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BoloOfEarth

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  1. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to Cygnia in In other news...   
    This 11-year-old Texas boy invented a device to prevent hot car deaths
     
  2. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to Sociotard in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    That's an awfully myopic view on the effects of education. "Learn Thing X so you can do Thing X for a boss"
     
    It's more like PE.  There aren't many jobs that require me to do push ups. The Military and pro sports . . . and I can't think of anything else. But there's lots that require me to lift 50 pounds.  And even outside of work, there are benefits to the skill of knowing how to stay healthy and strong.
     
    Likewise, I might never have to show off my knowledge of Shakespearean passages, but I might find memorization useful. And deep reading. And the patience to sit through difficult text.
     
    We go to Miyagi and wax his cars not because we hope to wax cars, but to learn Karate.
  3. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Iuz the Evil in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    I think the general point is that our financial values are overall kinda screwy.  We (the general we, not necessarily us individuals here) think little of blowing hundred of dollars a year on movies, sporting events, and other forms of entertainment, but balk at increasing property taxes by similar amounts to increase funds for education or infrastructure needs that benefit most or all of society.
     
    Because education does bring huge dollars in, though neither directly nor immediately.  Better educated students (on average) get better paying jobs and higher lifetime earnings. They invent / create things that grow the economy.  But since those benefits are indirect and delayed, teachers (who help make that happen) get little if any credit so they can't really demand pay increases.
     
    Sure, only a portion of athletes and movie stars pull down huge salaries.  But we, the sports-event-attending / movie-watching public don't even bat an eye at those salaries.  And that, to me, is a bit screwy.
  4. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Pariah in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    I think the general point is that our financial values are overall kinda screwy.  We (the general we, not necessarily us individuals here) think little of blowing hundred of dollars a year on movies, sporting events, and other forms of entertainment, but balk at increasing property taxes by similar amounts to increase funds for education or infrastructure needs that benefit most or all of society.
     
    Because education does bring huge dollars in, though neither directly nor immediately.  Better educated students (on average) get better paying jobs and higher lifetime earnings. They invent / create things that grow the economy.  But since those benefits are indirect and delayed, teachers (who help make that happen) get little if any credit so they can't really demand pay increases.
     
    Sure, only a portion of athletes and movie stars pull down huge salaries.  But we, the sports-event-attending / movie-watching public don't even bat an eye at those salaries.  And that, to me, is a bit screwy.
  5. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Lord Liaden in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    I think the general point is that our financial values are overall kinda screwy.  We (the general we, not necessarily us individuals here) think little of blowing hundred of dollars a year on movies, sporting events, and other forms of entertainment, but balk at increasing property taxes by similar amounts to increase funds for education or infrastructure needs that benefit most or all of society.
     
    Because education does bring huge dollars in, though neither directly nor immediately.  Better educated students (on average) get better paying jobs and higher lifetime earnings. They invent / create things that grow the economy.  But since those benefits are indirect and delayed, teachers (who help make that happen) get little if any credit so they can't really demand pay increases.
     
    Sure, only a portion of athletes and movie stars pull down huge salaries.  But we, the sports-event-attending / movie-watching public don't even bat an eye at those salaries.  And that, to me, is a bit screwy.
  6. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Lawnmower Boy in DC Movies- if at first you don't succeed...   
    Don't mind Bazza -- he's just trying to be a Comedian and push your buttons.  Just keep smiling. 
  7. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Lord Liaden in And now, for your daily dose of cute...   
    Why does it feel to me like she's flipping us the bird?   
  8. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Sociotard in DC Movies- if at first you don't succeed...   
    Don't mind Bazza -- he's just trying to be a Comedian and push your buttons.  Just keep smiling. 
  9. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Nolgroth in DC Movies- if at first you don't succeed...   
    Don't mind Bazza -- he's just trying to be a Comedian and push your buttons.  Just keep smiling. 
  10. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from DShomshak in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    Strange.  For decades, I've had a theory that, job-wise, a group's worth to society is in inverse proportion to their income.  If every CEO disappeared from the face of the Earth, for example, life would go on.  Same with every movie star.  But if, say, every fireman disappeared, things would not go well at all.  Same with police officers, teachers, farmers, etc.
     
    The main exception I've seen to this are doctors (who typically have pretty good incomes, at least in the US, and have obvious worth to society).
  11. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to Christopher in Aphorisms for a Superhero Universe   
    "The developer of 'fool-proof' systems underestimate the ingenuity of the fools."
  12. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from aylwin13 in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    Strange.  For decades, I've had a theory that, job-wise, a group's worth to society is in inverse proportion to their income.  If every CEO disappeared from the face of the Earth, for example, life would go on.  Same with every movie star.  But if, say, every fireman disappeared, things would not go well at all.  Same with police officers, teachers, farmers, etc.
     
    The main exception I've seen to this are doctors (who typically have pretty good incomes, at least in the US, and have obvious worth to society).
  13. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Netzilla in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    Strange.  For decades, I've had a theory that, job-wise, a group's worth to society is in inverse proportion to their income.  If every CEO disappeared from the face of the Earth, for example, life would go on.  Same with every movie star.  But if, say, every fireman disappeared, things would not go well at all.  Same with police officers, teachers, farmers, etc.
     
    The main exception I've seen to this are doctors (who typically have pretty good incomes, at least in the US, and have obvious worth to society).
  14. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to Drhoz in Quote of the Week from my gaming group...   
    Champions - Edge City : Loud
    Hero Shrew: If they're being hunted by canine Moreaus riding a kraken VIPER, AND us, I don't blame them at all for wanting to stay on the down-low.
    Fireflash: Especially that last one.
    Hero Shrew: Yeah - I mean, just being associated with us in the press will do they social standing no good at all.

    Hero Shrew: Can we put up LOST notices on all the lampposts?
    Hardlight: That's a terrible idea.
    Fireflash: It's a terrible idea, but it still might work.
    GM: And it's not just three groups looking for them - so are Wild Kingdom, and Cecil the Springbok Mobster.
    Hero Shrew: I'm surprised he's not named Jack.
    Hardlight: Hmm?
    Hero Shrew: Spring-heeled Jack.

    Hardlight: I'm suddenly wondering what catnip costs around here.
    Hero Shrew: $50 for a dime bag.

    Hero Shrew: So, how do we let this pair of sympathisers know that we're here to protect them? I mean, they have some pretty dangerous people after them, if they didn't already know. I mean, Cecil the Springbok is nearly as dangerous as Cornelius Snarlington, Business Deer.

    Hardlight: We need to set up a working relationship with the Edge City infobrokers.
    Hero Shrew: Sorry, what were you talking about? I was thinking about Sally again. You think I should tell her Steiner never gave me superspeed? Girls are reassured by things like that, right? I mean, they like it when guys don't go too fast.

    Hero Shrew: Maybe, if can track Steiner down, I can get him to give me stretching powers.

    Hardlight: Maybe we should put a watch on Max the Doberman, in case he gets recruited by these canine Moreaus.
    GM: I'm sure Scooter will love that - he has Max as a 5pt Romantic Rival
    Hero Shrew: I wouldn't mind putting 24hr surveillance on Sally.
    GM: Yes, Sally, the only Moreau in Edge City that could drop you with little difficulty. Oh, you've got all these defences? Biomanipulation - one touch and down you go.
    Hero Shrew: Hey, I might be into that, if it was her.

    Hero Shrew: *mutters* I don't know what she see in Max... not all of us can have fist-sized knots.

    GM: It's not common, but some Moreaus are built wide. And that's why they call a 6ft2 580lb wombat Brick.
    Hero Shrew: That, and the shape of his poop.

    We go see one of The Zoo's community pillars, a self-taught lawyer and gray tabby by the name of Simon who has been carefully establishing the legal rights of Moreaus. His assistant is skeptical that our business is of a delicate nature, since Hero Shrew is in the vicinity, and delicacy is not a word that one associates with him.

    Simon's Assistant: Mr Simon sir? The three more public members of Quadrant are here to see you. Yes, most amusing sir, I'll send them in.
    Hero Shrew: I bet he's assuming the worst already. "So, Scooter, who did you get pregnant?"
    GM: That's not the worst news, that would be great news! The Moreau birthrate is still lower than it should be.

    Simon: I've had enough trouble today as it is, answering questions about the 'new Moreau gang in Edge City'.

    Simon is reluctant to tell us much, but agrees that the possibility of a resurgent Genesys is important enough to make an 'educated guess', and suggests we search for the hippie sympathisers in Moss Park.

    Hero Shrew: Should be easy enough to find them - Moss Park is mostly lake.

    Simon: Just remember - keep them safe.
    Fireflash: That's the plan.

    One oddity about Moss Lake - the footbridge that runs along its long axis. True, it pre-dates the fusion plant going boom, back when the city architects were mad with cash, but it was still a waste of effort and material.

    Hardlight: They must be on the north shore - it's the only place on the lakefront that has room for people.
    Hero Shrew: True, but I'll still look over the lake for any pedalboats with a pair of nervous hippies in it.

    There is one vehicle parked by the lack that stands out like a sore thumb - a Nakajima Roamer, a luxury RV.

    Hero Shrew: Roamer or Roma?
    GM: Roam, like the B52 song.
    Fireflash: Oh, so THAT'S what the song was about!

    Fireflash lands next to the RV and knocks on the door.

    Hero Shrew: Lets hope it isn't an RV full of Canine Moreaus trying to be slightly less conspicuous than a giant squid.
    Fireflash: It's harder to be MORE conspicuous than riding a giant squid.

    Blacked out Vis-screen on the RV door: Yes, can I hel- OH CRAP!
    Fireflash: Well, thanks for confirming who you are.

    Fireflash: I need to ask you about some large ophidian eggs.
    Young Hippie Lady: Ophdians, haha, oh, nothing to do with us, what's Ophidian even mean?
    GM: She's a really bad liar - Buffy, Season One and Two Willow level of bad.
    Fireflash: You need to improve at that.

    Outside, Hardlight and Hero Shrew hear something. It's difficult not to hear it. Fireflash can't hear a thing through the RV's soundproofing, and the sound of the RV's shower running.

    GM: The end of the world is coming - that, or 5 Kundalini Rochin motorcycles approaching at speed.

    Hero Shrew: Still less conspicuous than the giant squid.

    Hippie: We can't go to PRIMUS! I mean, think about it. I mean, how do two college kids break into a secret lab and out again?
    Fireflash: You got hired?
    Hippie: No, I mean Wrecking Ball - we're unregistered supers!

    The hippie guy gets out of the shower - he looks like an ordinary human, apart from the greenish-blue skin.

    Hippie Guy: .... Ah.
    Fireflash: This might be an indelicate question, but are you an Atlantean?
    Hippie Guy: You're right, that is an indelicate question. *slips on his disguise bracelet*
    Fireflash: Sorry, but you're in a lot of trouble.
    Hippie: *hears the approaching motorbikes* What's that noise?
    Fireflash: Trouble.

    Hero Shrew is suddenly keenly aware that the Keep Them Safe line was actually a delayed psychic trigger that Simon planted in his mind, because he's moving to grab the hippies and run them to safety, rather than getting in an punch-up with the approaching wolfpack. He picks up the entire RV and starts running off with it.

    Hero Shrew: It would have made more sense to tuck one of the hippies under each arm and start super-leaping, but I can do this too.
    GM: You can still superleap with the RV.
    Hero Shrew: It might be a luxury RV, but I don't think the suspension would survive that.
    GM: What suspension?
    Fireflash: You're underneath it, YOU'RE the suspension.
    Hero Shrew: Good point!
    Fireflash: Spine. Of!
    Hero Shrew: HERO SHREW!

    Hardlight gets clotheslined by a pair of dog soldiers leaping off their bikes at full speed.

    Hippie Girl: Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!!!
    Hippie Guy: *pushing her towards the cabin* I'm useless out the water, and she needs a run-up!
    Hero Shrew: There's a lake right there.
    GM: Which only helps him if they go into the lake after him.
    Hardlight: Is the RV amphibious?!
    GM: Any vehicle is amphibious. Once.

    Hero Shrew superleaps north into the residential suburb of Hockabout, and shakes off the implanted command.

    Hero Shrew: dafuq?
    GM: Oh no, the command was still your idea. But now you can have other ones.
    Hero Shrew: Well, headed into an area with plenty of obstacles and potential for property damage was a good idea before, so it still is now.

    The dog soldiers have the unenviable choice of stopping for a better shot at Scooter, leaving them open to Fioreflash's attack, or shooting Fireflash instead, who they probably can't hurt. One of them pulls out a shockrod, and discovers just what a hairtrigger throttle the motorbikes have when it zooms out from underneath him at several hundred kilometres an hour. Fireflash lays on some hurt.

    Fireflash: You guys are FUCKED.

    The dog soldiers are having real difficulty hurting Fireflash, despite their high-tech weapons.

    GM: In fact, they're on the verge of questioning the entire report the last team made about you.

    Hardlight recovers enough to put a bubble around one of the dog soldiers, who discovers he can't shoot his way out.

    Dog Soldier: Ruh-roh.

    Two of them, still conscious, salute the trapped canine and run off.

    Hardlight: Bwahaha
    GM: This is not a laughing moment.
    Hardlight: *who is remembering what happened the last time one of the dog-soldiers got caught* Oh, right. Just as well I'm at minimum safe distance.

    The trapped Moreau drops his gun and goes into violent seizures, and then up in flames.

    Fireflash, over the comms: Scooter, bring the RV back here.
    Hero Shrew: Nope, gotta keep them safe.
    Fireflash: But they're gone now.
    Hero Shrew: Maybe, but knowing our luck you probably have a gun to your head and they're making you say that.
    Fireflash: But I don't.
    Hero Shrew: But that's just what you'd say if you did!
    Fireflash: But I don't.
    Hero Shrew: But that's just what you'd say if you did!
    Fireflash: But I don't.
    Hero Shrew: But that's just what you'd say if you did!
    Fireflash: Scooter, just get back here.
    Hero Shrew: OK.

    Fireflash starts making some calls, to explain the damage Hero Shrew has down to the roads, and try and keep the two targets out of custody - for one thing PRIMUS has them listed as ecoterrorists. Her handler is quite impressed that Scooter got the targets out of harm's way right away.

    Handler: He averted a possible hostage situation? That's one quick-thinking brick.
    Fireflash: Yeah, well, he's surprisingly difficult to pigeonhole.

    The Hippy Girl has been throwing up in the RV.

    Jack the Atlantean Hippy: She's used to the Pacific, not all this bouncing around.

    Jack explains everything about how he discovered the Genesys lab, how he and his girlfriend trashed the place, and why he's sure everybody and all the evidence must be long-gone by now. But he does give us the co-ordinates, just in case.

    Fireflash OoC: We're just not very good at investigating things.
    GM: I warned you at the start of the campaign-
    Fireflash OoC: No no no, we the PLAYERS are no good at investigating - the characters are fine.
    GM: Well, I'm not sure what I can do about that.

    Hardlight: I bubbled one and he melted. All over my nice new bubble

    At least whatever suicide switch that was is unlikely to be a biohazard.

    GM: High temperatures. It makes them kinda... crispy.

    Hero Shrew: I do fell bad about that.
    GM: That just proves you still have a soul.
    Hero Shrew: Yeah, but it's kinda vestigial by this point.

    Hero Shrew: -and then the dog-soldier went WHOOF, which was an appropriate sound effect at least.
    GM: Don't say that in front of any recording device - it wouldn't go down well.
    GM: Actually the footage of the dog-soldier immolating isn't playing too badly - some of the supertalk forums are already using the term bio-roid.
    Hero Shrew: ... I'm not sure sure I like that.
    Flux: It should make the Moreaus happy at least.
    Hero Shrew: Oh no it fucking won't. We're people, thank you very much.
    Hardlight: Hey, I use the word sophont in every speech about Moreaus!
    GM: That's why I'm describing it as sophistry. I'm glad I can drop the term 'sophistry' at a table and not have the players go 'guh?'
    Hero Shrew: And sophont, for that matter.

    GM : So the 'players were clever'.. no, 'inventive' ahhh, 'subtle', NO 'or roleplayed well'. Well, OK
    Hero Shrew OoC: Subtle we ain't.

    Hero Shrew OoC: I'm probably going to be a bit subdued when I show up to work at the club tonight - if anybody notices, it'll be Sally, and I'll probably unload at her.
    GM: Yeah, I think people are going to notice that you only bounce people on their heads twice tonight before throwing them out. And you're not even throwing them in the dumpster.
    Sally: His heart really isn't in it, is it.

    Fireflash: Party!
    Hero Shrew: Don't you have exams? And what are the rules for postponing exams in the event of alien invasion?
    Flux: Same as for other 'natural' disasters.
    GM: But the aliens have to actually invade.
    Hero Shrew: So if you're actually *preventing* the invasion, you're shit outta luck.

    Fireflash: I want to get us a team vehicle - The Quadraphibious Quandrant Cruiser.
    Hero Shrew: Just call it the Qruiser - it'll save time.
    Fireflash: I think it used to belong to a supervillian.
    Flux: Well yes, the spider theme, it's black and silver, and the horn goes BEWARE, BEWARE

    Flux: If there are any hamster Moreaus in the Zoo, they're probably staying out of sight. 'We need a bagman!'
    GM: 'I'm not sticking that in my cheek'. Oh god, now I'm imagining hamster prostitutes.

    Hero Shrew: We should tell Simon that his place is bugged. I mean, the dog-soldiers turning up when they did may have been a plot convenience, but there's no way it was a co-incidence.
    GM: I'm not that bad a GM - I won't use a plot convenience when I can use plot contrivance.

    Flux: Did they leave any of those bikes behind?
    GM: Sure - they arrived on 5, and left on 2.
    Flux: Nice. But we already have a team vehicle *wistful sigh*
    GM: Eh, they'll be up for police auction soon. The Kundalini Rochin-
    Hero Shrew OoC: Of COURSE they're called that. What better name for a crotch rocket.

    GM: If you want to screw with directional mikes all you need a popular adult device.
    Flux: ?
    GM: A vibrator. You hold it against the window and the vibration wrecks any attempt at eavesdropping.
    Hardlight: As long as you don't use a Magic Wand - that would break the window.
    Flux: 'So, why does Fireflash take a Rabbit everywhere?' 'It's not why you think!'

    Hero Shrew: Maybe I should some appearances at Children's Hospitals. I'm a hero now, we do that kind of thing, don't we?
    Flux and Hardlight: uhhhhhhhhh.
    Flux: I'm not sure how to say this tactfully... that's more Fireflash's kinda thing?
    Hardlight: Maybe you should go with her!

    Fireflash graduates, but misses out on class Valedictorian to one Brent Mandler, Uber-nerd.

    Hero Shrew: Well, there's a good name for a superhero.
    Hardlight: Quiet - or he might have a 'lab accident'

    GM: The school also refused to print the diplomas on vellum.
    Hero Shrew: Nice.
    GM: Yes, they actually gave Studio City (the Zoo) as the reason they wouldn't use lambskin.

    GM: You know Scooter, you have one big problem with having Max as your romantic rival for Sally the Setter's affection. 'You're a dog, I'm a dog'
    Flux: 'Let's have some spaghetti'

    Hero Shrew: So, ah, Sally, you know that I kinda, really, really, uh-
    Max: Hey Sally. We still good for tonight?
    Hero Shrew: *grits teeth* Hi Max.
    Max: Hey Scooter.
    Max and Sally: *suddenly twitching* Can you hear that?

    Going outside, so can Scooter, and soon enough, everybody else in Edge City. It sounds like long flowing notes on a Chinese flute, coming from nowhere.

    GM: Even Max got cockblocked, this time.

    Hero Shrew: Is there somebody that teaches Chinese music at the college?
    Flux: How should I know? I don't go to the college.
    Hero Shrew: You're our info expert, hit the googles or something.

    The sound is pervasive, but can be blocked by earphones and even window glass.

    Hardlight: Hey, you guys, are you all hearing this?
    Hero Shrew: Sure.
    Hardlight: We should meet up and figure it out.
    Hero Shrew: Well, whatever it is I'm in favour. It cockblocked Max.

    The media blimps are having real problems with the noise, since it's making their gondolas resonate.

    Hero Shrew: Hey Flux, is it magic?
    Flux: er...
    Hardlight: You still have that magic detector, don't you?
    GM: No - that was adventures ago.
    Flux: I'd need to remake it. It'll take an hour.
    Hero Shrew: Hey, if the sound goes away in the next hour, there wasn't a problem.

    It IS magical. It's a rather big bit of magic too.

    Flux: I've barely switched the detector on!

    The enchantment is simple enough - it's diffusing the sound to conceal the source. And since we're standing in the effect, Flux should be able to dispel it, and localise the source of the noise - like taking a lampshade off a lamp, so we can look at the bulb directly. And the nearest source is the rebar sticking out of the never-finished monorail towers. It's been twisted into very specific configurations to resonate in the rising wind. The same thing has been done to the rest of the towers too.

    GM: Yes, I went PatLabor on you.

    Flux: Scooter, get up here and bend these things apart.
    Hero Shrew: *fingers in his ears* Ow. OW. OWWWWWWW.
    GM: Scooter has mild super-hearing - and he's standing next to one of these things now.
    Hero Shrew: OOWWWWWWWWWW.
    Flux: What? Scooter, I can't hear you over the noise.

    Flux: The question is who would do this.
    Hero Shrew: The question is WHY would anybody do this.
    Flux: I'm going to be pissed off if this was somebody's school science project. 'Except with Magic!'

    Hardlight: We really are the Great Lakes Avengers.
    GM: Nah, not really - West Coast maybe. Actually, Fantastic Four is an even better match *pointing at Hardlight, Fireflash, Flux and Hero Shrew in that order* Susan Storm, Johnny, Reed Richards, and the Thing.
    Hero Shrew: *picking his ear and scratching his balls* Eh?

    Flux: How did they set them all off on one day? *pokes around and finds scraps of foam rubber noodle that had no doubt insulated the rebar from the wind, until they were ready*

    Hardlight: If this was all some viral marketing thing I'm going to be pissed.

    We're just announcing to the onlookers that the problem is under control, and how awesome we are, when SOMETHING blasts the top off the tower we're standing on. The something is a caped superhuman, and the particular superwoman known as Howler.

    Hero Shrew: And exactly how alarmed should we be by this development?
    GM: She IS one of the heavy hitters.
    Hero Shrew: So - very.
     
  15. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Hyper-Man in Hyperman R.I.P.   
    HM, I'm sorry to hear of the difficulties, both in terms of physical side effects as well as work/apartment related.  I hope the treatments are successful and that you're kicking cancer's a**.  (The disease, BTW, not the Hero Games board poster.)  And I hope the aforementioned difficulties are only temporary, and you're back to normal in no time.  (For a given level of "normal," that is -- this is the NGD after all.)
     
     
    Dude, mentalists are evil.  I thought with a handle like "Hyper-Man" he'd go for speedster.  IIRC he wrote up a pretty kick-butt version of the Flash for 400 points.  And that way, his high-speed healing would keep future tumors from being able to form. 
  16. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Hyper-Man in Hyperman R.I.P.   
    I didn't realize until you asked and I did a Google search that Hyper-Man was an actual DC comics character.  Apparently, he's basically a Superman analogue from another planet - same origin (infant sent from a dying planet to an Earth-like world with a yellow sun), same basic powers. 
     
    I believe HM used Freakazoid! as his avatar for a while -- I think that character might have been a reality changer.  I know he was a sanity changer. 
  17. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Cantriped in Create a Villain Theme Team!   
    Lloyd Lance is a loser -- literally.  He loses things.  He has the power of aportation - the ability to teleport something or someone from one location to another, as long as it's to or from a location he had previously memorized.  He figured he could use this as a burglar and thief - aporting locked doors away to gain entry to a location, aporting cash and jewelry and heavy bars of gold to his own private vault, and aporting people across town if they try to stop him.  He assumed the identity of Z-port, and it worked for a time.  He even took some of his new-found wealth and created caches of weapons and equipment, which he could teleport to him as needed. 
     
    Unfortunately, he spread himself too thin too fast.  He had memorized over a hundred locations across the country, and was having a hard time keeping track of them.  Sure, he could aport a Van Gogh painting to one of his treasure vaults -- but which vault?  And after tech genius hero (and Z-port's nemesis) Dr. Cybertek figured out how to trace Z-port's teleportation, more often than not his ill-gotten gains would be retrieved by authorities before Z-port had a chance to get there and spirit them away himself.  And even if his aportation wasn't traced, Z-port has a hard time remembering where he sent something.  It didn't take long for the sought-after B&E specialist to become a running gag of the villain world.  ("You want to lose something forever?  Have Z-port try to steal it.")  However, since he can help his fellow Losers escape (and even teleport himself to freedom), he's still seen as a somewhat valuable asset.
  18. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to Cancer in NGD Scenes from a Hat   
    "Dude. What's with the luggage handle headgear?"
  19. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Lord Liaden in And now, for your daily dose of cute...   
    "I love it when a plan comes together." 
  20. Like
    BoloOfEarth got a reaction from Pariah in NGD Scenes from a Hat   
    Myself.  There's no train that runs to my work.    By the way, what was I drinking last night and where are my pants?
  21. Like
  22. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to Cygnia in "Neat" Pictures   
  23. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to DShomshak in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    Introspection is of course a flawed tool for psychological analysis. I've encountered too many people who seemed otherwise intelligent -- often more intelligent than me, on many topics -- but who were completely and, I believe, provably bonkers on one or two issues. An example would be a computer and robotics engineer of my forum acquaintance (not these forums) who is a very nice person, has enlightened me on a number of topics, but who presented transparent fallacies and wackadoodle conspiracy theories to reject any claim of anthropogenic climate change.
     
    At least I am pretty sure they are deranged. The problem is that if -- as I have come to believe -- everyone is completely effing insane about something, and part of the insanity is that they can't see their own illogic, the unavoidable inference is that this must apply to me too. On something, I must be completely irrational; it's obvious to other people; but I can't see it and will not accept any attempt to point it out to me.
     
    This disturbs me.
     
    Dean Shomshak
  24. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to DShomshak in Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)   
    Well, for anyone who's interested in a bit of self-analysis I recommend The Righteous Mind by the aforementioned Jonathan Haight. It's his exposition of the "Moral Foundations Theory" he's developed through his years of research in political psychology. So far, he's identified six moral foundations -- standards of what constitutes good or bad behavior - that deeply, reflexively, and often unconsciously shape personal political beliefs and wider social narratives. Moreover, he finds that different self-described political orientations correlate very strongly with high valuations of different sets of moral foundations: Liberals fixate strongly on Care/Harm, to somewhat lesser degrees on Freedom/Oppression and Fairness/Cheating, and virtually ignore Loyalty/Treachery, Authority/Insubordination and Purity (or Sanctity)/Defilement. (I may not be getting these terms exactly as Haight labels them, but they are close enough.
     
    (There's a complication with Purity/Defilement. Liberals score very low on conventional issues such as social limitations on sexuality, drugs, etc. But they often show a strong sense of reverence for the natural world, and disgust at its perceived defilement. So sometimes you need to look at a moral foundation obliquely.)
     
    Libertarians fixate almost totally on Freedom/Oppression (no surprise), show some regard for Fairness/Cheating, and nearly ignore the other four foundations. Conservatives score about equally in all six -- which shows the frequent liberal accusation of moral simplicity is provably wrong.
     
    Another of Haight's experiments involves asking people of different political persuasions to answer surveys as they imagine people of different views would, then comparing the results to the answers by people who really are of those political views. Social conservatives are consistently better at pretending to be liberals than liberals are at pretending to be conservatives.
     
    Applying Haight's ideas to myself, I find that I don't fit well in any of the three political categories; the weight I give to the six moral foundations is, well, odd. (As best I can tell, anyway, from my attempts at introspection.) But people may be interested in trying to rate themselves in each of the six virtues, on a scale of 1-10, and ask how and why they feel as they do.
     
    Dean Shomshak
  25. Like
    BoloOfEarth reacted to Old Man in Hyperman R.I.P.   
    Surely brain radiation will result in superpowers.  Could there be a more obvious origin story?
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