Lord Liaden

Rules for thee, not for me.

Barron turned 18 last month. It's now up to him what kind of person he becomes.

I imagine this sounds heartless, but I don't. Looking at Trump's behavior and history, I have serious doubts there are such people, at least any more. And considering his family and friends whom I've seen, if there actually are any who care, they're not the type I would feel sorry for. I'm in mind of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and what the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come showed Ebenezer Scrooge.

Only mention of Thugmaster and his "School for Thugs" I can recall is IIRC in The Great Supervillain Contest, in the background for one of the villains. (Obviously inspired by Marvel's Taskmaster.) You might be thinking of the Hexmaster, from an early issue of Adventurers Club. I used to confuse those two often myself.

No offense meant, Dave, but I have to admit, that last one hits a little different after the events of the last two years.

I want to emphasize that Joe Biden's condition is not remotely similar to Donald Trump's. Any perceivable decline in any of the abovementioned areas from his baseline of ten years ago is slight, and in no way indicative of dementia.

I'm not sure if you're aware that The Phantom is one of the seminal figures in the evolution of comic-book heroes, having first appeared in newspaper strips in 1936, and published almost continuously ever since. He was the first hero to wear a colorful skin-tight costume, and a mask with pupiless eyes. He had a secret jungle headquarters and animal companions. He's often considered a transitional figure between pulp-era characters like the Shadow and Tarzan, and the likes of Superman, Batman, and Captain America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom

Per Beau's breakdown above, probably the best outcome we could have hoped for under the circumstances.

I wasn't praising them. Just pointing out a fact. Below is a thorough, non-partisan analysis of Iran's response to the Israeli strike, its implications and possible outcomes. If you want a clearer understanding of the dynamics involved, it's worth investing eight minutes forty seconds.

Iran has actually displayed remarkable restraint during this whole affair in Gaza. It's clear that the Iranian government does not want a wider conflict, just as it's clear Bibi wants to provoke one. That's why I don't think escalation is inevitable. This time Israel launched the attack, so Iran for political and military reasons must respond; but they're trying to keep any response proportional to the provocation. Hamas is a big part of the problem here. They do want escalation, to radicalize more Palestinians. Unfortunately Iran does not have enough influence over Hamas' leadership to outright stop them, but I don't doubt they're putting as much pressure on Hamas to modify their actions, as the United States is putting on Israel.

A most intriguing concept that a Game Master could use in any number of ways. Michael's suggestions for how the Keeper of Gates could manifest make every encounter with it unique, mysterious and unsettling. A product worth far more than its price.

Well, first you get a couple of giant wolves...

Nobody makes Hulk twerk. It balances out.

That's when I'll be able to sleep again.

Trump is used to dragging out law suits against himself, making them so costly and time-consuming that the other party eventually drops the case, while also trying to intimidate them. He doesn't seem to understand that the "other party" in this case has far more resources than he does, and is beyond his power to intimidate.

Hmm... what do you envision it doing in-game that would take it out of the realm of a plot device?

Jurassic Park eat your heart out: scientists really are bringing back extinct beasts

Well, my apartment's water heater broke down. I'll have to borrow hot water from my landlord downstairs until he can get it fixed. The pump was making some rather disturbing sounds, though, maybe it's possessed.

Animals usually have 'way better camouflage.

Paragraph editing?

"Faith of the Heart" I actually liked a lot as the theme for Enterprise. IMHO it's a catchy tune, and the lyrics really summed up the premise of the show at its outset.

I suppose every place name that's mentioned in the Bible gets turned into one in the US eventually. I imagine that's all that the vast majority of Americans know about Nineveh, if that. It is odd, though, in that the Bible calls that city a place of great "wickedness" that was placed under "the Lord's burden." Doesn't sound like a town I'd want to raise my kids in.