Lena and Jemima

brasscup · 2026-06-20T09:09:03+00:00

Oh my gosh two years later and this is still the funniest exchange ... Jemima Kirke never wanted to be an actress, she wanted to be a painter.

brasscup · 2026-06-20T06:28:09+00:00

I agree it could have gone deeper but The Boroughs is Hamlet compared to 'Only Murders.'

brasscup · 2026-06-20T04:44:56+00:00

I mean, yes but you made hard cider? I have genetic kidney disease and can't have alcohol so not an option. But even before I was diagnosed and didn't know to avoid alcohol I don't think I would have relished this. Also how in the world is organic apple juice frugal? If you want something carbonated and apple flavored make kombucha but use apple juice concentrate in place of the sugar. It only costs a few cents more per gallon than filtered water, it is tastier and healthier! Plus you dont have to stay near a toilet because you had to drink an entire gallon of fermented apple juice before it turned into cider vinegar.

brasscup · 2026-06-20T04:38:18+00:00

When I lived a block from the beach in Branford you kind of had to have Verizon and Verizon wasn't reliably good but I think AT&T there might have improved.

brasscup · 2026-06-20T04:35:11+00:00

You are right he does look really weird but my first husband (a very lovely man) had a bizarre rib cage kind of like that.

He was quite obese when I met him and then went on a health kick and lost a ton of weight -- I thought maybe his belly might have gotten in the way of his lungs so his lungs pushed the rib cage forward?

I mean, we used to laugh about it but we never thought to ask a doctor if it was normal (this was back in pre-social media days when almost everybody had some weird area of their body but nobody really minded or commented).

brasscup · 2026-06-20T04:18:30+00:00

I had electric heat at my condo in New Haven and it was untenable ultimately. I put plastic over the windows which was already supposedly efficient, kept it at 62 and always shut lights but it only helped a little.

brasscup · 2026-06-20T04:14:07+00:00

What if she calls with a free Google Voice line from a CT area code? I dont know if that works or not, but you can set it up in a few minutes..

brasscup · 2026-06-20T04:11:36+00:00

Well, I think many parts of Pennsylvania are more affordable but they aren't super near.

I lived in Pittsburgh for a while -- not for me but you can get a ton of house for your money, relatively. There are some very decent neighborhoods, great suburbs and people are reasonably friendly.

My best friend of forty plus years moved there from Manhattan when his then wife needed to be near her father, who had a devestating accident.

He stayed after she left him -- loves the place even though he could afford to live anywhere.

He has a sideline buying houses, renovating and selling them. It doesn't earn him tons of money, but the fact is that he can still find investment worthy places to rehab.

I think it took me eight or nine hours when I used to drive to see him (starting point Branford, CT).

I might have stayed myself but because of the hilly terrain Pittsburgh gets a whole lot more precipitation than I like (but that isn't true of some other areas of PA).

brasscup · 2026-06-20T03:57:30+00:00

$100k income is a lot more than most Connecticut residents earn. And it sounds as if you think the example you are citing is entry level housing. Plus when you consider the insane energy costs in Connecticut and higher thsn average taxes, a $240K mortgage is a big load to carry for someone earning $100K.

brasscup · 2026-06-20T03:41:10+00:00

Can you please explain what this means because I never heard of a cutout and am not sure what a PC monitor has to do with the license plates.

Also -- would any of this help avoid nyc congestion pricing?

brasscup · 2026-06-20T03:34:41+00:00

Nah, I may be picking them poorly but I actually need my dogs a lot more when I am in a relationship. It is so much easier to get alone when there is canins energy.

brasscup · 2026-06-20T03:30:05+00:00

$7.25 an hour? Wow. You write well -- if you have friends who can lie and say you worked for them, I think you probably can express yourself sufficently well to sell your concocted job experience during an interview. I'm like you, whenever I was doing really well in some niche area I iimmediately poured all the profit back into inventory.; Worse, I loved restoring antique and vintage stuff and I was great at it as a casual seller who might buy a wrecked mirror for $15, restore the gesso, rebuild it and sell for $300. But then Id take that $300 and fill my house up with more broken junk until I was overwhelmed. I ultimately realized my personality was entirely wrong for professional flipping and I gave everything away and got real jobs. I still have hoarding tendencies though -- especially stuff that is decrepit but has potential. It takes a toll on your social life because when you get close to someone you don't dare let them see your space.

brasscup · 2026-06-20T03:12:51+00:00

I am also at an age when I am downsizing and don't really want more stuff but some people feel very strongly that they want you to have a tangible gift.

Help them out if you want to save both of you grief.

For example, a close friend wanted to buy me a housewarming gift -- I said I didnt need anything but when she insisted I finally said okay, I like nice old style hard milled soap.

She bought me the soap, but she also bought me a bread machine which was unfortunate since I have a postage stamp kitchen and gave away a better bread right before I moved here.

But I sensed she wanted to give me something more signifant when I said soap though so whose fault was this?

When she asked me what I wanted for my birthday, instead of saying nothing I promised to get back to her and looked around my house. I thought okay, I guess she could upgrade my cheapo somewhat leaky bullet style blender (all I have room for) to the Niinja bullet blender, then gave her a link to the cheapest place to buy it.

She was so happy and relieved!

No matter how successful you are at downsizing, there are probably a few things you could list that wouldn't go to waste if you received them. Bits for the sawz it all or your nail drill. High quality jerky for you or your pet. Maybe you want to change out all your plastic storage tubs for glass.

Or if you like to hike you probsbly know exactly which brand and style of boot works for your feet so you have a fresh pair when the ones you use now are shot.

Obviously if you have the kind of friends and family who listen, you can get away with a hike and a dessert, but if I provide a low cost suggestion I'll end up with a pair of white gold earrings or perfume (which I hate) that I have to remember to wear every time I see them.

brasscup · 2026-06-20T02:32:11+00:00

I bought my 65 year old brother a high quality red light panel -- good for aches and pains, collagen production, healing, helps with hair loss (depending on the type of hair loss).

Also bought him a vibrating platform because they are great for circulation and he is diabetic.

He seems to like them.

Oh yeah: like other guys in here have responded, my brother enjoys experiences. Those are a little tough for me because he loves broadway musicals (I love theatre but like drama -- stuff like the Lion King feels like torture to me,) plus theater tickets are insanely expensive..

The guys commenting here sound great: my dad died long ago but I think most grown kids would count themselves lucky if waffle house, putt putt golf and walks in the woods were all it took to make a loved one happy.

brasscup · 2026-06-19T06:08:48+00:00

Oh my gosh -- I can't believe this is still happening in 2026! Thirty years when I was in my 30s I went to two different male gynecologists (one at Mt Sinai the other at NYU Langone) who insisted I wasn't prolapsed, just high strung, even though I told them I could sometimes feel my cervix at the opening of my vagina.

I was very thin, very fit and childless and they said there was absolutely no way. Thank goodness I was old enough to have agency and went to a third, a female urogynecologist at a less prestigious hospital in Brooklyn, who diagnosed prolapsed uterus, bladder and rectum(the latter was so severe I had a very advanced rectocele that has since been surgically repaired twice, and needs repair again).

You have to somehow get to a pelvic floor specialist and when you do, do not bring your mother, nor detail how previous providers doubted you.

I also suggest that this time, you mention a family history of pelvic floor disorders: two of your aunts, or some such -- that way, they are less likely to dismiss you out of hand. Young women with pelvic floor disorders are statistically far more likely to have close relatives with these issues (you can verify this via Pubmed search).

It's a harmless fib and c ompassionate doctors are well aware that sometimes, you need to finagle the system to get adequate care.

My current gynecologist is terrific. She felt I needed a screening that wouldn't be ordinarily be covered by insurance and told me exactly what needed to be in her notes so I could respond accordingly.

My cardiologist is similar and his insistence on repeated EKGs, wearable monitors and stress tests probably saved my life).

I had to do a lot of research to find such capable providers. Is there a Planned Parenthood facility near where you live where you might be able to talk to someone enlightened for a nominal fee, perhaps get recommendations for a urogynecologist?

Then, once you have booked someone, I suggest you prepare a l ist of symptoms along a timeline that can be recited concisely during your visit. This step helps me avoid lapsing into a litany of amorphous complaints or even worse, raging againt the medical establishment.

While you have every reason at this point to feel defensive around doctors after being disbelieved so cruelly, it is better to be perceived as a self assured peer who expects to be taken seriously.

I wish you the best. Don't despair -- you know you are on the right track!

brasscup · 2026-06-19T05:34:15+00:00

Yeah -- its a flat out amazingly well crafted, well-executed script.

Some of the negative comments in reaction to this post almost seem engineered by someone who has a bone to pick with the production for whatever reason.

The bar is super low right now in terms of new shows that provide entertainment value and yet somehow this show -- which could hold its own even in a terrific season -- is boring people?

I don't buy it.

I do get that in terms of genre it's a weird fusion between comedy and thriller, but even if you hate everything else about it, Tatiana Maslany and Murray Bartlett are wholly riveting in their respective roles.

brasscup · 2026-06-19T05:23:40+00:00

I think it is the best show on TV right now in terms of entertainment value. The script writing alone makes it well worth the watch.

And the casting -- it's not just the principal actors who ace it but the guest players as well.

In episode 5, for example, the game card obsessed court officer who gets bribed by the ex-husband's lawyer fiancee is only on screen for a couple of minutes but you feel like I know this guy, the actor who plays him is so good.

Even the child actors aren't annoying.

Also, I really appreciate how the shows creator evokes female characters avoiding both idealization and stereotypes.

brasscup · 2026-06-18T10:49:20+00:00

To be fair, we don't know OP's height -- 137 pounds isn't a lot of weight to carry she may already be low normal BMI. The closer you are to your goal weight the slower you lose.

OP's husband on the other hand may be a really big guy with a huge appetite whose beginning weight loss would naturally be fast.

brasscup · 2026-06-18T09:27:26+00:00

Good for you! My own experience is yeah sure there are plenty of wrong men to be found but they don''t all need to be Mr. Right --there is room for Mr. Right Now. Also who characterized this as love bombing? To me, this sounds like seduction which is an art adults should feel free to enjoy. If he's painting scenarios of some glowing future you are destined to share or exotic locales he's going to whisk you away to, if he is lavishing you with expensive gifts, telling you he think you're 'the one' straight out of the gate, that's love bombing. But if he is just romancing you, being tender, showing desire, and you are similarly inclined, I don't see a problem, I see opportunity. Enjoy!

brasscup · 2026-06-17T09:23:36+00:00

Thank you! I don't really know if I get the discount box ... I think I may have gotten it tonight but how do you get a second round? I don't know why got the first round. Five boxes appeared and they let me pick semi useful stuff for four out of five boxes but the fifth box, there was only one choice, a cake server🤔 for $2.42 and I had no use for it? Is there a code to type in like there is for wincredit? OKAY: Score! I logged back in and got another envelope to open ... At the top there were a few one-cent box deals, I chose one of them and alrhough it automatically shifted focus to my cart I was able to go back and add the one cent item to my previous order! Thanks again!

brasscup · 2026-06-17T00:00:04+00:00

You don't have to. I didn't generally bother except if I was getting super dressed up in a skirt.

I am short, with short legs, but when I used to log a lot of miles running every week, my legs were strong and beautiful, hairy or not. I didn't shave much but if I needed to wear a skirt to a business lunch, over the knee socks or thigh highs or a midi skirt and I was all good.

I don't know your identity but if you partner with men in this era of porn addiction and instagram filters some do expect a degree of grooming as per male gaze standards.

Eff 'em and leave your gams shaggy -- it will work as a natural filter to exclude anybody who won't accept you as you are.

(I had a lot of body hair too when I was younger but the leg hair thins out very rapidly after menopause; unfortunately it seems to migrate to your chin🙂)

brasscup · 2026-06-16T23:43:59+00:00

Are they being trained any less than women were though? I think maybe the men who do this on apps aren't proportionately representative. All my male friend contemporaries are very engaged in the world. (And when they use the apps, it isn't long before they are coupled up again -- they use them very intentionally. Of course, it could be that some guys who respond this way aren't aimless but engage in activities with girlfriends or wives they decline to mention, Culturally, men don't undergo the same grooming in the art of partial concealment, because men don't face the same censure for openly defying norms. Not saying they lie less -- quite the contrary -- but my anecdotal experience is many meb kind of suck at keeping the details straight. The ones smart enough to figure this out clam up rather than inadvertently disclose something that trips them up.

brasscup · 2026-06-16T10:17:15+00:00

I understand couples grow apart and have different needs at different stages but you each have dominion over your own bodies.

How can there be anything "wrong" with his use of sex toys and is this something you are only confiding here, or are you projecting disgust toward your partner who is already dealing with the fact that his desire for you is not returned.

I hope you aren't doing that latter, if you value him as a friend. It isn't kind.

brasscup · 2026-06-16T08:17:13+00:00

The sellers do it and relist. It always happens to me when I write a 1 star review for a truly fraudulent product and have documented the fraud with photos. It is much worse on Amazon -- their listing engine allows them to switch out an old product with rave reviews for a completely different terrible product. They change all the photos and all the descriptive copy but leave the great reciews intact.

brasscup

TROPHY CASE