New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 10 of 13 FirstFirst 12345678910111213 LastLast
Results 271 to 300 of 373
  1. - Top - End - #271
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2015

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Rogar Demonblud View Post
    Anticipation is easily half the nightmare.
    Nah, man, not even close. Not close at all.

    Don't bother dreading over it. You just can't fathom what it'll be anyways.

    And the funny thing is, you think you know what being tired is like. Hahahahahahahahahahahahashahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
    Attention LotR fans
    Spoiler: LotR
    Show
    The scouring of the Shire never happened. That's right. After reading books I, II, and III, I stopped reading when the One Ring was thrown into Mount Doom. The story ends there. Nothing worthwhile happened afterwards. Middle-Earth was saved.

  2. - Top - End - #272
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    SamuraiGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Colorado
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    Nah. It's being a responsible parent that really makes you realise "maybe I should grow up a bit". I was ok with bad eating habits, by and large, before I suddenly became responsible for another human being.

    GW
    There are social scientists who argue that we should encourage people to have children because it makes them better adults. People tend to start thinking longer term about society.

    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    Nah, they more than make up for it pretty damn fast. When my kid was born, I could not stop crying for a long, long time. Pure happiness.
    The distinction between fun and joy made clear. Watching your child sleep is about as much fun as watching paint dry. But the joy that wells up inside you, and the love? Ah. That's a different thing entirely.

    I would advise people to trade fun for joy.
    This ... is my signature finishing move!

    "It's never good when you make a fiend cringe" - MadGrady

    According to some online quiz, I'm a 6th level TN Wizard. They didn't give me full XP for all the monsters I've defeated while daydreaming.
    http://easydamus.com/character.html

    I am a Ranger Archetype: Gleaming Warden (thx to Ninja Prawn)

  3. - Top - End - #273
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Grey_Wolf_c's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2007

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Shining Wrath View Post
    There are social scientists who argue that we should encourage people to have children because it makes them better adults. People tend to start thinking longer term about society.
    That sounds like a terrible idea. Have these social scientists not heard of abusive parents? If people don't want kids, let them not have kids. Heinlein's overarching point in Starship Troopers is terrible, but I do agree with this:
    Quote Originally Posted by Heinlein, Starship Troopers
    “Young man, can you restore my eyesight?” “Sir? Why, no, sir!” “You would find it much easier than to instill moral virtue—social responsibility—into a person who doesn’t have it, doesn’t want it, and resents having the burden thrust on him.”
    And in a rare case of overlap, this is what Pratchett has to say on the subject:
    Quote Originally Posted by Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time
    “Sometimes I really think people ought to have to pass a proper exam before they're allowed to be parents. Not just the practical, I mean.”
    Parenthood is not for the unready. I approve of the objective of assisting some people grow up, but I draw the line at using a baby for that, because if they turn out to not be ready or capable of growing up? The one that'll suffer is the baby.

    Grey Wolf
    Last edited by Grey_Wolf_c; 2021-02-12 at 09:15 AM.
    Interested in MitD? Join us in MitD's thread.
    There is a world of imagination
    Deep in the corners of your mind
    Where reality is an intruder
    And myth and legend thrive
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Ceterum autem censeo Hilgya malefica est

  4. - Top - End - #274
    Titan in the Playground
     
    danielxcutter's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Seoul
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    And this is why I fear I'll never be a good enough dad.
    Cool elan Illithid Slayer by linkele.

    Editor/co-writer of Magicae Est Potestas, a crossover between Artemis Fowl and Undertale. Ao3 FanFiction.net DeviantArt
    We also have a TvTropes page!

    Currently playing: Red Hand of Doom(campaign journal) Campaign still going on, but journal discontinued until further notice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Squire Doodad View Post
    I could write a lengthy explanation, but honestly just what danielxcutter said.
    Extended sig here.

  5. - Top - End - #275
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Beverly, MA, USA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    That sounds like a terrible idea. Have these social scientists not heard of abusive parents? If people don't want kids, let them not have kids.
    Forcing people who don't want kids to have kids is one thing; encouraging people to have children by making the experience easier is something altogether different. I was looking at a series of charts yesterday that showed that roughly half of (American) adults (excluding those who said their family was "still growing") have fewer children than they want to. Granted, having one child rather than two is not the same thing as having no children rather than one, but many of the same reasons apply in both cases.

    It's tough to talk too much about this without risking a brush with the no-politics rule, but speaking generally, it would be nice if society found a way to lower the financial costs associated with being a parent. I'm not too concerned that doing so would lead to a surge in abusive parents; it's much more likely that it would lead to more numerous, stabler, and happier families. There are downsides, too, but I'm not sure I can talk about them without getting too close to bending the no-politics rule.
    Last edited by Emanick; 2021-02-12 at 11:56 AM.
    Number of Character Appearances VII - To Absent Friends

    Currently playing a level 20 aasimar necromancer named Zebulun Salathiel and a level 9 goliath diviner named Lo-Kag.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fyraltari View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    Player: Bob twists the vault door super hard, that should open it.
    DM: Why would you think that?
    Player: Well, Bob thinks it. And since Bob has high Int and Wis, and a lot of points in Dungeoneering, he would probably know a thing or two about how to open vault doors.
    Ah yes, the Dungeon-Kruger effect.

  6. - Top - End - #276
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    hroțila's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Not gonna lie, I'm a bit put off by all this talk about how you aren't truly an adult (or even a good citizen with full moral standing) unless you have kids.
    Last edited by hroțila; 2021-02-12 at 12:03 PM.
    ungelic is us

  7. - Top - End - #277
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Beverly, MA, USA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by hroțila View Post
    Not gonna lie, I'm a bit put off by all this talk about how you aren't truly an adult (or even a good citizen with full moral standing) unless you have kids.
    Not only do you need to have kids to be an adult, you also need to have worked in at least seven different jobs, fought in a war, and walked uphill to school both ways. Also, you need to have been born before 1970.

    Let’s face it: None of us will ever be real adults, no matter what we do.
    Number of Character Appearances VII - To Absent Friends

    Currently playing a level 20 aasimar necromancer named Zebulun Salathiel and a level 9 goliath diviner named Lo-Kag.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fyraltari View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    Player: Bob twists the vault door super hard, that should open it.
    DM: Why would you think that?
    Player: Well, Bob thinks it. And since Bob has high Int and Wis, and a lot of points in Dungeoneering, he would probably know a thing or two about how to open vault doors.
    Ah yes, the Dungeon-Kruger effect.

  8. - Top - End - #278
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Fyraltari's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    France
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Emanick View Post
    Not only do you need to have kids to be an adult, you also need to have worked in at least seven different jobs, fought in a war, and walked uphill to school both ways. Also, you need to have been born before 1970.

    Let’s face it: None of us will ever be real adults, no matter what we do.
    I'm convinced that all the "real adults" are just overgrown kids faking it 'till they make it.
    Last edited by Fyraltari; 2021-02-12 at 12:13 PM.
    Forum Wisdom

    Mage avatar by smutmulch & linklele.

  9. - Top - End - #279
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Beverly, MA, USA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Fyraltari View Post
    I'm convinced that all the "real adults" are just overgrown kids faking it 'till they make it.
    One day I’ll manage to make this my headcanon. It would take a lot of the pressure off.
    Number of Character Appearances VII - To Absent Friends

    Currently playing a level 20 aasimar necromancer named Zebulun Salathiel and a level 9 goliath diviner named Lo-Kag.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fyraltari View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    Player: Bob twists the vault door super hard, that should open it.
    DM: Why would you think that?
    Player: Well, Bob thinks it. And since Bob has high Int and Wis, and a lot of points in Dungeoneering, he would probably know a thing or two about how to open vault doors.
    Ah yes, the Dungeon-Kruger effect.

  10. - Top - End - #280
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Besides the dartboard height, nothing seems to be little person sized. The short arm could just be an odd viewing angle.

    Does seem to be a druid based on the plants. A couple hanging plants could be anyone but the number and locations are beyond anything normal for decorative purposes. Also The Giant has previously liked using house plants with druids rather than full blown indoor jungles.

    Location seems to be some sort of bunker with survival and work accommodations. 1 person since there's no privacy.

    No idea if he's stirring a magical concoction or dinner. Both are easily possible in a comic book world.

    EDIT: Skimmed thread and found parent and child comments. I suppose that's possible with the above too and it still fits all of the above. Having the little person's accommodations off camera could be intentional subversion and it could explain privacy issues too.
    Last edited by ericgrau; 2021-02-12 at 12:48 PM.
    So you never have to interrupt a game to look up a rule again:
    My 3.5e Rules Cheat Sheets: Normal, With Consolidated Skill System
    TOGC's 3.5e Spell/etc Cards: rpgnow / drivethru rpg
    Utilities: Magic Item Shop Generator (Req. MS Excel), Balanced Low Magic Item System
    Printable Cardstock Dungeon Tiles and other terrain stuff (100 MB)

  11. - Top - End - #281
    Dragon in the Playground Moderator
     
    Peelee's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Washington D.C.
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Fyraltari View Post
    I'm convinced that all the "real adults" are just overgrown kids faking it 'till they make it.
    I can confirm. I still feel like late teens/early 20s. My body doesn't.
    Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.

    Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2

  12. - Top - End - #282
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Jasdoif's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Oregon, USA

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by hroțila View Post
    Not gonna lie, I'm a bit put off by all this talk about how you aren't truly an adult (or even a good citizen with full moral standing) unless you have kids.
    On one hand, it's hard for me to accept that I'm supposed to be an adult solely because I managed to live this long. On the other, from time to time I do worry about the general state of the world for my niblings*; is that supposed to count?

    * I'm sure this is supposed to be a combination of "sibling" and how "niece" and "nephew" both start with "n"; but come on, English, why do you mock me so?
    Feytouched Banana eldritch disciple avatar by...me!

    The Index of the Giant's Comments VI―Making Dogma from Zapped Bananas

  13. - Top - End - #283
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Grey_Wolf_c's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2007

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by danielxcutter View Post
    And this is why I fear I'll never be a good enough dad.
    I don't fear that (well, parent), I depend on it. I will not be the one to call myself "good enough" and proceed to rest on my laurels. I can get away with that anywhere else, but when it comes to my child, I intend to continue to improve my parenting till the day I die.

    Quote Originally Posted by hroțila View Post
    Not gonna lie, I'm a bit put off by all this talk about how you aren't truly an adult (or even a good citizen with full moral standing) unless you have kids.
    No-one has said either of those things?

    The first might be in reference to my comment, and that was clearly not universal, but applying strictly to myself. Find your own damn way of growing up. Heck I even said that foisting kids on others will not work. The second is an utter misreading of Heinlein, whose point is that you can't force people to be moral, no matter what.

    GW
    Last edited by Grey_Wolf_c; 2021-02-12 at 01:07 PM.
    Interested in MitD? Join us in MitD's thread.
    There is a world of imagination
    Deep in the corners of your mind
    Where reality is an intruder
    And myth and legend thrive
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Ceterum autem censeo Hilgya malefica est

  14. - Top - End - #284
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Ironsmith's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    US
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Shining Wrath View Post
    There are social scientists who argue that we should encourage people to have children because it makes them better adults. People tend to start thinking longer term about society.
    I'd argue this goes for being responsible for another person, period. Well, maybe not on the societal level, but it does raise standards pretty consistently.

    I mean, if you're doing something entirely for yourself, your efforts generally stop at the level of "good enough". If you do it for someone else, you have to perform to higher standards because you don't know what their "good enough" is, and you don't want to come up short.

    Now extrapolate that from the scale of "one household chore" to "total dependency".
    Who're you? ...Don't matter.

    Want some rye? 'Course ya do!


    Here's to us.
    Who's like us?
    Damn few,
    and they're aaall dead.


    *gushes unintelligibly over our cat, Sunshine*

    [Nexus characters, grouped by setting:
    Ouroboros: here
    Maesda: here
    Others: here
    ]

  15. - Top - End - #285
    Pixie in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jun 2013

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    No-one has said either of those things?

    The first might be in reference to my comment, and that was clearly not universal, but applying strictly to myself. Find your own damn way of growing up. Heck I even said that foisting kids on others will not work. The second is an utter misreading of Heinlein, whose point is that you can't force people to be moral, no matter what.

    GW
    Clear implication - in fact, I'm pretty sure it was said. Lets review:

    "Having them [children] makes you a better adult" - to the extent where people are advocating forcing it, in order to improve other people. That is basically saying that you're not good enough at being an adult without having kids. Or not having full moral standing without kids.

    Then your sole argument against doing that can be boiled down to "no, because some people either can't become proper adults, or won't become proper adults, and thus the kid will be in a bad situation." That's not arguing against the premise that people should have kids because it makes them better people [and thus they're not as good as they should be without having kids]. Completely ignoring that some people don't want to have kids, and we're no worse people, regardless if our reasons are "I would make a bad parent", "I don't want them", "I can't have them", "I don't want to pass on genetic problems" or whatever. Note that your statement has an implicit acceptance of childfree and childless are not proper adults, by saying that they would have to become proper adults. Heck, you approve of taking that choice away from people in order to "improve" them and force them to grow up - "I approve of the objective, but it could harm the baby".

    Your response didn't say it, but also failed to challenge it at all, basically reinforcing the view.

  16. - Top - End - #286
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Ironsmith's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    US
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Feruk View Post
    Clear implication - in fact, I'm pretty sure it was said. Lets review:

    "Having them [children] makes you a better adult" - to the extent where people are advocating forcing it, in order to improve other people. That is basically saying that you're not good enough at being an adult without having kids. Or not having full moral standing without kids.

    Then your sole argument against doing that can be boiled down to "no, because some people either can't become proper adults, or won't become proper adults, and thus the kid will be in a bad situation." That's not arguing against the premise that people should have kids because it makes them better people [and thus they're not as good as they should be without having kids]. Completely ignoring that some people don't want to have kids, and we're no worse people, regardless if our reasons are "I would make a bad parent", "I don't want them", "I can't have them", "I don't want to pass on genetic problems" or whatever. Note that your statement has an implicit acceptance of childfree and childless are not proper adults, by saying that they would have to become proper adults. Heck, you approve of taking that choice away from people in order to "improve" them and force them to grow up - "I approve of the objective, but it could harm the baby".

    Your response didn't say it, but also failed to challenge it at all, basically reinforcing the view.
    That seems like a grossly erroneous interpretation of the view posited. What I read is thus:

    "People tend to mature if/when they have children."
    "So, should more people have children?"
    "No; it doesn't always work, and when it doesn't work, people get very hurt."

    Nothing in there implied inadequacy if you don't (choose to) have children, nor implied that the only objection would be in regards to the child's health; rather, that was the most prominent of many possible objections, and more than enough to establish it as a Bad Idea. Why pound the rubble?
    Who're you? ...Don't matter.

    Want some rye? 'Course ya do!


    Here's to us.
    Who's like us?
    Damn few,
    and they're aaall dead.


    *gushes unintelligibly over our cat, Sunshine*

    [Nexus characters, grouped by setting:
    Ouroboros: here
    Maesda: here
    Others: here
    ]

  17. - Top - End - #287
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2015

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    That sounds like a terrible idea. Have these social scientists not heard of abusive parents? If people don't want kids, let them not have kids. Heinlein's overarching point in Starship Troopers is terrible, but I do agree with this:


    And in a rare case of overlap, this is what Pratchett has to say on the subject:


    Parenthood is not for the unready. I approve of the objective of assisting some people grow up, but I draw the line at using a baby for that, because if they turn out to not be ready or capable of growing up? The one that'll suffer is the baby.

    Grey Wolf
    Quote Originally Posted by danielxcutter View Post
    And this is why I fear I'll never be a good enough dad.
    And that's, I think, a good display of the issues underlying that kind of saying.

    Parenthood is being put up as such a monumental task, with impossible standards, that it makes the careful and reasonable cancel or delay any project of parenthood, while not likely having any impact on the careless who are to become the kind of parents the sentiment was meant to critique in the first place.

    People have been parenting since the dawn of time, before the existence of any education or economic system. They certainly haven't all been /good/ parents, but I do feel that there's this mainstream discourse that needlessly discourages people from becoming parents. I mean, sure, there are some local exceptions, and I don't want to go into politics because I've already gotten a warning about expressing my thoughts about places not having paid parental leave or any kind of parental job protection. But other than for those places, I really don't see any reason that parenthood should be delayed forever further and further into one's life. Can't not think of Idiocracy's intro about this.

    We had our first kid relatively young, by today's standards (not by previous generations'). Hadn't finished our studies yet, but it was planned, and we finished them with the baby without any significant problem. Not for everyone, though, I'll grant that. But waiting off until your whole life is set and you are 100% confident that you'll be a superparent before having your first kid, somewhere in your thirties at best? I don't think that's good for society. I don't think that's healthy.

    "Perfect" shouldn't stand in the way of "good". "Perfect is the enemy of good", it is said. In my opinion, parenting is firstly a matter of will. It's not about having all the innate qualities and answers to all the problems. It's about the will to persevere and do what's best for your kids. As such, all this fear about being ready is a red herring. You can't prepare yourself to parenthood. You just have to want it.
    Attention LotR fans
    Spoiler: LotR
    Show
    The scouring of the Shire never happened. That's right. After reading books I, II, and III, I stopped reading when the One Ring was thrown into Mount Doom. The story ends there. Nothing worthwhile happened afterwards. Middle-Earth was saved.

  18. - Top - End - #288
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    bunsen_h's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2009

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    The first might be in reference to my comment, and that was clearly not universal, but applying strictly to myself. Find your own damn way of growing up. Heck I even said that foisting kids on others will not work. The second is an utter misreading of Heinlein, whose point is that you can't force people to be moral, no matter what.
    Mind you, Heinlein was very preachy at times about the importance of people having children, as well as about how to raise them. And doing so on the basis of a total lack of personal experience.

  19. - Top - End - #289
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Ginasius's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2018

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by danielxcutter View Post
    And this is why I fear I'll never be a good enough dad.
    He who fears being insane has a good chance of being sane, and he who fears not being a good father has a good chance of not ending up being a bad one.
    Life is like a ladder in a henhouse; it is short, but full of guano.

  20. - Top - End - #290
    Titan in the Playground
     
    KorvinStarmast's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Texas
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    I can confirm. I still feel like late teens/early 20s. My body doesn't.
    I attempted to extend adolescence deep into my 40's. All my wife had to say was "nice try."
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    I intend to continue to improve my parenting till the day I die.
    My mom is 90. She has me as a son. (And that's another data point for "life is not fair"). As she reminded me today during our phone call "parenting never ends."
    But this time, she laughed, even though it hurts more to do that now. She's pretty awesome.
    Avatar by linklele. How Teleport Works
    a. Malifice (paraphrased):
    Rulings are not 'House Rules.' Rulings are a DM doing what DMs are supposed to do.
    b. greenstone (paraphrased):
    Agency means that they {players} control their character's actions; you control the world's reactions to the character's actions.
    Gosh, 2D8HP, you are so very correct!
    Second known member of the Greyview Appreciation Society

  21. - Top - End - #291
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2015

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Another relevant quote concerning the widespread insecurities of becoming a parent: "'The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence."

    Bad parents aren't holding back from becoming parents. These people shouldn't be an excuse for others not to become parents themselves.
    Attention LotR fans
    Spoiler: LotR
    Show
    The scouring of the Shire never happened. That's right. After reading books I, II, and III, I stopped reading when the One Ring was thrown into Mount Doom. The story ends there. Nothing worthwhile happened afterwards. Middle-Earth was saved.

  22. - Top - End - #292
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2013

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    I still feel like late teens/early 20s. My body doesn't.
    A recent acquaintance told me I seemed to be 25. Being closer to 60 than I like to admit I took that as quite a compliment.
    Then it occurred to me maybe she meant mentally. But you know what? I'll take it.

  23. - Top - End - #293
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    SamuraiGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Colorado
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by ericgrau View Post
    Besides the dartboard height, nothing seems to be little person sized. The short arm could just be an odd viewing angle.

    Does seem to be a druid based on the plants. A couple hanging plants could be anyone but the number and locations are beyond anything normal for decorative purposes. Also The Giant has previously liked using house plants with druids rather than full blown indoor jungles.

    Location seems to be some sort of bunker with survival and work accommodations. 1 person since there's no privacy.

    No idea if he's stirring a magical concoction or dinner. Both are easily possible in a comic book world.

    EDIT: Skimmed thread and found parent and child comments. I suppose that's possible with the above too and it still fits all of the above. Having the little person's accommodations off camera could be intentional subversion and it could explain privacy issues too.
    The handles on the wardrobes are also low. I think it's possible there's a short person about.

    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    I can confirm. I still feel like late teens/early 20s. My body doesn't.
    I'm close to retirement age - in fact, I'm double dipping, retired from Place A when they froze my pension at earned benefits and took a job at Place B. And I still refuse to grow up - I play video games and the like. But my body is definitely aging.

    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    That sounds like a terrible idea. Have these social scientists not heard of abusive parents? If people don't want kids, let them not have kids. Heinlein's overarching point in Starship Troopers is terrible, but I do agree with this:


    And in a rare case of overlap, this is what Pratchett has to say on the subject:


    Parenthood is not for the unready. I approve of the objective of assisting some people grow up, but I draw the line at using a baby for that, because if they turn out to not be ready or capable of growing up? The one that'll suffer is the baby.

    Grey Wolf
    Encouraging parenting is different than mandating it. Ergo, the idea that it's not for everyone is included. Furthermore, I'm afraid some of the most abusive parents are quite likely to think they are the perfect people to parent, and will go ahead whether they are encouraged or not. The point is that parenting does change ones viewpoint in a way that might be viewed as beneficial for society as a whole.

    Quote Originally Posted by KorvinStarmast View Post
    I attempted to extend adolescence deep into my 40's. All my wife had to say was "nice try." My mom is 90. She has me as a son. (And that's another data point for "life is not fair"). As she reminded me today during our phone call "parenting never ends."
    But this time, she laughed, even though it hurts more to do that now. She's pretty awesome.
    My oldest is over 40. I still parent him. Even though he's in another country. Erma Bombeck wrote a piece about this once - about asking her mom when it gets easier, and eventually realizing (without being told directly) that it never does. The older they get, the more they are out of your control - and that's good - and the bigger mistakes they can make. And you still love them just as much, but now you have to watch them and not interfere.

    The worry never ends. The wanting to make it better when they are hurt never ends. The ability to actually do something diminishes asymptotically toward zero.
    This ... is my signature finishing move!

    "It's never good when you make a fiend cringe" - MadGrady

    According to some online quiz, I'm a 6th level TN Wizard. They didn't give me full XP for all the monsters I've defeated while daydreaming.
    http://easydamus.com/character.html

    I am a Ranger Archetype: Gleaming Warden (thx to Ninja Prawn)

  24. - Top - End - #294
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    bunsen_h's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2009

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by KorvinStarmast View Post
    I attempted to extend adolescence deep into my 40's. All my wife had to say was "nice try." My mom is 90. She has me as a son. (And that's another data point for "life is not fair"). As she reminded me today during our phone call "parenting never ends."
    But this time, she laughed, even though it hurts more to do that now. She's pretty awesome.
    "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." -- Doctor Who (4th Doctor)

  25. - Top - End - #295
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    South France
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    as a parent/ veteran/ immigrant/ university graduate/ traveler, i can say that each of these personal life facets are not a requirement to be anything. though some definitely are sort of exclusive clubs, where if you are not a member of that club it is sort of difficult to understand certain aspects. just as certain aspects of being a vet will never quite be understood by non-vets, though another vet will identify immediately, the same can be said about parents/ non-parents. and as much as people may want to understand, they can only look in from the outside and imagine. but none of these clubs are a requirement to be a well rounded adult, but kind of shorthand to explain who we are and to identify fellow members and a way to connect.
    It's "locksmith of LOVE!" not "LO!"

  26. - Top - End - #296
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Metastachydium's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2020

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Shining Wrath View Post
    The handles on the wardrobes are also low. I think it's possible there's a short person about.
    People tell that a lot, but it's not true. Far from it, in fact. I took some measurements, y'see. On my screen, O-Chul is 1.1 cm tall. The handles are 6 mm from the ground. If O-Chul is 6' tall or taller, the distance between the handles and the ground is roughly 3'2" or more – uncomfortably high for a small character.

  27. - Top - End - #297
    Barbarian in the Playground
    Join Date
    Aug 2020

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by bunsen_h View Post
    "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." -- Doctor Who (4th Doctor)
    “When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

    -C.S. Lewis, On Stories: and other essays on literature, 1966

  28. - Top - End - #298
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    bunsen_h's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2009

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Metastachydium View Post
    People tell that a lot, but it's not true. Far from it, in fact. I took some measurements, y'see. On my screen, O-Chul is 1.1 cm tall. The handles are 6 mm from the ground. If O-Chul is 6' tall or taller, the distance between the handles and the ground is roughly 3'2" or more – uncomfortably high for a small character.
    Yes. It's not that the handles are low, but that the cabinet-looking things are very tall.

  29. - Top - End - #299
    Titan in the Playground
     
    KorvinStarmast's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Texas
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by eaglewingz View Post
    A recent acquaintance told me I seemed to be 25. Being closer to 60 than I like to admit I took that as quite a compliment. Then it occurred to me maybe she meant mentally. But you know what? I'll take it.
    Cackled, I did.
    Quote Originally Posted by Shining Wrath View Post
    Erma Bombeck wrote a piece about this once - about asking her mom when it gets easier, and eventually realizing (without being told directly) that it never does.
    Oh, man, there's a blast from the past. Erma's columns. Haven't seen one in years. (We stopped newspaper delivery a while back when the delivery system frequently ... didn't deliver with great frequency).
    It never gets easier: yep. One of mine's 28 and one is 31 with a child. They've flown the nest and are out there doing their thing in the world. But we stay in touch and I am occasionally asked for advice. (that's nice). I stopped offering advice, except on request, at about the time each finished college.

    "You know how to reach me if you'd like another viewpoint/opinion" That has worked out reasonably well.

    My wife prefers to keep offering advice for free and unasked for. That's her groove. Sometimes well received, sometimes not. Parents are not required to be perfect, but I think it is required to keep working at it ... even at this time ...

    Which brings us back to Eugene: And Sidgi. And Ian.
    Different approaches.
    Quote Originally Posted by bunsen_h View Post
    Yes. It's not that the handles are low, but that the cabinet-looking things are very tall.
    Reminds me of the time I met Ralph Sampson in person. Korvin, it's not that you are so short, it's that Ralph is in fact 7' 2" tall.
    Last edited by KorvinStarmast; 2021-02-13 at 01:07 PM.
    Avatar by linklele. How Teleport Works
    a. Malifice (paraphrased):
    Rulings are not 'House Rules.' Rulings are a DM doing what DMs are supposed to do.
    b. greenstone (paraphrased):
    Agency means that they {players} control their character's actions; you control the world's reactions to the character's actions.
    Gosh, 2D8HP, you are so very correct!
    Second known member of the Greyview Appreciation Society

  30. - Top - End - #300

    Default Re: OOTS #1225 - The Discussion Thread

    Erma died years ago, so it would be kind of hard to find a new column. Wouldn't be surprised if they're collected on-line somewhere.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •