I completely forgot about this video. Thank you!

What a fun question. Made me nostalgic for early social media days.

Early YouTube: Daft Punk Hands

Pre-Youtube: The End of the World

I must be sleep deprived because this stupid meme made me laugh

Gonna cheat and say Alan Menken since he’s responsible for many of the animated songs I grew up with. Then I’d probably go with Ne-Yo, Odesza, and then Yiruma. All have different vibes so that should be enough for every occasion.

Megan from Bridesmaids totally stole every scene she was in for me. Such a fun chaotic character.

Not sure if this counts but Elizabeth from Bioshock Inifite was such a better and more interesting character than Booker. She’s not playable so I figure she’s a side character even if the entire plot of the game revolves around her.

Also not sure if it counts but Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender is one of my favorite characters in any medium. She’s not introduced until partway through season 2 (why she may count) but is part of the core group of main characters (why she might not count).

Fry ground pork and break them into small pieces (like 1/2 cm diameter). Add minced garlic (and onion optional), salt, and Maggi seasoning.

Eat with rice, butter, and fried egg (optional). To make it more nutritional, add some sort of vegetable. I like stir fried spinach with garlic and fish sauce.

Grave of the Fireflies is a good one and has been mentioned a few times already.

Fox and the Hound has several tear jerker moments, though most memorable for me is when Todd is returned to the forest.

Land Before Time was my first parent death in a film that I can remember. And unlike Bambi, this movie shows more of the consequences of losing a mother at that young of an age.

I’m Just a Kid…in my ass. I don’t like what this is implying

I didn’t want to go into all factors that lead to this observation because that would take too long and require more research on my part. Fear of retaliation (and desire for power) is more an explanation of at least why members of his own party won’t criticize him.

This doesn’t answer your question but is more of an interesting observation that fits your question. It seems bar for political leaders’ mistakes has gotten so low over the pass few decades.

In the early 90s then VP Dan Quayle misspelled potato (though apparently not 100% his fault) and he was labeled an idiot by the entire country. Bush had a lot of funny Bushisms but most are either weird, poorly worded, malapropisms, or a mix of all three.

Then you have Trump. And while there are definitely people who think he’s an idiot, it doesn’t seem as widespread of a belief as it was for Quayle or Bush. I think part of it is because Trump is far more sensitive to criticism than any president we’ve seen so he’ll go after people who say anything negative about him. But I’m sure there are other reasons as well (ex: politicized news channels, social media, technology etc)

Thanks for the tip. I had thought of doing Home Assistant to automate things like lights but I use the Echo for other stuff too (like reminders and weather). I guess I’ll just wait for the open source tech to catch up.

How disheartening. I knew going in that there would be privacy issues but I figured for the service it was fine. I also figure my phone is always listening anyway.

As someone with limited mobility, my echo has been really nice to control my smart devices like lights and TV with just my voice.

Are there good alternatives or should I just accept things as they are?

For the lazy:

The California High-Speed Rail took another important step toward becoming reality Thursday after the governing body’s board of directors began the process of obtaining possible vendors for the state’s most ambitious transit project in history.

The High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board approved the release of a Request for Qualifications, which clears the way for the Authority to obtain and screen vendors as well as establish a pool of possible manufacturers for the project’s trainsets.

Interested companies will need to submit a statement of qualification to the Authority to attest they can meet the demands of the project if ultimately selected as the winning bid.

Statements of Qualification will be due by November and the total pool of vendors will be whittled down by the first quarter of 2024, the Authority said.

“Our action today allows us to deliver on our commitment to meet our federal grant timelines to start testing,” said Board Chair Tom Richards. “This is an important milestone for us to deliver high-speed rail service in the Central Valley and eventually into Northern and Southern California.”

The Authority is looking to obtain six trainsets that are capable of operating at speeds of 220 mph and tested at speeds as high as 242 mph. Two prototypes will need to be delivered by 2028 to allow for testing and trial runs and the additional four will need to be delivered by 2030.

“These trainsets ensure that we are procuring the latest generation of high-speed trains for this first-in-the-nation project,” said Authority CEO Brian Kelly. “We look forward to working with members of the industry as we strive to develop a market for high-speed trains in the United States.”

The manufacturer who is chosen to receive the High-Speed Rail contract will be be responsible for designing, building, integrating and commissioning the trainsets, as well as maintaining them and their spare parts for 30 years. The manufacturer will also be responsible for testing and maintaining a driving simulator.

The California High-Speed Rail is tentatively planned to open in 2030, operating in the large middle section of the Central Valley which and connecting Merced to Bakersfield along a 171-mile track.

Construction on the project officially began in Fresno in 2015 after decades of discussion and voter approval for initial funding in 2008.

The Authority said it hopes to have service going by 2030, but transportation advocates and supporters of the project have urged the governing body to accelerate that timeline, possibly having the entire track from the Bay Area to Los Angeles up and running by 2028.

Despite clamoring from advocates and overall enthusiasm for the project, the Authority stresses that there’s simply not enough funding to get the project completed any sooner.

Still, Thursday’s procedural step is an important one and continues to solidify the Authority’s confidence that the project is past the “point of no return” and will be completed in the next decade.

Construction is currently underway along 119 miles of the proposed 171-mile track across the Central Valley. There are more than 30 active construction sites in the state, and the 422 miles of the program’s design has received environmental clearance.