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Dominic and Keith are still talking about how COVID-19 is changing the nerd pop landscape. This week, what will “normal” even look like? http://traffic.libsyn.com/thenerdsofcolor/HNL188.mp3 Up first, they talk about watching Star Trek, both Discovery and Picard and why Dom really digs the former and Keith was disappointed with the latter. Then they switch topics to coronavirus (of course) and […]

In last night’s episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, Bill Maher used his “New Rules” segment to go after the politically correct naming battle around COVID-19 and the coronavirus. The virus has been frequently referred to as the Chinese or Wuhan virus, based on its geographic origin.

Maher goes on a rant about how we’ve always named viruses after their places or origin saying, “Scientists, who are generally pretty liberal, have been naming diseases after the places they came from for a very long time … Zika is from the Zika forest; Ebola from the Ebola river. Hantavirus from the Hantan river. There is the West Nile virus and Guinea Worm and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and of course, the Spanish flu. MERS stands for Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, it’s plastered all over airports and no one blogs about it.”

But many people, like California Congressman Ted Lieu, are urging the public not to use those names for the virus, as they have inflamed racism and hate towards Asian people worldwide and Asian-American people here at home.

One reason @POTUS & his enablers failed to contain #COVID2019 is due to the myopic focus on China. The virus was also carried into the US from other countries & US travelers. Calling it Chinese coronavirus is scientifically wrong & as stupid as calling it the Italian coronavirus. https://t.co/T5SPlSaKaA

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) March 10, 2020

Maher’s straw man argument is essentially this: that overly PC liberals are ignoring the facts of the virus in favor of not hurting anyone’s feelings. And in doing so, we are letting China off the hook, and they will continue to run wet markets and sell exotic meats that scientists the world over agree are a breeding ground for these kinds of diseases.

Should global powers put pressure on China to close (or at least regulate) these markets? Of course, and they already have. The UN’s biodiversity chief has already called for a ban on these markets, but there are larger economic issues at play.

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the acting executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, released a statement saying

“It would be good to ban the live animal markets as China has done and some countries. But we should also remember you have communities, particularly from low-income rural areas, particularly in Africa, which are dependent on wild animals to sustain the livelihoods of millions of people … So unless we get alternatives for these communities, there might be a danger of opening up illegal trade in wild animals which currently is already leading us to the brink of extinction for some species. We need to look at how we balance that and really close the hole of illegal trade in the future.”

Additionally, the Chinese dictatorship should be held accountable for downplaying the outbreak and silencing scientists.

But doggedly insisting on calling it the “Chinese virus” accomplishes neither of these tasks. It only inflames racism and xenophobia at a time when those issues are already running rampant in society. Maher claims that American can hold two ideas in their head: that we can choose to not be racist while acknowledging the virus’s geographical origins.

But we can also hold these two ideas separately in our head: that we can demand justice and change in China’s wet markets while at the same time not vilifying folks of Asian descent and fueling ignorance and racism. Even HHS head Alex Azar agrees, saying “You’re absolutely right. We must ensure nobody is discriminated against based on ethnicity, … Ethnicity is not what causes the novel coronavirus.”

It’s not overt political correctness to want to protect our Asian-American citizens from racism and hate. Especially at a time when our country is lead by a racist and xenophobic president. This is a public safety issue as well. We’re in dire need of empathy and compassion now more than ever.

(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: screencap/HBO)

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—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, there has been a series of “repatriation flights,” which are flights organized by the U.S. Department of State (in the case of America) to bring citizens stranded in other countries back home. This is done where there are no commercial flights due to borders being closed. However, some Americans are noticing, according to NPR, varying levels of health screenings at U.S. airports, not all of them equally rigorous.

Dan Honig, for example, was one of some 150 passengers who were brought back to the States from Senegal, on a repatriation flight that landed in Washington Dulles International Airport on April 3. He observed that, while the group took protective measures during the flight, which was staffed by medical workers in hazmat suits, the group didn’t go through a final health screening as they disembarked, went home, or went to other domestic flights.

“I expected that my temperature would probably be taken, as it had been when boarding the flight,” says Honig, yet that didn’t take place because Honig and the others were traveling from a place on which the U.S. hasn’t placed travel restrictions. Right now, Customs and Border Protection says that when international flights from China, Iran, the U.K., and the European Union come in, they are taken in groups of 50 in order to test for COVID-19.

“I didn’t know if we would be given self-quarantine orders,” Honig said, “but I thought, at the very least, we would be kind of recommended to do so.”

When NPR asked Customs and Border Protection about Honig’s experience, seeking clarity, the response from a spokesperson said the agency is “following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Considering we have seen the government struggle with resources and knowing how to communicate facts to the American public, I’m not surprised they are trying to be frugal with this, but considering that all air travel has potential risks and most people are asymptomatic, it does seem reckless—especially for those who have seen what happens in other countries.

People began responding to Hoing’s tweets and sharing their experiences of returning to the U.S. through commercial flights and their experiences in other countries:

I arrived in America April 3 on a State Department medical evacuation flight. No medical check; no data collection; no instructions. A very critical month later, and the US still seems to be behind where Senegal had been a month prior on systems/policies. 20/

— Dan Honig (@rambletastic) April 7, 2020

Same thing. We arrived from Cambodia on April 2nd. No checks, questionnaires or anything else. The US “response” is a joke and if it’s wasn’t so serious it would be a comedy. For the so-called greatest country on earth what an embarrassment.

— Phil Butterworth (@ChopperPhil) April 8, 2020

Over the next 14 days, as I continue to quarantine, I’ll share my first-hand experience of how the South Korean government is thinking out of the box to fight the COVID-19. I hope the rest of the world will observe, learn and step up to fight this global pandemic together /4

— Heidi Shin (@heidishin) April 8, 2020

It is alarming how, despite the hard-working people in the medical field attempting to help, there are still a lot of potential holes in the system.

(via NPR, image: Skitterphoto from Pexels)

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Today sees the release of the highly-anticipated Nioh 2. Team Ninja’s answer to Dark Souls is one of the toughest games of 2020. It is so challenging that it makes FromSoftware’s infamous franchise seem like it’s on easy mode. That’s not hyperbole on my part. Nioh 2 will kick your butt without a hint of mercy or compassion. Given the insane difficulty, this isn’t a game for everyone. Only the most committed (and masochistic) gamers need apply. But no matter how bad-ass you think you are, you are not ready for the horrors in store for you.

To help ease you into Nioh 2, we’ve listed 10 tips every beginner should know. Note that this knowledge won’t help you master the game overnight. You’ll still need practice and patience to persevere. With that said, these tips will give you an edge and keep you (mostly) alive during the early hours.

Choose your weapons wisely

Nioh 2 features a wide variety of weapons. Every weapon controls and feels different, making it hard to choose the right one for you. If you’re brand-new to the series, it’s best to go with a weapon like an ax that hits hard and a weapon like a katana or a dagger for faster (albeit weaker) hits. You can always go to the training ground (covered below) to see which weapons suit your playstyle best.

Train, train, train

There is an almost overwhelming amount of combat techniques to use, even from the beginning. Sure, you can learn the basics by continuously dying. Or you can train somewhere safe. The training ground is an option under Dojo (selectable from the starting point on the world map). Here, you can try out all the moves you’ve unlocked against a myriad of foes. This is also an ideal spot for mastering your stances and demonic abilities. Don’t be afraid to visit the training ground often to keep your skills sharp.

Stand your ground

Your character can assume three different stances. A low stance facilitates quick attacks and fast dodging. It is perfect for dispatching small enemies and for quickly dodging attacks. Mid stance is the one you’ll use most of the time. It works great against most enemies and provides a perfect balance between offense and defense. Lastly, high stance utilizes hard attacks that break past enemy Ki. This stance provides little defense and a missed attack can leave you wide open. Mastering the different stances is essential.

Manage your Ki

Performing most actions (attacking, dodging, running) depletes Ki. If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself winded during the most inopportune moment. Because of that, you’ll want to be mindful of your Ki at all times.

White light leaks out of your character whenever you attack. Pressing R1 concentrates this energy, thus recovering your Ki via a Ki Pulse. You’ve successfully performed a Ki Pulse when a circle of light bursts from you. It’s possible to gain a significant amount of Ki depending on your timing. I don’t need to tell you how important it is to maintain a healthy amount of Ki, especially during boss fights.

Performing a Ki Pulse isn’t always easy. A great alternative is the Running Water skill found in the Samurai branch of the skill tree. Instead of performing a pulse by pressing R1, you do so by dodging. Each weapon stance has its own version of Running Water, so be sure to snatch them all. Using this technique along with the normal Ki Pulse ensures you never run out of Ki at the wrong time.

Yokai abilities and Soul Cores

New to Nioh 2 are Yokai abilities. Releasing a Yokai Burst can stop and counter enemies surrounded by a red aura. The trick is performing a burst just as the enemy strikes. If performed successfully, you’ll deal massive damage and leave your foe open to continued attacks. You get three Yokai (in the form of spirit animals) from the jump and each has its own Yokai Burst window. Try them all out and see which one you like best.

Stronger foes drop Soul Cores, which you can use to perform special Yokai attacks. Soul Core attacks correspond to the enemy that drops them. For example, an ape-like creature you fight early on gives you the ability to fling a spear at enemies. Upon getting a Soul Core, it’s best to get to the nearest shrine to purify it. Should you die in transit, you’ll lose the Soul Core unless you’re able to retrieve your Guardian Grave. You can fuse Soul Cores of the same type to make them stronger. Try to collect as many cores as you can and experiment with their abilities.

The Dark Realm

Early in the game, you’ll find an area enveloped in Yokai energy. This Dark Realm presents a unique challenge for the player. For starters, one’s stamina regeneration is severely hampered. Enemies are tougher, and you cannot access any Shrines within. It is also possible for yokai to drag you into the Dark Realm.

The only way to escape the Dark Realm is defeating the yokai that dragged you in or the one who rules the area. If you see a yokai surrounded by red flowers, that’s your target. But as I mentioned before, enemies here are no push-overs. Thankfully, you can use your own yokai abilities much more efficiently here. This serves as a way to even the odds against the deadlier foes you’ll encounter.

Visit Shrines

Shrines are safe havens from the hellish world around you. They provide a number of useful functions, including replenishing your items, restoring your health, and acting as a respawn point. You can also use amrita (obtained from killing enemies) at Shrines to level up your character’s core attributes, receive blessings from Kodama spirits, and summon players to help you. The main drawback of using Shrines is that doing so resurrects all regular enemies you’ve defeated. This isn’t a bad thing, as we’ll see in the next tip.

Grind on

You will die and die often. Thankfully, you can use the game’s own systems to your advantage. Specifically, the aforementioned Shrines.

Since enemies return whenever you use a Shrine, you can repeatedly fight them and grind for amrita. Do this long enough and you’ll amass plenty of amrita for leveling. While this may sound like cheating, it’s a perfectly viable option to help you move forward to the next Shrine and grind spot. Yes, fighting the same foes over and over again can get tiresome, but the results speak for themselves. Want to stay alive longer? Get used to grinding.

Skill tree

Nioh 2 features a robust skill tree. At a glance, it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the options available. The best approach is to decide what kind of character you want to build early on. Do you want to face foes with katanas and spears or do you want to attack using deadly magic? The choice is yours. You’ll eventually get to completely respec your character if you feel you’ve gone down the wrong path. This is great, but don’t become over-reliant on respec-ing since it costs 10,000 gold each time. You’ll gain a lot of experience points, especially if you level grind early on. If you do things correctly, you’ll have created a truly formidable demon slayer.

Share the suffering

You don’t have to face the terrors before you alone. You can call for help two different ways. One is by resurrecting NPC allies at blue Benevolent Graves. Using ochoko cups, you can also call in up to two other players at Shrines. The NPC mostly serves as a distraction that keeps enemies from focusing all their aggression on you. Player-controlled characters are much more useful since they’re actual people. Allies remain at your side until either you or they die.

Bloody Graves are the opposite of Benevolent Graves. By interacting with these red markers, you’ll summon a formidable opponent. What’s the advantage of taking on a spirit that’s potentially harder than a boss? The sweet loot they drop. Stronger weapons and better armor are always good to have. With that said, it’s best to tread carefully when interacting with Bloody Graves. After all, you may lose hours of hard work if you fall in battle.