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Nov. 19th, 2025 11:56 am
Nov. 18th, 2025 07:45 pm
HAH! Memory is still ticking over.
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starwatcherEver since I can remember, I've had an amazing memory for song lyrics. (Wish my memory for other things was as good.) If I know a song well enough to sing along, and am reminded of it, I can recall the lyrics even after 40 years. It may take a few hours, or even a couple of days, for the memory to trickle back, but it usually does.
I subscribe to Politizoom, a liberal political blog. Every Sunday, the "Furkids" post an illustrated song -- you listen to the song while scrolling down the page to read the lyrics, each line accompanied by a cute animal picture.
This past Sunday, the song was A Thousand Years, by Christina Perri. I didn't recognize the artist (I'm woefully behind on contemporary music), but the title excited me -- I know that song! Only... no... no, I didn't. Big disappointment; it wasn't at all what I expected to hear.
My mind insisted that I knew a song with "a thousand years" in it, but the memory was so faint that I couldn't grab it. I did a search for "lyrics million years" and went through 15 pages of results. I found two or three other results for "million years" -- none of which stirred a spark of recognition -- but 99% of the results were the song from the Furkids' page.
Finally, as I was leaving Cindy's house this afternoon, I realized that the voice singing the song that I still couldn't remember was Eddy Arnold. That was enough. I opened my iTunes app, scanned down my list of Eddy Arnold songs, and there it was! The lyrics are actually "a million years," which aren't evident from the title -- Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye -- but as soon as I saw it, I knew. Vindicated!
Which isn't earth-shaking, even to me, but I'm very pleased I tracked it down.
Nov. 18th, 2025 08:59 am
Fannish Fifty #37: First Contact
elaynaThis was actually from last year, I watched First Contact for the first time in a long time while being slightly tipsy. Came across it, half-typed and half-scribbled notes, and realized I never finished up to post. So yay! 'Cuz I've got 13 still to go and only 6 weeks left in the year. Oops.
~~~
So yes, I’m a wee bit tipsy, and I keep seeing things that today in the future (4/5/2063) will be First Contact, and I decided to rewatch the movie. It’s been ages!
And wow, the credits just being credits all the actors names and the director and scriptwriters, etc., seems so incredibly old-fashioned, how old is this movie?
The establishing shot, pulling out from Picard to be a whole Borg ship, and then pulling in to the screw about to drill into Picard's eye is amazing and creepy. And the waking up and then waking up again is also creepy.
The Borg are attacking and the Enterprise are sent off to the Neutral Zone, I don’t remember this at all.
Picard does sarcasm well.
I like the black and grey uniforms with the different colored shirts. And also omg, Neal McDonough as Lieutenant Hawk! He was so young and pretty! And now I want Howling Commandoes/Star Trek crossover.
I’d forgotten that Worf was on the Defiance, glad he got the chance to say it was a good day to die.
I love Riker. He is so good at snarkiness.
The Borg know how to time travel! We’re not thinking about whether that fits with anything else we’ve ever known about them.
It is 2063 and Alfre Woodward and James Cromwell are best buds, I’d forgotten that too.
Seriously, Neal McDonough was young and pretty.
The Borg know all about Earth history! We’re also not thinking about whether that fits with anything else we’ve known about them. (Sober reflection: they've assimilated a lot of Earth people, I guess they would have all their Earth knowledge, even if they thought it irrelevant?)
Data gets a chance to be bad ass android. I can understand why they didn’t overuse that in the TV show but also sometimes I’d think: why doesn’t Data be bad ass android?
LaForge without a visor. I can sympathize why people with visual problems liked him having the visor but also the blue eyes are cool.
And now Troi has been snarky. Snarkiness rules!
The Borg has invaded the Enterprise and now I need to do some stretching. I may edit and make more comments later. In summation, First Contact is still a cool movie.
Okay, continuing on sober this morning using the handwritten notes I found... Hmm, on different sheets, now I'm not sure if I've got them in order or not. I need to watch this movie again.
The Doctor from Voyager! "I'm a doctor, not a doorstop." I like pulling in actors from other Trek shows.
Picard willing to kill Enterprise members is a wee bit creepy.
Riker and Troi meet a hero and he is a drunk. I feel that could be a metaphor for life.
Deanna gets drunk, a downfall of only drinking synthehol.
"If you're looking for my professional opinion as ship's counselor, he's nuts."
Data deactivates emotion chip. Must be nice. (Especially reading the news these days!)
And this isn't the movie where Picard's brother and nephew are killed. I thought it was. That must be Generations? I need to rewatch it too.
Data has that glowy bulb behind his head, I have forgotten that! People had it and it was so cool.
Riker explains the truth to Cochrane, omg!
First Contact unites humanity, that is so cool. What would it take really to unite people? I feel this question I drunkenly scrawled over a year and a half ago is even more poignant now.
Omg, Jessica Fletcher's nephew Grady is on the bridge. Grady! I always liked them.
"It's my first raygun," is a great quote.
Re: Borg Queen head connecting to her body, we wouldn't think that was a big deal any more but that was massive, are we spoiled by tech?
"Bionic zombies." Ha ha ha!
"Borg sounds Swedish." Like I feel it is?
"Acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives, we work to better ourselves." We need more of this philosophy! Down with the oligarchic class!
Neelix? In the holodeck! Borg on the holodeck is pretty funny... until Picard guns them down. There is some intensity in this movie.
Barclay fangirling Cochrane! Pretty funny. Cochrane takes a runner, no surprise.
Picard and Worf take a walk on the hull, another thing I'd totally forgot.
Aw! Hawk gets borged and killed, pretty no more.
Borg plans re: deflector dish spoiled. "Assimilate this!" say Worf, pandering to fannish love of Klingons.
It takes 3 command officers to set auto destruct?!? I feel it usually only takes two?
Alfre Woodward calls Picard on his BS very well.
~~~
Anyway who made it this far, I hope you enjoyed my tipsy rambling. I really need to rewatch all the Trek movies. Maybe even the bad ones. After I finish the TNG rewatch and attempting Discovery again. But now I'm gonna continue clearing up this random pile of papers by my desk. Go me, productivity!
~~~
So yes, I’m a wee bit tipsy, and I keep seeing things that today in the future (4/5/2063) will be First Contact, and I decided to rewatch the movie. It’s been ages!
And wow, the credits just being credits all the actors names and the director and scriptwriters, etc., seems so incredibly old-fashioned, how old is this movie?
The establishing shot, pulling out from Picard to be a whole Borg ship, and then pulling in to the screw about to drill into Picard's eye is amazing and creepy. And the waking up and then waking up again is also creepy.
The Borg are attacking and the Enterprise are sent off to the Neutral Zone, I don’t remember this at all.
Picard does sarcasm well.
I like the black and grey uniforms with the different colored shirts. And also omg, Neal McDonough as Lieutenant Hawk! He was so young and pretty! And now I want Howling Commandoes/Star Trek crossover.
I’d forgotten that Worf was on the Defiance, glad he got the chance to say it was a good day to die.
I love Riker. He is so good at snarkiness.
The Borg know how to time travel! We’re not thinking about whether that fits with anything else we’ve ever known about them.
It is 2063 and Alfre Woodward and James Cromwell are best buds, I’d forgotten that too.
Seriously, Neal McDonough was young and pretty.
The Borg know all about Earth history! We’re also not thinking about whether that fits with anything else we’ve known about them. (Sober reflection: they've assimilated a lot of Earth people, I guess they would have all their Earth knowledge, even if they thought it irrelevant?)
Data gets a chance to be bad ass android. I can understand why they didn’t overuse that in the TV show but also sometimes I’d think: why doesn’t Data be bad ass android?
LaForge without a visor. I can sympathize why people with visual problems liked him having the visor but also the blue eyes are cool.
And now Troi has been snarky. Snarkiness rules!
The Borg has invaded the Enterprise and now I need to do some stretching. I may edit and make more comments later. In summation, First Contact is still a cool movie.
Okay, continuing on sober this morning using the handwritten notes I found... Hmm, on different sheets, now I'm not sure if I've got them in order or not. I need to watch this movie again.
The Doctor from Voyager! "I'm a doctor, not a doorstop." I like pulling in actors from other Trek shows.
Picard willing to kill Enterprise members is a wee bit creepy.
Riker and Troi meet a hero and he is a drunk. I feel that could be a metaphor for life.
Deanna gets drunk, a downfall of only drinking synthehol.
"If you're looking for my professional opinion as ship's counselor, he's nuts."
Data deactivates emotion chip. Must be nice. (Especially reading the news these days!)
And this isn't the movie where Picard's brother and nephew are killed. I thought it was. That must be Generations? I need to rewatch it too.
Data has that glowy bulb behind his head, I have forgotten that! People had it and it was so cool.
Riker explains the truth to Cochrane, omg!
First Contact unites humanity, that is so cool. What would it take really to unite people? I feel this question I drunkenly scrawled over a year and a half ago is even more poignant now.
Omg, Jessica Fletcher's nephew Grady is on the bridge. Grady! I always liked them.
"It's my first raygun," is a great quote.
Re: Borg Queen head connecting to her body, we wouldn't think that was a big deal any more but that was massive, are we spoiled by tech?
"Bionic zombies." Ha ha ha!
"Borg sounds Swedish." Like I feel it is?
"Acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives, we work to better ourselves." We need more of this philosophy! Down with the oligarchic class!
Neelix? In the holodeck! Borg on the holodeck is pretty funny... until Picard guns them down. There is some intensity in this movie.
Barclay fangirling Cochrane! Pretty funny. Cochrane takes a runner, no surprise.
Picard and Worf take a walk on the hull, another thing I'd totally forgot.
Aw! Hawk gets borged and killed, pretty no more.
Borg plans re: deflector dish spoiled. "Assimilate this!" say Worf, pandering to fannish love of Klingons.
It takes 3 command officers to set auto destruct?!? I feel it usually only takes two?
Alfre Woodward calls Picard on his BS very well.
~~~
Anyway who made it this far, I hope you enjoyed my tipsy rambling. I really need to rewatch all the Trek movies. Maybe even the bad ones. After I finish the TNG rewatch and attempting Discovery again. But now I'm gonna continue clearing up this random pile of papers by my desk. Go me, productivity!
Tags:
Nov. 18th, 2025 09:28 pm
iPhone saga, #2
mificSince I last posted, my new phone sat there accusingly while I tried to ignore it. Then a friend said they'd have no idea and would need to take it to a shop to get it done, and I remembered I could get tech support!
Today a guy from GeeksOnWheels came by and struggled to get my wifi sorted so Apple would stop putting up warnings about "weak security". It took him four hours, and across much of that time I had no wifi to one or more of my devices (I'd planned ahead and downloaded fanfic). Eventually he decided my router was faulty, so I bought a new one from him and then it was resolved quickly (not a rip-off, he was very genuine). The call-out & router cost me almost as much as the new phone but it's done now and the phone (and my other devices) are working. Painless transfer of my data and apps, too. I'll need to update my iPad as well at some later point, but that should be manageable now the tricky stuff is sorted. So much for "user friendly" technology!
Got myself a Thai curry and gadogado via DoorDash as consolation for an angsty day, and now for an audiobook and arting session. Onwards!
Today a guy from GeeksOnWheels came by and struggled to get my wifi sorted so Apple would stop putting up warnings about "weak security". It took him four hours, and across much of that time I had no wifi to one or more of my devices (I'd planned ahead and downloaded fanfic). Eventually he decided my router was faulty, so I bought a new one from him and then it was resolved quickly (not a rip-off, he was very genuine). The call-out & router cost me almost as much as the new phone but it's done now and the phone (and my other devices) are working. Painless transfer of my data and apps, too. I'll need to update my iPad as well at some later point, but that should be manageable now the tricky stuff is sorted. So much for "user friendly" technology!
Got myself a Thai curry and gadogado via DoorDash as consolation for an angsty day, and now for an audiobook and arting session. Onwards!
Nov. 16th, 2025 11:16 pm
tea review: cozy cinnamon vanilla chamomile
spiraliciousTea Month 2025: Tea 14
Tea Review
Name: Cozy Cinnamon Vanilla Chamomile
Brand: Stash
Type: herbal
Tea bag
Notes:
Hopefully, I haven't reviewed this tea before. I forgot to double check. This tea was good, but disappointing. It smelled absolutely amazing, but it tasted like chamomile tea, with some slightly warm notes. The more I drank, the more I could also taste the vanilla, but I also think that's because I was looking for it. It is a good tea, but with cinnamon and rooibos as the first two ingredients, I was just expecting something a little spicier.
Rate
Appearance: 8
Aroma: 10
Flavor: 7
Overall Rating: 3 stars
Tea Review
Name: Cozy Cinnamon Vanilla Chamomile
Brand: Stash
Type: herbal
Tea bag
Notes:
Hopefully, I haven't reviewed this tea before. I forgot to double check. This tea was good, but disappointing. It smelled absolutely amazing, but it tasted like chamomile tea, with some slightly warm notes. The more I drank, the more I could also taste the vanilla, but I also think that's because I was looking for it. It is a good tea, but with cinnamon and rooibos as the first two ingredients, I was just expecting something a little spicier.
Rate
Appearance: 8
Aroma: 10
Flavor: 7
Overall Rating: 3 stars
Nov. 12th, 2025 09:40 am
Happy Birthday, Squidgie!!!
em_kellesvigHappy Birthday, squidgiepdx!!! You are a joy to behold in fandom and a delight to your friends! Here's to another wonderful trip around the sun. \o/
squidgiepdx!!! You are a joy to behold in fandom and a delight to your friends! Here's to another wonderful trip around the sun. \o/Tags:
Nov. 8th, 2025 11:38 am
progress!
melaganEvery year I sign up for SGA Secret Santa, I always think I'm going to get my story done early. This is the first year I might actually manage it. Hoo-yay.
Of course, I'm only talking about the first draft, but at 80% done, I'm looking at wrapping up soonish. This has never happened to me this early in the challenge.
I think I might have to go lie down.
Of course, I'm only talking about the first draft, but at 80% done, I'm looking at wrapping up soonish. This has never happened to me this early in the challenge.
I think I might have to go lie down.
Nov. 8th, 2025 09:53 pm
First world fuckery
mificOh god I had to get a new iPhone as my old one was a stegosaurus and apps were starting to give me the finger. But now I have to set the new one up and I hates it, I hates it!
So far it won't even talk to my old dino-phone, or to my iPad which is barely more advanced, and it won't download everything from iCloud as my wifi is apparently using an old, insecure system, wpa2. So I have to upgrade that first and then will my iPad wifi and laptop wifi still work?? *grinds teeth*.
But in 20 minutes we go into a planned power cut so the local lines company can fix some urgent thingy, the second such in 3 days, which means I can postpone all this shit to another day.
Writing this to the sound of fireworks going off as Wednesday was Guy Fawkes night and with it now the weekend, lots of people saved their fireworks and we've had them exploding the last three days. You can set them off here anytime, but you can only buy them in the lead-up to Guy Fawkes once a year, in NZ law.
So I'm sitting here stumped by futuristic tech while being serenaded by a five centuries old celebration of averted English domestic terrorism.
Time for a nice cup of tea.
So far it won't even talk to my old dino-phone, or to my iPad which is barely more advanced, and it won't download everything from iCloud as my wifi is apparently using an old, insecure system, wpa2. So I have to upgrade that first and then will my iPad wifi and laptop wifi still work?? *grinds teeth*.
But in 20 minutes we go into a planned power cut so the local lines company can fix some urgent thingy, the second such in 3 days, which means I can postpone all this shit to another day.
Writing this to the sound of fireworks going off as Wednesday was Guy Fawkes night and with it now the weekend, lots of people saved their fireworks and we've had them exploding the last three days. You can set them off here anytime, but you can only buy them in the lead-up to Guy Fawkes once a year, in NZ law.
So I'm sitting here stumped by futuristic tech while being serenaded by a five centuries old celebration of averted English domestic terrorism.
Time for a nice cup of tea.
Tags:
Nov. 6th, 2025 09:55 am
Fannish Fifty #36: Tom Holland omg
elaynaI had read at some point that he played Billy Elliot in the stage musical, but I hadn't seen any of it. Came across this today. Tom Holland always looks young to me, but omg, such a baby! But so talented! It's no wonder he's so amazing with the physicality of Spider-Man, considering this was his big break.
Tags:
Nov. 6th, 2025 06:06 pm
poll!
melaganPoll #33804 I love my fandom
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 23
How many fandoms do you participate in?
View Answers
1 to 5
12 (52.2%)
5 to 10
3 (13.0%)
I've lost track
5 (21.7%)
you don't even want to know
4 (17.4%)
ticky box is my fandom
5 (21.7%)
Tags:
Nov. 6th, 2025 10:47 am
Scouts BSA
elaynaYounger nephew put this together... I'm really kinda amazed what the kids can do. I was in Video Production in high school, it was a Big Thing and I really enjoyed it, but what we created was definitely a lot simpler. Or at least, not near as tightly edited. Just one minute, quick to watch.
Nov. 6th, 2025 09:09 am
Fannish Fifty #35: Rewatching Star Trek... still going
elaynaSo once again, I have let it get to November, still having 15 FFs to go... oops!
I'm still slowly rewatching Star Trek, now on ST:TNG season 7. And it's making me think of Trek's wokeness, and whether it's the characters or the audience learning the lesson, and when to my mind, Trek fails.
Like TOS episode The Cloud Minders, and Kirk physically makes the prime minister mine rocks, releasing the toxins, and making the PM realize the damage being caused, leading to an overhaul of the social system and social equality. Ultimate wokeness, the characters realize the bad that's happening and fix it. Yay!
Whereas TOS Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, the characters never accept that the racial division in their society is stupid and destructive, and the Enterprise leaves them to have their last fight. But IIRC, there's a certain amount of Kirk and the crew going, "OMG what?!? People used to believe this sort of stupid ideology but we've outgrown it!" Clearly the lesson is meant for the 1960's audience struggling with racial issues and telling them to do better. Yay wokeness!
So I watched ST:TNG Thine Own Self, which I didn't even remember. Data goes to a planet to retrieve radioactive rocks but loses his memory. The pre-space technology villagers take him in, but get sick from the rocks. Data recovers enough of himself to fix them, but they fear him and the illness he has caused and 'kill' him (he gets better). And it's... the characters don't learn anything. The villagers are satisfied that they've killed the scary visitor and that cured the illness he brought. One young girl is bummed. Crusher and Riker retrieve Data's body and learn two sentences about what's happened. Once restored, Data has forgotten his entire visit.
People can get scared and be shitty to strangers. I guess the audience learns that? I was in my 20s when ST:TNG aired, I was already plenty old enough to have that learned that lesson.
At this point I'm not going to go back and review all the ST:TNG eps, I need to move on to trying Discovery again, but I feel there were too many episodes that were just... yeah, people can be shitty but the Enterprise crew does what they need to do and then they leave. Yes, TOS can be overly simplistic and obvious, but ST:TNG can make me feel blank, not like I've seen something deep and meaningful.
Anyway, I got no final conclusion, just a ... I think it's interesting when a show is trying to get a message across and how that is communicated and who learns it.
I'm still slowly rewatching Star Trek, now on ST:TNG season 7. And it's making me think of Trek's wokeness, and whether it's the characters or the audience learning the lesson, and when to my mind, Trek fails.
Like TOS episode The Cloud Minders, and Kirk physically makes the prime minister mine rocks, releasing the toxins, and making the PM realize the damage being caused, leading to an overhaul of the social system and social equality. Ultimate wokeness, the characters realize the bad that's happening and fix it. Yay!
Whereas TOS Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, the characters never accept that the racial division in their society is stupid and destructive, and the Enterprise leaves them to have their last fight. But IIRC, there's a certain amount of Kirk and the crew going, "OMG what?!? People used to believe this sort of stupid ideology but we've outgrown it!" Clearly the lesson is meant for the 1960's audience struggling with racial issues and telling them to do better. Yay wokeness!
So I watched ST:TNG Thine Own Self, which I didn't even remember. Data goes to a planet to retrieve radioactive rocks but loses his memory. The pre-space technology villagers take him in, but get sick from the rocks. Data recovers enough of himself to fix them, but they fear him and the illness he has caused and 'kill' him (he gets better). And it's... the characters don't learn anything. The villagers are satisfied that they've killed the scary visitor and that cured the illness he brought. One young girl is bummed. Crusher and Riker retrieve Data's body and learn two sentences about what's happened. Once restored, Data has forgotten his entire visit.
People can get scared and be shitty to strangers. I guess the audience learns that? I was in my 20s when ST:TNG aired, I was already plenty old enough to have that learned that lesson.
At this point I'm not going to go back and review all the ST:TNG eps, I need to move on to trying Discovery again, but I feel there were too many episodes that were just... yeah, people can be shitty but the Enterprise crew does what they need to do and then they leave. Yes, TOS can be overly simplistic and obvious, but ST:TNG can make me feel blank, not like I've seen something deep and meaningful.
Anyway, I got no final conclusion, just a ... I think it's interesting when a show is trying to get a message across and how that is communicated and who learns it.
Tags: