Mod Post: Off-Topic Tuesday

[icon_uk]

In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like. Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat amongst yourselves.

Scientists have detected light connected with the collision of two neutron stars, which sounds like a Star Trek episode, but is actually incredibly cool!

Harvey Weinstein has been fired from Miramax following a plethora of accusations of various forms of sexual misconduct over many years, and aside from the usual "But I had NO idea!" from a bunch of people who probably knew damn well, it is to be hoped that no one is going to try and suggest that he was the ONLY one (Woody Allen, of all people, has gone on record saying that he hopes it doesn't turn into a witch hunt...)

Hurricane Ophelia hit Ireland and caused widespread damages and several deaths as it moved over it. A weird side effect was that the skies over most of Britain turned orange, and the sun a reddish-orange for a time, as dust and sand from the Azores was blown into the atmosphere the British Isles. Spooky.

Voltron Season 4 dropped and though shorter than the other seasons, still had some quality episode, especially their homage (and/or piss take to sentai shows)

The last season of Star Wars Rebels has also started, I hope it goes out as well as it deserves to, it has a LOT of ground to cover.

Wildfires in Spain and Portugal, possibly caused by arsonists, are causing widespread chaos and at least 39 dead.

Sorry to end with this, but, you know, I was going to give myself a week off from Trump, I think I've earned one, but I really can't, because he just keeps sinking to new lows. This week he became the first serving President to speak at the "Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit". The FRC (Subtitle probably "Won't sombebody think of the children" with a logo of clutching pearls) is officially classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group, whose agenda and membership includes anti LGBTQA+, anti-Muslim and white Supremacist POV's. The Cheeto in Chief reassured those in attendance that they "Would no longer be silenced". May I reiterate yet again, THIS IS NOT NORMAL, THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO BE NORMAL.

Comments

[tripodeca113]

Avatar 2 seems to actually be happening. I mean it's still early days and could easily be delayed again, but it might actually happen. Shame no one really cares about Avatar's characters or world.

[icon_uk]

I never understood the fuss over, or popularity of, Avatar

[janegray]

Personally, I didn't like Avatar at all. Even the beautiful designs of the environment failed to impress me, as frankly I liked them better in the Macalania Forest of Final Fantasy X (https://tinyurl.com/y7u6dtvr)

But my sister and my mother, who had never shown the slightest bit of interest in the fantasy worlds I kept showing them, loved Avatar. First time in my life I ever heard them praise a fantasy anything. They forgot all about the story and characters like two days later, but they remembered a vague general sense of enjoyment about the movie.

It's like Avatar was fantasy for people who don't care about fantasy. I have no idea how they made it work, but the movie made a crapton of money so I guess they were on to something.

Of course, it remains to be seen if the same trick can work more than once. My guess is "no."

But hey, if it does work somehow, we all win, because the improvements on CG technologies will then become available to movies we actually care about too. Plus expensive movies are good for lots of jobs.

[icon_uk]

"Avatar was fantasy for people who don't care about fantasy"

That pretty much sums it up! :)

[trooper924]

Whenever I think of Avatar's "popularity", I remember this post on tumblr.

[sadoeuphemist]

Avatar is the film version of an MMORPG. The whole world is computer-generated, and Pandora is literally an inter(connceted)net(work) of symbiotic organisms who communicate through fiber-optic cables. The protagonist (Jake?) interacts with the virtual world using their Avatar, and gets so involved in it that he starts neglecting his real life well-being. He rises in ranks at an implausible rate, captures his epic mount, and even through his sub-par military tactics ends up triggering the cutscene where all the beasts of Pandora show up and save the day, or whatever, I don't remember the plot of this fucking movie either. The whole thing is designed for maximum spectacle and audience appeal and digestibility, with a plot that's just the Hero's Journey stripped down to its most basic form.

[the_phantom]

Harvey Weinstein and more importantly his Friends/Associates who are claiming ignorance but at this point with the amount of allegations, that defense is just disgustingly ridiculous.

And on the note of Weinstein's friends, I've been wrestling with this since last week... but I have decided because of these recent revelations about one of the main casts attitude and behavior towards women I will not be seeing the Justice League film.

Now I know I shouldn't let outside influences affect my enjoyment of something. But I also know I just feel massively uncomfortable watching this person now.

[lilacsigil]

I know I shouldn't let outside influences affect my enjoyment of something

I feel the same way and yet it still affects me. I feel bad for the other people involved in certain projects, particularly those who took the brunt of the bad behaviour, but it's really off-putting. I hope that after Weinstein on-set behaviour starts to be an issue when a studio decides who to hire and cast.

[informationgeek]

Ah yes, the Values Voter Summit. I believe Steve Scalia's was there as well. You may remember him as the Congressman who got shot months ago. While he's back and he's disrespecting the people who saved and he also recently said people should have MORE access to guns because he hasn't learned a damn thing.


Also, Trump declared he didn't call or try to comfort families of fallen soldiers because previous presidents didn't. Then his Press Secretary said what he said was a fact.

So, you know, they can both go to hell as far as I'm concerned.

[icon_uk]

I think we've long known Trump's opinion of fallen soldiers given his treatment of the Khan family last year.

[janegray]

I wish somebody had told me sooner that the Mickey Mouse cartoons are the funniest thing ever omg I'm *crying*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVhc2Uq0im8

I lost it when Daisy pulled out a fucking switchblade and it kept getting better!

The Halloween special is great too. Here is a sample: http://quetzalcoatl2k.tumblr.com/post/166413495830/i-am-freakin-dead

[trooper924]

Those shorts are probably the best thing to happen to Mickey in God knows how long.

[kamino_neko]

Voltron Season 4 dropped and though shorter than the other seasons, still had some quality episode

Pidge and Matt's relationship is the most adorable thing ever. How happy she was to show him the castle, how proud he was of everything she did while he was missing. All of it. (Also, apparently the two of them have the same taste in women. <_< Yes, I am living dangerously by 'shipping VLD. >_> But my ship doesn't involve any of the male paladins, so I suppose I'm flying under the radar of the scary people.)

[icon_uk]

VLD? Visual Leak Detector?

I have no problem shipping anyone with anyone in Voltron, with the possible exception of Pidge, whose age is not exactly clear (though I suspect "Pidge" is younger than Katie really is... if that makes sense) and who I have a, probably very outdated, sense of protectiveness towards.

But yes, Pidge and Matt are delightful, I'm so pleased they gave her an arc, and a damned good episode.

Now Hunk just needs a bit of focus.

[kamino_neko]

Voltron Legendary Defender, of course. It has a notoriously...combative fandom. (IE: Sending death threats to Shiro's voice actor for notevenquitesupporting Shiro/Keith.) But since Pidge and Alura are, at best, impediments to the popular ships (Shiro/Keith and Lance/Keith), I think I'm safe. >_>

[icon_uk]

That's sort of why I'm glad most of my fandoms are either old ones I'm used to, like Doctor Who (Where we KNOW half of the fandom is toxic, but I can happily ignore them all, other than telling some of them to shut the hell up), or are fairly unknown to most , Doug/Warlock for example.

I'm both anticipating and dreading the new Saint Seiya going up on Netflix and the inevitable shipping wars which will break out over who is with who, and whether Shun is really a girl or not, and I went through all that 30 years ago.

[matrix_dragon]

Lance's reaction to Matt crushing on Allura was a thing of beauty. Not to mention Shiro's reaction to seeing him again. Actually, everything involving Pidge and Matt was wonderful. I'm so glad they not only followed it up after hints across the seasons, but dedicated a full episode to he finding him.

The first episode was nice, in that while I can understand why Keith is doing what he's doing, I still want to have both his Lions sit on him. Too many shows stumble at showing both sides of a problem like that.

[kamino_neko]

I still want to have both his Lions sit on him

... OK, that image is kind of hilarious and cute*.

And, yeah...Shiro and Matt were lovely, too. I giggled'awed at Shiro pulling Matt into a hug when he went in for a handshake.

* Treating it...uh...unrealistically, of course, so it's not two big metal beasties sitting in a red smear... >_>

[icon_uk]

I could see them sitting on either side of him, penning him like a mouse they're playing with until he chooses. (Though I confess I will always associate him with Red, not Black. Allura makes a great Paladin, but she's got a kickass Castle-Ship to command and power the wormholes for.. which tactically seems like a bigger deal.

[zachbeacon]

Loved the Pidge spotlight episode on Voltron. Less thrilled about the Coran one. The subplot about the milkshakes was hilarious though.

[icon_uk]

You mean the Power Rangers homage episode? I'm not normally a HUGE fan of Coran, but I thought that one was hysterical. "Allura, you'll need to pretend to be Keith because most people don't yet know he's left the team" and "Why do I have to say this made up science gibberish, when I can say the actual science... which they won't understand either?"

[zachbeacon]

That's the one. It isn't just the focus on Coran (who is arguably less important than the freaking mice). Its also the lampshade hanging. "Okay, we'll boil everyone down to one character trait". They weren't doing that already with Hunk?

[zachbeacon]

Also Lance

[scorntx]

So, rather than dwell on the general horribleness that is life (subtle commentary on life: saw dead hedgehog this morning. Really kind of killed any enjoyment, that did.)

Told I'd have to go see a doctor to prove I was disabled enough to qualify for some disability allowance.
This'd be dubious enough, if the one I see is not - and I mean this with full awareness of the difficulties facing the average doctor - completely sodding useless.
The sort of useless where I'd probably have to come in with at least one arm missing, with blood still flowing from the wound, for them to say anything more than "oh, that's normal".
Rrrrr...


On better news... they're making a toy of Elita One.
Like, an actual, physical, for-sale-at-retail-prices Elita One!
oh and a new inferno that's great too I guess if you like firetrucks (which, actually, I do. But Elita One's the bigger news.)
I'm assuming that since there's a Moondancer coming up, there might well be a Firestar eventually as well. Assuming / fervently hoping.
(now if we could only get a few female Decepticons...)

Kind of completely turned off Star Trek: Discovery.
Every episode synopsis on Netflix (all three of them) has mentioned Klingons, and that's just turning me away.
Nothing against Klingons, but when EVERY episode is all about them being Up To Something...
Just saying.

[kamino_neko]

Nothing against Klingons, but when EVERY episode is all about them being Up To Something...

Given that Discovery is serialized, not episodic, it'd be difficult to not have the Klingons in the background for every episode.

[kamino_neko]

I empathize with you on the doctor thing. My 'official' doctor is pretty much useless. (I come in with a lung infection, talking about coughing up large amounts of phlegm, she does a cursory examination and tells me it's just my asthma. This happens repeatedly (I seem to have a tendency toward infection, getting at least one a year). I then go to the walk-in clinic. Get a scrip for antibiotics. Actually get better. Every time.)

[matrix_dragon]

I am ecstatic about getting an Elita, and even better, she looks like she might be a new mold, not a retool of an earlier figure.

[kamino_neko]

Seems to share a mold with the Starscream from the first wave of PotP, though.

[scorntx]

Curse you, Monkey Paw!
CURSE YOOOOUUU!!!!

... oh, well. A retool Elita is better than no Elita at all.

[kamino_neko]

Yeah. I'm disappointed she's a Voyager, since that's usually out of my toy budget, though. v_v Maybe when she hits the shelves, it'll be at a point where I've got enough to spare....

[stubbleupdate]

I'm playing AC Unity which is decent fun. It's no Syndicate, and the combat isn't great, but it does have massive axes and is just FULL of story.

On that news, can anybody recommend a good introduction to the revolution?

[scorntx]

-the combat isn't great-
Indeed.
Which wouldn't be as much of a bother if the guards in Unity weren't so hair-trigger.
It takes some fun out of walking around Revolutionary Paris when every five meters gets you into a brawl just because you walked past some guy.
(Even worse in the ritzier neighbourhoods with police... not being able to slaughter your way through enemies, while they can kill you with one shot just feels so... unsporting.)

[stubbleupdate]

That's not the problem. It's that Arno is so slow of mind. the Fryes in Twindicate are able to stab, parry and throw bombs/shoot, but Arno can use his blade but not his devices half the time.

Then he drops two smoke bombs at once because I've been hammering the button to make him do something other than be gutted.

[scorntx]

Arno being gutted is just unavoidable, really.

(Unless you get the Eagle of Sugar. That thing's a massive help...)

[dr_archeville]

So in a recent chat with my brother (who's been in Japan for the past ten years; eight doing ESL tutoring and the last two doing IT work for a pharmaceutical company), he told me that over the past five years or so Halloween has become more of A Thing in Japan (or at least in Tokyo), though it’s mostly seen as yet another reason to dress up in cosplay. But what struck him (and me) as odd is the type of group cosplays he’s been seeing: there’ll be groups of people cosplaying, but they’re all cosplaying the exact same character. So he’d see a group of Frozen cosplayers, but they’re all Elsa. Or a group of Mario cosplayers, but they’re all the standard red-and-blue Mario.

Last Friday night a local(ish) theatre showed Hocus Pocus and Beetlejuice for their Friday night double showing. The 1,000-seat theatre was sold out about a week beforehand, and they had to add a second showing the following Saturday night. I went to the Friday night showing, and had a great time. It was especially fun seeing/hearing the reactions from folks who'd never seen either movie before.

[lizard_of_aus]

So THAT'S what that weird orange sky was the other day. I was stuck at home own with a cloudy sky up above, so I just assumed that the early morning sun was going on for a long while or something.

[icon_uk]

A friend at work said she'd received an e-mail from her husband which annoyed me, because he made a VERY geeky joke that I had valiantly striven to NOT make. which was along the lines of "With the red sun out there, it looks like someone's trying kill Superman!"

[lizard_of_aus]

Heh! Or how about: "Oo, red skies. Wonder if it's enough of a crisis to make the Flash disappear."

...oh, blame a guy for trying.

[onsokumaru]

I almost missed it. If my mother didn't warn me, I would have kept working without taking a look outside.
That was really something to see.

[onsokumaru]

Watched "In a corner of this world" last week.
I didn't have high expectations (a bit tired of all those "ghibli-like" anime movies) but that was really good. The characters were engaging and the mix of fun and sadness was well done.
Maybe my favortie 2017 movie.
It was also the first in a very long time that I've watched an anime with more than 10 persons in the room. Had to double check that I was in the right room.

[starwolf_oakley]

I finally saw "IT" this weekend. Does that makes me a poseur or just late to the party?

The Trans-Am the Bowers Gang drive around in reminds me of T-Bird's T-Bird from "The Crow." I'm not sure if that was a Shout-Out or just my Fan-boy Brain.

At the end, Beverly says she had a vision of the Losers Club when they were/will be their parents' ages. That made me wonder if "IT: Chapter Two" will have something similar to X-Men: Days of Future Past. Perhaps a "Kid!Beverly briefly talks to Adult!Beverly" scene as DOFP has "Future!Charles talks to Past!Charles." Maybe even for the same reason.

"Please. We need you to hope again."

[starwolf_oakley]

"Late to the party" does not mean what I think it means.

[mrwalker]

So while browsing some music, I came across a tune that for some reason reminded me of a certain D.C. character who has risen to prominence lately ;)

https://youtu.be/twSfilEHF1I

[shadadukal]

SW Rebels season 4 is going to be so emotional.

[ironymaiden]

Yes.

I want to talk about spoiler things!

[shadadukal]

I've watched the season opener if you wanna talk about it. But I don't know anything beyond that.

[ironymaiden]

Me too, I try to stay clear of future stuff.

Thoughts: loved Sabine's dad the artist. And even though I know it's y7, I was taken in when they found the empty armor.

I dig that the Mandos remember Satine, but clearly she's been reshaped into something no one who knew her would recognize. Lifting the darksaber in her name? That's horrifying when you think about it.

And it looks like they're leaning into Kanan/Hera. Kanan death confirmed :/

[shadadukal]

Yes, Sabine's dad was unexpected and I loved it.

So was I. SW has never shied away from dark stuff (Cf. Beru's and Owen's death to start with).

You know, I thought that Kanan/Hera was happening off-screen and that they didn't show it to us because it's for kids. But that convo they had makes it seem that Hera decided to consider a relationship with Kanan only after the Empire was defeated.

But yeah, I think both Kanan and Ezra are going to die. Probably Zeb too.