Yep, we're back again. This is the thread for you - whether you be the newest member (that'd be laggycat) or the oldest oldbie (hi, Kaitlyn!) to talk about the week we've just had. Discuss anything and everything, and remember to have fun!
Please remember that, when it comes to the state of the world, not everyone will agree with you. You're free to state, discuss, and defend your viewpoint (provided it does not violate the Constitution), but please don't use that fact to attack others.
Fandom News
(Link)
This week is the 40th anniversary of the release of Star Wars: A New Hope. In honour of that, Vanity Fair released an anniversary edition, complete with four gorgeous covers featuring the cast of The Last Jedi. We have one with Rey and Luke on their island, one of helmetless!Phasma, scarred!Kylo, and slimy!Hux, one of Poe, Finn, BB-8, and new character Rose Tico... and one of General Leia Organa. Dangit, now I'm sad again. :(
Silly News
(Old books & old phones)
Eight years ago, someone borrowed a book by Roderick Bailey from Dudley library, in England. This week, they finally returned it... to Boone County library, Kentucky, USA.
Nobody knows how or why this happened, it's really surreal. Dudley library's theory is that they were worried about the overdue fine - but as they point out, that's actually capped at £4 anyway. ^_^ (You'll be pleased to know they've said Boone County can keep the book.)
Meanwhile, Nokia are even more out of date - they've just made a new version of a phone they phased out in 2005. Yes, the 3310 is back, complete with rubber buttons, no touchscreen, and... Snake! Well, I'm sold. :D
Serious News
(Link)
On Monday evening, a concert in Manchester, England, was attacked by a suicide bomber. 22 people died, mostly young people, including one eight-year-old.
The UK terror threat level has been raised to critical, and the police have made at least eight arrests connected with the attack. Meanwhile, there's been controversy: the bomber's name was shared with the US government, and leaked to the US media despite the police not being ready for it to be made public yet. Photos of evidence from the crime scene have also been leaked in the same way; coming on the back of Trump's provision of highly classified intelligence to Russia (which is widely accepted as having burned a key intel source), it's no surprise that we've now chosen to stop sharing any information on the attack with America.
The (suspected) bomber, Salman Abedi, was 22 years old, British-born and of Libyan descent. I have absolutely no idea what has to be going through your mind to lead you to blow yourself up to kill children, and frankly, I'm glad I don't understand it. I don't want to.
In some ways, this is worse than the 7/7 attack back in '05. That had a higher death toll, but at least it felt like an attack on infrastructure - it struck at the trains, the buses, trying to paralyse the capital. This... is just horrific.
Not News
Just one of the many moments from the party I threw, inspired by this conversation with Iximaz. :)
hS
