Vorlonagent

While I haven't read the story in question, I'd expect instinct to take over in space....

The blonde hair was to help distance the new character from their earlier Marketing blunder...

Don't even ask about their "owners". Dolphins are evolved to head-butt sharks and win.

Needless to say (but I am saying it anyway), Turbotax need not apply...

The superman in short skirt and sweater didn't sell that well...

Clearly they've gotten closer over the years...

http://www.egscomics.com/egsnp.php?id=503

I thought Supes was a wish-fulfillment for a couple of New York jewish kids (I forget the borough) who got picked on a lot. IIRC his costume was inspired by circus acrobats.

I'd say they're breaking freindzone orbit and headed for interstellar space, but not out of the zone itself as of yet...

...and there was much rejoicing...

I didn't mean to suggest that Noriko's exploits were at all public, just point out the lady has been busy. There have been plenty of incidents around the world happening that we haven't been told about. Now apply the normal curve with respect to how public a given incident ends up. My post was supporting the idea that Magic is not considering a rules change just because of what's happening in Moperville but it's likely that stuff has been happening elsewhere that contribute to the decision. It's just Mopereville is at the likely flashpoint for the decision.

In the Real World, Roswell was the inception point for a permanent continuing interest in UFO and UFO sightings in the US and elsewhere. That's NOT something that The FBI's Paranormal unit (DGB) or Agent Cranium would really want to see happen. Also in the Real World, there exists an organization that is dedicated to the serious scientific investigation of USO sightings. It's called the "Mutual UFO Network" or MUFON. I doubt Cranium or the FBI would like seeing one of those created for looking into magic incidents either unless the FBI were pulling the strings. Dan doesn't get into the gritty details of his setting. It's not worth his time to show whether the paranormal enthusiasts have stayed in Moperville or moved on, unless he's going to build a plotline around it. It also isn't worth talking about magic-related incidents elsewhere on the planet if there's no plotline to build around them. That's why we only know about two: The attack on Susan by a vampire in France, and Tedd's mom taking down not-Tengue. Since Noriko has a reputation as a great monster-hunter, you can be sure she's earned that rep by resolving plenty of incidents, any number of which could contribute to Magic thinking about a rules change.

We know that Moperville is the flashpoint for a reset. If someone is thinking "this is the last straw", there's a whole lot of before-the-last-straw incidents out there. Those could be spread across the planet.

We also know Magic seems to have a sense of humor and occasionally trolls. That argues for some kind of consciousness.

If the Earth also sheds Sirleck and its entire elite class of Vampires as a result of the reset, Leifeld could come out looking pretty good.

First, how would they even know? Magic is not going to get all huffy over Moperville if it were a one-off. Odds are good that all the organizations across the planet that are working in the shadows are having trouble keeping magic a secret. For Leifeld to have authorized reset as department policy there would almost have to be a large body of opinion across the paranormal world that a reset would be favorable. I can't see a manager going out on a lib that far or Arthur convincing him to go it totally alone. Arguably, a reset threatens Vapires/Aberrents like Sirleck the most. Their lives are uniquely dependent on magic. While a reset hurts the forces of nceness, it really ruins the day for the worst monsters they face. Leifeld is already on the hook for having authorized the fallback from the "magic doesn't exist" line of defense. He ought to have already taken a good deal of pushback just from Arthur's TV appearance, which signaled the fallback.

...and there's the disconnect right there. Adults can know with a reasonable degree of certainty what will be important to their kids when they're adults. But not what's important to them when they're kids. The only thing lamer than adults preaching about "the future" or the "I remember when I was your age..." speech is adults trying to act like cool kids. I'll go with "teach the consequences to actions", Alex. Kind of what I was getting at with bookending sex ed with parenting classes. making the point "this is what your life will consist of if you make a baby..." To the boys special emphasis on how they are frozen out of the decision of whether to have or abort any baby that might get conceived. Their control over their lives starts and ends with the decision to have sex. Then push on to how their lives would be forever entangled with the girl's, consequences to their freedom, standard of living, child support...

While very, VERY unlikely, it would be funny if Ashley's internet girlfriend were Elliot.

More easily said than done in some cases... "Superior nutrition and disease control means you can get busy sooner"...

I was thinking more of the consequences of an unexpected pregnancy on a kid's present and future, but whatever works... Physical maturity, not emotional maturity.

Got it one, Mr. Garibaldi.

I'm not staying the attitude is rational. Just that there is a reason. How do you educate about sex without implying permission to out and do it? How do you tell them "That's HOT. Don't touch it! You could get burned!" Maybe parenting classes should follow sex-ed classes. Exposure to sex at too young an age is emotionally damaging. How best to let kids be kids when they are maturing at younger and younger ages?

I was unable to find the Zapp Branagan "What makes a man turn neutral" speech on youtube or I would have posted it here.

Kids who start having sex too young also often end up jaded and emotionally numb.

I think it's more likely parents who aren't ready for their kids to grow up. Sex is an adult thing not a kid-thing.