wcw43921

While Age of Ultron didn't explicitly mention it, I think we are intended to understand that it was Coulson's intel that led the Avengers to Strucker's lair in Sokovia. I have to believe that by now the Avengers know Coulson is alive.
 
As for the shapeshifting material that swallowed up Simmons, I don't think it is in any way related to Graviton. That stuff was described as "alien"...

All I'm going to say on that is that if someone is cruel to me, that doesn't obligate me to be cruel to them in return. Quite the contrary, in fact -- it's horrifyingly difficult not to demand revenge against a crime that heinous, but in the end what do we gain when we kill him? Isn't "all human life is valuable -- except yours" the precise attitude of this man towards his victims?

Merci Beaucoup, mon ami.  I'm glad everyone liked it so much.
 
Here's hoping everyone has just as much fun with this image--
 

Hopefully no one will mind if I bring this up again--
 
Death Sentence For Boston Bomber Unsettles City He Tore Apart
 
Excerpt--
 
To the amazement of people elsewhere, Bostonians overwhelmingly opposed condemning the bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, to death. The most recent poll conducted last month for The Boston Globe, found that just 15 percent of city residents wanted him executed. Statewide, 19 percent did. By contrast, 60 percent of Americans wanted Mr. Tsarnaev to get the death penalty, according to a CBS News poll last month.
 
No one here felt sympathy for him. Rather, many thought life in prison would be a fate worse than death, especially for someone as young as Mr. Tsarnaev, who is 21. Others feared that putting him to death would make him a martyr. Still others, interviewed around the city Friday night and Saturday, reflected the region’s historical aversion to the death penalty.
 
I remember that when Tim McVeigh went to the death chamber for the bombing of the Murrah Building and the death of 168 people, he was satisfied with what he had done.  He believed he had, to paraphrase Jefferson, "refreshed the tree of liberty," that he had struck a blow against a government he considered to be tyrannical in its policies and deeds.  Like John Wilkes Booth long before him, he believed he had done right--that he did it for his country.
 
That to me was not justice.  That was basically giving McVeigh what he wanted--a "hero's" death.  And sending Tsarnaev to the death chamber, while it may not be giving him what he wants, will give him what he thinks is inevitable.  He very likely thinks that Americans hate all Muslims and want them dead, regardless of whether they're terrorists or law-abiding citizens--so it's not a great surprise that they want him dead as well.
 
Fulfilling Tsarnaev's worst expectations is not justice.  Making a martyr of him is not justice.  Keeping him in prison for the rest of his life (no parole, no pardon) would offer the one possibility that killing him would not--that of realizing he was wrong.  As the years go by in his six-by-eight foot jail cell, away from any radical activist influence, with little company except his own and little to do except sit and think--he may eventually come to regret his actions, and even admit to being mistaken.  And that would be a greater punishment than killing him, having realized he was wrong and having actual remorse for the deaths he caused, and being unable to do anything about it except live with that remorse and regret as he waits for the end of his life in that six-by-eight cell.
 
Were his sentence somehow commuted to life without parole, it would very likely not happen immediately.  It might not happen after ten years, or even twenty.  But as long as he is alive there would always be the possibility that Tsarnaev would come to realize and regret his transgressions--and that would never happen at all if he were just killed, either peaceably by lethal injection, or violently by a convict hoping to make a name for himself.
 
Just my thoughts on the subject--take them as you will.

I agree that life in prison with no parole would have been a more fitting sentence. Probably actually less expensive for the taxpayer in the long run, too.

As I understood it, the mother was the sinister brooding presence--Norman was just the poor soul who couldn't get away from her.
 

 
Ever.

Supervillains are like alcoholic drinks. One is too much and a dozen are not enough.

Google Glass was an interesting concept, I'll give you that. But in an age when you have the NSA wanking off in their collective pants at the prospect of turning all the world into the @#$%ing Panopticon, it kinda gives you pause.

"el torrero ósea" (the bony torrero) used to be you average torrero. Until he died and then returned from death as a walking skeleton.
He can thank his sudden return from the land of the death to the Graveblade, an ancient magical weapon that was once looted his ancestor during one of the crusades.
 
He seems not especially concernd about his new state of being, living his live as he used to be:
He still smokes cigars, among other stuff.
He even still works as torrero, but in a new less bloody way:
His body is actually not very resistant to damage, but he will quickly reform even when a bull ran through and over him.
In turn his blade allows him to stun living beings without causing serious harm.
 
This allows him to fight bulls without a drop of blood being spilled, much to the delight of people advertising against the blodyness of bullfighting.
 
He is not interested in being a superhero or villan. He does help when troubl get's in his way or the world/country are in danger. But otherwise he considers himself "just a normal joe, despite my bony complexion".
 
 
Edit: this concept was heavily inspired of Pablo Montaine from the webcomic Endstone:
http://endstone.net/cast/

Behold--The Mighty Stegasaurus!!!
 

Behold--The Mighty Stegasaurus!!!
 

Behold--The Mighty Stegasaurus!!!
 

Saw this one on TwitFace.  
 
THIS is true sexism.  This is the true problem.  Not picture of naked barbarian hotties in niche TTRPGs, but those institutions who still see and treat women as second class citizens.  This is the sort of thing I have a problem with.  I have a problem with the fact that Law Enforcement organizations all across the US seem to be prejudiced against certain minorities and ethnicities.  Not with the fact that minorities and certain ethnicities are underrepresented in TTRPGs (they aren't).
 
I have a problem with the fact that there are religiously affiliated organizations attempting to block the progression of marriage rights between members of the LGBT community.  Not with the fact that language in TTRPGs seem to ignore their existence. (it doesn't)
 
When a person is prevented from advancing in their field.  From living safely in their neighborhood.  Or from marrying the love of their life, there's a problem.  That's what I oppose.  It seems to me that people these days are trying to create problems where none exists or where the problem is not discriminatory (as in preventing someone from Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness).  Perhaps I have a different perspective because I have actually witnessed the KKK burn a cross in a neighbors yard, and this trend of social media activision where people gnash their teeth because of large breasts in a videogame has upset some feminists.  They have a right to be upset sure, but there are real cases of discrimination still out there.  Find and deal with those first.

No, they're actually projectile firing weapons, coilguns. But they utilize the "mass effect" of the game's title - they use an eezo (Element Zero) core to reduce the projectile's mass to virtually nothing, accelerate it as fast as the coil will send a near-massless object, then once it;s outside the effect field of the eezo, it regains it's original mass - without slowing down.
 
handgun and longarm versions aren't actually much more efficient than a regular rail or coilgun would be. Dreadnought-mounted spinal guns, on the other hand...

Oh this is too good.
 
http://news.yahoo.com/clever-street-artist-draws-anatomically-correct-body-part-003828779.html
 
Unidentified "street artist" figured out that while dangerous potholes could be left untouched for more than a year, if a penis were spray painted onto it, the hole would be filled within a couple days.  It's like batman, except instead of government projecting a symbol to call for a vigilante, its a vigilante projecting a symbol to call for the government, and the symbol for government is a bunch of d**ks.

One could make the argument that this incident brings up First Amendment issues, and Playboy has been a source of controversy and a supporter of First Amendment freedoms.  Or one could figure that "Sex Sells" and her Playboy appearance was mentioned by the author to drive up interest in the story.
 
As for her military service--I figure United States military personnel past and present are more likely to respect and even cherish  the flag, having very likely joined up out of a sense of patriotism and desire to protect their country.  (This may even apply to draftees, especially those before the Vietnam era.)  One of the most touted arguments against desecrating the flag is the phrase, "Men and women have fought and died for that flag!" (See footnote)  Manhart herself said that when she saw the protesters trampling the flag she thought of the flag-draped coffins bearing American servicemen, and that in her mind they were trampling on those coffins.  So yes, her military service was relevant to the story, as it was her motivation for interfering with the protest.
 
 
I'm not a fan of flag desecration, but I agree--although it's not the worst thing she could have done.  This story tells about a 2004 incident where a protester at an appearance by Dick Cheney was attacked by a 66-year old former United States Marine.  This was a man exercising his right to petition the Government--the Vice President--for redress of grievances, and he was put in a headlock and his mouth gagged.  The man who did it was very likely applauded for his action ("Way to go, Marine! Semper Fi!") and I imagine that if someone were to tell him to his face that he forsook his oath to uphold the Constitution, that he went back on his word--that someone would likely get attacked himself.
 
Then there are all the American military personnel who participated in the "enhanced interrogation techniques" inflicted upon people suspected of terrorism and insurgency in Iraq, Afganistan and elsewhere in the world, in violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments.  Men and women who swore to uphold and defend the Constitution--to bear true faith and obedience to same--and few, if any, stood up to say that it was wrong, that it should not be done.  They feared the consequences of disobeying their orders, of "letting the terrorists win," and so they dishonored themselves and their nation by allowing these things to happen, and by participating in them.
 
Yes, Ms. Manhart violated her oath--but she is by no means the most egregious offender.
 
(Footnote)
 

Washington Teacher Tackles Armed Student
 
A round of applause and a round of drinks for Mr. Olson.  Close down the balloting--we have our Teacher Of The Year.

HE'S CLEANING HIS LITTLE PAWS!

 
 
He looks like a powder puff.
*sigh* I need to watch Mark Anthony and the Kitten again.

Magnetite detested paperwork; if he'd known how much he'd have to deal with, he might not have taken on being Chicago's VIPER Nest Leader.  So he was quite happy when two VIPER agents interrupted his daily administrative slog with a young woman in tow.  He ignored her tattoos, lip piercing, and multi-hued hair; many supervillains had very distinctive looks, and hers was milder than some.
 
The Nest Leader stood and smiled.  "Amethyst, isn't it?  A pleasure to meet you.  I'm Magnetite, but you probably already know that since you did apply to work with VIPER."  He reached out and shook her hand, and wasn't all that surprised when his heads-up display warned of psionic activity.  He was mildly surprised, however, to see her hair changing colors slightly as she used her powers.  "I should warn you, my helmet will make mental attacks against me quite difficult.  And it really does get us off on the wrong foot if you try to manipulate me."
 
The young woman shrugged and smiled.  "Sorry, old habit.  I was just trying a touch of telepathy.  It's nice to know how a potential boss thinks."
 
"Understood."  Magnetite sat back in his chair.  "Just don't try it again, and we'll get along fine."  He pulled up her file on his HUD and glanced through it quickly.  "Full suite of mental powers.  That's good.  Specialty in... neural location and telepathic links.  Interesting.  Tell me, how many people can you mentally link at once?"
"Fifteen to twenty with minimal effort.  I can go as high as sixty, but can't maintain that for longer than a few minutes."
 
He shrugged.  "A lot can get accomplished in a few minutes, especially by a dozen teams of VIPER agents.  Cross-communication, or do you have to relay?"
 
"Once linked, everybody can communciate with everybody else."
 
Magnetite smiled.  "Excellent.  And would you mind giving me a demonstration of your scanning capability?  Where is state senator Michael Clayton right now?"
 
Amethyst closed her eyes and tilted her head back.  Once again, her hair began to change color, ranging from turquoise to deep violet.  Magnetite noted that she really was quite lovely.  "He is... at the Garfield Park Conservatory."  She concentrated a bit more.  "Going over his speech in his head right now."  She opened her eyes.  "Want to know what his new crime bill's about?"
 
"Not necessary.  We've had a copy of it for several weeks."  He drew a few sheets of paper from a folder on his desk and studied them for a moment.  "Tell me, how skilled are you at manipulation?"
 
She looked mildly uncomfortable.  "I can do okay, but it's not my strong suit.  I can nudge people to do things they wouldn't mind doing anyway, and push to do things they're not flat-out against.  But I can't make someone shoot himself or a friend, if that's what you're looking for.  The more they're against it, the more likely they'll know they were mind controlled."
 
Magnetite shook his head.  "Not to worry, I'm not looking for anything overly dramatic."  He pulled out a thick envelope and slid it across the table to her.  She opened it to see banded stacks of money.  "I hope that is an adequate retainer."  He stood and handed her the sheets of paper he'd been reading.  "And I would like this to be the speech that Mr. Clayton gives.  Nearly identical, but we'd mainly like him to go off the rails for this bit here." 
 
He pointed to a paragraph, and Amethyst's eyes widened as she read it.  "What is his stance on S-Squad, and superheroes in general?"
 
"Senator Clayton's not a huge fan.  Has called them 'costumed vigilantes' in private, but since they're media darlings right now he holds his tongue."
 
Amethyst smiled.  "Well, I think I can make him let it go for a bit."

Monsieur Vaillant, aka Mr. Valiant--Jacques Moreau, an All-American super-patriot from an alternate reality where North America was largely settled by the French.  The Americans declared their independence from King Louis in 1776, and with British aid the revolutionary armies led by Georges Beauchamp won their freedom.  When Napoleon's armies tried to reconquer the continent in the War of 1812, the Americans fought with all their might and defeated Napoleon, leading to his downfall.  Ever since then Les Etats-Unis have stood as a beacon of freedom, giving hope to all who would resist tyranny and oppression.
 
Possessing the strength of twenty men, immunity to all but the greatest of harm, and "the courage of America's teeming millions,"  Monsieur Vaillant is the embodiment of America's esprit de combatif, and wherever innocents are threatened, whenever liberty is endangered, he is there to protect the innocent, destroy those who would bring them harm, and set wrong to right.
 
Liberté!  Egalité! Justice!  Vivé Monsieur Vaillant!

One could make the argument that this incident brings up First Amendment issues, and Playboy has been a source of controversy and a supporter of First Amendment freedoms.  Or one could figure that "Sex Sells" and her Playboy appearance was mentioned by the author to drive up interest in the story.
 
As for her military service--I figure United States military personnel past and present are more likely to respect and even cherish  the flag, having very likely joined up out of a sense of patriotism and desire to protect their country.  (This may even apply to draftees, especially those before the Vietnam era.)  One of the most touted arguments against desecrating the flag is the phrase, "Men and women have fought and died for that flag!" (See footnote)  Manhart herself said that when she saw the protesters trampling the flag she thought of the flag-draped coffins bearing American servicemen, and that in her mind they were trampling on those coffins.  So yes, her military service was relevant to the story, as it was her motivation for interfering with the protest.
 
 
I'm not a fan of flag desecration, but I agree--although it's not the worst thing she could have done.  This story tells about a 2004 incident where a protester at an appearance by Dick Cheney was attacked by a 66-year old former United States Marine.  This was a man exercising his right to petition the Government--the Vice President--for redress of grievances, and he was put in a headlock and his mouth gagged.  The man who did it was very likely applauded for his action ("Way to go, Marine! Semper Fi!") and I imagine that if someone were to tell him to his face that he forsook his oath to uphold the Constitution, that he went back on his word--that someone would likely get attacked himself.
 
Then there are all the American military personnel who participated in the "enhanced interrogation techniques" inflicted upon people suspected of terrorism and insurgency in Iraq, Afganistan and elsewhere in the world, in violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments.  Men and women who swore to uphold and defend the Constitution--to bear true faith and obedience to same--and few, if any, stood up to say that it was wrong, that it should not be done.  They feared the consequences of disobeying their orders, of "letting the terrorists win," and so they dishonored themselves and their nation by allowing these things to happen, and by participating in them.
 
Yes, Ms. Manhart violated her oath--but she is by no means the most egregious offender.
 
(Footnote)
 

Her military service is relevant because someone who has sworn or affirmed an oath to support and defend the Constitution should know better than to violate someone else's First Amendment right to free speech.
 
Her Playboy appearance is relevant because some people would consider what she did with the flag there to be as bad as or worse than what the protesters were doing with theirs.

Friendly fire--just ain't.