Bartmanhomer Evil Random Banter Thread #237

[Rater202]

...I have no idea what any of you are talking about.

Is this what it's like when I talk about my stuff? Is this what it's like on the outside?

---

So, what does an umbrella become when there's too many holes in it for it to keep you dry in the rain?

Not joking. That question got brought up in last month's issue of Venom and I've been thinking about it ever since.

[Fyraltari]

So, what does an umbrella become when there's too many holes in it for it to keep you dry in the rain?

Worthless. No, seriously, there aren't any name for a dull knife,.a broken chair or a car that won't start. It's just a broken [X].

[Anonymouswizard]

...I have no idea what any of you are talking about.

Is this what it's like when I talk about my stuff? Is this what it's like on the outside?

Wordle is, as it turns out, Wordstermind.

Got today's, but it did take all six guesses to work it out. So I'm 1/1 so far.

So, what does an umbrella become when there's too many holes in it for it to keep you dry in the rain?

Not joking. That question got brought up in last month's issue of Venom and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Improper. If that's your only umbrella it would be better to get wet than suffer the indignity.

[DataNinja]

...I have no idea what any of you are talking about.

Is this what it's like when I talk about my stuff? Is this what it's like on the outside?

Genuinely? Yes. Your stuff is so dense and relies on so many references and specific details, it's as indecipherable to someone who doesn't already know what's going on as that wordle stuff is to you.

[Rater202]

Genuinely? Yes. Your stuff is so dense and relies on so many references and specific details, it's as indecipherable to someone who doesn't already know what's going on as that wordle stuff is to you.

And yet...

Worthless. No, seriously, there aren't any name for a dull knife,.a broken chair or a car that won't start. It's just a broken [X].

Improper. If that's your only umbrella it would be better to get wet than suffer the indignity.

If I don't provide references and specific details, it leads to misunderstandings.

I apologize, but this is more of a philosophical question than a practical one. I have a recurring problem where I either give too much context or not enough. Still... I don't know how to fix that beyond trial and error. Sorry.

The context used an umbrella as a metaphor: Once something has been altered to the point where it no longer meets the basic definition of itself, it stops being that thing and starts being something else.

And my weird-ass brain decided that the question of "So... When an umbrella stops being an umbrella, what is it."

[Fyraltari]

The context used an umbrella as a metaphor: Once something has been altered to the point where it no longer meets the basic definition of itself, it stops being that thing and starts being something else.

And my weird-ass brain decided that the question of "So... When an umbrella stops being an umbrella, what is it."

Metal sticks articulated together with fabric stretches between them, that is torn or bent.

There's no name for that, because nobody cares about such an object.

Edit: To be clear, the object "this umbrella" belongs to the obtological category "umbrella" which itself belongs inside "tool" which itself belongs inside "things". By being broken, the object leaves the first two categories to end up in the category "broken umbrella" within "things".

[Form]

Dunno how many of y'all play, but I damn near fell out of my chair when the second word got colored in.

Wordle 222 3/6

🟦⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Oh no, the Wordle. It's here too! Seems like this has infested much of the internet now.

Weary and mound seem like good standard start guesses every time. Ten different letters, eight of which are vowels, that can be checked right away. Am I supposed to play Wordle in hard mode or normal mode?

...I have no idea what any of you are talking about.

Is this what it's like when I talk about my stuff? Is this what it's like on the outside?

---

Weeeeeeeellllll, a little, yes, only now imagine there's also a lengthy paragraph or two about Wordle tactics too. I'm not saying that's bad, because this is the random banter thread after all and you're clearly not the only one who's into all the DC/Marvel superhero/comics stuff, but for those not familiar with those materials (such as yours truly) those posts tend to be difficult to follow.

[Anonymouswizard]

If I don't provide references and specific details, it leads to misunderstandings.

I apologize, but this is more of a philosophical question than a practical one. I have a recurring problem where I either give too much context or not enough. Still... I don't know how to fix that beyond trial and error. Sorry.

The context used an umbrella as a metaphor: Once something has been altered to the point where it no longer meets the basic definition of itself, it stops being that thing and starts being something else.

And my weird-ass brain decided that the question of "So... When an umbrella stops being an umbrella, what is it."

The term is 'broken umbrella', or from another perspective 'rubbish', 'scrap', or 'reusable materisls'. Nothing big or fancy, either it still falls under the first category, or it falls into the other where the term depends on your intent.

But that had already been covered, so I thought I'd take it in another direction. Plus I'd rather not have to suffer another three pages of dense Marvel discussion for a little while.

[DataNinja]

If I don't provide references and specific details, it leads to misunderstandings.

Yes, and that's the conundrum that you have. You're referencing a body of work that is so convoluted and labyrinthine that the amount of detail needed to understand goes beyond what a casual observer is going to be willing to digest.

Like, being honest, whenever I see one of those posts? I basically go "ah, a big list of names that I have neither context for nor interest in, and details that require ever increasing explanations to give context for." It's just not something that I can really stick in my head in one sitting.

Asking genuinely: How long did it take you to gather all of that Marvel information? Because... that's a representation of the time needed to really understand all of what you're talking about, there's just so much information.

Like, I could go on for aaaaaages about the Halo universe (as Zodi can well attest), but unless you were also invested or had a lot of time put in, I guarantee that no matter how simply I put it, putting enough information in to provide context to what I want to rant about will make most peoples' eyes just glaaaaaze over.

So, being frank, it's not likely to be something you're ever going to be able to get anyone interested in at all unless they're already invested in Marvel to some degree.

[Metastachydium]

there aren't any name for a dull knife

Au contraire! If it is dull by design, chances are high it will be called a table knife, butter knife or something to that effect.

or a car that won't start

Huh. In my mother tongue, there is a word for those. It'd translate to something like carwreck (but that one's got a different meaning in English).

[Rater202]

Asking genuinely: How long did it take you to gather all of that Marvel information? Because... that's a representation of the time needed to really understand all of what you're talking about, there's just so much information.

That time frame would be artificially extended becuase most of what I know in regards to say, Venom, or Krakoa, or the like is stuff I learned as comics came out and comics come out on a weekly basis with most individual titles being published once a month... Without having a dedicated week of the month.

Like, last week's Venom established that, even though Dylan Brock's powers over Symbiotes were removed, they don't react to him normally when they bond. But it could be months before we get an explanation of what exactly is going on. Or years. Or ever.

A lot of what I know comes from wiki-walks or discussions with people who have been reading comics longer than I have.

[Lord Raziere]

And my weird-ass brain decided that the question of "So... When an umbrella stops being an umbrella, what is it."

Junk, garbage, trash, scrap, remnants, rubbish, recyclables, take your pick of synonyms.

I mean I don't particularly read comics, I can kind of understand you because I've watched Linkara who reads a lot of comic book stuff, has links to wikis in my bookmarks and thus absorb this kind of thing by osmosis. problem is I often don't know what to comment on even though I kind of understand what your talking about because your mentioned a particular thing before or follows a certain pattern or tendency for what your talking about. I try to pick it up as best I can.

speaking of superheroes I new idea for a superhero that saves people and doesn't kill anyone....but also tries to steal from the rich and give to the poor, to mix up the usual formula by not making their heroism as clear cut as simply following the law while not resorting to the "kills criminals" anti-heroism thing.

[LaZodiac]

Junk, garbage, trash, scrap, remnants, rubbish, recyclables, take your pick of synonyms.

I mean I don't particularly read comics, I can kind of understand you because I've watched Linkara who reads a lot of comic book stuff, has links to wikis in my bookmarks and thus absorb this kind of thing by osmosis. problem is I often don't know what to comment on even though I kind of understand what your talking about because your mentioned a particular thing before or follows a certain pattern or tendency for what your talking about. I try to pick it up as best I can.

speaking of superheroes I new idea for a superhero that saves people and doesn't kill anyone....but also tries to steal from the rich and give to the poor, to mix up the usual formula by not making their heroism as clear cut as simply following the law while not resorting to the "kills criminals" anti-heroism thing.

Robin Hood for a modern era!

I actually made a hero like that with a friend. Robyn Hood, who took all of the general Robin Hood aesthetic, but updated them to modern day. Instead of unique red fletching on her arrows she used a paintball sniper rifle, for example. And this I'm Canadian and the game I was going to hold for this character and some other friends was in Alberta, we had the vast fortune of having there be a city that's just outright called Sherwood Park up here, for bonus points.

[Rater202]

I mean I don't particularly read comics, I can kind of understand you because I've watched Linkara who reads a lot of comic book stuff, has links to wikis in my bookmarks and thus absorb this kind of thing by osmosis. problem is I often don't know what to comment on even though I kind of understand what your talking about because your mentioned a particular thing before or follows a certain pattern or tendency for what your talking about. I try to pick it up as best I can.

Honestly, while I very much like the stories, for the most part the science of superhumans is the part that appeals to me.

...Also I want to be a symbiote. Or at least have one. To be made of Living Abyss, to be able to become anything, to be constantly growing and changing to overcome all obstacles. That which does not kill you literally can only make you stronger. And "things that do not kill you" includes "existing." And they're practically immortal, even if they're completely destroyed they have been known to regenerate from within the body of a former host(Carnage, the Symbiotic Sword of Conan) or just spontaneously revive. Take a host, absorb the host's skills, memories, and DNA and use it to further your evolution... And back up their consciousness within yourself of the symbiote's hivemind. Living Abyss has properties virtually identical to Unstable Molecules, the... oddly named substance that the fantastic Four uniforms are made of, which means it can be manipulated to have virtually unlimited

If someone's been bonded to a symbiote long enough, bonded deeply enough, or bonded to more than one, the hivemind can even back up their soul and they can come back to life through you, another symbiote, or a stray piece of living abyss.

So... What's not to love? The worst thing that can happen is you develop some kind of damage that heals by eating chocolate. There are no downsides here.

speaking of superheroes I new idea for a superhero that saves people and doesn't kill anyone....but also tries to steal from the rich and give to the poor, to mix up the usual formula by not making their heroism as clear cut as simply following the law while not resorting to the "kills criminals" anti-heroism thing.

So like, I think I admitted a while back that if I had to do crimes to be a supervillain that I'd steal from corrupt corporations and donate the money to charities.

Think about it: How many of the heroes would try that hard to stop me? Half the times the rooked corporations are the ones funding/manufacturing the villains.

[Keltest]

So like, I think I admitted a while back that if I had to do crimes to be a supervillain that I'd steal from corrupt corporations and donate the money to charities.

Think about it: How many of the heroes would try that hard to stop me? Half the times the rooked corporations are the ones funding/manufacturing the villains.

Supervillain at least implies a fairly destructive modus operandi, or something that is otherwise big, spectacular and scary. To say nothing of the fact that its basically impossible to actually physically steal money on that scale these days, since everything is digital.

[Peelee]

Yes, and that's the conundrum that you have. You're referencing a body of work that is so convoluted and labyrinthine that the amount of detail needed to understand goes beyond what a casual observer is going to be willing to digest.

Like, being honest, whenever I see one of those posts? I basically go "ah, a big list of names that I have neither context for nor interest in, and details that require ever increasing explanations to give context for." It's just not something that I can really stick in my head in one sitting.

Asking genuinely: How long did it take you to gather all of that Marvel information? Because... that's a representation of the time needed to really understand all of what you're talking about, there's just so much information.

Like, I could go on for aaaaaages about the Halo universe (as Zodi can well attest), but unless you were also invested or had a lot of time put in, I guarantee that no matter how simply I put it, putting enough information in to provide context to what I want to rant about will make most peoples' eyes just glaaaaaze over.

So, being frank, it's not likely to be something you're ever going to be able to get anyone interested in at all unless they're already invested in Marvel to some degree.

That all goes for me too (well, sub out Halo for Star Wars. Though I still love me some Halo (not 2)).

So like, I think I admitted a while back that if I had to do crimes to be a supervillain that I'd steal from corrupt corporations and donate the money to charities.

Think about it: How many of the heroes would try that hard to stop me? Half the times the rooked corporations are the ones funding/manufacturing the villains.

Probably most of them because even if the charities took it (unlikely), then they would also be complicit in criminal activities thanks to you. Generally, receiving stolen property (eg money) is a crime in most US jurisdictions, and even if they would not be prosecuted, restitution would be at the very least expected, if not straight up ordered.

[Lord Raziere]

Supervillain at least implies a fairly destructive modus operandi, or something that is otherwise big, spectacular and scary. To say nothing of the fact that its basically impossible to actually physically steal money on that scale these days, since everything is digital.

Probably most of them because even if the charities took it (unlikely), then they would also be complicit in criminal activities thanks to you. Generally, receiving stolen property (eg money) is a crime in most US jurisdictions, and even if they would not be prosecuted, restitution would be at the very least expected, if not straight up ordered.

Yea those are two big problems with the premise, even if I think robin hood supers might be where its heading, because classic supers like Superman/Batman have reached archetypal status they're never going to go away, imperfect Marvel team supers and Spiderman they're pretty much archetypal as well, nineties anti-heroes are played out and MHA is pretty much the best "registered superhero" story we're ever going to get- which means everything that tries to copy it afterwards is probably going to be a pale imitation. robin hood supers would get back to the genre's roots while providing a reason why they don't just be cops. how to write around these two things would be thing to work out.

[Rater202]

Supervillain at least implies a fairly destructive modus operandi, or something that is otherwise big, spectacular and scary. To say nothing of the fact that its basically impossible to actually physically steal money on that scale these days, since everything is digital.

The different between a regular villain and supervillain is presentation.

Probably most of them because even if the charities took it (unlikely), then they would also be complicit in criminal activities thanks to you. Generally, receiving stolen property (eg money) is a crime in most US jurisdictions, and even if they would not be prosecuted, restitution would be at the very least expected, if not straight up ordered.

Wh are you assuming that I would be giving the money to them directly and not laundering it and passing it to the charities through shell organizations?

Or hell, if I'm a symbiote I could just body serve through employees of the corporation until I gett o someone high up, directly invovled in the corrupt endeavors, and take control of them and use their knowledge to make them authorize legitimate donations while implanting false memories to make them think it was their own idea.

And while I'm at it, collecting evidence of their immoral and illegal actions and send it to the legitimate authorities or reliable media outlets.

[Anonymouswizard]

Supervillain at least implies a fairly destructive modus operandi, or something that is otherwise big, spectacular and scary. To say nothing of the fact that its basically impossible to actually physically steal money on that scale these days, since everything is digital.

Why do you think I stole all these money printing machines?

More seriously, you'd go for some kind of precious material. Although that was admittedly generally the thing you did to enable you to rob the bank.


And yeah, my specialty topic is Doctor Who lore, although I think I lose that one to Fyraltari.

[Form]

More seriously, you'd go for some kind of precious material. Although that was admittedly generally the thing you did to enable you to rob the bank.

Just do what Goldfinger did and irradiate much of the world's gold so that your own gold becomes much more valuable.

[Rater202]

Just do what Goldfinger did and irradiate much of the world's gold so that your own gold becomes much more valuable.

We trying to do the Robin Hood thing here Form, not give people cancer.

[Form]

We trying to do the Robin Hood thing here Form, not give people cancer.

You don't have to irradiate people, just the gold!

[Rater202]

You don't have to irradiate people, just the gold!

Irradiating a majority of extant gold worldwide would require blanket exposure or large swathes of landmass. People would get caught in the crossfire.

[Peelee]

Why are you assuming that I would be giving the money to them directly and not laundering it and passing it to the charities through shell organizations?

I think it's fairly safe to assume that any given person on this forum is not going to be able to launder large sums of money and set u shell corporations without getting caught fairly easily.

[Rater202]

I think it's fairly safe to assume that any given person on this forum is not going to be able to launder large sums of money and set u shell corporations without getting caught fairly easily.

Yeah, and it's also a safe bet that no given person on the forum is a supervillain.

You're the one who keeps saying ignore the rules and just go with what I want in a given scenario.

[Form]

Irradiating a majority of extant gold worldwide would require blanket exposure or large swathes of landmass. People would get caught in the crossfire.

Fort Knox! Just irradiate the gold storage vault at Fort Knox.

Or, alternatively, hijack an EMP satellite weapon, hack the bank of England to steal money and use the EMP blast to wipe away all evidence.

[Peelee]

Yeah, and it's also a safe bet that no given person on the forum is a supervillain.

You're the one who keeps saying ignore the rules and just go with what I want in a given scenario.

Let me rephrase.

Large sums of money are routinely stolen from organizations. Large sums of money are routinely donated to charities after the thefts. This would come across as suspicious, to say the least.

[Rater202]

Fort Knox! Just irradiate the gold storage vault at Fort Knox.

Or, alternatively, hijack an EMP satellite weapon, hack the bank of England to steal money and use the EMP blast to wipe away all evidence.

Or how about I just use a giant electromagnet capable of relocating asteroids and take the planet itself, hostage, threatening to crash an asteroid into the planet at a high enough velocity to cause catastrophic loss of life unless the Nations of the World pool their resources and pay me... One... Billion... Dollars.

@Peelee: You don't give a large sum all at once. You wait a few months for the heat to die down, then make multiple small donations to several charities over an extended period of time.

[Peelee]

Or how about I just use a giant electromagnet capable of relocating asteroids and take the planet itself, hostage, threatening to crash an asteroid into the planet at a high enough velocity to cause catastrophic loss of life unless the Nations of the World pool their resources and pay me... One... Billion... Dollars.

@Peelee: You don't give a large sum all at once. You wait a few months for the heat to die down, then make multiple small donations to several charities over an extended period of time.

Given how certain amounts of money movement is tracked, I think the amount that the charities would be getting wouldn't really be worth doing the whole thing to start with. And even under those limits, people aren't stupid. If the government mandates recordings of all transfers over $10,000 and you make a bunch of $9,000 transfers, for example, that's also going to get recorded, because there's an enormous chance you're trying to skirt the law (which is also illegal, in this case).

Generally,the people who actually do laundering or shell corporations are either large, very organized groups that have been doing this for decades upon decades, or very rich people who have friends in convenient places. As a wise man said once it's a big club and you ain't in it.

[Tvtyrant]

Or how about I just use a giant electromagnet capable of relocating asteroids and take the planet itself, hostage, threatening to crash an asteroid into the planet at a high enough velocity to cause catastrophic loss of life unless the Nations of the World pool their resources and pay me... One... Billion... Dollars.

@Peelee: You don't give a large sum all at once. You wait a few months for the heat to die down, then make multiple small donations to several charities over an extended period of time.

If you are going to have powers/magical machinery like that, why are you threatening anyone? Why not just pull the asteroid into a stable orbit and mine it? It's like how Doctor Horrible invents a teleporter and uses it to steal gold instead of literally anything else.

Money isn't wealth, it is a marker of shares. Wealth is about the amount of labor specialization you have available, where by using less labor to accomplish the same task you free up labor for more tasks. If you live in a region with a large export you can avoid local labor specialization by trading a single highly valuable item for the surplus specialized labor elsewhere, but that just means you are expanding the size of the market the shares are representing.

So a supervillain redistributing wealth is going to do a lot less good then them increasing labor specialization or available resources, especially given the redistribution is being done in a disruptive way. Worst case scenario you wreck the economy to the point where people fall back on subsistence farming.