Well, not really.

Details.

well ... am i the only one who gets the sense that this thread saved itself from doom at the last minute?

Actually, the discussion of super heroes goes hand in hand with the people who think that we have the power to alter the climate to prevent G-L-O-B-A-L W-A-R-M-I-N-G.

Both are the stuff of comic books.

That C.S. Lewis letter was great. I agree with every word.

Details.

Because it is such an awesome series (prior to much of Miller's later bat-shittery), I will announce SPOILERS here. Do not read on if you do not want elaboration on what I've kind of already spoiled and apologize for:

Having been warned of the government's plans by Oliver Queen, the former Green Arrow, Batman confronts Superman. Symbolically, their duel takes place in Crime Alley, where Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered decades earlier. Batman defeats Superman (with the help of Green Arrow and a kryptonite-tipped arrow), but dies from a heart attack immediately afterward. Alfred destroys the Batcave and Wayne Manor and suffers a fatal stroke.

After Bruce's funeral, it is revealed that his death was staged as an elaborate ruse; Clark Kent (Superman) attends the funeral and gives Robin a knowing wink after hearing Bruce's heartbeat as he leaves the grave site, suggesting his silent approval of what will happen next. Some time afterward, Batman leads Robin, Green Arrow, and the rest of his followers into the caverns beyond the Batcave and prepares to continue his fight. His plan, which will take years of training and studying, is to build an army, and to bring sense to a world plagued by something "worse than thieves and murderers". He decides that this will be a "good life – good enough."

Oliver is the shiznit in that book, by the way.

Actually, the discussion of super heroes goes hand in hand with the people who think that we have the power to alter the climate to prevent G-L-O-B-A-L W-A-R-M-I-N-G.

Both are the stuff of comic books.

Stay classy, Ray. It's always a pleasure to debate with people who are committed to working together for the greater understanding of an issue.

Everyone has had this discussion, but I don't know if it's ever been had here:

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? No BS answers like "ability to develop more superpowers" or anything like that where you're trying to find a loophole. One superpower off of my pre-approved but unpublished list of superpowers.

I pick time travel.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? No BS answers like "ability to develop more superpowers" or anything like that where you're trying to find a loophole. One superpower off of my pre-approved but unpublished list of superpowers.

I'll take regeneration a la Wolverine. Immortality for me #####.

One superpower off of my pre-approved but unpublished list of superpowers.

Jean Grey. "Die." Become unquenchable universal force.

I pick time travel.

Too complicated. If you can managed time travel, I don't see why interstellar FTL travel (+ a level of travel-reactive invulnerability) can't be mine.

Also, it's hard to beat Fancy-Pants, but I rarely run across anyone - as I do - who desires immortality. I don't even think of it as a superpower.

Also, it's hard to beat Fancy-Pants, but I rarely run across anyone - as I do - who desires immortality. I don't even think of it as a superpower.

Wolverine is not immortal. Like Sabretooth, if you chop his head off, he will die.

well ... am i the only one who gets the sense that this thread saved itself from doom at the last minute?

It ain't over till it's over, phredbird.

yah, i should have kept my mouth shut.

although #307 is doing a good job of making this a pleasant experience.

Which super power? I guess it depends what you want to do.

If you're fighting crime, Wolverine's regenerative power is near the top, if not #1. Though, I'm not sure on one point: does he regenerate from disease, as well. Would you be immune to cancer?

Telekinesis has many practical uses in normal life. Same with telepathy. Those have to be near the top of my list if I'm not living a life where I'd be injured frequently.

Wolverine is not immortal. Like Sabretooth, if you chop his head off, he will die.

It would take a longer discussion, but I think you're conflating immortality and invulnerability. You can be immortal except for extreme circumstances, I'd judge.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I'd like to be able to teleport anywhere I wanted in the world instantaneously. As someone who loves vacations, I can't think of anything cooler than being able to see Europe, Australia, Japan, Egypt, etc, without having to deal with the hassle of plane tickets and hotels and getting vacation time off from work and all that crap. Every weekend and every evening I could spend my free time chilling somewhere new I've never been. That would be all kinds of sweet.

My second choice would be to have my teenage metabolism back so I could eat whatever the hell I wanted and still stay in shape.

Too complicated. If you can managed time travel, I don't see why interstellar FTL travel (+ a level of travel-reactive invulnerability) can't be mine.

It can be. (FTL means faster than lightspeed?) That would be a cool one, though I'm at a bit of a loss as to the application of it. You'd have to wear a spacesuit to go anywhere, obviously, and the novelty of jumping around on the moon and Mars would wear off quickly.

If it were offered to me, I think I would take immortality, but it's pretty easy to envision myself regretting that decision for a very (infinitely) long time.

I don't think I would like telepathy. I guess you'd get used to it and adjust, but reading other people's minds would probably be highly disturbing. You'd become an outcast if people knew about it, too. I wouldn't hang out with a guy who could read my mind.

Also, I would totally use my power for personal gain.

well ... am i the only one who gets the sense that this thread saved itself from doom at the last minute?

Yeah, I'm very pleasantly surprised my He-Man vs Superman comment helped turn what was going to be a 1000 post flame war with an eventual moderator shut down into a much more entertaining discussion.

Also, I would totally use my power for personal gain.

I must admit this is why I didn't suggest powerful hypnotic suggestion as a power. Seemed too rife for abuse. By me, I mean.


You'd have to wear a spacesuit to go anywhere, obviously, and the novelty of jumping around on the moon and Mars would wear off quickly.

I admit, there are things that have to be worked out. Even if you're invulnerable while traveling, only hitting livable, breathable planets would be difficult.

Ok, why would Superman flying really fast move him BACK in time? If he flies faster than the speed of light, wouldn't that just mean that time functionally stopped for him while he's at that speed and no additional time would elapse? That doesn't undo stuff that already happened.

Ok, why would Superman flying really fast move him BACK in time?

Because it's in the script.

Jean Grey. "Die." Become unquenchable universal force.

This. If I can't get god powers then give me the closest thing to it.

If I could have the power to stop time, like the kid in Heroes, I'd take that. I need the sword too, though.

I'd take Patrick Stewart's super power of seeing women naked.

The power to close threads.

Also, I would totally use my power for personal gain.

I must admit this is why I didn't suggest powerful hypnotic suggestion as a power. Seemed too rife for abuse. By me, I mean.

That would probably be the most useful, although telekinesis is nice too if you're into humiliation.

I would like either teleportation or the ability to be in amazing shape without exercising. Actually, most superheroes have excellent physiques, so that might just come with the superpower.

I would like either teleportation or the ability to be in amazing shape without exercising. Actually, most superheroes have excellent physiques, so that might just come with the superpower.

Copycat! :)

#123 Voros, do you know of any good articles on multiple endpoints?

What LoTS is doing is a variation on the theme. If you start the trend line at one precise point then you get the answer that LoTS and co. want (or as a former office mate once put it, select the right two data points and you get the trend line you want)

Any earlier or later and you get the warming trend you've described.

Ron, #327, assuming you're referencing LoTS's statement much earlier in the thread that "there has been no warming since 1998," I'll say for the record -- despite my overall view of this issue -- that I agree his statement is misleading. We're basically at peak warming over the last X decades, and so the idea that we've "only" remained at peak warming and have not increased since 1998 is not a convincing argument that global warming (as people mean that term) is reversing itself. If you chart temps by decade over the last X decades, the 1990s and 2000s are at the peak. So while I do think it's significant that temps have not risen since 1998, I think LoTS is overselling that fact.

Of course, so many people on all sides of this issue are being dishonest and deceptive; LoTS is hardly the first one to misuse a piece of data.

Also, I would totally use my power for personal gain.

You say that as if that's a bad thing.

My attitude re: personal gain would be similar to Pete Rose in his playing days: If it helps my individual stats lifestyle, how is that not good for the team mankind?

With that in mind, I'll take the hypnotic/mind control power, please. Thank you.

DB