I did twenty five years ago. I find them a bit more relatable and comforting. They are all a tad lost, and doing the best they can to make things work, while flailing miserably most of the time. The writers dig down into classic noir tropes.

And, I like how most of the writers veer away from the classical hero trope. For all the times, Angel succeeds, he also fails miserably. In the Scourge? The seventh or eighth episode, he attempts to sacrifice himself heroically - but his speeches to Doyle about why he sacrificed his humanity and a life with his one true love to pursue the cause, backfires on him in a huge way. ( Read more... )

Moving on to Parting Gifts - which I didn't like the first time I saw it, twenty five years ago, I do now. It's a great study in characters and contrasts. Also demonstrates how Wes, Cordy and Angel work slightly better than Doyle, Angel and Cordy did. For one thing - they get it across pretty quickly - that there are 0 romantic feelings between Angel/Cordy or Cordy/Wes. ( Read more... ). They also set up each character's skill sets. ( Read more... ) But mainly, within a short period of time - they set up the problem, the on-going villain (WRH law firm in the shadows), and the relationship dynamic between Angel, Cordy, Wes. And I realized while watching that I like all three, and all three actors in spite of myself?

I prefer watching this outside of a fandom superimposing its views onto me?
I can find it comforting and enjoyable on my own. Also, no longer caring who ends up with who, or romantic ships - makes the show more interesting?
I was never much into romantic relationships on television shows? I much prefer the platonic friendships - they are more interesting to watch, and less frustrating - particularly within the noir/horror genre.

2. The Diplomat S3 - this is fun. Want sparkling funny witty dialogue - this is it. Good actors. And excellent political satire. Also, even though the President in this series was responsible for an act of terrorism? I still prefer Allison Janey as President to the one we currently have. I'd rather live in the world of the Diplomat? Sad I know. But here we are. And, sigh, Rufus Sewell is hot. This show just makes me laugh. I'm not binging it this go around - I'm letting it last. Then I may rewatch from the beginning.

[I'm still watching Poker Face and Rain Maker on Peacock, just slowly.]

[On the COVID front? I think I'm getting better? Last night ran a slight fever - at 100.11 or thereabouts. But headache meds (acetametphine/Asprin (NASAI)/Caffeine) and water reduced it quickly enough. I also think the fact that I had the latest COVID Booster in January, along with the Flu Shot is why it's milder than some folks cases have been.

I'll probably call in sick Monday, take another test, and if it is negative, see how I'm feeling on Tuesday and/or Wed - to determine whether I go in to work.]

So, I've become a little fascinated with the topic of worshipping writers and the negative impact that has on well everyone concerned. Former Minister had a sermon on the topic once - in which she stated "you are going to worship something, just be careful what it is." (She was talking about money, politics, etc. But it applies to humans as well.)

Although I do think there is a difference between being obsessed/fannish about something, and worshiping someone. Picking apart a writer's work, being fannish about their work - isn't quite the same thing as idolizing. Or defending a writer - who may or may not have done something terrible isn't idolizing, depending on why? I question allegations, because I have a criminal defense background and was taught to question everything. And let's face it? The internet isn't reliable.

There's an excellent thread on Reddit about it.

Someone states that's why they only idolize fictional characters because they will never let them down. To which someone responds: "Didn't read Go
Set the Watchman, I take it?" (OR the Watchmen, I thought.)

And then in regards to Gaiman** - there's a thread that compares him to another famous and beloved British writer, Charles Dickens, who was also a bit of a mess. (I'm hesitant to call either terrible people, because I know people are more than one thing, and our actions don't necessarily define who we are. And never have. Our actions vary from day to day, one situation to the next, and we have different choices to make each time. That said, I admittedly am uncomfortable watching a couple of actors, and it may be a while before I read a few writers works.)

"This bit "I don’t think anyone should idolize anyone, ever. It’s not great for them, and it’s not great for you, they probably didn’t ask to be idolized (and if they did, holy shit, fucking run)". I've read a lot of Neil Gaiman and I particularly loved American Gods and the graveyard book. So when Neil Gaiman did an event at the Barbican with the BBC symphony orchestra in 2019, I got tickets. I came away disturbed. I didn't see any predatory behaviour or anything like that, but there was such an unhealthy atmosphere of basking in adoration."
( Read more... )

Two statements to highlight:

* I don’t think anyone should idolize anyone, ever. It’s not great for them, and it’s not great for you, they probably didn’t ask to be idolized (and if they did, holy shit, fucking run)

*I'm certain that idolization is one of the most reliable ways to bring out the absolute worst in somebody

I agree with both. From everything I've read about famous folks - who do horrible things - it's usually the result of "idolization". They all fall into that trap. And idolization or adoration can be mistaken for love, it's not love. It's a false or empty kind of love that often destroys the object of it. There's parables, fables, fairy tells, and Greek Myths/stories that describe why this is a bad thing.

I've been watching "The Magicians" adapted from Lev Grossman's books. It's a story about a bunch of magic users who find a gateway into a world that was fictionalized in a bunch of beloved children's books. Halfway through the first season - it's revealed that the writer of the books is in reality a pedophile, with his sister's help, drugged, and molested the children in his charge. When he discovers that they can escape him into a fictional world, a world where he can do whatever he wants - he practices black magic to change himself in order to enter that world. The Writer is portrayed as a charming British writer, with graying hair, and tweed. Looks a bit like Neil Gaiman by way of CS Lewis.
( Read more... )
Coincidentally this morning, the lay-worship sermon at my church, via FB, was on how humans, writers or AI creators, create things and then wish to assert control over them. And at what point does the creation become its own entity, with it's own free will, and desires? No longer an extension of the creator? And how do we interact with these creations? As separate from the creator of part of them.

The sermon argues that while all things are ecologically connected and we are indefinably a part of each other, at the same time we are separate entities and once the creation is released into the world - it becomes its own entity.

This furthers the view that yes, you can love Harry Potter and it's world, without supporting JK Rowling's views, or you can love A Tale of Two Cities or a Christmas Carol without supporting or loving Dickens (he's long dead anyhow and I think he's works are in the public domain), or you can adore the works of folks like Gaiman or Whedon without condoning their actions or worshiping them. The creation can survive outside of the creator, and in some cases expand and become more - based on every interaction others have with it.

In short? It is safer (well for the most part - not to the extent you get lost inside of it) to love the fictional work than the creator of the work. Or? Ignore the person behind the curtain, they are but a shyster and a conman, hardly a wizard worth worshiping. But their creation can be loved and adores separately.

** A side note about Gaiman? Unlike Whedon and Munroe, the allegations aren't being reported by any reliable news sources. Doesn't mean they are false, but doesn't mean they are true either. ( Read more... ) So at this point, I really don't know if Gaiman did anything.

What unnerves me about social media is how many people assume that if XYZ publication reports it is true. Or if someone says it in a publication - than it is true without any fact checking whatsoever. A reputable source fact checks. [I had a massage therapist who fully believed that vaccines were tainted and caused autism because...wait for it...she read it on an internet discussion board???] This is why people died of COVID. How do you know if something is true? There has to be reliable and primary sources, preponderance of the evidence, and a level of accountability. And even then, we don't necessarily know for certain. My father was on the jury of a child molestation case, he and the jury found the defendant guilty, only for the judge to throw out the case because it was determined that the therapists had manipulated the child's testimony to support the ends of whomever wanted custody. And this is easy to do.

That Reddit thread is weirdly disturbing - in how many people misread Scalzi's piece, and how many are quick to judgement based solely on something they read on the internet. And are insanely self-righteous about it.

1. Kind of fun and definitely useful

As the number of air travelers rises, returning to near-prepandemic levels, so do questions about flying protocols and rules — particularly what travelers can and cannot take in their carry-on luggage when flying within the United States. For instance: Is guacamole a solid or a liquid? (It’s a gel, which falls under the same restrictions as liquids and is not allowed in your carry-on — unless it’s inside a 3.4-ounce container.)

Here’s a guide to help you navigate the more ambiguous carry-on rules — with some quiz questions throughout to test your knowledge, too.

2. Today gave me a headache. That is all.

3. Mother agreed with me, that my father's funeral is beginning to remind her of a wedding, in particular her own - apparently it also only had four Catholics in attendance.

I told her about one of the responses to my post on how my uncle was planning on doing my father's funeral.
( Read more... )
This came up because my brother went to Buffalo and Niagra Falls to get a new suit. (I don't know why he didn't drive to NYC to do it. My brother's logic and me tend to be unmixy things, it's actually one of the reasons we don't get along.)
( Read more... )
Frigging hell, he went to get a suit and to Niagra Falls with his wife.
I want my brother's life.

Meanwhile, I'm day-dreaming about taking an excursion to either The Little Island or Governor's Island - apparently you can camp or glamp on Governor's Island in luxury tents and cabins" (which I don't know, is that even camping? Kind of takes all the allure out of the sport. It's camping for people like myself who hate sleeping on the ground and want my own private bathroom and shower at my beck and call). Of course you have to book months in advance, because hello, NYC. Everything in NYC has to be booked in advance - we've got 12 million people plus tourists, so approximately 15 million people. Apparently there are people fleeing NYC? If so, more power to them - I wish more people would. Go, shoo. Flee to Pennsylvania and preferably Kansas City. (Although it is awfully hot in Kansas City at the moment - I can see why you might not want to flee that far.)

There are things that don't need to be booked in advance - things no one really knows about.

Today on the way home from work - they had cordoned off the streets around BAM for a street fair of sorts. It was a pleasant surprise - it meant I could walk obstacle free to the subway. No pesky cars and bikes to bar my path. Sure there were inflated bounce rooms. One was designed as a giant Wall E (it was ugly and looked like a haunted house), and another was a huge slide or a series of slides. Inflated bounce rooms are weirdly popular at the moment. You'd think the pandemic would make it the opposite - but no. The Worlds Biggest Bounce House is Coming to Brooklyn This Fall - or in September. [It's coming to the park near Brighton Beach or to the east of it. I can't get there - I'd need to find a friend with a kid and a car, and ...well...it's not like I'm into Bounce houses. I've never really understood the point of them to be honest. I'm more of a water park kid. But it would be fun to do with kids.] Anyhow, no clue what the fair was about - something regarding "Epic Solutions", the NYPD even had a booth - so I'm thinking a youth job fair.

It was definitely warm enough - and no rain.

4. Worried again today whether I'm nice. Okay worry isn't quite the right word. I pondered whether I was nice. I really need to block out my co-worker's conversations. I wear earphones, it should be easy. Maybe I should invest in ear pods which I can wander about in?

I don't feel nice at the moment. I'm too frustrated with everybody and everything to feel nice. I feel I have no control over anything and am sort of trapped.

Trying to find the positives. My life's never been that traumatizing, which is why...I can't say things have ever gotten necessarily better.

Mel: We're thinking things have to get better soon, right? You've worked here a long time...what do you think?
Me: I don't know. They got really bad for a bit back in 2009-2014 or thereabouts, before you came on board. We went a good five years without any raises, promotions or hires, and everyone was either over-worked or had no work since we were in a recession and had no money. Then you came on board and we got promoted and got raises, and things were good. Then we all move to 347, and well...hired more people, then wham. So what I can promise? They'll be different. But better? Eh, matter of perspective, I guess.

I pondered this later with mother over the phone.
( Read more... )
I think life is annoyingly vague. And it's really hard to judge anyone's life including our own because of that. For the most part - after a while it feels a bit like a fever dream.

I've been listening to the Sandman, so that's clearly affected my views on this. Well that and this thing I saw on ...Twitter - posted by shipperx,
The Most Famous Paradox in Physics Nears its end

Growing evidence supports what physicists have long suspected: In some way or other, space-time itself seems to fall apart at a black hole, implying that space-time is not the root level of reality, but an emergent structure from something deeper.

So basically time folds in on itself, and as seemingly linear thinkers in a seemingly non-linear universe, our perception of reality itself may in fact be a mere construct of our mind to make sense of things and live in an ever changing and unknowable universe.

And I just gave myself another headache.

Too much thinking for one day. Time for bed.

Here's hoping your day was better than mine, or at the very least no worse.

Due to allergies, once again spent the day worrying if I had somehow come down with a break-through case of COVID after hair appointment. (I don't, since allergy meds took care of it - and it went away.)

Twitter is amusing me again...

Ken Klippenstein
kenklippenstein
They’re mad at big bird lol

Big Bird getting vaccinated is government propaganda according to crazy anti-vaxxers

Mai Komagata
mai_komagata
·
22h
Replying to
kenklippenstein
if you are on the other side of an argument with sesame street, it is time to reevaluate whether your worldview is wrong.

What's the controversy about?

Big Bird Got Vaccinated on Sesame Street

Big Bird's seemingly innocuous — and obviously fictional — announcement Saturday that he was vaccinated for Covid-19 caused a stir online, as Republicans like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz accused the yellow anthropomorphic bird of tweeting "government propaganda."

"I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy," the eight-foot two-inch Muppet wrote on Twitter. "Ms. ericarhill even said I’ve been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!"

Twitter's response was basically, snarky.

Ah the internet, the gift that keeps on giving.

***

Feeling lonely today and bummed out. Also tired. Haven't been sleeping well - combination of the heat coming on (so I'm overheated), and allergies.
So after calling mother, who was tearful regarding my Dad, I'd opted to finish off my peppermint ice cream, have a bite of chocolate, and a CBD gummy. [Mother had visited my Dad and it hurt to leave him. She hates that he has to stay in the Preston and she can't bring him home and care for him. But, on the bright side, she is getting progressively better. Using her cane today she was able to make herself lunch and is hoping to reduce her POD (home health care workers) to maybe one a day, if any at all.]

The internet makes me feel lonely at times. I've been watching S3 episodes of Yellowstone, and recaps of previous seasons, because I've decided to watch S4. It's a dark modern western. And I'm in the mood - although I did skip the most violent season - S2, which is when my folks gave up on it. Currently taping on FX, Spiderman: Far From Home - which I missed in theaters and when it was on demand. Disney doesn't have secondary subsidiary rights to it - so it didn't end up on Disney Plus. (It's Sony, although Sony and Disney did a kind of deal to link the movies.)

Television and film air rights are confusing. If I didn't work in copyright law for a bit, I wouldn't be able to follow it. Paramount + doesn't air previous episodes of Yellowstone because it was more lucrative for Paramount to sell the exclusive secondary distribution streaming rights to NBC's Peacock, and to air it first distribution only on the Paramount Network. You can only stream the first season on Paramount Network (if you can unlock it) not on Paramount Plus. However, if you want to see the spin-off about a horse ranch, or the prequel 1886Y, then you have to get Paramount +. I think this may be the last or second to last season of Yellowstone (which stars Cole Hauser, Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, and various others...)

Also, I think in such a way that this stuff makes sense to me. It's like a logic game. I'm good at logic games. Explaining them, I struggle with. I think in patterns, and it's hard sometimes to explain my thinking process to someone else. Apparently charts help - I suck at charts.

***

At the salon yesterday, neither stylist wanted the booster. Although mine was going to get it. The receptionist was reluctant because the vaccine made her ill, and she too got her period right afterwards. (I didn't get mine after the booster - odd, that.) But I think we all need them. Folks who haven't - have gotten COVID, as a breakthrough case, here and there.
Mainly because the initial vaccine is less effective six to eight months after you got it, hence the need for the booster.

I listened to a virologist and epidemologist at crazy workplace, so have more information on this than most. I know how the vaccine works, why it works, and why we all need it.

The anti-vaxxers unfortunately got used to questioning the flu shot. This whole movement started long before COVID, with the holistic health movement. And a lot of actors bought into it. I don't know what it is about the acting profession - but they are very susceptible to cults, psuedo-science, new age medical techniques, and holistic scams. They also have a tendency to be skeptical of medical science, and not at all very logical.

Currently on Twitter, this German actor (by way of Australia) who is known for his daytime soap opera roles has decided to make himself the poster boy for the anti-vax movement. I'm thinking, okay, you are a daytime soap actor, who last I checked barely graduated from high school let alone got a degree in virology or epidemiology. Your experience and knowledge is in modeling, soap acting, and running surf shop in Hawaii, also life guarding.
Not only that - but he plays a supporting character on a daytime soap, who is mainly recurring. The man needs a reality check pronto.

Speaking of twitter, it is apparently rude to @ anyone on twitter, this is considered subtweeting. And ratioing - is when the ratio of replies outnumbers likes, meaning people are arguing with you. If someone has been deeply ratioed - they've been argued to death or ganged up on, meaning they were wrong and got trounced. (We've all been trounced at some point in fandom. If you haven't, trust me, be happy about that not so meager accomplishment. Getting trounced on social media is never fun. I haven't really been trounced...called out, yes, trounced, no. But I was also playing in fandom prior to the advent of Twitter and FB, the techies who created those marketing platforms were in college when I was playing about in fan and other discussion forums online.)

I'm learning all sorts of new things...that I'm not entirely sure are necessary to my continued well-being.

***

Church featured violist, which I liked. And a sermon validating people who are religious but not spiritual (basically the woman who asked for the sermon was actively religious but an atheist, she loved everything about being a UU, and the practices, rituals, etc, but she doesn't believe in God at all nor is spiritual), since I'm more spiritual than religious this didn't work for me that well. Actually the whole thing left me feeling kind of out of sorts. It validated the woman who bought the sermon - she bought the option to request a sermon of her choice at a fund-raising option - but left me feeling a bit lost. This happens a lot with sermons or speeches geared to validate people, I often feel disconnected by them for some reason.

This day has felt very long, yet also weirdly short. My time clock is now completely off. Thank you very much.

***

Random photo of the evening, which cheered me up...(you can think of whatever you like...)

This is from Unvirtuous Abby (courtesy of previous minister), with the caption.."Actual photo of the Holy Spirit telling you that when the day comes and you're down in a river of trouble and about to drown to hold on, She's comin' " - kind of feeling that way at the moment, so it made me laugh and feel better at the same time.

Me: What is Maundy Thursday?
Mother: I think it's when they annoit or wash the feet?
ME: I used to know this.
Mother: I'm pretty sure that's it.

My Bible Study Group invited me to do a Maundy Thursday, where we'd light candles, and read the Biblical verse from Mark, and an Adrienne Rich poem and a prayer. It was quite moving - and kind of what I needed today. To sit in silence, with the readings from the point before Jesus' betrayal by Judas, and Peter's Denial of him - where he tells them that's indeed what they will do.

After the readings, they asked if we had anything to say about them. For myself, I oddly identified with Jesus - who knew all this was going to happen and could do nothing to stop it. He had to let it play out. The inability to do anything has been plaguing me all year long.

***
Family

The doctor, or rather the second opinion that mother sought, wasn't overly reassuring. He informed her that the type of fracture she suffered would take six months to heal. (I took this as six months from today - and was rather upset when I learned about it at lunch. But no, it turns out it is six months total, so really only three months left. Mother had been rather upset at lunch time - so of course I assumed the worst. She's upset for the usual and understandable reasons - she's dependent on other people to take her places, drive her places, get her mail, get her food, do her laundry, etc. She can at least take a shower and go to bed by herself now. But mainly she's upset about my father - and the inability to bring him home - which I think we are slowly coming to grips with - won't ever happen now. My father is dealing with it better than she is, I think. In part because he's not in his right mind - dementia.)

Six months seems to a pattern at the moment. I found out that the Pfizer is 90% effective against the virus for six months. Which begs the question, what do we all do six months from now? Get it again?

If I'm being inundated with information about COVID, why shouldn't you be too?

***

Crazy Company

Meeting today was...weird?

I have no idea why Boss felt the need to pull me into this meeting. Nor did anyone else for that matter. ( Read more... )

I've decided to forget about the meeting. So shhh.

***
Creepy Song

While working today, Helen Reddy's classic song Angie Baby written by Alan Dale, came on my iphone. (I have an Apple Music Streaming Account, and when Reddy died - I downloaded all her songs.)

And...I never realized how incredibly twisted those lyrics are until today. So, I'm halfway through the song - when I think wait a minute, and rewind. Did I just hear that right? Whoa! That can't be right? Rewind. Yup.

It's kind of like a Twilight Zone episode or horror story wrapped inside a tween girl's song.

( lyrics beneath the cut )

And, and...they made a CARTOON on the Sonny & Cher Show - who were apparently into turning songs into mini musical cartoons. They also did Big Yellow Taxi, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Demon Alcohol, Dark Lady..

I was blown away by this today. It was so random. Also, I remember loving the song as a kid - and I've listened to it a lot - but I don't think I ever registered the lyrics until now. (I admittedly don't often listen to the lyrics just the sound of them.)

**

I get tomorrow off - holiday (I am in an Irish/Italian Catholic formed union in New York State - I'm amazed the Irish didn't lobby to get St. Patrick's Day off, considering the Italians got Columbus Day. I'd rather have St. Patrick's Day, it's less controversial.). I will most likely do errands around the apartment, take a walk to the grocery store, and veg. I'm considering taking up bike riding this spring and summer - Citibike hubs have finally entered my neighborhood. There's now one at the end of my block, on Church and Ocean Parkway, on the way to the park. I can grab a bike and bike to the park, around the park, and back again. Assuming of course I don't kill myself in the process. (I've not ridden a bike since the 1980s, possibly the 90s, I can't remember. The 20th Century at any rate.)

Did laundry tonight. Considered doing linens, but I waited too long - and the basket was full to the brim. I didn't have enough machines or room in the basket - apparently, I'd forgotten about the mattress pad left over from last time. So, will strip the bed, and change the towles tomorrow morning, and do linens next Thursday. Plus side of working remotely - it's easier to do laundry.

Have a dull headache - most likely due to shifts in the weather. Other than that...hanging in there, like the rest of the world, I suspect. Or most of it at any rate - there are a few folks out there who appear to be having a grand old time.

1. The Good Place -- last week's episode...and oh dear, I'm really not liking this season much at all. Considering I skipped over half of S1 and in some respects prefer that season to this one, is saying something. It's just not working for me, folks.
( eh, spoilers )

2. Saw the flick 2 Fast 2 Furious: Hobbs & Shaw last night on "on-demand". I watched it for three reasons: 1) the stunts, 2) I had the oddest desire to see things blown up and fight sequences, 3) Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren, and Idris Elba (who plays the villain).
( Read more... )

3. Why People Can't Write

Not what I thought. I actually sort of agree with some of it.

( excerpt )

4. Television Series..

I watched the relationship dramas, all of which pissed me off on some level. Sigh. Hormones. The problem with peri-menopause is the hormones. The weirdest things set me off -- I'll either cry at something or rage at it. It's very odd.

* This is Us -- most of this past week's episode was cringe inducing, except for the scenes with the two teens, and there's a lovely scene at the end between Randall's white father Jack (Randall is black) and Randall's black teacher.
( Read more... )

*A Million Little Things -- which I've decided to rename A Million Little White Lies -- a much more fitting title. The entire plot and character development hinges on the white lies the characters tell each other and themselves.
( Read more... )

* Grey's Anatomy

( Read more... )

If you haven't guessed, I'm frustrated with bad television plotting lately. Also they really need to work on dialogue.

5. Studied The Noah's Arc story this week in my weird Bible Study Group (it's a bible study lead by a liberal Jewish UU Minister who doesn't like the New Testament and lets us do that part on our own, while she's providing in depth theological teachings on the Old Testament.)

So, long story short, I learned a few things about it that I did not know.
( Read more... )

6. On Writing..

This morning, I read in a discussion I was having over a book that I was highly ambivalent about (yes, why I'd discuss a book I felt ambivalent towards I don't quite know either)...that the writer wrote the book because she wanted to read fantasy books with magic that featured characters that looked like her.
( Read more... )

1. Bible Study was rather interesting and rewarding. (It was a six person group including the Minister -- who is a UU Minister by way of Judaism. Unitarian Universalism is interesting.)

At any rate -- without going into too much detail (yes, well see if I can manage that - brevity is not what I'm known for, but I've less than 15 minutes to write this) -- we has the reading of Abraham binding Issac -- known as God Tests Issac?
And the Minister gave us an oral folk legend on Abraham that flipped the whole story on its head. None of us had heard it before. (Also as an aside the Torah translation and wording is quite different than the St. James or Catholic text, and has a completely different meaning -- the words you use do matter.)
( the interpretation of an old story in a way that I'd never considered. )

2. House of X #6 -- well, Hickman has managed to completely reinvision the X-men. I've not been excited about the series like this since... well the early 1990s.

And he's delved deeply into world-building, and doing things they never did before now.

3. How to Date A Dragon by Molly Harper -- finished this today. The writing is uneven and has a lot of unnecessary typos and plot inconsistencies that I kind of hand-waved. I have a feeling these are published on the cheap? Because there's not a lot of line editing in evidence.

It's better than expected. There's a mystery and it's urban fantasy, and it's amusing. But like I said, sloppy in the writing department -- if you are picky about this sort of thing, it will bug you. I personally found it less distracting then some others I've read...there's definitely a spectrum.

The plot is sort of wackadoodle. ( spoilers )

Now, I'm reading a contemporary romance novel that appears to be an re-imagining of the Arthur Legend but in an American setting, with a Vice President(either Lancelot or Mordred - hard to say - Ethan Mowbrey), a President (Arthur - Ash), and the woman (Gwen - Greer) they both love. In this re-working, it's mentioned that Lancelot was created by the French scholars but didn't exist in the Welsh legend, in the Welsh, Mordred was the rival.

It's better written than the last book I read, I'll give it that. Granted that's not hard...

1. Wasn't feeling well this weekend, so stayed home and watched the 1973 film version of Godspell and the 2013 arena staging of Jesus Christ Superstar back to back this morning. I did not watch The Ten Commandments with Charleton Heston, that many people I know do, annually, as a drinking game.

I did not know that Victor Garber (from DC Legends of Tomorrow, and Alias) starred as Jesus in "Godspell" (Lynn Thigpen was also in it along with David Haskell who died in 2000). Just in case you want to see what he was like in 1973, see video below, singing one of my favorite songs from the musical:
( clips from Godspell with Victor Garber singing in the lead )

The musical is based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, the Gospel that focuses mainly on the parables, and has very little of the passion. In the Stephen Schwartz musical, John the Baptist calls various people around NYC to Central Park, where he baptizes them in a fountain, and they meet Jesus, who leads them through a series of parables...in surreal story fest, where they dance around the city, across empty streets, buildings, and vacant stores. At one point they are dancing on the top of the World Trade Center, singing..."All for the Best"...which is weirdly ironic.

( another clip of Victor Garber singing, this time All for the Best with David Haskell )

Jesus Christ Superstar

In direct contrast, is about everything that happened in the Gospel according to Luke, and focuses on the Passion or the persecution of Jesus. And the horror of it.

I Don't Know How to Love Him from 2013 Arena Tour
( Read more... )

Gesthemane - 2000 filmed version. This is an insane song by the way. You have to have a wide range to sing it, and great control. Everyone has tried it, from Michael Crawford to Kermit the Frog (yes, really). But I like the song and the metaphors...it really talks about the human relationship with something greater, and how to do what feels impossible. Martin Luther King may well have sung a similar song, as would Joan of Arc, and various other smaller christs who found themselves sacrificed for something larger than themselves...and wondering if it even matters.

( Read more... )

2. The spring brings in the oddest holidays...they are about death, freedom and rebirth. Echoing and intertwining with each other.

Passover celebrates how God freed the Jews from Egypt after thousands of years of slavery. Then due to their own stupidity, they were lost in the desert for many many more. Not fully obtaining their promised land until well into the 1950s or so it seems, and even then...it's not been exactly paradise. Perhaps because their idea of paradise and God's isn't quite the same? It can be realized of course...

Easter celebrates how God freed or attempted to...humanity from the slavery of the material world and its demands. Issuing humanity to a paradise...through death and sacrifice. Except this round instead of killing and torturing the enemy, because that apparently sent the wrong message and didn't quite work as expected, God sacrifices himself. Hoping people figure it out. That paradise can be realized if we let go of ourselves...turn away from vengeance, eye-for-an-eye, let go of the grudges, and confess our sins, love each other...

Of course it doesn't quite work out that way.

I found myself wondering as I watched the Jesus story unfold for the millioneth time, for some reason I don't get tired of it, while I can't re-watch the Ten Commandments. (Although that could just be that particular version of it.) Anywho, I find myself wondering...what would have happened if Jesus had not been crucified? If the society around him, the Jewish Rulers and the Roman ones had chosen to ignore what he was doing and he just over time...disappeared? Would the Roman Empire have crumbled? Would we have had the Holocaust? What would have happened if Egypt hadn't enslaved the Jews? What would have happened if the Jews hadn't worshipped false idols when they came out of Egypt? What would have happened if the stories...both the Passover one and the Jesus one...had ended differently? Would we still be telling them today? Would we need to?

And more importantly why are they still told? Why do they still have resonance over 2000 years since their inception? Neither story was written when it happened. Neither is completely true. Memory can be embellished, and certain items are lost in translation. But the endings are true. Recorded data shows that. The Jews did leave Egypt and were freed, most likely by the Prophet Moses. And Jesus was a prophet and teacher, who was crucified on a cross by Rome for insurrection against the state.

( cut because I'm not sure if this will piss folks off or not...and it is rather long. Because I'm trying to figure something out for myself and I do that best when I write about it in my journal. I do not pretend to be an expert...this is just me figuring stuff out. )

[As a prelude to the below, my article on the Common Threads Dinner - got rave reviews from my
the social justice committee that I've joined through my church. Was quite pleased about that, particularly since I was a tad nervous on how well it would be received.]

This week in the US - is National Open Mosque Week. The below was issued as a press release. If you live in the NYC area? Or in an area that has Mosques - I highly recommend that you check it out. I went to a Mosque in Istanbul and other areas of Turkey, and it opened my eyes. Diversity is something we all need to embrace. And it starts here.


The Islamic Leadership Council of New York, a federation of mosques and Islamic organizations in New York City, is against bigotry and Islamophobia in the United States and particularly in New York and will conduct a Week of Dialogue and host Open House at Mosques during October 17 to October 24, 2010.

Imam Al-Amin Abdul Latif, President of the Islamic Leadership Council, expresses his outrage and condemnation those who for their vested interests have sought such an un-American path that violates our values and Constitution. Imam Al-Amin emphasizes that Muslims have to be proactive and reach out to non-Muslims with the message of Islam. Similarly, inviting non-Muslims to mosques and Islamic centers and sharing Islamic literature with them will help correct their perception of Islam and Muslims in America. Imam Al-Amin said that this was the reason the national Islamic leaders in their summit held in New York City on Sept. 19, decided to conduct a Week of Dialogue. Therefore, during this week, mosques all over the United States will organize open houses and invite neighbors and non-Muslim friend to attend special seminars and programs so that they can know more about Islam and Muslims.

( Mosque Open House Schedule in NY Area )

This list can also be found on NY1.