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.

Texas has introduced one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the USA, including the right for lawsuits to be brought by private citizens against those who aid, abet or perform abortions carried out after six weeks.

The UK Government has denied it has plans for an October Lockdown, so we might as well plan for that happening.

El Salvador has become the first country in the world to approve the use of BitCoin as legal tender.

The house Jim Henson lived in when he was in London, is to receive an official English Heritage blue plaque.

ABBA has released two tracks from their forthcoming new album Voyage, their first in over 40 years. "Don't Shut me Down" is classic ABBA pop with their typical melancholic twist, and "I Still Have Faith in You" is a classic ballad. Given that both the lead singers are now in their 70's, their voices are amazing!

Finally watched the end of Schmigadoon. It was a little over-obsessed with referencing specific classic Broadway musical numbers at times, but that that did give us Kristen Chenowyth's shot in one go and sung live "Tribulation and Strife", ("Ya Got Trouble" from "The Music Man") and Jane Karkaowski's Cole Porter inspired "I Always, Always, Never Get my Man".

And a Happy Rosh Hashanah to those who celebrate the Jewish New Year!

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From:

leahandillyana

On Thursday, Poland introduced state of emergency in its eastern provinces. As a result, media and activists are forbidden from entry and cannot monitor refugees stuck at the border. The everyday lives of the citizens is also heavily disturbed, as they are not allowed to leave their homes, grinding the lives and economy of already poor provinces to a stop. It’s rightfully compared to martial law from forty years ago (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law_in_Poland). In post-factum discussion in the parliament, the prime minister called the MOPs opposing the state of emergency traitors during a post-modern war, which is a VERY HEAVY accusation, as Polish constitution allows for execution of traitors during wartime. In less than two years, the country went from a flawed democracy to an authoritarian system to a borderline totalitarian nation. I wish I had the Infinity Gauntlet so that I could Thanos Snap half of Poles, the half that supports inhuman cruelty against others.
My life was saved by a cellphone game. I felt very suicidal last week, but at that time a) I had an incredible luck in Shining Nikki, getting three new Designer Reflections (best items in the game, coming with extra character stories) in two days and b) the game updated, adding the feature of creating a nail salon, which is a very fun addition, especially since there’s very high limit of what a player can put on one nail, opening the flood gates for the most nonsensical and exciting designs. This made me feel good enough to rethink the reasons while I felt so miserable and come up with a more reasonable view and plan of action. I love Yexiao’s development, she reminds me of Fuhua from Honkai Impact 3rd. I love it when my favourite series take inspiration from each other.
I watched the first season of Moriarty the Patriot. It’s an EXCELLENT story, I recommend both manga and anime. It’s explicitly anti-classist story, more black and white than Rose of Versailles (which made sure both the aristocrats and the revolutionaries were mostly sympathetic characters), but nonetheless a very good tale, with an excellent art style reminding me of CLAMP. I also got up to date with Magia Record anime, which is about to cover the most interesting plot points of the game, and seemingly both at once! I’m actually excited about the next episode. Still not watched Case Study of Vanitas, but I plan to finish Moriarty first. I am so happy that I finally feel good enough to watch anime. There’s a stash of books I want to read later, including third volume of Eva Anima.
Sebastian is getting better. Thank you everyone who send him positive energy and prayers. :) I feel kinda cranky because his treatment ate through almost all my money and I’ll have to wait until my next salary comes to buy anything. Like, I have all the necessities at home, but I don’t like the idea of not being able to buy something small, from a coffee to a new pair of earphones, if I wanted or needed to. It’s only a few days though, but I wanted to attend a geological exhibition and buy some small fossils (I have one small ammonite and would be super excited to add a trilobite, an insect in amber and a shark tooth to my collection), and now I cannot afford even a ticket. Goddamnit, I want to go so much. I love fossils and minerals. I hate asking my parents for money, but if I won’t receive my salary by Saturday I 99% will.
I see youths on the internet calling attractive characters and celebrities ‘breedable’ and I’m all O_O. How did a fetish term find a way to teens’ slang. Why this particular fetish. I feel very mildly concerned.

From:

mrwalker

I hope things get better for you, I'm glad you had something to pull you back from the edge. Video games are a great comfort and distraction for me too.

From:

onsokumaru

French actor Jean Paul Belmondo passed away yesterday.
I'm not a fan of french cinema, but I will always love "Ace of Aces", an action comedy movie featuring a WWI french veteran in nazi Germany. I'll never get tired of the scene where Belmondo trolls the gestapo in a jewish bookstore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymw7qxZNZUU

Buichi Terasawa's famous space outlaw Cobra's physical appearance (and general attitude) were inspired from Belmondo. It seems to be also the case for Jean Giraud's Blueberry (from a famous french western comics) and Monkey Punch's Lupin the Third.

Edited Date: 2021-09-07 12:04 pm (UTC)

From:

zachbeacon

So last week I found out the Comixology site is going away soon. It’ll redirect to the Amazon site.

Comixology will continue to exist as a dedicated comics reader on phones and tablets (which is good because the Kindle app is terrible for comics)

I’ve seen a lot of concerns raised that didn’t get addressed in the email announcing these changes and checking the FAQ and Twitter for answers didn’t really help because a lot of it “will be announced at a later time”.

Apparently linking Comixology and Amazon in some parts of the EU is difficult if not impossible.

There’s no mention of wish lists migrating to Amazon along with purchases. I’ve seen their support team say they will but I’m skeptical. There are a lot of comics on Comixology that aren’t even on Amazon.

Once the change happens, new purchases of previously DRM-free comics (mostly Image and indies) won’t come with the DRM-free copy but apparently you can still get the PDF/CBZ files from old purchases. I have no idea where they’re going to be if the Comixology site doesn’t exist anymore, though.

The Amazon storefront is terrible and I worry about the lack of discoverability. Even when I know what I’m looking for I can’t find it half the time. “No, I don’t want a battery. I’m searching for POWER PACK comics”.

So, um, anyway…I’ve been reading the Superman Rebirth stuff on Comixology. That was what I was originally going to talk about.

Its good. So far, I feel like Action Comics and Superwoman are doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of reconciling things with the Nu52 because Superman doesn’t seem remotely interested in answering those questions. Honestly, I think it’s the right call because my favorite Superman is “Rookie Superman” (though Superdad is pretty great too) and I like seeing Jon grow into his powers. I could have done without the bit with the cat though.

Also Atomic Skull and Bizarro Superwoman might be the weirdest thing I’ve ever shipped.

Edited Date: 2021-09-07 12:24 pm (UTC)

From:

stubbleupdate

That's a bit shite.

Will the app still have a storefront?

It's a bit galling, considering how much I've spent on Comixology (I refuse to work it out) but also many of those were impulse buys or disposable purchases.

While I would like to revisit G. Willow Wilson's Wonder Woman, I don't think I would want it sitting in my house on a shelf

Bringing the crack since December 2003

Mod Post: Off-Topic Tuesday