Excuse Me 2015-05-28

[jwhouk]

Probably about the same size as an indoor waterpark, which is pretty common in the upper Midwest. Maybe about a 300x300 facility, looks a bit "Midway Motor Lodge" like.

[Aleister Crow]

Atsali may have the big guns of the paranormal world with her, but it looks like Derringer Devyn is getting the job done.

[chicgeek]

We were expecting the big name paras to intervene-after all, they're her family. It is an unexpected twist, and very cool, to see a shy young freshman lose her cool and stick up for Atsali. Better for Atsali, too-it isn't powerful relatives rushing to the rescue-although they may very well be needed!-but a stranger.
And yeah, I know about working with the public. A clerk doesn't make the rules, true. But this guy still seems like a dick.
*gets popcorn* This is going to get interesting.

[eee]

We always jump to the conclusion that everything will go according to plan because an Aunt of immeasurable power will swoop in to the rescue, or they get the para regulating body to take care of it. Honestly? I'm hoping it won't be that easy.

I want a problem which can't be fixed simply by having a powerful relative. Lilith was previously shown in the comic, when we finally saw Stheno. If I were to guess I'd suspect she might either be the one complaining... or the one who owns the resort.

Everyone here also seems to dogpile on certain characters placed in any kind of antagonistic role in the comic. None of the Aunt's are going to grind Mr. Frenchie into a fine paste.

Edit: The post above me is another example. Violence this, violence that.

Violence won't solve Atsali's and Nadette's difficulties, and neither will a powerful force (unless Aphrodite can get through the barrier). This is something they'll have to sort out on their own.

Is that the kind of problem you wanted?

[Brasten]

Oh dear, is that the kind of language you use in Speech and Debate, Ms. Devyn. Well she is a high school kid so much can be forgiven on a reactive exclamation. I believe her next course of study should be Improvisational Comedy. Nothing like improv to sharpen your comeback repertoire, without needing to resort to crass vernacular epithets as an opening.

I am looking forward to the fine diamond edge whit that can be often found in dual Speech and Acting students. Combined with that expression in the last panel.... I can only hear "Their defenses are broken! Let the slaughter begin!" ringing in my head. This is going to be a verbal blood bath. I hope the unfortunate employee has the good sense to 1) offload this issue on management ASAP, 2) direct the wrath toward the originator of the request.

[Julie]

You tell him, girl!! Freshman to the rescue!

Atsali may have the big guns of the paranormal world with her, but it looks like Derringer Devyn is getting the job done.

Derringer Devyn? I like that nickname!

Oh dear, is that the kind of language you use in Speech and Debate, Ms. Devyn. Well she is a high school kid so much can be forgiven on a reactive exclamation.

Ummm...I make those kinds of reactive exclamations all the time as an adult.

We were expecting the big name paras to intervene-after all, they're her family. It is an unexpected twist, and very cool, to see a shy young freshman lose her cool and stick up for Atsali. Better for Atsali, too-it isn't powerful relatives rushing to the rescue-although they may very well be needed!-but a stranger.

Not just a stranger...but a peer. That is what will make all the difference in the world for Atsali. Of course her family defends her and tells her that people are wrong for sexualizing her body when she's done nothing to provoke it. Now she's going to see that other teenaged girls (the ones she's worried about most...well, second maybe to teenaged boys) also think that she's being treated unfairly and inappropriately. To a kid, this changes everything.

[Wdot]

Go Devyn! Dis gon b gud
munch munch

[Dave]

Well it's hard to paint the entire country with a single brush. Simply put our country is so damned big, that you cannot represent the entire nation going by a single stereotype. Now I don't find some stereotypes to be a bad thing, as they often stem from truths. However a person down in Texas is not going to be the same as one off in California. Even within the same state you'll find wildly varying types of people with different sorts of beliefs.

There's a book I've heard of (need to track it down and read it cover-to-cover) which reportedly makes a very good case that the United States can be modeled as a group of several different and distinct social cultures, which happen to share space in the same physical borders. Each of these different cultures can be traced back through history, to a different wave of immigration from different places-of-origin in Europe. The basic world-views of these sub-societies do vary a great deal.

A lot of the "Founding Fathers" were Deists... very much a different approach to religion than that of the Puritans, or of the evangelical "literal interpretation of the Bible" faith that characterizes much of America's heartland today.

[Sgt. Howard]

Well it's hard to paint the entire country with a single brush. Simply put our country is so damned big, that you cannot represent the entire nation going by a single stereotype. Now I don't find some stereotypes to be a bad thing, as they often stem from truths. However a person down in Texas is not going to be the same as one off in California. Even within the same state you'll find wildly varying types of people with different sorts of beliefs.

Now there are actually beaches specifically made for the purpose of being able to go topless/nude. However you would not find someone like Atsali at one, nor any of her friends as I'm almost certain the majority of them would only be for adults. That is perhaps the one big stickler that the entire country shares. Violence won't make us bat an eye, but a bare boob and we get into an uproar.

I am a native Californian from the San Francisco Bay Area. My Mother was born in California. I am a Christian, gunsmith, veteran, conservative, devoted Husband and Father... I would consider myself a Republican if only the Republican ACTED like Republicans instead of cowards... in short, I am the very antithisis of every preconcieved notion of what a Californian is. I did do drugs- I got over it. Yes, I did surf... and rather miss it. No, I am NOT sexually left-handed or ambidextrious- Miss Annie can attest to that.

My point is this- certain broad strokes apply AS LONG AS you recognise that they ARE broad strokes and that there are exceptions to every catagorization. People speak poorly about CA, well, that does not offend me as my fellow statesmen have worked hard to create their absurd reputation... just understand I do not fit that mold.

[Grantwhy]

I like this kid.



And despise the French.
Mostly because I've worked with their military, but that's neither here nor there.

I was accused of trying to start an international incident at my last Reforger... but as it was against a French observer, I was able to explain that there was no risk involved... I like the kid, too...

Heh.
I was present for an international incident in Bosnia in ninety... six?
I don't remember- anyway, I was the US liaison to to the local UK forces- namely, the Royal Marines.
We found ourselves in territory right near the French forces and the lads decided that they..fancied a bit of wine.. which, it so happens, can be found in French field rations...

heh - I was about to say "I didn't read that one in The Skippy List", but then I re-read what you said and saw that you probably weren't mixing in the same circles as Skippy and thus he probably never got the chance to hear that story

(to the casual reader .. no, I'm not linking to the list. Not because it's full of full of horrible but funny things - which I think it is, but because on the off chance someone gets very offended I can hide behind the fact they had to go looking for it :p)

[Akeche]

Violence won't solve Atsali's and Nadette's difficulties, and neither will a powerful force (unless Aphrodite can get through the barrier). This is something they'll have to sort out on their own.

Is that the kind of problem you wanted?

Well, no. It's just a little silly, and perhaps even a little lazy from a story telling perspective when any "Slice of Life" problem can casually be swept under the rug from threat of an OP Aunt. Or worse, that the MiB might take someone away with a bag on their head.

Speaking of the MiB, I seriously doubt they're as in-the-pocket of our main characters as we're led to believe. We've not seen Brandi for a while too, something tells me she might have been... forcibly demoted after having been the host for a damned demon for who-knows-how-long and at the same time leading the MiB.

Just seems odd that I'm the only one, well I was the only one, rooting for the poor underpaid worker to not be ground into a fine paste just for doing his job. While Phix claims that the paranormal world has its own set of rules, I call bullshit on that and think it's her way of coping with the still existing animalistic tendencies she's trying to deal with. It's the modern world, even if you're a 15ft tall hobgoblin you can't end an argument by eating the person you're arguing with. I like to compare our little setting to the Fable series(a lovely series of graphic novels and also a pretty damned good game to boot) but on a much bigger scale. In that world you're expected to live like a respectable person, not let any frightful instincts take over. It's not like good ol' humanity is any different from the paranormals in their capability for lashing out, but you don't see some bigwig saying that murder and death is par for the course.

[Akeche]

Well it's hard to paint the entire country with a single brush. Simply put our country is so damned big, that you cannot represent the entire nation going by a single stereotype. Now I don't find some stereotypes to be a bad thing, as they often stem from truths. However a person down in Texas is not going to be the same as one off in California. Even within the same state you'll find wildly varying types of people with different sorts of beliefs.

Now there are actually beaches specifically made for the purpose of being able to go topless/nude. However you would not find someone like Atsali at one, nor any of her friends as I'm almost certain the majority of them would only be for adults. That is perhaps the one big stickler that the entire country shares. Violence won't make us bat an eye, but a bare boob and we get into an uproar.

I am a native Californian from the San Francisco Bay Area. My Mother was born in California. I am a Christian, gunsmith, veteran, conservative, devoted Husband and Father... I would consider myself a Republican if only the Republican ACTED like Republicans instead of cowards... in short, I am the very antithisis of every preconcieved notion of what a Californian is. I did do drugs- I got over it. Yes, I did surf... and rather miss it. No, I am NOT sexually left-handed or ambidextrious- Miss Annie can attest to that.

My point is this- certain broad strokes apply AS LONG AS you recognise that they ARE broad strokes and that there are exceptions to every catagorization. People speak poorly about CA, well, that does not offend me as my fellow statesmen have worked hard to create their absurd reputation... just understand I do not fit that mold.

I mean it's odd that you bothered to say all this when that was just a random example. Could have just as easily said New York and Florida or Ohio and Mississippi. Of course you can't categorize everyone in a state or even a given community by the way most people act. I curl my lip in annoyance when people make the usual jokes after learning I'm from Kentucky for instance.

[Opus the Poet]

heh - I was about to say "I didn't read that one in The Skippy List", but then I re-read what you said and saw that you probably weren't mixing in the same circles as Skippy and thus he probably never got the chance to hear that story

(to the casual reader .. no, I'm not linking to the list. Not because it's full of full of horrible but funny things - which I think it is, but because on the off chance someone gets very offended I can hide behind the fact they had to go looking for it :p)

I'm proud to say I went camping (civilian style camping) with Spc. Shwarz, he was the male demonstration "dummy" for the tantric massage workshop

[meisdadoo]

Picture this:
Derringer Devyn morphs into her full "paranormal" self in defense of the Atsali Queen,
Foolish Frenchie morphs into something a little more terrifying than Devyn,
Atsali goes full Siren mode in defense of Devyn, which gets the attention of the aunties. . .and its Friday

On Monday, just before WWIII, Monica shows up and does her best Slim Pickins "Waht in the wide, wide world of sports is a goin on here? . ."

Which is quickly followed by

[as363]

I was going to evoke the (ESADA) effect - (Eat S**T And Die A**H*le) but that requires a tall chair with a large hole in the seat - the words turned into an edible length of an *absorbable (SP?) material - and his head tilted back - his bottoms down and the chair slowly lowered until they start to appear in his mouth. - A lot of work - but the results could be interesting to say the least.

[AnotherFairportfan]

What I find interesting is that apparently it is an inside pool. From the roof covering we can see the pool is not that large after all, just very deep. The pool is probably covered to keep that para's protected from casual public exposure so everyone can relax and not worry about keeping human appearance. Given the angles we can estimate the pool is Olympic sized, or a bit larger. I am allowing for a fair sized edge area around it for people not swimming to lounge and relax. But it is still 65 feet deep which must have been real fun to build.

That 240-foot-deep pool i mentioned is indoors...

============

I remembered incorrectly - it's 137 feet and it's in Italy. It's called Y-40, and as the old story title has it, "You Could Look It Up". (I'd link, but the computer is currently in the throes of an update, and linking on the tablet is a pain.)

[Dave]

There's a book I've heard of (need to track it down and read it cover-to-cover) which reportedly makes a very good case that the United States can be modeled as a group of several different and distinct social cultures...

Aha. “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America" by Colin Woodard.

Here's his take on how the different nations view issues such as violence, the death penalty, and gun control.

Time to hit a bookstore, I think.

[Catawampus]

And maybe we've learned that Poseidon is a prude?

Not from Greek mythology, we don't...

And don't forget his history with a certain Medusa, which resulted in said young lady having all sorts of difficulties. If he is still involved in events on this planet, then he may find himself receiving some rather cold treatment or hissy-fits from at least a couple of characters whom we have met.

What I find interesting is that apparently it is an inside pool. From the roof covering we can see the pool is not that large after all, just very deep. The pool is probably covered to keep that para's protected from casual public exposure so everyone can relax and not worry about keeping human appearance.

Plus there's the whole mundane reason of being able to have a pool that is still useable in Minnesota for that big chunk of the year when the temperatures are a tad chilly for swimming.

Well it's hard to paint the entire country with a single brush. Simply put our country is so damned big, that you cannot represent the entire nation going by a single stereotype.

What many Europeans intellectually know but don't really seem to fully grasp is that the United States is basically a continent in scale. Even most large European countries are much, much smaller. When thinking about American society, it's basically comparable to thinking about the entirety of European society rather than just French society or German society or whatever. How many universal stereotypes can you really make about all populations in Europe that have much accuracy?

Don't be mad at the... lifeguard? Why the HELL is he french anyway, they're in the middle of the Twin Cities not Quebec. Anyway just remember the old saying "Don't shoot the messenger." Jin, Monica, Bud... just about anyone else that came with should have the foresight to realize this guy is just doing his job. Don't be mad at him, be mad at the people who complained.

That depends. If he's just some poor guy who was told by his supervisor, "Hey, we've received this complaint, so go talk to that girl," then he could be in a rather sympathetic position of either having to go do as he is told or else become unemployed. On the other hand, he could have had the complaint made to him personally, and made up his own mind to go and chastise Atsali rather than tell the complainer where to go and stuff his/her/its complaints. It depends on how much this guy is acting on his own free agency.

There's a book I've heard of (need to track it down and read it cover-to-cover) which reportedly makes a very good case that the United States can be modeled as a group of several different and distinct social cultures, which happen to share space in the same physical borders.

That's actually a very common viewpoint that I've seen in many sociological studies of the US. I seem to recall that even as far back as some of Thomas Jefferson's letters he mentioned similar points.

We always jump to the conclusion that everything will go according to plan because an Aunt of immeasurable power will swoop in to the rescue, or they get the para regulating body to take care of it. Honestly? I'm hoping it won't be that easy.

I want a problem which can't be fixed simply by having a powerful relative. Lilith was previously shown in the comic, when we finally saw Stheno. If I were to guess I'd suspect she might either be the one complaining... or the one who owns the resort.

That is a thing that I often dislike about many storylines in all sorts of media. Somebody has some sort of a problem, dilemma, situation, or whatever. They worry about it for a little while. Then something external steps in and makes the problem go away for that character. While that's nice and neat and happy, it also tends to be a not very helpful lesson for when dealing with real-world situations. All too often when you have a problem, you'll need to figure out some way to actually deal with it yourself and solve it. And quite often it's not something that you can solve, so you'll just have to learn how to keep living your life with the problem.

The case in point in today's strip is a good example of the latter. This isn't just some weird isolated problem, but rather a sign of deep-rooted social problems that extend all over the place. There is simply no way for any character to "fix" the source of the problem in Atsali's lifetime (unless you consider "kill the entire world" to be a legitimate method of fixing things). Each of the characters here can work towards a gradual solution of slowly changing society so that the problem goes away, but it's not something that will happen any time within the next few generations.

Sure, it would be great for Atsali here and now if powerful individuals step in and intervene for her. But that will simply mask the problem in this one particular situation and for Atsali alone. It won't actually solve the problem overall, or let her learn how to deal with it elsewhere when she doesn't have superpowered backup to call upon. And any other girls who are shaped similar to Atsali and who don't have influential friends will still be out of luck.

Which doesn't mean that it wouldn't be satisfying to see some busybody self-appointed moral guardian get their comeuppance in the following strips, of course.

[Akeche]

Even if the lifeguard... or uh, attendant? Not sure what he is for the resort. Even if he was complained to directly, he's got every plausible right to inform Atsali about it. When it comes right down to it, most people will care about keeping their job over almost anything else. It sounds like this might be a case of a higher up telling him to remind Atsali about the last time she was spoken to. Judging by the way it was phrased.

Also is anyone else really confused about this place being a resort? Like I thought we were dealing with a para-only public pool. Imagining maybe 2-3 lifeguards, a bunch of kids swimming and their moms gabbing by the poolside. With it being a resort, the entire situation changes. We're dealing with private property, and to be frank they can throw you out for almost any damned reason they want as long as they don't discriminate based on religion or race/species in paras case.

There might also be an issue of them being concerned about her age. Paranormal's seem a somewhat close knit community, and to be perfectly honest I doubt that the staff of this resort aren't aware of who Miss Gilchrist and her family are connected to. They'd also know that she's only sixteen years old. I brought it up when we saw the bikini Jin picked out(good job Jin) but I'll say it here now. I 100% understand why people might feel uncomfortable. This might not really be about her being a voluptuous girl in a bikini, it might be because she's young.

The only reason I say this is because, quite simply, eyes wander. People are going to look, some are going to like what they see. Some even still might try to approach the six foot+ blonde girl not realizing she's a kid still. I think that the higher ups at the resort could simply be trying to cover their own asses. Maybe not in the best way, but as Catwampus said you can't change society by having your Big Bad Aunt's growl and make scary faces.

[Catawampus]

Also is anyone else really confused about this place being a resort? Like I thought we were dealing with a para-only public pool.

I don't really see how they could have a paranormal-only pool and not have it be registered as a private facility.

The only reason I say this is because, quite simply, eyes wander. People are going to look, some are going to like what they see. Some even still might try to approach the six foot+ blonde girl not realizing she's a kid still.

And what's wrong with any of that, so long as they take "no" for an answer if they do approach her?

If they don't, then that's a totally different problem that's only tangentially related to Atsali's looks or age, and they are the ones who should be (at the very least) asked to shape up or leave.