DShomshak

"Wait, I thought she was sent to ..."
"Prison. Yes. But she's using a University homunculus to avoid doing the time herself. So, we get her services on the cheap. Plus she reminds the undergrads that misrepresentation will get you far, but only so far."
 
The Grad Student: Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos Founder, Blood Mage)
 

Droll, considering my Star Student pick. Well, the Institute does have time travel...
 
Professor Holst said, "Magister, I admit I'm a little concerned. He's diligent -- brilliant, even, and knows how to hit the books when it suits him -- and it's impressive how he's adapted Hermetic musical theory to, ah, 'shred the guitar..' But he seems... high strung. Anger management issues. I wonder if a young man who wants to be called 'ripper.' is really a good fit. Are we creating the next Scriabin?"
 
Paolini smiled and waved a hand. "It's a phase. I have every confidence he'll outgrow it and we'll all be pleased with the Magus he becomes. He might even teach, someday. Or become a librarian, Bob says. Time will tell."
 
Star Pupil: Young Rupert Giles (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
 
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080523015738/buffy/images/d/d8/Ripper.jpg
 
(Pooh, it won't paste in the picture. Oh, well.)
 
Dean Shomshak

"Hello, Kiddies! Welcome to the Bursar's office. What will it be today? Trying to fund your education, knowing it may cost an arm and a leg? Hee hee! Maybe you're here to pay up in cash, check, or Soul-molians? Looking for a scholarship that takes anyone? Don't worry, I've got a quill that also acts as a syringe! You just have to sign on the rotted line!"
 
 University Staff Member Pick: The Crypt Keeper (From Tales from the Crypt, HBO series) as University Bursar
 

A small irony of the video is the argument that the Left must learn and accept what used to be considered part of conservatism -- a particular kind of conservatism, anyway: that humanity must be constrained by rules, enforced by institutions. The only questions are what the rules shall be, and who sets them, to what ends.
 
The fence of a prison camp, keeping you in, is not the same as the fence of a minefield, keeping you out.
 
Dean Shomshak

Wrong thread; deleted.
 
Sorry, California.
 
 
And Australia.

Option #1:  Distinguished alumni :  Buffy the Vampire Slayer
 

Fine. It's noon. Here we go:
 
The Institute’s faculty gathered in the library to discuss offering a scholarship. Maybe even several. Not everyone thought it was a good idea.
 
“You can’t be serious,” said Professor Holst. “She’s far too young, and there’s no evidence she knows anything about magic, Hermetic or otherwise. That any of them really know magic.”
 
“Indeed,” said the professor whose name nobody ever seemed to recall. “Remember my young apprentice? The one with the ears, who seemed so eager? Remember what a disaster that became?”
 
“Be fair,” Professor Julianus whispered in his wind-through-the-trees voice. “That animation spell on the broom worked amazingly well. I’m glad he’s gone, but it was still some of the most powerful Mercurial magic I’ve ever seen. At least Magister Zerstoiten seemed glad to take him off our hands.”
 
“Gentlemen,” Magister Paolini interrupted. “I know she’s very young, and very ignorant. They all are. But their powers are undoubtedly magical, and undoubtedly derived from the planets. While they take remedial classes, we can study them and discern who or what gave them their powers, how, and why. Moreover, two of them seem to possess powers derived from Uranus and Neptune. We cannot pass by a chance to investigate those two, especially. And added to the five who seem to be the core of their group… They make seven. A hebdomad. I believe the Highest Itself may be guiding us to them.”
 
“Plus, they’re girls,” the Librarian said. “Very cute girls, especially the one with the super-long ponytails, and ooh, those short skirts…”
 
“Bob, hush,” said Magister Paolini.
 
“And they’re not really seven,” Professor Bonestell said. “They have associates linked to Saturn and Pluto, too, even if they’re dead sometimes. And the boyfriend. That makes ten, not seven.”
 
Magister Paolini threw up his hands. “Fine. Ten. But the boyfriend seems to have some obscure Solar affinity, so the group shows a degree of completion that suggests a more than casual plan. We must find out whether to accept and advance that plan, detour it to our own purposes, or try to block it.”
 
“Also, girls,” Bob said again. Magister Paolini primly ignored him. The other faculty members riffled through the dossiers again, thinking.
 
“They do show considerable power,” Professor Crowley said. “Best to keep such power under close observation. And control. If we don’t use it, someone else will.” One by one, the other professors nodded or murmured their assent.
 
“I’m sure Magister Sparkles would love them,” Professor Holst said with a grimace. “At least two sets of lovers. Or people in love, anyway. If we wait for them to grow up, Sparkles might snabble them up first.”
 
“The origin does seem, well, implausible,” mused Professor Bonestell. “A magic makeup compact, given by a talking cat? That… can’t be real. Someone is pulling something, and we should find out who. Or what.”
 
“Also, boo—“
 
“Shut up, Bob!” everyone said in unison.
 
“I’m glad to have your support,” Magister Paolini said. “Our agents will contact them directly. I’m sure we can make our offer… irresistible.” He rose, picked up his staff, and strode out in a swirl of robes. The others followed, Professor Bonestell wheeling the bust of Julianus the Theurgist, until only Bob the Skull was left in his domain.
 
“Nine girls,” he chortled. “And two of them… intimate. Whee!”
 
Freshman Student: Sailor Moon. (And the rest of the Sailor Guardians. Oh all right, and Tuxedo Mask, too. But if we must confine ourselfes to one character, Sailor Moon.)
 

 
Dean Shomshak

Fine. It's noon. Here we go:
 
The Institute’s faculty gathered in the library to discuss offering a scholarship. Maybe even several. Not everyone thought it was a good idea.
 
“You can’t be serious,” said Professor Holst. “She’s far too young, and there’s no evidence she knows anything about magic, Hermetic or otherwise. That any of them really know magic.”
 
“Indeed,” said the professor whose name nobody ever seemed to recall. “Remember my young apprentice? The one with the ears, who seemed so eager? Remember what a disaster that became?”
 
“Be fair,” Professor Julianus whispered in his wind-through-the-trees voice. “That animation spell on the broom worked amazingly well. I’m glad he’s gone, but it was still some of the most powerful Mercurial magic I’ve ever seen. At least Magister Zerstoiten seemed glad to take him off our hands.”
 
“Gentlemen,” Magister Paolini interrupted. “I know she’s very young, and very ignorant. They all are. But their powers are undoubtedly magical, and undoubtedly derived from the planets. While they take remedial classes, we can study them and discern who or what gave them their powers, how, and why. Moreover, two of them seem to possess powers derived from Uranus and Neptune. We cannot pass by a chance to investigate those two, especially. And added to the five who seem to be the core of their group… They make seven. A hebdomad. I believe the Highest Itself may be guiding us to them.”
 
“Plus, they’re girls,” the Librarian said. “Very cute girls, especially the one with the super-long ponytails, and ooh, those short skirts…”
 
“Bob, hush,” said Magister Paolini.
 
“And they’re not really seven,” Professor Bonestell said. “They have associates linked to Saturn and Pluto, too, even if they’re dead sometimes. And the boyfriend. That makes ten, not seven.”
 
Magister Paolini threw up his hands. “Fine. Ten. But the boyfriend seems to have some obscure Solar affinity, so the group shows a degree of completion that suggests a more than casual plan. We must find out whether to accept and advance that plan, detour it to our own purposes, or try to block it.”
 
“Also, girls,” Bob said again. Magister Paolini primly ignored him. The other faculty members riffled through the dossiers again, thinking.
 
“They do show considerable power,” Professor Crowley said. “Best to keep such power under close observation. And control. If we don’t use it, someone else will.” One by one, the other professors nodded or murmured their assent.
 
“I’m sure Magister Sparkles would love them,” Professor Holst said with a grimace. “At least two sets of lovers. Or people in love, anyway. If we wait for them to grow up, Sparkles might snabble them up first.”
 
“The origin does seem, well, implausible,” mused Professor Bonestell. “A magic makeup compact, given by a talking cat? That… can’t be real. Someone is pulling something, and we should find out who. Or what.”
 
“Also, boo—“
 
“Shut up, Bob!” everyone said in unison.
 
“I’m glad to have your support,” Magister Paolini said. “Our agents will contact them directly. I’m sure we can make our offer… irresistible.” He rose, picked up his staff, and strode out in a swirl of robes. The others followed, Professor Bonestell wheeling the bust of Julianus the Theurgist, until only Bob the Skull was left in his domain.
 
“Nine girls,” he chortled. “And two of them… intimate. Whee!”
 
Freshman Student: Sailor Moon. (And the rest of the Sailor Guardians. Oh all right, and Tuxedo Mask, too. But if we must confine ourselfes to one character, Sailor Moon.)
 

 
Dean Shomshak

Magus University had many landmarks of historical and even artistic importance, but perhaps non loomed larger and grander than the great statues that were both over, and part of the Hall of Collaborative Magics where Amicitia-Mancy was chiefly taught! Said to be crafted to resemble the founders of the first academic studies of the art of pooling magic through a bond of friendship, they depicted the two great now passed wizards reaching in an eternal high five of power and masculine affection!
 
Rumors of many sorts abounded about the titanic displays:
* Rumor has it, it's not just the lower levels and basements that have rooms with in, that actually each statue is hollow but concealed away for who knows what nefarious or naughty purpose!
* Rumor has it, the arch the two form can create a swirling vortex gate that allows students who take Amicitiamancy as their major to commute across great distances easily so they can visit other friends elsewhere and be back again.
* Rumor has it, if the school is ever directedly attacked, the statues will come alive and defend it with brute force!
* Rumor has it, one hapless student tried to climb to the top of the left one's head, then slipped and fell to his death screaming... but at least everyone got As that year! RIP Wilhelm
 
Regardless of rumors, if anyone on Campus asks for directions to the Magical Collaboration department, they're quickly told: "Just head to 'The Bros', you can't miss 'em."
 
Option Pick (Land Mark and Department building: "The Bros!" (made by the same folks who crafted the Statues of Argonath, but they got it wrong elsewhere by messing up the high five ie works of Tolkein)
 
 

Blew off a million kilograms
 
Not bad for something the size of a golf cart.

Texas conservatives succeed in getting a book featuring graphic descriptions of violence and sexual assault pulled from school library shelves

Note: I'm responding to this quote first, but don't take the length of the post as I continue on into the weeds personally, Tricksta. I just found myself expanding on a thought that started here.
 
Microstamping isn't really viable. But, let's say it works exactly as advertised. The police recover a spent casing at the scene of a crime. They run it through a database and determine who the last owner was. Does this solve the crime?
 
Another point Stewart makes is that it should be easier for the ATF to trace gun transfers. Which they can already do.  Do gun traces solve crimes? These are essentially the same result as microstamping. I don't know the answer to that, because Google doesn't return any results for searches for crimes solved by ATW traces (and you can't prove a negative). I suspect the number of crimes actually solved by ATF transfer traces is low, because most crimes are committed by people who aren't the original owners. In the case of mass shooters, most of those (I'm guessing) seem to be legally obtained, but ATF traces are a moot point, because the person is usually caught or killed without the need for a trace.
 
But, let's look at this more optimistically and say that microstamping and better ATF tracing of firearms increases the solve rate for homicides by a significant amount. Does that prevent gun violence? I don't think it would. The death penalty isn't a deterrent, so I doubt an increased chance of getting caught would be.
 
So, even with the best rose-colored glasses on, these things that sound like good, "common sense," ideas just aren't going to curtail our murder rate.
 
Which is another lie told by Stewart in that interview, using statistics. Here's a decent, unbiased (as far as I can tell), analysis of gun death data from Pew:
 
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/
 
So, how is Stewart lying about the increased number of murders? He isn't. But he is using the numbers disingenuously to sow fear.*
 
 
So far, so good. The number of gun homicides has clearly gone up. Horrible. We must do something. Stewart says we must reduce the number of guns (probably won't do squat), fund the ATF (agreed), research gun violence (agreed), require microstamping (disagreed), while Fox News says we all need to fund the police better (agreed, but not for their idiot reasons), and all go out and buy a gun (disagreed), because blood is flowing in the streets! Chaos! Calamity! (disagreed, as denoted by the sarcastic exclamation points).
 
OK, so what's the problem? The problem is that the number doesn't have context. Fortunately, the Pew report seems to be pretty clear at providing context:
 
 
OK, we can all breath a sigh of relief. Numbers are up, but it's not quite as bad as the raw numbers show, since our per capita rate is only slightly up.
 
Well, there were still 45,222 gun deaths in 2020, according to CDC data. That's a lot of people dead. This is a picture of a 44,000 people protest in Vienna, and it doesn't even have all the people in it:
 

 
Imagine the United States losing all those people in 2020 from gun deaths. If we could reduce that, we could save a lot of people.
 
According to the CDC, there were 3,358,814 deaths in the US in 2020. I don't think I can find a picture of that many people in one place.
 
The percentage of people who died that died from firearms:  45,222/3,358,814 = 0.013463, so about 1.35%.
 
Now, saving some of those 45k+ lives is a good thing. But you aren't very likely to get shot just walking down the street or engaging in normal daily activities like going to school, going to the movies, going shopping, etc. You might, but it's unlikely.
 
How's our overall death rate looking? Surely we're dropping like flies, right?
 
Here's a sortable ranking of death rates from World Bank. The numbers are from 2020 and per 1000 population. The whole list is rather long, but here are some highlights:
 
Bulgaria is the winner with 18
Ukraine is 3rd with 15.9
Russia is 7th with 14.6
 
OK, that was just to show the higher end of things and the Ukraine/Russia pairing. Not to pick on them, but to give a baseline. Let's look at some countries who have it "good," or at least should: Canada, Sweden and Japan. Just pulled those out of a hat b/c they're frequently mentioned as pretty decent, civilized places.
 
Canada in 84th place at 8.1
Sweden in 50th place at 9.5
Japan in 29th place at 11.1
 
OK, I thought those numbers were going to be better, especially Japan.
 
How about the US?
 
USA in 38th place at 10.3
 
What does this mean? Means we're not quite as horrible as some people would have us think, but we're also not as awesome as others would have us think. We can do better, but we could do much worse.
 
And why did I zoom out to deaths in general vs. gun deaths? Partly for the obvious perspective. We could reduce gun deaths to 0 and it wouldn't move our death rate dial by very much at all. The panic is disproportionate to the threat. This does not mean we do nothing, it means, as the Hitchiker's Guide reminds us:

So, my first point in all of this is we can, and should, approach the problem rationally.
 
My second point is that just as "national death rate" is too broad in scope, so is "gun violence" or even "homicide rate."
 
I'll reiterate my basic stance on the issue again: We need to solve root causes. We need to interpret the data not for the sake of drumming up fear for our proposed solution (including that of "do nothing" that some hold), but for a study of the causes of violence and homicide. At the end of the day, acting like guns alone can cause or prevent homicides is not productive. Neither position is true.

And that's why both Stewart and his interviewees annoy me.
 
How much has been spent by either side on root cause analysis and removing the root causes? I'm betting it's a low number.
 
My point is this: We are not a society of Mutant Biker Cowboy Barbarians.
 
We're a Confederacy of Dunces ruled by an Idiocracy.
 
 
 
 
*Note: That sounds nefarious. I don't think Stewart is nefarious. I think he cares deeply and is simply engaging in his own fears and spreading them around due to not looking at the subject dispassionately.

I'm a day behind so here's yesterday's pick...
 
See you again in 1 and a half hours
 
***********
"Anything else I can do for you, Dean Sparkle?" The shaved headed young man inquired earnestly.
 
The young man was such a sweetie, Twilight Sparkle thought. Despite some truly traumatic moments in his child hood and far too many years on the run, he had a heart full of love and far preferred making friends to other means of interaction. It was one of the many reasons he was acing his courses in the department classes and their star pupil. That and his immense understanding of harmony as a concept period that he utilized for his elemental magics.
 
He was also, she noted as she looked about at the unconscious and wounded assassins who had come after her  Horn (She knew they hadn't been sent by Dean Brown, he would have wanted her flanks *Shudder*), scary as hell. Transforming back to her two legged form, she smoothed her dress, "No,  I think stopping evil assassins will just about cover it. I'll have others tend to the clean up."
 
"I don't mind helping" He moved to pick things up, "I could sweep it away with a wind if you like?"
 
"Young man," She said gently "I have my own magics, and besides, we don't want others to feel left out or redundant."
 
Despite his many years of world wandering, the student blushed, "Yes, ma'am. Then happy to help."  He seemed to ponder "Hey, I could go shopping for my girlfriend while I'm out and about."
 
Dean Twilght Sparkle approved, "She'd love that. It's very thoughtful."
 
Smiling, the young student took his leave!
 
"He's probably going to marry the girl as soon as they graduate," Sparkle chuckled to herself.
 
Star Pupil Pick: Aang (From Avatar the Last Air Bender)
(The college years)
 

The Paolini Institute has several powerful planetary spirits pre-bound to serve. These are called synocheis, "connectors," because they supply a connection to the celestial realms.
 
Some of these are housed in telestika positioned around the Institute building and grounds.
 
Only one synocheus, however, is actually considered part of the faculty. The Institute's departmental librarian is a spirit of Mercury: vastly intelligent, highly mobile when released from its home in a consecrated human skull, and with an infallible memory for everything it has ever witnessed or learned. And over the centuries, the spirit has learned a lot. Knowledge is power, making this spirit powerful indeed. Also... very snarky. Famous line: "We have now left reason and sanity junction. Next stop, Looneyville!"
 
Magister Paolinin has commanded the spirit to confine its service to students to answering questions, though; and asks students ta actually read the books, scrolls, tablets, and other writings in the Institute library, instead of just asking the spirit for the answer to their questions. The spirit may appear as simply a yellow-orange glow in the eyesockets of the skull. When released, it manifests as a cloud of yellow-orange sparks.
 
Even a bound spirit can have a price. The Librarian's price is that the Institute's library also has an amazing collection of girlie mags and romance novels.
 
Other Staff Member: Department Librarian, Bob the Skull
(Basic version from the Dresden Files books. Evil Bob and the TV version are still available.)

 
Dean Shomshak

Making a double pick today.
 
First, a distinguished alum: M. C. Escher, urban mathemagician and architect
 
Second, a physical highlight on campus, one of Escher's famous designs.  The interior of the Student Union Building, partly seen here, with the main lobby and central information desk shown.

The Paolini Institute has several powerful planetary spirits pre-bound to serve. These are called synocheis, "connectors," because they supply a connection to the celestial realms.
 
Some of these are housed in telestika positioned around the Institute building and grounds.
 
Only one synocheus, however, is actually considered part of the faculty. The Institute's departmental librarian is a spirit of Mercury: vastly intelligent, highly mobile when released from its home in a consecrated human skull, and with an infallible memory for everything it has ever witnessed or learned. And over the centuries, the spirit has learned a lot. Knowledge is power, making this spirit powerful indeed. Also... very snarky. Famous line: "We have now left reason and sanity junction. Next stop, Looneyville!"
 
Magister Paolinin has commanded the spirit to confine its service to students to answering questions, though; and asks students ta actually read the books, scrolls, tablets, and other writings in the Institute library, instead of just asking the spirit for the answer to their questions. The spirit may appear as simply a yellow-orange glow in the eyesockets of the skull. When released, it manifests as a cloud of yellow-orange sparks.
 
Even a bound spirit can have a price. The Librarian's price is that the Institute's library also has an amazing collection of girlie mags and romance novels.
 
Other Staff Member: Department Librarian, Bob the Skull
(Basic version from the Dresden Files books. Evil Bob and the TV version are still available.)

 
Dean Shomshak

Robot Ninja Tobikage (Flying/Leaping Shadow) Doesn't get much more ninja than that.

Hey, you know Adam Smith? The Wealth of Nations guy, prophet of the Free Market that infallibly regulates as by an Invisible Hand? That wasn't what he said at all.
 
Several weeks back, the Freakonomics radio program/podcast devoted three episodes to Adam Smith, tracing his biography, the development of his thought, and how ideologues have used and abused his writings ever since. Number One thing to know? He wrote *two* books, and his Theory of Moral Sentiments was jusgt as important as The Wealth of Nations -- and they are both necessary to understand Smith's full inquiry. He was primarily a moral philosopher, who ended up studying economics to examine what people actually did, and why.
 
But people tend to pick phrases from Wealth to support whatever beliefs they want to push, and ignore everything else. (A bit like the Bible, that.) The cartoon version of Smith's analysis of markets pushed by the Austrian School and its Chicago School offshoot is particularly egregious.
 
For the rest... hear the episodes, I can't possibly do them justice. Here's a link to the first episode, which has a link to the podcasts if you prefer that format.
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/season-12-episode-19/
 
Dean Shomshak

Noon here, so it's time. Here's Scriabin again, as the Notorious Alumnus.
 
Dean Shomshak

To say the kid was green was to put it mildly. He even dressed in the color, and looked and sounded like he fell off a turnip cart. Still, his scores on short term prophetic accuracy were off the charts, and that and his aptitude for clerical expertise was enough to make the admins drool about perhaps eventually recruiting him to serve the academic bureaucracy.  That combination netted him the scholarship.
 
That didn't stop him from looking utterly lost on campus. Clearly out of his depth away from his home farm, the poor guy ended up running errands  for someone who mistook him for some kind intern. Clearly, a backbone insertion would be needed, and perhaps... just perhaps, more frequent showers. He ended up in Amicitia-Mancy as soon as they saw he had brought his own ursine friend. Boy howdy, THAT was embarrassing.
 
Pick for Freshman: Walter Eugene O'Reilly
 

Hey, you know Adam Smith? The Wealth of Nations guy, prophet of the Free Market that infallibly regulates as by an Invisible Hand? That wasn't what he said at all.
 
Several weeks back, the Freakonomics radio program/podcast devoted three episodes to Adam Smith, tracing his biography, the development of his thought, and how ideologues have used and abused his writings ever since. Number One thing to know? He wrote *two* books, and his Theory of Moral Sentiments was jusgt as important as The Wealth of Nations -- and they are both necessary to understand Smith's full inquiry. He was primarily a moral philosopher, who ended up studying economics to examine what people actually did, and why.
 
But people tend to pick phrases from Wealth to support whatever beliefs they want to push, and ignore everything else. (A bit like the Bible, that.) The cartoon version of Smith's analysis of markets pushed by the Austrian School and its Chicago School offshoot is particularly egregious.
 
For the rest... hear the episodes, I can't possibly do them justice. Here's a link to the first episode, which has a link to the podcasts if you prefer that format.
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/season-12-episode-19/
 
Dean Shomshak

Hey, you know Adam Smith? The Wealth of Nations guy, prophet of the Free Market that infallibly regulates as by an Invisible Hand? That wasn't what he said at all.
 
Several weeks back, the Freakonomics radio program/podcast devoted three episodes to Adam Smith, tracing his biography, the development of his thought, and how ideologues have used and abused his writings ever since. Number One thing to know? He wrote *two* books, and his Theory of Moral Sentiments was jusgt as important as The Wealth of Nations -- and they are both necessary to understand Smith's full inquiry. He was primarily a moral philosopher, who ended up studying economics to examine what people actually did, and why.
 
But people tend to pick phrases from Wealth to support whatever beliefs they want to push, and ignore everything else. (A bit like the Bible, that.) The cartoon version of Smith's analysis of markets pushed by the Austrian School and its Chicago School offshoot is particularly egregious.
 
For the rest... hear the episodes, I can't possibly do them justice. Here's a link to the first episode, which has a link to the podcasts if you prefer that format.
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/season-12-episode-19/
 
Dean Shomshak

Background: In another thread, I noted that the Cu didn't have any robot characters that specialized in fast, skillful hand-to-hand combat -- i.e., martial artists. So I decided to write up one of my own.
 
That's done. In fact, I wrote up a whole team. The background for martial arts robots was obvious: Where are robots a big thing, and martial arts are a big thing? Why, Japan. It's a team of robots that each use a different Japanese martial art.
 
Since as a GM I need villains more than heroes, the robots are villains. Whoever originally thought that building a group of robot martial artists was a good idea, the Yakuza coopted the project to use them as supervillains.
 
Now I just need names. I have names for most of them, but maybe someone can think of something better.
 
As a group, they are Robogang. The names I have so far are:
-- Judotron (Jujutus)
-- Karatebot (Karate)
-- Kendroid (Kenjutus)
-- Tetsumo ("Steel Sumo." Or maybe it should be Tetsumoka, since some of the martial arts descriptions in Ultimate Martial Artist seem to use the -ka suffix for practictioners.)
 
5th member should maybe be a robot ninja, practicing Ninjutsu, but I don't have a good name yet. I don't want to repeat the name elements that indicate the character is a robot. "Cyber" suggests a cyborg rather than a robot. "Ninjatron" is out because -tron is taken. Ninjamatic?
 
Anyone have better ideas? (It's all rather Silver Age, of course, it's okay to be a little silly.)
 
Dean Shomshak

Here's a video with a bunch of (mostly) japanese robots organized by size with names in english.