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Just had to share with you one of the songs off of the Bare Naked Ladies new cd Maroon. It's called Tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel... it's awesome it sounds like carousel music or a drinking song... but morbid.

Driving home to be with you
Highways divided, the city in view
As usual I'm almost on time
You're the last thing that's on my mind
I wish I could tell you the way that I feel
but tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
No commotion, no screaming breaks
Most of it's over before I awake
From the ceiling, my coffee cup drips
While out my window the horizon does flips
The worse part was hitting the ground
Not the feeling so much as the sound
I can't help but wonder if all this is real
Cuz tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
Rubberneck traffic, and passersby,
Slow-motion Walter, the fire engine guy,
Stand around with their mouths open wide
Heard some idiot ask if someone's inside
With the jaws of life they tried and tried
Nobody here knows how I feel
Cuz tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
I guess it's over now
Cus I never seen so much
never seen so much
never seen so much
never seen so much
I guess it over now
Cuz I never seen so much...
Never seen so much
Never seen so much
Never seen so much blood
Out of the confusion there's something serene
I'm just a post-humous part of the scene
Now I'm floating above looking in
As the radio blares; the wheels spin
I can see my face slumped with a grin
And you...
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind

ah!

Shinigami - [mcordova999@Hotmail.com]
Sunday, September 10, 2000 09:24:17 PM
IP: spider-tj033.proxy.aol.com

DERN LOT BOYS!

Forgot to mention this link!

This is to a South Park version of The Matrix!
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Sunday, September 10, 2000 08:03:53 PM
IP: 06-131.008.popsite.net

Robby: <BEFORE the first movie.>
I figured as much, but...
I can always hope that someone assimilated Mew-2.0

Dame Corax: <even though that's what Jessie said in that one episode>
Women always lie about their ages anyway!

Escaflowne: Hitomi is quite modest, isn't she?
Always making sure her skirt dosn't fly up!

Robby: Any idea where I can get sub'eb copies of Escaflowne?

Gside: <The melody has also been used in ants go marching (one by one), Fire Storm.>
Yeah, I figured that out.
The only version I found before was a REALLY *BAD* spoken one.
<Soon. Or maybe a little later>
No rush. I have the Crown Jewels box set.
Hell, post some Gregorian chant stuff, or some techno, or...
GREGORIAN MONK TECHNO REMIX! (It could work!)(ALTHOUGH... all classical re-mixes I have heard so far SUCK DONKEY!)
BTW... ever hear the techno (crystal remix, I think) remix of "Magic Carpet Ride"?
I like it more than the origional!

Gasper: <Metal Gear Solid>
Love the figures! (Never played the game)
<La de da...I'm buzzing nicely>
Try this drink a co-worker told me about.
It's called a Absolute Mind-f#%^
It has Bicardi 151, some other strong stuff, and pop-rocks!
It'le pickle ya!

Doug/Stephen: <the glass (or canopy) blows outward>

Hey... shouldn't this room have wiped by now?
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Sunday, September 10, 2000 08:01:38 PM
IP: 06-131.008.popsite.net

**enters dressed in Honolulu blue and silver**

Hell, Stephen can do it, I can do it. Same time his Bucs were slaughtering the Bears, my Lions were squeaking past the oh-so-mighty Redskins (mainly on the strength of Jason Hanson's leg ... all the Lions' scoring was field goals). Okay, sure, they ain't scored an offensive touchdown yet this season, but hey, that's their newfound philsophy: "Our offense sucks, but our defense will make *yours* look worse!"

Sorry, SJ, just gotta gloat since everyone's convinced your team's GM has pretty much bought himself the Super Bowl for this year. ;)

Ah well ... off to watch the Emmys ... **skips out**
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Sunday, September 10, 2000 07:34:08 PM
IP: 216.28.101.7

[The door to the CR bursts open, as a swarm of guys in pewter, red and white jersey's come storming in, holding both Coach Tony Dungy and Tiki Barber aloft, amid shouts of "TAMPA... BAY!"... As they pass through the CR, a familiar figure follows behind them, wearing a #40 jersey and a big white hat. Letting the boys have their moment, he pauses to make a post...]

Greetings all... yep! There will be NO SLEEP in Tampa tonight! Sorry to all the Bears fans, but the Bucs just shut them down today at Raymond-James! Forty-One unanswered points!!! Thats a record for the franchise!

DOUG > Conserning the depresurisatiion of a jet cockpit... when that happens, the glass (or canopy) blows outward, and any atmosphere inside the cockpit gets sucked out into the resulting vacume. So, it's contradictory to say wind blows "in".

CHRISTINE > Keep plugging! You'll find publisher soon!

That's all for now.... Maintain and Check Six!

Stephen R. Sobotka, Jr. - [scififangargoyle@yahoo.com]
Tampa, Fla., USA
Sunday, September 10, 2000 05:09:20 PM
IP: proxy-533.public.rwc.webtv.net

**DPH looks around before entering the room. Suddenly a portal opens in the floor of the CR room and DPH climbs into the room.**

**BFTS RP continues**
*September 11, 8:00am at Speed Star HQ*
Jennifer and Greg round up all those chosen to where suits at the upcoming battle and transport all suits, weapons, and people to a secret location for testing out the new suits.
**END BFTS RP for now**

Expect the unexpected and you will never be disappointed.

Let's see if I have my estimate of the cost of me going to G2001 right: $800.

Hmm. When is the room scheduled to be wiped again?

Sheash, I start a 12 days straight of work tomorrow.
However, I hope to get plenty of rest.
If things don't allow me to rest, I will be tired.
For now, I will let the problem take care of itself.
These previous sentences are tied together, somehow.

See Everyone Tomorrow.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Sunday, September 10, 2000 02:19:07 PM
IP: max1-47.cwy.cei.net

I saw the _coolest_ gargoyle yesterday! The local display and costume store was putting up their Halloween stuff, and out front a graveyard scene dominated by an enormous gargoyle (must've gone ten feet) perched on a block. At intervals, he would roar, growl, blow smoke, and unfold an amazing set of wings! I'm going back with my camera! Wow!

Just had to share ; )

Update > I got e-mail from TimeFare Books about Black Roses. It is due to be recorded in/around December, and if all goes on schedule, will be ready by March! Which means it won't quite make RadCon, but they assure me we'll have promo materials by then at least! Huzzah! Of course, on the down side, I am back to looking for agents/publishers for a print version. I hate this part, I really do. Bleah.

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Sunday, September 10, 2000 12:51:52 PM
IP: 15-158.009.popsite.net

Just making a quick post.

Thanks everyone for the welcome backs. I won't be able to make anymore posts until Friday, but by then I'll be able to tell everyone about being trained in the Army.

See you soon!
Jaden - [jaden12@hotmail.com]
Sunday, September 10, 2000 11:59:55 AM
IP: cache2.avtel.net

Gside: It's contradictory? <blinks> So what does happen when a plane cockpit gets a hole in it, then? I thought depressurization was it. Guess I must be wrong. Please enlighten me, o wise one. :)

Mary: Congrats on passing your driver's test, it must have driven you bannanas. I remember worrying about my own all too well. I passed on the first try, and am a pretty good driver today, though I have seen better. I have three guys named Loyd Smith (my grandfather), Steve Comer, and BJ Wagaspak (driving teachers) to thank. Not to mention Knight Rider for making me fall in love with cars and all that they can do. :) Hope you enjoy driving and never have a ticket or wreck.

Niamhgold: They caught the serial rapist? Excellent! I am so relieved. :) Thanks for telling us, hope this guy gets put where he belongs for a long long time.
Doug
Sunday, September 10, 2000 08:51:38 AM
IP: pool-207-205-149-235.dlls.grid.net

*Warpmind enters, scritching his head.*
Well, it seems Xoom has teamed up with NBCi now. Which brings me to one important question. Where The <Censored> Is My Account? Seems to work, I just can't find it... :(

Christine: Why should we quit? You've earned it! :)

Winterwolf: You were worried? Imagine how I felt before the dentist calmed me down. :)

Niamhgold: So, everyone in your area is either psycho or amazingly nice? Ah, sounds like my kind of neighbourhood... ];)

Gside: Guess is noted. Maybe I should start a poll... ;)

Gasper: Your attitude toward alcohol is commendable. I follow those guidelines as best I can, too - not too often, not too much, just keep it in the field where it's mildly pleasurable, which is a LONG way from the stage where muscular control barely will suffice to praise the porcelain deity. ;) Just be careful, aye?

Well, that's it. See y'all later.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Sunday, September 10, 2000 07:31:24 AM
IP: mp-217-237-114.daxnet.no

GSIDE - Actually, I don't think that I'm too likely to write a "degargoylized" version of TGS: Pendragon for publication, even if it is rather tempting. For one thing, my contributions were as part of a team effort; it wasn't a case of writing a fanfic on my own like Christine Morgan or Christi Smith Hayden. And also, I have a pre-TGS Arthurian project in the works that takes a sufficiently different take on the Arthur and Merlin business from TGS: Pendragon that I doubt that it would be too compatible with the angle that I took on them (particularly Merlin) in TGS.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Sunday, September 10, 2000 07:30:14 AM
IP: 216.87.46.214.dialup-stl.primary.net

So, I got buzzed tonight. Now before all of ya say what of it, I got a story. I just turned 21 at the end of last year. You'd think, College student, already has been drunk, would have done it before legality. Well, I didn't. And I went and found I don't have as big a tolerence I thought I would have. Capt. Morgans Spiced Rum and some Coke. A good combination. I drank it to fast. La de da...I'm buzzing nicely.

I think everyone should do it sometime. To get the experiance of what it's like, then decide if it's worth doing again and again. Truthfully, It was nice to lose a little control, but this was too much. I'll drink again. But I'll prepare better as well. And I won't drive my car. I came down from that buzzy state, where my vision and speech was clear, but I could easily shake my head and call that supreme fun, in two hours. I'm glad I waited. Anyway, that's all on that. Alcohol is good kids, in moderation, and when you have no responsibilities like getting your self home. I will never get drop dead drunk though. That's just pointless.

So I'm playing Metal Gear Solid now. Beat Chrono Cross, and will play that again soon. But MGS is a worthy buy. I do enjoy it, though it's much different from Quake 2 and Doom. More sneaky...and I'm severly limited in options. A good challenge. Anyone with a PSX, should pick it up. This makes my Gaming list of Tops to a number of 5 for the PSX.
1. Chrono Cross- a WORTHY AS ALL GET OUT sequal.
2. Castlevania, Symphony of the Night- Just good gaming goodness. You can't go wrong on this one. It's just great.
3. Metal Gear Solid- Sneaking around is fun.
4. Final Fantasy VII-VIII---No difference, just better graphics.
5. Resident Evil 2- Ever want to be in a GOOD b-movie, here's your chance.

That's all for that. And I think I'm about done. That's all on my end. DISCLAIMER- Gasper does not promote underage drinking, or getting buzzed or drunk. But it teaches a good lesson.

Later all.

Gasper
MN, US
Sunday, September 10, 2000 05:09:02 AM
IP: 209.83.84.4

*BURSTS INTO ROOM, SCREAMING*

I'M GETTING TOON DISNEY!!!!!!!!!!

*Looks around the room, tears of happiness fill her eyes. No sooner does she wipe away the tears then her eyes roll back and she falls to the floor; passed out cold from the days excitement*
Ana
Sunday, September 10, 2000 03:12:14 AM
IP: 1cust148.tnt2.hemet.ca.da.uu.net

Selanit> <>: You are here, aren't you? My first idea of what the fantastic monster might be would be a manticore, but the wings don't really fit. Looks like it will be an interesting read. If you could find some kind of record of ownership, it might give you an idea as to who DD is.

Wilek> Cheddar Sauce: But it isn't in a college town, and it is an actual sit down restaurant (though it does have an anti-ambiance).
<<although I still manage to find them in the *oddest* places>>: That is the wrong thing to say in regards to hentai tentacles.
<>: You could say I was trying to provoke you into stepping up the timeframe for your real post.
<<Did they also do the Mystery Train remix later in the album?>>: Sorry, don't have the album, but who needs a remix? It's all about arrangements.
<<who are the Boston Pops, and have they done much other classical music?>>: The Boston Pops is an orchestra from (where else) Boston. They are quite famous for doing new and/or popular music, especially since Leroy Anderson used to basically write for them. They have been conducted by Arthur Fedler (who supposedly had champagne served thought concerst to have a continuous popping heard) and John Williams (yes, the Star Wars, Indy guy). There are many upon many recordings of them doing classical (and semi-classical) music. In fact I do belive the next mp3 will be them doing something from a good while back (which has been requested of me before).
<<having arranged for the necromancer to kill someone at the Gathering>>: Maybe we could trick a Disney executive to come.

Doug> <<window glass bursts and air rushes in... the bomber's cabin depressurizes>>: You do realize that's contradictory, right?

Welcome back Jaden.

Fire Storm> <<Group: Queen/Song: Princes of the Universe/From the CD "A Kind of Magic">>: Soon. Or maybe a little later.
<>: I recently got Endless Duel. Street Fighter with giant robots. Quite fun, and I'm rather partial to Mercurius (but when did Noin ever pilot it?).

Warpmind> <<Any guesses to who'll be the next to announce such a project?>>: Todd Jensen doing Arthur in the modern world (with a young Merlin and reverse werewolf).

Winterwolf> <<Please post your preference for the day by Tuesday!>>: Either one I'm free, but I'm not so sure whether my mind will remember to tell me what is going on.
<>: You were expecting something to actually be in my mind? Perhaps it was one of Wilek's hentai tentacles, but I couln't telly you how it got in.
<<I'm not expecting and answer on that!>>: Really? But I'd like an explanation for myself.

Shogun Raptor> Hamy happy returns.

Niamhgold> <<that's one of the first few times I've heard you make a joke>>: Truly? I had thought that my general strangeness might be taken as cause for amusement.
<<you're gonna hafta settle for a good whap upside the nose instead>>: Aww. And here I had such high hopes.
<<prepares to whap Gside again>>: I'll be good, I'll be good.

I love a good eigth rest. When put in the right place, it can make a piece of msic that much livelier. A good example of this is in today's mp3, American Salute (When Johnny Comes Marching Home) as performed by the Boston Pops. The melody has also been used in ants go marching (one by one), Fire Storm.
Hmm, Wilek's here, but what happened to Gunjack (or Sarge for that matter)?

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Sunday, September 10, 2000 12:14:50 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

I just realized most of you have probably never heard of Kimba the White Lion before... So to save questions later... Old manga/anime. So old in fact it was in black in white but it was done the old god of manga, the same man who created Astroboy. What's involved in the story? Weeeell... A lion cub prince who's father is king... A wicked uncle with a scar over his eye. A doting bird advisor. A childhood lioness friend who becomes Kimba's mate when he grows up... A shamanistic baboon... The Uncle killing Kimba's father to become king and exhiling Kimba only to have him come back later... Sound a wee bit familiar?
Robby
Saturday, September 9, 2000 11:11:02 PM
IP: spider-wm031.proxy.aol.com

Shogun Raptor... I've discussed the topic of various mechs versus other mechs with friends before. Guymelef beats an average Gundam, but up against the really high class Gundams like Wing Zero, or Super WIng Zero (from Endless Waltz)Deathsythe Hell or Super Deathsythe Hell, it probably goes to the Gundam, but the Gundam ends up scrap. But the Evas win hands down. Why? Well first of all, the AT field blocks all conventional weapons, including nukes. Again, one of the High Level Gundams MIGHT have strong enough weapons to break through the AT field, but that's hardly important, because even getting through that, there's the EVA's natural armor. So it comes down to hand-to-hand combat, in which case Eva wins hands down for two reasons... 1- Eva's were DESIGNED for hand to hand, and 2- Going by various model kits and pictures of characters next to their mecha, um... EVA's are about TWICE as tall as a Gundam or Guymelef. That's twice the bulk, twice the leg speed, twice the reach... among other things. The fight be be the basic equivilent of an adult against a child. And if the EVA had a dummy plug in it... Ewww...

SJ- Escaflowne is a decent series. Its MUCH BETTER in the UNEDITED Japanese. But, while the series is one of the better ones where animation, music and storyline are concerned, its not quite up there with THE best. (Top twenty definatley. But top ten? Nah. Slayers, Macross, (AKA the first third of Robotech) Yamato (AKA Starblazers) DBZ, Trigun, EVA (except the last two episodes...), Kimba the White Lion (Which Disney blatantly ripped off to create the Lion King...)Ranma for comedy and several others are better. (Well, DBZ *BEFORE* the anime stretched it out ridiculously. The full DBZ portion of he series should have only been about 120 episodes instead of 290... I've timed it roughly, the full Frieza battle without filler is about 4 hours long, rather than 10... Amazing how much time is wasted in flashbacks and King Kai recapping what we just saw, not to mention the exploits of Bulma and the cast back on Earth... Granted, some of the filler is great stuff, but a lot of it, weeeell...) Most people that call Escaflowne the greatest thing ever are probably those who haven't seen that much anime. And I certainley wouldn't apply the term "greatest ever" to the Escaflowne dub. Eww... (On the other hand, the Escaflowne dub is LIGHT YEARS better than the translations of Sailor Moon...)

Dame Corax- Yup, definatley a Pokemon fan. ANd incidentally, Misty looks even less "10 or 12" in the manga. She looks downright 17! As far as you being a Rocketshipper, well... Who isn't? (And like I said before, feel free to go back to your old name, its quicker to type out than "Dame Corax"...)
Robby
Saturday, September 9, 2000 11:05:01 PM
IP: spider-wm031.proxy.aol.com

[enters]

Wilek Nereus and Winterwolf>> Ok, here's the deal on my scary prose. After Columbine, and I have no idea why, I just felt like writing an account of a similar occurance, a kind of "this could happen anywhere, so don't get complacent and be nice to outcasts" deals (from the veiwpoint of a victim; please don't fear me!). I submitted it to the school's literary magazine, anonymously, and for the rest of the year everyone was trying to figure out who "Anonymous" was and why he/she would write such a thing. It's not very good, but if anyone wants to read it (assuming I can find it on my hard drive! :) then just email me.

who here is familiar with the :Cue:Cat? I got one FREE at Radio Shack, but I can't get it to work without the password, and I can't get that until my email decides that I am so too it's friend.

oh, and my family caught a mouse last night. We use spring traps, because I hate glue traps (if we have to kill them, at least we should kill them quickly and not starve them to death). however, this mouse only got its foot caught. It's a strong little guy, too, because it dragged the trap clear accross the room. [shudders] My mom and I were afraid it would bite the dog or something.

well, so that's pretty much it.

Happiness to all!
--Daphne

Daphne, apprentice-wordsmith - [l.grow_yophilly@excite.com]
Saturday, September 9, 2000 10:00:39 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.202.205.philadelphia1.level3.net

** Niamhgold enters **

Hey, all, not much to say today...they caught that serial rapist (or at least the suspect), since the idiot was caught on a security camera trying to lure a young girl into a parking garage. Thankfully, she got away and ran to police before anything could happen. He seems to fit all profiles and they have him in super custody (d@mn, everyone in this place is either psycho or amazingly nice :)

Gside: <Niamhgold, come over here...> Heh. You know, that's one of the first few times I've heard you make a joke :) However, you're gonna hafta settle for a good whap upside the nose instead >:)

Winterwolf: Count me in for Shadowrider's party on the 15th; I think I have a higher possibility of being around til nine! <How's Brian> He's doing very well, and he thanks you! He keeps going out of his way to visit me (what a sweetie!), and I've been getting plenty of care packages, e-mail, and yes, a box of Grape Jell-O ** prepares to whap Gside again ** I hope you have great fun with your friends this weekend, and I'm so glad you find life very fun! It's always cool to be talking to you! ;))

Ana: Man, I'm not sure if I'm going to the Gathering quite yet, but if I do, I'll definitely be looking for Grape Jell-O! I'm happy to have found another grape advocate! Yeah!

GB, Shadowrider, Wilek, and all the others who voiced their concern: Thanks for the advice on protecting myself; thankfully, I have plenty of friends at my side when I go out, and I'm usually out during the day (unless we go to the science museum or harbor at night, in which case I've got all those friends around again) :)

Wilek: <Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec, Succession of Witches> Yes! Those are my ultimate favorites indeed! Forget the lighthearted "Eyes on Me"--although it can be quite moody--I like the themes like the "Dollet" theme song and "Liberi Fatali". <:D

Adios for now!
Niamhgold
Saturday, September 9, 2000 09:45:22 PM
IP: 206.41.204.68

I've got another twist on that anime mech question: Guymelef, Gundam or Eva?
I prefer the Eva but only if the AT field works against the weapons of the other suits, otherwise it's the Gundam for me
anywho,this monday is the 22nd anniversary of the official deployment of the Shogun project after 9-10 months of deveolpment and testing
(for the technically impared: my hatching day)
shogun raptor
Saturday, September 9, 2000 09:35:01 PM
IP: user-38ldcca.dialup.mindspring.com

BTW, just to make myself clear incase a few people don't know, I'm a senior in high school. I don't go to college until NEXT year. ;P
Mary
Saturday, September 9, 2000 09:08:39 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

*enters*

Spike>My condolances to the loss of your grandmother. I felt the same way when all of my grandparents died in a _6 month period_. She sounded like a very special person.

Great news people! I passed my driver's permit test today! Yippee!!! *does a little dance* This was my second try and I was so nervous! I couldn't even look as my test was graded and I was shaking. Then when the DMV guy asked me how I could miss this one simple question, I tried really hard to point out that I knew what the the question was asking, but the answers didn't match exactly what I was thinking. Since I think very differently and form sentances differently, I was trying really hard to explain myself, and he called my dad over to point out the question to him. I was on the verge of tears because if I didn't explain myself well enough, I would get that problem wrong and I wouldn't pass the test. Luckily the guy understood what I was saying and let me pass. ^_^ I'm so relieved! :))))

Can't wait for Bahemut to call me tonight! teehee...;)

Must go now. Later people!

*gone*
Mary Flanders
Saturday, September 9, 2000 09:07:07 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

Escaflowne: I'm getting into this show, slowly. It's pretty good, but I'll have to get further into the series before I can say whether or not it's *great*. I've heard all these remarks from those who've seen it who make this show out to be some sort of a religious experience. I don't know about that, but it is a fairly decent show.

I like the characters. Van Fanel is good, even though he's a bit of a walking stereotype (hmm, young warrior prince who's lost his kingdom and must fight a war to regain it/get revenge upon those who took it from him. Gee, I've never seen THAT kind of character in a Japanese anime before). Hitomi I really like. I like seeing things from her point of view. She's a pretty strong character, even if she does seem to wander around in fear of the Zaibachs every other minute.
Allen Schezar is probably my favorite of the male characters. He's a bit of a stereotype himself, of the "lady-killing swordsman" variety, but I do enjoy him when he appears on the screen. I even like Merle. For some reason, the cat-girl is amusing.

As for the villains: Apparently the Zaibach empire is composed of hordes of teenage soldiers. They have to include Folken as the evil brother, a cliche in and of itself, but I like him.

I do have one complaint, though--Dilandau. What the hell. WHY must they make Dilandau androgynous? Is it because this is supposed to be a cartoon for children, and Fox is afraid that the little boys watching the show would be upset if the Zaibach's number one a-hole was a woman? I've done research on the character. Dilandau, at least in the manga, is female. She LOOKS female, although in a butch sort of way. I mean, I even think that she was flirting with Allen for Christ's sake! Remember when Dilandau visited Allen in ep. 2, and she saw Hitome? And how Allen told Dilandau that Hitome was a concubine (well, he didn't say that in so many words, but you got the meaning) he bought, and Dilandau looked pissed? That was because Dilandau was a woman! And a darn feminist one at that! Don't imagine she took to kindly to talk of female slavery.
I'm sorry, that was a bit of a rant. It just annoys me. The voice they gave the character makes Dilandau sound either like a woman or a 14 yr. old boy. And she's a woman. Why can't they just express that? Dilandau's a cool villain, but whenever I hear HER talk, it sounds like the good guys are fighting a freakin' 14 yr. old boy.
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Saturday, September 9, 2000 09:01:55 PM
IP: 207-172-44-178.s178.tnt3.brd.va.dialup.rcn.com

**WORK RELATED**
In the area where I am working, almost 100% of everything done needs up needing to be . . . redone. It seems like Murphy's law inhabits that area. The only reason I care is if the company saved enough money, they might be able to give everyboby a raise.

I am working with a machine that sends out glue. Talk about a sticky situation. The darn glue hardens if you let it stick too long. Every time I leave the machine alone for any length of time, I have to send the end through cleanup (acc? removes the glue) and removing the gunk produces takes at least a few minutes. But using the machine produces a lot higher quality than by using a bottle to put glue on.
**END WORK RELATED**

**ACCIDENT RELATED**
I am going to send the doctor again on Monday (as scheduled). My back still bothers me. I am going to ask him if the other insurance company called him. When I get the phone call from the other insurance company, I plan on asking (after the greetings) if the conversation is being recorded. If it is, I am going to think about my responses to questions very carefully to pick the right words. If it is not, I plan on thinking about my responses. I am going to be prepared for hardball, but hope for an easy time.
**END ACCIDENT RELATED**

Welcome, all newcomers to the assl .. the TGS CR room.

**DPH notices his barrios protecting CHAOS from entering his workplace has been destroyed.**

**BFTS RP continues**
Fred Hitman heard Jennifer and Greg's request and gave them people to load the tractor-trailers with and assigned them the personal Jennifer and Fred asked for to drive the tractor trailers. Unfortunately for our heroes, no weapons nor ammo were damaged. The tractor trailers were finished loading by 3:00 pm and an unexpected suprise arrived at Speed Stars HQ at 3:30 pm. Two new suits were delivered. One was equiped with a flame thrower and the other with a sonic cannon. Attached was a note stating that the remaining suits should be at Speed Star HQ by 7:30 am the next day, September 11. Jennifer and Greg postponed testing out the new suits until tomorrow.
**END BFTS RP for now**
Next RP day is the Speed Star battle.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Saturday, September 9, 2000 06:54:54 PM
IP: max1-28.cwy.cei.net

**yawns and rubs his head**

Whoo boy, that's the last time I stay up 'til 3am replying to e-mail ... splitting headache all day today (but on the plus side, part of it came from watching the MSU game, which happily enough my guys won). But then again, you *know* I'll wind up doin' it again.

Let's see, what's happenin' ...

Poke-stuff: Certainly glad I didn't miss much by sleeping in until 11:30 this morning. As far as the ages of the Poke-principals ... I'm willing to go with the ages the manga listed for Ash and Misty (second issue listed Ash's age as 10 and Misty at 12), but I'd be more attuned to believing that they've aged naturally since then ... if they had in real time aged, then by this time Ash would be approx. 13 or so, Misty would be 15 ... just right for what's supposed to be goin' on between those two. ;)
As for the rest, I actually think that possibly James might be older than Jesse by maybe two years, which would put him at 19/22 and Jesse at 17/20. As for Brock, I'd put him in the 17-19 range when he first meets Ash, which puts him now at 20-22, around the same age range as Team Rocket.

XenaTrek: **returns her affections** Talk to ya soon.

Stephen: Pass along my well wishes to your grandmother.

Winterwolf, re: Shadowrider's party: Chalk me up for Friday the 15th because that's when my second off-day from hell ... er, I mean the store ... is next week.

Jaden: Magnificent to see ya again, sirrah! :)

Dame Corax: Hmm ... just an aesthetic comment really, but it's really nice to see that color/pic combo posting semi-regularly again. ;)

'Sall fer me. **shuffles out to find some tylenol ...**
Coyote the Bando - [tazcaddy@vivavelocity.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Saturday, September 9, 2000 06:23:21 PM
IP: 216.28.101.9

Hey, all! How's it going?

Green Baron> Hey, there! Good to see you again. I sent you an e-mail, but forgot to include my new address for you. I guess you could hit reply, but if you can't get the actual address from that, let me know, and I'll send it to you next time. Sorry! :)

Robby> Great to see you, too! How've ya been? :) Are you a fellow Pok�mon fanatic? I tell you, I'm addicted to the show...but mainly for Jessie and James. They rule!!! (see my rant on Pok�mon ages below) I'm also a Rocketshipper...know what that means? I'll tell y'all next time if you don't guess.

Pok�mon ages> There is no freakin' way that Jessie and James are 12. That's all I have to say. I've seen that number in a couple of 'official guides.' They also say Brock is 12, and I've seen Misty from about 10 to 12. I think that Ash is probably more about 12 or 14, and Misty just doesn't *look* like 10, you know? I think she's more of 14. I always thought of Brock as 16 or 17 (you know how that age of guys are that girl-crazy), and Jessie and James in their early twenties. But there's no way in heck they're 12, and I doubt that they're 17, even though that's what Jessie said in that one episode. Man, I love those two. They rock. :)

Okay, better go. See y'all around!
Dame Corax
Saturday, September 9, 2000 05:59:47 PM
IP: guilder.telcom.arizona.edu

**Winterwolf steps in**

Hi! All is well right now! Work is keeping me busy throughout the week and I'm out with friends this weekend! So I'm happy (as usual) and life is good! If only everyone in here could be having good times also! I care about you all of you!

******BIG ANNOUNCEMENT******

Shadowrider isn't going to be with us regularly once he starts Military Service. So there is going to be an online party/gathering for anyone that would like to attend to wish him well!

It will either be held on the 14th or 15th of September. That's less than a week away!
It will be between the hours of

11PM - 3AM (Shadowrider's Time) -1:00 GMT
5PM - 9PM (Eastern Time) +5:00 GMT
4PM - 8PM (Central Time) +6:00 GMT
3PM - 7PM (Mountain Time) +7:00 GMT
2PM - 6PM (Pacific Time) +8:00 GMT

Please post your preference for the day by Tuesday! This will determine if we hold it on Thursday the 14th or Friday the 15th. Thanks!

******END BIG ANNOUNCEMENT******

Niamhgold> I got your email! Great to know you're busy and happy! It hurts when you are just busy! BTW - How are you and Brian doing? <sees a quickie post> Oh! Niamhgold sighting! ^_^

Mecord> Thanks for the insight into you fan fiction! I'm looking forward to the next chapter even more now! :)

Caliope> <Kissimie> **kisses you once of both cheeks** You told me to do it! ;P <journal> I'm happy you liked the pictures! I tried to make the journal an interesting read so I hope you like it! <Roswell> New episodes start next month! ^_^ **HUGZ**

Katara> <mugged> Grr... There seems to be an overflow of jerks out there. I'm glad you weren't hurt badly!

Jessie Feff> <cat> I hope she didn't lick any of that stuff up either! I doubt she did though, most cats are very picky about what they ingest. <Princess Mononoke> I liked it myself! I even managed to see it in a movie theater! I understand what you mean though as I've seen better anime! :)

Warpmind> <surface work> That's good! You had me worried for a moment! ;)

Zath> Okay. Don't say I didn't offer! :P

Shadowrider> <traffic in NYC> True, but it really doesn't do anything to me. I take the train in to work every day so the car traffic doesn't do anything to me. :) <online party> I'll let you know what day is picked as soon as our friend's decide! ;)

Emambu> <party> Hope you enjoyed that party! :)

Daphne> <scary writings> I'd be interested in reading them! <life> That was sweet of you to share your life! Thanks! I'd be happy to read more! ^_^

Archwolf> <link to the White Wolf web page for the Grand Klaive> That was Wilek. I'd like one too! :)

Robby> <published> That's fantastic! Congratulations! <puzzle>I think I'll have to come up with a tougher riddle that will stay unsolved a little longer for everyone to get a fair shot at it! Yeah that's the ticket! :D

Gside> <Jell-O> **gasps in astonishment** I wonder what's going through your head at the moment you typed that... By the way, I'm not expecting and answer on that!

Wilek> <cause you to end up like me> So that's the secret! <return> It great to have you back. I was beginning to suffer from the initial effects of Wilek withdrawal syndrome! ;)

Jaden> Welcome back! I've caught some occasional posts from you before. It's always nice to see someone return here. :)

Fire Storm> <atomic chili> I'd better watch myself if I accept any food from you! The next thing I know I'll be a fire breathing Winterwolf or maybe even be transformed into Inferno Wolf or something similar! **grin** <don't know you very well> I learn something new every time! :)

Christine> Just wait until I give you my 5 star review of your books! I haven't finished them yet but so far I can say WOW! I'll send you an email once I finish. :)

Okay I gotta run! Heading out to have fun!

**Winterwolf steps out**

Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@excite.com]
Bronx, NY
Saturday, September 9, 2000 03:37:40 PM
IP: 206.15.120.146

You guys, quit! Isn't my ego swollen enough without being ranked up there among the real authors? Yes, I'm good, but until I get some _real_ publications to my credit, you're making me blush! Thanks, but gosh! ; )

Not much today. Have to work in the backyard so the city doesn't sue us over the code violations. Ugh.

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Saturday, September 9, 2000 02:22:36 PM
IP: 14-090.009.popsite.net

** Niamhgold enters quickly **

Jaden: Welcome back!

Adios!
Niamhgold
Saturday, September 9, 2000 02:07:05 PM
IP: 206.41.204.68

Fire Storm- That was an old Pokemon episode about 50 episode back. BEFORE the first movie. That armor was there to focus and contain Mewtwo's powers. If you watch the movie carefully, you see the scene with Mewtwo trashing Gary in it. About three episodes after that episode, we see Mewtwo escaping and blowing apart his armor. ALSO a scene in the movie.
(WHat annoys me is they were supposed to show Ash's third AND fourth Orange Island badge battles today for the first time... And here at least, they didn't show the third battle! And that's the one I've been waiting like forever to see due to how it played out in the manga!)
Robby
Saturday, September 9, 2000 01:51:20 PM
IP: spider-wm035.proxy.aol.com

*Warpmind enters, flinging up a plethora of firearms and emptying them all into DC, who is quickly reduced to a few lonely atoms at the bottom of a very deep hole.*
Argh, that'll teach you to keep me offline all day! Due to thunderstorms, the connection has been shot to <censored> since yestereve; only now has it been possible to hook up again. I'm an addict, I admit it. ;)

Green Baron: Okay, so the poem is Lovecraftian, not Lovecraft, right?

Zath: Your points are good, but if someone tries to steal an artifact, well, I've NEVER seen an artifact activate itself as someone tries to steal it (surrounding traps, maybe, but not the artifact). As for inside an airplane... I DID mention covering one's eyes, did I not? ;)

Christine: Okay. :)

By the way... I think I sense a trend here... first, Christine wrote "Black Roses" as a novel-based-on-fanfic, now Spike is getting a degargified version of "Despair and Deliverance" out, and Christine is working on "The Gifted", which is - yet again - a novel based on one of her fanfics. Any guesses to who'll be the next to announce such a project? :)

Shadowrider: Yes, we seem to understand each other quite well. If that's a good or a bad thing shall remain unsaid in this case... but I think I should give you one more warning: there are worse things than Norwegian classic novels: Norwegian movies. Norway is, I hope, the only country where movie makers recieve government funds to such a degree where the movies make a profit EVEN IF NOBODY EVER SEES THEM. And, as it happens, that also seems to be the trend... a few people sees the movie, and the public warnings start circulating by means of jungle telegraph, and the movie is sent to an appropriate burial ground...

Robby: Pok�mon characters' ages: Y'know, that does make a lot more sense if Ash is 14... it WOULD seem a tad irresponsible to send scores of 10-year-olds into the wilderness to fend for themselves, wouldn't it? :)

Gside: I know... it must be something in the water. No, wait, I don't drink the water... fish <Censored> in it. Hmmm... maybe it's the coffee... or the fact that I haven't had either a decent cigar nor a drop of alcohol for months... (I'm not addicted to it, but I *do* miss it, now that I live with my parents, temporarily...)

Selanit: Oooo, so far, it looks interesting. And who can DD be? (Daughter Dear? Doubtful...) I'll have patience and wait for the translation. Unless, of course, I come across a translated version, in which case I'll let you know at once, 'kay? :)

Wilek: Um... I'm a bit too fond of the body I have right now to go through with that plan, thank you... besides, if necromancy is an issue, I'd not want to be on the business end of it. However, if I were to gain control of a spell like the one Solarrin used prior to his death... ];)

Katara: Camera? Um, well... *ponders for a long minute* Hmmm... I'll pass. ;) ('Sides, I'm *sure* I don't have anything you haven't seen before in one form or another. If I do, I don't want to know.)

Jaden: Welcome back.

Fire Storm: A trip by the pole, and then south along the coast? *Digs up maps* Hot da... uh, COLD damn, you're right! *Ponders* But a canoe in the middle of the icebergs... no, I don't want to bump into the Titanic on the way, methinks... As for that ghastly joke... I *really* think you ought to visit Callahan's someday... there, we eat such jokes for breakfast. ]:)

Well, that's about it for now. Gotta be going, anyway.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Saturday, September 9, 2000 01:48:11 PM
IP: mp-217-205-108.daxnet.no

Holy cow! Jaden's back!
HEY EVERYONE! JADEN'S BACK!!!!

Mecord
Saturday, September 9, 2000 01:07:15 PM
IP: usr36.mtwest.net

Can anyone recommend a good prozy program?
I have tried WinProxy, Proxy+ (both suck. No mail, no napster) and Sygate Proxy (Sucks because it dosn't load the page on the first try. Gotta re-load)
And no, I don't want MS Proxy Server. I don't want to pay $100 for it.

Zath: <Now it has around 100mb free on the hard disk>
As always, I can beat that! ;)
There has been times that my 13gb HD (Well... my DEAD 13gb HD) had only 100mb left!
AND I once loaded Windows on a 20mb hd!
<Would the puking be from the content or just from the writing style alone?>
Hmm... Yes. :)
The writing style of the content.
It grabs your attention, it's sick, it's twisted, you really, REALLY want to stop reading it...
BUT YOU CAN'T!
It's like crack! It's so frigging addictive, but you feel so disgusted reading it!
Buy the book at Borders! (Then return it. Ya don't want to keep THESE books!)

Warpmind: <Maybe a dead ringer?>
<FS looks at Warpmind with a 'I can't believe you said that' look before wistling to a figure standing outside of the CR.>
<The figure, a armor clad knight wielding a rubber chicken, marches into the CR and whaps Waprmind on the head with the chicken before exiting the cr>

Warpmind: <No, wait, the Golf stream goes eastward... drat>
Hmm... BUT it circles up, takes you past the north pole then heads back south down the american east coast.

Kryrn: <Well, no rain yet, but at least the temps have dropped enough that it was actually cool early this morning.>
May you get rain soon.

Winterwolf: <That's just plain evil! I didn't know you had such masochistic tendencies! LOL ^_^>
You REALLY don't know me, do you? <G>
I got WORD loaded... just nothing else.
And hey... I DID make atomic chili!

Highlander: Hey, if they brought back Ramerez, can't they bring back Kurgan? <Hope, hope, hope!>

Aaron: <When it comes to Todd, all things are true>
Todd spelled backwards is Ddot!
Hmm... Is Todd the lost forth Warner?

Kitainia/Christine: <Sung to the tune of the theme from the Highlander TV show>
Group: Queen
Song: Princes of the Universe
From the CD "A Kind of Magic"
Year... 1986, I think.

Green Baron: <Thsoe Forsyths are not related to me except very distantly>
I figured as much, but I thought I would mention it.

***ESCAFLOWNE SPOILERS!***

Reowww! Cat girl licked Prince Vaughn! ;)

***END ESCAFLOWNE SPOILERS!***

SJ: <Gundam or Guymelef?>
Hmm... Well, I haven't seen much of Gundam wing, but I would probally go for a Gundam. I like guns!
Although, Escaflowne is VERY cool!

Wilek: <You do that too? :) Except the monster is usually me or one of my characters...>
Except?
Hell, the monster is ALWAYS me. I used to fear those thoughts.
Now I embrace them. There is times I welcome the darkness of killing.
Um... erase that last line, ok?
<New and Improved! Fire Storm's 17-Alarm Hell-Shat Dementia Chili! Permanently blinds attackers, eats through metal, and goes great with fava beans and a nice chiante. Perfect gift for the sadomasochist who has everything. Order today! ;P j/k >
Hey, it's good! With the 4 hottest peppers available in this area, I made a nice add-on pepper seasoning!
But if ya really want to blind someone, use garlic.
Don't believe me?
Cut open a piece of raw garlic, handle it for a while, then scratch your eyes!
(HINT: If ya do that, be prepared to run your eyes under running water for over an hour.)
Eats through walls? Hmm... the blood of my bretheren flows in my veins! Genetomorphs forever!
<Because violence is more useful and fun than sex? ;P>
And besides... who wants to write about graphic sex with DC?

Pokemon: Ok, so I watched a episode today...
WTF's with that Cyber-Mew2?
Fire Storm - [Night-flame@usa.net]
Saturday, September 9, 2000 01:01:28 PM
IP: 03-069.008.popsite.net

GUESS WHO'S BACK!
I hope you guys remember me. I said that I'd do everything in my power to get back here and after six months I've finally made it. I don't have much time to talk, but the short version is that I'm on leave from the last part of my training to go to my twin sister's wedding (which is today AH!) and I should be able to make longer posts by next week.
I have to go, last minute wedding problems are starting to arise.

It's so good to be back!
Jaden - [jaden12@hotmail.com]
Los Alamos, CA
Saturday, September 9, 2000 11:52:10 AM
IP: cache2.avtel.net

Mandolin...I do hope that you and your friends are going to be okay. Of course I don't have to tell you to be extra cautious now. Speaking from experience though, unfortunately no matter how cautious you try to be, if someone is determined to do harm, eventually they will find a way around your defenses. In your case, I hope and pray that this never happens.

Doug & Kit...Doug, thanks for your prayers. You guys (as well as Mandi) have mine as well. Sounds like you guys need them more than I do. I am recovering fairly well. Thankfully I only banged my shoulder a bit, and that stiffness is pretty much gone now. So far, I haven't had any nightmares or other mental problems because of it. Although, those that know me best would say I was already a taco short of a combination plate. :p

Warpmind...If you do plan on FedExing yourself, let me give you my address. That way I can not only be standing there with a fresh set of clothes for you, but a camera as well! LOL

Spike...sorry to hear about the loss of your Grandmother. May she now sing with the angles.

Kit... GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN!!!! What about a restraining order? Is that possible at all? Didn't the police listen to the messages? Sheesh, sometimes the police are so useless! Wow! It seems as if a lot of us are having a really bad string of rotten luck this past week. I'm praying for EVERYONE, just to be on the safe side!

Aaron..Now that you mention it, Dorothy DOES remind me of Owen. As far as Epiyon goes, it reminds me more of a Steel Clan robot than it does an actual Gargoyle. And though I like Quatre, doesn't his sweetness make you want to hurl? :) Have you checked out the offical web site yet? <www.gundamoffical.com>

Anasatis...I hope that you and everyone from your work is okay.

Zath...thanks for your well wishes. No they haven't caught the person. I seriously doubt that they will. Unfortunately I didn't get a very clear look at the guy, it all happened so fast. Ah well, C'est la vie!!!

**Kat unwraps one arm from around Canyon's neck and wraps it around WarFrost's neck, hugging him tightly** Thanks hun. Your thoughts are much appreciated. *blows a kiss at ARrch as he departs the CR*

Gside...RE DMV...actually DMV is pretty easy to deal with if you make an appointment first. *snicker*

Wilek...nice to see you posting again. It's been a few weeks (I think) since we've heard from you. You may have something there with your conspiracy theroy.

**FINALLY** reaches the end of the posts for the whole week. And it only took me all day to do it! LOL...Well, time for me to go. Got to work a switch shift tomorrow/today. If I go now, I should be able to squeeze in about 8 hrs sleep if I'm lucky. :p Everyone take care and be extra careful out there. My love and prayers go out to everyone. Hopefully next week will be much better one for everyone. *hugs for everyone*
Katara - [garglover66f]
San Diego, CA
Saturday, September 9, 2000 03:25:33 AM
IP: ac8ea37e.ipt.aol.com

**TIME FOR AN RP**

"Erin, stay with me!" Gubio pleads as he tries to close his girlfriend's wounds with the pressure of his hand. "Please!" Terrell and Annabelle both pour healing potions into her mouth and onto her wounds with grave expressions, grimacing as she does not regain consciousness even though the injuries seal up and disappear. "She's breathing," Gubio whispers, smiling. "Erin, come on, wake up. Speak to me. Are you okay? Are you�?" "Meow!!" Mist interrupts, and Gubio and the two caiveh look up and gasp as they see black smoke rising from the lamp Yevi holds. "You'll die now!" he laughs. "I have succeeded! My master Abdullah will be proud of me." Laughing, Abdullah's servant then breathes his last and slumps into death. As Terrell and Gubio leap to their feet and Annabelle falls to Erin's side to tend her wounds some more, the black smoke coalesces into the shape of Dao the evil genie. "Time to perish, mortals!" he chuckles. "No dragon can save you now!" Gubio, Mist, and Terrell answer him with grim expressions and aim their weapons as the genie draws in power for a bolt of lightning. Further down the tunnel behind Dao, Kovu and the party of caiveh behind him see what is happening and stop to watch.

The display changes to the waiting room of a palace elsewhere in the Middle East, where an elderly blonde woman dressed in traditional Arabian garb who has a very regal bearing is speaking into a phone. "Yes, this situation does indeed sound serious," she tells the person on the other end. "The Society of Desert Night should not suffer such a terrible person to live and trouble the world any longer than he has. I shall gather warriors and meet you at the time and place you just mentioned to plan how we should move against him. Thank you very much for bringing the problem to my attention, it shall be dealt with posthaste. Farewell for now." Hanging up, the leader of the Society of Desert Night turns to a short bearded Arabian man with a bearing akin to hers who has just walked into the room. "I heard your end of the conversation, Aunt Noor," King Abdullah II of Jordan says with a smile. "Something requires our attention?" "Yes my son," Queen Noor nods. "Fasil Bey has informed me that his cousin Abdullah is engaged in terrible criminal activity that maligns his family honor and may disrupt the region of Turkey. This brings worry to us all." "So he's not making Abdullah a good name?" the king chuckles. "Well, we can't have that." He turns to an aide. "Get me the leader of Turkey on the phone, then assemble my generals for a meeting." "Yes, sire," the aide nods, and turns to walk off. Abdullah II sits down with Noor and they begin discussing the problem of Abdullah bin Aziz and his threat to peace in the Mid-East as the screen goes blank.

**END FIRST BIT OF THIS POST'S RP**

Greetings friends. Finally got time to post in here this week, feels good to do it. Many things have been keeping me busy- school, work, and the troubles Kit's mentioned with that stalker among them. Thanks to everyone who has given us their advice and encouragement on the latter, we are doing our best to end the troubles with him as soon as possible. We're not getting much help from the local security companies- they don't seem to be able to spare the men and money to walk around our apartment complex at night- but that's understandable and okay. We'll get this guy ourselves soon somehow. Boris is patrolling the parking lot tonight on a volunteer basis to watch our car and apartment, I'll be doing the same tomorrow. Us Ravens will keep trading off shifts and patrolling every night until we manage to get Gus and stop him, we know the seriousness of the situation. <sigh> Just wish we knew why the heck he's been doing what he has and could have made him stop before now. But we will find him and get him if he tries any more vandalism. <crosses fingers> Thank you all for keeping the situation in your prayers.

Thanks also to those of you who have given words of encouragement on what happened with me and the thankfully-terminated Officer Holder. That was a very tense situation, let me tell you. <shakes head> I'm real glad it's over now, and he won't be causing the company I work for any more trouble. Mecord is probably right about him just being all talk, he hasn't tried any revenge attempts as of yet. I'm still worried, that will only decrease with time. <sighs> The Gus situation is more important right now anyway, wish us luck in getting it solved soon. I'll also thank anyone who keeps my work and what's going on with it in their prayers, we're still suffering from a personnel shortage and lately we've had to let go a couple more officers who were scamming us with lies about situations that prevented them from coming in to work which didn't exist. <shakes head> Why people make up stories like that and run them by people who trust and depend on them I do not know. Hope we can get these people to wise up soon and begin doing what's decent. <crosses fingers> On to replies.

Christine: Thanks for sending the book and resolving the latest Stephanie problem, we appreciate it. This won't cure Kit's sister of being a pain in the neck, but at least we can get her to stop bugging us about the book. And who knows, maybe she'll be mature enough to order her own copy of your next one. <shrugs> We'll wait and see. She wanted me to tell you that you have her permission to post the filk anywhere you like, she's glad you enjoyed it. :) Nice job on your latest fanfic, I got the chance to read it last night. Cobalt makes a very intriguing new character whose complete backstory I want to see one of these days. :) Good development on Amber too. Too bad your fanfic is on hold for a while, I'll eagerly be waiting till it resumes. Good job editing Avalon Mists as well, I have not yet read all the work in there but you once again did a very good job of organizing and compiling it all. :)

Michael Heitz: Your cartoons were once again a joy to read and hilarious. May you never give up your craft. (I know you were just kidding with your comments about those cartoons earlier, right? :)

DPH: Good luck getting your life straightened out again soon, I'm sorry that the accident and all that happened with it has been messing things up lately. May it all soon be resolved. As for your back pains, well, you know what they say- there's no medicine better for that than frequent repeated love massage. <grins and sighs in delight as he receives such from Kit>

Mandi: Too bad about that bruise, hope that it's stopped hurting and disappeared by now. Thanks for your good luck wishes on Kit's stalker, we wish you the same with the jerk who's been annoying you and your friends. Hope he is soon caught and given what he deserves. :) I too am unable to understand why people like this do what they do. <shakes head sadly> Oh well, as long as they're stopped before they cause too much damage, all is okay, I guess. <sigh>

Emmabu: An outline of the background story would be appreciated, as well as your story itself. Looking forward to them, as well as your comments on NotS 2, whenever you can get them sent to me. :) Good luck with the choir group, and I too am very glad that your college life is so far going well.

Mecord: Read your latest story night before last, good job on it. The detail you gave to describing the alternate dimension and the development on the characters dwelling therein was very well-done, I was glad to see it. Also good job developing Elisa in the story and fleshing out the plot. I thank you for the entertainment and am looking very forward to Part 3. :) Thanks also for all your words on the bad situations Kit and I have gone through recently, we're resolving the troubles and getting through them as best we can.

Dame Corax: Welcome new friend (or possibly old one, if what Green Baron thinks is true :). Hope you enjoy this place immensely. Good luck with your college (same goes to everyone else in here who's attending one), and please remember, you don't have to let it rule your life every moment of the day. Sometimes you have to take a backseat and have a little fun. :)

The Sleepers: Plot of this one seemed a bit too linear and predictable, but otherwise good job on it. I liked the character development and the new tool Arthur received at the end. Hope to see illustrations in the story soon, I'd like a pic of the Sleepers. All other comments I wanted to make on the story have already been mentioned by Peter (I liked the same things he did about the ghosts), Ed, and Kit.

Spike: My condolences on your grandmother's passing. She sounds like she was a wonderful person who should and will be missed very much. <sighs> But so it must be. :(

Shadowrider: Thanks for your good luck wishes, they're appreciated. I am watching my back and staying alert for trouble at all times, the Gus situation would have me doing that even if the Holder one didn't. Like you, I cannot stand to have them going on. I pray they will soon be over, and for all parties who deserve it the results will be good.

Best/Worst Books: Have given my votes on this before, I'll just say that I feel that most anything by Tom Clancy (I can understand why some consider his works stinkers, but personally I don't see them that way since they're chock full of so much of the things I like, namely good character and plot development with an eye to realism, sanity about the world and the political process, and readers' needs. Executive Orders, Sum of All Fears, and Without Remorse are particular faves), Garth Ennis, Bill Watterson, or Christine Morgan ranks among the best. Clive Cussler too, with the exception of Atlantis Found- IMO that was just too cliched in terms of plot. Many Stephen King books have been good also, though there have also been many not-so-great ones from him. I agree that Barbara Hambly's Star Wars books were terrible, although I do like Tim Zahn's a lot more. Have also enjoyed the works of Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Joseph Conrad. Heller's Catch 22, To Kill a Mockingbird, David Eddings, JK Rowling, DH Lawrence, and RA Salvatore's Dark Elf and Cleric series I have also enjoyed. For absolute worst books, I'd have to say Ethan Frome, Brave New World, and anything by Kinky Friedman. If you've read the books (or even heard about the latter ones and their titles), you should know what I mean about them being bad.

Katara: Sorry to hear about you getting mugged, hope the cops are somehow able to catch the guy who did it. <sigh> More importantly, I wish you luck in getting your life put back together after what happened. I will be keeping you and the situation in my prayers. I'm very relieved you weren't hurt in the encounter. <phew>

Ana: Welcome to you as well. You are definitely correct about bank robbery, good thing the clearance rate (if the police get the guys who do it or not) for that crime is so high. All the high-tech security devices they use pay off very well. It also helps that the pros aren't really in the business anymore thanks to those devices. :)

Wilek: <nods> Thanks for your condolences. I too hope RL soon calms down. <keeping fingers crossed> Good to see you posting again at the length you did.

That's about all for tonight, sorry there's not more. I'm a little rushed and out-of-sorts thanks to all that's been going on lately. <grimace> I pray it will all soon be over, hope you will all continue to join in. Kit and I will be trying to see a movie called Nurse Betty at the theater soon if we get the chance, it's gotten rave reviews and has a few actors we like (Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock, Greg Kinnear, and Renee Zellwegger). A review of it may be with our next post. See you all again soon, may your lives continue to go well. Later!

**RESUME RP- RAVENS' SAGA**

The screen comes on again, displaying the cockpit of the B-2 bomber that has been hitting the Ravens. It is currently curving around for another pass at them. "You're telling me this is our last load of ordinance?" Victor the co-pilot is angrily asking the bombardier. "Yes sir," he nods. "I thought I had the others aimed perfectly, but it appears the magic shield that Dahak put on us is disrupting our targeting too. This last load might hit them, it might not. We can't turn the shield off, though, so we might as well at least try." "Fine," Roger the navigator growls. "We're gonna have to have serious words with Dahak when we get back if the mission fails because of him. At least we're not dead like those poor escorts of ours thanks to his shield. If only it hadn't messed up our targeting�" "Guys!" the pilot, Clarence, screams in interruption. Victor, Roger, the bombardier, and the target spotter spin around as his shout catches their attention, just in time to see a stream of rainbow magic energy directed by Elena hitting their plane's cockpit window glass. The shield Dahak put up redirects it at first, but then it shudders and crackles as several laser blasts smack into it from below along with the explosion from a tank shell and a storm of psychic energy directed by Tricia. The shield disappears under the combined force of them all, and then the cockpit window glass bursts and air rushes in. "Oh God!" the target spotter wails as the bomber's cabin depressurizes. Clarence tries to pull the plane out of the ensuing spin, but several missiles from the Onslaught smack into the plane as it turns. In a roar of flame and burst of smoke, the bomber and its crew are obliterated. The Ravens cheer, clap each other on the back, and sigh in relief as pieces of the plane hit the ground nearby. "You see, Doug?" Stephanie chuckles. "You didn't need to be worried. We triumphed." Doug nods. "That was a close one, though. If we hadn't spotted and been able to overload that shield�" He shakes his head and looks at Kit as she and Elena land beside him. "Everyone okay?" "We're fine," Kit answers, nodding. "Let's assess the damage and get back to traveling. It looks like Thailog's latest attempt to kill us has failed." "Yeah," Jammer chuckles. "He must not be too happy." "Maybe," Mansfield laughs along. "I have a feeling he might have other things on his mind, though." "What gives you that feeling?" Leah frowns. "Nothing," he shrugs. "Just my gut." "Well, your gut could be right," Tom says. "In any case, I'm glad we're alive." The Ravens nod, their expressions indicating the feeling is mutual. Orion asks if anyone is wounded, his spells ready in case. As the others reply to his question, a winged gargoyle-like creature flying over the battle grimaces as he watches and ducks behind a convenient dark cloud. Eyes flashing black with the fires of hell, it disappears in a burst of light.

**WE'LL FIND OUT WHO THAT WAS NEXT TIME. :). END RP**
Doug - [frostfire@mail.utexas.edu]
Saturday, September 9, 2000 02:42:55 AM
IP: pool-209-138-200-89-dlls.grid.net

Fire Storm> <<Oh, like Demona May does anything BUT for mature eyes only.>> Actually, she has a great G-rated piece in my Gallery. ^_^ <<Would it help to say that I spend alot of waking days thinking about monsters ripping people apart and cheering for the monster to do it again?>> You do that too? :) Except the monster is usually me or one of my characters...<<Today, on my voice mail, he threatened to KILL ME.>> OK, death is too good for this micro-brained sociopath...I could have some fun with a belt sander...<<Michigan law prohibits pepper spray with concentrations over 2.5% cepsian. I think the chili I made the other night was 5%>> New and Improved! Fire Storm's 17-Alarm Hell-Shat Dementia Chili! Permanently blinds attackers, eats through metal, and goes great with fava beans and a nice chiante. Perfect gift for the sadomasochist who has everything. Order today! ;P j/k

Gside> <<On the accessories table, a roll of 8-9 will give armor and a roll of 9-11 will give jewelry; since it is impossible to nine to represented both>> I don't know; jeweled armor? (I bet diamond could protect pretty well...) <<just what does Barnicle Bill's do to their cheddar sauce to make it so good?>> http://www.fugly.net/g6/8867.html :) <<Due to a request a couple weeks back the new mp3 is The Kefka theme from Final Fantasy VI/III by the Boston Pops (who rock my world).>> EEEE! <downloads immediately> Thank you! ^_^ <<Wilek where did you go?>> Clearing out the maze of hentai tentacles that is RL. Got most of them, although I still manage to find them in the *oddest* places. <<What nothing to say about how well the Boston Pops plays Final Fantasy music?>> I was saving it for my real post. ^_^ Did they also do the Mystery Train remix later in the album? ^_^ (BTW, who are the Boston Pops, and have they done much other classical music? ^_^) <> Don't worry, I'm not scheduled to set off the Apocalypse unless my plan to take over the world goes hideously wrong. ;)

Warpmind> <<I'm saving up, I'm saving up... it's just that cross-Atlantic airfares are so preposterously steep... hmmm... maybe if I send my luggage by mail, and cross the Atlantic in a canoe, or something... *Ponder* It might work. No, wait, the Golf stream goes eastward... drat.>> Here's something to try: Make friends with an American necromancer. Then kill yourself, after having arranged for the necromancer to kill someone at the Gathering and summon your soul into his body. With any luck, the two of you can make it look like some kind of con-related drama. <<Phlegm-related sounds aplenty>> I have got to remember that one. It'd make a great name for a band...

Robby> <<Pikachu for president! Yah!>> How 'bout Shadow Pikachu? All the cuteness of the original, but this one kills with gleeful abandon. :) Failing him, I'd vote Mewtwo. He seems the efficient sort...<> Because violence is more useful and fun than sex? ;P IMHO anyhow, but let's face it, my mind is a train wreck... <<The biggest problem I had with that one is we didn't see the start of the story or the end. We just saw part of the middle.>> That actually sounds pretty kewl; there's not much I have more fun with than filling in blanks. >:)

Doug> <<I am discontinuing my fanfic stories. That's right, I'm discontinuing them. Before anyone screams at me, I want to say that it is not for lack of feedback or anything like that. The feedback I've gotten has all been wonderful, I hope more on the stories I have written is on the way. But other things are now preventing me from working on my stories. The combination of my job and the last semester of college starting next week are taking up my time, and even in the rare moments when I've been able to sit down and bring up a story to work on, I've found my heart just isn't in it anymore. It feels more like a chore to put the words on the page than a fun thing.>> Ack. Sorry to hear you won't be writing anymore; it's always sad to hear that RL has intervened in the discontinuation of an artistic vision. :(

Newcomers> Welcome! Surrender your sanity, and feel free to pick up a complimentary cheese grater, for use in recreational surgery.

Silver Hunter> <<I am the Silver Hunter. I have been hired to track down a werewolf. Since there are several here I thought this might be a good place to start looking. I'm told he's usually acompanied by another, a direwolf perhaps. He's wanted for questioning... concerning the disapperance of one of your number in fact. Seems he's also been implicated in the devouring of another. You see they were both elves! ;)>> Werewolf hunting, eh? Try this: <gives you a garland of what looks like black garlic> Don't know what this is called, but its effect upon werewolves is roughly equivalent to that of catnip upon cats. Hide a paranuclear device in the vicinity of one of these, wait, and watch. Once enough lupies are gathered...boom. hehe

Aaron> <<The Dark Tower series kicks @$$! I recommend it highly. I'm just afraid King'll die before he finishes it.>> Thanks. ^_^ As for King dying before he can finish (old age, I presume?)...hm. Hopefully, my Fey advisors will be able to prevent that...

SJ> <<In fact, I've heard that the title for the next book will be "Harry Potter 5: Snootchie Bootchies and the Chronic Blunt". Jay and Silent Bob are scheduled to have cameos.>> Cool, although for some reason I prefer the hentai tentacles. ;P <<with the outfit she was wearing, if you paid much attention to the song you probably don't own a penis.>> I own several that I rent out, actually. Had some complaints lately, though; something about frequent punctures and blowouts above 70 MPH. I've tried adjusting the dynathermic check rotors, but to no avail. Might have to rebuild from scratch. (I don't have a clue where this is going, but I intend to have fun with it. I'd probably better stop now, though, as the above will probably already get me in trouble...)

Mecord> <<Then I thought of the first Dragonlance Chronicles, where the nine heroes are betrayed and some nearly die. Now I have a story forming in my head involving my cats, a prelude involving my dog, the betrayal to an old foe, the heart wrenching death of a hero, his niece who is dreadfully injured in the same battle, and the Caregivers, whom these warriors protect.>> :O This would be very kewl if it didn't involve you losing your pets...

<moment of silence for the Kursk>

Spacebabie, Spacebabie, there in the stars (sorry, weird mood :P)> <<EEK the cat... one of my favorite eps was the musical one. While Eek and his close buddies sang songs that were similar to showtunes, the villians sany rocky horror style songs and Elmo's theme sound like it came from Queen.>> Quadrupedia, I think it was called? I remember that ep, although only vaguely since I haven't seen it in way too long. I kinda remember liking it and its music. ^_^ (Wonder if there are MP3s...) <<You sued a Xellosisim!>> Society is getting more and more litigious these days. ;P

GB> <<This morning, my Cousin Rose Patricia Strachan, nee Forsyth died at 85 years of age.>> Oh no! :( Sincerest condolences.

Gunjack> <<Watch the papers, people... I *WILL* be in them some day, one way or the other! ;D>> I can't think why, but I get the sudden feeling that that particular headline will involve the phrase "bizarre tragedy" and feature a picture of a large building reduced to a wreck with an unidentifiable machine sitting in several twisted pieces in the center... ;P j/k <<which is better to listen to after a breakup; Mettalica or Les Miz?>> When I'm down, I like to listen to the soundtrack to Final Fantasy 8. Succession Of Witches and A Sacrifice are perfect for plotting one's vengeance, and Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec, A Premonition, and The Legendary Beast are great for carrying it out. >;) Laibach's "God Is God" from the Blair Witch Project soundtrack is good BGM for destroying the world, doing away with those who oppose you, or just ego tripping. ("I am a fiery god! I am the beginning and the end! I am the first, and I! AM! THE LAST!" muhahaha) And of course the first 80 seconds of Darling Violetta's "I Want To Kill You" is great for relaxation and easy listening. ^_^ <<Actually, my goal is to create one of the first combat-ready Powered Armor systems... And then bum a free suit of the guvmint for "R&D Purpouses"... :D>> I designed kind of a neat one for my ficverse a while back, but I don't think it can be done with real-world technology...which is one reason the real world stinks...

DJ> <<What if this weren't a hypothetical question?>> ERR #421 THEORETICAL INTERSECT FAILURE [Wilek's head explodes.] <<All things considered, insanity may be the only reasonable alternative.>> The official motto of the CR. ^_^

Shadowrider> <<where is the taste of a good, face-to-face fight?>> Those can be fun when you have the advantage, but when the enemy is a genuine threat, I prefer to use magic or science to reduce his face to a greasy smear before face-to-face becomes an option. >;)

DPH> <<DPH successfully reverses the sanity/insanity mix in the room, which causes the forcefield blocking DPH from entering the room to cease to exist. Someone else needs to return the room back to its normal insanity level because the room is leaning toward sanity now.>> Will do. [Wilek drags in an enormous five-barrelled cannon of some kind that incorporates many reflectors, large amounts of crystal, and a metal that looks like solid mercury. He fires it at the equation that DPH used to reverse the sanity ratio, causing local space to invert and sucking everything for miles around into a dual-phase illogic rift. The rift convulses, having reached capacity, then explodes, ejecting, among other things, the ruins of the room and its occupants, singed but triumphant. By rights, the rift should have killed them all, but they consist of more illogic than logic, so it didn't hurt them much. DC's a mess though.] OK, that could have gone better. I returned the room's previous insanity level (and then some), but now the room isn't there anymore, and my contradictive exponentator is in itty bitty pieces all over the countryside... O_o' I'd better deploy the autoconstructors...<<One doughnut goes to the first person who can name why I am not taking painkillers for my back pain.>> Are you immune to them? (A friend of mine is. He didn't enjoy the surgery.)

Winterwolf> <<It is really fun being silly! I have to remember to try this when I'm not in such a good mood! ^_^>> Careful; being silly when you're not in such a good mood can...well, cause you to end up like me. No good can come of that. ;P <<Welcome back! You've been missed! Looking forward to that real post!>> Wow, I have an audience. ^_^

Daphne> <<[slaps on what looks like a campaign button but reads "Peace of Mind for Fire Storm"] There's plenty of buttons to go around. who's with me?>> I'll drink to that! [Wilek takes a button, changes it to Violent Justice For Fire Storm, and wonders where he can pin it without drawing blood.] <> Ooooh...do you have a web site or wherever to post it? ^_^

Mandolin> <<I tripped and banged my thigh against a table yesterday afternoon, and despite getting ice on it soon, I have this reddish-purple bruise the size of a grapefruit to show for it. It doesn't hurt as much as you'd think looking at it, but no less than five people have screamed, "OH MY GOD! What happened to you?" today. I actually managed to temporarily sober up one of the nuttier seniors in my hall by showing it to her. Yeah, it hurts, but it looks ten times worse than it feels.>> Ack! O_o' Glad at least it doesn't hurt as much as it could... Stalker> OMG. O_O' That sounds scary...do you carry any kind of weapons? Because a nice dagger or fishing gaff or corkscrew or something just might get it through this idiot's head that you don't want to be his special friend...<<The cops, finding inconsistencies in their stories, separated and interrogated my friends - and concluded that one of them had been making the whole thing up. They didn't just figure that she was mistaken, they accused her of LYING. And one of them told my friends that if they reported anything else without concrete proof or a proper description, they'd be arrested. So they're back at square one.>> What...?! <GRRR> When I'm in charge, these imbeciles will be thrown to the vozhd...

Emambu> <<Also, I've always wondered why immortals don't wear some kind of neck guard.>> It seems like it would be kind of conspicuous. It could be disguised as a neck brace, but if I saw a bunch of people in neck braces slinking into an alley or wherever to have a swordfight, I'd probably get suspicious. ;P Of course, they could wear black turtleneck sweaters and berets and hang out in coffee houses. ;P <> I'm thinking it would be closer to Crow on steroids. Steel Clan Crow. ^_^ (For some reason, I just got the barest glimpse of a vision of Zath's cat finding the Eye Of Odin. I'm afraid to envision any further than that...)

Zath> <<**Zath's head explodes**>> That happens to me sometimes. A reboot and a drink and you'll be good as new. ^_^

Dame Corax> *Extremely* glad to see you here, milady. :) Enjoy your hopefully rather long stay. ^_^ <> <bows> Thank you; I do my best. ^_^

Spike> <<I started the morning with terrible news. I only visited with my paternal grandmother just Sunday and now she's gone. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. She saw a trip to NYC for G98 as a great adventure when the rest of the family thought I was nuts. I am going to miss her SO much.>> :( Deepest condolences; it's always terrible to lose someone who supported and understood you so...

Kit> Gus and Holder> My gods. O_o What is with the nutcases lately? Mandi, FS, you and Doug...Which asylum has been lax in its security measures, we wonders? <<Tonight he struck again, spray-painting a skull and "B&*$H LIVES HERE" on our front door and then laughing about it on the answering machine- Doug and I discovered it when we got home from our respective jobs. This and the baseball have made the police more able to do something, the problem is the jerk doesn't have a phone (must have used a pay phone to make the various calls), so he's going to be a bit hard to track down. But we're doing it just the same.>> And still more idiocy from this waste of carbon...If you can get away with it, I recommend strychnine. Works pretty well, and the corpses are left with some of the most entertaining expressions.

Best/Worst books> I...have no idea. O_o The best I've read are all so good that I can't pick just one, and the worst were so unmemorable that I can't remember ever reading them. :} One of the former that sticks in my mind, though, is one that probably no one has ever heard of, called Weird Dreams. It was a novella that came with an extremely old computer game of the same name, to serve as backstory and copy protection (don't ask). It was this whole fun thing relating to altered mental states and demonic politics. Didn't make much sense at times, but that's rarely an issue for me...

Niamhgold> <<I'm being extra careful because there's a serial rapist on the loose, and he seems to go after girls who get off the bus >:|>> Oh gods not another one...at least he doesn't seem to be specifically after you, and I hope it stays that way...

Katara> Mugging> This is gettin' scary. *Another* one of us, accosted by some maniac...I smell a conspiracy...

Jessie> <<you know what sucks? Hearing a crash just moments after musing, "Gee, the cat's been kinda quiet...wonder what she's up to?" Then investigating said crash, to discover the cat has managed to knock over an oil lamp, spilling the contents all over the nicely varnished entertainment center and the heater!!! And that stuffs hard to clean up. Now I'm afraid she might have licked some up. :( Hope not!>> Ack! o_o' <also hopes not>

Archwolf> <<Oh, If you ever walk by the Cathedral of learning on a sunday and some one asks you the time, chances are its a LARP Leech trying to suck yer blood.>> <blink> Where did you say you live?
Wilek Nereus
Saturday, September 9, 2000 02:09:52 AM
IP: proxy1.spaceproxy.com

Warpmind> I'm pleased that you're interested in my work with the Elizabethan dragons book. I've only just started; today was the very first day of my study. So here's what I have so far. (To all of you who are not interested, just skip the rest of the post -- it's all about this Elizabethan history of dragons).

On the spine of the book are recorded the author, and the title of the work:

ULYSSIS ALDRUANDI
Serpentes et Draconu Historiae

On the front cover is a much-faded painting of a mythical beast. It is sphinx-like: it has the body of a lion, the head of a man, two horns that curve up and inward from the side of its head, and feathered wings springing from its shoulders. There seems to be a cross, or sword, in front of the beast. There is a similar painting affixed to the back side of the book; it shows the same beast, although the rendering is slightly different. The paintings are upside down in relation to the orientation of the text in the book. Also, the paintings are an amateur�s work; I guess, from their appearance, that they were painted by a child.

The cover of the book is made of black velvet, which shows many signs of wear. It follows the original contours of the binding closely, but the closure of the velvet around the edges of the cover are somewhat rough. Based on this, and on the upside down paintings, I am certain that the book was re-bound by a previous owner. My personal feeling is that it was done during the 19th century, but that is just a guess.

The book was published in 1640. It has 427 pages, and is 35 centimeters tall. The pages are made of parchment, as opposed to vellum or other animal-skin based writing materials. The pages have survived in good condition; the printed text is crisp and easily legible. There has been a little crumbling around the edges of the pages, especially where they would be turned.

On the interior of the front cover are inscribed these words, written in gorgeous flowing script:

Ex Dano Nobilissimi DD.
Domini Henrici De Bras Baronis D�Ansuy.
In suprema Aquensis Tenatus Curia Praesidis olim
Illustrissimi.

I translate this thusly:

This I give to the most noble DD.
Lord Henrici De Bras, Baron of D�Ansuy.
In the Court of the Holding of Aquensis, once the most
illustrious garrison.

If anyone has suggestions on how to improve this translation, I would welcome them.
There is no indication who "DD" might be. Of course, to a Gargoyles fan possibilities come to mind � Dominic Dracon, Dominique Destine. ;-)

Seriously, though, I have no indication who DD might be. Perhaps more evidence will come to light as I continue my study.

There is a fragmented inscription on the top of the title page, written in the same hand; the only clearly legible word is "Aquensis" again. For those who care, the fragment as best I can reconstruct it is "Colleo[r]y Bor[b]oni Aquensis Toc[. . .]". There was a full sentence, but it was written at the very top of the page, and bits of it have crumbled away over the centuries.

The book is about the history and nature of serpents and dragons, as the title says. It contains engravings illustrating the creatures spoken of. So far I haven�t gotten much into the content of the book; as I said, today was the very first day of my study, and the few hours I had I used mainly observing the physical construction of the book and working on the inscriptions discussed above.
I expect this to take a while. It is an extra-curricular project, for one thing. For another, the special collections department is only open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, due to staff shortages. Although I might get some work done on Tuesdays, I expect that most of my effort will be done on Fridays. Thirdly, I am only a second-year Latin student, and therefore my Latin is not as good as it could be. I expect it will improve, but I stand at the base of the learning curve, so to speak. And 472 pages of Latin is A LOT of work.

I must be mad. Oh, well. :-)
Selanit - [selanit@atuan.com]
Saturday, September 9, 2000 01:59:37 AM
IP: smit18-144-dhcp.resnet.colorado.edu

Anasatis> <>: Have you found a good place to display it yet?
And may you not have to deal with another robbery.

Winterwolf> <<as a conciliation prize you get a great big vat of Jell-O. Hmm, I wonder what you are going to do with that!>>: Niamhgold, come over here for a moment...

Katara> May you not have to experience such a personal attack again. But I would think DMVs in cities would be rather ugly to deal with.

Selanit> <<Elizabethan-era tome about the nature of dragons>>: Frunky. Will you let us in on any interesting relevations?

Warpmind> <<No, wait, that didn't sound right..>>: You seem to be having this problem rather often lately.

XenaTrek> <<Hienland (sp?)>>: Heinlein, and my I take the time to reccommend one of his short stories by the title The Green Hills of Earth (or something to that effect).

Zath> <<Miller's Tale, which was considered too dirty to read in high school>>: Really, we did it in mine.
<<Foo Foo? As in "little bunny Foo Foo"?>>: Walking though the forest...

Robby> <<DBZ: Dirty Fighting is among the FUNNEST DBZ fights>>: I didn't think anyone else would be willing to admit knowledge of its existance.

Na zodrov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Saturday, September 9, 2000 01:40:07 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

SJ: Maybe you oughtta consult with the crazy guys at The Sporting News. You'll never believe who those guys picked to go to the Super Bowl in their NFL preseason preview.

That's right. My Lions.

Remind me to send ya a joke I just got recently ... ;) Oh, incidentally, may the best team win on Sunday. And good luck trying to get around the 700 pounds of beef the Lions have got on their O-Line. ;) j/k
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Saturday, September 9, 2000 12:23:17 AM
IP: 216.28.101.94

Just a couple things tonight:

MTV VMA Awards: What a total and utter abortion these were...I don't know what poor soul decided to let the Wayans' bros. host this thing, but they should be fired. I've never spent so much time NOT laughing at someone's jokes. And the awards themselves....God. A few observations:
* Britney Spears is obviously jealous of the "whore" image that Christina Aguilera has, so she's decided to try and take that title away from her. She horribly mangled the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction", but with the outfit she was wearing, if you paid much attention to the song you probably don't own a penis.
* One of the idiots from Rage Against The Machine decided to try and climb part of the set when Limp Bizkit was accepting their award. He was later arrested. Where is police brutality when you really, REALLY want it?
* Macy Gray won for best new artist. That 'fro is just gonna engulf her one of these days. Just swallow her whole.
* Bobby Brown scares me. On so many levels. Whitney looked great, though.
* I was pleased that Eminem won. Very happy. Not so much because I'm an Eminem fan (although his latest album is pretty good), but more for the fact that....well, I guess I like Eminem because he just seems to piss off EVERYONE. And he doesn't care that he pisses off everyone. I find that...what's the word? Endearing, I suppose.

Gundam Wing: Yeah, Dorothy always struck me as kind of odd. I could never figure out just what her true motivations were. Someone explain this to me--was she hooked up with Mirialdo / Zechs? She seemed to like to hang out with him an awful lot.
Robby: What's the deal with Heero and Relena, then? What's the reason that he doesn't kill her, if he doesn't have feelings for her? The romantic in me has always thought they make a cute couple. Even though most of the time he shows as much emotion as Al Gore after taking prozac.
I personally like the Epyon because it does have a cool design, but I think in terms of power the Tallgeese might be a stronger suit. And the Deathscythe just rules. I think Duo got the cherry suit when it comes to the gundams.

Here's a question for you anime geeks: If you had a choice, which would you take--Gundam or Guymelef?

Football: Well, the Redskins won their season opener against the Carolina Panthers. Everyone's predicting that they'll go to the Bowl this year. They'd better. Otherwise, our new team owner, Dan "I'm the reincarnation of Napoleon" Snyder will have heads roll. [That's a bit of an inside joke. See, the new team owner is, in 3 words, a monster prick. Case in point--one of his latest innovations this year is to charge 10 bucks to see the 'Skins practice. Of course, for EVERY OTHER NFL team, practice is free and open to the public.] The Superbowl? I don't know. A playoff spot, I think the chances are excellent.
Stephen, I like the Buccs chances. They've got a strong team yet again this year, and they beat us again in the preseason. I hope that next time we meet it's my hometown boys putting a mark in the W column, but nothing's for sure. :)
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Saturday, September 9, 2000 12:16:00 AM
IP: cache-1.spg.va.webcache.rcn.net

**Robby bounds into the room, leaps into the air and yells "WOOOOOHOOOO!"**

I have a new favorite book! MINE! Well, comic book anyway...

I've officially been published! Ninja High School Annual number 12, fresh off the presses today! 8 pages of Transformers the Movie parody, by ME! AND I (mostly) colored the cover! It's a fuuun feeling. (The book should be readily available Tuesday for 3.95 and 46 pages... But since Antarctic is small press, finding copies is likely to be troublesome... I'll see about finding a way for copies to be ordered if anyone is interested...)

(By the way, I'm kidding about it being my n ew favorite book. I'm not that shallow. And besides, after staring at the thing while working on it for two months, I'm a bit used to the thing...)

Gasper- The Trunks story and Bardock's story... Two of the most drama filled pieces of DBZ history... About to be realeased as bad dubs. Oh well.. Take what one can get I suppose...

Winterwolf- Nuts, I knew the answer to your riddle but only now came online. Pooie.

Gside- Nah, DBZ: Dirty Fighting is among the FUNNEST DBZ fights. Vegeta/18 is the only one I know of where the characters battle atop moving cars...

Sorow- Your second year in the CR is coming up? Hmm, that means mine must be too. COol.

Caliope- Wait, you had to READ the movie to your brother? You have a subtitled version? *Blinks* How? Where?

Katara- Eek. Everyone is having bad times lately...

Jessie Feff- I've read the full version of PRincess Bride by Morgenstern. Its rather dull. WIlliam Goldman did the abridged version which cuts out the rather dull second chapter and lots of boring political bits. (100 pages of looking at various dresses and learning to sip tea? BORING.) Since Goldman's the name you thought of, I'd guess you've also read the abridged version.

Ender's Game movie- I stopped caring about that thing months ago when I heard that the script was being altered to accomadate "Little Annie Skywalker". I gained some hope when they changed it to the sixth sense kid, but... Fact is, Ender's game focuses on a six year old who grows into a twelve year old. The movie will NOT do it justice, even with Card writing the script.

Spacebabie- Like I said, some of the books that would have us believe Ash is only 10, Mistie is 12, and Brock 14 would also have us believe that Jessie and James are only 15. Others say 17. I just out and out refuse to believe that, especially after reading through the manga. (Misty ah... looks a bit older...) It's my theory that you just add 4 years to everyone's age, and you get their proper age, not what the marketing people would prefer the youngsters to think. Hence, Ash is 14, Misty is 16, Brock is 18, and Team Rocket is in their early twenties...

Gundam WIng's EPyon looking liek Xanatos' power suit... Well... Gargoyles game out in 94, and Gundam Wing came out in 96...

Zath- I have to walk to school because the buses don't come anywhere near my class schedual. If I took the bus, I'd either get to class 10 minutes late or an hour early, and getting home I'd have to wait about an hour. Its easier and more conveniant to just walk, and drink lots of fluids afterwards.

As far as Ender's Shadow, no, it wasn't as bad a Xenocide or Children of the Mind, (Xenocide still being the WORST book Card has ever done since the main character was an unlikable little biotch) but the thing is, Ender's Shadow ruined Bean as a character, (So he was genetically enhanced AND the brother of another character AND he basically led a street gang at the age of 2 AND he was conveniantley found and saved by a nun? Oii) and added a whole lot of background plot contrivances to Ender's Game that weren't there before. (So Bean hand picked all of Ender's troops? WHich means Ender wasn't as great a teacher as we thought, he just had brilliant troops to start. Poo. It was funner to think he was just good at it and ANY student could have learned under him. And Bean was the second most well known kid in the school but somehow Ender didn't even HEAR about him? Suuure...) Not to mention, Ender's Shadow was just plain bad in a lot of ways. It ruined Ender's Game for me. (Xenocide and Children of the Mind didn't because they didn't contradict what was already there and can simply be ignored. Shadow screwed everything up and last time I tried reading Ender, I thought of all the parallel events going on and it just ruined the story. As a matter of fact, a lot of Card's more recent works haven't been that good. Including chapters 4 and 5 of the Alvin Maker saga... (WHich were practically the same book!)

Gasper again- Hey, Dorothy is downright appealing compared to the villain in Endless Waltz. Just wait until... Hold on sec...

**GUNDAM WING: ENDLESS WALTZ SPOILERS**

Dorothy is downright appealing compared to the villainess in Endless Waltz. Just wait until you meet Treize Kushrenada's 8 year old daughter Mirimei who's out to destroy the earth with her legion of McDonald's employees. (No, I'm not making this up! Endless Waltz SUCKS! The new Gundams don't even come in until the last 8 mintes, there's only three good scenes in the entire 90 minutes, and the characters are all given new backstories that make absolutely no sense... Well, Heero's sort of does, but Trowa's backstory is downright nutball.)

Um, that's enough dwelling on Endless Waltz now... I shudder to think how fazed I'm gonna be when the english voices that Ilike are forced to deliver some of the lines in that atrocity... However, it *IS* great for some MST treatment... Watch it with friends when it gets here!)

**END GUNDAM WING: ENDLESS WALTZ SPOILERS. And this post apparently...**

Robby
Friday, September 8, 2000 11:56:06 PM
IP: spider-tj011.proxy.aol.com

*Archwolf stubles in, singing (badly off key, mind) 'Tango Maurene' * Hey every one! I feel great! don't ask why. Honestly, I don't know why.

Any how.
Katara><Getting Mugged> WHAT!?! *Growly low, Warfrost echoes the growl, earls low, hackles up.* I hope some one some where catches the SOB and does some nasty unspeakable things to him.

Kit/Doug<Gus and the other guy>See the above message to Katara> addendum>>Mec can tell you my views of revenge, so I say sit up late on night, wiat for him to strike again, and do something very UNgarg like to him. Really, though, I hope it is resolved, and my prayers are with you.

Political stuff> Gore was at my campus wednnesday. Getting frisked by the Secret Service SO made my semester. No one could get tickes to see the schmuck speak casue his audience was bussed in from elsewhere.

Emambu> So where's the party? Sig Tau? Hey, have you gotten a chance to eat at the O yet? or go to the Museum? Oh, If you ever walk by the Cathedral of learning on a sunday and some one asks you the time, chances are its a LARP Leech trying to suck yer blood. Oakland...what a great area. Bars, odd balls, GREAT looking CoEds.

Mec>If you see Kalytra, tell her I was not in to respond to her. I was not being rude. And who was I talking to earlier today again? Should I add her to my buddy list (assuming she gats an AIM handle?)

Some one posted a link to the White WOlf web page for the Grand Klaive...I WANT ONE! GIMMIE $249! sorry.

Oh, if you liked Cats and Rent clikc my name...found this the other day by accident...rather interesting.

well, that looks like all i ave to say.
TIme to soak the knee.
Shade and sweet water

*archwolf says something in a growlish language and fades from existance. Warfrost remains to ward members of the CR*
Archywolf - [archwolf@collegeclub.com]
Friday, September 8, 2000 11:03:59 PM
IP: viking202-88.dhcp.csuohio.edu

[enters]
Green Baron>> [my life being more interesting] I wouldn't bet cash money on it. Read below. [college] so far, I'm looking into Penn, York, and Georgetown (my top 3 in that order... hope they like me as much as I like them!)

----Warning: boring life post!----
ok, my life... I haven't been posting "stuff"... let's see...
ok, here goes: My family life eerily parallels the Cleavers from Leave it to Beaver. A close friend and I are trying to decide if we want to start dating each other. My school roster got screwed up. the Speech team lacks members. Besides Gargoyles I like Ghostbusters, the Monkees and MST3K. I actually liked Brave New world. I like to write and love words in general. I write poetry, and one of my prose peices has scared people.

If anyone actually cares about these inanities, let me know, i'll be happy to expand.

Happiness to all!
--Daphne

Daphne, apprentice-wordsmith
Friday, September 8, 2000 09:39:18 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.220.75.philadelphia1.level3.net

gargoyle digimon? well I suppose it beats my idea, silvergargs, yep the clan as the crew from hawk haven (which would look interesting atop the eyrie)
Goliath=Quicksilver
Brookyln=Bluegrass
Broadway=steelwill
Angela=Steelheart
lex=Copper Kidd
Hudson=Cmndr. Stargazer
Bronx=tally-hawk
as for the wings, I was thinking cybernetic versions of garg wings but with silverhawks feather-style membranes, as for the flight "faceplates" well just think of the clan trying to cram their faces behind one of those (not to mention Brooklyn flying the mirage while jamming on hotlicks or side-man (depending on the episode)
shogun raptor
Friday, September 8, 2000 09:32:48 PM
IP: user-38lde71.dialup.mindspring.com

Mandi- be careful, huh- hugz-

Christine- 'becca to kindergarden- aww! cute

Steve- good to hear from you

more later
jenna
Friday, September 8, 2000 09:13:26 PM
IP: 1cust20.tnt3.stafford.tx.da.uu.net

**Robbery Update**

Guess I didn't give too many details did I?!?
We're all fine.
They never caught them.
And we all get free THERAPY!!
What a bonus, eh?!

 Banks are robbed more often than anyone one knows because after the robbery employees are sworn to silence and, unless someone was killed or held hostage, the media isn't supposed to broadcast it! FDIC doesn't want ot panic you!

Off to that therapy now! Boy are they in for a shocker!

Anasatis (Ana)
Friday, September 8, 2000 08:01:45 PM
IP: 1cust28.tnt1.hemet.ca.da.uu.net

*Emambu runs in*

Hey gang, I'm off to a party (one of those college perks), but before I leave...

Mecord: Did you get my e-mail of the comments I sent you on the first part of your story? I ask because I tried to send you comments for part 2 and your e-mail blocked me. Do you know why it did that or how I can get around this? Maybe you have another account where I could send my comments to *hopeful suggestion*.

That's it. I'll try to get a full post in tomorrow. Take care,

---Emambu
Emambu - [emambu@commandchamber.net]
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Friday, September 8, 2000 07:59:23 PM
IP: dhcp78-230.pittsburgh.resnet.pitt.edu

**DPH spots DC in the room and summons a thunderbolt attack against DC. All that remains is a few paricles of dirt. "That was for causing Netscape to crash 2 times before I finished typing up my post."**

MIA: Where is the other Daniel?

**RP RELATED**
1 more RP day until the battle.

Darn, DPH can't beat up on Jason, YET.

I will be RPing this weekend, bringing everything upto the point where I want it to be before Monday's start of the Speed Star battle.
**END RP RELATED**

No phone call from insurance company today. I wonder if they called their time (New York time) or my time (Arkansas time). An even better question is do they realize they are in a different time zone than I am.

Gside: DPH confesses to both being a perfectionist and wanting to work as fast as possible. In other words, I will more than cover my own tracks. In the future, I will keep your words in mind.

One more thing left to do:

**BFTS RP continues**
*The next morning at Speed Star HQ*
Jennifer and Greg walk into Elaine's office.

"Here is the list. Fred Hitman approved your request after thinking about it for a few moments." says Elaine.

Jennifer and Greg say, "Thank you." Elaine hands the folder to Jennifer and Jennifer and Greg leave the room and head into their office.

"Well, we have enough truck drivers to handle all problems. The trucks were purchased yesterday and more weapons and ammo should be coming in today." said Jennifer.

Greg asked, "But how will we get the ammo and weapons loaded?"

"Let's head directly to Fred Hitman for that answer," replies Jennifer.
**END BFTS RP for now**
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Friday, September 8, 2000 07:46:43 PM
IP: max1-20.cwy.cei.net

<Shadowrider enters>

Hey, it is a while I don't see Jannie...anyone happens to have her news?

Niamhgold:> Things are better now, thank you for asking. Alessia and I are both OK, and Alessia wants me to thank you for your wishes. She also hopes you and Brad (it is your b-friend's name, isn't it?...I'm sorry, but I don't remember well) are having good time as well. And so I hope, too. I am also glad you liked my poor words about the feelings of these days...
Rapist on the loose: Not good. Too many bad news in this CR recently...please, keep your eyes open everywhere you go, and your right arm always free. The Mace spray and self-defense classes are of use for sure, but remember that they will be of no use if he can catch you by surprise. Take care of yourself, and be prudent, my friend.

Ana:> Bank robbery: Well, I'm happy to see you are OK.

Winterwolf:> Glad you liked my words about windy days too. As I wrote them, I thought that there was going to be no reaction, except some puffs of bore...:)
Traffic: Yes, as you said, it happens only once a year. And, furthermore, I heard that in N.Y. you are having similar problems because of the ONU summit.
About my service...well, I think just one day will be enough. I have no preference, both the days are all right to me. :)

Warpmind:> Yes, a Norwegian author...and one of my preferred books. I really loved "Sofies Verden" (I've read it in Italian, of course...), it was very intriguing and wonderfully written, and Gaarder manages to write about a "difficult" topic like philosophy (it is very easy to bore the reader while speaking of it) and make it interesting and funny. I really suggest you to read it...it is worth the effort. I understand your feelings about Norwegian litterature...I passed through something similar, after the HS where I was forced to read a boring brick after another, I needed almost one year of "Detoxication", reading only non-Italian writers, to recover...and only later I could restart reading works of Italian writers.

Green Baron:> I'm positive I've seen that DuckTales episode...it was about a mysterious "Ghost" that infested the castle where the hotel was placed, isn't it? Anyway, that character could be plausible in '70s...in F.1 currently there are two Italian drivers, and both of them outside the races are very reserved, almost boring.
Oh, I got your mail with your address. Thank you very much. I'll send you my address when I'll start the service.

<Yawns> Oh, well, sleep is calling me...see you tomorrow.
Good night.
Shadowrider - [shadowrider@katamail.com]
Milan, Italy
Friday, September 8, 2000 06:51:56 PM
IP: h255-20-237.mi2.albacom.net

Ah yes, Dorothy Catalonia, Cousin of Treize Kushranada and granddaughter of Duke Durmail. SHe needs a good blast from Wing Zero's Buster Rifle. She's annoying as hell, always sticks her head in other peoples business, and an all around pest. I feel for Relena...because she has to put up with Dottie.

Epyon- A nice little Gundam....but inferior. DeathScythe and DS Hell Custom is a nice little toy.

Mandolin, Doug & Kit- I hope they catch these b*st*rds. Why do people do this. What sick pleasure do they find in it? What is the point. As much as I wish I didn't have to say this, but sometimes, these people: Stalkers, rapists, all around bad people, need to be shot. I hate to advocate death, but better to put them down then to worry about them spending our tax dollars for appeals they don't need.

End of my rant. Mandolin, D&K< I wish you the best of luck. Wish I could help ya or do something to help.

Okay...after watching today's Gundam Wing...as I've seen it before.....I think we should REALLY shoot Dorothy with Heero's Buster Rifle.

I apologize for my violent thoughts. They are uncalled for...

Gasper
MN, US
Friday, September 8, 2000 05:52:35 PM
IP: 209.83.84.4

Aaron > well, while cleaning up the resulting mess wasn't a treat, it was amusing two hours later when the guy came back, looked around, and wondered where his brownies were. "In the trash, burnt, and full of broken glass. Bon Appetit!"

Kit > ROFL! Tell her I love it, and she _must_ let me post it on the MageLore site! I'm familiar with that song, suppose I should have seen something like that coming! As long as it's not the start of a scary trend ; ) Best of luck dealing with this stalker business!

Stephen > oh, good; I was thinking about that story the other day because someone sent me a couple of furry fics! (though yours is better <g>).

Green Baron > good, I'm looking forward to the poem! And I didn't mean anything bad against public education; it served well enough for Tim and me!

Updates > my current project is to finish "A King for Hothar" for Sabledrake, and then I will likely be going back to work on "The Gifted," the second horror novel. I told myself I'd finish it before the end of the year. So there won't be any fanfic from me for a while, though ideas are brewing. Some new pics will be posted to the Gallery and to the MageLore site this weekend.

Warpmind > quite possibly the next series, okay ; )
Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Friday, September 8, 2000 04:50:20 PM
IP: 07-121.009.popsite.net

Robby> <<walking 4 miles to and from school>> Why do you have to walk to school, especially in this weather, if you're 2 miles away? At that distance, shouldn't there be busses? <<In my case we had letter people and songs... On a RECORD PLAYER!>> I remember those. There was a picture on a piece of cardboard for each one. The consonants were guys and the vowels were women. <<But ever since Card did the LOUSY "Ender's Shadow" last year which showed another side of the events in the story, well... It lost a lot.>> I don't think Ender's Shadow was anywhere near as lousy as Xenocide or Children Of The Mind.

Winterwolf> <<Well if you don't mind having things accidentally bleach stained then I've got you covered! **laugh**>> I think I'll just do it myself then� ; )

Warpmind> <<The Golden Rules for guarding magical artifacts>> But those don't take into account all the various villains/heroes that might show up and attempt to cause great bodily harm while trying to steal the artifact for their own use. Not to mention it's difficult to run very far while in an airplane five miles above the Atlantic Ocean. <<As for "A Bronx Tail", well, I can't say to have read that particular fic. (Or was it a TGC episode? If so, I have *absolutely* not seen it.)>> It was a TGC episode so awful I was surprised that no one shouted "Blasphemy!" when I mentioned it, but it was the first thing that sprang to mind when you claimed there was nothing to do in Philly. You could also run up the art museum steps and pretend that you're Rocky.

Kyryn> <<There was a sequel to "Watership Down?">> It wasn't exactly a sequel, more like a collection of short stories, most of which took place after the novel. There were also a few about Elharaira (sp? I know I messed it up pretty badly) On the whole, the quality was low and the stories weren't interesting.

Mandolin> <<They didn't just figure that she was mistaken, they accused her of LYING.>> WHAT?!? That's nuts. Those cops really ought to try being a little more sympathetic. These people are supposedly our tax dollars at work. : (

Christine> <> I agree. Seeing Lestat want to be a rockstar was painful. I gave up on Queen Of The Damned about halfway through because I couldn't care about any of the characters enough to force myself to finish. I have so much stuff on my "things I want to read" list I don't see the point of wasting my time reading stuff I find myself loathing.

Mecord> <<DRAGONFLIGHT RULES!!>> Yes, it does : ) However, a lot of Mccaffrey's more recent books feel like she's gotten so powerful that editors are afraid to make her angry by saying anything, especially The Tower And The Hive and Pegasus In Space. The Masterharper Of Pern was pretty good, but it had some glaring continuity errors in relation to the rest of the series.

Spike> <<sorta pulp fiction gumshoe meets Tolkien>> sounds interesting

Aaron> <<"Try not to be funnier then me, okay?" she sounded a bit like Demmie>> Imagining Demona saying that for any reason leads to some strange creativity demons. <<What are you quoting? Because there's a bit in Mean Guns where Christopher Lambert says almost the same thing.>> It's from the gun song (Terrence Mann and some other people doing this bizarre barbershop quartet type thing about guns and shooting people) in Stephen Sondheim's musical Assassins. One of these days I need to hear the rest of the soundtrack to find out if the other songs are as strange. Also, is Mean Guns (never seen it) the sequel to Gunmen, or do they just both have Lambert and similar titles but no other connection?

Niamhgold> <<Drawing: I had my first college-level crit today, and it wasn't pretty. Thankfully, I was the only kid who didn't (a) burst out into tears or (b) leave the room _with_ my artwork, and not come back (although I still got considerably bashed. How is it that teachers consider contemporary art as a fine art but don't consider illustration as a fine art? I've never heard the word "illustrative" used in such negative terms before...)>> Yikes, sounds like this person is extremely harsh. So far my drawing teacher seems like a relatively laidback kind of guy. For homework, we have to do a self-portrait every week. He honestly tells us what's wrong with them, but he manages to do it without sounding like he's completely bashing us. In class, we're drawing stuffed animals for our first project. This guy also makes money designing posters (he gave us samples of his work on the second day of class, so I now have a poster of an LAPD badge and two burning nightsticks altered slightly to look like a skull and crossbones accompanied by the words "Dis Belief") so I have a feeling he has a more positive view of illustration.

Anasatis> <> Did they catch the person who did it?

Caliope> <<You reading Chaucer too?! Ha! I'm not the only one!>> Yup, what makes it worse is that it's for the second time. This time we even had to read the Miller's Tale, which was considered too dirty to read in high school. <> Anything can be impressive if it's drawn well : )

Katara> <> At least you're alright. Hopefully they'll eventually catch the guy.

Jessie Feff> <<E. Nesbit's Five Children and It series>> There was an entire series? I only remember one, but maybe the one I had was actually the series collected into one volume. I can't remember because I read it way back in 4th grade. <<If you haven't read the full version, I'd recommend giving it at least a look. (Think it's by...William Goldman?)>> I think it was Goldman who did the version Robby is talking about. I seem to recall the author's note referring to it as "the good parts version" and saying that the original was some really old story with a bunch of long boring chunks that were mostly irrelevant to the plot (sounds like Les Mis ; ) ).

Spacebabie> <<That's right Foo Foo, that is the nickname my brother's commaning officer gave him when he wentto weekend drill>> Foo Foo? As in "little bunny Foo Foo"?

Zath - [zath@rocketmail.com]
Friday, September 8, 2000 04:33:36 PM
IP: ppp-222-122.usc.edu

A quicky reply before I have to go visit with the grandparents... grandma is recovering from thyroid surgery this week (doctors thought she had lumps of cancer, but it proved to be wrong, thank god):

GREEN BARON > Actually, I used up my GI Bill already... that's how I got my Associates Degree in Commercial Art. This time around, I think I'm going for Multimedia or web certifications...

XENATREK > Yes, I got the email, but I've been so busy with the job search I haven't had time to sit down to call (considering how late it's been getting home, since I have to rely on the bus and my own two feet), or contact any of the people that have. I'd still like to call sometime... just need to know when it would be okay to do so.

Well, I have to be moving... Talk to everyone after the weekend! Maintain and Check Six!

Stephen R. Sobotka, Jr. - [scififangargoyle@yahoo.com]
Tampa, Florida, USA
Friday, September 8, 2000 03:43:45 PM
IP: proxy-373.public.rwc.webtv.net

Due to a headache I messed up yesterday
18 days til new Buffy/Angel
10 days til Foo Foo ships off
That's right Foo Foo, that is the nickname my brother's commaning officer gave him when he wentto weekend drill

Robby>>You wrote something about Team Rocket being only 15? Didnt Jessie says she was 17 in the episode where they went to the pokemon testing center?

Duo..I mean Aaron and Mara>>>Yeah Epios does resemble a gargoyle. that was the first thing I noticed
Another anime with Gargoyle like robots is Magic Knights

Oh My Gawd! Has anyone been watching Cartoon Network at 3:30? Silver Hawks is on. Man that was one of the best cartoons from back in the day, and their commander kind of reminds me of Walter Skinner

Now for my spoilish review of Last nights MTV music awards
************************BEGIN SPOILERS/REVIEW***************

Well it started nicely with Crhis rock having the sutffing beat out of him. I'm glad Brlink 182 won their award, As for NSynce,Brittney andEmenem Bleh!

uh erm well.....Interesting promotion to vote for Bush

Speaking of W his nephew was in the audience

Brittney what the heck wer you thinking? Uhhh wait you dont think.

I was booing Ryoko style when Lars was on stage

Blink's performance well I enjoyed it and it was best described as Mini Me's Bachelor party.
***********************End Review/ Spoilers*****************

You know you have too much time on yer hands when your drawing digidestined who have gargoyle digimon
Spacebabie
Orlando, Fl, U.S.A
Friday, September 8, 2000 03:22:50 PM
IP: user-37kapfm.dialup.mindspring.com

I'm posting in blue. Yep. That's right!!!! Today is the Virgin Mary's Birthday.

Happy Birthday to Mary! Happy Birtdhay to her! Happy Birthday to God's Mommy, now let's all honor her :)

Favorite Books> Anything by John Bellairs I like, especially his parody about St, Fidgeta. I imagine that boos would amuse anyone, but as a Catholic, I definitely understood much of the humor, including a lone about a Communion pom-pom gun :) I also like PJ O'Rourke's stuff, though he was not writing novels as much as giving political commentary. His book Eat The Rich is a great tribute to capital. The Prince was very good and I loved the anecdotes. Machiavelli also wrote a play called Mandragodla, which I found hillarious. I also loved The Narnia Chronicles which were great as well, and Crossing the Threshold of Faith always makes me hopeful about the future. Lily Logan Morril's Builder of teh New South was great, plu sit is about the life of my great-great grandfather Thomas Muldrup Logan, so I am biased. Another favorite of mine was A Canticle for Leiboitz. it was a slwo starter, but it picked up fast. The same is true for Angela's Ashes, but they were both very depressing books. Angela's Ashes was a great mvie, too, but very sad.

Worst books> I can't really find one I really disliked, though Cat's Cradle was pretty bad and quite boring. A lot of poetry loses my interest fast. I prefer prose much more than poetry. I prefe the more prosaic translation of The Aeneid.

Books I want to read> More of HP Lovecraft, definitely. More of GK Chesterton, a lot more science fiction, plus I want to finsih the remaining John Bellairs and the ones wirtten by another author who has continued writing in his Universe(s).

Fire Storm> Thsoe Forsyths are not related to me except very distantly. All of my kin in South Carolina are Logans, mainly, and most probably remain in Charleston.

Christine> I told Dr. Barnes. Now, i must get him to submit it. He has it typed up. I'll borrow it form him and transcribe it to an e-mail to be submitted to you. His only concern is that the poem would remain his copywritten property, which I think your rules say it would be.

Warpmind> This poem would actually be copyright of John W. Barnes, BFA, MBA, PhD.

Zath> Actually, my Finance Class will have some English components. Dr. Wood wants us to read The Elements of Style and The King's english for writing financial reports.

Shadowrider> Your discussion of racing reminds me of a Duck Tales episode with this flashy Italian playboy race car driver who renetd a hotel room from Scrooge McDuck.

Doug and Kit> Truly, your problems suck. I'd say kill them if you can get away with it, then go to Confession :)

Mandi> Well, those cops are as inept as the New Orleans PD. Of course, the Campus Cops woudl only care about you having a kitty. if I were that buerecrat, I'd confiscate the kitty and take her home with me.

Daphne> When will you be heading off for College. I'd say pick the Loyola University in Philadelphia, but I have a fondness for Jesuit education, though I am weary about a Jesuit taught religion course, unless the guy in question wears a collar, and/or I like the way they celebrate Mass.

Christine> Maw of public education? I've yet to attend any sort of public school. Maybe grad school will be my frist time.

Anne Rice> I like her, not so much for her books, but she has become a strong force in the New Orleans preservation movement and has used much of her personal fortune to buy and restore homes in the city. She is trying to get rif of Straya's, a Californian Creole restaurant which fits Hollywood more than uptown New Orleans (also any Californian claiming to be creole is a damned liar). She is also trying to fight the stealing of cemetery art in many of New Orleans beautiful mausoleums.

Dame Corax> You liked The Prince, too? I have an anthology of Machiavelli at my home. BTW, please feel free to e-mail me especially if you are who I think you are.

Kya> I remember you at G2K. Sorry I didn't talk to you much. I will next time.

Mecord> I'll let Shauntelle know that you were cut off, but I don't know when next I'll find her on-line.

Mecord> Old English is a nice language, but being part Norman, I can't speak too highly of it ;)

Aaron> Well, your nicer to him than Mara, but Attila still likes Mara :)

Niamhgold> Well, all these accounts make me relaize New Orleans isn't that unsafe after all. As for a serial rapist. disarm him and take him down, then kill him. Those types of people need to die. Their heads make nice trophies and killing them saves the taxpayers a fortune.

DPH> Yes, I'd say you are very paranoid :)

Daphne> You're life is probably more interesting than mine.

Ana> That is awful. I rarely hear about bank robbers, these days, too.

SOROW> I guess you'relife is buys. I will e-mail you this weekend.

Shingami> Attila thinks your mean, but he still likes you :)

caliope> I've been decent. I look forward to graduating.

Jessie> I saw Princess Mononoke. I liked it, especially how it gave eevryone another chance. I don't understand the controversy, though.

XenaTrek> I'll see you in a few weeks ::passioned kisses::

Sevarius Jr.> I favor Duncan more, because I love the series, but my favorite immortal of all time is Kalas. he was a great villain.

Stephen> It's too bad you coudln't use your GI Bill to go to College and egt a degree in Computer Science. If that GI Bill applied to Graduate school, I'd use it.

Green Baron - [greenbaron@hotmail.com]
New Orleans, Louisiana
Friday, September 8, 2000 03:21:43 PM
IP: adsl-78-220-248.msy.bellsouth.net

*peeks inside room*

Finally a little time for a quick post.

Stephen R. Sobotka, Jr. >> I've emailed you awhile back with my phone number and such per your request for fellow Floridians to get ahold of you... was wondering if you have gotten them.

Re: Books >> I think I've read thousands upon thousands by now. Hmmm... not too sure what is my absolute favorite nor my least favorite. I try to read a variety, anyone from King, Koontz, Hienland (sp?), Crichton, Rice, etc., most of the genre tends to be in supense/thriller, a little horror, futuristic Sci-Fi (ie Star Trek, Star Wars, etc.,) and military adventure. I guess one of my favorite books were a series of anthologies on ghost stories... from haunting houses to submaries... those are the classics. Another book I really loved was the ghost/military books I really love is "Ghost Ship"... I believe thats what it called... can't remember who wrote it either. All I have is the cover in my head... its about a haunted Submarine where a group of people gets trapped in and are running for their lives.

Gotta run. *gives GB and Coyote a kiss and exits*
XenaTrek - [ellislis@yahoo.com]
Orlando, FL, USA
Friday, September 8, 2000 02:24:18 PM
IP: proxy2b.lmco.com

*Warpmind enters, scritching his chin.*
Say, guys, anyone here know a good source for info on castle designs throughout history? I'm looking for it, for a second attempt to write a Call of Cthulhu Scenario book. (Heck, I'm hooked on the system, I got a blindingly good idea, and I'm sure I can make it work, so why not give it a shot?)

Winterwolf: Yeah, 8 more, but on the *really* bright side... they're comparative with, oh, a car that's just experienced a key up close? Merely a bit of surface work, thank Heavens. It COULD have been all in the molars.

Mandolin: The police treated your friends like THAT? *Fumes slightly.* Might I recommend you give the link Wilek provided some SERIOUS thought? ;)

Shadowrider: You actually liked "Sofies Verden"? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not a Norwegian author! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ;) (Honestly, though, I've never read it, and, due to a general lack of respect to anyone who writes in Norwegian, mostly from suffering too many b*o*r*i*n*g brick novels for the past thirteen years in the school system, I don't think anyone can really blame me...)

Christine: Agh! Unfair! Treachery! Deceit! Oh, well, maybe the next trilogy again, then? ;)

I see there's a fairly unpleasant opinion of Anne Rice's literary skills going on here... and I must admit to actually enjoying Lestat... would it help if I say it was mainly because there's an ancient vampire with my name there? ]:) Rest assured, I doubt I will buy any other books, nor even bother with the library...

Aaron: Me amigo, you had better not try to tell us that *you* were the one she told not to be funnier than herself, eh? ;) As for your offer... um... is it a cheetah-patterned business suit, or a fursuit?

Gside: Oh, never fear, my arm is performing as ever before. No, wait, that didn't sound right... ;)

Caliope: Kinky? Roswell? Admittedly, in Norway, the show's probably not gone as far as in the US, but... hey, at least those three kids *look* human, which is more than we can say for a certain detective's purple boyfriend. :)

Kit: That filk... *twitch* maybe I should finish the little thing I'm writing to the melody of "Rhinestone Cowboy" one of these days... "Fiction Junkie". ]:)

SJ: Koontz gripes: Now, as you yourself admitted, all his books aren't bad - and as for Phantoms, well, it's one of his earlier books, I think (at least the copy I have is OLD), and I think you might have missed part of the terror of Phantoms, as well - the terror isn't that the blob is a gigantic blob, but that it can not only look human, it has an ego big enough to fill all the Star Trek plotholes. As for other books... may I recommend Midnight, TickTock, Hideaway, Lightning and Cold Fire? All those books I have enjoyed repeatedly. :)

Selanit: That book you found... a favor? Provide a link to the translation when you're done with it? :)

Well, that's about it, and there's lightning danger in the air... gotta go.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Friday, September 8, 2000 02:18:38 PM
IP: mp-217-208-94.daxnet.no

PENDRAGON: �THE SLEEPERS�

***This post will contain SPOILERS***

Comments a bit late, so I guess everybody else has probably said everything. Sorry if I'm repeating old sentiments, I haven't had a chance to read the previous comments yet.

Anyway - another lovely episode; nice pace, great epic feel to it and a great cliffhanger conclusion. My biggest problem with it is: nothing all that surprising happens.

So the hooded figure is the long-awaited Morganna return. Predicted that. Arthur passed the Sleeper�s tests. That was obvious. Arthur didn�t kill the stag. Again, it was pretty obvious. The twists really didn�t grip enough. Maybe if the Sleepers didn�t realise at first that they�d got the wrong guy then it would help loosen the predictability. Batraz basically gave him a chance right off, which was a pity. Still, Arthur now has the horn at his disposal, which is an interesting little feature.

Lovely touches: Morganna mentioning, �it�ll take more than civil servants to destroy that man� (quote from memory). Cornix is also named, which is cool; seems it wasn�t the Morrigan or Raven. And I love the 13 treasures. They�re great.

But maybe some more pace could be thrown in. It seems that the gang encounter an incredible range of historical and legendary bits and pieces but always seem to come up trumps with relatively little difficulty (e.g. the wand thingy). I can't help feeling that the trio are having a bit of an easy ride considering the supposed calibre of the opponents they're up against.

Still, it wasn't a bad episode and I like it a lot. Great job, gang.
Ed - [ed.reynolds]
Friday, September 8, 2000 01:22:13 PM
IP: webcacheh05a.cache.pol.co.uk

Oooo, BOOKS. A subject near and dear to my heart. Hmm. Let's see. There are tons of good books I could recommend. It's too hard to choose, though. Hmm. I've got it! I'll establish categories for myself and then fill them.

Most Powerful: A Gift Upon the Shore, M. K. Wren. (Out of print, try Bibliofind, click my name for their search engine). READ this one -- it's astonishing. Whenever I finish it, I suffer from shortness of breath, blurred vision, and accelerated heartrate. Note: Do not read this book if you suffer from heart conditions. Seriously.

Most Amusing Fluff: the Thraxas series by Martin Scott. Currently available from Amazon.co.uk, but not Amazon.com. Fantasy/Mystery series starring Thraxas, the middle-aged overweight failed wizard, and his assistant Makri, the half-human, quarter-elf, quarter-orc ex-gladiator studying for a degree in Philosophy. The series is probably not of any lasting literary value, but they're a fun way to pass a lazy afternoon. They're sharp as an elf's ear, as Thraxas says.

I'd better reign myself in, or this note could get long. Ta, I'm off to the library to continue translating this book I found in Special Collections. It's a Elizabethan-era tome about the nature of dragons. Printed, not manuscript, with illustrations. Written in Latin.

Selanit - [selanit@atuan.com]
Friday, September 8, 2000 12:37:39 PM
IP: humn83-67-dhcp.colorado.edu

Greetings all...

First off, a belated much-heartfelt condolences to Christi and Green Baron for their loss... I've been through the fire of loss myself when my father died. Here's to the memory of loved-ones lost (raises glass) May their memory burn ever brighter in our hearts and souls.

Well, still no job yet, but I applied for help through the Veteran's Admin.; to sign me up for their Vocational Rehabilitation program. Hopefully, they'll either help me get a job or get me the training I need to find and keep one in computers or graphic arts.

Also, I contacted the local cable modem company, and they told me the soonest they could come out to install one is the 21st of this month... so, I'm still stuck with mom's web TV until then...

Onto other things:

CHRISTINE > Bummer about the work-week so far... especially the Exploding Brownies. YIKE! Read your latest fic, and I loved it! Especially the bits with Amber and Hudson... WOW!

Some news to pass along, I think I'm getting back into writing Bloody Vixen again... started to work on an expansion of Chapter 3 that will push things back some, but it will possibly add two new chapters to the entire book. Also, the dedication will be made to you, Naturally (grin), but I'm thinking of adding some Acknowledgements too...

MANDI & DOUG/KIT > Hope they catch the scumbags that are causing all of the trouble for you all, and that it happens as soon as possible. Keep safe and let's hope the cops nail these dimgledorks to the wall by certain tender parts of the anatomy!

Greetings to all the newcomers!

FAV BOOKS/WORST BOOKS > Well, I have a few of those:

FAVS:

- The Helmsman Series by Bill Baldwin (esp. "The Trophy")
- The Vampire Files by P.N. Elrod
- The Dancing Gods series by Jack Chalker
- The Dragon & The George by Jack Chalker
- The Alien Chronicles by Deborah Chester (READ THESE!)
- Summon The Keeper by Tanya Huff (READ THIS!)
- The Crystal Warriors by W. Forstchen & G. Morrison
- Anything from Anne McCaffrey's Pern series (esp. Dragonsdawm, All Weyrs of Pern, Renegades of Pern, The Harper Hall Trilogy and The White Dragon!)
- Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword & Sorceress anthologies
- The Dragonlance Chronicles by M. Weis & T. Hickman
- The Heir to The Empire trilogy by Timothy Zahn
- and Curse of the Shadow Beasts by Christine Morgan... which might be replaced when I read Dark of Elvenwood! (grin)

Worst:

Only one book comes to mind... Planet X by Michael Jan Friedman. This is the WORST example of a mainstream crossover novel! Read it and you'll see!

BTW, did anyone catch the game results last week in the NFL? <beams> My boys, the Buccaneers trounced the Patriots! And we're going to face Chi-Town's Bears coming this sunday... I won't make any predictions now, but I have a gut feeling that this is Tampa Bay's year of destinty. Even if we make it into the Big Game in January, no matter if we win or not, it will still be history in the making, since no franchise team has ever made it into the Super Bowl when they were the hosting city... 'Corse it was a rough deal the owners let Brad Culpepper go, and now he's playing for Da Bears, but I still have a good feeling about the Bucs this year!

Well, that's all from me for now. Talk to you all later!

[walks out of the room, wearing a "Pewter Power" button on his Big White Hat...]

Maintain and Check Six!

Stephen R. Sobotka, Jr. - [scififangargoyle@yahoo.com]
Tampa, Florida, USA
Friday, September 8, 2000 12:12:06 PM
IP: proxy-1362.public.svc.webtv.net

Books: Ah, a topic that draws quite a bit of interest, eh? Like many of you, I could go on and on about the books that I DO like. I suppose that I'm just to cynical, though, because I like to focus a little too much on the books that I DON'T like. So, I have a couple gripes about prominent authors:

Gripe 1--Dean Koontz: Don't get me wrong...I like Koontz. Usually, he writes a pretty decent novel. They're fairly entertaining. Alas, I don't think he'll ever rise up to the level of Stephen King or Clive Barker, but that's really a matter of personal opinion. Here's my beef with him: the man has a problem ending a book. I've been really into some of his books, and then he just kills it all for me. Case in point--[SPOILERS] Dragon's Tears was a pretty cool book, *until* the last third. Suddenly the reader finds out that Ticktock, the evil supernatural bad guy who's ruining everyone's lives.....is really just a teenage kid who got his superpowers cause his mommy was a drugged out hippy who was into weird LSD? And if that wasn't bad enough, he gets taken out so easily....God, what a letdown. Or how about "Phantoms"? The supreme evil is a giant amorphous blob of protoplasm??? The *worst* though, was in "House of Thunder". Okay, the heroine is in the hospital, and seeing all these supposedly dead guys, the same ones who killed her boyfriend a long time ago. It's a cool creepy littler mystery with supernatural overtones. But wait! It's really nothing supernatural! She's just secretly been kidnapped by the KGB! Darn those pesky Russians! PLEASE. That was the worst ending I've ever read for a book. What a cheap ripoff, trying to capitalize on the fears of the Cold War. [END SPOILERS]
It's not as if Koontz does this with every book. Take "Intensity". Good book from start to finish. I just wish he took more time with his endings.

Gripe 2--Anne Rice/Poppy Z. Brite: I have one problem with her writing, and I have the same problem with the writing of Poppy Z. Brite.
I don't want to offend any of you in the room, given your sexual orientation. I'm not being homophobic here. It's just....well, here's my gripe with both writers--their work is just, at times, a little *too* homoerotic.
I mean, it's like a given with Rice. Brite surprised me. I read "Lost Souls" a while ago. Has anyone ever read this? I'm sorry....I like to think of myself as a fairly progressive guy. I have no problem with homosexuality. But this book made me just uncomfortable. I felt like I was reading a soft-core gay erotica. I don't mind the sex so much as the quantity of it. Apparently, in Brite's world, vampires seem to like only 3 things--drinking blood, dressing like rejects from the Cure, and having lots of gay sex. I mean, I didn't mind the homosexuality so much until 2 things happened: 1) Nothing started to get it on with his FATHER, Zillah, and 2) Ghost and Steve--who should JUST STAY FRIENDS DAMNIT--tongue wrestled for the briefest of moments. At that point, I was just wigged out. It was like, "Okay, a little too much, thank you."
I don't know, maybe this is just me being a "prude", as I have been so labeled (I can picture someone reading this little diatribe and cackling with glee). But even if I'm okay with the homosexuality, I'm not really into literature where it happens like, every other page. That's enough for even me to feel a little uncomfortable.

Jenna: I heard that about Salinger. He seems like a really weird guy. Sounds like he put his kids through the wringer too. He'd get into these weird health kicks, and make his kids do them too. Like, one time he was into drinking his own urine, so he tried to force his kids to drink their's as well. Blecch. Also, his daughter (the same one who is writing the book) got pregnant, and he tried to convince her to abort it. When she went to her mother about this, her mother told her that he had tried to convince her (the mother) to abort he daughter! I think he's been playing ball a little too much in the rye if you ask me.

Highlander: I suppose you're either in the Connor camp or the Duncan camp. I'm a Duncan backer myself. Like I said--3 movies, of which one was good. But I liked pretty much the entire TV series. Plus, I think Lambert is tired of these films. He has plenty of other bad movies to go and make.

Mecord: Yes, they are making an Ender's Game movie. I believe that Orson Scott Card has written the screenplay for it as well; I think he had portions of it up on his website (which I have no idea what the addey is). I've lost track of where the film is on the production track. I don't think it will be coming out for a while now. Last I heard, I think they wanted to get the kid from Sixth Sense to play Ender (which is an improvement, because I thought I heard a rumor that the previous choice was that wooden doll who played Anakin in Episode 1).
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Friday, September 8, 2000 11:29:13 AM
IP: cache-1.spg.va.webcache.rcn.net

Caliope > Re: Roswell: Hey, is it just me, or does that guy in the season finaly who says something like It has begon or something, look like a backstreet boy to ya? >> Yep... its Howie Dorough, one of the Backstreet Boys.

A little busy here at work this morning... will post in a little while. Later.
XenaTrek - [ellislis@yahoo.com]
Orlando, FL, USA
Friday, September 8, 2000 08:43:00 AM
IP: proxy2b.lmco.com

Caliope > Re: Roswell: Hey, is it just me, or does that guy in the season finaly who says something like It has begon or something, look like a backstreet boy to ya? >> Yep... its Howie Dorough, one of the Backstreet Boy.

A little busy here at work this morning... will post in a little while. Later.
XenaTrek - [ellislis@yahoo.com]
Orlando, FL, USA
Friday, September 8, 2000 08:42:54 AM
IP: proxy2b.lmco.com

Hmmm...you know what sucks? Hearing a crash just moments after musing, "Gee, the cat's been kinda quiet...wonder what she's up to?" Then investigating said crash, to discover the cat has managed to knock over an oil lamp, spilling the contents all over the nicely varnished entertainment center and the heater!!! And that stuffs hard to clean up. Now I'm afraid she might have licked some up. :( Hope not!

Green Baron, Spike > A bit late, but please accept my condolances on your repectives losses. Lit a couple candles.

Mandi > <stalker> Jeez...that really bites. The cops were somewhat slow in dealing with my stalker, but at least they believed me and actually DEALT with him. Do your friends have a safe place to stay?

Winterwolf > <Don't worry with your **ahem** secret you could conceivably make us forget what we find out! ;) > hehehe..that'd be a hell of a fun thing, wouldn't it? *sigh* If only...

Good Books/Bad Books > Well, I've always had a special place in my heart for books I read in my childhood, among them Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, E. Nesbit's Five Children and It series, and Madelyne L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time series. I also adore T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land, Jack Gilbert's The Great Fires, all of Jon Hassler's books (particularly Staggerford and Grand Opening), the first few of Gordon R. Dickson's Dragon Knight series (the last couple have been so-so), much of Jane Austin's and Saki's works, and of course Ray Bradbury is a god...lol. Well, I have a lot of books I think are great, actually. :)

As for not-so-good books...well, Gertrude Stein's Tender Buttons is a sure way to make me start screaming...lol. Conrad's Nostromo doesn't do it for me either. And I cannot for the life of me figure out what worthiness people see in Anne Rice or those damn Robert Jordan books...lol...many of my friends keep telling me that the Jordan books are "so good" and "they get better the further in you get"--well, not for me. I managed to slog my way into the third book before deciding it was utterly stupid of me to continue wasting more time on them. If only I'd realized that sooner...*sigh* That's at least a day or two of my life I'll never get back...lol.

And sorta stemming from this subject...

Robby > An abridged version of The Princess Bride? 0.0 Do you mean like a movie adaptation or something? If you haven't read the full version, I'd recommend giving it at least a look. (Think it's by...William Goldman?)

Kya > <sorry Titania, i dont know who you are!! anyone know who that is under all that makeup? we were never introduced! > That'd be me. :) hiya! I'm very flattered you thought so highly of my costume! Though, honestly, just winning third place was enough to almost give me a heart attack...lol. I'm with ya on Heather's Sata costume, tho. 'Twas my favorite. :)

Aaron > <So Thom never got the note? Dang, and I put so much effort into it too. ;) > We-e-e-e-ell...there's always next year! lol!

Also, I finally saw Princess Mononoke. Good. But I have to say I was actually a bit disapointed. Mostly because I think people have hyped it up so much that there's just _no way_ it can live up to the hype. Essentially, I was disappointed mostly in that the story was a bit more simplistic than I'd been led to believe. Not _simple_, mind you, still pretty dang good...just was expecting _more_ from it. This is what happens when you have to wait two years to see something, I guess. *sigh*
Jessie Feff - [feff@hotmail.com]
Friday, September 8, 2000 02:56:38 AM
IP: ctrts1-3.mrs.umn.edu

************WARNING...DIS-CONNECT VIOLENCE AHEAD***********

*Katara enters the room, dragging behind her the sniveling form of Mr DisConnect. He's bound and wrapped in heavy chains. His clothes are tattered, and he is bleeding from several well placed wounds. Kat escorts him to the middle of the CR, hangs a large sign around his neck that says, "My Life" on it. Canyon drags in Kat's satchel bag. She removes a roll of duct tape and several pieces of C-4. She begins taping the C-4 all over DC. "This is for the mess you've made of my life this past week. Making my computer crash everytime I tried to post in here over the weekend was bad enough, but I can handle that." She takes the largest piece of C4 and shoves it deep up DC's rectum. "But this is because I was attacked. If I can't get my revenge on the jerk that attacked me, you will just have to take his place." With a bored look on her face, she brings out a detonator, casts a spell sheild spell over DC, and then flips the switch. The resulting mess in contained inside the shield. The shield then disappears, taking the mess away with it. Kat then pads over to a corner and sits with her arms wrapped around Canyon and buries her face in his neck fur*
*********************************************

Hi everyone. Hope everyone had a good 3-day weekend. Sorry for not coming in since last week. Everytime I tried to enter the CR over the weekend, my computer would lock up. Really annoyed me because I wanted to post my opinions of Highlander:Endgame. Let me just say now that I really enjoyed the fight scenes. But the best part was the shot of Adrian Paul's bare butt!! WOOHOO!! DROOL!!! SLOBBER!! I did manage to access the CR finally on Monday, but got too busy with other stuff, so I never got the chance to read or post anything.

Tuesday had to be the _WORST_ day I've ever had in my _ENTIRE_ life. I got mugged on Tuesday during my lunch break at work.

Yes, my friends, you heard me correctly. Unfortunately I became a statistic of violence. I walked to the deli down the street to pick up the sandwhich I ordered for lunch. I was carrying a small wallet attached to a strap, which was hanging across my body. A guy approached me from the opposite direction. As started to pass me, he reached out, grabbed the strap, and spun me around. My right shoulder was slammed into a telephone pole. Then he either cut the strap with a knife, or he pulled so hard on it, that the strap the busted the ring where it attaches to the wallet. Anyways, he managed to get my wallet. A co-worker just happened to be looking out the office window at the time and saw the person jump into passenger side of a nearby car that then sped off.

Fortunately, other than a sore shoulder, I'm okay. Don't even have any bruises to show for my "adventure". I was more shook up than anything else. Unfortuantely, the wallet just happened to contain the cash I was to give to my baby sitter later that evening, as well as the money order for my rent. My landlords were sympathic and said it's okay to be late. At least the MO was already filled out and I WILL get a refund in 60 days. *yaah* It's one of those things that can happen to anybody, and on Tuesday my name just happened to be "Anybody". ha ha AT least the only things I have to worry about replacing are my driver's license and my bank ATM card.

Well, that's basically it in a nutshell. Everyone take care. I'm off to take another muscle relaxer. I'll catch up with all the posts tomorrow. *hugs to all*
Katara - [garglover66f@hotmail.com]
San Diego, CA
Friday, September 8, 2000 01:27:09 AM
IP: ac98ba6b.ipt.aol.com

Christine: The book got here today, thanks again for sending it. Stephanie is very pleased, especially by your little note. :) She wanted me to give you this filk she wrote in thanks for everything, but I figured I'd post it here instead for all eyes to see. :) Sung to the tune of the theme from the Highlander TV show:

Here I am! A little gnome wizard
Who'll be Archmage of the Universe.

Here I belong. Casting spells dead or alive.
For my use are the darkest powers.

And here I am. I'm the Archmage of the Universe.
Here I belong. Casting spells with my powers.
I soon will be the ruler of Magelore!

I am Solarrin. My blood now flows in minotaur veins.
Yeah! Yeah!
I'll slay all my rivals. My magic has no equal.
I will dominate the future of Magelore.

I am Solarrin. Archmage of the Universe.
Powerful and free. Got this world in my hand.
I'm here to take over and I'll make my stand.
I was born to be Archmage of the Universe.

No man could understand. My power is in my own hand.
Ooh.Ooh.Ooh.Ooh. People talk about you.
People say you've had your day.
I'm a man that will go far.
Fly to the moon and reach for the stars.
With my hands and head held high.
Got to pass the test first time - yeah.
I know that people talk about me I hear it every day.
But I can prove them wrong cause I'm right the first time.
Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Watch this man fly.
Bring on the enemies, watch them fry.

And here I am. Just a little gnome wizard. But I'll be Archmage of the Universe. That's what I deserve.
Born to magic. Archmage of the Universe. Powerful and free.
Got the world in my hands. I'm here to rule the future.
And I'll take over Thanis.
I am Solarrin, Archmage of the Universe.

Guess who her favorite character is. :) I'm sure she'll enjoy the book immensly, thanks again for it. I am so glad that mess is finally straightened out. :)

<expression turns sour> On another note, thanks to all who have given their hopes and prayers on the situation with Gus the stalker. Tonight he struck again, spray-painting a skull and "B&*$H LIVES HERE" on our front door and then laughing about it on the answering machine- Doug and I discovered it when we got home from our respective jobs. This and the baseball have made the police more able to do something, the problem is the jerk doesn't have a phone (must have used a pay phone to make the various calls), so he's going to be a bit hard to track down. But we're doing it just the same. Boris and Shap are talking to their security companies (Boris works for Five Star and Shap for Executive) about getting security guards at this apartment complex, we don't have them currently. The police are also keeping an extra eye on things as part of their normal neighborhood patrols. We're also taking photos of the damage he's done, and keeping tapes of the calls and copies of the letters. Sooner or later, we will get him. At least, I pray we will. <sigh>

Mecord: Thanks for your suggestions (same to all who are giving them), we'd change our number but we want the jerk to keep calling it so we can point the finger at him. Sooner or later he'll slip up, we're waiting for that too. Your suggestion about getting my biker pals after him is a very good idea, too bad we have no idea where he lives and the last I heard what's left of Cobra and the gang were up in Detroit and couldn't get here on short notice (then again that was a week ago when I got the postcard from them, and Cobra does have a cell phone, so maybe...:). Thanks also for your advice on Holder, I agree with what you. Doug is pretty scared of the guy because he watched him threaten those two kids without provocation, and saw the knife, but nothing's happened yet, so I think all should be fine. :) Thanks for your concern. About me getting shot all those years ago, I too am very glad my parents acted calmly in the aftermath of the whole matter, Ray and Stephanie were about ready to read the Angels the riot act over what happened, but Mom and Dad were very understanding about it all and calmed us all down. Considering the Angels helped me when I'd run away that time, were good friends to us all, and they'd saved our lives that night (the police took a while to get there, and the bad guys were shooting some pretty large-caliber stuff), it was relatively easy to forgive them any fear they caused us. The neighbors weren't as understanding about it all, but we didn't care much about what they thought. Dad acted remarkably calm too, considering his injury, but then he's an ER doctor so he's learned to be that way. He carries a sword-cane now because of the limp, sometimes he said it's glad it gave him an excuse to walk around with such a cool item. <shakes head> And he doesn't even know how to use the sword part. Funny guy, my dad. :) Don't be surprised the bikers all had permits for their weapons, Cobra's the type to always be prepared for any situation no matter what and he instills the same thing in his fellow riders. I'm told such an attitude is atypical for Angels, and bikers in general, but they do it anyway. And it's good they do. The Cockroaches didn't have permits for their guns, if you're wondering, and they were packing Glocks, Uzis, combat shotguns, and so on. <shakes head> My pals follow basic firearm safety rules and never carry anything more powerful than a Remington 12-gauge or .45. Nothing illegal either. Cobra disciplines those who ride with him if he catches them doing otherwise. He's smart, he plans for everything. :) Snake used to do the same, God rest his soul. Again, thanks for your concern. :)

I'll be reading your story tonight, since I have the chance. I know I'll enjoy it. Comments will be posted in here next week, or I can e-mail you them if you prefer it that way. $ One small RP request- it's okay if you send your characters into Thailog's secret base, but please try not to have them destroy the complex, cause it too much damage, or kill off any of the main bad guys (except for Gar, since he's your character)- Doug and I have a lot of plans we don't want disrupted too much. You can create some chaos and worry, even do some of the things I said if it ends up working out that way, but please try not to have it do so for the reason stated above. Thank you. :) Also, don't be surprised if we have Thailog and co. throw a few monkey wrenches at your characters. Heheheheh. $

**BIT OF RP**

Vincent frowns as he watches Lloky disappear. If Erin is hurt, his people could be in danger too. Particularly Terrell, a highly valued soldier. And she told him nothing that enabled him to help. He sighs loudly, more than a bit disappointed. "Guess I'll have to head for Terrell's house," he says to himself, "see about this. I was on my way there anyway." Vincent is about to start running in that direction again when the radio at his belt beeps. "Yes?" he says into it. "This is UCIP Commander Martin," a voice replies in Caiveh (translated into English by the screen for audience benefit). "My squad and I reached General Terrell's house as you ordered, we had to put out a pretty large fire. The house is still standing and wasn't damaged too much before we got here, thankfully. There are a lot of dead and unconscious caiveh lying around, it seems they were the ones that fired the house and shot at the General, his wife, and their guests. They're Kovu and Tiara's rebels. A human here with us named Bessus is straightening things out with Lieutenant Rubio and myself." "I'm coming over there now," Vincent replies. "Get a full report from him on the matter. Any sign of Kovu and Tiara? Or Terrell, Annabelle, and the other humans?" "No sir, though I do still have men out looking." "Let me know if you find them immediately. I'm headed your way." "Ten-four," Martin replies. Vincent puts up the radio and then, with a worried expression, on his features, continues running towards Terrell's house.

Meanwhile, in Thailog's secret base, CoraXoned is grimacing as he tries to restore the security systems. "This is terrible," he mutters as he types and uploads data. "Who could have done this? If Tyl were here, he would have caught them for sure, but him stepping out to go on that secret side project..." "How is it progressing?" a voice asks from behind him. CoraX turns and grimaces as he sees Thailog's political adviser, Professor Donna Gardner, looking over his shoulder. "I've only just started," he replies. "It's gonna take me a while to get things done, especially without Tyl here. Can you be patient?" "We cannot afford patience with intruders possibly in the complex," Gardner growls. She then snaps her fingers and a tall lanky black man with long hair and sunglasses who wears an orange Bevo T-shirt appears at her side like an obedient dog. "This is Stephen Franks, my TA and loyal servant. He will help you with the problem, he has some computer skill." "But he doesn't know his way around the system!" CoraX protests. "He could cause more damage! I think I can get it by myself, I..." "Silence, boy!" Franks interrupts with a growl. "What college you go to?" "Uh, Texas Tech," CoraX answers, frowning. "Figured that!" Franks barks. "Let me show you how we UT people do things, my major wasn't even computer science and I bet I can do this better than you!" He grabs a swivel chair, wheels it up to a computer terminal, and starts typing. CoraX looks worriedly at Donna. "Um, does Lord Thailog..." "Lord Thailog will be happier if we get the system back up faster," the evil professor interrupts with a scowl. "Trust me, Stephen knows what he's doing." "Um, okay," CoraX shrugs. "I'll, uh, contact one of Tyl's and my hacker friends and ask her to come in to help too just in case, the teleporters are still working so she can get here quickly." "Make sure she's not someone unfit or a possible leak," Gardner orders, and CoraX nods, then brings up an e-mail program. Gardner watches him contact someone screen-named Anastycia13 and then turns to her TA. "I have to go interview some possible new employees. Good that they came in looking for work in the General's militia right before this happened, maybe we can test their skill. One's a Frenchman and another's a strange gargoyle, but they might still work out. You and Idiot-Boy carry on here." "Yes, ma'am," Franks replies, never ceasing his typing. CoraX shoots Gardner a grimace as she scratches her shoulder and leaves, then scratches his own a bit before turning back to his computer ($- you guessed it Rodlox, we brought in your bad guys :)$).

In another part of the base, General Zale is sending his troops out to patrol the base looking for anyone trying to break in, but the wizard Kharsus is frowning as he observes through his crystal. "I know that intruders are already on base," he says with a glower. "My magic alarm spells didn't go down with the system. General Zale won't find them quickly enough, so I better take matters into my own hands. Show Thailog I can be more valuable as a chief wizard than some newbie, mastergem or no mastergem." He turns to a large magical cage containing twelve small cackling creatures that look like red-skinned demons with small flames sprouting from their heads and backs. "Find the intruders and kill them with extreme prejudice, my little beauties," Kharsus orders the imps with an evil smile. "Then return here to me. I will be waiting. Off you go." He opens the cage with a large key and releases the imps, which go flying away down the hall laughing at each other like wild hyenas as the screen goes blank.

**END THIS RP**

Later!
Kitainia - [frostfire@mail.utexas.edu]
Friday, September 8, 2000 01:08:34 AM
IP: pool-209-138-162-236.dlls.grid.net

OH!!! I almost forgot!!!

Robby!!! I watched Princess Mononoke today!!!! I had to practicaly read the whole movie out loud to my brother cuz he cant read that fast :P You were right tho, it was great!

All I can say is WOW...it was beautifull...ok! I'm really gone now! Bye!!!
Caliope
Friday, September 8, 2000 12:34:02 AM
IP: proxy.coqui.net

Helloooo :P

Lovely how a power outage can ruin your plans, then save you from a day of classes :P

Green Baron> *HUGZ* Hi! thanx :P How've ya been, eh?

Winterwolf> I dont really know where yet, but proabably in kissimie, not sure tho. And the pics were great! Let me see when I get the chance to read the jornal :P

BOOKS> Oooo Ooooo Books books *Cali keeps adding to her list of Books to read* :P

Personaly I could never choose a favorit book or a least favorite. I'll go for SciFi and Fantasy, tho I enjoy alot of clasical literature as well

I DID love The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan too, far better than The Joy Luck Club, tho the Kitchen God's Wife was OK too.
Books that arent good are the ones I never finish, cuz I'm the type that devours books :P One I didnt finish was Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephan King. I only liked maybe 2 stories out of the 14 I read, then got a new book and tossed it aside :P

Oh, and did anyone here ever read a book titled I AM THE CHEESE in high school? Cuz I'm sorry, but that book was just dumb! :P

And, THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho is GREAT! Its very good and inspiering. I'd recomend it to anyone.
...OK! I'll shut up about books now! You guys's fault for getting me started! :P

Roswell> Well I like this show! Quite intreaguing! A bit on the kinky side ocacionaly, but what show isnt now a day? :P

Spacebabie> <<Roswell>> I love this series too :) Hey, is it just me, or does that guy in the season finaly who says something like It has begon or something, look like a backstreet boy to ya?

Zath> You reading Chaucer too?! Ha! I'm not the only one! :P

Spike> Oh, I LOVED Polgara the Sorceress, but I havent been able to read the Belgariad yet.

Niamhgold> You taking art classes too? This week I turned in my first asignment, wich I thought was reather borring and simple, but aparently that was what my prof. was looking for, cuz he loved it! I was amazed spoons, forks and knives could have that effect on ppl :P Keep at it tho, where I'm taking classes animation isnt concidered art either, but that where I'm bound anyways :P

Well!!! I gotta go! See ya guys!!! *HUGZ all and poofles*
Caliope - [raquelmd@hotmail.com]
Friday, September 8, 2000 12:24:08 AM
IP: proxy.coqui.net

**Winterwolf arrives**

Hola! I finally managed to get a moment to read The Sleepers. :) I thought it was an okay story. It sets the current goal for future adventures.

Mandolin> <lying> That is a very serious charge that the police are leveling on your friends! I would want to file a complaint on the officer or officers that made that accusation! Well I pray everything works out for the best.

Shadowrider> <wind> Thanks. Reading your description of the wind gave me an extra sense of relaxation and peace! I'm normally happy, silly and mellow but I felt even more so reading your words. I felt like I was reading the beginning of a book I could get into! :) <traffic> That sounds brutal! At least it isn't a normal occurrence! You can look forward to it being over soon. ;) <test> Darn! I was hoping that you just underestimated your efforts on the exam! I'm sure you'll nail it next time! ^_^ <page> Oh you had a chance to take a look? :) Yes I have plenty to do on that web site but I'm happy I have the Gathering stuff on there! I'm glad that you like it and I guess you've found the second picture page! ;) <MS> I remember you picked two days and times for a nice little chatting social before you go off to military service. Did you want to have that chat session before you go on both or just one of them? The days you mentioned were the 14th and/or 15th of September starting at 23:00 Italian Time, 17:00 ET or 5PM ET ending 3:00 AM Italian Time, 21:00 ET or 9 PM ET. Let me know. I plan on posting a few times it to remind everyone. ^_^

Mecord> I sent you a second email on specifics in Part II. I've enjoyed parts I and II of Infinity Broken. I'm looking forward to Part III! **PLUG** Mecord's fictions are worth a look! Hey and there are only two at the moment so you don't have to worry about catching up on a big backlog of stories! :) **END PLUG** BTW - Try not to wear yourself so ragged either! Elves need sleep too!

David G> <drunk idiots IN SUVs> They'll get you ever time! ;) LMAO

Spacebabie> <Brendand Ferh, who plays Micheal resemble David Duchovny?> You know what I think it is. It's his eyes. :)

Aaron> <four lights> I remember that TNG episode! LOL <not even Greg> Really Greg wouldn't give you a warrior's handshake? **boggle** Did Greg come up with that handshake or was it someone else? **ponders**

Niamhgold> <riddle> I was hoping the riddle would get you to stop by! You are absolutely correct! :) Hmm, I didn't say there was a prize but let me give you something special! **grabs a big box and gives it to Niamhgold** This box will contain whatever you want it to have! ;) <emails> Cool! I really look forward to your replies! ^_^

Gside> <RP character thoughts> I completely agree with your perspective on this one. <nap time> An essential for myself! For me it comes in the special titles commuting, staff meeting and extensive program testing! :) <lights riddle> I believe you. How about as a conciliation prize you get a great big vat of Jell-O. Hmm, I wonder what you are going to do with that! ;) **mischievous grin**

Ana> <bank gun robbery> I hope everyone's okay! <Gargoyle episodes> I'm in the same jam myself although I did manage one episode I have on tape. That reminds me, Brooklyn is supposed to send a box with all the episodes to me. Maybe he'd make a second box for you! :)

SOROW> Awesome! Second year anniversary! WOW! I'm still not at 6 months myself yet! So how would you like to celebrate? It is wonderful to see you are in such high spirits! ^_^

******WARNING - BFTS RP******

After the excitement of Jason's adventure the remainder of the day is uneventful. The next day DPH works with Jason who focuses on perfecting his control. Near the end of the day DPH is pleased that Jason can stop all his magical attacks as well as attacks from a few special weapons DPH uses. At the same time he is also a little frustrated because every attack he used can be nullified by Jason easily. If Jason were to become his adversary he would be extremely dangerous.

While that is going on Plastique reluctantly works with Frost and Winterwolf each taking turns as sparring partners. Frost and Winterwolf only work on hand to hand techniques. Frost losses to Plastique never actually attacking her. He manages to beat Winterwolf three times while only loosing once each time after a savage and difficult fight. Winterwolf manages to beat Plastique once and then they both just work on enhancing technique. Plastique starts to wonder more about Winterwolf because not only does he look like a simple boy to her eyes but he also feels just like a boy when she grabs or touches him but DPH says that he looks like a werewolf.

******END WARNING - BFTS RP******

Good night! I'm off to check email! ;)

**Winterwolf departs**

Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@excite.com]
Bronx, NY
Friday, September 8, 2000 12:08:32 AM
IP: ip-111-3-64.nyc.navipath.net

Aaron:Anybody who watches Gundam Wing> Does anyone besides me think the Romafeller princess, the one with the funky bifurcated eyebrows, must be a descendant of Owen Burnett? She's got no pupils.

What her name again? Dorothy I think? She's, like, Trieze's evil fraternal twin... they have the same exact eyebrows...

Also, doesn't the Epion look like a gargoyle?

Yeah... my first thought though was something along the lines of a fallen angel.

Best book> Either Ann Rice's Vittorio the Vampire or Stephen King's Long Walk, which was originally published under the Richard Bachman psuedonymn.

Worst book> I honestly can't think of a book that I didn't find some part I liked about it.

Jessie Feff> So Thom never got the note? Dang, and I put so much effort into it too. ;)

GB><> Three hentai in search of a fic? ;)

I woulda said Cat punters Anon.. but obviously you're nicer than me, Aaron.

Shinigami
Thursday, September 7, 2000 10:39:44 PM
IP: spider-wa074.proxy.aol.com

Just dropping in to keep in touch. My second year anniversary in this room is coming up soon :)
SOROW
Thursday, September 7, 2000 10:30:25 PM
IP: a030-0823.dll2.splitrock.net

Good Evening All,
Well, I feel stupid doing two posts so close together but seeing as how traffic is light and I have a dire question...

TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE!!> I am in need of a HUGE favor for which I will pay richly and be forever indebted. You see, as my life stands currently, I have not seen an episode of Gargoyles in years (outside of the movie). I can not live like this people! I am looking for a saint who will tape the show and send me episodes so that eventually I will have them all! Whoever agrees to this will not go uncompensated, I will pay for tapes, all shipping costs and additional taping bonuses as well. I realize it will be time consuming, but I will try and cover that as well. Please I'm not rich, just desperate! Anyone who can help, please post a response and let me know OR e-mail me and we'll work something out. Thank you a million times over!!!
Gratefully,
Ana
Anasatis (Ana) - [Anasatis@hotmail.com]
CA
Thursday, September 7, 2000 10:00:11 PM
IP: 1cust43.tnt1.hemet.ca.da.uu.net

WOW! I've been gone almost an entire week. But I was busy stealing road signs, so what ca you do!?!

Niamhgold>for the Jell-o I thank you and will one day repay you! Tell me now if you will attend the gathering and I will plan ahead to bring Grape Jell-o...my favorite flavor!

Dame Corax> Welcome. Beautiful entrance if I may say so! If I may also say; I am too new and naive to deduct for myself who you were, but your identity intrigues me! I enjoy a good mystery. Bravo.

Well, I was robbed. Not *ME* persay, but the bank where I work. Very Scary. Most of us had hardly seen a gun before, and don't care to again thank you.

'ats all.

Anasatis (Ana)
Thursday, September 7, 2000 09:30:41 PM
IP: 1cust43.tnt1.hemet.ca.da.uu.net

Todd Jenson>> oops, you're right. sorry about that. I *could* go on about my life, but everyone else's life is more interesting, so I have to think of stuff that won't sound inane (insane, yes, but not inane). again, my apologies, and I'll try to do better.
Daphne, apprentice-wordsmith
Thursday, September 7, 2000 09:24:43 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.217.6.philadelphia1.level3.net

Mrs. Morgan> Read your latest. Once again, very good work.

DPH> <<The plot hole that I just noticed was SuperSpeed's unexplained absence>>: Who said she was gone. If someone isn't doing anything interesting, you don't have to say what they were doing.

Sev. Jr.> <<What are your choices for Best or Favorite book, and Worst book?>>: Best, probably someting in the Tolkien, Dodgson, and/or Douglas Adams vein. For worst, I'd have to say "Increasing Human Efficiency In Business, a contribution to the psychology of business" byWalter Dill Scott or anything else used as a source for my Expos readings.

Wilek> What nothing to say about how well the Boston Pops plays Final Fantasy music? Nice knife though, and I don't quite trunst you about that Apocalypse thing. Prove me wrong soon.

Gasper> <<I'll try Napstnavigator or something, and give Gnutella a try>>: A couple notes: It's spelled Napigator (no stnav), and Gnutella is for any file format, not just mp3.

Robby> <<It's *THE* most unique fight in DBZ history...>>: Nah, I'd have to say that title goes to DBZ: Dirty Fighting. Though, it isn't anywhere approaching cannon...
BTW, how often does ranking in The Ten get reevaluated?
<<...basic math skills, play, color and mess with blocks all day>>: You forgot nap time. Which is in the completely wrong grade. I would have loved it in high school. And in college it has come back, but with titles like general chem., principles, DLD, and intro to computing for engineers.

Winterwolf> <<you see 3 light bulbs on a wall>>: I knew the answer. I got it about a year ago during the first IEEE meeting here. Really. Why doesn't anyone believe me?
<>: You are a man who truly knows how to live.

Warpmind> May your arm heal well enough to repeat its performance.

Niamhgold> <<I've never heard the word "illustrative" used in such negative terms before>>: But it's a valid art school major, one that my brother graduated with.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Thursday, September 7, 2000 09:13:41 PM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Hmm.

**BOOK RELATED**
I have this problem with reading: once I get into a story, I phase out everything going on around me. I love reading. One book I could not stand was Bridges of Madison County. it was required reading and I just could not get into the book.
**END BOOK RELATED**

**PLOT RELATED**
I consider a 'plot hole' to occur (I am NOT defining what a plot hole is) when someone disappears without a trace (from a story) and the writers do not seem to acknowledge that. Sometimes, that happens on purpose to keep the audience wondering, but in the case of SuperSpeed, she just disappeared and no RPer had mentioned her disappearance.

For everyone's information, the Speed Star battle will occur next Monday.
**END PLOT RELATED**

**INTERNET COOKIE QUESTION**
When I visit mail.com's website to check email, I get asked for 4 cookies fore visiting. Then, it takes 9 more cookies to login. Every time I perform any action while logged in takes at least 2 more cookies per action. The only spot I know that is that cookie hungry is hotmail.com, which wanted something even secure to login to a free email account (who conducts company business on free email accounts?). Am I overly paranoid?
**END INTERNET COOKIE QUESTION**

I have big discussion question which I am saving for when the room starts to slow down again.

**BFTS RP starts to continue but does not due to an unknown force blocking DPH from RPing.**

I am considering working voluntary on Saturday to make for the time I did not work due to being off on Labor Day.

In other news, I am finally scheduled to talk to the other person's vehicle company tomorrow at 4:30pm.

Can anyone give me the website for G2001?
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Thursday, September 7, 2000 07:54:29 PM
IP: max1-31.cwy.cei.net

** Niamhgold wanders in **

OOh, and just in the knick of time to answer Winterwolf's riddle!

Lightbulb riddle: To see what switches turn on what lights, do this--turn on one switch (doesn't matter which, as long as you make note of it) for a long amount of time (several minutes will probably do). Then, turn it off, and choose one more switch to turn on. Keep this switch on. Walk into the room; whatever light is on corresponds to the last switch that you flipped, and whichever light is warm corresponds to the one you had turned on earlier. The last light will neither be on nor warm, and will correspond to the switch you didn't touch. :)
Man, I got all your e-mails, and they're a riot! I'll reply to them as soon as I post :)

Aaron: <Brooklyn in a turban> LOL. Send that one to Heitz!

Mandi: Why, those sons of a bi...stupid cops! That sounds like the idiots around here...I'm being extra careful because there's a serial rapist on the loose, and he seems to go after girls who get off the bus >:| Idiot; he's going to get a hefty helping of mace if he ever tries anything! (Not to mention that self defense classes really help >:)

Drawing: I had my first college-level crit today, and it wasn't pretty. Thankfully, I was the only kid who didn't (a) burst out into tears or (b) leave the room _with_ my artwork, and not come back (although I still got considerably bashed. How is it that teachers consider contemporary art as a fine art but don't consider illustration as a fine art? I've never heard the word "illustrative" used in such negative terms before...)

Shadowrider: Man, I totally understand your feelings on those windy days between fall and summer...it's like this smell fills the air, and everything just gets so crisp and clear and full of tension before the leaves fall...thanks for sharing that with us! ** Hugz ** Hope things get better, and hope you and Alessia are doing well! :D

Kit and Doug: Zap those lunies with magic power, then run them over. Butj, seriously, protect yourselves and stay alert!

Mecord: Hope your day gets better, too! How are you doingk, by the way?

Favorite books:
* Anything by Michael Chricton (the obvious "Sphere," then "The Andromeda Strain," "Console Man," and "Timeline")
* Any reference books (the dictionary, mythological context, encyclopedia entries, just love reading analytical stuff!)
* "The Hundred Secret Senses" by Amy Tan
* "Tears of the Moon," by an Australian Author whose name I can't remember...
* "A Wrinkle in Time," "A Swiftly Tilting Planet," and anything else by Madeleine L'Engle were my faves as a tyke, and still are :)
* "Art Speak."
* "American Sphinx" (it's about Thomas Jefferson)
* "Grapes of Wrath"
* Carl Sandberg's book of poetry

And more than I can remember!

Gosh, it feels good to have a decently-lengthed post! See y'all later!

Niamhgold
Thursday, September 7, 2000 06:53:13 PM
IP: 206.41.204.68

CHRISTI - Sorry for being a late on this, but my condolences about your grandmother.

BEST BOOKS - I've read quite a few books that I've liked, and it's very difficult to construct a list. Among those that I've enjoyed written in the 20th century, however, would be Tolkien's works, Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, the Harry Potter series, David Eddings' Belgariad and Malloreon, and C. S. Lewis's Deep Space trilogy. I've recently started reading the Redwall series, and rather like it; I also like Terry Pratchett's Discworld books.

JAMES BIRDSONG - You know, it would help us to do better TGS stories if you'd go into a bit more detail about what you thought of the story:)

* BEHIND THE SCENES ON "THE SLEEPERS" *

I thought that I'd post this now while I could. The episode was inspired, in part, by an actual theory by a few Arthurian scholars (the chief of them being one Linda Malcor) that a partial source of the Arthurian legends was the traditions of the Sarmatians, many of whose myths echo parts of King Arthur's story. These myths, about a group of champions called Narts, include such Arthurian-sounding cases as a dying warrior who orders his sword to be thrown into a nearby lake, whereupon a marvel takes place (although not an arm clad in a sleeve of white samite coming up to receive it). Also, the Sarmatians worshipped a war-god in the shape of a sword thrust in a platform, which these theorists see as the original for the Sword in the Stone. And there's the fact that they were in the service of Lucius Artorius Castus (an actual historical figure). Not everybody's convinced of this theory, but since the Sarmatians in Britain were up in the northwest of the island, where we were sending Arthur this season, I thought of doing a story based on that, just for the fun of it.

(For those who would like to learn more about the theory, there's a book out by Linda A. Malcor called either "From Scythia to Camelot" or "Scythia to Camelot" - I can't remember which - which discusses the theory. Incidentally, Malcor's on the Internet - she posts periodically on the Arthurnet mailing list - and I considered asking her to serve as a consultant for this story at one point, but changed my mind - largely because she holds to the theory that Lucius Artorius Castus *was* King Arthur and doesn't take very kindly to the placing of Arthur in the 5th century, which we had already done on the basis of "Gargoyles").

*BEHIND THE SCENES PIECE ENDS *
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, September 7, 2000 06:38:46 PM
IP: 216.87.46.30.dialup-stl.primary.net

Aaron wanders in, savoring the CR air conditioning.

Like Robby said, it was 111 here on Tuesday. That's just wrong.

Anybody who watches Gundam Wing> Does anyone besides me think the Romafeller princess, the one with the funky bifurcated eyebrows, must be a descendant of Owen Burnett? She's got no pupils. Also, doesn't the Epion look like a gargoyle?

FS><<Todd Jensen>> Maybe. When it comes to Todd, all things are true.

SJ> They kill Connor! Those bastards! I'm sorry, the idea that Connor, the original, kick @$$ guy dies, and the other one.... The one who had a TV show... on TNT... where they couldn't even show beheadings... lives just p!sses me off. Best book> I know it's not just one, but I'd say Steven King's Gunslinger series. I just hope he finishes it. Worst book> Probably Grapes of Wrath. Although as my mom once said "You didn't like anything you read in school, did you?" Which isn't true. MacBeth was good. So was Romeo and Juliet. And The Divine Comedy. And... Okay, I guess I didn't like much. Peppy> Did you happen to catch Dave Chappelle's new special on HBO?

Warpmind> Neither really. Except once when she said "Try not to be funnier then me, okay?" she sounded a bit like Demmie. Oh, and if you're pimpin' now, do you wanna borrow my cheetah suit?

Mandi> Be careful.

Winterwolf> THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS! ;) And, if it's any consolation, you're the only one I've gotten to do the warrior handshake with. It doesn't even work with Greg.

Jessie Feff> So Thom never got the note? Dang, and I put so much effort into it too. ;)

Niamhgold> I think Eye of Odin Brooklyn would put on a turban and kick back in his multiversal harem, looking like "Yeah, I'm the man."

Dame Corax> Welcome.

Coyote> The S8 flamewar> I was only skimming, so I didn't catch the details, just that something combustible was happening there instead of here, which, you must admit, is kinda freaky Friday. However, I apologize if I offended.

Emambu> I hate to say it, but beating Da Boys don't mean that much anymore. They're past it. Aikman should retire. He shoulda retired about three concussions ago. Hell, I wouldn't stay anywhere I'd given three Superbowls and the home crowd booed me.

Zathe><<"And all you have to do is squeeze your little finger, ease your little finger back. *gun clicks* You can change the world" (Stephen Sondheim can be strange sometimes)>> What are you quoting? Because there's a bit in Mean Guns where Christopher Lambert says almost the same thing.

Spike> My condolences.

Kit> Geez, it never rains but it pours, does it? Good luck.

GB><> Three hentai in search of a fic? ;)

Christine><<A resident left a glass pan of brownies to cool on the stove, but on a lit burner. It exploded, and the brownies burst into flames.>> I'm sorry, but I find that hilarious for some reason. Foucault's Pendulum> Was it really that long? It didn't seem like it. (I liked it, as you may have guessed)

Later.

Aaron - [JCarnage@Yahoo.com]
San Antonio, TX, USA
Thursday, September 7, 2000 06:24:09 PM
IP: a7x12.iwl.net

I'd like to thank everyone for their well wishes this week. It's really helped me a lot even though I'm feeling pretty sad and depressed. Your support is deeply appreciated.

Good Books/Bad Books:
The Good: The Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, the Belgariad by David Eddings, the Dracula series by Fred Saberhagen, the Garrett books by Glen Cook (sorta pulp fiction gumshoe meets Tolkien), the vampire books by Kim Newman, anything by Terry Pratchett, and all the of Harry Potter books.
The Bad: "Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman (I loved the movie but boy, was the book a dud! Around page 76, she changed from 3rd person past tense to 2nd person present tense and it drove me nuts!), anything by Anne Rice (woman canNOT just end a book!), some of Tom Clancy's books (his last few have been real stinkers), and later Myth Adventures by Robert Asperin.
Spike
Thursday, September 7, 2000 06:04:33 PM
IP: pppt01-248.ght.iadfw.net

12 days till the troll shipps off
18 days till New Buffy Angel

Mandoloin>>Ubeliavable! Did these cops ever work fo Boudler Colorado between now and 96? I hope this things gets resolved soon
Maybe if they set up cameras?

Best Books>>I don't know if your compling a list but here are some more
Ubik and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K LeGuin

Neuromancer by Willam Gibson

Alan Ordell>>You like Roswell too? is it me r does Brendand Ferh, who plays Micheal resemble David Duchovny?

*************PENDRAGON SPOILERS*****************************
Kind of predictable near the ned but its pretty good, Love the Mary/Emrys banter, This may seem wierd but I had a dream about this season and how it ends out, I'm not going into details incase my dream ended up like my snake dream
*************************End Spoilers***********************

See ya around.
Spacebabie
Orlando, Fl, U.S.A
Thursday, September 7, 2000 05:54:51 PM
IP: user-37kap3e.dialup.mindspring.com

Winterwolf> I drove from Arlington to Abiline and back to go on vacation with my parents. From there, we drove to Cloudcroft New Mexico, but that was in my parents' car. In normal circumstances, I don't drive much. I hate driving. If it's not idiots and drunks, it's SUVs with tires that explode, or maybe even drunk idiots IN SUVs with tires that explode... :)
David G. - [david_goodner@yahoo.com]
Arlington, TX, USA
Thursday, September 7, 2000 05:41:22 PM
IP: 198.215.20.3

**A bleary eyed elf comes stagering into the CR**

Hi everyone, been stareing at the computer screen a little long today. Lots going on in here so I'll cut right to the replies.

Archwolf>> thanks for the plug. :)

Kit>> *reads post* Ouch. Talk about problems. If Gus is visiting your house perhaps you can catch him in the act. Or call him and confront him about it while recording the conversation. I don�t know, is that acceptable evidence to the police? Or you can always change your phone number and request it to be unlisted for a year. It is likely he will get bored and leave or get pissed and make a mistake. As for Holder, it sounds like he�s more talk than anything. I wouldn�t be too woried about him, but watch your back just in case. Too bad he was smart enough to ditch the knife. <getting shot> *blinks in a stunned fashion* Ouch again. You�ve seen your fare share of excitement haven�t you? I�m glad your family didn�t hold it against the Angels. Even more glad none of your friends were killed. *shakes head* permits all around� incredible. While it probably wasn�t the smartest thing to shoot back, I just might have done the same. <Army of cats> we have a small battalion at our house :) No rush on the story, just when you have time. I�m going to revamp my website and post all my stories on there as well. I�ll let you all know when it�s finnished. Hmm, crazy idea just formed� A family member some time back (like 30 years) was in some serious trouble with a stalker. Also happened to be good friends with a biker group (I think they were Angles but I�m not sure). Anyway the bikers all showed up on said stalkers door step (literally and with the bikes) one day and politely requested he stop his activities. They left (leaving deep ruts in the lawn) and there was no more problem. Just a thought�. >;)

Gasper>> welcome back!

Newcomers>> didn�t catch all your names, so here�s a hearty welcome to all!

Green Baron>> I don�t know I kind of like Old English. By the way, sorry I suddenly disappeared yesterday. I�ve been having problems with AIM and my internet connection. Would you please relay my apologies to MariaDestine? We were cut off in the middle of our conversation as well. Thanks.

Books>> My favorite book is Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. Enders Game by Orson Scott Card is another excellent book. I hear rumors of a movie for Enders Game foaming around. Hey SJ, hear anything about it?

Zath>> DRAGONFLIGHT RULES!! :)

*****YEAH IT�S AN RP!*****
In the underground city.
Lloky, still in the shape of a young girl, patted the side of a building, �There, all fixed.�
As she turned to go a furred hand grasped her shoulder. Lloky screamed and tried to escape, but the hand held her in place.
�It�s alright young one, I�ll not hurt you.�
Lloky turned, �Hey your that Victor or Vincent guy. The leader of the Cat men!�
He chuckled softly, �Yes, the leader of the Cat men. How did you get here? Did you come with Erin?�
Lloky nodded, apparently nervous. Vincent looked around for something distracting to calm her, �Did you fix these buildings?�
The little girl beamed, �Yep. Everyone was having such a fuss over some stupid old buildings being knocked down so I fixed them.�
Confused he asked, �How did you do that?�
�I�m not sure, I should have lost all my power by now, but down here It�s diferent.�
�Power? What do you mean?�
The little girl suddenly looked down the road, �Oh no, Erin�s hurt!�
�What?� But the girl was gone.

Thailog�s secret base.
�What do you mean the security system is DEAD?� the gargoyle roared.
The technician cowered, �Some sort of virus wiped all the systems at once. It will take over a day to install the backups and reprogram them.�
�Then stop wasting time!�
The angry gargoyle turned to his new top wizard, �Gar, this could be an attack. Can you detect who is the cause of this?�
�I can tell you now that it is Mecord with out a doubt.�
�Could he be trying to infiltrate the base?�
Gar held the large blue mastergem close to his face and mumbled his spell.
�No, but he has taken over that secret bank account of yours.�
�He will pay for that.�
�Yes well I need to go my study to see if I can track his methods.�
The wizard left and Thailog gazed thoughtfully after, �Lying doesn�t suit you. Whatever vendetta you have against this elf had better not interfere with my own plans. General, full alert. We are expecting company.�

Elsewhere on base.
A portal opened and four elves entered the dark hallway.
*****END THIS BIT OF RP*****

Later.
Mecord - [mecordlein@mailcity.com]
Thursday, September 7, 2000 05:25:17 PM
IP: usr40.mtwest.net

Books, books, books! The first faves that come to mind are Bimbos of the Death Sun (just read it _again_ after some of you were mentioning it in here), Raptor Red, most of King and most of Koontz, Swan Song and They Thirst by Robert McCammon, Lisanne Norman's Sholan Alliance series (sexy furries in space, wonderfully done, plus she is just a great lady in general), and the Hot Blood series (well, what can I say?). Losers, IMO -- that wretched sequel-novel to Willow (first book I ever took back for a refund), that even more wretched X-Men / Star Trek thing (second), Anne Rice (unpopular sentiment, I know, but I haven't been able to get through anything of hers since Lestat, and even that was a chore), and Foucault's Pendulum (which is one of Tim's favorites, so we argue a lot; I'm slogging through the thing, 600 pages in, and he assures me, "oh, honest, it's just about to get good.")

Warpmind > I'm afraid the second trilogy's kinda spoken for too ; ) Mom, the three Steves, and then Becca. That's the trouble with having a projected list of a dozen titles. But on the up side, if I get them all written, I'll eventually be able to dedicate books to almost everyone I know!

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Thursday, September 7, 2000 05:11:30 PM
IP: 14-108.009.popsite.net

Sorry for second post.

In my traffic rant that "...next year, in doing so they caused a series of accidents" was supposed to be a "...last year, in doing so..."

See you!
Shadowrider
Thursday, September 7, 2000 04:48:42 PM
IP: h255-22-38.mi2.albacom.net

Greetings to everyone, guys and gals.

*Personal and practically senseless thoughts*
Strong wind tonight here. Very strong. It happens, every year, in these times...early September. There's always a day of strong wind. One single day, in which wind blows from early morning to late night, always tense and always from the north...from the mountains that I can see from my window, now that the wind has cleaned the air. When I was a child, I used to believe that it was a signal...that it was the day when summer finished and winter began to arrive. I liked those days...they were...unique, filled of a sweet melancholy. And, even now that I'm a bit older and very more cynical, I like the wind from the north...with its vague metallic taste that you feel when you breathe deeply...
*End of personal and senseless thoughts* And sorry for imposing them to you...*

Traffic is making me go crazy these days. I happen to live near a very important racing track (Autodromo Nazionale di Monza...the oldest track in Italy, and one of the oldest ones in the world). Now, I usually am happy of that (I developed my passion for bikes by going to see the races as I was a child), but not this week. This Sunday, in fact, there will be the Italian Grand Prix of Formula 1 (European equivalent of Indycar racing, for those who don't know...although, F.1 and Indycar are very different, both technically and agonistically. I know there will be a F.1 Grand Prix in Indianapolis soon, so some of you will be able to see by themselves...) and my zone has been invaded by supporters coming from all Europe. As a result, the traffic is becoming very hectic around here...I can't think of what is going to happen in the week-end! I, for me, think I'll find some excuse to stay away at least Saturday and Sunday...especially Sunday. I don't want to be around when, after the end of the race, all those drunken German supporters of Michael Schumacher will try to exit the track and enter the motorway, all of them in one time...next year, in doing so they caused a series of accidents, what on its own created a major traffic jam that lasted several hours...
Ok, stop it now. Sorry for the rant.

Winterwolf:> Thank you for the confidence you put in me...I'm not sure I deserve it. Anyway...well, I actually did a little better than I thought, but not enough...not to pass the exam, anyway. Of, well, no problem...I was not eventually supposed to try it, and I'll have time to try again when I'll return.
Oh, I took a look to your page...interesting essay, and beautiful pics indeed. And, incidentally, I finally could make myself an idea of how do you look like...;)

Books:> Very interesting thing! One of my preferred topics...I think that the time you use to read a good book is never wasted time, and if I have some spare money, I usually go to some bookshop and see for something interesting.

My preferred books, in no particular order:

- Frank Herbert's "Dune Cronichles", all the cycle. Particularily the second book, but I like a lot all of them.
- Terry Brooks' saga of Shannara, all the cycle. Of the same author, I like the Landover cycle too, but not as much.
- Tom Clancy's "Hunt for Red October", "The Cardinal of the Kremlin", "Red Storm Rising" and some others.
-Tolkien's works. All of them.
- Arthur Clarke's: All of his works, without exception...I really consider him a greatest writer!
- Isaac Asimov's cycle of the Foundation.
- Stephen King's: almost all of his books, although some I liked less than others. My preferred one is probably "The Stand".
- Stephen Donaldson's saga of Thomas Covenant.
- Harry Turtledove's cycles of The Misplaced Legion and of Krispos
- George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm"
- Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" and "Martian Chronichles"
- Fred Uhlman's trilogy of the Reunion
- Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers"
- Paolo Maurensig's "La variante di Luneburg" e "Canone inverso"
- Giorgio Bocca's "Storia d'Italia nel XX secolo"
- Dante Alighieri's "Divina Commedia"
- C. S. Lewis' "Out of the Silent Planet"
- Bram Stoker's "Dracula"
- Umberto Eco's "Il nome della Rosa"
- Primo Levi's "Se questo � un uomo" (you probably know it as "Survival at Auschwitz"...the original title can be translated with "If this is a man")
- Daniel Pennac's "Au bonheur des ogres"
- Michael Ende's "Neverending story" and "Momo".
- Jostein Gaarder's "Sofies verden"

Books I don't like:
- Richard Laymon's "Body Rides". I was never able to finish it.
- Stendhal's "La Certosa di Parma". They made me read it at HS. Unbearably boring, and the main character is an idiot (IMHO).
- All the works by Gabriele D'Annunzio. I really can't understand how he can be considered one of the best examples of Italian litterature in this century...the guy was so filled of vanaglorious pride that one can feel it transude from every page.
- Alessandro Manzoni's "I promessi sposi". Another supposed masterpiece of Italian litterature. A banal story, narrated with unbearable paternalism...the only interesting parts are those in which the writer analyzes the political situation of those times ('600).
- Michael Crichton's "Sphere". I don't dislike Chrichton's works usually, but "Sphere" really bored me. The conclusion was very predictable, and the characters very stereotypal.

Hm...that is supposed to be all...but I'm quite sure I forgot something...

Mandolin:> Not good news. The guy seems quite astute and resourceful...what makes him dangerous. Keep your eyes open...especially because you still don't know what does he really want. I wish good luck to you and our friends.
About the police...seems really incredible to me. What kind of way to work is that?

That's all, folks. I'll be around.

Ciao!
Shadowrider - [shadowrider@katamail.com]
Milan, Italy
Thursday, September 7, 2000 04:45:25 PM
IP: h255-22-38.mi2.albacom.net

Rodlox> Because Conner didn't want to win against Duncan. Oh and for those interested my favorite book is Alice though Wonderland
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Thursday, September 7, 2000 03:19:56 PM
IP: h2odam.sdccd.cc.ca.us

Best Books> I really like "Dracula" a lot. Also enjoyed "Lord of the Rings", "The Psi Corps Triology", "The Centauri Prime Trilogy" (well, the third book isn't out yet. "Animal Farm" "Of Mice and Men", "The Crystal Cave", "The Once and Future King", "Le Morte de Arthur"... and a bunch more.

Doug & Kit> I don't know what to say right now, but the best advice I can give would be to ask police to keep an eye on your home and on these lunatics as well, and also to protect yourself as well. Sometimes I carry a knife on me when I'm being threatened. But I have a feeling you'll get through this, based on what I know about the two of you, you both survived worse and were made stronger by those experiences.
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky - [Madoc55@hotmail.com]
Thursday, September 7, 2000 02:48:47 PM
IP: dialin-901-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

not much this time, but...

**HIGHLANDER:ENDGAME spoilers**
why the frell didn't they use Methos more??
i mean, if it's the # of Immortals that he's {Kell's} killed that matters, why not send out the 5 thousand-year-old former Horseman?? {can you imagine the tricks he coulda played? from Kronos's vanishing act, to Cassandra's mind games}.
speaking of vanishing, Connor killed Kane - who could vanish and play optical illusions....why couldn't Connor or Duncan??
**end of SPOILERS**

Rodlox
Thursday, September 7, 2000 02:44:59 PM
IP: cc391097-b.catv1.md.home.com

I have a meeting to go to, so this will be short and angry.

My friends had to go back to their apartment today. Why? Well, they caught a glimpse of the guy last night outside the dorm, and as usual he's been careful not to let them get a really good look at them. The cops, finding inconsistencies in their stories, separated and interrogated my friends - and concluded that one of them had been making the whole thing up. They didn't just figure that she was mistaken, they accused her of LYING. And one of them told my friends that if they reported anything else without concrete proof or a proper description, they'd be arrested. So they're back at square one.

I can buy that my friends could have been mistaken - that maybe the guy they've seen isn't the same one who tried to get into their apartment last semester - but I do NOT think they were lying at all. And the cops aren't going to do a thing. I'm going to have to smuggle the cat out of here this afternoon.

You know, if this is the way the Frederick police typically operate, I'm damned glad I'm a Bel Air resident... grr...

Sorry for the rant, but what a week. I can't IMAGINE how they felt being interrogated last night.
Mandolin
Thursday, September 7, 2000 01:56:43 PM
IP: 144.175.21.16

oh damn- I meant- "From here to Eternity" :P

jenna
Thursday, September 7, 2000 01:43:52 PM
IP: 1cust76.tnt1.stafford.tx.da.uu.net

well never said i was a great speller

jenna
Thursday, September 7, 2000 01:41:13 PM
IP: 1cust76.tnt1.stafford.tx.da.uu.net

**delurks**

SJ-Now this is a topic I can get into! Which book is my all time favorite? I
could no sooner pick a favorite star in the heavens!

Seriously though, I don't honestly think I have one favorite above all
others. I have books all over my apartment, and the idea of having fun for
me has been going to the Liberia or bookstore for many years. I am a
certified book-aholic- and quite frankly, I don't think people read enough
today. I frankly don't think you can have enough books.

The best I can give you is a list of what I like - I honestly could not
narrow it down, no matter how hard I tried.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury ( I'm sensing a trend here-:P)
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Catcher in the Rye
Lady Chattorly's lover
Neverending story by Michael Ende
Mists of Avalon
The hobbit
Out of the Silent Planet
Harry Potter-all of them
Lord of the Rings- all of them
Frankenstein
Dracula
Interview with the vampire
Like water for chocolate
I know why the caged bird sings
Wuthering heights---
Jane eyre
Pride and Prejudice
Tess of The Dubervilles

And this is off just the top of my head

The list of what I want to read is even longer! It stretches from here to
infinity!!

Books I loathed- Sweet Valley High books- ugh! And there's another book I
remember the plot to, but it was so bad I can't recall the name- at any
rate- it was one of those types of books.

Interesting that we are talking about J.D.Salinger - his daughter is coming
out with her memoirs this month- apparently as he got older, it sounds as if
he became a real tyrant. At any rate- just odd it came up-

jenna
Thursday, September 7, 2000 01:18:22 PM
IP: 1cust76.tnt1.stafford.tx.da.uu.net

The Sleepers was a nice episode but I'm sure you guys will write better ones
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Thursday, September 7, 2000 11:42:40 AM
IP: h2odam.sdccd.cc.ca.us

**Winterwolf steps in to finish his post**

Hi. I was talking with someone really special that I wanted to talk to so I cut my post short yesterday. I'll be finishing my replies. :)

Mandolin> This guy sounds like a real basket case. I hope he will be out of your life as well as the lives of your friends soon!

Fire Storm> That's just plain evil! I didn't know you had such masochistic tendencies! LOL ^_^

Wilek> Welcome back! You've been missed! Looking forward to that real post!

Zath> <100mb> It depends how big the drive is and what's on there. :)

Kya White Sapphire> Umm, I can't see anything on the page! It looks like a blank page right now! :( Well I've just checked it in IE and it looks fine there but it is a dark screen in Netscape. Talking about the page in IE it looks great! If you really want the identity of Titania check out my page! :) http://www.veoweb.com/members/brooklyn/g2kstory.htm It is revealed on pictures page 2. The link appears if you click on the gathering 2000 link. ;)

Warpmind> <dental work> On the good side I'm glad it wasn't that bad. On the bad side 8 more!

David G.> Welcome back! Been cruising around huh?

Niamhgold> I know the busy bug is biting you constantly but I just wanted to say that I really miss you! **HUGZ**

Okay I guess that covers most replies. Later!

**Winterwolf leaves**

Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@excite.com]
Bronx, NY
Thursday, September 7, 2000 11:20:18 AM
IP: 206.15.122.13

***Kyryn breezes in***

Fire Storm> Well, no rain yet, but at least the temps have dropped enough that it was actually cool early this morning.

Wilek> Ooo! Pretty, sharp thingy! *grin* Okami is actually going to get around to making his own design one of these days.

Mandi> <no sign of forced entry> It sounds like he might have a master key for the dorms. BTW, for the kitty's shots, etc., you or your friends might want to contact the local humane society. They can usually at least point you in the right direction for low cost shots, etc. I wish you all luck and safety in dealing with this.

Books> Well, I've got to say that the worst was probably the third Dune book. I can't even remember the title at the moment. It's the only book that I ever put down and didn't finish. Best books: Too many to really name but I'd probably put Charles De Lint's "Moonheart" up for modern fantasy and Larry Niven's Known Space Series for science fiction. Although I've got to admit that Tolkien's "The Hobbit" still tops my all time fantasy list. I honestly don't like Anne Rice that much in the horror/fantasy genre. I much preferred Fred Saberhagen's Dracula series or Lumley's Necroscope series. I've read many of the "classics" and I don't really have a favorite, but I would probably put Orwell's "Animal Farm" up there at the top. I'd put Patrick Robinson's "Nimitz Class" up there for my favorite military suspense thriller.

Zath> There was a sequel to "Watership Down?" <I have Moore (tallish old guy with glasses and white hair that's thin in the back, I'm assuming he's the same guy you had been talking about having for a Shakespeare class before) for my other literature class. > Yep, that's Professor Moore.

Christine> Becca's first day of Kindergarten? Watch out! Before you know it she'll be demanding the keys to the car! ;) Seriously, it's hard to watch them grow up. Be proud. From what I remember of her at G99, you're raising a little sweetie!

Robby> 111 degrees? Gee, that's where our weather went. Well, if you folks get rid of it, please don't send it back to North Texas. ;)

Later All!

***Kyryn heads back to work***
Kyryn
Denton, TX
Thursday, September 7, 2000 10:25:13 AM
IP: 216.35.46.129

Hi ya'll, just a quick post to let you all know I'm not dead. Let's see what's worth saying...

Buffy> I await the 26th with breathless anticipation.

Sabledrake> I suppose it's a good thing I decided to wrap up Changeling Seed in December instead of next August. I hope the magazine is back relativly soon.

My car> I made my first 1000 miles over the weekend. Cruise Control is cool! Power Steering isn't bad either.

Pendragon> I really like the way things are shaping up.

***Potential SPOILER***
I have a theory about what/who Morgana's pet raven is. If I'm right, it explains why she's taking up her vendetta against Arthur again. On the other hand, there are a few places where my theory doesn't completely add up, so I'm witholding judgement for the moment.
***End Spoilers****

Anyway, that's about all I have time for. My net access is kind of limited these days. I don't have much time at work, and my home connection is nearly useless right now. I'm thinking of getting DSL though.

One last thing:
Avalon Wars> If anybody remembers this, how many of you might be interested in reading the series and/or working on it? I'd like to see it done, but I don't have time to do it all myself.

Bye for now. I'll try to stop in at least once a week. If you want to be sure I see something, put my name in it. I look for my name as I scan the CR.
David G. - [david_goodner@yahoo.com]
Arlington, TX, USA
Thursday, September 7, 2000 09:03:18 AM
IP: 198.215.20.3

DAPHNE - Um, in your last two posts, there was little other than RP in there; please don't do that.

BUFFY - I'm interested in seeing Dracula show up in it myself. The promo for his arrival on Buffy Tuesday night suggest that he's going to be done as a very seductive figure. More than that I won't even speculate on for now.

(Oh, and actually, the premiere's due on September 26 rather than in October).
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, September 7, 2000 06:50:09 AM
IP: 216.87.46.169.dialup-stl.primary.net

*Warpmind enters, his right arm in a sling and a broad, evil grin plastered onto his face.*
Well, my arm is slightly dysfunctional right now... last night, I encountered one of those arcade machines... the kind where you punch a padded area, and the machine calculates the amount of force in the impact. Well, I used a little trick I've learned - focusing on the single greatest target of my hatred - and sent my adrenals into hyperdrive. Surprisingly, the OD of adrenaline gave me enough oomph to murder the machine. (Apparently, a bolt or something was dislocated - either way, the mechanics wound up jammed.) So, now my right arm hurts a bit due to a slightly dislocated joint, and I've frightened the machine's owner, who held the previous record. ]:) Oh, well, the doc said my arm'd be just fine by the weekend, if not sooner - just a minor shake-up; not even properly out of joint. :)

Christine: Oh, well, it was worth a shot. :) Maybe one of the books in the *next* trilogy? ;)

SJ: Best book/Worst book: Well, seeing as though I've read a HUGE pile of fiction, the competition is hard. Nonetheless, I reckon #1 will have to be The Callahans Chronicals; a book I find myself returning to again and again and again and agin. :) The worst is, without a doubt, Kristin Lavransdatter. I deem it unlikely that many, if any at all, of you have heard of this book, but let me put it like this: the reason Catcher in the Rye is rated one notch about Kristin Lavransdatter, is that in Catcher, things actually *happened*. *Sigh* And people wonder why I am a die-hard fan of American and English literature in its original lingual form...

Alan "Ordell": Aw, yeah, Shiri Appleby (sp?) is a cutie, eh? :)

Mandolin: You know, this stalker guy... if you ever learn his name, you could post his name and all the info you get here; I'm sure our accumulated contacts (including our lost comrade Pissy) could cooperate into making this creeps life *very* miserable *very* fast. ]:) There are a LOT worse things than physical punishment... ]:)

Fire Storm: Well, I was told I had a "Tolkienish" form... whatever that means. (Maybe a dead ringer?)

Zath: Ah, but I remember The Golden Rules for guarding magical artifacts:
#1: If an artifact begins to glow, cover your eyes.
#2: If an artifact begins to glow, and you don't cover your eyes, run.
#3: If an artifact begins to glow, and you don't cover your eyes or run, you only have yourself to blame when some out-of-control curse starts cutting down your family tree.
As for "A Bronx Tail", well, I can't say to have read that particular fic. (Or was it a TGC episode? If so, I have *absolutely* not seen it.)

Robby: So, the ages were dropped a few notches in translation, were they? Tsk. Just goes to show the stupidity of certain translators, and the corporate gravelheads they are forced to answer to...

Winterwolf: The dental work wasn't that severe, and with a triple dose of xylocaine (for some reason, my system is extremely resistant to any chemicals - in RPGs it'd be called "Poison Resistance"), another molar was repaired. Now I only have 8 notches left to fix; almost as many holes as can be found in an average Star Trek plot. ;) As for your brainteaser, it's something about unscrewing one lightbulb, I think, but I'm not going to work on it right now. Maybe later...

**RP HERE**
Warpmind frowned at the six demons.
"So, the force is cut in half, just like that? Brilliant. So, how 'bout a roll call?"
**RP END**
(Sorry, I should have RP'ed longer; just wanted to remind SJ that I'm still at the same place he's at.)

Well, gotta go. Ciao.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Thursday, September 7, 2000 06:12:09 AM
IP: mp-219-1.daxnet.no

**Winterwolf enters**

Hi. Here's an easy brainteaser for you guys.

There are 2 rooms.
You enter the first room and you see 3 light bulbs on a wall.
The bulbs are all in light fixtures in working condition and shut off.
You leave the first room and enter the second room.
There you find 3 switches that control the lights in the first room.
Each switch controls one light bulb from the first room.
You cannot see into the first room.

How can you figure out exactly which switch controls which light if you are allowed back in the first room only one more time?

Zath> <laundry> Well if you don't mind having things accidentally bleach stained then I've got you covered! **laugh** ;)

Warpmind> Have plenty of painkillers if the dental visit is going to be that severe!

Shadowrider> You did badly? No way! I know you are very intelligent and I bet you did better than you think you did! ^_^

Gside> <Stage Deli> That's true and I do take advantage of that! That and this pizza place that is great! :)

Daphne> That was the point! Because you will be missed! ;)

Christine> Excellent work on the latest issue of Sable Drake! I know I'm going to feel the loss when the last issue is read... I'll have to make sure to submit to the future issues! ^_^

DPH> <Plot Hole> I don't know. Was SuperSpeed really an issue? She might have just been busy and did not want to be disturbed. Oh well. She is resolved now regardless. :)

Sevarius Jr> <Pepe LePue> What shall we do with that skunk? LOL

I'll finish this later. Good night!

**Winterwolf leaves**

Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@excite.com]
Bronx, NY
Thursday, September 7, 2000 02:58:52 AM
IP: 206.15.120.134

Pardon as I post up the wazoo and such. Robby's post caught me off guard, and I saw it and needed to answer right away.

PS, thanks for the update on the RP. 'twas what I needed.

DBZ- The editing....well, this is why I bought the uncut tapes. Trunks Vs. Freeza is a must buy. Even if it is corny to listen to, you watch Freeza cower in terror. And you get to see Trunks kick the snot outta everyone Freeza brought with him....boy...I was just in AWE the day I saw it.

Where the video's are at now, is about this time last year on the International Channel, when I first started watching Cell Saga. Veghead and 18's fight is awesome. A friend bought the tapes, and said it was amazin'. Ofcourse, it was unedited...and I don't know if they will be editing anything on CN. Poor...poor Tenchi...I hear that was edited to all hell. Can't wait for Endless Waltz though.

October 24th, anyone who likes DBZ MUST buy the video that comes out this day. Trunks Story, uncut, dubbed, but just having it on our shores in VHS and DVD form is cause for Celebration. And one month later....How it all Started........The Bardock Story. I can't wait.

Anyway, my fourth post, I apologize....third original one though. Anyway, that's it for me tonight.
Gasper
MN, US
Thursday, September 7, 2000 02:58:28 AM
IP: 209.83.84.2

Man... School just wiped me out today... I suppose going to sleep at 1 Am last night, getting up at six thirty, and walking 4 miles to and from school in THE HOTTEST WEATHER IN SAN ANTONIO HISTORY (111 degrees plus humidity!) would do that. (That's 4 miles all together, not each way) Basically, I cam home at 3 and fell asleep, and just woke up. Oh well... At least it was in time to catch DBZ... Nothing quite like watching Super Saiyin Goku beat the snot out of Frieza as he rightfully deserves...

Spike- Condolances.

Gasper- Good to see ya again. As far as the 10 saga, not much has happened. 4 was killed, and that was about the end of it. The RP has been on very slow hiatus due to scheduales and only one or two bits of it have come forth since. But in space, 1 killed 3 for being disobediant. As well, 1 and 2 are headed to Earth now. That's about it. The rest is character development.

Are you catching the new DBZ episodes? The editing bothers me, but hey... I'm looking forward to the Vegeta/18 fight... It's *THE* most unique fight in DBZ history...

Warpmind- Near as I can tell from the manga, Ash Ketchum is really 14, Misty is 16, and Brock is 18. Their ages were dropped four years apiece in the cartoon so they would be closer to the target audience. (I'm judging based upon Ash's attitude and certain... Gags...) I mean, the cartoon (or at least some of the books about the cartoon) would have us believe that Ash, Misty, and Brock are 10, 12, and 14 respectivley, and Jessie and James are 15... Uhm... No.

Kit and Doug- Eek. So many people in here are having problems with crazies lately... Here's hoping he does something that allows the police to take action, and also hope things work out.

Christine- Becca's first day of Kindergarten eh? Well, Kindergarten *IS* the funnest year of school ever after all. You learn the alphabet, (In my case we had letter people and songs... On a RECORD PLAYER!) basic math skills, play, color and mess with blocks all day. Still, nice to hear she's having fun tho...

SJ- RP related note... I honestly don't know what's up with Kari's powers yet... I just noticed she didn't get involved in the 4 fight at all and thought I'd play up on that. If you have an idea, run with it. If not, I'll come up with something by my next RP...

Favorite and worst books- Well, for favorite books, I used to say Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" on sheer reflex. But ever since Card did the LOUSY "Ender's Shadow" last year which showed another side of the events in the story, well... It lost a lot. So I suppose now my answer for best book is the abridged version of "The Princess Bride". Action, adventure, romance, fantasy, intelligent villains and great characters, what more is there? (The full version has a couple hundred pages of dull stuff tho...)

As for worst book, I'm inclined to agree on "Brave New World", which I had to read for summer reading last year along with 1984. 1984 was MUCH better, and it had characters you could like. (The biggest problem I had with that one is we didn't see the start of the story or the end. We just saw part of the middle.) Huckleberry Finn was pretty bad too. (Plot conveniance and stupid characters? What're those?) Or Chris Claremount's "Shadow Moon". Considering Claremount is a great writer, that book is horrible. I don't have that many least favorite books, because unless I have to read it for school, I usually stop reading a story pretty early if it doesn't capture my interest.

Mandolin- Eesh, more crazies hounding the denizens of the CR... I dinnae like it. Oh well, hope you get along with the cat while its there...

Dame Corax- Ya know, your original alias is still welcome around here. We've missed ya!

**RP HERE**
Of the ten, most of them are gone now. 8, 9 and 10 were such weak characters they were never really a threat. 7 was the cyber smurf and he was destroyed months ago. Since 7 was defeated, 5 and 6 did not go to Earth and just stayed out in space, since they are also not a threat. 3 and 4 have both been killed very recently, leaving only 1 and 2. By far the most powerful members of the ten, and they are on the way to Earth. And they will arrive soon.

At the same time, Mephisto, who had hoped to flee Earth and escape the Ten's wrath, has had his plans thwarted as well. By the time 2 and 1 arrive, he will be at the battlefield, much against his will.

Also at the moment, Gasper was training in HFIL against 4, becoming stronger and stronger in an environment when he could not die. He was enjoying it.

And also at the same time, Jim Noying, Kari Noying, Kitty Noying, Sevarius Junior, Sammael, and half a dozen demons were still getting over the battle with 4 and making plans to deal with whatever might come next, while Kari was having a moment with her sister Kitty. All things were coming together.
Robby
Thursday, September 7, 2000 02:20:35 AM
IP: spider-we061.proxy.aol.com

MY g2k DIARY AND PHOTO ALBUM is ONLINE! (sorry so many of the pix turned out so bad <=l let me know if you want me to take any pix of you DOWN...
Kya White Sapphire - [<--- click for g2k diary!!]
Thursday, September 7, 2000 01:30:27 AM
IP: 1cust56.tnt3.clearwater.fl.da.uu.net

Warpmind> <<some funky archaeological collection or something that'll need someone to look after it on the trip to LA for that particular time. Lord knows, I just might find something...>> Just make sure to avoid anything that glows in the dark. One never wants to be the security guard and/or innocent bystander when magical artifacts are involved ; ) <<Try to find Bronx? What on Earth are you babbling about?>> In "A Bronx Tail" didn't Bronx get off the train in Philadelphia before somehow wandering into Amish country?

Kyryn> <<Who's teaching the class?>> Prof. Braudy teaches that one. I have Moore (tallish old guy with glasses and white hair that's thin in the back, I'm assuming he's the same guy you had been talking about having for a Shakespeare class before) for my other literature class.

Christine> <<In the meantime, I've read a slew of books and watched about 14 episodes of Red Dwarf>> At least it sounds like an amusing way to pass the time, even if it isn't terribly productive.

Fire Storm> <<After installing Win2k and Netscape, I have only 200 mb left!>> If you think that's bad, my computer back at home got down to around 30mb free before I went through deleting all my older files. Now it has around 100mb free on the hard disk. I don't know what's taking up so much space because there's practically nothing on that machine. <<ever read the Beauty Series? Read it. You will puke!>> Would the puking be from the content or just from the writing style alone?

Wilek> <> It's nice looking, but if I had enough cash to drop on something like that, I'd rather have a regular sword.

Best/Worst books> My list of favorite books changes almost daily, but I have fond childhood memories of books like Watership Down (but avoid the sequel like the plague), and Dragonflight. For worst books, I know I've read a lot of crummy stuff over the years, but I've forgotten the titles and authors of most of them. Currently, I'm on a historical fiction kick, wading my way through Les Miserables. Hugo could have used a more strict editor (Do we really need 50 pages talking about Waterloo just to introduce a 2 page scene between Thenardier and Marius's father?) but overall it isn't as bad as a lot of people say it is.

I need to go read more Chaucer. Bye for now.
Zath - [zath@rocketmail.com]
Thursday, September 7, 2000 01:22:15 AM
IP: ppp-228-110.usc.edu

**Dame Corax reappears.**

Thanks for all the welcomes, everyone! You're all great.

Green Baron> A very special thanks to you for your wonderful welcome! **"The Dame" tries to bow gracefully** Thank you! It's good to see you again.

Good books> Just thought I'd through in my two cents. My absolute favorite book is "The Little Prince" by St-Exupery. (man, I hope I spelled that right...he's a French author) It seems like a children's story, but it really means a lot more if you think about it. I also love "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli (heavy reading, but some nice quotes), and the novel written by Randall Wallace for the movie Braveheart. Had a few extra scenes thrown in and a few missing, which really seemed to work. Also loved "Alas, Babylon," a novel about a post-nuclear war America.

Well, gotta go for now. See y'all around!

**Dame Corax winks and waves to Coyote, Wilek, Kyryn, and Green Baron before stepping back into the shadows.**
Dame Corax
Thursday, September 7, 2000 01:01:35 AM
IP: guilder.telcom.arizona.edu

I apologize for the triple post. My bad, I'm sorry.
ARGH! THIS CAMPUS! The connection is horrible. ANyway, SJ, sorry, didn't see your post about Left Behind Series. Okay, here's my take.

Left Behind through Nicolae were in my opinion awesome. But then came Soul Harvest. Not that great, but I liked it. Apollyon, noticed something that start nagging me, but ingnored it. Assassins, That book was not good. I still dread re-reading the sucker. ANd now...we have The InDwelling. I like LeHaye and Jenkins for this series. It's a best seller series, which is astounding because of it's subject matter....but Indwelling made me realize that Those two have almost if not already become Grishams.

Grisham had some great books. But then, he made many best sellers, and the rest were just mechanically written. His last GREAT one, was the RainMaker. The Movie was a VERY CLOSE adaption too. This is what has become of the Left Behind Series. It's being mass produced, by robots. They just don't have the feeling anymore of the first and second books. And they've lost a lot of good characters that died pointless deaths. Bruce....Ken Ritz (which REALLY pissed me off,) and then the Doctor. I fear for the next book, but I know I"ll buy it anyway, I love the series. It's like my Star Wars books. I'll put up with it because it advances the whole story in one way or another. Sometimes, we just have to grin and bear it.

Anyway....again, enough from me for now...I've gone on WAY TOO LONG!

*Presses the send button, hoping it will work.*
Gasper
MN, US
Thursday, September 7, 2000 12:55:21 AM
IP: 209.83.84.2

Hm....okay. Can someone catch me up in an e-mail about 10 saga, if you so wish?

***Short Inter CR RP******
Gasper looked at Coyote the Bando with fire in his eyes. "No, I meant to say a big a$$ dose of Nyquil. Meaning, I'm going to have a large dose, thus knocking me out so I can have a nice Night times sleep." Powering up a Masenko blast, he points it at Coyote. "I won't hurt ya....this time."
****Done RPing.*****

Anyway, now that unpleasentness is aside, Mandolin, I'm sorry to hear this Helena does not like her job. When you say Res Life Director, I'll assume that's the person in charge of the Hall Directors. That's what it is here. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear that she doesn't like her customers, the ones who pay her salary and are her job. This is a CRIME we are talking about. A person breaks in, and you get mad because theirs a Cat in the room? Granted, it was probably a violation of Housing policy or maybe not, but the fact of the matter is, an infraction is hardly reason to forget there is a very sick person out there with an eye on young ladies. Helena should be reported to her superiors.

Remember folks, if you are in college, and there is a person that is a director of something, say Res Life, you pay their salary by staying in the dorms. That means you have the right to argue your case fairly, and if you can't, you go to the next level and let that boss know that someone wasn't doing their job the way they should have.

Enough Ranting on my end.

Good Books and Bad Books. Well, I just got done reading a REALLY good book that has gone to my list of great books I've read. It's called "The Pledge" by Rob Kean. It's in paperback, and it's about 700 pages, but a GREAT read. It's on college students, a corrupt fraternity, and how it gets screwed over. So many plot twists, so few pages. I'd love to see even more, but this author did his best.

Worst books. Hm....I could give you a list alright. Planet of Twilight by Hambly. NOt good, Callista was a bad character, pure and simple. This book did NOT belong in the Star Wars Univers. Neither did Children of the Jedi. On a personal note, a bad Fanfic would be Paul Nathans "Pathways of Foreboding." Avoid it like the plague. Any person who takes 12 birthstones and makes them FF7 Weapons, then describes them for 30KB...well, they need some semblence of a life.

Next Rant....er....Comment: Those new Coke commercials that promote violence when two people don't have a pop has GOT TO GO!

Okay, I'm done. OH! Okay, one last thing.

GSIDE---Napster will work, but I get N/A on ALL ping times, and when I try and DL something, it will start the first 20KB, then shut down and say it's a transfer problem. I'll try Napstnavigator or something, and give Gnutella a try. Thanks for the advice. ANyway, that's all from me.

Later
Gasper - [gasper@icybrian.com]
MN, US
Thursday, September 7, 2000 12:39:49 AM
IP: 209.83.84.2

I just thought I'd give you all this link, because I know someone in here will buy one of these. (I know I'd like to...) :)
Real post sometime before the Apocalypse. I promise.
Wilek
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 11:48:00 PM
IP: proxy1.spaceproxy.com

Assassin manual: "Catcher in the Rye" actually was the book that was found on the person of John Lennon's killer upon his arrest. John Hinckley Jr. (the man who shot Reagan) had nothing to do with the novel, he shot the president because he was trying to impress Jodie Foster.
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 11:28:38 PM
IP: 216.28.101.139

Winterwolf: <If mace is out how about pepper spray?>
Michigan law prohibits pepper spray with concentrations over 2.5% cepsian.
I think the chili I made the other night was 5%

I can't even load MS Word! After installing Win2k and Netscape, I have only 200 mb left!

Warpmind: <Maybe because it was the one with the highest lingual standards...>
Which, in comparison to the book, isn't hard.

Kyryn: <Just remember to give it some additional plant food to keep it healthy in the pot>
It's on a steady diet of Miracal Grow and root growth hormone.
<My poor Lemon Balm has barely survived the Texas heat>
I hope your plants survive too!
Any hope of rain down there?

Shadowrider: <You, Doug, Mandolin, Fire Storm...all in the same time>
Misery LOVES company! :)

Gside: <Because it is a handbook for assassins. Supposedly it has gainted that reputation after it was revealed some famous killer read it religiously>
Oh yeah! Mel Gibson! (Conspiracy Theory)
I think it was the guy that shot Regan and was infatuated with Jodie Foster.
(LM wanted me to mention that thats not the reason it is popular. If anything, thats another reason to ban it.)
Hmm... maybe it is so popular BECAUSE everyone wants to ban it!

SJ: <He's a stalker at best. Something far more insidious at worst.>
But don't forget that the tables were turned on Pepe in a few episodes!
<DC did a really ballsy move, they actually let Gotham be totally destroyed>
Damn straight! "OH MY GOD! They killed GOtham!"
"You Bastards!"
<Worst Books>
Speaking of Anne Rice... ever read the Beauty Series? Read it. You will puke!

Ordell: <You have to keep in mind that these were written during a different period of history, and they're not a modern novel.>
Oh, I understand that. The plot (A Catcher in the Rye) seems ok, but the way it is presented seems, well, poor. It sounds like some phyco's ramblings to a shrink. (And no, I haven't finished to book yet, so don't spoil what I already can figure out)
<Frank Herbert's Dune>
Anything past Messiah, though...

Good Book: The Alien3 story book.
Of course, I loved reading the manual for Fallout (Ok... so many game manuals), so go figure.
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 11:25:49 PM
IP: 02-150.008.popsite.net

**Mandi is sitting at her computer with a small tabby cat standing on her lap, looking VERY curious.**

Hi everybody. Meet my new roommate, Sebastian. *sigh* She belongs to the friends I mentioned who were being stalked. Let me start from the beginning: Michelle and Wendy got emergency housing in another dorm over the weekend, and Security was aware of the cat and permitted it (since they couldn't find anyone to take her). Monday night, the bastard broke into their apartment. He was EXTREMELY neat about it; there was no sign of forced entry. However, he still left enough clues around for them to know he was there: stuff on the closet floor, papers moved around... and he got onto Michelle's computer. We've heard nothing from the cops yet, but there were framed photos of all six of us in the apartment. This guy now knows what the entire SisterHood looks like. So my friends decided they couldn't go back to the apartment at all.

Anyway, after Labor Day things opened up again, and when our Res Life director, Helena, got wind of this, she called them to her office. Now with all the complications involved - their safety, campus safety, how long they'd be there - what was her main concern? The damn cat. (Sorry, Sebastian.) She harped constantly having the cat in the dorm, and said they had one hour to get her out of the hall they were staying in. They can't afford to put the cat in an animal shelter (which, with the physical exam and the shots she doesn't have, will cost them $200), and none of their friends off-campus can take the cat right now. So I took her for the night - technically, the cat is out of THAT dorm.

Helena was apparently really rude about letting them stay - she would have kicked them both out (although one's a student and the other's an alum) with no grace period to find a place if not for the Dean of Students. But they're still in the other dorm, and Sebastian is here with me. Despite the claws, she's a sweetheart and I'm in cat withdrawal, so it's working out all right.

I just wish they'd catch this guy. I honestly don't think he knows my friends personally - at least, not Wendy. Unless he has a death wish, he wouldn't be harassing them if he knew Wendy's a Marine with a really bad temper.

Kitania> Oh, hell. I can't believe this. I hope they do catch that SOB, and I hope Holder doesn't try anything stupid. What on earth possesses these morons to do this sort of shit for ridiculous reasons?

Spike> **hugs** I'm sorry about your grandmother.

Napster> I can still get into it, but I haven't lately... only to find some really obscure stuff. I'm still trying to find more tracks from the "Running Scared" soundtrack, which they stopped making copies of some time ago.

SJ> Kate Hudson as MJ? IMO, it's better than that Aniston rumor that was floating around a while ago.

Roswell> I never got into this show. I don't know why.

Best Books> I could go on FOREVER if I was allowed to... so I'll just mention one. Freshman year, I had to take this awfully dull 100-level English course called "Space and Solitude" taught by an unimpressive prof (we called him "Willy Wonka"). One of the readings was "Animal Dreams" by Barbara Kingsolver. I started reading it after dinner... and did not put the book down for the next four hours. I read it all and was in tears at the end. My roommate thought I was nuts. :)

Worst books> I never finished Anne Rice's "Servant of the Bones;" I fell asleep reading it.

Anyway, her Majesty is demanding attention, so I'd better finish this up and return to my new position as a piece of cat furniture. (Yes, Sebastian, you're adorable and we're all under your power. Now please detach your claws from my skirt!) I'm starting to understand why her owner once described her as "Nermal on crack."
Mandolin
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 11:07:41 PM
IP: 144.175.21.16

Books> I've yet to read "Catcher in the Rye." (Being in AP English means you read the more obscure books, I guess.) From what I've heard from those who have read it, they weren't blown away, but they thought it was good. *shrug*

I like Anne Rice. I like her writing. She's the only author I've read who could go on describing flowers for two pages and hold my interest. I've not read any of her work outside the Vampire Chronicles, however. I don't gather that much of her stuff outside that universe is worth reading, though. And certainly, the same can be said about most of the Vampire Chronicles books past Memnock the Devil (very good book - reminds me of "Dogma"). The best of the Vampire Chronicles is The Vampire Lestat, though. It's fantastic. Ironically, the first book, Interview with the Vampire, isn't that great, IMO. I saw the movie first, and I think it was superior. Unfortunately, the same won't be able to be said about the next movie... the morons at WB are trying to combine Vampire Lestat AND Queen of the Damned into ONE film. Idiots. Interview with the Vampire was light filler compared to either of those, and it was a full two hours long. *shakes head* Anne Rice is supposedly in the league of Crichton, Clancy and Grisham -- yet she's still at the mercy of the 'Almighty Hollywood'.

But anyway, Rice aside, my favorite book would have to be Jurassic Park. I've read it like six times. It was the first 'novel' I ever read, besides The Hobbit, back in 1993, and it's endeared to me.

As far as Brave New World, I agree that it was boring. I didn't "hate" it, though, just was unimpressed. I think it tried too hard to be neutral and unbiased. Now, 1984 by George Orwell, THAT is a good dispotia novel. I just read it last month for my summer reading, and LOVED it. It's tentatively behind JP as my fave now.
Entity
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 11:06:12 PM
IP: nic-30-c5-215.mw.mediaone.net

Hey all. The book discussion roused my attention, thought I'd put in my own opinion...

Best books> The only book that we read for school that I liked was To Kill a Mockingbird. On the same note, though, I also LOVED Catcher in the Rye AND Brave New World. You have to keep in mind that these were written during a different period of history, and they're not a modern novel. You can't treat it as such... Some others I've liked: Animal Farm (Orwell), 1984 (Orwell), Catch 22 (Heller), Closing Time (Heller)... That's as far as classics go, anyways.

As for more modern literature: Any of Anne Rice's the Vampire Chronicles are great, Frank Herbert's Dune, Stephen King's The Dark Tower (and other independent books like The Stand and Desperation, of course). Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal (all by Thomas Harris) are probably the incarnation of the single most creepiest and perfect literary character of the late twentieth century (I'm speaking of Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, of course). That's just to name a few books I enjoy...

Worst Books> I'm inclined to agree that Violin is horrible. But I'm still a fan of Anne Rice. Some of the books for school I hated reading were The Killer Angels (Shaara), Death Be Not Proud (I don't even know who wrote it. It was a long time and I've blocked it out of my memory), various others that don't come to my mind right now. Onto other stuff...

Buffy stuff ***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AND SPECULATION***> Watched the episode where Oz returns. I teared up... again. I'm a sap, I know. Can't wait until the rerun Restless, the dream episode (even though I have it on tape). As for what's coming up in the new season. In all honesty, Joss Whedon is a pure genius when it comes to story telling. If he can pull of Dracula AND this entire Dawn business, I will exault him as a god. If he can't, I won't be surprised, really. ***END POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

Roswell stuff> I love this show. I've only become accesible to the WB in the last few months, and this is one of the shows that I've gotten hooked to. I'm avoiding all spoilers from the last few episodes of the season as much as I can, but it's not easy. If anyone here isn't into it, you really should check it out...

Oh, and by the way, to all you people who DID NOT post spoiler tags when discussing the ending to Highlander: Endgame, I hate you all. Not really, I was just extremely pissed off because the film is not here where I live as of yet and I've been waiting a hell of a long time for it.

Enough ranting...
Alan "Ordell" - [awaltrip@cableone.net]
Odessa/Midland, TX
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 10:41:41 PM
IP: ppp-110.ode.cableone.net

Gasper, re: "Arse Dose of Nyquil": Not to be a smart@$$, but ain't that the wrong orifice? ;)

Best and worst books: Hoo boy, here we go, talk about yer loaded questions ...
Best: Defining it by that which I associated with best and enjoyed most, absolute best for me would be FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER by Stephen Coonts. If you want to read a *damn* good Vietnam story, that's the one. And don't bother with that horrible movie they made of it, just read the book, it's much better.
Worst: On the other end of the military fiction spectrum, we have TATTOO. I don't remember *at all* what the name of the idiot who wrote it was, but it takes place around WWII and Korea and centers around a soldier who has this problem ... he really likes sex. And it *isn't* a humorous novel. This character has no redeeming factors at all, he uses women like Kleenex in some of the most graphic manners I've read. Horrid, horrid book ... you know a book's bad when there's no blurb or illustration on the cover, just "critical acclaim" that sounds like it's so fabricated it ain't funny.
Coyote the Bando - [tazcaddy@vivavelocity.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 10:15:47 PM
IP: 216.28.101.139

***BEGIN RP***
Kitty looked at her sister with concern. "Kari, honestly, tell me. Why didn't you fight against four?"
"When I arrived, the fight was pretty much already going on," Kari said. She turned her head to the side. "Those two demon soldiers jumped in before I could do anything."
Kitty continued to stare at her. "Kari."
"What?"
"Come on, drop the act. I'm your sister, I know you."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kari replied evasively.
"Yes, you do. Something's wrong isn't it?"
Kari looked at her sister with something like fear in her eyes. "Yeah. Something's very wrong."

Meanwhile, SJ and Sammael were talking to the demon soldiers who agreed to stay with the heroes and fight against the remaining members of the Ten.
"Okay, Belzelk and Gigamantis we know," Sammael said. "Now the others...Wait, weren't there supposed to be 12 of you altogether?"
Belzelk snorted. "Nope, not anymore. Just six."
"What is this?" SJ muttered. "What, did the army just downsize? I thought you guys were going to help us out here."
"We are," Belzelk said, pointing to himself, Gigamantis, and 4 other demon warriors. "The rest bailed."
"You have to be kidding me."
"I'll put it to you this way--we voted them off the island."
Sammael's tail twitched in frustration. "Fine. So who are the others?"
****END RP FOR NOW****

Well, I'm back in the CR!! Well....technically, I never really left. Just been lurking for a few days, do to some personal stuff going on. Anyway, forward I go into comments!!!

Stalking: I'm afraid I can't even begin to broach this subject. It's very odd, though, that lately a couple of us (Mandy and Kit, at the least) have been the victim of stalkers. I can't really offer any insight into the matter. Years ago a female friend of mine was experiencing some harassment from an ex-boyfriend of hers. Fortunately that little matter was fixed with a bit of intimidation from several of her male friends (the coward sort of lost interest when he discovered that half a dozen strapping young men were ready to eviscerate him). All I can say is that I hope that both of these @$$holes (look! I sound just like Gov. Bush!) get the message "Stay away" pounded into them. And I mean literally pounded into him.
If I may try to turn this topic to a lighter mood....has anyone ever noticed just how terrifying those old Pepe LePue cartoons are? Seriously! Pepe is seriously stalking these women! They obviously don't want to have anything to do with his skunky ass, yet he never lets them go. He's a stalker at best. Something far more insidious at worst.

Fire Storm: So, you've discovered Batman: No Man's Land? Enjoy my friend. That represents some of the best Batman work to come out in a long time. DC did a really ballsy move, they actually let Gotham be totally destroyed. It made for a great year plus of storytelling. Plus they got some of the best comics writers to write the dern thing: Greg Rucka, Devin Grayson, even Bob Gale (who wrote, among other things, the screenplay for "Back to the Future").

Speaking of Catcher in the Rye....I just thought, for fun, that maybe everyone here would list their choices for BEST book (or favorite book) and their choice for WORST book. Fire Storm clearly dislikes Catcher in the Rye (I agree with him. I actually read the book on my own, because I heard all these weird rumors that the book was disturbing and that if I read it it would literally change my personality. With that kind of build up, I had to check it out, right? What a rip off. Yeah, my personality changed. I started to think burning some books would be a good thing)
What are your choices for Best or Favorite book, and Worst book?
I have far too many favorites to list, but near the very top of my list are THE BEACH by Alex Garland, and FIGHT CLUB by Chuck Palahiuk. If you disliked either movie made from the books, don't let that stop you. Both are amazing pieces of literature.
Likewise, I have a few choices for Worst Book, but the two at the tops of my list are BRAVE NEW WORLD by Alduous Huxley and VIOLIN by Anne Rice. Brave New World is just soooo damn boring....Wow, what a great future. Nothing but endless white-boy preppies. And English ones to boot. And Violin? Maybe the worst piece of fiction I've ever had the displeasure of reading. Words escape me to describe how utterly boring, banal, and downright horrible this book is. Why must every Anne Rice novel center around New Orleans? And the writing....God, I can barely stand Rice's regular writing. I tolerate the Vampire Chronicles only because, well, they have vampires in them. But this novel? Take your violin and stick it.
Other books that almost made my Worst list are the Left Behind series. Gasper, you read these, right? Jesus. Literally.....I consider myself a Christian, but I can't get past these books. Great concept, but the writing is just...it should be a sin to write this badly. You know you're in trouble when the most interesting and intriguing character in your book is the evil-as-all-hell Antichrist. Ugh. I think I'll stick with Frank Peretti.

**With that said, I shall now slip into.....some ENTERTAINMENT NEWS!!!!**

Spider-Man movie news: Things are really coming together for the Spidey film, what with filming set to begin in just a few short weeks....Well, it looks as if Nic Cage is out of the movie as the Green Goblin....but his potential replacement could be just as cool. Sam Raimi is attempting to woo John Malkovich to play Norman Osborn. I personally like this idea. I could really get into Malkovich as Osborn. What I'd really love is for Malkovich to play the Goblin like his character in the Matt Damon flick 'Rounders'. "I will splash the pan wherever the filk I want, Mr. Spider-Man son of bitch!"
Raimi is also rumored to be campaigning for actress Kate Hudson to play Mary Jane Watson. I don't know about this....Kate is a talented actress, very beautiful, but I think she's a little too old to be playing a teenager.

A Good Omen for Gaiman fans! Director Terry Gilliam has finally announced that he will finally get around to making a live-action film based upon the Neil Gaiman / Terry Pratchett novel "Good Omens". For those who don't know of this book, it's a hilarious modern-day take on the Apocalypse. Only the forces of darkness seem to have misplaced the Antichrist....Anyway, it's a really cool book. I'm not really familiar with Pratchett (his Discworld books don't really interest me that much), but I'm a huge mark for Gaiman, so I can't wait to see this get made.
I'm thrilled about this. Gaiman is one of my heroes, and I think that Gilliam is just the kind of director needed to do this film justice.

Buffy Spoilers: I've got some info, i.e. Spoilers, for the first episode of the season, set to air sometime in October. Word out now is that the main villain for the season opener is going to be the King of Vampires himself.
Yep. Dracula is gonna make himself known.
No word on exactly what kind of take on the character Joss will use. Drac may just be a one-episode villain thrown in for giggles. However.....a part of me does kind of hope that he sticks around for awhile. He'd make a hell of a more imposing villain than "undead boy scout" Adam.

Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 10:03:02 PM
IP: cache-1.spg.va.webcache.rcn.net

**a bucket of Plot Cement enters the room through a portal.**

**BFTS RP continues**
Jason walks in on DPH, Plastique, Frost, and Winterwolf.

Everybody asks, "Where have you been?".

Jason replies, "It is an interesting story."

Jason tells everyone what happened.

DPH says, "Hmm. What happened to SuperSpeed? With all the happenings around here, I did not notice her absence until now."

Plastique replies, "She went home and forget to tell you with all the happenings going on."
**END BFTS RP for now with the plot hole filled.**

I am not taking painkillers because of one side-effect: drowsiness. It would keep me from working.

My new mattress felt good last night, but my back still hurts.

Finally, some decent weather in Arkansas.

I bought new sheets and pillows for my mattresses today.

**RP RELATED**
The plot hole that I just noticed was SuperSpeed's unexplained absence. Darn plot cement costs a lot of money. Next time I have to use plot cement, I am splitting the bill among all BFTS RPers.
**END RP RELATED**

That's all for now, folks. Have a great night.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 09:49:25 PM
IP: max1-45.cwy.cei.net

MageLore dedication > sorry, Warp, but the next one is dedicated to Tim ; ) He played Solarrin in the original game, and this one is really Solarrin's book.

But ... the dedication in the front of Black Roses reads "For Greg Weisman, Sally Richardson, and everyone who knows why."

Now if I could just get the goshdarn thing _published_!

Today was Becca's first day of kindergarten. I didn't cry, but couldn't help getting a little choked up as she was ushered in the obedient line of little kids into the maw of public education. But her first words upon emerging were "It was great!"

Work has been wonky. They took the computer for repairs. A resident left a glass pan of brownies to cool on the stove, but on a lit burner. It exploded, and the brownies burst into flames. What fun! Then I took the laptop but forgot the cord and the battery was dead. Last night I worked a half-shift so I could go with Becca to school. So hopefully, tonight I'll actually get some writing done! In the meantime, I've read a slew of books and watched about 14 episodes of Red Dwarf.

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 09:17:14 PM
IP: 15-112.009.popsite.net

Well, it's nice to know I'll be missed, but I'm not gone yet!

Imagine, if you will, being in a high school cafeteria, surrounded by 200 nervous freshmen, a dozen disgruntled seniors, and twenty-some teachers, all of whom are being forced to sing the school song they all either don't know or are sick to death of. Fun, huh? Oddly enough, I enjoyed it.

Does anyone know of any good final-episode monlogues? I'm looking to present a medley for my Prose Interpretation piece (for the speech team: yay academic sports!) and all I can think of is the "rat-and-snake" speech from the end of Survivor. Does anyone know of any really memorable ones? Thanks.

****BFTS RP*****
[THE REALM]

Jason and Daphne arrive at a house that looks very much like the surrounding houses. Daphne moves to open the door.

Jason grabs her arm. "Shouldn't you knock or something?"

"He knows who it is," she responds flatly, as if her attention were divided.

The door opens. "Daphne," Travis says with surprise, "What are you doing here? I told you, you two have to do this without me."

"Not until you tell both of us exactly what's going on. You put me on the spot, *and* you drag this man--"

"My name's Jason," Jason interrupts.

"My apologies. You drag Jason out of his home realm into ours to fight some evil we don't even know about." Daphne is seething. "And do you know what else? On the way over here I performed a spell of detection--"

"Oh, so *that's* what you were doing!" Jason interjects.

"Would you stop interrupting?!" Daphne snaps at him. Both Jason and Travis are a bit taken aback. She stares at them in silence for a moment. "If I may continue?" She adds.

Both males nod.

"I performed a spell of detection, and not only is this evil presence some time away from arriving, but there is an even greater and more immediate danger in Jason's home Realm!"

Jason is dumbstruck. Daphne continues. "Travis, you have to send him home. It's the right thing to do." She sighs. "Besides, you can always bring him back, right?"

Travis finally has his chance to speak. "Not immediately, but..." He trails off, staring at Jason. Jason becomes uncomfortable. Travis continues. "He has great power; even he can't comprehend it. I can't comprehend it myself, other than knowing it's there. I think he can bring himself back."

"What?" both Daphne and Jason ask in surprise.

Travis walks over to a desk, opens a drawer and pulls out two matchin pendants. He hands one to Daphne and one to Jason. He says, "You both have great power that you learned or inherited. When I had my vision, I had Master Aaron show me how to make these. If I can create a bond using your respective power, either of you can keep tabs on the other, and travel to the other's Realm. Jason, you can come back here when your business is concluded." He turns to Daphne. "And you, mind-sister, can go to his Realm to return the favor if needed. Now, both of you have to give me your hands."

They do, and he places Daphne's hand in Jason's, then places the pendants in Daphne's.

"You'd better not tell Gregory about this," Daphne warns Travis.

"Your boyfriend?" Jason asks.

"I think he'd understand," Travis responds before Daphne can answer. "Now, you two have to concentrate." He begins chanting in a language neiter Jason nor Daphne recognizes, as the pendants begin to glow. They then stop glowing. Travis places one pendant in Jason's hand, and the other in Daphne's he turns to Jason. "Go, but remember: this danger is a danger to both our Realms. When you know the time is right, you must return." With that, Travis opens a portal.

"I understand... sort of." Jason responds. "Well, I guess I'll see you two later."

"Yes, I guess so," Daphen responds as Jason walks toward the open portal.

Just as Jason steps through, Travis calls to him, "Jason?"

Jason turns.

"My apologies."

Jason smiles, places the pendant around his neck, then heads home.

Once the portal has closed, Daphne turns to Travis. "You know, we never really got to know him. Are you sure he'll be back?"

Travis shrugs and gestures toward the pendant. "You tell me."

Daphne closes her eyes and focuses on the pendant in her hand. Her eyes then open as she smiles and says, "He'll be back. We're going to defeat this evil."

*****END BFTS RP*****

Daphne, apprentice-wordsmith
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 08:32:51 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.195.218.philadelphia1.level3.net

**RP RELATED**
One dozen cybercookies to the person (not posting in BFTS RP) who can name the current plothole in the BFTS RP BEFORE it gets fixed.
**END RP RELATED**

More post later.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 06:30:44 PM
IP: max1-25.cwy.cei.net

Whew!! Between school and work I have no free time left (Dang 120% course load). Though at least I finally have only the classes that I want to take (all comp).

****TGS SPOILERS****

The Sleepers: This was a good episode. I suspected that it was Morgana who was setting Arthur up. I liked how the Sleepers were not potrayed as mindless ghosts that would do the bidding of anyone who wakes them up. I also found the fact that even some of them were surprised by the results of the final test amusing. The interplay between Emrys and Mary was once again well done. I wonder who the bones that Morgana obtained belong too, though I have my suspicions.

****END SPOILERS****

Dame Corax> Welcome!!

Spike> My condolences.
Peter - [hybridone@ignmail.com]
Kamloops, BC, Canada
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 05:07:37 PM
IP: a107-xx-05.cariboo.bc.ca

Todd Jensen> <<it's not often that we find somebody here familiar with the old Welsh side of the Arthurian legend>>: Familiar? I just decided to check out what the heck these treasures you mentioned did and happened to note a couple discrepencies. I was just reading off a random website. Apparently I just found one that wasn't yours. Though I still don't get why the chessboard is such a desireable thing to have.

Niamhgold> <<Remind me that you said that when I see your face on the news someday>>: You do realize that the closest I'll ever get to that will be electronically. Though it does tent to help to think outside of the box when trying to relieve boredom.

Doug/Kitainia> Good luck with your crazy people.

Fire Storm> <<Catcher in the Rye:... WHY is this a classic?>>: Because it is a handbook for assassins. Supposedly it has gainted that reputation after it was revealed some famous killer read it religiously.

Gasper> Wasssaaaaaaaabi.
<<College here blocked Napster>>: Did they block the napster servers or just napster? If the former, you can get napigator (www.napigator.com) to connect to other servers. Otherwise you could look around for other napsteresque programs (gnutella?).

Winterwolf> <<Been ages since I had a real cheesesteak>>: And I really should call up Jimmy's for a Fat Koko. It's been too long, but I'm too cheap. (For a moderately sized list of Fat sandwiches, see grill specials at: http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~mjbrown/places.html ) But then you are compensated for you lack of cheeseteaks by the proximity of the Stage Deli (mmm... Corned Beef).

I feel it is time to look at the brighter side of life right now, to think all the world is a sunny day. Threrefore, I decree the new mp3 to be Kodachrome by Paul Simon.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 04:58:49 PM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Hi, guys and gals!

Done my exam yesterday. Not good, I have to admit. I'll know tomorrow the results, but I seriously doubt I passed. It is not a surprise, anyway...I had too little time to study, and too many things to take care of. Anyway, now I'm finished...for the next days, I'll have a bit of fun...

Dame Corax:> Welcome here! Sorry if I greet you so late. I hope you'll feel good in here, and that you'll keep on posting for a while.

Winterwolf and Emambu:> Thank you for the suggestion and the wish, my friends. :)

Spike:> I give you my condolences for the loss of your grandmother. Seems she was a open-minded and good person. I know how is to lose someone. You have my thoughts.

Rodlox:> Now that I have a bit of spare time, I'll try to translate those lines in Latin, if you like...

Kitainia:> You say you didn't see and live everything, but for sure you did a lot...for sure, a lot more than I did. I used to think I had a strange life, but you...you don't finish to astonish me. The ordeals you passed through...but the thing that impresses me the most is...well, I know people who lived hardly a quarter of what you did, and still can't come to terms with it, while you...well...you remember what happened you, but you don't allow your memories to condition your life. It is a great quality, indeed...and it is another thing for which you should be proud of yourself. About the shooting itself...well...do things like that happen often in Texas? I'm joking...well, half-joking really...and I'm very very happy that you all did it out in one piece. (I am also very sad to know that your father still has consequences because of it). Indeed, anyway, a movie based on your life should be very interesting...although, to contain everything happened to you, probably a single movie should not be enough.
Anyway, I really hope your life will be more tranquil from now on. Adventure, like everything else, is good if it is not too much...
About that Gus guy...hm, this world is going nuts. Anyway, seen everything mentioned above, I have no doubt that you are more than able to deal with him...he doesn't know how to choose his opponents, indeed. I don't think you really need suggestions to face him...just, don't underestimate him: he seems a bit nuts to me, and I know for experience that they can be unpredictably dangerous. And please, most of all, be sure not to get yourself in troubles with law because of him (something in what you wrote he is doing makes me think it is his scheme...to force you to do something, so that he can legally persecute you). I am also sorry to know about Doug's troubles at work. I know he is more than able to take care of himself...but his opponent seems more dangerous as well. Please, tell Doug to be careful, and to watch his back...that Holder jerk seems to me the kind of person who likes backstabbing, in the real meaning of the word.
I wish good luck to both of you...and please keep us informed.
You, Doug, Mandolin, Fire Storm...all in the same time. I don't like when someone threatens my friends...and the fact I can do nothing...Jeez, could make ME go nuts...

Green Baron:> My friend, if there is something I like is to confront my views with different ones. I'd be really happy to be able to write you...so, if you want to email me your address, I'll be grateful for it. :)

That's all, seems to me. I'll be online every now and then this days.

See you all.
Shadowrider - [shadowrider@katamail.com]
Milan, Italy
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 11:18:03 AM
IP: h217-168-32.mi2.albacom.net

***Kyryn steps in for some quick comments***

Kitania> Check your email. I sent a note regarding your problems with said nutcase.

Fire Storm> You had to pot the basil to save it? Just remember to give it some additional plant food to keep it healthy in the pot. I'll put my prayers in for it. My poor Lemon Balm has barely survived the Texas heat (fortunately it looks like the weather might finally be getting cooler).

Zath> Who's teaching the class? I remember that I had to read Chaucer in Middle English (I didn't like it much either).

Later All!

***Kyryn dives out the window. A loud thud is heard. She sheepishly peers back in. "Ooops! You know there's a drought in Texas when the stock tank has gone dry!" She slowly sinks from sight, rubbing her head.***
Kyryn
Denton, TX
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 11:15:51 AM
IP: 216.35.46.129

*Warpmind enters, leafing through some sort of printout.*
Hullo, gang. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the White Wolf RPG systems are available online in abridged version. From their own website! :) Now, I technically don't *have* to buy the corebooks to run a few local games, after all. :) (That doesn't mean I won't buy'em, eventually, though.) And for whenever I have a proper chance to play again, I'm working on a pretty interesting Malkavian fella. Clever as a fox, brave as a wolf, mad as a hatter. :)

Rodlox: Who cares if the bird is a crow, raven or hawk? It's a fowl creature anyway! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) :)

Gside: Well, I suppose if I were forced to take the trip in several shorter stretches... (Heck, Norway to the US West Coast non-stop? I shudder to think of the weight of the extra fuel tanks!)

Kit: Good thing you and Doug got out of that nasty situation. The pun I have ready is probably too much for anyone's mental health right now, so I'll leave it unsaid. :)

By the way... Magelore thought: Wouldn't it be nice, when we open the next book in the series, we look at the dedication in the front of the book, and see the words "To the guys at the CR, every single one of you, with thanks." Now THAT I would like to see. Wonder if it'll ever happen. :)

Fire Storm: You know what? I DON'T want to see Ash Ketcham make crude comments at Misty. They're what, 10 and 14 years old, respectively? (I think it's something like that.) Leave such suggestions to the lemons, not the crossovers. (Though, there are crossover lemons, too, I believe, but I can't recall having read any...) As for Catcher In The Rye, I can only say this: I Know Your Pain. I was forced to read it two years ago; my system is still in recovery. And after I had to read it, I was forced to write a summary and a book report. Never before had the English teacher seen such a book report; a civil, elegant vocabulary literally DRIPPING with sarcasm, loathing and contempt. ]:) Strangely, despite my merciless massacre of that book, my book report was best recieved. Maybe because it was the one with the highest lingual standards... :|

Green Baron: Yeah, well, while there's a lot of good things to be said about Norway, I'd STILL rather be in the US. As for the firearms thing... firearms are good, firearms are fun, firearms are worthy of worship... in fiction. In RL, I really don't like them much. Sure, I'd probably enjoy having a few guns in my house. On the walls. With vital parts damaged, so they can't fire. And only if they are rare collectors' items. As for the boots at my windows, tell Attila it's okay. I'm a lot better now, anyway. ;) By the way... you suggested a Lovecraft poem for Sabledrake Magazine in October... is that Lovecraft, or Lovecraftian? If it is genuine Lovecraft, I *think* Chaosium has the copyright to it...

Christine: Oh, well, as long as you *promise* you'll try the magazine again in the future... and at least I can enjoy it 'till the end of this year. :)

Winterwolf: Actually, to get to LA, I'm even now looking for bands, businesspeople etc. who might need a chaperone (sp.?) or bodyguard, or even some funky archaeological collection or something that'll need someone to look after it on the trip to LA for that particular time. Lord knows, I just might find something...

Zath: Try to find Bronx? What on Earth are you babbling about? :|

That should be about it, and I gotta get ready for a dentist's appointment. :( This's gonna hurt, I fear... this's gonna hurt... *Steels himself for a mouthload of pain and vanishes.*
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 08:30:56 AM
IP: mp-217-212-186.daxnet.no

Spike> My condolences on the loss of your grandmother. : (

Warpmind> <<philly isn't much point in visiting when the Gathering is in LA>> You could always wander around train yards trying to find Bronx.

DPH> <<guesses why I am not taking pain killers>> Personal inclination in that there's no physical reason preventing you, but you choose not to use them anyway?

Green Baron> <<at least you're not doing Beowulf in the Old English>> In high school we were given 30 or 40 lines of it in Old English and had to try to figure out what it was saying. I shudder at the thought of having to do the entire thing that way. Fortunately, my lit class is supposedly going to be going chronologically, so it should only get better from here, at least as far as understanding the language is concerned.

Winterwolf> << Winterwolf wheels in some comfort food including ice cream cake, cookies and an entire pantry of other goodies>> **Zath gratefully takes a heap of cookies and starts rooting through the pantry** Thanks! Now if I can just find someone to do my laundry, I'll be all set ; )

Zath - [zath@rocketmail.com]
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 03:47:48 AM
IP: ppp-229-103.usc.edu

**Winterwolf arrives**

Hi gang! Work is keeping me busy as usual but since someone else is sleeping for me I have time to post as usual! :) Don't try and get someone else to sleep for you! Leave that to the trained professionals! You might get injured! ;D

Emambu> <web stuff> Thanks for taking the time to check it out! I'll be adding more probably on a weekly basis. ^_^ <Greg sarcasm> Well I hung out with him. We had dinner twice and once I got over my initial shyness I was my silly self and Greg had a good time laying out some potent sarcasm! So if he knows it's me he'd have to be sarcastic just on principle. ;) <director choosing the Baritone spot> So is the verdict in? **gets ready to cheer or console you**

Zath> <suffer through Chaucer> I don't want you to have to suffer! :( **Winterwolf wheels in some comfort food including ice cream cake, cookies and an entire pantry of other goodies**

Spike> My condolences. I know how you feel. I lost my paternal grandmother near the beginning of the year. She was always invited us over to have a ton of food, fun games, great stories and conversations and a lot of love! At least from her influences and memories she'll always be a part of your life.

Rodlox> No, there hasn't been any word from Cassandra. Maybe you should send her some email or something.

Warpmind> <boot with steel toe> At that rate their just one step away from slipping into your room and gagging you to keep you quiet! ;) <Gathering 2001> You could try to get some job interviews lined up and see if the employers will be willing to pay your airfare to work in LA! :)

Caliope> Hola! <job> That sounds like it might be fun! :) Will you let us know where? Some of the Florida members might pay you a visit! <pictures> Anytime! Hope you enjoy them! There's a surprise for anyone that hasn't seen me on page 2! Check out the essay too if you have the time! ;) **HUGZ RIGHT BACK**

Steven Wilner> Welcome! I'm not sure we have a complete listing of all the voice actors. If you go to http://www.gargoyles-fans.org/ and click on Character List and Plot Overview you can get a listing of several of them. Hope this helps you out.

Mara Shinigami> Kay! :)

Gside> <real philly cheesesteak or here for a Fat Cat> Mmm... I'm getting hungry now. Been ages since I had a real cheesesteak. That's back when I was in Philly a year and a half ago.

Niamhgold> Hi! <pictures and stuff> Looking forward to seeing more too. No rush though! I'm patient! **HUGZ** <swamped> I guess it's time for me to cut out the silly emails then! I sent a new one for you earlier today! ^_^

DPH> <mattress> Nice! I'm sure you back will be better in no time! <hormone crazed male werewolf> Very cute! Poor Frost! What will happen with him next? ;)

Daphne> Of course you'll be missed!

Kitainia> I'm in shock after reading through you post. I hope your lives get back into the mundane ordinary stuff that most deal with in their day to day lives. <ex coworker problems> **shakes his head** I can't imagine people like that free to walk the streets. <getting shot> **blinks** That sounds like an extremely serious ordeal! I'm glad you all made it out of there.

Fire Storm> If mace is out how about pepper spray? I suppose it really won't do any good if he's packing. :( <1.2GB> I can't imagine working with that little amount of space even with burning CDs!

******WARNING - BFTS RP******

Everyone one gets up around the same time and heads down to grab some breakfast.

Plastique looks around while everyone else is busy eating and asks, "Where's Jason? He's usually the first one eating in the morning."

DPH reassured her saying, "He's probably just sleeping in. You know he really pushed himself to the limit training yesterday."

Winterwolf watched Frost who was staring dreamily at Plastique. "You want me to go wake him up?"

Plastique answers, "I think that would be best. He did head straight to his room when we finished."

"Okay." Winterwolf goes upstairs to Jason Filler's room. It is empty but he can feel a magical disturbance in the room. Quickly turning around he hurries back to tell the others.

"Jason is gone!" Winterwolf exclaims.

"What? He left the house?" DPH asks.

"No. I think he might have been taken! I detected some faint magic in his room. Someone probably took him!" Winterwolf's eyes fall on Frost.

"Wait, we need to get to the bottom of this. I should be able to figure out where he is and who is anyone has him." DPH takes his super solar powered light bulb and goes to Jason's room with the others following him. He casts a complex spell drawing power from the light bulb. "Where is Jason Filler?"

A disembodied female voice replies, "Jason Filler is not in this universe."

Using more divination the only thing DPH finds out is that there was a gateway that opened up and Jason went through it. "I'll need a day to prepare a spell to find the universe that Jason is in."

DPH thinks about whom could be responsible for Jason's disappearance. The power of the rings could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

The remainder of the day passes very slowly as DPH prepares to learn where Jason has gone.

******END WARNING - BFTS RP******

Time for me to get my 3 hours and then work work work. Bye bye! :)

**Winterwolf leaves**

Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@excite.com]
Bronx, NY
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 02:28:00 AM
IP: ip-111-0-6.nyc.navipath.net

did anyone catch the THE OUTER LIMITS marathon? what eps did they show?

{btw, where any of them from To Tell The Truth, The Joining, The New Breed ?}. thanks.

sadly i missed it because i had to help my uncle move from the hospital to his home - IN ANOTHER STATE.

Rodlox - [Rodlox@hotmail.com]
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 01:54:58 AM
IP: cc391097-b.catv1.md.home.com

Ach, ya know ya been gone to long when ya can't remember the last time ya posted was. Hey all, wassssup!!! *Draws it out, his tongue hanging like the guys on the commercial.* Anyway, few things.

RP- If ya need to use me, give me a holler with the low down, and let me know what's goin' on. I'd like to read it.

My own Shameless Plug---For those who know and don't, I do my own sorta fiction/fanfic that is a conglomeration of stuff. My current story LegionQuest, has even been given a site of it's own by my good friend LorenLeah. Anyway, here's the shameless plug part. The address is...

http://virtue.nu/legionquest/

There ya go. Happy reading. If ya need to drop a line, I always enjoy comments and crits, so long as they don't say. "U SUXOR! DN"T RITE NEMOORE!" Those, I will throwaway then track down the idiot who wrote it....but I know you guys wouldn't do that.

PC News----PC is backup and running, though I lost close to a gig of Mp3's I wish I didn't lose. College here blocked Napster...so I'm screwed...and Gamingforce Anime don't work. Anyway, I don't have MSN Messenger, but I have AOL. Ask around, and if you don't figure it out, please contact me at my e-mail.

Anyway, sorry, gotta go. Allergy season and that huge Arse Dose of Nyquil is startin' ta kick in. I'll check ya all later.

Gasper S. Keltner
Gasper S. Keltner - [gasper@icybrian.com]
MN, US
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 01:35:48 AM
IP: 209.83.84.2

New on my site -- "The Guardians: Sisterhood." Amber's adventures in the past continue. Click or go to http://www.eskimo.com/~vecna/new_stuff.html

Green Baron > a Lovecraft poem would be great for October!

Kit > sorry to hear about the rough time you and Doug are having, and I hope it gets better soon! Far as I know, the book's on the way!

Warpmind > _Only_ a year? LOL ... I'm actually kinda impressed we managed to keep it going this long ... it has been quite a bit of work! Fun, though, and I think we made something to be proud of. But we need a break with all else that's coming up. I hope to pick it up again eventually.

Off to work!
Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 12:55:49 AM
IP: 07-150.009.popsite.net

Knew I forgot someone!

Winterwolf: <It sounds like you are going with some serious power! What is driving you to boost your speed so high? I haven't felt a need to get a better chip to get a super overclock speed myself yet.>
Need? <G> Desire to crank out as many SETI@Home chunks as possible! (running 4 (DOS based) versions at once, I did 4 in 36 hours! Running Dual Celeron 433's (overclocked to 733) with 180MB ram in Win2K Pro)
To be quite honest, the only thing I NEED to upgrade is my hard drive (1.2GB).
I hope Maxtor replaces at least ONE of those drives!
Fire Storm
Wednesday, September 6, 2000 12:00:16 AM
IP: 01-124.008.popsite.net

Dame Corax> You do seem awfully familiar, your pic, color, and University of Arizona........perhaps a maiden of the House of Cole. Anyway, as one fellow noble to another:

The Catholic schoolgirl scouts form a procession around Dame Corax as the Green Baron kneel to kiss her hand, only to have Reverend Attila use his shoulders to jump into Dame Corax's arms and start purring.

How's that for a CR greeting.

Another announcement: Do any of you like a calling card with 20 minutes of free call time. My Fraternity is giving them out as a promotional even for Bigzoo.com. Basically, you get 20 free minutes and can recharge it for 3.6-3.9 pennies a minute. If anyone is interested, e-mail me :)

Niamhgold> Gside's comments about you, jello, and the Weird Sisters make me think some things I shouldn't think either :) I guess 16 years of Catholic education is a good excuse for a dirty mind :) BTW, I have my robe pic ready for view to any ladies who want to see me in my green bath robe :)

Shadowrider> Well, soon your time will come friend. I'll e-mail you my mailing address if you want to get some letters from a friend with very different views :)

Warpmind> Well, the USA has great things you'd enjoy like capitalism and the only nation with more firearms per person is Switzerland. I doubt I can help you much, since my father is the Swedish Consul and not the Norwegian consul, though he really can't help someone get citizenship. You also wouldn't get any subsidy for your condition in the US, but our highest federal tax bracket is 38%, which I wish was lower, but isn't that bad compared with other developed nations.

Caliope> ::hugs:: You're jumpiness is always welcome.

Spike> Tis truly a loss to lose a grandmother. May Mary guide her spirit ::hugs::

Zath> Well, at least you're not doing Beowulf in the Old English. I liked Beowulf, but Old English is a pain, unless you're fluent in German.

Meidvh> Welcome

Warpmind> <cats throw boots at your window> Attila's sorry and he promises never to do it again :)

Christine> Would you consider a Lovecraft poem good for the October issue?

DPH> I hope you get a good settlement. For Gathering 2001, Starsinger is looking for roomies. I can't go, but I'll help sponsor you if you bring me back a lot of pictures.

Shinigami> I wonder what you, Aaron, and Attila would be called :)

Cherry Blossom> I'm glad you might actually make it to G01. I hope you can make it.

SOROW> You're alive? Well, that's good news. ::Attila and GB tacklehug and noozle SOROW::

I'm off, now. I'll be posting more often. My bookstore job is over, so I have more free time
Green Baron - [greenbaron@hotmail.com]
New Orleans, Louisiana
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 11:42:41 PM
IP: adsl-78-220-248.msy.bellsouth.net

<The Burner of Flesh enteres the CR>
Ya see! Not even threats of death can keep me from here!
Talked to the police and they told him to not call me again.

I hope he listens.

Thanks for the support everyone!

Just re-installed Win2000 on 2 of my computers. Advanced Server on one and Professional on the other. Took me the better part of the day to get Proxy working.
BUT IT WORKS!

Gside: 
I tried that once... I never even burned the CD.

Doug: <the cops better put him away for a long long time.>
Ah, but the US law is not like that. One cannot be imprisoned for a mere threat.
The cops are not there to protect you, but to clean up the mess after you are killed.

Well, thank Oberon, it's not!

Warpmind: <Oh, and Ash Ketcham with chainsaw and double-barreled saw-off... ROFLMAO!>
Just what I thought. And making crude comments to... oh, whatever that chick's name is.

Batman: No Mans Land
COOL! I Like! It's dark... It's depressing... It.. It... It's GREAT!

Catcher in the Rye: Ok, I got to read this for Comp class, but I just gotta say one thing...
WHY is this a classic? The writing style is horrible, and it dosn't keep my attention at all.
Sure, it is a coming of age/troubled teen sorta thing, but it SUCKS!
I sure hope Crime and Punishment is better.

Ms. Patrick: <So does this update mean we finally have a Dominique Destine pic in here?>
Not now. But soon. I just gotta update the coding then send it off to Gorebash.

My basil plant is dieing :(
Well, I dug it up from my parents garden (It had almost NO ROOTS! No wonder the stuff wasn't growing!) and put it in a pot in my computer room.

Green Baron: I heard on the news that there is a Forsyth County in South Carolina. Are the settlers/whoever they named it after related to you?
You probally get that alot.
There is a few companys/pastors in my area with my last name.

***PENDRAGON SPOILERS***

Hey, did the stag in the Pendragon story remind anyone else of the stag from Princess Mononoke?

***END SPOILERS!***

Coyote: Did you know that Meatloaf was a Civil War leader on an episode of "The Outer Limits"?
<come on, folks, I know a lot of ya are around the Midwest, give us some input! :)>
What do YOU consider the Midwest?
The Great Lakes region? Including Minn? NY?
Ya ask 10 people that and you get 10 answers.

Anyone else check out the series finale of the Showtime "The Outer Limits?"

Niamhgold: 
Now, is that mace or A mace? Either one is pretty much illegeal in Michigan.
<And a katana sword.>
Ditto. Besides, he is more of a "Shoot first" kind of guy... I think.
<just hit him where it hurts>
His family? (I know, I know)

Na... Ex-CIA and EX-Marine friends. They leave no traces!

Tell me if this sounds familar:
A Michigan city is in debt for millions.
The city cannot afford to maintain it's own police force.
(Hell, they can't afford to maintain their fire, police, OR sanatation department)
The city is looking for a way to get money.
Now, is it just me, or is this the intro for Robocop?
Or is it just the 11pm news? (Highland Park, MI)

Doug/Kitania: Order Caller-ID. Keep a recording of your messages.
Sooner or later he will screw up enough.
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 11:31:17 PM
IP: 01-124.008.popsite.net

Submit button's too sensitive. :( Hit it before I could make much needed proofreading. Sorry. Hope this doesn't clutter the CR too much. :(
Kit
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 09:40:07 PM
IP: pool-207-205-147-125.dlls.grid.net

**RP HERE AND NOW**

The screen comes on revealing Abdullah's office. Tariq is standing before the terrorist kingpin's desk with a smile on his face. "I contacted Yevi," he says. "He is rectifying the situation in the Underground City as you commanded. He and Dao should be waiting in ambush for Erin Bey and her friends even now." "Good," Abdullah smiles. "I hope they have better success this time. If not, we do have a backup plan, or perhaps Kovu will succeed in killing them. I could tolerate his insubordination and going against my orders if he does. I wanted to be the one to kill Erin and the American myself, but�" He shrugs. "Dead is dead. Any word from Jazeem?" "Many words, sir," Tariq answers. "He is most displeased with your punishment making it difficult for him to cast spells. He has assembled the forces he needed to capture Fasil Bey and his family, and they will make their move within the hour, but Jazeem claims it took him a long while to get things ready and�" "The important thing is he did it," Abdullah snaps. "And he had better succeed this time, or he shall not lose a finger but a whole hand. That genie of his better succeed too, if Yevi summons it." "Dao should have recovered its strength by now," Tariq snarls. "It had better have, anyway. Knowing Yevi's bumbling�" "I know you hate him," Abdullah cuts in with a smile. "Don't worry, my friend. If he and Jazeem both should die, you will be the next to get your chance." "Excellent, sir," Tariq grins. "I won't beat around the bush or try crazy magic either. I'll get right in the enemy's face with my crosshairs and kill them for sure." "I know you will," Abdullah nods, then changes the subject. "What word from Khensu? Is he still impatient for us to finish what we have promised to build him?" "He is indeed," Tariq nods. "Although he says it is not he but his master that is impatient. I think he's a little not right in the head myself. He said that if we delay too much longer, he will call in someone to discipline us." "I'd like to see him try that," Abdullah laughs.

Meanwhile as the house above them continues to burn to the ground and Bessus does battle with the caiveh outside, Gubio, Mist, Erin, Terrell, and Annabelle are running through a tunnel dimly lit by glowing moss. "This goes down to the mines beneath the city!" Terrell reminds everyone. "They should be pretty deserted right now, as the workday is over, but one can never tell." "We'll deal with anyone we meet however we have to," Gubio grimaces as they hurry along. "I just hope Bessus is right and the bomb's down there." "If it's not, it will be somewhere else," Terrell says. "With that Geiger counter we can find it. I hope." "What if it doesn't exist?" Erin reminds them. "My gut feeling says it doesn't. How would Abdullah get a nuclear bomb anyway?" "The Russian Mafia sold it to him," a voice replies, just as the click of a gun cocking stops the group cold. "Who are you?" Annabelle asks as the gun's wielder steps out of the shadows smiling. "Put that down now, or my husband will make you!" Terrell growls in agreement, as does Mist, and both draw and cock their weapons. Gubio and Erin do the same, looking grim. The little man facing them chuckles. "Go ahead, shoot me," he laughs. "You have the right to, after all. I've tried to kill you so many times." "Yevi," Erin identifies him for the others, a look of anger on her face. "Did Abdullah send you after us?" Yevi nods. "It was my terrorists that attacked you at the airport, it was I who led Flanagan to your home to set the bombs, it was I who released the genie down here to kill you. All this I have done at my master Abdullah's bidding, yes." "So you're our enemy then," Gubio nods. "Alright then. You better surrender. We do have you outnumbered." "Not so!" Yevi counters, snapping his fingers. "Look behind you!" Terrell and Annabelle do so as Gubio, Mist, and Erin keep Yevi covered. They grimace as they see his three remaining Arabian terrorist minions standing there covering them with AK-47s and grins. Mist meows in disbelief. "We're still more than you," Terrell snaps at Yevi, waving his laser rifle. "And we have you outgunned." "True, true," Yevi nods, waving his Glock around for emphasis. "But I have two tools that will tip the odds in my favor! And tip them I must, to kill you! My boss Abdullah has been most displeased with my lack of completion of the assigned task. Therefore�" His speech is cut off by a loud gunshot and then a yell of pain as Erin shoots him in the knee and makes him fall over. "Enough with the ranting!" she declares. "Let's fight!" The three terrorists don't even need orders to do as she wishes, but Mist's chaingun fire cuts them all down in the cramped tunnel before they can even get off shots. One manages to hit the ground just before the hissing feline fires, but he too is eliminated as Gubio and Terrell both shift their aim down and shoot him. "Look out!" Annabelle shouts as Yevi leaps up with a growl and fires a volley of bullets at Erin, who screams and falls over bleeding heavily even as she fires back. "You're dead!" Yevi screams in triumph even as he falls down with her bullets in his chest and stomach. "You're all dead!" he then adds as Gubio, Mist, and Terrell spin back around. "No!" Gubio screams, seeing Erin crumpled on the ground. Mist meows angrily, trying to fire her chaingun at Yevi but having it click dry. Terrell and Annabelle see he is going to die momentarily anyway, and instead bend down by Gubio as he cradles Erin's head and she coughs up blood. "The healing potions!" Terrell says to his mate. "Get them!" Annabelle nods and reaches for her bag. Meanwhile, as the frustrated Mist turns away to let him die slow, Yevi ignores his bleeding and chuckles maniacally, then pulls a black lamp and a large remote control device emblazoned with the symbol for radiation out of his coat. He begins to rub the former even as he continues dying and the screen goes blank.

**END THIS QUITE DRAMATIC RP**

Greetings my friends. :) Hope your lives are going well, it would make Doug and I feel better. Lately we've had some rather enormous shakeups in ours. School is going okay, but just this past weekend two bad events happened for us that relate to our jobs and now have us very worried. First of all, you all remember that guy at work who I got fired? The one who the manager hired because he needed a job even though he couldn't work a cash register and refused to learn how even though I and others tried to teach him? When the store dumped him, I thought he was gone from my life. The raise and extra pay for double shifts were making it easy to forget him. But now he's come back into my life. How, you ask. Well, Doug's and my number happens to be in the phone book here, and lately, since Friday night, someone has been calling it and leaving messages on our machine. Obscene messages, directed at me, describing how the speaker thinks I am a "disgusting smart-ass floozy" and how he is going to kill me in an extremely depraved and violent manner for what I did to him. A few times Doug and I have even picked up the phone and heard the same charming speeches directed at us. I recognize the voice too- it's Gus Leonard, the guy I got fired. Apparently he still bears me a grudge. And it's a big grudge too, if the threats are any key (needless to say, Firestorm, I am feeling your pain. <growls>). It's not just threats either. Yesterday morning Doug and I found our car covered in ketchup, peanut butter, mustard, jelly, chocolate sauce, and other sticky goopy condiments with pumpkin innards and other smelly things attached to them. The condiments had been used to spell out derogatory comments like "whore," "slut," and worse. A call we got around noon that day from Gus confirmed it was him that did it too. The damage was nothing steady application of a good hose wouldn't take off, but still, to have one's car covered like that is downright annoying. This morning somebody egged our apartment door and left a note saying many of the things the messages said. To top it off, Doug and I were sitting at lunch outside the Union together today, and suddenly a baseball flies out of nowhere and hits me hard in the shoulder. We didn't see who threw it, but the note wrapped around it identifies that it was indeed Gus. I want to find the bastard and tear him apart for all this, it has me madder than hell. The police say they can't do much about it without proof, and the fact that I recognize the guy's voice isn't enough since his letters were typed and he's never mentioned his name. This makes me so angry. If he tries anything else�pray for him, people. Pray he wises up and stops what he's doing soon.

<sighs> To make things worse, Doug has also recently gone through a bad situation at his job. Sunday night, he was working at the South Austin store and relieved by a guy named Terry Holder. This guy is one of the ones the company Doug works for has been having a lot of problems with lately. He never listens to anyone, he lies all the time about what's going on, he creates problems where none exist- he got mad at some people for putting their handicapped tag on the dashboard once instead of on the mirror, which is okay since it's still visible. He's also ordered a police officer to move his car out of the fire zone, "or it will be towed," and gotten mad and blown his stack at people who commit little infractions like kicking the soda machines for their money back or playing music too loud in the parking lot and so on, not really anything that was a big problem until he made it so. This was the guy who just sat there in his cart when he was supposed to be patrolling the lot, who they caught sleeping once, who worse of all thinks he can tell everyone else how to do their job when he couldn't even do his correctly. I called him the Hot-Air Balloon because he was also the type who often made boastful remarks that didn't hold water. He said he was a crack mechanic, when his car had a hole in the radiator and several other problems that he never bothered to fix. He claimed he'd been a security officer three years, and look at the way he did his job. He's 25, and he should've, ought've known better than to do all the mistakes he did and not learn from them, but did he? No. :( Well, guess what? Sunday night, when Doug relieved him, it reached a breaking point. Doug has just signed out and is exiting the store when he encounters some punk-looking kids speeding around the parking lot too fast on their bikes. He politely asks them to slow down (Holder was on the other side of the lot, and Doug's the type of guard who's only as off-duty as he wants to be), and they respond by sassing him. Doug calmly reiterates his request, ignoring their continued sassing, and they comply. He then goes to tell Holder that he's been signed in by the store manager, and like one good officer to another, warns Holder to keep an eye on the kids, who are still around even though they've slowed down now. The kids ride past the cart just then, and Holder without provocation immediately yells at them to leave the area NOW. They stop and laugh, saying they have the right to be here, they aren't hurting anyone. Their mocking tone apparently ticked Holder off so much that he cussed them out and drew a large switchblade and waved it at them while ordering them to do as he said all right in front of Doug's eyes. The kids speed off, and Doug, realizing that Holder has gone nuts, says he needs to use the restroom and runs back to the store. On the way, one of the kids pulls up by him and says that they have gang member buddies who live nearby and who will be coming after Holder in ten minutes with loaded weapons. Doug tries to discourage him from it, but the kid speeds away before he can have any effect. Holder, close enough to hear, gets even more pissed, and after cursing a blue streak, calls the Austin Police Department. Doug meanwhile goes into the store and calls Abel Bush, his boss, and relates what happened, saying that Holder has gone nuts and in his opinion shouldn't be on duty. He'll take Holder's shift that night if necessary, he calls me at work after he calls Abel and I say all is okay. Doug then goes back outside and is confronted by Holder as he heads for our car. Holder says the police are coming, and if they ask about the knife and threats, _Doug saw nothing_. Scared by the whole event and Holder too, Doug nods. He's already told Abel anyway. Just as they reach our car, Holder's cell phone rings. It's Abel, asking about the knife. Doug slams the car door and speeds off as our nutcase spins toward him with an angry glare and raised walking stick (which he was carrying that night because some guys sprayed him with Mace Saturday night and he was still feeling the pain. He said he didn't know who they were, but knowing him, the guy probably provoked it), with which he'd boasted before that he could kill a man in three blows. I was of the opinion that was so much hot air, but Doug still fled the scene just in case. As he fled, Doug encountered Officer Raul Ramirez of the APD, the very officer who Holder ordered to move out of the fire lane, flagged the officer's car down, and related everything that had happened. The cops frisked Holder, and didn't find the knife, he denied everything too, but they believed Doug because they agreed Holder was a few cans short of a sixpack. He couldn't be arrested, no evidence, but Abel also believed Doug and after this he had just about had it with Holder, so he fired the arrogant son of a gun. Doug and I both agree it was about time. We don't know if he's going to come after Doug like Gus is after me, the guy didn't come back that night while Doug took his shift and try anything (there wasn't any sign of the gang members either), but with a guy like this, one never can tell. <grimace> I'm crossing my fingers and praying nothing will happen, hope y'all will be doing the same.

It's good that our life is going pretty much okay otherwise. School is alright, and the social scene is great too. Stephanie's still being a priss about Dark of the Elvenwood, but I think the fact that we've told her a copy of it for her is on the way (it is, right, Christine?) has calmed her down about the whole matter somewhat. <grins> Things should be completely smoothed over when the book arrives as far as that goes. <sighs> Ok, time to get caught up on things in here.

**PENDRAGON SPOILERS**
Nice job on The Sleepers, TGS Staff. Its plot was a little predictable, but I found that the only weakness apart from the lack of illustrations (which may be added someday soon, I know). Good development on Arthur in this one, seeing Merlin and Mary continue to be foils for each other was good too. I am a bit more endeared to her character now, her introduction was a little awkward but now that she's settled into the cast things seem good. I can hardly wait for what happens next. Good scenes with Braddock and Morgana too, I had figured the mysterious woman involved in this Connection mess was her, but that red wig did throw me off for a while too. I can't help but think that the Illuminati is also involved with the Connection mess, maybe Morgana has connection to them. Hope to find out soon. Also looking forward to someday finding out exactly whose bones it was that Morgana obtained (Doug's money is on Mordred, but I'm not sure), and seeing Jennifer Camford again soon (we better, I miss her :). The Sleepers also made intriguing characters, with an interesting legend behind them. They did seem a bit stale and cliched at times, but their manners of speaking and cool history made up for that IMO. Just wish we'd gotten a pic. Overall, 8/10 to this one, keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next episode when it comes.
**SPOILERS END**

Gunjack: Thanks for your congrats on my raise, I'm glad to have gotten it too. I read about your trip, it sounded like it was a great lot of fun. :) The archives have indeed been updated recently, check them out if you like. In regards to me getting shot, it didn't happen the same summer I was with the Hell's Angels. I never really saw much of violence that summer at all, except for the time Cobra got attacked by the mountain lion and killed it with his bare hands (or at least he said he did, he was out hunting when it attacked him and no one saw the fight, but he did have a lot of scars and wasn't one to brag�). We did shoot a lot of targets and animals, and there were quite a few people we exchanged insults with, but nobody ever attacked us. Then, about a year after it all had happened, when I was back home with my family yet still corresponding with the Angels I'd traveled with like I do today, they came to visit over Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately another biker gang called the Cockroaches, who were made up of much less agreeable individuals, had followed them to Houston. While the Angels ate dinner with my family inside our house, the Cockroaches surrounded the place and started blowing out windows with gunfire while screaming epithets. Dad called the cops as we got scared, then unfortunately Jeeper and some of the other crazier Angels ran to the windows, pulled their weapons, and started shooting back even as Mom yelled at them not to. This prompted some of the Cockroaches to storm the house and break in. When it was over, all the Cockroaches were either dead or in police custody, and most of the people on our side were wounded seriously. I had a gun wound in the shoulder courtesy of a Cockroach's deer rifle. Snake shot him down, but still I was hurt bad. <grimace> Other people were hurt worse- Dad still limps today thanks to Glock fire catching his leg, and Jeeper nearly died of blood loss on the way to the hospital. :( At least it's in the past now, we've gotten over it, and we were all lucky to be alive. Lucky we knew a good lawyer too, and the Angels were defending us (which my family thankfully understood, they don't think any less of them for the whole event), and they all had permits for their guns. The whole event was a shock to all of us, and not fun for anybody at the time, but it's in the past now. Thanks for your sympathies and kind words. I too am very glad we all made it out in one piece. If you haven't already, I hope you soon get over being sick.

Mary: Good luck getting your schedule adjusted to the way you like it, it sounds like everything is worth the effort you'll be putting into them. I envy you the good teachers it sounds like you have.

Rodlox: You're welcome. Come back into the RP anytime you want, Doug and I will keep offering opportunities. <grin>

Shadowrider: Glad you won't be missing Buffy too much. :) Thanks for your congrats on the raise, your good luck wishes about school, and your kind words on the shooting too. See above for details on it. I haven't seen and lived everything (for one thing, I have never once in my life been outside the US of A), but I have indeed lived a lot. Sometimes it shocks me too. More than anything, I'm glad to have lived through all of it. And to have come out of it with friends like all the ones I have. :)

Robby: Princess Mononoke, the ultimate in cool and excellent anime, is out on video and it's only available for rent? Those lousy stinking Disney people! <growls> I know the first DVD I'm gonna buy (thanks Firestorm! :). Congrats on getting your college schedule worked out, hope things continue to go well for you on that score. :) Thanks for the good Daria news too.

Stephen: Congrats on the modem, good luck getting work soon. Doug and I will be hoping for you.

Cat Army: I think one of those would be cool too. They should write about one in literature (and if they have, somebody point me to the book!).

Gyre: Welcome back. Hope you'll tell us about your time in the woods, it might be interesting. :)

Firestorm: Yeah, I did miss that episode. Hope Gubio has it on tape, I'll ask him about it when I get the chance and the time to watch. Good luck with the guy threatening you, like I detailed above I am feeling your pain. Please keep us up to date on how things go, Doug and I will be praying. May you soon be able to have peace of mind.

Mandi: Good to see you again, even briefly. I agree with you about the new Highlander film, it was so awful I'm not even dignifying it with specific comments. :) Hope Doug and I are able to see a better movie soon (Bedazzled maybe, if it's ever going to come out). Good luck with that guy following you (I agree with Shadowrider's advice regarding him, though I favor a good hand taser over Mace any day) and your bruise.

DPH: Good luck to you also, with your wounds and other problems resulting from that accident. Hope it will soon all be resolved so you can breathe easy.

Lady Mystic: Thanks for your uploads, hope Gorebash will soon be able to update everything. Looking very forward to using some of the resulting pics. :)

Emmabu: Finding a balance of the type you say can be difficult, especially to maintain. Good luck with it. Glad that your college is continuing to go well. Good luck making it into that elite choir, hope you are able to do it. :)

Welcome to newcomers Dame Corax (please don't confuse yourself with the evil uber-nerd hacker CoraXoned in the RP!), and Medivh! Hope you enjoy the CR.

Mecord: I know your story's out, just haven't had time for it. Sorry. I promise I will try my best to get comments out to you on it in my next post. I haven't read Avalon Mists or Sabledrake Magazine yet either. <grimace> Hope I am able to soon, I am sure I will enjoy them all. Good luck with school, congrats on having teachers that you like.

Spike: Sorry about the loss of your grandmother, who sounds like a very rare and wonderful person. :( May she be remembered well forever for all the good deeds she did in life and have received an appropriate reward in heaven. :)

That's all for tonight. I have both work and class tomorrow, so I must sleep now. Everyone have a good night, and please pray that Doug and I are soon able to resolve the worries currently in our lives. We'll be doing the same for you and yours. Everyone have a good week too, hope you are able to enjoy good stories. Until next time.

**LONG RP- RAVENS' SAGA**

The screen comes on again, displaying a bar where two grimacing men are seated beside one another. "Darn that Lisa Telman!" the first, a thin shabbily dressed youth with facial piercings and unkempt black hair, is ranting. "She had to get me fired from Tower Records! I had such a good job there- the pay was great, the atmosphere was great, I could put the kind of music I like on the speakers all the time for the whole store to hear and no one could complain. Then she had to get the manager to fire me just because I didn't have the skills for the job! Well, who cares about skills in this world, huh? She deprived me of my source of income! Now I'll have to go back to being a drag rat! Where's the joy in that? She should have just left me alone!" "I hear you, buddy," chuckles the other man, a huge fat slob dressed in a dirty black jumpsuit with a thick brown mustache and blue bandanna tied around his head who is wearing large sunglasses and carries a short black plastic stick in one hand that he waves to emphasize his words. "Doug Elder did the same thing to me just the other day. Some punks at work piss me off, so I pull my knife and threaten them, make them go away, and he reports me to the boss and has me fired even when I threaten him and tell him not to! I oughta break that little jerk in half, and I could do it too! I've had martial arts training, Japanese ninja! I could beat him to death with three strikes of this stick anywhere on his body! Just give me the chance! That piece of <bleep> got me fired! I tried to train him, help him be better at his job, he seems to take to it well, and then the lousy rookie goes and stabs me in the back!" "Weren't you already making a bad name for yourself on that job, Terry?" the first man frowns. "Lying to the boss all the time, sleeping in your cart when you should have been patrolling, making people angry to the point where they hit you with Mace, trying to tell other people how to do their jobs when you couldn't even do yours right, and so on? Maybe you should have known better. You could have avoided getting fired if you hadn't lost your temper and waved that knife. All those kids you threatened were doing was going too fast on their bikes and sassing you and this Doug Elder, you could have been much calmer, you could have�" "Shut up, Gus!" Holder growls, waving his stick angrily. "That's all beside the point! I was a security guard, the voice of authority in that parking lot! Everyone had to do what I said, I made them! They screwed with me, they got burned! Not even the police were immune, I wouldn't even let them park in the fire lane!" "Don't they have the right to?" "Shut up!" Holder whacks his stick on the table, and Gus does so with a grimace. "You oughta go after that <bleep> Lisa Telman like I'm gonna go after Elder once I find out where he lives!" Holder continues raving. "You oughta beat the hell out of her! This campaign of threatening pranks you've been doing is getting you nowhere, you call that revenge?" "I don't want to get arrested, man," Gus whines. "Come on!" Holder growls and is about to accuse him of going weak-sister when a polite cough interjects. The two disgruntled men turn to see a certain blonde street preacher in a white suit smiling at them. "My friends," Pastor John Gould says, "there is a way to get the revenge you want. I believe I may be able to help you with it. Care to listen to me?" Holder and Gus grimace, then nod. Pastor John smiles, then sits down and begins to speak.

"Here it comes again!" Keith is screaming at Anthony and Tricia elsewhere as they scramble to close the Onslaught's back trailer doors now that the Road Moccasin and both cars have been brought inside. "Hurry up!" "We're trying!" Anthony replies, just as the ground outside shakes heavily from several bombs hitting it. The Onslaught shakes and shudders and only barely keeps from falling over as Jammer looks at its computer. "No direct hits!" he proclaims. "Those guys still don't have their aim perfected! The new nanite self-repair systems we had Wilek install on this truck back at Area 51 should have the damage we did take fixed in a matter of hours." "If we can survive another blast!" Tricia shoots back. "Do they have more bombs?" "There's no way we can tell that for sure," Boris frowns, glancing at the computer. "But they are circling around again, so there is a good chance that they do." "Damn it," Doug curses. "Can't we stop these guys?" "They've been trying outside," Stephanie grimaces, taking out her radio. "Tom, are you still alive out there? Kit? Elena?" "We're all okay!" Tom replies. "One of those bombs near-missed the tank by inches, but we're okay! Mansfield's loading another shell and Leah's aiming the main cannon at the bomber again right now!" "Don't waste your ammo!" Kit cuts in. "Elena and I are firing at that plane with everything we have, and missing every time! I even shot off a guided missile from my rocket launcher just now, and it didn't hit! God only knows what's going on here!" Stephanie frowns at the news, then looks at Orion. "Can you get God to tell us?" "My relationship with him isn't that intimate," the cleric sighs, then takes the radio. "Elena, do you detect any magic on that bomber? Any type of shield?" "Human magic, no," Elena replies solemnly. "Fay magic, though, I do sense. I can't tell the type. It's apparently preventing anything from hitting the plane." "Where's Lathrop when we need him to counter magic?" Keith growls. "There may be another way," Elena says. "Let me try to cancel the shield with my own magic. It could be difficult." "Considering Dahak probably put it there, it should be difficult as hell," Kit replies. "But try anyway." "I'm doing so now," Elena answers. As the other Ravens grimace at each other and some whisper prayers, Doug looks at Jammer with a grimace. "Have we ever been in a harder fight than this?" he asks. "Oh yes," Jammer nods. "Never with an enemy we couldn't hit, but yeah, we have met tougher foes before." "Wonderful," Doug sighs as the screen goes blank.

**TO BE CONTINUED. END RP**
Kitainia - [frostfire@mail.utexas.edu]
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 09:39:53 PM
IP: pool-207-205-147-125.dlls.grid.net

**RP HERE AND NOW**

The screen comes on revealing Abdullah's office. Tariq is standing before the terrorist kingpin's desk with a smile on his face. "I contacted Yevi," he says. "He is rectifying the situation in the Underground City as you commanded. He and Dao should be waiting in ambush for Erin Bey and her friends even now." "Good," Abdullah smiles. "I hope they have better success this time. If not, we do have a backup plan, or perhaps Kovu will succeed in killing them. I could tolerate his insubordination and going against my orders if he does. I wanted to be the one to kill Erin and the American myself, but�" He shrugs. "Dead is dead. Any word from Jazeem?" "Many words, sir," Tariq answers. "He is most displeased with your punishment making it difficult for him to cast spells. He has assembled the forces he needed to capture Fasil Bey and his family, and they will make their move within the hour, but Jazeem claims it took him a long while to get things ready and�" "The important thing is he did it," Abdullah snaps. "And he had better succeed this time, or he shall not lose a finger but a whole hand. That genie of his better succeed too, if Yevi summons it." "Dao should have recovered its strength by now," Tariq snarls. "It had better have, anyway. Knowing Yevi's bumbling�" "I know you hate him," Abdullah cuts in with a smile. "Don't worry, my friend. If he and Jazeem both should die, you will be the next to get your chance." "Excellent, sir," Tariq grins. "I won't beat around the bush or try crazy magic either. I'll get right in the enemy's face with my crosshairs and kill them for sure." "I know you will," Abdullah nods, then changes the subject. "What word from Khensu? Is he still impatient for us to finish what we have promised to build him?" "He is indeed," Tariq nods. "Although he says it is not he but his master that is impatient. I think he's a little not right in the head myself. He said that if we delay too much longer, he will call in someone to discipline us." "I'd like to see him try that," Abdullah laughs.

Meanwhile as the house above them continues to burn to the ground and Bessus does battle with the caiveh outside, Gubio, Mist, Erin, Terrell, and Annabelle are running through a tunnel dimly lit by glowing moss. "This goes down to the mines beneath the city!" Terrell reminds everyone. "They should be pretty deserted right now, as the workday is over, but one can never tell." "We'll deal with anyone we meet however we have to," Gubio grimaces as they hurry along. "I just hope Bessus is right and the bomb's down there." "If it's not, it will be somewhere else," Terrell says. "With that Geiger counter we can find it. I hope." "What if it doesn't exist?" Erin reminds them. "My gut feeling says it doesn't. How would Abdullah get a nuclear bomb anyway?" "The Russian Mafia sold it to him," a voice replies, just as the click of a gun cocking stops the group cold. "Who are you?" Annabelle asks as the gun's wielder steps out of the shadows smiling. "Put that down now, or my husband will make you!" Terrell growls in agreement, as does Mist, and both draw and cock their weapons. Gubio and Erin do the same, looking grim. The little man facing them chuckles. "Go ahead, shoot me," he laughs. "You have the right to, after all. I've tried to kill you so many times." "Yevi," Erin identifies him for the others, a look of anger on her face. "Did Abdullah send you after us?" Yevi nods. "It was my terrorists that attacked you at the airport, it was I who led Flanagan to your home to set the bombs, it was I who released the genie down here to kill you. All this I have done at my master Abdullah's bidding, yes." "So you're our enemy then," Gubio nods. "Alright then. You better surrender. We do have you outnumbered." "Not so!" Yevi counters, snapping his fingers. "Look behind you!" Terrell and Annabelle do so as Gubio, Mist, and Erin keep Yevi covered. They grimace as they see his three remaining Arabian terrorist minions standing there covering them with AK-47s and grins. Mist meows in disbelief. "We're still more than you," Terrell snaps at Yevi, waving his laser rifle. "And we have you outgunned." "True, true," Yevi nods, waving his Glock around for emphasis. "But I have two tools that will tip the odds in my favor! And tip them I must, to kill you! My boss Abdullah has been most displeased with my lack of completion of the assigned task. Therefore�" His speech is cut off by a loud gunshot and then a yell of pain as Erin shoots him in the knee and makes him fall over. "Enough with the ranting!" she declares. "Let's fight!" The three terrorists don't even need orders to do as she wishes, but Mist's chaingun fire cuts them all down in the cramped tunnel before they can even get off shots. One manages to hit the ground just before the hissing feline fires, but he too is eliminated as Gubio and Terrell both shift their aim down and shoot him. "Look out!" Annabelle shouts as Yevi leaps up with a growl and fires a volley of bullets at Erin, who screams and falls over bleeding heavily even as she fires back. "You're dead!" Yevi screams in triumph even as he falls down with her bullets in his chest and stomach. "You're all dead!" he then adds as Gubio, Mist, and Terrell spin back around. "No!" Gubio screams, seeing Erin crumpled on the ground. Mist meows angrily, trying to fire her chaingun at Yevi but having it click dry. Terrell and Annabelle see he is going to die momentarily anyway, and instead bend down by Gubio as he cradles Erin's head and she coughs up blood. "The healing potions!" Terrell says to his mate. "Get them!" Annabelle nods and reaches for her bag. Meanwhile, as the frustrated Mist turns away to let him die slow, Yevi ignores his bleeding and chuckles maniacally, then pulls a black lamp and a large remote control device emblazoned with the symbol for radiation out of his coat. He begins to rub the former even as he continues dying and the screen goes blank.

**END THIS QUITE DRAMATIC RP**

Greetings my friends. :) Hope your lives are going well, it would make Doug and I feel better. Lately we've had some rather enormous shakeups in ours. School is going okay, but just this past weekend two bad events happened for us that relate to our jobs and now have us very worried. First of all, you all remember that guy at work who I got fired? The one who the manager hired because he needed a job even though he couldn't work a cash register and refused to learn how even though I and others tried to teach him? When the store dumped him, I thought he was gone from my life. The raise and extra pay for double shifts were making it easy to forget him. But now he's come back into my life. How, you ask. Well, Doug's and my number happens to be in the phone book here, and lately, since Friday night, someone has been calling it and leaving messages on our machine. Obscene messages, directed at me, describing how the speaker thinks I am a "disgusting smart-ass floozy" and how he is going to kill me in an extremely depraved and violent manner for what I did to him. A few times Doug and I have even picked up the phone and heard the same charming speeches directed at us. I recognize the voice too- it's Gus Leonard, the guy I got fired. Apparently he still bears me a grudge. And it's a big grudge too, if the threats are any key (needless to say, Firestorm, I am feeling your pain. <growls>). It's not just threats either. Yesterday morning Doug and I found our car covered in ketchup, peanut butter, mustard, jelly, chocolate sauce, and other sticky goopy condiments with pumpkin innards and other smelly things attached to them. The condiments had been used to spell out derogatory comments like "whore," "slut," and worse. A call we got around noon that day from Gus confirmed it was him that did it too. The damage was nothing steady application of a good hose wouldn't take off, but still, to have one's car covered like that is downright annoying. This morning somebody egged our apartment door and left a note saying many of the things the messages said. To top it off, Doug and I were sitting at lunch outside the Union together today, and suddenly a baseball flies out of nowhere and hits me hard in the shoulder. We didn't see who threw it, but the note wrapped around it identifies that it was indeed Gus. I want to find the bastard and tear him apart for all this, it has me madder than hell. The police say they can't do much about it without proof, and the fact that I recognize the guy's voice isn't enough since his letters were typed and he's never mentioned his name. This makes me so angry. If he tries anything else�pray for him, people. Pray he wises up and stops what he's doing soon.

<sighs> To make things worse, Doug has also recently gone through a bad situation at his job. Sunday night, he was working at the South Austin store and relieved by a guy named Terry Holder. This guy is one of the ones the company Doug works for has been having a lot of problems with lately. He never listens to anyone, he lies all the time about what's going on, he creates problems where none exist- he got mad at some people for putting their handicapped tag on the dashboard once instead of on the mirror, which is okay since it's still visible. He's also ordered a police officer to move his car out of the fire zone, "or it will be towed," and gotten mad and blown his stack at people who commit little infractions like kicking the soda machines for their money back or playing music too loud in the parking lot and so on, not really anything that was a big problem until he made it so. This was the guy who just sat there in his cart when he was supposed to be patrolling the lot, who they caught sleeping once, who worse of all thinks he can tell everyone else how to do their job when he couldn't even do his correctly. I called him the Hot-Air Balloon because he was also the type who often made boastful remarks that didn't hold water. He said he was a crack mechanic, when his car had a hole in the radiator and several other problems that he never bothered to fix. He claimed he'd been a security officer three years, and look at the way he did his job. He's 25, and he should've, ought've known better than to do all the mistakes he did and not learn from them, but did he? No. :( Well, guess what? Sunday night, when Doug relieved him, it reached a breaking point. Doug has just signed out and is exiting the store when he encounters some punk-looking kids speeding around the parking lot too fast on their bikes. He politely asks them to slow down (Holder was on the other side of the lot, and Doug's the type of guard who's only as off-duty as he wants to be), and they respond by sassing him. Doug calmly reiterates his request, ignoring their continued sassing, and they comply. He then goes to tell Holder that he's been signed in by the store manager, and like one good officer to another, warns Holder to keep an eye on the kids, who are still around even though they've slowed down now. The kids ride past the cart just then, and Holder without provocation immediately yells at them to leave the area NOW. They stop and laugh, saying they have the right to be here, they aren't hurting anyone. Their mocking tone apparently ticked Holder off so much that he cussed them out and drew a large switchblade and waved it at them while ordering them to do as he said all right in front of Doug's eyes. The kids speed off, and Doug, realizing that Holder has gone nuts, says he needs to use the restroom and runs back to the store. On the way, one of the kids pulls up by him and says that they have gang member buddies who live nearby and who will be coming after Holder in ten minutes with loaded weapons. Doug tries to discourage him from it, but the kid speeds away before he can have any effect. Holder, close enough to hear, gets even more pissed, and after cursing a blue streak, calls the Austin Police Department. Doug meanwhile goes into the store and calls Abel Bush, his boss, and relates what happened, saying that Holder has gone nuts and in his opinion shouldn't be on duty. He'll take Holder's shift that night if necessary, he calls me at work after he calls Abel and I say all is okay. Doug then goes back outside and is confronted by Holder as he heads for our car. Holder says the police are coming, and if they ask about the knife and threats, _Doug saw nothing_. Scared by the whole event and Holder too, Doug nods. He's already told Abel anyway. Just as they reach our car, Holder's cell phone rings. It's Abel, asking about the knife. Doug slams the car door and speeds off as our nutcase spins toward him with an angry glare and raised walking stick (which he was carrying that night because some guys sprayed him with Mace Saturday night and he was still feeling the pain. He said he didn't know who they were, but knowing him, the guy probably provoked it), with which he'd boasted before that he could kill a man in three blows. I was of the opinion that was so much hot air, but Doug still fled the scene just in case. As he fled, Doug encountered Officer Raul Ramirez of the APD, the very officer who Holder ordered to move out of the fire lane, flagged the officer's car down, and related everything that had happened. The cops frisked Holder, and didn't find the knife, he denied everything too, but they believed Doug because they agreed Holder was a few cans short of a sixpack. He couldn't be arrested, no evidence, but Abel also believed Doug and after this he had just about had it with Holder, so he fired the arrogant son of a gun. Doug and I both agree it was about time. We don't know if he's going to come after Doug like Gus is after me, the guy didn't come back that night while Doug took his shift and try anything (there wasn't any sign of the gang members either), but with a guy like this, one never can tell. <grimace> I'm crossing my fingers and praying nothing will happen, hope y'all will be doing the same.

It's good that our life is going pretty much okay otherwise. School is alright, and the social scene is great too. Stephanie's still being a priss about Dark of the Elvenwood, but I think the fact that we've told her a copy of it for her is on the way (it is, right, Christine?) has calmed her down about the whole matter somewhat. <grins> Things should be completely smoothed over when the book arrives as far as that goes. <sighs> Ok, time to get caught up on things in here.

**PENDRAGON SPOILERS**
Nice job on The Sleepers, TGS Staff. Its plot was a little predictable, but I found that the only weakness apart from the lack of illustrations (which may be added someday soon, I know). Good development on Arthur in this one, seeing Merlin and Mary continue to be foils for each other was good too. I am a bit more endeared to her character now, her introduction was a little awkward but now that she's settled into the cast things seem good. I can hardly wait for what happens next. Good scenes with Braddock and Morgana too, I had figured the mysterious woman involved in this Connection mess was her, but that red wig did throw me off for a while too. I can't help but think that the Illuminati is also involved with the Connection mess, maybe Morgana has connection to them. Hope to find out soon. Also looking forward to someday finding out exactly whose bones it was that Morgana obtained (Doug's money is on Mordred, but I'm not sure), and seeing Jennifer Camford again soon (we better, I miss her :). The Sleepers also made intriguing characters, with an interesting legend behind them. They did seem a bit stale and cliched at times, but their manners of speaking and cool history made up for that IMO. Just wish we'd gotten a pic. Overall, 8/10 to this one, keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next episode when it comes.
**SPOILERS END**

Gunjack: Thanks for your congrats on my raise, I'm glad to have gotten it too. I read about your trip, it sounded like it was a great lot of fun. :) The archives have indeed been updated recently, check them out if you like. In regards to me getting shot, it didn't happen the same summer I was with the Hell's Angels. I never really saw much of violence that summer at all, except for the time Cobra got attacked by the mountain lion and killed it with his bare hands (or at least he said he did, he was out hunting when it attacked him and no one saw the fight, but he did have a lot of scars and wasn't one to brag�). We did shoot a lot of targets and animals, and there were quite a few people we exchanged insults with, but nobody ever attacked us. Then, about a year after it all had happened, when I was back home with my family yet still corresponding with the Angels I'd traveled with like I do today, they came to visit over Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately another biker gang called the Cockroaches, who were made up of much less agreeable individuals, had followed them to Houston. While the Angels and ate dinner with my family inside our house, the Cockroaches surrounded the place and started blowing out windows with gunfire while screaming epithets. Dad called the cops as we got scared, then unfortunately Jeeper and some of the other crazier Angels ran to the windows, pulled their weapons, and started shooting back even as Mom yelled at them not to. This prompted some of the Cockroaches to storm the house and break in. When it was over, all the Cockroaches were either dead or in police custody, and most of the people on our side were wounded seriously. I had a gun wound in the shoulder courtesy of a Cockroach's deer rifle. Snake shot him down, but still I was hurt bad. <grimace> Other people were hurt worse- Dad still limps today thanks to Glock fire catching his leg, and Jeeper nearly died of blood loss on the way to the hospital. :( At least it's in the past now, we've gotten over it, and we were all lucky to be alive. Lucky we knew a good lawyer too, and the Angels were defending us (which my family thankfully understood, they don't think any less of them for the whole event), and they all had permits for their guns. The whole event was a shock to all of us, and not fun for anybody at the time, but it's in the past now. Thanks for your sympathies and kind words. I too am very glad we all made it out in one piece. If you haven't already, I hope you soon get over being sick.

Mary: Good luck getting your schedule adjusted to the way you like it, it sounds like everything is worth the effort you'll be putting into them. I envy you the good teachers it sounds like you have.

Rodlox: You're welcome. Come back into the RP anytime you want, Doug and I will keep offering opportunities. <grin>

Shadowrider: Glad you won't be missing Buffy too much. :) Thanks for your congrats on the raise, your good luck wishes about school, and your kind words on the shooting too. See above for details on it. I haven't seen and lived everything (for one thing, I have never once in my life been outside the US of A), but I have indeed lived a lot. Sometimes it shocks me too. More than anything, I'm glad to have lived through all of it. And to have come out of it with friends like all the ones I have. :)

Robby: Princess Mononoke, the ultimate in cool and excellent anime, is out on video and it's only available for rent? Those lousy stinking Disney people! <growls> I know the first DVD I'm gonna buy (thanks Firestorm! :). Congrats on getting your college schedule worked out, hope things continue to go well for you on that score. :) Thanks for the good Daria news too.

Stephen: Congrats on the modem, good luck getting work soon. Doug and I will be hoping for you.

Cat Army: I think one of those would be cool too. They should write about one in literature (and if they have, somebody point me to the book!).

Gyre: Welcome back. Hope you'll tell us about your time in the woods, it might be interesting. :)

Firestorm: Yeah, I did miss that episode. Hope Gubio has it on tape, I'll ask him about it when I get the chance and the time to watch. Good luck with the guy threatening you, like I detailed above I am feeling your pain. Please keep us up to date on how things go, Doug and I will be praying. May you soon be able to have peace of mind.

Mandi: Good to see you again, even briefly. I agree with you about the new Highlander film, it was so awful I'm not even dignifying it with specific comments. :) Hope Doug and I are able to see a better movie soon (Bedazzled maybe, if it's ever going to come out). Good luck with that guy following you (I agree with Shadowrider's advice regarding him, though I favor a good hand taser over Mace any day) and your bruise.

DPH: Good luck to you also, with your wounds and other problems resulting from that accident. Hope it will soon all be resolved so you can breathe easy.

Lady Mystic: Thanks for your uploads, hope Gorebash will soon be able to update everything. Looking very forward to using some of the resulting pics. :)

Emmabu: Finding a balance of the type you say can be difficult, especially to maintain. Good luck with it. Glad that your college is continuing to go well. Good luck making it into that elite choir, hope you are able to do it. :)

Welcome to newcomers Dame Corax (please don't confuse yourself with the evil uber-nerd hacker CoraXoned in the RP!), and Medivh! Hope you enjoy the CR.

Mecord: I know your story's out, just haven't had time for it. Sorry. I promise I will try my best to get comments out to you on it in my next post. I haven't read Avalon Mists or Sabledrake Magazine yet either. <grimace> Hope I am able to soon, I am sure I will enjoy them all. Good luck with school, congrats on having teachers that you like.

Spike: Sorry about the loss of your grandmother, who sounds like a very rare and wonderful person. :( May she be remembered well forever for all the good deeds she did in life and have received an appropriate reward in heaven. :)

That's all for tonight. I have both work and class tomorrow, so I must sleep now. Everyone have a good night, and please pray that Doug and I are soon able to resolve the worries currently in our lives. We'll be doing the same for you and yours. Everyone have a good week too, hope you are able to enjoy good stories. Until next time.

**LONG RP- RAVENS' SAGA**

The screen comes on again, displaying a bar where two grimacing men are seated beside one another. "Darn that Lisa Telman!" the first, a thin shabbily dressed youth with facial piercings and unkempt black hair, is ranting. "She had to get me fired from Tower Records! I had such a good job there- the pay was great, the atmosphere was great, I could put the kind of music I like on the speakers all the time for the whole store to hear and no one could complain. Then she had to get the manager to fire me just because I didn't have the skills for the job! Well, who cares about skills in this world, huh? She deprived me of my source of income! Now I'll have to go back to being a drag rat! Where's the joy in that? She should have just left me alone!" "I hear you, buddy," chuckles the other man, a huge fat slob dressed in a dirty black jumpsuit with a thick brown mustache and blue bandanna tied around his head who is wearing large sunglasses and carries a short black plastic stick in one hand that he waves to emphasize his words. "Doug Elder did the same thing to me just the other day. Some punks at work piss me off, so I pull my knife and threaten them, make them go away, and he reports me to the boss and has me fired even when I threaten him and tell him not to! I oughta break that little jerk in half, and I could do it too! I've had martial arts training, Japanese ninja! I could beat him to death with three strikes of this stick anywhere on his body! Just give me the chance! That piece of <bleep> got me fired! I tried to train him, help him be better at his job, he seems to take to it well, and then the lousy rookie goes and stabs me in the back!" "Weren't you already making a bad name for yourself on that job, Terry?" the first man frowns. "Lying to the boss all the time, sleeping in your cart when you should have been patrolling, making people angry to the point where they hit you with Mace, trying to tell other people to do your job when you couldn't even do yours right, and so on? Maybe you should have known better. You could have avoided getting fired if you hadn't lost your temper and waved that knife. All those kids you threatened were doing was going too fast on their bikes and sassing you and this Doug Elder, you could have been much calmer, you could have�" "Shut up, Gus!" Holder growls, waving his stick angrily. "That's all beside the point! I was a security guard, the voice of authority in that parking lot! Everyone had to do what I said, I made them! They screwed with me, they got burned! Not even the police were immune, I wouldn't even let them park in the fire lane!" "Don't they have the right to?" "Shut up!" Holder whacks his stick on the table, and Gus does so with a grimace. "You oughta go after that <bleep> Lisa Telman like I'm gonna go after Elder once I find out where he lives!" Holder continues raving. "You oughta beat the hell out of her! This campaign of threatening pranks you've been doing is getting you nowhere, you call that revenge?" "I don't want to get arrested, man," Gus whines. "Come on!" Holder growls and is about to accuse him of going weak-sister when a polite cough interjects. The two disgruntled men turn to see a certain blonde street preacher in a white suit smiling at them. "My friends," Pastor John Gould says, "there is a way to get the revenge you want. I believe I may be able to help you with it. Care to listen to me?" Holder and Gus grimace, then nod. Pastor John smiles, then sits down and begins to speak.

"Here it comes again!" Keith is screaming at Anthony and Tricia elsewhere as they scramble to close the Onslaught's back trailer doors now that the Road Moccasin and both cars have been brought inside. "Hurry up!" "We're trying!" Anthony replies, just as the ground outside shakes heavily from several bombs hitting it. The Onslaught shakes and shudders and only barely keeps from falling over as Jammer looks at its computer. "No direct hits!" he proclaims. "Those guys still don't have their aim perfected! The new nanite self-repair systems we had Wilek install on this truck back at Area 51 should have the damage we did take fixed in a matter of hours." "If we can survive another blast!" Tricia shoots back. "Do they have more bombs?" "There's no way we can tell that for sure," Boris frowns, glancing at the computer. "But they are circling around again, so there is a good chance that they do." "Damn it," Doug curses. "Can't we stop these guys?" "They've been trying outside," Stephanie grimaces, taking out her radio. "Tom, are you still alive out there? Kit? Elena?" "We're all okay!" Tom replies. "One of those bombs near-missed the tank by inches, but we're okay! Mansfield's loading another shell and Leah's aiming the main cannon at the bomber again right now!" "Don't waste your ammo!" Kit cuts in. "Elena and I are firing at that plane with everything we have, and missing every time! I even shot off a guided missile from my rocket launcher just now, and it didn't hit! God only knows what's going on here!" Stephanie frowns at the news, then looks at Orion. "Can you get God to tell us?" "My relationship with him isn't that intimate," the cleric sighs, then takes the radio. "Elena, do you detect any magic on that bomber? Any type of shield?" "Human magic, no," Elena replies solemnly. "Fay magic, though, I do sense. I can't tell the type. It's apparently preventing anything from hitting the plane." "Where's Lathrop when we need him to counter magic?" Keith growls. "There may be another way," Elena says. "Let me try to cancel the shield with my own magic. It could be difficult." "Considering Dahak probably put it there, it should be difficult as hell," Kit replies. "But try anyway." "I'm doing so now," Elena answers. As the other Ravens grimace at each other and some whisper prayers, Doug looks at Jammer with a grimace. "Have we ever been in a harder fight than this?" he asks. "Oh yes," Jammer nods. "Never with an enemy we couldn't hit, but yeah, we have met harder foes before." "Wonderful," Doug sighs as the screen goes blank.

**TO BE CONTINUED. END RP**
Kitainia - [frostfire@mail.utexas.edu]
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 09:35:50 PM
IP: pool-207-205-147-125.dlls.grid.net

Greetings, fellow sentients! Also welcome to anyone new (I fear forgetting or misspelling, so this is a tad general).

Unfortunatly, with school starting ( no strike for Catholic teachers!), I will be here less frequently. I'm mentioning this on the off chance I'm missed.

*****BFTS RP*****
[THAT NIGHT...]
Jason Filler is in a deep sleep. He begins to dream.
He is standing under one of many trees that line a city street. A pair of horses trot by, drawing a steel-and-glass carriage. A young man, a few years younger than himself, stands before him.
"We need your help, stranger."
Jason is confused. "Wait just a minute! Who are you? And what is this place?"
"My name is Travis. There's a danger coming to our realm from yours, and only you can help stop it. Follow the portal to our Realm, where you will meet an ally."
"What ally? What's going on?" Jason askes, still confused, but Travis dissappears and, with that, Jason wakes up.
"The portal? What protal?" he murmurs to himself as a bright green portal opens next to his bed. Shaking his head and mumbling, "Ask a stupid question...", he dresses, then steps through the portal.

[THE REALM]

Jason steps out of the portal. It is day, and he is on what looks like a city block in a residential neighborhood. The streets are lined with stone two-stiry row-houses, each of which has a small vegetable garden in front of it. A sand path separates the gardens from a row of grass and fruit trees, on the other side of which is a cinder road. Jason looks to the road, where he sees more of the strangely modern carriages, along with normal-looking bicycles and odd-looking hovering disks that served as skateboards for some younger pedestrians.

Out of one house comes a young woman, perhaps in her late teens, with a thick notebook under her arm. An indigo-colored pouch with a simple coat-of-arms embroidered on it is fastened aroung the waistline of her skirt.

She looks him over. "Are you the stranger Travis told me about?" she asks as if the unusual happens every day.

Jason is startled by her tact. "You know Travis?"

She nods. "He's been my best friend since we were kids." She sighs. "And he owes us both an explanation. Come on, let's go."

"Hold on! Where are we going and who exactly are you?" He offers his hand, hoping handshakes exist in this dimension. "By the way, I'm Jason Filler."

"We're going to the home of Master Aaron, Travis's master." She takes his hand and shakes it firmly. "My full name is Daphne, Eldest daughter of Hannah, born to the Second Caste of the Northwestern Old World, Apprentice-Wordsmith to Master Aaron. Call me Daphne."

"Right, Daphne." Jason follows her to their destination, wondering why all of his new friends have confusing names.

*****END BFTS RP******

Hope you like it!

Happiness to all!
--Daphne
Daphne, apprentice-wordsmith
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 08:57:01 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.210.82.philadelphia1.level3.net

**DPH opens a portal into the CR room and out comes a queen size bed with mattresses and DPH comfortably resting on the bed.**

I picked up new queen size mattresses today. The regular size was just a few inches too short. Darn, I did not get the right new railings for my old bed. The problem will be taken care of tommorrow. I am hoping the new mattresses will help my back a lot.

I signed up for direct deposit today and no more checks in the mail after 2-3 weeks.

Nice try on motivations for not taking pain killers. Allergies and loopiness are on the right track. I will up the offering to one medium glass of orange juice and one doughnut to the first person who guesses why I am not taking pain killers.

**RP RELATED (sorry Winterwolf, I can not help myself)**
What does one do with a hormone crazed male werewolf in a house?
Bring a female werewolf in the house and wear ear plugs.
**END RP RELATED**

**PENDRAGON SPOILERS**
Hmm. It starts you thinking that Arthur might go in one direction and boom, he does something completely else. Now, we know how Arthur's real enemy is, but how does she know about the Connection?
**END PENDRAGON SPOILERS**

**BFTS RP continues**
Alex replies, "Why?"

Jennifer replies, "Because we need to know."

Alex replies, "Personal records are not to be looked at casually."

Jennifer and Greg leave the room.

Jennifer asks, "What is up with Alex?"

Greg replies, "I do not know. Perhaps we should ask Elaine Wiseman."

Jennifer says, "Ok."

Greg and Jennifer head into a room to talk to Elaine Wiseman.

Greg asks, "Are there any Speed Stars members who know how to drive a tractor trailer?"

Elaine replies, "I need to why because Fred Hitman is being paranoid of anyone asking for Speed Star membership lists."

Jennifer says, "We need to know because of the implications of one of Hitman's orders for us."

Elaine replies, "Close enough. I will have a list for you tomorrow, after I check your story with Fred Hitman."

Everyone leaves Speed Star HQ and heads home for the night.
**END BFTS RP for now**
3 more RP days until the Speed Star battle.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 08:48:04 PM
IP: max1-55.cwy.cei.net

**enters and nods to Dame Corax** Y'know, I had a feeling I knew you ... since you've pretty much confirmed it now, I feel so good! (Don'tcha just love those times when ya feel like Sherlock Holmes after he gets the right answer from just scraps of information? That's how I'm feelin' right now)
**points down at his e-mail** Drop me a line. ;)

Emambu: I wouldn't count that as a football miracle. I'd count that as Dallas shootin' themselves in the foot ... repeatedly (troy aikman) ... with larger caliber weapons every time (joey galloway) ...
Incidentally, no need to worry about the good Dame's sanity ... it was taken from her long ago. But then she already said as much. ;)

Spike: **offers his condolences and hugs** My sympathies on your loss.

**taps foot and points at his name link** Folks ... only received a couple of messages related to this thus far (thanks Spike and Jenna!) ... come on, folks, I know a lot of ya are around the Midwest, give us some input! :)

**strides out, chest puffed out in satisfaction**
Coyote the Bando - [tazcaddy@vivavelocity.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 08:46:08 PM
IP: 216.28.101.58

** Niamhgold enters, quickly **

Aggh! It's one extreme to another...first I'm bored, now I'm swamped! It's like the weather around here...

Winterwolf: Hugz! Thanks for the jokes, they were very helpful!

Gside: <So kill someone> Remind me that you said that when I see your face on the news someday >:}

Emambu: Will send you some pics when I get them formatted to, ahem, fit your screen :) Thanks!

Agh, it's all I have time for now!
Adios!
Niamhgold
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 08:44:24 PM
IP: 206.41.204.68

**The mystery known as Dame Corax re-emerges from the shadows**

Thank you for the kind welcomes, everyone! I made sure to leave my sanity behind a few years ago. :)

Kyryn: Thanks for the welcome too! *winks back* Good detective work. :)

Coyote: Know me? Well, I suppose it's all what you believe...perhaps you have heard my name before, or something related... :)

**The Dame quickly turns and vanishes.**
Dame Corax
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 08:28:24 PM
IP: guilder.telcom.arizona.edu

GSIDE - Thanks for the comments; it's not often that we find somebody here familiar with the old Welsh side of the Arthurian legend. About the Thirteen Treasures of Britain list: keep in mind that the lists tend to vary from one version to another. (Which is often the case with legends in general).
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 07:01:53 PM
IP: 216.87.46.166.dialup-stl.primary.net

Read the new Pendragon. Once again a very good job. **SPOILERS** Though I did find a couple discrepencies with my (hastily discovered) rescource for the thirteen treasures. Namely, the Cauldron of Diwrnach the Giant and the Mantle of Arthur. And some of the treasures don't seem that useful, especially the Gwyddbwll board of Gwenddolau which only seems to be able to play chess with itself. **/SPOILERS**

Winterwolf> <<It is a special talent I assure you!>>: A talent that must often be useful.
<<What only a demigod?>>: Yes, only half. The full diety is Kieth Sproul, Student Housing Network Coordinator, and the person to bribe if we want anything.

Emambu> <<getting pictures for your java script>>: Thank you, but I'm not sure I want to comtemplate that yet. I'd have to deal with palette switching and make sure each picture is in a post that can hold each accessory.
<<I'm not sure how the bus system is at Rutgers>>: Essentially slow and unpredictable. We have eight or so routes running during the week, with multiple busses on each run. Though the temperment of the drivers does vary, they aren't bad.

Zath> <<read the Canterbury Tales again, this time in the original middle English>>: That hurts. My sympathies.

CSH> My condolences on your loss.

Warpmind> <<philly isn't much point in visiting when the Gathering is in LA>>: I'd say it's worth it to stop and get a really philly cheesesteak. Either that or here for a Fat Cat, but this isn't really close to an airport.

Rodlox> <<not to be confused with the movie _Sneakers_>>: "I cannot kill my friend. Kill my friend." Se Tec Astromony.

Steven Wilner> <>: Follow the links at the bottom of http://www.gargoyles-fans.org/char.html It's not all in one place, but close enough.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 06:48:26 PM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

RODLOX - You might want to read the already-released episodes of Season Three of Pendragon in the archives.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 06:26:43 PM
IP: 216.87.46.166.dialup-stl.primary.net

Haven't had time to read the new TGS in full yet, but I read the first little bit and it looks really promising. ^_^ Hope to leave more comments at a later date.

TTFN!
Ed
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 06:24:48 PM
IP: webcachew11b.cache.pol.co.uk

Winterwolfie> Would you like me to change it to the diabolical Aaron and the evil Mara? :)

Naw.... just bitchin' thas'll :)

Shinigami
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 02:23:30 PM
IP: refint3.dynamic.fitsuny.edu

I would like to have a complete list of the voice credits
for the episodes.Can you help me?
steven wilner - [steven946@uswest.net]
boulder, co, usa
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 01:53:11 PM
IP: dsotm.uswest.com

Hi!!!! Hello!!!! Hey!!! (dont mind me, slightly jumpy today:P)

Robby> <<Not paid for the announcement, just excited. I've already rented my copy and plan to watch it again tonight!>> LOL OK, if you werent paid, you should have beed! I wanted to see the movie before, but now I'm excited and I NEED to see that movie! :P

Winterwolf> <<job>> Oh, I'll proabably work at one of the theam parks. Just as long as I dont have ta dress like Mini Mouse I'll be fine :P Oh! And thanx for the pics, I'll go see em right away!!! *HUGZ*

Emambu> <<Hehe, I guess a little bit of spanglish never hurt. :) >> lol especialy when your puertorrican! :P Dont worry about it, I've herd worst from ppl who speak spanish as a first language :P

Gotta go! Gotta see pics!!! Gotta see pics!!! *poffles*
Caliope
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 01:40:57 PM
IP: 136.145.174.38

**TGS SPOILERS FOR _SLEEPERS_**

not to be confused with the movie _Sneakers_. :)

is it a crow, a raven, or a hawk?

methinks Batraz ain't too bright, telling the quarry of their goal, origins, and who woke them up.

when did Mary join them? {which ep?}.

***END COMMNETS***

err....comments.

Rodlox
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 12:41:57 PM
IP: cc391097-b.catv1.md.home.com

****Kyryn steps in****

Spike> {{{hugs}}} and my condolences. As you know, Okami and I lost both his grandmothers earlier this year. My prayers go to you and yours.

Emambu> <bluejay on spirit shield> Actually, bluejay appears as a trickster in some of the minor indian tales, but I don't remember which tribes offhand (I'm pulling from memories of reading the stories when I was eight or nine years old). The bluejay actually appears on the shield because it is classed as a member of the corvid family.

Dame Corax> *grins* "Welcome!" (winks). I hope that maybe we'll see you here a little more often now that things have changed a bit.

Medivh> Welcome! The Pendragon episodes are currently being posted every week on Tuesday morning. The new TGS Gargoyles Season is being worked on as we speak, but it will probably be another month or two before it starts posting.

Revel> Road construction? It's summer in Texas in an election year and you didn't expect road construction? *grin* Glad you made it safely back to Denton.

Later All!

***Kyryn disappears***
Kyryn
Denton, TX
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 12:41:18 PM
IP: 216.35.46.129

*Warpmind enters, playing "By the rising of the moon" on an Irish tin whistle.*
Awesome song, guys... and my next fic (that is, the one AFTER the one I'm working on now) will involve a piece of Irish legend and history... from the Halls of Tara. ]:)

Michael: My mistake. The type of 8-track recorder you describe sounds much like the equivalient of Tracker software for the PC... not that I am what you'd call experienced in those matters...

Mecord: Summer, yeah... lots of people outside, and maybe kids running around, too... I *don't* feel more tempted. Believe me. ;)

Be greeted, Dame Corax. May you enjoy your stay, and may your sanity ever be absent. :)

Niamhgold: Got your reply, and replied yet again. :)

DPH: Why you're not taking painkillers? Hmmm... I can think of one very good reason: allergy. Get better, friend.

Christine: Oooo, the new Sabledrake ish looks good (particularly with the sci-fi story by yours truly, nudge, nudge, wink, wink), but... quit after just one year? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You can't! It's too cruel! Please don't! *Snif* Oh, well, I'll have to be patient from New Year's and onward, then, I guess... :(

Ooo, new Pendragon ep... gotta read that one after this post. :)

Winterwolf: Scary picture, you say? Then imagine how it is when they start using steel-toed boots. ;)

Emambu: Mail myself to Philadelphia? Why on earth... cheaper rates? Compadre, I think the rate is just the same, when it's a matter of changing continents! (Besides, philly isn't much point in visiting when the Gathering is in LA.)

Spike: I know how you feel. Rest assured she's probably happy and in a better place now... (And who knows? She might decide to check in on you, see to it that you're all right from time to time.)

Well, I think that's it... so, later, guys. I'm off to read the new Pendragon story. :)
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 10:16:55 AM
IP: mp-217-206-157.daxnet.no

*Emambu enters briefly*

spike: I am so sorry to hear about your paternal grandmother. Losing a loved always hurts. But to lose a loved one who you can relate to, one who had similar interests as you, one who could make you feel special through prescence alone, always hurts ten times as much. My deepest and most sincere condolences on your loss.

---Emambu
Emambu - [emambu@commandchamber.net]
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 10:04:12 AM
IP: dhcp78-230.pittsburgh.resnet.pitt.edu

quick check/query:

last time i was here, you wonderfully-polite, eternally-gracious, and all-knowing-superbeings had provided me with Norwegan, French, Spanish, and Italian translations.

*looks at the piles of conversations in here and email* gah!

um, did anyone post any other translations other than those 4 languages? thanks to all who did and thanks to all who tried!

'later....i hope.

Rodlox
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 09:56:36 AM
IP: cc391097-b.catv1.md.home.com

proof yet again that i shouldn't leave for 'vacations':i come back, and Spike's grandmom - well, i hope you and yours feel better when you do, Spike, and if you'd like me to, i'd pray for her.
{i feel kinda guilty, as my uncle just got out of the hospital from surgery, and he's doing okay}.

----

any news from Cassandra lately?

sorry if i haven't been around folks.

Rodlox
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 09:50:14 AM
IP: cc391097-b.catv1.md.home.com

TGS staff>> I hope to have the remaining pictures on "On Holiday" and other Pendragon stories in soon but they'll be delayed at least a week.

I started the morning with terrible news. I only visited with my paternal grandmother just Sunday and now she's gone. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. She saw a trip to NYC for G98 as a great adventure when the rest of the family thought I was nuts. I am going to miss her SO much.
Spike
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 09:24:59 AM
IP: ppp40-61.ght.iadfw.net

**Zath wanders in, muttering to herself in some language that doesn't quite sound like English.** For one of my lit classes I have to read the Canterbury Tales again, this time in the original middle English. Bletch! I'm starting to really dislike Chaucer.

Dame Corax> Welcome!

Niamhgold> <<Um, er, would you like some tissues for that?>> I'll be okay. It just stings a little. <<So, you're having the everything-looks-like-cartoons-even-when-they're-not-supposed-to problem, eh?>> Yes I am. It's not a problem when I'm drawing gargoyles type stuff, since that's supposed to look somewhat cartoonish, but I seriously need to work on being able to render things realistically.

Gside> <<Sorry, nope>> Thanks anyway. <<So go out and kill someone>> "And all you have to do is squeeze your little finger, ease your little finger back. *gun clicks* You can change the world" (Stephen Sondheim can be strange sometimes)

Winterwolf> <<Is it really that bad?>> Maybe not, but at times it feels like it is.

Emambu> <<The fact that it's at the beginning of the summer really lessens the chances of me getting there>> If it was in the *beginning* it wouldn't be a problem, but for me it falls right in the *middle* of my vacation, over a month after finals and more than a month before I'd be moving back to get ready for the next school-year. *sigh* Oh well, I don't even know where I'm going to be this summer, so for all I know I might end up staying in LA after all. <> Thanks, I wasn't certain if I was being as coherent as I thought I was.

**Zath returns to suffering through Chaucer.**

Zath - [zath@rocketmail.com]
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 02:46:28 AM
IP: ppp-227-083.usc.edu

*Emambu strolls in quickly*

I'm not sure why, but I decided to post a link of the site that I "work" for here. I remembered how there were a few Star Wars fans here. If any of you have played the Dark Forces series then you might find some use out of the site. If you haven't, then don't bother with it. Then again, if you like the site make sure the webmaster gets feedback (that's not me BTW).

Warpmind: Hehe, I'm glad to hear that you're slowly starting to feel better. Don't forget the cough drops. BTW, if you want to mail yourself to America you should come to Philadlephia. I believe the rate is the cheapest, and I could meet you with clothes. ;) Also, your theory makes sense though I think I'm inclined to go with Zath. :)

Michael: Great cartoons, especially the Eye of Odin possibilities! I can imagine Brooklyn's transformation would be that he turns into Crow from MST3K. ;)

Coyote: I don't know if this is football miracle.... but how about the Eagles beating the Cowboys 41-14? Duce Staley had 201 rushing yards, and the Eagles had over 300 yards rushing! And we can't forget the amazing job by the defense or the special teams. Sorry to all you Dallas fans if I appear to be boasting. *Shrugs* It's hard for me not to be proud of that game though.

Gside: I'm going to make an inquiry to some insanly smart programmers that we have here about getting pictures for your java script. There has to be a way of doing it. Also, we have buses but they're unreliable and all the drivers are crabby. Now I understand that their job is not the greatest, and some kids appear to truly ungratful of them. However, the few that do make an attempt to be cordial need not receive nasty glares, right? I'm not sure how the bus system is at Rutgers.

Medivh: A new Pendragon just came out. How's that for an expeditious reply? :)

Winterwolf: Nope, it's not too late for any good luck wishes that you may have. Right now I'd say it stands at about 95%, which is good but it's not definate. I'm contesting with one kid for the only Baritone spot. Even though a lot of the veterans say I'm in, I for one won't be satisfied (or upset depending on how it goes) until the director makes his final decision. Just out of curiosity, why would Greg respond to your questions with sarcasm or am I better off not knowing? Great essay by the way, and those pictures look really cool.

*Emambu reinflates Zath's head* Don't feel bad. The fact that it's at the beginning of the summer really lessens the chances of me getting there. That of course is assuming I could get around my parents who would most certainly be concerned about me going to a convention with complete strangers over a cartoon (even though they themselves have admitted that it was probably the best cartoon I ever watched when I was younger). I like your theory BTW. It does make a lot of sense.

Shadowrider: Well you haven't had your exam yet, so here's another good luck wish: Good Luck!

Mecord: Just read them both actually, but it's too late for me to post long reviews at the moment. Expect them soon though, since they have been read.

Brooklyn: Haven't heard from you in a while. Did you get the comments I sent on the most recent part of your series? Hope to hear from you soon.

Dame Corax: Welcome to the CR. Please discard any sanity you may have and post away!

Niamhgold: If you're bored you could send me some of your pictures or read my encouraging comments that I gave you. :) J/K. *grabs a glass of apple juice and rasies it in the air* Here's to you finding something to do. *guzzles juice* What can I say, I don't drink. ;)

Doug: LoL :) It's amazing how they could miss something that obvious. Finished NotS 2 too, though Mecord takes priority as far as comments go. You'll get them by the weekend (hopefully sooner then that).

DPH: The only thing I can think of is that the painkillers would make you too loopy to function at normal level. Did I come close?

Archwolf: Good luck with classes. Let us know how things go.

I think that's it for now. Good night and take care (and I apologize for any typos.. I'm kind of tired) ;),

---Emambu
Emambu - [emambu@commandchamber.net]
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 02:08:54 AM
IP: dhcp78-230.pittsburgh.resnet.pitt.edu

**Winterwolf enters**

Hi! Just in for some replies! It looks like the weekend is over now but fortunately it is a short week ahead! :)

Christine> You've put together another fabulous Avalon Mists! ^_^

Jessie Feff> <secret> Don't worry with your **ahem** secret you could conceivably make us forget what we find out! ;)

Zath> < Zath's head explodes> **scoops up the pieces and gets some crazy glue to glue the fragments back together** Is it really that bad? <gargoyle anatomy> It sounds okay to me but I make no claim to ever make any sense while I'm in here. ;)

Warpmind> <cats throw boots at your window> Now that's just a scary picture. <Drop it and stick to black coffee> Okay you da boss! :)

Michael> Hi Michael! I love your work on the recent Avalon Mists. The comic strips with the Eye of Odin had me cracking up! :D

Shadowrider> Make sure you get plenty of sleep too! :)

SOROW> Hi! <not enough hours in the day> I know what you mean! Hang in there! ^_^

Mecord> I really like it so far. I'll send you an email with some specifics. :)

Dame Corax> Welcome to the CR! Feel free to stop in whenever you like!

Niamhgold> WOW! Free time! Does this mean more pictures and fan fic in the works? ;) You deserve some leisure time to enjoy the even simpler pleasures so I'm happy for you! ^_^ <plug> You are so awesome! Thanks for the plug! :) <bored> I sent you more email so you have something to do. It is a joke email for you! ^_^

Mara Shinigami> <I'm just plain old evil > Would you like me to change it to the diabolical Aaron and the evil Mara? :) <monitor> Cool! Good to know you managed to snag one!

DPH> Your checklist is solid. Hope it all comes to pass!

Coyote> Too bad. :(

Gside> < You look truly deranged> It is a special talent I assure you! ;D <you look eerily like the ethernet demigod> What only a demigod? ;)

******WARNING - BFTS RP******

Plastique rejoined DPH and Jason. "I ran into that new walking hormone wolf! I want to stay as far away from him as I can!"

"What happened?" DPH asked.

"That big wolf startled me as I was making breakfast and was on top of me supposedly trying to help me. Something about him scares me!"

"Maybe you should talk to him DPH." Jason says.

"I think this is just some kind of misunderstanding but I'll talk to him about it." DPH replies.

**In the kitchen**

Frost cleaned up then went to see if he could join the training also.

On his way there he sees DPH and says, "Hi."

"Frost, we need to talk."

"What's up boss."

"Well for starters you can just call me DPH."

"Okay, what's up DPH?"

"Are you interested in Plastique?"

"Yeah. She was so nice and made me breakfast earlier. She is really pretty too! So I helped her make breakfast and I cleaned up." Frost sighs wistfully.

"Well it sounds innocent enough, but Plastique wants you to calm down. I also need everyone focusing on our current problems with NCA. Understood?"

"Yeah." Frost answered weakly. He imagined that DPH wanted Plastique and would say anything to keep tem apart. There was no way Plastique would have said what DPH had told him.

DPH went back to train with the others. Frost went off to brood. The remainder of the day was uneventful nobody saw Frost for the rest of the day after DPH spoke with him.

******END WARNING - BFTS RP******

Good night!

**Winterwolf leaves for the night**

Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@excite.com]
Bronx, NY
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 01:56:54 AM
IP: ip-111-2-129.nyc.navipath.net

***Kyryn steps into the room***

Gentlebeings,

TGS now presents the new Pendragon episode....

The Sleepers

Written by Greg Bishansky and Todd Jensen

(Sorry, folks, no art on this one at this time. Possibly a pic will be added at a later date.)

***Kyryn steps aside to avoid the rush***
Kyryn - [<<---clicky, clicky!]
Denton, TX
Tuesday, September 5, 2000 01:36:23 AM
IP: denm2-28.iglobal.net

New issue of Sabledrake Magazine is now posted! The theme is "Other Worlds," and we have a great cover by Tana as well as articles, art, and fiction by many talented contributors! Click or go to http://www.sabledrake.com/magazine.htm . On a sadder note, Tim and I have decided that due to many other responsibilities and projects, Sabledrake will be going on hiatus after the December issue. We hope to be able to start it again in the future!

Avalon Mists > I'll try to be better about posting deadline reminders from now on. Last time, it really sort of snuck up on me and I didn't have the chance to nag and plead ; )

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Monday, September 4, 2000 10:53:37 PM
IP: 07-122.009.popsite.net

Well, my desktop is now about a third ainted by my brother. Boy can he embellish runes. He took G (aka Gandalf's rune, and my family rune), funkified the top and had the base turn into a tree. If he ever finishes it (it's mostly pencil now) I might scan a picture of it.

Winterwolf> You look truly deranged in your self portrait. That, and you look eerily (or maybe only vaguely) like the ethernet demigod of my building (Noy. Look at my directory).
<<Should I be a little concerned that you have the time to go thorugh the archive to find that?>>: It didn't take much time. Just searching for the text string "solar flare," and it was in the second page I checked.
<<if they have reduced tactile sensation because they can take more physical abuse than a human can>>: One does not have to imply the other. It probably depends more on how well you deal with pain.

Zath> <<do you happen to have "Our Separate Ways" sung by Linda Eder and Dave Clemmons>>: Sorry, nope. I almost got it off Napster, but I didn't have the patience (and I forgot to tell it to ignore everyone below ISDN).

Michael> <<btw...just call me Michael>>: Sorry about that, but I have a hard time figuring out how to address people after I completely associate their first and last names. Cases in point: Todd Jensen, Patrick Toman, Daniel Johnson, and CSH.

Mecord> <<FedExing naked> At least it�ll be in the summer>>: Yeah, but the packing materials are probably equivalent to a sweater. Oh, and remember to use the carbohadrate based packing pellets. Snacks for the way over.

Welcome, Dame Croax. Hmm. We haven't had an official sanity sucking in a good while...

Niamhgold> <<that's just the left side of my brain smacking the right side down again>>: Yeah. Give it what it deserves.
<<Niamhgold's still bored>>: So go out and kill someone. Works wonders for boredom.

Tomorrow classes start for me. And I have to make two between peroid campus switches. Not fun.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Monday, September 4, 2000 09:58:10 PM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

DPH: Are you not taking painkillers because they're making you crazy? That's why _I_ don't take those d@mn loopy pills!

** Niamhgold's still bored **

Niamhgold
Monday, September 4, 2000 09:44:18 PM
IP: 206.41.204.68

**looks over the posts in the room**

Hmm ...

**happens across Dame Corax, cocks an eyebrow**

Why do I have the *strangest* feeling I know you? Or am I just being weird as usual?

Winterwolf: Unfortunately I work retail, so there's no such thing as napping at the parts counter (much as we wish we could). ;)

**looks over the room once more before shuffling out**
Coyote the Bando - [tazcaddy@vivavelocity.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Monday, September 4, 2000 09:24:35 PM
IP: 216.28.101.144

Hmm. Where do I start?

Let's see things I want to get accomplished this week:
1) get hold of out of state, earlier time zone insurance company and get claim adjustor out as soon as possible.
2) have no more back pain
3) sign up for direct deposit of my income
4) have no more back pain
5) start to work on a settlement for my injuries and car damage
6) have no more back pain
7) get a rough estimate of total lodging and travel costs for G2001
Did I mention I want my back pain to go away?

One doughnut goes to the first person who can name why I am not taking painkillers for my back pain.

**RP related**
4 more RP days until the battle with Speed Stars
**END RP related**

**BFTS RP continues with a disguised salute to the working man**
Greg and Jennifer finalize their plans for the mobile transport of weapons.

Jennifer asks, "Who are we going to get to drive the trucks?"

Greg replies, "Let's find out if any Speed Stars can drive tractor trailers LEGALLY."

Greg and Jennifer head out to Alex Freedman.

Alex asks, "What do you two want?"

They reply, "Are there any Speed Stars have a commercial license to drive tractor trailers?".

*DPH's house*
Jason asks, "How long did it take you to save up money to purchase this house?"

DPH replies, "No comment about how I own this house. But I will say it would take a hard-working man quite a few years to be able to pay for this house. The last person who owned this house spent 30 years of his life working to pay for this house and maintenance on this house. I have to salute his endurance."
**END BFTS RP for now**
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Monday, September 4, 2000 09:19:51 PM
IP: max1-51.cwy.cei.net

*archwolf and Warfrost run into the room and bar the door behind them* *Gasp* Real life. ARG!!! Classes started last week. This year, I am determined to get that 3.5+ . Now, though, I also have to deal with practices. The season starts a month early this year, and runst a week or two later.
Oh well.
<Sees NIamhgold's post to FireStorm, then runs to the closet and pulls out a couple of sighns reading "Trained Attack Wolf" About his neck and Warfrosts.*

*Looks out window* Uh oh...RL is about to break into the CR...I guess I better get away while I can. Oh, READ MEC'S FIC!!

*UN-bars door, then runs out, followed by Warfrost*
Archwolf - [archwolf@collegeclub.com]
Monday, September 4, 2000 09:00:53 PM
IP: viking202-88.dhcp.csuohio.edu

Aaron> <<Count the times I say man in this post>> 3. Is it a contest?

If it was I suppose I'd have to give out prizes. *Chibi Demmie-chan places a large wad of Lemonade flavored ABC gum into her hand*

Ee... no, I dont think He'd want that for his prize. *gets a kleenex*

Aaron> The diabolical duo, eh? I like that.

While I think it's an AWESOME pic (boy do I look cute in that wig) I am not diabolical. I'm just plain old evil and I have the pic of me harrassing poor Thom while i was in costume to prove it. Just need to get it scanned.

guess who finally got her monitor in?

Shinigami
Monday, September 4, 2000 08:14:37 PM
IP: spider-ta058.proxy.aol.com

** Niamhgold enters **

Hi, all! This is actually the end to a busy weekend, as opposed to a pretty slow first week. I'm way ahead of everyone else with my workload; unfortunately, that means while they're busy doing everything at the last minute, I'm stuck with little to do :( Oh, well, at least I'm getting some free time, with no guilt!

Winterwolf: Got your second e-mail! <sillyness> Really, I've been infected with it before? Must have been those days with the exclamation points...waitaminute, that's every day! ;} Glad you had a super-fun weekend! And I'm going to plug your gathering essay right now:

Hey, everyone! Winterwolf's got pics and an essay! Lookie and read, lookie and read! :D

Warpmind: Got your e-mail! Sent a reply not too long ago :) Hope the cold gets better, since it seems like you're in the final phase! :)

Zath: <Niamhgold watches his head explode> Um, er, would you like some tissues for that? So, you're having the everything-looks-like-cartoons-even-when-they're-not-supposed-to problem, eh? I don't see why art teachers have such a problem with art being mass marketed for money. Or, maybe that's just the left side of my brain smacking the right side down again >:)

Dame Corax: Welcome! Insert your sanity into the slot machine and let 'er rip! :) ^~^

Mec: Agh! I haven't gotten a chance to read the CR fics in a long while! Yours is definitely next on the list :) Oh, and much luck with the workload! I, too, know the angst of having tons of work :)

Doug: Oooh, so there _is_ a possibility of you writing again! Hurray!

Christine: Excellent Avalon Mists...why do I keep forgetting the deadlines! Why? Why? Why? <Smacks her head> Maybe it's because they're too much like work/school assignments...J/K!

Michael Heitz: Excellent work, as usual! Now I'm expecting Brooklyn, Bronx, Hudson, Angela, and Elisa with the Eye of Odin >:}

Firestorm: <Guy who threatened to kill you> I have one word for you: Mace. And a katana sword. And, when in doubt, just hit him where it hurts (sorry, guys, but we're dealing with a real jerk here!). I suggest hiring a couple of wolves...

Mandolin: Same condolences to you! Be safe, and just stay in groups. Works for me when I go out into the city :)

Adios, muchachos!
NIamhgold
Monday, September 4, 2000 07:28:13 PM
IP: 206.41.204.68

**A female figure in a hooded cloak and a flowing cape emerges from the shadows. Her face is half-hidden by the shadow of the hood, although some brown hair escapes from it into view. She raises an armored arm to wave.** Hi, everybody!

Just joining in the conversation. I'm...well...a long-time watcher of the CR, and just thought I'd come out of the shadows and say hi. How's everyone doing?

Wilek, I love your work, man. Hi! :)

Coyote: Love your stuff, too! I especially feel connected to "When Clans Collide." I love your "Clan Manhattan" series also.

Hi to everyone else!!! And TGS staff, you all are doing a great job on the storylines. I can't wait to read the next season of Gargoyles!

Well, don't know how often I can check back here...I'm a college student, and right now I'm kept pretty busy by the college life, but I will try to drop in every now and again to see how y'all are doing. Try to stay smiling, everyone!

**The woman returns to the shadows, vanishing.**
Dame Corax
Monday, September 4, 2000 06:04:23 PM
IP: guilder.telcom.arizona.edu

P.s. Winterwolf>> did you read the story? what did you think? email me if you could.
thanks! :)
Mec
Monday, September 4, 2000 04:34:37 PM
IP: usr35.mtwest.net

Hi ho! School started last week and I have been overwhelmingly busy. Have a moment on the holiday to visit and post. The good thing about school is that I like my profs. Saturday my family and I went to a Rendezvous. Got really sunburned, over-exhausted, and bought my dad a cane sword for X-mas.

Emambu>> Did you ever get a chance to read my stories? I�m really eager to hear some more feedback.

Coyote>> I had to work today as well. At 5:00 in the morning.

Warpmind>> FedExing naked> At least it�ll be in the summer. ;)

Cherry>> Hi! How ya doing?

Mandolin>> Stalkers are definitely a bad thing. Good thing grocery stores let everyone know where they are. �Stalker, isle twelve�� :) Okay that was bad. Just trying to raise some spirits. :)

Doug and Kit>> I was hoping that you two would also read my story seeing as how you have read the first part. I would like to know what you think. Hope you have time for it soon.

RP another day.

Later.
Mecord - [mecordlein@mailcity.com]
Monday, September 4, 2000 04:33:37 PM
IP: usr35.mtwest.net

I'm still alive, there are just not enough hours in the day.
SOROW
Monday, September 4, 2000 03:15:33 PM
IP: a010-0027.dll2.splitrock.net

<Shadowrider slips in for a moment>

Gside:> "Tasty"? Hmmm...no, it is not *exactly* what I meant...;)

Mandolin:> <stalker> That's not good, not at all. Until that guy isn't caught, be careful, keep your eyes open and, if you have to go somewhere, be sure that someone you trust knows your destination. Try also to avoid deserted places, and if there are troubles and you have half a chance to escape, do it. Probably you knew already all these things, but just in case...Also, if law in your place allows it, you should consider to carry with you some of that invalidating spray (it is a good weapon for defense, mainly because it does not require a particular training to be used effectively). Keep us informed about how things go, please.

Christine:> Good issue of AvMists, as usual. Great cartoons by Michael Heitz too (as usual, again). Particularily liked those about the "Eye of Odin"...

Emambu:> Thank you for the good luck wish...I'm gonna need it...

Winterwolf:> Thank to you too for the good luck wish...

Gotta go! See ya!

<Slips out>
Shadowrider - [shadowrider@katamail.com]
Milan, Italy
Monday, September 4, 2000 02:46:26 PM
IP: h213-20-199.mi2.albacom.net

Gside>Thanks:)(btw...just call me Michael:)
Michael
Monday, September 4, 2000 02:41:51 PM
IP: pc19f1e51.dip.t-dialin.net

Warpmind: Nope, I#m not referring to an 8-Tape like you think of it. You mean a normal Tape...what I'm talking about is a recording device with the following features:
You could record one instrument (e.g. Drums) on one track, that you could rewind and play this drum track and record another track (e.g. Rythm Guitar No.1). Than you rewind again and put the tracks 1 and 2 (drums and guitar) on "play" and record the third track (e.g. Keyboard), etc... until you recorded all 8 Tracks (that's why 8-Track recorder). This device featured also an equalizer for every track (bass, medium low, medium high, and high). It also features in-ports for effect devices, etc...
THIS kind of 8-Track was the most modern thing you could get about 10 years ago, and by linking some digital 8-Trackers, CDs were recorded (quality was absolutely all right). You were probabaly referring to that ordinary Tape decks, that could after all record only one "real" track or just play one, right?
Michael
Monday, September 4, 2000 02:40:47 PM
IP: pc19f1e51.dip.t-dialin.net

Speaking of Keith David... I was flipping channels the other night and found him on Fox Family Network, playing Tiger Wood's father in some biographical movie about Woods.

Would you believe there's only 291 days left until the Gathering 2001? >:)
Patrick Toman
Monday, September 4, 2000 02:29:25 PM
IP: ac814e68.ipt.aol.com

*Warpmind enters, carrying a HUGE handgun, which he uses to turn Sli Sludge into little more than a large hole in the ground.*
Damn coughing... keeps me and the entire household awake at night. The cats outside throw boots through my window to shut me up! (Well, not really, but you get the idea.) ;)

Michael: Yeah, well, using an 8-track player might be a little... anachronistic. It's been, what, roughly 25 years since those things were commonly used? I sure don't know how the heck I'm supposed to get one around here. In fact, the plain ol' tape-model walkman is getting scarce, too. Soo, discmans seem to be vanishing, as well, leaving but those MiniDiscMans... :| Technology is getting out of hand, methinks...

Gside: You know, I think you're right about those types of epidermal nerves - I have a tendency to mix up such matters. :( Oh, well, at least I managed to type "epidermal" and not "epidural"... ;) And if you theorized along those lines, I must have missed it. Simple as that.

Medivh: Pay attention, new Pendragon episodes are hitting the TGS archives even now. :)

Winterwolf: You know something? I think I'll stick to plain, black coffee. ;)

Zath: Your theory makes sense. You may be onto something.

Well, that's about it. Later, gang.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Monday, September 4, 2000 02:20:34 PM
IP: mp-217-204-6.daxnet.no

Emmabu: I too have wondered about immortals and neck guards. That's one reason Zack wears one in my ficverse. :)
Doug
Monday, September 4, 2000 08:46:16 AM
IP: pool-209-138-203-134-dlls.grid.net

Hi all, I'm back! The other day my drawing teacher was making speculum jokes (it's a long story), which reminded me I hadn't gotten around to doing a *real* post here in forever. (How's that for strange word association? It's probably from all the DC deaths) I'm slowly getting settled in back here at school. It's so nice to not have to deal with roommates this year. Peace and quiet at last! It looks like my reading/homework load will be noticeably heavier this semester because I'm taking two literature classes and two fine arts classes (hopefully formal instruction will help me push my drawing skills beyond their current "everything looks like a cartoon even when it isn't supposed to" level). Because of this, I might not be in here very often, but I'll try to be more regular in my posting than I have been lately.

Mandolin> Yikes! Good luck with the stalker, and I hope your leg feels better as well.

Warpmind> << Gargoyles, unlike humans, have an extremely reduced amount of two of the three types of epidermal nerves; namely the two types registering high and low temperatures. Having a reduced amount of these nerves will immediately result in reduced sensitivity to temperature changes, although not completely obsolete sensitivity to temperature, while sensitivity to touch is unchanged.>> It seems like there should be more to it than that. Just because you don't feel something wouldn't keep it from damaging you. I think gargoyle bodies evolved to be able to withstand greater extremes and their nerves are merely "calibrated" to reflect that rather than being the direct cause. Am I making sense, I'm too tired to be sure?

G2001 in LA> The Gathering is going to be in the middle of JUNE!?!?!?!?!? That means that the only way I'd be able to attend is if I end up spending my entire summer in LA! AAAAaaarrrrrggggghhhh!!!!! **Zath's head explodes**

Jessie Feff> <<So who else is back in school already?>> I'm back. School started Monday, but I don't have any Monday classes, so I actually started Tuesday.

Gside> For mp3s, do you happen to have "Our Separate Ways" sung by Linda Eder and Dave Clemmons?

Well, that's all for the moment. I need to go to bed now (and it's not even 3am yet, I must be getting old ; ) ). Hopefully I'll be back soon. Bye for now

Zath - [zath@rocketmail.com]
Monday, September 4, 2000 05:24:48 AM
IP: ppp-224-137.usc.edu

Winterwolf > Thanks for the G2K journal! Awesome! lol...I was going to say my secret was _spackle_, but you went and spilled the beans. ;)
Jessie Feff - [feff@hotmail.com]
Monday, September 4, 2000 02:25:43 AM
IP: ctrts2-1.mrs.umn.edu

So who else is back in school already? I started last Monday. I've two classes I adore, one I haven't decided about yet, and another that I dislike because of the teacher. I've basically just been attending class and working my jobs. And playing Chrono Cross when I get a spare moment. ;)

I'm glad to hear Princess Mononoke is _finally_ out for rental; at last I'll be able to see it. Sheesh.

Aaron > re: note under Thom's door --Well, we discovered the seal on the door was too tight; it wasn't _possible_ to slip a note or anything under it.

Daniel Johnson > Dude, thanks for logging the Greg chat. You rock! :) hehehe...yanno, there was a guy from my old school with your same name...in my imagination you look like him.

Wow, there were a lot of submissions for the random gargoyles generator in Av Mists...now I don't feel so bad that I didn't have time to do mine.
Jessie Feff - [feff@hotmail.com]
Monday, September 4, 2000 02:09:50 AM
IP: ctrts2-1.mrs.umn.edu

**Winterwolf walking in his normally quiet gait enters silently**

I'm having a great 3-day weekend! :) I've managed to make some more additions to my shared website. I've added my gathering essay and page two of pictures! The pages are linked now but in case you are looking for a particular page here are the breakdowns:

http://www.veoweb.com/members/brooklyn/index.htm - Main Page
http://www.veoweb.com/members/brooklyn/g2kstory.htm - Gathering Essay Page
http://www.veoweb.com/members/brooklyn/g2kpics1.htm - Gathering Picture Page 1
http://www.veoweb.com/members/brooklyn/g2kpics2.htm - Gathering Picture Page 2

Enjoy! ^_^

Aaron> <diabolical duo> Glad you like it! It just seemed fitting somehow. :D <Marina Sirtis> Awesome! So out with the details already! :)

Gyre> Welcome back! Must be nice to get out of the woods after two weeks.

Niamhgold> <silly too> It is a cycle you know! I got it from you last! ;)

Fire Storm> <jerk> Ack! I'll pray that this gets resolved and you don't hear from that jerk again. <computer> It sounds like you are going with some serious power! What is driving you to boost your speed so high? I haven't felt a need to get a better chip to get a super overclock speed myself yet.

Daphne> Thanks Daphne! **takes a button** You've got my support Fire Storm!

Revel> <hobbles> I guess six hours really got you in a bit of pain. How are you feeling now?

Warpmind> <new stay awake drug> Well It would work better than anything else! Guaranteed to Revive or Corpse Explosion after it kills you. :D <cold> The real secret is to pass the virus to someone else. Just pick someone you don't like! ;) Seriously feel better soon.

Shadowrider> Agreed. On the fingertip thought, I imagine gargoyles have those sharp talons with very limited if any nerve endings there. <exam> Soon you will be done with your exam. Good Luck! ^_^

Abbadon_13> Thanks for the Gargoyle video update. I'll check it out! :)

DPH> I hope the good times start heading your way soon!

Gside> <It was Rodlox if you check the archive> Should I be a little concerned that you have the time to go thorugh the archive to find that? ;)

Mandolin> <bruise> I hope that big bruise is healing up quickly and cleanly. <stalker> That sounds extremely creepy! Some people just don't know how to act. :(

cherry blossom> <G2001> You think you're going to make it! Cool! That's great news! :)

Emambu> <Pitt's elite choir group> Wow! That's great! Darn is it too late to wish you good luck? Good luck anyway! :) <no way to get from one class to another on time> I've wondered about that in the past before. I've seen some campuses where I couldn't see getting from on area to another in 10 minutes. I remember 10 minutes being the shortest mount of time to get from one class to another. Glad to hear you made a deal with the professor. ^_^ <OD on cheerfulness> That would make us two positively charged ions that would shoot off ridiculous amounts of happiness and cheerfulness if we made physical contact! Okay the silliness might be going a bit too far! :D <Ask Greg - Are gargoyles ticklish?> I get the feeling he'd hit me with his super sarcasm especially once he figures out who's asking. ;)

DPH> Good to hear you are in better spirits!

Warpmind> <Gargoyle Sensitivity> Wow! I guess the next question though is if they have reduced tactile sensation because they can take more physical abuse than a human can. I could be mistaken though. ^_^

Caliope> Hi! I have more pictures up and my essay on what happened while I was around. :) The links are at the top of the post or for a quick jump click on the link at the end of the post. ^_^

Coyote> <working on Labor Day> Doh! :( Make sure you take plenty of naps during the day if possible! <good day> At least you had a really good Sunday! Cool purchase on the cell!

Medivh> Hi, in answer to your questions Pendragon has some new episodes. Also Gargoyles is set to start up after Pendragon wraps up.

Niamhgold> I got your email! I sent you one back! I hope you meant it when you said you like getting email! Sometimes I feel a little guilty like I'm bombarding you with email! ;) **HUGZ** ^_^

Good night! Love, luck and lollipops! :)

**Winterwolf leaves just as quietly**
Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@excite.com]
Bronx, NY
Monday, September 4, 2000 01:19:22 AM
IP: 206.15.120.148

** Niamhgold enters, just lurking for now **

Heh, I need to wake up before I can legitimately post <|o

Adios!
Niamhgold
Monday, September 4, 2000 12:07:47 AM
IP: 206.41.204.68

Is anyone here right now? What happened to TGS and why are no new stories coming out for pendragon and the main series?
Medivh
Sunday, September 3, 2000 10:36:24 PM
IP: 199.35.197.2

Mandolin> Good luck dealing with the stalker.

Warpmind> <<the mp3 I sent ya, well, you can hold on to it for now>>: I plan to.

Mr. Heitz> Allow me to lend my voice to the complements of your work.

Emambu> <<his class was so far away from the building where my previous class was in that there was no chance of me getting there on time>>: That's a way of life here on Rutgers. You do not expect to get from one campus to another between periods in time. And I'm doing it again this semester. BTW, do you need busses over there?
<<I'm not sure how you'd incoporate their pictures into the java code though>>: Nor am I which is another reason why it won't be happening.

Warpmind> <<reduced amount of two of the three types of epidermal nerves; namely the two types registering high and low temperatures>>: I thought the three types were pain, temperature, and pressure. And I thought I mentioned something along these lines.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Sunday, September 3, 2000 10:07:14 PM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

**dances into the room holding a picture frame**

Just a brief note in here ... today was quite the good day. Went to the movies and saw "The Replacements." Anyone in here who saw it, did you catch Keith David's two lines' worth? (he played the Player's Union representative who met with the press all the time)

The other good thing to happen ... **turns around the picture frame** Finally burned the $60 in gift checks for the Warner Brothers store and used 'em toward a production cel from Batman TAS. (it's Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, shortly after they first meet in "Harley and Ivy.") Framed and everything! It's now on the wall, in a place of honor with my other two cels I've acquired this year. Hmm ... I've got Harley and Ivy now, and I had Lina, and a Goliath and Elisa ... d'you detect a pattern? ;)

Let's see ... more great stuff from Michael Heitz (don't be so hard on yerself, lad!) in AvMists, especially the Hulk bit. :)

Gside: You want a miracle? Rutgers is a good miracle, I'll give you that ... but what about today's NFL games? The Lions actually won a game *without* an offensive touchdown. (sorry, GB, they beat the Saints 14-10)

Aaron, re: S8 flame war: Well, it was ridiculous in the first place, and the results are less than satisfactory on all sides, so I'd rather ye didn't bring it up.

Ah well ... working on Labor Day sucks, so feel pity for me everyone.

**runs out screaming**
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Sunday, September 3, 2000 09:45:41 PM
IP: 216.28.101.9

Thanks for all the help with planning for G2001. I need it. I was thinking about going to priceline.com and naming a price of $200-$300 for the round trip after I consulted the G2001 website to make sure I arrived on time (which is early for me) and left when I should. Right now, I am trying to figure out the total cost ahead of time. I will NOT commit to planning that far ahead until my current medical condition and bill payment problems has been resolved. The other insurance company has NO local adjustor so I am stuck for now. I am looking forward to a vacation and G2001 is the primary consideration as my vacation.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Sunday, September 3, 2000 09:18:17 PM
IP: max1-29.cwy.cei.net

MICHAEL HEITZ - Um, are you really certain that you want Christine Morgan to give the Avalon Mists cartoonist the sack? You might want to take another look at the byline. :)
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Sunday, September 3, 2000 06:13:07 PM
IP: 216.87.46.41.dialup-stl.primary.net

DPH- the travel agent used for last years Gathering saved me alot of money. You may want to try that route as well. Also night flights can also be more economical.
jenna - [jgargcia@msn.com]
Sunday, September 3, 2000 05:56:05 PM
IP: 1cust142.tnt3.stafford.tx.da.uu.net

One thing to keep in mind about airfares... the prices change vitually every day. I saw a round trip fare from here to LA for just about $320 the other day. I've had an automated farewatcher at travelocity going for about six months and I've seen the price for the same trip yo-yo anywhere from $500 to $225. So sometimes it pays to be patient, and wait for that deal to come along.

Some good sites to go to for shopping airfares:
www.expedia.com
www.travelocity.com

And if you're ready to name your own price and commit to taking whatever they can find for you if there's an airline that will accept that price... there's priceline.com, too.

"Jay Leno's chin is big, but not as big as the savings at priceline.com!" -- William Shatner on "The Tonight Show"
Patrick Toman
Sunday, September 3, 2000 05:43:08 PM
IP: ac819694.ipt.aol.com

DPH.<
Southwest 239.00 (current price) one way.
American $483.00 round trip, or if you prefer to leave Little Rock before 8 AM and leave LA before 8 AM its only
$457.00
Northwest $477.00
Continental $471.50
TWA $476.00

*grins* I did June 15-18, 2001. When I checked, there wasn't a difference if you left the 14th or if you came back the 19th or any type thing, so I hope this helps.
cherry blossom
Sunday, September 3, 2000 05:24:51 PM
IP: 209.143.29.143

Warpmind>First, thanks for the praise:)
"music recording"
Yep, rings some bells. Unfortunately, my old recording device broke down. Now, I'm using CuBasis, but the Manual for this software features 200 pages to be learned, and my PC needs some major upgrades that it can manage the recording decently. I don't know when I will have time and especially the hardware to pull this through. I could have recorded properly with my old (now unfortunately broken) 8-Track Tape (enough for 1 drum track, 2 Guitars, 1 Bass, 1 Keyboard, 1 Lead and 2 Backung Voices, what would have been absolutely enough), but right now, buying another tape recorder would be a waste of money, so I'll take my time to get it done on PC.
Michael
Sunday, September 3, 2000 04:50:17 PM
IP: p3e9e710f.dip.t-dialin.net

*Warpmind enters, laughing maniacally.*
Just saw an interesting typo... "Citron Xsara"... Last I checked, Citroen is spelled WITH the "e". "Citron" means "lemon", which means... well, better not say much about it in here, except "Ewwww". :)

Michael Heitz: You're absolutely ight about those cartoons, not to mention those action figures. ;) Seriously, though, great work, man. Loved those "Eye of Odin" possibilities, and that handkerchief scene. :) (By the way, does "music recording" ring any bells?)

Spacebabie: Gotcha... maybe I should update my list of medical jargon? :) As for blood-related issues... when I was in to be tested for military purposes (mandatory in Norway - I, thanks to having Asperger's Syndrome, am granted a release from the military services), I checked out with a pulse of 59. I kid ye not, the doctor there verified that I had a heart rate of 59. (Didn't check my blood pressure or tap a few quarts for analysis, so those things I wouldn't know about.) When my phys.ed. teacher heard, she freaked... I was THE most physical activity-dodging student within fifty miles. :) So much for her harping about keeping the body in ship-shape through her classes. As if those classes would do any good, anyway; 90% of the time it was 5 minutes warm-up, 30 minutes soccer, and stretching out in the shower. NOT what I would want to expose my physique to - rather let my hiney go to waste in a chair all day; less risk of physical injury. (Note: I HAVE walked about 4-5 miles on a daily basis for the past five years, so I'm not completely oblivious to exercise.)

Emambu: When you said they weren't human, something said "click" between my ears... I think it was a burnt-out fuse. ;) My cold is better; my fever is gone, though I spend much time clearing out my windpipe these days... :(

Gargoyle Sensitivity: Guys, guys, it's perfectly possible to have reduced temperature sensitivity and be ticklish at the same time. Here's one possible theory: Gargoyles, unlike humans, have an extremely reduced amount of two of the three types of epidermal nerves; namely the two types registering high and low temperatures. Having a reduced amount of these nerves will immediately result in reduced sensitivity to temperature changes, although not completely obsolete sensitivity to temperature, while sensitivity to touch is unchanged. Seem reasonable? :)

DPH: $265.50 to get to G2001? And you complain. ;) I've been working on it, and the only way FedExing myself will be cheaper is if someone is waiting there with clothes... :| And travelling naked inside a box is NOT my idea of even a semi-comfortable journey...

Well, that's about it... see y'all later.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Sunday, September 3, 2000 04:37:03 PM
IP: mp-217-210-95.daxnet.no

**Travel Plans**
Yesterday I checked with United Airlines website to find a way to go from Little Rock, AR to Los Angeles, CA. In order to do that, with United Airlines, I have to make a stop at . . . . Chicago, IL. The ticket would cost $265.50 one way (unless I am mistaken). I wondered if I could shave some cost by going west 100% of the time instead of heading east in order to go west. I am going to try again with other airline companies to see where all I have to stop in order to get to Los Angeles, CA and how much it costs. This is beginning to sound like a math problem I would enjoy.
**END TRAVEL PLANS**

It's great to be off today.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Sunday, September 3, 2000 03:35:48 PM
IP: max1-14.cwy.cei.net

*Emambu strolls in with grin on his face*

Hey, gang! Yes, I am in a good mood in case you were wondering. Firstly, I have a working e-mail account. Secondly, there's a good chance that I got into Pitt's elite choir group. The final cuts are tomorrow, and if I get in I'll probably be as giddy as Winterwolf. :)

Winterwolf: Thanks for the welcome back. Pitt is pretty big, IMHO. It's definately bigger then the two campuses that brother and sister went to (Drew U. and Muhlenberg college respectively). I had to strike a deal with one professor because his class was so far away from the building where my previous class was in that there was no chance of me getting there on time. Fortunately, he seemed nonchalant about it. Also, I'm glad to see you in such a good mood. I'd ask for some of those happy pills, but I'm afrad that combined with my own good mood I'd OD on cheerfullness. :)

David G: Well, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who's heard of that mystery. I was getting worried there for a second. :) BTW, congrats on the new car. I hope it serves you well for many years. The description of your old one brings back fond (or not so fond, depending on the time and POV) memories of my '89 Dodge Diplomat. The car had almost irreversable rust damage along the sides of the doors, no radio (it died), no powerlocks (they died too), power windows that only worked when it wasn't raining, snowing, on an angle (the car), and the planets were in proper obital alignment, no interior lights (they died), no AC (... died), and a dodgy transmission. :)

Warpmind: Yep, that's what happened. I knew I gave it away the minute I said that they weren't human. Oh well, it had gone on long enough and it was time to end it. :) Sorry to hear about your mutant cold. Hopefully, it's gotten better over the past few days.

Caliope: *smacks forehead* D'oh, I can't believe I missed that. I spent 10 minutes debating on whether or not the "ser" should be included that I forgot to translate "exiles." Que Lastima! Hehe, I guess a little bit of spanglish never hurt. :)

Gunjack: First, I hope you're feeling better. Second, I probably did make it too easy, but it had dragged on long enough. :) Interesting comments about the combat shotgun. I can see the story now: Falwell barges in, and calls everything he sees "gay." Gunjack shoots Falwell with the shotgun. America rejoices at having one less bloated wind-bag to listen to. ...And they all lived happily ever after. The end. :)

Just out of curiosity though, is it one more year until you start college or one more year until you graduate from college?

Gside: Thanks. Right now my smallest class has 50 students in it, and my largest has about 400 students. I certainly hope that the size reduces as I work my through. Also, if you can't draw you should ask those who can if they wouldn't mind helping out (Niamhgold, Spike, Noel Leas, Tana (if she's around), Demona May, etc). I'm not sure how you'd incoporate their pictures into the java code though.

Kyryn: That's a really nice looking picture of a Crow Spirit Shield. I didn't know that the Bluejay was revered as a trickster. I always thought they were warriors in the way they guard their nests. *Shrugs* Oh well, I'm probably mistaken, but it's still a great looking picture.

Shadowrider: Thanks for the well wishes. College certainly is an interesting expereince. Some (mainly my brother) would say that it's the best four years of ones life. I haven't yet drawn a conclusion though. Good luck on your exam.

Hehe, you're probably right. I don't see how I could ever be biased of Italy. :)

Niamhgold: yeah, you're right about the "ser" belonging there. I just wanted to make sure. I forgot that "poder" means "to be able to," so you usually need an unconjugated verb following it, "puedo ir a la tienda," "Puedo mirar la television," etc. Also, my e-mail is up and running. If you have any pictures you want to send, I'd love to see them. BTW, I never did have much in some instructors. My fifth grade music teacher actually told me to drop out of his class because my singing was terrible. However, I kept at it anyway and in high school I made it into the school's Touring Choir. This year I have, what looks to be, a good chance of making it into Pitt's elite choir group. You never know how things are going turn out sometimes.

I'm glad to hear your jello party was success too. Sounds like you had a great time.

Kitainia: Thanks a lot. Yes my roommate is pretty cool, if a little quiet. I'm slowly getting accustomed to college life too. The first week, I tackled the books so to speak, so I'm now a week ahead work-wise. Therefore, last night I decided I'd have some fun. I went out, met some people, talked, danced, and generally had a good time. I hope to find a balance soon though of when to study, and when to do something different.

Mary: I'm glad to hear you're college experience is going well. It sounds like you have a good group of teachers. Keep us up to date on how things are going. Best of luck to you.

Robby: Mononoke's out on video? *Emambu disappears in a flash. He returns five minutes later carrying a small plastic bag, grinning* There, I'm set to go watch it again. ;)

Greg: That was mean... very, very mean. :) Now I have to sit and wait for Season 3 all the while wondering what's going to happen next.

SOROW: I notice when you don't post. In fact, it's been a few days since you last posted. I hope everything is all right with you.

Firestorm: See, I knew that guy was nuts. :) Anyway, at least you now have tangible evidence to take to the police so they can go after this guy. Good luck *Emambu slaps on a support pin*

Gyre: Welcome back!

Doug: No problem. I'm about halfway through NotS 2, and so far it looks pretty good. Also, thank you for expressing interest. If you want, I can send you an outline of the background story. This way, with your help, I can hammer out any plot holes that I may have overlooked and/or add detail to spots that may need it.

Mandolin: That's unfortunate. You deserve piece of mind, and with some creep stalking your friends I don't know how you're to have that until this guy is caught. I'm glad to hear you're taking precautions though. remember to travel in groups, especially at night. I'm sure you knew that, but it couldn't hurt to mention it.

Highlander: Is it me, or does Christopher Lambert seem to get dirtier and dirtier with every movie? This is the only guy I know who can fall into water and come out looking dirtier then before he fell in. *shakes head grinning* Also, I've always wondered why immortals don't wear some kind of neck guard.

Wolves: Glad to hear about the prohibition of killing red wolves in North Carolina. I never was a big fan of hunting to begin with.

Gargoyle related: Not sure whether or not Gargoyles are ticklish. You would think they wouldn't be because they're a bit more tolerant of weather conditions and of pain. This seems then like their nerves are more insulated, like Gside said. Then again, there are other instances that say otherwise. Ultimately, it sounds like a question for Ask Greg.

Avalon Mists: Great issue, and some wonderful illustrations. I particularly liked Spitfire's design and character description. I also enjoyed Becca's drawings. Heck, I couldn't do much better and I'm thirteen years older then her. :) Looks like she has some artistic talent in her. I also enjoyed the sample writings, filks, poems, cartoons, and the challenge should have some interesting results.

Well, I think that's all. I'm off to go get Mononoke, and then I'll probably watch "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," another fine movie. :) Also, with a working e-mail I should be able to send out comments to Brooklyn, Mecord, and a few other authors. Take care everyone, *Emambu jogs away whistling "Singing in the Rain"*

---Emambu
Emambu - [emambu@commandchamber.net]
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Sunday, September 3, 2000 03:05:53 PM
IP: dhcp78-230.pittsburgh.resnet.pitt.edu

Mandi > I'm glad the book helped pass the time at the airport! Thanks for letting others know about it too! That's the best form of advertising (besides, it's free! <g>)

Avalon Mists > as a reminder for the new week, here's the link! Thanks for the feedback, and thanks most of all to the contributors! http://www.gargoyles-fans.org/avmists/ or click. FYI, there are a few minor nits and corrections I'll be doing, too.

Michael > well, you know how it is, the editor's probably sweet on him or something ; )

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Sunday, September 3, 2000 02:12:20 PM
IP: 07-153.009.popsite.net

23 days til New Buffy/Angel
15 days til the Troll ships off
1 day..YES just one day til the Six millon dollar Freiza..re I mean new DBZ

Urk I have been recently wakening up with either a stuffed up nostril or a sneezing fit, today I woke with a sunues headache... I can't wait til the temperature drops and the pollen goes away.

Mandolin>>>Ouchies, I hope you get better soon and I hope the police lock up that nut.

Begin **********SPOILERS FOR SAT TOONS**********************

CyberSix...Our Crossdressing heroine is developing feelings for Lucas. Terra was interesting reminded me a little of Clayface, if Clayface beacame good

Pokemon....He finaly did it! Ash gained respect from Charizard. a very good episode, tugged at my emotins ala Pikachu's goodbye and Bye Bye Butterfree

Digimon....Its starting to settle into a formual, basicaly knock over a spire so the first generation digimon can digivolve. I like Mimi's new look, much better than the cowgirl outfit she wore last season..I also like how the dub doesnt try to cover the fact that the kids live in Tokyo. Mimi getting overjoyed over a chocolate riceball, on other dubbs they usualy refer to riceballs as donuts

Escaflowne...Now we are really getting into seeing Hitomi's visions and Merle was found. I like ho they just stared at eachother thinking the other girl was wierd....
****************END SPOILERS********************************

Aaron>>> You sued a Xellosisim!

Warpmind>>>Well the preople at the blooddrive do consider blood an organ..when doing my mini phsyical I found out my iron content was good and my bloodpressure was up, last time it was borderline to habing hypotension..good old fashion college medicine.

Urk again...UCF lost to Gerogia.
Spacebabie - [LadyAndromeda@smstars.zzn.com]
Orlando, Fl
Sunday, September 3, 2000 11:43:19 AM
IP: user-37kaour.dialup.mindspring.com

Hi Christine,
congrats for the new issue of Avalon Mists:) Liked the content, exept the cartoons...come on...fire this guy, his work is crap;)*g*
Michael Heitz - [michael_heitz@t-online.de]
Sunday, September 3, 2000 09:56:14 AM
IP: pc19f1e8c.dip.t-dialin.net

SELANIT - Pendragon episodes are (usually) posted on Tuesdays.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Sunday, September 3, 2000 06:42:19 AM
IP: 216.87.46.247.dialup-stl.primary.net

*Warpmind enters.*
Hi, gang. Great new Avalon Mists! The cartoons in particular! :)

Gside: It was Rodlox? Tsk, there you see what happens when I rely on my memory cells... ;) As for the mp3 I sent ya, well, you can hold on to it for now; no rush. :)

Mandolin: *Hands over a small dartgun and a few clips of tetrodotoxin darts.* Here; the only efficient way to deal with stalkers. ]:) Seriously, though, I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this... individual...

Well, that's it... See y'all later.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Sunday, September 3, 2000 06:00:37 AM
IP: mp-217-204-178.daxnet.no

Wow. Haven't ever been in here this early before.

Lexy< *blinks* Ya know, I think there just might be a chance I'm convincing her to let me go to G21..*blinks again*

Everyone< If my mom lets me go, no one except those extremely financially stretched and those overseas have a reason not to go. o.-
cherry blossom
Sunday, September 3, 2000 12:56:11 AM
IP: stpa-ras1-4-cs-7.dial.bright.net

Lucky number 13. :)

I'm going to be wearing pants or longer shorts for the next few weeks - I tripped and banged my thigh against a table yesterday afternoon, and despite getting ice on it soon, I have this reddish-purple bruise the size of a grapefruit to show for it. It doesn't hurt as much as you'd think looking at it, but no less than five people have screamed, "OH MY GOD! What happened to you?" today. I actually managed to temporarily sober up one of the nuttier seniors in my hall by showing it to her. Yeah, it hurts, but it looks ten times worse than it feels.

The bruise is the least of my worries, though. Some freak has been following a couple of my friends on and off last semester - he even tried to get into their apartment once. He disappeared until last night, when he followed one of them back to her apartment. No one's hurt, they called the cops, they're taking steps to deal with this - but what's even scarier is that he's followed a few people they hang out with. Another friend of ours spotted his car tailing her when she was going to work this morning (she's one of the few of us who has a car). We now think that he might have been in the same theater we went to see the Highlander movie in. *sigh* Yes, my door is locked, yes, Security knows about this, but this really worries me.

SJ> I wasn't pissed just because Connor was killed off - the way Duncan and Connor's friendship was portrayed, it sort of made sense that Connor would choose to go out like that - but did they have to do that because of that lame excuse for a villain?

Christine> While on the subject of plugging your books, I've just recently got my friend Ruth reading Terry Pratchett (I gave her "Maskerade" for her birthday, and loaned her "Lords and Ladies"), and I brought both "Curse of the Shadow Beasts" and "Dark of the Elvenwood" with me to school. I'm working on hooking a few people in time for the third part of the trilogy to come out... Also, "Dark of the Elvenwood" saved my sanity during a hopelessly delayed flight back from Orlando to BWI (the weather made us an hour and 15 minutes late, unfortunately for my poor dad waiting at the airport).

That's all for now... must get icepack, do Archaeology reading, and go to sleep. :)
Mandolin
Sunday, September 3, 2000 12:48:03 AM
IP: 144.175.21.16

Top 100!

What do ya mean, "Top Ten"?

(Goes into a Don Adams impression, ala Get Smart)
Missed it by THAT much.

Joxter
Sunday, September 3, 2000 12:16:08 AM
IP: spider-wl063.proxy.aol.com

Um, 11th :)
Entity
Sunday, September 3, 2000 12:04:21 AM
IP: nic-30-c5-215.mw.mediaone.net

Number Ten!! Chga-ching. I just made the cut!!!
Green Baron - [greenbaron@hotmail.com]
New Orleans, Louisiana
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:52:07 PM
IP: adsl-78-220-248.msy.bellsouth.net

9th.
And last for last week.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:48:29 PM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Top Ten!
Zath - [zath@rocketmail.com]
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:39:42 PM
IP: ppp-222-189.usc.edu

Top ten! :P
Jessie Feff - [feff@hotmail.com]
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:37:27 PM
IP: il56k48.info-link.net

SIXTH!!! :)
Mecord
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:27:50 PM
IP: usr52.mtwest.net

Question: On what day of the week are new Pendragon eps posted?

Selanit - [selanit@hotmail.com]
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:24:55 PM
IP: smit18-144-dhcp.resnet.colorado.edu

FOURTH! :)
Lady Mystic - [lady-mystic@usa.net]
Dearborn, MI
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:21:12 PM
IP: 04-083.008.popsite.net

THIRD!
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:17:34 PM
IP: dialin-176-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

Harumph!

SECOND!
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:17:06 PM
IP: 04-083.008.popsite.net

1st!!!
Peter - [hybridone@ignmail.com]
Kamloops, BC, Canada
Saturday, September 2, 2000 11:10:31 PM
IP: dial-30.ocis.net