I'm curious why you assume almost all were willing participants. I'm also concerned with the use of the word "coerced".

The promise of good money doesn't ensure willingness, and just because workers are "street level" doesn't mean they aren't being exploited.

Depending on the company, you often have the option of either a group or a private cremation. Group cremation is what you described, but private cremation ensures you only get your pet's ashes returned. The company my vet uses even offers the option for you to be present and view the cremation.

I used to work in veterinary medicine, and there are plenty of vaccine conspiracies in the pet owning community. They cause everything from seizures, to allergies, to autoimmune diseases, and more, according to some of these people. Breeders are a huge contributor to this, which leads to plenty of arguments with vets and pets running around unvaccinated.

It's expensive to get litters of puppies vaccinated, and whackadoodle (I used "doodle" for a reason) theories are a great cover for why you are sending home a puppy with zero medical history outside of hand written worming dates. Unfortunately, it's harder to educate people when it's way cheaper to believe bullshit.

God's perfect killing machine is the pinnacle of cat "breeds". It's heartbreaking seeing people do to cats what we've done to dogs with selective breeding for purely cosmetic traits.

I am a huge hockey fan. Let's go, Predators!

Yes, the fights are fun for fans, but they happen for a reason. Hockey is fast-paced and dangerous. Highly skilled players are targeted, and it's not difficult to cheap shot a hit and put a valuable player on the injured reserve list. Enforcers are players whose main job is to bring a physical presence and protect their teammates. Fights most often happen as a response to a questionable hit. If you are the type of person who wants to rough up another player, you may think twice about it if that team has a big dude who will punch your face in for being dirty.

It's also a morale thing. Sometimes when a team is getting pounded and underperforming, a fight will ignite and inspire the rest of the team to continue that energy. Sometimes teams simply hate each other due to rivalry or history, and their players are more likely to take offense to something.

Love it or hate it, it is a cultural norm in the game. The NHL made moves years ago to try to phase it out, but it seems lately to have come back with a vengeance. I'd personally rather see fighting than cheap-shotting, as injuries very rarely result from a fight.

Plus, if you really hate a player, it's so satisfying seeing them get punched in the face.

I will admit I love introducing people to it, but I always preface it as the worst tasting liqueur for most people. I have a wonky palate, and I love bitter and herbal flavors. I have introduced it to some people who enjoy strong herbal flavors that hadn't heard of it and were pleasantly surprised.

I usually have a bottle of Malort at home, and I especially love it when my stomach is unsettled. I sip it neat or on the rocks.

Fun aside, it's also a great way to add some complexity and balance to an overly sweet sparkling wine. It has its place in making cocktails, but I get why most people don't like it.

I saw the South Park Bigger, Longer, and Uncut movie in theaters as a kid. I lived in a small town adjacent to a small city, and there weren't many other people in the theater. During the scene where the boys are watching the Terrace and Phillip movie and the theater-goers walk out, so did everyone else in our real life theater. It was surreal. We had a great time watching the rest of the movie by ourselves.

Also, natural variations in ingredients are a thing.

For some people this works well. I am an introvert, and my alone time is necessary. Having a part of the day only for me is helpful. My partner feels the same way. Our schedules are mostly dictated by work, so we sometimes move closer together schedule-wise on the weekends. It's a good balance for us, and we complement each other more because of it.

What a shame your mother missed her opportunity to experience it

I work in veterinary medicine, and it's alarming how many calls we get like this. Just last night a potential new client called saying their breeder told them Ragdoll cats can't get the rabies vaccine without later developing cancer. The client point-blank told us the breeder was more knowledgeable than our doctors. What do you even say that wouldn't get you fired?

"And the behaviour of the cat was somewhat peculiar. It was soon noticed that when there was work to be done the cat could never be found. She would vanish for hours on end, and then reappear at meal-times, or in the evening after work was over, as though nothing had happened. But she always made such excellent excuses , and purred so affectionately , that it was impossible not to believe in her good intentions."