some friendly folks

In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like.

Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.

The intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.

Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.

It's been suggested that, if discussing spoilers for recent media events, it might be advisable to consider using the rot13 method to prevent other members seeing spoilers in passing.

The world situation is the world situation. If you're following the news, you know it as much as I do, if you're not, then there are better sources than scans_daily. But please, no doomscrolling, for your own sake.

Hope those hit by the winter storm in North America have been taking care of themselves.

SCOTUS struck down Trump's Trademark Tariff plan, which he responded to by re-imposing them using an even more obscure law, providing a loophole.

In the UK, the Andrew formerly known as Prince was arrested (on his birthday no less) for Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office, following his links to Epstein. A government grandee, and Lord, Peter Mandelson was likewise charged. Given that Norway has also arrested a prince of their country, people are starting to ask when the wheels of justice will grind Stateside.

In a truly deranged ramble, even by his standards, Trump also said he was sending two US Navy Hospital ships to Greenland to deal with the residents who were "not being taken care of by Norway". Both Greenland and Norway have declined, pointing out that they both already have free nationalised healthcare, which is more than America has. Greenland also just provided medical assistance to a US submarine, where a sailor had been taken ill, so... that was awkward.

The Winter Olympics drew to a close, and next up we have the Winter Paralympics.

Starfleet Academy gave us our first canon gay (and occasional skirt wearing) Klingon: Jay-Den Kargg who is in a cute relationship with the cheerily upbeat (and much shorter) Kyle. This caused the usual pearl clutching from people who probably keep spare pearls to clutch on hand in case of emergencies, but we can ignore them.