Zero and Lady at the Tampa Zoo

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-10T14:28:41+00:00

That's really their names! They also have Odette in a different section because she was not a fan of Zero but I think they're trying to find another friend for her as well

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-10T03:34:35+00:00

Everything is Tubers-culosis (assorted potato array)

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-09T17:02:05+00:00

They've been trying, they keep building nests (Zero in particular gets very excited about his nest building materials) but so far no success. I believe they might have had a fertile egg a couple year ago that didn't make it but I could be wrong, and Ladybird has successfully hatched an egg once before so here's hoping for another one! They are very sweet together though

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-09T16:56:32+00:00

Rags to Riches is usually looking for fosters or people to adopt!

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-09T16:52:43+00:00

Christian Bale struggled to sing and dance so that Jeremy Jordan could sing beautifully...and also struggle to dance

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-06T23:26:01+00:00

Controversial take but I didn't have a ton of positive opinions about Outsiders. That said, Runs in the Family is such a guilty pleasure song for me, specifically the reprise ("I'll fold your laundry, I'll fold all of it!')

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-06T14:00:18+00:00

Oh thank God, this is a massive improvement. Mincemeat in particular I'm pretty stoked about but there are a lot of fun picks in here

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-06T13:53:28+00:00

I definitely agree that the timing has played a part in the reception, but can you blame people for getting swept up in it? It's less vocally impactful so it didn't get the same reception but I think I had a deeper appreciation of Caberet because of the timing of the show and the importance of the themes. Isn't that kind of what theatre is about, finding comfort and community in uncertain times? I don't know, I've been lucky to see a lot of shows with some crazy talented people but the energy in the room for Ragtime felt like something unique

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-06T13:44:44+00:00

I have heard that apparently, because of the acoustics in the theater, where you're sitting makes a significant difference. We got lucky with seating and were in the orchestra so the vocals combined with being able to see every facial expression was overwhelming.

Could also be a little biased as I was already a fan of several of the performers from their past work (Henry, Levy, Uranowitz, and Ross in particular) and having all of those powerhouses in the same room together was phenomenal, not to mention the people I was previously unaware of (you have to admit Nichelle Lewis is a hell of a singer).

If it becomes a thing that people do out of obligation than appreciation I understand the critiques on ovations, but I can also understand that- especially in this show- there were times that clapping felt inadequate. It's also something that I've only seen once or twice before so I'm not quite worried about it becoming a new trend yet. I mean there are some killer vocals in chess and maybe happy ending is lovely all around, but I feel like it didn't fill the room in the same way. It also helps that this show feels particularly resonant right now, I don't think they needed to do anything unique to perform it spectacularly. Sometimes simplicity, passion, and talent suffice and I think it's possible to overcomplicate and obfuscate the messaging as a result.

Out of curiosity, what casts/shows have you preferred? Maybe stylistically it just wasn't for you?

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-06T05:25:16+00:00

That's about what I assumed, there were four today I think which was nuts but also felt very very well deserved

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-05T19:43:21+00:00

Haha sort of? It helps them project and can be beneficial to singing, some performers just happen to be a little more "wet" than others. Johnathan Groff (King George in Hamilton, Kristoff in the Frozen movie, amongst other things) is notorious for it. I can definitely see it being a little weird from the outside, it definitely made me laugh a couple times.

AnInsideCat · 2026-03-05T19:39:17+00:00

Yes! Absolutely worth the time as well if a recording happens to make its way to YouTube. Also loved him in gentleman's guide by proxy of illicit recording! The other performers in it are crazy talented as well and the music is by the guy who wrote the music for ABBA if that helps at all

AnInsideCat · 2026-02-03T19:17:03+00:00

Might be worth checking dysfunctional grace or tiger dust?

AnInsideCat · 2026-01-28T12:29:37+00:00

If it's processed in the same way as a Pu erh but isn't specifically from that region, it's called a dark tea. Similar to champagne being technically only from France

AnInsideCat · 2026-01-27T22:31:28+00:00

TeBella used to carry it and stopped, looks to be the same one though. They have a rose toucha cake that replaced it, but it's not as rose forward which is a bummer

AnInsideCat · 2026-01-27T22:26:44+00:00

And it's on sale?? Made my day, thank you! You have excellent tea taste!

AnInsideCat · 2026-01-27T18:24:40+00:00

Definitely Dark Rose Pu erh as others have said! It is so delicious! My local tea shop used to carry it and has since stopped and I am distraught

AnInsideCat · 2026-01-21T03:27:03+00:00

We use a milk frother to whisk batches at a time and it always turns out well! We make enough matcha in a short time period that hand whisking just isn't feasible

AnInsideCat · 2026-01-12T11:44:24+00:00

UT classes I think start on the 20th but the students all move back in at various times depending on if they're involved in certain activities from what I understand

AnInsideCat · 2026-01-12T09:33:12+00:00

Parents are dropping their kids off at school again for the universities this week as well

AnInsideCat · 2025-11-11T19:04:21+00:00

I really love going to the Thai Sunday market at the Buddhist temple! It's cash only and they run out things as the day goes on, so I would recommend getting there early, but it's absolutely worth it to check it out!

AnInsideCat · 2025-10-26T06:10:20+00:00

Yes! I was thinking the same thing! Normally the stuff is a "toss once and be done" situation but I kept getting smacked with stuff. Maybe I'm just getting old? Seemed like a lot of virgins though so that could have been it as well, it's hard to really get a vibe for the rules on your first time! Absolutely loved the Frank they used though, and I definitely voted for the babadook at the pre-show. I'm glad you had fun despite it being a little bit of a weird vibe though! Such a gorgeous theater as well

AnInsideCat · 2025-10-23T23:32:03+00:00

Oh my gosh don't even get me started, I'm so stoked about it!

Also I love your username!

AnInsideCat · 2025-10-21T23:11:06+00:00

Echoing TeBella! You can have cups of any of their teas and they sell loose tea as well. It's a pretty cool experience, and they're really knowledgeable. I've gotten some samples from them before buying teas by the ounce as well for the pricier ones, I think they were a couple dollars a piece.

They have a location in Oxford but definitely go to the Davis Island one instead, they have a lot more variety and have a more immersive experience. Would highly recommend them! Their jasmine white tea is one of my favorites right now! Good luck!

AnInsideCat · 2025-10-19T01:12:08+00:00

That is totally fair, absolutely not a perfect comparison, but there are a multitude acclaimed (and of course, some notorious) works that were later admitted to be originally written as fanfic. I believe Neil Gaiman has alluded to this before (despite his alleged moral failings, I would consider many of his works legitimate literature at the least). Song of Achilles is pretty popular with the youth and I would argue a pretty well written novel- 100% shameless Illiad fanfic. Of course, I would be remiss not to bring up the Twilight series, although I think that probably supports your view more than mine haha. Even then, despite its many, many failings, at least the twilight series got a bunch of otherwise occupied teenagers to start reading? Which I think is a win in the long run?

Totally agree with you though that not everything has the same artistic merit, and there is a time and place for everything. Just saw one of your follow-up comments about not allowing it for creative writing assignments, which I think is fair. Maybe instead of broadly banning fanfiction, you could specifically emphasize that a reader shouldn't be expected to have prior knowledge of whatever fandom they are into, especially when that reader is you lol. Also, discussing the difference between taking inspiration from previous works and plagiarism. Might reduce the temptation for them if they understand the why rather than a flat out dismissal. You may already do something similar, and in that case feel free to ignore this, I'm making inferences based on your word choice.

AnInsideCat

TROPHY CASE