When I talk about the value of work vs. the wages the worker gets, this is exactly what I’m talking about. And today, more of that value winds up going to the shareholders than even the business owners.
J. K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman are such a funny contrast to me, like
Rowling: Oh, and by the way, I put gay characters in my books. People: Is there anything… showing that? Rowling: No. Also trans women don’t deserve respect People: wtf
Gaiman: Here are some immortals that transcend all human concepts of gender and attraction who use a variety of pronouns, and also some clearly canon human queers. People: Are the immortals queer? Gaiman: That is an entirely valid way to view them. Other people: Ugh, pushing a modern woke agenda. It used to be- Gaiman: Fuck you
you know, I’ve seen lots of complaints about Voyager’s ending, mostly that it’s way too abrupt, and honestly, as much as I would have loved to see 20+ more seasons of that show, I also think the ending was actually so well done
Like, this moment:
Janeway seeing an entire fleet of Federation ships, and still having a look of complete disbelief when she says “we did it”… gives me chills, to be honest.
And then, ignoring the way overdone trope of having a baby being born during a very pivotal moment in a show, the actual ending… Janeway repeating the same line she has said a million times, this time holding back tears…
There was no better way to end this show. This is a hill I will die on
I’ve seen complaints that people want to see what it was like for them to try to return to their lives, and I get that, but I think if they had shown anything past this moment, it would have ruined the impact.
This show has never been about what will happen to them after they get home. It’s always been about GETTING home. Together.
Watching them reunite with their families and go their separate ways would have felt so out of place, because the Voyager crew is a family, and I’m glad it ended with them all together.
And I also don’t think having it end so abruptly was a bad thing. It almost mirrors how the show started… they were off doing one thing, and suddenly they’re flung into the Delta quadrant. Then it ends with them being flung back into the Alpha quadrant just as suddenly. It’s the way it needed to end, I think.
Season 7, overall, I don’t think was the strongest season, but this finale… so good. No complaints (well, one complaint, and it’s the C7 garbage, but besides that lol)
Now I feel like I need to watch the Pilot again lol… all through this episode, with Captain Janeway and Admiral Janeway, all that was missing was Janeway from the Pilot, who has experienced limited horrors in her life thus far… I would love to see her reaction to herself seven years in the future, and thirty-three years in the future… looking at them like “wtf happened in that quadrant??”
imagine the most meanspirited, unlikeable, rude, bitter, self centered, negative person you can think of. not a rapist, not a murderer, not an abuser. just a charmless, tactless, dyed in the wool asshole you wouldn’t want to spend two seconds with. now assume they get sick, not with the flu, but with a long term, serious illness that limits their ability to provide for themself. a society in which that person is left to die alone because nobody likes them on a personal level is a failed society.
and the thing is, no matter how likeable or charming or cute you are, peoples’ patience runs out. the friends who drop everything to rush you to the ER the first time you shit blood tell you to stop being so tmi the fourteenth time. people might give you a couch to crash on the first week after your shitty ex kicks you out, but by week eight, you better have another place to stay. people run out of time, patience, money, compassion, energy. there needs to be an impersonal option, a real safety net that isn’t going to dump you when you become inconvenient
I thought this was a joke but it’s not and I wish it were
Hell world
Whoops I appear to have left my extremely powerful rare earth magnet on top of Amazon alexa
Fear is knowing a new Alexa product is being developed.
Terror is knowing that it’s for landlords to control their units remotely, while being to see and hear everything in the rented space.
Horror is understanding that if a family is a few days late for rent/electricity/gas, this product will most likely cut off the services they may need to survive like WiFi access, stove/oven/microwave/fridge appliances having power, lights, medical devices that require electricity to function, etc.
deep horror is knowing that these devices will probably be set to unlock doors remotely allowing cops and abusers into the homes of marginalized people, these devices will probably have sensors to check how many people live in the home vs on the lease, probably will have some way or reporting that the residents are “breaking the lease” ie: loud music, having overnight guests, parties, or just people doing normal human shit and having it seen as a “violation”
Hope is knowing these things have the network security equivalent of a sign that says “please do not hack me” over an open door.
If your landlord ever tries to force you to use Alexa, and you have little to no technical or programming expertise, it’s time to make your very own Faraday cage.
“What is a Faraday cage?” you might ask. “How will it help me defeat Big Sister Alexa?”
Easy answer: a Faraday cage blocks EM waves. WiFi, the thing Alexa needs to do anything of use at all? That’s a type of EM wave.
I know, I know, “Faraday cage” sounds like it’ll take 47727372 hours with a welder, right? Wrong!
A simple Faraday cage that anyone can make is as easy as a cardboard box with as many layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil as you can stand to coat the box with. I usually do about 5 layers because that number is easy to remember, but if you’re paranoid or simply need more layers you are more than welcome to add as many layers as necessary to keep Alexa at bay. I think the average is about 4-6 layers.
Hilariously, I actually learned this technique from those crazy prepper types. Which, ironically, is why I know it works. (Not to mention I tested it myself by wrapping my phone in foil and seeing if my roommate could call or message me.)
If your landlord notices, they will not receive any warning or notification that you tampered with Alexa- because you didn’t. All they will notice is that they can’t communicate with that particular Alexa device (because it will be “offline”, aka not sending or receiving signals).
A box is also easily hideable in case of surprise visits from the landlord or anyone else who might report you to your landlord, accidentally or on purpose. Just pop the bitch out, restart it (or don’t, this just clears any other hitches from the system) and it should behave normally.
Additionally, most landlords have the general tech expertise of an orangutan with a headset, so technical hitches are relatively easy to handwave with a good ol’ “Fire is scary and Edison and Tesla were witches”. Basically, if they question you about why Alexa suddenly is or isn’t working, shrug and say that it must have suddenly either just gone out or come back (depending on the situation), but that you didn’t do anything to it because you don’t know anything about that sort of tech and that you didn’t want to mess with it out of fear you would break it.
Note: Remember, Big Sister is always listening! If you wish to put the bitch in a Faraday cage, remember not to discuss it where Big Sister can hear you!
I always think about “Do not build the Torment Nexus” and “1984 is not a blueprint”. Why do these bumbling technofetishist half-cent wizards want to conjure it? They don’t know what will come out of that portal beyond more issues.
I do wonder if they’d love to live with an Alexa that opens the door to any jerks… Or, even better, to the IRS and hands over all their dirty secrets. Would be fair to start with them enjoying what they want to push on us all, isn’t it?
