Spontaneous Musings

Disclaimer: As always, good news like humor and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In short, mileage it varies.

1.A new treatment has shown huge potential for treating spina bifida in the womb, after a trial showed that it improved children’s mobility and quality of life. Spina bifida, a condition in which a baby’s spinal cord is not properly enclosed during gestation, can lead to a range of lifelong disabilities. However, scientists claimed this week to have a promising new treatment, which involves applying stem cells from the mother’s placenta to her baby’s spine while surgeons repair it in the womb.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02466-3/fulltext

2.Researchers hailed new prostate cancer treatment
A new immunotherapy drug for treating prostate cancer has shown “remarkable” results in an early clinical trial.
The VIR-5500 drug was given to 58 patients with advanced prostate cancer that had stopped responding to other treatments. Almost half saw their tumour shrink after taking the drug, according to the UK’s Institute of Cancer Research, which led the research. Most patients had only mild side-effects.

3.After surviving breast cancer, Mary Mwangi started crafting handmade prosthetic breasts for those who’ve had mastectomies in Kenya, as an alternative to costly silicone options. She now leads a group of women who have produced over 600 pieces for fellow survivors in need, all while finding a sense of solace in the art itself. “Knitting takes you through a process of healing,” Mwangi said. “Once you are not thinking about your disease, you are positive, and that positive mind helps you, because healing starts from your mind.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/breast-cancer-survivor-knits-prostheses-050739235.html

4.Chile has become the first country in the Americas, and only the second globally, to be verified as having eliminated leprosy. Announcing the verification on Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) described the milestone as a “landmark public health achievement” and “a powerful testament to what leadership, science, and solidarity can accomplish”.
Chile’s leprosy-free certification follows sustained public health efforts, including prevention strategies, early diagnosis, improved treatments, and continuous follow-ups. “Chile’s elimination of leprosy sends a clear message to the world: with sustained commitment, inclusive health services, integrated public health strategies, early detection and universal access to care, we can consign ancient diseases to history,” said WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The first country to be verified as having eliminated leprosy was Jordan in September 2024.

https://worldhealthorganization.com/

5.Indigenous river defenders are celebrating after winning a David versus Goliath battle against the Brazilian government and corporate giants over plans to industrialise an Amazonian waterway.
The Tapajós River faced the threat of being dredged and privatised to boost soy and grain shipments out of Santarém, a small city in the Brazilian state of Pará. But activists had other ideas. They occupied a local grain terminal belonging to Cargill, the biggest privately owned company in the US, forcing Brazil’s government into a policy U-turn.“The transformation of Amazonian rivers into routes for economic exploitation directly threatens Indigenous territories, traditional ways of life, food security, biodiversity and the environmental balance of the entire region,” said the Federation of Indigenous Peoples. Reacting to the U-turn, Maria Leusa, an Indigenous campaigner, said: “This proves that life – the river – has no price. It cannot be sold, it is not negotiable. That’s why we will never back down.”

6.Lawmakers in Vietnam have passed legislation regulating artificial intelligence, making it the first country in southeast Asia to place safeguards on the fast-moving technology. Like the European Union’s AI Act, Vietnam’s law requires companies to clearly label AI-generated content, which is often not easy to differentiate from reality. It will also oblige them to inform customers when they are interacting with a chatbot rather than a human. Internet safety campaigners welcomed the move, but said enforcement will be key for it to be effective.

https://www.positive.news/science/eu-approves-draft-law-to-regulate-ai-how-it-works/

South Korea became the first country to enact an AI law in January (the European Union’s is entering force in phases). It comes amid growing concern about AI firms’ involvement in the military, after the Trump administration demanded that AI companies give the Pentagon unrestricted access to their technology – including for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Open AI, the company behind ChatGPT, obliged, signing a deal with the Pentagon this week that will allow its systems to be used by the US military. It sparked a fierce backlash, with millions pledging to quit ChatGPT, resulting in a rapid reversal and Open AI changing the deal. "On Monday OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said the company would add the language to its agreement, including explicitly prohibiting the use of its systems to spy on Americans." [Proof boycotts work at any rate.]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rz1nd0egro

7. The UK’s green economy grew by 10.2% in the last year, outpacing the nation’s broader economy, which grew by just 1.3% in 2025.
That’s according to research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which comes amid increasing hostility to green industries from opposition political parties.

The CBI’s research shows the green economy to be in rude health, generating around £83.1bn in gross added value. Every £1 it generates, it added, creates an additional £1.89 in the wider economy.

“It is clear, you can’t have growth without green,” said Louise Hellem, CBI’s chief economist. “At a time when the cost of doing business has squeezed appetite for capital investments, and high energy prices are being cited as a drag factor across the economy, investments in clean technologies can significantly bolster competitiveness and productivity.”
The report follows separate research from Carbon Brief, which found that clean energy drove more than a third of China’s GDP growth in 2025. It comes as the war in the Middle East sends oil and gas prices soaring.
“Long-term sustainable growth is unattainable without a future powered by clean, affordable, and secure energy,” said Hellem.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-clean-energy-drove-more-than-a-third-of-chinas-gdp-growth-in-2025/

8.Europe’s night train network is set to expand after the community owned rail firm European Sleeper announced a new route between Brussels and Milan. Launching in September, the service will call at Cologne and Zürich, providing an important north–south connection on the continent.
European Sleeper has been a driving force behind Europe’s unexpected night train renaissance, which comes amid growing demand for low-carbon travel. In 2023, the Dutch-Belgian company launched a Brussels to Berlin service, which has since been extended in both directions to include Amsterdam and Prague. European Sleeper is part of Europe’s burgeoning community ownership movement, which has seen regular folk take ownership of everything from pubs and shopping centres to a ferry service. Owned by its readers, Positive News is part of that movement.

https://www.positive.news/society/how-communities-are-stepping-up-to-revive-our-tired-towns/

9.Ireland’s basic income for artists became permanent. A basic income scheme for artists that launched during the pandemic to kickstart Irish culture was made permanent this week. Offering participants a weekly stipend of €325 (£283), the €25m (£21m) pilot helped more than 2,000 artists, although many more applied. According to an independent study, the scheme generated €100m (£87m) in “social and economic benefits” to Ireland’s economy. Elinor O’Donovan is among the artists to have been accepted onto the scheme, which was launched by the Irish government in 2022. “Before I started receiving it, I was working part-time as a receptionist just to be able to afford my rent. I was thinking about moving to a country where I might be able to afford to live a bit cheaper.”
“Now I work full-time as an artist. [The scheme] has given me the flexibility that the job of an artist requires and has allowed me to take risks. I’ve gone into film and I was able to pay other people to work with me on it.” Although limited in scope, it’s the world’s first basic income scheme to be made permanent.

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/press-releases/basic-income-for-the-arts-pilot-produced-over-100-million-in-social-and-economic-benefits/

10.A new law was proposed to crack down on abusive online images
The UK government this week revealed a new law that would require tech companies to remove intimate images that have been shared without consent, within 48 hours. Currently making its way through the House of Lords, the proposed amendment to the crime and policing bill would mean that a survivor only needs to flag an offensive image once, instead of contacting different platforms separately. Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, told BBC Breakfast on Thursday that this law would mean a survivor “doesn’t have to do a sort of whack-a-mole chasing wherever this image is next going up”. The law would be enforced by fines and other as-yet-undetermined measures.
Janaya Walker, interim director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said that the proposed law “sends a powerful message that women and girls’ rights and freedoms matter, and should not be threatened by image-based abuse. “This announcement rightly places the responsibility on tech companies to act, because it is they who can stop images from spreading, and that have profited from hosting this harm. We need to see government build on this work by giving survivors more options to take action, and ultimately to prevent this abuse from happening in the first place.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6ed1549yvo

( the rest of the thirty items )

[In personal news, been battling a bit of a weather related headache, the weather is shifting and I think it's finally going to clear in time for my birthday tomorrow. I went to the book store - and picked up three books as a birthday gift to myself - "Ministry of Time"; Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles; and The Color Palette ( a journey exploring the history and origins of color), so two non-fiction, one fiction to add to my ever increasing pile of books.

Yes, I'm one of those people who goes to a book store intent on either buying nothing or just one book - and ends up with three. This is pathetic. It's not like I don't have two libraries in walking distance, numerous little libraries, and a massive book depository in the basement laundry room. Not to mention all the unread books in my apartment, and on my kindle. I have enough to last me five lifetimes. Sigh. What can I say? Buying and owning books has always made me gleefully happy. Nothing else does in quite the same way. Well maybe records did when I was a kid - but I no longer own a record player and have an unlimited music account with Apple Music, which is much easier to use than the record player, and takes up less space.]

Bought myself flowers. Reddish purple carnations with baby's breath - a small bouquet that fits perfectly in a small green ceramic vase in the my living window. The Saturn night light is lighting it up nicely. ( explanation of the night light )

I'm also on a total news blockage. Yes, I'm ignoring what is happening outside of my section of the world at the moment.

And, I bought myself birthday cake. Because birthdays must have cake. (I think I have birthday candles somewhere? Although they aren't necessary. I'm kind of beyond the point of candles.) It's the only time I eat cake all year long - mainly because I'm diabetic and gluten intolerant, so finding a gluten free cake that's not going to put me into a diabetic coma is ...not easy. I ended up buying three small slices of cake by "By the Way Bakery" - which sells its products (made in NYC) via Whole Foods. I bought a slice of cloud coconut cake, raspberry cake, and chocolate cake. Also, was deliciously surpised by a Gluten-Free Desert Special at Met Fresh - which is about four blocks or five minute walk from my home. This was for a Dark and White Chocolate Cake, Gluten Free with White Chocolate Mouse and dark chocolate ganache layers and icing. It's a layer cake. It's delicious by the way - I cut myself a small slice tonight - garnished with whipped cream and raspberries. It will probably last a week.

The birthday itself lands on Monday, which I'm taking off for two reasons, a) it's my birthday, b) it's now the day after Daylight Savings Time begins in the US. (Whomever came up with that idea is paying for it somehow. Maybe they'll get hit by a cranky sleep deprived bus driver?)

Mother kindly bought me gifts via Amazon (which is relying too heavily on tech and making life more difficult for its customers as a result).
( the ordeal of getting gifts from people via Amazon, when you have an Amazon Locker in your building for security purposes )
I go down and get the package, which entails point the phone at the locker in my mail room, pushing a button for blue tooth, then pushing pick up and the locker with the package opens.

I open the package, which Mother told me had two wrapped presents inside. ( sigh, Amazon has gone downhill in the wrapping presents department - and considering they are using a gift bag - this is saying a lot )

It's been gloomy all week long. That lyric from an old Sarah McLachlan song comes to mindThe winter here is cold and bitter, It’s chilled us to the bone
I havent seen the sun for weeks...

Which is a bit melodramatic, I know. It's been more like days. Although the winter has been cold and bitter here - no 80s or 70s like elsewhere. We still have the heat on. It's been in the 30s/40s F this week. Which granted is much better than the single digits, teens, or 20s like most of the winter, or 20s/low 30s like the previous week.

Tomorrow it's supposed to be warmer, which dare we hope, sunshine. And Monday sunny and in the 50s, and possibly get up into the upper 60s next week. If it does that - I may walk up the pier to the cherry blossom exhibit during lunch time sometime next week. (Nice thing about Breaking Bad and new work location is they don't seem to notice if I'm gone for about an hour and half at lunch.)

**

On the reading front? I'm still in a reading slump. But I've almost made my way through the 285 page paperback book - The Botanist's Assistant by Peggy Townsend, which I got for Christmas. It's only been three months since I started reading it.( Read more... )

Having more success listening to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files via audible.
I finished Twelve Months - narrated by James Marsters. It was good.
Better than Battleground, mainly because more character development and less fighting. ( Read more... )

I'd say more...and have more to ramble on about - but I've got to go to bed. Or I'll screw up my sleep schedule more than daylight savings time is going to do. At least the clocks will automatically change themselves, except for the oven and microwave oven clocks.

[ETA: Fixed the year, because I can't quite get used to the fact that it is 2026 yet...]

Catching up on Question a Day Memage - End of February

26. When you leave your home, what essentials do you have with you?

If going to work? Purple backpack - with lunch, wallet, subway/work ID, book, pills for the day, kleenex, iphone, sometimes charger for headphones, headphones, smartwatch, pens, and umbrella, cloth grocery bags.

If not work - bag, with cloth grocery bags, wallet, phone.

27. Have you received a letter recently?

No.

28. Do you own many notebooks? What do you use them for?

Yes. Usually to write stories in, lists, journal, write down meds, notes for stories, character lists, sketches of people

And March 1:

1. Since 1990, Clean Up Australia Limited has sponsored a yearly Clean Up Australia Day. Have you ever taken part in a ‘clean up’ initiative where you live?

Yes. Years ago volunteered in a NY Cares Clean Up the Parks Day.

***

Sigh, I'm back to watching or rewatching Angel S5, Underneath. It's dialogue is better than most of the stuff currently on. Sad. But true.
And it made me laugh.

Tried Best Medicine, not bad. I may continue, don't know. Also tried How to get to Heaven from Belfast - which, well, I didn't like The Derry Girls, and it's by the same folks that did that? Rapid fire, heavy slang, Irish dialogue, loud, people screaming at each other at high velocity, and somewhat crude broad humor with annoying 30 something female characters that I'd run away from in reality? Subtle and witty - it's not. Reminds me a little of the same humor that's in Shameless? At any rate - it's not the best thing for someone recovering from a sinus infection or the sinus headache from hell?

And Count of Monte Cristo on PBS Passport - I may stay with this. It's the latest adaptation by the BBC, with Sam Clafin in the lead role and Jeremy Irons. The first episode was actually fairly good, so may stick with it.

1. FB, Instagram, and Youtube want me to buy a Mellow Cloud Pillow for some absurd reason. I've been pummeled with ads on it on all three. The evil marketing people have figured out how to manipulate us into buying things via social media platforms. Must resist. Otherwise they win. I do not need a Mellow ergonomic pillow - also been there done that, and they never work for me.

2. After re-watching all of Buffy and up to Angel S5 Episode 17, I've picked up on a few things that I feel compelled to share...

* For a low-budget television series done in the 1990s-early 00s, and at a fast pace, with 22 episodes per season, not to mention being on the brink of cancellation? These series are brilliant in many ways - almost flawless in acting, stunts, special effects, and dialogue. ( Read more... )

* The best character arcs are - Spike on Buffy and Wes on Angel. And they both have one thing in common - outside of the fact that they are both in the Buffyverse - Whedon had no idea what he was going to do with either character, how they fit into the story, or plot. Interestingly enough? Whedon did carefully plot out all the others - specifically Cordelia and Willow, and was proud of it. But, ironically, Cordelia and Willow have the worst character arcs - neither quite works, both are clumsy, and both rely way too much on possession by an outside source and comic book gimmickry. (ie. Whedon spent too much time obsessing over Dark Phoenix for his own good.)
( Read more... )
* Angel can't be redeemed because he's too busy fighting with himself to get anywhere. ( Read more... )

3. My soap opera is aggravating me, which is par for the course with soap operas, they tend to be that way by nature? I watch them because I get invested in various characters.

The Pitt, on the other hand, is excellent and my favorite television show at the moment. It's very comforting. Also it looks exactly like the ER's that I've been inside of in NYC. Certainly looks a lot like the one in NYU Langone. It's about problem solving in crisis mode. And shows a lot of kindness. Very nice antidote to my rising misanthropy - caused by a combination of factors, public transportation, crazy org, national news (the small scraps I get), and the soap opera. Also social media platforms (not this one - Dreamwidth is kind of an oasis in a sea of negativity and ads.).

4. A co-worker (Moscow Co-worker) sent the following article link to myself, Breaking Bad, and various other co-workers for our reading pleasure.

"For you reading pleasure (long article that spooked some people yesterday):"2028 Global Intelligence Crisis

To which Breaking Bad replied: "Way too long and technical for me."

Sigh. It is. It's also about how AI is taking away our jobs and evil tech revolution is taking away jobs ....reminds me of the industrial revolution.
No wonder it scared folks.

Actually, if you've studied history (specifically between 1870s-1980s) and have a mind for pattern recognition, you may realize how incredibly similar the two trajectories are. I'm not sure if that's comforting or not? Does kind of promote a feeling of general misanthropy and malaise. But hey, at least we know if things get worse than the height of the industrial revolution (that was the atomic bomb and WWI and II), we're all dead.

And on that happy note - I'm off to bed, hopefully to sleep and not dream overly much.

Headache from hell seems to be lessening and I slept slightly better last night. Still wary of doing any floor or bed exercises even if I'm feeling less congested today than I did the last several days. (Note Aleve works better than Tynenol for this sort of thing.) So, I'll go back to work tomorrow. And from the emails, it's probably piled up. We'll see how much of it I get through, since my head still to some degree feels full of cotton.

Making tea now. I'd intended on doing laundry on Monday during the storm, but alas, was waylaid by the nauseous headache from hell. Haven't up to doing much of anything - outside of doing an urgent care appointment, getting my meds/groceries, and trying to sleep. Did do a few knee exercises.

The snow appears to be melting - from the view outside my windows. So it's not frozen solid like last time.

End of February Memage

22. What is your favourite writing implement – a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, pencil or something else?

Fountain Pen

23. Do you own many mirrors?

Yes, one - and it's turned to the wall in my bedroom and the back is broken off of it. The mirror itself is fine, it's just the siding and back covering that are coming off. I use it occasionally to see what to wear. Also a small bathroom mirror. I'm not a fan of mirrors - they tend to irritate me. I think it has something to do with how my brain processes information and flips things around, don't know.

24. What are you watching this month that you are enjoying?

I'm enjoying the soap opera (General Hospital) this month, more than most, Angel S5 rewatch, and The Pitt.

25. When was the last time the windows in your home were washed?

I don't have a house, and while I've washed the inside occasionally, I can't access the outside of the windows - so no clue.

***

Angel S5 Why We Fight and Smile Time - are kind of both about the same thing thematically speaking, just that Smile handles it better.
When Smile Time aired - way back in 2004, I was friends with a writer and her puppeteer husband, who were in turn close friends with the puppeteers on Smile Time. ( Read more... )

The episode "Smile Time" is among the best of the series. It basically encapsulates all the themes of the season and series with just a few images. Angel is too busy fighting himself to really get anywhere. And,
when he was starting to get somewhere with Doyle and Cordy, then Wes and Cordy - WRH found a way to manipulate him, Cordy and Wes. The noir theme in a nutshell - the hero always falls into the abyss - and more often than not it is of his own making.

( Read more... )

Why We Fight is rather clunky in comparison. ( Read more... )

Good news? The storm has more or less ended and with it - my vertigo or so it appears. (I'm not tried to lie down flat as of yet, so hopefully it won't flare up when I go to bed.) So I will probably manage to navigate the mounds of snow to make it into work tomorrow. I don't really have an excuse - since I've got snow boots, and I take the subway, and it's located in the Financial District. Now, if I still worked in Jamaica and had to take the Long Island Rail Road into work that would be a different story - at last report, it was still suspended.

I'll probably make it in and not have a lot to do - because half my work place will be snowbound out on Long Island, including my boss. Although per Outlook - I think they all worked remotely. I couldn't. Vertigo was too bad. It's better now. I'm hoping it continues to improve. God, I hate vertigo.

Below is a "privileged education meme" that vaguely reminds me of a game I once played at church. If you were given certain opportunities - you advanced, if not you took two steps backwards. Myself and my friend at the time MD (who is a Black woman) were both ahead, as were a few young Black women and young men, while the old white British guy, his white Jewish wife, and the old white guys born in the 1940s were at the back. It seemed to divide itself more along class and generational lines then race?

( Privileged Education Meme )


Off to find something for dinner.

Crazy Org is prepping for the snow armageddon or snow-hurricane that is set to hit us around midnight tonight. My sinuses and head can feel it coming - I've been struggling with a sick sinus headache all day long, along with vertigo - the only thing keeping it at bay are medications. (antihistimine for vertigo, decongestant (that you can take if you have high blood pressure), and migraine meds.). So far it's kind of working. I did fall asleep while watching All Creatures Great and Small on PBS Passport around 2pm. ( I decided to donate to PBS - and got access to the app again, at least for the year. If you donate more than $60, you can use the PBS Passport app.)

The Mayor issued a "travel ban" effective at 9pm today (Sunday) and the Long Island Rail Road suspended service, and Crazy Org (major public transportation agency) has advised its non-essential office workers - that you can tele-work from home if you are set up for it or in the program. (I'm not in the program (union) nor am I certain I have the set up any longer - since they've changed the security protocols again - but I've already chosen to take a personal day or vacation day - since the vertigo is hovering in the background and will be an issue. I have enough left that it won't be an issue.)
( Read more... )


I've been binge-watching All Creatures Great and Small - S6, napping, and fending off a vertigo headache for most of the day. I did go to the grocery store around 1 pm (before the storm really hit - and it was just drizzling) to pick up olive oil, coconut oil, honey, Mrs Dash seasoning, toilet paper, chocolate, and recycling bags and trash bags.
Also spoke to mother. Apparently it's raining in Ohau, Hawaii, and almost spring in Montana (according to my niece) , which has received hardly any snow, the plants are springing to life, and the temperatures are in the fifties and sixties. It's also in the 60s in Hilton Head, SC. Sounds lovely. I want to be there. It's 31 F here and rapidly dropping, and snowing.

Now, have decided to try cubicle mate rec'd "Start-Up". [ETA: tried, gave up (I found the guy tied to the chair with barbed wire a bit much) and the woman wanting to do a crypto start up annoying - plus I am not an Adam Brody fan). Went back to watch Angel S5.]

I've finally reached my favorite episode of Angel - Destiny. It's the episode in which Spike and Angel fight for the fake vampire shanshu. I love that episode. Plan on watching tonight or tomorrow night - time permitting.

Rumor has it that Hulu/Disney is waiting for Buffy the Vampire Slayer's 3oth Anniversary - which is next year, to air "Buffy: New Sunnydale". That will be my 60th year on this planet. I was roughly 27 when Buffy first aired. I'd moved to NYC one year prior. And I was watching it live - didn't own a VHS at the time, DVD's didn't exist yet and there was no such thing as streaming. You missed an episode? You prayed for reruns. (And Fox eventually replayed all the episodes of Buffy right before the new episodes aired.) Online fandom back then - was difficult to find, and scattered among various websites, with hidden fan boards. I didn't discover it until November 2001, and fell down the fandom rabbit hole, and haven't really resurfaced since.

**

Feeling much better. Not coughing hardly at all, and not blowing my nose, and no runny eyes. Still wore the mask to and from work, but I'm starting to back off of it.

But have leg cramping and digestive issues tonight. Hmm. I had chickpea mac and cheese, with brussel sprouts, celery, carrots, and broccoli in the air fryer. Maybe too much for the stomach? Sigh.

Eh, no time left. Will do the Question a Day Mememage tomorrow or Saturday.

Spent thirty dollars, and over two hours in City MD urgent care - only to discover what I pretty much already knew? It's a head/chest cold, not the flu nor COVID. (Whew) Means I can work the rest of the week - without having to take sick time. YAY!

Side-effect? I find myself paralyzed with not caring all that much about anything. Apathy has kind of sunk in to stay. Head colds can do that. Well head colds, gray days, fluctuating weather/temperatures, and bad knees.

Ah, the February Uglies, appear to be here to stay.

Question a Day Memage

17. Chinese New Year begins today, and festivities continue until March 3rd – the year of the Fire Horse. What animal are you born under in Chinese astrology?

Happy Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year? It's the Year of the Horse, which I guess is slightly better than the year of the snake? Oh, and apparently not just any old Horse, but the Year of the Fire Horse for the first time in 60 years.

( Article Links )


I'm the year of the Fire Goat - Here's an article explaning it: the Year of the Fire Goat.

***

Got to work, and found out a key member of our team is leaving for another job, her last day is Friday. It's not good news for any of us. She was a consultant - so it is Crazy Org's fault she is leaving. Stupid Crazy Org.
Although honestly, I'm finding it hard to care at the moment?

Got home, discovered the apartment was 80-81 degrees F, it's 41 degrees F outside. I decided the radiator heat was making me ill - that and having to open the windows. Had to turn on the A/C and a window fan to get the apartment to cool down. But the super did close the valve on the radiator in the bedroom again (finally). So this should help tremendously. Since I could find an air purifying fan - this was my best bet. PT - I had to cancel, because of the head and chest cold. I may call them tomorrow to see if they allow people to show up with a cold? I doubt it. But it doesn't hurt to ask.

Wore a mask on the subway and at work - in the common or public areas. The doctor said I could go to work - just to mask up. I envy folks who can work remotely. I only could during the pandemic. Although I probably need the human interaction.

***

On Angel Rewatch S5 Lineage (Wes centric episode) - Greenwalt stated at the Angel Reunion in 2018 - that they didn't know what to do with Wes's character - and as a result he had one of the best arcs. This is a pattern with both series? The characters that weren't planned or they had no idea what to do with initially - have the best arcs. Spike, Fred, Wes, Anya, Lilah, Lindsey, Darla. While the characters they'd planned out - not as great an arc. I think the writers were more intuitive and not great planners. Which actually? Explains a lot?

Also, apparently Charisma had a crush on Denisof who played Wes. But as she puts it - "Aly wanted him." Actually even if Aly hadn't, Charisma didn't have a chance in hell - Denisof didn't date cast mates. He turned down Aly until he left Buffy and they were on separate shows. (As Marsters put it in a podcast - never ever date a member of the cast.)

Amber states that she accidentally gave Aly some tongue in one of their kissing scenes - and Aly was shocked, and per Amber, probably sweated the most in her life. (Amber does not say it in a complimentary manner.) Per Emma (Anya) - James (Spike) was the most adept at kissing, Tony was okay, and Brendan...well, he had a habit of eating disgusting onion and fish sandwiches prior. (There were practical jokers on the set - Brendan, Charisma, Sarah, and David.)

After watching the 2018 reunion, and various Q&A's including the one I watched on Monday? I am beginning to believe the rumor that Amber and Hannigan didn't get along nor liked each other. ( Read more... )

No matter what I do? Every ten years - I get sucked back into the Buffy fandom. I don't know why. I blame the internet. Bad internet.

I'm hoping that this is just allergies and I'm not actually coming down with anything? Hard to know. But my throat feels scratchy and I'm more fatigued than usual. Also having issues focusing on things.

Just finished watching the Springsteen bio-pic, "Deliver me from Nowhere" which is about Springsteen's bout with depression while writing and producing the album's Nebraska and Born in the U.S.A. It's a weirdly comforting film - in that it shows how depression can kind of hit anyone from anywhere and you can be pulled out of it. And how it seeps through the cracks, and is always a battle. Springsteen was lucky - in that he was able to find help and hope to pull him out of it, and much of his depression was tied to unresolved childhood parental traumas. Also the album he almost killed himself trying to create and get produced, Nebraska, was in fact a hit.

Kind of inspiring in its own way. I also like Bruce Springsteen's music, which probably helps. And alas, I kept drifting off to sleep during it, which means I may not sleep tonight.

Question a Day Meme - February catch-up

13. What’s the weather like today? Is it about average for the time of year?

It's currently snowing and 34 degrees F, and yes, this is typical for this time of year in NYC.

Just when it was beginning to melt.

14. How many flights of stairs would you consider walking up in a building, or do you always take the lift/elevator?

Right now? I try to take the elevator whenever possible. Bad knee. But, it's not always possible - so at least twice maybe three times a day commuting to and from work - I'm climbing four to six flights of steps. Stupid city is into steps.

15. Have you ever considered how you would leave your home in an emergency?

Probably through the front door - since the fire escape is just scary.

16. Do you own your own washing machine in your home, or do you use a laundry service/laundry room in the building or a launderette?

It's an apartment complex - so there's a laundry room in the basement with four washers and three industrial size dryers - that we share with people in 81 other units. Amazingly enough that is actually possible - partly because some folks send it out, and not everyone is around all the time.