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shadowkatAround 3pm I went for a brief walk around the block - which took me to a Bengali/Pakistani Halalia Grocery Store, where I bought Kidney Beans, and chocolate (because I'm ceiliac and couldn't buy anything else, also on a plant-based diet).
Then to Lofty Pigeons Book Store - where I browsed and bought three books. (It has a new writer's group meeting there at 6:30pm on 7/20 which is tempting, but I've not had much luck with amateur writer's groups? College writer's groups - yes, worked well. But you really need a professional teacher/writer moderating them in class format or they kind of fall apart.) I didn't find the book I was looking for, but no matter, found others. Somewhere in the browsing, I heard a very loud and startling "DAT" - or the vocal equivalent of a gun shot. I jumped. And turned, and it came again "DAT", and seemed to come at five minute intervals at first. She was a young woman, early twenties, shaved head, thin, cheerful, with glasses. Tan. White. Who clearly had a nervous tick or a form of neurodivergence or ausbergers syndrom. I realized it after the fourth DAT. Also that she was chatting to the store owner, and every once and a while would shout DAT. It calmed down a little after she stopped talking and began to browse again. I chose to ignore her, even though it made me jump a little internally every time she did it. With Ausbergers, it's best to pretend its not happening or so I've discovered, and repeat in my head "there but for the grace of god, go I".
Shortly afterwards, a group of twenty-somethings came into the store (I'd place them in their early twenties? They looked alike?). Two of them stopped next to the store's display of the latest translation of Homer's Odyssey, which I'd contemplated purchasing and chose not to. (It's print is tiny.)
They asked their friend who was browsing behind me, and around the same age, if she'd be interested in seeing the movie.
They: Any interest in seeing the movie - (they lift up the book and point to the title)?
Their Friend: I don't know, what's it about?
Three of us burst out in laughter at the same time. Then look at each other, and I back away slowly and towards the front of the store to purchase my books.
Friend: Hey, I don't know anything about the movie - I never even heard of it.
Sigh. I just purchased my books without saying a word.
I knew what the Odyssey was about when I was in the 6th Grade. Actually I knew in the 5th Grade. We did the Greek Myths in either the 5th or 6th grade. My niece was taking Greek and Latin in elementary school.
Also, she has a smartphone? Not to mention - the book is sitting right there, pick it up and read the back of it. Ugh.
In short, it was a productive but aggravating trip to the local book store. Oh well, at least they are in a book store - picking up books. (Or scanning them to listen to for free on an audio app.)
Books that I acquired?
* VE Schwab's Vicious (which I've been eyeing for a while now. Schwab is odd - the author's name is in huge print, the title of the book in small print, you'd think it would be the opposite?)
* "Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett" - (the author of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries)
* "Dominion : the Silk and Iron Trilogy - Book One" by Jean Kwok" (it's a pretty book and well, rec'd by Illona Andrews...it's Asian folklore/myth featuring Tiger riders.)
I'm wondering about people on social media platforms like Twitter and Book Instagram? They keep asking things like...
"Do you miss buying blind book store reads from book stores - without knowing about the books first?"
Uhm, I still do that?
"What else do you miss that no longer exists from the 1970s and 80s, such as landlines and photo albums?"
Uhm, I still have those. They exist.
"Does anyone else miss record stores?"
They still exist. They never went away. Cassettes and 8-Tracks, yes, CDs and Records, no.
Where do these people live?
**
Today was lovely in comparison to the last five days? It was in the low 80sF, nice breeze, air quality at or around 69/71, no smoke visible in the air, blue sky, some clouds, clear.
Considering yesterday, portions of the city (not my area - I'm in an elevated area with fairly decent and new gutters, and not near rivers, creeks or oceans) got flooded. It rarely gets flooded any longer in my area. But Soho was under water (it kind of deserves it? Should clarify? Soho used to be a cool part of the city, then it got gentrified by real estate developers and turned into franchises, and they didn't clean the gutters and improve the infrastructure around it), Queens was (it is always underwater - it has the worst infrastructure). We had lots of thunderstorms and downpours yesterday - cleared off today. Along with most of the smoke.
***
I did exercises this morning - Tai Chi walking with weights (basically knee lift marching while holding and lifting 8 pound bar bells). Leg lifts with weights (6 pound weights), and yoga moves with knees, arms, and legs.
***
Television
* Lucky has a good cast, only three episodes so far on Apple. Stars Ana Taylor-Joy, Annette Being, Timothy Olphant, and William Fichtner (a favorite character actor as the main villain). It's a violent crime caper about twenty-something female con artist whose father siphoned off a bunch of money from a major criminal. She steals it with her hubby, then is left high and dry by her husband - and has to get herself out of the mess that he left her in the middle of, with the Feds, her hubby's mother, and the crime lord on her tail.
These things are always convoluted. I'd classify it as violent femme noir.
* Rams - starring Sam Neil and Michael Caton, also Miranda Richardson. It's about two sheep herding brothers Southwestern Australian Outback, who haven't spoken in 40 years. When ODJ disease affects their herd, along with the brush fires, their estrangement comes to a peak - and they have to deal with each other in order to survive. It's slow in places, and my attention wandered at times, but overall a good watch, with a satisfying ending. That is if you like sheep and Sam Neil.
I wanted to watch Jurassic Park - but it's now just streaming on Peacock, which requires, sigh, a subscription. Or buy. Yes, I know, this is where DVD players come in handy? But I had the same problem with DVDs as CDs and records - they had a tendency to get scratched over time. Also, the record players/DVD and CD players take up space. I may get rid of the cable box, buy a new television and DVD player, and hook up the DVD Blue Ray to it instead of the cable box. (But I no longer own any DVDS and they are pricey.)
***
Question a Day Meme - August
17. It’s World Emoji Day! Do you often use them? If you do, what do you use most?
Not really. If I use them - it's usually laughter or a smile. And usually text or FB (which has them readily accessible).
18. Today, World Listening Day was created to draw attention to the way humans need to be listening to the world around us, including environmental awareness, soundscapes and acoustic ecology. What can you hear right now?
The air purifiers, fan, AC, and refrigerator - basically white noise. I barely notice it. There's a soft breeze outside. And in the distance, a jet or airplane. Also my breath. Peaceful sounds. Comforting sounds. I have a peaceful apartment - where for the most part - it's relatively quiet. I can hear birds, crickets and cicadas. This is not easy to find in Brooklyn or New York City, and still be in close walking distance to pharmacy, subway, grocery stores, book stores, library, and parks.
Oh as an aside? People keep saying that audio books count as reading? No. You aren't reading an audio book. You are listening to the book. It's a different skill set, and a different sense? You are using your ears not your eyes. You can't read with your ears, listen, yes, read no. I'm not saying it doesn't count as books you've consumed. But not sure reading is the right word here? Also why are you counting? It's not the quantity of books that one reads that is important - but the quality, and how much of them one remembers and comprehends and/or enjoys. We live in a very quantitative society - where people are far too obsessed with keeping score and counting for their own good. They even have complicated spreadsheets to keep track. I'm not saying you shouldn't read a lot of books - just that I hope there was a bit of listening and/or comprehension going on at the time?
19. 1922 American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller was the first to break the 1-minute barrier for 100m freestyle; swims 58.6s at Alameda, CA. Have you ever seen him acting in the Tarzan films? Do you have a favourite actor who portrayed Tarzan in a film or on TV?
Yes. He was horrible. A great swimmer but a bad actor. This was a trend - they did the same thing with Esther Williams. Neither had any acting talent whatsoever, also I did not find him attractive. (I've seen a lot of old movies on television in my life time - they used to show them a lot in the 20th Century - and honestly, it was all that was on back then.)
Favorite actor as Tarzan? Oh, Alexander Skarsgard. in the Legend of Tarzan - by far the best of the Tarzans. And I've seen all of them.
Alexander Skarsgard is one of those actors that I follow around. I will watch in just about anything.
Then to Lofty Pigeons Book Store - where I browsed and bought three books. (It has a new writer's group meeting there at 6:30pm on 7/20 which is tempting, but I've not had much luck with amateur writer's groups? College writer's groups - yes, worked well. But you really need a professional teacher/writer moderating them in class format or they kind of fall apart.) I didn't find the book I was looking for, but no matter, found others. Somewhere in the browsing, I heard a very loud and startling "DAT" - or the vocal equivalent of a gun shot. I jumped. And turned, and it came again "DAT", and seemed to come at five minute intervals at first. She was a young woman, early twenties, shaved head, thin, cheerful, with glasses. Tan. White. Who clearly had a nervous tick or a form of neurodivergence or ausbergers syndrom. I realized it after the fourth DAT. Also that she was chatting to the store owner, and every once and a while would shout DAT. It calmed down a little after she stopped talking and began to browse again. I chose to ignore her, even though it made me jump a little internally every time she did it. With Ausbergers, it's best to pretend its not happening or so I've discovered, and repeat in my head "there but for the grace of god, go I".
Shortly afterwards, a group of twenty-somethings came into the store (I'd place them in their early twenties? They looked alike?). Two of them stopped next to the store's display of the latest translation of Homer's Odyssey, which I'd contemplated purchasing and chose not to. (It's print is tiny.)
They asked their friend who was browsing behind me, and around the same age, if she'd be interested in seeing the movie.
They: Any interest in seeing the movie - (they lift up the book and point to the title)?
Their Friend: I don't know, what's it about?
Three of us burst out in laughter at the same time. Then look at each other, and I back away slowly and towards the front of the store to purchase my books.
Friend: Hey, I don't know anything about the movie - I never even heard of it.
Sigh. I just purchased my books without saying a word.
I knew what the Odyssey was about when I was in the 6th Grade. Actually I knew in the 5th Grade. We did the Greek Myths in either the 5th or 6th grade. My niece was taking Greek and Latin in elementary school.
Also, she has a smartphone? Not to mention - the book is sitting right there, pick it up and read the back of it. Ugh.
In short, it was a productive but aggravating trip to the local book store. Oh well, at least they are in a book store - picking up books. (Or scanning them to listen to for free on an audio app.)
Books that I acquired?
* VE Schwab's Vicious (which I've been eyeing for a while now. Schwab is odd - the author's name is in huge print, the title of the book in small print, you'd think it would be the opposite?)
* "Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett" - (the author of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries)
* "Dominion : the Silk and Iron Trilogy - Book One" by Jean Kwok" (it's a pretty book and well, rec'd by Illona Andrews...it's Asian folklore/myth featuring Tiger riders.)
I'm wondering about people on social media platforms like Twitter and Book Instagram? They keep asking things like...
"Do you miss buying blind book store reads from book stores - without knowing about the books first?"
Uhm, I still do that?
"What else do you miss that no longer exists from the 1970s and 80s, such as landlines and photo albums?"
Uhm, I still have those. They exist.
"Does anyone else miss record stores?"
They still exist. They never went away. Cassettes and 8-Tracks, yes, CDs and Records, no.
Where do these people live?
**
Today was lovely in comparison to the last five days? It was in the low 80sF, nice breeze, air quality at or around 69/71, no smoke visible in the air, blue sky, some clouds, clear.
Considering yesterday, portions of the city (not my area - I'm in an elevated area with fairly decent and new gutters, and not near rivers, creeks or oceans) got flooded. It rarely gets flooded any longer in my area. But Soho was under water (it kind of deserves it? Should clarify? Soho used to be a cool part of the city, then it got gentrified by real estate developers and turned into franchises, and they didn't clean the gutters and improve the infrastructure around it), Queens was (it is always underwater - it has the worst infrastructure). We had lots of thunderstorms and downpours yesterday - cleared off today. Along with most of the smoke.
***
I did exercises this morning - Tai Chi walking with weights (basically knee lift marching while holding and lifting 8 pound bar bells). Leg lifts with weights (6 pound weights), and yoga moves with knees, arms, and legs.
***
Television
* Lucky has a good cast, only three episodes so far on Apple. Stars Ana Taylor-Joy, Annette Being, Timothy Olphant, and William Fichtner (a favorite character actor as the main villain). It's a violent crime caper about twenty-something female con artist whose father siphoned off a bunch of money from a major criminal. She steals it with her hubby, then is left high and dry by her husband - and has to get herself out of the mess that he left her in the middle of, with the Feds, her hubby's mother, and the crime lord on her tail.
These things are always convoluted. I'd classify it as violent femme noir.
* Rams - starring Sam Neil and Michael Caton, also Miranda Richardson. It's about two sheep herding brothers Southwestern Australian Outback, who haven't spoken in 40 years. When ODJ disease affects their herd, along with the brush fires, their estrangement comes to a peak - and they have to deal with each other in order to survive. It's slow in places, and my attention wandered at times, but overall a good watch, with a satisfying ending. That is if you like sheep and Sam Neil.
I wanted to watch Jurassic Park - but it's now just streaming on Peacock, which requires, sigh, a subscription. Or buy. Yes, I know, this is where DVD players come in handy? But I had the same problem with DVDs as CDs and records - they had a tendency to get scratched over time. Also, the record players/DVD and CD players take up space. I may get rid of the cable box, buy a new television and DVD player, and hook up the DVD Blue Ray to it instead of the cable box. (But I no longer own any DVDS and they are pricey.)
***
Question a Day Meme - August
17. It’s World Emoji Day! Do you often use them? If you do, what do you use most?
Not really. If I use them - it's usually laughter or a smile. And usually text or FB (which has them readily accessible).
18. Today, World Listening Day was created to draw attention to the way humans need to be listening to the world around us, including environmental awareness, soundscapes and acoustic ecology. What can you hear right now?
The air purifiers, fan, AC, and refrigerator - basically white noise. I barely notice it. There's a soft breeze outside. And in the distance, a jet or airplane. Also my breath. Peaceful sounds. Comforting sounds. I have a peaceful apartment - where for the most part - it's relatively quiet. I can hear birds, crickets and cicadas. This is not easy to find in Brooklyn or New York City, and still be in close walking distance to pharmacy, subway, grocery stores, book stores, library, and parks.
Oh as an aside? People keep saying that audio books count as reading? No. You aren't reading an audio book. You are listening to the book. It's a different skill set, and a different sense? You are using your ears not your eyes. You can't read with your ears, listen, yes, read no. I'm not saying it doesn't count as books you've consumed. But not sure reading is the right word here? Also why are you counting? It's not the quantity of books that one reads that is important - but the quality, and how much of them one remembers and comprehends and/or enjoys. We live in a very quantitative society - where people are far too obsessed with keeping score and counting for their own good. They even have complicated spreadsheets to keep track. I'm not saying you shouldn't read a lot of books - just that I hope there was a bit of listening and/or comprehension going on at the time?
19. 1922 American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller was the first to break the 1-minute barrier for 100m freestyle; swims 58.6s at Alameda, CA. Have you ever seen him acting in the Tarzan films? Do you have a favourite actor who portrayed Tarzan in a film or on TV?
Yes. He was horrible. A great swimmer but a bad actor. This was a trend - they did the same thing with Esther Williams. Neither had any acting talent whatsoever, also I did not find him attractive. (I've seen a lot of old movies on television in my life time - they used to show them a lot in the 20th Century - and honestly, it was all that was on back then.)
Favorite actor as Tarzan? Oh, Alexander Skarsgard. in the Legend of Tarzan - by far the best of the Tarzans. And I've seen all of them.
Alexander Skarsgard is one of those actors that I follow around. I will watch in just about anything.
no subject
Date: 2026-07-20 12:49 am (UTC)... I enjoyed Ron Ely as Tarzan, who perhaps was not quite as stupid as some of the others.
no subject
Date: 2026-07-20 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-07-20 02:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-07-20 02:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-07-20 07:02 am (UTC)VE Schwab is one of my favourite authors. Very interesting plots.
no subject
Date: 2026-07-20 02:18 pm (UTC)They just aren't the same thing.
Looking forward to read Schwab, although I'm admittedly more character centric than plot centric. But an interesting and clever plot is a thing of beauty.