What a handsome Torontonian!

Super fierce in his war helm!

I watch them too. And there’s another similar channel of a single young (American, I think?) woman who’s doing the same thing. And again, the locals are very welcoming - I suspect this depends on whether the newcomers are making an effort to integrate, learn the language, etc.

I try to reserve judgement, mainly because I never wanted kids, so not having them was an easy choice for me. I can’t pretend to understand the biological drive to procreate, since I don’t feel it.

But yeah…I suspect a LOT of people who have kids (especially young kids) are very much burying their heads in the sand to avoid the reality. Especially as climate-related disasters start happening with increasing frequency. The horror of seeing collapse coming for their children will be devastating mentally - most people will lean hard into the cognitive dissonance to avoid facing it.

Have you looked into a local weekly produce box? I’m admittedly outside of Toronto so my access is a bit easier, but I’m sure there are services you can sign up for that would deliver. You don’t get to pick what you get, but it’s helped me to expand my cooking repertoire and I find the qualify and price is superior to most grocery stores.

On the one hand, I am loathe to mock or belittle people based on their physical appearance - it’s cruel and immature.

On the other hand, he chose to make this change and holy shit but does he ever look exactly like a glasses-less Milhouse, and it makes me giggle like a small child.

Professional fundraiser, having worked in non-profit my entire career (and my university degree was in a social sciences field). I wouldn’t call myself technically proficient, but I’m technically savvy - I was an early adopter of the internet as a teen, and have been online in some form or another since the mid-90s. Fuck spez.

I want good icing, not that awful shortening-based shit you get on most commercial cakes. And to be honest, I mostly only want good cake too (ie, homemade or from a bougie bakery).

Yeah, I watch anything I want to see at home, in my comfy entertainment room. The last movie I saw in theatres was in late 2021, I think? And that was at a local, independently owned theatre. The big corporate ones are so ridiculously overpriced these days.

I don’t necessarily object to longer films, but my small-to-begin-with-and-now-middle-aged bladder sure does. Bring back intermissions!

I primarily use small (3”x3”) microfibre towels for dishwashing - bought a pack of four a while ago ant the grocery store and am still using them. I can’t remember what I paid, but I don’t expect it was much more than $6 or $7 CAD.

I also have a sturdier microfibre scrubby that’s holding up less well, which I wouldn’t buy again. And then, of course, steel wool for the big-time elbow grease jobs.

Yeah, this is pretty much my standard now too. I was in hospital for a day surgery recently and was more than a little taken aback at the fact that I was one of the only people masking.

Ahhh good ol’ FPS death. I never make it that far, mainly because I love to embark somewhere with a waterfall.

Dwarf Fortress, been playing it off and on for many years now. I happily bought the steam version when it came out!

Honestly, it looks like you had some amazing success, so take pride in that. I’ve only been gardening for a few years now, and there’s been a lot of trial and error. Bien joué!

It’s tough to say - I tend to consider books that have stayed with me the ones that scared me the most. Off the top of my head:

• The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Aarnop
• From A Buick 8 by King (though I’d say I found this one more existentially disturbing and unsettling)
• Drood by Dan Simmons

I think, looking at this not-at-all-exhaustive list, that the books I find scariest are the ones where you’re left with more questions than answers.

I stopped reading nosleep a few years back when it got a bit too hard to find good stories amidst the noise, but I do like a good competent female protagonist in my horror. Thanks for the recommendation!

Fantastic! I love the “milpa” method you reference (I’ve always heard it referred to as the three sisters method). Maybe add some onions in future? Chives, green onions and garlic all make for excellent companion plants for some of the stuff you’re growing. And I always make space for herbs, especially perennials.

She’s lovely, and she looks so happy to see you!

It’s gorgeous, well done!