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.

Well, if we thought Covid 19 was prevalent in last weeks news, we hadn't seen anything yet!

The EU is proving, contrary to so many Brexiteers claims of a few years ago, that controlling internal borders whilst still co-operating as a unit was always something that member states could do, if they chose to. They have also agreed that the UK can be part of the shared respsonse to Covid 19

The UK is bumbling along long past the time when bumbling along might have been even remotely amusing. Now we're changing things every couple of days. Put it this way I've received a more comprehensive, cogerent statement of responsive actions from a local Chinese takeaway restaurant (and not even one I use, though that may change) than I have from the actual Government.

The US appears to be being, well, it's being the US, but moreso. Make of that what you will.

Sooner or later, and hopefully sooner, some colleges and workplaces are going to have to answer some very pointed questions about why they have told disabled students/employees they couldn't learn/work remotely when they're not switching over to that as a default.

Someone did mention that in order to support the new demand on networks, it would be advisable to take tips from the MMPORG games... I know it would certianly liven up my teams weekly meetings if we had to fight a pack of Orcs to make it to Conference Suite 6 in the Minecraft castle. Talk about a fun icebreaker!

And there are moments to admire too (as I believe Mr Rogers said; "My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’"):

In Italy and Spain there have been coordinated nationwide rounds of applause to support doctors, nurses and medical workers during the crisis.

An assortment of headlines here too.

In the UK, a #viralkindness movement has arisen with the aim of promoting neighbourliness, kindness and basically being decent human beings. It's a wild and craxy scheme, but what can it hurt to try?

So please, if you're in a position do so so safely, keep an eye out for those less fortunate around you, especially those who might be feeling the pains of isolation more strongly, or are unable to go collect shopping, when you are in a position to do so.

And likewise, don't be afraid or ashamed to ask for help when you need it, it's not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength, and humanity.

For those looking for a little cultural enlightnment whist self-isolating, or recovering;

The Berlin Philharmonic is offering free streaming performances during the time it's closed

The Met Opera in New York is doing likewise.

And at least twelve museums have virtual content you can view from the comfort of your own home

I believe other cultural resources, including some comic creators, are doing likewise, so please feel free to add some more in your replies.

Also, Animal Crossing: New Horizons" and "Doom Eternal" are both released this week, which has led to some fun crossover ifdeas from both fandoms.

At the other end of the significance scale, I (sort of) made a thing, well, repurposed is perhaps a better word, but I don't care! :)

I tried a new Norwegian horror anthology on Netflix, Bloodride, rather disappointing as the three I watched, each had the most obvious twissts imaginable for their scenario.

I also tried "To Your Eternity", a manga series by Yoshitoki Ōima which i am thoroughly enjoying. Sort of a cross between the Jeff Bridges "Starman" movie and "The Thing" (but like either of those) as an alien sphere comes to Earth to learn and experience and takes on new forms as it's progess through the centuries continues.

Comments

[janegray]

Kinda funny, in a "not actually funny" kind of way, I was re-reading old messages on Whatsapp and there is one from last month where I and a friend are planning on going out for coffee. And now going out for coffee is illegal. Has been for a week and cabin fever is already getting me.

Thank god for Netflix! I've also been playing some videogames and reading some comics that had been in my backlog for a very long time.

I've particularly enjoyed The Legend of Wonder Woman. That's an excellent comic, and it's a damn shame that volume 2 was cancelled. Maybe, with a new leadership for DC, they might change their minds and continue the series? Extremely unlikely, but one can hope.

Speaking of DC...

So, apparently Mariko Tamaki is the next writer for Wonder Woman.

I fucking hate Mariko Tamaki’s writing. I’m sure she is a lovely person, kind and intelligent. But her writing is the most boring and unsatisfying crap I’ve ever seen. It’s not offensive or anything, but it takes forever to get anywhere and then the destination is unsubstantial and patronising.

But she is a progressive writer who writes about feminism and social justice. Meaning that CCs are attacking her and whining that she is cancer and throwing fits. So now I can’t say that I hate her writing because I don’t want to be associated with those idiots.

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[zachbeacon]

So as someone who has been doing the social distancing thing a little bit longer than most of us, do you have any tips on maintaining our sanity?

I found Mariko Tamaki’s Supergirl mini to be really dull but haven't read enough if her stuff to have an opinion overall.

Still, I remember the feeling of really disliking a flavor of the month writer who liked to pick fights with comicsgate types and I'm not about to publicly agree with them; I think she outed herself as a TERF and ended her career because now everyone hates her,

(Honestly I'm more bothered when I'm a fan of someone who turns out to be a dirtbag)

[kamino_neko]

as I believe Mr Rogers said; "In times of crisis, my mother always told me to look a the people who are rushing in to help, they'll always be there"

That was indeed Mr Rogers, although his actual quote was rather more simply worded (after all, his mother was addressing him as a child):

My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’

(He'd quoted the second sentence a few different ways over the years, but the first is always 'look for the helpers'.)

[icon_uk]

Thank you! :)

[janegray]

Ah, question for Americans here.

Having had Berlusconi for 20 years, I'm VERY aware that certain news get suppressed on a local level. A lot of the time, I had no idea what new crappy thing the bastard had done because the news never mentioned it, then I learned it from my foreign friends.

So I was wondering if American news have been talking about the way Trump tried to bribe German scientists to keep a potential coronavirus vaccine exclusive to the USA and prevent other countries from getting it. Or if it's been swept under the rug.

[polly1788]

depends where you get your news from, if its from washington post , ny times, bbc or cnn then you heard bout it. if fox news or a local outlet owned by sinclar then not at all. Shit up to saturday fox was basically saying this was a democrat hoax

[werehawk]

Binged Beforeigners. Damn that show was good.

[gnarll]

Amen

[onsokumaru]

Anxiety growing here, as many of french people don't care about the confinment or the risks and are rushing to supermarkets, all pressed againts eachother.

The authorities and the medics are preparing us to the fact that we will all most likely be sick of the virus at some point, and that all we can do is to retard the spread as much as possible.
I'm trying to accept that I may very well lose some of the people I care the most about, because of their health and age, but I just can't.
Also feeling ashamed to be so weak in that crisis while it's something that many people on less privilegied countries have to deal with on a regular basis.

[icon_uk]

There's no shame or weakness, in anxiety, it affects everyone, and in different ways.

And worry about losing a loved one is the most natural, if unpleasant, feeling imaginable.

Some people (in every country) are behaving like utter arseholes, being greedy and selfish, such was always the case, they're just showing their true colours more openly, and we should remember those people later when things settle down again.

Other people are behaving as we would hope people should, and we should remember them too.

[zachbeacon]

This time last week I was home sick.

Today I’m home working.

[crinos]

Cats is out for purchase on Amazon today.

I took the day off from work specifically so I could watch it and do a live reaction of it on my messageboard I frequent. Which will happen later.

Also, it was good luck I picked today to take off because I work at a grocery store and shit's fucking INSANE right now.

[zachbeacon]

Thank you for your service.

(Seriously, WTF is wrong with people?)

[spider_man6]

My school cancelled classes last week, now we're online for the rest of the semester.

This sucks mainly because A) The thesis show for my cartooning major is most likely not going to happen, B) the seniors won't get a last good chunk to say goodbye to the school, and C) We're a performing arts school, so being digital hurts for many.
I know being healthy matters most, but honestly, I'm hoping things get better, because everything is getting cancelled and it hurts

The only happy thing I can think of is that I'm watching Netflix and finally catching up on Hilda and Castlevania, which are both good pieces of entertainment.

And my voter card came in the mail, so I'm going to vote finally this year!

[alicemacher]

The Good News Network (not an evangelical site, despite the name) has a number of additional positive and uplifting stories from around the world about responses to the pandemic.

[crinos]

Thank you for the link. Me and a bunch of people on Daily Kos do a thing called the Good News roundup, where we hunt down uplifting stories (or just stories of Trump getting dunked on) to help us get through the day. I write the Monday shift of it, and this will be a great resource in the future.

[llordllama]

I've been home working for the past week, as thankfully my boss has always been good that way. Plus, pretty much my entire core job can be done remotely. Although, as of yesterday our director and VC (I work for a major UK university) have changed to work from home as standard. Unless, oddly, you're in the library...which is a bit odd for some of my work friends.

Biggest problem we've had so far, is trying to persuade aged parental units to take the situation more seriously & socially distance themselves. We've had my MiL exclaiming 'We lived through the war" for carrying on as normal.

Frustrating is not the half of it :/

[icon_uk]

"Yeah, but did you live through the 1918-20 Flu Pandemic?" might be the best respsonse.

[janegray]

What are your opinions on Batman: The Long Halloween? Is it really as great as they say?

[alicemacher]

I'd say it's an okay read, but not an all-time must-read Batman classic like Year One or The Dark Knight Returns. It borrows heavily from Andrew Helfer's 1990 Two-Face origin story, "Eye of the Beholder."

[thezmage]

If you’re looking for something to make yourself laugh until you hurt yourself, the first season of The Goes Wrong show is available in the US on iTunes and Vudu and the like. Each week the Cornley Drama Society attempts to put on a play to uniquely disastrous results.

[silverhammerman]

Last week, after some six months of searching high and low, I finally managed to land a job, temping in an office, doing some light filing. The literal next day the COVID-19 news went wide and people started quarantining. I’m still at work and I frankly need the money, but I’m not super enthused about having to come to an office which could really probably be closed during this pandemic, especially since I have to take public transit in Canada’s largest city to get there. The company is also having regular conference calls about the situation so I’m on tenterhooks as to whether or not they’re going to send workers home, in which case I’d lessen my exposure but also lose out on pay, since I am just a temp and can’t really work from home.

Beyond that I finished my Star Trek: DS9 rewatch and thoroughly enjoyed it. I keep saying this but DS9 is really, really good, and the final 10 episode stretch is immensely satisfying, if somewhat intimidating due to its length and serialized nature.

Given that, I’m now casting about for something new to watch. I keep rewatching the same things over and over, partly because I usually draw while watch things and frequently only half pay attention, but I find myself feeling very nostalgic for the way TV schedules would occasionally force me to watch something new or simply watch a rotation of programs. There are a lot of great things about streaming, but one thing I don’t like is that if you don’t want to just sit, lumpen, and bingewatch one show, you have to constantly deal with the dizzying number of services and shows. I really wish I could put together a queue or playlist to make things a tiny bit easier.

[lordultimus]

Beastars is up on Netflix now. I can safely say, even if CGI anime typically isn't your thing, it's well worth watching as a deeply emotional character drama. Not for the lighthearted, but if you ever watched Zootopia and wondered what it would look like if it was made for adults instead of kids, it would probably look like Beastars.

[mazway_75]

Just amazing how this time last week, things were semi-normal, a little concern but still plans for sports, parties etc.

Now we're at the point where a family we know is live-streaming their mom's funeral because they can't have a huge Irish-style wake for her. Just insane how it shifted.

Count your blessings, I'm lucky to still have a job now and money saved up but know far too many not so fortunate. Gives you real perspective...

[owlbrigade1]

One of the things that have come out of this crisis which amazes me is that the rest of the world, with the exception of the UK which is Trump's mini-me, has collectively stood up and declared the United States a thrid world nation. The Covid crisis really has been America's Suez moment.

As for the UK, well thanks to England the English Parliament in Westminster, this is just Suez 2: Suez Harder.

[deh_tommy]

I love my father more than anything, but he can be rather clinical and stubborn at the worst of times. He’s concerned about people’s well being and security, but he seems to have trouble empathising with or understanding feelings and personal values if that doesn’t affect the economy or him directly.

That’s especially frustrating now because he refuses to follow even the most basic of guidelines: he keeps going out to public places (often with friends), he coughs openly (coughing is a regular habit of his, but still), he doesn’t wash his hands properly, and he’s very selective on what advice he listens to.

In any other circumstance I wouldn’t really be all too miffed about myself catching the virus, but if he or I catch the thing then we all catch the thing. I’m not ready to see any of them go just yet.

[scorntx]

Urgh. Just so utterly fucking fed up of coronavirus already.
And the way the entirety of Britain is running around like a headless chicken in response.

Not concerned about the idea of being cooped up indoors too much, because honestly sitting around doing nawt all day is... kind of what I do anyhow.
(Though, as a creature of habit, I am slightly worried about what to do if my local comic shop isn't open. Without that, I might go a little funny in the head...)
The only problem is the rest of the family, who are not the sort to respond to being stuck indoors for any length of time at all.
(I mean, during the holidays, it took two days a'fore cabin fever kicked in. Two days.)
... that, and there's never anything worth watching on Netflix.


So that Digimon Last Evolution came out the other month, but it doesn't seem like many people outside of Japan have been able to see it, or something?
Bit weird.


Been seeing those adverts Marvel's been doing celebrating "150 issues of Captain Marvel".
It's kind of depressingly on-brand for Carol that of the top ten greatest moments, there's a huge gap between 1978 and 2006, and one of those greatest moments is about her cat.
And right after that, there's that time she got chumped by Hydra Steve.
Funnily enough, no mention of Civil War or Civil War II: Revenge of The Fallen.

[tripodeca113]

Hooray Ahsoka is coming back in the next episode of The Clone Wars!

The upcoming James Bond movie has been delayed again. With such a smooth production I’m sure it’ll be great.

You know I thought that the Picard show would be more grounded and be about political stuff and conspiracies, but I guess I was wrong and it’s about ancient space precursors, Armageddon prophecies and magic alien robots.

[dr_archeville]

In North Carolina, starting yesterday, all schools are closed until March 28th. (Which means no substitute teaching work for me.) And all gatherings of 100+ people have been prohibited.

Effective as of 5:00pm today, all restaurants and bars are on take-out and delivery only, no more dining in.

My mother's 401(k) has lost $6,000 :(

[skjam]

Tomorrow, after I see the doctor about a non-Covid issue, I am to take home a pile of hardware to be able to work from home. I have no idea how I am going to find space for it in my tiny one room apartment, and since I am hopeless at assembling parts, how I am going to get up and running. (I might at least get an Uber ride courtesy of the company rather than having to wrangle it all on the bus.)

[beyondthefringe]

Fun times. My wife works at a college, and they sent all the students home, so she lost several of her workers and is now working excessive hours while they get shit under control.

Meanwhile, my part-time job at the local civic center has dried up for the month because they've cancelled all the sporting events, concerts, etc. I now have a lot more time at home to cook, read, groom the cats, and generally be a nuisance.

On the bright side, my local comics store decided, for whatever reason, to release comics today, so I'm set for the week.

[ayasugi_san]

Please tell me the kitties enjoy the extra grooming and attention.

[shakalooloo]

I work for the NHS. It has not been fun dealing with the panicked public, who keep getting conflicting information from the powers that be.

Those people that used their own initiative to steal handwash from the ends of hospital beds here can go to Hell.

[mrwalker]

Between the virus and a worsening of my carpal tunnel that will likely require surgery (my body's timing is impeccable as always), I'm feeling pretty down.

My job is in healthcare, it's stressful in normal times but it's gone into overdrive now, despite some people still thinking we're all getting worked up over a bad case of the sniffles

The upside is I'm pretty sure pharmacy is essential so we'd be exempt from any shutdowns. The bad news is the high risk of exposure. I have a pretty Ivan Drago-esque outlook for myself ( "if I die I die") but am terrified of carrying it to someone vulnerable.

[lissa_quon]

Was hoping to get live streaming and productivity going this week as I refigure my business plans for no convention seasons, no galleries and etsy being a shit.

But I just had to put my cat down. He's been my buddy, night manager and emotional support idiot for 16 years and now its just. Bad timing.

On the plus side - I'm catching up on my reading - and also starting a new large crochet project as soon as the yarn comes in.

[mrwalker]

I'm sorry for your loss, especially at a time like this.