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 among yourselves.

A Happy Chinese Lunar New Year to all, welcome to the Year of the Rat.

To those in areas of the world at risk from the new corona-virus, stay safe and stay well.

Holocaust Memorial Day was yesterday, and celebrated the 75 anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp by the Russian Army. Over 150 still living survivors met together and, with a dignity that never fails to inspire awe, spoke of their experiences in a world with a rising tide of anti-Semitism. (with thanks to leahandillyana for that link)

Well, this will be the last Off-Topic Tuesday I will post before the UK offficially leaves the EU on Friday, a fact that depresses, angers and disgusts me in equal measure.

And we're already heading into our firstlikely trade dispute with our bestest friends ever, the USA, over the use of Huawei technology. Whatever decision is made, SOMEONE is going to be pissed off.

And the Trump Impeachment trial might take another twist if John Bolton is called as a witness, but as with many things invovled in this, who can tell anymore?

Sports fans around the world mourned the loss of basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, though mentions of the controversy surrounding a sexual assault claim made back in 2003 have caused some backlash.

An unexpected argument has broken out in Nepal, due to how the Chinese Government has chosen to depict the Yeti in an advertising campaign.

Mew reports suggest that Paramount and Hasbro are considering two new Transformers movies, one would be Beast Wars (If they can make that work then consider me intrigued, especially as it would mean no humans) and the other would be another movie set in the universe as Bumblebee, though not necessarily a direct sequel,

"Star Trek: Picard" debuted on Amazon Prime and set up some fascinating plotlines from the get go, the collapse of the Romulan Empire following a super-nova for one, and a major plotpoint basically taken from Blade Runner and Battlestar Galactica (new version) about synthetic lifeforms and how they possibly link to Data. Sir Patrick Stewart is a fine form as an elderly Picard.

And saving the best for last, Doctor Who delivered an absolute hum-dinger of an episode with more twists and turns than a snake with convulsions... In case people haven't seen it and haven't yet been spoiled by the resulting social media furore, I'll post my opinions in a response to this thread rather than here as I'd hate to spoil anything for someone casually scrolling down.

Comments

[deh_tommy]

Man, I wish I had half the enthusiasm you guys did regarding Doctor Who. The episode was alright for the most part (I liked the Judoon and the characters), but the Jack stuff went nowhere and I really, really, REALLY hope they’re not going where I think they’re going with Ruthless. Also, is that just me or does Tosin Cole seem kind of off this series? He seems to say everything in this samey low mumble cadence and doesn’t really react much to anything. I don’t mean any offence to him or anything, just something my family and I noticed.

The Rise of Skywalker’s one of those things like Final Crisis in that I love most of the ideas that has, but the execution is really rushed and so I leave the story feeling kind of empty.

Elections are coming up and I’m stumped as to who to vote for because, frankly, none of the parties seem particularly good (to me, at least).

[icon_uk]

The Jack stuff was definitely setup rather than ongoing plot, but it does build tension for the Cyberman we've already seen teased in trailers.

In terms of the election, if you don't like either, you vote for the one which can do least damage, and given the current US setup, I'm not really seeing it as being that difficult a choice.

[deh_tommy]

No, the Irish elections. And there’s no real least damaging option (at least none I can see) unless you count independent candidates.

[icon_uk]

Ah, sorry, forgot where you were.

If all else fails, vote for the one you can vote for and look yourself in the mirror the next day. Even if that;s independent. Maybe there are hundreds of people who share your POV who might do the same.

[werehawk]

I’m gonna disagree strongly with you there. That’s how we ended up with Trump here in the states. Too many people not voting or voting for someone with no chance. You need to hold your nose and choose the best from from who has enough votes to potentially get elected or you are responsible for who does (Trump can thank the Bernie Bros for vilifying Hillary and then not voting or writing in Bernie).

[icon_uk]

Fair point.

[t209]

Well, to be honest, Hilary Clinton is still "politician who changed views to serve her needs" to many voters and not to mention "evil establishment" and Bernie being viewed as "virtuous littly guy who kept to his views" along with Obama's drone strikes, NSA Scandal, and not being part of expectations being a factor in delusion meant no matter how much you try to paint her as good choices to dominantly cynical views.
I mean, to them, voting for HRC is changing your views and therefore "evil", because of the (if stubbornly dumb) integrity is what counts, right? (Sarcasm)
Then everyone decided to have mass amnesia about 2016 and try to make it "decent vs obviously evil" after making "both choices are awful" memes just like Al Gore and Bush.

[janegray]

God, Al Gore and Bush...

One wanted to focus on preventing climate catastrophe back when it was still early enough to be doable at relatively low cost and maximum effectiveness. The other framed an innocent country for war crimes and dragged the world into chaos that caused something like a million deaths and it's still ongoing with no end in sight.

There are no words to express my sheer hatred for those who claimed "no point in voting, Al Gore is just as bad!"

[t209]

Well, that was a case of hindsight. I mean by your definition Michael Moore (decided to reluctantly siding with Democrats in 2001, either pragmatism or chickening out) and Rage Against The Machine (still the same band angry at the system, or stubborn rebels who edginess do more harm than good)--both anti-establishment--should be blamed as well since they do held that view.
During the primary, Al Gore was competing with Ralph Nader, pre "Democrats are just as bad, so don't tell me when I endose Republicans" crazy of him now, whom latter see Gore as "half-assed" (and Clinton accidentally bombing an aspirin factory in Sudan, bombings civilian buildings in Serbia*, withdrawing peacekeepers from Rwanda, and intervention in Somalia didn't help much with American left who are disappointed in him) but at least he admits that they should vote for Gore but people didn't listen. For them, people see Nader the "reformer" being cheated by "Big evulz establishment". Of course, now people seem to ignore to mention that and go for "Gore should have been voted".
* In honesty, I learned it from Michael Moore. While I don't endorse indiscriminate bombings, part of me feel that his "Americans not caring about foreigners" tone wonder if he knew about Serbians "removing Kebabs/Ustase/anyone who is not our ethnicity".

[werehawk]

I am old enough to remember and know people who were planning on voting for Nader (and who I harassed about it at the time), but said they were only going to do it because they were in states that didn't matter. Or they actually traded votes with people in states whose votes didn't matter. Like if they were in a swing state, they got someone in a obviously Red or Blue state to vote for Nader while they voted for Gore. So at least for the people I knew then, Bush was a worse choice than Gore.

[scorntx]

Don't think it is just you. Tosin Cole has always seemed a little mumbly.

[icon_uk]

There are rumours abounding that Toison has been offered a big part on a new US show, and so may be leaving. Which might tie into a theory of mine as to why they're shooting the Christmas Special 2020 as part of the main series block, so he and Bradley Walsh (who I find it hard to believe they'll keep for a third year) can finish off early and go off and do their new project, leaving Mandeep as the only (or at least senior, if there's a newcomer) companion..

[scorntx]

... hold up, we're getting an X-Mas special this year?

Thought they weren't doing those anymore...