scans_daily | Mod Post: Off-Topic Tuesday

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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 intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.

Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.

As we approach the fourteenth week of Junuary in this Year of our Deliveroo Driver 2020 1/2, I find that time is starting to lose cohesion again, and we'll shortly be at the Summer Solstice. Wasn't Christmasween just a month or so back? Weird.

The UK Government has caused yet more chaos by shifting Protugal back onto it's Amber list of places to visit (requiring self-isolation on return) at very short notice, AFTER previously putting it on the Green list (with no isolation required). So everyone who dashed over there at the first opportunity for a holiday was now dashing back to beat the dealdine or facing another two weeks of self-isolation. This has been greeted about as well as one might expect.

The US has approved it's first new drug for treating Alzheimer's in 20 years, though the efficacy of the drug, which targets the underlying cause of Alzheimers rather than the symptoms, is still hotly debated. Still, hopefully a step in the right direction.

In a frankly impressive sting operation, the FBI and Australian intelligence agency created a private messaging app called "ANOM", which was then more or less marketed to criminals as a totally secure means of sending details about any number of illicit activities, all the while monitoring everything that happened on it. Over 800 arrests have ensued.

Also, a recent ransomware attack backfired when the FBI managed to steal the ransom BACK by getting hold of the encryption key for the Bitcoin wallet involved. Though they are being very coy about HOW they did it.

"I am impressed by both of the above" and "I am worried about the obvious implications for general privacy and security" are statements that can co-exist.

"The Bad Batch" is a series I'm still finding it a little hard to get into. I can see the aim, it's sort of interesting to see the Empire getting itself established, and Dee Bradley Baker is doing terrific work as the entire Bunch (apart from Omega, but even then I felt it wise to check the credits, just in case) but I'm still finding it a little tough to.. well, care about them much.

It was fun to here Rhea Perlman get what looks to be a recurring role as their agent though! And since I'm also still wondering what Omega's skillset is going to turn out to be, I suppose if they've got me watching another episode to find out they're doing what they set out to do.

Jensen Ackles has had photos released of him as Soldier Boy for the next season of "The Boys". It's a good look, but since I'm not a fan of the series, I'll just appreciate the aesthetics.

Random question of the week: What IS your bitcoin wallet key... No? Oh well, worth a try! :)

ACTUAl Random question of the week - Your favourite takeaway food.

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From:

leahandillyana

Since it’s pride month, I’ll write about pride in Poland (I couldn’t have written about pride in Belarus because being publicly queer is illegal there). So, a few random points:
• Rainbow capitalism is almost nonexistent. This year Ikea is selling rainbow bags and for a few years Ben & Jerry’s been selling limited edition ice cream, but that’s it. Businesses are scared of being sued by citizens claiming anything pro-LGBT is offending their religious feelings. Ikea is being taken to court right now.
• Talking about pride parade, there’s one, only Warsaw pride, with the exceptions in 2018 and 2019. And even Warsaw pride has to fight the mayor who wants to cancel it every time. Every bloody time, regardless of the politics of the mayors. Mayor of Gdańsk allowed a pride in 2017 but he’s the guy who was killed, so you have a picture.
• Pride is a political manifestation. So no sponsors, rarely even vechicles, no crazy costumes, and actually very likely more allies than queer people themselves. Marchers are dressed in a rather boring way, and there are many flags – rainbow, trans, bi, an ace/aro/enby flag or two, and LOTS of European Union flags. Very rare to find a lesbian flag though. Nobody wears fetish wear, but bear/BDSM/poly flags happen from time to time.
• Every pride event has massive police precence, riot gear, trained dogs, armored vechicles, all the stuff. Why? Because every time there’s at least as many countermanifestaries as the marchers, and they are very aggressive. Attacking both marchers and the police, destroying both public property and private businesses. The cities fucking burn. In 2019 the police let them do whatever they wanted in Białystok, ending with a massive riot and a massacre. So, while I have no doubt the policemen themselves don’t give a shit about the queers, I’d refuse to walk in a pride march not protected by lots of police. Talk about conflicting needs, etc.
• In 2020 pride events could happen only with less than 80 participants, so honestly from my perspective there was no pride last year. Dunno if anything happens this year. Bans can happen last second, especially since the governning party is dismanling the jusdical system to smash it’s opponents, even when said opponents are Belarussian activist who seek allyship against Lukashenko – PIS and Lukashenko are BFFs.
• There’s one LGBT org in my province and it is located in a concealed basement. You wouln’t know it’s there unless you were told. We were attacked a few times too. The steel-enforced doors did a good job.
• Oh and in 2019 there was a terrorist bombing attack averted last second against a pride march. So there’s that.
• It could be worse though. At least it’s not Belarus. Yet. That said, while Poland may be the worst place within the EU (and one of the worst in Europe) to live as a queer person, it’s pretty decent place for world standards overall. Same sex and same sex relationships are legal, you can also change your legal gender. Queer media by themselves are legal, so are queer organisations. No protections and no legal recognition of relationships, even basic or locality limited ones as in Japan, but it very much could have been worse. Though it always frustrates me when Anglo-American fans criticize Japan when compared to vaguely-defined West, as here is technically West and it’s much worse in every aspect.
I’ve marathoned all Sailor Moon films, including the new ones (finally!), and man, in the 2021 films the fanservice is soooo cranked up, even the everyday school uniforms became miniskirts. Plus it really feels pervy how the new movies focus on romance between small girls and adolascent boys (it makes more sense in context, but it’s still kinda pervy). Plus, the first of the new movies managed to both have some unfortunate implications in its portrayal of gay/trans characters and hit my personal trigger of violence against animals. Also, when comparing old and new anime, it’s funny that a single old film („Promise of the Rose”, the one with the alien boy in love with Mamoru) can put more psychological depth and character developement in sixty minutes than the new anime does in four seasons. Also, Sailor Moon is waaay queerer than you remember it, both versions. Watch it for pride month, seriously, it’s perfect for June.
Zombieland Saga finally showed Yugiri’s backstory, and it’s surprisingly serious and honestly heartbreaking – instead of parodying genre conventions, it is a honest genre story. It made me sad. Some elements also made my theory-making mind go wild. At this point, I suspect reincarnation cycle is canon to the series.
In Love Nikki, I finished Starsea and Humanoid Source Code, my #2 favourite suit in the game. I feel smug because I managed to do it on a budget of only $2. I was considering crafting only the skin from Grice, as it is the most top scoring skin in the game and can be paired with most make ups, but people online keep saying that crafting it can take up to A YEAR, so it’s not really worth it :(
In my personal life, ther’s more death and violence. There’s been another instance of a man perceived as as gay being attacked in front of a supermarket, ending up with a broken nose and stitched forehead. The police will not be looking for the preparator of violence. In another instance, there were no physical damage to the victims, but instead they were sued for using physical force to protect themselves. It turns out the attacker was a policeman. Grandmother’s sister died of covid. She was the last surviving sibling. There’s been a deadly fire in which a refugee woman and her teen son lost their lives and her surviving sister lost all posessions. In good news, I wrote a fanfic for an exchange that ended up leading not exactly where I imagined it will go, but I’m honestly proud of it.

From:

tripodeca113

Well there was a assignment due at midnight. Anyway it was 11:55 and I managed to write it, I decided to get the referencing done and take the late penalty. But then I find it doesn't accept late submissions. I won't deny I panic for a bit, but then I worked out that I should be able to scrap by with my other assignments. And then the website was reopened to allow for late submissions. The moral here, is never do any referencing.

I've finished watching Cobra Kai. It has many important themes about redemption, guiding the next generation, and how karate can be a powerful tool for good, but also potentially for evil. But ultimately good karate requires good judgment.

Oh my God, Gravity Falls has actually made it to DVD where I live. It took SEVEN years. Sure, it only includes three thirds of the first season, and I have no idea if they'll release the rest of it......actually that's kind of a downer.

hmm there was something else, but its gone now. Yes that's it the Providence compendium has been delayed.

I saw that some guy released a five-hour video on why Doctor Who's bad now. Now I am not a fan of Chibnall's work, but that seems excessive. I feel like I need to actually watch it in order to criticise it, but I don't quite hate myself enough to that.

The Blacksad comic I ordered arrived. It had seals in it, implying that aquatic mammals are also humanized in this world. Anyway, exciting news, apparently a new volume is coming out later this year. Hooray! But it will be part one of two.

I think one of my ideas could actually be quite good, having given it some thought.

The Bad Batch, has shown a mysterious person in a cloak, who I fear is either fan-service or a potential spin-off. They may further contradict a tie-in novel.

In Star Trek, I've learnt that Kirk has the ability to turn into someone else during fight scenes. I hope they explore this in later episodes. Also a Starfleet higher-up was willing to hush up an accidental death under his command, in order to avoid bad press.

Edited Date: 2021-06-08 11:26 am (UTC)

From:

deh_tommy

I love my course but essay writing suuuuuuuuuuuuucks. Mind you, I’m terrible at academia in general, but I’m absolutely awful with referencing and reaching the word limit and making sure I’m not plagiarising stuff.

Bringing the crack since December 2003

Mod Post: Off-Topic Tuesday

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