Everything about that is on point, except "first." Du Bois's "wages of whiteness" is an analysis of the centuries-old roots of this cult. Poor White Americans have always been victimized by wealthy Whites who use fear and racism to turn them into co-victimizers.

ICE is reportedly swarming my city next week. If we don't fully appreciate your sorrow and dismay, I is because we are busy with our own.

Gatto isn't part of a franchise, so there's that.

Absolutely amazing series. My only regret is that they didn't call it "Only Birders in the Building."

And when you finally break off the affair, he carves a small wooden boy to take his splintery vengeance, kind of a "Pinocchio: First Blood" scenario.

I can't tell whether you're talking about me.

Holy shit.

I mean, it's less or less the same word.
less or less
goddammit
more or more
less or more
I think I see the problem.

Easier for some people than others.

I'm hoping that cat is named Mandelbrot.

Be so careful. That suitcase you picked up IT IS NOT YOUR SUITCASE

Many years ago, my mother-in-law, wrongly thinking me an expert in all things natural, asked me to identify the hummingbirds at her petunias. I looked at them through binoculars
--
and reality shattered for me when I saw their six legs.

Only for an instant, but it's never come back together right.

I think, in the interest of fun (if not realism), allowing a full held-equipment switch once per turn would be best. Sheath and draw, stow shield and sheath sword and grab bow, stow wand and grab shield and sword, etc.

I have a dog in this fight, but only in the sense that I'm playing a dog.

Is the wrong direction MORE or LESS fiddlyness?

We realized last night that if you want to switch from sword-and-board to archery (or back), you have to spend an entire round making the switch instead of attacking. I'm not a fan of that change at all.

Go Phish

Many lovely recommendations, but if you want battles with cute animals, there's always old-school: The Wind in the Willows. I read it to my daughter at about this age, and she was entranced. It's so gorgeous.

This is what I came to recommend! My daughter loved them so much that she memorized the first chapter of one of them and would mutter it to herself on long car drives.

Your cat is teaching itself, and who doesn't appreciate an otterdidact?

This is what I'm saying: Democrats need an "adopt a district" program, where the closest Democratic rep will come hold a town hall for districts orphaned by their Republican representative. Show up, listen, take the constituent feedback back to the missing GOP representative.

Invite media.