American psycho book quotes

Hi all,
My wife and I are going to Cuba in July with 2 friends . I wanted to share my itinerary with this group for thoughts and a few questions/thoughts!
​

• Day 1 (Wednesday)- Land in Havana (around 1500), move to Vinales
• Day 2 (Thursday) - Vinales Valley tour (Horseback riding, tobacco tour, etc) during the day. Afternoon walk through the town of Vinales
• Day 3 (Friday) - TBD, either another day in the valley (potentially visit Cuevo De Santa Tomas, or go ziplining in the valley) and head to Havana in the afternoon or head to Havana in the morning and spend the day in Havana. At night- explore banightclub scene in the vedado area (we are staying there)
• Day 4 (Saturday)- Morning: Vedado walking tour, Mojito Making Class, and in the evening go to Fabrique De Arte
• Day 5 (Sunday)- Tour Old Havana + El Morro
• Day 6 (Monday)- Vintage car tour, potentially find a salsa class, Dinner at La Guarida
• Day 7 (Tuesday)- Move to varadero in the morning; we are staying in a casa particular near the town; likely will explore the town or spend the afternoon on the beach on this day
• Day 8 (Wednesday)- Catamaran tour to Cayo Blanco with snorkeling
• Day 9 (Thursday)- beach day
• Day 10 (Friday)- Head back to Havana in the morning and leave cuba (flight leaves at 1630)

​
A few questions on the above!

• Transportation- what's the easiest options to get to/from Vinales and to/from Varadero? What should we expect to pay? Sounds like if you book a bus you have to do it in advance, and it ends up not being much cheaper than a taxi, especially since there are 4 of us. FYI, My casa particular host quoted us $25 per person per way for the taxi to/from Vinales
• Any opinions on whether we should spend another 1/2 day in Vinales to see the Caves / do something else, or would that time be better spent in Havana?
• I know some latin american countries have very little going on on sundays. Should we expect any issues with Havana shops/restaurants/etc being closed on the Sunday we are there?
• Cuban SIM Card- is it worth buying a Cuban SIM card? I've heard that there are tourist versions of the SIM now but that they are expensive relative to just paying for the internet cards.
• Will any of the touristy style events that I listed in the itinerary need to be booked in advance? Or will we be able to book once there?
• Any big issues with the above itinerary? i.e. travel times that aren't realistic, etc?
• Any of the things I don't have planned in the three places mentioned that you would say are "must do's"? Note we don't plan on adding more destinations given we want to take our time a bit and not feel rushed going from town to town

For context on booking things in advance, My wife is Mexican and one of the other couple coming with us is Bolivian, so we don't anticipate any issues with language barriers. Also my bolivian friend loves to haggle/negotiate, so I think unless its cheaper to book things in advance or if we are at risk of not being able to find what we need/want to do, we'd prefer to book in Cuba.

Hey there, art and culture aficionados!
I'm thrilled to share an exciting episode of "The Truth In This Art" podcast featuring the talented Farrah Skeiky. Join host Rob Lee as he engages in a captivating conversation with Farrah, an Arab American photographer, musician, creative director, and writer based in Washington, DC.
Farrah's work is a celebration of those who make and thrive in their element, focusing on subcultures and underrepresented communities. Growing up in Seattle and later in the DC suburbs, she has been deeply influenced by two regions renowned for their contributions to underground music. These experiences have significantly shaped her artistic perspective.
In 2008, Farrah started photographing live music, with a primary focus on punk, DIY, and drag communities. Her work goes beyond capturing the energy of performances; she uses her lens to highlight the importance of race and gender inclusion within these groups. She also explores how the transient nature of cities affects these communities, both positively and negatively.
Farrah's photography has garnered widespread recognition and has been featured in esteemed publications such as The Washington Post, The Guardian, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Kerrang, NPR, and many more. Her evocative images and thoughtful storytelling shed light on the diverse experiences and narratives within subcultures.
In 2020, Farrah self-published a remarkable photo book titled "Present Tense: DC Punk and DIY Right Now," which beautifully encapsulates the spirit of the DC punk and DIY scene.
You can listen to this inspiring episode with Farrah Skeiky on Apple Podcasts using the following link: The Truth In This Art: Conversations with Creatives - Episode with Farrah Skeiky
Take a moment to immerse yourself in Farrah's unique perspective and learn about her experiences as an Arab American artist. Her work not only captures the essence of subcultures but also challenges societal norms and amplifies the voices of underrepresented communities.
Let's support Farrah Skeiky and her exceptional body of work. Don't forget to share your thoughts and comments with Rob and Farrah, and spread the word about this incredible artist who brings unseen narratives to light through her lens.
Happy listening and appreciating the power of photography!

Hi, I have been looking for romantic/ coming of age/ friendship/ cosy books about the time before the colonization of America. Or it doesn't have to be before, I just don't want to read the "white person falls in love with a native american person and the drama ensures" trope over and over again.
I am merely looking forward to something similar to Yakari or Pocahontas if she did marry Kocoum.
This is also why I don't want any white people to be mentioned or to have a leading role. (I'm white, by the way so it's not out of racism)
If there is something like that out there please let me know, because I can't find it.

If you want to learn to code, I've released 2,000 free sign ups for my course following my Automate the Boring Stuff with Python book (each has 1,000 sign ups, use the other one if one is sold out):
https://udemy.com/course/automate/?couponCode=JUN2023FREE
https://udemy.com/course/automate/?couponCode=JUN2023FREE2
Udemy has changed their promo code and severely limited the number of sign ups I can provide each month, so only sign up if you are reasonably certain you can eventually finish the course. The first 15 of the course's 50 videos are free on YouTube if you want to preview them.
YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THE VIDEOS WITHOUT SIGNING UP FOR THE COURSE. All of the videos on the course webpage have "preview" turned on. Scroll down to find and click "Expand All Sections" and then click the preview link. You won't have access to the forums and other materials, but you can watch the videos.
NOTE: Be sure to BUY the course for $0, and not sign up for Udemy's subscription plan. The subscription plan is free for the first seven days and then they charge you. It's selected by default. If you are on a laptop and can't click the BUY checkbox, try shrinking the browser window. Some have reported it works in mobile view.
Sometimes it takes an hour or so for the code to become active just after I create it, so if it doesn't work, go ahead and try again a while later.
Some people in India and South Africa get a "The coupon has exceeded it's maximum possible redemptions" error message. Udemy advises that you contact their support if you have difficulty applying coupon codes, so click here to go to the contact form. If you have a VPN service, try to sign up from a North American or European proxy.
I'm also working on another Udemy course that follows my recent book "Beyond the Basic Stuff with Python". So far I have the first 15 of the planned 56 videos done. You can watch them for free on YouTube.
Side note: My latest book, Python Programming Exercises Gently Explained is a set of 42 programming exercises for beginners for free or as a 99 cent ebook.
Frequently Asked Questions: (read this before posting questions)

• This course is for beginners and assumes no previous programming experience, but the second half is useful for experienced programmers who want to learn about various third-party Python modules.
• If you don't have time to take the course now, that's fine. Signing up gives you lifetime access so you can work on it at your own pace.
• This Udemy course covers roughly the same content as the 1st edition book (the book has a little bit more, but all the basics are covered in the online course), which you can read for free online at https://inventwithpython.com
• The 2nd edition of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is free online: https://automatetheboringstuff.com/2e/
• I do plan on updating the Udemy course for the second edition, but it'll take a while because I have other book projects I'm working on. If you sign up for this Udemy course, you'll get the updated content automatically once I finish it. It won't be a separate course.
• It's totally fine to start on the first edition and then read the second edition later. I'll be writing a blog post to guide first edition readers to the parts of the second edition they should read.
• I wrote a blog post to cover what's new in the second edition
• You're not too old to learn to code. You don't need to be "good at math" to be good at coding.
• Signing up is the first step. Actually finishing the course is the next. :) There are several ways to get/stay motivated. I suggest getting a "gym buddy" to learn with. Check out /ProgrammingBuddies

Sincerely
Ba-doh, ba-doh, ba-doh, ba-doh-ba
Sincerely, oh yes, sincerely
'Cause I love you so dearly, please say you'll be mine
-The Moonglows
Part I - The End
This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. If I keep saying it maybe it will be true.
But it was happening. Tough times. Humpty Dumpty times. Out of gas in the desert with no bars times.
And, just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse than a Tijuana root canal; she walked in. Out of the sweltering Mexican heat, into the dim bar, she came; the only thing standing between me and the blinding light. I heard a couple of gunshots somewhere in the distance.
I still remember how the sun illuminated my 2pm rise and shine, shit-faced full of no caffeine afternoon after, hair of the dog; tequila shot and beer. Like I said, tough times on the Ponderosa, Hoss.
Every time I think of that moment, I stand transfixed in time. Unable to move, frozen in-place tighter than a suckered kid’s tongue to a Chicago lamppost in a February ice storm. Maggie had long ago won my heart’s devotion only to betray both me, and it, in ways still inconceivable to my sauce pan of a brain.
So, a couple of months ago, my life in post-apocalyptic ruin, I did what any red-blooded American would do; I flew across the border to CDMX to drown my sorrows in tequila and cheap living. And now, incomprehensibly, here she was; back, again like the September monsoon. Had the bitch air tagged me?
It seemed with Maggie my heart’s devotion was not enough. Everything she wanted and received soon became a dull knife; just ain’t cutting. Mags had to have it all, all the time. And I thought she had gotten all of me and more. Who’d think she’d want to pick at the carcass? But inexplicably, there she was like my constant migraine, the one that never really left the base of my skull.
Without a word Mags swooped in close like she missed me and now hadda kiss me.
Then, quicker than lightning showing off, she plunged her delicate-boned hand deep into my chest. She then removed it with even greater alacrity holding it high above her jet-black mane. She waved it for all the bar to see, my still beating corazón in it, color-coordinating against it’s will with her manicure, making what looked like vague Italian gestures.
Nobody in the bar paid us any mind.
I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but avert my horrified gaze into my now exposed chest cavity, only to witness darkness within darkness gazing back at me.
“Heyyyyyy,” a voiceless voice greeted and saluted.
I looked up at Maggie. She took the seat opposite mine. Then reaching over with her free hand commandeered my tequila and knocked it back quick. Her encore was to grab my beer and drain it with all the mud she could muster into my eye. Then, with a satisfied look she dropped the now emptied bottle on the wooden table hard enough to make a thud.
Maggie then met my stare. My cardia beating peripatetically in her freshly manicured right-hand she made an elaborate shrug, her face smug as a tyrant’s fart.
I remembered wondering what the fuck was keeping my cardio so vascular. It sure as fuck wasn’t clean living. Then, that voiceless voice had yet more to say.
“Now what, Spenser?” it asked.
Now, it was now my turn to shrug. Surprisingly, despite being a now certifiably heartless son of a bitch, I, too, had something to say. So, I said it.
“You’re fucking diabolical, Maggie.”
My words of judgment echoed clear, permeating deep into the abyss, then back again at Maggie. She caught my words easier than a kitten catches smiles. She just shrugged again. It was starting to get annoying.
“You ruined me,” I added just to be doing something.
The shrug undulated down from her tan and toned shoulder through her arm, finally coming to a full stop at her finger’s tips.
Waving my heart at me with more vague Italian gestures Mags asked, “How can you be so sure, Spenser?”
Part II – The Middle
Sincerely, oh you know how I love you
I'll do anything for you, please say you'll be mine
...
This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. My new mantra wasn’t working.
Six months ago, I thought Maggie was the answer to my dreams.
Swooping down like an angel to shower me with attention and affection. Dinners with wine. Hot sex. More hot sex. No strings attached. Getting to know you pillow talk.
Now, there’s one thing I need to add. I met her through a dating app but as it turned out we both worked for the same nonprofit. We didn’t know each other as it’s a fairly big company but it turned out I supported the code for both her projects. This turned out to be one of many coincidences.
We both hated our jobs. We both liked writing short stories but never could sell a thing despite writing dozens and dozens. We both could dance salsa, on 1 and 2 and loved to hablar en español que no era muy guapo.
We both wanted to run away to Mexico city and live the Bohemian life.
Coincidences like we both grew up in NYC and had issues with our respective families of origin. And while she was Chinese-American and I was Russian-American both our fathers were born in the same year and were obsessed with Woody Allen. We both had much younger siblings we didn’t speak to.
Yeah, we had both grown up with weak fathers and selfish narcissistic mothers in common. And worser still, we had both experienced unstable living situations in high school. In my case, I was kicked out of the house for smoking weed.
In Maggie’s case, I never really was sure what went down but the best I could get out of her was at 13 she got pissed at her mom for cheating on her dad and left the house with nowhere to go. She ended up with family friends or relatives but the details were always murky and I was not the nosey type.
Her words to me were, “My mother’s emotional IQ is low. I raised myself.”
Impressively, she had made it through the Ivy League and seemed to be someone down to earth I could spend time with. But truth be told from the minute I saw her profile picture I was hotter than a Texas chili sprout for her.
It was some kind of primal attraction I thought I was long past entertaining. It wasn’t lust. It wasn’t love. It was like the thought of coming home to a family I never knew I had or that even could exist.
This shit made old me feel like young me again. But, as oft is the case in life, there was a problem. I was old, broke and probably about to lose my job. I was in IT and I was having problems with my manager being a psychopath; for reals.
It wasn’t mere conjecture as he had a reputation of getting people fired, or worse, making their lives so miserable they would quit; even with no prospects. I had been the focus of his sabotaging efforts and it had been having a bad effect on my mental and physical well-being.
This had taken a turn for the worse and I was catching a lot of passive aggressive hostility on the project Maggie supported.
Anyway, she was the bright spot in my otherwise mostly solitary and emotionally bleak life. And she lived nearby. She had an ex and kids and shared custody but I never met them and she didn’t really talk much about it except to say once, “You should need a license to have kids.”
I never had quite known what to make of some of the things she said, but like I said, I was under her spell. And I liked it.
And the icing on top? I had a dominant kinky side and that was a fire Maggie poured gasoline on every chance she got. She was worse than an arsonist in Underoo Town.
One weird thing about Mags was her knitting habit. If we weren’t fucking or eating she was knitting. Even at restaurants and bars.
One day in November, with the sun golden in a sky so blue you thought you could touch it I asked, “What are you knitting?”
Maggie gave me a wry look. She got out of her chair and seemed to be examining my bald head which I had shaved just that morning.
“A hat,” she replied.
But as the holidays rolled around things started to change. One Sunday morning as we were having coffee Maggie looked around the crowded steamy café.
“Everybody’s hooking up for the holidays,” she remarked.
I didn’t really know what to do with that one so I let it be.
But as the days went on there was a change in the weather. Fewer texts. Less sex. Maggie going out of town to some vague destination. Sending me sexy pictures of herself in Santa outfits after I caught the flu during Christmas.
A few days after Christmas I got a text late one night.
“Is it okay if I come by?”
“Very okay,” was my reply.
Maggie showed up with chocolate, red wine and the hat she had been knitting. Orange Afghani wool softer than a golden retriever’s fur. She put the hat on my head and then removed all my clothes.
“Let’s celebrate Christmas, Spenser.”
And, we did.
When we were done and lying head-to-head, I said, “I love my hat.”
Maggie said, “I made it especially for you. No matter what, don’t lose it.”
It was another one of those weird Maggie things she said, like, “I used to shoplift,” and shit like that.
I nodded.
“Promise me you’ll hold on to your hat, Spenser.”
“I promise.”
Maggie observed my face, then nodded as if confirming something to herself.
“Okay.”
Then we did that thing again.
That was the pinnacle. Things quickly went downhill for no reason I could discern. Texts unanswered and when answered; kind of abrupt-like. Being unavailable. Stuff with her kids. Time away in Connecticut for some vague reason. After that I began feeling like the weakest card in a gambler’s hand.
But Maggie kept shoe horning me in at odd times, giving me just enough crumbs to keep me on the hook. And as we rode the roller coaster down everything always seemed to center around alcohol. And sex. More and more debauched sex. Finally, by New Year’s Eve things were getting straight-up weird no chaser.
“You know that thing we talked about?”
By her tone I knew what she meant. I nodded cautiously.
“You want to try it?”
Maggie dropped a smile on me that would have had the serpent in the garden applying for unemployment.
“Yes,” she said.
So, we did.
I thought I had been imagining things. I thought we were back at the pinnacle. I could feel the love drug course through my veins. Things couldn’t be better. Or, so I thought.
Oh Lord, won't you tell me why
I love that girlie so
The Following Monday
The next Monday I was called into what turned out to be the most fucking bizarre moment of my fifty-eight years on this planet; and I’ve had some bizarre fucking moments growing up in south Brooklyn in the 1970’s; believe you me.
The company’s CIO, compliance officer, head of legal, head of HR and my evil manager, Conte Rugen were all in attendance, cameras ROLLING.
It appears I was being dismissed after 8 years loyal service for sexual assault, extortion, harassment, hate speech, insults to farm animals and every fucking other offense against God and man one could commit in these holiest of holy United States of America.
And just who had I… who had I.. victimized? Who had I preyed upon? Harassed? Gone full nutso on?
Maggie.
They had the goods. Recordings. Video. Ropes. Whips. Chains. Bad Spanglish. Maggie screaming, “No, papi! No!!!!”
I believe I was, what is known in legal parlance as, summarily fucked.
Nobody wanted to hear my side. How things were taken out of context. Things we had mutually consented to out of exciting and bonding trust and exploration.
“Did I have consent agreement?” I parroted back in shock to the head of legal.
“Did you get one when you fucked your mother in the ass before she shat you out?” I added just to keep my mouth from puking.
I was in bombshell shock. Maggie was my angel. Our situationship was supposed to be fucking healing from our abused childhoods and here I am now some kind of Tarantinoesque, Mr. Fucking Rapist? And my fucking manager once bragging about throwing a cat out a window when he was a juvenile delinquent?!?
There would be charges pressed. I would need an attorney. I might be arrested.
And it all happened faster than you can say, “Blue Monday, How I hate Blue Monday”.
And then Maggie sued the company. Take no fucking prisoners, Maggie. Disco-fucking-inferno burn that mother down we don’t need no water let the motherfucker burn Maggie. I wondered if her ex had been left on food stamps after the divorce.
A few months and my life savings and retirement account after that the criminal case got pleaded down to misdemeanor assault and I was able to arbitrate with my employer and Maggie’s lawyer leaving me with some clothes, my passport and precisely enough plastic to fly into the sweltering Mexican heat. So, fly into it I did.
Part III – The Beginning
Sincerely, oh you know how I love you
I'll do anything for you, please say you'll be mine
Oh Lord, won't you tell me why
I love that girlie so
She doesn't want me
But I'll never never never never let her go
...
“I wish you’d stop waving that thing at me,” I said gesturing at my heart with my chin.
“You’re still upset,” Maggie said. It wasn’t a question.
“You fucking abused me. You fucking eviscerated me. Yeah, you could say I’m a little perturbed.”
“But you’re still wearing the hat,” she said smiling.
“It’s a bad ass hat,” I said. It was after all. Why cut off your nose to spite your face?
“I put a lot of time and thought into it,” she said. My heart continued to beat in her hand.
...
Oh Lord, won't you tell me why
I love that girlie so
She doesn't want me
But I'll never never never never let her go
...
“Look,” she said waving my heart at me.
“I really wish you wouldn’t wave that around like that.”
The voice in the abyss in my chest spoke. It said, “Wait for it.”
Maggie said, “Spenser, you poor fucking sap. You hate your fucking job. You try to do the right fucking thing and speak up and you get kicked around like a dog. You try to love hard and you get beat up and left in an alley. You try to write books and start businesses and you end up bankrupt or dead.
And now look at you! You don’t have a care in the fucking world. You don’t have a shitty job. You are in beautiful Mexico City with the girl of your dreams. You say your heart was hardened? Well, I say it feels pretty fucking soft and sweet to me. Like the hat I knitted you. With the pom pom. And you know what?”
“What?” I heard myself murmur?
The abyss in my chest said, “Yeah, what?”
“Well, one the fucking pom pom has a beacon so I knew where you were the whole fucking time you sap. So I can tell you this true. And I will. So here I am in fucking Mexico sweating my tits off. And I am telling you this," she said nodding at my cardio, "is a very good heart. And I am putting it back where it belongs.
There is nothing wrong with it and now nobody can hurt it again. And if you want to write a book now you have something, and someone,” she added with a wry smile, “to write about.”
Then lightning quick Maggie put it back in my chest and removing her hand made a quick flourish gesturing for the waitress.
“Botella de tequila, por favor!”
I looked down at my chest. Everything seemed to be the way it had been before she ripped out my heart. Only different.
I was about to speak. Maggie raised a hand.
The waitress appeared like a wraith and put down a bottle of Don Julio and two fresh shot glasses and two cold ones.
Maggie poured two shots and pushed one at me with the hand that had been holding my cardio captive. She then fished around in her pocket and found her phone.
“What the fuck, right," that's what your thinking, Spenser. Yeah, what the fuck is right. Look at this baby boy,” she said and then pushed her phone next to the shot glass.
I was looking at what appeared to be a bank balance that appeared ready, willing and able to face fuck an extraordinarily tall giraffe. I felt the migraine disappear like a bad dream.
Maggie gave me a wry smile.
She pushed the shot glass closer to me and picked hers up. I felt my elbow bending. It felt okay.
She tilted her shot at me and said, "Here's looking at you, kid," and took the shot. I drank mine.
We put our glasses down.
“You can negotiate anything," she said, then added, "sincerely.”
And then, then she kissed me.
Oh say you'll be mine
Oo-eee, oo-eee-oo, ooi-ooi-ooo
Sincerely

If you want to learn to code, I've released 2,000 free sign ups for my course following my Automate the Boring Stuff with Python book (each has 1,000 sign ups, use the other one if one is sold out):
https://udemy.com/course/automate/?couponCode=JUN2023FREE
https://udemy.com/course/automate/?couponCode=JUN2023FREE2
Udemy has changed their promo code and severely limited the number of sign ups I can provide each month, so only sign up if you are reasonably certain you can eventually finish the course. The first 15 of the course's 50 videos are free on YouTube if you want to preview them.
YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THE VIDEOS WITHOUT SIGNING UP FOR THE COURSE. All of the videos on the course webpage have "preview" turned on. Scroll down to find and click "Expand All Sections" and then click the preview link. You won't have access to the forums and other materials, but you can watch the videos.
NOTE: Be sure to BUY the course for $0, and not sign up for Udemy's subscription plan. The subscription plan is free for the first seven days and then they charge you. It's selected by default. If you are on a laptop and can't click the BUY checkbox, try shrinking the browser window. Some have reported it works in mobile view.
Sometimes it takes an hour or so for the code to become active just after I create it, so if it doesn't work, go ahead and try again a while later.
Some people in India and South Africa get a "The coupon has exceeded it's maximum possible redemptions" error message. Udemy advises that you contact their support if you have difficulty applying coupon codes, so click here to go to the contact form. If you have a VPN service, try to sign up from a North American or European proxy.
I'm also working on another Udemy course that follows my recent book "Beyond the Basic Stuff with Python". So far I have the first 15 of the planned 56 videos done. You can watch them for free on YouTube.
Side note: My latest book, Python Programming Exercises Gently Explained is a set of 42 programming exercises for beginners for free or as a 99 cent ebook.
Frequently Asked Questions: (read this before posting questions)

• This course is for beginners and assumes no previous programming experience, but the second half is useful for experienced programmers who want to learn about various third-party Python modules.
• If you don't have time to take the course now, that's fine. Signing up gives you lifetime access so you can work on it at your own pace.
• This Udemy course covers roughly the same content as the 1st edition book (the book has a little bit more, but all the basics are covered in the online course), which you can read for free online at https://inventwithpython.com
• The 2nd edition of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is free online: https://automatetheboringstuff.com/2e/
• I do plan on updating the Udemy course for the second edition, but it'll take a while because I have other book projects I'm working on. If you sign up for this Udemy course, you'll get the updated content automatically once I finish it. It won't be a separate course.
• It's totally fine to start on the first edition and then read the second edition later. I'll be writing a blog post to guide first edition readers to the parts of the second edition they should read.
• I wrote a blog post to cover what's new in the second edition
• You're not too old to learn to code. You don't need to be "good at math" to be good at coding.
• Signing up is the first step. Actually finishing the course is the next. :) There are several ways to get/stay motivated. I suggest getting a "gym buddy" to learn with. Check out /ProgrammingBuddies

If you want to learn to code, I've released 2,000 free sign ups for my course following my Automate the Boring Stuff with Python book (each has 1,000 sign ups, use the other one if one is sold out):
https://udemy.com/course/automate/?couponCode=JUN2023FREE
https://udemy.com/course/automate/?couponCode=JUN2023FREE2
Udemy has changed their promo code and severely limited the number of sign ups I can provide each month, so only sign up if you are reasonably certain you can eventually finish the course. The first 15 of the course's 50 videos are free on YouTube if you want to preview them.
YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THE VIDEOS WITHOUT SIGNING UP FOR THE COURSE. All of the videos on the course webpage have "preview" turned on. Scroll down to find and click "Expand All Sections" and then click the preview link. You won't have access to the forums and other materials, but you can watch the videos.
NOTE: Be sure to BUY the course for $0, and not sign up for Udemy's subscription plan. The subscription plan is free for the first seven days and then they charge you. It's selected by default. If you are on a laptop and can't click the BUY checkbox, try shrinking the browser window. Some have reported it works in mobile view.
Sometimes it takes an hour or so for the code to become active just after I create it, so if it doesn't work, go ahead and try again a while later.
Some people in India and South Africa get a "The coupon has exceeded it's maximum possible redemptions" error message. Udemy advises that you contact their support if you have difficulty applying coupon codes, so click here to go to the contact form. If you have a VPN service, try to sign up from a North American or European proxy.
I'm also working on another Udemy course that follows my recent book "Beyond the Basic Stuff with Python". So far I have the first 15 of the planned 56 videos done. You can watch them for free on YouTube.
Side note: My latest book, Python Programming Exercises Gently Explained is a set of 42 programming exercises for beginners for free or as a 99 cent ebook.
Frequently Asked Questions: (read this before posting questions)

• This course is for beginners and assumes no previous programming experience, but the second half is useful for experienced programmers who want to learn about various third-party Python modules.
• If you don't have time to take the course now, that's fine. Signing up gives you lifetime access so you can work on it at your own pace.
• This Udemy course covers roughly the same content as the 1st edition book (the book has a little bit more, but all the basics are covered in the online course), which you can read for free online at https://inventwithpython.com
• The 2nd edition of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is free online: https://automatetheboringstuff.com/2e/
• I do plan on updating the Udemy course for the second edition, but it'll take a while because I have other book projects I'm working on. If you sign up for this Udemy course, you'll get the updated content automatically once I finish it. It won't be a separate course.
• It's totally fine to start on the first edition and then read the second edition later. I'll be writing a blog post to guide first edition readers to the parts of the second edition they should read.
• I wrote a blog post to cover what's new in the second edition
• You're not too old to learn to code. You don't need to be "good at math" to be good at coding.
• Signing up is the first step. Actually finishing the course is the next. :) There are several ways to get/stay motivated. I suggest getting a "gym buddy" to learn with. Check out /ProgrammingBuddies

So I’m someone who goes to conventions a lot and when I go I usually make little gift bags and stuff that relate to my character to give out to other people in my character’s fandom or just people I think look really cool. Next con I’m planning on going as Luo Binghe and I was gonna make bags themed with Shen Qingqiu and him! I already have an idea for the most part, green (SQQ) and red (LBH) gift bags with SVSSS stickers, a SVSSS pin, a random favorite quote from the book series, and some charms that related to the character. The charms I decided on for SQQ was a handheld fan and a cucumber, but when I started thinking about LBH I couldn’t come up with anything— Does anyone have any general ideas for character items or something that relates to him? I’ve been thinking since yesterday and I couldn’t come up with anything I’m 100% certain about and I feel dumb 😭👎
//wasn’t sure what to tag this as so hopefully that’s ok ack

We booked flights to England through American Airlines but the flights are all on British Airways. Which mobile app should we use and where should we plan to check in at the airport? I have the AA app on my phone and it has the tickets. I just wasn't sure how this would work once we get to the UK if there are any changes etc. Thanks for anyone who may have experience with this.

Hi! We are raising money for our very sick cat so I'm trying to sell some of my books to the good people of Astoria. (We also have a GoFundMe for him here if anyone is so inclined.)
Delivery or pickup! I'm thinking $6 for each of the hardcovers and $4 for the paperbacks. Happy to give a 20% discount to anyone who buys more than 5, and willing to go even higher for people who buy more than that.
HARDCOVERS

• Hunger by Roxane Gay
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• You've Been Played by Adrian Hon
• Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen
• The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
• This Is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan
• Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
• Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
• All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership by Darcy Lockman
• We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Endless Forms: The Secret World of Wasps by Seirian Summer

PAPERBACKS

• A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
• Food Rules by Michael Pollan
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal
• American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• The Plague by Albert Camus
• The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone's Well-Being by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
• Hysterical: Why We Need to Talk About Women, Hormones, and Mental Health by Eleanor Morgan
• The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace
• The Peacock Feast by Lisa Gornick
• Little Constructions by Anna Burns
• An Indigenous People's History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
• Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

The books are all in good-to-excellent condition. The hardcovers in particular are in great shape. Most have been purchased within the last few years and read only once or not at all. I have included some pictures of them but happy to send more if anyone has questions about a specific book.
I can legit deliver these books to you and will take cash or Venmo. No idea if this will work but willing to do anything for our boy! Please reach out if anything catches your eye.
ETA: I should note that I can only deliver if it's within walking distance of 36 St/28 Ave (so basically Astoria/LIC/Woodside). I don't have an unlimited Metrocard so using public transit wouldn't really be cost-effective unfortunately. But I love to walk and am happy to walk to you if possible!

Major spoilers for HBOs "Succession", obviously. Also if you have any interest in this show, like any at all, please don't read this rant, it will definitely ruin part of the experience for you. Also, this should be fairly obvious based on the overwhelmingly positive reception its received both my critics and audiences, this is a really good fucking show, with some of the best acting, dialogue and music (holy shit the music) I've ever seen on television. It is a family drama following 3 children battling for control of their aging fathers media conglomerate (with the crown jewel being the equivalent of fox news), with the central question the series posses being who will succeed the fathefounder, and everyone involved happens to be a raging narcissist.
That being said Succession seems to have suffered a fate most IPs do when they become popular; fan discourse surrounding it devolves into unfunny memes, tribalistic stan wars, and a complete misunderstanding the story and characters and the themes they are communicating, with the succession subreddit sorta being a perfect storm for all of this nonsense. I'm really not trying to sound pretentious here or flex my flawless media literacy it whatever, but I seriously don't understand how one can watch 4 seasons of this show and think a Roy kid was gonna win the company in the end.
None of the three main kids, who the story is largely told from the perspective of, are component, or in the words of their father, "serious" people and the show makes this obvious. Kendall, the eldest boy (sorry Connor you're irrelevant), has worked at the company and at the beginning of the series is seemingly positioned as the obvious choice to succeed his father, but he suffers from addiction issues and lacks the sense of business initiative or ruthlessness his father wants. The second boy, Roman, who was the biggest victim of the fathers abusive tendencies, is basically a manchild, prone to emotional outbursts, a sexual deviant, and basically needs to be ordered around, making him the most loyal to the father but also his least favourite, and is never really taken seriously as a legitimate successor by anyone.
Finally there is Shiv, the daughter, and oh boy where to even start here. The discourse surrounding this character could frankly get a rant of its own, but the jist of it is Shiv laughs at the common trope in modern media of the women always being the smartest in the room. While she is seemingly more articulate and book smart than her brothers, she is comically entitled, inexperienced and power hungry, but completely overestimates her own intelligence time after time that more or less leads to her taking L after L after L, humiliation after humiliation and you can't even feel bad because the character is given almost no redeeming qualities. Despite having no experience at the company or in the business world, she feels entitled to be CEO of one of Americas largest corporations and even rejects her fathers proposal of a 3-5 year fast track working in the company to prepare her for the role. She decries misogyny and the corporations enabling of reactionary right wing politics, but intimidates sexual assault victims, tries to get another women fired for being sexually harassed by her brother (Roman), and immediately U-turns on her opposition to a pseudo-fascist president the moment she realizes it could help her gain power in the company. She marries Tom, a man she considers weak and servile for the purpose of controlling him, cheating on him, proposing an open relationship the night after they get married, yet still ends up getting fucked over by him multiple times. She has no values, fails at everything, is cruel, smug and condescending to everyone around her (and the actress absolutely nails it!), so no, this absolutely is not another Skylar White situation, lol.
Oh and guess who does end up being CEO in the end? Tom, though admittedly he is more or less a puppet/pain sponge to the Swedish Techbro who ends up buying out the company. Thats the thing cool thing about succession, the concepts of "winning and losing" are hysterically warped. The kids "lose" while gaining a billion dollar cashout, because they were so comically rich to begin with money didn't even matter. There's even fourth kid who doesn't involve himself in the company at all who pretty much just lives a life of leisure and luxury off the money he was born into without bothering with work at all. The company mattered to them because it meant succeeding their father, symbolic of his favouritism, which they all desperately wanted. The Dad (Logan) however, a raging abusive narcissist himself, probably the morally most despicable character in the series even, was always disappointed with his children, jealous of them even for the comfortable upbringing he provided them with compared to one of hardship and suffering he experienced, and thus encouraged them to backstab and compete with each other in hopes they'd finally become someone he was proud of. Logan dies early into season 4, simply succumbing to his age and fragility on a plane, and even catches an L from beyond the grave as his kids end up losing ATN (fox news equivalent) to the swedish tech bro (which was not part of the original acquisition detail Logan had agreed to) and thus the propaganda arm of the American right is effectively controlled by a foreigner.
The series ends with the three kids making one final play to stop the company being sold to the tech bro in the shareholder board meeting, of which they are all members of. Shiv was originally working with the Tech Bro under the faulty assumption that he would make her the puppet CEO, but like everyone else he doesn't take her seriously and plays her like a fiddle. When she finds out about this the night before the acquisition is to be voted on, she defects to her brothers side and they all agree to make Kendall CEO. During the shareholder meeting however, Shiv becomes the tie breaking vote and gets cold feet, triggered by Kendall already acting like a arrogant, unprofessional frat guy, resulting in an absolutely hysterical sequence where the siblings argue and even fight like literal children in front of the entire company and ends with Shiv signing over the control of the company to the TechBro and Tom being named as the new CEO. Roman seems to have the "happiest" ending of the three, seemingly finally gaining clarity to how pointless this all was. Shiv (who is pregnant with Toms child), returns to his side in a nasty role reversal of the power dynamics of their relationship, with the implication being she'll end up a housewife/mother, a seemingly brutal fate to a women of her ambition. Kendall gets easily the most crushing blow, estranged from his family, betrayed by his siblings, his only company being a security guard who watches him to ensure he doesn't commit suicide. Some people loved this ending, some people hated it, but a concerning amount of people either didn't seem to coming or "doesn't think it makes sense". I really question if these people were watching the same show for the past 5 years because this was a predictable, heavily forshadowed conclusion.
Succession is heavily inspired by Shakespeares King Lear, a story in which 3 children fight (and eventually die) for control of their aging fathers kingdom. There are multiple cases of direct dialogue references to quotes from this play in the show, but even if you missed this, the entire show constantly and repeatedly hammers home the fact that the 3 main characters are incompetent nepobabies, with their flaws being explicitly spelled out numerous times, often by their own father or even each other. Yet a good portion of the audience seemed to think or hope that this story was going to end with one of siblings (usually Kendall or Roman, most people didn't seem to take Shiv seriously) finally becoming the "killer" their father wanted and taking over the company, and of course this people were really mad when this didn't happen. There were numerous instances throughout the show of characters making dumb mistakes which the audience then interpreted as moments of triumph, like when Roman ends up getting ATN included as part of the tech bros acquisition of the company. Hell the night before the acquisition vote the kids are fucking around acting like children as if they have already won, just further demonstrating how immature and unserious they are. Really a lot of discourse surrounding the show devolved into "who is worse" or "who deserves it more" kinda like a game of thrones (with the question of "who wins the throne" also not being the point of the book series at least, the dumb hack writers decided to go in that direction in the end), with endless discourse arguing whether Shiv was a worse person than Kendall or not, or if Roman secretly was a business bro god who was gonna rise from his fathers shadow or whatever, and little discussion of the actual themes of the show regarding the impacts of generational wealth and the cycle of abuse. I originally started using reddit as a way to find communities revolving around media I had consumed and how other people had interpreted this content, but it seems that this sorta discourse is increasingly polluted by toxic stan culture, shitty memes, and people looking to use media as an excuse to argue about culture war shit.
Tl:Dr: The succession fanbase are not serious people

Hi guys,
we are tourists from Germany. Wanted to rent a second car to explore your beautiful country. Just wanted to share what I think was a pretty bad experience with car rentals in this case with sixt car rental.
Usually, I rent a car at the spot (in Italy or Spain) this way we don‘t have to pay to car rental sites commission and the rental service providers give us some discounts,
When we arrived at the airport the lady quoted us a price of more than 400 euros (almost double what you could find on booking or rentalcars. When we asked why the price was so high she stated us a ridiculously high insurance rate. When we showed her the price on the website she told us that it is very likely going to be canceled anyway so we shouldn‘t bother with booking there.
Well, since we didn‘t want to get scammed by their high insurance rate we booked through booking and proceeded.
After booking through the website we showed the verification code at the counter. The guy there straight away told us we will have to wait for some hours until the car is ready (mind you: others that bought their expensive insurance could pick up the car straight away)
Now after we arrived after three hours once again at the airport the real fun began: she would not accept any of my credit cards. At that time I had three (two physical and one digital)
Each time there was a different reason (spoiler: All of them are working with credit limit/deposit of more than 2k euros)
first visa card with my name: declined since it‘s not a „real“ credit card. The card was fully functional with credit limit. Looking at the visa logo she tells me it‘s not a credit card since it has an iban.
second card: visa gold card. Used by me all the time without trouble. Again not a real credit card from her perspective since it has the visa type account written on it.
Third card mastercard. Not real because it‘s digital. At this point we waited more than three hours just to basically get told I used unreal credit cards my whole life in Germany.
Now, how are we supposed to cancel the booking reservation? Sixt at the airport cannot do anything since booking is an agency. So we contact booking support line. Shitty phone connection to a call center somewhere in India. More than an hour phoning. Booking policy: We need to rebook another car for the one to get canceled. Also they need to contact sixt to find out what happened.
Sixt employees refused to talk to booking employee to explain why they declined the credit card. They were too busy.
Luckily, I had a guy on the phone after the second try that was actually able to provide a full refund. But after we finished with all this a whole vacation day was wasted.
Tldr: Tried to rent a car, but scammy sixt center, really wants to sell their overpriced insurance. Result: vacation day wasted without renting a car:(

There are a few factors that have led me to start thinking a little bit differently about my approach to travel.
I've been lucky enough to do some fantastic travel over the past decade+. I've covered good chunks of 30+ countries on 4 continents. For these trips, I've mostly focused on "seeing the highlights." I feel like I've seen a lifetime of gorgeous churches/temples, ancient ruins, stunning vistas, white sand beaches, etc... I've eaten and drank my heart out. I've made intriguing (if transient) connections with travelers and locals. I guess this sounds a little like bragging, but there's a point.
My most recent trip was to Indonesia. My wife and I had two weeks, which is probably the most we'll ever have for a vacation again until we retire (thanks to American work culture). We did about a week of "highlights" in Bali, which was honestly underwhelming. I could see the potential charm of the temples and waterfalls and beaches, but it didn't really have any novelty to me. It could have been Tulum or Thailand or Sri Lanka or Crete or any number of places I've already been.
But then, we spent 4 days on a scuba diving liveaboard boat in Komodo National Park. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life. It brought back all the joy and beauty of traveling and seeing the world with fresh eyes. It's already a memory that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. When I think about why it was so memorable, it seems like it was because it's just a thing that can't be replicated anywhere else in the world. Like eating the world's most delicious $1 bowl of noodles on a little plastic stool in a little town in the Mekong Delta. Or sailing a Hobie Cat solo around the North Sound of Virgin Gorda. Or rock climbing in Smith Rock, Oregon, or wine tasting in Franschhoek, or waking up early and having the gardens of Versailles to myself, or seeing lion cubs in Masai Mara.
Again, this sounds like bragging. I've been spoiled in two meanings of the word; the world has indulged me with beauty beyond anything I deserve, and my future enjoyment of travel has been somewhat blunted by my wealth of experiences. So it was with some trepidation that I just booked insanely cheap award flights to New Zealand (thanks delta). It was too good of a deal to pass up. But as I start to look into the "highlights" tour of New Zealand, I can't help but feel a sense of deja vu and ennui (pardon my French).
So what's the solution? Vow to staycation until I build up the urge to travel again? Maybe, but life is short, and family and career may limit my travel options in the very near future. Not to mention unexpected obstacles like pandemics, climate catastrophes, political upheaval, and my own health and fitness. Instead, I think I will try to chase that one thing, that irreplicatable experience that defines a certain point on the globe, and seek that out in every new place I go. Let's see if that approach works.
My question for you all is, how have you gotten over travel fatigue? That sense of dejennui? (Okay, I will work on my portmanteaus.) Has the focus of your travels changed with experience? And, selfishly, and specific recommendations for quintessential New Zealand adventures that can't be found anywhere else in the world?
TL;DR: I guess this is just another post about travel boredom and I'm looking for New Zealand recs.

Sorry everyone for not posting yesterday, It was my brothers graduation! Congrats to him and everyone else who graduated this year!
I decided I’m not going to be posting on Saturdays and Sundays anymore so that people can catch up on days that they missed
So last post everyone was saying how in the Kira broadcast L was in the K and I actually never noticed that I noticed while reading this chapter it’s kind of like rubbing salt into a wound to L it’s kinda funny
Sorichiro driving the bus into Sakura TV studio is so cool it’s something nobody would do just because you’re driving into a building and what makes it even more cool is that he left the hospital! he was in the hospital and he left to drive a bus into a tv station. Sorichiro is one cool dude.
L why do you have your thumb in your mouth bro?? Oh wait maybe it’s because you’re licking all the chocolate off your fingers
Aizawa is probably feeling pretty useless he wanted to go to help Ukita but L stopped him then Sorichiro goes in and saves the day
Really the security guard is the reason why Ukita died if it wasn’t for him doing 🙅🏻‍♂️ to him he would be alive
When Sorichiro drives the bus into the studio Ukitas body is gone from the scene does that mean Sorichiro drove over him or what
Demegawa looks more chubby in the book haha
The only reason why they’re playing the Kira videos and aren’t stopping is because they don’t want to die
Ok ok I know I keep saying this but Sorichiro has so much facial expression compared to Demegawa just look on page 538 and 539 they’re faces are side by side and they did Demegawa dirty on that one
It was a good idea to make copies of the videos but too bad Sorichiro was smart enough to know he could have made copies he didn’t have to pull a gun out but I do feel it was necessary for this situation
Sorichiro thinks L is crazy when he tells him to walk out the front which he probably is but he didn’t know L had a plan
Sorichiros look of surprise in his face when he saw what was outside just adds to my point of his character design
L and Deputy Chief Kitamura’s plan was so good Sorichiro thought L was crazy
Matsuda caring for Sorichiro ahh I love Matsuda so much
Aizawa telling L that he knows people down in forensics I don’t remember the user I don’t even know if he reads my book club posts but do you think Everett (The guys OC) and Aizawa know each other that would be cool if you could confirm that
In the show they ask L if he stayed up all night watching the videos but in the book he didn’t just something I noticed
The last panel Light has the Kira smile going on and Ryuk, well he’s just being his old self
That’s all for today tune in next time aka tomorrow for your almost daily dose of book club
Bonus game! Guess the character from this quote
Dead women tell no tales.

Alright I'm not gonna exaggerate and make my fiancee sound like she's legit trying to be a manly man-girl. She does work out, she has some muscles, but not Arnold Schwarzenegger muscles, she likes to wear hoodies when cold, Calvin Klein sports bra/tanktop when hot, and she is taller than me, almost towers my dad. But she has long dark hair, looks beautiful in whatever dress she wears. She is still a lady. And always will be. With that being said, whenever she gets angry Belle becomes Beast. I don't want you guys to think I'm constantly being harrassed or bullied like some soap opera but on occasions there times you come across someone who just feels tearing you down for mo other reason except, they fucking felt like it. I think I may have told this story in comments but here's a recap. Fiancee and I went to the gym, and because I don't exercise that often I just stick treadmill, planks, and spot my girl when she's lifting weights. Anyway, I'm on the treadmill listening to a video when a girl who looked like she just came from a Concentration Camp (no disrespect intended I'm just emphasizing how skinny this girl was if you still have a problem with it let me know and I'll edit it I mean no disrespect) some anorexic chick comes up to the treadmill, leans against it and attempts to make small talk with me. I say hi, trying to be polite as I could even though I couldn't really hear because I had my headphones on. Then I see my girl confronting her, this serious look on her face, the skinny girl backing away like she had a gun infront of her then ran out the building. Apparently the girl was trying to flirt with me and not only is it against the rules at the gym to flirt(applies to guys and girls) but I'm my girl's man. No one should be flirting with me unless they are immune to being bashed in the head lol. So here's another story, this was last year so she was still just my girlfriend before we got engaged so just know I'm mentioning the same significant other. My girlfriend and I are getting ready to get on a plane to Florida, we were going to visit Weeki Waaci (a mermaid water park) then DisneyWorld because it was a rough week, we, or I needed a vacation. We're walking through the airport, once again we're dealing with who should carry the luggage. Most of it is our clothes. The other suitcase has personal stuff like her business laptop, books. And my Cheshire Cat themed bag she got me for my birthday with a couple of notebooks and my phone, charger cord, headphones. This isn't a legit full blown argument but it usually consists of her being, "No, honeybunny, only I should carry the stuff, you just bring your beautiful face"(She would say the loving yet cheesiest shit ever lol) and me going, "Babe it's not for you to carry everything, let me carry something otherwise I feel like an asshole." "Nope. I will not put my little prince through such labor" "Can I at least carry my Cheshire Cat bag. Its light." "Actually hon can you carry the Chesire Cat bag?" "If you insist babygirl." Y'all probably thinking "You're exaggerating because this is the rolereversal subreddit" but I'm not lol. This legit what I experience 24/7 with this goofball. God I love her. Anyway so we arrive at our gate. We have at least one hour before we board so we have time to sit and chill. I am very uneasy on flights so I take an advil and tylenol pill(half of a tylenol because I don't wanna be drowsy) so it'll calm my nerves. My girlfriend grabs me tea from a nearby McDonald's, sit me on her lap, I swallow them down and so we kill an hour snuggling on the seat. "Flight blah blah bloo to Orlando Florida now boarding". We get our stuff ready, girlfriend hands me my ticket, window seat😁, and we get in line. So we're just standing around waiting for our turn, when this dude (I gave him the name, Mr. Obnoxious Cougher)stands next to us and he starts coughing. I understand that we have the vaccine now so the idea of maybe getting stick shouldn't be as risky as it would've been back in 2020. But guys, please understand, we are taught in kindergarten to cover your mouth when your body releases bodily fluids like salvia or snot. Its fucking common curtsey. This 40 something year old is coughing like he's auditioning for "Cough The Musical". He is just doing the complete most. I start distancing myself from him but, and I shit you not, he came closer. "What the hell?" It went from a dude having a genuine respiratory issue to doing it on purpose to be obnoxious. He looks forty but hes standing there with his mouth open, coughing like a two year old. So my girlfriend and I just chatting trying to ignore him. I noticed a dude ahead of us with these sweet look shoes. They were Nikes, black bottom, and metallic top. They looked sick. "Hey do you think you could get me those?" "Yeah babe just remind me later" "Yeah yeah. Damn they look beautiful." Suddenly as if I feel like something had sprayed windex in my direction this guy starts coughing in my face. I was freaking livid. "Yo what the fuck?" "Oh sorry." He was standing little inches away from me and coughing right into my face. I actually began to angry cry(you know when you get so mad tears start falling but you're not necessarily sobbing) a millisecond later my girlfriend rushes at Mr. Cougher and actually pins him to the wall, her arm squeezing his throat. She's shouting loud enough for everyone to hear. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING YOU DISGUSTING PIECE OF COW FODDER?!" "S-s-sorry I'm ha-ha-having trouble breath-" "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF YOU'RE CHOKING ON YOUR BLOOD! COVER YOUR MOUTH! YOU DON'T COUGH ON NOBODY LIKE SOMR DAMN 2 YEAR OLD!!" I'm just standing there, wiping my face, almost no reaction while everyone else is like😮😲😬😳 "IF YOU EVER DO THAT CRAP AGAIN, YOU BETTER PRAY TO CHRIST YOU'RE NOT ON THE SAME FLIGHT OR I WILL BREAK YOUR NECK!!" She let's him go as his face starting to turn blue then returned to her place in line beside me. But not before giving the dude a nice knee to the crotch sending him down to the floor. Yeah, she does have a real short temper and was once attending anger management classes before she and I met. But she never gets angry at me because I'm the prince in the relationship. That and I'm fairly easy going so we don't have so different of opinions that we'd get into an argument (Yes I'm aware that its healty to have arguments we are our own person, different perspectives and ideas, I'm just saying I'm not the type of person who is eager to convince everyone that their way deserves more of a look into)unless you count the luggage lol. The only time I remember her being actually irritated with me is one time we went shopping and I would constantly let go of her hand just to rile her up. But thats a story for another time. For those who go to airports you know how the separate lines, right, "Now boarding line 1-5, now boarding line 1-5." We're in line 5-9 they now announce our line and we board our plane. My girl has a very successful career so I've only flown first class since having this girl in my life, hell yeah. So we get to our seat, I managed to snatch her carry on bags, and with speed lifted them into the cabinets above our seats before she was able to react. I had a look of triumph on my face as I took my seat near the window, meanwhile she had a slightly annoyed look on her face. Guess I have a lot to learn about being a little prince lol. So we get comfortable, we fasten our seatbelts and await for the plane to fill up. The armtray between our seats is moveable, so my girlfriend lifted it and put her arm around me as she usually does incase there are times I get anxious and need a snuggle. I nuzzled into chest, her arms wrapped around me and whispered, "My hero." since earlier and rewarded my maiden in shining armor with a kiss. The plane fills up and we're basically ready to get this bird across the runway. Until we see a stewardess and a familiar face beside her, its Mr. Obnoxious Cougher. "Attention passengers, our flight is full and we're look for volunteers who would willingly give up their seats and be bumped for a later flight for 200 dollars" Ironic enough we were flying American Airlines. If this was Spirits I'd wind up like that doctor. No one moved. In general my girlfriend and I wouldn't be the first people to give up seats because why ruin our trip because of someone else's problems. But because of what happened earlier with this person, there was no pity in my eyes. I was just chilling, enjoying snuggling with my girlfriend, but something told me that she was looking at the dude with fire in her eyes. It was unanimous that no one was moving so the stewardess had to escort Cougher out. Everyone could literally hear him throwing an absolute tantrum as he walked back down to terminal. He was swearing and screaming just running his mouth. It was quite amusing. The pilot went over the safety instructions, I turned on a inflight movie, and we relaxed as our flight got ready to take off. It wouldn't be the last time my girl had to bust some heads in order to make sure I was good and safe and God bless her for it. She's like my big sister, my best friend, girlfriend and now fiancee and I can't wait to spend time rest of my life with her.

WJLA (DC's ABC affiliate) has a dude named Rabbi Schneider - sporting payot and tallit - talking about how Jesus is the messiah, and quoting Christian bible books.
It's great to see LARPing has gone mainstream. But this makes about as much sense as watching a US Civil War reenactment in London

Stewart Lee has a great quote. "There are many TV shows about priests, but there is only one father Ted".
So why do you think that FT is so popular 25 years later? When you think about it FT is a weird and unique show. Like other than Ted, everyone (other than maybe the Bishop) is written as a parody characature deliberately neurotic and one dimensional. So Ted feels like an outsider in his own world yet without him the show falls apart. Unlike a lot of comedies FT makes not attempt to be in the real world. Like there are more priests than lay people. There is little attempt to parody real life everything is so cartoonishly OTT.
It's not a case of FT being uniquely Irish, the way that Karl May's books are uniquely German. FT is super popular in the UK, America Canada etc. While Karl May (say My) is unheard off outside of Germany despite being It's most popular author.
I think part of the secret is that Ted gets to be both old and young. Personality wise he's an old fuddie daddie but because he's celibate with no wife or kids and lives with people who are likewise. He has the responsibility free like of a student. So it's a 50 year old having dumb fueds with other priests like a high school class clown. And because he has no other real responsibilities he's free to indulge in his self seeking egotistical vanity projects, but we the audience root for him. But Ted's egoism still gets the better of him. As he can never navigate the insane world he lives in.
This is why I think it's weird when people comper FT to Derry Girls. They are nothing alike. DG takes place in the a version of the real world and the characters could all exist in real life. FT is deliberately surreal. Like the married couple that punch each other until Ted appears don't notice the bruises then they go back to punching when he is not looking. Like a weeping angle almost. To comper them is like compering Harry Potter to Sherlock Holmes just because they are both written by Scots and have mysteries. Plus the DG characters are all like ⅓ the age of Ted.

Don’t aim for happiness, aim for meaning. Happiness is fleeting. It is one flavor. Why would you want to restrict yourself to one flavor of anything? It limits your perspective. No, you are much too multi-dimensional for that. Most of us here will experience many more emotions than strictly happiness anyway, so we may as well make friends with the rainbow of our emotions.
Sorrow is the opposite of happiness. The beauty in sorrow is that it teaches us the true meaning of happiness that we might not otherwise fully understand or appreciate without it. The beauty is in the bittersweet.
You ever see a person take something for granted? They didn’t value what they truly had until it was gone? What would you say a person who takes something for granted needs? More ignorant, blind bliss or the temporary absence of it? What is the better teacher? This is an example of finding meaning.
On the subject, here are a couple of quotes from Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning that I think apply here:
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"In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.”
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts, comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.“
The strength that the human soul is capable of in the face of adversity is truly beautiful and inspiring. We always have more power in any given moment than we think we do.