TheActualDevil

I will say, I just read it this week and it's my new favorite. Your mileage may vary, depending on the kind of media you typically consume. None of them are typical Cosmere (one of them not Cosmere, but not typical Sanderson either) and I love the change of pace. But they are quick reads, so it's not a huge time commitment.

He decided to leave after the first season. I wasn't sure why originally. When it was announced they refused to say. But I did just check and it sounds like he didn't want to get vaccinated possibly? So good riddance I guess. Real shame. As a reader of the books, it really felt like he embodied that character better than most. But the character is kind of a piece of shit, so I guess it fits.

I would argue that it's more just a, for once, positive side affect of the bloated prices we experience in everything. When you get a buy one get one free deal with glasses, you can shop around and see that they aren't charging double for the single pair. It's on par with what you pay for a single pair elsewhere. It just means that creating a pair of glasses isn't as expensive as they want you to think.

T-mobile isn't paying full price per Netflix subscription they give along with a cell phone bill. They may even be making money. Netflix subscriptions overall are down. Netflix has been desperate to get more people signed up. It wouldn't surprise me if this is considered a promotion for Netflix. They pay Netflix to lump it in with cell phone plans to get people who previously didn't have their own Netflix account to now be signed up. Once that free year or whatever ends, a percentage of those people will certainly pay for it. That biggest hurdle of signing them up for their own account is done.

I'm going to preface this by stating that I did like the show.

It is different, and it had it's problems, as all shows do. But Sanderson was overly cautious in his language early on. On his podcast, at a later time, he was a little more critical, though he did still stick to it being another turning of the wheel. He said there were some changes made that he would not have made. But he also added a lot more context with those criticisms. Covid hit mid-production, and the complications that brought meant they had to rethink a lot of what they wanted to do and how to do it. But the showrunner is a huge WOT fan and the intended changes were done with thought and intent. I probably won't agree with a lot of them, but that's what happens when someone else creates a thing and I don't. I still liked the show, and the 2nd season will likely be much improved now that Covid restrictions aren't so harsh. Though I'll miss the actor who played Matt. I really liked his portrayal.

There is something that took me a long time to fully realize about having cats that went a long way to helping me both understand how best to care for them and how to handle the frustrations that caring for them brings. I'm a caretaker for basically wild animals. I'm not their owner. I'm not their parent. They are wild animals that are not really adapted for the environment that humans have put them in, so we as a society need to do what we can to keep them healthy and happy. That means inviting them into our homes and making it as hospitable as reasonably possible.

I've done a lot of research on cat's needs. Healthy diet and mental stimulation are foremost of these. I found healthy food that they like and keep them to a feeding schedule. I play with them actively on a regular basis and give them lots of space/things that they can enjoy on their own as well. All that done, my cats are appreciative of the environment they're provided and the food and occasional treats they get. They are two of the most well behaved and loving cats. One is pretty independent most of the time, but will snuggle in calmer moments. The other is a snuggly goofball who just wants to live in my lap.

Teaching them tricks can also be part of that mental stimulation. It's recommended by cat behavior experts. And part of being a caretaker is keeping them safe, so teaching them "no" and boundaries is important. What helped me with all of this was setting aside specific times for play/trick teaching time (Before feeding is best, as they're more motivated to do things for food if they aren't full). Routine is important for cats. And then an occasional random play session when they're not used to it is a special treat for them.

You clearly care for the little guy and want the best for him. That's great and so important. You'll do great.

You realize that most actors and writers are barely or not at all paid enough to live. This idea of the rich and famous actor is an edge case that you're letting become your whole idea of them because they're exactly that. Famous. But even you have to realize that there are countless others that will be and currently are being affected by the things their striking against. For too many years already writers have been shafted by production companies by hiring them as short term contractors to avoid paying them a fair wage or give them an option for royalties. And when literally everyone in the industry is doing that, then they have no choice if they want to get paid at all.

And being mad because some high profile rich fuckers are participating is insane. Their participation shows just how important it is. They'll be fine. They have millions and they're still out there on the picket line anyway because the things the industry does and wants to make worse is bad for humans. That's what collective action is about and it's beautiful.

But the first blockbuster movie is an arthouse masterpiece that really makes you look deep within yourself and wonder how big a shark could actually be.

Jaws. It was Jaws.

Yeah. Fuck collective action and an entire industry fighting for their own survival. You get yours!

I still see people without color-blindness have trouble distinguishing some shades of red/yellow/orange.

Remember the golden age of memes when the joke was just casual racism?

I can add my own anecdote to this one. One of my cat's is fine with any bowl because he's just very food motivated and will do anything to get to his food at feeding time. The other one, when using a more narrow bowl, would often stop eating normally and scoop out the food with a paw. Once I switched to wide flatter bowls, she scarfs it down without pause. It was clearly bothering her.

While cats vary in their preferences and tolerances, it bothers me that so many people just scoff at this idea. We're caretakers for cats and should do our best to make their lives as reasonably comfortable and enriching as possible. And just because a cat is fine with touching things with their whiskers in some situations doesn't mean they're cool with it in others. Cats are often happy to have you scratch behind their ears, but only when it's invited.

And come on, bowls are cheap. It's not that big of an inconvenience to get them a bowl that could be more comfortable, even if they're tolerating it now.