Question Meaningless Complaints Thread

For your meaningless unchangeable complaints...

Like the fact Phoenix Down is already taken as a code name. Damn. I was hoping to use that for a character eventually. Now I have to find something else.

Tansy isn't Tansy's codename, so I can't have a Blonde flower trio with her, Clover, and Buttercup.

And no, Flower Trio isn't a ref to MLP:FiM...

Iwasforger03 wrote: For your meaningless unchangeable complaints...

Like the fact Phoenix Down is already taken as a code name. Damn. I was hoping to use that for a character eventually. Now I have to find something else.

Phoenix tail? The tail is supposedly the most important part of the phoenix. Unless it's a reference to Final Fantasy's res effect. Then phoenix tears would be better.

Why was the background of the site white for the last day. Or was that something on my end?

I assure you, this is a Meaningless complaint.

From The Big Idea :

Carson gave her a ‘don’t mess with me, you little bitch, I’m meaner than you are’ look. “True. And the French MCO will of course, have to be alerted that a reckless and dangerous mutant was expelled from the United States for Attempted Murder. And France operates by the Code Napoleon, under which the burden of proof lies with the accused ..."

Each time I read this I have to remind myself "this is only an alternate universe, forget everything you know about the real world". And then I wonder about the implications of such a change. has it always been like that in the WU ? Is it only for the Mutants ? What is the Conseil constitutionnel doing ? Have we signed the Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen ? And the European Convention on Human Rights ? Does the council of Europe exist in the WU ?

Or Maybe Carson was bluffing.

Sorry

NJM1564 wrote:

Iwasforger03 wrote: For your meaningless unchangeable complaints...

Like the fact Phoenix Down is already taken as a code name. Damn. I was hoping to use that for a character eventually. Now I have to find something else.

Phoenix tail? The tail is supposedly the most important part of the phoenix. Unless it's a reference to Final Fantasy's res effect. Then phoenix tears would be better.

Why was the background of the site white for the last day. Or was that something on my end?

Shift +F5 should fix the background.

It was a specific reference to the Final Fantasy res effect... which is probably the origin of Phoenix Down in gen 2, given the number of Final Fantasy literal cases (Squall, Aerys, Tiff) so far. She/he is probably a healer type.

Esar wrote: I assure you, this is a Meaningless complaint.

From The Big Idea :

Carson gave her a ‘don’t mess with me, you little bitch, I’m meaner than you are’ look. “True. And the French MCO will of course, have to be alerted that a reckless and dangerous mutant was expelled from the United States for Attempted Murder. And France operates by the Code Napoleon, under which the burden of proof lies with the accused ..."

Each time I read this I have to remind myself "this is only an alternate universe, forget everything you know about the real world". And then I wonder about the implications of such a change. has it always been like that in the WU ? Is it only for the Mutants ? What is the Conseil constitutionnel doing ? Have we signed the Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen ? And the European Convention on Human Rights ? Does the council of Europe exist in the WU ?

Or Maybe Carson was bluffing.

Sorry

I hope you find my treatment of the French judicial system in Charge 1 is a little more like currently exists in France. It's very possible that Bek made that a bluff by Carson. It's also possible that the exact details of French justice were missed, because it's a lot of work to dig through to find the background info that provides the local color of situations and settings, laws and traditions and customs. Considering most readers are not from France, it would be missed by most. France in The Big Idea was a very minor point, whereas it was a lot more germane to Charge 1.

Certainly in Gen 2, the EU exists, and post-Brexit, we have the Commonwealth of former British colonies who have joined a bloc to be better positioned for trade

elrodw wrote: Considering most readers are not from France, it would be missed by most.

It's even "worse" than that, I have a double "handicap". I am both french AND I have studied law for 5 years in college.

I have to confess, I have avoided Charge 1. I have read Charge 2 (Charge's final and her discussion with Carson at Doyle were really emotional) and Charge 3, but not Charge 1. I know, it's not logical. I know at one point I will read it but it feels like I am postponing it on purpose in the meantime. I will read it tonight.

(The council of Europe and the European Union are two differents organisations. But I think even most Europeans wouldn't know exactly the difference especially because inside the European Union we have organs such as the European Council and the Council of the European Union. It's like when they have decided to name each organs they have chosen to be confusing on purpose. The Council of Europe only deals with Human Rights, most countries on the continent are part of it, it has 47 members and even Russia is part of it).

Maybe I am just conditioned by my academic background, but sometimes I like to think about that sort of thing. For example I was amazed when I began to delve deeper into the Shadowrun Universe lore and I found out about the fact that everything began to go down the drain with the Shiawase Decision

Again, I am sorry if I come forth as annoying or nitpicking. this is not my intention.

One thing you will need to bear in mind when you read Charge 1 - this is the Whateley universe, so there are some (deliberate) differences. I got a lot of grief from other French readers who couldn't or wouldn't accept the differences. Bear in mind that there are differences; I tried to remain true to the current structure of the French legal system as it pertained to Charge. Did I make mistakes? Probably. No author is perfect, and doing that research takes a lot of time and is only as good as the sources I could find.

You'll see a lot more of my attempts to stay true to the situations in France in "The Best Days of Our Lives, Part 3" where we get Jade's Night at the Museum (in Bordeaux).

Bear in mind that there are times I might want Charge to go home. If so, there will likely be adventures, and some research would be needed. I always appreciate any help I can get to be as true to the world as I can.

The "burden of proof" thing apparently is a common misunderstanding of the French judicial system -- since in France there's a judge responsible for the investigation (the juge d'instruction) where in other countries this would be the job of a DA or similar, there's this mistaken perception that the judiciary system is stacked against the accused.
As for it being a bluff on the part of Carson, I much doubt it; I mean, it might work on a non-native that has heard that mistaken ideas about the French judicial system, but it would be a very poor move against a French native, even a 14-year-old. The moment Carson said "in France the accused have the burden of proof to show their innocence," Charge's kneejerk reaction would be "Say WHAT?"
I count it as a mistake by the author and move on. It doesn't much impact the plot. Just replace it in your mind with some other threat that might intimidate Charge.

I have read this Kayda's story Elrodw, and in case you are wondering I don't recall at any point in my reading an element that would have given me pause because of a "cultural incoherence" or something like that. Obviously I am not looking for those when I read a story, I really try to put myself in the "this is an alternate universe" mindset most of the time and I don't really question what the authors are saying (It doesn't mean this mindset can't be broken but this is rare).

Obviously if you need any info or help in your research, you can PM me.

Thanks Sir Lee, I was not aware that it was a common misconception, (And yes, I agree about the bluff part)

Would just cutting out the Code Napoleon bit still make it work? She's threatening to give a kid to the MCO, after all...

And the French MCO know about Charge... So they have the knowledge advantage, or at least enough to not be idiots?