conditional_soup

My intent here is to introduce new people to Fate with something kind of familiar. I think T2 works because it has a tight, well-characterized, and competent cast. So, I've set up a campaign that starts at the psych ward, with the scene of rescuing Sarah from the T-1000.

I've got Sarah set up with:

High concept

Freedom fighter for the future

Trouble

Haunted by knowledge of future past

Aspects

• Trusting Technology is a dangerous mistake

• John is the future

• You can't save everyone. I know.

John Connor:

High Concept

Destined to be the leader of the resistance

Trouble

Everyone's got it out for me

Aspects

• The Terminator is more than just a machine to me

• No Fate but what we make (Sarah's relationship aspect)

• I know I can save everyone

The Terminator:

High Concept

Killing machine sent back in time to protect

Trouble

Human calculations are not part of my programming

Aspects

• I must protect and obey John, always.

• Sarah is more dangerous than she thinks

• I know what Skynet knows

I still need to build out stunts and stay blocks and stuff, but I've got some other scenes and aspects for those scenes set up. I'd really appreciate any feedback anyone could offer me at this stage.

My city has a budget shortfall of $400,000 and they're looking at cutting firefighter positions, arts funding, and parks funding to make up the shortfall. They also, incidentally, spent over $400,000 on just Microsoft office licenses last year, which doubled in cost from the previous year. My goal is to fix the budget shortfall, or at least take a big bite out of it, by switching all users who can't specify what advanced (see: VBA) features they use from MS Office onto LibreOffice, since it provides all the same basic functionality and interoperable file formats. As a stretch goal, I'd love to persuade them to get on Linux, but that might be a bridge too far for most folks at the city.

Does anyone have any advice to help me persuade the city to cut bullshit MS office licenses instead of firefighters? The city does have an IT dept that I've considered reaching out to, but I'm worried that they may fight that proposal because:

A. I hear that MS lobbies city IT relentlessly

B. They may not have the capacity to do the switch.

As for Linux, I'd love to get the machines that are W10 dependent switched to Linux, but that feels like a big reach. People tend to have a "NERD!" reaction to Linux, like mentioning tabletop gaming.

This and the "beep beep beep" deer are deer classics for me

President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa engaged in a tense back-and-forth at the White House on Wednesday over Trump's false claims of "genocide" against white South African farmers.

"I don't know, all of these are articles over the last few days, death of people, death, death, death, horrible death," Trump said.

Trump claimed White South Africans were "fleeing because of the violence and the racist laws."

"This is sort of the opposite of apartheid. What's happening now is never reported. Nobody knows about it," he added.

"I would say if there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here, including my minister of agriculture," Ramaphosa said. "He would not be with me. So, it'll take him, President Trump, listening to their stories, to their perspective."

At times, Ramaphosa sought to steer the conversation back to trade and economic investment, which he said was the "real reason for being here." But Trump continually talked about the treatment of White South Africans.

But when pressed on what he wants Ramaphosa and his government to do, Trump conceded, "I don't know."

Elon Musk, a South African native and a top adviser to the president during his second term who has also amplified false claims of "white genocide," was present for Ramaphosa's visit to the White House.

Musk was seen standing behind a couch and did not speak during the exchange between Ramaphosa and Trump.

"Elon is from South Africa. I don't want to get him involved," Trump said. "That's all I have to do. Get him into another thing. But Elon happens to be from South Africa."

"This is what Elon wanted," Trump said, chuckling.

Well, I guess now we know why he fucked with Grok.

Let's suppose we have a wish granting genie that gives us a working Alcubierre drive. The drive is turned on and the bubble is staying stationary to our frame of reference (so, it's turned on on our imaginary helipad and it's just sitting there). What could an outside observer expect to see when they look at the bubble? I.e. would light get redshifted or distorted, since it has to pass through space that's expanding faster than the surrounding space? If I shine a laser pointer directly at the bubble, does it lens around the bubble and stroke the far wall, or will it pass through and strike what's inside? Further, could one expect any ill effects from approaching or passing through the bubble, or would that even be possible? Would an Alcubierre drive in motion create a gravitational wave or something very much like it, since it works by distorting space?

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/62373168

FBI Director Kash Patel on Friday said federal agents arrested a Wisconsin judge on obstruction charges in a message Patel posted on X and later deleted. In the post, which Reuters saw before it was deleted, Patel said there was evidence of the judge "obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service said Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit judge, was arrested at a courthouse this morning.

FBI Director Kash Patel on Friday said federal agents arrested a Wisconsin judge on obstruction charges in a message Patel posted on X and later deleted. In the post, which Reuters saw before it was deleted, Patel said there was evidence of the judge "obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service said Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit judge, was arrested at a courthouse this morning.

Didn't see this UFO, but I'm kind of sort of not godawful at landscape, and figured I'd try actually making the icon for the lemmy UAP community I made instead of relying on slop. Came out alright, I guess, at least as good as slop imo.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! This is your weekly invitation to share what's weird in your life. I'm kicking it off this week with the epic of HumperMonkey, one of my all-time favorite spooky tales from the internet.

I mean, it's a dude looking at pixels on google earth. It's hard to be sure, and there's nothing else really but conjecture to support the claim. Thoughts? Ideas on how to confirm or refute this?

US Sen. Chris Van Hollen told reporters in El Salvador Wednesday that he was unable to visit Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia in the maximum-security mega-prison where he is being held.

Van Hollen said he specifically asked Salvadoran Vice President Felix Ulloa if he could meet with Abrego Garcia or at least speak with him over the phone or via video conferencing. Again, Van Hollen said the request was denied.

Pressed on whether he had concerns about the man’s health, Van Hollen said: “I don’t know about his health status which is why I wanted to meet with him directly.”

The senator’s trip swiftly drew the ire of the White House.

Communications director Steven Cheung called Van Hollen “a complete disgrace” and the Office of Communications accused the senator in a statement of a lack of concern regarding crimes they say were committed by undocumented immigrants against his constituents. Abrego Garcia has not been charged with any crimes in the United States, according to his lawyers.

OP editorializing here: Homie is definitely dead.

Hey everybody, I know it's a little late, but I wasn't really sure how the weather was going to be until a little while ago. I'd like to invite you all to join me in looking at the sky tonight. What's on the menu:

• The full moon is going to steal the show tonight, of course. I may spend some time gawking at it.

• globular clusters: I've been having a hell of a time catching M3, but I'm going to try again tonight. I'm also going to attempt M53. I'm kind of hoping that coma berineces will be able to point me to my targets. I may also attempt M67 in Cancer.

• galaxies: probably not tonight with the full moon. I know it's doable, but I have a hard enough time with them as it is.

I'll share my findings later!