Downtown Khazan: Ice Cold Utopia

[Sharpandpointies]

my week started with my aunt sharon dying

Now it ends with my cousin larry dying

I cant take much more of this

I'm sorry, man - I hope you're at least trying to take care of yourself. If you took a day off from the internet, that's probably a good start.

[Sharpandpointies]

That sounds like what I refer to as... a day.

Like any working day.

Ugh. I'm a lab tech. I've been a lab tech even through this mess, going into my (mostly deserted) work when everyone else was working from home. This zoom **** drives me bonkers.

One good thing about Zoom Meetings is that you can mute audio and video, then walk away to get a drink or do something else, as long as others are talking. I zoom, a lot, and I have even begun cooking dinner while in the middle of a meeting when others were talking.

That can work, I guess. The problem with a lot of zoom meetings for me is that being the senior tech in my group, I'm often asked questions and such.

...when the scientists aren't trying to show off their big heads by talking straight for ten minutes.

I may not read comics anymore, but I still occasionally read reviews with scans in.

This week, I read an issue of Spider-Woman where a clone of Jessica’s mum, who is essentially baseline human in stats, shoved a sword into the back of the High Evolutionary and out the front.

So a late-middle-aged, baseline-human woman can pierce the High Evolutionary’s armour TWICE with one stab.

No.

Just no.

Nope.

Not having it.

I read that. I just...ugh, not reading this any more.

Not to go all Rumbles, either; if a writer is going to utterly ignore continuity for the sake of 'I want this to happen' without putting in SOME imagination on how to make their idea 'work' while taking into account the other character, I'm pretty much done.

[Beadle]

Ugh. I'm a lab tech. I've been a lab tech even through this mess, going into my (mostly deserted) work when everyone else was working from home. This zoom **** drives me bonkers.

Yup. It’s nuts. Well, I guess in our case it’s usually Teams meetings, with the occasional Zoom, but the effect is the same.

When we were in the office, if someone wanted to find something out or discuss something, they might walk past my desk, check if I was free, then grab me for 5 minutes and we’d discuss what was needed.

Now, because nobody can see me at my virtual desk (well, it’s an actual desk, but not from their perspective), they book in a half-hour meeting slot. And then because they’ve booked that half-hour, they use it.

I now spend ca. 70% of my working week in meetings. Getting stuff done is problematic.

I read that. I just...ugh, not reading this any more.

Not to go all Rumbles, either; if a writer is going to utterly ignore continuity for the sake of 'I want this to happen' without putting in SOME imagination on how to make their idea 'work' while taking into account the other character, I'm pretty much done.

Exactly. At least try to justify it with plot somehow. If you know ANYTHING about the High Evolutionary other than ‘he evolves stuff’, you know that his armour is RIDICULOUSLY tough to breach.

As in ‘lolnopes Mjolnir’ tough.

And if you can’t be bothered to either learn that much or explain your plot, I can’t be bothered to read you.

[Sharpandpointies]

Yup. It’s nuts. Well, I guess in our case it’s usually Teams meetings, with the occasional Zoom, but the effect is the same.

We have both. Most of the time we use Teams, but I'm also on the committee for designing our new building, and they use zoom.

When we were in the office, if someone wanted to find something out or discuss something, they might walk past my desk, check if I was free, then grab me for 5 minutes and we’d discuss what was needed.

Now, because nobody can see me at my virtual desk (well, it’s an actual desk, but not from their perspective), they book in a half-hour meeting slot. And then because they’ve booked that half-hour, they use it.

I now spend ca. 70% of my working week in meetings. Getting stuff done is problematic.

That's awful. You have the right to say 'I can't make that meeting, man,' if you have important stuff to do.

Exactly. At least try to justify it with plot somehow. If you know ANYTHING about the High Evolutionary other than ‘he evolves stuff’, you know that his armour is RIDICULOUSLY tough to breach.

As in ‘lolnopes Mjolnir’ tough.

And if you can’t be bothered to either learn that much or explain your plot, I can’t be bothered to read you.

The guy's tech is right up there with the best. His armor, yeah, same.

[Nik Hasta]

Yup. It’s nuts. Well, I guess in our case it’s usually Teams meetings, with the occasional Zoom, but the effect is the same.

When we were in the office, if someone wanted to find something out or discuss something, they might walk past my desk, check if I was free, then grab me for 5 minutes and we’d discuss what was needed.

Now, because nobody can see me at my virtual desk (well, it’s an actual desk, but not from their perspective), they book in a half-hour meeting slot. And then because they’ve booked that half-hour, they use it.

I now spend ca. 70% of my working week in meetings. Getting stuff done is problematic.

I've actually had it the other way round for work from home.

Previously in my job, I work in Dance Education, all the various departments were really bad at speaking to one another. Now, I can just drop a quick "Hey, you in?" to someone on Teams in chat and then we can have that five minute chat on a call without having to go anywhere or find a meeting room or whatever.

It's helped with a lot more candid conversations because people are not in the same room as their bosses and they'll be more honest about what's going on.

I'm hoping that this level of openness to communication carries through to the post-pandemic world as it's been really useful.

[Sharpandpointies]

I've actually had it the other way round for work from home.

Previously in my job, I work in Dance Education, all the various departments were really bad at speaking to one another. Now, I can just drop a quick "Hey, you in?" to someone on Teams in chat and then we can have that five minute chat on a call without having to go anywhere or find a meeting room or whatever.

It's helped with a lot more candid conversations because people are not in the same room as their bosses and they'll be more honest about what's going on.

I'm hoping that this level of openness to communication carries through to the post-pandemic world as it's been really useful.

Honestly, I'm totally fine with people working from home. I suspect that this has demonstrated that people CAN, and corporations are going to have a harder time selling the whole 'you must come into the office so we can stand behind you and make sure you work.' And also selling the whole 'bwaa, it's too hard to deal with disabilities, we can't doooo it!' ******* ableism they've gone with in the past.

Funny how the moment their profits are on the line because everyone needs to stay home, it's easy to set up systems that disabled people could have been using all along. Almost as though they don't really give a **** about anything but money.

...I just am not fond of zoom meetings, personally. ^_^

[Tami]

Honestly, I'm totally fine with people working from home. I suspect that this has demonstrated that people CAN, and corporations are going to have a harder time selling the whole 'you must come into the office so we can stand behind you and make sure you work.' And also selling the whole 'bwaa, it's too hard to deal with disabilities, we can't doooo it!' ******* ableism they've gone with in the past.

Funny how the moment their profits are on the line because everyone needs to stay home, it's easy to set up systems that disabled people could have been using all along. Almost as though they don't really give a **** about anything but money.

...I just am not fond of zoom meetings, personally. ^_^

For work, most of my Zoom meetings are one-on-one, me and my employer discussing projects that need to be done, and so on. Three is usually the most I've had in a Zoom meeting, and those aren't bad because I'm focused on talking about what needs to be discussed.

The harder Zoom meetings involve outside groups and volunteer activities, those usually involve anywhere from 6 to 36 people at a time, and I'm usually just in the background listening, contributing only occasionally. When that happens, it's easier for me to mute audio and video and step away, since it's unlikely that I would be missing anything important.

If I am actively engaged in the discussion, if it is something I'm interested in, then I have no problem with Zoom. Especially when the weather is bad and the thought of driving to the office is not fun.

The harder Zoom meetings are the ones where I'm just there to listen to other people talk, those can be tedious if not boring.

[Sharpandpointies]

For work, most of my Zoom meetings are one-on-one, me and my employer discussing projects that need to be done, and so on. Three is usually the most I've had in a Zoom meeting, and those aren't bad because I'm focused on talking about what needs to be discussed.

The harder Zoom meetings involve outside groups and volunteer activities, those usually involve anywhere from 6 to 36 people at a time, and I'm usually just in the background listening, contributing only occasionally. When that happens, it's easier for me to mute audio and video and step away, since it's unlikely that I would be missing anything important.

If I am actively engaged in the discussion, if it is something I'm interested in, then I have no problem with Zoom. Especially when the weather is bad and the thought of driving to the office is not fun.

The harder Zoom meetings are the ones where I'm just there to listen to other people talk, those can be tedious if not boring.

Doesn't sound so bad at all.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

I may not read comics anymore, but I still occasionally read reviews with scans in.

This week, I read an issue of Spider-Woman where a clone of Jessica’s mum, who is essentially baseline human in stats, shoved a sword into the back of the High Evolutionary and out the front.

So a late-middle-aged, baseline-human woman can pierce the High Evolutionary’s armour TWICE with one stab.

No.

Just no.

Nope.

Not having it.

Blech. Reminds me of when Silver Sable bodyslammed Blue Marvel, but this sounds much more egregious.

[Sharpandpointies]

Blech. Reminds me of when Silver Sable bodyslammed Blue Marvel, but this sounds much more egregious.

Yeesh.

I've never heard of the Sable one, but after a point it gets so egregious that it's so big I can barely see the difference.

B-list street-level fighter bodyslamming a legit Class 100? Human stabbing the High Evolutionary? *wiggles hand* They're both so far past my suspension of disbelief that, as Pendaran might say, I can't see that line with a giant space telescope. Distinction gets a tad blurry. ^_^

[Guy1]

Blech. Reminds me of when Silver Sable bodyslammed Blue Marvel, but this sounds much more egregious.

[Guy1]

[master of read]

time for some shameless self promotion.

my novel will be free from today until friday.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Yeesh.

I've never heard of the Sable one, but after a point it gets so egregious that it's so big I can barely see the difference.

B-list street-level fighter bodyslamming a legit Class 100? Human stabbing the High Evolutionary? *wiggles hand* They're both so far past my suspension of disbelief that, as Pendaran might say, I can't see that line with a giant space telescope. Distinction gets a tad blurry. ^_^

I'll agree with that. Things like those, Black Panther putting Surfer in an armbar and SMvFL are all pretty much in the same tier of shitty writing with no thought for the characters.

[Beadle]

I'll agree with that. Things like those, Black Panther putting Surfer in an armbar and SMvFL are all pretty much in the same tier of shitty writing with no thought for the characters.

Oh, sweet Lord of Rumbles...! How could you let this happen?

That’s... I mean... wow.

Yeah, that’s definitely in the same ballpark as a human woman stabbing right through the guy who fronted up to Galactus (when he came to devour Counter Earth) and basically said ‘Come at me, Bro’.