Ranxerox

I prefer breast milk.  Wait, which forum is this?

I lament that the fandom didn't embrace Hypertime as it was originally pitched. (Editorially, not in-universe)

Basically Wade and Morrison had noticed that every fan had their idea of who a character *really* was and what things had and had not happened to their version of Batman or Superman or whoever. 
For Batman:
In tone is Batman more Batman: Animated Series or Batman: Brave and the Bold?  Or how about Dark Knight?  or Silver Age?  Or Golden Age?
Had KnightFall happened?
Was BatMite a thing?
Which version of Joker had they fought?
Was their Mr. Freeze more like Arnold or BTAS Freeze or the one from the silver age?
Does Damien Wayne exist?
Is he married to Catwoman?
Etc etc

Their solution was to just accept that continuity ended up being multiple choice.  Basically, once an event happens and the fans like it will always sort of be out there, but people shouldn't be bound by it for all time.  Pick your version of a character, they are *all* valid and you could tell stories that did or did not acknowledge various parts of the Mythos.  The DC universe would continue onward as it was going & events would continue to happen and you wouldn't worry about a 6 issue run from 10 years ago unless people thought it was awesome and should be remembered.  You could just quietly ignore stuff without reboots or cosmic resets, and if a new version of Batman from a Movie ended up capturing the popular imagination, then comic Batman could just start drifting toward that version without needing an in-universe reason for it. (Harly can just start wearing her video game outfit and it's fine)

When folks time-traveled, they went to the version of the past you wanted to tell a story about.  If a character traveled from the past to now, you didn't have to figure out exactly which issue they came from, it was just a version of the character that had the experiences you needed for your story, and generally fit what people "knew" about that character.
 
Honestly, it was kind of like the Spiderverse before the Spiderverse. 

Fans *HATED* this.  Most of the other writers *HATED* this.  It lasted a few years and then everyone sort of agreed to forget it ever happened (which is Ironic, as that was what Hypertime was meant to do anyway)

The wind of projection from Graham onto the Democrats would blow my windows out. "They want to take over everything so they can promote their agenda."
 
One, the Democrats' proposal is to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025, not all at once. Second, the Republicans routinely included partisan extra items in their bills, insisting on everything or nothing being passed. Sometimes that's the only way to get legislation through a recalcitrant opposition. You can't expect the GOP to ever support raising the minimum wage by more than the most token amount if in a bill by itself, because that will impact the bottom line of their corporate donors. Third, people making minimum wage have been the hardest hit by COVID's economic impact, and are the most in need of assistance. Fourth, giving people in the lowest income bracket more money will mean they'll have more money to spend, and unlike the 1% they will spend it, because they need to. That puts money back into the economy.

*Shrug*  Well, I know that they regularly give human sacrifices to the oil industry, but mostly they are people that they want to get rid of anyway.  So, does that qualify as actual religious devotion?  I'm not an expert on these things.
 
 
Acts of ritualistic violence, stadiums full of chanting and cheering throngs, colorful ceremonial costumes, so yes, clearly religious ceremony.  Who am I to contradict untold numbers of future archeologist and anthropologist?   
 

8-Year-Old Calls Out NPR For Lack Of Dinosaur Stories

Yesterday's ep of "The Daily" NYTimes podcast gave a (perhaps surprisingly) empathetic look at how QAnon believers are dealing with Trump's departure.
 
The QAnon Conspiracy Theory is Proved ... - The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/podcasts/the-daily/... This is The Daily. Today, my colleague Kevin Roose on what happens to a conspiracy theory and its followers when it’s proven wrong. archived recording (qanon believer 5)

I know, but if they got in after the stock was already on the way up they could lose most of what they invested after the bubble pops.  Not a real problem as long as they were only using money that they could afford to lose, but people aren't always sensible like that.

Ten minutes ago, my wife tested positive.  She has a patient who has been off of isolation precautions for a week and a half who apparently was positive when he transferred in.  There is no chance that we haven't all been exposed.  Wife got tested because she developed symptoms yesterday.   I called work: I'm in quarantine, too, apparently.  Waiting till morning to contact the school to find out about the kids.
 
 

So, did you hear about the latest bizarre thing that Trump has tweeted?
 
Yeah, me neither.
 
It's been glorious.

I don't doubt that Trumpism will continue its corrosive path for years, even if Trump is kiboshed. But my sister recently read an interesting article by conservative Evangelical anti-Trumper David French in which he suggests that a Trump downfall -- he dealt with impeachment, but I think a business crash and burn might work as well -- will *not* result in  Trump Martyrdom Myth. French says that his tour of duty in Iraq gave him some experience with insurgents, and insurgents love power and winning. A Trump who has clearly failed and been defeated doesn't feed that hunger.
 
(I'd provide a link, but my sister says it's a subscribers-only blog post.)
 
My own thoughts: Trump is a brilliant grifter, but he has some real problems becoming a martyr. First, he won't be dead. It's important that martyrs be dead so they can be simplified into stories that believers can tell.
 
Second, martyrs don't whine. At least in their myth, they walk to their doom with head high, eyes open and a psalm on their lips. Slain, but undefeated, knowing that the enemies who think they have won have actually lost. Trump never frickin' shuts up about how victimized he is. He's skilled at telling his cultists that his victimization is theirs, too, but... he's still a whiner. Not good form for a martyr.
 
(I also suspect the "We're victims together" story also works in large part because Trump remains rich and apparently "winning" despite his victimhood. He's still winning, so you're still winning too! Doesn't work as well if he has clearly, unambiguously, suffered a major loss. Losing the election is a start. If he ends up seeking political and business asylum in Saudi, it looks even worse. But he's been counted out before, only to come back as obnoxious as ever, so I still can't call this a certainty. Merely that his comeback isn't certain, either.)
 
Dean Shomshak
Also, just heard on my local public radio station: WA Sec'y of State Kim Wyman, last West Coast Republican in a statewide elective office, says that post Jan 6, she's not sure she can stay in the Republican Party anymore.
 
Dean Shomshak

Finally Revealed, Fox News Wrongful Death Settlement For The Killing Of Seth Rich

Agreed, should not be a feature of our criminal justice system. 

I cannot help but wonder if some of that movement's energy stems - paradoxically - from laziness; chasing after labyrinthine conspiracy theories is much easier than confronting a mundane overt evil that has permeated every level of society.

One other thing I would point out here, while I’m thinking about it:
 
The “enemies list” was oppression BY the State against an ideology, specifically Communism. While he probably didn’t have the names in his pocket, there was a real list and those people were branded, unfairly, enemies of the State.
 
These people are enemies of the State. The self described “Q Shaman” believes that they doing the will of God, fighting against Communism and the Globalists, that the Democrats are satan worshippers and drink the blood of babies. And if you think I’m making that up, please, fact check it. And be appalled.
 
Even with all of that, I have always said “Hey man, you do you. You want to believe some crazy bull—, that’s cool, just don’t ask me to believe it or do anything, you know. Stupid, dangerous or treasonous.” Again, I assure you, these are things I have actually said in reference to this. I respect everyone’s First Amendment Rights. The thing is, they believe that they are doing God’s work, that God and Jesus Christ appointed Trump, and that killing a democratic member of the Legislative Branch is a blow for humanity because the liberals are going to destroy this nation, revoke all of their freedoms and install communism.
 
We won’t even begin to point out that they already largely benefit from Socialism in how wealthier States pay for poorer States, the New Deal installing the social safety net that they are currently using, etc etc. Let it be known that we are operating on two very different sets of facts; actual, provable facts, and... baby eating satanic cultists operating out of a pizza joint’s basement... where said pizza joint has no basement. 
 
The First Amendment does not give you the right to yell “Fire” in a crowded theater, and it doesn’t give you the right to storm the Capitol with zip ties, build a gallows, or scream “Hang Mike Pence.” I think it’s easy to block out just how horrifying Wednesday was. So yes. It is an “enemies list.” A list of people who are self professed and self identified as having the singular goal of tearing down the existing constitutional government, rebelling to stop the peaceful transfer of power to a duly elected President and Vice President, and install their “God Emperor” — who is absolutely bonkers and Simon can wrap my knuckles for saying it — for four more years, or longer.
 
That makes them seditionists, and that means they are, literally, enemies of the State. That the justice system puts the information out publicly only ties to what they were already doing on Social Media.
 
Just something to consider. And if I’m coming off a little stronger than usual (which to some will be a comical statement, but Ive gotten a lot better) it’s because I am a patriot. My country isn’t lines on a map, it’s the promise of the rule of law and a fair shot for anyone who comes here. That promise is long broken and we need to unify to the facts and a way forward that embraces progressive thought tempered by conservative planning. I am angry. I am blind with fury. I do not want mercy.
 
I want justice. 
 
 
—-
 
 
 
 
I mean... is it a little fishy? A little... GOLD fishy?

These Black Capitol Police Officers Describe Fighting Off "Racist-Ass Terrorists"

Some of the people who stormed the Capitol came prepared to take hostages.  What the frell were they doing if not attempting a coup?
 

Some of the people who stormed the Capitol came prepared to take hostages.  What the frell were they doing if not attempting a coup?
 

I've read all the books that are out and am watching the most recent episodes.  So far the TV show has kept the tone and style of the books even with the changes needed for live action.  The TV show is one of the best scifi shows I have seen in the last 20 years.  Great hard scifi that would be a great Traveller setting. 

I been intrigued by the trailer for Syfy's The Expanse, so I read the first book of series it based on, Leviathan Wakes.  It's a good page turning read and I would recommend it to any fan of science fiction.  The authors (James S.A. Corey is the pen name for team of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) describe it as working man's science fiction.  They have tried to make the book with enough science as to not pull the reader out of engagement with obvious mistakes but if they don't have to explain how something works scientifically, they don't.  This is an approach that worked well for me, and there was only one place in the book that I read something and thought 'that's wrong'.  
 
I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series and to upcoming TV show, though I wish that they were doing it through animation rather than live action.  There are scenes in the book that they are never going to be able get right on the special effects budget of a TV show.  Heck there is stuff that would be hard to get right in a big budget movie.  Still, I'm interested in seeing how they tackle them and hope that it won't be too painful.