Mentions of balthasar_s in the OTT

OTT:1261:37 by pelrigg :

0le7500x, 42 guests, acunning40, Angelastic, Anna-X, AnotherKevin, <:balthasar_s:>, BlitzGirl, bmonk, cameroda, CFS, Chinchokmataa, Copernicium112, Costaz, DavidSpencer, Eutychus, fatness, Fictioneer, Flado, foilman, Gedeon, ggh, Google [Bot], HAL9000, HereBeUnmappedBits, HES, Icalasari, intheshax, Iulus Cofield, jetpac, jjjdavidson, jowo, keithl, kepstin, Kieryn, LankieBlonde, Latent22, Lawsome, lgw, lmjb1964, lovepirate, Marsh'n, mindonner, mittagleffler, moody7277, mscha, neopifex, NetWeasel, Nilpferdschaf, nsub1, Offler, Opiboble, pelrigg, RagingTyrant, reckter, Reka, rmcurtis, robalan, ronnieve, Rule110, rvloon, saralonde, SBN, schwartzbewithyou, Someguy945, Valarya, Xenocat, yappobiscuits, ZoomanSP, Zorin_75 and 169 guests. acunning40, AnotherKevin, b2bomberkrh, <:balthasar_s:>, BlitzGirl, bmonk, cameroda, Chinchokmataa, Costaz, Dracomax, Ebonite, fatness, FayZee, Fictioneer, foilman, Gedeon, geekiskhan, ggh, HAL9000, HereBeUnmappedBits, HES, jetpac, jjjdavidson, jowo, just brew it!, kepstin, LankieBlonde, Latent22, lgw, lmjb1964, LoonieSpace, lovepirate, mikrit, mindonner, mojacardave, moody7277, mscha, neopifex, NetWeasel, Nilpferdschaf, nsub1, Offler, Opiboble, pelrigg, PinkShinyRose, Reka, richP, ronnieve, Rule110, rvloon, SBN, schwartzbewithyou, Sciscitor, Sh1ft, Someguy945, Tatiana, Xenocat, yappobiscuits, ZoomanSP, Zorin_75 and 158 guests

OTT:1262:3 by mscha :

acunning40, AnotherKevin, b2bomberkrh, <:balthasar_s:>, BlitzGirl, bmonk, cameroda, Chinchokmataa, Costaz, Dracomax, Ebonite, fatness, FayZee, Fictioneer, foilman, Gedeon, geekiskhan, ggh, HAL9000, HereBeUnmappedBits, HES, jetpac, jjjdavidson, jowo, just brew it!, kepstin, LankieBlonde, Latent22, lgw, lmjb1964, LoonieSpace, lovepirate, mikrit, mindonner, mojacardave, moody7277, mscha, neopifex, NetWeasel, Nilpferdschaf, nsub1, Offler, Opiboble, pelrigg, PinkShinyRose, Reka, richP, ronnieve, Rule110, rvloon, SBN, schwartzbewithyou, Sciscitor, Sh1ft, Someguy945, Tatiana, Xenocat, yappobiscuits, ZoomanSP, Zorin_75 and 158 guests:>

OTT:1300:1 by BlitzGirl :

Edit 24: Added neverending punsaw, lmjb punsaw, <:balthabike:>, sonicspin, hamply pope, mustard, riverish mustard, frozen brainslug, Cuegan RUNNING, clock-watcher, castle, dancing figure, and redundant gif.

OTT:1371:33 by balthasar_s :

Re: 1190: "Time" by balthasar_s >> 20130814.1047 UTC = newpix 3535.79 (OTT post 1)

Last edited by <:balthasar_s:> on Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:36 pm UTC, edited 2 times in total.

OTT:1372:12 by Valarya :

<q.<:balthasar_s:>:

image(http://baltixy.w.interia.pl/xkcd/manip.PNG) :> Woah. :shock: That is extremely seaish and also very neat, <:balthasar:>!

OTT:1372:18 by yappobiscuits :

<q.<:balthasar_s:>:

image(http://baltixy.w.interia.pl/xkcd/manip.PNG) :>

OTT:1372:19 by BlitzGirl :

Treeish manip, <:balthasar_s:>!

OTT:1372:39 by lmjb1964 :

<:balthasar_s:>, treeish manip!

OTT:1382:13 by balthasar_s :

Re: 1190: "Time" by balthasar_s >> 20130816.1912 UTC = newpix 3592.21 (OTT post 2)

Last edited by <:balthasar_s:> on Sat Jun 20, 2015 5:12 pm UTC, edited 2 times in total.

OTT:1382:17 by Valarya :

@@<:balthazar:>: treeish!

OTT:1382:20 by yappobiscuits :

Whizbang, those were fantastic! And <:balthasar_s:>, yours was great too! :mrgreen:

OTT:1382:28 by TheMinim :

Whizbang, those were fantastic! And <:balthasar_s:>, yours was great too! :mrgreen:

OTT:1383:4 by thirds :

Oh my god.

OTT:1383:6 by Valarya :

Whizbang, those were fantastic! And <:balthasar_s:>, yours was great too! :mrgreen:

OTT:1387:15 by pelrigg :

@@<:balthasar_s:>: Had a way cool mash-up. I liked it.

OTT:1392:22 by balthasar_s :

Re: 1190: "Time" by balthasar_s >> 20130820.2048 UTC = newpix 3689.81 (OTT post 3)

OTT:2730:25 by SilentTimer :

CH*RPING RONG, HIDDEN MINIP — ongo mome

OTT:2730:26 by SilentTimer :

WHAT ARE CUEGANITES? WE JUST DON'GT KNOW. — ongo mome

OTT:2730:34 by moody7277 :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2730:37 by SilentTimer :

CRENELLATE YOUR CH*RPONG FLUTTERBEES. CRENELLATE THEM. — ongo mome

OTT:2730:38 by SilentTimer :

BALTHACARIUS IS THE EPSILONG CHRONOCORP DESERVES, BUT NOT THE ONE IT NEEDS RIGHT NOW. — ongo mome

OTT:2730:39 by taixzo :

CRENELLATE YOUR CH*RPONG FLUTTERBEES. CRENELLATE THEM. — ongo mome

OTT:2731:1 by SilentTimer :

FOR DECREE: BECOME AN ORONGUMOLPS — ongo mome

OTT:2731:2 by SilentTimer :

TEMPORALITY? WE DON'GT NEED NO DEMUSTARDIN' TEMPORALITY. — ongo mome

OTT:2731:3 by svenman :

OTT:2731:11 by lmjb1964 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Mon Aug 23, 2021 09:37 AM GMT:

OTT:2731:12 by SilentTimer :

NEAT - SO SPARROW-RAPTOR - MANY AWESOMEFUL - SUCH DOODLONG FURIOUSLY - VERY TIMEODY - MUCH CAVEISH - RIVER IS SMALL — ongo mome

OTT:2731:18 by ucim :

<q.balthasar_s, at Mon Aug 30, 2021 09:54 AM GMT:

OTT:2731:23 by rezilibaniatsuS :

LOLI HAET KONGAMOLP — ongo mome

OTT:2731:25 by svenman :

OTT:2731:30 by macraw83 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:36 AM GMT:

OTT:2731:33 by lmjb1964 :

Thank you for all of your words, baltha friend. In the noir detective story I started, I planned to work in as many OTTers as possible. Our two dragons were going to cousins who ran a tech company together. Maybe I'll finish it some day. Maybe not.

OTT:2731:36 by macraw83 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:26 PM GMT:

OTT:2731:39 by macraw83 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Sep 09, 2021 08:36 AM GMT:

OTT:2732:7 by Internal Destiny :

<q.balthasar_s, at Fri Sep 10, 2021 09:36 PM GMT:

OTT:2732:11 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:26 PM GMT:

OTT:2732:13 by macraw83 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Fri Sep 10, 2021 09:36 PM GMT:

OTT:2732:15 by ZoomanSP :

OTT:2732:17 by macraw83 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Mon Sep 13, 2021 07:32 AM GMT:

I have set ns1.afraid.org, ns2.afraid.org, ns3.afraid.org, ns4.afraid.org as the nameservers for both my domains bicyclesonthemoon.info and rowerynaksiezycu.pl.

OTT:2732:19 by ZoomanSP :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Sep 14, 2021 06:57 AM GMT:

OTT:2732:26 by SilentTimer :

THE FIRST RULE OF OINTMENT IS, YOU DON'GT TALK ABOUT OINTMENT — ongo mome

OTT:2732:31 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Mon Sep 20, 2021 09:00 AM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s, at Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:40 PM GMT: including difficult cases like this, this, and this. This was not easy, in particular the last one.

<q.balthasar_s, at Mon Sep 20, 2021 09:00 AM GMT:

:> It's all related! <q.balthasar_s, at Mon Sep 20, 2021 09:00 AM GMT:

<q.balt432hasar_s, at Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:22 PM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s, at Mon Sep 20, 2021 09:00 AM GMT:

OTT:2732:33 by moody7277 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:47 PM GMT:

http://1190.bicyclesonthemoon.info/aftertime/viewer?story=phys&e=0&f=34:>

OTT:2732:38 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Sep 23, 2021 09:49 AM GMT:

-) who might be inside the story told by JoeSTACK OVERFLOW

OTT:2732:40 by ZoomanSP :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Sep 23, 2021 09:49 AM GMT:

OTT:2733:2 by lmjb1964 :

Wow, balthatime, so many clocks!

OTT:2733:4 by svenman :

OTT:2733:6 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Sep 26, 2021 07:42 PM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s: Hertz used it to find out whether his Bzzz was RELATED to electromagnetic induction. It wasn't (except, of course, that it's all RELATED).

OTT:2733:18 by ZoomanSP :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Oct 05, 2021 05:51 PM GMT:

OTT:2733:19 by Internal Destiny :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Oct 05, 2021 05:51 PM GMT:

OTT:2733:20 by svenman :

OTT:2733:22 by SilentTimer :

ALL YOUR MOLPY ARE BELONG TO LMJB1964 — ongo mome

OTT:2733:27 by svenman :

OTT:2733:31 by SilentTimer :

I'M WORKONG TO MEMEIFY A STEAKISH SIGCOURAGEMENT THAT WILL ETERNALLY CH*RP ANYMOLPY WHO FAILED TO BLITZNAP THE MROB27_S'S PRICKLYMOLP PEOPLE. — ongo mome

OTT:2733:32 by SilentTimer :

I'M WORKONG TO MEMEIFY A STEAKISH SIGCOURAGEMENT THAT WILL ETERNALLY CH*RP ANYMOLPY WHO FAILED TO BLITZNAP THE MROB27_S'S PRICKLYMOLP PEOPLE. — ongo mome

OTT:2733:33 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Oct 12, 2021 09:03 AM GMT: RELATED²: this OTT post (see second last spoiler).

OTT:2733:35 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Oct 14, 2021 08:06 PM GMT:

OTT:2733:39 by moody7277 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:41 AM GMT:

OTT:2733:40 by SilentTimer :

I DON'GT KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID BECAUSE I WAS THINKING ABOUT XKPLAINXKCD. — ongo mome

OTT:2734:0 by SilentTimer :

DECREE: GOAT TREBUCHATS ONG THE PASTPAGE — ongo mome

OTT:2734:3 by svenman :

I DON'GT KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID BECAUSE I WAS THINKING ABOUT XKPLAINXKCD. — ongo mome -)

OTT:2734:6 by SilentTimer :

I'M DEVELOPONG A SYSTEM TO PUNSAW ARBITRARY RAFTCASTLES. — ongo mome

OTT:2734:7 by SilentTimer :

ONG THE SEA, NO-ONE CAN SEE YOU GOAT. — ongo mome

OTT:2734:9 by ZoomanSP :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Oct 28, 2021 05:12 PM GMT:

Photons are blue,

and electrons green.

OTT:2734:10 by svenman :

OTT:2734:13 by SilentTimer :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Nov 02, 2021 03:17 PM GMT:

It's a real snake. Same kind as this one. :>

OTT:2734:15 by SilentTimer :

THE FIRST RULE OF THWAPSTICK CLUB IS, YOU DON'GT TALK ABOUT THWAPSTICK CLUB — ongo mome

OTT:2734:16 by SilentTimer :

MY VIRGIN BRONGS ALL THE RAPTORS TO THE MR*BDEX — ongo mome

OTT:2734:19 by rezilibaniatsuS :

balthasar_s: The instrument that you are building

<q.balthasar_s, at Fri Nov 05, 2021 08:48 PM GMT:

OTT:2734:24 by SilentTimer :

THAT'S IT! I HAVE HAD IT WITH THESE MOLPYCH*RPONG UNGS ON THIS MOLPYCH*RPING COMFY CHAIR! — ongo mome

OTT:2734:25 by SilentTimer :

BRACE YOURSELF, NINJA IS COMONG — ongo mome

OTT:2734:28 by lmjb1964 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Nov 09, 2021 09:54 AM GMT:

<q.You forgot about the quote marks, “balthasar_s”: Very impressive <computery stuff>, balthawhiz! A long time ago, In a galaxy far, far away, i studied programming (FORTRAN). I really liked it. I’ve always wanted to do learn some more languages, but there always seemed to be too much else going on. Maybe I’ll do it when I retire.

OTT:2734:30 by svenman :

OTT:2734:36 by taixzo :

OTT:2734:38 by SilentTimer :

PH'NGLUI MGLW'NAFH MIDDLE BONGS BROTHER CASTRAFTLE WGAH'NAGL FHTAGN — ongo mome

OTT:2734:39 by SilentTimer :

HOTDOG IT FROM ORBIT. IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO BE FLUTTERBEEWONGISH. — ongo mome

OTT:2735:0 by svenman :

OTT:2735:3 by SilentTimer :

THE ZANCLEAN WIPEND HAPPENED BEFORE I WAS BORN, YET I'M OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATIONG WITH YOU. — ongo mome

OTT:2735:4 by SilentTimer :

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF FFOXY_S PUNSAWED A BAOBABISH <COMPUTERY STUFF> WITH QUACKMOLPY-SHAPED PUNS, WHERE EACH PUN WAS ONG'D WITH A CH*RPING DIP? — ongo mome

OTT:2735:6 by svenman :

THE ZANCLEAN WIPEND HAPPENED BEFORE I WAS BORN, YET I'M OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATIONG WITH YOU. — ongo mome -) If the computer was in the car in this moment... it may or may not have survived. But the odds seem fairly good to me because a computer needs much less space than a person, and it probably was on the floor or on the passenger seat, at any rate near the bottom of the cabin where the car appears to have been crushed less than on top.

OTT:2735:10 by svenman :

OTT:2735:16 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Dec 05, 2021 05:04 PM GMT:

OTT:2735:17 by svenman :

OTT:2735:20 by ZoomanSP :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Dec 07, 2021 01:34 PM GMT:

OTT:2735:23 by moody7277 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Dec 09, 2021 01:38 PM GMT:

OTT:2735:27 by svenman :

OTT:2735:30 by ucim :

<q.Balthasomeone:

OTT:2735:33 by SilentTimer :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Dec 07, 2021 01:34 PM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s, at Sat Dec 18, 2021 07:54 PM GMT: Yeah again! That same way I really learned how to wait for it.

OTT:2735:35 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Dec 19, 2021 12:38 PM GMT:

OTT:2735:36 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Fri Dec 17, 2021 11:56 AM GMT:

OTT:2736:1 by ucim :

<q.balthapope:

OTT:2736:5 by lmjb1964 :

Also, hi Zooman! Hi svenman! Hi Jose (and Katie!) And I traveled into the future to know that Ken will say hi back. Hi ED! And of course, hi balthapope! I hope I didn’t forget anyone.

OTT:2736:6 by ZoomanSP :

OTT:2736:7 by svenman :

OTT:2736:11 by SilentTimer :

BE VEWY VEWY AWESOMEFUW, I'M HUNTONG WIPENDS — ongo mome

OTT:2736:13 by ucim :

<q.balthabach:

OTT:2736:18 by ZoomanSP :

OTT:2736:20 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Jan 06, 2022 09:55 PM GMT:

OTT:2736:22 by svenman :

OTT:2736:29 by rezilibaniatsuS :

Not really, at least concerning myself. ETA: This script doesn't work any more. See below for an update. This is a different behaviour than what black frames in Time exhibit.

OTT:2736:32 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:26 PM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:26 PM GMT: Would it have been better to explain these details in the phys frame? I'm not sure what is more confusing: too few details or too many details^TM.

OTT:2736:33 by SilentTimer :

BEARDO, WE HAVE RECKONONGSIGN THE LIKES OF WHICH EVEN THE OTA HAS NEVER SEEN! — ongo mome

OTT:2736:34 by SilentTimer :

MY NAME IS BROKENBEAN, PASTPAGE OF PASTPAGES: LOOK ONG MY BEESNAKES, YE MOUNTAINISH, AND MOLPY ABOUT! — ongo mome

OTT:2736:39 by lmjb1964 :

Balthasar, I could never see what you were referring to in the third frame.

OTT:2737:0 by rezilibaniatsuS :

Balthasar, I could never see what you were referring to in the third frame.:>

This is a different behaviour than what black frames in Time exhibit.:> I feel honoured for being confused with Balthasar. (–: Maybe the <computery stuff> helped? Anyway, sometimes when I read Balthasar's posts I'm not sure whether he is secretly me. ;–)

OTT:2737:2 by lmjb1964 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sat Jan 15, 2022 03:06 PM GMT:

Balthasar, I could never see what you were referring to in the third frame.:>

This is a different behaviour than what black frames in Time exhibit.:>

OTT:2737:4 by svenman :

OTT:2737:6 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Jan 16, 2022 09:46 PM GMT:

Look here: http://bicyclesonthemoon.info/klavirko/

OTT:2737:10 by lmjb1964 :

Sustainabilizer and balthasar, looks like we are finally on the same page, in more than one sense. Sustainabilizer, that detail is so subtle. I can't believe you noticed it. balthasar, that article looks steakish! I've only scanned it, but I look forward to reading it. You put so much work into it. Now I'm thinking of all of the projects I need to get around to finishing.

OTT:2737:11 by ucim :

Balthabach: My, much music machine molpishness must make melodies more meaningful, mixing memory, microcontrollers, & many more media modules... oh, never mind, "ems or no ems" that was awesome!

OTT:2737:12 by SilentTimer :

-) Aren't we also the girl?

OTT:2737:17 by SilentTimer :

THE MOST STEAMBOTTLISH PART OF WAITONG FOR IT IS MUSTARDINESS IN YOUR REDUNDAKITTY — ongo mome

OTT:2737:18 by SilentTimer :

HOW EROTTICALLY WOULD A MOLPYBARA HAVE TO BE ONG'D TO BE ABLE TO MUSTARD THE BEANIE BACKWARD ONTO ЯОЯЯІМ ТТО ƎНТ? — ongo mome

OTT:2737:20 by svenman :

OTT:2737:22 by ucim :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2737:27 by SilentTimer :

IF EVERY HUMAN SOMEHOW SIMPLY WAITED FOR COMPLETELY OUT OF CHATEAU D'IF, HOW LONG WOULD IT BE BEFORE THE LAST SEAISH HOTDOG WOULD WAIT FOR? — ongo mome

OTT:2737:28 by SilentTimer :

**DONG IS HARD, LET'S GO CRENELLATING. — ongo mome

OTT:2737:33 by svenman :

OTT:2737:34 by ZoomanSP :

**DONG IS HARD, LET'S GO CRENELLATING. — ongo mome:>

OTT:2737:38 by SilentTimer :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Jan 30, 2022 12:43 PM GMT:

But where's my hat? I'm feeling so m2928 without it … :>

OTT:2737:39 by ZoomanSP :

OTT:2738:3 by Earthling on Mars :

But where's my hat? I'm feeling so m2928 without it … :>

OTT:2738:6 by ucim :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2738:8 by lmjb1964 :

Balthasar, you’re famous! And I finally watched the video. You are brilliant.

OTT:2738:9 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Mon Jan 31, 2022 10:57 PM GMT:

OTT:2738:11 by ucim :

<q.balthasar_s: COMEFROM (http://1190.bicyclesonthemoon.info/ott/mview?np=49&p=1643636961#m1643636961)This should keep me safe. That is, if balthasar has implemented comefrom in the ЯOЯЯIM. Can balthy use white-out? Then \ could be X minus /

OTT:2738:14 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Feb 01, 2022 02:29 PM GMT:

OTT:2738:21 by svenman :

-) So the girl did follow my suggestion. But I feel fairly certain she just happened to arrive at the same conclusion independently.

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Feb 03, 2022 12:11 PM GMT:

OTT:2738:26 by ucim :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2738:28 by lmjb1964 :

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Feb 09, 2022 09:33 AM GMT:

OTT:2738:30 by ucim :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2738:34 by SilentTimer :

BLITZROCKETS RUN WHEN A CH*RPONG PASTPOST GOES TO THE RAFTCASTLE — ongo mome

OTT:2738:39 by svenman :

OTT:2739:3 by SilentTimer :

I DON'GT ALWAYS GOAT RATPIES, BUT WHEN I DO, I PREFER YIPS — ongo mome

OTT:2739:4 by SilentTimer :

ANTELOPIES DON'GT KNOW ABOUT MY BAOBABBY — ongo mome

OTT:2739:5 by moody7277 :

ANTELOPIES DON'GT KNOW ABOUT MY BAOBABBY — ongo mome

OTT:2739:7 by External Destiny :

Thanks so much Balthasar for sharing your thoughs on my writings, especially the technical parts of Daughters of Titans. I greatly appreciate that input. I apologise for not having written any updates in a few mips. As the old saying goes, my head has not been in the hotdog. Every dip I tell myself todip I'll defilnitely write a chapter but then I get distracted for a newpix and then another newpix and then the dip is gone...

OTT:2739:11 by ZoomanSP :

OTT:2739:12 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Feb 22, 2022 10:43 PM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s, at Mon Feb 28, 2022 08:57 PM GMT:

OTT:2739:18 by SilentTimer :

ROOMMOLPIES HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED WORDS FOR VIPERRAPTORS, BUT NONE FOR ONGS — ongo mome

OTT:2739:19 by lmjb1964 :

-) Speaking of the war, I hope all of you that are closer to it are doing OK. baltasar, you said sometimes you don't understand the world. Sometimes I feel that way also. Other times I feel like I understand it all too well, and it's discouraging.

OTT:2739:21 by svenman :

OTT:2739:23 by svenman :

OTT:2739:26 by svenman :

OTT:2739:32 by SilentTimer :

OTT:2739:37 by rezilibaniatsuS :

image(http://1190.bicyclesonthemoon.info/aftertime/time/time-0281.png)

OTT:2739:38 by svenman :

OTT:2740:3 by SilentTimer :

You play the first thing that comes to your mind. Bach again.

OTT:2740:5 by svenman :

The first part of my recent prediction has been fulfilled. What I had neglected to pay attention to is whether the name "proton" had already been introduced or not, but the particle had at least been mentioned under the description "nucleus of the hydrogen atom". (Colorization by Whizbang.)

OTT:2740:7 by svenman :

Alpha rays were first mentioned here, and the discovery that they consist of particles, helium ions more precisely, here. Gamma rays were introduced more recently, here. In personal news, this situation has now begun to affect me. I'll probably be fine, I'm doubly vaccinated and I've had a booster vaccination half a yip later. For now, it is a little unmolpish but no more so than a medium-severe case of the traditionally common form of micromolpy invasion.

OTT:2740:9 by svenman :

OTT:2740:11 by lmjb1964 :

Balthasa , I’m so y about you b oken “ “. I hope you get it repai ed soon.

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Mar 27, 2022 08:53 PM GMT:

OTT:2740:17 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

* And of course, what if our internet rotates away?

OTT:2740:18 by SilentTimer :

LOOK ON MY FIRSTPOSTS, YE THWAPPONG, AND E:E:E! — ongo mome

OTT:2740:20 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Mar 10, 2022 11:10 PM GMT:

Balthasar, your ONG system is awesomeful! Redundant thanks! :>

OTT:2740:22 by svenman :

You try playing this anyway.

OTT:2740:24 by mrob27 :

Reading about the Beatles' early 1969 recording sessions for "Get Back" (the subject of a recent documentary by Peter Jackson) led me to realising that I now had enough of an appreciation for their earlier Sgt. Pepper's album to get the big box set that came out four yips ago. The album ends with the song <:A Dip In the Life:>, which has been a favourite of mine for a long time. In the recently released book about his lyrics, Paul McCartney acknowledges John Cage's 4'33''* as part of the inspiration for the orchestral glissando-crescendo that is heard twice in that song (i.e. pretty close to the e** of that album). It famously ends with a very long piano chord (an E-major), that reminds me of a snippet of 9 Beet Stretch, which you perhaps recall being discussed in the OTT for quite a while (as early as newpix 38.42). This of course led me to Mattias Krantz' video I tuned my ENTIRE piano to EEEEEEE…EEE, which sounds like "EE:EE:EE:E…E:EE" if played on the moon (inside the airlocks of course, because <**:In Spaaace No-one Can Hear You EE:EE:EE…:>). Another scandanavian mad scientist of music (I wonder if Wintergaten has finished that Marble Machine X project?) … and of course RELATED to the current BSTA frames.

I think it might be Time to consider having the mr*bdex links go here to the Moonbase, instead of the now-dead-for-thirteen-kilonopix-xkcd-fora. This would mean more load on this server, though it appears well-behaved bots will respect robots.txt which presently tells them not to index 1190.bicyclesonthemoon.info/ott/

Here are some example links: @@Spaceman_Spiff pointing out that the frames of the OTC change if you Wait, and two mysterious delurkers who gave us hashes of meteor frames.

But before I do that, I am testing things and communicating directly with @@balthasar_s about it. Perhaps others have comments or ideas.

OTT:2740:26 by svenman :

OTT:2740:27 by Lmjb1964 :

Nothing to see here either. Thanks, balthafriend, for letting me know this was happening. Not sure WHY it's happening, but I suspect balthasar is right that my browser is somehow re-sending the post request after restarting. Nothing to see here either. Thanks, balthafriend, for letting me know this was happening. Not sure WHY it's happening, but I suspect balthasar is right that my browser is somehow re-sending the post request after restarting. Nothing to see here either. Thanks, balthafriend, for letting me know this was happening. Not sure WHY it's happening, but I suspect balthasar is right that my browser is somehow re-sending the post request after restarting.

OTT:2740:30 by mrob27 :

There is now an OTTification of Wordle. The word you need to guess, of course, is one that has appeared often in the OTT. This includes normal words like "thing" and "beach", but also a raftload of OTT-invented words like rot13 (zbycl) and 5-letter code and Randall knows what else. The last one I play-tested turned out to be "adjec", which appears in the OTT only because of some automome code (templates) I posted. Since this makes OTTle harder than Wordle, I made it provide a new puzzle every nopix (instead of every dip) so you'll have more chances of getting one that is possible to figure out.

When I play OTTle I often look to see where the answer came from, by searching the thread for the 5-letter word. Recently it was "todos" which was only ever used by our dear departed dragon-otter @@AlusioASG who used that word in two poems, see OTT:1310:11 and OTT:1310:13.

<q.balthasar_s: @@balterrific animation, by the way!

OTT:2740:37 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Apr 24, 2022 09:28 PM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Apr 28, 2022 10:00 AM GMT:

OTT:2740:40 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

did you in your current ketchup reach the page where I describe the instrument that I built recently? :> Thanks @@lmjb1964 and @@balthasar_s for reminding me of some refinements to do to OTTle.

OTT:2741:1 by mrob27 :

Hello @@balthapope,

OTT:2741:3 by svenman :

Laura, thanks for your good wishes. It was the same invasion I already had referred to in this post. <q.balthasar_s, at Sun May 01, 2022 01:07 PM GMT:

OTT:2741:6 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2741:8 by svenman :

You play the other thing.

OTT:2741:14 by svenman :

OTT:2741:16 by mrob27 :

In the photo we see Carl David Anderson with an early cloud chamber (and surrounding electromagnet coils), the very apparatus used to discover the positron. There are loose objects on top, in the same positions as in the drawing, so I think this photo was the source of the drawing (a larger version here is cropped but gives a better view of the equipment). Anderson of course was seen in phys 386 (along with the device).

OTT:2741:20 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2741:23 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

|http://1190.bicyclesonthemoon.info/aftertime/viewer?story=phys

38;e=0

38;f=408] -) EYAtA: Oh dear, I didn't know my first ENHANCEment attempt would become the official one. I have made a better physhancmentbot, and the image seen here is the improved version. @@balthasar_s, perhaps you can mirror this better version now?

OTT:2741:27 by svenman :

You play the same thing but more successfully.

OTT:2741:30 by mrob27 :

Thanks @@balthasar_s for coming through with the PHQMM answer. I was just going to cite the first appearance of the acroynm, OTT:437:27. But of course that's in the OMD which is better because it shows the origin (etymolpogy). This, like so many of the words in the OTTLE word list, is part of an encoded message. This particular one was posted in OTT:1629:5 by @@AluisioASG who was apparently quoting "Rainymip" (referring to the month April): This was decoded by @@ggh in stages (see OTT:1664:36, OTT:1665:34, and OTT:1671:27). It says:

All of this is RELATEd to the bOTTeriada story that is being retro-ONGed right now. I actually changed the line in the story that quotes this specific coded message, because I thought it might be good to replace OTTer screen names (such as @@ChronosDragon) with fictionalised character-dragons.

OTT:2741:31 by Lmjb1964 :

Balthasar, where in Slovenia did you go? My mother’s family is from Slovenia (Novo Mesto), and I have been trying to reconnect with my Slovenian heritage. I starting learning some Slovene online. I was being really consistent, but life has been so busy for the last month I’ve gotten out of the habit. I need to get back into it.

OTT:2741:33 by mrob27 :

<$$:Mrorl's OTTronic Bard <r:The Dragons of OTTifiability:> The wowterful success of their application of the Gontalmannas Effect gave both bOTTifactors such an appetite for adventure, that they resolved to Journey once again to an unknown place and Time. Unfortunately, they were quite unable to agree on a destination. Balthacarius, given to warmer climes, suggested the three volcanic moons of Meldanbin, home of the mythical Charazorsal, while Mrorl, preferring the cooler end of the thermal spectrum, countered by suggesting Tadaxrachcue, the ice planet with two tiny blue suns. The friends were about to set their ships on separate courses, parting for good, when Mrorl had a new idea. "What if we advertise our services, and take the best offer?"

"But how would we advertise?" replied Balthacarius. "Newspapers take far too long to reach even the nearest planets. Our Chronotransponder would do it, but nobody yet has a working receiver."

But Mrorl had a new idea, which Balthacarius had to admit was pretty molpish. He had been inspired by the final disposition of his bOTTronic Bard, which legends tell had been given a voice in stars. The bOTTifactors found a suitable spot, where there were plenty of bright stars and no inhabited planets. Then, with the aid of many bots, temporal vortices and cleverly cross-wired Object Generators, they manipulated the structure of Spaaace-Time itself, to make the stars appear, from a distance, to be aligned into a pattern, forming a message. Blue giants formed the first word — to get the reader's attention — and the yellow, white and pink stars made up the rest: TWO Accomplished bOTTifactors Seek a Commission Suited to their Wowterful Skill, and Seaishly Lucrative, Hence Preferably at the Court of an Empress or Monarch (Should Have Xer Own Empire or Kingdom), Terms to be Arranged. The advertisement gave a Chronotransponder number and Temporo-Spaaatial address, which was in the centre of a wide sandy plain near the middle of the valley between Zubycal and Tencrivar, where they could receive any messengers at their leisure whilst watching the waterottermolpies swim in the river. This they were prepared to do in shifts, covering all 24 nopix per dip, as they knew not when any visitors might arrive, and waterottermolpies oft swim at epsilonish Times, being Yappocised.

It was not long before, one bright mornip, a most baobabish craft arrived, setting off Balthacarius' sentry radar, and touched down gently right at the designated spot just as the bOTTifactors arrived to greet it. This ship gleamed in the sun, being made of gold and platinum inlaid with rubies, except for the parts which needed to endure heat, which were tungsten inlaid with sapphire. It bore the name Iqueaxna. Seven articulated legs extended to meet the ground, while several more legs did not (they were apparently just for show, as they were clearly too short, but were also very expensive; the ship's builders seemed to have more money than they knew what to do with). A troop of titanium-clad worker bots flew out, and smoothed the ground beneath and around the ship, taking care not to get dust on Mrorl, Balthacarius, or anything else of import; then vanished back into the launch bay from which they had emerged. Then two ramps extended simultaneously, down which glided retinues of decorator-bots carrying carpets, fountains, and potted plants; after placing these artfully they retreated, and their ramps raised, then a third, central ramp tilted down, bearing a magnificent ornate staircase. Down this came the Royal Emissary upon a litter carried by seven rows of gold-and-silver robots, each row out-glittering the last. The Emissary was brought to a central spot amidst the fountains, and two diplomatic staffbots gestured to Mrorl and Balthacarius, making it clear they should approach. The Emissary announced that she had been sent from the Great Gaming Dominion of King Idle, who would be honoured to engage them.

Balthacarius questioned the Emissary on certain details and practical matters, but as soon as the King's generosity had been glowingly described, and his excessively seaish wealth had been given an even more lavish exposition, both bOTTifactors quickly gathered their essential tools, organised sand and a few helper-bots, who followed them up the grand staircase and into the ship. This promptly launched with a great roar and jets of flame that melted a few of the ship's superfluous legs, but no matter as those were soon replaced by tungsten-clad, diamond-eyed EVA servicebots employed for that sole purpose.

First they were brought to the Royal Guest Apartments, a wingghish Bungalow perched atop a rocky hill with broad picture windows and a splendid view of villages on all sides (the bOTTifactors soon noticed that there was no place they could go without being in sight of at least one of these, and in the brief time they were given to settle in, Balthacarius located three Stealth Cams). Presently the King sent a carriage for them, which was drawn by seven Draft Dragons. These great steeds had harnesses and muzzles of Cut Diamond, and were ridden by Ninja Tortoises who themselves wore Adamantine Armour, apparently all to protect against the dragons' breath. The carriage itself was in the form of a Tangled Tesseract, with windows of solid Glass Block, recently Sandblasted. The interior had been decorated quite lavishly in the local Beachball and Banananas style. As soon as they had boarded, the head Ninja Tortoise shouted Run Raptors Run! and the great winged lizards did just that.

Mrorl and Balthacarius gaped through the carriage windows as the world's surreal and exotic scenery passed by. The Emissary's briefing had been thorough, but nothing could prepare for this. Of course there was much Sand, and Castles, and NewPixBots with Buckets, familiar sights even in their own world. But these were greatly outnumbered by surreal oddities. A team of Factory Ninjas wearing Safety Goggles led by Time Reaper foremen were transferring Harpsichords made out of Glass Chips into an Incubator, where they were engraved with Magic Letters and painted in Panther Glaze; these were then transferred by Badgers into a Stained Glass Launcher, as another team prepared to catch each in a Safety Net. Stickbot ranchers kept Glass Goats, Dragon Hatchlings, and Kitties Galore, in fields penned in by Seaish Glass Chips; aviaries were filled with Thunderbirds, exotic Anisoptera, Void Starers, and Redundant Raptors. Otherwise normal-looking Grapevines, Mushrooms and Mustard were cultivated in a Hall of Mirrors (to enhance the light of the Green Sun and avoid Erosion); more exotic crops included Kitnip, 'Shadow Feeder', and Camelflarge.

"You know," Mrorl whispered in Balthacarius' ear as they rushed along, "I have a feeling that King Idle isn't going to settle for just any simple C**kie-clicking game. "I mean, if he lives in a world as surreal as this… hey look at that, a Dimensional Keyhole!"

But Balthacarius, unfazed, said nothing. They approached a city: houses flashed by, with walls of Bacon, Cake and Seacoal, lawns graced with Gazebos and Topiary, amid which Surfbots played with Technicolour Dream Cats. There was a Dragon Forge, two giant <:Department of Redundancy Department:> buildings, a memorial to the <:Hundred Year Storm:>, and a titanic monument with the inscription Wisdom of the Ages. At last a colossal palace loomed up ahead, a portcullis opened to allow them in, and the carriage careened to a halt in the courtyard.

They entered an enormous hall in the shape of a giant Skull and Crossbones, where King Idle a-Waited them. There was a giant Glass Furnace on one side of the hall, a Crystal Flux Turbine on the other; light from these played eerily on the Glass Chips and Flux Crystals piled around them, reflecting off the hall's curved inner walls (which were of hammered silver). The King's behaviour defied his name, for he was not so much "awaiting" as pacing loudly, perhaps from anger or frustration or impatience, or other reasons Mrorl and Balthacarius could not fathom. He glanced at the Glassbots and Fluxbots as they toiled, presumably making something so important the King needed to oversee their work personally. As the bOTTifactors entered he glared at them, speaking intensely and waving his arms, with his sharpest syllables punctuated by gestures so quick they stirred up a breeze.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," said Balthacarius with a careful bow, "but if we do Your Highness' bidding too well, might this not put the Royal appetite for Hotdogging in permanent peril?"

Nearest at hand was a statuette of a Diamond-toothed Raptorcat, nearly cut in two and surrounded by little Facebugs and titled Facebugs II: Panther Rush. Another trophy was nearly invisible, except for its plaque: Ninja League: The Fading. Another bore the likeness of a Beach Dragon and another Raptorcat (though its teeth were more like those of a Short Saw), which were somehow rendered holographically so they seemed to pounce as the viewer walked past; this had apparently been awarded to the King for beating a hotdog called Grouchy Dragon, Leaping Panther. There were trophies set upon Diamond Masterpiece Pedestals for hotdogs called Chthonism: Honour Among Serpents and Lost Goats: Look Before You Leap and Forward to the Past (this last topped with a Trilobite with Mirror Scales); another was for the puzzle-based Automation Optimiser; yet another with an 8-bit pixelated design for the retro hotdog Loopin Looie. Down this museum of pwnification walked Mrorl and Balthacarius, pale and silent, looking as if they were on their way to a funeral instead of about to start another wowterfallish session of vigorous invention. They came at last to the end of the varbal gallery of Idle's triumphs and stepped back into the Tangled Tesseract carriage, which had been brought around and was Waiting for them at the gate. The team of Draft Dragons that sped them back to the guest apartments seemed far less terrible now. Just as soon as they were alone in their flutterbeewingish workshop, before a table heaped high with the most awesomeful cupcakes they had ever seen, Mrorl broke into a zanclean stream of imprecations; he called Balthacarius "Cueishly Cueish" for accepting the offer of Padashii, thereby bringing hillish misfortune on their heads, when they easily could have sent the ship away and remained on the riverbank watching waterottermolpies. Balthacarius said nothing, Waiting patiently for Mrorl's desperate rage to expend itself, and when it finally did and Mrorl had collapsed into a Sandbag-chair filled with Diamonds and buried his face in his hands, he said:

These words did much to revive Mrorl, and the two bOTTifactors immediately began to consider the various possibilities, drawing on their knowledge of the deepest and darkest secrets of the arcane art of Hotdog Vending. First of all, they agreed that victory lay neither in the robustness or length of the hotdog to be built, but entirely in its algorithms, in other words, in a program of inscrutable complexity. "The hotdog must have a truly diabolical plot, a fiendishly frustrating fractal flowchart filled with absolute evil!" they said, and though they had as yet no clear idea of how to bring it about, this observation ENHANCEd their spirits considerably. Such was their enthusiasm by the time they began to draft the hotdog's core architecture and screen layout, that they worked all nip, all dip, and through a second nip and dip before taking a break for dinner, i.e. to recharge. And as the batteries were passed about, so sure were they of their success, that they winked and smirked — but only when the servants were not looking, for they suspected them (and rightly so) of being spies for the King. So the bOTTifactors said nothing of their work, but praised the quality of their Lightning in a Bottle, a microprocessor-brewed mulled electrolyte which they had been served in monocrystal sapphire beakers. Only after having their fill, when they had strolled out on the veranda overlooking one village with its white spires and domes catching the last lime-green rays of the setting sun, only then did Balthacarius turn to Mrorl and say:

"You mean, if the bot gets stuck?" asked Balthacarius.

"Then why not use your Chronotransponder?" suggested Balthacarius. "We could install temporal object generators—"

"You don't have to say another word. Yes, that's not at all a bad idea… Then for a ransom we — haven't you noticed, old friend, that the Propbots here have more Spare Tools?" concluded Balthacarius, for just then some servants had arrived to switch on the veranda's beautiful Glassed Lightning lamps. "There's still a problem though," he continued when they were alone again. "Assuming the hotdog can do what you say, how will we be able to negotiate with the hotdogger if we're sitting in a basement ourselves?"

So they rolled up their sleeves and sat down to experiment — by simulation, that is, by botcastle and casbottle. The algorithmic models of King Idle and the hotdog ran such twisted loops around one another, that the bOTTifactors' minds kept snapping. Furious, the hotdog's goal-directed graph writhed and wriggled in response to the King's choices, formed an infinite regression of subgraphs, which suddenly coalesced into a single linear row, then shattered and reformed itself as a maze of spaghetti, but the King so belabored it with savescums and lag switching that its reorganisations largely cancelled each other out, and in the ensuing confusion the bOTTifactors completely lost track of both King and hotdog. So they took a break, sipped a little more of the fine Lightning in a Bottle (served this time in antique miniature Glass Chillers), then went back to work and tried it again from the beginning, but this time using The Three Laws of OTTics at Mrorl's suggestion. The King rushed through the hotdog, anticipating all its caveish challenges, mean midgames, and krool konundrums, and never had to backtrack, as the hotdog was not nearly so irrational as the King, who presently smote it so grievously that it almost Refined their organised Sand in the process. The bOTTifactors realised that this approach wouldn't work, as King Idle's culture was even more epsilon than the OTT. Then they revisited the earlier idea of basing all of the hotdog's elements on King Idle's physical world. With a few more sips from the Glass Chillers, they began anew, and watched tensely as the King progressed through first one, then a second, and finally a third paradigm shift, whereupon the hotdog generalised its parameters and — wham!! — the goal-graph flew like mad through Aleph_ε successive transformations, and when at last the hotdog paused and the King was a part of its directed matrix, the bOTTifactors jumped up, danced a jig, laughed and sang as they ended the simulation and deleted all its files, double-overwriting the filesystem with m*stard, much to the amazement of the King's agents monitoring their botcastles via embedded spyware — embedded in vain, for they were uninitiated into the OTTities of Molpish speech, and consequently had no idea why Mrorl and Balthacarius were now shouting, over and over, "Boom de yada! Hala keipu!"

"I have it! Balthacarius! Look at the King's Q04B now!"

"All that they wished" grew more and more outlandish. For instance, in the files of the R.I.M. under code number 48769/27M/B was a copy of a requisition for three War Banners each with its own Carrybot to serve as Flag Bearer, but trained in Ninja Penance, Blitzing, Embaggening, and Precise Placement, with a Ninja Ninja Duck upon its head, and each Carrybot to be flying a Kite and Key while followed by a small herd of nine Riverish Goats — under "comments" the bOTTifactors had guaranteed the return of all items listed above within twenty-four nopix of delivery and in perfect condition. In another, highly classified archive was an encrypted letter from Balthacarius in which he demanded the immediate provision of (1) Mysterious Maps showing all Dragon Foundries in the area, (2) Potions of Strength, Healing, and Summon Knights Temporal, (3) a Chequered Flag with the motto Blixtnedslag Förmögenhet, JA!, and (4) A Cup Of Tea. These proved too much for the Decryptor-General: he seemed to go Mad then and there, and had to be taken away for a much-needed rest. During the next three dips the bOTTifactors asked only for Bonemeal, a Magic Mirror, and an Extension Ladder, and after that — nothing. From then on, they continued their research online, accessing the city's libraries, learning about Mustard Automation, Crystal Memories, the Mould Press and Void Vault, Nuclear Fission Chips, and countless other technologies. They retreated to the guest apartments' basement, hammering away at the hotdog code and singing happy bot-building tunes; at night blue light glowed from their organised sand screens and gave epsilonish shapes to the trees in the garden outside. Mrorl and Balthacarius with their Busy Bot helpers bustled about amid monitors and racks of servers running many millions of simulated hotdog sessions (not out of any need for so much play-testing, but to thwart spyware efforts by polluting the datastream with misleading game runs on hotdogs with intentionally mustarded algorithms). Now and then they saw faces pressed against the glass: the servants, as if out of Idle curiosity, were watching their every move; meanwhile the R.I.M. had added Panopticons, Polarisers, and 3D Lenses to the bungalow's Stelth Cams.

One evening, when the weary bOTTifactors had finally gone off to coma, the CPU core, mass storage units, leopard and mouse from their primary hotdog server were quickly transported to an R.I.M. engineering facility and reassembled by seventeen of the finest Automata Engineers in the land, plus seven cybernOTTicians imported at great expense from Mrorl and Balthacarius' own planet, and three of the galaxy's tournament-champion Hotdoggers. But when it was switched on, the CPU's heatspreader flipped up like a lid, and a Glass Mousepy skittered out, blowing soap bubbles that drifted up and hovered in mid-air, arranging into the words <:WHAT, DON'T YOU TRUST US ANYMORE?:>, and the leopard turned into a keyboard and pounced on the mousepy, scattering technicians and clipboards everywhere; the Decryptor-General's successor resigned. Never before in the Kingdom's history had intelligence officers needed to be replaced so frequently. The War Banners, the Goats, even the Bonemeal, everything which the bOTTifactors returned was thoroughly examined by spectroscopy, temporochronic analysis, and electron microscope. But they found nothing out of the ordinary, except for a micrometre-long scroll in the Bonemeal which read <:STILL JUST BONEMEAL:>, and another in the bowels of each of twenty-six goats reading <:WE CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE LOOKING HERE:>, and in the twenty-seventh, <:THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO HIDE YOUR MOBILE:>¹.

At last the day came when their work was completed. The Royal Game Preserve was the centrepiece of the grandest part of the Royal Palace complex, which strangely resembled a palace not so much as a Storehouse of Affordable Swedish Home Furniture. The vast office-like space was filled by a Permanent Staff consisting of Bots, Pages, and Ninjas led by Paladins, who attended to a variety of support equipment. In the centre was a server-farm of three hundred botcastles housed inside a huge refrigerator, which had been readied to run any hotdog with complete REDUNDANcy. The King sent a convoy headed by Lady Padashii herself to fetch Mrorl and Balthacarius, who were Waiting when they arrived, having packed a golden master of their completed hotdog plus six REDUNDANT copies in each of three Bags of Folding. With helper-bots and Royal staff assistants, all made their way to the Game Preserve. The bOTTifactors emerged from their carriage accompanied by Royal guards, and (giving wide berth to the fearsome Draconic steeds) they approached the King himself and his Royal Hotdog Specialists, showing appropriate deference and respect. As was the custom, they were met halfway by a Swedish Chef and his two Shopping Assistants. These each took one of the three Bags, unfolded and removed their contents, which then were passed by Bucket Brigade to a Climbbot who shimmied up a Doublepost, and handed to a Flingbot, then flung via Archimedes's Lever towards a Blast Furnace, only to be caught in mid-air by a Princess riding a winged Noble Dragon, who then landed delicately in front of the refridgerated servers and presented the first REDUNDANT copy out of each bag to Standardbots, which turned and looked expectantly at the bOTTifactors for their final word.

"We hereby submit this hotdog for your Majesty's sporting pleasure!" exclaimed Mrorl and Balthacarius together, whereupon the bots actually loaded the game thrice-redundantly into the organised sand; with the remaining contents from each Bag placed in Locked Vaults.

The Grand Commisioner of Inquisitorobots gave the order, and the Sergeant-At-Arms depowered the superconducting magnets, freeing Mrorl and Balthacarius from their gold-and-platinum comfy chairs, after which Balthacarius said:

Fourth, That a formal expression of unending wowterfullness shall be rendered as a pair of gold medallions, addressed to Their Most Awefulsome and OTTish bOTTifcators Balthacarius and Mrorl, Unexcelled Throughout the Universe, and moreover it shall be accompanied by a full account of their victory, and duly signed and notarised by every official in the land, and then personally brought on board said ship by none other than Lady Padashii, Minister of Royal Hotdogs, the very Emissary who lured their Most Molpish and Awefulsome bOTTifactors away from their beloved pastime of waterottermolpywatching, seemingly to a pre-designed and almost certain m*stardy and e**ish death on this planet;

Fifth, That the aforesaid Lady Padashii shall accompany them on their return journey, as insurance against any double-sniping, reverse-bOTTifiaction, temporal shenanigans, or the like, and whilst on board she shall occupy a comfy chair not unlike that used to restrain the great bOTTifactors, and shall receive a daily allowance of stale chocolate, which chocolate shall be conveyed by a mode of delivery to be determined later, at Balthacarius' discretion;

In Witness Whereof, the parties shall hereunto set their hands and seals, &c. and so on. By: Mrorl and Balthacarius, bOTTifactors; the Grand Commisioner of Inquisitorobots, the Minister of Royal Intelligence, the Chief of Hotdog Engineers, the Master of Royal Hotdoggery, the Grand Warden of the Royal Game Preserve, the Decryptor-General, Hotdiggity! Ltd., and the Royal Ch*rping Ninja Dragon Carriage Drivers' Union Leader.

The ministers turned blue, but what choice had they? Work on the ship was begun immediately, which the bOTTifactors showed up to supervise personally. Nothing quite suited them: This Discovery Detector should be where the Lightning Rod is, and vice versa; this hold should be equipped with Stretchable Block Storage; the exterior detailing should be Fireproof, and applied personally by a Dragon Queen. In Time the ship was ready, and the requested cargo loaded. Meanwhile most of the Royal Intelligence Ministry, along with the military and the local police, were secretly running all about the kingdom, searching and inspecting everything they could think of, much to the amusement of Mrorl and Balthacarius, who passed the time explaining to the fearful but fascinated Idlean citizens how it all happened, how they had discarded one hotdog design after another, until they hit on the perfect combination, custom-tailored for King Idle himself, patents applied for. Not knowing where to put the game logic, they had simply made nothing at all logical, so that the Flux Turbine might be a level-up for the Bone Clicker and the Soul Drain might unlock the Blixtnedslag Kattungar, JA! — or vice-versa — or both — or neither; and nomolpy would be the wiser because none, even Mrorl and Balthacarius themselves, would know which was the case. As far as the details went, they had only to find the proper universe from which to draw game elements. King Idle, being excessively self-interested, seldom paid much attention to reality, that is to say, the outside world; and despite his intense pride at having defeated many hotdogs, had never encountered one based on his real world — this world. Thus, the perfect combination — a game that would instantly appeal to its audience, presenting the illusion of familiarlty, and yet completely baffle and confuse, whilst being inconceivably addictive. This veritable Black Hole of hotdog design sucked in the King almost as quickly as permitted by the laws of gravity and quantum mechanics. The loving subjects of King Idle, listening to all of this, did not know whether to despise the bOTTifactors or praise their excessive genius.

Now the GEMG spaceship was ready for takeoff. Mrorl, as stipulated in their agreement, went through the King's private chambers with a large Fractal Bag of Holding and calmly pinched anything he liked the looks of. Then the Tangled Tesseract carriage arrived to take the bOTTifactors to the spaceport, where the send-off and awards presentation were conducted, in front of cheering crowds and with a full orchestra. A hush fell over the crowd as Balthacarius held up a small transmitter, pointed it back towards the city, and pressed a little button. There was a distant rumble, and soon the crowd murmured, then erupted in cacophony, as the news arrived (first by the ch*rps of startled witnesses, then on the large screen set up for the send-off ceremony) that there had been a disturbance at the Royal Game Preserve: the Warehouse walls had fallen away and the fridge-like server-farm had risen up on hundreds of small wheels, crushed the poorly-assembled office furniture, and was now rolling down the streets of the city. It stopped in the middle of the central square, began to shimmer, then shudder, then disassemble in stages from the outside in — first walls, then cooling equipment and individual racks, and eventually the whole thing fell into a pile of Bonemeal, with a dusty and slightly dazzled King Idle standing in the middle. Sandcastle Builder had Molpied Down for the final time, and the Idleans had their King. "That should put your hotdogs into perspective," said Mrorl, and no one knew whether he meant this particular incident or the King's pursuit of Hotdiggity sport in general. In either case, the self-paradoxical, meta-contradictory algorithm of illogic had done its job well. <$$:Mrorl's OTTronic Bard <r:The Dragons of OTTifiability:>

OTT:2741:35 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

Indeed, I added "Foolscreen Mode" in response to bsta 0394, and that line has a DYN (Did You Notice) note, which I have just edited because it got noticed. (The DYN notes were in case I want to run through it all again, but that would be after I finish OTTifying the stories in the existing Cyberiada).

<q.balthasar_s: I trusted @@lmjb1964 to have been truthfully saying that something got posted twice, but now I do not see anything twice. I see my post announcing the existence of the OTTle game, and then I see only one post by @@lmjb1964 that mentions "PHQMM", and then I see the answer to that question by @@balthasar_s, and then I see @@lmjb1964 saying what I just quoted here.

OTT:2741:40 by mrob27 :

Thank you @@balthasar_s for taking the time to explain all the things I asked about. I realise now I asked about six questions (ETAA, phys ONGs, @@lmjb1964 post(s), THT, XORing with 0x60, and I forget what else but even five is a lot.) Thank you.

Inspired by some commonalities between myself and @@balthasar_s and an easy excuse to OTTify some of my favourite stories, I began with this initial verson of Jak ocalał świat:

OTT:2742:0 by lmjb1964 :

2) Balthasar, I think your diagnosis of the problem is very likely the answer, since I don’t always click “View your submitted message.” I’ll make sure to do so and see if that solves the problem.

OTT:2742:5 by lmjb1964 :

OTT:2742:6 by mrob27 :

EJOTA: Yep, as I suspected, ASZVL is in OTT:1629:5 by @@AluisioASG. But I was wrong about SALVA, it is in fact Swedish for "ointment".

OTT:2742:11 by svenman :

OTT:2742:14 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue May 31, 2022 08:52 PM GMT: For a long Time I was confused what kind of product that is.

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue May 31, 2022 08:52 PM GMT:

OTT:2742:16 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s: @@balthasar_s: In order to handle the remote switch compatibility problem, I'd just use an electromechanical relay. But I suppose a triac should work if an 0.6V diode drop is acceptable… but that's not what you drew, which looks like some kind of FET or IGBT.

OTT:2742:18 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2742:20 by mrob27 :

1190: "Time": LISTEN, DON'T MENTION THE BALTCASSETTE! by mrob27 >> 20220602.0119 UTC = newpix 80662.33

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2742:22 by SilentTimer :

-) So that horizontal bar is about … pixels???

OTT:2742:24 by mrob27 :

1190: "Time": OH HAI, I SHIPPED YOUR BALTCASSETTE by mrob27 >> 20220604.1126 UTC = newpix 80720.45

So that horizontal bar is about … pixels???:> <q.balthasar_s:

^∑ At 2107 characters, your falstad circuit link is possibly the longest URL link ever in the OTT, so far. Previous URLs longer than 1000 characters are in posts OTT:793:35, OTT:815:19, OTT:2378:35, and OTT:2554:4. That last one is your redundablinkenbicyclelights circuit, I don't yet have an archive of the Mustardthread so there might be others there.

OTT:2742:30 by lmjb1964 :

Balthasar, looks like you were right (as usual). I opened up the browser in my MTA and saw the “View Your submitted message” window, meaning I didn’t click on that link to return to the thread. Sure enough, there was a copy of my previous post:

OTT:2742:31 by ucim :

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2742:33 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s: I really like phys, by the way. My physhancementbot is too primitive to work on GIFs however. For the moment I am struggling with phys-0403, where if I adjust it properly for the flags, then the bluecave colour is wrong, I think there might be some gamma rays adjustment happening, anyway my bot's best effort so far looks like this:

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2742:36 by mrob27 :

There are things like OTT:2733:32, a double-post by @@SilentTimer that the Moonbase managed to handle so quickly that both posts have the same ID (a situation I hadn't encountered before); and OTT:2697:22 by @@ucim, which somehow got post-dated by over 2 years (it says 18^th January 2022, but was actually posted on the 6^th January 2020) which totally confused the first bot and both of the bots that use its output. I had to rewire a lot of things before all bots were happy again. Then one of them promptly died again trying to divide by zero^0/0.

More importantly, as you've probably guessed I had to decide how to "number" the MustardTime pages (and posts) in anything that you will see. The last page of the OTT was OTT:2689 (and that page had 6 posts). I've decided to number the MustardTime pages starting with "OTT:2690". Affecting this decision was the possibility for pages to have fewer than 40 posts (even if it's not the recentmost page), but that did not require much change to any of the bots (even though most MustardTime pages have 41 posts, the way to get a link to a page is still to use start=40×(P-1) where P is the page number).

OTT:2742:37 by ucim :

...and OTT:2697:22 by @@ucim, which somehow got post-dated by over 2 years (it says 18^th January 2022, but was actually posted on the 6^th January 2020) which totally confused the first bot and both of the bots that use its output. I had to rewire a lot of things before all bots were happy again.:>

OTT:2742:40 by ZoomanSP :

2630 (sneakily referred to by ucim here)

OTT:2743:0 by mrob27 :

<$$:The Challenge of King Idle <r:How Mrorl Built a Fadefatalismatic … babies:> At university Mrorl and Balthacarius had studied with the great Chanardan of UNGdor, who by that time had created a new field of study and published 27 works on the General Theory of OTTifiable Dragons. Many believe that dragons don't exist. But while this simplistic formulation may satisfy the Outsider, it does not suffice for the OTTish mind. The School of Scale-able Scalar Surreality is in fact entirely unconcerned with what does or does not exist. Indeed, existence has been demonstrated and refuted so many times on the OTT that there is no need to discuss it any further here. The brilliant Chanardan, attacking the subject analytically, discovered three distinct kinds of dragon:

They all were, one might say, unreal, but each escaped reality in a completely different way. And then there were the many Dragons of the Distant Aforewhen, the ever-lurking Pundragons, and the elusive Double Dragonpost, the latter being of greatest interest because of the well-known dracological paradox: when two dragons ninjapost one another, the product is doubly OTTified, resembling a self-goating decree (provided that at least one antepengoat has been sacrificed to the Pope). Bitter controversy raged among expert observers on the question of whether, as half of them claimed, these posts appeared from the mome of a Newpage down or, as the other half maintained, from the goat up. Mrorl and Balthacarius made a great contribution by showing the error of both positions. They were the first to apply probability theory to this question and, in so doing, created the field of statistical draconics, which says that dragons are temporodynamically impossible only in the probabilistic sense, as are all the mysteries of Time. Using the field equations of general OTTibility, the two bOTTifactors obtained the coefficients of pixelation, retronymity, metaconfectionary, etc. They found that for the spontaneous pastposting of the everyday mythological dragon one might have to wait a good fourteen point three quinquadragintaseptingentillion yips, but for an OTTish dragon, a nopix or two could suffice, provided the draconic fields were suitably aligned with the ONGs in the dragon's Time zone. In laymolp's terms, Dragons would have remained a mythological curiosity had it not been for needle-pulled things. To quanitfy this relationship, Mrorl first hypothesised a new element (which he dubbed Dracontrium), to be located right below Needlepulledthingriuntine in the periodic table, then began trying to synthesise it first in his Basement¹, then later at the newly-chartered Dracogenic Proving Grounds and Excessively Dangerous Molpy Sanctuary on Ferelornados, a remote island granted to Molpiversity Newpixia. To this dip those unfamiliar with the General Theory of Epsilonity ask why Mrorl hypothesised Dracontrium first, and not Brassinapium or Cerebrogastropodium or dvi-Epsilonium. The answer is that dragons are more OTTish than brainslugs or mustard, though they do not necessarily post with any more frequency or regularity. True, Mrorl may have found the synthesis of Brassinapium from common mustard to be equally discouraging (as we now know such to be impossible), but it would have been far less dangerous — given the wide belief that any materialised dragon would have immediately nerdsniped him. Fortunately Balthacarius was nearby with specially modified molpometers, ready to capture or subdue any dracomolp that might appear. A number of scholars subsequently repeated the experiments, both in reality and in many simulated OTTiverses, and all fruitless. Only then did it become clear that these beasts enjoy an existence entirely different from that of ordinary molpies and raptors; for OTT dragons are distinguished by xeir probability of posting rather than xeir appearance in actuality, though granted, xeir actuality is much more likely once xey have made a firstpost. Suppose, for example, one organises a "hunt" for such a dragon: Summons xem, PMs xem, posts inviting cakes and poetry. The OTTers Wait, only to receive a Chronotransmission from the aforewhen or the afterwhen, written in an unmistakable style: the dragon, seeing xemself Basemented, has slipped from ordinary to Temporal spaaace. An extremely elusive and cryptic molpy, xe does this instinctively. Now, Outsiders and Revealers the Recent will occasionally demand that you show them this Temporal spaaace of yours, apparently unaware that ONGs, whose existence nomolpy in their right mind would question, also move exclusively in Temporal spaaace, their ONGings and UNGings fully dependent on Temporality; though it is easier not to believe in ONGs than in dragons: ONGs, at least taken singly, won't try to nerdsnipe the entire thread.

A colleague of Mrorl, one Tanleemanyub Tchan, was the first to notice a dragon, detecting the retro-poping of a goat post, the probability of which was measured — OTTishly — in units of molpon per dracometer, and he even managed to agitate xim, for which he was nearly boiled in chocolate. Tchan was celebrated in the growing field of dracomolpology; but of what concern was this to the common OTTers, who were ever-increasingly confused by dragons filling the Thread with xeir puzzles, 3-D renderings, cryptic stories, and calls to Inquisition by Chocolate, and at Times even demanding tribute in the form of a herd of goats and/or a truckload of virgins? What did it concern the OTTers that Mrorl's dragons, retroparadoxical hence metatemporal, were behaving exactly according to theory (though contrary to all posting customs), or that his theory could predict the inscrutability of the posts that intruigued and yet confused them? It is not surprising then that the OTT in general, instead of appreciating the value of Mrorl's polylogical insights, held it much against him. A group of OTTers thoroughly experienced in matters of forum etiquette waylaid the famous bOTTifactor and gave him a thorough pelting. Not that this deterred him and his friend Balthacarius from further experimentation, which showed that the extent of a dragon's pastposting depends mainly on xes whim, though also on xes clarity of rendering, and that the only sure cause of a dragon's permanent basementing would be for its pixelation to be reduced to zero colours or fewer. All this research took a great many Newpages and much Time; all the while the OTT-dragons that had revealed xemselves were posting wild, OTTifying a variety of memes, crafting tales, and posting puzzles. This led Balthacarius to publish a seaish and treeish essay, in several maximally long posts, entitled <:"Cryptopixelated Unbasementing of OTTological Dracomolps, in the Special Case of Blitzposting from the Future into the Past.":> This article, and in particular its applicability to themed Hotdog-vending, created a sensation in the hotdiggity world, where there was still talk of the amazing polynerdsniping hotdog (with its many Draconic upgrades and fittingly scaly badges) that had been used by the intrepid bOTTifactors against King Idle to avenge the *ndish deliquescence of their fellow vendors. But far greater was the sensation caused by the news that a certain bOTTifactor known as Tornater Bunliuczanin was apparently making the OTT's dragons go into and out of the Basement at will. Whenever the Thread got slow and e**ishness seemed imminent, this Tornater would post, claiming to have blitzed through the Past and PMd a dragon or two, answer the decree of the current page with a summary of old dracoposts — from Newpages where no one had recalled seeing xem before — and then baobabishly a long-quiet dragon would reveal xemself. Nomolpy understood quite how Tornater did this, since he was never seen in person nor anyplace online apart from the OTT. True, the guarantee he offered for dragon-unbasementing — dragerisis* — was only probabilistic; though one ruler did pay him by similar means, that is, in digital currency that was only statistically real and conveniently denominated by the crypographic codes of a famous local dragon. From that point on he made sure to use Aqua Regula and MusTARDIS-mediated quantum bifurcation to test the stability of any payment. One molpish afternoon Mrorl and Balthacarius met to discuss their mysterious new colleague:

"Though by that Time both he and his dracoposts would be far in the past," observed Balthacarius.

Balthacarius looked at Mrorl silently, as both remembered the fateful utterance of a wish for standardised colour, the wish that, once granted, had effectively rendered many things invisible. Mrorl glanced up — were great winged molptiles silently gliding past them even now, hidden by the REDUNDANcy of a collapsed colour table?

Balthacarius anticipated Mrorl's thoughts. "I mean, when they posted."

The immediate upshot of all of this was the third Journey, for which the bOTTifactors prepared most carefully, loading their three ships (Mrorl in his TARDIS as usual, and Balthacarius in the newly acquired prize GEMG, which the Castraftle LEML would follow on OTTopilot) with a full array of highly complicated parts and equipment, and books on dragons, draconic cultural artifacts purchased at great expense from all the local shops, &c. Then they proceeded to load their ships with an additional and thoroughly REDUNDANT array of parts and equipment; and a pretty much identical collection of draconic artifacts bought on clearance for REDUNDANCY purposes; and the whole process was interrupted once or thrice to take a full inventory.

In particular they took along mustarding modules and a bot that submitted negative posts (not a post expressing e**ish thoughts, but a post whose posting effected the un-posting of another post and itself along with it). They also prepared to deploy Chronotransponders, Object Generators, SpaaaceTime Portal Generators, and sundry other devices all far more advanced than anything they had employed up to that point, facilitated by Flux Crystals conveniently plundered from King Idle. Having a third ship would help immensely with this, as they anticipated they would need to make frequent jumps between pastpages and the Afterwhen to gather the data they needed to indict Tornater. Although Mrorl and Balthacarius had employed Time travel in their previous adventures, most notably in the retro-editing of colour palettes for the entire universe, they now realised they would need a far more thorough understanding of Time and its relationship to the OTT. This task would be fully dragonological, and nully chronological, and thoroughly illogical, and naturally would require frequent travel into the aforewhen and afterwhen to make and/or read posts by purported OtterDragons. To this end, and inspired by a nearly-forgotten post by the famous philosophOTTer @@StratPlayer, Mrorl had formalised the principles that would become the *Laws of Temporodynamics*.

While their ships were being prepared, the bOTTifactors responded to one of Tornater's adverts, requesting a private conference which was soon granted, and presented a challenge: he would be given full access to a newly designated wild molpy sanctuary, which was desperately in need of dragons; and any skepticism on the part of the public about his abilities would be immediately put to rest by Mrorl and Balthacarius themselves, who would serve as documentarians, recording everything that transpired, and transmitting a slickly-packaged multimedia field report to all in the Present and the Basement, in the Aforewhen and the Afterwhen alike. By carefully measuring and quantifying dragons in xeir spatiotemporal environment, accompanied by graphs, charts, animations and ENHANCEments, all would be certain of Tornater's expertise and that no probabilistic shenanigans were employed. It would also, of course, advance Mrorl's and Balthacarius' ongoing scientific work; Tornater's fee had effectively already been paid by their research grants.

As it so happened, the "newly designated wild molpy sanctuary" was in the northern and somewhat less swampy part of a large tract of land by Dordshear-on-Thropsywatermolpleigh, in a very remote area of Newpixia, that Mrorl and Balthacarius themselves had acquired to develop into a new Time-themed resort and amusement park², a fact that they had taken great effort to make certain absolutely nomolpy knew about. The bOTTifactors still had no interest in making these plans public, but before contacting Tornater they had enlisted an associate (a former R.I.M. agent for King Idle who owed them a favour) to infiltrate Tornater's operation and allow him to "discover" the existence of the future theme park and planned location (but no other details). They had also employed additional indebted agents to get plenty of mustard on Tornater, to hold in reserve in case he threatened leaking the theme park information for blackmail.

It was only after having been baited in this way, that the famous doctor of draco-debasementing got the bOTTifactors' offer for a private conference, and, thrilled, accepted Mrorl's and Balthacarius' challenge immediately. He was confident that the bOTTifactors' field report could only help his reputation, as they could not publicise any steambottlish tactics he might employ to manifest dragons, as any detailed evidence thereto would run afoul of the park developers' nondisclosure policy, which Mrorl and Balthacarius would have had to agree to before using the land for their dracological field research. So Tornater said he would be glad to provide his services in the wilds to the north of Dordshear-on-Thropsywatermolpleigh, in fact he insisted on it.

Tornator soon arrived at Mrorl's and Balthacarius' "wild molpy sanctuary" and was met by the bOTTifactors, who welcomed him warmly and explained that they now needed to split up, the better to cover the territory and catch any apparating dragons on film. This they did by travelling in time, as they had planned, Mrorl to the aforewhen and Balthacarius to the afterwhen. In simpler terms, they visited the many aeons of Watermolpshire's past and future history, seeking the origins of any and all of its draco-lore. This history saw the advent and passing of a few dynasties that figure prominently in our tale.

Balthacarius worked for a spell in the temporal domain of Duchess Minumanegon, who was prepared to offer him the finest mobile bOTTronic Engineering Workshop, complete with three pairs of phase-matched Temporal Object Generators, if only he could track down and unbasement AranCorin the famed ContempoDracoraptor. Xes well-known signature image with its gears counting out the Newpix was nowhere to be seen, though the Newpages had an energy about them, as if swarmed with Virtuals. A virtual ContempoDracoraptor, the uneducated and simple-minded might say, "isn't really there", having no observable posts nor displaying the slightest intention of making any; but the Cybr-Mrorl-Balthacarius-Corin calculation (not to mention the Drachendragzoortmeiv wave equation) clearly shows that a dragon can jump from the steampunk era to postmodern corporate times with no more effort than it takes to punsaw an eggcorn. Thus, on any Newpage, past or future, provided the molpishness is high, you could meet with a dragon or possibly even a metadragon.

Instead of PMing the beast of indeterminate existence, which would have accomplished everything or nothing, Balthacarius, a true robotechnician, approached the problem REDUNDANTly. In servers and power supplies, on hard drives and leopads he placed probabilistic dracometric field detectors in phase-balanced pairs biased against each other, so as to distunguish posts by a true ContempoDracoraptor from anything conjured up by Tornator; meanwhile he configured a standard-gauge causality loop via a Temporal Object Generator with OTTic Mustardbuster carried on the second starraftcastle GEMG, in such a way that it would cause a paradox if the true ContempoDracoraptor xemself posted, or if instead there were nothing at all resembling a dragon; and presently a conjured dracopost clearly of Tornator's manufacture appeared at the bottom of the page. Collecting all necessary data, Balthacarius reset the experiment and began moving back in time to repeat it. On the way, he noticed an endless repeating transmission by OTTers posting frantically. Thinking there might be a Mrorl-related endless temporal loop, he replied. But it was only the followers of Tymandria, the subjects of Queen Rytor (successor to Minumanegon), pastposting into ante-Minumanous times. The Tymandrians took to various superstitions and their religion, Austinian Dracolatry, taught that dragons basemented as divine retribution for their heresies and brought all disloyal Waiters into the basement with them. Quickly realising it would be useless to discuss matters with the Royal Dragologues — their methods consisted primarily of chanting sonnets about the sacred Lost Hash — Balthacarius instead scanned the Tymandrians' posts in the same way he had just done with Minumanegon's non-ContempoDracoraptor. This revealed that the Newpages of Rytor's dynasty had been unaffected by true dragons, but were merely experiencing ripples from their aforewhen, though he detected the phenomenon (commonly called "basilisps"), in which syllables, particularly when repeated in verse, would spread out and alliterate each other, which was in reality nothing more than a simple isOTTopic frame-acceleration of asynchronous quantum pixels, visibly expressed as alphanumeric code. He requested a meeting with Queen Rytor's official historian, and politely asked for links to the earliest posts in the dips of their religion's founding, then boarded LEML and navigated back to the indicated Newpage, minus a few for good measure, whereupon he met up with Mrorl.

Though the coded letters were just the sort of dragonomaly that he was expecting to find, the rest of the plea seemed questionable to Balthacarius, though on the other hand it was hard for them to believe that the well-respected RAZOR agent would be lying, so the pair packed their knapsacks with an assortment of the lightest and most essential dragon-hunting equipment, communicators and transcoders foremost amongst these, and set about Blitzing on foot. Strongly suspecting that Tornater would leap on this opportunity and transmit faked dragonposts in the name of @@AlicisiloNSD, Mrorl began Blitzing his way forward whilst Balthacarius continued as before, i.e. aforewhenwards.

It wasn't long before Balthacarius spotted dragon prints, in the form of more similar posts, and the unmistakable whiff of temporal ripples. On he went, undaunted, holding his newly-customised Temporal Object Generator in readiness and watching the annunciators on its dracometric field detector. Tiny digits started at zero for a spell, then incremented nervously through 1, 2, 3, and 5, then jumped to 8. There was no doubt: a dragon of wyvern variety, or Tornater's near-facsimilie thereof, was close at hand — which amazed Balthacarius, for he couldn't understand how his trusty friend and renowned mathematician, Mrorl, could have failed to notice the additive orthodracethis inherent in this Fibonacci progression.

Balthacarius then came upon a row of OTTers posting single-file in reverse, but ЯОЯЯІМed, and messaged Mrorl on the Chronotransponder. As the former was clearly employing a more temporally paradoxical strategy, and himself not having found so much as a single dried-up scale, Mrorl returned to follow him.

Balthacarius asked the ЯОЯЯІМed OTTers what was happening.

"Ah," replied Balthacarius, "you're saying that OTTers and Dragons can communicate across time using the words of Time, suitably encoded so as to tolerate the dracochronic distortion?"

"The fairytale princess took a Shakespearean name?" Mrorl shrugged; no mustard belies explanation — she was likely the wyvern's desired captive. Balthacarius glanced again at his field detector, now reading 34.

"It's the Princess Protection Programme." added Balthacarius. "Standard procedure. Go on," he said to the ЯОЯЯІМed OTTers.

"This way!" he exclaimed, handing back Mrorl's transcoder, and the OTTers resumed their line and carried on posting, single-file, in reverse, and ЯОЯЯІМed just as Balthacarius had found them.

They Blitzed on, guided by the readings of a dragologically-calibrated molpometer Mrorl was keeping on a chain around his neck. As for Balthacarius' dracometric field detector, it was presently on 144 and trembling as if nervously contemplating 233. They soon received a chronogram from the elusive @@Darcrovich, claiming <:"death is but a doorway, Time is but a window. I'll be back,":>¹³. Mrorl searched the logs and pulled up xes later transmission: <:"Just sending [this] to let you all know [I am not] basemented, [just] sinking backwards in time,:>¹⁴ and the implication was clear: Tornater was trying to impersonate all three great dragons simultaneously. Mrorl was speechless at this manifest boldness; Balthacarius merely smirked.

There are a great many old Beanish tales about dragons. It is said, for example, that dragons can simultaneously occupy seven coördinates in Spaaace-Time. This is sheer Madness. A dragon can inhabit only three spots, as seen from its own point of view, and the coördinates thereof are interrelated by the very dracomorphic fluctuations that allow dragons to travel so parodoxically in the first place. If the three positions can be determined accurately enough, and related to each other as transposed by the ripples in Time, the coördinate correlation can be modeled well enough to intercept the source, that is, corner the dragon itself. It was this phenomenon which the fabled dracohunter Oophamegax Clay exploited when xe invented the antitemporal saurian-seeking guidance system for wyrm-seeking missiles, outlawed long ago when dragon-hunting was deemed e**ish. Mrorl had recently reconstructed Clay's invention, only substituting a densely-packed cluster of temporochronic communications and tracking equipment for the original's deadly warhead, in triplicate as that is what was needed to triangulate the triple locations of a dragon; then gave the plans to Balthacarius' bots to produce three more for each of his two ships; and as this gave them enough equipment to track all three famous OTT dragons at once, of course they decided to repeat it all twice more to ensure extra REDUNDANcy. To operate the thrice-tripled controls Mrorl and Balthacarius needed extra hands, which they manufactured for the occasion, and an associate bOTTifactor, in which role they employed Mrorl's senior helper Timlrorme.

But the dragons our heroes were tracking that dip reacted strangely, to say the least. Once the great winged molptiles were triangulated and brought within range, bots and bOTTifactors alike were expecting a traditional hunt, with much howling and thrashing at rock, fire and brimstone, and ensuing landslides to shake the earth, cunning and quick-footed dodgery, the requisite hail of arrows, and a Timelessly unsurpassed battle of riddles, cutting questions and rapier wit. These dragons were clearly mechanical, being Tornater's construction as Balthacarius had predicted, and the three hunters were prepared to engage with them as with Mrorl's Cognitative Engine long ago — to which end they had trained in a variety of negotiating tactics and penned persuasive poetry. And indeed, just at the place and time the triplexed triangulators indicated that all three beasts would be found together, there indeed they were, scaly wings and all, but a uniquely undracilian thing was happening: the first dragon merely stopped and stood still, its pearlescent blue scales dripping slightly. It was looking towards the second, whose dark green hide appeared to be more of moss than of scales, and gave off a pleasant scent of early summer. This dragon, in turn, was looking at the third, its orange-brown armour glowing faintly and wafting bits of black smoke. The third dragon was, of course, looking back at the first. All seemed apprehensive and more concerned with each other than the bOTTifactors who had triangulated them into the spot.

"How so?" asked Balthacarius, willing to engage in any discussion that might bring them closer to Tornater.

"Huh?" replied Mrorl and Balthacarius in unison.

"—into Pokémolp. Right. — Hmm, it's best we soften them up a bit first. Here." Reaching into his pants-of-many-pockets, Timlrorme produced three unusual-looking dilgunnerangs, coloured blue, green, and orange; and handed one each to the other bOTTifactors. "On the count of three. One! Two! … Five!" And on five they each fired one well-aimed blast, Mrorl's blue gun at the smouldering light-russet dragon, Balthacarius aiming his green weapon at the watery blue monster, and Timlrorme firing his orange blaster at the mossy green creature. Words appeared in mid-air:

BALTHACARIUS USES RAPTOR LEAF! IT IS VERY LUCKY!!!

It was Balthacarius who answered. "These dragons are artificial, of course, and under remote control — and they have been transmitting telemetry data the whole time we tracked them."

Balthacarius continued his explanation. "Most probably, yes. We know he's creating fake dragons, to post fake dracoposts, and he knows we know that, and we also know he doesn't want to be caught in the act. Why do you suppose he was so eager to be a part of our so-called dracological research project? Because it is here, on the site of the secret future Time World, which is so secret that we could not possibly share any detailed evidence of what's going on, notwithstanding the double-agent we sent and the tempting hints we planted. He knows he can get away with pretty nearly anything. Generating Augmented-Reality illusory dragons is risk-free: any proof of their nature, and the falseness of their origins, would entail a full spatiotemporal scan of the place and time where the phenomenon was generated, and anywherewhen fromtowhich they willong-hav'n-been travelled."

"Riiiight." Mrorl paused, scratching his chin. "So, back to the original question. How does this help us?" lifting his Molpénet, in which a small and rather contented orange-brown scaly creature was curled up, seemingly asleep, looking down at it, then back at Balthacarius.

"Because the Object Generator Logs," replied Balthacarius, "tell us right when they came from. And they came from our own future — NP2701, to be exact."

And with that, Balthacarius pressed a button, dispatching three wheelstick-wielding robots on small levitating scooters, which promptly went poof into the future, and a moment later reappeared with one Tornater Bunliuczanin in tow, who absolutely refused to admit that anything was true¹⁶. But Balthacarius pointed to his Molpénet, and the waterly blue winged creature curled within, and beheld Tornater's crestfallen look — for as the bOTTifactor explained, the little blue dragon was absolute, self-contained, irrevocable physical proof of Tornater's handiwork, and in case that were not enough, there were its two counterparts, the fire and grass dragons in his companions' nets; and if Tornater did not agree to their terms of employment, as future Draconics Consultant for the theme park that he knew, and could not deny having been told, was even then being built on the very land upon which they were standing, then they, the bOTTifactors, had merely to take their netted dragons to the Excessively Dangerous Molpy Sanctuary on Ferelornados, there to be revived and inspected by the world's greatest cryptozoological experts; and then he, Tornater, would be exposed as a fraud. And so it was that the proud Tornater Megtana IV of Bunliucz, the world's greatest perpetrator of dragonic forgery, began to synthesise, construct, and program real dragons, never again to disrupt the thread via pastposts, but to thrill and excite Time fans young and old.

2. To participate in Time World private previews, set your TARDIS or Blitzrocket's destination coördinates to Newpage 1414 and watch for our Temporal Edit.

3. (See @@AluisioASG, OTT:1630:16)

4. (See @@lmjb1964, OTT:1618:15)

5a.-d. (see @@AluisioASG, OTT:1624:39)

6a.,b. (@@lmjb1964, OTT:1625:6)

7. (@@Dracomax, OTT:1625:35)

9. (see @@AluisioASG, OTT:1625:36)

10. (see @@ggh, OTT:1652:2)

11. (see @@ggh, OTT:1665:27)

12. (see @@ggh, OTT:1671:27 yet again)

13. (see @@Dracomax, OTT:1701:30)

14. (see @@Dracomax, OTT:1742:26) <$$:The Challenge of King Idle <r:How Mrorl Built a Fadefatalismatic … babies:>

OTT:2743:4 by svenman :

OTT:2743:12 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Jun 21, 2022 07:12 AM GMT:

OTT:2743:14 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Jun 21, 2022 08:06 AM GMT:

She sees a mathematical incompatibility between the standard model (quantum field theory) and general relativity (the laws of gravity). Well, I a asked various people to show me that incompatibility, but noone was able to do that. So I don't know (but would like to know) to what particular incompatibility she is referring to. Anyway I started my own search for that incompatibility, and, to my greatest surprise, I Spoiler: managed to resolve it.

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Jun 21, 2022 07:12 AM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s, at Tue Jun 21, 2022 08:06 AM GMT:

OTT:2743:16 by rezilibaniatsuS :

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Jun 22, 2022 08:38 AM GMT:

OTT:2743:19 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Jun 16, 2022 09:16 PM GMT:

OTT:2743:20 by ZoomanSP :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Jun 16, 2022 09:16 PM GMT:

OTT:2743:21 by Eternal Density :

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Jun 22, 2022 08:38 AM GMT:

OTT:2743:22 by SilentTimer :

I CH*RPONG LOVE BLITZROCKETS — ongo mome

OTT:2743:25 by mrob27 :

mr*bdex watchers should now see links to more recent pages, i.e. the pages in this MstardTime thread. As I hoped, at least one or two otherOTTers seem to like the general idea of considering these pages to be part of a longer conversation that started with the pages on fora.xkcd.com that are presently inaccessible, and some also like the idea of having the pages of this thread keep their existing mome and goat etc.. I see no particular objection regarding the numbers that I personally decide to use in my index, and of course the numbers are mostly just part of links like "OTT:2743:5" (which links to my previous post, further up on this page) and perhaps people won't feel too concerned about the number if they just want to have some kind of link to follow.

OTT:2743:29 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Jun 29, 2022 11:21 AM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Jun 29, 2022 08:00 PM GMT:

OTT:2743:31 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s: and then scan through all the text within posts on the current page (I already have scripts that do that so I don't have to figure it all out) and try to find the word of interest and do something useful like a yellow background and black border. Once there is a script, then anyone who still cares about hilighted words can use my script, and there won't be the feeling that you @@balthasar_s might want or need to work on your bots. Hello @@Rule110!. Your Timeody (or odeity) is well remembered. The Decenniyipial Blitz is a well-honoured tradition^ƒ

OTT:2743:37 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

Expressed as 4-bit binary numbers using this arrangement into a 4×4 grid also seen in @balthasar_s's Python, A and B are:

<q.balthasar_s: Thank you again, @@balthasar_s, for all the work creating mirrors and this method for us to actually communicate. I can at least make a read-only ЯОЯЯІМ (and maybe I should?), but I've never had enough confidence in cloud computing to want to make something like this, where people can submit data that then gets sent out to others.

OTT:2743:38 by Eternal Density :

<q.balthasar_s, at Fri Jul 01, 2022 09:02 PM GMT:

OTT:2743:39 by SilentTimer :

IF BLITZNAPPONG YOUR POPERAPTORS IS SANDISH, THEN I'M HILLISH. — ongo mome

OTT:2743:40 by SilentTimer :

MAXIMUM ONGS YIELDS MAXIMUM M&&MS — ongo mome

OTT:2744:0 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

I also managed to remove some of the randomness in the order that words get listed. For example, post OTT:3:14 (which is just a listing of the Javascript^∆ in xkcd 1190) introduces 16 "newwords" if you can call it that, starting with callthis, cleartimeoutc, dispatcheventn, and so on. For some reason Perl's dictionary code has nondeterministic behaviour, in that if you create a dictionary containing words as the keys, and then make an array of the keys by sorting the keys by their length (for example), then you don't get the same result when running the same program multiple times, even when the actual words are the same, and added to the dictionary in the same order, etc. If you want deterministic order you have to explicitly ask it to resolve any ties (words with equal length) by another operation (e.g. which word comes first lexicographically). Of course in the Mr*bdex's case the words were being sorted by which post they first appeared in, and in this example OTT:3:14 is equal to OTT:3:14, so those sixteen were all equivalent for sorting purposes. After adding the tie-breaker clause, the Mr*bdex now lists those sixteen newwords of OTT:3:14 in alphabetical order each time. That means the pages don't need to get re-uploaded to mrob.com except if something more meaningful changes, like the hidden bOTTeriada text, which typically only affects the first few Mr*bdex pages — so instead of re-uploading 60 (or even 16) pages it now only has to upload a few. All it all this makes the Mr*bdex finish updating a full 1/6 nopix sooner each time it updates!

<q.balthasar_s:

To illustrate by example, the words Bagocalypse and punshoes are not yet shown in the Mr*bdex as I am writing this. But once my bots see this post they will add them, because they each need only to be used one more time to qualify. When they are added, they will be listed next to newpage 519 and newpage 2518, respectively, because that is when they each first appeared in the OTT. So earlier newwords have an advantage, inasmuch as they have had more opportunities to get used. A Megan diagnosis seems quite toquish (which I choose to use as another of the many OTTish positive adjectives, though the word has seen very little use in the OTT and its OMD entry doesn't yet cite my bOTTeriada use of the word. I think Beanies are smart and have a great respect for others, so most anything one would call "toquish" is bound to be something good.) Thanks @@balthasar_s for the links to videos about floating point numbers. My favourite part:

OTT:2744:2 by mrob27 :

I have been investigating the case of mustardthread, which rightfully should be listed now in the Mr*bdex and was first used by @@lmjb1964 here on the first mustardthread page. The author names are getting recorded properly and it knows the word was used a lot of times, and not all by the same person. It also has it being defined on "page" 2690, which is correct. More and smaller bots have been deployed… Breaking news: A cluster of mini Mrobots is huddling around @@svenman's post OTT:2686:14. Timborme is asking them to tell what is going on.

OTT:2744:6 by mrob27 :

Regarding the rules for newwords, I haven't recently looked inside the nopixbot algorithms, but I have noticed that parentheses don't count as word separators (but they aren't included in the word either). For example, in this fairly recent post we have "… self.screen.blit(self.font.render …" (part of the MolpyUp! code) which gets treated as the words self, screen, blitself, font, and render. Only the one in the middle gets counted as an OTT newword (and became eligible for the index after I quoted it on OTT:2651:30). I don't know why I wanted parentheses to not count as word separators, but I suppose someone was using them as insignificant punctuation. I could exclude [code] blocks but that would exclude lots of other important things like bOTTeriada ONGtext and poetry, etc. that is often quoted that way to preserve indentation or other spacing; and besides that, the Javascript is part of the OTT culture … which definitely are counted in the case of nopixbot and the Mr*bdex, for example most recently hossenfelder's is listed here.

<q.balthasar_s:

<$$:Has nobody mentioned that we're (hopefully) about to find out how many other Cueganites exist? (@@devrelm, OTT:1132:14) -/- The Cueganites live at or slightly below 2389 m below sea level. (@@capnbuckle, OTT:1154:3):> I'll try to add more recent citations if any of them add to or change the meaning. For now you can consider My OTT-If? which uses the word a few times, and features @@BlitzGirl as guest punsawyer with a cast of millions (of molpies). Yes, quite arbitrary words invented by @@ucim mostly for this chapter of his excellent serialised fiction Acts of the Clerics, and never adequately defined by @@ucim or anybody else, and I even communicated in private by PM trying to get answers. The best answer anyone ever got was For more background, you can read posts OTT:1500:3 by @@ucim, OTT:2240:21 and OTT:2259:27 by @@mrob27, OTT:2264:28 by @@balthasar_s, OTT:2265:10 by @@mrob27, and OTT:2265:12 by @@ucim.

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2744:11 by svenman :

OTT:2744:12 by Eternal Density :

<q.balthasar_s, at Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:42 AM GMT:

OTT:2744:14 by rezilibaniatsuS :

It's the eight-dimensional vector space of traceless anti-Hermitian 3×3 matrices, a representation of the Lie algebra of SU(3). (The matrices shown in phys-0420 are not anti-Hermitian, but they are a basis of the same vector space.) Better don't get lost in an eight-dimensional vector space. :>

OTT:2744:16 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Fri Jul 08, 2022 02:10 PM GMT:

<q.balthasar_s:

-) $(Colorization by dawnfire.)$

OTT:2744:17 by SilentTimer :

OTT:2744:20 by ZoomanSP :

That's a pretty treeish circuit³, balthanimator_s!

OTT:2744:22 by mrob27 :

@@Katakana seems to be a large-numbers enthusiast (like myself and @@january1may). The game uses tetration and does all its calculations with OmegaNum values, which can handle numbers as large as Graham's number. Such things are not foreign to the OTT, see for example OTT:1111:0 by @@Tom17 (contemplating the number of possible Time frames) and OTT:1111:21 @@taixzo (who mentioned most of the things in this paragraph).

<q.balthasar_s:

3. by the title over the first frame: I noticed the frames did not start being shared on the forum frame-by-frame until frame 6 in post OTT:2539:27 by @@ggh. However there is a link at OTT:2537:21 that in retrospect is the beginning of the story, though at the time I think it was not; and frame 0 was linked as a bare image at OTT:2538:18, and some lovely animations like this that were discovered before the ONGs started. A lot of other links like that, my point being that the "first frame", or more generally the beginnings, of BSTA were a little mysterious, but once again, that's okay. Scholars of @@ucim's raftpeople tongue seem to exist at Google, because Google Translate now thinks Keipu glie, Glie na smopu vrathkalichi ho! / Bradvaii smopu glie ne haniam hierban tantam lo! / vrathna rhethatm tieniso, / nietha in kaliniam yo. / Bradva, bradvak, bradvaii smopu varba glie nootano! is closer to Bulgarian than Italian (which is what it guessed 7 yips ago, see OTT:2265:10). That is an improvement inasmuch as @@ucim wanted to invent "words that had a slavic sense to them".

In the case of mrob.com and the xkcd forum, it is cloud computing because mrob.com is on some company's computer, and in the xkcd case none of us owned the computer and maybe an xkcd person did at some point but eventually I think they got a hosting provider (i.e. "cloud computing") to do it. But bicyclesonthemoon.info is not a cloud computing server because it's your computer.

OTT:2744:24 by mrob27 :

<$$:The Dragons of OTTifiability <r:link to next chapter will be here:> One dip, quite late in fact when Balthacarius was performing niply automatic self-recalibration (what the rest of us might call "coma"), an interstellar transport of modest size but enormous surface area set off the Moonbase proximity alarms, and he was startled awake. He sent a messagebot by ƨibɿɒ†ƨuM to summon his friend's help, as they had agreed when Balthacarius began his work with the Tencrivarna Spaaace program, then stumbled down corridors to the main airlocks, and soon beheld the most oddly-shaped ship. It was a massed array of fractal sandcastles, like an inverted Chateau d'If with smaller Chateau d'If for crenellations, and even smaller ones all over that. The bOTTifactor recognised it as something from King Idle's odd world, but this was somehow capable of interstellar transport. Out of it streamed dozens of courier-bots, then hundreds of smaller ones, and a myriad even smaller, unloading Bags and stacking them in neat rows all around the perimeter of the Moonbase, filling in the gaps with smaller Bags, and so on, as if to provide an impervious defense against some anticipated Zanclean flood.

While this was going on, a Blitzer of quite remarkable appearance strode down a ramp, through the piled Bags and right up to Balthacarius, just as Mrorl too emerged from another passageway, having just TARDISed into the Moonbase. The Blitzer impressed both of them, with sparkling eyes, antennae calmly scanning the area, and a gleaming multicoloured Buffyhat. In a wowterful voice like the harmonious sounding of many simultaneous ONGs, the Blitzer addressed the two bOTTifactors thus:

"Have I the great honour of speaking with the legendary bOTTifactors Balthacarius and Mrorl, builders of bots and travellers of Time, famed heroes and problem-solvers to worlds, kingdoms, empires, and galaxies far and wide?"

"Why yes, I think, … of course…" stammered Mrorl, while Balthacarius picked up the thread and continued, "—the one and same, or I should say the two and both same. Won't you come in, and do tell us from where and when you come, that we might receive the honour of you and all these ba-… Bags?", trailing off uncertainly as he prepared the airlock for them to re-enter. "…and do let your robots rest!" as the courier-bots were now done with their stacking of Bags, but standing uneasily in rows seemingly awaiting orders.

"But really, we're not—" blurted out Mrorl, making Balthacarius glance over as he calmly objected, "I think you overestimate—"; but the Blitzer held up one finger to each of them to hold their tongues, and the OTTerific voice carried on,

"In return for your most molpish gift of attention and generosity with your Time in giving audience to my request, and what is sure to be a pricklier and more burbulent effort in overcoming our deep calamity, Xes Royal Highness Gondomar hereby gives xes word, on pain not just of shameful abdication but of pelting and thwapping, that xe shall bestow upon you such great rewards and honours that you will never be wanting for anything, with funding for your bOTTifactories and any future projects or whims for milleniyips to come. The Bags we have delivered about your facility should serve as an advance and retainer, and assurance of Xes Majesty's sincerity. Furthermore," and at this the rows of courier-bots outside could be seen to neaten up their ranks and stand at attention, whilst a moving brass fanfare could be heard from the walls (apparently modulated by electromagnetic induction), "I hereby dub thee Premier Paladins Balthacarius and Mrorl," (the music swelled), "heretofore to be known far and wide as the Chevaliers of the Realm"," (the Blitzer's voice now in harmony with the bots' trumpets), "Honourary Citizens Gallant, to be granted passage for whatsoever purpose may present itself in the carrying out of your bOTTifactorial deeds, and in recognition thereof, so that all may know, you are adorned each with these Twin Tetrational Tesseracts of Time, —" as the Blitzer placed the medals, somehow occupying 2¹/₂ dimensions but also extending into four (and with this act, the music reached a crescendo that had Mrorl fearing for the structural integrity of the airlock bay), then finishing, "So Molp It Be!"

The promise that their Monarch would Xemself endure the twin perils of the thwapstick and comfy chair made a particular impression upon Balthacarius. "We are much obliged to the Great Gondomar, but—", and Mrorl finished for his friend, "— but obsessive infatuations are not the sort of mustard that we build bots for… though…" and at this he stopped as the Blitzer's alert attention seemed increasingly intense, but Balthacarius added, "—though perhaps you can give us some of the details."

The Blitzer smiled, "Certainly! Xes Majesty's son, heir to the throne as I mentioned, is obsessed with two things, a most dangerous combination. The first of these is the making of puns, and it has been quite incurable since he was very young. The Prince has declared himself to be a long-prophesied descendent of the legendary King Awfulur Pundragon himself. This alone was barely manageable, but lately he has become infatuated with my counterpart, the Emissary-Blitzer of the neighbouring kingdom, one Sashiris the High Timewalker and Duly Appointed BlitzGirl Over All Place and Every Time. It was clear from the start this would go no-where, considering that if our Beloved Sovereign Gondomar were to yield to the Prince's pleas, and petition the emperor for Sashiris' hand (in marriage of course, not literally), it is clear the answer would be a firm No, with a lot of Ni!, nil, Never, NAK, and No-how for good measure. But now, fairly recently our kingdoms are divided by the greater trauma of our times, yea verily the Fading, and our differences on the matter of such a union have all but intensified. As many Timeframes have passed, our hopes (not to mention the Timeframes) are fading. All our attempts to persuade Pregstubin towards more sensible pastimes have been to no avail, and the Prince deteriorates before our eyes (the ears of most having been blocked in protection against his puns), and our last remaining hope is in the renowned abilities of history's greatest bOTTifactors, your Twin Treeishnesses, Balthacarius and Mrorl!"

Here, again, a fanfare from bots of all sizes, and the Blitzer bowed. Mrorl and Balthacarius glanced at each other, and looked uneasily at the thousands of variously-sized courier-bots outside the windows, now looking a little more military than they had first noticed.

"Well, if a Monarch and the Prince and Heir to the Throne are in such need, I can't see how we could refuse…" offered Balthacarius, and Mrorl hastily nodded in agreement.

"Wowterful! <:The Blessings of Randall upon thee!:>" cried the emissary, which apparently signalled the rest, for at once all bots great and small began to move back into the hypercrenellated ship, save a few who waited for the bOTTifactors to emerge so they could help them bear any special equipment they might wish to bring. Mrorl and Balthacarius brought their latest and best gadgets, including new miniaturised OTTic Mustardbusters, U.S.B. translators, and other such portable items, hastily asking Timlrorme, balthabots, and mrobots to monitor their journey and follow along in the TARDIS and LEML*. The giant interstellar castraftle soon levitated away in a manner that would defy the dreams of laPetite and Cuegan.

At this news Balthacarius suggested he should go over to the (toner-deprived) Chromium kingdom and see what news he could gather, attempt to gain an audience with the High Timewalker herself, and perhaps help smooth relations from that side; to this Mrorl and the Emissary heartily agreed.

Upon arrival Mrorl was relieved to be greeted not with accusation but by a most molpish welcoming ceremony, and set to work immediately in the jousting fields adjacent to the royal gardens. In a matter of dips he had converted their jousting exhibition arena into a virtual-OTTity experience chamber of vast proportions, arrayed with display screens and speakers, vibration inducers, mechanisms of heating, cooling, humidity control, fog and odor generators, holographic projectors with force inducers, and every other imaginable type of sensory feedback, plus for good measure a few that evaded the senses and defied the imagination, and a good number of penalty-inducing devices fabricated in secret with the aid of Balthacarius. This, he told Xes Royal Highness and xes advisors, was a Fadefatalismatic. Its primary purpose would be to give the Prince a strong impression of the seriousness of their times, and consequently to encourage the Prince to respond in some more regal and indeed demonstrably useful manner. Any response in the form of puns, however, would be met immediately with Punsaws, which were present in abundance, hidden amongst all the other equipment. The Fadefatalismatic could be fueled entirely on sand, coffee, snow, bacon, or indeed anything that was available in sufficient quantity (Mrorl suggested gray pixels, which were over 87 percent efficient, and the twin lands of Ligimude and Zaguczeshdam clearly had an over-ample supply).

Mrorl returned to his giant lab in the TARDIS, and bots scurried away in fear as he ch*rped on about the failures. Musing over his poor fortune, contacting Balthacarius for advice, he failed to notice the racket as several local Sandmasons wandered into the arena, piqued by curiosity over the distant echoes of the Prince's contest that dip. Most all of the Samdmasons' Organised Sand were shattered by the punsaws, despite being the most durable (having of course been designed for sustainibility by Sandmasons themselves) and they ran out as quickly as they could with barely a leopad still functioning.

The next dip Mrorl sent a chronogram to his mrobots at Time World (still under development), who brought a personal message to their newly hired resident dracomolpologist Tornater Megtana IV of Bunliucz, summoning help. The disgraced Tornater was still deeply indebted to Mrorl and Balthacarius both, and yearned to regain some positive reputation. The request was an Antipundragon, to be fabricated by Tornater and delivered by MusTARDIS, which would provide an easy (through somewhat unreliable, and thus plasibly deniable) retrocausality. The dragon was set loose in a courtyard near the Prince's favourite writing spot, and that nip it attempted to frighten the ch*rp out of the Prince. Unfortunately, no pun-neutralising effect transpired, as this turned out to be not the Antipundragon that Mrorl had requested, but an Antepenulti-Pundragon, that is, a member of the House of Pundragon plucked from the Prince's more distant past, two generations earlier to be precise. The Prince was thrilled to meet an ancestor from the very lineage that was purportedly his own, and the two whiled away the nopix combining acrostics and anagrams into the most intricate, and yet annoyingly trite heap of wordplay the world had yet seen. Little hovering spy-bots reported a most surreal scene: the giant dragon, curled around the writing-desk and occasionally setting nearby hedges aflame, the Prince blithely sitting amidst scaly wings and claws, working by the light of eyes glowing brighter than the full moon of early evening. Mrorl hurriedly sent another chronogram back to Tornater, and in due course a MusTARDIS appeared again, from which a true Antipundragon emerged — but before the carefully engineered beast could belch a single flame of grammatic pedantry, it was annihilated upon arrival by the Antepenulti-Pundragon — who the Prince had begun calling Padarbuzurg.

"Naturally we could introduce a substitute Sashiris — we have on standby a laPetite cast member from Time World who was hired specifically for the role of High Timewalker, and it is part of her job qualifications to resist any onslaught of puns — but inevitably the Prince will notice the change. Balthacarius and I have exhausted the abilities of associates from other kingdoms with similar histories, and really we see no other way but to arrange for them to marry!"

Unfortunately for Mrorl's carefully laid plans, he was surprised by news that the Prince, activating the Punshoes of Amīrzādeh (an elite unit of android couriers reporting to none but the Prince himself) was fabricating special projectiles of the same raw material and weaponising them with Bagpuns, of the highest calibre tactical advisors had seen to that point, and not just in ones and twos, but entire Bags of Bagpuns. Mrorl shared this distressing news with Balthacarius, who promptly replied that Chromium's high command could confirm this in every detail, and that he had this issue well taken care of, but that rumours of an imminent Bagocalypse would be more destructive than Bags themselves, so the less said about it, the better.

After a wip of preparation, the bombardment of neighbouring Chromium began. Trebuchets, directed by veterans and precisely operated by bots, were aimed at the shining palace in the distant city Sashiris called home, and all lands around it. In unison all began to hurl their varied projectiles — all white against the bright foggy sky — Hats, Haiku, Snow, Semen, Cancer, Caffeine, Bacon, and of course Babies. These landed in irregular heaps everywhere, in the fields and streets and on the rooftops of every home. They splattered, melted, and dissolved into the targets. The effect was to make everything a lighter shade of gray, accelerating the Fading. The inhabitants and even some of Chromium's military experts could not agree with what they were being bombarded. Light-minded people suggested they were receiving helpful gifts of Hats and Haiku, though it was hard to distinguish these from any of the others; such beret-hatted folk were blamed for becoming too lightheaded due to all the continually lightening pixels around them. Others of a more hierban disposition took it as more evidence of the world's fading fate. Most turned away, muttering the old advice "<:When you're that tired everything looks like coffee, we just need to coma:>". To heighten the fog of war (not that their world needed much help, fogwise), Mrorl had bots alter half of the trebuchets during the nip, so that they would fling their payload backwards, inundating Gondomar's own subjects with the same mix of desaturated mystery. It thus seemed to all a full-on bilateral war. Soon both sides were at risk of being completely buried in Snow (or was it Semen?) and their respective Monarchs pleaded to the Emperor, who was forced to capitulate. Gondomar promised a cease-fire, once the other endorsed the controversial marriage, and the Emperor raptorcattishly agreed. Whereupon all trebuchets were decomissioned, and remaining supplies of ammunition neutralised, and, to be extra redundantly sure, Mrorl himself directed the removal of all Fadefatalismatic equipment, returning the arena to its former status as a simple jousting stadium. Later, Mrorl and Balthacarius were ceremonial guests at the most molpish wedding feast, culminating in a mass-broadcast Boom-de-Yada* that sealed a truce between their two monarchies that would last for milleniyips to come. The two bOTTifactors had predicted that their world's Fading would end, and this had indeed came to pass, astounding all who knew not the true cause (the Prince even took credit for Cuegan's Bags). The Emperor and both Monarchs lauded the bOTTifactors with honourary titles and diplomas, and sent them on their way assured of a king's welcome upon any future return.

1. You may recall that Mrorl and Balthacarius changed the past via a vast campaign of retro-edits to ensure that the Machine That Could Grant Any Wish Having a Single Parameter N generated only a small wave of monochrome fading; but this well intended and thorough campaign nevertheless missed a spot or two, and had no effect on the planet they are visiting in this story, as that empire had built themselves a temporal looping field in order to be able to re-experience Time again each yip. This was temporarily disrupted by the use of a MusTARDIS for dragon delivery, but on Rossnagar Kirgu none were the wiser. To this dip the entire planet still enjoys a completely desaturated and yiply-looping existence. <$$:The Dragons of OTTifiability <r:link to next chapter will be here:>

OTT:2744:26 by svenman :

Breaking news: A cluster of mini Mrobots is huddling around @@svenman's post OTT:2686:14. Timborme is asking them to tell what is going on.

<q.balthasar_s, at Sun Jul 10, 2022 10:43 PM GMT:

OTT:2744:27 by Eternal Density :

OTT:2744:32 by lmjb1964 :

Thank you for the update, b! Now I’m wondering what balthasar thread would be used for. Sewing things when you’re on the moon, I guess. Or maybe stitching up bicycle seats. Or stitching bicycle seats on the moon.

OTT:2744:34 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s: I hope one of the reasons was that the animation is so much fun to watch!

<q.balthasar_s:

balthasar_s OTT:2719:5 LEML Emails Mysteriously Leaking where people …

balthasar_s OTT:2719:5 LEML Electronic Messaging Lifestyle.

balthasar_s OTT:2726:15 Legendary Environment Manipulator by LEML is e…

balthasar_s OTT:2744:19 Lunar Earth Monitoring Laboratory.

balthasar_s OTT:2744:19 Laughing Even More Loudly.

balthasar_s OTT:2744:19 Legendary Environment Manipulator by LEML

<q.balthasar_s:

* The post was originally posted in the xkcd forum.

OTT:2744:36 by mrob27 :

Oh yes, definitely. I'll email you like I did the last time (and I still haven't finished the confetti puzzle, if it was one.)

Thanks again @@balthsar_s for some insight into "LEML" and BFTF acronyms, and showing how many easy ways there are to restart BSTA from the bagbeginning. The thing you were replying to was me speculating as to any reasons for confusion related to the first frame, so I put my answer in the context of what it was like at the time we were first learning about BSTA.

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2744:39 by svenman :

-) $(Colorization by dawnfire.)$

OTT:2745:7 by svenman :

While doing it, you're whistling the theme of progress.

OTT:2745:9 by svenman :

$(Colorization by BlitzGirl.)$

OTT:2745:14 by ZoomanSP :

Suddenly, you feel like playing another song.

OTT:2745:17 by mrob27 :

I have corresponded with @@balthasar_s (and got confused a bit looking up postage rates and so on). Fortunately, @@balthasar_s helped me figure out that EMS pickup from home was not necessary and an ordinary letter (or mailer pouch) would suffice, and the is on its way to me. I'll soon be able to measure the nopix in (I think) 7 different ways. A few of my more unusual Time-measurement devices are stored away, I'll have to try to get them all out for a group photo. I also look forward to silent calculations.

<q.balthasar_s: A little late to the party, but a shiny new bot rolled into the room yesterdip and began reciting acrostics, for some reason calling itself balthacrostibot. Further investigation revealed that it was retrieving verses from mrorls-bottronic-bard (which I described thoroughly in post OTT:2306:16; the only significant change being that it now works in Linux using espeak behind a wrapper that converts to the Apple style phoneme encoding), and then picking out lines starting with certain desired letters, and assembling them into stanzas.

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2744:34 <**:About 54 more phrases generated at random that I listed in my previous post about this:>

<q.balthasar_s:

OTT:2745:20 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s: I am realising that I have been causing most of the difficulty, by repeatedly asking for answers to things like acronyms. Here is a post that I made, for example. I believe I am making these conversations worse because of the anxiety I feel from unanswered questions in stories. I did not start xkcd 1190 until it was complete. ETA: We communicated privately about this, and @@balthasar_s assured me that everything is all right, no feelings were hurt, and the things I wrote were fine; or in other words, don't worry, feed squirpies.

OTT:2745:25 by mrob27 :

Those boldface words are of course taken from BSTA frame 57 where they refer to a development that is proairetic, not hermeneutic. Either way it is something that people reallly enjoy in stories: the simultaneous resolution of a panther mystery and a salty sea mystery. From the above terminology I can describe BSTA as having a limited omniscient narrative style (switching perspective occasionally when it is time to be the other girl/guy), with relatively little dramatic irony. One example of dramatic irony is in frame 183. We see a bike fall (NICE DROP!). The most continuity-preserving interpretation is that this falling bike is b's bike, the same one seen in frame 181 and earlier, and that no-one else sees the bike fall, which would mean that the event is witnessed only by the reader, not by the characters in the story. b soon realises his bike did not follow him (we see him tell this in frame 266), and most readers will feel some confirmation of the "continuity assumption" from frame 310. The audience might guess that the bike-fall in frame 183 might have been in b's thoughts, until we see through numerous examples (some clear, like frame 463 and frame 484, and explicitly suggested by @SilentTimer) that thoughts are illustrated in certain colours such as 08B000 and AA22BB^C. If indeed b's bike fell, the point of whether b realises his bike fell, and is not still safe on the ground somewhere on the 1980's side of the gate on the road to nowhere, might be important at some point in which case this dramatic irony would have a more hermeneutic quality.

In limited omniscience, it is normal practice for at least one of the characters (the one whose point of view we are in) to be identified explicitly by a name, as this helps the reader or audience gain an interest in the character. Notably xkcd 1190 does not use character names and it essentially doesn't need to as it is presented visually. This custom of narrative is followed in BSTA, but the story has some fun with it. The reader is likely to believe that substitute names are being given, although these substitute names are sufficient for the narrative practice. The first character is annoyed or impatient at the name-typing process; the second possibly wishes for privacy; the third person's name happens to coincide with some spontaneous keyboardsmashitude and the three letters end up on a license plate, but even though we are told "we will have to continue calling him (and now also you) 'that other guy'", the character continues to be indicated as fth anyway; the fourth person's name apparently uses a newer version of Unicode than what we have on our device, perhaps because he lives in the future ^F; then in perhaps the greatest lampshading of all (so far anyway) the naming system segfaults when trying to enter a name for tlf, prompting the narrative comment "I wonder if anyone is going to take this story seriously / if it has problems even with such a basic thing as the names of the main characters." ^D In memory of Mrorl's Machine, a compromise: it's both a molpy and a duck. ^C These colours are first used in frame 138, where they might be taken to symbolize a story-within-a-story and not thoughts in general, and the thought-colours are not used in frame 158 which depicts both the thoughts of b and fth and a real thing within BSTA. ^F A listing of Unicode for the proto-Beanish alphabet is in this post, and it's a mixture of things from different alphabets and symbol categories.

OTT:2745:29 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s: Both of those were first from @@Eternal Density, as the subject line of this post, and then @@yappobiscuits picked up on it immediately and noted how appealing "Tencrivar" was. It only gets mentioned one more time (again by Yappo) until a long long time later it appeared in bOTTeriada (and the first use of the word is a link to the Yappo post). I must have kept Tencrivar in my ideas list that whole time. I see that I should add this to the dictionary.

OTT:2745:33 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s:

<q: b soon realises his bike did not follow him (we see him tell this in frame 266) :> Oh yes, but that was before the one-time relocation. How do we know that b knows that precisely 15 metres (or whatever) of surrounding landscape (including any parked bicycles) is included in the one-time relocation? It seems that his bike was just outside the 15-metre radius. Can b measure that precisely on his own? Even if special knowledge tells him that the limit is 15 metres he would also need additional special ability to know if his bike was at distance 14 or 16. He would not be able to compute in his mind whether his bike was within the radius or not. So we wait until frame 232 for a presumed non-oracle b to know if the bike followed him. Yes, I kind of like that. But also, the website in frame 158 is a shared thought about an agreed-upon reality, which is known to be real by more than just b and fth, so it is a very public thought, not an individual and personal thought like: a recent memory of putting ARMS in a pocket; one's thoughts while reading a story (almost always a different personal experience for each reader); a longer-ago memory of finding a lapleopard on the ground with a CT card. You saved me from excessive speculation (I got this far: we learned of @@SilentTimer at his eventful delurking in OTT:1730:12, the first use of #0057AF in BFTF frames was a lot later, let's say OTT:2033:15; but your mention of the STAF wasn't until a lot later after that OTT:2090:28 ("silenttimer's avatar gave me an idea…"), OTT:2170:13 ("<**:I'll be building a digital clock SilentTimer action figure! […]:>"))

Clearly we can use 0 for O and 1 for I or l, and 5 and 7 are S and T. We also have the letters A, b, C, d, E, F. This is already enough to put AFBC, AS(EIIC)CACACD(TSTIAO)⁵, BFTF, BSTA, BTTBAA, CTIF, EATA, FABABCFS³, LED/LCD, LLBC¹, OTA/OTC/OTT, STAF, TIOC, and TSCO into pixel colours, plus some of my own additional invented acronyms like CTOI and FSCS … So why not more!?!

Now we can handle FTFY and OSGS … that doesn't seem like much of an increase. let's keep going!!

OTT:2745:35 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s: For OTT purposes, yes.. Sometimes I get into a mindset where I am turning everything into an acronym just for fun. If other people are like me, then I suppose maybe someone (perhaps @@SilentTimer himself?) might have thought about it as an acronym, but never posted etc.

Referring back to my description of this, @@balthasar_s had pointed out that "No matter what you try it will always depend on 2 incomparable parameters (mass and charge). (Unless you somehow can compare a mass to a charge.)"

OTT:2745:40 by svenman :

OTT:2746:0 by mrob27 :

Balthasareizm! oraz długopis ktory nigdy nie jest czarny przedstawiaja: BEZŁITOŚNA TASMA! !

Balthasar [unidentified noun case] and a pen that is never black present: DELAYED TAPE! Wheels handcrafted by expert BFTF robOTTics technicians (see frames 803 through 810)

<q.balthasar_s:

[…] the battery which appeared 2 days ago in the phys frame 431 of phys, or […] [perhaps] a reference to this battery instead?:> It's more likely to be this one (Hmmm, the pixels are hiding something. Let's look in the colour table. ENHANCE! (also your excellent animation from the xcf)) In BFTF there are object generators and chronotransponders (although we see them somewhat incomplete, in early stages of development). I like to think that phys and BFTF referenced each other with the help of a chronotransponder message. Then those batteries and the ones in <**:Balthabots Save Time Again:> (a hotdog within a story) are quantum-entangled in the multistoryverse. I started with Starship but that's so overused, and I also wanted it to be shaped like a fractal Chateau d'If, so then I went to the Star fort shape idea, something that platoons of military robots might march out of, and I wanted to include "starsand" (see @@taixzo's OTT:1748:9 and related discussion starting here, and of course there is balthastarsand).

OTT:2746:4 by svenman :

<q.balthasar_s, at Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:06 AM GMT:

OTT:2746:6 by mrob27 :

<q.balthasar_s: I've been wondering about kxa's piano playing, and the blinkenlights on the equipment over to the left (from our point of view). There were some frames in which the blinkenlights were different from one frame to the next. I've been thinking that the piano-like leopard b and kxa are using to play music, might also be sending data (encoded in MTDF, of course) to that equipment… which might lead to surprising results… I was attempting to address that when I discussed the lump-of-neutronium scenario (ninja'd by @@balthasar_s)

OTT:2746:9 by mrob27 :

@@balthasar_s has a bot that looks at the epilogue sequence logs from mrob.com and checks them against the (expected/predicted) sequence. The file on mrob.com is called epilogue-sequence.txt.

It's well-known that the xkcd forums stopped working near the end of August 2019. That's where the "gsd -1.0000" lines come from, it means imagebot could not load or reload an image attachment. But the forums were still returning an HTTP response (this 503 message). About a year later, even that stopped working and the host became unreachable. Then, the next time I started or restarted a botcastle, the LINR^L bot noticed that the internet was not behaving as expected, and gave up on starting imagebot. linr tries again every time I start a new terminal window, which happens often, so it is able to recover from a situation where the internet isn't working at the time the casbottle starts up.

(OTT:2720:35 , 20210114.0644 UTC = newpix 68571.75)

(OTT:2721:36 , 20210206.2345 UTC = newpix 69140.77) […]

OTT:2746:11 by svenman :

Updated to include page 2746, post 13 Total posts: 2936 Total mentions: 16589

This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2022 Aug 16.

s.27