missizzy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
missizzy) wrote2025-05-26 08:38 pm
missizzy) wrote2025-05-26 08:38 pmEntry tags:
(no subject)
Over the past three days, I have done nine attempts to record this song. All nine failed. I think I only even got close once. I am giving in and posting this one decent video I managed to get back on the 10th. I actually managed to get it imported into the computer as a .mov file that proved watchable and usable, so that problem seems to have just gone away by itself.
I got scolded by YouTube in the process of uploading it for blocking their ads. But I probably never would have bothered, had their latest stunt of putting AI-dictated adds every five or so minutes hadn't pushed things beyond my tolerance. Honestly, I'm kind of glad I've never tried to make money off of these things. Though this one getting copybot-claimed by what looks like some sort of Brazilian company is kind of strange, but ultimately I only care about whether it gets blocked or not, and that, at least, my singing videos have managed to avoid so far.
I got scolded by YouTube in the process of uploading it for blocking their ads. But I probably never would have bothered, had their latest stunt of putting AI-dictated adds every five or so minutes hadn't pushed things beyond my tolerance. Honestly, I'm kind of glad I've never tried to make money off of these things. Though this one getting copybot-claimed by what looks like some sort of Brazilian company is kind of strange, but ultimately I only care about whether it gets blocked or not, and that, at least, my singing videos have managed to avoid so far.
chase_acow (chase_acow) wrote2025-05-26 06:33 pm
chase_acow) wrote2025-05-26 06:33 pm
Entry tags:
i had a frustrating day at work
and ended up spilling eye juice all over the place when my relief came in. It was definitely a feeling of helplessness at being poorly positioned to support my shift, pre-anxiety for a meeting on Thursday where I need to bring up issues and try to resolve them on behalf of my department with the big boss, an overreaction to a new officer who is of the old school gentleman class of casual touch, and then an embarrassment loop because I freaked out when he touched my back as we passed through a narrow spot in the stations and somehow it is now documented in his training file that he was reprimanded for not keeping his hands to himself. And like . . . you shouldn't touch people you don't know very well, but now it feels like my freakiness is on display for everyone to see. And if the LT comes down and tries to peer support me tomorrow, I'm gonna lose my shit.
I am a person, who in the past and apropos of nothing, started to daydream about how to get out of theralpy if an alien civilization showed up and I could save the world if I finished a session so they could know me completely. The world is doomed.
The Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara is available on Kindle Unlimited. And yeah, Amazon is bad, my public library system/Libby doesn't have the widest selection of m/m, and I love these books. The main character is an emotionally constipated porcupine who is trying to be better for the love of his life. The mysteries are so good, the clues are all there for you to figure out if it's your jam, and otherwise there's always a satisfying reveal. Anyway I think I've pushed these on y'all before, but I love them, I bought the ebooks, and if they were available in print, I'd buy those too.
I've also been drowning in nostalgia and reading all the old Valdemar books I loved in my childhood, but that's another post once I've finished the Storm books.
I am a person, who in the past and apropos of nothing, started to daydream about how to get out of theralpy if an alien civilization showed up and I could save the world if I finished a session so they could know me completely. The world is doomed.
The Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara is available on Kindle Unlimited. And yeah, Amazon is bad, my public library system/Libby doesn't have the widest selection of m/m, and I love these books. The main character is an emotionally constipated porcupine who is trying to be better for the love of his life. The mysteries are so good, the clues are all there for you to figure out if it's your jam, and otherwise there's always a satisfying reveal. Anyway I think I've pushed these on y'all before, but I love them, I bought the ebooks, and if they were available in print, I'd buy those too.
I've also been drowning in nostalgia and reading all the old Valdemar books I loved in my childhood, but that's another post once I've finished the Storm books.
setsuled (setsuled) wrote2025-05-27 05:48 am
setsuled) wrote2025-05-27 05:48 am
Entry tags:
A Guitar After the Apocalypse
In a post-apocalyptic, post-gender world. a young woman follows her destiny as the "seventh son" of a genealogy of ramblers in 2025's O'Dessa. Sadie Sink is the captivating star of this film which is an entertaining adventure, though not really much better than the kinds of Mad Max knock-offs I remember from MST3k like Alien from L.A., City Limits, and Warrior of the Lost World.
The movie follows modern American leftist ideology so perfectly I was able to predict many things from scene to scene. When a priest shows up, I knew he'd be a villain. When an MC starts introducing a singer about to perform a sexy dance of veils, I knew the dancer would be a guy, and not even a strikingly beautiful guy. Much like the live action Cowboy Bebop adaptation, the movie sets out to be transgressive but can't help putting its gender non-conformists into boxes. So the gender fluid guy has to be a burlesque singer, again.
I assume Sadie Sink does her own singing and she's really good at it. The songs aren't bad at all and I like the willow design on her guitar. From a basic filmmaking standpoint, it's well made and the politics don't get in the way of the storytelling. I was genuinely interested in the fate of Sink's character and was rooting for her. The visuals were typical for the post-apocalyptic genre but not bad, especially if you're a fan of the genre, which I am.
O'Dessa is available on Disney+.
shadowkat (shadowkat) wrote2025-05-26 06:06 pm
shadowkat) wrote2025-05-26 06:06 pmEntry tags:
The Weekly Good News Report from the American Resistance & It's Global Allies
As always, the good news depends on your perspective, and mileage may vary on this.
To the tune of We're Accentuating the Positive, Eliminating the Negative...and Hanging on to the Affirmative but Don't Mess around with Mr. in Between...sung by Aretha Franklyn (mainly because her version is the only one I like.)
A lot of it is just showing the positive results from non-violent resistance via the courts, etc. But basically as my source states: "We the people are pushing back and making good news." However, there's also a lot of positive environmental news - showing that progress happens regardless, and we are globally making progress in regards to managing climate change and preserving the environment.
1.The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction that will block the Trump administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government while the case proceeds.
( Read more... )
https://democracyforward.org/updates/massive-coalition-of-unions-non-profit-groups-and-local-governments-file-omnibus-challenge-to-unconstitutional-reorganization-of-federal-government/
The court filing can be found HERE
2.This week was the deadline for Congress to act on a resolution that could have overturned the ban on TCE [not to be confused with ICE, this is a toxic chemical]. But thanks to your voices, your stories, and your pressure—Congress didn’t act. The ban on TCE stands.
( Read more... )
https://toxicfreefuture.org/blog/we-finally-won-a-ban-on-toxic-tce-now-some-in-congress-are-trying-to-roll-it-back/
3. Calling for “freedom from partisan interference in programming,” administrative staffers at the Kennedy Center went public with a push to unionize following an overhaul of the institution by the Trump clan.
Go HERE
4. The MeidasTouch Podcast, a show critical of Trump, won Podcast of the Year at the Webby Awards.
https://www.newsweek.com/medias-touch-podcast-webby-award-donald-trump-democrat-2071984?emci=c60a435f-ab32-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&emdi=d3638486-ab32-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&ceid=417324
5. Trump’s support among Latino voters, including those who voted for him in 2024, is fracturing.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/exclusive-trump-losing-the-latino-voters-he-won-in-2024-equis-poll-survey-registered
6.Democrat Sam Sutton defeated his Republican opponent to win New York’s 22nd State Senate District special election — a district Trump won by 55 points in 2024.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5310726-democrat-sam-sutton-wins-new-york-seat/
7. New record for batteries in California (CAISO) On May 20, 2025, battery discharge crossed 10 GW for the first time. That was enough meet a third of evening peak demand. Solar moved fast, but batteries are moving even faster.
https://energycentral.com/c/em/batteries-hit-new-heights-californias-energy-mix
8. In 2019, California's state wide battery capacity was 770 MW. California’s Energy storage has surge to 15,700 MW - including 2300 MW added since last September. That means a clean resilient energy grid to meet peak demand.
https://energycentral.com/c/em/batteries-hit-new-heights-californias-energy-mix
9. Fusion overtakes scission April 2025: for the first time ever, solar power generated more electricity than nuclear worldwide.
https://environmentamerica.org/center/updates/theres-now-five-times-more-solar-than-nuclear-power-in-the-world/
10. For the first time, a surge on China's renewable energy output has led to a 4.7% drop in the countries carbon and missions despite a 2.5% increase in power demand. This marks is major mile stone and China's energy transition.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-clean-energy-just-put-chinas-co2-emissions-into-reverse-for-first-time/
( the rest )
There you have it. This weeks list of how people helped slay their monsters and change the world peacefully and without violence. Slayers every one.
And an advertisement.
"Three weeks from right now, people will be taking to the streets across the United States on No Kings Day. Over 1,000 events are planned in all 50 states. Find an event near you: Click on the link and enter your zip code to see all the gatherings near you."
https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=indivisible
Join us on June 14th, all across this country, when we all show up and say NO, we have no kings, we are a representative democracy and we the people have a say in how our lives are run. Let's stand up for those being harmed by these policies, let's take care of our communities, let's take care of each other."
[No pressure, I'm not doing it - I can't physically and mentally do it. I do this instead. But if you can - please do.]
And here's a picture:
To the tune of We're Accentuating the Positive, Eliminating the Negative...and Hanging on to the Affirmative but Don't Mess around with Mr. in Between...sung by Aretha Franklyn (mainly because her version is the only one I like.)
A lot of it is just showing the positive results from non-violent resistance via the courts, etc. But basically as my source states: "We the people are pushing back and making good news." However, there's also a lot of positive environmental news - showing that progress happens regardless, and we are globally making progress in regards to managing climate change and preserving the environment.
1.The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction that will block the Trump administration’s unlawful reorganization of the federal government while the case proceeds.
( Read more... )
https://democracyforward.org/updates/massive-coalition-of-unions-non-profit-groups-and-local-governments-file-omnibus-challenge-to-unconstitutional-reorganization-of-federal-government/
The court filing can be found HERE
2.This week was the deadline for Congress to act on a resolution that could have overturned the ban on TCE [not to be confused with ICE, this is a toxic chemical]. But thanks to your voices, your stories, and your pressure—Congress didn’t act. The ban on TCE stands.
( Read more... )
https://toxicfreefuture.org/blog/we-finally-won-a-ban-on-toxic-tce-now-some-in-congress-are-trying-to-roll-it-back/
3. Calling for “freedom from partisan interference in programming,” administrative staffers at the Kennedy Center went public with a push to unionize following an overhaul of the institution by the Trump clan.
Go HERE
4. The MeidasTouch Podcast, a show critical of Trump, won Podcast of the Year at the Webby Awards.
https://www.newsweek.com/medias-touch-podcast-webby-award-donald-trump-democrat-2071984?emci=c60a435f-ab32-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&emdi=d3638486-ab32-f011-a5f1-6045bda9d96b&ceid=417324
5. Trump’s support among Latino voters, including those who voted for him in 2024, is fracturing.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/exclusive-trump-losing-the-latino-voters-he-won-in-2024-equis-poll-survey-registered
6.Democrat Sam Sutton defeated his Republican opponent to win New York’s 22nd State Senate District special election — a district Trump won by 55 points in 2024.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5310726-democrat-sam-sutton-wins-new-york-seat/
7. New record for batteries in California (CAISO) On May 20, 2025, battery discharge crossed 10 GW for the first time. That was enough meet a third of evening peak demand. Solar moved fast, but batteries are moving even faster.
https://energycentral.com/c/em/batteries-hit-new-heights-californias-energy-mix
8. In 2019, California's state wide battery capacity was 770 MW. California’s Energy storage has surge to 15,700 MW - including 2300 MW added since last September. That means a clean resilient energy grid to meet peak demand.
https://energycentral.com/c/em/batteries-hit-new-heights-californias-energy-mix
9. Fusion overtakes scission April 2025: for the first time ever, solar power generated more electricity than nuclear worldwide.
https://environmentamerica.org/center/updates/theres-now-five-times-more-solar-than-nuclear-power-in-the-world/
10. For the first time, a surge on China's renewable energy output has led to a 4.7% drop in the countries carbon and missions despite a 2.5% increase in power demand. This marks is major mile stone and China's energy transition.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-clean-energy-just-put-chinas-co2-emissions-into-reverse-for-first-time/
( the rest )
There you have it. This weeks list of how people helped slay their monsters and change the world peacefully and without violence. Slayers every one.
And an advertisement.
"Three weeks from right now, people will be taking to the streets across the United States on No Kings Day. Over 1,000 events are planned in all 50 states. Find an event near you: Click on the link and enter your zip code to see all the gatherings near you."
https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=indivisible
Join us on June 14th, all across this country, when we all show up and say NO, we have no kings, we are a representative democracy and we the people have a say in how our lives are run. Let's stand up for those being harmed by these policies, let's take care of our communities, let's take care of each other."
[No pressure, I'm not doing it - I can't physically and mentally do it. I do this instead. But if you can - please do.]
And here's a picture:
rose_griffes (rose_griffes) wrote2025-05-26 02:00 pm
rose_griffes) wrote2025-05-26 02:00 pmLONG OVERDUE media post.
FILMS and TV:
There was a new Wallace and Gromit movie, Vengeance Most Fowl. Apparently the studio made a deal with Netflix, but the film itself was in movie theaters for a brief window. During which I saw it! It wasn't up to the level of, say, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Still a fun and entertaining film, though. Next time I sign up for Netflix, I’ll be sure to rewatch it.
Later I rewatched Jurassic Park, which housemate A had never seen. We both enjoyed it, although some elements didn't age very well. I’m thinking specifically of the whole “Dr Grant doesn't like children but Dr Sattler wants him to like children.” Also, still can't quite believe they cast someone 20 years younger than Neil what's his face as his love interest. I mean, I can, but… Anyway, the special effects held up well, and the overall story was still super entertaining.
(Neil whatsisface is a babe, don’t get me wrong. And Dr. Sattler is obviously a consenting adult, and yadda yadda yadda - but generally speaking it’s not a romance that works for me within the story, so I’m happy to nitpick it.)
Oh! And I rewatched beloved film Arrival with housemate A - another movie she’d never seen. A. noticed Denis Villeneuve’s distinct lack of ANY HUMOR AT ALL, which is accurate to all of his films that I’ve seen so far. A bit of levity wouldn’t go amiss, Villeneuve! But we both (still) loved it.
Finally finished rewatching Rings of Power, which works even better on its second round: the story arcs are more perceptible now that the story is more complete. Good cast, good visuals, interesting takes on the source materials.
[edited to add: I haven't had time for Andor, season two yet! Hoping to watch it in June.]
BOOKS:
Seanan McGuire published book 18 (!!!) in her Toby Daye series - The Innocent Sleep. This one differs from previous books – the story is told from Tybalt’s POV rather than Toby’s. It worked well for me, and was a good change of pace.
I’ve read and/or listened to all of the novellas and novels in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. Lots of fun even though I accidentally read them out of order. I’ll give the new show on AppleTV+ a try once I have any time for TV.Maybe next month? I have no idea when that's gonna be.
Alison Goodman has a trilogy that can be loosely described as Regency-Era Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fewer quips, more anguish about maintaining social standing in a highly stratified (and dangerous) society. I enjoyed all three. The first book is called The Dark Days Club.
Ben MacIntyre wrote The Spy and the Traitor, about Oleg Gordievsky, who worked for the KGB and then began feeding information to the West, due to ideological differences. His escape from Russia was thrilling–a nice sustained gallop within the story. I then read MacIntyre’s Rogue Heroes, about the history of Britain's SAS. Both worthwhile books.
T. Kingfisher continues to create both creative fantasy romance and the most hair-raising dark fairytales. Paladin’s Faith was the former and A Sorceress Comes to Call the latter. I’ll keep reading Kingfisher for both. (She also writes straight-up horror, which I sometimes have to avoid due to general squeamishness.)
Common theme in this post: revisiting familiar media. I re-read a couple of novels by Dick Francis, and listened to audiobook versions of two more novels by him. They’re very much centered in the time frame when they were written, which is… both good and bad, I guess. But Francis always did his homework for story settings and details, and while there are commonalities between the male protagonists, he also managed to make them distinct enough to feel worth reading. And hey–sometimes you want to read about a morally good guy dealing with bad situations.
There was a new Wallace and Gromit movie, Vengeance Most Fowl. Apparently the studio made a deal with Netflix, but the film itself was in movie theaters for a brief window. During which I saw it! It wasn't up to the level of, say, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Still a fun and entertaining film, though. Next time I sign up for Netflix, I’ll be sure to rewatch it.
Later I rewatched Jurassic Park, which housemate A had never seen. We both enjoyed it, although some elements didn't age very well. I’m thinking specifically of the whole “Dr Grant doesn't like children but Dr Sattler wants him to like children.” Also, still can't quite believe they cast someone 20 years younger than Neil what's his face as his love interest. I mean, I can, but… Anyway, the special effects held up well, and the overall story was still super entertaining.
(Neil whatsisface is a babe, don’t get me wrong. And Dr. Sattler is obviously a consenting adult, and yadda yadda yadda - but generally speaking it’s not a romance that works for me within the story, so I’m happy to nitpick it.)
Oh! And I rewatched beloved film Arrival with housemate A - another movie she’d never seen. A. noticed Denis Villeneuve’s distinct lack of ANY HUMOR AT ALL, which is accurate to all of his films that I’ve seen so far. A bit of levity wouldn’t go amiss, Villeneuve! But we both (still) loved it.
Finally finished rewatching Rings of Power, which works even better on its second round: the story arcs are more perceptible now that the story is more complete. Good cast, good visuals, interesting takes on the source materials.
[edited to add: I haven't had time for Andor, season two yet! Hoping to watch it in June.]
BOOKS:
Seanan McGuire published book 18 (!!!) in her Toby Daye series - The Innocent Sleep. This one differs from previous books – the story is told from Tybalt’s POV rather than Toby’s. It worked well for me, and was a good change of pace.
I’ve read and/or listened to all of the novellas and novels in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. Lots of fun even though I accidentally read them out of order. I’ll give the new show on AppleTV+ a try once I have any time for TV.
Alison Goodman has a trilogy that can be loosely described as Regency-Era Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fewer quips, more anguish about maintaining social standing in a highly stratified (and dangerous) society. I enjoyed all three. The first book is called The Dark Days Club.
Ben MacIntyre wrote The Spy and the Traitor, about Oleg Gordievsky, who worked for the KGB and then began feeding information to the West, due to ideological differences. His escape from Russia was thrilling–a nice sustained gallop within the story. I then read MacIntyre’s Rogue Heroes, about the history of Britain's SAS. Both worthwhile books.
T. Kingfisher continues to create both creative fantasy romance and the most hair-raising dark fairytales. Paladin’s Faith was the former and A Sorceress Comes to Call the latter. I’ll keep reading Kingfisher for both. (She also writes straight-up horror, which I sometimes have to avoid due to general squeamishness.)
Common theme in this post: revisiting familiar media. I re-read a couple of novels by Dick Francis, and listened to audiobook versions of two more novels by him. They’re very much centered in the time frame when they were written, which is… both good and bad, I guess. But Francis always did his homework for story settings and details, and while there are commonalities between the male protagonists, he also managed to make them distinct enough to feel worth reading. And hey–sometimes you want to read about a morally good guy dealing with bad situations.
shadowhive (shadowhive) wrote2025-05-26 04:30 pm
shadowhive) wrote2025-05-26 04:30 pmEntry tags:
Tables don’t work like that
So in the last non fic post I hoped I’d watch the last Stranger Things but that didn’t happen. It’s not happened partly because of tiredness/eyes aching, feeling flop causa the weather and speedrunning the ESO quests for the free reward (of a fancy house). So hopefully I’m gonna watch it this week most likely tomorrow.
But also yay I did actually manage to do some ficcing at last which was unexpected but at least it’s something (and I am pleased how it’s worked out).
The last few days haven’t been too exciting though, bar watching various things on tv. Good things have been a travel documentary with David Suchet where he follows Agatha Christie’s travels, Walking With Dinosaurs (with a cute lil triceratops) and Death Valley which was a fun new detective thing. And also I’ve been back to listening to a bunch of Night Vale eps too which has been fun.
Mums friend was meant to be coming Saturday which was a concern (especially cause it was a last minute thing) but she also cancelled last minute so thst was good.
Saturday was spent sidetracked by Wallace And Gromit (and Shaun The Sheep) on bbc1. It’s funny to have found out that the mention of Wensleydale in A Close Shave actually ended up saving the company (which was close to closing). The Shaun the sheep ep was a fun lil multiverse one and then there was Vengeance Most Fowl which I still say is one of last year’s best films cause it’s so funny. (And Feathers McGraw manages to be an amazing villian despite having no lines.)
Sunday ended up being one of those weird low energy Sundays, which was annoying but at least there was a good tv.
Then today I had to run down and take back one of the things mum picked up last week (which didn’t fit) and pick something up but it was tiring and I got hit with rain ugh. But at least I got a cool mandalorian mystery mini (of Bo Katan) and aldi had the nice mayonnaise I’ve been missing.
(As always I’m sure I’m missing something I meant to say but…)
And now the, slightly belated, thoughts on Doctor Who, Wish Wirld.
( Read more... )
Also I’ve got a £5 Amazon prime video credit randomly so does anyone have any recs?
But also yay I did actually manage to do some ficcing at last which was unexpected but at least it’s something (and I am pleased how it’s worked out).
The last few days haven’t been too exciting though, bar watching various things on tv. Good things have been a travel documentary with David Suchet where he follows Agatha Christie’s travels, Walking With Dinosaurs (with a cute lil triceratops) and Death Valley which was a fun new detective thing. And also I’ve been back to listening to a bunch of Night Vale eps too which has been fun.
Mums friend was meant to be coming Saturday which was a concern (especially cause it was a last minute thing) but she also cancelled last minute so thst was good.
Saturday was spent sidetracked by Wallace And Gromit (and Shaun The Sheep) on bbc1. It’s funny to have found out that the mention of Wensleydale in A Close Shave actually ended up saving the company (which was close to closing). The Shaun the sheep ep was a fun lil multiverse one and then there was Vengeance Most Fowl which I still say is one of last year’s best films cause it’s so funny. (And Feathers McGraw manages to be an amazing villian despite having no lines.)
Sunday ended up being one of those weird low energy Sundays, which was annoying but at least there was a good tv.
Then today I had to run down and take back one of the things mum picked up last week (which didn’t fit) and pick something up but it was tiring and I got hit with rain ugh. But at least I got a cool mandalorian mystery mini (of Bo Katan) and aldi had the nice mayonnaise I’ve been missing.
(As always I’m sure I’m missing something I meant to say but…)
And now the, slightly belated, thoughts on Doctor Who, Wish Wirld.
( Read more... )
Also I’ve got a £5 Amazon prime video credit randomly so does anyone have any recs?
shadowkat (shadowkat) wrote2025-05-26 10:13 am
shadowkat) wrote2025-05-26 10:13 amMemorial Day
I finally had a decent night's rest - got a total of 9 hours, with not a lot of waking up between. ( sleep issues and how to fix them )
The weekend has been a quiet one, in which I've done alarmingly little. I took out the trash. And the recycling. Straightened up the clutter a bit. And finished a watercolor. Also did a bit of reading, and way too much time surfing the internet and watching television as one often does. The internet is kind of addictive?
Memorial Day is a US holiday traditionally utilized for memorializing the dead, specifically those who died during our many and seemingly endless number of armed conflicts and wars. I think it was meant to remind us of the consequences of WAR and not to keep having them? If so, I'm not sure it succeeded.
Per Google AI:
"Memorial Day, a national holiday in the United States, honors those who have died while serving in the country's armed forces. Its origins lie in the years following the Civil War, when communities began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers. The holiday, initially known as "Decoration Day," was officially established as a national holiday in 1868. After World War I, the name was changed to Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971."
When I was much younger and still residing in the suburbs of Kansas City, I'd visit my Grandmother in Liberty, Missouri - to decorate the graves.
( a seemingly long personal essay on Memorial Day )
The weekend has been a quiet one, in which I've done alarmingly little. I took out the trash. And the recycling. Straightened up the clutter a bit. And finished a watercolor. Also did a bit of reading, and way too much time surfing the internet and watching television as one often does. The internet is kind of addictive?
Memorial Day is a US holiday traditionally utilized for memorializing the dead, specifically those who died during our many and seemingly endless number of armed conflicts and wars. I think it was meant to remind us of the consequences of WAR and not to keep having them? If so, I'm not sure it succeeded.
Per Google AI:
"Memorial Day, a national holiday in the United States, honors those who have died while serving in the country's armed forces. Its origins lie in the years following the Civil War, when communities began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers. The holiday, initially known as "Decoration Day," was officially established as a national holiday in 1868. After World War I, the name was changed to Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971."
When I was much younger and still residing in the suburbs of Kansas City, I'd visit my Grandmother in Liberty, Missouri - to decorate the graves.
( a seemingly long personal essay on Memorial Day )
beanside (beanside) wrote2025-05-26 05:56 am
beanside) wrote2025-05-26 05:56 amI think I'll try defying gravity, kiss me good bye, I'm defying gravity and you won't pull me down
It's Monday and I'm up early for 4 hours of work. I don't really mind helping out oncology, and I really like the benefits, which work out to double time and a half (1.5 wages, plus 4 hours PTO). I figure they must really be struggling for them to pay for us to work like this. I mean, it's only two of us, so it's not a ton, but it's still money out of there budget.
Tomorrow, they'll overnight the check to me, and on Wednesday I shall have it. I'm getting excited about paying off all my shit, and being able to finally get a free-standing pantry and some shelves for the kitchen. And pay off the couches! It'll be lovely. I am assuming that the bank is going to hold it for 7 business days, which should put us right about June 9th.
It's also the farmer's market tomorrow, should Door dash ever take the hold off that they put on my card. I have $108 held up on a $54 grocery order. They did three charges, which they've never done, and It's pissing me off.
Yesterday was a mostly quiet day. In the morning, I slept til nearly 8, and relaxed until about 10, when I started making cinnamon rolls. By 11:20, I was a little concerned, because the dough hadn't risen much. Then, I assembled them, spreading the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and rolling them, and set them in the oven to rise again, and started playing a game. That time was the charm, as they got huge. Bigger than fist size when I checked them on bio break. So the oven was preheated and they went back in for 20 minutes to bake while I whipped up the cream cheese frosting. And still got back to game in time.
Twenty minutes later:
A few minutes beyond that:
They turned out light and fluffy and enormous, and I was very happy with them.
Once game was done, I loafed like a motherfucker, made dinner and went to bed. A very relaxing day.
After work today? Probably more relaxing. I'm not feeling particularly ambitious.
For now, though, it's time to take a nice hot shower. Everyone have a lovely Monday!
Tomorrow, they'll overnight the check to me, and on Wednesday I shall have it. I'm getting excited about paying off all my shit, and being able to finally get a free-standing pantry and some shelves for the kitchen. And pay off the couches! It'll be lovely. I am assuming that the bank is going to hold it for 7 business days, which should put us right about June 9th.
It's also the farmer's market tomorrow, should Door dash ever take the hold off that they put on my card. I have $108 held up on a $54 grocery order. They did three charges, which they've never done, and It's pissing me off.
Yesterday was a mostly quiet day. In the morning, I slept til nearly 8, and relaxed until about 10, when I started making cinnamon rolls. By 11:20, I was a little concerned, because the dough hadn't risen much. Then, I assembled them, spreading the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and rolling them, and set them in the oven to rise again, and started playing a game. That time was the charm, as they got huge. Bigger than fist size when I checked them on bio break. So the oven was preheated and they went back in for 20 minutes to bake while I whipped up the cream cheese frosting. And still got back to game in time.
Twenty minutes later:
A few minutes beyond that:
They turned out light and fluffy and enormous, and I was very happy with them.
Once game was done, I loafed like a motherfucker, made dinner and went to bed. A very relaxing day.
After work today? Probably more relaxing. I'm not feeling particularly ambitious.
For now, though, it's time to take a nice hot shower. Everyone have a lovely Monday!
Annie D (scaramouche) wrote2025-05-26 09:27 am
scaramouche) wrote2025-05-26 09:27 am
Entry tags:
Book Log: The Queen's Thief reread (part #1)
I finally got my own copy of Thick as Thieves so it's time to start my series reread. (Mild tangent: there are so many YA books now and turnover is so rapid, I had to go to multiple huge bookstores to find one that had what I wanted.)
The Thief is still so great! A small, self-contained story compared to everything that will happen after and IMO stronger for that. I love Gen so much, what an obnoxious little trickster. He's so smug of his own cleverness and is constantly DYING to tell the others how clever he is but cannot. I love everyone in the road trip (oh, Pol), even Ambiades whom I believe could've redeemed himself if given the chance, though chances are in short supply.
The book does make me miss that we don't get this deep into Gen's headspace ever again (unless Return of the Thief does, I haven't read it) and elements of it are so cinematic I wish we could get a live-action TV show or movie out of it, just for those scenes. Specifically, the water mechanism of the temple under the Aracthus, and Gen's entering Hephastia's court and realising that what he thought were just statues were the actual gods themselves.
( Cut for length, plus other spoiilers. )
The Thief is still so great! A small, self-contained story compared to everything that will happen after and IMO stronger for that. I love Gen so much, what an obnoxious little trickster. He's so smug of his own cleverness and is constantly DYING to tell the others how clever he is but cannot. I love everyone in the road trip (oh, Pol), even Ambiades whom I believe could've redeemed himself if given the chance, though chances are in short supply.
The book does make me miss that we don't get this deep into Gen's headspace ever again (unless Return of the Thief does, I haven't read it) and elements of it are so cinematic I wish we could get a live-action TV show or movie out of it, just for those scenes. Specifically, the water mechanism of the temple under the Aracthus, and Gen's entering Hephastia's court and realising that what he thought were just statues were the actual gods themselves.
( Cut for length, plus other spoiilers. )
Thia (jennaria) wrote2025-05-25 07:52 pm
jennaria) wrote2025-05-25 07:52 pmEntry tags:
Nothing like re-watching old favorites...
...with more modern eyes. In this case, as I am still on my Batman kick, this means the 1989 BATMAN movie, which I saw on original release in theaters (and loved).
( Do I still love it? More than I expected, to be honest. )
( Do I still love it? More than I expected, to be honest. )
i did it all for the robins (musesfool) wrote2025-05-25 08:42 pm
musesfool) wrote2025-05-25 08:42 pm
Entry tags:
at the knees with a cutter
The bbq was fun, even if the weather was chilly and rainy. We saw a huge double rainbow after it rained, and one of them was the most vivid and long-lasting rainbow I ever saw. it was pretty amazing.
Baby Miss L had a grand old time her in personal ball pit, and dancing to both the 90s playlist (it was a 90s-themed party) and later to her own favorite Elmo songs. She was really vibing with Pantera and Alice in Chains - that child is going to be in the mosh pit at the club before you know it.
In other news, Alyssa tried the confetti cookies and really liked them. This morning, she texted me like, "this is exactly what they're supposed to taste like!" Anthony and my sister also liked them, so I guess it's just me, but thy were disgustingly sweet to me. *hands* Trish also liked the brownies, so that worked out too! I will definitely have to make the brownies again, so I can taste them. My sister made ice cream cone cupcakes for the party, which I guess she used to make for the kids to take to school for their birthday's back in the day, so there was a nostalgia factor involved. They were good, though I still like my chocolate cupcake recipe best. *g*
Now I'm watching the Mets, though really, I'm listening to the local radio broadcast because good lord the ESPN broadcast is the worst. Simply terrible in all aspects.
*
Baby Miss L had a grand old time her in personal ball pit, and dancing to both the 90s playlist (it was a 90s-themed party) and later to her own favorite Elmo songs. She was really vibing with Pantera and Alice in Chains - that child is going to be in the mosh pit at the club before you know it.
In other news, Alyssa tried the confetti cookies and really liked them. This morning, she texted me like, "this is exactly what they're supposed to taste like!" Anthony and my sister also liked them, so I guess it's just me, but thy were disgustingly sweet to me. *hands* Trish also liked the brownies, so that worked out too! I will definitely have to make the brownies again, so I can taste them. My sister made ice cream cone cupcakes for the party, which I guess she used to make for the kids to take to school for their birthday's back in the day, so there was a nostalgia factor involved. They were good, though I still like my chocolate cupcake recipe best. *g*
Now I'm watching the Mets, though really, I'm listening to the local radio broadcast because good lord the ESPN broadcast is the worst. Simply terrible in all aspects.
*
Amy Innitmarvelous (innitmarvelous_og) wrote2025-05-25 04:43 pm
innitmarvelous_og) wrote2025-05-25 04:43 pmOf course!
Of course, when a landcomm appears on my reading page, it's for a graphics only landcomm.
If I do a landcomm (I'm looking more for a comm like fandom_empire), it's got to be for both writing and graphics.
If I do a landcomm (I'm looking more for a comm like fandom_empire), it's got to be for both writing and graphics.
setsuled (setsuled) wrote2025-05-26 05:21 am
setsuled) wrote2025-05-26 05:21 amEntry tags:
The Distant Land and the Near Trap
Somehow, movies from the 1930s and '40s seem to do a better job portraying the experience of living in a foreign country. One terrific example is 1937's Pepe le Moko, directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Jean Gabin. Gabin plays the titular gangster, a Frenchman hiding out in the Casbah of Algiers where he has the foreigner's peculiar experience of being welcome and rejected at the same time.
Pepe has a strange friendship with Inspector Slimane (Lucas Gridoux), the man intent on arresting him. So long as Pepe remains in the Casbah, Slimane is unable to do so and the two carry on a cold but puckish friendship. Fate finally puts the finger on Pepe in the form of a woman, a tourist named Gaby (Mireille Balin) from Paris. Pepe's conversations with her revolve around reminiscences of Paris. In bed with her, Pepe remarks that for all her loveliness and the fineness of her clothes and jewellery, he values her for how she reminds him of the Metro. She seems to recall for him an old familiar world from which he has long been separated.
Pepe's local lover, Ines (Line Noro), is jealous of Gabby but is more frightened of the vulnerability Gaby creates in Pepe. Slimane spots the same vulnerability and exploits it, manipulating both of the lovers. This leads to a remarkable scene where Pepe, at home, believing Gaby has abandoned him, listens to another exiled Parisian as she sings along with herself on a recording from decades earlier, a song about a past and a better life that is forever out of reach for her. I love how there's no reaction shot of Pepe for the whole scene. Her song is so clearly suited to his mood and situation that to show any reaction would be somehow redundant and cheap.
Pepe le Moko is available on The Criterion Channel.
brightly_lit (brightly_lit) wrote2025-05-25 11:56 am
brightly_lit) wrote2025-05-25 11:56 amEntry tags:
Fic: Crossing Stars
I'm about to post the final chapter of my novel-length fic -- my very first multi-chapter fic! My best friend had such fun writing a multi-chapter fic that I wanted to get in on that action, too: people reading along, getting invested in it, saying what they thought would happen and hoped would happen. Crossing Stars is an extremely complex fic, interweaving large numbers of characters, timelines, and fandoms (a big part of why I'm so proud of it!), so I rather hoped to have readers along the way to help me keep track of everything, say whether they'd like more follow-up on one part or another ... but no. :-( One person apparently read about a half of it and then never commented again, and another person recently commented on the third-to-last chapter, but otherwise, the few comments I got were spam. (The spam comments on AO3 are a new thing! And ugh.) So I ended up being basically on my own all the way through. JUST LIKE MY CHARACTERS! Well, so it goes. I was bummed about that ... but I am incredibly proud of the fic.
The irony in how unpopular it is is that as I was writing it, I thought it's one of my more crowd-pleasing fics?? At least, according to the usual standards: lots of action, high body count. I guess there's no real romance, and it gets a little technical at times, but people like time-travel stories too, right?? But alas, this did not translate into readers.
I have a few theories about why people weren't reading it. The main character (an OC -- another thing people usually avoid) is fifteen or under for the entire fic and is infatuated with a grown man member of her team. She's in the body of a grown woman and can thus (try to) trick him into believing she's also an adult and into having a relationship with her, an effort which persists throughout the fic -- is indeed a focal point of the fic -- and has repercussions for the plot and for all the characters unto the end, but he always senses something is off and nothing ever happens (except she steals a couple of kisses). I certainly understand people avoiding an unfinished fic where they think something underage might happen, because it would not be at all surprising on AO3 if someone posting a WIP suddenly sprang underage content on the audience, not having tagged for it before the chapter in which it happens, and readers don't want to get invested in a fic they might suddenly find themselves turned off by and unable to finish. So maybe once the fic is complete and they see there's no tag for underage, they'll give it a chance where they were afraid to before. I hope so.
There are also the people who just don't read WIPs until they're complete, which I also get, since the number of abandoned WIPs must be legion. My fic in particular is one where everything leads up to the end, where all the plot points and themes aren't fully realized until then, so getting invested in such a fic would be especially bad while there remains fear it will never be finished.
Also, I didn't realize until I'd already written most of it that all three of the main fandoms (Travelers, 86, and Classroom of the Elite) are essentially dead fandoms, sigh. Just my luck. They are not dead to me; they live on very brightly inside me, but I guess most people lose interest shortly after a show is no longer releasing new episodes.
It's also occurred to me that maybe people think it's gonna be one of those fics that throws a million shows in the tags that are barely actually touched on in the fic? I've never really gotten what's going on with those fics. I've tried to read them before to see what they did with a tagged character I like, and in the couple I did try to read, they like ... passed by in a hallway or had a single line, lol. I don't get it! Unless it's like I felt in my teens about the real people my friend and I had an 'oral tradition' of ficcing about, where I was thrilled by the idea of them simply being present and making a little fun cameo. Is that it? Or is it maybe that they're throwing in a hint of every show they can think of so they can include it in the tags in hopes of getting more readers? Seeing the tossed-off cracky quality to those fics I did try to read, I don't think that much thought went into it, lol.
In any case, Crossing Stars is not one of those kinds of fics; the three main fandoms and the three main characters are all a very fundamental part of the fic. Natasha, Bucky and Steve from MCU also have a pretty important part, although much smaller, as the main characters' senpais. Finally, the My Hero kids have a small but important role as their kohais, as I needed literally a hundred kids fighting against impossible odds, a fandom where putting the kids in such a situation wouldn't be off brand lest I traumatize the fans of some lighthearted fandom with my very dark fic lol, and My Hero fit the bill perfectly. I don't want to trick anyone into reading the fic thinking it's a My Hero fic, because it isn't, but those characters are also present so I've got to tag for them. But I did include the show listing in order of importance to the fic in the tags.
I've never been so proud of a fic I've written. It's incredibly complex, interweaving multiple fandoms and timelines imo quite skillfully. It's got action and heart. It does justice to the amazing shows that inspired it. It covers 15 years of the main characters' lives, so you get to see long growth arcs for all of them. It was fun but challenging to write their characters at all those ages when people grow and change so much, taking into account that these are also highly trained genetically designed geniuses. It was so hard!! But so fun to write, and so personal to me. I went through probably the biggest transition of my entire life over the course of writing it. I started the fic during a trip that represented a big part of that transition, even though I hadn't been able to write in a long time (now that I can write again, I think all my creative energy was going toward manifesting my new life, but at the time, I believed I would probably never be able to write again, and this fic was the singular exception), and finished it only recently. The fic kept me company through what was ultimately a wonderful transition, but which was at times extremely grim and scary. At the end of the transition, I had to leave behind so much about the life I'd lived up to that point. That old life is the life I honored with this fic so that I could give it a good burial and leave it in my past. So I can't fully put into words just how much this fic means to me. Maybe in the end the fic will only have been for me. But it really is a killer fic that has in it so much I think would move a reader and that they would enjoy, so I really hope more people give it a try.
The irony in how unpopular it is is that as I was writing it, I thought it's one of my more crowd-pleasing fics?? At least, according to the usual standards: lots of action, high body count. I guess there's no real romance, and it gets a little technical at times, but people like time-travel stories too, right?? But alas, this did not translate into readers.
I have a few theories about why people weren't reading it. The main character (an OC -- another thing people usually avoid) is fifteen or under for the entire fic and is infatuated with a grown man member of her team. She's in the body of a grown woman and can thus (try to) trick him into believing she's also an adult and into having a relationship with her, an effort which persists throughout the fic -- is indeed a focal point of the fic -- and has repercussions for the plot and for all the characters unto the end, but he always senses something is off and nothing ever happens (except she steals a couple of kisses). I certainly understand people avoiding an unfinished fic where they think something underage might happen, because it would not be at all surprising on AO3 if someone posting a WIP suddenly sprang underage content on the audience, not having tagged for it before the chapter in which it happens, and readers don't want to get invested in a fic they might suddenly find themselves turned off by and unable to finish. So maybe once the fic is complete and they see there's no tag for underage, they'll give it a chance where they were afraid to before. I hope so.
There are also the people who just don't read WIPs until they're complete, which I also get, since the number of abandoned WIPs must be legion. My fic in particular is one where everything leads up to the end, where all the plot points and themes aren't fully realized until then, so getting invested in such a fic would be especially bad while there remains fear it will never be finished.
Also, I didn't realize until I'd already written most of it that all three of the main fandoms (Travelers, 86, and Classroom of the Elite) are essentially dead fandoms, sigh. Just my luck. They are not dead to me; they live on very brightly inside me, but I guess most people lose interest shortly after a show is no longer releasing new episodes.
It's also occurred to me that maybe people think it's gonna be one of those fics that throws a million shows in the tags that are barely actually touched on in the fic? I've never really gotten what's going on with those fics. I've tried to read them before to see what they did with a tagged character I like, and in the couple I did try to read, they like ... passed by in a hallway or had a single line, lol. I don't get it! Unless it's like I felt in my teens about the real people my friend and I had an 'oral tradition' of ficcing about, where I was thrilled by the idea of them simply being present and making a little fun cameo. Is that it? Or is it maybe that they're throwing in a hint of every show they can think of so they can include it in the tags in hopes of getting more readers? Seeing the tossed-off cracky quality to those fics I did try to read, I don't think that much thought went into it, lol.
In any case, Crossing Stars is not one of those kinds of fics; the three main fandoms and the three main characters are all a very fundamental part of the fic. Natasha, Bucky and Steve from MCU also have a pretty important part, although much smaller, as the main characters' senpais. Finally, the My Hero kids have a small but important role as their kohais, as I needed literally a hundred kids fighting against impossible odds, a fandom where putting the kids in such a situation wouldn't be off brand lest I traumatize the fans of some lighthearted fandom with my very dark fic lol, and My Hero fit the bill perfectly. I don't want to trick anyone into reading the fic thinking it's a My Hero fic, because it isn't, but those characters are also present so I've got to tag for them. But I did include the show listing in order of importance to the fic in the tags.
I've never been so proud of a fic I've written. It's incredibly complex, interweaving multiple fandoms and timelines imo quite skillfully. It's got action and heart. It does justice to the amazing shows that inspired it. It covers 15 years of the main characters' lives, so you get to see long growth arcs for all of them. It was fun but challenging to write their characters at all those ages when people grow and change so much, taking into account that these are also highly trained genetically designed geniuses. It was so hard!! But so fun to write, and so personal to me. I went through probably the biggest transition of my entire life over the course of writing it. I started the fic during a trip that represented a big part of that transition, even though I hadn't been able to write in a long time (now that I can write again, I think all my creative energy was going toward manifesting my new life, but at the time, I believed I would probably never be able to write again, and this fic was the singular exception), and finished it only recently. The fic kept me company through what was ultimately a wonderful transition, but which was at times extremely grim and scary. At the end of the transition, I had to leave behind so much about the life I'd lived up to that point. That old life is the life I honored with this fic so that I could give it a good burial and leave it in my past. So I can't fully put into words just how much this fic means to me. Maybe in the end the fic will only have been for me. But it really is a killer fic that has in it so much I think would move a reader and that they would enjoy, so I really hope more people give it a try.
shadowkat (shadowkat) wrote2025-05-25 10:50 am
shadowkat) wrote2025-05-25 10:50 amEntry tags:
The television report...
1. Daredevil Born Again is bringing back Luke Cage, Iron Fist (who seriously needs to be recast, but whatever), and Jessica Jones to join Daredevil as the Defenders. They are all in S2 Daredevil. (Basically Daredevil is getting the Disney treatment, which works for me - since I liked The Defenders.)
2. Wheel of Time was cancelled by Amazon after the 3rd season. Cancelled due to ratings and a hefty price tag. (Amazon's head honcho got absurdly political and it has cost him.) I haven't made it past S1. I have too many television shows, and the characters didn't grab me for some reason or other. I was thinking of going back to it - but now? Probably not.
3. Finished watching:
* Etoile (on Amazon) while visiting Mother. We both enjoyed it. It's about the Paris and New National Ballet Theaters - trading lead talent in order to booster each others ticket sales. It's in French and English. And has performances by professional ballet dancers, who are also lead actors in the series. Focuses more on the running of the two theaters, and putting together the performances. It's not a relationship drama, so much as a workplace drama or dramedy? It's written by the same people who did Bunheads and Gilmore Girls - so swings towards witty comedic banter and comedic situations.
Etoile was picked up for two seasons by Amazon, so season 2 is being filmed and the entire cast is returning for it.
* The Residence (on Netflix) (finished yesterday) - it's a satirical mystery series, about an unorthodox detective, who is rather brilliant, and prefer to watch birds. ( Read more... )
Other than that - it's fun and hilarious in places, with a farcical humor, touched with light satire.
This works very well as a stand-a-lone. All the plot-threads were satisfyingly closed. I'm not sure I want a second season?
* The Four Seasons - this is a relationship comedy - it is loosely adapted from Alan Alda's 1981 film of the same name, with Tina Fey taking on the Carol Burnett role, and Colman Domingo taking on Jack Weston's role, except as a gay Black man, with his Italian husband (the original was portrayed by Rita Moreno). It's about three couples that vacation together each season. We see them only on their vacations or trips together. The first or main point of view couple is Tina Fey and Will Forte (Katie and Jack), then Danny and Claude (Colman Domingo and an Italian actor), finally Steve Carrol's Nick (and Anne (his wife) and Ginny (the girl-friend, after he divorces his wife). It reminded me vaguely of the original, but I'm not certain how close it is - because I haven't seen the original version since the 1980s. Also, now, I'm the same age as the four couples, when the last time I saw it - I was much younger.
It's okay. I found the other two television series funnier. Wales liked it better than I did. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of relationship comedy.
4. Buffy Reboot
I could be wrong about this? But I'm becoming increasingly convinced that James Marsters is involved in the Reboot, not sure how big his role will be or how he'll be involved. ( Read more... )
Yes, I'm still a fan of Buffy. It was that rare television series which had perfect casting, good writing, and blending of collaborative creative talent in various sections (makeup, stunt craft, writing, directing, production, casting, acting) that just worked and got better as it went. The first season is okay, but the second season ...was leaps and bounds better in all areas. There's a handful of television series that I've been a fan of, and 98% of them are fantasy and science fiction series.
What this says about me, I do not know.
[ETA:
Slayers, Every One of Us: How One Girl in All the World Showed Us How to Hold On by Kristin Russo (Author), Jenny Owen Youngs (Author) -
"Read by the authors and hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, this memoir reflects on heartbreak, perseverance, building community, and life lessons learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This audiobook features bonus songs, jingles, and clips from the podcast and live shows, and contributions from fans/committed Scoobies.
Kristin and Jenny’s marriage started with an ultimatum: to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny's favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the terms set, they began a journey that has led them through seven seasons of the beloved genre show, a podcast rewatching the series with their newly minted listenership of “Scoobies,” unexpected success, and a divorce. Through it all, their love for Buffy and their commitment to their community held them together against the odds."
Sigh, I feel old. Buffering the Vampire Slayer - was a podcast they did to rewatch the show in 2016. I watched the show live between 1997 - 2004, and was on the internet with people discussing as far back as the 1990s. The podcasts I listened to - you can't find now. Nor the sites for that matter. Even my own web site is long gone - although all my essays and fanfic can be found on Ao3, but I didn't write much in the way of fanfic. ]
ETA: Apparently "Slayers" the audio book did amazingly well, too well, and Disney stopped it from doing any more and pulled the rights. (Disney owns the rights to Buffy now, not Fox not Whedon. That's important.) The reason was - they were doing the Buffy Reboot and didn't want Slayers to get in the way of it.
Below is the link to the Q&A where Marsters explains it - it's at the very end of the Q&A. (Marsters Q&A's are highly entertaining, because he clearly loves Conventions and has been going to them since he was thirteen with Star Trek. Most actors at these things are kind of boring. Please note? I have NEVER been to a fan convention, I watch it all on youtube or the internet. I found the American Library Association Conventions and the E-Publishing ones to be headache inducing enough. I hate crowds, claustrophobic convention halls, etc. My idea of hell is a convention. The appeal is lost on me. If I wanted to - I could go to the big one - Comic Con in NYC, but it would kill me.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aj5esoZOi8 ]
5. Also saw two filmed theater performances on PBS (Great Performances). PBS is kind of the US equivalent of the BBC, except it doesn't have quite as much money, and is mostly locally supported by subscribers.
* Next to Normal - I saw the original on Broadway ages ago. This is the West End Revival - in London. Apparently it hadn't made it to the UK, so they revived it. What's remarkable is the entire cast is speaking with an American accent, even though they are all British. I'm surprised they didn't make it British - they could. It's a musical/rock opera about mental illness, grief, and it's devastating effects on the family dynamic- I call it a rock opera, because there's no dancing, and most of the lines are sung, and the band is on stage. It has some truly beautiful music and excellent performances.
* YellowFace - the semi-autobiographical satirical play by David
Henry Kwang about racism in the US. It's hilarious in places and overall rather well done. Danial Dae Kim (Angel, LOST, Hawaii 5-0) portrays Kwang, and Ryan Eggold (Blacklist and New Amsterdam) portrays a Russian actor who can pass as Asian. (Actually I think it's a call out to Yul Brunner and they even reference the King and I.) A lot of the play is actors talking to the audience, and sometimes to each other. It breaks the fourth wall a lot -- in that the actors are directly speaking to the audience or step outside the framework of the play - to do so in monologues. ( Read more... )
2. Wheel of Time was cancelled by Amazon after the 3rd season. Cancelled due to ratings and a hefty price tag. (Amazon's head honcho got absurdly political and it has cost him.) I haven't made it past S1. I have too many television shows, and the characters didn't grab me for some reason or other. I was thinking of going back to it - but now? Probably not.
3. Finished watching:
* Etoile (on Amazon) while visiting Mother. We both enjoyed it. It's about the Paris and New National Ballet Theaters - trading lead talent in order to booster each others ticket sales. It's in French and English. And has performances by professional ballet dancers, who are also lead actors in the series. Focuses more on the running of the two theaters, and putting together the performances. It's not a relationship drama, so much as a workplace drama or dramedy? It's written by the same people who did Bunheads and Gilmore Girls - so swings towards witty comedic banter and comedic situations.
Etoile was picked up for two seasons by Amazon, so season 2 is being filmed and the entire cast is returning for it.
* The Residence (on Netflix) (finished yesterday) - it's a satirical mystery series, about an unorthodox detective, who is rather brilliant, and prefer to watch birds. ( Read more... )
Other than that - it's fun and hilarious in places, with a farcical humor, touched with light satire.
This works very well as a stand-a-lone. All the plot-threads were satisfyingly closed. I'm not sure I want a second season?
* The Four Seasons - this is a relationship comedy - it is loosely adapted from Alan Alda's 1981 film of the same name, with Tina Fey taking on the Carol Burnett role, and Colman Domingo taking on Jack Weston's role, except as a gay Black man, with his Italian husband (the original was portrayed by Rita Moreno). It's about three couples that vacation together each season. We see them only on their vacations or trips together. The first or main point of view couple is Tina Fey and Will Forte (Katie and Jack), then Danny and Claude (Colman Domingo and an Italian actor), finally Steve Carrol's Nick (and Anne (his wife) and Ginny (the girl-friend, after he divorces his wife). It reminded me vaguely of the original, but I'm not certain how close it is - because I haven't seen the original version since the 1980s. Also, now, I'm the same age as the four couples, when the last time I saw it - I was much younger.
It's okay. I found the other two television series funnier. Wales liked it better than I did. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of relationship comedy.
4. Buffy Reboot
I could be wrong about this? But I'm becoming increasingly convinced that James Marsters is involved in the Reboot, not sure how big his role will be or how he'll be involved. ( Read more... )
Yes, I'm still a fan of Buffy. It was that rare television series which had perfect casting, good writing, and blending of collaborative creative talent in various sections (makeup, stunt craft, writing, directing, production, casting, acting) that just worked and got better as it went. The first season is okay, but the second season ...was leaps and bounds better in all areas. There's a handful of television series that I've been a fan of, and 98% of them are fantasy and science fiction series.
What this says about me, I do not know.
[ETA:
Slayers, Every One of Us: How One Girl in All the World Showed Us How to Hold On by Kristin Russo (Author), Jenny Owen Youngs (Author) -
"Read by the authors and hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, this memoir reflects on heartbreak, perseverance, building community, and life lessons learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This audiobook features bonus songs, jingles, and clips from the podcast and live shows, and contributions from fans/committed Scoobies.
Kristin and Jenny’s marriage started with an ultimatum: to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny's favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the terms set, they began a journey that has led them through seven seasons of the beloved genre show, a podcast rewatching the series with their newly minted listenership of “Scoobies,” unexpected success, and a divorce. Through it all, their love for Buffy and their commitment to their community held them together against the odds."
Sigh, I feel old. Buffering the Vampire Slayer - was a podcast they did to rewatch the show in 2016. I watched the show live between 1997 - 2004, and was on the internet with people discussing as far back as the 1990s. The podcasts I listened to - you can't find now. Nor the sites for that matter. Even my own web site is long gone - although all my essays and fanfic can be found on Ao3, but I didn't write much in the way of fanfic. ]
ETA: Apparently "Slayers" the audio book did amazingly well, too well, and Disney stopped it from doing any more and pulled the rights. (Disney owns the rights to Buffy now, not Fox not Whedon. That's important.) The reason was - they were doing the Buffy Reboot and didn't want Slayers to get in the way of it.
Below is the link to the Q&A where Marsters explains it - it's at the very end of the Q&A. (Marsters Q&A's are highly entertaining, because he clearly loves Conventions and has been going to them since he was thirteen with Star Trek. Most actors at these things are kind of boring. Please note? I have NEVER been to a fan convention, I watch it all on youtube or the internet. I found the American Library Association Conventions and the E-Publishing ones to be headache inducing enough. I hate crowds, claustrophobic convention halls, etc. My idea of hell is a convention. The appeal is lost on me. If I wanted to - I could go to the big one - Comic Con in NYC, but it would kill me.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aj5esoZOi8 ]
5. Also saw two filmed theater performances on PBS (Great Performances). PBS is kind of the US equivalent of the BBC, except it doesn't have quite as much money, and is mostly locally supported by subscribers.
* Next to Normal - I saw the original on Broadway ages ago. This is the West End Revival - in London. Apparently it hadn't made it to the UK, so they revived it. What's remarkable is the entire cast is speaking with an American accent, even though they are all British. I'm surprised they didn't make it British - they could. It's a musical/rock opera about mental illness, grief, and it's devastating effects on the family dynamic- I call it a rock opera, because there's no dancing, and most of the lines are sung, and the band is on stage. It has some truly beautiful music and excellent performances.
* YellowFace - the semi-autobiographical satirical play by David
Henry Kwang about racism in the US. It's hilarious in places and overall rather well done. Danial Dae Kim (Angel, LOST, Hawaii 5-0) portrays Kwang, and Ryan Eggold (Blacklist and New Amsterdam) portrays a Russian actor who can pass as Asian. (Actually I think it's a call out to Yul Brunner and they even reference the King and I.) A lot of the play is actors talking to the audience, and sometimes to each other. It breaks the fourth wall a lot -- in that the actors are directly speaking to the audience or step outside the framework of the play - to do so in monologues. ( Read more... )
neekabe (neekabe) wrote2025-05-25 09:52 am
neekabe) wrote2025-05-25 09:52 am(no subject)
I was craving my mother's muffins, but I did some googling and found that flax meal is a gluten free swap for wheat bran, and I had that, so I tried the old recipe with gluten free flour blend and flax and it was delicious. I've also eaten like 24 of them in the past 2 weeks. So I'm going to take a bit of a pause on baking them XD
So ( Recipe Here )
I got rid of the old TV today (13 years old, the very first and only TV I bought myself) I was somewhat loathe to let it go because it was a perfectly functional dumb TV, but we don't need two TVs in the little apartment we have. And Freecycle got it gone in under 24 hours.
I also got rid of a bunch of partially used hair products that didn't really work for my hair. I felt guilty throwing them out, but someone picked them up on Freecycle. Hopefully some of them work for them!
Relatedly I ordered 4 new products to try and got a full size of a sample I had bought earlier that I really liked. And was one of the reasons I got rid of one of the other products - I thought it worked as a leave-in until I tried the new one, which worked so much better!
My parents are visiting at the end of the week, so yesterday was getting my sewing projects into a place where they could more easily be put away and out of the dining room (which worked out to pieces all cut out) and so the rest of today is going to be making almost final steps on the office reorg so they have a tidy place to sleep.
So ( Recipe Here )
I got rid of the old TV today (13 years old, the very first and only TV I bought myself) I was somewhat loathe to let it go because it was a perfectly functional dumb TV, but we don't need two TVs in the little apartment we have. And Freecycle got it gone in under 24 hours.
I also got rid of a bunch of partially used hair products that didn't really work for my hair. I felt guilty throwing them out, but someone picked them up on Freecycle. Hopefully some of them work for them!
Relatedly I ordered 4 new products to try and got a full size of a sample I had bought earlier that I really liked. And was one of the reasons I got rid of one of the other products - I thought it worked as a leave-in until I tried the new one, which worked so much better!
My parents are visiting at the end of the week, so yesterday was getting my sewing projects into a place where they could more easily be put away and out of the dining room (which worked out to pieces all cut out) and so the rest of today is going to be making almost final steps on the office reorg so they have a tidy place to sleep.
beanside (beanside) wrote2025-05-25 08:08 am
beanside) wrote2025-05-25 08:08 amGot a ringin in my ears gettin ready to burst, screamin hallelujah motherfucker, take me to church
It's Sunday! And I slept in quite a bit. Almost until 8! (To be fair, I did get up at 4:30 to go to the bathroom and at 6 because the cat wanted food, but still)
Yesterday was busy, but SO much fun. First up was work, which was surprisingly busy for a holiday weekend. And of course, I got the last second call of the day at 11:59. Fortunately, it was a nice little old man calling back to see if we'd had cancellations. And we had! So that was a good call. I had to call the site, because they had blocked it, but they okayed it, so I grabbed it. He and his wife were both very effusive in their thanks, the wife basically blessed everything about me. My family, my pets, my home, me, my health. It was sweet, but a little embarrassing after a couple of minutes. I also had someone tell me that I was the nicest person they'd ever spoken with in a medical office, which was super sweet.
After that, it was time for Arvandor, which continues to be a fun, chill game. Time flew until we had to be off for our second game. They're still in the gathering clues stage. The steward of the court was just murdered, so we'll see how that goes. I think one of the tangled mysteries is close to being unravelled, but I'm not sure. It might need a couple of more clues. I continue to really enjoy playing it. We have a game next week, but I'm tempted to offer to DM tomorrow to get another short one in.
After that, it was the beginning of the Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga, which was also a riot. Annoyingly, the maps totally failed to match up with the rooms, so I'm going to be sorting those out between games. They were free, but c'mon.
Aside from that, we had dinner from a new place, Krunchy Chicken, which had pretty good chicken tenders. And then we made a quick trip to Sam's club for some groceries, and then we all crashed.
Today, I have one game at noon, and nothing else. Debating if 72 is too cold to go to the pool after game. We'll see.
Tomorrow, I will work half a day, and enjoy making $77/hr, give or take. I have a feeling that oncology will have us hopping, but that'll be better than the alternative. After that, nothing exciting planned unless we do a game.
Tuesday, the check will be mailed out overnight, and I should get it on Wednesday. Then, we'll see how long the bank is going to hold it for. And what time I'm going to get it. I'm hoping to have it early, so I can run and deposit it on my lunch. If I'm correct, it should be cleared by 6/7, which is when I booked my hair appt. It's SO shaggy right now. I hate it.
Okay, time to go forth and get myself together to make breakfast. Not sure what I want to cook. Everyone have a wonderful Sunday!
Yesterday was busy, but SO much fun. First up was work, which was surprisingly busy for a holiday weekend. And of course, I got the last second call of the day at 11:59. Fortunately, it was a nice little old man calling back to see if we'd had cancellations. And we had! So that was a good call. I had to call the site, because they had blocked it, but they okayed it, so I grabbed it. He and his wife were both very effusive in their thanks, the wife basically blessed everything about me. My family, my pets, my home, me, my health. It was sweet, but a little embarrassing after a couple of minutes. I also had someone tell me that I was the nicest person they'd ever spoken with in a medical office, which was super sweet.
After that, it was time for Arvandor, which continues to be a fun, chill game. Time flew until we had to be off for our second game. They're still in the gathering clues stage. The steward of the court was just murdered, so we'll see how that goes. I think one of the tangled mysteries is close to being unravelled, but I'm not sure. It might need a couple of more clues. I continue to really enjoy playing it. We have a game next week, but I'm tempted to offer to DM tomorrow to get another short one in.
After that, it was the beginning of the Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga, which was also a riot. Annoyingly, the maps totally failed to match up with the rooms, so I'm going to be sorting those out between games. They were free, but c'mon.
Aside from that, we had dinner from a new place, Krunchy Chicken, which had pretty good chicken tenders. And then we made a quick trip to Sam's club for some groceries, and then we all crashed.
Today, I have one game at noon, and nothing else. Debating if 72 is too cold to go to the pool after game. We'll see.
Tomorrow, I will work half a day, and enjoy making $77/hr, give or take. I have a feeling that oncology will have us hopping, but that'll be better than the alternative. After that, nothing exciting planned unless we do a game.
Tuesday, the check will be mailed out overnight, and I should get it on Wednesday. Then, we'll see how long the bank is going to hold it for. And what time I'm going to get it. I'm hoping to have it early, so I can run and deposit it on my lunch. If I'm correct, it should be cleared by 6/7, which is when I booked my hair appt. It's SO shaggy right now. I hate it.
Okay, time to go forth and get myself together to make breakfast. Not sure what I want to cook. Everyone have a wonderful Sunday!
meteordust (meteordust) wrote2025-05-25 09:39 pm
meteordust) wrote2025-05-25 09:39 pm
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