The Old Hack

Ah. This actually strengthens an old idea of mine: that it was the absence of Elliot in his world that helped to create Lord Tedd. Also, I had once before speculated on the possibility of targeting Elliot to get at Tedd. I am rather sorry to see my hypothesis confirmed in this way. :/

I have just updated my Twitter profile to describe myself as 'Fiscal Progressive, Evangelical Agnostic, Transnormative.' This sort of thing amuses my black and wicked little heart.

I don't care about proof values. If you guys blow up the Pharaoh or light him on fire, you are in trouble.

Hm. My wife says that in the part of the Northeast of the US where she is from, a Black Velvet is a mix of stout and sparkling wine. She has never heard of a 'Snakebite' up there, mind. But then I seem to remember that there's a different parlance for these things in various regions of the US? *scratches head*

Goodness, no. That would be a violation of his oaths as an officer and gentleman.

With his automatic 12s on all aging rolls, it would be for the rest of the Navy's existence. Immortality will only take you so far if you are locked in the same place.

Danish politics forecast: Shitstorm with occasional showers of pee.

A friend of mine and I did that a long time ago back in the early 80s. We were having fun with the very first version of Traveller at the time. We'd made a simple computer program in Basic that allowed you to create characters according to the character generation process in the rules. One day my friend said, "Let's make the most powerful character ever." And we set the function that rolled 2D6 during character creation to roll twelve every time. It worked beautifully. Our Super-Character got amazing stats, got promotions every time, received all the best benefits and never failed an aging roll. Anagathics? Ha! He laughed scornfully at those. His skills soared to superhuman levels and soon he was the supreme commander of the entire Spinward Marches Naval Forces. There was just one little problem. Rolling 12 on re-enlistment meant a mandatory extra term of service. Our Super-Character was so good that the Navy didn't want to let him go. He could never, ever, ever hope to muster out. We stopped the program when he'd celebrated his 146th birthday. There didn't seem much point after that, all that was happening was that his already godlike skills were getting even better.

*grabs list from JML* *makes a note in list* *returns list to JML*

Clearly, but I would be satisfied with just a single frame of Doc and Roger being in the process of building it and Sandy yelling at them, "NO!!!"

I agree absolutely, but remember, the 'more dakka' line is used by friggin' WH40K Orks. For Orks, there is NEVER any such thing as 'enuf dakka.' Mind you, I do like the quad Vulcan proposal. Combine the proposal in question with a good computer and targeting system, and whatever it shoots at had better have entirely unreasonable amounts of armour or it will be a flying cheese grater. That won't be flying for much longer. (The TWB has a fan forum, right? Who is with me in making a fan suggestion that we have Doc and Roger create a quad Vulcan paintball gun?)

For that sort of moron, 'enough damage' is like 'enough dakka.' He can always do more damage.

Like so?

Because 1) if Box's story is true, that means they will have to get rid of the magic clog that is allowing his devices to work so well, and 2) because of the possibility of others among the recently Marked having Awakened as well beyond just Justin. (Notice his phrasing: 'someone like Justin'.) This could include Rhoda. She doesn't need five billion ways. She just needs one.

I wonder if that means Miss Piggy would have an affinity for spells affecting boars?

Well, you have us, too. So there.

Seconded! Good to see you. The place just isn't the same without a resident God-King to benignly gaze down from His exalted and elevated throne!

I greatly prefer that to the 90s opposite extreme of guns constantly blaring and no leaving anything behind alive for any reason.

I greatly prefer that to the 90s opposite extreme of guns constantly blaring and no leaving anything behind alive for any reason.

Knowing Dan, that is why. This must be a little like how it feels to think you have just invited a mildly talented novice to your magic school and gotten Harry Dresden instead.

I do not normally comment in person but once again I feel compelled to make an exception. Whatever other issues of policy may be at hand, I am greatly concerned by the president-elect's apparent intention to disengage from old alliances across the world. NATO in particular has been of obvious importance to my homeland. Denmark is a small nation with little in the way of military power and is situated in a position of immense strategic importance to Russia. NATO has helped ensure a long peace in Europe, one which has lasted most of my lifetime with few interruptions. On such occasions where other nations have attacked the US, my homeland has every time reciprocated by placing forces, planes and naval vessels at the disposal of the US. Also, it is worth noting that the esteemed JML of this forum has served the US in Europe for a number of years and thus aided in extending this peace, for which I owe him my thanks and gratitude. No alliance lasts forever, of course. But I must confess to feeling strong pangs at the thought of NATO coming apart, not to mention considerable worry at the thought of what Putin and similar strongmen might do to take advantage of it. That other similar detentes around the globe are also in danger does nothing to reassure me, I fear.

Take heart in the fact that you are not alone. True, many of us have lost or been injured by this decision. But we have one another and we will support one another. You are not forgotten and you may rely on your friends, me included. My wife is very unhappy now. The unrelenting misogyny and and hatred that blighted the election took a harsh toll on her and she is, to put it mildly, not willing to trust the president-elect. I have supported her as best I can and for now at least she sleeps, aided by that old sovereign from the Old Country, whisky. We can only take one day at a time. To all my friends here, you are in my thoughts no matter where you live. I trust we shall overcome the challenges ahead of us if we stand together and help one another.

The Moderator: Less of the passive-aggressive, please. JML knows a good deal about copyright law and he was giving you a fair warning. I suggest you rephrase this as a request for assistance with avoiding copyright issues. If you do so, you may find that he can be very helpful.

Which Godzilla? I absolutely refuse to vote for the 1998 one. I have long been suspicious of the Size Does Matter movement.

Three quarters of a century ago, the Nazis, the Gestapo and all its odious apparatus overran my homeland Denmark. Ignoring peace treaties and all civilised decency they stripped my home of its freedom and independence, reduced it to a mere cog in their war machine, a stepping stone for its conquest of Norway. As time passed, they gradually tightened the screws, taking away all our own mechanisms of government, arresting and imprisoning our police force and eventually inflicting their merciless acts of genocide on Danish homosexuals, Gypsies, disabled, Jews -- anyone that did not meet their nightmarish ideals of Aryan perfection. My family had to flee to Sweden to survive and not everyone made it to safety. Of those that did not, few survived, none of them unmarked. But the darkness that had fallen across Europe did not last. Eventually a restless giant stirred in its sleep, awoke, and rose to come to the rescue of the Old World. Many nations fought the evils of the Nazis. Of those, few brought as much, sacrificed as much as America did. That war is long gone now, but I have not forgotten. I and my family directly owe our lives, home and freedom to America and her people. To the soldiers who fought so long and hard, to the working men and women in the factories, to the ordinary people who made the marvelous industry of the giant work and run when it was needed the most. To fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters who sacrificed so much, lost so many they loved. To all of America's people, whatever race or creed, for all of them paid for that war, for that freedom I now have today. Many years have passed since then. America has changed, since. Grown, and suffered growing pains. She is not perfect and never has been, but she still struggles to improve and make herself better. And precisely this is why America is great: because she always tries to be better. I will give the last word to my father, who feels this debt as keenly as I do. He is certain that whatever troubles America is enduring she will in the fullness of time rise above them -- because Americans are their own harshest critics, because they cannot rest while they believe injustice reigns. It has been so for two and a half centuries. And that much, at least, has not changed. And so, in this dark time of vitriol and partisanship and division, do not forget your roots. America IS great. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. I believe in you. Thank you all.