In a way, I totally agree.

I like all three eras for different reasons. I like the Showa Era because the cheap, all practical effects give it all a campy and/or underdog feel, but you can still take the movies seriously. The drawback is, a lot of people don't like it for the cheap effects and that's understandably fair. I like the Heisei era because it's one, continuous story. I think the drawback from that era is that the suits are too complex and as a result, a lot less mobile, so instead of a bunch of guys wrestling each other you get beam battles. The Millenium era is great because it has really fun, really enjoyable, self contained stories. There's no worry about continuity at all. The computer special effects though? They totally don't hold up.

Personally, I think The Millenium era films would have stood the test of time better if they avoided CGI as much as possible and stuck with practical effects. Model tanks, jets, missiles, the whole nine yards. At the time, the visuals were passable, but nearly two decades later and they stand out and detract from the films. To kind of illustrate what I'm talking about, look at movies like Alien and Star Wars. Those movies are from what, the '70s and '80s, pretty much zero CGI, and they still look great.

I feel like traditional Tokusatsu effects can still be impactful and fun, but for them to work, the philosophy and methods of the style needs to be embraced as much as possible.

There's a coffee shop around here that I used to visit frequently and stopped going to altogether. Nothing about the place has changed, except for the fact that they have insisted on playing really weird, really experimental jazz. We're talking about syncopated beats, hard to follow melodies, almost zero structure, all that kind of stuff. Coffee is supposed to be relaxing, that music counter acts it.

There's an episode of Regular Show where the cast is being sucked into a black hole at which point, Dala gives me a mini explanation of the idea of spaghettification. Which turned out to be topical, because the next thing we know the whole cast ends up being turned into spaghetti, with Pops being turned into a meatball which is fitting because he's a man with a giant head. A fork comes out of nowhere and Neil deGrasse Tyson is there, treating himself to dinner.

Sadly, Cartoon Network only shares the very last bit of it, but there you go.

I completely understand where she's coming from, from the yearning for a simpler life, hopes for personal development, etc. Heck, I've talked about how every now and again, I think about starting a goat farm (ironically, I'd have to fall face first into a pile of cash to be able to make that work first). Even then though, I don't think I'd ever go all in on something like she did, at least not without a lot of knowledge first or a group of partners that can support me and show me the way.

The closest Dala and I ever get to anything like she's attempted is take our dog on long walks in the park, hang out in the backyard, and try our best to grow vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. I heard a saying recently, I can't remember where, that went something along the lines of "You don't have to be self sustainable in everything, a few things is more than enough." There's probably some pretty good wisdom to that.

Thanks for the extra information.

Interestingly enough, you're the second person in as many days that I've heard use apocalyptic imagery to describe current events.

Ah. So I guess I've been hearing "correction" like crazy the past few years because everyone just keeps expecting it to happen. I think for everyone's next "haircut," the barber is gonna skip the clippers and go straight for a weed wacker.

Random aside, have you noticed in the recent years terms like "dive," "drop," and "crash" have all been placed with "correction." I even started using that term without really thinking about it. I wonder where, why, and how that whole bit started.

Five bucks says that when Dala finds out about these, she's gonna load some up to listen to while she commutes, works out, knits, etc.

I think it has a lot going for it, from the design of the cars, characters, and scenery, to the color palette and imagery, to the really straightforward and brisk storytelling that's still fun and engaging.

Yeah, I feel you on that. Sometimes I feel like I mess up my drawings by coloring them in and/or creating backgrounds for them. But, I guess, if I don't try, how am I gonna learn? :)

My main concern is what plants preserve well and what plants might be at risk for breaking down, growing stuff, or attracting bugs etc.

Wow. Yeah. That actually makes a lot of sense. Heaven forbid you use something that'll only take more away from the paper in practicality than would add to it aesthetically.

As for the rest, you really sound like you kind of got this stuff more than half figured out. How long have you been doing it now?

These are pretty good! Are you thinking about coloring them in at all, or are you mostly focusing on lines and shapes at the moment?

These are awesome! The botanical inclusions are a pretty cool idea. Have you thought about experimenting with flowers other than violets or chrysanthemums or maybe some other plant matter like leaves or something? I was thinking that if you have a friend with a garden, they'd probably be more than happy to give you some material. Heck, if I had a garden of my own and I knew someone was doing this, I'd almost insist that they pick through it. Or, maybe you could try some wild flowers or something, but you'd have to check with your local and state laws, because in some places picking wild plants in general or specific wild plants is illegal. Which, is understandable, but also a shame, because some of the prettiest flowers in my opinion are wild flowers.

Also, have you thought about making some kind of rack or something so you can dry more paper, faster?

As for the covers, what do you think you'll use other than fabric?

Sorry for the barrage of questions. This is just a really cool, ongoing hobby of yours and it's exciting to see how you approach it.

Stop it.

I have said absolutely zero things about this study and have even gone as far to say that studies like this are important, that I support them, and why I think so. I have also made absolutely zero statements about video games as a whole or a particular genre in general as being so bad as they should not be consumed.

All I did was make a statement that, in general, we should take care about what we expose ourselves to in life and that implied that we shouldn't just assume anything we consume can be labeled as innocuous. Which, in all honesty, as a whole I'd consider that a fairly non-controversial position to take.

You've re framed my statement in such a way as to make it sound like I'm making an argument I never made and insinuating a motivation and line of thinking behind that argument that isn't there. Further more, you're painting me in an infantile, simplistic, and naive light and have done all of the above in a condescending matter and tone.

So we're done because the "argument" that's going on is completely fabricated on your part and we're done because you're not treating being respectful. We can disagree and discuss things and still have our discussions be amicable conversations. I want amicable conversations. But right now, the discourse we're having would not be what I would call "amicable" or a "conversation."

Honestly, it sucks to say that, because that means we're both losing out right now.

You should be careful of what you consume but you should also be carful to have some kind of not clickbaity foundation upon which to base your belifes if you want to ground them in reality.

I am aware and I agree.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I disagree with the findings of the article, nor am I advocating for censorship, nor am I making a blanket statement saying that video games as a whole or even certain types of video games are unhealthy and should not be consumed at all. All I said was, is that whatever we consume in our lives do affect us, including video games, and it's important to be mindful of that.

I'm starting to wonder if the best time travel movies are the ones that don't take time travel seriously.

What I'm trying to say, in a more abstract and philosophical way, is that it's important to be mindful that what we expose ourselves to affects our psyche, from the food we eat, to the space we occupy, to the conversations we have, to the company we keep. Some things are easy to quantify and measure, like lead in our drinking water. Some things, maybe not so much, like how office plants might affect our work productivity.

Studies like these are important and it's important to look at empirical evidence objectively, if we're to understand these kinds of ideas. I think these are complex issues though and we owe it to ourselves to learn and understand as much as possible. That said, just because something is hard to understand and seemingly immeasurable, doesn't mean things can't affect us. Just because Geiger counters and modern physics didn't exist in ancient China for example, doesn't mean radium would be any less dangerous to handle back then than it is now.

But I do understand your point, and you're right, I don't want to argue, so let's agree to disagree. :)

I only know about this particular instance from the fringes, so I can't comment too much on it. I feel like gossip has become an overwhelming part of our public discourse and I don't think gossip is healthy in general, so I'm trying my best now to avoid conversations like these.

In general though, I think we're starting to lose sight of the idea that people are capable of growth and development. Whether we're talking about public figures, people with criminal histories, people with poor credit, or even friends or family members who might have done us wrong, we're so quick to condemn people and almost treat them as if they're irredeemable. I think this is wrong and unhealthy.

On the one end of the spectrum, people can learn from their past mistakes and realize what they've done wrong and genuinely embrace their guilt and regret to motivate themselves to change for the better, to improve. We need to realize the importance of supporting and encouraging each other when this happens. On the flip side though, sometimes people can slip into some very negative thought processes that lead to unhealthy behavior. It's equally important to try and recognize when this is happening and try to counter balance it.

I think it's important to be able to learn how to forgive people who have messed up, who have acknowledged it, and who have shown an earnest attempt to change their ways. That's not to say that there shouldn't be any consequences for the actions someone has taken in the past, but I think that if we look at people's past actions as unredeemable, then we run the risk of not enabling each other to change for the better. We also run the risk of being tempted to paint people as monsters with their character etched in stone, instead of human beings with a future full of potential ahead of them.

In short, sometimes good people make bad decisions, but those decisions don't necessarily make them a bad person. Sometimes people made horrible decisions in the past, and while our pasts are inescapable, they shouldn't be irrevocably damning. As often as possible though, we need to be their for each other, to help each other grow, and encourage the best out of everyone.

Yet again, video games do not make you violent.

I'm not saying they do or they don't, nor am I saying they're healthy or unhealthy. It's a complex issue and like any other form of communication or exposure, they can still be impactful.

It's why conversations such as accuracy and balance in the news, what is and isn't included in our textbooks, and diverse and healthy representation in our media are so important. We know that what we expose ourselves and others to is influential, and that those influences have ripple effects in our lives. Sometimes the impact of media is overt and noticeable, sometimes it's subtle. Sometimes it's long lasting, sometimes it's temporary. A lot of the times, we as individuals don't even realize how and why we're being influenced and without proper introspection we don't always realize the effects those influences have on us. So it's important to try and be mindful to what we consume, how we consume it, and why we choose to consume what we do.

Wow. That's quite the thread. I feel like if people used even a fraction of the enthusiasm and insight into tackling social issues that they do in picking apart Star Wars, we'd probably have childhood hunger nailed down at this point.

I feel you. Personally, I learned back in the mid-'90s, early '00s that just because something resonates with me, doesn't mean it belongs to me and that sometimes people in charge of properties I enjoy will make decisions that I don't like. I think the three biggest examples that I can think of are The Star Wars Prequels, Tri-Star Godzilla, and The Matrix Sequels. When I came to realize though that if someone makes something I don't like, it doesn't take away from what I do like, and it doesn't mean something is ruined for me forever.

Case in point? Tri-Star Godzilla didn't ruin '54 Gojira and when Godzilla 2000 came out, I was able to enjoy it just fine. That said though, after Tri-Star, there was a sense of relief in watching Godzilla 2000.

Speaking of TV and Movies, apparently this is getting a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment. Honestly? I'm not surprised. I don't care what the naysayers have to say, the cartoon series is straight up fun. The creators behind it just want to have a good time with the material and it really works. Plus, if you're a comic and/or pop culture nerd, it's chock full of inside jokes. Dala promised to take me to it when it hits the theaters and I'm gonna hold her to it.

Dude. Shazam looks like it might be a fun adventure.

ALL ABOARD THE GODZILLA HYPE TRAIN!!! CHOO!!! KAIJU!!! CHOO!!!