1) Even though I saw it months ago now, I never really wrote up thoughts about Andor S2. I think it's hard to compare the two seasons because S1 has a lot of setup and a pretty wide canvas whereas S2 sticks with the characters we already knew but also jumps forward in time repeatedly, leaving various things unexplained. ( Read more... )

2) Another bundle of Death in Paradise seasons and yet another new inspector. I was glad to see it though for various reasons. ( Read more... )

3) Nothing like changing my email service to make it obvious how PR mailing lists work. I have maintained my Yahoo mail because after 25 years there was an awful lot tied to it that I will never remember to change. However very little comes to it now other than marketing emails for a variety of accounts I have. In fact, in one case my brokerage was still sending my statements to that address instead of the new one. ( Read more... )

4) Nobody on TV ever has their blinds closed or curtains that can't be seen through. This stands out a lot in mysteries because there are inevitably lurkers and peepers and passersby. But there are so many shows with houses made of windows and clear doors etc. ( Read more... )

5) Have that many people even ever had anchovies? Other than being an increasingly rare topping for pizza, I have to wonder how else people even encounter it. But this survey puts it at the top of the list for Americans' disliked foods. ( Read more... )

1) I'm in S16 of Silent Witness now but started the month finishing out the Sam Ryan years before jumping back ahead. (I started watching the show in S8 and did about 5 seasons before going back to the start.)

It was a very different show and felt more like a star vehicle, as she was not only the main character but the early seasons also spent a lot of time on her personal life and family. I was glad when Leo and Harry came along to make it seem more like a team show.

I thought the way her character exited the show was a really well done job even though I had some issues with it. ( Read more... ) In short, I think many characters would like to have had this kind of ending.

2) Speaking of Silent Witness, I was amused that in the episode with Jodie Comer claiming to be possessed by demons, Tom Ellis turns out to be her priest. Well yeah, you're possessed with Lucifer himself guiding your religious life!

3) Google is quickly taking us to a zero click environment. "In this system, the platform harvests and delivers information without sending the reader to those who actually created it, often at significant cost and always with the intention of serving their own audiences. For premium publishers, it means fewer readers, ad impressions, and subscription conversions. For the open web, it means less discovery, diversity, and accountability in the information ecosystem." ( Read more... )

4) I was curious about this How Americans Do Laundry survey. I'm sharing it here because I know a lot of people like to know stuff like this for their writing. ( Read more... )

5) Posted some more trip photos of the Devil's Punchbowl and lake views at common_nature.