Be reasonable

It confuses people.

Fiction Friday - genderqueer dinosaurs

The Mighty Protectors RPG has tables that allow for random genderness determination. 

They also have some cool alien races, and you can play mutated dinosaurs, because it's a Superhero RPG, so you can be, you know, whatever.

I was a pansexual transgender genderqueer teenage pteranodon.  

“Mom, Dad? I'm going to live with the humans. At least then whatever bathroom I use, they'll just scream ‘Help! It's a dinosaur!’.”

(page 9)

On a serious note, it is actually pretty cool to see some game authors taking a level-headed approach to this, and just being like "Well, it's reality, so let's put it in there, and acknowledge that non-cisgender people exist, and the players will sort it out, or skip it, or whatever."

It does make me really, really, appreciate how boring my genetics are.

Having said all that, I just can't ever see an episode of "Dinosaur Train" again.

The Fallacy of Relevancy of Wealth

People like Gov Scott Walker or Rep Paul Ryan delude themselves into believing they were relevant to their billionaire masters .

What most of the one percent fail to realize is that they are meat shields for the 0.1%.

The difference between a millionaire and a billionaire is three orders of magnitude both literally and figuratively. The literally part is self evident, but the figuratively part is so hard for most people to grasp that they don't.

At billionaire status, money becomes irrelevant to action. Want a car? Done. Want a house? Done. Want an island? Okay, maybe you need to finance that one - but you can. Fantasy and reality blur. Money is an abstraction; money is a way of keeping score. It's just numbers. To really keep score you need a new yardstick. How many cars? Are they this months' fashion? Do you own a house in the right location (nevermind that you have no idea what it looks like even though the broker whose name you don't remember sent you pictures, as long as the property management people turn a profit renting it out, and you can say you own a house in the right neighborhood).

The one percent can't do these things. So many of the one percent struggle with the same stupid shit the rest of us do, they just find a way to make it all a lot more expensive for themselves and thus live the same paradigm, it just costs more. (Okay, yes, orders of magnitude between vacationing at the state park campground and the chalet on France, but it remains an issue of budget constraint rather than absurdist fantasy.)

What do I have against racists?

It all boils down to the amount of willful ignorance and stupidity required for racists to congratulate themselves on being picked on, and to blame other people for their plight, instead of spending that energy productively on taking personal responsibility and pulling their shit together to make their lives, and those of their community, better.

Racists would just be laughable and pathetic if they weren't so dangerous.

Racism is hate, and hate is such a fucking waste of useful energy.

(See also)

Irony of the Second Amendment

Isn't it ironic that the Second Amendment of the US Constitution was written by a group of elite, college educated, wealthy liberals?

After consulting several scholars and other sources, we found that -- with some exceptions -- central figures in the nation’s founding generally came from privileged backgrounds, attended college at a time when very few people did and, by 1776, were prominent and wealthy.

(Source)

They were, apparently, also mostly fucking geniuses, which puts them several levels of brainpower above the average gun owner, and way above the average ammosexual.

(Yes, I did just distinguish average gun owners from ammosexuals. There is a huge difference, and average gun owners reading this can now take a deep breath and quit being offended snowflakes because I used the word "ammosexuals" at all.)

Gun ownership by education level.  Interestingly, it's pretty spread out. I'd really be curious to see the demographic breakdown of "number of guns by education level" - the stereotype is the less educated hoarde guns out of fear of "da evil people," but what is reality?

Apparently 29% of gun owners - about 1/3 - own 5 or more guns.  Seriously??

Reality?  Reality is that the Second Amendment to the US Constitution was written by people smarter, better educated, and wealthier (at the time of the writing) than any damn fool worshiping the Second Amendment today.

Did you ever Google "meme about 2a"?

Yeah, don't.

Dear God, the Stupid is exceeded only by the self-congratulatory arrogance.

But, hey, you know, Guns Make People Special, right?

Yeah, that's what I thought.  "More equal than the feminist movement."  Yeah. Special Snowflake Gun Owners don't understand what feminism means, because ammosexuals are really just chickenshits, who don't really respect women, but they like to congratulate themselves for being Special and Precious.

Trump Twittering 2 - America's Shame

I've talked about President Trump (barf in my mouth) using Twitter before.  Hell, everyone talks about what an embarrassment Trump using Twitter is. 

But, let's stick to the fact that Donald Trump is President of the United States for a moment.  Just, let that horror rebound in your brain for a minute.

And President Trump's favored platform for expressing himself is Twitter.

Fucking Twitter.

The President of the United States of America wrote that message.

I want to die of shame and embarrassment to be an American right now.  A CHILD would have written better than that!

That tweet is the work of an 8 year-old throwing a tantrum, because little Susie says he pulled her hair, and he doesn't want the teacher to make him apologize.

Any human being not embarrassed that Trump is President of the United States is a fucking idiot.

Yes, real patriots are appalled that this emotional snowflake man-baby is President. 

I'm going to go throw up now.

"The end of Humanity was announced on Twitter."

That would be such a fitting epithet of the waste of human potential since 1980.  I mean, seriously, what a fucking mess we've made of the entire world, after all the hard work the generations before 

spent trying to make things better for later generations.

“The worst apprehensions have come true,” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., wrote in a tweet. “Our warnings have been left unheard."

Oh, bullshit.  You people bloody well knew your posturing would be ignored. You practically engineered it to be ignored.  Don't be such drama queens and try to claim the moral high ground.

A fucking TWEET!?  Jesus, let's just all act like children now, and break-up with each other in text messages, because "Hey, fuck you, too!"

“A pre-designed scenario is being implemented,” Antonov said. “Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences. All responsibility for them rests with Washington, London and Paris."

1) if the scenario is pre-designed, then it was also pre-selected, and you asswipes were just itching for an excuse to use it, so don't try claiming "Oh, gosh, we're surprised, and we're totally reacting";

2) don't be immature whiny babies and try to pretend you're not responsible for your own actions. You bloody well know you could act like grown-ups, and take the high ground, and own your actions and stick with "We're responding." But, nooooo, act like children and say "Not my fault I acted like a jerk! Not my fault I killed people! Not my fault!"

Bullshit. The leadership of the US, France and UK acted like assholes, Mr Antonov, tell your leaders to at least have the decency to act like a grown-ups and own up to being assholes right back.

Fiction Friday - I want to be a blue-haired mutant

I want blue hair. I mean, as like a natural mutation. Plus, I want superpowers. Flight would be totally awesome, especially if I could achieve orbit, and float around in space without a spacesuit. I'd totally buzz the space station. That would be so fucking awesome.

Space flight and blue hair. That's what I want for Christmas.

(Model Riae)

(and yes, I've wished for Riae's blue hair before)

And me, being me, where spontaneous off-the-cuff ideas, that start life as simple fun-and-cheeky G+ posts, take on a life of their own...

Alcippe Filipina Kopecky

Background and Origin: When other little girls played with dolls and dreamed of being married someday, “Aly” dreamed of going into space. Her toys were rocket ships and flying drones. Her wall posters were astronauts and space shuttle schematics.

She studied science, and got her PhD at age 26. She was accepted to the national space agency, and in line to fly into space as a science specialist. Someone dug up one of her high school blog posts, where she expressed Views. The controversy wasn’t going to get her kicked out of the program, but she was going to miss this mission flight. This mission had her experiments on board.

Despondent, angry and very drunk, she locked herself in the lab. No one knows what happened in there, because she doesn't remember, and someone destroyed the security camera recordings. The next morning, a half million dollars of experiments were ruined, and the world had a new nova.

A year later, she still works for the space agency. Technically, her new contract is five years of indentured servitude. She doesn't care. She'll do any repair, or any experiment, or even just clean the toilets - just as long as they keep letting her live in the space station.

Combat Tactics: She is not a fighter; she flies away from violent people. In a pinch, she is not averse to hitting someone with a wrench or puncturing a spacesuit with a screwdriver.

Personality Traits: She loves space and astronomy and will talk for hours about it. She has a good heart, but can be immature and sometimes chooses her words poorly.

She can be a bit OCD about completing tasks she feels responsibility for, and has gotten in trouble more than once for not letting go of something reassigned to someone else.

She loves nothing more than being in space, and can get bit weird whenever there is any discussion of her returning to Earth for any reason (she can't reach orbit under her own power, and worries no one would fly her back into space).

Appearance: 5’8”, blue hair, pale skin, lots of tattoos.

Powers: She can survive indefinitely in outer space, and fly. She is a science genius and a talented aerospace engineer.

Notes: Model Riae. Character by I. A. Riley, March, 2018.

Document Copyright (C) 2018 by Icarus Anne Riley. All rights reserved. Portions Copyright others; no attempt is made to infringe upon their rights.

Alcippe Filipina Kopecky - Aberrant

Strength  [2] (Might ••• [5])
Dexterity •• [3] (Athletics ••• [5], Pilot • [3], Stealth • [3])
Stamina ••/• [2] (+1) (Endurance ••• [7], Resistance ••• [7])
Perception •••••/••• [5] (+3) (Awareness ••• [8], Investigation • [6], Navigation ••• [8])
Intelligence •••••/• [5] (+1)  (Academics ••• [8], Computer •• [7], Engineering •• [7], Linguistics •• [7], Science •••• [9])
Wits •••• [4] (Arts • [5])
Appearance •••• [4] (Style • [5])
Manipulation ••• [3] (Diplomacy • [4], Subterfuge • [4])
Charisma ••• [3] (Command •• [5], Instruction • [4])

Quantum ••
Quantum Pool 24
Willpower ••••• ••
Taint ••
Combined Soak - Bashing 3, Lethal 2
Health levels - Bruised, Hurt, Injured, Wounded (cannot sprint), Maimed (movement halved), Crippled (can only move one meter per turn), Incapacitated, Dead

Backgrounds
Backing •••
Contacts •••
Influence •••
Mentor ••
Resources •••

Abilities
Flight •
Hyper-Flight •
Mega-Stamina • (Adaptability)
Mega-Intelligence • (Eidetic Memory, Science Prodigy)
Mega-Perception ••• (Electromagnetic Vision, Quantum Attunement)

Boilerplate

Sourcebooks Aberrant RPG (White Wolf Publishing, 1999), Aberrant Player's Guide (White Wolf Publishing, 2000).
Random backstory generator - http://www.pbegames.com/lifepath/ .
Random name generator - http://www.behindthename.com/random/ .
Random job generator - http://writingexercises.co.uk/random-job-generator.php .
Random personality trait generator - http://writingexercises.co.uk/random-character-traits-generator.php .
Random height/weight generator - http://tower.newcenturycomputers.net/hwcalc.html .

Values in red indicate the number of Mega dice to roll. These are separated out, because a single Mega for that comes up 7, 8, or 9 counts as two successes, and a roll of 10 (“0”) counts as three successes. So the dice need to be rolled separately, therefore they are noted separately.
She is built on 30 nova points.
+6 Attributes
+12 Abilities
+5 Backgrounds

You only have right now

Good advice. The past cannot be changed, the future may never come. Make the most of Now.

Keep perspective - gun deaths are preventable, and need to be prevented

• This is stripped from a Jane Smith G+ thread.  I did this, because I have seen these arguments before, and refuting them is worth highlighting and making easy to find again.  The first thread has the basic persuasive argument goal of convincing you, the reader that "Gun deaths aren't that bad, so let's not waste time doing anything."  Seriously.  Read it and ask yourself at the end if you feel like spending time on gun violence isn't a waste of time.
• So, below that, I rip the entire thing to Hell.  Again, because the point is that "Yes, people die in car accidents - which are already heavily regulated."  
• If we can apply some very simple and basic regulation, and reduce the number of firearm deaths by any amount, then we have done a good thing.  According to CDC statistics - tracking firearm deaths, among other things - more than 38,000 people - or about 96 per day were killed, in the United States, by firearms.
• If 96 people per day isn't worth doing something about, then we have no claim on morality, period.
• By the way, the last year the Center for Disease Control was allowed to study and recommend ways to prevent firearm deaths (before Republicans shut down that research) was 1997.  Yeah, a major Federal Agency charged with keeping Americans safe from preventable things that kill them, was 1997.
• Where's the outrage at the terrorism our government supports through the sale of arms to folks all around the world? Wouldn't it make sense to reduce the huge numbers of deaths of innocent people by constraining these industries of death? In 2015 there were 333 teenagers killed in mass shootings in this country. That is a big deal but global United State sponsored and supported terrorism has killed untold numbers more. If the objective is to save lives let's invest our time and efforts were it will do the most good anything else is a dereliction of our responsibilities as citizens of the largest state sponsor of terror on the planet.
  
  All major causes of needless deaths deserve to be addressed.
  
  The campaign to minimize loss of life should be proportionate to the deaths each cause is responsible for.
  
  The nation's citizens should demand that those in positions to institute change prioritize each campaign such that the most deadly are addressed first. This will help save the most number of lives.
  
  For the age group 15-19 years, the death rate from opioids (2015) was 4.6/100,000 or 15,180 (https://goo.gl/9SEMTP)
  
  For teens killed or injured by gun violence (2015), 2696
  Deaths by mass shooting (2015), 333 (https://goo.gl/epjdYy)
  
  -Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States.
  -Excessive drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth each year.
  -Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. More than 90% of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks.
  -On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers.
  -In 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by persons under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol. (https://goo.gl/kUkNMb)
  
  In 2015, 2,333 teens in the United States ages 16–19 were killed and 235,845 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes. That means that six teens ages 16–19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. (https://goo.gl/uZ4pPa)
  
  No one can reasonably deny that gun violence is a problem, especially teenage deaths from guns which in 2015 accounted for 2,696 (10.8%) and _mass shootings which accounted for 333 (1.3%). However, to focus on Mass Shootings with as much attention as is being given to it since the Parkland event, to the chagrin of the other 89.1% who died needless and preventable deaths should lead any reasonable person to a rational conclusion, we are not being "informed" to act wisely and responsibly toward the issue of preventable teen deaths in this country. We are making a bigger issue out of the least of the concerns. Why? Isn't this about saving lives? Or is there some other more important concern?

  REPLY

  
  3d

  
• 
  Icarus Anne Riley+1

  Conditional "yeesssssss...." except there are a shitload of vehicle safety laws on the books, from engineering requirements of the vehicle frame, seatbelts and airbag systems, to engineering requirements for road material and grade of curves to reduce accidents, and roadside railings, and laws requiring use of seat belts (which save lives), and laws against texting and driving (which kills people), and laws against drunk driving (which can kill people), and laws restricting purchase and consumption of alcohol, and laws and restrictions concerning the consumption of illegal drugs.
  
  There are an estimated 263 million registered motor vehicles in the United States. Each American spends an average of 1 hour per day on the road. Statistically, motor vehicles - which are heavily regulated who can own, who can operate, and the design and safety of their devices and skill level - means, that, yeah, they're gonna kill people.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_vehicles_in_the_United_States
  http://newsroom.aaa.com/2016/09/americans-spend-average-17600-minutes-driving-year/
  
  Conversely, firearms really are poorly regulated. Want to own a device whose entire function is to kill people? Sure! In most states, you just go buy one. Seriously. Some states have background checks, or waiting periods, but a lot of them don't!
  http://lawcenter.giffords.org/category/state-law/state-waiting-periods-for-guns/
  
  Most states do not require any competency training in the proper usage, storage, or lawful use of guns. That seems really stupid, to me. Apparently, 26 states let you "carry concealed" without first proving you know how to use the damn thing.
  https://www.thetrace.org/2016/02/live-fire-training-not-mandatory-concealed-carry-permits/
  
  The NRA opposed smartguns - which would prevent unauthorized people - like children in the home - from using them. Why would the NRA block this common sense security device? Fuck, the court can order a breathalizer installed on cars to stop people who can't seem to stop themselves from driving drunk from driving drunk. But, smart gun locks? Noooooo
  forbes.com - The NRA's Next Battleground ... Smart Guns
  
  Apparently, "every" American consumes 2.3 gallons of ethanol every year (per capita). So, if beer is 5% alcohol, that means about 46 gallons of beer per year, per person.
  https://www.statista.com/statistics/442818/per-capita-alcohol-consumption-of-all-beverages-in-the-us/
  
  So, alcohol kills people? Duh. Cigarettes do, too, but there always seems to be that weird thing about "letting adults kill themselves by ingestion of lawful poisons," thing that is always a funny slippery slope, all the time.
  
  Now, as noted before, it is already illegal pretty much everywhere, to consume any substance that impairs reflexes, senses or judgement, and then operate heavy machinery. But, you know, people do it all the fucking time, anyway, right? Yeah, well, imagine if it wasn't illegal - then the death rates would soar.
  
  So, you're right to say "More needs to be done to prevent motor vehicle deaths!" and to say "More needs to be done to prevent alcohol and drug deaths!"
  
  But, luv, while I appreciate that you did, in fact, write very eloquently and politely (which, let's face it, is rare on the Interwebs anymore), I'm calling the commonly used (but not so well as you did) "But, look at all these other [heavily regulated] things that kill people, while [very poorly regulated] guns hardly kill anyone at all!" is hand-waving "don't look behind the curtain" persuasive argument bullshit.

Fiction Friday - Cinder Ash, aka Ashleigh “Ash” Riley

Okay, so you figured out by now that my "Easter Bunny Costume" was really an April Fool's prank.  If you've followed my blog for a while, you know my usual April Fool prank is a "big reveal" of my secret identity.   At least it was better than that whole "Justin Bieber love slave" thing.  I can't believe I did that.  

Anyway, I got a little carried away with the "Easter Bunny Costume" story, and well, here's the character that came about after I had written the prank off the cuff.  Sometimes ideas take on a life of their own... :-)

-----

Cinder Ash, aka Ashleigh “Ash” Riley

Background and Origin: Ashleigh Riley does not consider herself a nova. In a world where nova are well-understood, and are the only beings with superhuman abilities, this qualifies as a mental disorder.

Instead, she views herself as the host for the flesh of a dead nova-with-no-name.

Ashleigh had a mostly normal life as a coffee barista, trying to make ends meet, and avoid getting raped, while living in New York City.

She doesn't know why she let anyone talk her into attending that particular party, or what the Hell must have been slipped into her drink, but the fragments of memories of being incredibly sick in the tub, and again out back, and finally trying to find her way home are vivid. She vaguely remembers the guys attacking her, and the tall blond nova who saved her before the assholes shot the nova a million times and then ran away. Ashleigh vomited for the hundredth time as the dying nova enveloped Ashleigh, and they both passed out.

A week later, some people in a nova hospital were trying to convince Ashleigh she was a nova, and she had her eruption when she was attacked. It was weeks after they had given up, without finding any sign of nova ability, that she finally stopped laughing at them...

...Ash and Jimmy were working the closing shift at the coffee shop. It was dead and they were preparing to close early when the three guys slipped in. Jimmy let them know it was closing soon, and two guys said no problem, while one did the loo.

Ash took the orders of the two guys. They were scruffy and shady, and seemed familiar, but she didn't know why. Ash gave Jimmy the signal to stay close to the panic button.

While she was delivering the drinks, Loo-Man came out. He and Ash made eye contact, and she threw the tray at him, spewing coffee. Jimmy looked confused, and Loo-Man shot him.

Fugly Scruff grabbed Ash, while Bad Teeth Scruff shouted “What the fuck?!” at Loo-Man.

Loo-Man rubbed his still-smoking manhancer against Ash’s face, and scowled. “So, she didn't die last month. She could identify us. We're taking her with us and finishing it right this time.”

Three squelchy heartbeats later, feeling like her skin turned inside out, Ash was  30cm taller and twice as heavy. She shoved a meter-long bone blade thru Loo-Man’s diseased heart, and he dropped like the sack of wet crap he was.

Fugly and Bad Teeth made a break for the door. In flashy blurry lines, Giant Ash got there first, spiked their knees to cripple them, and pinned them to the floor by driving the cheap metal legs of two shop chairs into the fake wooden floor.

She slapped the store panic button, and applied compress to Jimmy’s bleeding gut. Jimmy’s glazed eyes stared at her, as warmth flowed from her fingers to him.

“Are you an angel?” he asked, with no appreciation of the cliche irony.

“I'm Cinder Ash,” was all the half-naked Amazon said.

Tiny little half-naked Ash was still compressing Jimmy’s gut when the emergency medical team arrived. Jimmy was in shock, but eventually pulled thru, despite the bullet to his liver. The cops hauled Fugly and Bad Teeth away.

Ash returned to the Nova training facility, and told them the whole story. They stopped trying to convince her she was a bit delusional about certain details after she demonstrated the “chest cannons,” and blew out the side of a mountain.

Ashleigh Riley maintains her low-profile job as a barista, and enjoys it. She has accepted a role as “contract hunter” for Team Tomorrow. When they have a “public health risk” nova that needs brought to heel, they sometimes send contractors like the Amazonian Cinder Ash, who rather likes leg breaking.

Combat Tactics: She is a melee brawler. She lacks experience, and lacks finesse, relying on raw power to see her thru.

Personality Traits: Incongruously, she spends most of her time “dormed down,” as she considers it her “natural” form. She views her nova body (where she calls herself “Cinder Ash”) as an aberration, where she is wearing the living flesh of a dead nova.

Ash prides herself on being able to “read” people, and be charming, friendly and make people feel good. She finds her senses “muted,” and her personality “stunted and broody” in her nova form (q.v. Taint).

Where Ashleigh is warm and bubbly, Cinder Ash is dark and moody. Ashleigh doesn't mind video game violence, but you couldn't pay her to watch a horror or slasher film. Cinder Ash would take the money to watch the film, and fall asleep bored. It's not that Cinder Ash likes hurting people, so much as she finds it therapeutic to vent her anger about the shitty world on shitty people. Both of them are opposed to killing, without very good reasons. (Cinder Ash being a bit flexible on “very good” when she has been badly injured, and tends to panic a bit).

Appearance: Ash is 5’3”, and about 105 lbs soaking wet (she weighed herself). She has black hair and brown eyes.

Cinder Ash is 6’4”, and about 220 lbs of hard muscle. She has blond hair and blue eyes.

Powers: She is a fairly standard mid-weight brawler with retractable and morphable blades, and a really nasty “Hail Mary” when in a pinch.

She can lift/press approximately 10 tons under optimal conditions. She is resistant to convention weapons, and even many nova powers. She regenerates, and can extrude "bone" blades and armor plating.

Notes: Cosplay model Jannet in Cosplay. Other model unknown. Character by I.A. Riley, April, 2018.

Document Copyright (C) 2018 by Icarus Anne Riley. All rights reserved. Portions Copyright others; no attempt is made to infringe upon their rights.

Values in red indicate the number of Mega dice to roll. These are separated out, because a single Mega for that comes up 7, 8, or 9 counts as two successes, and a roll of 10 (“0”) counts as three successes. So the dice need to be rolled separately, therefore they are noted separately.

She is built on waaaay more than 30 nova points. I have absolutely no clue what her equivalent cost/value would be.

Cinder Ash - Aberrant

Strength ⬤⬤⬤/⬤⬤⬤ [3] (+3)
     (Brawl ⬤⬤⬤⬤ [7], Might ⬤⬤⬤⬤ [7])
Dexterity ⬤⬤⬤/⬤ [3] (+1)
     (Athletics ⬤⬤⬤ [6], Stealth ⬤⬤ [5])
Stamina ⬤⬤⬤/⬤⬤ [3] (+2)
     (Endurance ⬤⬤⬤ [6], Resistance ⬤⬤⬤ [6])
Perception ⬤⬤/⬤ [2] (+1)
     (Awareness ⬤⬤ [4])
Intelligence ⬤⬤ [2]
     (Linguistics ⬤⬤ [4], Science ⬤ [3])
Wits ⬤⬤⬤ [3]
     (Arts ⬤ [4], Biz ⬤ [4], Rapport ⬤⬤⬤⬤ [7], Weave ⬤ [4])
Appearance ⬤⬤⬤/⬤ [3] (+1)
     (Disguise ⬤ [4], Style ⬤⬤ [6])

Manipulation ⬤⬤⬤ [3]
     (Streetwise ⬤⬤⬤ [6], Subterfuge ⬤⬤⬤ [6])
Charisma ⬤⬤⬤ [3]
     (Carousing ⬤⬤⬤⬤ [7], Etiquette ⬤ [4], Perform ⬤ [4])

Quantum ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
Quantum Pool 50
Willpower ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤ ⬤⬤⬤⬤
Taint ⬤⬤⬤⬤
Combined Soak - Bashing 13, Lethal 10
Health levels - Bruised, Hurt, Injured, Wounded (cannot sprint), Maimed (movement halved), Maimed (movement halved), Maimed (movement halved), Maimed (movement halved), Maimed (movement halved), Maimed (movement halved), Maimed (movement halved), Crippled (can only move one meter per turn), Incapacitated, Dead

Backgrounds
Attunement ⬤⬤⬤
Backing ⬤⬤
Dormancy ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
Eufiber ⬤⬤
Node ⬤⬤⬤
Resources ⬤

In her “dormed down” state, she has no Physical Abilities, no Mega-Attributes, and no Quantum Powers, but otherwise is the same.
Powers
Armor ⬤⬤ (Extras: Super-Heavy)
Body Modification (Gills, Extra Health Levels +6 “Maimed”)
Claws ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
Danger Sense ⬤⬤⬤
Healing ⬤ (She doesn't consciously know she has this ability)
Invulnerability ⬤ (she gains 6 automatic successes against heat and fire)
Mega-Appearance ⬤⬤ (?)
Mega-Dexterity ⬤ (Accuracy, Fast Movement)
Mega-Perception ⬤ (Ultrasonic Hearing, Telescopic Hearing)
Mega-Stamina ⬤⬤ (Hardbody, Regeneration)
Mega-Strength ⬤⬤⬤ (Shockwave)
Quantum Bolt ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤ (Extras: Jet/Stream)
Quantum Bolt ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤ (Extras: MIRV)

“The Reflex Cannon”Her Reflex Cannon power (aka “Chest Cannon,” or “Boob Blasters”) is a standard multi-action, that burns a lot of Quantum Pool, can only be performed as written here, she can't hold back to reduce the damage, and since she finds it emotionally repulsive, she has to make a Difficulty 4 Willpower test to use the ability, unless her current Wound level is Wounded or worse (in which case panic about being hurt more means she can invoke this ability without needing a Willpower test.)

• Activate Mega-Dexterity Accuracy Enhancement. (1 Quantum Pool, running total cost 1);
• Activate Quantum Bolt with Jet/Stream Enhancement in the direction of the target she is most angry at, or afraid of - note that the target can be out of range. Resolve the attack. (3 Quantum Pool, running total cost 4);
• Activate Quantum Bolt with MIRV - if the original target is still standing, then it pretty much becomes target of the entire barrage. If the original target is nearly down, or totally down, then the MIRV skews to nearby targets that she is angry at, or afraid of, or even just sometimes random objects as impressive collateral damage. (3 Quantum Pool, running total cost 7)

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Sourcebooks Aberrant RPG (White Wolf Publishing, 1999), Aberrant Player's Guide (White Wolf Publishing, 2000)

Random backstory generator - http://www.pbegames.com/lifepath/ .

Random name generator - http://www.behindthename.com/random/ .

Random job generator - http://writingexercises.co.uk/random-job-generator.php .

Random personality trait generator - http://writingexercises.co.uk/random-character-traits-generator.php .

Random height/weight generator - http://tower.newcenturycomputers.net/hwcalc.html .

Say Their Names - Call Domestic Terrorists What They are

Jane Smith wrote

It seems likely that the Domestic Terrorist label is deep and wide throughout our nation at this time in our history...almost to the point of civil war. The neo Nazi culture is growing and with the help of the NRA are disguised as "patriotic".

We have to redo the dialogue and speak the language of the TRUTH. 'Bump stocks, lunatics, background checks, arm the teachers" is the language of Trump,which is fascist rhetoric.

#Saytheirnames is what we need to use . We need to call the school shooters Armed Militia Youth. We need to ask questions to Congress and the establishment that are more Truthful. Like "Are you for or against students being killed while at school by Domestic Terrorists armed with Military Assault Weapons?" We need to ask Trump "Are you for or against groups of people and children being killed in publics areas by Armed Terrorists using Military Assault Weapons?" This is not a conversation about lunatics and Bump stocks, it is a conversation about how to stop an uprising of Hate and Violence by Organized Domestic Terrorists in America.

Happy Easter!

So, here is a picture of me at Indiana Comic Con this weekend. The Con just wrapped up, sorry I missed you there.

Figured I'd get in one last cosplay before the baby bump really starts to show. I was also trying to pitch my idea for a new "mild-manned coffee barista gets wrapped in alien skin suit and gains superpowers kind of like 'guyver bio booster' only sexier."

Like the guyver, the "chest plates" open up, revealing powerful "reflex cannons," which blow shit up, and cause a lot of collateral damage. As you might imagine, use of the cannons is extremely exhausting, so she does it rarely.

The "ears" on top are extrasensory antenna, giving her different cool abilities, but mostly enhanced hearing and "danger sense."

The hair is mine. I had the dumb idea to lighten it.  It was a dumb idea, because I know better - as I discovered that time I tried "to go green," even "gentle" chemicals rip up my scalp. If you look closely, you might see bits of the white scalp healing lotion the doctor gave me the last time I was this stupid. (Clortrimizole, or something. I can't find it right now.)

Pitching my idea, I got lots of, ahem, "interest," but I don't think anyone will actually offer any money.

Ah, well. At least I had fun.

(Image source)