elekdragon

[elekdragon]

There is no more gentleness left in my heart for anyone on the fence about voting for Democrats. I have been through too many election cycles. There is nothing left to say that current events and recent history can't say better. I can only see your rejection or hesitation toward Democrats as an intellectual or moral weakness. The kindness that would let me pretend otherwise is long dead.

[elekdragon]

how busy are you guys that you can't spend a few days sorting beetles?

[elekdragon]

Because sometimes we all just need to see a guy head-bump a beautiful Beluga whale

[elekdragon]

There's something that bothers me a little about the complaints that the Preservation Alliance team aren't "professional" in the show compared to the books, and I think it's just... I have a different idea of what professional science looks like.

Even in the books, we don't actually see the team do that much science. They take some "samples", and SecUnit thinks of them as professionals, but other than SecUnit's internal monologue, they don't do that much more than in the show. They actually talk more about their work in the show than in the books!

I wonder if some of it is that the Preservation Alliance doesn't fit what people's idea of a competent scientist, particularly a competent scientist on TV, looks like. They're expecting the Big Bang Theory, or Gurathin bent over a computer terminal muttering "I'm in" as green code plays across his face, or Arada rattling off a bunch of jargon while dissecting an alien creature, or Bharadwaj IDing the alien remnant based on rocks or something. And that's not really how science actually... works.

Honestly, as a scientist, this is one of the more realistic depictions of actual science I could expect from a TV show, unless you wanted to watch several hours of people working quietly at their computers with expressions of various levels of exhaustion, annoyance, and stress on their faces, or sorting samples, or wandering around staring at the dirt, or sitting around debating the nature of "nature" and the ethical implications of terraforming or whatever (which would be cool, but also, not plot relevant, I'll just assume it's happening off-screen). I could sort half my coworkers by which character they're most like: the upbeat professor who's always trying to help (Bharadwaj), the hippy biologist who freaks out about disturbing 'natural processes' (Arada), the extra-friendly super outgoing possibly ADHD guy (Ratthi), and the overly cynical constantly complaining about capitalism and swearing over his grants analyst (Gurathin). I don't know who's got the open marriage because I prefer not to know about the sex lives of my coworkers, but I know some are in pretty messy relationships - that don't spill over into their work. Because they are professionals.

Basically, I look at this show and I see - my office. So when people say that they're not competent, that they're bumbling or not good scientists, honestly, it's kind of annoying. They're people, not just scientists, with stuff going on outside of their work, namely: someone's trying to kill them, something that absolutely none of them are prepared for. You don't learn how to handle that in grad school! Of course they're going to be messy and make mistakes - that's what people do. Scientists too.

[elekdragon]

Honestly the Murderbot show is doing a great job showing the difference its helmet makes. At first I thought they’d want it down most of the show so we could see Alexander’s face (ya know, because they hired an actor and not a stunt double), but it’s really becoming clear that the helmet being on or off is part of the story. And honestly helmet!Murderbot IS significantly scarier.

Murderbot with its helmet on (especially with the robotic voice treatment) is a (literally) faceless killing machine, and no one knows what it’s going to do next. Murderbot with its helmet off is a perpetually confused, anxious, and stressed person who wants to get this over with so it can go back to its shows and be left alone.

This adds a lot of nuance to whenever the PresAux team asks/begs it to take its helmet off. The team desperately needs to gauge its “human” facial expressions in order to feel safe vs. please god let me stay in my helmet if they see all my involuntary facial reactions they’re going to Ask About My Feelings again.

[elekdragon]

“stop traumadumping to your friends tell this to your therapist” my god they paywalled human connection

[elekdragon]

My AC is out and it’s so hot in my house that most of the cats are either at the clinic or at my mom’s house so they don’t get too hot. Petunia gets to stay though because she is the smartest girl in the world and has planted herself directly in front of the portable AC unit and hasn’t moved

[elekdragon]

getting my first immunosuppressant shot today!!!!!!

[elekdragon]

Jima enjoying a function!

[elekdragon]

Rescuing a dazed kingfisher

English added by me :)

[elekdragon]

I love pride cuz it’s a place where NOBODY gives a fuck. the sheer amount of half naked fat people I saw today partying in the streets, bellies hanging, tiddies bouncing. I was one of them. as nature intended.

[elekdragon]

She sure does love touching grass!

[elekdragon]

You are deserving of love.

[elekdragon]

Barfur also likes the hammock! It makes him go silly mode

[elekdragon]

[elekdragon]

So like, it's obvious to me reading the comments on my post that anti-porn people are largely like, afraid of porn. Like the concept of a sex video is really spooky to them. They're not making thoughtful critiques of the porn industry, which is genuinely a really fucked up industry, they're mostly just spooked by the concept of a sex video and what it could Do To You If You See It.

I said this in another post, but it's like, the difference between "a ton of coffee is produced using slave labor" (valid, important criticism of the coffee industry) and "coffee turns people into raving coffee addicts who forget how to interact with anyone because they're so obsessed with their coffee" (objectively not true, insane viewpoint).

It's literally just sex videos. They really cannot hurt you.

[elekdragon]

I have a silly cat question. My cat likes to groom me sometimes. I will be lying on my side in bed on my phone (she gets all her pets and snuggles in at this time) and she will occasionally start licking the side of my head. It usually lasts for a good five minutes or so before she stops, after which she always leaves quickly, almost like she's embarrassed. I know this is a social activity for cats, but someone once told me something about it also being kinda a dominance thing, too. Does my cat think she's taking care of my dumb ass since I can't do it myself, or was what I heard incorrect/misunderstood?

I don't believe cats have a dominance hierarchy, at least not in the human sense. There's no such thing as an 'alpha cat' who is at the top of the food chain. There are bully cats, who may attempt to intimidate other cats.

The idea that grooming = dominance seems to be rooted primarily in kitten-mother relationships.

That mothers groom their offspring and may seem irritated when their kittens try to groom them back. This isn't dominance. This is a mother being exasperated because her babies are shit at grooming. Once their grooming skills improve, Mama is generally happy to take a bath.

Cats tend to use grooming to alleviate stress, settle arguments, and strengthen social bonds. Petting a cat is socially very similar to grooming.

Your cat just thinks she's taking part in a cuddle session, that's all.