Insert Witty Title Here

I only made this because someone asked me to. Don't expect much. Apple pie is delicious. http://twitter.com/Renmauzuo

[tanthius]

The Star Trek TOS episode Miri is so funny because the Enterprise discovers a planet that is exactly like earth-same size, atmosphere, and topography-and that is just never explained. In fact it's barely even relevant to the plot. It's just the pre-credit teaser hook.

[tanthius]

Hey D&D side of Tumblr, I wanted to do a little shameless self promo of this tool I've been working on: a monster scaling calculator for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.

You choose an existing SRD monster and a challenge rating, and it will use the power of math to scale the monster to the new CR.

It also includes a few other features like exporting XML for Fight Club, exporting the stat block as an image, overrides for wild shape, and a resource tracker to keep track of spent actions like spell-like abilities during combat. I'd be honored if you'd check it out.

For the more tech savvy gamers I recently extracted a lot of the core functionality into a set of npm packages so it can be reused in other projects if any other toolmakers are so inclined.

[tanthius]

Watching the early episodes of TOS is interesting because you see how much of the canon wasn't quite settled yet.

There's no Federation, and no Starfleet. The Enterprise is part of the Space Service, and answers to Space Command. It's also very clear Enterprise is meant to be a human ship, specifically. Spock is the only non-human on the crew, and presumably he's there because he has a human mother.

When people try to criticize modern shows for having slight deviations form existing canon (that in some cases don't actually contradict canon at all, see the Cheron cadet in SFA or Lura Thook being half Jem'Hadar), maybe they should consider how the original series made wild changes to its own internal canon as time went on.

Canon exists to serve the story; not the other way around. Slavish adherence to canon shouldn't be allowed to get in the way of telling a good story.

[saltyduane]

"I am Vindicta! Today, you die!"

[yubsie]

Starfleet Academy is definitely Star Trek. I cannot think of a more Star Trek solution to "The cadets need extensive trauma counseling without realizing they're getting trauma counseling" than "Mandatory drama club".

[wizard-dax]

Starfleet Academy Episode 8 B Plot:

[tanthius]

The funniest part of DS9's Civil Defense is that there were so many pre-recorded messages. Like Dukat thought a slave revolt was so likely he took the time to pre-record a bunch of messages about it. But better than that is Legate Kell thought Dukat losing control of the station and trying to flee was so likely that he took the time to record a message telling Dukat to stop being a coward.

Like how many other pre-recorded messages were just chilling in DS9's computer?

[tanthius]

Finally going back and watching all of TOS after having mostly spent time with newer Star Trek media is wild because what do you mean that random Vulcan character with the good mining bonuses in STFC was Spock's wife?

[tedlyanderson]

Star Trek: Lower Decks writers: Hey, we should bring Brent Spiner in to do Data in one episode

Star Trek canonicity guys: You can't, Data is dead and/or MIA at this point in time

Star Trek: Lower Decks writers:

[saragrosie]

Garashir nation???? We're back???

[tanthius]

Wild that the haters think new Star Trek shows are "pushing the gay agenda" more than old shows, because what agenda is that exactly? That gay people exist? Starfleet Academy has 2 same sex couples. More than a lot of shows, sure, but so what? There weren't actually any stories or episodes that focused on queerness. Kyle could've been Kylie and it wouldn't have made any difference in Jay-Den's character arc.

Meanwhlie, TNG and DS9 had multiple episodes focusing on what it means for a character to pursue a romantic relationship that is considered taboo by society at large. TNG had an episode about being forced to adopt a gender identity that you aren't comfortable with to conform to social norms, with an unsubtle reference to gay conversion therapy. And Jadzia Dax was a not-entirely-subtle transgender allegory. But somehow people think that was less woke than modern Trek?

I don't want to put words in someone's mouth but I can't help think the haters aren't actually mad about the shows "pushing an agenda" and just straight up don't want queer people to exist at all.

[tanthius]

Idea: KPop Demon Hunters but the K stands for Klingon.

[tanthius]

The scene near the end of Lower Decks season 4 where Mariner confides in Ma'ah why she's so disillusioned with Starfleet is one of my favorite scenes in Star Trek; maybe in all of television. Not only is it a very emotional scene on its own but it's such a perfect capstone to Mariner's character arc because it contextualizes and explains everything that's happened up until that point.

She acts like she hates Starfleet and everything is stupid, but she is also an incredible officer and the two things seem to be in conflict. Every time people think she's a model Starfleet officer she finds a way to sandbag herself.

She knows all the Starfleet regulations, but claims it's only because "there's a ton that let you slack off." She has an encyclopedic knowledge of alien cultures and starship operations but casually attributes it to just being experienced. She acts like she doesn't take her duties seriously but never fails to carry them out. When asked why she doesn't just quit Starfleet and go home she deflects by saying Earth is boring.

And then after her confession to Ma'ah everything makes sense. Because deep down Mariner does love Starfleet, and she does share its ideals and believe in its mission. But she struggles to reconcile that with the fact that Starfleet got her friend killed. Starfleet is where she saw the horrors of the Dominion War. Starfleet is where she had to bury her friends time and time again. Every time she's promoted she's reminded how she might be ordering people to their deaths.

It's an incredible moment in an incredible character arc. Please let Tawny Newsome do whatever she wants forever.

[tanthius]

So after a rewatch of Lower Decks and finishing Season 1 of Starfleet Academy I was inspired to go back and watch The Original Series, which I've caught an episode of here and there but never watched in its entirety.

I just watched The Naked Time and y'all, I see what the Spirk folks were talking about. That episode has some hella gay vibes between Spock and Kirk.

An emotional Spock weeps about how he never said "I love you" (to his mother but maybe to someone else?) Then he tells Kirk "our friendship makes me feel ashamed" (because he's a Vulcan but c'mon, we can all ready the subtext).

Then Kirk laments to Spock how he wants romance, love, walks on the beach, things he feels he can never have (because of his duties as a starship captain, but maybe also for other reasons?)

Then after this conversation Kirk takes a turbolift and looks guilty as he sees someone painted "SINNER REPENT" on the door, like...

[marypsue]

Keep seeing that post where OP starts like 'Thinking about...grieving the undead' and then adds on about like. Real life situations where people have not died but have left your life and you would have reason to grieve them.

All respect, that's an important concept, but that is not what I am thinking about when I read 'grieving the undead'.

[applejuicewerewolf]

No need to keep this in the tags, you're completely right about this scenario!

[tanthius]

Grieving for the undead (the original part, not the addition about literal undead) is how I'm currently feeling after finding out one of my close friends is a huge TERF.

She's not dead. I could text her at anytime. But the friendship I had is over, and the person I thought I knew is gone.

[donaldmaroney-blog]

Season 4, Episode 4

[pochowek]

tumblr user, drinking a bottle of uncontaminated water in post apocalyptic america: i love this?? this is so pure omg

[dagny-hashtaggart-deactivated20]

tumblr user, finding a miraculously untouched packet of frozen pastries in post-apocalyptic america: beautiful cinnamon roll too good for this world, too pure

[argumate]

tumblr user, succumbing to dehydration in the wilderness of post-apocalyptic america: my hands are literally shaking as I type this

[anosognosic]

tumblr edgelord, to a booby-trap in post-apocalyptic america, an arrow embedded deep in their chest: i’m sorry, are you triggered? 

[argumate]

tumblr user, attempting to reestablish a pony express mail service across the shattered remnants of post-apocalyptic america: this post is important

[trickytalks]

tumblr user, standing behind thousands of other refugees from post-apocalyptic america, straining to hear the instructions of the volunteer who is giving them their floor space assignments: say it louder for the people in the back

[coruscantknave]

tumblr user, handing out vials —filled with a cure for the plague which has devastated the world— to the remaining people of post-apocalyptic america: spread this like wildfire

[bass-borot]

tumblr user, checking the post-apocalyptic town’s notice board for information important to rebuilding: why doesn’t this have more notes??

[eight-times-nine]

tumblr user, about to venture out into a dangerous part of the post-apocalyptic world with a small group of volunteers for whom they care for dearly and are concerned about the mental wellbeing of and the impact the adventure could have on them: if you don’t like this unfollow me right now

[mikkeneko]

tumblr user, watching a boy be dragged into the stocks of a post-apocalyptic settlement for the crime of stealing a crust of bread: FREE HIM

[kaylapocalypse-deactivated20201]

Post post modernism

[quasi-normalcy]

tumblr user, trekking on foot across the burned out plains of post-apocalyptic america in search of refuge for what seems like forever: Is Canada even real?

[quasi-normalcy]

tumblr user, being offered bark tea to fend off against scurvy in post-apocalyptic america: This tea is HOT!

[empressstars]

tumblr user, alone and searching for the warmth and comfort of other humans and being jumped by a group of post-apocalyptic american vigilantes: I came out to have a good time and i’m honestly feeling so attacked right now

[reserve]

tumblr user, caring for a nursery of small children, the last children born into this broken, dying world, gently feeding them watery broth: take a fuckin’ sip babes

[avocados-and-avocadonts]

tumblr user, watching a suspicious figure approach the gates of their ramshackle settlement in post-apocalyptic america: who is she

[staff]

tumblr user, looking helplessly at their shattered pole weapon before perishing in the battle circle of post-apocalyptic america: wtf staff

[tanthius]

tumblr user, taking an inventory of what remains of the food and medical supplies:  Benadryl. Kumquat.