I saw some #ActuallyAutistic discourse about #TheGoodDoctor recently so I gave the show a try. My verdict: itβs good!
Itβs a bit sentimental (especially the score in the pilot episodeβ thank goodness they turned down the treacly sentimental aggressive circle-of-fifths power chords in later eps) and contrived and of course, focused on a **young white male savant** which naturally makes one worry theyβll reinforce the Rain Man stereotype and (by implication) ignore all the other types of autistic people β
but theyβre actually doing a really good job with that stereotype, breaking down the βinscrutable hostile arrogant flamboyant nerdβ personality of Sheldon and Rain Man into its components and then building up a full character around it, not just using it for cheap laughs or dismissive superficial criticism. Itβs a TV drama, not a masterβs thesis or pop-psych article, so Iβm quite pleased with the narrative and character-arc choices theyβre making under the mediumβs constraints.
For instance in ep 4 they show him having a meltdown about a leaky faucet, but make sure to show the buildup to the meltdown and explore how he desperately tries and fails to avoid the meltdown and why itβs important to him β it doesnβt just come out of nowhere, and itβs not just a throwaway overdramatized scene. They correctly use technical terms like βperseverateβ and demonstrate that even though he is *painfully* aware of his flaws, just knowing isnβt enough to change them, and even mentioning them (like when he explains that he perseverates) can be offputting and come off as Sheldon-level arrogance when heβs really just trying to communicate clearly. Etc.
YMMV, might be worth a try
This is officially the tallest Allium on Mastodon. According to my poll. And thatβs good enough for me.
#gardening
#BloomScrolling
Shouldn't there be some tachyon particles in there somewhere?
@KimPerales
Next month the first climate lawsuit in the U.S. will give our kids their day in court.
Held v. State of Montana is a constitutional climate lawsuit brought by 16 Montana youth against their State to protect their equal rights to a healthy environment, life, dignity, and freedom. They are suing because their government keeps promoting and supporting fossil fuel extraction and burning, which is worsening the climate crisis and harming these youthsβ lives. https://www.youthvgov.org/held-v-montana
Dinner time! All homemade Japchae w/ Bulgogi, Chicken & Kimchi Mandoo, Bulgogi Mandoo, Kimchi, Seaweed, and HOT fried chicken. Complete with my hand brewed spicy soy sauce.
What are you cooking tonight?
Oh, so business is all about the bottom line, you say? Well, Singapore Airlines begs to differ. They just paid their staff an 8-month salary bonus after record profits, recognizing their hard work and sacrifices during the pandemic. Senior management won't receive the bonus. #BusinessBeyondProfit #SomeGoodNews
@Lizerreal
Yep! I encounter this every time I visit my parents in Kansas. People there are absolutely obsessed with the worry that somebody, somewhere might be getting something they don't "deserve" and of course they are the arbiters of what's deserved.
The funny thing is, they only worry that somebody, somewhere got MORE than what they "deserved" and never that they got LESS than what they "deserved."
Yeah, probably someone occasionally gets something they didn't actually need. It probably happens 1-2% of the time. That's a lousy reason to decline to help anyone 98-99% of the time.
I just finished reading Jennifer Saint's Ariadne, based on ancient Greek myths, and it struck me how much the Greeks' attempts to placate the gods resemble our endless quest to make the algorithm happy. So I made this little piece and put it on IG - let's see how the robots like it
I moved here two years ago today. Previously, I'd spent nine long, horrible years in a tiny miserable flat (all I could manage at the time, because I had the better part of Β£50,000 in debt to pay off).
So now I have a proper little house, and moving here also meant I had my own garden for the very first time.
Here's some before and now pictures - apologies for the big metal pole in the middle, but that was in the picture two years ago so felt I had to stand in the same place.
Still a lot can be done, obviously, but I feel like I've made some progress.
A rainy night in #Boston with the skyline seen from #FanPier
You can find this on my site here: https://mark-tisdale.pixels.com/featured/rainy-night-in-boston-mark-tisdale.html?product=art-print
#NewEngland #Massachusetts #Cityscape #Skyline #BostonArt #MastoArt #MarkOnArt
So... me. Work in aerospace, more space, not as much aero. Can fix my own car, choose not to. Can fix the random appliance of your choice. Hardcore introvert in person, which is why I love online. Lifelong science fiction fan. Read constantly. Scalzi is my favorite author, because he mixes exactly the right amount of snark into his writing. Together with a guy 30+ years, married since it was legal. Own a home in CA and don't plan to leave unless I immigrate to another country.