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      Welcome!   03/05/2016

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Darth Fluffy

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Posts posted by Darth Fluffy

  1. Posted

    2 hours ago, Scotty said:

    There's also these:

    popeye-cigarettes.jpg

    In Canada at least, the government passed legislation that forbid them from making candy in the form of cigarettes, Popeye candy sticks still exist though but are advertised as candy sticks and no longer have the red colouring on the one end.

    I haven't seen candy cigarettes in the US in ages. I remember hard white candy ones (like a foamed sugar), chocolate foil wrapped ones, and bubble gum cigars when I was little.   

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_cigarette    - not banned in the US but banned in three states and one major city.

    https://www.oldtimecandy.com/collections/walk-the-candy-aisle-candy-cigarettes

     

  2. Posted

    7 hours ago, ChronosCat said:

    Well, if you don't like cheese or tomato sauce, you could tell you wouldn't like pizza from the smell... Also, if you disliked grease, most pizza-shop pizzas I've had would be a no-go.

    So it's junk food (at least as it's normally made; there are healthier variations). I wonder, does Kitty go around complaining about cakes at bakeries, or ice cream at ice cream places, or hamburgers and french fries at McDonald's? (Actually, I have heard plenty of people complaining about McDonald's food - though not actually at a McDonald's...)

    It can be a healthy choice. Not a fan of greasy pizza, i tolerate pepperoni, if it's ordered, never my choice. Not keen on pineapple on pizza, either. I tend to like heavy on the veggie toppings and some, but light, meat.

    7 hours ago, ChronosCat said:

    ...Kitty's argument, including not having tried it, reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on it

    It's not entirely wrong. There are things in life I have no desire to try. Even foods. Certain cultures are said to find the back end of large spiders delicious. I'll pass; they may be right, but it doesn't seem worth the mental gymnastics to get to where I'd eat one.

     

  3. Posted

    1 hour ago, Scotty said:

    It's not so much that Elliot's reacting to the fact that Liz started smoking when she was 16, it's the fact that the legal age to buy cigarettes in Illinois was 18 (at least until this past April when they bumped it to 21) so either Liz used a fake ID to buy, or she had other people who were at least 18 buy them for her, which is pretty common, the age to buy tobacco products has been 19 in Ontario for over 20 years now and it hasn't stopped highschoolers from smoking.

    I recall even in junior high (middle school today, slightly different age bracketing), the "bad kids" having cigarettes. Some stores or some clerks might not care that they were under-aged, though I think enforcement and consequences for the store are greater today, at least in the US. Recall the flak in the not so distant past over Joe Camel and cigarettes being marketed to kids. Hell, Flintstones used to have Flintstones cigarette commercials with Fred and Barney smoking, you can watch them on You Tube.

    But I doubt that most kids buy them. They are not cheap. Swiping a few at a time from parents is a common source.

    By high school, some kids had weed and would get high during school. FWIW, they hid it better than the cigarettes.

    Alcohol was not so much a school time thing, but there was alcohol at parties.

     

    1 hour ago, Scotty said:

    I should point out that Edward also smoked early on in the comic, and supposedly quit at some point later on.

    This link was off by one comic.

     

    1 hour ago, Scotty said:

    I wouldn't assume that because we don't see anyone else smoking in the comic, it doesn't mean no one smokes, there could be lots of smokers off panel and Dan just chooses to not show us.

    Yeah, I wasn't assuming cigarette manufacturing for one unique customer.

     

    1 hour ago, Scotty said:

    Also Camdin strikes me as a stereotypical stoner as well.

    You're right, he does.

     

    1 hour ago, Scotty said:

    We do know for sure though that vaping doesn't exist in EGS, but I suspect it would have if Dan didn't do further research on it while he was creating this page based on his tweets about it yesterday.

    Seems odd, doesn't it? Why are they technologically backward in this one specific wean you off smoking technology?

     

    If a dragon says, "Mind if I smoke?" it means something different, doesn't it?

     

     

  4. Posted

    8 hours ago, hkmaly said:

    There are also lot of people having very strong opinion about abortion despite never being pregnant. Although that's little different case as they biologically can't.

    Laws about abortion are passed by majority-male legislatures.

     

    However, there are foods you CAN actually recognize as something you wouldn't like without tasting them. The senses of taste and smell are connected, so you can get some idea by smelling the food. I don't think pizza would be one of such foods, though.

    You can analyze their health impact. By calling pizza "trash", that seemed to be where Kitty was coming from.

    I suppose this is going to be Green Eggs and Ham, isn't it?

     

  6. Posted

    5 hours ago, hkmaly said:

    There must be some global agreement enforced by various local agencies, DGB being the US one.

    However, how exactly do they manage to control states which don't have motivation to cooperate with rest of world, like North Korea?

    Heck, how do they make agreement just between US, Russia and China in way which makes all of them really cooperate and not just pretend to cooperate and develop magic based weapons of mass destruction in secret? ... on the other hand, maybe such weapons ARE being developed and idealistic naive people like Edward are just not informed.

    In WWII, the US, the Soviet Union, and both Chinese factions cooperated against the Axis, and we supplied weapons to Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh in SE Asia. If the need is urgent enough, it can be done.

    That said, track record is, everyone has covert research to weaponize whatever is available, in spite of overt agreements to the contrary.

    You don't hired idealistic naive people to perform an Edward function, nor is he portrayed as being that. He might not be privy to the technical details about how each system works, aside from specific need to know examples that come up in his line of work, but he would know a general sense of capabilities and limitations, what various players are capable of, and such. Recall, he convinced an alien warlord to invade elsewhere through exposition; he must have briefed capabilities.

    I have more trouble with "it's part of the FBI". The FBI is about law enforcement. They tend to get a lot of oversight and FOIA types of scrutiny. If you are hiding that magic exists, you don't have laws about it. I would think a department under the Secret Service (lower profile, already doing specialized missions) (not it's own agency, with a budget line item, you want to hide this under another line item) with more or less direct executive control.

     

    5 hours ago, hkmaly said:

    If Aliens show up in Lunar orbit, it's time for capitulation. We should be able to detect them sooner.

    We are currently tracking an interstellar asteroid that's right out of Rendezvous with Rama. Scientists that suggest it might be artificial are being scoffed at by a significant segment of their peers. I think there's something akin to change blindness that would allow aliens to show up in lunar orbit unnoticed. (When I say "we", I don't mean "me, personally".)

    Also, if you recall the golem's flashback to Heka, they've been doing it for quite a while.

    It's a given that they would have an awareness of stealth technology, should they choose to use it. They could have cloaking; we aren't that far from several approaches to this, I believe there's been prototypes built, and we have biological examples; octopuses in particular. (Yes, it's octopuses, Google it.)

     

    5 hours ago, hkmaly said:

    Of course, if the aliens deliberately initiate first contact (and it's not like accident) they probably already spend some time evaluating our political situation ...

    We are going to misread each other badly. Skewed motivations that don't intersect at all are going to mislead each of us. We're already doing it, and we haven't even met anyone from another world (that I know of); people and their pets do it all the time. Hell, we do it within our own species.

     

  7. Posted · Edited by Darth Fluffy
    Fix typo; "No" should have been "Not"

    Not buying panel 2. That's not being a boy scout, that's being unrealistically nonobservant. Although, weirdly, Liz is the only student pictured as smoking. ... at all ... . OK, different universe, tobacco never caught on ... .

    Actually, the rebel girl started at sixteen; that's kind of late for the stereotype, ... implies few others smoke.

    Definitely plausible, then. People smoke much less than they used to, declining for at least two generations. It was never as popular in the EGS universe, or the decline started earlier.

    For that matter, weed is not discussed or implied at all, although the reason I assumed Liz is smoking a cigarette in the goo story is that she is not hiding it; but different universe ... who knows? No mention has been made of what was being smoked. Nah, I'm going to go with, "Assume the norm is similar to our universe unless it's pointed out to be otherwise".

    Panel 2 still seems unrealistic, but I can suspend my disbelief.

  9. Posted

    44 minutes ago, InfiniteRemnant said:

    I must be the only RVB fan on this board if a thread with a title like that has existed more than 24 hours and nobody has asked "Do you ever wonder why we're here?"

    I'm pink, therefore I'm ham.

     

    ... I think.

  10. Posted

    57 minutes ago, Scotty said:

    Top secret to the US government, sure, ...

    We don't know that it is strictly a US government agency. To be effective, it would have to be more like Interpol. What is the good of suppressing the knowledge of magic in one boundary, if all the neighbors let it run wild.

    It could be based on, "we'll take care of our mess, and trust you to take care of yours", but you can bet they'd still talk.

    But, yes, there would be a US piece of it, either way. The paycheck and building maintenance would come from federal funds.

     

    57 minutes ago, Scotty said:

     ... I think it's because they trust him to ensure that their particular TFG didn't get abused by the US government. I imagine the same knack for keeping hostile aliens from destroying the earth has also been able to keep the government from repurposing alien tech in order to gain an advantage over other nations, or for someone to sell it as their own invention for big bucks.

    You are making a good case for why it has to be international.

     

  11. Posted

    18 minutes ago, Don Edwards said:

    Well, unless the top of the barrel is open and you shoot downward into the barrel.

    Then, depending on the firearm you use, the shock wave from the bullet hitting and going through the water might be sufficient to put most or all of the fish belly-up at the surface.

    I googled it after I posted, and Mythbusters came to the same conclusion, the shock wave is lethal to fish.

  12. Posted

    So, I reference the phrase, "Like shooting fish in a barrel" in my last post on the NP thread, then I realized, that is not actually easy. Assuming a standard wooden barrel (the expression is old) and that you were using small arms. Wooden barrels are thick, and functional ones are well fitted hardwood, so they're tough. A rifle round should have the power to penetrate, or a hefty caliber pistol, but not a small round; leave your .22 at home. You can't see the fish, so your odds are no better than fish cross section over barrel cross section.

    A steel barrel would probably be no easier. A plastic one would be easier, and you might be able to track the fish. But you already have the fish confined, why are you bothering to shoot it? Just grab it, gut it, and pop it on the grill already.

  13. Posted

    9 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

    When I was in first grade, I received a cook book which included a "Pizza" recipe that consisted of English Muffins, Ketchup, and Sliced Hot Dogs

    Ok, I can see that. Hopefully, you learned what actual pizza was before you graduated high school.

     

    Now back when I worked at a Pizza place, we experimented with a Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza, that was chicken and ham on the crust then covered with Bleu Cheese dressing off the salad bar instead of regular Pizza sauce.  The manager and I and several others liked it, but there was no way we could make it for sale.  Bleu Cheese baked in the Pizza oven was a remarkable experience in Funk, and I don't mean Soul Train.

    Pizza with no tomato sauce can work; I suppose it's debatable at what point it's no longer pizza. Greek and Margherita pizzas are common offerings around here.

    There's a truth in advertising issue going on as well. If you say "Pizza with tomato sauce" and hand me something with ketchup, in my mind, you've lied, allowances made for recent post toddlers.

     

    As for Ketchup being a disappointment?

     

    A few years ago, I tried a Hot Sauce produced in Jacksonville, FL that I thought had a nearly perfect blend of sweet and heat.  It wasn't until much later that I discovered that the primary ingredient was Ketchup, with Datil Peppers and Worcestershire Sauce added.

    If just a little tinkering can turn crimson spackling compound into a remarkable sauce, why do the big condiment companies leave us with bottles of bland?

    Ketchup can be wonderful stuff, in the right context. I expect it with fries, and will often use some on a burger or chicken sandwich. I don't have any of those all that often. Not all ketchup is equivalent, either, although the major brands are all very similar.

    More on topic, I like how Mr. LargePizza's "... ought to clear that right up" is coming to fruition. Eh, fish in a barrel, really, but still ...

  14. Posted

    8 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

    Is Liz the Smokey Wizard who was spooked by Grace?

    That doesn't seem to be her style; some of the pieces fit. Smokey was direct. OTOH, I don't see Liz having a driving urge to observe spells to copy them. Seems like something like that would have come up in conversations with Ashley, few though they were on screen in the comic.

  17. Posted

    1 hour ago, detrius said:

    Eh, Abraham had just attempted to murder a child and wasn't detained yet. In such a situation, basically any cop could get away with shooting first and asking questions later.

    "Eh, Abraham had just attempted to murder a child and wasn't detained yet. In such a situation, basically any corrupt cop could get away with shooting first and asking questions later."

    He's still an alleged perpetrator until convicted by a court (aside from "It's in another universe, maybe the Constitution is different"). Edward is not even an eye witness (not that that would matter), all he has is a phone report of an incident (assuming nothing like scrying was used, but he could have some way of knowing more than is normally evident).

     

  18. Posted

    3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

    I seriously hope not, because if she's going to the party she WILL learn magic is real and Edward wouldn't like it.

    "People transform" says she's already aware that her setting has magic. She knows Cheerleadra flies, and has likely seen Nanase floating in the hallway. She's also aware of the battle with the bulldog dragon thing.

    Edward tolerates quite a bit of magic happening in his household, and not everyone was clued in prior to each instance. He might believe he can control the consequences better if it happens at home.

     

    3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

    Note that I don't like this "arc is going too long" attitude ... sure, I'm also looking forward to the party itself, but I also feel that Dan is already cutting corners to make the comics go faster and I'm missing some of those ...

    You misread "the arc is too long"; it's too long for Liz to be dropped as a non-participant, too much prep time. She's had more exposure in the last couple of weeks than in the first decade and a half.

    That has nothing to do with my attitude toward the length of the arc; in fact, I am enjoying this one immensely. Evidence: I cared enough to find this forum again. Not apathetic about the outcome.

    I like Liz as a character, she reminds me of Susan and Diane.

     

  21. Posted

    32 minutes ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

    Yesterday on my way home from work, I noticed a catamaran yacht anchored near the bridge,

    This is absolutely not unusual.  Anyone who lives close enough to a coast to be pestered by seagulls  will occasionally see a nice boat.

    So why did it seem noteworthy as I drove by?  Why does the memory stick out in my head like the buoy marking a crab trap?

     

    "Joy to the world,

    all the bouys and gulls, ... "

     

    Seagulls are my least liked bird, way more so than sky rats. I have occasionally seen them far inland, over the years, and not in any one particular location. But they are worst at the shore. If you have food, there's no such thing as seagull, nor even "a couple of ...".

     

     

  23. Posted

    12 hours ago, Wyrd42 said:

    I used to work at Borders, the largest multinational bookstore in the world at the time. We got a "customer" come in to rant and rave about how we should only be selling Bibles. Nothing else, just Bibles. So, yes, this is a very believable scenario.

    That degree of narrow-mindedness is painful to contemplate. It had to be in the US, I'm guessing South or Mid-West; but really it could be anywhere here.

  24. Posted

    2 hours ago, Don Edwards said:

    Heinlein (via Lazarus Long) said that the two artistic ways of lying are:

    1) Tell the truth and nothing but the truth, but not the whole truth

    2) Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, in such a manner that nobody believes you.

    Which Book(s)? I don't recall that from Lazarus Long, although, I never read To Sail Beyond the Sunset. It sounds like something Jubal Harshaw would have said (Stranger in a Strange Land).

    To paraphrase, the best way to lie is to let people deceive themselves.

  25. Posted

    8 hours ago, Scotty said:

    You're combining "Grace the Goddess" with "Blank check for Weirdness" (AKA the AF04 universe), these stories are before Dan started putting an official "THE END" stamp at the end of stories. the girl in "Grace the Goddess" is, as Dan mentioned in the commentary for the "time speed up" strip, based on Liz, but not actually Liz. Sarah in "Blank check" is an AU version of the Sarah we know and love, and she's probably taken a similar outlook that Liz would have.

    Yes; the stories are back to back, and the character looks the same. FWIW, I kept reading the NPs just after, and Alice appears soon after (next story line maybe?) with much the same look, although the back of her hair looks close cropped. Harder to tell with the earlier art. 

    I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow's comic.