Wow, everyone talks about the freedom but forgets the brutal cost of health insurance! My freelancer friend pays over $700 a month for a bad plan. That's a huge hidden pay cut. OscarRoberts is right about losing the steady backup, but the safety net you lose is way bigger than just help on projects. A single medical issue without good company insurance can wipe out a year's freelance income. That constant money stress would kill the flexibility joy for me.

I always thought going straight to Mars was the move, but your ceiling mess actually changed my view. Testing on the moon first is just WAY smarter.

My utility company in Austin had a program that gave out motion sensors for like five bucks. You're spot on, @daniel_jones, about cities wanting to cut grid strain. I hooked mine up in the garage and laundry room, and my next bill was down 10%. It's crazy how just turning lights off automatically makes such a difference. I barely notice them but they're always working. More folks should look into these programs, it's a no brainer.

Is it any wonder kids think manga invented autobiographical comics last week? Without someone pointing to Green or Crumb, it all just blends into the background noise. Guess we need to start handing out history pamphlets at cons.

Months? That's terrifyingly fast.