Condal's respone to GRRM criticism and falling out. : r/HouseOfTheDragon - "Yeah, no. We all read GRRM's blogpost so we KNOW what he was complaining about. George has been very permissive on practical things since the first adaptation of his works because he used to be a screenwriter. The first time Sandkings was adapted it was a very loose adaptation but he never complained. He never complained about cutting things off for practicality in Game of Thrones either. He has been INCREDIBLY open about the fact that the problem was the writing. And writing is never a practical issue."
"Completely agree with this. The notion that GRRM hates changes to his source material is bullshit, he’s praised multiple changes from both game of thrones and House of the dragon S1. The problem is s2 and s3 of HOTD are straying so far from the source material that it’s ridiculous."
"Yup. I’ve seen him point things out that bothered him based on practicality\ (like the main characters not wearing helmets running into a battle), but he immediately follows it up with admitting that television calls for certain unrealistic tweaks as part of the business. The “practicality” being referred to here is that they decided the writing needed to present women as not responsible for the war, and men as war hungry patriarchy lovers that don’t think women can cut it— so they had to show women not needing men to succeed. Then when the war hits people can go “Not the women’s fault they had secret suicide mission girl talk sessions to prevent war. Alicent even agreed to have her son killed!” That was their “practicality,” portraying women a certain way. It led to horrible writing because they had an agenda that was more important than realism. One of the most important aspects of fantasy is you need realism and good character development to make the supernatural stuff not feel ridiculous. Before people pull the stupid “you hate women” bullshit arguments, I think putting women in a box where they have to be portrayed a certain way is limiting and a disservice to women. If it’s as simple as people projecting their own complexes (I.e. “Oh, I think she would blame the patriarchy here and need to find a female voice to get away from men,” then it’s just shoving modern sentiment into the show in a way that makes themselves, and thus likeminded people, relate and be happy with the agenda. In reality people make decisions in self interest, emotion, love, sacrifice, empathy, etc. They’re not mainly driven by social norms of the far distant future they’re not aware of."
Condal's respone to GRRM criticism and falling out. : r/HouseOfTheDragon - "Of all the betrayals, Condal must've been the worst for GRRM. Because he hand picked him to run the series and to enact his vision. And watching S1, it was a really good start. Who knows what changed but now we have yet another inferior adaptor who just wants to bastardize the original work."
"What buggers me is that... if one day I'll finally land a screenwriting job and my favorite author would ask me to adapt one of his books... I would probably die before I fumble it so much that he would shame me in a blogpost. I really want to know what really happened there. I would guess, without judgment, that when Sapochnik left who remained went a bit on a power trip. But that's me speculating based only on the screenwriters I met through the years."
"I've no idea but I'll guess a few things are at play. 1 is a lack of understanding of the source material - maybe enough for GRRM to trust him initially, but not as deep as a true fan. 2 is ego - being called an adaptor is a lot less sexy than it is to be called a creator; and sadly with a story as complex and nuanced as GoT if you aren't equally as subtle any deviation can lead to disaster as we've found. And 3rd is unchecked authority - GRRM himself struggles with this, as his books have gone off a cliff since his stature as an author grew. Just as GRRM was at his best when he was a minor author meeting the iron deadlines of a publisher that would cut him loose or fine him if they were broken, Condall was at his best when he was checked by both GRRM and Sapochnik. Without either in the picture, we've got someone without the correct vision but whose vision isn't being checked by more sensible opinions."
DC_Draino on X - "The data is out and it looks like MAGA was right about Justice Amy Coney Barrett. She’s a backstabber to the people who appointed her. The records show her agreeing with liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan 82% of the time during her 2nd term, up from 39% in her 1st. She’s also the conservative 'least likely to support Trump' in cases that involve the president himself. What an ungrateful, Ivory Tower weakling"
Proof that Conservative Justices are all biased, cannot be trusted and just push MAGA's agenda. They're spineless and do whatever Trump tells them to do. They all need to be removed and replaced with Liberal Justices to Save Democracy
Russian Photographer Jailed for Writing Gay Fan Fiction - "a 36-year-old Russian woman named Alexandra Kuzyk was sentenced to 18 months of labor camp for publishing what authorities deemed “illegal pornography”... Said pornography was actually same-sex fan fiction about the K-pop band Stray Kids, published on the messaging app Telegram. Trouble began a year ago when a woman discovered Kuzyk’s fan fiction on her daughter’s device, according to the Mirror, and reported it to the police. (Russia’s Supreme Court had banned the “LGBTQ movement” as an “extremist” organization in 2023, leading to crackdowns on fan content. Last year, authorities blocked the world’s largest anime and manga networking platform, MyAnimeList.) The woman sent screenshots to Roskomnadzor, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, according to the Mirror. Police then raided Kuzyk’s home. Kuzyk pleaded guilty in court and said her writing did not earn her money. Her initial sentence of four years was reduced to 18 months of labor. She must also pay 10 percent of her wages to the state"
Weird. Russia defenders tell us they don't discriminate against homosexuality
Tim Hortons won't give you water in a cup even if you pay for the cup : r/TimHortons - "In Ontario it is required by law for them to provide drinking water on request... Safe Water Act of Ontario. They also cannot charge you for said water if it is not in a bottle. Tap water is free. Full stop."
"That's not accurate. In Ontario, the Safe Drinking Water Act does not mandate that restaurants must provide tap water to customers. The obligation to offer free tap water is linked to the establishment's liquor license. Restaurants and bars that hold a liquor license are required to provide free drinking water to patrons. This requirement ensures that customers consuming alcohol have access to water, promoting responsible drinking. For establishments without a liquor license, there is no legal obligation to provide free tap water. It's a stupid business decision, one in a long list of stupid decisions by TH, but it's not against the law."
Meme - ">be me, obsessed with aliens, UFOs
>honestly believe they're on earth
>one day see unequivocal proof of ayyylmao
>little guy just chilling in my back yard
>run to grab highest quality camera I own, can take clear pictures of the surface of Pluto, can literally photograph an individual atom
>run back to back yard
>he's still there
>thankfuck.pdf
>take out camera
>smash it to pieces with rock
>reach in pocket for my trusty 2012 Nokia 113
>start shaking uncontrollably
>take one (1) photo
>I finally got proof
>print out photo, delete file
>spill coffee all over it
>photocopy it 10 times before scanning it in
>post to r/UFOs
>10,000 upvotes"
Meme - Berlin Blade @TeBe_Blade: "He didn't write wonderwall so he could shag 60 year old women"
Gene Parmesan @dsonoiki: "sorry but I'm sick of this predatory ass shit. Noel Gallagher is 58. his gf is 28..."
Sick China woman marries cancer patient as part of kidney donation deal; couple fall in love | South China Morning Post - "A woman in northwestern China, battling uremia, married a cancer patient, agreeing to care for him during his treatment in exchange for his kidney after his death. As they spent time together, their shared humour and optimism blossomed into an unexpected love story... 24-year-old Wang Xiao from Shaanxi province was diagnosed with uremia and informed that she had only a year to live without a kidney transplant. With no matching donors among her relatives, a desperate Wang took an unconventional step. Following the suggestion of a fellow patient, she posted a marriage advertisement in a cancer support group, seeking a terminally ill man willing to marry her so she could receive his kidney after his passing. “I will take the best care of you after marriage. Please forgive me; I just want to live,” Wang wrote in her ad. A few days later, 27-year-old Yu Jianping responded. His blood type matched hers. Yu was battling myeloma, which had relapsed multiple times... In July 2013, the two quietly registered their marriage. They agreed to keep their union private, manage their own finances, and decided that after Yu’s passing, he would donate one of his kidneys to Wang. In return, Wang promised to care for him during his treatment and look after his father after his death. However, what began as a survival arrangement soon transformed into something deeper. They started communicating every day, sharing updates about their health and lives. Wang’s playful nature often made Yu laugh, and her optimism began to uplift his spirits. He started cooking soup for her, and she accompanied him to every treatment. Determined to help Yu afford a bone-marrow transplant, Wang began making and selling flower bouquets at a street stall. She placed cards alongside the flowers, telling their story, which attracted crowds of customers and even local shop owners. Through her sales and savings, she managed to raise 500,000 yuan (US$70,000), enough to finance Yu’s surgery. By June 2014, Yu’s condition had stabilised, and Wang’s health was improving as well. Her dialysis sessions decreased from twice a week to once a month, and doctors indicated that she might no longer need a transplant at all. In February 2015, to celebrate their love and regained health, the couple held a wedding banquet at a local restaurant. Their story was later adapted into the film Viva La Vida, which premiered in mainland China in 2024 and grossed over 276 million yuan (US$38 million)."
π₯ π€ππ¦ππ’π―π±ππ―π¦ππ« ππ¬π±π₯π€π₯ on X - "The difference between the right leaning libertarians and the left leaning libertarians is that the right leaning libertarians would return their shopping cart because it’s the polite and respectful thing to do, while the left leaning libertarians would just leave their shopping cart out in the parking lot because they πππ as it’s not like there’s any victims or consequences."
Toronto’s Finch Store is looking to the future - "Yana Miriev was ready to walk away from her business. She tried to sell Finch Store, a grocer and cafe near College Street and Ossington Avenue, which was locked in a zoning dispute over its licence to sell coffee after the City of Toronto received an anonymous complaint about the espresso machine. Without being able to give prospective buyers the certainty they could sell coffee, however, Finch Store didn’t get any takers. Miriev, instead, was waiting for the shop’s lease to end so she could simply “close the door.” But then, an eleventh-hour amendment to a motion at City Hall redirected Miriev’s path... the city informed Miriev that her business, located in a residential area, was not zoned to permit refreshments, such as takeout coffee. It asked her to voluntarily change her permit to exclude refreshments, but Miriev declined. In February 2024, the city said Finch Store was “not operating in compliance” with the area’s zoning bylaw and that its licence would be subject to a hearing at the Toronto Licensing Tribunal."
Zoning is very important, because it stops factories being set up beside houses
New York Post on X - "Swiss 'terrorist' who shouted 'Allahu Akbar' before train station stabbing 'needs help,' dad says"
Flappr on X - "Interesting choice to put "terrorist" in quotes but not "Swiss"."
He is a Swiss national. Given that Switzerland has 4 major ethno-linguistic groups, the usual American inability to tell the difference between race and nationality is even more ridiculous
Australia election: Can universal healthcare be saved? - "A once-revered universal healthcare system is crumbling at every level, sometimes barely getting by on the sheer willpower of doctors and local communities. As a result, more and more Australians, regardless of where they live, are delaying or going without the care they need... the core of the crisis and key to this election is GP services, or primary care, largely offered by private clinics. There has historically been little need for public ones, with most GPs choosing to accept Medicare rebates as full payment. That is increasingly uncommon though, with doctors saying those allowances haven't kept up with the true cost of delivering care. At the same time, staff shortages, which persist despite efforts to recruit from overseas, create a scarcity that only drives up prices further. According to government data, about 30% of patients must now pay a "gap fee" for a regular doctor's appointment - on average A$40 (£19.25; $25.55) out of pocket. But experts suspect the true figure is higher: it's skewed by seniors and children, who tend to visit doctors more often and still enjoy mostly bulk-billed appointments. Plus there's a growing cohort of patients not captured by statistics, who simply don't go to the doctor because of escalating fees... if the average Australian adult walked into a GP clinic, could they get a free, standard appointment? This year, they called almost all of the nation's estimated 7,000 GP clinics – only a fifth of them would bulk bill a new adult patient. In the entire state of Tasmania, for example, they couldn't find a single one... The BBC spoke to people across the country who say the increasing cost of healthcare had left them relying on charities for food, avoiding dental care for almost a decade, or emptying their retirement savings to fund treatment. Others are borrowing from their parents, taking out pay-day loans to buy medication, remortgaging their houses, or selling their possessions. Kimberley Grima regularly lies awake at night, calculating which of her three children – who, like her, all have chronic illnesses – can see their specialists. Her own overdue health checks and tests are barely an afterthought. "They're decisions that you really don't want to have to make," the Aboriginal woman from New South Wales tells the BBC. "But when push comes to shove and you haven't got the money… you've got no other option. It's heart-breaking." Another woman tells the BBC that had she been able to afford timely appointments, her multiple sclerosis, a degenerative neurological disease, would have been identified, and slowed, quicker. "I was so disabled by the time I got a diagnosis," she says... Like many wealthy countries, the nation is struggling to cope with a growing population which is, on average, getting older and sicker. There's a small but increasing cohort which says it is time to let go of the notion of universal healthcare, as we've known it. Many doctors, a handful of economists, and some conservative politicians have sought to redefine Medicare as a "safety net" for the nation's most vulnerable rather than as a scheme for all. Health economist Yuting Zhang argues free healthcare and universal healthcare are different things. The taxes the government collects for Medicare are already nowhere near enough to support the system, she says, and the country either needs to have some tough conversations about how it will find additional funds, or accept reasonable fees for those who can afford them."
From 2025.
Weird. Left wingers tell us that only one country in the developed world has medical bankruptcy
California mom sentenced to nearly 36 years for hosting drunken teen sex parties: 'I am ashamed' - "The mom of victims identified as Jane Doe 8 and 9 said, "When people call you a monster, pedophile, rapist, they had it right. You preyed upon my daughter by supplying her alcohol, enticing sexual situation, and pushing her when she was not in a place to consent." The young women and their families have called for the maximum sentence after O'Connor's felony convictions, citing what they described as a profound and lasting impact on their lives. Prosecutors say O'Connor hosted parties for her teenage son, in which she encouraged teens to drink and engage in sexual activity, at times facilitating those interactions by providing condoms. Victims have also said O'Connor messaged them after parties, prying into their personal lives and harassing them."
Oddly, some people defend her
California’s ‘Los Gatos party mom’ sentenced to 35 years in prison - "“This isn’t some fun parent giving sips of wine spritzers to kids,” Santa Clara district attorney Jeff Rosen wrote in a statement. “She facilitated dangerous and drunken sex acts with these children. She risked their lives and damaged their psyches. She is not a party mom. Shannon O’Connor is a convicted felon. Shannon O’Connor is a registered sex offender.” During a series of parties, O’Connor bought Fireball whiskey, vodka and condoms for teens mostly aged 14 and 15, allowed them to drink to the point of vomiting, then declined to seek medical attention for them. In some cases, she encouraged the drunken teens to have sex with each other or placed them into rooms together, including in instances where they were too drunk to consent... O’Connor’s lawyer told the court that she threw the parties in an attempt to improve her son’s social life during the isolated times of the Covid-19 pandemic"
California 'party mom' sentenced to 35 years prison time - "A survivor’s mother also described to the court how O’Connor groomed her daughter, showered her with gifts pretending they were from O’Connor’s 15-year-old son who she was dating at the time. Other mothers burst into tears describing how alarmed they were when O’Connor gifted one of their daughters lacy thong underwear. “I listened to the testimony of several victims and their parents and heard these words and phrases over and over again,” Rosen said. “Predator, manipulated, groomed, hypersexualized, violated, betrayed, traumatized, isolated, intimidated, harassed. Made me feel small. Suffered severe anxiety and depression. Contemplated suicide. Not over it, life-long impact, forever changed me, stole my innocence, took away my childhood. But I also heard resilient, strong survivors.”... In some cases, O’Connor would Snapchat or text teens to leave their homes in the middle of the night and drink at her home. O’Connor urged the sexual assault of intoxicated teen girls, “sometimes non-consensual, and sometimes while she watched,” according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. Court documents described O’Connor providing a boy with a condom and pushing him into a room with an intoxicated girl, who later escaped and locked herself in a bathroom. During a New Year’s Eve party at her home, O’Connor allegedly watched and laughed as a drunk teen sexually battered a young girl in bed. In another case, she brought a drunk teen into a bedroom where he sexually assaulted an intoxicated 14-year-old girl, who also told investigators that at another party she was so drunk she almost drowned in a hot tub, according to court filings... When detectives arrived at her home northwest of Boise, they found “there were 10 underage boys and two girls at her home — most of whom spent the night there”"
California mom sentenced to 35 years for throwing alcohol-fueled underage parties - "Shannon O’Connor, also known as Shannon Bruga, received the maximum sentence following three days of victim impact statements, including from one who told the court she became suicidal from the trauma... She also discouraged the teens from telling their parents or seeking help when one of the victims passed out in their own vomit. The teens at these parties were mostly 14 and 15 years old... O’Connor was convicted in March of dozens of crimes, including child endangerment, dissuading witnesses from reporting a crime and facilitating forcible sexual assault between minors. O’Connor must also register as a sex offender... Parents said the parties were not the main problem. It was the years of grooming, manipulation and harassment of their children, some as young as 11 and 12, by O’Connor, who still denies allegations that she orchestrated sexual misconduct between the minors... she pressured victims to “hook up” in designated bedrooms in her house."
Daniel Yun | Facebook - "Is there something amiss in Singapore F&B? The facts are staggering. About 8,000 F&B establishments have closed in Singapore in the last three years, with a near 20-year high of 3,047 closures in 2024. But Chinese food and beverage brands in Singapore grew from 32 in mid-2024 to about 85 by August 2025. Together, they operate more than 400 outlets, making it one of the fastest foreign expansions in recent years. Take a walk through any mall. The bubble tea shop is from Chengdu. The hotpot place is backed by a 700-outlet chain you have never heard of. The coffee queue is for Luckin, not Starbucks. The queue for teas is longer at Chagee. As far as I can remember, it all started with Haidilao. In 2012, the hotpot chain opened its first Singapore outlet at Clarke Quay, their first outlet outside China. Following its success, Haidilao expanded to more than 20 outlets across Singapore at its peak. Suddenly, like how they snapped up local properties before the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty, Chinese F&B businesses are everywhere. Talking to people in F&B, there is a little back story. In 2024, three million food businesses closed in China. With savage domestic competition, they are forced to look outwards. Singapore becomes the target for Chinese F&B businesses looking to expand in Asia. “If we can build up our brand in Singapore, the brand awareness can go to Malaysia and Vietnam, even Indonesia.” For them, making money in Singapore is secondary, a low priority. Which means they can afford to pay much higher rents and retail their food at lower prices. Bringing fierce price-undercutting to local F&B retail. Andy Hoon, chairman of Bosses Network described a scenario: if a Singaporean tenant offers S$36 to S$38 per square foot when the market expectation is S$30 to S$40, a Chinese brand might offer S$45 and above. This has caused rents to hit the roof, especially in high-traffic locations. It burns both ends of the candle for local brands. Pay high rentals to stay put and sell at lower prices to compete. Or close shop. Meanwhile, our national taste palette is forced to shift, our food paradise reputation marred, as our wide 'Nanyang' variety is curtailed by one Mala Hot Pot or Mayo Tofu too many. However, there is also truth that the Chinese are good at what they do. Good food, good price, served piping hot in a flash. The jury is still out if the Chinese will invade the hawker space. Our street food which defined us as a people, are not as easily replicated. Yet at closer inspection, the young men assisting the hawkers are mostly mainland Chinese. How can local F&B brands and our Hawker culture be protected? The result of a free market without regulation is an unrecognisable new beast. The loss of those who built the market will be irreparable. It takes a foreigner who loves our local food to tell me, “In Italy, foreign restaurants are not allowed in many prime areas. People come from all over the world to taste our local food.""
Meme - "Bill Gates was arrested for a traffic violation in 1977 and the outline of his mugshot would go on to be used as the default profile pic for Outlook 2010"
Meme - Jack @Jackkk: "Bryan Johnson reveals why he uses an umbrella even when it's not raining and UV levels are low "90% of physical skin aging is from the sun, so this is a UV umbrella protecting me""
Beatrix Vox @beatrixvox: "He is right maybe"
"no matter what you think about bryan and what he does, it's working"
"2018. 2023. 2024. 2025"
Meme - Bushwhacker: "I'm loving the new McDonalds Axis Powers menu"
"Japan Teriyaki Chicken. Italy McPizza Bites. Germany Big Rosti"
Meme - *Busty woman's t-shirt*: "You DON'T NEED TO LOOK AT MY CHEST. THESE AREN'T THE BREASTS yOU'RE LOOKING FOR. MOVE ALONG."
Meme - "Fathers' Rights. Starting Conversations With Billboards
FathersRightsMovement.us was picked up by the local news after their campaign.
Background
Rikki Tatum is a mental health and substance abuse therapist from Buffalo, NY. After losing custody of his son, Dominic, Rikki explored how he could better understand his rights during this challenging period of time. Rikki joined a Father’s Rights group so that he could be involved with a community that he could both learn from and contribute to. Rikki wanted to share his message in a big, bold way—billboards seemed like a powerful way to communicate his message. After meeting with several billboard companies, Rikki chose Blip given the affordability and flexibility offered. With his campaigns, he was looking to accomplish two main goals 1) to let his son know that he loves him and 2) to build awareness and spread compassion regarding issues surrounding Father’s Rights."
"Dear Dominick, your daddy loves you."
Apparently he put the billboard on the route his child's schoolbus took
Outrage as Zelensky names army unit after group that slaughtered Poles in Second World War - "Poland's president has called for a state body to discuss revoking the country's highest honour from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, following Kyiv's decision to rename an army unit after nationalist insurgents. The move to consider stripping Mr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, awarded in 2023 by Andrzej Duda, marks a significant point of tension despite Poland's staunch support for Ukraine during Russia's war. Indignation arose after Mr Zelensky signed a decree recognising a Ukrainian special forces unit by naming it after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). While many Ukrainians regard the UPA as heroes for their resistance against Soviet and Nazi Germany, symbolising their fight for independence, the group remains highly controversial in Poland. The UPA was involved in the Volhynia massacres, a series of killings from 1943 to 1945, in which Poland says around 100,000 Poles were killed by Ukrainian nationalists. Thousands of Ukrainians also died in reprisal killings... Russia on Thursday said it had summoned Luxembourg's ambassador to denounce the exhumation of the remains of Andriy Melnyk, a leader of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists, a group allied to the UPA. Mr Melnyk, branded a Nazi collaborator by Moscow, was reburied in Kyiv last week with full military honours."
Clearly, Poland's president is a Russian plant and a traitor. Russia has infiltrated Poland, and Poland's ranks need to be purged
My wife got me a bracelet with the first initials of our kids on it. : r/TwoSentenceHorror - "Now I lay on the side of the road, paramedics dragging me, as I silently pray for Donna, Nick, and Rachel."
"That was a fu–ing waste of money, I want my ring back" - When Gilbert Arenas replaced his ex's $400K ring with a fake one - "Arenas went back to his ex just to pull off the most expensive ring swap in NBA relationship history. That's right, Gil finessed a $400,000 engagement ring off Laura Govan and replaced it with a $10K replica without her even noticing, right in plain sight."
