-I watch Netflix with closed captioning on because I can't always understand what's being said. So I just realized that "cocks rifle" could mean two very, very different things, depending on which word is the verb and which word is the noun...

-Lyra and I saw Wicked this last weekend. The production was wonderful. I had some problems with the weird fluctuating sound levels but I don't know if that was the singers or the microphones. I am glad I saw it. It was a good experience. That being said, it was absolutely depressing. You get a lot more context watching the production than just listening to the soundtrack, and... nobody wins. Nobody gets a happy ending, not one single character. I'd go into detail but I don't want to give spoilers (for a show that's been going for years based on a book out for longer...). While I think most people left thinking, "Yay! Good show! Good singers!" I couldn't stop thinking about how *every character's story ended poorly*.

It's been too long since I read the book. I should really find it again.