Going to say 2012-09-26

[Jay-Em]

@yamara
Nâh.. I don't think Bud envies Shelly.

Bud just realized that her sense of guilt overpowered her reason again for a bit. Her "thing" for Justin, was just puppy-love, and a bit of experimentation with flirting that panned-out the wrong way....

After all, Bud might be véry old, she's still physically a teen. (Sort of frightening, being stuck with teen-anxt for millenia.. ) there's a layer of wisdom on top of her teen-anxt, but, under duress, her anxt tends to percolate up through the layer of clear-headedness.

Above that, Bud takes her role as M's guardian pretty serious. It has become her main purpose. Sort of an endearing attempt to redeem herself.

The interesting thing is the difference between The Golem-Girls in dealing with their guilt. Bud has always been pretty open about her guilt. Brandi bottled it up, unable to express her true feelings, unsure as she is about how to react to other people if she blurts all out, and gets a reaction (aspergers are like that) . Brandi tends to keep mum, because the outbursts of emotion that she would invoke, fill her with a deep dread. Unable as she is to correctly process, said, emotions.

Jin, on the other hand, has actively redeemed herself by diving head-deep into major historical manipulation to set wrongs right. Something that I think, Bud is somewhat envious of. Hence their continuous head-butting. Adding to that Jin's 'humanization" and one can imagine the turmoil inside of Bud.

[analyst]

So, Monica's bullet-dodging automatic poitation system (APS) doesn't seem to feel that Monica getting turned into ice is as dangerous as flying bullets, thereby activating and getting her out of Dodge? Of course, there is much more lag time for a bullet, however fact it is traveling, when compared to a glance, which technically is the speed of light. I would have thought that the APS would be operating at the speed of thought, so maybe our snake-y charmer (deposits one of those snake charming flutes into Pun Vault) isn't as dangerous to M as we think. Either that or the APS has already been calibrated for bullets, it doesn't have a setting for Gorgon.

[Julie]

*applauds Shelly's cool use of reason in the face of angry Golem*

[Dave]

I would have thought that the APS would be operating at the speed of thought, so maybe our snake-y charmer (deposits one of those snake charming flutes into Pun Vault) isn't as dangerous to M as we think.

Human thought is actually relatively slow... massive amounts of stuff happening in parallel, but there's quite a time lag. It takes time for those waves of charge to propagate along the nerves. It takes many tens of milliseconds even for incoming images hitting the eyes to reach the brain and be processed into something that we consciously "see" (and our brain actually does some motion-prediction to compensate for the lag).

My guess is that Monica's reflexive poiting defense has to be "awake" in order to react rapidly... Monica has to know she is in danger, as she did when she went after the portal cloth and was shot at. Without that awareness of danger, her poiting may be subject to the same time lag that other human reflexes are... and that's a good fraction of a second. When Euryale went from casual-chatty to outrage-snaky in an instant, Monica was (It looks to me) rather preoccupied, wasn't feeling in any danger, and might have been frozen even before she saw/heard Euryale's angry reaction.

Paradoxically, Monica might be safer facing a hostile enemy gorgon, than she is when just relaxing and letting down her hair (or snakes) with her doting friend Euryale. If she knew she was in danger, her reflexive poit might yank her away to safety at the first sign of snake action.

That may be part of what is burdening Monica... the knowledge that she can't truly relax and be safe with any of the paranormals in her life. Euryale, Phix, Shelly, Tina, Bud, Brandi... any of them could "flex their nature" suddenly and kill or injure Monica in ways that a human could not. It's tough, when you can't really trust your friends.

[Opus the Poet]

And she's wearing yet another swimsuit! Honestly, how many did she pack for this afternoon trip!?

I was wondering how long it would take someone to comment on that. I don't know if this one was just drawn a bit different but it looks like the straps and leg openings on this suit are different than the one <s>last week</s> http://wapsisquare.com/comic/closed-doorway/ the last time http://wapsisquare.com/comic/buggy-bumpers/ we were at the island.

[Yamara]

I don't think anyone but Shelly (and Phix and Bia, of course) is aware that Justin is Shelly's cousin on the Titan side.

Not even Justin.

MIB is aware of who he is.

If Justin really wanted to avoid paranormals, who authorized his transfer to Minneapolis?

And why?

Shelly never really let Phix answer.

[Bathorys Daughter]

My guess is that Monica's reflexive poiting defense has to be "awake" in order to react rapidly... Monica has to know she is in danger, as she did when she went after the portal cloth and was shot at. Without that awareness of danger, her poiting may be subject to the same time lag that other human reflexes are... and that's a good fraction of a second. When Euryale went from casual-chatty to outrage-snaky in an instant, Monica was (It looks to me) rather preoccupied, wasn't feeling in any danger, and might have been frozen even before she saw/heard Euryale's angry reaction.

Not sure about that. She out poited a massive explosion in progress when she was dead drunk. Not only that, her auto-poiting capability even brought another person along for the ride. She was about as relaxed and and unaware as one can get at the instant the mine went off, expecting nothing but copious amounts of shellfish for her efforts. The poit mechanism must have worked within microseconds to get her out of there. Especially considering she was standing right next to it. A few milliseconds lag (or even worse lag when blind drunk) would have been fatal. From that incident it appears, to me anyway, that she needs no conscious effort whatsoever to benefit from the auto-poiting. Even with the bullets, she had no idea, at the time, she could even do that.

If Justin really wanted to avoid paranormals, who authorized his transfer to Minneapolis?

And why?

Good question considering it has become clear that Minneapolis is the paranormal center of the planet, maybe even the galaxy. It seems like it would be the worst place to send him. I suppose it may have been so he could meet up with Shelly, still ...

[Dave]

Not sure about that. She out poited a massive explosion in progress when she was dead drunk. Not only that, her auto-poiting capability even brought another person along for the ride. She was about as relaxed and and unaware as one can get at the instant the mine went off, expecting nothing but copious amounts of shellfish for her efforts. The poit mechanism must have worked within microseconds to get her out of there. Especially considering she was standing right next to it. A few milliseconds lag (or even worse lag when blind drunk) would have been fatal. From that incident it appears, to me anyway, that she needs no conscious effort whatsoever to benefit from the auto-poiting. Even with the bullets, she had no idea, at the time, she could even do that.

Very good point! So much for my "Needs to be aware of danger to react quickly" theory... I was clearly wrong there.

Hmmm. We've seen Monica's instinctual-poit fail very consistently to protect her from Gorgon mojo (three times). We've seen it work, three times, and in each of those cases the protection was from high-velocity and/or high-energy physical danger (bullets, and two kinds of explosions).

Could be that her danger-sensor (whatever it is) simply doesn't recognize purely paranormal dangers... or it could be thst it reacts only to high-energy physical events? Freezing is an energy subtraction... and might not trigger an energy-threshold sensor.

[Mark N]

Not sure about that. She out poited a massive explosion in progress when she was dead drunk. Not only that, her auto-poiting capability even brought another person along for the ride. She was about as relaxed and and unaware as one can get at the instant the mine went off, expecting nothing but copious amounts of shellfish for her efforts. The poit mechanism must have worked within microseconds to get her out of there. Especially considering she was standing right next to it. A few milliseconds lag (or even worse lag when blind drunk) would have been fatal. From that incident it appears, to me anyway, that she needs no conscious effort whatsoever to benefit from the auto-poiting. Even with the bullets, she had no idea, at the time, she could even do that.

Very good point! So much for my "Needs to be aware of danger to react quickly" theory... I was clearly wrong there.

Hmmm. We've seen Monica's instinctual-poit fail very consistently to protect her from Gorgon mojo (three times). We've seen it work, three times, and in each of those cases the protection was from high-velocity and/or high-energy physical danger (bullets, and two kinds of explosions).

Could be that her danger-sensor (whatever it is) simply doesn't recognize purely paranormal dangers... or it could be thst it reacts only to high-energy physical events? Freezing is an energy subtraction... and might not trigger an energy-threshold sensor.

For questions like these, I just stick to the old reliable answer: She follows the rule of funny.

[Jabberwonky]

Not sure about that. She out poited a massive explosion in progress when she was dead drunk. Not only that, her auto-poiting capability even brought another person along for the ride. She was about as relaxed and and unaware as one can get at the instant the mine went off, expecting nothing but copious amounts of shellfish for her efforts. The poit mechanism must have worked within microseconds to get her out of there. Especially considering she was standing right next to it. A few milliseconds lag (or even worse lag when blind drunk) would have been fatal. From that incident it appears, to me anyway, that she needs no conscious effort whatsoever to benefit from the auto-poiting. Even with the bullets, she had no idea, at the time, she could even do that.

Very good point! So much for my "Needs to be aware of danger to react quickly" theory... I was clearly wrong there.

Hmmm. We've seen Monica's instinctual-poit fail very consistently to protect her from Gorgon mojo (three times). We've seen it work, three times, and in each of those cases the protection was from high-velocity and/or high-energy physical danger (bullets, and two kinds of explosions).

Could be that her danger-sensor (whatever it is) simply doesn't recognize purely paranormal dangers... or it could be thst it reacts only to high-energy physical events? Freezing is an energy subtraction... and might not trigger an energy-threshold sensor.

For questions like these, I just stick to the old reliable answer: She follows the rule of funny.

And, maybe, the safety valve knows something we don't...the freezes aren't dangerous...or even a trigger for something the Jaguar Girl needs...there's a lot of fuzzy logic to the magic here

[Dave]

For questions like these, I just stick to the old reliable answer: She follows the rule of funny.

Yeah, there is that, of course... respecting Author's Privilege and so forth.

Still, I enjoy trying to figure out the rules of the game. Occasionally, by doing so, one can see the next big Owie!! Fother Muck! incident even before it arrives, and await its appearance with gleeful anticipation

[NOTDilbert]

Wow! She really is the sage of the forest!

And she's wearing yet another swimsuit! Honestly, how many did she pack for this afternoon trip!?

Actually, apart from the commission print, where she's sporting a strapless one-piece, she has been wearing the same one-piece all along. Sometimes it gets colored/inked, sometimes not. It's the same way that Nudge is sometimes shaded and fur-textured, and sometimes not.

Do not use your logical.....uh, logic on ME! You think to paralyze my brain with your thinky-smarts, but I don't use my brain for that!

Much.

[Dave11]

For questions like these, I just stick to the old reliable answer: She follows the rule of funny.

I'd think "Rule of Cool", myself...

*Places ice cube tray in Pun Vault freezer*

[illiad]

And she's wearing yet another swimsuit! Honestly, how many did she pack for this afternoon trip!?

I rather think that is another adjunct of 'cartoon physics' - she has as many swimsuits as can be drawn..

[Aleister Crow]

I don't think anyone but Shelly (and Phix and Bia, of course) is aware that Justin is Shelly's cousin on the Titan side.

Not even Justin.

Is it cousin? I thought Epimethius was Bia's brother, and thus Shelly's uncle?

Not sure about that. She out poited a massive explosion in progress when she was dead drunk. Not only that, her auto-poiting capability even brought another person along for the ride. She was about as relaxed and and unaware as one can get at the instant the mine went off, expecting nothing but copious amounts of shellfish for her efforts. The poit mechanism must have worked within microseconds to get her out of there. Especially considering she was standing right next to it. A few milliseconds lag (or even worse lag when blind drunk) would have been fatal. From that incident it appears, to me anyway, that she needs no conscious effort whatsoever to benefit from the auto-poiting. Even with the bullets, she had no idea, at the time, she could even do that.

Very good point! So much for my "Needs to be aware of danger to react quickly" theory... I was clearly wrong there.

Hmmm. We've seen Monica's instinctual-poit fail very consistently to protect her from Gorgon mojo (three times). We've seen it work, three times, and in each of those cases the protection was from high-velocity and/or high-energy physical danger (bullets, and two kinds of explosions).

Could be that her danger-sensor (whatever it is) simply doesn't recognize purely paranormal dangers... or it could be thst it reacts only to high-energy physical events? Freezing is an energy subtraction... and might not trigger an energy-threshold sensor.

For questions like these, I just stick to the old reliable answer: She follows the rule of funny.

Which is why auto-poit didn't save her when she got cocky with her revolver, and got clobbered by it.

[Fairportfan]

I don't think anyone but Shelly (and Phix and Bia, of course) is aware that Justin is Shelly's cousin on the Titan side.

Not even Justin.

Is it cousin? I thought Epimethius was Bia's brother, and thus Shelly's uncle?

Here's what i said in "It's all relative, you know" over in the "Main Pub Room":

Bia is the daughter of Pallas and Styx.

Pallas was the son of Crius, one of the first generation of Titans, and Styx was the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, who were likewise.

Epimetheus was the son of Iapetus (ditto)

The first generation of Titans were siblings.

Thus, Pallas, Styx and Epimetheus are first cousins.

Bia is therefore Epimetheus's first cousin once removed.

Bia is Shelly's mother.

Justin (though he doesn't know it) is Epimetheus.

Is Shelly gonna figure out that Justin is her first cousin twice removed?

[Prester Fred]

The first generation of Titans were siblings.

Thus, Pallas, Styx and Epimetheus are first cousins.

Bia is therefore Epimetheus's first cousin once removed.

Bia is Shelly's mother.

Justin (though he doesn't know it) is Epimetheus.

Is Shelly gonna figure out that Justin is her first cousin twice removed?

Assuming, of course, that this part of Greek mythology is completely accurate. As the existence of a whole sphinx species demonstrates, Paul does not feel bound by anything in said mythology; he just uses what works for the story he wants to tell and handwaves the rest as distortions and legends. So none of the above is necessarily true.

Of course, if it is true, that means Bia and Epimethius are both the result of some pretty severe inbreeding already...

[Mark N]

Which is why auto-poit didn't save her when she got cocky with her revolver, and got clobbered by it.

I would say that her auto-poit makes allowances for lessons to be learned, like why we do not play 'toss the gun'.

[Julie]

Which is why auto-poit didn't save her when she got cocky with her revolver, and got clobbered by it.

I would say that her auto-poit makes allowances for lessons to be learned, like why we do not play 'toss the gun'.

Truth...and her life probably wasn't really in danger either. She was just at risk of a collosal headache/concussion.