#tbfmai

[novawulfen]

Where's my mind this morning?

The “average Disney Princess kills 153 people” factoid actually just statistical error. The average princess kills 0 people. Huns Mulan, who lives in an army tent & killed 2,000 people in 1 day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted.

[novawulfen]

Today on "I think my brain is trying to kill me".

Lou Bega's Mambo number 5 is a very mutable song. You can mostly make it just another list.

I've already mostly written "prescription number 5" to be about medical procedures rather than women's names.

Now, of course, my brain is trying to get me killed because it occurs to me that you could replace the women in the song with the names of the Greek or Roman goddesses.

But I'm not writing it.

Not because I'm busy, even though I am.

Not because it would be technically difficult, cos it's not.

I just remember The Judgement of Paris.

Given what happened to him when there were only 3 ways to get it wrong, I'm not chancing it....

[novawulfen]

The Hazbin Paradox

Something occurred to me after watching the end of S1 of Hazbin Hotel. Spoiler alert - you have been Warned. Also rampant speculation, so be warned for that too. SPACE TO STOP READING

The death of Sir Pentious was incredibly badass, so brutal, and the source of his redemption. Incidentally, I cannot wait to see how Charlie reacts when she finds out. She's gonna freak out..... But it raises a question that I haven't seen asked anywhere (in the precisely 0 places I have looked). Did it only work because he didn't know it would? Sir Pentious risked, and ultimately threw away, his life without any thought that it might benefit him to do so. He was the ultimate in self sacrifice, dying because he wanted to do the right thing for Charlie. It seems like he was the only one to make it to heaven and, since he was far from the only one to die, his motivation seems to be important. The cannibals weren't there for redemption. They were there for a promise of good food, and the chance to get some payback. So it makes sense that the only reason he ascended was his intent as he died. Of course, that might influence other sinners to do the same. After all, if they join the hotel, and die defending it, they'll be saved too........ Right? We could imagine a sinner called "Jim" who joins the hotel, and knowing what happened to Pentious, jumps in front of a death ray or spear or something, expecting it to mean his salvation. Except now it doesn't work. Because he's not dying because it's the right thing to do. He's dying because it'll help him survive. Which was likely the motivation of most of those who'd died in previous exterminations, and it didn't help them at all.... Of course, if tested, it'll become obvious that it doesn't work, cos those who take the chance will not appear in heaven. So people won't likely be willing to throw themselves into the path of certain death for Charlie, because they want to live..... Which means that anyone who does.... goes to heaven. Obviously there might be other ways to be redeemed, but I can't help but wonder if the same thing applies to them. Does trying to do the right thing because you know it works.... mean that you're not doing the right thing, and therefore it doesn't work? It kinda looks like the Hazbin Hotel, by succeeding once, dooms itself to failure until everyone gives up on it, at which point it can then succeed again.... Is that a paradox? Your successes make success impossible? Can you only be saved, if you're not trying to be saved? And what does that mean for Charlie? Actually no, in her case, her Disney Princess nature means that she likely hasn't even considered her own salvation, and would be genuinely shocked when she woke up with a halo. But for the rest of them? I don't know, but here endeth the ramble....

[novawulfen]

Today's ramble is a dream that woke me up at 5am, and I can't go back to sleep until I write it down

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I just came up with a concept of a first person shooter set on the wreckage of a world where small teams of heavily armed mercs plunder the dead world's underside, being careful not to attract the attention of the beasts that live there.

Some of those beasts in the Treacherous Deep can smell you, and will scream as they rush you. Some of them wait, ambush style, in high places and wait for unsuspecting fools to walk by underneath. Some are attracted by the sounds that either you or their friends make. Some of the beasts are humanoid, some are birds. Some of them are broken forms that surely... Should be dead, but aren't. Some of them are seemingly cursed, with a strange glow to their skin and eyes, which seems to be more prevalent as the depth increases, but what that means? Who knows.

All of them are tough as nails, so go prepared.

If you can get down into the ground and get something shiny, you can come up again, maybe not in the same place you went down, and trying to fortify any above ground locations.

After all, you have to be able to stash your finds somewhere, and the more places you fortify away from home, the further into the world you can go.

Just be careful. Too much activity above ground will attract the attention of Godspeed. We're pretty sure that's not his name, but it's what he says through his army of drones when he performs executions.

Some of the drones are stealth drones, and will try to shield other drones by projecting a short range stealth field around them. Some drones are slow and large and can be destroyed relatively easily with heavy fire. This is a good plan, because their explosive payload is devastating. Some of them will be squat devices with large projectile weapons, that will turn you into meat and shred fortifications. Some are markers, which will target you with a laser, and let the other drones know where easy pickings are, so stay low, and move. Some will jump on you and pin you down, so others can execute you.

Godspeed's army can be fought back, however, and doing so can give you time to hide your finds around the buildings, stashing both weapons and treasure for the return journey home.

Home is a shield dome, which even Godspeed cannot break. You might not want to step through the shield though. He's waiting. That's why the simplest exit is into the tunnels, where the deeper you go, and the further out into the world, the shinier the loot, but also the more danger you're in. You can cut and run at any time, but who knows what you'll find if you can make it.... Just a bit further. Don't worry, your stash is safe until you die.

But you won't die.... Will you? After all, you've got potent energy weapons, as long as you can find cells to power them. Given how many people have tried these depths, there's often bodies to search, and little pockets of safety, where others have tried to fortify below ground. But nothing large, because attracting the beasts is not a good survival strategy.

And, of course, you'll have to ensure that no other mercs are waiting to kill you, because looting the bodies of those who thought they were successful, and forgot to pay attention.... Well that's just good business sense.

Very few make it back, and nobody has seen the length of the land, but you'll be the first.

Won't you?

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There, brain, I wrote it down. It's now 6am. Can I please go back to sleep?

[novawulfen]

Today's random idea came from a semi lucid dream, where I realised I was asleep and decided to turn whatever the dream was into a pitched battle in a Borg Cube.... Because why wouldn't you?

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Someone you know went dream diving, intruding into dreams, and taking part. The problem is, the last person they visited was a coma patient, and now they aren't coming out, cos the dream never ends.

We're not sure how subjectively long they've been in there, but in the outside world, it's been three days, and this is now a problem.

Get in there, find them, and kill them. That should be enough of a jolt to get them out of the dream. They may have gone native at this point, so you won't be able to persuade them to leave, even if it was possible.

They might also spread the madness to you, so don't listen to anything they say. They'll literally say anything to stay in, and we can't have that.

Just kill them, and we'll get you out.

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Just for the record, the bit about the madness spreading might be true, or not.

At this point the idea splintered in several directions and in not sure where to go with it...

[novawulfen]

Today's dream/movie/video game idea:

Highway to Hell

PROTAGONIST wasn't a good person. A lifetime of mercenary work, with little regard for things like the Geneva Convention or collateral damage, means that an early accidental death can only mean one thing.

And it doesn't involve crossing the pearly gates.

Lucky for PROTAGONIST, there's been an uprising in Hell, the Balance has been lost, Heaven is threatening the Omega Protocol, and Lucifer is looking to make a deal.

Since PROTAGONIST deserves to be in hell, but hasn't become subject to it's laws.... Yet..... There's one chance.

"Put down the uprising, and crush the upstart demons that thought they could take the place over, and the second chance is yours. Fail, and your soul will be destroyed."

Now it's up to PROTAGONIST to save the day, and their own soul, by fighting down to the 9th circle, defeating the Upstart, laying waste to its armies and entombing it in the ice block.

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Why do I keep coming up with ideas I can't follow through on?

[novawulfen]

Today's brain fog masquerading as imagination.... Initial D, but with horses. Replace any terminology about the engines or tyres with the related parts of the horse. "So fast. His handling of the spurs is almost an art. He has the sense of genius and a clever mind. That's the true nature of Takahashi Ryosuke, who's known as the logical type." "Watching him up close, his cornering is almost an art form. Proper neck connection at full gallop with minimum leg clamping. Do you know how great that is? He can control his thoroughbred like his arms and legs are in a critical situation. I can't control my AQPS like he does, I'm so impressed."

It might turn into Japan World Cup 3, but that's ok. It would still be awesome. ------------------- Either that or it's the horses driving the cars... I wish I had the art skills to sketch either of these things.....

[novawulfen]

Today's brain fog masquerading as imagination.

Last night's dream theater involved trying to go swimming, and having trouble accessing the pool, and that led to a chase, where I was forced to defend myself with a magic wand... That was a screwdriver.

Not a 10 inch willow with dragon heartstrings, but a 20 cm beechwood with a vanadium chrome steel core.

Which sounds much more like Night Watch than Potter, but it makes sense.

Magic is, by its very nature, opening up the internals of the world and tinkering with the mechanisms.

So it makes sense that you'd use an insulated screwdriver.

But that leads to another question. What else could we use?

Crowbar? If a wand is for tinkering and fine detail work, then a crowbar is good when you need to crack the universe open and do something big and flashy. They come in sizes up to 80 inches, which is just shy of 7ft.

And what what do wizards use to do big flashy stuff?

A staff. Often with a knob on the end.

Of course you can't be subtle with a crowbar, but that's not what it's for. You're looking at reality, and saying "That's not what that's meant to be doing", and cracking that bad boy open to change that.

The crowbar will be harder on your hands than the screwdriver, but that's the price you pay.

Alternatively you could use a pipe wrench for when reality needs putting back where it belongs.

So wait.... We've got tools for our wizard, but where would you carry such things? On your magic belt, of course. The one that boosts your carrying capacity. You could also use that to carry all sorts of stuff, like your portions, material components, so maybe it should have a bunch of loops and pouches.

Wait a minute, that's a utility/tool belt. The idea that's so good that even Batman has one.

Thinking about it, it might be an idea to have some kind of protection against the energy you're tampering with, so maybe some kind of thick robe. You don't want it to be too heavy, and it probably only needs to cover the front, cos you're unlikely to be trying to do magic backwards over a shoulder.

So... Maybe some kind of blacksmith's apron?

That'll keep you safe, at least a bit, and give you more storage for stuff.

And what about a hat. You're a wizard, so your head is important. Let's wear something a little sturdier, again focusing on forward protection.

A welding mask? That works. Made to resist impacts and energy.

So this means that our... Apparently post apocalyptic... wizard turns up to help out, dressed in mechanic's clothes, with a leather apron and a welding mask, looks at the problem, and then unslings the 6ft crowbar from their back/waist and says "you might want to step back".....