#S1 E4 Infection

[soulerflaire]

We are the Bug. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

[gretchensinister]

Babylon 5 rewatch, S1 E4: Infection

Oh 2 years of functionality (how fast did they build these Babylon stations? Were they all being build simultaneously?)

This guy talking to Franklin has the vibe of being in a completely different genre than everyone else

Oooh look at the very aesthetic beakers in the background in MedLab

Vorlon living ships mentioned!!!! (cat chattering sound)

Okay aside from the guy getting electrocuted, I'm now thinking about how the main hospital(?) is also being used as a research lab. I guess it makes sense, with Babylon 5's function it wouldn't have a separate research lab

Babylon 5 does have a big enough population to have a university, though, that would be cool

Very much a TV thing that 15 hours seems like a long time to find nothing when examining an alien artifact. There's very human artifacts that people have studied for years without coming to any definitive conclusions

...and none of those artifacts will merge with your body to make you into an alien cyborg weapon

Such a HUGELY alarming statement "I think it tried to assimilate Nelson" like that's a thing that happens

Yes, plot and peril--but I'm thinking now, was Garibaldi's "eh, fuck it" moment with the possible aphrodisiac/floor wax at the beginning supposed to be seen as a parallel with the ill-advised messing around/merging with the alien artifacts? It would be if *I* wrote it

I'm always down for the idea of purity turning out to be extremely bad

I have to like meditate away my issues with getting coherent information from a 1000 year old alien artifact that uses a dead alien language.

Nelson speaks English, so Tular is able to use Nelson's understanding for this conversation--IDK I'm desperately spitballing here.

This has a very Kirk-talking-the-enemy-to-death vibe. Also it's like I definitely get the point of the plot but I'm getting endlessly stuck on the translation issues. I've seen Arrival in the past 30 years I can't help it.

Nelson fucking LIVED through that?

Reminds me of Corporation Rim plots in the Murderbot Diaries world

Worth dying for/Worth living for theme spotted! This Will Continue

Do you ever just wish so fervently that a piece of science fiction had become irrelevant because human society had actually sorted its shit out...

[cipher-fresh]

[ID: A scene from season 2 episode 5 of Good Omens. One of the shopkeepers says to Crowley, "You're a good lad." Crowley responds, "Not actually either." A vine boom plays as the non-binary flag is overlaid on Crowley's face for a moment, then Crowley says "-but thank you." Then shown is a clip from Star Trek: The Original Series S1 E4. Hikaru Sulu, under the influence of an alien infection, grabs Nyota Uhura and holds her by the arm while brandishing a sword in the other. He says "I'll protect you, fair maiden!" looking out at other officers on the Bridge. Uhura pushes him away and says "Sorry, neither." as another vine boom plays with the non-binary flag overlaid. /End ID]

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (12-18 Nov 2023)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🙂 Stuff Like Love (lambchop33) - 51K, stucky no-powers friends-to-lovers AU; enjoyable enough, lots of angsty pining

🥰 Stargazer (LemonadeGarden) - 47K, delicious angsty batfam feels, mostly between Jason & Bruce

😍 Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator) - Murderbot reread in prep for System Collapse

😍 Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries #3) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator)

😍 Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator)

😍 Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory (The Murderbot Diaries, #4.5) (Martha Wells)

😍 Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator)

😍 Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator)

😍 System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries #7) (Martha Wells, author; Kevin R Free, narrator) - MURDERBOT IS BACK! And so is ART! Murderbot has PTSD! [this is my surprised face] Another fantastic episode and I already want more.

😊 Murder at the Highland Castle (Miss Underhay Mystery #14) (Helena Dixon) - Kitty & Matt go to a remote Scottish castle for a case in time for Hogmanay

💖💖 +120K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

My Big Fat Wolf Wedding (AggressiveWhenStartled, galwednesday, quietnight, silentwalrus, skellerbvvt) - MCU: stucky, 12K - reread; comic accidental marriage between vamp!Steve & werewolf!Bucky

Crocodile Jock (entanglednow) - Stranger Things: steddie, 4K - short but super hot

Slide To Answer (relenafanel) - MCU: stucky, 6K - reread, forever fave; no powers wrong number AU

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Shakespeare & Hathaway - s1, e6

QI - series Q, ep 15

QI - series T, ep 12-14

Oops: 250,000 people came to your book club

Aabria Iyengar On Dimension 20: Burrow's End, Critical Role & Much More

Finding Your Roots - "Breaking Silences" (s6, e15): Gayle King, Jordan Peele, Issa Rae

Finding Your Roots - "Far From Home" (s9, e4): Cyndi Lauper, Danny Trejo, Jamie Chung

D20: Burrow's End - "The First Stoats" (s20, e7)

D20: Adventuring Party - "If I Had A Nickel" (s15, e7)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Vibe Check - The Battle None of You Have Been Waiting For

Outward - Amy Schneider is a Champion

Culture Gabfest - Does Voice-Over Kill the Killer?

Ologies with Alie Ward - Road Ecology (ROAD KILL) with Ben Goldfarb

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - The Lightning Field

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Tiny Bread Box

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Montezuma Well

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Café 't Mandje

What Next: TBD - How Deepfake Porn Infected a School

Dear Prudence - My Family Won't Let Me Host for the Holidays. Help!

Today, Explained - F1: Gears and Loathing in Las Vegas

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Dolly Parton’s Dreambox

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - A Long Walk Home

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Gregynog Hall

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - The Immovable Ladder

Switched on Pop - Why Country Music Dominated 2023's Charts

Ed Zitron's 15 Minutes In Hell - Max Collins

Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals - S01E02 The Tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Welcome to Night Vale #238 - The Big Dig

Cautionary Tales - Laser Versus Parchment: Doomsday for the Disc

99% Invisible #559 - The Six-Week Cure

Twenty Thousand Hertz+ - Sounds That Sell

Song Exploder - Sampha - Spirit 2.0

Shedunnit - The Pimlico Poisoning Mystery

99% Invisible #560 - Home on the Range

Cautionary Tales - Wrong Tools Cost Lives

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Iron Maiden

Presenting Blue Öyster Cult

Rockstar [Dolly Parton] {2023}

[rickybowensfever]

whump tv show list

disclaimer: this is just a list of episodes I’ve found, if you have any requests to add to this list, go through my ask or reply to this! Thanks. Enjoy! 

Degrassi:

I Want Candy S3 E20 - Spinner pretends to be sick

Time Stands Still S4 E07 - Craig is sick (fever, coughing)

Idioteque S11 E05- Drew pretends to be sick to get out of school (coughing & faking fever)

Enjoy the Silence S13 E32 - Zig fakes sick with a sore throat to get out of school

American Housewife (Hulu):

The Mom Switch S2 E15 - Oliver gets sick 

 Grandma’s Way S3 E19 - Mom gets sick 

The Goldbergs (Hulu):

Barry’s Day Off S2 E14 - Barry fakes sick like Ferris Bueller

The Globetrotters S4 E9 - Barry gets the flu and can’t go to the Globetrotters game 

Island Time S7 E18 - Erica keeps throwing up and Geoff has to take care of her (during spring break on a vacation with the JTP)

Community: 

Studies in Modern Movement S3 E19 - Jeff fakes sick to get out of helping with Annie’s move 

Epidemiology S2 E6 - Pierce and a few other Greendale students ingest a bio-hazard substance at the school Halloween Party, causing them to exhibit flu-like symptoms and they soon begin turning into zombies. It is up to the rest of the gang to save themselves and the school when Dean Pelton locks them in with the zombie-infected student body

Henry Danger: 

Sick and Wired s4 e1 - Henry gets sick but his boss thinks he’s faking 

Malcom in the Middle (Hulu):  

Surgery S2 E17 - Malcolm gets his appendix out 

Halloween S7 E4- Malcolm gets sick on Halloween 

Mono S7 E13 - Lois gets mono then Malcolm gets it, too 

Greek (Hulu)

Move On, Carthwrights S1 E16 - Cappie gets sick with pink eye & a cold 

Parks & Rec: 

Flu Season S3 E2

[ldso-tron]

Is TRON 2.0 a CRPG?

As I mentioned previously, many were against the inclusion of TRON 2.0 in the upcoming CRPG Book because they don’t consider it a “true” CRPG (Computer Role Playing Game).

They likely consider TRON 2.0 to be an Action or Adventure RPG (ARPG), and that’s definitely a fair argument.

Okay, so what’s the definition of a CRPG, then? Well . . . ask many different people, and you’ll get just as many different answers.

But, there’s a forum post on the site RPGWatch that seems to be commonly cited as a good “litmus test” for whether or not a game meets the requirements.

So, just for fun, let’s see if TRON 2.0 meets the RPGWatch requirements to actually be classified as a CRPG.

Strap yourselves in, because this is going to be a long post! I wanted to do TRON Evolution as well, but then this would become far too lengthy. Will have to save it for another time!

Character Development

Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.

Must Have

C1: you can control and role-play one (=Avatar) or more (=Party) unique characters (-> not only uniform units)

TRON 2.0 meets this basic requirement. (As do most games.)

C2: you can progressively develop your characters' stats and/or abilities (-> e.g. through an in game value (usually exp. points) gained by quests, exploration, conversation, combat, …)

Yes, definitely present in TRON 2.0. (Subroutines = Skills/Equipment, Performance Ratings = Character stats, Build Points = Experience points.)

C3: Checks against character stats and/or character abilities/skills are necessary to make progress and finish the game

Arguably, yes, this is the case in TRON 2.0. You could, in theory, finish the entire game with just the basic Disc Primitive and never upgrade. But it would make completing the campaign far more difficult and, frankly, tedious. Not to mention, upgrading Jet’s jumping ability (Y-Amp subroutine) is absolutely necessary. Or else, you won’t be able to jump high enough to progress through levels.

C4: you can equip and enhance your characters with items you acquire

Again, yes, this is present in TRON 2.0. (Subroutines.)

Should Have 

C5: you can create your characters

No, TRON 2.0 doesn’t have this. But it’s a “should have” and therefore not a requirement.

C6: the player needs preplanning for the development of the character(s)

Again, not present in TRON 2.0. But, again, not a requirement.

C7: the primary means of problem solving, gameworld interaction and overcoming challenges is the tactical use of character/party skills/abilities (-> the player's physical coordination skills are secondary)

Arguably, yes, this happens in TRON 2.0. Defeating enemies (mainly bosses) requires using certain skills/abilities to defeat them more easily. Otherwise, defeating them becomes a chore. Also, this is again where the Y-Amp subroutine becomes essential. (Skill/Subroutine needed to overcome challenges in the game world.)

Exploration

Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.

Must Have

E1: your character(s) can interact with the gameworld and find new locations by exploring.

Interaction, yes. Definitely in TRON 2.0. (Then again, most game worlds are “interactive” these days, encouraging exploration.) Finding new locations by exploring . . . arguably, yes.

E2: your character(s) can find items that can be collected in an inventory (-> there have to be more item types than quest items, weapons, ammunition and consumable stat boosters.)

TRON 2.0 features an inventory system, yes. (The System memory screen, where you store subroutines.)

E3: your character(s) can find information sources (-> e.g. NPCs, entities, objects that provide info)

Yes. You talk to NPCs (Civilian programs), and collect E-Mails that provide a backstory to TRON 2.0.

Should Have

E4: there are NPCs in the game

Yes. Civilian programs you can talk to in TRON 2.0.

E5: you can choose a path (-> there is at least some branching)

Are there branching paths in TRON 2.0? Not really. It’s mostly linear.  You could make the (admittedly tenuous) argument that there are a couple of choices that prevent you from experiencing all the game has to offer (the ICPs listening to the Light Cycle races, skipping participating in Light Cycle races yourself). But, again, this isn’t a requirement.

E6: your character(s) can manipulate the game world in some way (-> e.g. pull levers, push buttons, open chests, …)

Yes, TRON 2.0 has plenty of this. (Switches = Levers/Buttons, Archive Bins = Chests.)

E7: the gameworld can affect your character(s) (-> e.g. weather, traps, closed doors, poisoned areas, …)

Yes, there are many areas that can damage or trap Jet in TRON 2.0. (Corrupted floors and the “Format wall” are just two examples.)

E8: there are initially inaccessible areas in the gameworld that can only be reached by enhancing your characters' abilities, solving quests or puzzles (-> e.g. unlock locked areas, overcome obstacles, repair bridges, dispel barriers, …)

TRON 2.0 is chock full of this. Hunting down permissions to open doors, lower force fields, turn on energy bridges, and so on.

Story

Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.

Must Have

S1: your character(s) can get information from information sources (-> e.g. hints, goals, quests, skills, spells, training, …)

Yes, there are quests/goals (the Status Display, aka Jet’s Task list), tutorials/training, and hint/information sources (Help Files, E-Mails, Build Notes) in TRON 2.0.

S2: your character(s) can follow quests (-> there is at least one main quest)

Again, Jet’s Task list in TRON 2.0. Yes.

S3: your character(s) can progress through connected events and play their role

Arguably, yes. Jet, the character you play as, is the common element that ties together all the different story threads in TRON 2.0.

Should Have

S4: the story is influenced by your decisions and your characters' actions and stats/abilities/skills.

This is another tenuous one. Does the player’s decisions as Jet influence the story of TRON 2.0? This hearkens back to “branching paths”. Not really, no. Again, the path through the game is pretty linear. But, this isn’t a requirement.

S5: your character(s) can interact with information sources (-> e.g. NPC conversation, riddle statue question, …)

This is virtually a repeat of a previous requirement. Yes, TRON 2.0 has plenty of this.

S6: your character(s) can make choices in those interactions

Yes, see the answer to E5.

S7: at least some of these choices have consequences

Yes, though it’s minor. (Potentially missing out on Build Points, so you can’t maximize Jet’s version score at the end of the TRON 2.0 Single Player campaign.)

S8: advancing in the story requires thinking of the player (-> e.g. irreversible choices, moral dilemma, riddles, …)

You can definitely make choices that are irreversible in TRON 2.0 (without loading an earlier saved game, that is), and prevent you from experiencing all the game has to offer. Again, see the answer to E5.

Combat

Describes how combat (or more general: conflict resolving) corresponds with elements of Character Development, Exploration and Story.

Should Have

F1: Combat efficiency is in some way tied to character stats or abilities (-> e.g. amount of damage, chance to hit, weapon access, …)

Absolutely. Subroutines can become infected by corruption, making combat less effective in TRON 2.0. Subroutines can also be upgraded, making them more effective. Performance Rating stats can be upgraded, too.

F2: Combat works with some random elements (game internal dice rolls)

Yes. Most notably, the Ball subroutines are unpredictable and somewhat random in TRON 2.0, in terms of the damage they cause.

F3: Combat should provide some challenge (-> e.g. preparing, use of tactics or environment possible)

Definitely the case. Preparing Jet’s subroutine loadout in TRON 2.0, before combating certain enemies, is a challenge. In the sense of determining which subroutines will be the most effective against a particular type of enemy.

What’s the conclusion, then?

In terms of “Must Haves” for a CRPG, I would argue that TRON 2.0 meets all the Character Development, Exploration, and Story requirements. And it even meets many of the “Should Have” requirements, though not all of them.

So, yes, I say that TRON 2.0 is a CRPG, based on the RPGWatch checklist.

- TronFAQ

[watchonlinewds]

In California: Newsom talks tough on reopening public schools; more details in Smart case

I'm Winston Gieseke, philanthropy and special sections editor for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, bringing you the day's key headlines on this windy Wednesday.

In California brings you top Golden State stories and commentary from across the USA TODAY Network and beyond. Get it free, straight to your inbox.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that all California schools should reopen when the new academic year begins next fall. His frustration was evident: “Money is not an object now. It’s an excuse," he said. “I want all schools to reopen. I’ve been crystal clear about that.”

https://zenodo.org/communities/falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-disney/?page=1&size=20

https://zenodo.org/communities/falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-disney

https://zenodo.org/communities/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-s1-e4/?page=1&size=20

https://zenodo.org/communities/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-s1-e4/

https://zenodo.org/communities/smile-like-teen-spirit/?page=1&size=20

https://zenodo.org/communities/smile-like-teen-spirit

https://zenodo.org/communities/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-s1e5-full/?page=1&size=20

https://zenodo.org/communities/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-s1e5-full

https://zenodo.org/communities/greys-anatomy-s17-e12-full-hd/?page=1&size=20

https://zenodo.org/communities/greys-anatomy-s17-e12-full-hd/

Newsom spoke at an elementary school in Santa Rosa that began welcoming students back this week. But his wishes remain an expectation rather than a mandate in California’s decentralized education system, where 1,200 school districts negotiate separately with teachers unions and ultimately govern themselves.

Facing political pressure and a recall effort, Newsom has said he plans to lift most of California's coronavirus restrictions on June 15 as part of reopening the state to business as usual. Earlier this month, he made a similar pronouncement, but many districts and teachers remain reluctant.

Newsom has repeatedly said he sees no barriers to getting the state's 6.2 million public school students back into classrooms now, as California's COVID-19 infections continue to drop and more residents are being vaccinated.

"If current trends and best practices continue, the next school year can begin with offering full in-person instruction to all students," the California Department of Health said in a presentation Wednesday that focused on school reopening. It specified that schools should plan to offer full days of instruction, five days a week.

How is this OK?’: Meanwhile, frustrated parents throughout the state, say that while students may be permitted to return to school in person, more than half will stick with distance learning.

Associated Press reports that Kira Gaber said she’s been told to send her kindergartner back to his San Francisco classroom with a laptop and headphones — while his teacher works online from home. “How is this OK? This is completely not in-person learning,” said Gaber, who doesn’t plan to send her son to class with a computer. “I’m going to send him with worksheets and a coloring book.”

Frustrated parents in San Francisco have even coined a new phrase for their latest classroom reality: "Zoom in a Room."

As more California counties open up vaccines to younger adults — tomorrow the state opens eligibility to everyone 16 and up — California public health officials warned of decreases in supply, the result of a national reduction of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The state has received about 2.4 million doses this week, and it expects 2 million next week and 1.9 million the week after. This is in addition to vaccines shipped directly to pharmacies and community health centers from the federal government.

This week, availability remains mixed, with some places reporting an excess of open appointments. Humboldt County in Northern California, for example, urged residents to make an appointment, saying that “hundreds of doses” were available through the weekend.

Similarly, a mass vaccination site at California State University, Los Angeles, announced it would take adults on a walk-up basis because of excess appointments. But by late Tuesday morning, the site was turning people away because of demand.

Paul Flores will face first-degree murder charges in the 1996 disappearance of Stockton college student Kristin Smart, authorities say.

Police said they believed that Flores, now 44, had been attempting to rape Smart, his fellow Cal Poly student, when she was killed inside his dorm room. His father, 80-year-old Ruben Flores, is charged with accessory to murder after the fact for helping to conceal Kristin’s body.

Both men were arrested Tuesday morning. The arraignment is set for Thursday.

“We’ve got physical evidence, we have witness statements, things that in our view in the totality bring us to the point where we believe we can go forward and prosecute Paul Flores for the murder of Kristin Smart,” San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said during a press conference Wednesday.

Smart's body has yet to be found, but authorities received evidence in the last month regarding a possible location where she was taken, Dow said. He also did not rule out a plea deal with Paul Flores in exchange for information leading to Smart’s remains.

A venomous snake bit an employee at the San Diego Zoo Monday, according to zoo officials. A spokesperson for the zoo said the wildlife care specialist was immediately transported to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.

“Although the San Diego Zoo cares for a number of venomous reptiles, incidents like this are very rare, and the snake was contained at all times with no risk of an escape,” the zoo said in a statement.

The snake involved is an African bush viper, also known as Atheris squamigera. Native to parts of western and central Africa, their venom can cause fever, hemorrhaging and possibly death in humans, according to the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology website.

While there is no known antivenom for an African bush viper's venom, per the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York, patients can be treated for their bites using antivenom created for other snakes' venom.

And finally, if you're a fan of woodies — those vintage cars with their signature wooden frames that evoke images of surfers transporting their boards to and from the beach — you are in for a rare privilege.

The Central Valley Woodie Club will be sponsoring its 15th annual Woodies in the Valley, an all-woodies car show, Friday and Saturday in Visalia. A sampling of the vehicles from 1928 to 1951, including original, restored and full hot-rod woodies, will be on display.

For more information on the event, visit valleywoodies.com or contact Wayne Yada, president of the Central Valley Woodie Club, at (559) 967-1357 or info@valleywoodies.com.

In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: Associated Press. We'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with the latest headlines.

As the philanthropy and special sections editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and people who give back in the Coachella Valley. Reach him at winston.gieseke@desertsun.com.

[soulerflaire]

THAT'S DUCKY!