Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Mom's New Apartment.

May's Employment Attempts.

Relationship Issues (take your pick as to whom)

Hanners and her HAAAAAAATTT!!!!

The Band!

Harriet officially joins the cast (with her pet bird YB)

Insert Meme Here (space ham, space tea, waffles, etc.)

Something completely different.

[Kugai]

Nothing says 'Family' more than the gift of a Bullfrog.

[Barmymoo]

If people would like to debate the nature of rights and whether or not AIs should have them, please take the discussion to the DISCUSS subforum. It's getting too political for this thread.

I think Sam is adorable, but I have a suspicion that Marten might want to release that frog back into its natural habitat...

[Loki]

We even already have a thread on the nature of rights specifically.

Am I the only one that feels uneasy about the title "bread and salt"?

Why? It's a tradition.

[NilsO]

OK, cute gesture by Sam, but what should Marten do next? I guess he is not very interested in keeping Froglord as a pet. On the other hand, he is definitely not interested in hurting Sam's feelings.

When Sam and Momo went frog-hunting, Sam put Froglord back in the pond afterwards, but that was just to avoid being yelled at by her father. She may plan to establish an amphibian research facility at Marten and Faye's apartment. The friendship offering might have a hidden agenda.

EDIT: Finally found it. Marten has handled frogs before.

[anahata]

Am I the only one that feels uneasy about the title "bread and salt"?

Probably. Do explain...

[Platypodes]

OK, cute gesture by Sam, but what should Marten do next? I guess he is not very interested in keeping Froglord as a pet. On the other hand, he is definitely not interested in hurting Sam's feelings.

When Sam and Momo went frog-hunting, Sam put Froglord back in the pond afterwards, but that was just to avoid being yelled at by her father.

Marten could tell Sam that his mom told him to put the frog back in the pond...

[madhat]

Am I the only one that feels uneasy about the title "bread and salt"?

Probably. Do explain...

It's A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones reference. Probably.

Without spoiling it too much for the five people who haven't seen/read it yet but for some reason care about spoilers, it has to do with a certain wedding that goes poorly.

[NilsO]

Also, Marten should reply with a friendship offering to Sam. This is mandatory according to the social protocol database. Maybe his old guitar?

Sam and Marten probably have few common interests. Marten is into music; Sam is into biology, technology, and swordfighting. Sam was in awe of Hanners after learning of her life on the space station, and might be very jealous on Marten when she finds out he has been there on a visit.

[Akima]

I seem to have stepped on some tails with my remark that some are more deserving of rights than others.

Which is hardly surprising given that the discussion related to what rights people deserved, not on the basis of what they might have done, as would be the case of a "felon", but for what they inherently are. May was not told that she shouldn't bother to apply for a job because she was a felon with a criminal record, but simply because she's a robot.

I believe there is a very big difference between restricting the civil rights of a criminal, and deciding that a law-abiding person is inherently less deserving of rights because they are, for example, female and/or a member of an ethnic minority. I can, with reservations about the means or extent, support the former, but never, ever the latter.

That frog is disturbingly reminiscent of the Hypno-Toad.

[anahata]

It's A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones reference. Probably.

Maybe I'm being naive and innocent, but surely "a welcome greeting ceremony in many European cultures" (as Wikipedia puts it).
That meaning is also referenced in almost everything on the first page of a Google search for that phrase

Still it wouldn't be the first time Jeph gave us an obscure cultural reference, so you might yet be right...

[NilsO]

It is a (mainly Slavic) greeting ceremony, and by no means an obscure cultural reference.

[lot_jockey]

Also, Marten should reply with a friendship offering to Sam. This is mandatory according to the social protocol database. Maybe his old guitar?

He traded in his Telecaster to get his new guitar.

Also, how does Sam hold on to frogs for so long? I'm impressed. They usually hop right out of my hands!

[KOK]

In 1001 Nights there is a story where a guest claims to suffer from a condition that prevents him from eating bread or salt. This is because if you accept bread and salt from your host, you are his friend, and doing him harm is a great sin. Obviously the host realises that the guest intents to do him harm.

[pwhodges]

It is a (mainly Slavic) greeting ceremony, and by no means an obscure cultural reference.

It is not universally known though, I guess, 'cause it's new to me.  I won't go into what passed through my mind in respect of bread, salt and a frog...

[GarandMarine]

It is a (mainly Slavic) greeting ceremony, and by no means an obscure cultural reference.

It is not universally known though, I guess, 'cause it's new to me.  I won't go into what passed through my mind in respect of bread, salt and a frog...

Traditional British cuisine?

[pwhodges]

Not sure how traditional...

But you've got the idea.

[GarandMarine]

My brain went straight to Toad In the Hole...

[Mr_Rose]

My brain went straight to Toad In the Hole...

Toad in the hole involves no actual toads. Not even when Heston makes it. You're thinking of French cuisine if that's the direction you went.

[GarandMarine]

I know it doesn't. Which is blatant false advertising by the by. Or perhaps that's the description for what the dish tastes like? Toad in a hole?

[hedgie]

My brain went straight to Toad In the Hole...

Toad in the hole involves no actual toads. Not even when Heston makes it. You're thinking of French cuisine if that's the direction you went.

There's no saying what is actually *in* those sausages.  I did make Toad in the Hole a few times, and every time, I got the gravy wrong.  Although, I have had frog once, and it tasted fucking disgusting.

[GarandMarine]

I was offered frog amongst other Bayou critters whilst wandering in Louisiana (word to the wise, stay the FUCK out of the swamps. Any where. On any continent. Shit gets weird man.) but declined in favor of some gator and mud bugs. (Crawfish or crawdads to you lot)



Gator for the record is pretty darn good eatin! There's always something especially enjoyable about consuming a fellow predator.

[NilsO]

He traded in his Telecaster to get his new guitar.

Ah, yes, I forgot about that. Marten will then need some other friendship offering.

• He may write a song for Sam (hopefully, it will also become a big hit).
• He may teach Sam to play guitar (but Sam is probably not interested).
• He may let Sam hang out with him and his friends (aunt Faye, Hannelore, and Momo, in particular). As long as Pintsize is kept away, it should be relatively safe.
• He may help Sam establish her amphibian research facility in his apartment (although Faye might object).

Marten needs to take his big brother role towards Sam seriously. Sam seems quite self-confident and assertive; still, she prefers adult company instead of friends her own age, which may be of some concern. Also, her interests are quite different from typical 13 year old girls, which is not negative in any way, but probably makes it difficult for her to get friends.

[Skewbrow]

Am I the only one that feels uneasy about the title "bread and salt"?

Why? It's a tradition.

In these parts (apparently also elsewhere) Bread and Salt is a traditional gift (brought by the guests) at a housewarming party. Originally it was expressing the wish "may this house never run out of either". In parts of Scotland apparently a frog served a similar purpose.

May be most of you knew this already and I made a fool of myself. I'll survive.

[KOK]

"May this house never run out of frogs."?

[celticgeek]

Bread and salt are traditional gifts for a new household.  Bread so the house will never know hunger, and salt to insure a little spice in the new house.

[madhat]

Am I the only one that feels uneasy about the title "bread and salt"?

Why? It's a tradition.

In these parts (apparently also elsewhere) Bread and Salt is a traditional gift (brought by the guests) at a housewarming party. Originally it was expressing the wish "may this house never run out of either". In parts of Scotland apparently a frog served a similar purpose.

May be most of you knew this already and I made a fool of myself. I'll survive.

Ah. This is the information I lacked. George R. R. Martin must have borrowed the "bread and salt" idea from real life, like most of what he writes. So, it could be a reference to either one, but probably the custom. Imminent horrific massacres in QC now judged "unlikely".

[zmeiat_joro]

"Bread and salt" around thse parts also means to welcome someone with great hospitality.

[Method of Madness]

she prefers adult company instead of friends her own age, which may be of some concern. Also, her interests are quite different from typical 13 year old girls, which is not negative in any way, but probably makes it difficult for her to get friends.

She prefers adult company because her interests are quite different from typical 13 year old girls.

[Barmymoo]

When I was thirteen, many of my friends (and all but one of the ones I'm still in touch with) were aged 20-25 for precisely that reason.

[Is it cold in here?]

Should Pintsize have all the same legal privileges as Momo? They deserve identical protection from arbitrary execution and being thrown against walls, of course. The same with employment discrimination. Pintsize deserves to get rejected by employers for his behavior and not his ethnicity.

The question is more about other benefits of citizenship, such as driver's licenses and voting. Since we allow irresponsible humans to vote, maybe we have to let Pintsize vote too.

If the QC world classifies Pintsize as a child for legal purposes that would solve a lot of problems.

[Barmymoo]

We don't classify adults with behaviour problems, learning disabilities or severe mental illnesses (to list a few of the things that might make it hard for someone to function responsibly in society) as being children, though.

[Welu]

Sam's gesture is adorable!

[hedgie]

We don't classify adults with behaviour problems, learning disabilities or severe mental illnesses (to list a few of the things that might make it hard for someone to function responsibly in society) as being children, though.

Of course, there doesn't seem to be the same type of correlation between AI age and maturity like there is for humans.  It's really harder to set an age of majority for robots.  Given that AIs in the QC 'verse have equal rights, there obviously will be an age of majority for them, but I have no idea what it'd be, since an age of majority of 18 seems a little long and a bit discriminatory, given that at this point Momo is all of about 3, looks about 13-14, and is about as mature and responsible as I was at around 15-16.  So what would be the age of majority for a robot?

[FunkyTuba]

Much as I would love to know about the specifics (and imagine the IMPLICATIONS) of how individual AIs are begat from their collective consciousness and what their terms and conditions are, Jeph has pretty clearly said a few times that he's saving a lot of those details to be revealed later in the comic for dramatic or humor purposes... I think we'll just have to wait.

[Method of Madness]

Right, so all we have now is speculation.

[Thrillho]

(and imagine the IMPLICATIONS)

Obviously we can't discuss it.

[anahata]

It is a (mainly Slavic) greeting ceremony, and by no means an obscure cultural reference.

I know. But madhat was associating it with some song I'd never heard of, and that was what I was calling an obscure cultural reference.

[hedgie]

Fuck, I'll speculate.  Jeph has stated that AI is an emergent property, kinda like it was for humans.  It's certainly possible that AIs, or even an AI and a human can copy their programmes and merge said copy to a gestalt of all entities involved (like how the Major in the original GITS film and project 2501 merged, but working only with a copy).  I suspect that since the Singularity, that AIs have their own way to reproduce, and I won't bother thinking of the details.

[madhat]

It is a (mainly Slavic) greeting ceremony, and by no means an obscure cultural reference.

I know. But madhat was associating it with some song I'd never heard of, and that was what I was calling an obscure cultural reference.

"A Song of Ice and Fire" is a fantasy book series by George R. R. Martin, that spawned the popular television show Game of Thrones (named after the first book). It's nerdy, but not really that obscure.

Ultimately, I think QC was probably referencing the real life greeting ceremony that I previously didn't know about, and not the books/show. 

[jwhouk]

From how Jeph has said it, it sounds like AI's came first, and AnthroPC's came next - which were followed by the more-human-like models (RoboBoyfriend was a prototype), which was followed by the Idoru models.

[Method of Madness]

Awwwwwwwww, looks like Marten's got the big brother thing down better than we thought

[GarandMarine]

Ruh Roh. Dora's gonna be pissed that Frog Lord 2 is on the loose.

[Truec]

WHERE DID HE GO

IS HE HIDING UNDER A BOX

Of course not, Sam already told us that he's a frog, not a snake.

[Rghfrgl]

 Just leave him, I'm sure he'll pop up eventually.

[hedgie]

Or hop up.  He is a frog after all.

[Is it cold in here?]

SPECIALS

Ceremonial Frog Latte


Sam doesn't have a swamp partner any more. Why did Momo stop going exploring with Sam? If your mission in life is to be an ambassador to humans, spending time with younger and more impressionable ones is the best use of time.

Did Momo get permanently offended by the dishwasher remark?

[hedgie]

Momo's working her robotic butt off, and spending her free time doing things that she wants to do.

[Is it cold in here?]

Reaching out to humans is something she wants to do.

[jwhouk]

Oh boy, that frog is going to go downstairs and discover the Spider Lair... and PIG the #### OUT.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

Rights. Asserting that person X has right Y does not automagically make it so. It is not an observable fact like the melting point of iron.

I will shut up now.