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.

The current British situation on multiple fronts can be summarised with the word "strained": A new strain of coronavirus means over 40 countries have shut their borders to us and strained relations with our neightbours (many of whom our relations are already strained with thanks to Brexits). Locally tempers are strained because a swathe of the country had a whole NEW level of restrictions created and applied at the weekend.

Joe Biden has had his first coronavirus vaccination on live television to encourage others as to it's safety.

And the US Congress finally approved an aid plan

And in equally unusual news, Saturn and Jupiter formed a Great Conjunction last night, visible in the night sky for the first time in 800 year. Or at least it was visible for those who didn't have rainy weather ALL EVENING... not that I'm bitter of course!! The urRu and Skeksis were unavailable for comment

The Mandalorian Season 2 ended with a genuinely remarkable episode which included: a couple of superb fight scenes; the Empire not having learned anything about droid troopers from the Separatists; one seriously kick ass attack squad who all happen to be female; as neat a bit of petty manouvering from Moff Gideon as I could have imagined (in one fell swoop he makes Din Djaran and Bo Katan's (who he's not even met yet) lives INFINTIELY more complicated just because he can); and a VERY unexpected cameo that was a complete surprise to everyone. (Please tag any spoilers in the comments, even if social media means it's unlikely that anyone who hasn't buried their router in ten feet of cement is unspoiled by this point) and be sure to stay through to the end of the credits because... (Oh, and a shout out to Ludwig Göransson for his amazing score throughout both seasons, who knew a bass recorder could be quite so memorable)

I caught up on a couple of episode of Hulu's new "Hardy Boys" series and ws surprised at just how... wholesome it is. In a world of Riverdale and Stranger Things, this seems to be a family friendly take on Frank and (a much younger than usual) Joe set in the 80's. Fridging their mother to provide the plot for the first season is a trope I could happily have lived without (why not their father instead if they HAD to take a turn down "Dead Parent Drive") but overall it's been refreshingly lacking in "dark edginess".

The next Sentai series has been announced, "Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger" ("Machine World Squadron Full Throttle Ranger") will be the 45th in the series looks set to be an "homage to the past" type.

Scans_Daily lays claim to no faith or preference (Even my choice of icon is more down to it including Robin in a Santa hat than anything else). so whether you are celebrating Solstice, Hannukah, Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winterval, Hogswatchnight or that old favourite Making-it-through-the-next-three-days-without-shouting-at-a-family-member, or not celebrating anything at all for any number of reasons, have fun, stay safe and be well, especially this year.

If you are by yourself, remember that really you're not: Your oddball global family here at S_D is always here (Actually that sounded a little more menacing than reassuring, sorry). A merry, if chaotic, agglomeration of every embarassing aunt, weird uncle, fun cousin and sibling that you're not even sure why you're still talking too but what the heck. We're here any time you need us. We don't judge, we don't criticise, we accept you as you are and we love you for that.

Random question of the week: favourite gemstone? (In a mineralogical sense, rather than Steven Universe sense)

Comments

[tripodeca113]

The reviews for The Watch show, are coming in, sadly it looks like, it was exactly the kind of show the marketing said it was.

I feel very disappointed with the season two finale of The Mandalorian. It feels like they sold out the show's main relationship, and appeal for cheap fan-service. It's very off-putting that the showrunners are pretending that actors don't age or die. It also annoying because it seems like season two was more about setting up spin-off shows. I think it's very important that we keep in mind that Disney killed Star Wars, and that hope is a lie. I know that's not a fun message, but it can save us a lot of disappointment when it comes to corporate media.

I recently finished watching all six Star Wars films, for the first time in at least a decade. In the halcyon days of yore people complained about the Ewoks. It seems so quaint nowadays. Sure, it's weird that their obviously meant to sell merchandise, but explicitly kill and eat people, but I don't think their actions were that unreasonable. In the fight against the Stormtroopers, they mostly knocked them over and clubbed them to death, or snuck up behind their enemies. And they did this to pick off, small groups of Stormtroopers, while the Rebels keep the main forces busy. There are many things you can say about Lucas, but at least he had the decency to make the Prequels factions, unique rather than being lazy rehashes of the original. They also have meaningful political themes, and parallels to history.

My Star Trek DVD's have arrived and I've started watching it. I'm three episodes in, and two of them have been about people with powerful physic powers.

Looks like we won't be playing Devotion anytime soon. A planned release on GOG, was pulled at the last minute. Drat, I really enjoyed the developers other game Detention.

I've started playing Watch Dog. It's a tonally inconsistent game, it's at its best when you're sneaking into places, or remotely hacking in, but you do far duller missions involving shooting people, and getting in high-speed chases.

I was playing The Sinking City, an enjoyable if often clunky game. I noticed it was running a lot worse than usual, but didn't think much of it. Anyway, it turned out my laptops cooling fan is damaged and, I'll need to have it repaired/ replaced. Not the biggest issue, but it's annoying time for it to happen.

You may remember the webcomic site SmackJeeves, well last year it was brought out, got an ugly new redesign, and is going to be shut down at the end of the year. I've been saving a webcomic I liked to the Internet Archive, which is dull and repetitive. Unfortunately, the site won't save the comments, so I've been taking screenshots of them, but this was on my main laptop so... I only have another 290 to go...sigh..

[deh_tommy]

Yeah, the Devotion situation really sucks, because gosh darn is that a fantastic yarn. I’m pleasantly surprised at how popular Detention seems to be, though. Did you know that got a novelisation, a movie adaptation AND a TV show?

Any webcomics that haven’t been archived yet?

[tripodeca113]

I didn't know that Detention was that successful. That very impressive.

The archiving process is still-ongoing, but I should be able to get it done.

[leahandillyana]

My favourite stones are quarzes due to how radically different they can appear. I have a single shade amethyst, a striped amethyst, an orange quartz and a rose quartz. I once found a large mostly oval quartz in the sea, but have no idea what happened to it after the years.
The situation here is surprisingly not getting worse for now. One of my cats was ill, but he's back to health. My favourite cousin will be staying with us for Christmas, I can't wait to see her again.
I've read a kill-them-all horror manga where a trans girl and a blind girl were the survivors - talk about subverting expectations (even if the expectations are very low). I've also read a historical comic set in my province and partially written in local creaole. There's a lot of cultural tension in the comic, and the analysis which characters use which language in which situations makes for a depth of analysis.

[zachbeacon]

Susan: “All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
Death: REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
Susan: "Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
Death: YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
Susan: "So we can believe the big ones?"
Death: YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
Susan: "They're not the same at all!"
Death: YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET — Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
Susan: "Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
Death: MY POINT EXACTLY.


-The Hogfather by Sir Terry Pratchett

[lissa_quon]

I'm about to start re-reading Hogfather this year cause I feel I need this in my life right now.

[zachbeacon]

Yeah, I have a soft spot for it if only because it was my first Discworld book but I don't have nearly as much time to read as I'd like so I just watched the miniseries over the weekend.

[icon_uk]

Hogfather remains probably my second favourite Discworld novel (There's a wafer-thin seapration between it and "Thief of Time")

[zachbeacon]

Lack of Time Monks really is Hogfather's greatest weakness as a story.

[mister_terrific]

It's been a week. I really enjoyed season 2 of Mandalorian, though my wife and I were shaking our heads about the whole "the Darksaber can only be passed through combat". Gee, it sure didn't seem that way in Rebels...though this may be a commentary on how legends get started and evolve. It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

On a more personal side...sigh. My daughter, who really really really should have known better, agreed to pick up her ex-roommates over the weekend, who had flown to Alabama to attend a wedding (Can you see the red flags flying?) and needed a lift home. My daughter is immuno-suppressed, keep that in mind. And when she found out they were moving to Oregon next month...hugged them both.

So she found out yesterday that a) the ex-roomies tested positive, b) the wedding was predominantly maskless, c) Orlando Airport was packed to the brim with idiots I mean tourists. She's gotten a test and warned her current roommates, and intends to get tested again later this week.

My daughter is a sweet, generous young woman with a big heart and she's very touch-oriented. I know how hard this year has been for her personally and professionally. But on top of losing a beloved cat and a problematic mother-in-law...well, it's just like 2020 to give us one last "fuck you" as it leaves, isn't it?

[owlbrigade1]

I'm headcanoning that the Darksaber can only be won in combat was an old legend that nobody paid any attention to, until Mandalore got creamed by the Empire and Bo Katan lost it to old Giddy there. Then the remaining Mandalorians started believing in that old legend with a vengeance as they tried to cope with their loss. Nations often turn to old nationalistic myths to cope with losing wars, so it kinda fits.

Best thoughts for your daughter, I hope she is okay.

[icon_uk]

I feel we should still congratulate you on raising such a generally admirable daughter.

Here's hoping for negative results!

[mister_terrific]

Well, as my wife points out, people are so focused on COVID that they're forgetting it's also flu season, though I never thought I'd be praying "let it be flu, let it be flu".

Daughter and I had a long talk yesterday--and yes, I was admittedly exasperated--but as I told her, this is the way she is and I'm not going to condemn her for being kind and generous. I mean, this is the kid who when she found out her grandmother had died (and again, that was a VERY complicated situation), insisted on flying up here to see her grandfather. She took all the precautions she could but there was no way she wouldn't be here for him.

She thanked me once and I asked why. "For teaching me to be kind." I kind of blinked and said "I did?", but you know what, that's not a bad thing, is it?

[owlbrigade1]

I would put it beyond "strained" especially as bloody Londoners are still decamping en masse to second homes in the country, and in Scotland and Wales, bringing the virus with them. How many times in history do we need to write the words "Londoners fleeing the plague in the city brought it with them to the rest of the country"? Right now I support building a wall around the M25.

Please, please, please, if you live in London, or any city, then stay there. Please.

[cygnia]

Gearing up for holiday hecticness. Baking cheesecake tomorrow, poundcake on the 24th, quiche for breakfast on the 25th. And a much needed Port tasting on the 26th before dealing with my Trump-loving brother-in-law for dinner. :-/

We're planning on doing house renovations next year --which will add to the chaos.

Finished up "What Remains of Edith Finch" last night. It's a well-made game, but I don't know if it's bittersweet or depressing in the end. Plus, it gave me motion sickness in places.

Gemstone-wise, I'm partial to amethysts (my birthstone) and star sapphires (on my engagement ring).

[juniper6]

Hanukkah is over for the year, but thanks anyway. 🙂

This year I learned that there are an astounding number of Hanukkah-themed dog toys, and the grandpuppy (who is not at all spoiled) had a good time. And someone else bought this same, not at all spoiled, dog a Christmas stocking, so apparently Santa will be stopping by too.

[icon_uk]

Well, we did do a shout out to Hannukah celebrants last week!

Raising a multi-faith family is always a challenge (especially if it's one member who's more than one faith) so your, not at all spoiled, grandpuppy is clearly learnng the right lessons. :)

[iamrman]

Comixology is having a lot of interesting sales for the festive season. Of particular notice is the sale on Marvel Masterworks. I managed to get the rest of the Lee and Kirby run on Fantastic Four as well as some Hulk and Daredevil.

I was particularly interested in finding out there were comics book of Jim Henson's Labyrinth and the Storyteller. The Labyrinth series is basically Jareth: Year One and tells how me became the Goblin King. The various Storyteller volumes are based around such things as dragons, witches and such. I always enjoyed learning about folklore, so I look forward to reading them.

[zachbeacon]

Yeah, DC sales have been disappointing of late (the holiday sales used to have ALL the trades at five bucks) but Marvel has some great discounts like Masterworks at $1-2 bucks. A lot of the indy stuff I've had on my wish list forever is on sale. Plus you have the usual from Dark Horse, Image, Kodansha, ect.

[iamrman]

I managed to get some good buts in the linewide DC sale. The Adventures of Superman by George Perez and volume 7 of the Flash by Mark Waid have been on my wishlist for a while, but were outside my price range.

[scorntx]

(When I was saying that it would turn out there'd be a new version of Covid or an even deadlier disease come 2021, I was being flippant...
*sigh*)

One day, Disney is just going to give in to their madness and make a movie where all the actors are digital recreations.

Actually kind of surprised by the latest episode of Discovery.
The twist of who was whom at the end was... a little random, and the lack of a cameo by Certain Actors was kind of a let down (as was not letting Mirror Culber say anything. Boo!) but... it was some interesting stuff with Mirror Georgiou.
Though the toast was irritating for many reasons.
Felt like shilling.


Not been the greatest time lately, since the dog's been... well, she's been not terribly great the whole year, getting increasingly confused, wandering around not knowing what she's doing, not eating as much as she used to (unless it's someone else's food) and losing control of her bladder.
Then a few weeks ago she fell down the stairs. Nothing broken, but it was a scare with an elderly dog literally rolling down the stairs.
Makes going to bed and getting up troublesome, worrying whether she'll try and make a go for the stairs and then...
(Wasn't really expecting a terribly great holiday season to begin with, to be honest, but this is a bit beyond "just really bored".)


Since playing AC: Valhalla is off the table 'till New Year at least, decided to replay Origins.
Actually enjoying it more than Odyssey, all things considered.

[zachbeacon]

Its so infuriating to watch the politicians who created this mess rush to the front of the line now that there's a vaccine.

I read The Chimes over the weekend. Its easy to see why the Christmas Carol is the Dickens holiday story that had the staying power ... even though current events make the former feel more honest.

Anyway, Eat the Rich and Happy Holidays.

[donnblake]

I'm kind of two minds about that. I understand why the hypocrisy rankles, but the challenge with the vaccine is twofold. One is the logistical challenge of manufacture, distribution, and administration. The other is actually convincing people to show up and get the damn thing- and then do it again for the second dose.

And there are people who are reluctant to get vaccinated- and that's including people who should really know better, like some front line healthcare workers. So if public figures, on both sides of the aisle, are visibly coming forward and saying "Yes, this vaccine is a good thing, and getting it is a personal benefit," I can see that doing some good, as much as I'd be fine with the Republican establishment spending some time in intensive care.

[zachbeacon]

I keep seeing that logic but I can't buy it anymore. Not after Trump got it and a sizable chunk of his base still thinks it isn't even real.

[mastermahan]

The Mandalorian Season 2. Remember how Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 wasn't as strong as the first Iron Man, in part because the setup for a greater MCU ended up taking over a lot of plot? Still fun with some great action, but it suffers from carrying the weight of marketing spinoffs.

I don't really care about a Boba Fett series besides Ming-Na, because Mando is already a better version of Boba Fett. I'd prefer a different actress for Ahsoka, but I'll admit I'm intrigued by live-action Thrawn.

I'm pretty disappointed by how The Watch is looking. Of all Discworld's subseries, The Watch was always my favorite.

Gemstone: Opals, because opals are cool. My favorite Gem, meanwhile, is Pearl.

[zachbeacon]

Trump pardoned Duncan Hunter. (You know, the guy who stole campaign money for things like plane tickets for a rabbit, video games, and groceries). Wonder what's next for the world's most boring embezzler

[icon_uk]

He also seems keen on vetoing the newly agreed Congressional stimulus package...

[zachbeacon]

Considering to money thrown away on the military, corporate welfare, ect $600 seems less like a stimulus than a rounding error.

But this is a very obvious stunt and he can't follow through on it.

[thezmage]

There’s also the unemployment extension and rent assistance that’s at risk here, an all-around bigger deal than stimulus checks in my opinion. People are going to need to pay their bills

[zachbeacon]

"People are going to need to pay their bills"

I agree. But when so many essential workers make less working than they would on unemployment (if you can actually manage to get through the overwhelmed system) and you still have rampant evections then it isn't a good plan.

I am, of course, talking about the last plan. Time will tell for this new one but all the discussion I've seen of it indicates its an even more transparent excuse for massive corporate handouts.

[thezmage]

Of course there are corporate handouts in it: Mitch McConnell would have blocked it otherwise. Its really only a bad bill if you care more about hurting corporations than helping poor people, otherwise it’s a necessary bill. This bill needs to pass to extend unemployment, provide rent relief, set up infrastructure for distribution of the COVID vaccine, etc. Now they’re trying to up the stimulus (which we all know won’t happen) in such a way that Trump can’t pocket-veto the bill.

People need help with their rent and their bills, they need unemployment extension. Holding this bill up because it’s not perfect is just going to hurt desperate people. Holding all of that up to get a few more dollars ($1400 is a lot for me but not compared to extending unemployment) and maybe lose out on everything is not a good move

[thezmage]

He also pardoned a number of convicted war criminals and profiteers so, yeah.

[zachbeacon]

Yeah, but I have to talk about the cartoonish criminals (rather than the much more frightening ones) right now just for the sake of my sanity.