The Trebuchet List

A list of objects that I would quite like to own, operate or otherwise use for nefarious purposes, and for which I have pre-emptively confiscated from myself by prohibiting me from having them.  I know I can’t be trusted to act in a responsible manner with these devices, so I don’t take the risk.

By way of introduction…

Most people respond to seeing this list by stating “You’ve thought about this way too much”. That’s not entirely true.  It’s more reflex driven moments of self-awareness, and the finely tuned survival skills of generations of people with an uncanny ability to leave a day before the fighting starts (whilst not actually being responsible for the fighting) that led to the list.  Also, seriously, do I look like the kind of person who thinks things through before doing them anyway?

Wait. Oh never mind. Anyway, the upshot of the list is that I have a self-moderated collection of prohibited objects, and brief notes on why I think it’s a thoroughly bad idea for me to have said listed objects.  Although, as dear friends have mentioned, this is like a shopping list of temptations that could feasibly exist, I still really shouldn’t have any of the objects.

There are additional notes to the list that should be explained

1. The Right of Trebuchet Rule: A few trusted individuals have been granted the third party ability to put items on the list.
2. The Revocation Clause: Various items on the list have exemptions, and revocations.  As a general rule, the revocation exists for the express purpose of letting me move from “I really shouldn’t have that” straight into using that for legitimate purposes.
3. Permitted Items: Some things are allowed, because I really do have a legitimate reason to have them
4. The Confiscated: Not list worthy yet, but I have had them taken off me for various reasons.

The purpose of the list is to keep me out of trouble that I can see myself getting into with the aforementioned objects.  The rules just make it easier for me to stay on the right side of my own intentions.

The Trebuchet List (Self Prohibited Items List)

 

1. Prohibited Object: A Trebuchet:  Firing arcs, accuracy, and an ability to fling objects from Point A to Point C clean over the top of Point B means I’ll get into trouble of the quite difficult to explain in court variety. This was swiftly upgraded to include mangonels since they’re a very specific form of object flinging technology.  A later expansion of the rule included any form of ancient siege weapon including catapults, wolfapults or nearest equivalent technology. It makes certain periods in Empire Earth quite complicated.

• 1A. Exemption: In times of war, zombies or national emergencies where the capacity to fling things at other things becomes vitally useful, this rule is suspended for the entirety of the emergency, plus twenty minutes.
• 1B. Exemption: Trebuchet MS. I can’t believe nobody noticed the entire Trebuchet list was in the Trebuchet font.
• 1C. Exemption: Any history RTS. Seriously, I refuse to go through the entire period of everyone having castles whilst I have a prohibition on siege weapons. 
• 1C.i: Even if I do tend to not build the siege factory in Empire Earth out of habit.
• 1D: Clarification: The category of arc fired, non-direct line of sight weaponry requires the weapons to be launched from the ground.  Ground launched over the horizon payload delivery includes but is not limited to rocket launchers, siege weapons (classic) and shoulder mounted/ground based vehicle mounted equipment. Anything fired from a flying platform is covered elsewhere.

 

The Trebuchet List has extended beyond the basic siege weapon classes to become a touchstone list of things I know I shouldn’t be allowed to own.  The extended list now includes

2. Prohibited Item (Individual): 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. 

• 2A. Exemption: Nil.

3. Prohibited Object (Class):Hair regrowth devices, and anything that could be used to encourage hair growth in unnatural ways. Entirely because I was describing how I’d use them to grow out the hair on my fore-arms to wolf man monster proportions. This lead to a series of consequences that ended in the realization 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.

• 3A. Exemption: Hair dressers are not required to surrender this equipment if I am nearby.

4. Prohibited Object: Laminators. Whilst the people around me see no problem in crossing over my photoshop skills with lamination technology, I know this is going to end in tears and injunctions.

• 4A. Exemption: Officeworks may be used under supervision from an authorised Trebuchet list maintainer.

5. Prohibited Object (Class): Magnetic card readers, printers, keycard skimmers and anything else that could let me copy, duplicate or author swipe card technology.  I know me, and I know me well enough to know that I’d social engineer my way into somewhere that didn’t have the "For unauthorised exit, press this button" near the front doors.  Particular if by "social engineer" I mean "Copy the contents of that security guard’s ACCESS-ALL AREA pass from 15 feet with a passive reader/replicator".

• 5A. Exemptions: Nil.

6. Prohibited Activity: Karoke.  It’s a weapon of mass destruction in my hands. My singing isn’t just flat, it’s flatlined, I’m tone deaf and I have no ability to keep to linear time. Plus, since I don’t drink, I’m always too sober to do pub karoke. No matter what certain people said.

• 6A. Exemption: Spoken word recitals. REVOKED.  There was an incident.
• 6B. Exemption: The Muppet Show Theme song
• 6C. Exemption: Driving Redbird if, and only if, accompanied by an authorised representative of the Trebuchet List.

7. Prohibited Object (Class): Any item on sale in a hardware store catalogue at a discounted price.  It’s always pleasing to see my friends pick up a hardware catalogue and systematically eliminate items from it on the grounds that we agree I probably shouldn’t own it.  Just because I looked at the leaf vacuum with attached bag and wondered about converting it into a NERF Flamethrower is no reason to believe I shouldn’t be trusted with the contents of hardware stores.  Okay, so maybe it is a good reason for me not to trust me with welding equipment, ladders, screwdrivers, torque wrenches and a large amount of pre cut lumber.

• 7A. Exemption: Zombie emergencies
• 7B. Exemption: Actual household repairs.  Supervised access to the hardware store or a very specific list. Very specific. Very very specific, including exclusions related to ropes, pulleys, precut lumber and counterweights
• 7C. Exemption: See Exemption 1A.
• 7D: Exemption: Dust masks, gas masks, and any associated breathing apparatus that enables survival in high particle density environments.
• 7E: Exemption: Items purchased for the modification of Nerf blasters.

8. Prohibited Object: Grappling hooks. Entry by doorway only.

• 8A. Exemption: Rock climbing.
• 8B: Clarification: Concrete exteriors of buildings are not rocks.

9. Prohibited Object (Class): Utility belts. If the device needs to be readily accessible in such a manner that isn’t covered by carrying it in a pocket or satchel, there’s really no legitimate reason for me to own the device, and definitely no reason to own the storage container for such device.

• 9.A. Exemption: Handbags, backpacks and satchels exempted.
• 9.B. Clarification: Holsters count as utility belts.  I do not need to be carrying my iPod or Blackberry in a shoulder hostler, hip holster, or quick draw mechanism.
• 9.C. Exemption: Wrist straps, wrist watches, scabbards or quivers.
• 9.D. Exemption: Waist coats, vests and fob watch chains.
• 9.E. Exemption: Nerf matches. For the duration of the match, pre-match, and immediate post-match period.
• 9.F. Exemption: Grabit Packs: Concerts, festivals, and exercise/training regimes.

10. Prohibited Object (Class): Pouches.This includes cargo pants, three quarter length pants, army disposal store belts with those incredibility useful looking canvas pouches, canteens, or hipflask attachments.

• 10A. Exemption: This rule does not apply in the event of being transported through time to the 1990s.
• 10.B. Exemption: Ammo pouches containing Nerf ammunition of any type.

11. Prohibited Object (Class): Spandex costume, armour or related superhero outfit.

• 11.A. Exemption: Real world based defensive equipment Kevlar armour.
• 11.B. Exemption. Iron Man suit (any). Warmachine suit (all)
• 11.C. Exemption: Green Arrow outfit. I need something for Halloween.
• 11.D. Exemption: 501st Storm Trooper Armour (personal, able to be worn)
• 11.E. Any costume purchased in a sealed case with "A Good Soldier" written on the base of the case.
• 11.F. Any costume based on The Spirit or the Shadow. I need a good hat, and I really do rock the opera cloak. Plus, I look terrible in green around halloween

12. Prohibited Object: Domino masks. Masquerades are for people who can’t do sneaky politics with their faces shown.

• 12.A Exemption: See 11.C exemption.
• 12B. Exemption: Ninja hoods
• 12.C. Clarification: Safety eyewear incuding paintball masks, Airsoft masks, or similar devices are exempt.

13. Prohibited Object (Person): Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee or any Image Comics illustrator

• 13.A. Exemption: Nil.
• 13.B. Clarification: I survived the rise of Image Comics back in the 1990s, with the anti-hero costumes that consisted of a large number of pouches, leg pouches, belt pouches, bandoleer with pouches, a domino mask, ultra tight lycra costumes and oversized guns.  Hence why I prohibit me from owning any such component parts on the off chance that my inoculation against anti-hero activity can’t survive direct contact with pouch generators.

14. Prohibited Object (Class): Fireworks. It’s all fun and games until someone repurposes the 4th of July gear into something far more problematic for the free world. I mean, seriously, fireworks combine science, chemistry, shiny things and explosives into a single problem solving device.  Frankly it’s a miracle I’m still allowing myself access to fire to be honest.

• 14.A. Exemption: Signal flares (Team Fortress).
• 14.B. Exemption: Signal flares (Sinking ships, but only if I wasn’t responsible for the ship starting to sink in the first place.).
• 14.C. Exemption: Sparklers.  Any volume.

15. Prohibited Object (Class): Children. I have no desire to breed simply because I carry a bunch of corrupted genetic code that really needs to be put out of the human race (those allergies that can wipe me out would be passed onto my children. Given what I went through, I could not honestly do that to another human, let alone one I’m supposed to like, protect and raise). With that in mind, since I don’t want my own kids, I figure I should just add children to the Trebechut list since I’m really not the kind of person who should be allowed to raise kids.  If nothing else, the fact I planned to name children "Alpha", "Beta" and "Gold Release Candidate" "Child98", "Child2K,  ChildXP and ChildVista (No ChildME. I’m cruel, not malevolent) means I shouldn’t have children anywhere near me during their formative coding process errr childhood years.

• 15.A. Exemption: Clones.  They’re supposed to be imprinted with my evil ways.
• 15.B. Clarification: I have only signed one “No profit” contract relating to the raising of a third party child. This child is covered by that contract, and not part of this rule.
• 15.C. Clarification: This includes temporary custody of children for a duration which could be described in lay terms as “babysitting”.
• 15.D. Clarification: This includes the temporary or permanent transfer of a child, or multiple children, to my guardianship. I see what you have planned, Disney heat warming tale, and I have the decency to prevent it in advance.
• 15.E. Expansion: Primary and Secondary school teaching. You’ve seen what I can do the mind of an adult over 13 weeks of lectures. Now imagine daily access to the formative processes of the youth. See?

16. Prohibited Object: West Wing (DVD or the US Government).  It’s for the best that I don’t let myself watch the political soap opera. Apart from being one of the fastest possible ways to make me cry, it’s also going to be held in reserve for the moment that I’ve committed myself to the path of active political campaigning once again. Then I mainline it before I go out and live it.

• 16.A. Sunset clause: Upon coming out of political retirement, West Wing is removed from the Trebuchet list immediately.
• 16.B. Clarification: Condition "Coming out of political retirement" is met only if I have received preselection for a Senate, Federal, State or Local election.
• 16.C. Clarification: It gets watch once, length to length, and then after that, I am not allowed to quote from it during major speeches. Nor are my script writers and speech writers allowed to use it.

17.  Prohibited Object (Class): Remote controlled animals. Up to and including any form of radio controlled spiders, raptors, furred, feathered or winged creature. Especially any remote controlled spiders or any animal for which there are named phobias that are known to the general public and/or which feature in movie titles

• 17.A Exemption: Excludes hippogryphs. Damn it.
• 17.B Exemption: Any fish controlled whilst using telepathy.
• 17.C. Dragons (trained)
• 17.D. Clarification: This covers remote control based devices exclusively. Highly trained animals are not on the list.

18. Prohibited Object (Class/Activity): Card games and tricks including but not limited to shuffling, throwing, sharking, flourishes, scaling, poker and blackjack.

• 18.A. Clarification:I am not allowed to grow up to be Gambit.
• 18.B. Exemption: Ad hoc poker. Professional, amateur or pro-am prohibited under the provisions of Temporal Certainty.
• 18.C. Exemption: Fantasy Poker, particularly the series I’ve been developi9ng.
• 18.D. Exemption: Live Action Role Playing resolution devices. I may carry upwards of two full decks of cards for the period immediately prior, immediately after or during a LARP event to facilitate the resolution of in-game conflicts.
• 18.E. Clarification: I am to have the cards confiscated immediately if I start throwing them, charging them with psychokinetic energy or generally acquiring an inexplicable Bayou accent.
• 18.F. Exemption: Tarot cards. Fortune favors the predicable.

19. Prohibited Object (Payment Schemes): Demon pacts, or related deals with devil(s) up to and including buying, leasing, renting or reselling souls.

• 19.A. Exemption: I’m allowed to sign contracts of service, work for hire, and consultancy agreements as long as I’m paid in cash or direct deposit.
• 19.B. Clarification: I may no longer accept souls of the damned as currency.  They can use Paypal like anyone else thank you very much.
• 19.C. Clarification: Despite recent changes to the PayPal terms of service, they don’t actually take the souls of the damned as credit.
• 19.D. Expansion: Cthuhlu or related old ones. No summons ineffable horrors of the deep.

20. Prohibited Object: Portraits that have the functional capacity to replicate the Dorian Gray Experiment.

• 20.A. Exemption: Flickr.
• 20.B. Exemption: Instagram.

21. Prohibited Object: Submarines. Conventional, nuclear or yellow.

• 21A. Exemption: Empire Earth or equivalent RTS (also, damn you Lord Riffington for invoking that rule during a match).
• 21B. Exemption: Rockband: The Beatles.

22. Prohibited Object (Class): Science fiction technologies that could reasonably turn to science fact. This clause exists to preempt any such incident that couldn’t be stopped by time travel, or which makes the script writers for Dr Who, Torchwood or the SyFy channel shudder with fear.

• 22.A. Exemption:  see Exemption 11.B.
• 22.B. Inclusion: Jet packs
• 22.C. Specification: Rocket packs which are not incorporated into an Iron Man or Warmachine suit.
• 22.D. Inclusion: Mechs (20 tons to 90 tons). If I can steal an Atlas, I can keep it.
• 22.E. Specification: Gundams (All)
• 22.F. Specification: Giant metal robots (Other). Klaatu Barada Nikto are not words that I need to say as a form of instruction, nor as a means to command a tin man.
• 22.G. Exemption: Sonic screwdrivers.
• 22.H. Exemption: Augmentations, up to and including replacement limbs and organs for the parts I’ve broken or worn out along the way.
• 22.i. iExempt: Devices generated from Cupertino

  

23. Prohibited Object (Class): Planes, space ships, space shuttles, including most forms of star fighters, fighter jets, conventional fighter jets, or anything that would cause any member of the Air Force hierarchy to suddenly break into a cold sweat at the mention of my name and that technology in the same sentence.

• 23.A. Exemption: A-Wings (Models)
• 23.B. Exemption: UAV drones may be exempted if I’m working on cash or contract basis.  Ban still applies for recreational use. When do I ever do recreational use?
• 23.C. Exemption: Remote control helicopters (unarmed)
• 23.D. Clarification: Unarmed means not having weapons or cameras, or the capacity to accidentally acquire weapons or cameras through magnets or duct-tape
• 23.E. Exemption: Legitimate use clause: Remote UAV or equivalent equipped with a camera for the purposes of recording Nerf event, sporting events, civil unrest or journalistic outcomes up to and including posting to YouTube as a citizen journalist.

24. Prohibited Object (Class): Ships of the line including those that do water travel, space travel and land travel.  Especially the ones that do land, sea and air travel whilst retaining a fundamentally boat like complexion. This includes hot air balloons, barrage balloons, party balloons, up to and including zepplins. Particularly zepplins.  This includes any form of capital ships, including the USS Enterprise, Battlestar Galactica, Shadow Fleet, Star Destroyers.

• 24A. Exemption: Rebel Blockade Runners. We’ve all got our weaknesses.
• 24B. Exemption: Vehicle Voltron. The one true Voltron, ruler of all Voltrons, and the one not being bastardised in film format thank you very much.
• 24C. Exemption: Red balloons up to a minimum load of 98 balloons, maximum load of 100 balloons.
• 24.D. Clarification: Single red balloon may be retained as a souvenir just to prove the world was here.

25. Prohibited Object (Class): Single handed or dual handed bladed, energy or forestry weapons with an ancestry in science fiction video games or movies.  List includes active and functional light sabers, chainsaws (any), axes, two handed swords, maces, polearms, or anything that makes a zzzthzzzz noises when moved through the air.

• 25A. Exemption: Permitted to own cultural weapons from my own culture (French, British, Celtic, Pirate) as display items.
• 25B. Exemption: Permitted to operate bladed or pointed weapons of French, Celtic or European origins for sporting, recreational or hobby purposes.
• 25C. Exemption: Permitted to own for display and educational purposes any form of bladed weapon of Chinese, Japanese, Thai or Korean origin.
• 25D. Clarification: The term "educational purposes" can include brief instruction as to how much these things can really hurt if used to cudgel someone in a blunt force trauma incident.  I may not sharpen these devices for the purposes of making a bad pun about cutting edge education technology.
• 25E: Exemption: Scythes. (Rule 32A)
• 25F: Exemption: Legitimate use clause: Any foam based weapon may be retained for use in Nerf related combat activity.

26. Prohibited Object (Class): Nuclear and/or Nucklear technology. Seriously, if I can’t trust me with a trebuchet, why on earth would I let me have a nuclear warhead?

• 26A. Clarification: This includes anything with the words "Portable" and "Thermonuclear" associated with it, or could conceivably result in the UN Weapons Inspection Teams needing to check my diary for my availability.
• 26.B. Exemption: Nil. Video Games.
• 26.C. Exemption: Legitimate Use Clause: Nuking somewhere from orbit because it’s the only way to be sure.

27. Prohibited Object (Event/Item/Thing): Temporal anomaly (singular), third party produced temporal distortions, time travel, assisted time travel, time traveling devices built into pop cultural devices, police boxes, sports cars, or any form of time travel that requires some form of clock motif, metaphor or messing about with a time piece which could result in a temporal loop.

• 27A. Exemption: Fotamecus.
• 27B. Exemption: Tuesday afternoons
• 27C. Exemption: Me.
• 28D: Exemption: Answering questions before they’ve been asked. That’s just a side-effect of my permanent partial dislocation temporal continuity
• 27E: Clarification: Ownership of a TARDIS during the years of 1993-1994, irrespective of which year I need to depart from to drop it off back then.

28. Prohibited Activity: Mind reading including thought projection, thought reading, image projection and embedded mental commands. Think about it, and I’ll know why you…wait, forget I said that.

• 28A. Exemption: Trivia Pursuit Nights
• 28B. Exemption: Finishing other people’s sentences and/or answering questions before they have been asked (See 28D).
• 28C. Exemption: Controlling aquatic creatures.

29. Prohibited Object (Class): Clones, cloning technology, rogue genetic scientists, insects in amber and/or cloning devices that are not resident within Photoshop.

• 29A Exemption: The clone tool in photoshop.
• 29B: Clarification: "Clones" include training apprentices and body doubles
• 29.C. See 15A.

30. Prohibited Activity: Teleportation (personal). *BAMF* *BAMF**BAMF**BAMF* *BAMF* *BAMF*. Okay, fair point.  I know I’d end up in a tree somewhere, wondering how to get out of this one, this time.

• 30AExemption: If the public transport is replaced with teleportation, I’m allowed to catch the ‘transporter to work.

31. Prohibited Activity: No longer permitted to dress as Gandalf, and stand on any university bridge, raised walkway or narrow path and shout "YOU CANNOT PASS" and "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" at students

• 31A Exemption: In the course of normal teaching duties, I am permitted to instruct students in the ways in which they could fail an assessment item
• 31B Exemption: I am permitted to use the phrase when a student has no mathematical possibility of reaching 50% based on the remaining assessment items.  In said circumstances, I am not allowed to use the wizard robes

32. Prohibited Activity: I may not refer to academic gown as a "Wizard hat and robes"

• 32A Addendum: I may not bring a quarter staff, wizard staff, scythe, or similar device to the graduation ceremony.
• 32B: Unless I’m the Mace Bearer for the ceremony. In which case, the mace will be issued by the university, and is to be returned to them in the same condition as it was issued – clean, undented, and unused in combat.
• 32.C. Exemption: I can upgrade my academic hat with a superior hat technology upon acquisition of additional PhD qualifications.

33. Prohibited Object (Class): Any device that can only be activated by "The Chosen One" or similar limited range of individuals as foretold through complicated stories, history, philosophy or other devices.

• 33A. Clarification:If the device is known only to be able to activated by a "Chosen one", I am also not permitted to do the choosing on behalf of the device.
• 33B. Exemption: Class quests
• 33C. Exemption: User ID and password activated systems.

34. Prohibited Object (Class): Musicals.

• 34.A. Exemption: Nil
• 34.B. Clarification: I am not permitted to own and/or operate a musical.  This includes the commissioning, writing, production or starring in an musical which is about me, my life, or the list.
• 34.C. Declaration of Conflict: Musical numbers tend to spontaneous happen around me, and that’s just a force of nature to be dealt with as appropriate. (As appropriate does not usually involve fire).

35. Prohibited Object (Class): Ballerinas (current and/or former)

• 35.A. Exemption: Nil. It’s never ended well so far, why continue the research? I’m capable of evolving. Continue the research.
• 35.B. Clarification: Must have attained qualification to teach ballet, have taught ballet, or being a professional ballerina.  Merely having been tortured in the name of tutus and pointwork doesn’t qualify for the exclusion zone.
• 35.C. Clarification: I know way too many ex ballerinas. 
• 35.D. Clarification: “Have”. Numerous items of the list do not include people, and can be considered in terms of possession and ownership. For the parameter “have” in context of human ballerinas, this includes the hiring of them as staff, security, body guards or combat operatives (I know my Jean Claude Van Damme history. ). Contextual use of ”have” is in the context of “I have a mate in the trade” rather than “I own a person”.

36. Prohibited Object (Class): Liquid Paper including liquid latex, liquid newspaper, liquid wrapping paper, liquid skin, liquid bandages, liquid band-aids and liquid envelopes

• 36.A. Clarification:Liquid latex used for the purposes of equipment repairs or repainting objects for Team Fortress II cosplay purposes.
• 36.B. Exemption: If needed to be used by others on me because of copious bleeding. The point of the list is to keep me out of trouble that could badly injure me, and not to limit injury recovery devices.
• 36.C. Exemption: If needed to be used on others by me because of copious bleeding.

37.Prohibited Object (Class): Liquid Nitrogen

• 37.A. Clarification:This includes any canisters of Nitro9 I may or may not be carrying.
• 37. B. Exemption: Temporary exemptions for video game content including racing car games, but excluding Super Mario, Mario Kart or Princess Peach’s Murder Marathon.
• 37.C. Exemption (Partial): I am allowed near Liquid Nitrogen when being misused for good intention and ice cream making.

38. Prohibited Object (Class): Mechanized Animals: Any form of animal with internal combustion engines, including by not limited Mechanical Chickens, Steam Based Rhinoceros, or any contraption ordered through the internet which arrives in the form of a V8 engine incorporated into by a grizzly bear suit.

• 38.A. Exemption: Nil
• 38.B. Specificiation: Self cooking roast chickens. Apparently Thermite is not a stuffing.

39. Prohibited Object (Objet d’art): Rolf Harris or related accessories: It’s for the best really. I have no need for a wobble board, third leg or excuses to sing about kangaroos in bondage.

• 39.A. Exemption: Nil

40. Prohibited Object (Scheme): Any plan which starts with the words ""After the Ethics Committee rejects the application" .

• 40.A. Exemption: Nil

41. Prohibited Object (Font): Comic sans. It’s probably for the best, specifically after I suggested using Comic Sans on the new tobacco packaging rules.

• 40.A. Exemption: Partial time based exemption equivalent to the time it takes to Select All – Apply font change when attacked by a rogue Word, Powerpoint or other document containing the prohibited font.

42. Prohibited Object: The Answer and/or the Question. Either and definitely both. No way am I to be trusted with that particularly piece of data and/or query string.

• 42.A: Exemption: 6 x 9

43. Prohibited Object (class): Any device specifically commissioned for the propulsion of any aquatic animal by any means.

• 43.A. Specification: Squid dispenser utilising gravitational launch mechanism for the purposes of attacking someone with a flying squid are the reason this rule exists, so they’re definitely on the list.

44. Prohibited Object (genre):Plans for World Domination:

• 44.A. Exemption: Consultancy, contract work or work for hire projects.
• 44.B. Exemption: Conquering of Europe.  Everyone needs a hobby.
• 44.C. Clarification: Just because I never intend on going through with any scheme for conquering the world due to appropriate levels of laziness and a deep dislike of paperwork doesn’t mean I should let myself randomly generate plans for conquering the world.  Particularly not since I write strategy books in my spare time, and I apply the S.M.A.R.T. principles to the draft notes for taking over the world.  Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timetabled are not words most people want to hear in the same context as "World domination" and "$tephen".
• 44.D. Clarification: The perpetual item :”Invade [$European_Nation]” on my To Do list does not count as world domination.  That’s a very specific country domination.
• 44.E. Exemption: Real Time Strategy games. Damn you and your logical defeat of my victory Lord Riffington!
• 44.F. Clarification: This is not a planet specific rule.

45. Prohibited Activity (category): Self esteem development exercises including hypnotherapy.

• 45.A. Clarification: I am pretty damn awesome thank you kindly, and I know it. Oh yeah do I know it.
• 45.B. Clarification: And frankly, I love it.
• 45.C. Clarification: If I didn’t think I was something pretty damn good, do you think I’d need a list of prohibited things like this one? Hell no. This list exists because I am so confident in my own ability to create mayhem that I’ve put limits on myself knowing full well that I can out-awesome anything on this planet without any of the items on this list should it be necessary. For I am me, and I rock this casbah at Sharif-disapproved levels. (Note: See note 74)
• 45.D: Exemption: Mediation courses where internal visualisations may be of an individual for whom you hold uncategorical love, high levels of esteem, or approach near worship levels of devotion. I mean, c’mon, there

46. Prohibited Conduct (activity): Forming a religion based on my own teachings including pretending to be a god, accepting responsibility for divine events by implication, omission or direct credit.

• 46.A. Exclusion: If asked directly, the answer shall always be yes. It’s the right thing to do in the circumstance.
• 46.B. Exclusion: I may pray to myself to seek my own intervention into my own affairs.
• 46.C. Clarification: I may no longer claim credit for certain outcomes even if they are deemed to be my fault by general consensus of people who’d know it was my doing. I prefer not to brag about it..
• 46.D. Exemption: See 45.D.
• 47.E. Clarification to 46.B: I am not permit to construct temples, altars or other objects that could facilitate 46.B

47. Prohibited Object (class): Any form of remotely detonated animal, or animal which could be converted an improvised explosive device.

• 47.A. Specification: Explosive octopus. I am uncertain how this matter arose.
• 47.B.Note : See also Item 43 – Prohibited Object (class): Any device specifically commissioned for the propulsion of any aquatic animal by any means

48. Prohibited Conduct (activity): Preemptive Body Modification Based Carpal Tunnel Surgery.

• 48.A. Exemption: Preemptive actual surgery as proscribed by real doctor or other state recognised medically qualified staff that involves some form of preventative or proactive recognised medical procedural covered by my medical insurance.
• 48.B. Exclusion: I am a doctor, just not that type of doctor.
• 48.C. Exclusion: Body modification (classic), body modification (extreme), body modification (disco).
• 48.D. Exemption: Body Modification – Blood tattoo.
• 48.E. Exemption: Body Modification – Scarification.
• 48.F. Exemption: Physical therapy.

49. Prohibited Conduct (activity): Homeopathy. Knowing my luck, it’d probably work.

• 49.A Clarification: May not hand out bottled water whilst claiming that it’s homeopathic coffee.
• 49.B Clarification: May not charge extra for the homeopathic coffee with two sugars

50.  Prohibited Object Robotic bears.  Some days even I amaze me when I find #trebuchetlist notes with excessively cool but fundamentally bad for everything including the bear type of ideas.  Robotic Bear Overlords would be fabulous, but really, when am I ever going to have a legitimate reason to visit Canada?

• 50.A. Clarification: See also #38

51. Prohibited Object (Class): Third Party Applied Magnetic Powers. I mean, magnets. How do they work? Answer: Very well thank you. Great employees, and really prompt and punctual 

• 51.A. Clarification: No magnetic nail polish and no magnetic body paint.
• 51.B. Subdermal rare earth magnets are off the list.  You work with computers
• 51.C. Magneto’s powers. If I can’t be trusted with the power of heart, I really can’t be trusted with the ability to reverse polarity at whim.

52. Prohibited Object (Class) Mythical hammers. No Meow Meow for me.

• 52.A. Clarification: See also #33

53. Prohibited Object (Class) Throwing weapons

• 53.A. Clarification: Throwing knives
• 53.B. Throwing forks and throwing spoons
• 53.C Exemption: Throwing sporks

54. Prohibited Object: Pandora’s Box.

• 54.A. Clarification: Unopened Pandora’s box. After it’s been opened, they make great storage cases for Schrödinger’s Cat

55. Prohibited Conduct (activity): Am no longer allowed to declare any apocalypse.

• 55.A. Clarification: Delegated List Authorities have the right of veto over 3rd party authorised apocalypse(s)
• 55.B. Clarification: Apocalypse must be declared by multiple verified sources, excluding sources over which I exert direct influence.
• 55.C. Clarification: Jennifer Gearing can cancel an apocalypse by sheer power of saying it’s cancelled.

56. Prohibited Object: Tesla coils

• 56.A. Specification: I am not David Bowie.
• 56.B. Clarification: The big spiky things with the electricity arcs, and the sports cars

57. Prohibited Object: Dry ice

• 57.A. Exemption: Wet ice.
• 57.b. Exemption (Temporary, Proximate): Whilst stirring my own frozen dessert, it’s cool.

58. Prohibited Object: Blendtec blenders

• 58.A. Clarification: Yes, yes it will blend.  They know that. No reason for me to replicate the experiments

59. Prohibited Object (class): Hand puppets. Especially the ones that look quite creepy when I use them.

• 59.A.: At least it’s not a clown puppet.

60.. Prohibited Object (class):Loot mobs.

• 60.A. Clarification: Mobs of looters, under my command, following my orders.
• 60.B. Exemption: Mobs that drop loot are still fair game.

61. Prohibited Object (class): Meat glue.

• 61.A. Expansion: Meat shirt, meat clothing, and any meat sculpture

62. . Prohibited Object: Injectable cheese

• 62.A Clarification: Any cheese in a format that can be administer to food, or food recipient via a syringe
• 62.B. Clarification: Snortable cheese is not an issue.

63. . Prohibited Object (class): Remote access laboratory

• 63.A. Clariffication Any chemistry labs, physics labs, and any form of lab gear I can run off an iPad

64. . Prohibited Conduct (activity): Hypnosis (others)

• 64. See also #45
• 64.B. Clarification: All hail HypnoSteve!

65. Prohibited Object: Autotune.

66. Prohibited Object (class): e-Cigarettes

• 66.A. Clarification: Commercial and personal use. Up to and including coffee enhanced nicotine

67. . Prohibited Object (class): Nicotine patches or related objects and items

• 67.A. Clarification: Since I don’t smoke, I may not start using a device designed to ease people off a stimulant as a form of stimulant.

68. . Prohibited Object (class): Silicon implants, or subdermal implants.

• 68.A. Clarification: Subdermal tattoos are acceptable.
• 68.B. Clarification: Medicially approved subdermal implants as recommended by a medical profession

67. . Prohibited Object (class): RFID and related equipment

• 67.A. Clarification: personal use of RFID microchipping for me (unless I get the ear tattoo and neck microchip at the same time)
• 67.B. Exemption: RFID tags associated with a commercial transit card,
• 67.C. Exemption: Government issued device such as passports
• 67.D. Expansion: See also #5
• 67.E. Legitimacy Exemption: Pass keys that I have a legitimate right to use.

68. Prohibited Conduct (activity): Any subscription to magazines devoted to over the horizon arc based payload delivery systems.

• 68.A. Clarification: Also not allow to start and/or publish the Trebuchet and Catapult Monthly magazine.

69. Prohibited Conduct (activity): Any idea contained in a sentence starting with “I probably shouldn’t”

• Specification: If even I’m reconsidering, I definitely should.
• Clarification: “Oh I know I shouldn’t…: and “Oh, just this once” are also indicators that a pre-emptive no is in order
• Clarification: There was never that one time at band camp.

70.Prohibited Object (class): God Games, Life Simulators, and any virtual pet that has a risk of fatality from user intent or user neglect.

• 70.A. Expansion: Tamagotchis. Just because I taped down the punishment button to see what happened next is no reason to believe I’d do anything untoward to the new models.
• 70.B. Expansion: Pokemon. See Tamagotchis. What’s the point of being nice to a fighting animal that’s going to die in a small red ball?
• 70.X. Expansion: Any form of Furby. Which was annoying, because I’d already ordered my Frankenfurby science kit before all of my patients victims were liberated from my possession
• 70.D. Expansion: The Sims. Just because the first one was murdered by an enraged neighbour doesn’t mean the next few hundred would die by that particular method. There are other means to wipe out whole suburbs of the pesky critters.

71. Prohibited Object (location): The Entire City of Leon, French Lyon and anyone by the name of Leon

72. Prohibited Object (individual): Gordon Freeman (this is going to make halflife 3 difficult)

73. Prohibited Object (class): Temporary Exemption Generators

• 73.A Exemptions: Generated exemptions are exempt.

74. Prohibited Conduct (activity): No longer permitted to rock the casbar with or without approval.

• 74.A. I really shouldn’t wail.

75. Prohibited Object: Pre-emptive couch acquisition

• 75.A. Clarification: Couches purchased for the express purpose of having somewhere to sleep as part of preparation for something I probably shouldn’t be doing in the first place since I know it’s going to get me exiled to the couch.

76. Prohibited Object (Class) Named rings. Rings that have an ability that require catch

• 76.A. Extension: Rings with latin engraving, elvish runes (the car owns that one), or need to be set on fire to unlock the passwords (seriously, not cool).
• 76.B. Exclusion: Any ring with embedded onyx.
• 51.A. Exemption: Replica Green Lantern Power rings

77… forthcoming…