lunch with friends of Adrian's

Sep. 23rd, 2025 04:49 pm
redbird: closeup of me drinking tea, in a friend's kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] redbird
One of [personal profile] adrian_turtle's comrades from the hav invited the three of us to have lunch in their yard today, after Rosh Hashanah services. We all had a good time--I hadn't met either R or their partner Peter before, and I liked them both, as did [personal profile] cattitude (as did Adrian, of course). We sat and talked for a couple of hours: the three of us brought a vegetable frittata and an apple cake, both of which Adrian made yesterday; R. and Peter contributed salad, challah, and of course the location. It was the right amount of food for five people; we took home 1/6 of the frittata, and gave them the last slice of cake, since we have more at home.

R and Peter live in Allston, near the Packard's Corner T stop, so not in walking distance, but easy by transit. The conversation wandered, as good conversations will. We were there for a couple of hours, longer than I'd expected, and I didn't notice the time until we got home and I looked at the clock on our stove.

Quick happy Rosh Hashanah

Sep. 23rd, 2025 09:02 am
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[personal profile] vvalkyri
I've got to finish getting dressed and run downstairs because Park Street Shul in New York starts at 8:30!

So Torah service is soon.

Of interest to some:
Btw park st shul has conservative book electronically to 'rent' for $3 https://www.rabookstore.org/products/mahzor-lev-shalem-rosh-hashanah-yom-kippur-ebook

Book Review

Sep. 19th, 2025 09:38 am
kenjari: (Default)
[personal profile] kenjari
Fugitive Telemetry
by Martha Wells

This is the 6th Murderbot book and it's the equivalent of what in TV is termed a bottle-episode in that it is self-contained and takes place in a single location. Fugitive Telemetry is a murder mystery that takes place entirely on Preservation Station. When a dead body turns up on the station, the station authorities reluctantly bring Murderbot into the investigation.
I enjoyed this one a lot. The mystery is good - it went in a few unexpected places and involved a very interesting situation which I don't want to spoil. I liked how Murderbot's working relationship with station security developed.
redbird: closeup of me drinking tea, in a friend's kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] redbird
I am happy to see that "should receive" the covid vaccine or booster includes infants; children and adolescents who haven't already been vaccinated; anyone with a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of severe covid; and all household contacts of anyone at higher risk.

Everyone aged 65 or older should receive two doses, six months apart.

All healthcare workers "should" receive the vaccine, as should anyone who is pregnant, contemplating pregnancy, or has recently been pregnant, and a few other groups.

Everyone else "may receive" it.

https://www.mass.gov/doc/massachusetts-2025-2026-respiratory-illness-season-covid-19-vaccine-recommendations/download

What I saw is Massachusetts-specific, but it says it is aligned with the recommendations of the new Northeast Public Health Collaborative, which includes New England except for New Hampshire, plus New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Book Review

Sep. 16th, 2025 09:24 pm
kenjari: (Eowyn)
[personal profile] kenjari
Exit Strategy
by Martha Wells

This is the fourth Murderbot book, in which Murderbot helps a former client and perhaps current friend escape from a hostage situation and in the process help expose an unscrupulous corporation. This was a fun one, where we get to see Murderbot being heroic and badass. The action sequences were great, but the best parts were when Murderbot's relationships with humans grew. I love Murderbot - who knew a security android could be so relatable. This is my favorite kind of space opera, where the narrative focuses on relationships and smaller stories within an expansive far future setting.

vaccinated

Sep. 16th, 2025 04:43 pm
redbird: closeup of me drinking tea, in a friend's kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] redbird
I just got this year's covid booster, as a walk-in at CVS. I'm glad I called first, because the CVS closest to our house doesn't have the vaccine; the one where I get most of my prescriptions does.

The pharmacist asked me if I wanted to get the flu vaccine at the same time, so I told her I'm waiting, on my doctor's advice. The actual injection was faster than I expected and didn't hurt much, so that's good.

The pharmacist gave me a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase (with the usual list of exclusions). Kitchen trash bags were on the shopping list, so I picked those up, then added a box of envelopes and a bottle of dish soap to get the total up to $20. I got home and saw we may have too much dish soap, given limited storage space, but we will use it.
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[personal profile] totient
Preliminary elections today in Somerville.

The PDS do a questionnaire every year but are bad about linking to it from the front page of their web site. This year is no exception and the info I used for research is here. I also looked at some other surveys and candidate web sites.

City council is 12 candidates running for 8 slots on the final ballot. Voters pick four.

Three candidates are assured of advancing: incumbents Kristen Strezo and Will Mbah; and Justin Klekota who is the strongest non-incumbent candidate. I like all three of these but will be leaving Strezo and Mbah off my ballot for the preliminary because they will advance without my vote this time.

Three others are running strong campaigns and will likely advance: Christopher Spicer, Marianne Walles, and Ben Wheeler. Of these I endorse Spicer and Wheeler, and will not be voting for Walles. The main impact of these two votes, and the one for Klekota, is so that we collectively can gauge support when voting tactically in November. That's worth doing even though it's unlikely to actually change anything on the preliminary.

Three are running middling campaigns but have a reasonable shot at advancing anyway because there are eight slots: Ari Iaccarino, Jon Link, Jack Perenick. I am not particularly impressed with any of these candidates.

Three are, in my mind, running behind, and I don't think any of them have done a good job making an impression with Somerville voters: Scott Istvan, Holly Simione, and Tuesday Thomas. I rather like Scott Istvan, who appears to be able to listen and to pick his battles. He's well informed, has thoughtful and actionable positions, and has experience getting involved in the kinds of issues that the council will face. I don't think he has a chance in November, and I'm not even sure I'll give him my vote then, but I'll be voting for him this time because I'd rather see him on the November ballot than any of the folks he has any chance of finishing ahead of.

It's rare that I endorse an all-male slate and I would not do so if I thought Strezo had even the tiniest chance of missing the cut. But she does not, and will most likely be getting my vote in the general.