unclevlad

"People"...at least in one case, is just BarStool Sports, which is...not exactly reputable.  Or accurate.  The writer decries winning in California because of the income tax.
 
Hey, guess what, you idiot?  California does not tax lottery winnings. 
 
Unfortunately, it also doesn't allow you to remain anonymous.  Best state to win the lottery?  Wyoming.  No state tax, AND you can remain anonymous.  But, personally...I'd rather win in a state where I can be anonymous, even if I have to pay the taxes.  They don't really matter, especially with a prize of this size, but maintaining my privacy?  Priceless. 
 
An interesting point...the cash value is down to about 44% of the annuity value, because interest rates are back up.  In the heyday of low interest, it was over 55%...IIRC, close to 60%.  If you're curious what the payout structure looks like:
https://www.omnicalculator.com/finance/lottery-tax
 
 
 
 

Almost without exception, it is extremely difficult to model athletic competitions and sports using game rules.  Just try to work out how you would handle something as straight forward as pitching a ball to someone trying to hit it.
 
Just batting an object someone throws is not immediately clear in Hero or any other game, but adding in things like change in velocity, direction of throw, spin of the ball creating movement, etc makes it even more complicated.  And this is something most people grew up with just doing in their back yard.

So, it's mid-afternoon in DC.  Reports from both NYT and CNN...and even Fox News, which points out that 3 of the votes for Scalise come from non-voting delegates, and without them, another ballot would've been needed, even in the caucus...all suggest the Republican caucus is still FAR away from agreeing on anyone.  
 
Scary op/ed from NYT:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/upshot/new-republican-establishment-speaker.html?unlocked_article_code=e4Z2h_qfnKOW9WiNYdXJTdPwkPBKGudJDZWOS7dd803FBOsjeNwD_1Du5cdJFFaPiucr0dxFwu9ZInEpOBhjtQvp9-GBuSU6el6aJyadAXg4pZ4YgMIDfRIz5ghRfvdiWHe-CvzBGW8SmNpFTvYZ9FXgJUAjTilsAD7eG-a-NNEgT8HVW8dGz1Dd0pWjC9UUgiVT2SQR1-bgw1QwEKFfYgXZRGCpN1pKmtU7ldFU0z_x7XjMz2lX3fQc9RB_gzOwltpmIeumgQwwRLZc8dNdDHLjBAKh5vzpHjVROXgFYKG5UO7DnnhQ_AKtQ3rw-rqF3dGy_Xo90jVXcvKEPS-LSPqbp5-u-D49x_3t_Jfe&smid=url-share

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/opinion/scalise-mccarthy-gingrich-house.html?unlocked_article_code=mzNR5FBn1c99_YNbNP1RUdi4tyZolrZWWPHKZ3vRNCPMRTkgpA8iqhuvKTewtQoBxlgD0Oxmsdpkr_1pp_MI6-RegC8Hvb49TjD7QjG1oxjsZ9f1r4RB1fHLSBp4i0G6t2p6BkAUdBIWnXjrlce5K4tG6p9lE-GCjyIap23mbftJKs7lfk2Dv3PaokNlUhb_l5oDX6gaN7vlFD_lHRrYGXdPJxV4kVUCzz5uvBOMuZEgqCUyIZ5rPGxA0lVQ-T1JfzxaX3SmMxOXgSgpyCzl0YnuRx4qzcknXRlJZTlFEySQ4f57n7XLnDLvY9PuvGiRFtd4hJ6Anc59IF86PGI1qzpuY2MHe3BMCTM&smid=url-share
 
A historian's perspective on how the Republicans reached the point they're at now.  I didn't realize RINO dates all the way back to the early 90s.....

So, it's mid-afternoon in DC.  Reports from both NYT and CNN...and even Fox News, which points out that 3 of the votes for Scalise come from non-voting delegates, and without them, another ballot would've been needed, even in the caucus...all suggest the Republican caucus is still FAR away from agreeing on anyone.  
 
Scary op/ed from NYT:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/upshot/new-republican-establishment-speaker.html?unlocked_article_code=e4Z2h_qfnKOW9WiNYdXJTdPwkPBKGudJDZWOS7dd803FBOsjeNwD_1Du5cdJFFaPiucr0dxFwu9ZInEpOBhjtQvp9-GBuSU6el6aJyadAXg4pZ4YgMIDfRIz5ghRfvdiWHe-CvzBGW8SmNpFTvYZ9FXgJUAjTilsAD7eG-a-NNEgT8HVW8dGz1Dd0pWjC9UUgiVT2SQR1-bgw1QwEKFfYgXZRGCpN1pKmtU7ldFU0z_x7XjMz2lX3fQc9RB_gzOwltpmIeumgQwwRLZc8dNdDHLjBAKh5vzpHjVROXgFYKG5UO7DnnhQ_AKtQ3rw-rqF3dGy_Xo90jVXcvKEPS-LSPqbp5-u-D49x_3t_Jfe&smid=url-share

Alignment restrictions only applied to some classes.  The bigger issue was the incredibly narrow interpretation of what alignment meant.

Yes, but I also don't buy that "can't be used to do X" and "can only do X" are necessarily reciprocal.

Feels more like Summon, but the headache there is how expensive it'd be...because you'd have to buy Amicable.  OTOH, you don't have to pay for Altered Duplicates...and you can summon 3 at once.  For Duplication, you'd need Rapid Dup.  Plus, there's a lot more quirks to Duplication;  Hero's basis is actually biological duplicates, so swapping it over to a non-biological version is always a pain.
 
I'm thinking...reserve 75 or so points, for now, for the shadow ninja power.  Build Zed.  Then build the duplicates;  one thing we KNOW, is they're going to be notably cheaper because they're so easy to trash.  Note that they won't have any non-combat, non-ninja skills...I'd keep Stealth, but I'd probably not carry over Lockpicking or Security Systems, for example.  So, what kinda point totals are we getting for these shadow versions?  It might still be OK, even paying for that painful +1 for Amicable.  (And also note that you'll get some break from the shadows limitation.)
 
Quick thoughts...
--500m isn't close for something like this, particularly given that the main char has to give orders.  For there to be a limitation here, it'd have to be MUCH less.
--if main falls unconscious, summons disappear...this should be covered...?  I can't find it quickly scanning through Summon.  
--swap positions with any shadow is kinda tricky;  for Zed, it's probably Teleport, only to Fixed Location (current location of a shadow ninja);  for the shadow ninja, it'd be Teleport, only to where Zed was, uncontrolled, trigger.
--shadows can duplicate every one of Zed's abilities...I wouldn't lock that in stone, but I don't know how much these are intended to be used outside combat, and in what contexts...

Interesting article on the marvel tv shows and changes coming: https://gizmodo.com/marvel-daredevil-born-again-tv-disney-kevin-feige-1850917768

Nope.
 
Easiest, cheapest build is buy another non-combat mulitplier, as your baseline.  So you're at x4 your combat move...48 per turn.  OK, not quite enough, so buy +1m.
 
You do still need the full +1 noncombat accel, tho.  However, you DON'T have to pay the points for the base non-combat.  So, it'd cost a total of 24 this way...+1 meter is 1, the non-com movement is 5.  That's 6, so the basis cost for the non-com accel is 18.  Total, 24.
 
Actually, we can possibly do cheaper.  3 SPD, +8m running for 20.  First phase:  20 meters.  Second phase:  40 meters.  Third phase:  40 meters.  18 points.  The kicker here is that we're talking no time in game terms.  Imp Noncombat Movement is fine when there's more time...in this context...the 200m might be close, but the 400m would definitely last long enough to start with x4 non-combat movement.  Again, a 3 SPD gets us moving at top speed much more quickly.  3 SPD is 10, 5 for the Imp Noncom Move.  Turn 1:  1, 2, 3x base move.  Turn 2, 4, 4, and 4x.  End of 2 turns, we've moved 18x our base move, so 216.  Turn 3 is 4, 4, and 4x again...another 144 meters.  So we're at 360 meters in 36 seconds, and moving 48 / 3 or 16 meters per second.  So we're at 38 seconds.  And this cost 15 points.
 
Now, neither of these matches real-world sprinting;  yes, it takes some time to reach the absolute, top speed...the 60 meter world record is slightly UNDER 10 meters per second, rather than over...but the Hero rules don't work that way...without non-combat acceleration, at least.  
 

And the AL East goes 0-7 combined.
 
Rangers 7-1.  Texas goes 5-0 against the 2 best records in the AL during the regular season.
 
Top 5 records during the regular season?  1-10 so far.  Milwaukee ended up with the 5th best.

If you follow hockey...even if it was only paying attention to SportCenter coverage...
 
You may have noted that Barry Melrose's presence last year...and possibly the year before...was down considerably.  He wasn't completely gone, but his appearances were rare.  That meant he probably hadn't gotten fired, as so many ESPN personnel have been over the last decade...but still...why?
 
Well...today, Melrose announced his retirement from ESPN, due to Parkinson's disease.  
 
He was always fun, if nothing else.  Best of luck to him moving forward.

My, my.  Mamas, don't let your co-conspirators turn state witnesses..................
 
George Santos' campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, gave testimony about...oh, quite a few Bozo No-No's he committed.  As a result?  Prosecutors file a superseding indictment today, adding another 10 counts, including wire fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft...the allegation is he repeatedly charged his donors' cards, without authorization.  Along with More of the Same with some of the campaign tomfoolery.
 
 

If you follow hockey...even if it was only paying attention to SportCenter coverage...
 
You may have noted that Barry Melrose's presence last year...and possibly the year before...was down considerably.  He wasn't completely gone, but his appearances were rare.  That meant he probably hadn't gotten fired, as so many ESPN personnel have been over the last decade...but still...why?
 
Well...today, Melrose announced his retirement from ESPN, due to Parkinson's disease.  
 
He was always fun, if nothing else.  Best of luck to him moving forward.

2 points to regenerate 1 body per WEEK, not per hour.  +2 points per step up the chart.
 
 
Why not just leave it with Variable Special Effect?  How often are multiple stats drained at the same time?  Doesn't feel like it'd be often enough to justify much in the way of Expanded Effect, it feels tailor made for VSE.  
 
Oh...never mind anyway.  Regen is a Special Power.  Can't be put into an MP.

In this case, tho, saving those points only applies to the base form...and what else is the base form spending points on?  He's said 450 point alternates...so the base is also 450 if you want it to go that high.  130 isn't a problem.   
 
I've goofed around with the occasional multiform, and if the base form isn't combat-capable?  MAN, you've got a lot of points to spend!  

Oh my....been watching baseball, not football.  My, oh my, oh my.
 
Blurb about tonight's game from this morning's Pulse, from the Athletic:

 
 
Yes, well, we know which ones we'll get now, don't we?  And they are going to be loud, raucous, and mocking.
 
Any week where the Pats and Cowboys lose by a combined 60+ is a truly EPIC week.
 
 

Someone with SPD 4 is NOT Everyman.  SPD 4 is not just conditioning, it's baseline reaction times, recovering quickly, and the like.  Of all the characteristics, the one I'm disinclined to move up much is SPD, for so-called normal people.  Standard SPD is 2, so this guy is doing anything he wants to do, twice as often.  SPD 4 is Competent Normal...about 100 points.  It's the range, say, of higher-level martial artists, more often.
 
Oh, and to simplify things?  Compute the distance covered per turn...forget the phases-related stuff, it just makes things a mess.  We're not on phases.  To get 100 meters in 10 seconds, we need 120 meters per turn...10 meters per phase.  Per turn is just simpler, it's just SPD x non-combat velo.  We don't care about post-12's either.  
 
SPD 3, 15m running using the free NCM...90 meters per turn.
SPD 4, 12m...96 meters per turn.  
 
I'd usually give a runner no more than SPD 3.  20m of running...that gives 120m per turn.  Focus the strengths of a specialist in the specialization...not in things that have far broader applicability.  Heck, you can argue for SPD 2, 15m run speed...and another non-com multiplier.  That's also 120m per turn.  Along with, perhaps, some Lightning Reflexes to get off the blocks.  These are the kinds of things sprinters train for.  
 
See, I go the other way altogether.  Rather than worry that normals are too fast...I say supers aren't fast *enough*.  With 5 SPD and only the baseline 12m and standard non-com?  That's still only 120m per turn.  It's not horrible, but man, with that 5 SPD???  I'm not even asking for racing car speeds...200 mph is a bit over 3 miles per minute.  That'd be about 5000 meters per minute...or 1000 meters per turn.  To get that with a 5 SPD, we're talking 200 meters per phase.  That's likely 25 meters, with 2 additional non-coms...a fair bit of points there.  That said, by and large, it's not clear how many comic book supers have even this level of velocity.  Certainly, many don't.  So...it's no big deal. 

Oh yes.  I remember that case VERY well.  It was *incredibly* common to hear the comments...hey maybe I should spill coffee on myself, if I can sue!  It was really, really bad.
 
Cripes...on rare occasions if I'm in a hurry...there's a Starbucks inside the Target, that's next to the supermarket I use regularly.  I may get some coffee from them.  It's too hot to drink...to even carefully sip...for a good 10 minutes.
 
And yeah...if the cup's mostly full, then if I'm trying to take the lid off, to add something?  There's a very good chance I'll spill it on my hand.  If it's that hot, what's gonna happen?  My hand is going to jerk...and spill a great deal, if not dump the entire cup.
 
Last aspect...this is a common issue with many drip coffee makers.  The burner is too hot;  the aromatics will react over time.  The hotter it is, the faster this will happen.  I recall a common complaint with, IIRC, Mr. Coffee was the burner was much too hot, and the pot would taste burned rather quickly.
 
Plus, you can't drink it that hot anyway;  you'll burn your tongue.  Been there, done that, too many times.  Not fun.  Beyond that...I like this article:
https://driftaway.coffee/temperature/
 
Makes a lot of sense...at those very high temps, the heat sensors overwhelm the taste sensors.

Not entirely functioning yet, so a quick point about the NND.
NND defenses are binary...you have them, or you don't.  It's built into the definition of the attack.  It isn't that the defense is so good;  it's the loophole designed into the attack itself.  It's the flip side of Desolid...nothing can affect the Desolid, except for the very narrow SFX, or with Affects Desolid.  NND is the perfect attack...until it isn't.  Desolid is the perfect defense...until it isn't.

*ALMOST* completely separate.  I think the distinction is what prompted the question.  The point of connection is that the Multiform power is still in effect, even in the alternate form.  The point about "completely separate characters" relates more to the character sheet...nothing from the base form carries over to the alternate form for free, and vice versa, so you can't argue to get something for nothing.  
 
The other point of congruence is the shared memory.  If they were truly completely separate, their memories wouldn't cross over.
 
These are, admittedly, very fine differentiations.

Texas loses.
Notre Dame loses.
 
It's a GOOD day.

I prefer having structure, and with it, accountability.  My favorite setup is Drew Hayes' Super Powereds.  
--virtually all characters are mutants;  there are isolated gadgeteers, but that's it.  No radioactive spider bites or weird mystical artifacts.
--supers went public relatively late...after WW II.  They may have existed before, but that's when they came out as people with extraordinary abilities
--there is no vigilantism.  If you're a super and want to fight other supers while acting in a public safety capacity, you must be licensed...and that's made difficult.
--if you mess up too much or too often...you can lose that license;  if it's wanton or reckless, you can be arrested. 
--if you engage in super-powered combat, outside of self-defense or proper defense of another, you have committed a serious crime.
 
In general, powers have a theme...density control, energy absorption/re-release, advanced mind (usually TK and telepathy together).  There'll be variations, there can be secondary aspects;  in some cases, the power characterization can be really broad...but that's very rare.  What you don't get is a teleporter with laser eye blasts.  MOST of the time, the power scale is high-ish but still fairly reasonable;  the points to implement tend to run high, because the defenses for Heroes are generally much better.  Bad guys DO try to kill...and Heroes are expected to try NOT to kill, unless the threat is severe enough to warrant it.  And, as noted, there is oversight with the authority to strip the license to act...and they do so at times.
 
The setup also largely eliminates most limitations, altho OIAID is fairly common.  Not many foci other than armor and sometimes real weapons.  If there's an incredibly massive power that has a whole bunch of limitations?  It's on a major villain and it's a plot device, most of the time.  

I'm going to reserve judgment until something more concrete than one anonymous person's statements come out.  We don't know what HIS biases are.

So we should just call you L?