The art of deception

[GypsyScot]

Does killing Jews count?

No that was fairly privatized...
Holocaust jokes during the high holy season, even less funny to me.

[migopod]

Calling Me a bigot? Is your argument so grotesquely weak that you must resort to purile name calling to obfuscate your complete lack of valid ground to stand upon?

Your absurd insistence on homogeneous alignment of white dragons is as one-dimensional as say insistence that African Americans are universally adept athletes or that Asian Americans are all skilled in karate and excel at math, or even that white people lack the ability to dance (Tom Delay not withstanding). I stand by my critique of your generalizations!

I find the idea that a white dragon, any white dragon could steal a car offensive . Clearly, you are insane, have never spent time around any White Dragons, or both.

The security footage was decisive in this incident, but may not be reproduced or made public for reasons of national security. Why do you hate America?

Again. The truest measurement of how flawed a mythological beast might be is based on how close it is to existing natural existing beasts, not whether or not it acts nice in mixed company or whether it has become some arbitrary human symbol for goodness, fertility or evilness.

Take the Pegasus for example. How can the typically proportioned white fuffy wings support the weight of full grown horse? They can't and never will. Even is you were to create one in a lab, it will never fly. And THAT is why the Pegasus is more flawed than a Unicorn, which is less flawed than a Red Dragon.

Clearly the Pegasus is capable of flying. Have you ever seen a Pegasus that couldn't fly? Remember the urban legend in the scientific community that Bumble Bees are aerodynamically unsuited to flight? Laughable on the face of it. The Pegasus and Bumble Bee alike both are able to fly because of magic. A child could see it.

Communist!

Respectfully,
-migopod.

[foibles]

Sigh! No, no, no.

Unicorns are good. Their meat is delicious and especially so when barbecued and served with onion rings.

Dragons, otoh, tend to be grissly and stringy and needs to slow cook for at least 20 hours to be properly edible.

<gasp> you cant eat a Dragon! They're sentient!
Unicorns though would only be considered foodstuffs by the French, Central Asia, South America and certain parts of China.

[foibles]

Your absurd insistence on homogeneous alignment of white dragons is as one-dimensional as say insistence that African Americans are universally adept athletes or that Asian Americans are all skilled in karate and excel at math, or even that white people lack the ability to dance (Tom Delay not withstanding). I stand by my critique of your generalizations!

The problem is that you misunderstand that there is a range, a greyscale that exists within any given alignment. It's not some kind of Absolute. It's a general description of a given natural proclivity of a population. It's like saying that the typical African American is more likely to be darker skinned than the those that would describe themselves as "white". Is that always true? Of course not, but for the purpose of discussion that kind of generialzed statement must be allowed for pertinent discussion to ensue.

The security footage was decisive in this incident, but may not be reproduced or made public for reasons of national security. Why do you hate America?

Did a White Dragon steal your car? I can't say, but if so, there was probably a lawful good reason for it. A reason that would fall somewhere within the greyscale range that constitutes the gamut of Lawful Good. To claim otherwise denies the basic rules that govern the preternatural moral physics resident in the generally accepted mythological mass-unconscious understanding to which we all, as humans, subscribe.

And let me be as clear as I can: its my love of America that causes me to say these things! Not some Chase-ian angst of disgruntled youthfulness!

Clearly the Pegasus is capable of flying. Have you ever seen a Pegasus that couldn't fly? Remember the urban legend in the scientific community that Bumble Bees are aerodynamically unsuited to flight? Laughable on the face of it. The Pegasus and Bumble Bee alike both are able to fly because of magic. A child could see it.

Well. I'm no genetic engineer, nor am I an expert on comparative aerodynamics, but my gut tells me that at best they would merely glide. But.. you may be right on this.

Communist!

If espousing a love for that which is great, beautiful and true, be it in this, or any other pantheon of considered existence, then paint me red and call me Ivan.. but be sure to wrap me in an American flag when you're done.

Respectfully,
-migopod.

With your continued growth in mind,
foibles.

[jeff]

For future reference, consensus is that Holocaust jokes are still not funny.

and that using them for creepy partisan arguments is tasteless and dishonest.

[migopod]

The problem is that you misunderstand that there is a range, a greyscale that exists within any given alignment. It's not some kind of Absolute. It's a general description of a given natural proclivity of a population. It's like saying that the typical African American is more likely to be darker skinned than the those that would describe themselves as "white". Is that always true? Of course not, but for the purpose of discussion that kind of generialzed statement must be allowed for pertinent discussion to ensue.

I believe it was you who introduced the concept of moral absolutes into this, with your "lawful good" and "lawful neutral" moral constructs. Saying, for example, that all white dragons are lawful good leaves little room for shades of gray. Your analogy about human skin color does not apply in this context. A more apt analogy would be "The typical black paint chip is more likely to be of a darker hue than a paint chip marked as white".

Did a White Dragon steal your car? I can't say, but if so, there was probably a lawful good reason for it. A reason that would fall somewhere within the greyscale range that constitutes the gamut of Lawful Good. To claim otherwise denies the basic rules that govern the preternatural moral physics resident in the generally accepted mythological mass-unconscious understanding to which we all, as humans, subscribe.

Clear tautology. You claim that white dragons are lawful good. I offer a counterexample of irrefutable chaotic neutral behavior. Rather than accept that dragons are not homogeneous ethically, you twist the facts to support your argument by redefining the chaotic act of grand theft auto to have a more lawful good purpose. I furthermore disagree that the basic rules of preternatural morality are applicable to modern mythological society. The continuum of lawful good -> chaotic evil is outdated and should be considered no more relevant to modern preternatural morality than the humours are to modern medical science.... Or would you inform your physician that you have an excessive abundance of yellow bile?

And let me be as clear as I can: its my love of America that causes me to say these things! Not some Chase-ian angst of disgruntled youthfulness!

Let it then be said of you sir, that you loved too wisely, but not well.

Well. I'm no genetic engineer, nor am I an expert on comparative aerodynamics, but my gut tells me that at best they would merely glide. But.. you may be right on this.



If espousing a love for that which is great, beautiful and true, be it in this, or any other pantheon of considered existence, then paint me red and call me Ivan.. but be sure to wrap me in an American flag when you're done.

I admire your fanatical devotion to Bolshevism, pinko. Be advised, however, that wrapping a commie in an American flag constitutes an act of desecration so grave that the very founding fathers would weep from the depths of their sacred burial mounds.

With your continued growth in mind,
foibles.

Alas sir, at our ripe ages any continued growth would be purely lateral.


With sincere regret,
-migopod

[Purple Fencer]

Alas sir, at our ripe ages any continued growth would be purely lateral.

*looks at waist* Sadly....yes.

[foibles]

1.
Clear tautology. You claim that white dragons are lawful good. I offer a counterexample of irrefutable chaotic neutral behavior. Rather than accept that dragons are not homogeneous ethically, you twist the facts to support your argument by redefining the chaotic act of grand theft auto to have a more lawful good purpose.

2.
I furthermore disagree that the basic rules of preternatural morality are applicable to modern mythological society. The continuum of lawful good -> chaotic evil is outdated and should be considered no more relevant to modern preternatural morality than the humours are to modern medical science.... Or would you inform your physician that you have an excessive abundance of yellow bile?

3. I admire your fanatical devotion to Bolshevism, pinko.
-migopod

1. White Dragons are Lawful Good. THEY JUST ARE. A Rakshasha cannot change their stripes, and White Dragons cannot be Chaotic Neutral! I'm not changing facts. Those ARE the facts... But concerning your car (condolences, btw) I'm suggesting that there has to be some facts missing.

Your info must be out of context in some way. Maybe it was a Black Dragon being treated for vitiligo. Maybe a Goblin messed with your break-lines and the Dragon took the car so you wouldn't die in it... I don't know... But what I DO know is that whatever the reason, it had to have served some greater good. That's the tricky part... sometimes you have to keep searching for more contextual information that properly frames the situation at hand gain a more complete understanding. Occam's razor does not always apply.

2.
Good and Evil, right and wrong are outdated concepts? Surely that’s not what you meant. To even suggest that shows a complete lack of moral compass.

Contemporary paramoral and preternatural ethical studies still lean heavily, and rightly so, on the timeless bedrock of those basic principals.

3. You may be completely off base, Migopod, with all the crazy-talk you spew forth, and I may not like it, but I would hack and slash my way to a Frank Frazetta mountain of skulls swaddled, yes SWADDLED in the red, white and blues of my +5 scale male to defend your right to say it.

[lindajdunn]

<gasp> you cant eat a Dragon! They're sentient!

Since when has that ever stopped anyone from eating any kiind of meat? Next you'll be telling me that I shouldn't be wearing dragonoskin gloves and dragonskin boots.

I heart my red dragonskin jacket!

[migopod]

1. White Dragons are Lawful Good. THEY JUST ARE. A Rakshasha cannot change their stripes, and White Dragons cannot be Chaotic Neutral! I'm not changing facts. Those ARE the facts... But concerning your car (condolences, btw) I'm suggesting that there has to be some facts missing.

So you are suggesting that white dragons are incapable of making choices that would fall outside of what you suppose is their only possible alignment? So in essence as a species their default ethical position is such that none of them have any capacity for chaos or evil? What value is there in morality if one is incapable of behaving immorally? Absolutely none! Furthermore I must take exception with your clear lack of knowledge of the Rakshasha. They are quite capable of changing their outward appearance, stripes and all.

Your info must be out of context in some way. Maybe it was a Black Dragon being treated for vitiligo. Maybe a Goblin messed with your break-lines and the Dragon took the car so you wouldn't die in it... I don't know... But what I DO know is that whatever the reason, it had to have served some greater good. That's the tricky part... sometimes you have to keep searching for more contextual information that properly frames the situation at hand gain a more complete understanding. Occam's razor does not always apply.

I would like to point you to the Rule of Fives as revealed in the Principia Discordia. The rule states that everything occurs in fives, multiples of fives, or can otherwise be made to fit into this rubric by means of complex maths. The reality is that many things occur in frequencies or numbers greater than five, but if one has a pre-concieved conculsion that must be met, that any phenomenon can be twisted to fit that conclusion. As an example, donughts occur in fives. A baker's dozen is 13 donughts. 13 is two digits, the second of which is three, and two plus three is equal to five. Alternate hypothesis is that the sum of the digits one and three is four, which is a one digit number, and one plus four is equal to five. Thus donughts occur in fives.

I contend that your pre-concieved belief in the exclusively lawful-good nature of white dragons causes you to re-interpret facts in such a way as to support your conclusion since, as you have stated, it can not be any other way.

Hogwash, I say!

2.
Good and Evil, right and wrong are outdated concepts? Surely that’s not what you meant. To even suggest that shows a complete lack of moral compass.

Contemporary paramoral and preternatural ethical studies still lean heavily, and rightly so, on the timeless bedrock of those basic principals.

Nice straw man! What I meant, and surely you realize this, is simply that the nine-point alignment matrix is obsolete. Modern mythical entities have adopted a much more situational approach to ethics and are not readily classified into one discrete alignment. While individuals within any genera absolutely display obvious alignments that fit the old model, the variability within the genera is sufficient that making simple blanket assumptions about the alignment of any individual is tantamount to racial profiling.

3. You may be completely off base, Migopod, with all the crazy-talk you spew forth, and I may not like it, but I would hack and slash my way to a Frank Frazetta mountain of skulls swaddled, yes SWADDLED in the red, white and blues of my +5 scale male to defend your right to say it.

And I, sir, would gladly don my enchanted cloak and take up my +5 Holy Avenger to wrathfully smite any who would strive to endanger your right to express your utterly wrong and dangerously insane misconceptions. Perhaps when next we are in the same hamlet, we should raise a flagon of grog to the flag.

[migopod]

Since when has that ever stopped anyone from eating any kiind of meat? Next you'll be telling me that I shouldn't be wearing dragonoskin gloves and dragonskin boots.

I heart my red dragonskin jacket!

You raise an excellent point. Furthermore if sentience was the only disqualifier for inclusion in the old food chain, Reality TV would be rife with acts of cannibalism.

[foibles]

blah blah blah Principia Discordia. blah.. racial profiling...blah... and take up my +5 Holy Avenger ... grog. .

Holy Avenger? Principa Discordia?
Oh that’s rich. So now you’re a Paladin quoting Robert Anton Wilson?!?!
Well “Hail Eris”, freakjob.
Go roll your golden apple somewhere else. We’re all full-up on crazy here.

A Rakshasa can only create the illusion of changing their stripes. At the end of the day, where the rubber meets the road, when the illusion fades, as all illusions must, the stripes remain the same.

Racial profiling? Are you serious? Is it racial profiling to suggest that rattlesnake bites are poisonous? That lurkers above are sneaky? I think not, and no reasonable person would.

See. That’s just what you people do. Not completely unlike the NEA funded artist that created Piss Christ, you choose a devious selection of half-truths to weave this half baked image of faux mythological reality in order to create a venue for divisiveness and hate mongering pursuant your own private agenda.

Well I’m not buyin’ it, bucko. Not a coppers worth. And no True American would. Not here. Not in Greyhawk. Not now. And not in 1st edition AD&D of 1977.



But grog sounds good.

[telkanuru]

Hitler SOCIALIZED much of the private sector. He was a socialist, just like 0bama.

Your grasp on history is simply astounding.

[foibles]

Since when has that ever stopped anyone from eating any kiind of meat? Next you'll be telling me that I shouldn't be wearing dragonoskin gloves and dragonskin boots.

I heart my red dragonskin jacket!

I think it went out about the same time as the Ivory Trade.

Do you store your Red D Jacket in the closet above your jar of Lucky Rabbits feet and your antique Elephant Foot Ashtray?

[Inquartata]

Jane, you ignorant slut.

Wait...wrong thread.

[migopod]

Jane, you ignorant slut.

Wait...wrong thread.

Actually that's pretty applicable to most of these threads lately.

[Purple Fencer]

Your grasp on history is simply astounding.

Right up there with Mahmoud Ahmadineja...

[telkanuru]

Right up there with Mahmoud Ahmadineja...

Yes, I hear the Holocaust is a minority opinion now.

[Slim]

Your grasp on history is simply astounding.

He's 11...its still called Social Studies. Cut him some slack.

[telkanuru]

He's 11...its still called Social Studies. Cut him some slack.

You're right. Leave no child behind, eh?