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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 4th, 2023

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  • The enterprise c did have a battle bridge that they used mostly for saucer separations, but there were times when they used it saucer in place and there are some ships which have more protected configurations.

    Disregarding the IRL reasons of that’s just where it always goes, I believe the in universe reason is that starfleet at its core does not like to identify as a true military organization. It’s why the enterprise C is built like a cruise ship and why despite being a swift science vessel voyager is also very spacious and sleek and elegant on the inside. They do make plenty of starships that are top in class and capable of holding their own against anything else out there, but starfleet is not in the business of making warships. They overtly mention this in DS9 when it is mentioned that the Defiant is officially an “escort vessel” even though it is a very no frills combat vessel.

    Of course they can get away with this concession because generally the shields do most of the work when it comes to absorbing hits anyway. Once shields are down if another vessel wants to go for the kill it wont take long for it to tear through the hull. In theory the centralized location also means that the bridge can get additional protection by tilting the saucer away from the enemy(sorry lower decks).



  • China has been militarizing and between the gender gap, the soon decline in population, and recent global attitudes towards them shifting , theyre going to be in for a world of economic hurt. A large population of unattached young men with poor economic outcomes doesnt bode well for peace in that region.

    Likewise the US policy of “surely embracing capitalism will lead to a liberal democracy” gave way to mild hostility towards china when it didnt happen. Especially with a president for 4 years who kept saying those quiet things other presidents didnt outright say because they knew it would be poking the bear for no reason.

    God help us all if this actually happens because it would lead to a world war centered on Asia and china, and I hope that what will happen with the age gap and decline in china will mirror more japan, but we do live in uncertain times.




  • When you consider that the bridge is on the top and center of the saucer section and a very enticing target the constant explosions make a bit of sense. It’s not that the enterprise got shot in the ass and it sent a current up to the computer that monitors shift rotations, no the high powered energy weaponry is aimed right on the other side of the wall. Structural integrity fields, shields, ablative armor, and other technobabble keep the the whole bridge from popping like a balloon when something bad happens.

    It’s like if your tv is plugged into a house with breakers and safely on a surge protector it’s not going to keep your tv from getting fried if zeus decides to target that outlet specifically and strike it.



  • A lot of people from conservative areas feel like and complain that californians come in and change the “culture” of a place. A lot of times this is the usual dog whistle nonsense and conservatives being mad that liberals exist and california is heralded as some beacon of socialism and liberalism and is therefore the enemy.

    On the less politically dumb side of things this can also manifest as gentrification. Wealthier yuppier people coming into a low cost of living town or city and with their money and new population comes a change in whats available. Personally a lot of the low cost of living america are declining rust belt cities and low cost of living due to decades of population loss or stagnation so I dont think this is as bad as people believe.

    But gentrification impacts housing prices and it is frustrating for people who lived through the rustier times of a city only to be priced out of homeownerships because the market now includes bidding wars where people from wealthier cities dont realize their overpaying for a property because its still hundreds of thousands of dollars less than it would be back home. Current homeowners get a fun surprise when their taxes are reassessed and their 120k home is now worth 350k and taxed appropriately. Likewise longterm renters notice the uptick in rent as people move in.

    Of course a lot of this is a market problem and a supply problem, and a rental protection problem and even if the city were to have just started growing without help from rich californians and new yorkers prices would still go up. But the new migrants are the target and depending on where you live thats california in other places its new york. Still others its both and then some.

    And if you’re doing alright for yourself or scraping by in your rusty city you may not want things to change even if it means more restaurants, and developments, and things to do. The saying about strong tides raising all sails is not true, some people wind up underwater and drown.


  • Trees and their leaves smother life underneath them in forests. The leaves do eventually biodegrade and fertilize the soil and in the spring before the leaves grow back the forest floor is full of lots of fast moving, fast living greenery, but then the leaves grow back and usually whats left is stuff that gets sunbeams from breaks in the trees and some hardier species and saplings waiting for their moment to take over. Trees move in slow motion, but they are actually quite active and competitive creatures. Even once their grown their branches smack into each other as the wind blows and they grow competing for sunlight. Some small trees will just give you a little coverage and yeah you can ignore it and it will be broken up and blow away on it’s own, but if you have a big tree your hard will get blanketed.

    A yard and garden are not a natural forest theyre artifically curated. Letting a yard be smothered by leaves might be good for starting the cycle that slowly turns empty ground into forest in my parts, but most people keep that yard space for activities, or for kids to run around, or for putting a garden in or something.

    That said a few leaves wont kill you and you dont have to immediately run for a leaf blower or rake as soon as a single leaf falls on the yard to keep your grass perfect.