I drive a large pickup truck for work. With the backup camera, it is WAY WAY WAY easier to back into a tight spot than to pull head in. I pretty much always back the truck in.

I’ve only ever seen those in parking lots where each lane is one way. They want you to pull in so when you back out you’re heading the correct direction of traffic. But those also typically have angled spaces, like you mentioned.

It can also be bad writing. Like, an author can just write inconsistent characters. That doesn’t mean it’s a plot hole.

None of these are plot holes. It may be bad writing, but it’s only a plot hole if it breaks the rules established by the story. Tony overlooking something, or HYDRA not putting their existence in SHIELD files isn’t a plot hole. A lot of people managing to keep conspiracy secret isn’t a plot hole.

By definition, no it’s not. If it’s a thing that can actually physically happen, it’s, by definition, not a plot hole.

I 100% agree with this.

One of the classic examples often given (and one of the top results if you search for “famous plot holes”) is from The Lord of the Rings. “Why don’t the Eagles just fly them to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, allowing them to bypass all the trouble getting there?” It’s often cited as a well-known plot hole and given as an example to define what a plot hole is.

Yet it’s not a plot hole at all. It’s just characters making decisions the reader might not agree with.

TBH, most fiction have 0 plot holes. Most people who use the term ‘plot hole’ in commentary on the internet are using it incorrectly. They tend to use it to mean “something happens which I personally dislike or don’t understand” rather than it’s real meaning, “something that directly contradicts previous plot points and leads to a logical inconsistency.” That is, it’s only a plot hole if it literally cannot happen because it would negate some other plot element.

A character making a decision that feels out of character isn’t a plot hole. Someone not choosing to use the sci-fi magic tech to solve a problem when it exists in-universe isn’t a plot hole. It might be bad writing. But it’s not a logical inconsistency.

A plot hole would be something like a plot point centering around a character’s illiteracy (in a manner where it’s clear they’re not faking) after a scene where the character is shown reading.

Toddlers have object permanence. Object permanence develops at around 4-6 months old. Kids are still infants at that point. Toddlers are generally 1-3 years old.

That’s a parenting red flag. That happens because the parents keep putting a phone in the kid’s hand and expect the phone to occupy all their time. Spend time reading and speaking to the kid in his mother tongue rather than giving them a phone and they’ll become proficient pretty quickly.

This is a parenting issue, not a kid thing. It’s because parents put a tablet in their kid’s hands, teach the kid to use it, then expect the tablet to occupy all the kid’s time while they don’t engage with the kid.

I have a 5 yo and a 3 yo. We have a family iPad, but the kids barely know how to use it. They virtually never watch videos on it (only exception was the one time they’ve been on an airplane). My 5 yo is very artistically inclined, so we downloaded a sketchpad app she can draw with. She also builds legos, so we downloaded the lego app she can use for instructions. Those are the only apps she knows how to use, and she doesn’t even know how to navigate to find them. We have to open the app for her and get her setup before she can run with it. My 3 yo doesn’t even know how to do that much.

We mostly use the iPad to video chat family or play music, both of which are controlled by grown ups.

Yet my kids are extremely proficient at a lot of other stuff relative to kids their own age. The 5 yo can fully read and write and can do simple arithmetic. The 3 yo can read small words, can write all her letters, and can count at least to 100. They both do small chores around the house, both help cook (especially the 3 yo has gotten very good at slicing veggies).

Toddlers being hypercompetent with a tablet is 100% a parenting red flag. It shows the parents aren’t very engaged and just let the tablet do all the parenting for them.

I would say ‘chauvinistic’ rather than racist.

The word “civilized” essentially just means “people who act in a way I deem morally good.” What ‘morally good’ means is 100% subjective to the individual saying it. Since personal morals are so heavily influenced by the culture and society one was raised in, the term ‘civilized’ is almost necessarily going to be used to justify why one’s own culture is necessarily better than another.

This isn’t necessarily racist, but since modern western society is so heavily based on white supremacy, it’s inherently going to be racist when used by someone supporting western society. But it can also be used in other contexts in a non-racist way. But it’s always going to be chauvinistic.

Man…what 12 year old me would have given to explore Alex Mack’s secret world…

Back left pocket

This is up there for one of the best shows ever made. Damn near perfect television. And it completely elevates all the existing Star Wars content that surrounds it. Rogue One is so much more impactful now. ANH feels like the culmination of a grand series of events rather than the start of something.

I just want to layout the in-galaxy timeline here:

Day 1: Lonni accesses Dedra’s files and learns about the Death Star and imminent raid on Luthen.

Day 2: Lonni leaks the Death Star intel to Luthen. Luthen kills Lonni and gives intel to Kleya. Luthen destroys his comms network. Dedra raids Luthen’s, resulting in Luthen’s hospitalization. Dedra is arrested by ISB. Kleya raids the hospital and kills Luthen.

Day 3: Krennic questions Dedra. Cassian, Melshi, & K-2SO rescue Kleya (killing Heert) and bring her to Yavin IV. Bodhi defects from the Empire and brings Death Star/Galen Erso intel to Saw Gerrera.

Day 4: Partagaz commits suicide. Cassian meets Tevik on Kafrene and learns more about the Death Star.

Day 5: Jyn Erso is busted out of prison and brought to Yavin. Tarkin takes over the Death Star from Krennic.

Day 6: Cassian, Jyn, and K-2SO travel to Jedha. They get Bodhi’s intel. Tarkin tests the Death Star by destroying Jedha, killing Saw.

Day 7: Vader summons Krennic to Mustafar and threatens him. Rebels raid Eadu, destroying the base and killing Galen Erso.

Day 8: The Battle of Scarif. Full Death Star plans leak. Krennic dies. Empire’s first real military defeat. Vader captures Tantive IV and Leia. 3PO & R2 escape to Tatooine and get picked up by Jawas.

Day 9: Uncle Owen buys R2 & 3PO. Leia is interrogated by Vader and interrogation droids.

Day 10: Luke meets Obi-Wan. Lars homestead is destroyed. Luke, Obi-Wan, Han, Chewie, and the droids escape Tatooine w/ Death Star plans. Tarkin questions Leia and destroys Alderaan.

Day 11: Raid on the Death Star. Leia escapes. Vader & Obi-Wan final showdown. Falcon is tracked to Yavin.

Day 12: Battle of Yavin. Tarkin dies and Death Star is destroyed.

Think about it from the Empire’s perspective. Just 12 days after the first hints of the Death Star even existing leaks the Rebellion manage to destroy it. They were working on that thing for nearly 2 decades in secret. Then almost the moment it’s discovered it gets destroyed. The Rebellion must look so incredibly competent and powerful compared to the epic string of fuck ups from the ISB.

And think about it from Palpatine’s (and Vader’s, although less-so) perspective considering the Force. Palpatine kept this under wraps for 20 years. Then the fact of its existence leaks. 10 days later Obi-Wan fucking Kenobi shows up on the Death Star w/ 2 of Anakin’s old droids and Anakin’s son to rescue Anakin’s daughter (although I don’t know if Palpatine knew that Leia was related). 2 days later, Anakin’s son destroys the Death Star.

Palpatine has to be freaking the fuck out over this. It has to feel like Force powers beyond his control are orchestrating all of this. Like the Force itself is conspiring to bring him down. We saw how paranoid and back-stabbing the Empire is in the final 3 episodes of Andor. Imagine how much that’s gonna ramp up after the Battle of Yavin.

Gilroy said the original plan was for 5 seasons. Once they sat down to start working on season 2, though, they looked at the calendar. They did the math on when season 2 would come out, then on how long it would take to make all 5 seasons. They decided that none of them wanted to be working on the same project for a decade+, so they decided to cut it down to 2 seasons.

Where did you hear about him butting heads with execs? From all the interviews I’ve seen, it seems like the exact opposite was the case. It sounds like Kathleen Kennedy, specifically, ran interference for Gilroy to let him do pretty much whatever he wanted.

Andor s1 and s2 got greenlit and budgeted right about the time Disney+ first came out. At that point, Disney was trying to produce as much stuff as they could to be Disney+ exclusive to fill their catalog. That’s how Andor got such a large budget and how Gilroy got such a free hand to do whatever he wanted. I’ve never read anything about execs trying to reign him in with regards to creative control. The only limitation I’ve heard was a budget one about wanting to do an episode of K-2SO as a horror monster rampaging through an Imperial ship.

Younger than 63.

I haven’t found a need for it with poultry. I also don’t really cook whole birds, though. Mostly just wings or breasts. I don’t need a thermometer for those.

For her sake, I certainly hope your wife is significantly younger.

You had a kid when you were 64 years old?

I cook dinner virtually every night, but probably my (and my family’s) favorite is Lemon Chicken Picatta.

I cut chicken breasts into pieces about nugget sized, then season w/ salt & pepper. Toss them in flour to coat, then pan-fry them in vegetable oil. Basically, home-made chicken nuggets (my wife says they’re very similar to Chik-Fil-A nuggets).

When the chicken is done, I use the same pan, which now has a bunch of fond from the meat. Sautee some minced garlic, then add a bunch of chicken broth and thinly sliced lemons. Sautee that for a bit while scraping everything off the bottom of the pan. Add lemon juice and capers. Cook a bit longer. Take off the heat and add butter and parsley. Then pour the sauce over the chicken.

I usually serve it over pearl couscous with a side of air-fried broccoli.

For mother’s day, I cooked a piece of fish in some of the sauce. I don’t particularly like fish, but my wife said it was delicious.