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OP
Beat Reporter
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I'd love to know that someone actually read my story! 
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31 |
Hi Cookiesmom! In fact, he was feeling so good and so magnanimous that he passed up writing the story himself and gave an exclusive interview to his sometime partner Lois Lane. So, early S1? Lois could be a little temperamental, but she should be in a good mood this morning. Famous last words… “That was the police chief’s office. They’d like him to come to headquarters some time today. Something about yesterday’s rescue.” So, which law did he break? Or did he cause them to create a new one? “That was quick” thought Clark. They were undoubtedly going to give him some sort of award. In the eight months since his appearance as Superman, he’d already received four awards from the mayor. He’d have to watch out, or these awards were going to go to his head. I think they am. Or he wouldn’t be flat out expecting one. Maybe the law is about having to wear the awards during his rescues :p The chief is out, but he asked me to have you see Captain Murphy in the Traffic Control Division. Oh, he didn’t file a flight plan? “WHAT! Excuse me, what am I supposed to have done?” Clark was so astounded that he just stood there with his mouth open, in a very non-Superman-like pose. Again? They already did this last November  Michael
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OP
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Thanks for the fdk!  Three things did occur to me after I posted: 1. Instead of giving Superman citizenship, they could have just declared him a resident alien. But I figured they'd want to go ahead and claim him. (And other countries would be free to grant him citizenship too.) 2. I could use the title "Murphy's Law" if that doesn't seem to give things away too early. 3. Superman probably passed the test with flying colors.
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Kerth
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Kerth
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There might be some interesting consequences of him being a US citizen. Eligible to be drafted, for example, if the draft is reintroduced. Also taxes etc...
Marcus L. Rowland
Forgotten Futures, The Scientific Romance Role Playing Game
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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My thought too was some kind of special allowance for him as an emergency worker or something. The flight plans however...  Very nice! Carol
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Funny story, Cookiesmom. Thanks for posting it.
I thought of the title "Unintended Consequences," but "Murphy's Law" is really cute.
Checked the draft registration law. It applies to men aged 18-25. So Superman is safe there. But there are issues like taxes, social security card, etc. But those same issues apply to permanent residents, too. He'd have to have exceptions granted by private law again. Don't need to go there for a vignette, though.
These kinds of complications are what comes of inventing a fictional person, huh, Clark? Of course, the government invents fictional people all the time, e.g. secret identities for government agents. Maybe Clark just needs to come clean with someone high up in the government whom he can trust and who can help him with these kinds of issues.
One of the things we all have to suspend disbelief about for Superman (besides, you know, flying aliens) is the government's easy acceptance of his presence. In RL the government's reaction would be closer to Trask's. They'd at least want to know where he goes when he's not rescuing people, where he came from, whether there are more like him. I mean, think about it, Superman's debut respresents First Contact. Don't you think the President and the Joint Chiefs would want to ask him some penetrating questions?
This *is* my happily ever after.
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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This was funny but I can't help but think that if I were Clark, I'd be thinking about taking my services to a city that was a little happier to accept my services. Of course, with Lois in Metropolis, any threat to leave would be an empty one but still...
Bob
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Kerth
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Kerth
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I think this one screams for a sequel. 
The only known quantity that moves faster than
light is the office grapevine. (from Nan's fabulous Home series)
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Columnist
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Columnist
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Very funny! I also like the title Murphy's Law.
Irene
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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For a title, how about "No good deed goes..."
Probably too negative. Just an idea.
Bob
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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I'd definitely vote for "Murphy's Law" as a title. It works on a couple different levels, which I always love in a title. This was certainly cute, but I'm with Bobbart - if I were Clark, I'd be ready to entertain offers from other cities if Metropolis gave me that much hassle! I can just imagine the outraged editorials in the Daily Planet after all this, LOL. Good job, CM!
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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I agree with bobbart in terms of the sentiment (but not for the title.)
No good deed goes unpunished.
Sorry!
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Beat Reporter
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OP
Beat Reporter
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Thanks for all the suggestions--the title is now Murphy's Law.
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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The title fits, C-mom. And the tale is funny in a "What's wrong now?" kind of way. It's the kind of thing people face in their own everyday lives, just magnified because of Superman's powers.
For example, my home state recently enacted legislation which states that your driver's license photo must be taken with nothing covering your face, not even your prescription glasses without which you can't see the camera. The young lady at the agency had to call the state to get a waiver to process my license because my new photo didn't match my old one - because I had to take off my glasses. Now there's a money-saving call by our lawmakers.
Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.
- Stephen King, from On Writing
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