Stephendann.com

stephendann : No part of this sounds like a bad idea so far.

4:11 PM Jun 10th from twhirl in reply to lordriffington

lordriffington : That sentence is why you’re not allowed to have a trebuchet

4:15 PM Jun 10th from web

stephendann : Good point. Fair, reasoned, and no way in hell is caffeine or chilli entering the #trebuchet list

4:17 PM Jun 10th from twhirl in reply to lordriffington

The purpose of the Trebuchet rule (and associated trebuchet list) is straightforward: I have a list of objects that I shouldn’t posses under any circumstances because I really want to own these devices, and absolutely no good can come from me having access to them. It’s a self enforced (badly) and friend enforced (quite well) list of items that can only end in disaster (usually for me, but not always). Every item on the list is put there at my choice. Whilst it started with trebuchets, it was quickly extended to catapults, mangonels, classic siege weapons, contemporary siege weapons, indirect artillery fire and wolf launchers. Lately, the list has picked up other objects that come under the category of “A good idea in the hands of good, and a really bad idea in $tephen’s hands”.

Confirmed items on the Trebuchet List

• Trebuchets: Just because my first thought involving the first series of Big Brother involved a trebuchet, a ute, the backroads behind the compound, and a GPS.
• Mangonels: Extending the class list with a very specific form of object flinging technology.
• Any form of ancient siege weapon including catapults, wolfapults or nearest equivalent to extend the prohibited items class.

Things that aren’t trebechuts but have found their way to the excluded items list

• Captain Planet: I tend to think about the tactical elements of Captain Planet far far too much. Like the time I was arguing that the power of heart could be used to induce coronary seizures in the Planeteer’s opponents. Nobody thinks it’s a good idea to give me any of the Planeteer powers or access to Captain Planet.
• Handheld IR hair regrowth devices, and anything that could be used to encourage hair growth in unnatural ways. Entirely because I was decribing how I’d use them to grow out the hair on my fore-arms to wolfman monster proportions. This lead to a series of consequences that ended in the realisation that Rapunzel’s extraordinary hair length counted a form of siege weaponry, and those, all hair strengthening, straightening or growth enhancing devices joined the Trebuchet list.

The central point to the Trebuchet List is that it’s an itemized list of objects, equipment or concepts that I believe I shouldn’t have in my possession.