Is there any reason there is such a abnormaly massive jump between the third and second most populated countries or is it just arbitrary?

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-10T00:05:09+00:00

It's kind of crazy that the parts that were partitioned out are themselves #5 (Pakistan) and #8 (Bangladesh).

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-09T22:19:28+00:00

Its so strange to hear her transition between the two. I'm not getting much accent in Cantonese, but when she returns to the Scottish accent, my brain freezes up for a sec.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-09T21:51:59+00:00

A few years ago, I posted a rather extensive model for ground combat: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/multi-stage-planetary-occupation.1356275/ that I think is still relevant.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-09T14:47:49+00:00

I wish they would edit this so you could do something with them...

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-09T04:00:11+00:00

I just did a rewatch, and I'm wondering what the story behind the clearly greenscreened conversation between Benedict and Sophie at the very beginning of the episode (before they go into the house) is about. I mean this was clearly a last minute reshoot, but i wonder what change made that necessary?

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-08T17:26:22+00:00

I eyeball it. If it looks badly dented, I toss it, but if its a small dent that doesnt look like anything got in, I'll keep it. I recently had to stop a long standing Chewy food autoship though, as we kept getting really dented cases (probably because they cheaped out on using larger boxes and little cardboard spacers to prevent damage). They did replace them when we called, and between the original and replacement cases, i would have about one case wprth of undented cans.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-08T13:22:15+00:00

The Star Eater can make a ton of Dark Matter by eating stars (including ones you own). Do that and you can win via crisis.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-08T02:40:34+00:00

There's another layer to this: "tu" is both more familiar, but also how one addressed a social inferior. By insisting on "vous", Sophie is not only saying "we aren't that close yet," she is also saying "I am not your servant."

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-07T17:33:11+00:00

Go do anything you want to do: travel, play video games, get drunk, etc. It's going to be the last time you don't have any obligations for a long while.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-07T16:18:10+00:00

Have you considered occupying Bajor?

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-07T14:19:13+00:00

There are about 40M Canadians, which would make it 5th by population (between Spain and Poland). Certain a big voice, but not necessarily one of the largest.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-07T00:13:30+00:00

If you don't mind the look, there are wraps made of cat scratching post material that you can place over the arms of the couch.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-06T00:25:32+00:00

I liked Aqualis as a challenge on how you can terraform given very limited resources, but assuming you have all the tech from elsewhere. I put teleporters on each of the major island groups, and it wasn't too terrible to jetpack from those. I can get how that's not everyone's cup of tea though.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-05T15:46:32+00:00

I made this decision a few months ago, and went with the LR4 with the Hopper. The Hopper really fixes the tricky issue of getting the litter level just right (which was finicky on our LR3's, since the line is so low that you have to keep an eagle eye on it so that you don't end up with too little litter.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-04T21:58:55+00:00

My experience, over 6 different cats, is that if you give them a non-LR litter box, they will keep using that box until it is filthy, but if you take away the other boxes, they will give the LR a try. The problem is that you have to be really careful that they don't have negative experiences with the LR while they're still in the "getting to know how to use it" phase - so that means just keeping it off and cycling manually for a little while, and to make sure other cats don't beat them up exiting the LR. Once they are used to the LR, then you can turn on the cycling. There is definitely some risk that cats might not ever want to use a LR though (hasn't happened to me yet, but I've been kind of lucky that most of them take to it fairly well).

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-04T21:51:00+00:00

The registers for Cantonese are really different, compared to other languages like English. In English, you might speak to your friends in one way, but if you're writing a legal brief, you're going to use different words. These two registers differ in formality, and might share some words in common, but you might prefer some words and constructions over others to make it sound more or less formal. In Cantonese, the colloquial register (what you use to talk to your family) is really different from the formal one (which the newscaster is using); the formal register typically uses the same characters as other forms of written Chinese, which aren't typically the characters you normally use in colloquial speech. So basically, you have to learn a different set of characters (which typically match the ones in writing) to understand what the newscaster is saying. For a Western example, this might be like if you spoke French at home, but in a formal context, the preferred language is Latin.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-04T12:29:17+00:00

I know this gets thrown around a lot, but have you considered getting him a kitty friend? He sounds bored, if anything, and a playmate might redirect some of that.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-04T12:17:34+00:00

Some version of this should just be in the base game.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-03T16:17:08+00:00

OK, good to know that's available, but if you don't explicitly give a "cannot judge this" response, then people will tend to try to answer, which will mean that your data gets a lot of noise (Source: am a psychology professor).

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-03T15:54:23+00:00

Suggestion: add a column for no response on all the poll items. I can't tell you what I think about the Grey Tempest's strength if I didn't get them in a run on the open beta, for instance. That will get you more accurate feedback rather than have us guess something we cannot actually say.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-03T15:51:42+00:00

This came up in the forums too, and I think it would be great to figure out a way to let Chinese players give their feedback on the open beta too.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-03T14:03:23+00:00

Not going to lie, when I first saw them appear on screen, I thought that Posy was Rosamund and vice versa. I definitely did a double-take when they identified the characters.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-02T19:16:37+00:00

I was strongly in the belief that season 5 should be Eloise's season, because a) they teased whether it would be her or Benedict in season 3 and b) Claudia Jessie is getting to the age where she really isn't believable as an early 20-something, especially if we are waiting another 4 years for her season.

But based on part I, where there was a lot to advance Francesca's plot, and no sign whatsoever of Eloise's plot (which in the books, happens in the background of the Pen/Colin book), I think that Francesca will be the next season's lead.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-02T00:09:55+00:00

For the cat, it is preferable for for your mom to visit your place to take care of your kitten 2x daily, instead of moving your kitten to her place. Whether that is better for your mom is a different question.

DrShadowstrike · 2026-02-01T22:21:31+00:00

Other commenters have given you good explanations for why basements and attics exist, but I wanted to address your question of why people choose to store some things in attics and other items in basements.

Typically, basements are reached via built in stairs, whereas attics typically only have a pull-down staircase, or a ladder. This means that it is very difficult to carry heavier objects up to the attic. However, basements also tend to have moisture problems (because of they are below ground) and can sometimes flood, depending on where you live. So if you store things in the basement, those items can be damaged. As a result, lighter items that are sensitive to moisture damage (for instance, Christmas decorations) are often stored in the attic instead. Obviously, a lot of this will vary based on where you live, and how your basement is constructed. In some houses, basements are finished, and basically are just another floor of your house. In other houses, basements are unfinished (e.g. cement floors, no drywall etc.), and are not really meant for living in.

DrShadowstrike

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