a couple of comfortable bed-rooms

59 years...doesn't feel that long somehow. Good news - I only have three-four years until retirement now. Yippee! (Actually it may be more like three and a half, we'll see, it depends a lot on finances and crazy org, and crazy union.) Although the body feels it. What's that saying? It's not the years, it's the mileage? I always consider my birthday - my own personal New Year's Day. Since our years on this earth and for things like pension, medicare, senior discounts, and retirement are tracked by the date of our birth.

It's been a good birthday so far. The Universe gifted me with a sunny spring day, with barely a cloud marring the pristine robin's egg blue surface, plus Daylight Savings Time - so the day is ever so slightly longer, with sunset around 6:45 pm - granted no flowers or green trees as of yet, but I bought some reddish purple carnations to fill a vase in my living room window and a smaller vase in the bathroom. Also, took a long walk to Courtyelou Road in Ditmas Park, and browsed a smaller bookstore (which had comics, and mostly books by minority authors), the Brooklyn Artrery, and just meandered. Didn't buy anything.

Finished Merrily We Roll Along - which I rented for $9.99 from Apple TV (it's also available on Prime for the same amount). It's the 2024 smash hit Broadway musical revival by Stephen Sondheim, Martha Friedman, George Kaufman and Moss Hart - starring Jonathon Groff, Daniel Radcliff, and Lindsey Mendez. It's much better than expected. Daniel Radcliff blew me away during his number Franklin Shepard, Inc. Also features the classic, "Not a Day Goes By". I found it weirdly comforting - in that it shows how friendships can dissolve over time bit by bit due to various things, but mainly that the friends don't want the same things or have the same central focus. ( Read more... )

Also been binging Count of Monte Cristo on PBS. Had the last of the three slices of Birthday cake from BY THE WAY BAKERY (courtesy of Whole Foods in the Financial District). Tonight - am considering having the freshly made artichoke and spinach gluten free ravioli.

[And I've been enjoying the three birthday gifts that I received - which are: ( Read more... )]

Was considering renting another movie ("Hamnet by Chole Zhao") - but I may hold off, it could very well become available for free - soon enough.

Question a Day Meme - March Catch-Up

4. Have you ever been in a road traffic accident (either as a driver, pedestrian or on a bike)?

Not that I recall? I've witnessed quite a few.

5. How many local birds can you name?

Robin, Bluejay, Pigeon, Whitetail Hawk, Bald Eagle, Sparrow, Cardinal, Crows, Ravens...technical names? No. I have enough issues remembering the names of humans, let alone names humans give specific birds.

6. Have you ever seen a dinosaur skeleton?

Yes, at the Museum of Natural History in NYC

7. Do you embrace technology or prefer things the way they used to be (or a bit of both)?

See birthday gifts. So yes, I've embraced it. I resist for a bit, give up, and embrace. I don't go overboard. I have co-workers who update their iphones and headphones and watches every year. I don't. Also, I learned from my parents to wait a while before trying the latest gadget - like maybe a couple of years. (We learned this lesson - when we were among the first to get the 8 track player (I even owned a mini-one) - which was the newest gadget and my father was convinced it would take off. It well...didn't. So after that colossal failure - our family waits a few years before getting the gadget.)

8. It’s International Women’s Day – can you name any famous female artists, musicians, scientists or authors?

Octavia Butler, Chole Zhao, Marie Curie, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin,
Kate Bush, The Runaways, The Go Gos, Cyndie Lauper, Lady Gaga, Toni Morrison, Jane Austen

9. As it’s ‘Check Your Batteries Day’, when was the last time you checked your stock of batteries? Or, do you just buy them when you need them?

I have batteries that will last at least ten years in my fire/carbon dioxide alarm. So not an issue. They are too hard to replace - so I got one last year that has batteries that last close to fifteen years.

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...]