credit card hassles and triumphs: the saga
15 Aug 2025 09:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mificFurther to the annoying scamming attempt that caused the bank to cancel my card and snail mail me a new one... from Aussie. (grrrrr) (yes, this is tl;dr but parts are mildly amusing plus you might learn something useful.)
I started to get annoyed "update payment details!" notifications from various apps. I figured I could live for 2-3 weeks without Netflix, Prime, Apple+, AMC, etc, (actually, doubtful) but then my main Apple account also got cross with my defunct card and I was scared I might lose all my iCloud storage. There are masses of images in there that it would be a bit tragic to lose. Unsure what else (all past emails? My stored Notes? My life is organised around those notes!) Plus the phone might stop working, I guess (my only phone).
Initial bank lady had said they would continue to fund Apple pay, but clearly that was bullshit. So I called them, and the bank guy cogitated a bit, then said if I installed the bank's payment app (called somethingmoney) I'd be able to call up my NEW credit card details and use those for all the online stuff that was expiring. Hallelujah!
So I tried to install their money app but despite it being TOTALLY FREE my phone kept saying my credit card was defunct. Did you know Apple won't let you install TOTALLY FREE apps if you don't have a payment system set up? Well, you can't. Fucking billionaires. All the bank dude could suggest was that I bring the phone into the bank next day so they could see for themselves what the problem was. This was completely that thing where something doesn't work and you assume the person doing it is an incompetent idiot and impatiently say "let me have a go".
So I was pissed off. It was clear to me that this was goddamn Apple bullshit, not something I was doing and that taking my phone to the bank would NOT solve it. Bank dude had regretfully informed me that the money app was for mobiles only, and all my mobile devices were Apple.
It was now about 4:45. Then I had a lightbulb moment - I needed a non-Apple device! So I decided to go to the Warehouse (a big box store, the cheapest one in Auckland). Yes! Out I go to my car, which won't start! Dash is covered by lit-up icons including the battery one. Woe - I called the AA, who amazingly arrived inside 30 minutes. Very nice AA man (AA men have replaced my dear departed dad in my life) got in and the car started immediately. Oh the embarrassment! He kindly explained that if you don't push the clutch pedal in really hard you get all the lights and it won't start. Showed me the green light I needed to make go away to be sure I was doing that.
Grateful and chagrined, and having proved all those bastards right who say "just let me have a go", I drove to the local Warehouse (open late every day of course the better to take our money) and got the cheapest Samsung smartphone they had.
At home, I dicked about trying to charge it but most of my fixtures only have the old usb sockets. Luckily it still had 45% charge (gradually dropping as I fumbled about). Baffled by how it worked, I had to DuckDuckGo a few key issues like "how to turn on Samsung" and "where is Samsung settings" (there was an online manual that failed to cover those minor points). Eventually I had it on even though it kept turning its screen off every 30 seconds. I found the google store and downloaded the money app. And it worked! Once I'd logged into my account I was able to see "card details" with my new card number etc. The CVV was called something else but it was the usual 3-number code.
Victory! I had card details and was able to update Apple, which sorted out the other apps.
But... then today I tried to update my Amazon, Paypal, and Uber eats payment details, and it rejected the CVV no. WTF? Now, as above, I'd had problems with the damn new phone switching the screen off every 30 sec, which meant it was hard to stay logged into the money app to copy my card details into all the other billionaire apps. So I'd cleverly taken a photo of the details, which solved it. Turned out that wasn't so clever for numerous reasons, one being that I failed to go back to the money app to recheck the new card's details. When I eventually did, hours later, they'd changed the damn CVV code! That's when I noticed the small print saying it wasn't a CVV code but was a "dynamic security code" that changed every 12 hours.
So now I'm sorted. It's been 9 working days since they supposedly mailed me the new card and of course no sign of it yet - could easily be another 9 days, if not more. And all I have to do is look up my new dynamic security code every day and update several payment systems. Plus I have a shiny new Samsung phone and very little idea how it works. Haven't dared inserting the SIM card yet - unclear if it takes the mini, micro or ultra-miniscule size, or whatever. That's a hoop to jump through on another day. At least I managed to locate a usb adaptor so I can charge it now.
Ah, the modern world, so restful.
I started to get annoyed "update payment details!" notifications from various apps. I figured I could live for 2-3 weeks without Netflix, Prime, Apple+, AMC, etc, (actually, doubtful) but then my main Apple account also got cross with my defunct card and I was scared I might lose all my iCloud storage. There are masses of images in there that it would be a bit tragic to lose. Unsure what else (all past emails? My stored Notes? My life is organised around those notes!) Plus the phone might stop working, I guess (my only phone).
Initial bank lady had said they would continue to fund Apple pay, but clearly that was bullshit. So I called them, and the bank guy cogitated a bit, then said if I installed the bank's payment app (called somethingmoney) I'd be able to call up my NEW credit card details and use those for all the online stuff that was expiring. Hallelujah!
So I tried to install their money app but despite it being TOTALLY FREE my phone kept saying my credit card was defunct. Did you know Apple won't let you install TOTALLY FREE apps if you don't have a payment system set up? Well, you can't. Fucking billionaires. All the bank dude could suggest was that I bring the phone into the bank next day so they could see for themselves what the problem was. This was completely that thing where something doesn't work and you assume the person doing it is an incompetent idiot and impatiently say "let me have a go".
So I was pissed off. It was clear to me that this was goddamn Apple bullshit, not something I was doing and that taking my phone to the bank would NOT solve it. Bank dude had regretfully informed me that the money app was for mobiles only, and all my mobile devices were Apple.
It was now about 4:45. Then I had a lightbulb moment - I needed a non-Apple device! So I decided to go to the Warehouse (a big box store, the cheapest one in Auckland). Yes! Out I go to my car, which won't start! Dash is covered by lit-up icons including the battery one. Woe - I called the AA, who amazingly arrived inside 30 minutes. Very nice AA man (AA men have replaced my dear departed dad in my life) got in and the car started immediately. Oh the embarrassment! He kindly explained that if you don't push the clutch pedal in really hard you get all the lights and it won't start. Showed me the green light I needed to make go away to be sure I was doing that.
Grateful and chagrined, and having proved all those bastards right who say "just let me have a go", I drove to the local Warehouse (open late every day of course the better to take our money) and got the cheapest Samsung smartphone they had.
At home, I dicked about trying to charge it but most of my fixtures only have the old usb sockets. Luckily it still had 45% charge (gradually dropping as I fumbled about). Baffled by how it worked, I had to DuckDuckGo a few key issues like "how to turn on Samsung" and "where is Samsung settings" (there was an online manual that failed to cover those minor points). Eventually I had it on even though it kept turning its screen off every 30 seconds. I found the google store and downloaded the money app. And it worked! Once I'd logged into my account I was able to see "card details" with my new card number etc. The CVV was called something else but it was the usual 3-number code.
Victory! I had card details and was able to update Apple, which sorted out the other apps.
But... then today I tried to update my Amazon, Paypal, and Uber eats payment details, and it rejected the CVV no. WTF? Now, as above, I'd had problems with the damn new phone switching the screen off every 30 sec, which meant it was hard to stay logged into the money app to copy my card details into all the other billionaire apps. So I'd cleverly taken a photo of the details, which solved it. Turned out that wasn't so clever for numerous reasons, one being that I failed to go back to the money app to recheck the new card's details. When I eventually did, hours later, they'd changed the damn CVV code! That's when I noticed the small print saying it wasn't a CVV code but was a "dynamic security code" that changed every 12 hours.
So now I'm sorted. It's been 9 working days since they supposedly mailed me the new card and of course no sign of it yet - could easily be another 9 days, if not more. And all I have to do is look up my new dynamic security code every day and update several payment systems. Plus I have a shiny new Samsung phone and very little idea how it works. Haven't dared inserting the SIM card yet - unclear if it takes the mini, micro or ultra-miniscule size, or whatever. That's a hoop to jump through on another day. At least I managed to locate a usb adaptor so I can charge it now.
Ah, the modern world, so restful.
Fannish Fifty #32: that one plot point
14 Aug 2025 08:38 pmelaynaSpoilers for the two Fantastic Four - Silver Surfer movies
Sometimes I watch a movie and think: how did this one plot thing get through what must be an exhaustive script process? Why did no one say: this must change? Usually it’s an action movie, often my amazement is around something the hero does (or doesn’t) do.
In 2007’s The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, there’s a big fight scene at the end between Johnny Storm (with all the Four’s combined powers) and Dr. Doom, but then the Silver Surfer goes off to fight Galactus by himself, with none of the Four helping. There were other flaws in that movie, but that was the one where I was: what?!? The heroes are just hanging around on Earth and letting an alien protect them?!? What kind of bs is this?!?
So that was the first thing I thought when I read that the Silver Surfer would be in the new movie, a hope that they’d be smart enough to involve the Four in the final fight against Galactus. And they were! Galactus comes down to Earth himself and all Four are very involved in fighting him. It's much more satisfying.
But… there’s a baby. At first it’s just a pregnancy, and everyone’s all happy and thrilled and working together getting ready for it. The first 15 minutes or so, I felt like I was watching curtain!fic. Then Sue is heavily pregnant and they go off in space to confront the bad guy and no one frets about Sue going into danger. And I guess that was nice though it felt a bit weird. Sue goes into labor in the midst of the escape and Galactus decides he wants the baby. So the entire rest of the movie, there’s a baby in peril.
I don’t have kids. I never really wanted them, though I always never didn’t want them. I thought it would happen but it didn’t and I’m fine with that. But also…. I hate kids in peril in movies. Or being killed. The doesthedogdie website should have a companion arekidshurtorkilled.
They’re kinda different things really, in that the first movie needed some way for the Four to help with the final fight, and the second movie just…. Needed to not have that entire plot line of a baby-child.
I did really like the visual effects of Mr. Fantastic’s stretching, that was really well done. And I liked the characters, especially Sue and Johnny. I found Reed surprisingly … too grave, I guess. Ben was fine but I didn’t like his face design. Herbie was adorable.
Sometimes I watch a movie and think: how did this one plot thing get through what must be an exhaustive script process? Why did no one say: this must change? Usually it’s an action movie, often my amazement is around something the hero does (or doesn’t) do.
In 2007’s The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, there’s a big fight scene at the end between Johnny Storm (with all the Four’s combined powers) and Dr. Doom, but then the Silver Surfer goes off to fight Galactus by himself, with none of the Four helping. There were other flaws in that movie, but that was the one where I was: what?!? The heroes are just hanging around on Earth and letting an alien protect them?!? What kind of bs is this?!?
So that was the first thing I thought when I read that the Silver Surfer would be in the new movie, a hope that they’d be smart enough to involve the Four in the final fight against Galactus. And they were! Galactus comes down to Earth himself and all Four are very involved in fighting him. It's much more satisfying.
But… there’s a baby. At first it’s just a pregnancy, and everyone’s all happy and thrilled and working together getting ready for it. The first 15 minutes or so, I felt like I was watching curtain!fic. Then Sue is heavily pregnant and they go off in space to confront the bad guy and no one frets about Sue going into danger. And I guess that was nice though it felt a bit weird. Sue goes into labor in the midst of the escape and Galactus decides he wants the baby. So the entire rest of the movie, there’s a baby in peril.
I don’t have kids. I never really wanted them, though I always never didn’t want them. I thought it would happen but it didn’t and I’m fine with that. But also…. I hate kids in peril in movies. Or being killed. The doesthedogdie website should have a companion arekidshurtorkilled.
They’re kinda different things really, in that the first movie needed some way for the Four to help with the final fight, and the second movie just…. Needed to not have that entire plot line of a baby-child.
I did really like the visual effects of Mr. Fantastic’s stretching, that was really well done. And I liked the characters, especially Sue and Johnny. I found Reed surprisingly … too grave, I guess. Ben was fine but I didn’t like his face design. Herbie was adorable.
Due South Story: Z Is For Zoo
13 Aug 2025 01:08 pmgrey853Title: Z Is For Zoo
Series: The Due South Alphabet Series
Author: Grey/Grey853
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Explicit
Tags: male slash, Alternate Universe-Canon Divergent, explicit language, implied sexual content, Christmas fic, casefic
Word Count: 50,274
Summary: Ray has to help Fraser solve a case of exotic animal smuggling. It's Christmas in Whitehorse.
LinK
https://archiveofourown.org/works/69171186
Snippet:
"That’s what I need from you, Ray. If I’m not allowed to do this officially and Inspector Paris won’t let me assign any of my men, you’re my last hope.″
Ray formulated a quick plan. ″Okay, I’ll do the checks, get as much info as I can on Bailey and anyone who’s working with him, but to get what we really need, I should go inside the camp.″
″But that’s dangerous.″
″I’ve never met Bailey. You said he breeds and sells sled dogs, right?″
Ben got there before he said it. ″You want to go undercover as a buyer.″
″I could pretend to want a dog, maybe even a whole team, but I could feel him out for other possibilities. I might be able to sneak back in later and get pictures.″
″It’s too risky.″
″Breathing is risky some days.″
″I know, but you sneaking in as you call it isn’t legal.″
″Neither is killing or stealing valuable animals. I mean, I might not get what we can use to arrest him, but it could give us a chance to know exactly what he’s up to. It’s a starting point, not an end game.″
″I can’t let you go in without back up.″
Ray shook his head. He couldn’t have that. ″You can’t go in with me, Ben. You’d lose your job if you got caught.″
″What about you? You could get arrested for trespass or worse.″
″Well, then it’s a damn good thing that I’ve got a great lawyer on standby.″
″Do you think we should tell Gus the plan?″
″Nope. He’d advise against it.″
″Which is probably wise.″
″We’ll just have to play it by ear, Ben. I won’t do anything illegal unless I have to. But first things first. Tomorrow I’ll do a complete background check using all our resources. I’ll track down every known associate I can. He has to be getting the animals from other people in the ring. I’ll also want to talk to some of the people who’ve made complaints or reported him. They might know more than they’re saying. The more information I have, the better we are before I try to actually meet the guy or infiltrate. You’ve just become my number one client.″
Ben reached out and took Ray’s hand. ″Thank you.″
Ray grinned. ″You want to know the terms for my retainer?″
Ben closed the folder and stood up, drawing Ray to his feet. As he led him to the bedroom, he teased. ″I believe I can guess.″
″Smart Mountie.″
Series: The Due South Alphabet Series
Author: Grey/Grey853
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Explicit
Tags: male slash, Alternate Universe-Canon Divergent, explicit language, implied sexual content, Christmas fic, casefic
Word Count: 50,274
Summary: Ray has to help Fraser solve a case of exotic animal smuggling. It's Christmas in Whitehorse.
LinK
https://archiveofourown.org/works/69171186
Snippet:
"That’s what I need from you, Ray. If I’m not allowed to do this officially and Inspector Paris won’t let me assign any of my men, you’re my last hope.″
Ray formulated a quick plan. ″Okay, I’ll do the checks, get as much info as I can on Bailey and anyone who’s working with him, but to get what we really need, I should go inside the camp.″
″But that’s dangerous.″
″I’ve never met Bailey. You said he breeds and sells sled dogs, right?″
Ben got there before he said it. ″You want to go undercover as a buyer.″
″I could pretend to want a dog, maybe even a whole team, but I could feel him out for other possibilities. I might be able to sneak back in later and get pictures.″
″It’s too risky.″
″Breathing is risky some days.″
″I know, but you sneaking in as you call it isn’t legal.″
″Neither is killing or stealing valuable animals. I mean, I might not get what we can use to arrest him, but it could give us a chance to know exactly what he’s up to. It’s a starting point, not an end game.″
″I can’t let you go in without back up.″
Ray shook his head. He couldn’t have that. ″You can’t go in with me, Ben. You’d lose your job if you got caught.″
″What about you? You could get arrested for trespass or worse.″
″Well, then it’s a damn good thing that I’ve got a great lawyer on standby.″
″Do you think we should tell Gus the plan?″
″Nope. He’d advise against it.″
″Which is probably wise.″
″We’ll just have to play it by ear, Ben. I won’t do anything illegal unless I have to. But first things first. Tomorrow I’ll do a complete background check using all our resources. I’ll track down every known associate I can. He has to be getting the animals from other people in the ring. I’ll also want to talk to some of the people who’ve made complaints or reported him. They might know more than they’re saying. The more information I have, the better we are before I try to actually meet the guy or infiltrate. You’ve just become my number one client.″
Ben reached out and took Ray’s hand. ″Thank you.″
Ray grinned. ″You want to know the terms for my retainer?″
Ben closed the folder and stood up, drawing Ray to his feet. As he led him to the bedroom, he teased. ″I believe I can guess.″
″Smart Mountie.″
My Favourite Breakfast
12 Aug 2025 06:55 pmmificI drew this in Procreate for the current ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
drawesome challenge. The prompt was What makes you happy.
Breakfast is my favourite meal (the promise of a new day), and this has become my favourite breakfast over the past while - it definitely makes me happy.
A toasted bagel drizzled with garlic olive oil, smeared with Promite (a gentler variant of Vegemite made in Aussie), then generously covered with smoked garlic hummus (Turkish Kitchen brand, for any Kiwis here). I've only drawn half of the bagel, so assume I've eaten the other half and am humming happily. Dilmah's English Breakfast tea with milk in my favourite yellow Chinese mug (see icon), and Greek yoghurt flavoured with Barker's Apricot (like apricot jam but with no added sugar or sweetener) plus a little maple syrup. Yum.
drawesome challenge. The prompt was What makes you happy.Breakfast is my favourite meal (the promise of a new day), and this has become my favourite breakfast over the past while - it definitely makes me happy.
A toasted bagel drizzled with garlic olive oil, smeared with Promite (a gentler variant of Vegemite made in Aussie), then generously covered with smoked garlic hummus (Turkish Kitchen brand, for any Kiwis here). I've only drawn half of the bagel, so assume I've eaten the other half and am humming happily. Dilmah's English Breakfast tea with milk in my favourite yellow Chinese mug (see icon), and Greek yoghurt flavoured with Barker's Apricot (like apricot jam but with no added sugar or sweetener) plus a little maple syrup. Yum.
Pimping and phone calls
11 Aug 2025 02:04 pmmelaganFirst: pimping!
Second:
I saw an actual honest-to-god working pay phone. It has been years since I've seen one.
Where did I see it? I had a tire issue and had to take my car to the local garage. The phone was on the wall in the small customer service area. I kinda wanted to fondle it, it's been so long since I've seen a working one of these.
Second:
I saw an actual honest-to-god working pay phone. It has been years since I've seen one.
Where did I see it? I had a tire issue and had to take my car to the local garage. The phone was on the wall in the small customer service area. I kinda wanted to fondle it, it's been so long since I've seen a working one of these.
Goddamn scammers. This is a PSA - watch out for this bullshit
7 Aug 2025 10:31 pmmificI was almost scammed yesterday. Got a phone call ostensibly from my bank and he (UK accent, slightly unusual but not impossible) launched right away into reassurance that he wasn't going to ask for my PIN or account details. Said he was from my bank's fraud dept and my credit card had been used for a transaction for over $1800.00 in Singapore, so as they knew I lived in Auckland, he was checking I wasn't on vacation there. I said no I wasn't.
He assured me they would block the payment, but said that unfortunately as someone had my card details, the bank would have to cancel my card and mail me a replacement. I moaned a bit about the hassle. Then he said he needed me to check my texts as there should be one related to the scam transaction. There was. Then he said could I read out the 6 digit authorisation number so he could cancel it. But the authorisation number had only 4 digits, so I got suspicious, told him I'd call my bank, and disconnected. Would I have fallen for it if he'd got the number of digits right? I hope not, but am unsure.
Sure enough it was a scam, and my bank's fraud dept hadn't contacted me. There was a small sum the scammer had tried to charge to my card, and my bank said if I'd given him the authorisation number he'd in fact have charged a huge amount to my card. The bad news is that the bank still have to cancel my card, and the REALLY ANNOYING news is that they're based in both Aussie and NZ and their new procedure is to mail my new card from fucking Australia, not locally. I know from past experience that mail from Aussie can take bloody weeks, so that's a huge bummer. (They say max. 2 weeks but I don't believe it). I have several payments automatically set up on my card and they're going to start bouncing.
Anyway, I'll just be over here gnashing my teeth, but be aware of this scam - they're very slick and believable. Don't ever give anyone purporting to be from your bank a texted (etc.) transaction authorisation number, no matter how small the amount is. In fact, don't do anything at all if "your bank" calls you. Hang up and call your bank to check.
He assured me they would block the payment, but said that unfortunately as someone had my card details, the bank would have to cancel my card and mail me a replacement. I moaned a bit about the hassle. Then he said he needed me to check my texts as there should be one related to the scam transaction. There was. Then he said could I read out the 6 digit authorisation number so he could cancel it. But the authorisation number had only 4 digits, so I got suspicious, told him I'd call my bank, and disconnected. Would I have fallen for it if he'd got the number of digits right? I hope not, but am unsure.
Sure enough it was a scam, and my bank's fraud dept hadn't contacted me. There was a small sum the scammer had tried to charge to my card, and my bank said if I'd given him the authorisation number he'd in fact have charged a huge amount to my card. The bad news is that the bank still have to cancel my card, and the REALLY ANNOYING news is that they're based in both Aussie and NZ and their new procedure is to mail my new card from fucking Australia, not locally. I know from past experience that mail from Aussie can take bloody weeks, so that's a huge bummer. (They say max. 2 weeks but I don't believe it). I have several payments automatically set up on my card and they're going to start bouncing.
Anyway, I'll just be over here gnashing my teeth, but be aware of this scam - they're very slick and believable. Don't ever give anyone purporting to be from your bank a texted (etc.) transaction authorisation number, no matter how small the amount is. In fact, don't do anything at all if "your bank" calls you. Hang up and call your bank to check.
SGA Story: A Suspicious Lump (McShep, PG)
6 Aug 2025 11:31 pmesteefeefrom the Narf 'Verse for SGA Saturday week #505-509: "wait" and/or "survive"
Title: A Suspicious Lump
Pairing: John/Rodney
Genre: series, established relationship
Words: 1,658
Rating: PG
Summary: Rodney is worried; John is Schrödinger's worried.
Title: A Suspicious Lump
Pairing: John/Rodney
Genre: series, established relationship
Words: 1,658
Rating: PG
Summary: Rodney is worried; John is Schrödinger's worried.
(no subject)
6 Aug 2025 07:59 amlogans_girl2001Seriously, guys. If these symptoms are still this bad at the end of the month, I'm gonna have to stop taking the Mounjaro.
Today the nausea is really bad. And my nose is running like a sieve! And I started feeling like I was getting a UTI so I started taking AZO. I hope I caught it early enough because I've had a UTI a couple of times in my life and it was awful. And I discovered I hate the taste of cranberry juice.
My doctor had told me that my glucose might go up (I heard it as will) when I first start taking Mounjaro and it has. I'm hoping it stabilizes at under 100 soon.
My email has gone back to taking forever to send the email with the pictures of my glucose and blood pressure. My glucose was 124 and my blood pressure was 140 over 74. I'm blaming my high blood pressure on me feeling like I'm gonna puke.
Today the nausea is really bad. And my nose is running like a sieve! And I started feeling like I was getting a UTI so I started taking AZO. I hope I caught it early enough because I've had a UTI a couple of times in my life and it was awful. And I discovered I hate the taste of cranberry juice.
My doctor had told me that my glucose might go up (I heard it as will) when I first start taking Mounjaro and it has. I'm hoping it stabilizes at under 100 soon.
My email has gone back to taking forever to send the email with the pictures of my glucose and blood pressure. My glucose was 124 and my blood pressure was 140 over 74. I'm blaming my high blood pressure on me feeling like I'm gonna puke.
(no subject)
5 Aug 2025 07:57 amlogans_girl2001I am so over these side effects from Mounjaro!
So, I got to bed around 10 last night because I sucked into a story time on TikTok. Then just after midnight my body decided it didn't want to be in the bed any more (I was hurting all over). When I got up, I started feeling like I might puke but as badly as yesterday. But I do still feel like I might puke.
At this point, I'm not sure the side effects are worth the reward of this drug. I will continue to take it but if these symptoms don't go away soon, I'm gonna have to stop taking it.
I forgot to weigh myself yesterday before making my post so I'm adding it today.
Also, I've had to start deleting pictures. I doubt any of you go back to read my old posts, but if you do, that's why the pictures are no longer there.
So, I got to bed around 10 last night because I sucked into a story time on TikTok. Then just after midnight my body decided it didn't want to be in the bed any more (I was hurting all over). When I got up, I started feeling like I might puke but as badly as yesterday. But I do still feel like I might puke.
At this point, I'm not sure the side effects are worth the reward of this drug. I will continue to take it but if these symptoms don't go away soon, I'm gonna have to stop taking it.
I forgot to weigh myself yesterday before making my post so I'm adding it today.
Also, I've had to start deleting pictures. I doubt any of you go back to read my old posts, but if you do, that's why the pictures are no longer there.
Fannish Fifty 2025 #31 Superman
4 Aug 2025 08:43 amelaynaThere will be spoilers for the new Superman movie. Trying to keep them overview-ish, but be warned.
I liked it! It was very enjoyable, lots of action, Superman seemed in actual peril on occasion, good casting, etc. Adorable dog. The really overt messaging of the good immigrant trying to help people versus an evil billionaire trying to destroy out of his own fear and entitlement was *chef's kiss*.
But I didn't adore it, and I've been thinking about this, as it takes me a while to work through my analysis/feelings. I was cautiously optimistic when I read James Gunn would direct. I really like Guardians 1 and 2, but not Guardians 3 or Suicide Squad. I thought he might do interesting things with Superman.
And indeed he does, but primarily with the universe, which is unique in that metahumans have been on Earth and known longer for 300 years. Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr Terrific are all main characters. There's no origin story, the movie begins with Superman already known to the public for several years and in the midst of a fight, Clark established at the Daily Planet, etc. That's all announced at the beginning.
I really loved the first two Christopher Reeve Superman movies, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and the first few seasons of Smallville, and mainly for the development and exploration of the relationships between Lois and Clark/Superman, or between Clark and Lex.
All the relationships are all established in the new movie, and not really much touched on. There's a big crisis and everyone is running around responding to it. Clark and Lois' big scene is them having a grumpy fight. Perry White and Jimmy Olson are there, Perry being boss-like and Jimmy excitable, like they do. There are two other people at the Daily Planet, I'm guessing one is Cat Grant and I don't know the other guy except he had some comic relief bits at an exciting moment so I assume I should know him.
I know Green Lantern only from the Ryan Reynolds movie, though this guy is mostly grumpy. Hawkgirl was in one of the superhero TV series, though very different IIRC. I don't know Mr. Terrific at all, except he has obviously computer related powers and is a helpful guy.
I couldn't help thinking it would be a great movie if one wanted to write in this universe, because there's so much that could be developed. All the back stories! All the first meetings! All the 'what happens after the movie' impacts!
But in terms of relationships within the movie.... I think about it, and I can't think of a single "You've got me? Who's got you?" line. Like... no moment that really shone for me, that I loved these characters interacting with each other, not like I loved them in Lois and Clark:TNAofS, or Smallville. It's all very fast and very exciting and there's so much that has gone on before the movie started and the audience just has to roll with it. You know these characters or you don't but here's all the people about to be killed! OMG!
The dog. I'd like to see more with the dog, who is adorable.
I will watch more. It was exciting! Just...I would have liked more emphasis on the relationships and really getting to know the characters. I didn't read the review in the local paper, but I saw the word 'cluttered' and yeah, I agree.
One last note: I was surprised what happened with the Hammer, I really expected that to be set up for a redemption arc in the next movie. Anyone else share my surprise?
I liked it! It was very enjoyable, lots of action, Superman seemed in actual peril on occasion, good casting, etc. Adorable dog. The really overt messaging of the good immigrant trying to help people versus an evil billionaire trying to destroy out of his own fear and entitlement was *chef's kiss*.
But I didn't adore it, and I've been thinking about this, as it takes me a while to work through my analysis/feelings. I was cautiously optimistic when I read James Gunn would direct. I really like Guardians 1 and 2, but not Guardians 3 or Suicide Squad. I thought he might do interesting things with Superman.
And indeed he does, but primarily with the universe, which is unique in that metahumans have been on Earth and known longer for 300 years. Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr Terrific are all main characters. There's no origin story, the movie begins with Superman already known to the public for several years and in the midst of a fight, Clark established at the Daily Planet, etc. That's all announced at the beginning.
I really loved the first two Christopher Reeve Superman movies, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and the first few seasons of Smallville, and mainly for the development and exploration of the relationships between Lois and Clark/Superman, or between Clark and Lex.
All the relationships are all established in the new movie, and not really much touched on. There's a big crisis and everyone is running around responding to it. Clark and Lois' big scene is them having a grumpy fight. Perry White and Jimmy Olson are there, Perry being boss-like and Jimmy excitable, like they do. There are two other people at the Daily Planet, I'm guessing one is Cat Grant and I don't know the other guy except he had some comic relief bits at an exciting moment so I assume I should know him.
I know Green Lantern only from the Ryan Reynolds movie, though this guy is mostly grumpy. Hawkgirl was in one of the superhero TV series, though very different IIRC. I don't know Mr. Terrific at all, except he has obviously computer related powers and is a helpful guy.
I couldn't help thinking it would be a great movie if one wanted to write in this universe, because there's so much that could be developed. All the back stories! All the first meetings! All the 'what happens after the movie' impacts!
But in terms of relationships within the movie.... I think about it, and I can't think of a single "You've got me? Who's got you?" line. Like... no moment that really shone for me, that I loved these characters interacting with each other, not like I loved them in Lois and Clark:TNAofS, or Smallville. It's all very fast and very exciting and there's so much that has gone on before the movie started and the audience just has to roll with it. You know these characters or you don't but here's all the people about to be killed! OMG!
The dog. I'd like to see more with the dog, who is adorable.
I will watch more. It was exciting! Just...I would have liked more emphasis on the relationships and really getting to know the characters. I didn't read the review in the local paper, but I saw the word 'cluttered' and yeah, I agree.
One last note: I was surprised what happened with the Hammer, I really expected that to be set up for a redemption arc in the next movie. Anyone else share my surprise?
(no subject)
4 Aug 2025 07:08 amlogans_girl2001Plans for the weekend:
Laundry and (start) reading Dark Water Book Four: The Quarterlands
What got done:
All of that! Except for the clothes I don't toss in the dryer because they're still not dry
I had fully expected to read the whole book over the weekend but I was out when the link arrived in my inbox and then I had to charge my kindle. And the chapters showing Alex's past are very difficult to read so I have to take a break after reading his part of the story.
I was right that we would learn who the killer is in the first part of the book. And it is someone who was never anywhere near my list of suspects. And the reason? Totally insane and guaranteed to piss Alex off, although the killer claimed they did it to help him.
Now to see George Tyler lose everything he holds dear and suffer the consequences for his actions.
The first three books are available now, with the fourth coming out 9/9. Go here if you want to read them. I highly recommend them if you like MM romance with a huge helping of dystopia and murder mystery.
I was planning on getting back to walking this morning but I took my first dose of Mounjaro Saturday and the side effects have hit me hard. I was feeling fine for most of Saturday and Sunday but after I'd been in bed for nearly an hour, I felt like I was going to puke. So I got up and went to sit on the couch where I promptly feel back asleep. I'm still not fully awake and I've been up for roughly forty minutes.
We'll try again next week. Fingers crossed these side effects don't happen again because they SUUUUUUUCK!
I had a very interesting dream this morning.
I worked in an office building doing something with finance. Despite my desk being where anyone could walk by and see what I was doing, I read lists on a BuzzFeed type website instead of doing any actual work.
At one point I got up to go to the bathroom. The whole place had this cheap looking carpet which I found strange considering the office felt expensive and I was dressed business formal (although I was walking around barefoot?). And when I say the whole place, I'm including the bathroom.
So when you walk into the women's room there was the usual sink/mirror area and then on the other side of a divider wall were four stalls. There were signs on the doors because they had full doors. Two were toilets and the other two were either showers or changing rooms. I didn't pay that much attention because I was headed for a larger area at the back. The 'handicapped' stall. Although it was more like an office with a toilet in it.
The door had the standard push button lock on the handle but then also had this bar thing you could wrap around the handle to prevent the door from being opened by someone who had a key.
Then there was a sink area as soon as you walk in and next to that was the toilet (in a little alcove for some privacy although not much since there was no door). Across from that was a curtain that hid a glass door that lead to a balcony area. A bit further down and the area opened up to an office area complete with desk and bookshelves. There was a metal fire door that lead to a staircase (there was no handle on the other side of the door so if you went out, you could not go back in unless you went down to the ground floor and back up to whichever floor this room was on). And there were more curtains hiding a wall of windows that overlooked the balcony and some frosted windows on the opposite wall that allowed in some natural light.
Laundry and (start) reading Dark Water Book Four: The Quarterlands
What got done:
All of that! Except for the clothes I don't toss in the dryer because they're still not dry
I had fully expected to read the whole book over the weekend but I was out when the link arrived in my inbox and then I had to charge my kindle. And the chapters showing Alex's past are very difficult to read so I have to take a break after reading his part of the story.
I was right that we would learn who the killer is in the first part of the book. And it is someone who was never anywhere near my list of suspects. And the reason? Totally insane and guaranteed to piss Alex off, although the killer claimed they did it to help him.
Now to see George Tyler lose everything he holds dear and suffer the consequences for his actions.
The first three books are available now, with the fourth coming out 9/9. Go here if you want to read them. I highly recommend them if you like MM romance with a huge helping of dystopia and murder mystery.
I was planning on getting back to walking this morning but I took my first dose of Mounjaro Saturday and the side effects have hit me hard. I was feeling fine for most of Saturday and Sunday but after I'd been in bed for nearly an hour, I felt like I was going to puke. So I got up and went to sit on the couch where I promptly feel back asleep. I'm still not fully awake and I've been up for roughly forty minutes.
We'll try again next week. Fingers crossed these side effects don't happen again because they SUUUUUUUCK!
I had a very interesting dream this morning.
I worked in an office building doing something with finance. Despite my desk being where anyone could walk by and see what I was doing, I read lists on a BuzzFeed type website instead of doing any actual work.
At one point I got up to go to the bathroom. The whole place had this cheap looking carpet which I found strange considering the office felt expensive and I was dressed business formal (although I was walking around barefoot?). And when I say the whole place, I'm including the bathroom.
So when you walk into the women's room there was the usual sink/mirror area and then on the other side of a divider wall were four stalls. There were signs on the doors because they had full doors. Two were toilets and the other two were either showers or changing rooms. I didn't pay that much attention because I was headed for a larger area at the back. The 'handicapped' stall. Although it was more like an office with a toilet in it.
The door had the standard push button lock on the handle but then also had this bar thing you could wrap around the handle to prevent the door from being opened by someone who had a key.
Then there was a sink area as soon as you walk in and next to that was the toilet (in a little alcove for some privacy although not much since there was no door). Across from that was a curtain that hid a glass door that lead to a balcony area. A bit further down and the area opened up to an office area complete with desk and bookshelves. There was a metal fire door that lead to a staircase (there was no handle on the other side of the door so if you went out, you could not go back in unless you went down to the ground floor and back up to whichever floor this room was on). And there were more curtains hiding a wall of windows that overlooked the balcony and some frosted windows on the opposite wall that allowed in some natural light.
