spear and magic helmet

Do you think western societies will adopt Universal Basic Income models?

Some may, but it will shock me if the United States jumps on that bandwagon. Everything about how our society functions from soup to nuts is about punishing the poor and getting the poor to agree that they deserve abuse. The compass alignment required for this to happen means a realignment of how employment, education, and health care functions in this country. It's possible to do this but I'm not sure it's probable given the buy-in required.

Major cities are getting the brunt of this but the majority of the population outside of these cities isn't going through the same experience. It's still abstract for these groups and most of this is, so far, just one big fucking inconvenience when it comes to businesses being open and life being able to roll on. There's no amount of escalating cases numbers in New York City that you can show a lot of these people to agree that it's their problem. Sure, it's a problem but that's all happening in New York, which is pointedly not Bible Thump, Mississippi to them. There's still a fair amount of denial that they're just weeks behind these places because magical thinking and prayers will exempt them.

Do you think industries which attract large crowds (sports, entertainment, etc) will stay the same?

Our capacity for forgetting is pretty impressive. Large crowds will prevail as the appetite for this kind of consumption will probably not abate. The average person at this point just wants to go back to normal and their sense of normal includes Las Vegas, arena tour sellouts, and EDM festivals.

Will traveling in general be affected? Not just in the political sense but for example how might tourism change after this?

There will probably more advisories about seasonal outbreaks of the virus and how people are allowed to enter and exit populations where exposure is likely but those restrictions will be per nation. However, unlike 9/11, we don't have a tangible enemy, so the idea of safety when traveling is a lot harder to traverse.

What about films, do you think there might be a shift away from major releases going exclusively to cinemas first?

I think that really depends on how well their market tests of in-home access really does. They're entering a particularly busy channel where being a blockbuster movie is not a standout because original programming on a number of paid app services are doing the same thing for content. Going to the movies is about the experience. They're going to have to find a way to market this experience that's different from just firing up Netflix and sitting on your couch.

The service industry in general took a major hit. What happens down the line, do things get back to normal?

Probably, yes? Certain kinds of services probably won't survive but new ones will rise in their place.

Re: My Landlord Did A Bad.

A couple of weeks ago our landlord mentioned they're selling the house we're leasing. Fine, whatever - there was a (small) chance the new owner might move in, in which case we'd need to find a new place, but that was months away.

Then their real estate agent started mentioning showing the house. To people. In the middle of a freakin' pandemic, having strangers walk in and poke around. The guy even 'asked' us if we could kindly not be at home when people came, and to take our dogs with us.

Yeah, that did not end up happening, especially after displeasure was expressed in many forms, including reaching out to legal resources.

https://screencraft.org/virtualsummit/ - March 28th (tomorrow!) at 10am-2pm (Pacific) / 1pm-5pm (Eastern)

Virtual Screenwriting Summit.
Some of the screenwriters that will be speaking:

Meg LeFauve (Oscar-nominated Screenwriter INSIDE OUT, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, CAPTAIN MARVEL) Wendy Calhoun (Peabody Award-Winning TV Writer/Producer PRODIGAL SON, STATION 19, EMPIRE, NASHVILLE, JUSTIFIED) David Rabinowitz (Oscar-winning Screenwriter, BLACKKKLANSMAN) Adam Kolbrenner (Literary Manager and Founder, Lit Entertainment Group, Producer PRISONERS, CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES, upcoming FREE GUY, TOMORROW WAR, etc) Stephany Folsom (Screenwriter & TV Writer Pixar’s TOY STORY 4, STAR WARS: RESISTANCE, THE LORD OF THE RINGS on Amazon) Max Borenstein (Screenwriter GODZILLA, KONG: SKULL ISLAND, GODZILLA V. KONG, WORTH, etc) and TV Showrunner (UNTITLED 2021 HBO LAKERS SHOW, MINORITY REPORT) Alan Yang (Emmy-Award winner, Co-Creator/Executive Producer MASTER OF NONE, LITTLE AMERICA, FOREVER, Executive Producer PARKS AND RECREATION, Writer/Director TIGERTAIL) Tony Gilroy (Screenwriter, THE BOURNE IDENTITY, STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE, THE BOURNE LEGACY THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, upcoming STAR WARS Cassian Andor, Producer-Writer (HOUSE OF CARDS) Director/Writer (MICHAEL CLAYTON)

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

So now that we're all home and looking for "boredom busters" for ourselves and possibly our children, I'd like to recommend this awesome one I found!

It's called "contacting your government representatives and demanding to know WTF they're doing and that you're going to hold them personally responsible for their (in)actions on this".

If you don't know who they are and are in the US, you can look them up -- complete with a quick link to their contact information -- at http://myreps.datamade.us/

Personal requests from several friends of mine in the medical field, including two ICU charge nurses, is not just activating the Defense Production Act (which has already happened) but invoking its powers (which have not) to force major manufacturers to shift production towards PPE for healthcare workers. 3M doesn't need to be making Scotch tape right now. They need to be making face shields and gloves.

I really like the new Alanis Morissette.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjyTCSirZrY

There's probably an amazing marketing opportunity that WWE could take by having Wrestlemania be from the Performance Center, but probably won't because of course they won't.

Also I need to catch up with AEW, I'm a few months behind due to all my writing shit.

I snorted hard

I very rarely can make an image at all. Mostly I think in text. I've been able to make my brain "see" comic panels very occasionally during RP and I find it very helpful.

Sounds and kinesthetic details I find way more relevant to building a "feel" than visuals, because I just rarely manage to make them appear in my brain at all.

@L-B-Heuschkel said in Getting into Writing:

I can barely write a shopping list by hand.

Amen.

@Derp Damn good point. I should increase my area.

Ambien never did a damned thing for me, including helping me fall asleep 😞

@Macha said in Depression Meals:

I got two cans of spaghetti-os with meatballs at the store - So I'm ready if I have a super low/super painful day. Dump in bowl - add garlic power and onion powder. Stir. Nuke til hot.

I remember liking Chef Boyardee canned spaghetti, aside from the weirdly bitter, gelatin-textured meatballs.

Here's another one.

Now, I love Durban. I went there on my honeymoon. If anyone out there has ever visited (or has plans to visit) South Africa, it's by far my #1 recommended tourist destination. The clubs there are amazing. The Indian Ocean is warm. The surfing is spectacular. The weather is perfect, hardly ever falling below 18° C /64° F. They have the 5th biggest aquarium in the world with a pool where the only thing separating you from their shark tank is a big ole piece of glass. The people there are fucking awesome. There are game reserves. They have mountains. They have cheaper prices on practically everything compared to Jo'burg or Cape Town. But what I remember the best is that the food is just... yes. We went out to eat every night - sea food on a boat in the harbor, Korean food (hard to find in SA), sushi, and Indian food.

Oh yes, the Indian food.

Durban is known for it's Indian population and its amazing Indian food. For a great reason. It's the most amazing stuff ever.

Now, being born and raised in North Carolina and Virginia USA, this was such a different experience. You can't get proper curry where I'm from - not that I had ever even had the bad curry. But, for noobs to curry like myself, I really recommend the samoosa. It's a little triangle piece of crispy pastry stuffed with savory filling. My favorite being the beef mince curry or mutton curry (there aren't a ton of vegetarian Hindu Indians here, they are mostly Muslim). They're cheap too, at about R5-10 each, they are less than a dollar.

I might have had upwards of about 40 of them during the last few days of my visit there.

Anyway, it was a long drive home. About 8 to 10 hours, depending on traffic.

I didn't even see it coming. I mean, in retrospect, maybe I should have.

Hour three of our drive, I sneezed.

"Oh shit, I shat."

Not only that, it had the distinct qualities of a samoosa. Oily and burny and with a distinct curry smell - expelled from my anus at the speed of sound. I think I might have discovered the real brown note, if you know what I mean.

Cue about 4 or 5 hours of my husband giggling, with our car windows down and him hanging out of the window as he drove.

We couldn't stop. We were out in the middle of the fucking African bush. Ain't no gas stations in the middle of the African bush. You know what's in the middle of the African bush? Hijackers, murderers, and fucking lions. And I surely didn't want to fucking die with shit in my pants.

And I didn't want my husband to die because I had shat my pants.

I couldn't reach my bag to do anything about it, either. I managed to get a towel to sit on to spare our car seat, but... it was the most disgusting ~4 hours of my LIFE and it was even more awks when we got home and had to greet family. He had to distract them while cackling like a hyena as I slipped in and made a direct path to the bathroom.

And that is definitely the reason why we are still together. For richer or poorer. In sickness and in health.

clitorial kimonos

@eye8urcake

Well, KMFDM worked with the jackass, too. Collaborated in 2017. The only act on that bill that is above reproach, as far as that is concerned, is Front Line Assembly. I just wish they'd make a statement.

@Kestrel said in Tastes Less Carrot-y:

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Not with that attitude.