So as I mentioned I'm currently in the middle of my, at least, 3rd attempt to watch the BBC's Merlin. I've failed before because I usually stall during season 4. In fact I'm pretty sure I've never gotten through season 4 before. Well I'm in season 4 now and I think I know why I struggle.

Now if you've never seen the show it's the story of young Merlin, a wizard/warlock/sorcerer whatever, and his struggles to protect young prince Arthur as he matures into the kind of king the lands needs. Very monster of the week feel to it. It's good fun. Virtually nothing to do with actual Arthurian legends, check all that at the door and just enjoy.

Through the first 3 season one of the major obstacles, and borderline antagonist, is Arthur's father King Uther Pendragon. Uther hates magic, outlaws it in Camelot. Becomes enraged at it's existence. His stubborn paranoia is a major obstacle to Merlin as he can never go to anyone in authority and explain the threats or struggles he is dealing with that week so he has to deal with them on his own and in complete secrecy.

The problem is though in season 4 that dynamic changes. Uther dies and Arthur becomes king. Yes, spoilers, Arthur becomes Kings Arthur shocking I know. So the major obstacle to Merlin changes. Yet the show does not. The exact vibe that existed in the previous 3 seasons wherein Merlin couldn't tell anybody anything remains. In fact it seems dialed up to 11 because they don't tell anybody anything even when it has nothing with magic for some reason.

Despite the framework of the story changing remarkably the framework of the show itself changes not at all. Its very frustrating and probably why I'm already struggling to finish this show once again.

A.J. Brown asked for a trade numerous times this past season (as early as after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3), multiple sources confirmed to Bleeding Green Nation. Brown is coming off his worst season as a pro since 2021, when he caught a career-lows with 63 passes for 869 yards and five touchdowns. This season, he caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards, his lowest output since 2021.

When asked about the possibility of trading Brown this offseason on Thursday at the Eagles’ year-end press conference, Eagles’ general manager Howie Roseman said, “It is hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J. is a great player. I think from my perspective, that’s what we’re going out and looking for when we go out here in free agency, in the draft, just trying to find great players who love football, and he’s that guy.”

Brown may not be that guy any longer. He has been disgruntled all season. He does not have the speed to create separation from a defender anymore, and despite his complaining about getting the ball, he suffered from a spate of drops this season that were highly uncharacteristic of him. A bold case in point came in the Eagles’ 23-19 Wild Card round playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Voters in Williamson County will no longer be able to cast their ballot at any polling location on primary Election Day. Instead, they will only be able to vote at their assigned neighborhood polling place.

The county's Republican Party has decided it no longer wants to offer countywide polling locations on primary Election Day, and under current state law, the county's Democratic Party has no choice but follow Republicans' lead. Both parties must agree to using countywide polling locations for them to be offered.

"We decided, as a party ... to return to precinct based polling," said Michelle Evans, the chair of the Williamson County GOP. "It just means that you are voting in your community, as an overwhelming majority of voters do anyway."

Williamson County, she said, only began offering countywide polling places in 2013. Evans said for her and other Republicans, the shift back to precinct based polling places is about "being more confident in the outcomes of our elections."

"I could get into all of those details, but at the end of the day, it's because we can," she said. "It's legal. It's something we're entitled to do, and it's something that our party would like us to do."