I thought it was good but not as moving as the first. I like that they explain the function of anxiety, similar to how they showed that Sadness had a function in the first. Originally Anxiety was going to be the villain, but they avoided that trap.

Some of the teen stuff is cringey. And there’s nothing on par with the Bing Bong moment in terms of sheer emotion. But overall it was a good movie.

Just curious, what are his reasons for not wanting to upgrade?

I am in the US so I don’t know much about the UK specifically, but generally speaking I would think about starting small and working your way up.

For example, in the US there are many state or national parks that offer campsites where you could rent a basic cabin so you don’t have to worry about a tent. Or you could get a site with a covered pavilion with tables and benches so you don’t have to worry about seating or shade. Many have built in charcoal grills and fire pits. I would also recommend you start with somewhere that has access to plumbing and maybe even electricity for your first few go rounds.

There are also privately owned parks that cater to the “glamping” crowd where you can have access to a fancier cabin and other amenities like swimming pools, sports equipment, etc.

As far as camping equipment I would highly recommend you start off buying used gear. Good equipment can be pricey because it is meant to last, and you are not even sure if this is something you’re going to stick with yet. Try out some used gear and see what you like and don’t like about it. If you decide to stick with this you can always invest in better gear later. The basics should include a sleeping bag, tent, and maybe a propane stove. There are many things you probably already have or can make do with something. For example you don’t need to go buy specialty camping cookware when you can just bring a pan and utensils from home. You don’t need a backpack unless you plan to do some actual backpacking; a trunk or duffel bag is fine if you’re driving into your site.

Anyway, hope this helps! Enjoy your journey!

In the US there’s the saying “you can’t squeeze water from a stone”

I have lived in Texas my whole life. My knee jerk reaction is no, absolutely not.

First off, what part of Texas?Texas is a huge state with several metro areas, smaller cities, and lots of rural areas. Eas h has their own quirks.

There are parts of Texas that are so racist that POCs shouldn’t drive there at night. There are parts that are as progressive as any other metro area in America (at least within the limitations of the state government). There are parts that are essentially artist communes. Texas is huge and diverse. No one viewpoint can capture it all.

Arcane. Hands down 10/10 on practically every possible metric, but the thing that really got me was the way they portray trauma and the subsequent impact on mental health. I work with folks who have experienced trauma and I thought this was one of the best depictions of the aftermath I had ever seen in media.

Also, this is a perfect depiction of a Greek tragedy, in the sense that everything ends in tragedy not despite, but because of everyone’s best intentions. As the story unfolds you understand everyone’s motivations and they all make sense. There’s no perfectly good or bad characters, just a lot of people doing the best they can with the cards they were dealt.

Overall I enjoyed it. I really liked the setting of the French Revolution and the way that the Church allied itself with darkness in the face of an existential threat. Very relevant I think to many religious institutions today.

I REALLY liked Olrox. An Aztec vampire that can transform into a serpent god? Yes please. And they made him a three dimensional character, neither totally good or bad.

I agree that more time could have been spent on Rictor and Marie’s upbringing, but that wasn’t critical. I assume Rictor just comes by his skills naturally by way of being a Belmont and doesn’t need formal training. Marie was obviously trained by her mom. I really liked her power of conjuring creatures from another dimension, especially that one particular moment on the last battle with her foot.

Anne was a cool character but I agree she took too much responsibility for Eduoard’s death. But she’s also young and he was one of her only friends, so I can also kind of understand. She has a lot of growing to do.

I thought the idea of reformed Night Creatures was intriguing. Elizabeth Bartlett was underdeveloped as a villain, and Drolta wasn’t much better. Grandpa Belmont coming out of left field was weird and didn’t add much to the story since he didn’t do much.

Whatever it’s flaws, they weren’t enough for me to not enjoy it.

"Bartender, give me the darkest BBC you’ve got. And keep 'em coming, I want a steady stream of BBC going down my throat.

Did I mention that my wife loves BBC? Go ahead and give her two, she loves to double-fist 'em."

I’d keep it the same, but with blackjack and hookers!

Here’s a good discussion on why you should vary your news sources along with some charts to show how sources vary and specific examples given. Maybe you can find what you’re looking for in there.

I loved this movie. The fact that they’re terrible people is the point, like Seinfeld or Always Sunny. It’s more of a comedy than a serious movie