Update and Stuff

[moon_custafer]

Andrew and I have spent the past couple of weeks battling what’s either a bad cold or a mild case of ‘flu (it’s been worse for him than for me), so I’ve made it into work without coughing on everybody, but haven’t done much that’s exciting, nor have I made it out to any demos in support of the schoolteachers’ union or the land defenders, alas.


This morning, for some reason,
I followed a train of thought that led through discontinued Lush soaps; through scents and flavours like boxwood or cilantro that are perceived in two extremely different ways by different individuals; to looking up Malmaison carnations, which I heard about on the radio in the late ‘nineties and would like to smell one day.

It’s possible I’d be disappointed. My inner Goth was crushed the first time I went to a funeral and realized that to me, lilies smell like the interiors of new cars (and also make me sneeze). OTOH, I enjoy the clove-like smell of regular carnations, so maybe Malmaisons would work for me; also the person who wrote this article appears to compare them to those giant Japanese chrysanthemums, which I love.

Then I went and looked up Jean de Florette, because one of the commenters mentioned it, and now I kind of want an irrigation-themed film festival of Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources, Tank Girl, and possibly Bad Day at Black Rock

ETA -- Why had I never heard of Vulture's "Three-Sentence Rviews" of art shows: https://www.vulture.com/2017/09/three-sentence-reviews-peter-saul-trevor-paglen-and-7-more.html.

Comments

[sabotabby]

Hope you guys are feeling better soon (and if you make it to the province-wide strike tomorrow, come and say hi!).

The Drama!

[palain-7.livejournal.com]

Not exciting! You are, as usual, too modest for what could be more exciting and dramatic than a bout of flu! The drama! The action packed battles! The heroic quests for redemption! It's all there:

Deep in the sunless back alleys of Cellsville a naive Killer-T cell on his first patrol makes a horrifying discovery. Ordinary citizens are becoming completely unproductive and unresponsive: as if they are dead! And yet they continue to squirm and move and, as they make contact with other previously solid citizens these others become Undead as well! Naive Killer-T cell's frightened cries bring a squad of beat cops (leukocytes) but they are helpless against this rapidly growing Zombie Horde. CSI analysts (macrophages) are called in to autopsy disabled Walkers in the hope of finding a solution to this Zombie Apocolypse.

Martial law is declared and troops (Killer T-Cells) are dispatched to the streets. Despite their best efforts the Zombie Horde continues to grow into the millions! The Naive Killer T cell is unnerved and, to the taunts of his comrades in arms, flees in terror.

And yet all is not lost! For in the wilderness to which he flees the Naive Killer T cell finds a wise sensei (dendritic cell) who teaches him the unstoppable Suio Wave Slicing Technique against which the Zombies are helpless. Taking the nom de guerre "Activated Killer T cell" he fights many pitched battles against the invaders in the bloody streets (blood vessels) of Cellsville. His exploits inspire a whole new generation of Killer T cells! Millions flock to his dojo (thymus). Although it is a VERY tough school (5% pass rate) soon his New Model Army is battling the Zombie horde on all fronts!

Then the crucial breakthrough comes! CSI has determined that the Zombies cannot say the sacred name "C22 H28 N2 O5"! The commissioner (Helper T cell) commissions the "Gaffer" (B cell) to construct a probe that will identify all who bear the taint of the Undead: even before their hideous affliction becomes apparent. Soon all who bear the stigmata are slaughtered.

The purge that follows is ruthless! The heat is, quite literally, turned up so that the rotting Zombies dissolve faster! Whole regiments of Zombies are trapped in tar pits and then ejected into the Void beyond the integument: ker-chew! The elite assassins of the Secret Service (Natural Killer cells) are sent out to eliminate even those who somehow dodge Gaffer's probes. There is some collateral damage (innocent cells and a disruption of whatever that electrical activity that's always going on in the brain) but this is TOTAL WAR!

Soon the entire affair is the stuff of legend (immune system memory) that will inspire future generations and all is well in Cellsville.

For now...

Re: The Drama!

[moon_custafer]

CSI has determined that the Zombies cannot say the sacred name "C22 H28 N2 O5"!

I don’t know how to feel about the idea my immune system has a shibboleth.

Re: The Drama!

[palain-7.livejournal.com]

Well, there's no getting around it: the immune system is basically old-school communism. It's clearly brought out in the fantastic anime which I was paraphrasing and expanding on in the great "Sympathy for Cancer" episode.

Cancer cell flashes back to his childhood when he was pulling a wounded friend along a back alley (capillary):

"Bug! Copy-mistake! Why do they call us these things? Why are they hounding us? Just because we're different?!"
"Why are you asking me? Come on! We have to get out of here!"
"They wouldn't really kill us - would they?"

They are sighted by a squad of Killer T cells. Only one survives and he swears vengeance. After an epic battle the Natural Killer cell mortally wounds him and a somewhat sympathetic leukocyte moves in to finish him off.

"Though the survival of this world demands your death because of what you are; and though neither of us can change either of these things; still you are a cell. If you have any last words I will gladly listen to them before I take your life."

So tragic!!

Re: The Drama!

[moon_custafer]

the fantastic anime which I was paraphrasing

Is that the one I’ve seen credited with inspiring otaku to take better care of their health? Osamu Tezuka would be proud!

Re: The Drama!

[palain-7.livejournal.com]

It's "Cells At Work". There are a lot of clips on youTube and I think it's on CrunchyRoll and maybe netFlix. On youTube there are several channels of the 'Actual Doctor reactions to..." type where people break down the science behind each episode. I especially like "Sick Notes". Apparently there's also a R rated "Cells At Work Black" Manga where the cells have to deal with alcohol, smoking and STDs.

Although I think that the series most relevant to Otaku is "Anime Crimes Division" where the "Subs" and the "Dubs" gangs are about to go to war.

Smelly

[palain-7.livejournal.com]

They've discontinued 'boxwood"! And I missed it! I love boxwood. As scent is the doorway to memory this scent takes me back to our family trips to Disney World where I bought several fun puzzle boxes made of (what else?) boxwood.

Hate cilantro though.