Penny

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

@POOHEAD189 Russian elections totally legitimate unlike those US ones with millions of illegal votes!

Dogs of War: Old World Mercenaries

The question hung in the air for a moment as the fellow puffed at his pipe. Camilla rolled her eyes and the man's mouth soured into a frown.

"Yes we get it, dramatic and foreboding, but if it is all the same to you, our breakfast is getting cold," Camilla stated waspishly deliberately turning away from the grizzled looking man. He stood scraping his chair across the rushes and reached into his coat producing a wood and brass icon marked with the Imperial cross.

"I am Thaddeus Von Eikenhouser," he declared coldly, "A duly appointed Justicar of His Imperial Highness Karl Franz."

"Pleased to meet you," Camilla replied in a disinterested tone and took a drink of her ale. Part of her training was in politics and she had spent enough time in the Empire to know of the existence of Justicars. They served as roaming judges for a realm in which many towns had little more than a group of town elders to govern them. Many Justicars were illegitimate children of nobles, although this fellow was clearly not the pimply faced by-blow of an aristocrat.

"So you walked here through a blizzard to find work did you? I am officially curious now," he went on, clearly irritated by the Tilean's non chalant attitude. She nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Thats right," she agreed giving him no room to dissent. His cold suspicious eyes bored into them both and for a moment Camilla thought he might say more but instead he picked up his sword, swung it over his shoulder and stalked out into the winter. Camilla allowed herself a slight grin.

"Friendly man," she commented in her accented Riekspiel before attacking her egg with the edge of her wooden spoon.

@POOHEAD189

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

The roar of the crowd below was almost deafening even a few stories above. Sayeeda had opted to forgo her helmet, though her stripped down shooters glasses were tucked into her left pocket. She didn't have anything resembling formal clothing, the Armored did have a dress uniform, she was pretty sure, but she couldn't remember anyone actually owning one. Instead she wore her chestplate, although dinged and scarred by hard use in recent days, and combat pants in urban camoflauge patterns. In deference to planetary custom she carried only a pistol in a service holster. Aiden was dressed again in his armor, buffed and shiny for the situation. He strode down towards the King and Queen, waving majestically for the benefit of vid casters. Sayeeda was uncomfortably aware of the hovering air cars with stabilizer rigs recording the scene in holo.

Dar'monadi national costume appeared to favor long flowing garments in bright primary colors. There seemed to be some pattern to them which might be indicative of livery. Most of the soldiers were armed with ceremonial halberds and ornate large bore pistols in brightly decorated holsters. Unlike Aiden's troops these men and women seemed like they spent more time on the parade ground than on the range and from the look of some of the slightly flabby overdressed officers, rank might be a hereditary privlige rather than a real signifier of competence.

The king and queen were dressed in robes that shimmerd from dark bronze all the way up to white platnium on a two minute cycle before making their way back down through the metallic spectrum. They wore small but obvious crowns inset with a variety of dazzling gems. Beside them stood several young men and a woman whose resemblence both to Aiden and the royals were apparent even at a cursory glance. Each was dressed expensively although none went so far as to wear armor.

"Who are they I wonder?" Sayeeda asked no one in particular.

"They are Aiden's siblings," Ranald said unexpectedly, Sayeeda twisted her head to see the seargent, still dressed in his combat gear, spit on the ground.

"They are a scheming bunch of snakes if ever I've seen one." Sayeeda gave the older man a hard look, wondering what he was implying but unwilling to voice it infront of so many recorders.

"The prince certainly seems popular," she commented. The old man shook his head, lip curling in contempt.

"They are a mob captain, swayed as easily as any herd of beasts. He might be a hero today, but tomorrow who knows?"

Judging it best to leave the old soldier to his dark musings Sayeeda sidled over towards Neil.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" she asked, making a broad gesture at the city as Aiden continued to converse with his parents.

@POOHEAD189

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

@SleepingSilence I'm sorry I should have taken your demonstrated inability to pick things up from context into account. I was referring to the cost of higher education here being scary.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

Yes, you're so educated.

@SleepingSilence

Thank you :) I am glad to have had all those years of college paid for by the government though. Scary here.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

Though even then, from eons ago. My argument was this shouldn't be encouraged, its a tragedy every time someone losses all hope, it demoralizes countries, medical data that people do it for is often wrong, and it often fails and costs us billions. Which was what you disagreed with. Without really giving me any counter evidence, which I assume just means "feelings trump facts and data."

@SleepingSilence

I'm really not seeing how any of that is an argument against a responsible euthanasia option such as the one the Netherlands uses. It clearly hasn't pushed them to the brink of economic ruin.

https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/netherlands-once-again-top-10-happiest-countries-world

They are still in the top 10 happiest countries, so I guess it cant be THAT demoralizing.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

From Wikipedia:

United States

Historically, various states listed the act of suicide as a felony, but these policies were sparsely enforced. In the late 1960s, eighteen U.S. states had no laws against suicide.[129] By the late 1980s, thirty of the fifty states had no laws against suicide or suicide attempts but every state had laws declaring it to be a felony to aid, advise or encourage another person to commit suicide.[130] By the early 1990s only two states still listed suicide as a crime, and these have since removed that classification.[citation needed] In some U.S. states, suicide is still considered an unwritten "common law crime," as stated in Blackstone's Commentaries. (So held the Virginia Supreme Court in 1992. Wackwitz v. Roy, 418 S.E.2d 861 (Va. 1992)). As a common law crime, suicide can bar recovery for the late suicidal person's family in a lawsuit unless the suicidal person can be proven to have been "of unsound mind." That is, the suicide must be proven to have been an involuntary act of the victim in order for the family to be awarded monetary damages by the court. This can occur when the family of the deceased sues the caregiver (perhaps a jail or hospital) for negligence in failing to provide appropriate care.[131] Some American legal scholars look at the issue as one of personal liberty. According to Nadine Strossen, former President of the ACLU, "The idea of government making determinations about how you end your life, forcing you...could be considered cruel and unusual punishment in certain circumstances, and Justice Stevens in a very interesting opinion in a right-to-die [case] raised the analogy."[132] Physician-assisted suicide is legal in some states.[133] For the terminally ill, it is legal in the state of Oregon under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. In Washington state, it became legal in 2009, when a law modeled after the Oregon act, the Washington Death with Dignity Act was passed. A patient must be diagnosed as having less than six months to live, be of sound mind, make a request orally and in writing, have it approved by two different doctors, then wait 15 days and make the request again. A doctor may prescribe a lethal dose of a medication but may not administer it.[134]

In California, medical facilities are empowered or required to commit anyone whom they believe to be suicidal for evaluation and treatment.[135]

In Maryland, it is an open question as to whether suicide is illegal. In 2018, a Maryland man was convicted of attempted suicide.[136][137][138][139]

So by illegal in the United States, you mean sometimes illegal in some of the states? Just looking for clarification...

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

@catchamber It is so against the law that it is physician assisted suicide is legal in Oregon. Or something.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

@IceHeart That is a fair point! I suppose he might be an existentialist suicide bomber attacking the absurdity of life. Or I suppose he could be a post modernist suicide bomber, that would be equally valid.

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

"I don't know if he is really my type," Sayeeda responded her ton noncommittal. By reflex she checked the load of the plasma rifle even though she was already sure it was empty. Aiden was an attractive man in many respects but he was also a prince and an aristocrat, not someone to be trifled with.

"Beside's I doubt an old hag like me would stand much of a chance with a pretty young thing like you melting all over him," she said with a straight face.

"Ha. Ha. Ha Ha," Taya responded as she took a bulb of water from the sink and drank deeply.

"You are like.. into guys right?" Taya asked an eyebrow quirking. Sayeeda grinned wolfishly as the pair of them headed out into the cargo bay. Most of the soldiers were sacked out wherever they could improvise beds. Empty cola cans rolled around everywhere, apparently the word that Aiden was buying their cargo had gotten around.

"I've always sort of taken affection where I could get it," Sayeeda replied with another grin that set the younger woman giggling.

"Besides did you ever consider that the Prince might be into guys? Maybe Neil has a better chance than either of us?" As the words left her mouth Aiden appeared from the cockpit ladder way with a pleased smile on his face. Sayeeda and Taya dissolved into instant laughter in front of the stunned noble.

___________________________________________

Sayeeda twitched convulsively and her palms itched. All around her bright lights burst in flurries of gorgeous color. In her minds eye she saw hilltops exploding as plasma shells blew them into consituent atoms, trace elments blazing in a gorgeous arry of colors as they burned.

"...I said is it not wonderful Captain?" It was Aiden standing in the entryway as the Highlander coasted down towards the capitol of Yilryia, the capitol of Dar'monad. All around them fireworks burst and beneath them crowds waved banners with apparent enthusiasm. The city itself was a true wonder. Gorgeous structures of stunning archtictural daring soared all around them. Slender marble spires and impressive palaces stetched for miles. Air cars zipped between roof top landing pads and the cerullian brightness of the city was broken by scupted parks and creative water features. She flinched again as another blast echoed of the hull. It was beautiful but Junebug could have done without the fireworks.

"Very, I will admit its not like most worlds I have ever visited," she confided.

"How so?" Aiden asked in a tone of polite interest.

"On most worlds I've visited people were shooting at me." Aiden laughed at the not quite joke, his earnest face and infectious good humor drawing a reluctant smile from her.

"Don't spend too much time talking to Ranald then, before you know it you will believe there is a sniper lurking behind every statue." Junebug knew the remark was meant to be a joke but the stern faced old soldier was hardly the joking kind.

"We have clearence to land in the Primate's Plaza, whatever that is," Taya chimed in helpfully, touching her keypad to highlight hte landing area for Neil.

@POOHEAD189