The Old Hack

I regret to inform these people that I consider it far more important to respect the wishes of those actually affected by the terminology than those of any spectators, however idealistic.

It used to have one, but Krypton exploded.

This is already a common phenomenon. Many politicians do it every time they publicly open their mouths.

This is true and also very important. One thing I find helpful to remember: if someone comes at me angry about something I said, however innocent my intent, they may well have cause. In that case my first priority must be to find out what it was I did wrong so I won't repeat it. And one cannot always expect people to behave reasonably when one has hurt them. In the best cases I've been able to work out what I did wrong and at the same time conveyed my apologies. That often goes a long way towards better communication afterwards. Another point to remember: it is not often helpful to tell someone not to be angry. If they are actually communicating in good faith, they will be angry for cause and in that case the solution is to discover what caused the anger and hopefully alleviate it. If they are not communicating in good faith -- this is unfortunately also possible -- no appeal to their better nature will work in any event. And most importantly of all, there are those who simply use anger as an excuse to dismiss the angry person's argument. This is a much-loved tactic of those who wish to silence victims of (for example) misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and racism. It is called tone policing and works like this: if you are angry, your argument is invalid, if you are not angry, you have no reason to complain. The above is the ideal and unfortunately I cannot always live up to it. For one thing, I have a temper of my own and I cannot always control it. But for exactly that reason I try to remember that the anger of the other person may very well be valid and should be respected.

Goldarnit! It would have been so much more awesomely horrible if they had meant 'died from AIDS, among other things.'

Spoilsport. *muttermuttergrumble*

The poor sod will end up having died from more causes than the number of times JFK was shot.

I have elected to simplify. I choose to refer to each individual as they prefer and to otherwise avoid employing offensive terms as I am best able. That is the best I can do; if this stance makes me enemies, I regret that but I do not know a better place to work from.

I think we can skip the 'to women' part and simply label them 'inherently offensive.'

Clearly, a saucer-shaped craft implies that it is being propelled by a teacup.

I can't see why Susan would need a laser to get a ranged weapon. All she needs is to drop a TFG gun into her chest. Admittedly, a transformation beam isn't quite the same as a laser but it is at least ranged.

YES. So long, Bromans. You shan't be missed.

GOOD. Please take care of yourself and let us know how things go.

That would be ridiculous. Next we are going to learn that I am actually part Norwegian Blue.

A question just occurred to me: The first time Elliot was ever turned into a girl, I am fairly sure Elliot's gender identity was that of a boy turned into a girl, i. e. still considering himself male. Over time, this seems to have gradually changed. I wonder if today's comic's moment of acceptance also marks that Elliot now fully considers herself a girl while transformed into her superhero identity or other variations of female selves?

Not even the Brynner dynasty?

Incidentally, the MMO The Old Republic from Bioware does it differently. While the Empire on the surface consists of bad guys and the Republic of good guys, the choices in the missions consist of Light Side/Dark Side choices for yourself. Just as there are some surprisingly decent people in the Empire, there are also some truly rotten apples in the Republic. Ultimately, the choice of Good or Evil rests with the player, not the faction.

They still didn't use razors. At least not on the face.

That must be a bitch. o.o

I thought you Pharaohs all had these full beards? Well, except for Hachupset, maybe.

Errr, how do you drive a dog? o.o

What is this 'smoothly' word you are using? Is it English?

He has more than earned one, because that was what he did. Not to mention all the other hits he has taken for his hard work over the years.

Gentle forumgoers all, Some of you may have noticed that I have been unusually short-tempered and hypersensitive of late. I am afraid that this is not your imagination. Due to RL circumstances I am under an unusually large amount of stress, and I have recently arrived at the reluctant conclusion that it is affecting my judgment. I will attempt to watch this more closely but I would also like to say that if you yourselves feel that I am reacting too strongly, you should not hesitate to point this out. The ideal would be to find a temporary or permanent addition to the moderator staff to cover for me while my current situation persists, and I intend to take this up with Robin. In the meantime, I apologise to you all and thank you for the patience you have shown. My best regards, The Old Hack

Do not apologise. They are everywhere. Many Danes were quite happy to join the Hipo (Hilfpolizei) during the Nazi Occupation, and they were just as charming as the individuals you describe above.