'unlawfully present'

'Explain to me why anyone would put any mural in the middle of a damn street'

One of the dogs ran almost four miles back to the camp, which got the attention of the rest of the group

There are already reasons for (a new) hope

‘He was spotted by a private helicopter’

Movies & TV Babylon 5 Rewatch: “Believers” Dr. Franklin learns a lesson about medical ethics, and Ivanova goes on an action-packed rescue mission. By Keith R.A. DeCandido | Published on June 10, 2024 Credit: Warner Bros. Television Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Warner Bros. Television “Believers”Written by David GerroldDirected by Richard ComptonSeason 1, Episode 10Production episode 105Original air date: April 27, 1994 It was the dawn of the third age… An Onteen boy named Shon is in Medlab, being treated by Franklin. He’s been having trouble breathing, and his parents, M’Ola and Tharg, are at their wits’ end. Franklin and Dr. Maya Hernandez explain that there’s blockage in his air sac, and it can be removed with a simple surgical procedure. M’Ola and Tharg immediately balk and say they will go elsewhere. It turns out that the Onteen believe that the soul lives inside the thoracic region, and to cut open a person like a food animal will let the soul loose. Ivanova reports to Sinclair that the starliner Asimov has suffered a breakdown in the midst of space in which raiders have been sighted. Sinclair has her send Garibaldi to investigate, but Ivanova goes on an epic rant about how stir crazy she’s going, and Sinclair has her go instead. Franklin and Hernandez patiently (ahem) explain the surgical procedure and how simple it is, but M’Ola and Tharg understand the science. However, Franklin and Hernandez don’t understand the religion. They will not condemn Shon to a life without a soul. Franklin then proposes an alternate, non-invasive treatment that has less of a chance of working, to which the parents agree. Hernandez criticizes Franklin for going along with the parents’ nonsense, and Franklin says he’s just buying time until the parents come around and see that surgery is the only way to save their son. Credit: Warner Bros. Television Franklin gives Shon what he calls a glopet egg from the planet Placebo. It’s truly a bit of industrial goo that glows and which he has molded into the shape of an egg, but Franklin tells Shon that he has to hold onto it and care for it, which gives him a nice distraction while he is treated. While meeting with Sinclair and Garibaldi, Franklin asks if Sinclair can use his authority to force the parents to allow Shon to be treated. Sinclair says he doesn’t want to set the precedent, but Franklin counters that the precedent has already been set when Sinclair had Franklin’s predecessor Kyle operate on Kosh after the ambassador was poisoned. Sinclair asks him to find another way. Unfortunately, the alternate treatment doesn’t work, and Franklin once again tries to convince M’Ola and Tharg to consent to the surgery, and once again they refuse. Franklin threatens to bring Sinclair into it, and the Onteen call his bluff. Franklin makes the request, and M’Ola and Tharg also go to the commander and beg him to not allow the procedure. Sinclair says he’ll make a decision in twenty-four hours. Expecting that Sinclair will side with his fellow human, the Onteen go to the other ambassadors on the station, but G’Kar, Mollari, Delenn, and Kosh all refuse to get involved for their own reasons. Sinclair, meanwhile, does the one thing nobody’s done up until now: asked Shon what he wants. Shon says that he doesn’t want to die, but he doesn’t want the operation, either, as he does not wish to lose his soul. (Shon also admits to Sinclair that he knows full well that the “egg” is just industrial goo, but he asks Sinclair not to tell Franklin that he figured it out.) Reluctantly, Sinclair refuses to grant Franklin’s request. He can’t override the Onteen beliefs in order to satisfy his own. Franklin decides to go ahead with the surgery anyhow. It’s successful. M’Ola and Tharg are outraged, as is Sinclair, while Franklin is smugly pleased with himself that he saved a child’s life. Ivanova and her wingman manage to escort the Asimov back to B5 while fending off raiders. Credit: Warner Bros. Television Shon is discharged, and a subdued M’Ola and Tharg take him away in what they call a “traveling robe” used for a “great journey.” Because he doesn’t understand euphemisms, apparently—unusual for a doctor—Franklin assumes this is for the ride home. Hernandez, however, has been doing research on the Onteen and shows him that the traveling robe is for the journey to the afterlife. He runs to the Onteen quarters only to find that they’ve killed Shon now that he has no soul. Franklin offers Sinclair his resignation, which Sinclair doesn’t accept because Richard Biggs is in the opening credits. Nothing’s the same anymore. Sinclair argues very eloquently for not imposing his or Franklin’s beliefs on Shon and his parents, and also for the fact that there should be more to life than just whether or not someone has a pulse. Ivanova is God. Ivanova goes on at great length about how stir crazy she’s going working in CinC all the time, her not-very-subtle way of asking Sinclair if she can go rescue the Asimov please. If you value your lives, be somewhere else. Delenn refuses to involve herself in the Onteen’s affair, as they do not like it when others interfere in their religion (possibly a reference to the soul hunters?). In the glorious days of the Centauri Republic… Mollari refuses to help the Onteen because it isn’t in the budget. This is at once appalling and also truly the most realistic of the four refusals the Onteen get from the B5 ambassadors. Though it take a thousand years, we will be free. G’Kar’s refusal to help the Onteen boils down to their answer to his question of, “What’s in it for the Narn?” which is pretty much not a damn thing. G’Kar says he never even heard of the Onteen until they came aboard. The Shadowy Vorlons. The Onteen think that Kosh’s experiences of being operated on without his consent means he’ll be sympathetic to their cause. They are hilariously incorrect. Credit: Warner Bros. Television Welcome aboard. Silvana Gallardo makes her one and only appearance as Hernandez, while the Onteen are played by Tricia O’Neil (M’Ola), Stephen Lee (Tharg), and Jonathan Charles Kaplan (Shon). Plus Ardwight Chamberlain is back from last time as the voice of Kosh; he’ll be back in “Signs and Portents.” O’Neil—who is probably best known in genre circles as Enterprise-C Captain Rachel Garrett in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise”—will return in the movie In the Beginning as the Earth Alliance President. Trivial matters. This episode was written by David Gerrold, probably best known for writing the Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” which is generally at or near the top of lists of the best Trek episodes. Gerrold is also an award-winning prose writer, having won both a Hugo and Nebula Award for his novelette “The Martian Child.” Gerrold put in a reference to his own works here, as the mentions of the Shakespeare Corporation and pfingle eggs are from Gerrold’s novels Under the Eye of God and Covenant of Justice. The concept for the episode was creator J. Michael Straczynski’s, and he assigned it to Gerrold, at least in part because Gerrold was a single parent with an adopted son who was, at the time, ten years old. Straczynski also wrote the Ivanova B-plot. This is Hernandez’s only appearance after being mentioned twice before, in “Infection” and “And the Sky Full of Stars” (and she’ll be mentioned again in “Objects in Motion”). The Asimov is, obviously, named after the famous and influential science fiction author and scientist Dr. Isaac Asimov. Sinclair ordered Kosh to be operated on against his wishes in “The Gathering.” The echoes of all of our conversations. “The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.” —Kosh being all metaphorical and stuff. Credit: Warner Bros. Television The name of the place is Babylon 5. “Life has to be more than just a pulse beat.” Full disclosure: the writer of this episode, David Gerrold, is a friend and colleague of your humble rewatcher. Most recently, my wife Wrenn Simms and I co-edited and co-published an anthology called The Four ???? of the Apocalypse, to which Gerrold contributed a story. At least, I hope we’re still friends after he reads this, because I have to admit to being a bit disappointed with this episode on rewatch. Mind you, it’s still very powerful and thought-provoking, with a wonderfully nasty ending, but I have two problems with it. The first is a simple one of an inability to predict the future: seeing Franklin use a scalpel to cut open Shon’s chest probably seemed reasonable in 1994, but in 2024 we already have way less invasive ways of operating on people. Indeed, there are plenty of procedures that involve using existing openings in the body to put in the tools that will be used in the surgery, and that’s just thirty years after this episode was aired, much less the three hundred that it’s supposed to be in the future. Still, that’s minor, and not really the point. The Onteen are fictional, so even if the surgical procedures are less invasive than slicing open the skin, one can adjust the religious beliefs in question to make the surgery not be an option. The other problem is a bigger one, to wit, that of consent. Specifically, that of Shon. I know that in our culture, at least, children under eighteen don’t have a full set of rights, and there is also precedent for the government interceding to save a child’s life when the parents won’t do everything possible. But I still can’t get my mind around the fact that, not only do M’Ola and Tharg refuse the procedure, but Shon himself says he doesn’t want it. I have a real problem with the government stepping in to force a medical procedure—any medical procedure—on someone. And Shon is fully aware of what’s happening—hell, he’s cogent enough to see through Franklin’s “glopet egg” thing—and doesn’t sound in any way coerced or hesitant in his lack of desire to lose his soul. Sinclair, at least, realizes this, and Gerrold’s script serves the commander well, as it feels like he’s the only one behaving rationally. Certainly more than his medical officers are, as I spent the entire episode wanting to smack both Franklin and Hernandez. Yes, they have a fervent desire to save the child’s life, and that’s important, but it’s mainly important because a) they come from a culture that values the life of a child even more than that of an adult and b) they are dedicated to healing. But that doesn’t give Franklin the right to play god—even though he himself thinks that. Franklin says that every patient who comes through Medlab’s door wants him to play god, and if he has that responsibility, then he wants the power, too. Except for one thing: this patient very explicitly did not ask him to do that. I felt like the script desperately wanted us to see that there were no right answers, and while there aren’t, there are wrong answers, and Franklin’s was wrong every single time. That’s brought into sharp relief at the end when Hernandez shows him the cultural database on the Onteen and the real meaning of the travelling robe, which indicates that he did no such research prior to that. He couldn’t even be bothered to learn all he could about the Onteen, he just went ahead and assumed he was right when, by their lights, he couldn’t have been more wrong. Michael O’Hare gives one of his best performances here, and you can always count on Tricia O’Neil to bring depth to a guest role, something she made a career out of. I also loved how Claudia Christian delivered Ivanova’s rant to get Sinclair to let her out of the house, so to speak, though the rest of that B-plot went absolutely nowhere interesting, and was such obvious filler that nobody even bothered to show its climax and resolution. Now that I’ve written several hundred words criticizing this episode, I actually feel more positive about it than I did when I started. There’s a lot of meat here, and while the execution doesn’t always land, it doesn’t back away from anything, either. And that really is a powerful ending. In fact, the only flaw in the ending is that Franklin should have resigned, and failing that, been fired—and either way, also been disciplined by the Earth Alliance medical authorities. Next week: “Survivors.”[end-mark] The post <i>Babylon 5</i> Rewatch: “Believers” appeared first on Reactor.

Hundreds of parents brought their children, as young as babies and toddlers, to wave rainbow flags, pose with a drag queen, and do LGBTQ-themed crafts at the “Kids’ Pride Parade and Street Fair” in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Sunday. “Pride is for everyone. That’s the whole point of Pride is to be inclusive of everybody,” a local Takoma Park mom of a 2-and-a-half-year-old child in a stroller told The Daily Signal. “So I think it’s for kids, adults, everybody.” Families marched in the Kids’ Pride Parade at 10 a.m., waving rainbow and transgender flags and signs with messages such as “Love is Love” and “Let Trans Kids Bloom” in honor of Pride Month. After the parade, families and their small children explored a number of pro-LGBTQ booths, purchased food from street vendors, and took photos with drag queen Tara Hoot. Parents push their baby in a rainbow-covered stroller on Sunday. (Photo: Elizabeth Troutman/The Daily Signal) “Talking to my kid about how love makes a family has been just a really important value,” a mom named Elyse told The Daily Signal as she waited in a line for popsicles with her 5-year-old daughter. “There’s a lot of diversity here in Takoma Park, and I want to make sure, even though she comes from a family with one mom and one dad, that she understands love and that love makes a family.” Pride activities included a kids’ craft tent with rainbow bracelet making, coloring, and free pronoun pins; a rainbow-clad juggler surrounded by a crowd of preschoolers; and rainbow face painting. A crowd of small children watch a juggler in rainbow clothes. (Photo: Elizabeth Troutman/The Daily Signal) At noon, kids began taking pictures with Tara Hoot, the drag queen in a huge pink wig and pink plaid jumpsuit whose day job is teaching at a D.C. school. Hoot told The Daily Signal she performs at a lot of “family-friendly” events. Drag queen Tara Hoot poses with a dad and two kids. (Photo: Elizabeth Troutman/The Daily Signal) “My type of drag is like Mr. Rogers in a dress,” Hoot said. “I do story time. I do bubbles. I do all sorts of fun things. I’ve been a teacher for 26 years, so why wouldn’t I be here?” A mom named Casey asked her young daughter to share with The Daily Signal “what the rainbow party is all about.” When the child said she didn’t know, the mom told The Daily Signal they were there to celebrate that “everyone’s different, and that’s awesome.” Kids and adults hold Pride flags at the Sunday parade. (Photo: Elizabeth Troutman/The Daily Signal) Families explored a street fair with various booths. Hosts ranged from the Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase—advertising its “Gender Expansive & Trans+ Chavurah” gathering for LGBTQ adults—to the office of “queer, non-binary psychotherapist” Mary Huber, who provides clients “gender affirming medical procedure letters.” “Many medical procedures, a part of gender affirming healthcare for many folx, require a letter from a mental health care provider,” Huber’s website says. “I offer this service to clients who are transitioning. As different procedures require different types of letters, please contact me to discuss your needs. Most letters can be completed after 1 session.” Her booth featured renderings of the “Gender Unicorn,” the “Gender Galaxy,” and the “Sexuality Galaxy.” Mary Huber’s booth displayed an image of the “Gender Galaxy.” (Photo: Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights) One printout at her booth explained the transgender activist view of the difference between sexual orientation, sex, gender expression, and gender identity. Another, titled “Pursuing Gender Congruence,” gives advice to gender-confused individuals about a path toward “gender affirmation,” starting with personal and social gender affirmation and escalating to medical and legal affirmation. A packed LGBTQ book tent sold a graphic guide to chest binding called “Breath: Journeys to Healthy Binding,” co-written by Maia Kobabe, author of pornographic LGBTQ novel “Gender Queer,” and Sarah Peitzmeier. Attendees could purchase a number of LGBTQ books. (Photo: Elizabeth Troutman/The Daily Signal) Other books for sale included: “Who’s Afraid of Gender,” which “confronts the attacks on “gender” that have become central to right-wing movements today,” according to Google Books; “Page Boy,” an autobiography detailing actor Ellen Page’s transition to Elliot; “I am Ace,” a handbook on being asexual; “Queerly Beloved,” the story of a gay baker fired from a Christian bakery; and an array of LGBTQ teen romance novels. Books for sale included “Rainbow Parenting,” “Love Makes a Family,” and “A Kids Book About Being Nonbinary.” (Photo: Elizabeth Troutman/The Daily Signal) Estelle, a mom who said her 11-year-old child came out as LGBTQ at age 8 or 9, told The Daily Signal her family was at the event to make her kids feel supported. “I think it’s really important for my queer kids to see like that the whole town rallies behind them and supports them,” she said. The Kids’ Pride Parade brought a large crowd to downtown Takoma Park, Maryland. (Photo: Elizabeth Troutman/The Daily Signal) The post Montgomery County Parents Bring Babies, Elementary Schoolers to Kids’ Pride Parade appeared first on The Daily Signal.

U of Minnesota Hires Anti-Israel Extremist to Run Holocaust and Genocide Studies Institute

The Pro-Hamas Protest Outside the White House Got Out of Hand

Video games and e-sports continue to rise in popularity across the world, which has led to more and more people of various ages taking up controllers. However, with this surge in popularity and adoption could come some lesser-known problems. For most of us, our gaming habits do not necessarily impact our health – but that doesn’t mean gaming does not exert its own strains on the body.Sure, gaming and e-sports are nowhere near as physically demanding as most traditional sports, but they can still lead to injuries from wear and tear. "Gamer’s thumb" is one common example of this.Although "gamer’s thumb" sounds like it is specific to the world of computer games, it is not limited to gamers. Instead, anyone who takes part in repetitive movements with their thumbs could develop it, including people who text or type a lot, or repeatedly lift heavy objects. For gamers and e-sports players, whether using a console, PC or mobile phone, hours spent tapping on keyboards, twisting, and gripping may make them prone to this problem. The technical name for the condition is “de Quervain’s tenosynovitis”. It is an overuse injury, similar to carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger, which causes inflammation of the thumb’s tendons and the sheath that surrounds them. This, it is thought, is caused by the repetitive movement involved in grasping, clenching and pinching movements, which makes the tendon thicken and struggle to move smoothly through its sheath.The recurring motion can lead to pain and tenderness at the base of the thumb. This can sometimes be accompanied by additional pain along the radial side of the wrist – the side where the thumb is. Some people may also experience difficulty moving their thumb, especially when trying to grasp or pinch something.Once the pain sets in, it can easily interfere with everyday activities. Carrying objects or performing seemingly simple tasks like opening jars can become painful.If it is allowed to progress without treatment, the pain may start to impact your gaming performance and experience, due to pain and impaired movement.If you have symptoms like this, it is worth seeking medical treatment. The longer the issue goes on without care, the worse it can get. In some cases, the pain can spread further into the thumb or down the forearm and movement may become more painful too.During examination, your doctor will likely examine the thumb and wrist and may request an X-ray of the hand and wrist area. If the diagnosis is positive, then treatment will focus on pain relief and the restoration of the hand and wrist’s function. In severe cases, a doctor may recommend surgery.Non-surgical treatments include taking anti-inflammatory medications to help ease the swelling and discomfort. Corticosteroid injections are also an option in some cases, and can help lessen pain and inflammation. A doctor may also recommend immobilizing the thumb and wrist area with a brace or splint, this will help prevent further aggravating the affected area.In many cases, treatment for "gamer’s thumb" is straightforward with treatment. However, the best way to avoid the issue is to avoid prolonged periods of gaming and to have breaks between sessions. This will help prevent injury and let you enjoy gaming without issue.  The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.  All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.