#and 170 in april

[babyjapril]

what Matthew thinks April sees in Jackson vs what she actually sees

[freshthoughts2020]

[lionofchaeronea]

Men of the 369th Infantry Regiment, informally dubbed the "Harlem Hellfighters," pose for a picture. The Hellfighters were initially part of the American Expeditionary Force sent to fight on the Western Front in WWI. In April 1918, due to racist attitudes among the American high command, they were separated from the AEF and assigned to the French 4th Army. Fighting under French command both in the trenches and in the open field, the Hellfighters distinguished themselves at the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne. Their continuous six-month deployment was the longest of any American unit. Following the armistice, the French government awarded the Croix de Guerre to 170 members of the Hellfighters, including all nine men pictured here, for courage in combat.

[saywhat-politics]

Tesla chief Elon Musk's net worth topped £376.31 million ($486 billion) in December 2024 as US President Donald Trump's reelection further boosted US markets. However, Musk's wealth has dropped by over £113.04 billion ($146 billion) to £263.57 billion ($340.4 billion) as of 1st April, marking the biggest wealth erosion in 2025. However, he remains the wealthiest person on the planet.

As of December 2024, Musk owned 410,794,076 Tesla shares, or nearly 12.7% of the company. So, whenever the stock price drops by £1.88 ($2.43), the price movement costs him £774.31 million ($1 billion). His Tesla stake was worth £152.53 billion ($197 billion) when shares peaked at £371.56 ($479.86) on 17th December. The stock price is off £170 ($220) since its late 2024 peak, closing at £200.67 ($259.16) apiece on 31st March. During several days this year, Musk's net worth tanked by £7.74 billion ($10 billion) in one trading session.

[littlbowbub]

Here's that little rickety shelf that's been coming soon since april 😅

Download here free 🍋

Furniture is not my best skill so please forgive this little rickety shelf if he's more rickety than he should be!

17 swatches that should be tagged correctly (matches ish with the cottage counters)

22 small décor slots for 5 canning recipes on each shelf with 2 extra on the top - bigger items might squish.

tagged as farmhouse, shabby & storybook

found under Surface - Displays/shelf

costs 100§

--- max vertices 170/ polygons 150 ---

[calamari-inari]

✨ Pre-orders Open 04/28 - 05/26! ✨

Celebrating nearly 6 years of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I have compiled a majority of artwork I've done for this fandom from 2019-2025! Artwork types include rendered paintings, sketches, mini comics, and more in a variety of styles featuring over 170 pages of many beloved characters!

The book does contain a lot of romantic pairings. To learn more about the contents, please read this document

A note to EU residents: Only orders for the prints, sticker sheets, and die-cut stickers will be accepted. You may still purchase the digital PDF.

Stretch goals are available, including a cover art postcard and a 2026 calendar!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! Thank you!

[femenaces]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-fda-suspends-food-safety-quality-checks-after-staff-cuts-2025-04-17/

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for its food testing laboratories as a result of staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to an internal email seen by Reuters.

The proficiency testing program of the FDA's Food Emergency Response Network is designed to ensure consistency and accuracy across the agency's network of about 170 labs that test food for pathogens and contaminants to prevent food-borne illness.

The firing and departure of as many as 20,000 HHS employees have upended public health research and disrupted the agency's work on areas like bird flu and drug reviews. President Donald Trump hopes to slash as much as $40 billion from HHS.

"Unfortunately, significant reductions in force, including a key quality assurance officer, an analytical chemist, and two microbiologists at FDA's Human Food Program Moffett Center have an immediate and significant impact on the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) Proficiency Testing (PT) Program," says the email sent on Tuesday from FERN's National Program Office and seen by Reuters.

The program will be suspended at least through September 30 and means the agency will be unable to do planned quality control work around lab testing for the parasite Cyclospora in spinach or the pesticide glyphosate in barley, among other tests, the email says.

"These PTs and Exercises are critical to demonstrating the competency and readiness of our laboratory network to detect and respond to food safety and food defense events," the email says.

HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Food safety laboratories rely on these types of tests to meet standards for accreditation, said a source familiar with the situation, who was not aware of other ready alternatives to the FDA to provide such testing.

The FDA in early April suspended an effort to improve its testing for bird flu in milk, cheese and pet food, as a result of staff cuts.

[grahamkennedy]

⬆️ Picture of my housemate's cat to grab your attention!

I'm gonna start ebegging now. I've contacted some eBay sellers that I made stupid purchases with asking to cancel orders but uh.

If you haven't been following Ricky's Bipolar Adventures(TM) I've been hypomanic for about a week and a half now. Kissed my best friend and probably ruined our friendship and spent a bunch of money I didn't realise I don't have. Lots of it on booze and cigarettes, which can't be refunded. I've been in contact with my GP and we're trying to halt this bad boy but uh. Yeah its the worst episode I've ever had and now I don't have enough money for rent 😖😭

Help a bipolar fuck up pay rent this month? I'm sorry to ebeg again so soon and I fucking hate myself for having to this but bipolar is fucking evil, guys. It sucks so bad.

TL;DR bipolar. Hypomanic episode. Spent too much money. Aaaaa. Help me.

$0/170 due by the 30th April - payfriend here

[dertaglichedan]

Defense Secretary Hegseth Orders Special Review of 2021 Afghanistan Withdrawal, Targeting Abbey Gate Failures

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a comprehensive Pentagon review of the 2021 military withdrawal from Afghanistan, a departure he called “disastrous and embarrassing” in a memorandum dated May 20. The decision follows days of public hints that new findings would be released and comes amid growing political pressure for additional accountability.

The memo directs the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell to form a Special Review Panel. Afghanistan veteran Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller and investigative journalist Jerry Dunleavy have been named to the body, which is tasked with re-examining previous inquiries and recommending any further action.

Investigators will focus on the chaotic final days of the U.S. evacuation, including the 26 August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul’s Abbey Gate that killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians, as well as the loss of American military equipment left behind during the exit.

Hegseth said initial findings could be made public as early as Wednesday. He emphasized that earlier probes—such as a February 2022 U.S. Central Command investigation and an April 2024 supplemental review—left unresolved questions, and pledged that the new effort will “deliver full accountability to the American people and our armed forces.”

[soulofjuche]

Socialism Is Future of Mankind

On April 20, 1992 leaders and delegates of 70 political parties from dozens of countries aspiring to socialism adopted and signed the Pyongyang Declaration in Pyongyang, the capital city of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, reflecting their firm determination to defend and promote the cause of socialism.

The progressive political parties expressed their full support and approval for the Pyongyang Declaration, lauding it as another Communist Manifesto of the present era and a common programme of struggle for the revolutionary parties aspiring to socialism. The number of the signatories increased to over 170 the following year and more than 280 after two decades. Today, the number has exceeded 300.

Socialism made its debut at the beginning of the last century. It has since then made progress victoriously, eliminating the age-long old societies, putting forward the masses of the people as the masters of the state, society and their own destiny and providing them with an independent and creative new life.

The reversion of socialism to capitalism in some countries in the last century is only a temporary and local phenomenon, when viewed in the light of the main tide of historical development.

With the adoption of the Pyongyang Declaration, the world socialist movement has entered a new stage and the revolutionary parties of the world could be able to advance more vigorously for the final victory of the socialist cause with a common struggle programme.

The political parties, organizations and people in the former Soviet Union and other eastern European countries have turned out in the movement to smash the anti-socialist sophistry of the imperialists and defend and carry on the exploits of their preceding leaders, with growing yearning for the socialist era.

Many countries including Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua took the road of anti-imperialist socialism, judging that the problems facing mankind cannot be solved any more under capitalism.

Some Western politicians praise socialism although they vociferously trumpeted the “victory of capitalism” in the past.

All these facts prove that socialism is a society representing the future of mankind and socialism as a science will surely achieve victory under the banner of the Pyongyang Declaration.

Choe Ji Song

2025-04-20

[world-of-wales]

✦ UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF ROTHESAY WILL VISIT THE ISLE OF MULL

📅 - 29th April & 30th April 2025

The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay will visit the Isle of Mull on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th April to celebrate and connect with rural island communities.

The Isle of Mull is the fourth largest island in Scotland, with a population of around 3,000 people and home to strong tourism, farming and fishing industries. It’s tiny neighbour, Iona, has a population of around 170 people but receives around 130,000 visitors a year thanks to its ancient history and traditional way of life.

The landscapes and communities on the Scottish Isles provide a sharp contrast to how many of us in more urban environments live. These island communities offer a powerful model for fostering a more loving, empathetic, and compassionate society though deeper connections with our surroundings and engaging more in shared endeavours.

During their visit, Their Royal Highnesses will spend time with members of the local community reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment, two subjects which are close to Their Royal Highnesses’ hearts.

The Duke and Duchess will also announce a partnership to support and develop two community spaces across Mull, with the project aiming to ensure residents can continue to meet and join activities.

DAY - I : Tobermory

On arrival, the Duke and Duchess will travel to the town of Tobermory, where they will visit a much-loved Aros Hall, a community centre in the heart of the town and an artisan market at which they will meet some of the island’s makers and creators.

William and Catherine will tour the Tobermory Producers Market meeting, local food producers, crafters, and artists.

Their Royal Highnesses will also go to a Croft 3 to learn about sustainable farming and hospitality on the island. They will tour the property, meet the resident Hebridean sheep, select fresh produce from the gardens for the day's menu, and also meet local community members who regularly visit the croft.

DAY - II : Ardura Community Forest

On the second day, Their Royal Highnesses will visit an ancient woodland - Ardura Community Forest to meet the Mull and Iona Ranger Service, which plays a vital role in conservation, biodiversity protection and education on the islands. The rangers regularly partner with local primary schools to ensure that every child on the islands experiences the beautiful natural environment around them.

The Duke and Duchess will join Ardura Acorns, one of the island's only early-years outdoor learning groups as they take part in some outdoor learning.

The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales will announce support for the Mull and Iona Ranger Service during the visit.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Stephen Robinson at Public Notice:

A near-majority of American voters willingly reelected Donald Trump. This harsh reality is a collective moral failure, but it’s also not a choice made in sound mind. Consider that voters believed Trump’s first presidency was a roaring success and Joe Biden’s only term a Carter-level catastrophe. It’s an upside-down Bizarro World view that ultimately played a key role in dooming Kamala Harris.

Trump’s 2024 platform was rooted in an obvious lie — that the nation under Biden’s leadership is a flaming dumpster fire and everyone was much better off when Trump was president. Democrats challenged this false reality with facts, but they ultimately lost the messaging war. Their best efforts were no match for the most powerful weapons in Trump’s propaganda arsenal — a timid press and a right-coded social social media environment. Greg Sargent reports in the New Republic that the Harris campaign’s own internal polling revealed an alarming trend: “Undecided voters didn’t believe that some of the highest profile things that happened during Trump’s presidency — even if they saw these things negatively — were his fault.” According to exit polls, Trump decisively won the questions “who do you trust more to handle the economy?” and “who do you trust most to handle a crisis?” Of course, in reality Trump utterly botched the 2020 pandemic response, which researchers concluded resulted in 40 percent more deaths than necessary. And yet swing voters are willing to risk it all again in hopes of cheaper eggs and cruelty against outgroups.

Disinformation on demand

Legacy media shoulders significant blame for their “sanewashing” of Trump’s incoherency and deteriorating mental state. Voters believed Trump could fix a steadily improving economy despite his promotion of inflationary tariffs. The media even presented Trump’s rants as cogent discussions of economic theory.

It’s worth noting, however, that an NBC poll from April revealed that voters who received news primarily from legacy media (newspapers, cable news, etc.) still overwhelmingly supported Biden. Trump owes his victory in great part to low-propensity voters of all races, including young men, and those voters don’t necessarily form their views based on mainstream media reporting. Rather, far too many are stuck in an online social media bubble where they are delivered a steady diet of rightwing propaganda. The median age of a Fox News viewer is 68, and liberals have joked about the network “brainwashing” their conservative parents. But rightwing social media content has effectively targeted and radicalized younger people, who — unlike the typical Hannity-obsessed grandpa — can vote for the next several decades. TikTok, which Trump joined in June, has 170 million users in the United States, and according a Pew Research survey, more than half of them said they regularly get their news from the platform. That’s up from just 22 percent in 2020. This is a serious concern because the far right uses TikTok to advance unfounded conspiracy theories and outright lies.

[...]

Lower income Americans, particularly young people, do spend more of their income on groceries, rent, and gas. That’s why Republicans were so laser focused on the price of eggs. Unfortunately, there’s a dearth of liberal content countering the negative vibes. Of course, explaining the post-pandemic economic recovery is complex and requires more than a punchy one-minute video can convey. Although people might idly scroll TikTok all day, consuming 60-second quick hit videos like potato chips, they will balk at reading an extensive, well-reported news article. That’s too filling a meal.

According to a University of Oregon study, 40 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans surveyed said they’d become more conservative from their TikTok usage. Half of the Democrats surveyed said they’d grown more liberal, but a lot of far-left content on TikTok is downright alienating and can sound like MAGA’s idea of a strawman leftist. For instance, one user boasted that she “didn’t care” if liberal economic and social policies “hurt the economy,” thus conceding that those policies are in fact harmful to economic progress. TikTok’s artificial “vibecession” dominated the discourse, while abortion-related content was actively suppressed even while pregnant women were bleeding out in parking lots. Users of the platform resorted to disguising the word “abortion” as “aborshun” or “ab0rti0n” in order to reach an audience. TikTok has a longstanding policy against promoting abortion services, which it classifies as “unsuitable businesses, products or services.” However, TikTok, YouTube, and Meta have allowed users to spread and monetize anti-abortion misinformation. Studies have shown an interesting gender gap in where young people receive their news on social media: For most women, it’s TikTok, while most men learn about the world from YouTube, X, and Reddit, all of which have become havens of crude masculinity.

On YouTube, 56 percent of users are between the ages of 18 and 44. The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based nonprofit that researches extremism, conducted a four-part research project this year that determined YouTube’s algorithm consistently steers users to rightwing and Christian content. The algorithm does this even with seemingly apolitical search terms, like “male lifestyle guru,” which YouTube reflexively associates with conservative ideology. Rightwing news content was also more frequently recommended, including anti-vaxxer videos. As far back as 2019, both YouTube and Facebook’s autofill search boxes would return content that promoted anti-vaccine misinformation.

[...]

Why rightwing content has the edge

When Kamala Harris appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast, host Alexandra Cooper told her listeners, “I do not usually discuss politics or have politicians on the show because I want Call Her Daddy to be a place that everyone feels comfortable tuning in.” Left-leaning podcasters/social media content creators often avoid politics for fear of turning off their right-leaning fans. Joe Rogan and Dave Portnoy at Barstool Sports don’t bother with such apologies when they have rightwing guests because it doesn’t compromise their brand. They are rightwing cultural influencers. Liberal podcaster Hasan Piker recently commented on the impact rightwing influencers have on young men of all races.

“There is a massive amount of rightwing radicalization that has been occurring, especially in younger male spaces. Everything is completely dominated by rightwing politics,” he said. “If you’re a dude under the age of 30 and you have any hobbies whatsoever, whether it’s playing video games, whether it’s working out, whether it’s listening to a history podcast or whatever, every single facet of that is completely dominated by center right to [the] Trumpian right. Everything they see is rightwing sentiment.”

Rogan and Portnoy might not present as overtly political as Walsh and Shapiro, but their edgy, hyper masculine personas are pure MAGA. Even billionaire CEO Elon Musk likes to present himself as a “disrupter,” an agent of change who boldly confronts the status quo. Anyone who’s seen the more popular indie films of the 1970s would realize how compelling this narrative is to young men. The subtle way that Rogan and Portnoy infuse politics into their personas presents a contrast with left-leaning social media content. The liberal TikToker or YouTuber who releases videos about home makeovers might endorse Democratic politicians during election season while wearing their “just voted” sticker, but rightwing influencers prime their audience on a daily basis. Young men marinate in a stew of rightwing sentiment and end up resenting the libs.

Stephen Robinson wrote in Public Notice a very valid case that a right-coded media environment gave Donald Trump the decisive boost to get elected, such as praising the disastrous Trump reign as a “success.”

Social media algorithms heavily favored right-coded and pro-Trump content, despite the never-ending whining about “censorship” from conservatives.

[classic-vintage-bmw]

1989 E30 M3 Johnny Cecotto Edition: 2.3 liter, four-cylinder, Bosch Motronic fuel-injected S14 engine, producing 215 hp (158 kW) at 6,750 rpm and 230 Nm (170 ft. lbs.) of torque at 4,600 rpm. 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in approximately 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h). A total of 505 units were produced between April 1989 and December 1990, including 480 Johnny Cecotto Editions and 25 Roberto Ravaglia Editions, with an additional 80 Swiss-market Johnny Cecotto Editions featuring a slightly detuned 208 hp engine. More info in the following link https://classic-vintage-bmw.tumblr.com/e30m3info

[uncharismatic-fauna]

The Beautiful Blue Catfish

Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) are members of the bullhead catfish family, native to the drainages of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio river basins and the Gulf of Mexico. Because of their popularity as game fish, this species has also been introduced to freshwater systems throughout North and South America, and is considered invasive in these areas.

Like many catfish, I. furcatus is a bottom dweller. They can often be found near complex structures such as rocky outcroppings, fallen trees, or sunken structures that provide both food and shelter. The blue catfish is an opportunistic predator, consuming any fish or aquatic invertebrates it can find, as well as eggs, small amphibians, and injured or recently deceased animals. Adult I. furcatus are seldom prey for other species due to their size, but hatchlings and juveniles are often food for cormorants, willets, osprey, pelicans, and bald eagles. To deter predators, this species has serrated barbs along their dorsal and pectoral fins, each laced with a particularly painful toxin.

Though they can be difficult prey for other animals, the blue catfish is a popular target for fishermen, and for good reason; they're the largest species of catfish in North America. Adults can easily reach a length of 65 in (170 cm) and a weight of 165 lb (75 kg). As indicated by their name, most individuals are grey or blue, with a lighter underbelly. This species also lacks scales, a common characteristic of catfish, and the face is framed by long whisker-like barbels that help it detect nearby food.

While generally solitary, blue catfish aren't territorial, and tend to ignore each other until the mating season. Reproduction begins in April and continues until June, during which time males attract a female by building a nest and releasing attractive pheromones. Once a female has selected a male, she lays between 4,000-8,000 eggs per kilogram of bodyweight in his nest (i.e. if the female weighs 2 kg, she may lay between 8,000-16,000 eggs). The male then disperses sperm over the eggs. Following fertilization, the male chases away the female and guards the nest for about a week, at which time the eggs hatch. The hatchlings, also known as fry, stay close together in schools for several weeks before growing large enough to disperse. It will take them a further 5 years for them to reach maturity; on average individuals live about 10 years, but can live as long as 25.

Conservation status: The blue catfish is considered Least Concern by the IUCN. Within its native range, populations face minor threats from dams and droughts. Where it has been introduced, the species is considered invasive due to its voracious appetite.

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

Photos

Missouri Department of Conservation

NOAA

Earl Nottingham

[marleyelona]

WELCOME TO...

[ BLOOD OF THE FORGOTTEN ]

The Vampire Diaries 

☆ 《》 ¤

'CLARA & DAMON'

Synopsis

IN 1864, Clara Salvatore had it all; beauty, power, and the love of Damon Salvatore. A talented witch of noble blood, Clara was unaware that she was also the latest reincarnation of Thalia, an ancient and powerful witch from the Viking era, and the best friend and magical confidante to Kol Mikaelson.

But one night, everything changed. Betrayed by Katherine Pierce, Clara was forcefully turned into a vampire and locked away in the infamous tomb along with the other forgotten vampires. Her child, her future, her life; all taken from her.

Over a century later, the tomb is opened, and Clara emerges into a world she no longer recognises. Haunted by the past, furious with Damon for his affair with Katherine, and aching with the grief of the child she never got to hold, Clara must now confront the truth of what she is: a Ravenswood doppelgänger, the final vessel in a magical bloodline created to carry Thalia's soul; a soul Kol Mikaelson has never stopped searching for.

As old magic awakens, Clara is torn between the ghosts of her past and the life she can still reclaim. With Damon seeking redemption, Kol drawn to the soul he once loved, and the supernatural balance threatening to unravel, Clara must decide: will she be the weapon fate intended her to be? Or carve her own destiny from the ashes of betrayal?

☆ 《》 ¤

'CLARA & KOL'

" Every soul carries echoes of the past—but some are forged with purpose, cursed to return until fate is fulfilled. She was not born to be a weapon...she was bound to become one. "

☆ 《》 ¤

BLOOD OF THE FORGOTTEN | (meet the cast)

CLARA SALVATORE 

(DOVE CAMERON)

Turned at 25/Real Age 170/Born a Witch/is a Ravenswood Doppelgänger/a Vampire-Witch Hybrid/a Tomb Vampire/5'2

DAMON SALVATORE 

(IAN SOMERHALDER)

Turned at 25/Real Age 170/Born Human/Currently a Vampire/5'10

KOL MIKAELSON 

(NATHANIEL BUZOLIC)

Turned at 18/Real Age 1026/Born a Witch/is an Original Vampire/6'1

BONNIE BENNETT 

(KAT GRAHAM)

17/A Bennett Witch/5'2

☆ 《》 ¤

ALSO STARRING...

THE ANCIENT WITCHES 

THE PETROVA DOPPELGÄNGERS

THE MIKAELSONS 

☆ 《》 ¤

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Vampire Diaries. All rights go to Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, L.J Smith, the CW and any others that made the show possible. I do, however, own my characters: Clara Salvatore and Thalia, along with their backstories and their storylines within the show. I also own the rights to any other OCs I might add in the future.

GRAPHICS: I MAKE the gifs that are used throughout this book. Although, occasionally I will use gifs I find on google. Any gifs I haven't made, all rights should go to those whom created them. I also do the aesthetics and covers that are made.

⚠️TRIGGER WARNING⚠️: violence, coarse language, gore, death or talks of death, murder, PTSD, toxic relationships and detailed sex scenes will appear in this book.

☆ 《》 ¤

STARTED : April 22, 2025

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED WATTPAD : April 22, 2025

FINISHED : ongoing 

[wot-tidbits]

Why did Amazon just cancel a 97% scored Prime video show?

The first graph above became a huge hit among fans right after the third season of the TV series ended, and it is used as the ultimate argument for how successful, popular, and well-received the season was. There’s no arguing with a 97% rating, right? RIGHT?!?

One of the remarkable things about this graph is how easily this number was swallowed like hotcakes without any critical thought or questioning.

As soon as this number came out and was flying around like a banner, I made the effort to log into the respective Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB sites and check for myself what was behind these numbers. It seemed too good to be true for a series that never reached the level of pop culture zeitgeist alongside the series this graph claims to displace.

The numbers are publicly available and easy to check.

The project has nothing to do with yesterday’s news, as my first rating check was back in April.

I intentionally waited a month after the last episode to give some time for viewers who like to watch the season at once to give their ratings. In the end, the differences between the check at the end of April and what came out at the end of May turned out to be negligible.

Here's what exactly is hiding behind the screen of yet another data manipulation.

Rotten Tomatoes Ratings Season 1 81% with 94 critic reviews 61% with 5000+ viewer reviews

Season 2 86% with 48 critic reviews 81% with 2500+ viewer reviews

Season 3 97% with 65 critic reviews 83% with 2500+ viewer reviews

For comparison, here are the other seasons of the series in the top 10 of the ranking above, which is used as an argument.

Game of Thrones Season 2 96% with 304 critic reviews 97% with 5000+ viewer reviews

Game of Thrones Season 3 96% with 419 critic reviews 97% with 5000+ viewer reviews

Game of Thrones Season 4 97% with 580 critic reviews 97% with 5000+ viewer reviews

The Witcher Season 2 95% with 64 critic reviews 54% with 5000+ viewer reviews

Percy Jackson Season 1 91% with 66 critic reviews 79% with 2500+ viewer reviews

His Dark Materials Season 3 91% with 22 critic reviews 78% with 250+ viewer reviews

Comparison with the TV series on the other chart, for which it is claimed that The Wheel of Time was more successful.

House of the Dragons Season 2 83% with 274 critic reviews 73% with 2500+ viewer reviews

The Witcher Season 3 79% with 47 critic reviews 19% with 2500+ viewer reviews

Rings of Power Season 2 84% with 170 critic reviews 59% with 5000+ viewer reviews

As it can be seen from the number of reviews indicating the audience, the TV series is very far from successful and barely competes with the numbers of the "competition" it supposedly defeats.

IMDB ratings

Season 1 Episode 1 – rating 7.3 out of 14k reviews Episode 2 – rating 7.7 out of 12k reviews Episode 3 – rating 7.6 out of 11k reviews Episode 4 – rating 8.5 out of 12k reviews Episode 5 – rating 7.4 out of 9.5k reviews Episode 6 – rating 7.5 out of 9.2k reviews Episode 7 – rating 7.8 out of 8.6k reviews Episode 8 – rating 6.5 out of 9.6k reviews Average 10.74 thousand reviews per episode

Season 2 Episode 1 – rating 7.1 out of 5.6k reviews Episode 2 – rating 7.4 out of 5.2k reviews Episode 3 – rating 8.1 out of 5.4k reviews Episode 4 – rating 7.9 out of 5.0k reviews Episode 5 – rating 8.2 out of 4.9k reviews Episode 6 – rating 8.7 out of 5.6k reviews Episode 7 – rating 8.2 out of 4.7k reviews Episode 8 – rating 8.9 out of 6.7k reviews Average 5.4 thousand reviews per episode

Season 3 Episode 1 – rating 8.5 out of 5.5 thousand reviews Episode 2 – rating 8.2 out of 4.8 thousand reviews Episode 3 – rating 8.3 out of 4.8 thousand reviews Episode 4 – Rated 9.3 out of 6.5k reviews Episode 5 – Rated 8.1 out of 4.0k reviews Episode 6 – Rated 8.5 out of 4.0k reviews Episode 7 – Rated 8.5 out of 4.2k reviews Episode 8 – Rated 9.0 out of 4.5k reviews Average 4.79 thousand reviews per episode

Again, for comparison with the series that The Wheel of Time claims to be equal to in terms of successful ratings (which is why I'm not comparing their unsuccessful seasons).

Game of Thrones Season 1 Average 46.7k reviews per episode Season 2 Average 39.0k reviews per episode Season 3 Average 46.2k reviews per episode Season 4 Average 50.8k reviews per episode

The Witcher Season 1 Average 21.5k reviews per episode Season 2 Average 12.1k reviews per episode Season 3 Average 8.14k reviews per episode

Percy Jackson Season 1 Average 3.67k reviews per episode

His Dark Materials Season 1 Average 4.0k reviews per episode Season 2 Average 4.1k reviews per episode Season 3 Average 1.43k reviews per episode

House of the Dragon Season 2 Average 41.6k reviews per episode

Rings of Power Season 2 Average 21.5k reviews per episode

A more in-depth and detailed study of the ratings clearly shows the decline in audience from season 1 through season 2 to season 3, with more than half the number of reviews (including critics). The fewer the number of reviewers, the higher the rating – the logical conclusion is that these ratings are given mainly by early fans of the series, and the average viewer is completely missing from the picture. The TV series is liked by those who have stayed to watch it, but it has not gathered any new audience to justify talking about how high ratings have any weight.

It is ironic how the headlines are loud about a 97% rating, when the real news is the catastrophic 50+% drop in audience. It looks scary how episode 1 has 14 thousand reviews, and episodes from 21 to 24 barely attract 4 thousand people.

Elementary manipulation of the data to fit in the desired narrative.

Personally, I would be ashamed to use these ratings as an argument, when the much more important question is not how successful it was, but where did 10 thousand people disappear to? And why did 10 thousand people disappear?

But you won't see this anywhere, of course.

P.S. And a completely separate question remains about the spiral of blaming the vocal haters as the culprits for the TV series not being watched… how we continue to count 10,000 thousand people as a "vocal minority" compared to the barely 4,000 fans available. Something doesn't add up here either. But that is a question for another day.

Let the Light keep you safe. LightOne