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Kit> Did you and Doug watch The District tonight? I thought it was very good... has some interesting developments and continuation of few story-lines :) I love Mannen's comments concerning his shoes! Last week telling the Navy officer that he would follow thru with his threat b/c he wears those shoes and then telling the little boys how he shot a kid once that made fun of his shoes *L* It's fun to see slivers of Mannen's humor. McGregor.. wow! Looks like they are going to be developing his character in more detail, huh? I'm not sure about Hunter yet... not sure of his real purpose.
The "stakeout" was a hoot!
Anyway, it was a great episode tonight and I'm glad I locked my bedroom door and left orders that unless there was a death, severed limb or lots of blood - I was not to be disturbed (by the kids) during The District. I do that with E.R. too ;)

Jannie
Saturday, January 13, 2001 10:49:24 PM
IP: 209-83-228-147.hou.port.mytelco.com

Daphne> <<It hit the wall, not a window>>: Usually, in these situations, I would expect a rooftop landing.

CtB> <<rocket engines run in classes from AA to C>>: And beyond. I know Ds are rather common, I've used Fs, and I have heard of the existance of Js. Though I thought it was A1/2 not AA.

Slowish today.

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Saturday, January 13, 2001 10:46:14 PM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com

Well.... I've decided being back at school is wonderful, but odd... I have 24/7 internet here.. but for the first time in my life I'd been getting along with my Mother... go figure.

::grins over at Archwolf:: I'm having fun tormenting my Wolf... tho he doesn't complain too much. :)

I just wanted to drop in and say hi... i promised someoe I would.. hehe.. since I was told i'm not to lurk too much... apparetly I'm scaring away the other things that lurk in corners... mwahaha!

::decides to return to lurking and scaring lil rodent things... ::

till next time all

Aingeal

PS... ofr anyone in here who has heard Voltaire... ::grins:: I like Almost Human... it fits. And no Cat... i'm not losing it.

Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
College, Hades
Saturday, January 13, 2001 10:05:16 PM
IP: 207.42.162.18

**enters with a light step**

My, I love a good January thaw! :)

Christine, re: Sabledrake: I've really got to check that site, 'cause I'd like to submit, I just have to find out if I need to query first ...
Though it'd be an interesting gig, I couldn't possibly do a regular column for ya, however. Sorry! **ducks prematurely**

Doug and Kit: Good luck with the house ... and with avoidin' those convicts.

Cpl. Shadowrider: Congratulations.

More on alternative fuels: Dodge is preparing to start marketing a hybrid version of the Durango SUV which uses a gas engine to power the rear wheels and an electric motor for the front wheels. The best part of this setup? The battery for the electric motor never needs to be charged externally ... it's recharged by the motor itself when the motor's not in use to drive the front wheels (the motor has a two-way function, the other being as a generator to maintain the big battery).
Definitely a leap forward.

Ah yes, I see that our resident shock jock is back in the house. Welcome back, SJ. :)

Milady Corax: Woo hoo! Yeah, play some more Garth, ya can't have enough o' him! ;) (apologies to SJ, who also last I knew disliked Meat Loaf as well) Here's one suggestion ... **advances her Garth CD to "The Dance."**

Daphne, Milady Corax, re: rocketry: Heeey, now that brings back memories ... 7th grade, to be precise, I took a class in model rocketry in junior high ... had fun especially on launch day, when the teacher (a fun kind of guy who dressed like a hippie and had a VW Beetle hood on the wall of his classroom) launched a 4 1/2 foot long rocket with a class C engine and challenged us to catch it. (For those uninformed about rocketry ... rocket engines run in classes from AA to C. The classes designate how far in vertical terms the engine will propel a rocket. Class C, obviously, is the highest range)
Also gives me memories of a Boy Scout camping trip which involved rocketry ... one of the adults brought these huge (and I mean HUGE) rockets with these gigantic engines that were supposedly rated to fly as high as 15,000 feet. The guy who brought it was joking about having it fly past a Cessna and giving the pilot a Vietnam flashback. ("SAM! SAM!!")

Ah well ... light evening ... all for me. **replays "The Dance" and briefly has a dance with Lady Corax before settling at the Tea Table again**

Coyote the Bando - [gathering_motor_city_2004@hotmail.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Saturday, January 13, 2001 09:41:42 PM
IP: 216.28.101.88

Rodlox><<blinks* ex-cuse me?? Historically, many Holy Roman Empire {or the area anyway} princes took to Luther's preaching {Protestantism mostly} because it gave them a way to buck the authority of Catholic Emperors and Popes...>> Meaning..? ...Sorry, but it's been a long week. You're gonna have to use short, simple words, and possibly visual aids... <<...and I think you're also not being very generous to those of us who are Lutheran or Protestant(sp?).>> Uh, actually, I was saying that I didn't believe Martin Luther OR Lutherans in general were anti-semites... o_O ...Or I *thought* that's what I said... didn't I? *massages headache*

Gunjack Valentine
Saturday, January 13, 2001 09:24:44 PM
IP: 216-146-183-161.bwn.net

Gside>> <Hope the nuns aren't too angry.> As far as I know, the nuns never found out... It hit the wall, not a window.
Lady Corax>> <my group's rocket nearly hit some poor guy in the head on the way back down. :) > I'm honestly shocked that didn't happen to anyone in my class! My group's was the only one that went sideways, though... personally, I think the boyfriend of one of the groups members tampered with the launch pad... he kindof set the thing up for us.

Reverend Attilla>> That's the last time I give out hints :)

David G,>> <I figure old 007 is a "Highlander" style Immortal> cool. never thought about that, really, but it makes a lot of sense.

Exams this week, except we're supposed to call the assessments. see, a few years ago the diocese decided that the exams weren't fair to students whoe tend to do well on projects but poorly on tests. Instead , each teacher was supposed to assign an assessment every quarter that could be a test or a project. This is great, except then the school decided that at the end of every semester, the "assessment" should be a test given on a special schedule day... which defeats the entire purpose! well, that's the diocese for ya.

Happiness!

Daphne
Saturday, January 13, 2001 08:34:16 PM
IP: 63.214.206.249


<<Don't know if I buy this. If the founder of a relidious group were anti-semetic, wouldn't it stand to reason that his followers would be too?>>

*blinks* ex-cuse me??

Historically, many Holy Roman Empire {or the area anyway} princes took to Luther's preaching {Prodestantism(sp) mostly} because it gave them a way to buck the authority of Catholic Emperors and Popes*.....and I think you're also not being very generous to those of us who are Lutheran or Prodestant(sp?).

* = hjmmm....an escaped Dammed Soul who used to be a Prodestant Prince - an enemy for the Catholic Schoolgirls and that raving - oh wait, he's dead.

Rodlox
Saturday, January 13, 2001 07:59:35 PM
IP: proxy2-external.owml1.md.home.com

Hi to everyone, here again...<nonchalantly ignores the chorus of moans and "Oh, no!" that suddenly fills the CR and smiling continues...;)>

Thanks to Lynati, Gside, Lady Corax and Kitainia for the congratulations. :)

***SPOILER - DARIO ARGENTO'S LATEST WORK***

I've seen a very bad movie tonight. It was really a waste of time and money (and luckily as a soldier I pay a reduced ticket...). And, the worst of everything...it is from a director I use to worship! Yes, I must say it, and I know someone else here, like me, will not be happy of it: "Nonhosonno" ("Icantsleep", more or less), the latest of Dario Argento's movies, is really horrible! I really could't believe it was him...the whole movie seemed like a style exercise of an apprentice trying to imitate the master. And, an apprentice with not so much talent. The story is confused, with some logical holes. Many of the actors (except Max Von Sydow, good as usual, even if, like now, forced in a banal character) were simply unable to express anything, and even the scenes of the homicides were more hilarious than scary. The plot is very predictable (I understood who was the killer about at the half of the movie), and very often the characters seem to react in a very innatural way, just to lead the movie to the following scene. 3/10 for me, and a lot of delusion...:(

***END SPOILER***

Niamhgold:> Hey, are you around? Well, I hope we'll talk before I leave. How things are getting for you?

Winterwolf & Emambu:> Check your emails!

Kitainia (again):> Well, seems that life is taking a more tranquil way for you and Doug...what, needless to say, I am very happy about. My best wishes for your coming search for a new home (it is an important step...so be careful in your choice...) and for everything else! :)

Hmmm...that Gargoyle Fight Club Thing sounds interesting...and there's one match I'm particularily interested in...(guess which...;)...but now I don't feel to interevene...I'd rather propose a new match:

Demona Vs. Infested Kerrigan (from "Starcraft"). I think it would be an interesting match...

Nothing more to say, and some sleep to do. See you tomorrow!

Shadowrider - [shadowrider@katamail.com]
Milan, Italy
Saturday, January 13, 2001 07:51:40 PM
IP: h213-16-225.mi2.albacom.net

**WORK RELATED**
Did I mention one important fact about my direct boss? She is only a little bit away from being fired due to all the complaints against her. Being called to the HR department's office might scare her a lot. It will be well worth not telling her.
**END WORK RELATED**

**RP RELATED**
Winterwolf, anything else you want to do in this battle must occur before I post Monday (unless I receive some message) because I will be finishing it out.
**END RP RELATED**

1+1=3

Lies. lies. I was told you were going to run out of oil while in school. I was told foreign language classes would help you get in college. It's things like these that explain why public schools are failing, which is why I am in favor of school vouchers.

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Saturday, January 13, 2001 06:42:21 PM
IP: max1-13.cwy.cei.net

Gunjack> "Who th' heck's Shawn Michaels???" **drools** Oh, just THE most sexiest profressional wrestler who has ever lived! He is SUCH a hottie. :) Clicky my name for a picture (sorry I couldn't find a better pic). Mmm...**drifts off into daydream mode again**
Lady Corax
Saturday, January 13, 2001 03:35:48 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

David G> Sean Connery played Jams Bond in a few 007 movies then he played Juan Sanchez Villa Lopez Rameriz in the 80's...
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Saturday, January 13, 2001 01:36:02 PM
IP: adsl-63-207-128-198.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

*Lynati leans in*

Gside: Yes.

Warpmind: I'm steppin' out till Monday; relative visiting.
*long smooch*

*Gone*
Lynati
Saturday, January 13, 2001 10:57:22 AM
IP: 207.226.219.95

SJ> Welcome back. Loved the fight commentary. I have a few points of contention:
--Sata vs. Shiva> I think you're counting Sata out too easily. Besides being a well trained Bushi, she's super strong. I'd give her at least three minutes before Shiva killed her, and she'd probably be smart enough to fly away before she died.

--The Twins vs. Robin/Spoiler> In a short game, I'd give it to the twins, but Robin's a really good investigator. If the game was more like a long game of "killer" I'd have to give it to the boy target.

--Brooklyn vs. Spike> Brooklyn's not human. In fact, he looks like a demon. I don't think the chip would protect him.

--Lex vs. Spiderman> They wouldn't be likely to really fight, but they might do it for fun. Maybe the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn incarnation, not the wimpy Harry version) would be a better match.

--Bronx vs. Lockjaw> Lockjaw is about the size of a bull, and can teleport. I'd have to call that a pretty severe advantage. Still not sure how the fight would go, though.

--Mcbeth vs. Deathstroke> I had totally forgotten that Deathstroke was immortal. That turned out to be even a better match than I'd originally thought.

That reminds me, have I ever told you guys my theory about James Bond. I figure old 007 is a "Highlander" style Immortal. Check out the evidence:
--He's just a little stronger and faster than a human has a right to be.
--He never dies.
--People around him keep getting older (M, Q), but he stays the same age.
--He's slept with every woman he's ever seen, but hasn't ever had a child.

I figure he actually got killed on one of his early missions, and he's been immortal ever since. It's just incredibly lucky chance that he's never run across another Immortal.

David G. - [david_goodner@yahoo.com]
Arlington, TX, USA
Saturday, January 13, 2001 09:21:34 AM
IP: adsl-65-65-208-98.dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net

Bill Hewlett died? Wow... I didn't even know he was still alive.

OH! I just remembered this...

Dave Packard had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Packard Bell. Apparently a company decided to steal some brand recconition from 2 companies, Hewlet-Packard and Bell Labs.

But, THANKFULLY, Packard-hell is out of business! YEAH!

Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Saturday, January 13, 2001 06:58:12 AM
IP: 64.109.143.22

A little something I think the engineers of the room would like to know.

*********************************************************

NEWSGRAM: news for HP people Friday, January 12, 2001

BILL HEWLETT: THE PASSING OF A LEGEND

Bill Hewlett, revered Hewlett-Packard co-founder and one of the world's foremost business leaders, technologists and philanthropists, died at home in his sleep at 8 a.m. PST today of natural causes. He was 87 years old.

The venture that Hewlett and his long-time partner and good friend Dave Packard founded in a Palo Alto, California, garage in 1939 has grown into two companies: Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies. HP had total revenue of $48.8 billion (U.S.) in its FY00 fiscal year and has more than 88,500 employees worldwide. Agilent had net revenue of more than $10.8 billion for FY00 and has more than 47,000 employees. Packard died March 26, 1996, at the age of 83.

During his lifetime, Hewlett received dozens of high professional honors. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was co-founder of the American Electronics Association; a member of the National Academy of Engineering, which gave him its Founders' Award in 1993; a life fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and an honorary lifetime member of the Instrument Society of America.

Funeral arrangements for Hewlett are pending.

**********************************************************

And most people will never know or even begin to realise the true extent of the impact this man has had on everyday life.

Traveler
Saturday, January 13, 2001 04:44:18 AM
IP: 208.246.218.30

*Valentine's corner of the CR rotates into the wall, to be replaced by a huge, woodframed computer set up like a piano. Valentine sits slumped low over the keys, and slow, melodious music flows from his fingers into the rest of the CR. Nadia, dressed as a western saloon girl, leans against his back and soaks up the music with obvious relish. Valentine reaches the end of the peace, and slowly turns to the rest of the CR.*

I broke the Iron Witch. It took me better'n a week, but now all the rough spots are smoothed out, all the holes are patched, and all that's left is the final polishing. *reaches into the computer screen and pulls out the completed M79 mesh* ...Anyway, that's two down, ninety to go.
I think I'm gonna need a drink. 8P

*drains his tin cup, and begins spinning it absent-mindedly as he scans the posts...*

Hey SJ's back! :D ...Good to hear from you, 'Mano... Though I'm sorry to hear about the sucky holidays.

Emambu><<now I can't remember the name of the movie where they talked about those things. :)>> Anaconda. And I think they were mentioned in Sniper. Why haven't we exterminated the whole species yet? ; P <<You know, I never could see satisfaction of eating escargo. I think that cuisine was built on a dare.>> I think you're right. Ate some at the dinner a few days ago... : P ...Further proof that the french, like many Europeans, are insane. ; ) <<We both devised two crude little elctronic devices that, when "A" pressed, triggers a bell on "B" to ring.>> Been watching "Gaslight" lately?
<<Wilek's a clone like Major Tierce under Thrawn's failed cloning experiment!>> ...And I'm, uh, working for him. So what exactly am I supposed to do KNOW!? o_O

Caliope><<Now go get me a drink or something why dont you, darling *waves Gunjack away absentmindedly*>> *Hands her glass* ...It's 48 hours late, but you can't have everything... ; ) <<Oh and, Texas or Scotland?!?!?!? O_o>> Two of the more prominent bastions of the Male Spirit... And quite a bit of fun Female Spirit too... ^_^

Green Baron><<Neitzsche was a big inspriation to Hitler, but Hegel was to Fascism what marx was to Communism.>> Ah, that explains it. <<Martin Luther also was a role-model to Hitler, because Luther was incredibly anti-semitic.>> Don't know if I buy this. If the founder of a relidious group were anti-semetic, wouldn't it stand to reason that his followers would be too?

Warpmind><<And the dodge was a buick apiece. ];)>> I'll hurt you for that, 'Mano... ; )

Lynati><<Warpmind has one of THE sexiest given names I have ever heard. (And if ya don't know it, I ain't telling.)>> Sexiest name? Fancy that... ; ) ...And it's already been told. Repeatedly. <<To keep up the trend (And because I really like this song)...>> Odd paralells, dontcha think?

Dreamie><<Shawn Michaels and Mel Gibson?>> Mel's Austrailian. And who t'heck's Shawn Micheals?

Winterwolf - I'll stick with my Copperhead IFV... Six legs, twin rotary cannon, two heavy ATGM pobs, and enough armor to stop the Apacolypse. I'd love to see a Timberwolf try to stop that monster... In general, the Battletech mechs are rediculously underpowered. The problem with the whole system is that the designers approached it as an equation, rather than a simulation. Instead of translating weapons into numbers, they did the reverse. Result? My Havoc III loaded with an M1 120mm recoiless and a Banshee rocket pod could mop the floor with a whole platoon of Clanner assault mechs... As for biulding Mechs, I've got GURPS vehicles, plus David "Worship The Ground I Walk Upon" Pulver's design notes. I can build ANYTHING. ^_^

And that's all I have time for... : P ...Oh well, it'll have to do. *Walks two steps, and collapses snoring on the floor. Nadia sighs, and drags his inert body out of the CR...*

"The land of the free and the home of the brave, y'know?"
"SCOTLAND!!?"
-Chicken Run

Gunjack Marius Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Saturday, January 13, 2001 02:43:28 AM
IP: 216-146-183-135.bwn.net

Quick weekend post!

**MOVIE SPOILERS** Saw Anti-Trust. Pretty good film, nice suspense and effects. The plot was full of holes, though, and very contrived and too predictable. Way too predictable. :( I did like some of the events in the film, though, and the acting was pretty good (except for Rachel Cook, she stank in this film IMO. Was much better in Get Carter or even She's All That. I know it was partially due to the awful script, but still...) Overall, 5/10. Could have been a lot better, wish it was. :( **SPOILERS END**

Shadowrider: Hi! Good to see you again. Congrats on the promotion, glad things continue to go well. :)

SJ: Welcome back again, and congrats on the new computer and excellent Christmas gifts. Congrats on finishing all those exams and term papers on time too, I'd be tempted to murder my professors if they assigned me that kind of work. :( $ As far as the RP goes, well, not much has gone on that affects your characters directly. Robby has SJ, Kari, and co. with him getting ready to fight the Ten, and that's the only bit I remember with them since your hiatus began. Us Ravens have continued to fight evil in the Mall of America, we're almost done with that now. My brother Ray also volunteered to clean Al and Tipper Gore's clocks for us in the RP, and did so with his character. Gubio and Erin are fighting the terrorist Abdullah bin Aziz on his estate, and Gubio just killed his nemesis Tyl once and for all. I think Mecord's infiltrated Thailog's base and been captured, but I'm not sure, it being a while since he posted. That's all I can remember right now, you can always check the archives for complete details next time they get updated. I think you can just e-mail Robby, though, for all you really need to know as far as your characters. Hope to see you back in the action soon! :) $

Mecord: Get well soon. You're missed. :)

More next week, must sleep now. Later!

**QUICK RP BIT**

"You bastard!!" Stephanie screams at Keith as she revives, feeling the bands around her wrists and seeing him standing over her. "You think you can do this to me? I'll slice you to ribbons, I'll..." "Question, Steph," Keith interrupts the raving with a calm stare. "Why exactly do you hate me?" "Because you're a stupid cynical geek who just killed me and chained me up for some reason!" Stephanie snaps, spitting in Keith's direction as she struggles in vain against the handcuffs. "I'm going to murder you! You and everyone I once loved! I know I hate you now, I hate you all!" "And how did you come to this epiphany?" Keith asks, coldly drawing and loading a tranquilizer gun. "I..." Stephanie begins to answer, then pauses. "Wait a minute, I don't know. Well, what does it matter? I know I feel this way! I'm going to..." "Sleep for a while," Keith cuts in, firing the gun. Stephanie screams in rage as the dart hits her, then slumps unconscious. Shaking his head, Keith turns away from her to keep a watch for zombies, glad that the others have successfully kept them distracted up until now.

In another part of the Mall, Tanith steps out of the Wiccan shop growling in frustration. "They had all the components I needed but one!" she groans, looking at her basket and shaking her head. "I don't believe this! Why on Earth do desert night flowers have to be so damn rare?" She turns around and is starting to walk towards the noise of battle when she stops, sensing something strange nearby. "Hello, mon beau cherie," Paul duGaul smiles at her, seemingly glad he and his party have been noticed. "What are you doing here?" "She's gathering magic!" Xothux points to the basket. "She's a human witch!" "A witch," Ty-Ubemngoe snarls, getting into a fighting stance. "Trouble." Schaefer nods at the possibility, leveling his gun. "She smells wonderful," Claudia breathes, going into full vamp-face. Kharsus meanwhile sizes Tanith up while leaning on his staff and stroking his beard. "You people..." Tanith stares at them, then gasps. "You don't belong! None of you! You..." she points at Kharsus. "You're a magical clone, of a being not even from this world! And the rest of you, you're all..." "Damned, mon cherie," duGaul chuckles, stepping forward and drawing his pistol with a smile. "As I believe, are you." He fires, and the screen goes blank.

**RP TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK, END FOR NOW**

Kit
Saturday, January 13, 2001 01:59:06 AM
IP: pool-63.52.167.50.dlls.grid.net

Sevarius JR>> *tackle hugs Sevarius* Well of COURSE I missed you, silly!! Just cause we don't agree on... well.. just about EVERYTHING doesn't mean we can't be CR buddies :):) *kisses his cheek*

********POINTLESS FACT OF THE DAY*****************
Universe:
well.. the calculations are in and the universe has weighed in at 100 trillion trillion trillion trillion tonnes.. give or take a few kilograms..
Just thought you'd like to know..
******************END IMPRACTICAL INFORMATION**************

*kisses Green Baron, then snuggles down on the couch again*

love,



lain
Saturday, January 13, 2001 01:41:24 AM
IP: ttya01.ptbo.igs.net

Daphne> Honey, I bet you're name is Laura Grow :)
Reverend Attila - [revattila@catsrule.garfield.com]
New Orleans, Louisiana
Saturday, January 13, 2001 01:21:37 AM
IP: adsl-78-220-248.msy.bellsouth.net

**Lady Corax walks into the room, singing along to her radio, which is blaring Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places" just to tick off SJ.**

SJ> Sorry. This Garth Brooks fan just couldn't resist! :) Too bad your trip to Augusta wasn't all that cool, and that your modem died, and all that fun stuff...glad to see ya back here, though!

Archwolf> Sorry about the situation with your dad! Let me just say that I understand what you're feeling, and you have my sympathies. If you ever need to vent or something, feel free to drop me a line! **hugs**

Hmm...now that I think about it, Oberon vs. Magneto would be one heck of an interesting fight, especially if Magneto could break out with the iron tricks early...

Aaron> Hm..."bondage" and "Sales," eh? Might have to try that...searching for those words, I mean! Man, I just realized that sounded bad if I didn't clarify...;)

Daphne> Hey, cool physics fun with rockets! I got to do the same thing myself in high school...my group's rocket nearly hit some poor guy in the head on the way back down. :)

**smiles over at lain and the Green Baron just for the heck of it**

Shadowrider> Congratulations on finishing your tough training and receiving your ranks! :)

Doug> Thanks for the welcome back and the good luck! Congratulations also on graduating. :) And feel free to rub it in...it's kind of like a right that you have once you graduate. Goodness knows I'm rubbing it in as soon as I grab my diploma. :)

I saw a rather interesting study on the properties of Twinkies after they were subjected to certain tests...anyone interested in seeing it posted here or anything? Maybe y'all have already seen it, but man, it makes me think twice about ever touching one of those things again...

Winterwolf> Wow! Great picture! Very cute. :)

Gside> **grins** I'm having to resist the urge to write an RP about the happy smiling pizza coming to life and bothering the CR residents...;)

Dreamie> Did someone say Shawn Michaels??? **drifts off into happy daydream mode**

Mm...HBK...;) Well, I'd better go now. Until next time, be excellent to each other! **LC struts out of the room to the tune of good ol' Garth Brooks' "Callin' Baton Rouge."**

Lady Corax
Saturday, January 13, 2001 12:33:23 AM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

*Archwolf returns, looking out of sorts*
First off, Kit and Doug>Thanks for the well wishes for Aingeal and myself. Things are going very well mostly.

Stephen> Congrats on finding someone! I know it feels great.

World News> Ok. So the Pentagram...uh, Pentagon that is, has declared a US Naval Aviator downed in Dester Storm not KIA, but MIA with no real evidence to support his death. Seems there were too many problems at the crash site...like a missing ejector set, and the pilot's flight suit (which at the time it was found had supposedly been in the desert for 5 years and still was whole). If it turns out that Ol' Madass has him, or had him and caused him to _dissappear_, I'm all for turning that country into one flat piece of glass. Nukes can be fun.

has anyone ever had to tell their own father that _he_ was the reason for doing something like, oh say...Leaving the Church you were born into? Not fun, let me clue you in on that one.
He just does things that really make me mad at him, sometimes make me not want to have him be part of my life. Oh well, this too shall pass, I'm sure.

*Looks at Chritine's announcement about Sabledrake comming back and contemplates submitting to it.* Hmm....nah.

Can't believe I missed the recruiting drive for TGS...just didn't have the time to apply. Oh well..maybe the next one.

Well, I think that is all I have to say.

*RP Here....about time, too*
Winter Blade watches Keith bind Stephanie's body. Here was someone else apparently in a similar situation as herself. "Killing her...is that supposed to have helped any?" Keith shook his head. "Not likely. When she comes to in a couple minutes, she'll be very angry. It's going to take alot to bring the old her back. Unfortunatly, I think that what she needs will come from within...all i can do is make sure she doesn't loose her head before then." Winter Blade looked at the man and was ready to ask another question, then remembered her companion. "Oh no! War Frost!" Silence greeted her. Not even a pained wimper. "War Frost!" She moved quickly, speed being one great advantage of the war form, to where the aged Direwolf had fallen. He was in pain, but with no apparent lasting injuries. "Thank Gaia." She turned to Keith, only one thought now on her mind "How do you deal with loving someone who is on the opposite side?" Keith sighed, his eyes never leaving the soon to be re-animated corpse of the woman he loved. "Wasn't an issue untill just recently. I still have not figured it out myself." Whinter Blade sat on the floor near the two. "At least you are free to love her..." Kevin's eyebrows furrowed. "what do you...?" His question was cut off by the revival of a very _angry_ Stephanie. Winter Blade quickly stood and stalked away. She needed time to think. First Black Sprials from nowher, then Banes...what one of these ravens had called Gythanki, then a Dragon, then zombies and immortals. She wondered if she would survive long enough to confront her hated, loved ShadowWolf. What scared her is that she didn't know what she would do if and when they met face to face again. She looked at her Klaive and lost herself in thought.
**End RP**

Out
Archwolf


Archwolf
Friday, January 12, 2001 11:46:53 PM
IP: pumpkin-c-38.mcmurray.nb.net

Tomorrow, I get to be on the other side of the standardized testing procedure. Now, if only they let me set my alarm, I won't have to keep checking my watch.

Lain> <<Turkey baster?? I.. no wait.. I really DON'T want to know>>: It's not that hard of a concept. Read enough H rated material, and the most incongruous materials start making sense.
<<an upcoming CR RP about the new detective agency>>: Just remember, if you ever need a technical reference/labboy, I'm here.
<<you dressed as OWEN at the Gathering?>>: Nope, that was Tim Morgan. The Baron's always been Vogel. Eliminates need for annoying dyes or wigs.
<<I HAFTA see that>>: There's a picture in Christine's latest Gathering album.

Guandalug> adult archive: Might as well make it easy on yourself. I can't think of a reason why people would want to not have access to any stories, and could be any reason why someone would want access to all stories (most likely just not wanting to navigate all the way out of the section).

Shadowrider> Congratulations on passing the course and getting your promotion.

Lynati> <<have you ever read/heard the lyrics to Ani DiFranco's song "The Diner" ?>>: Have you ever heard Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant? And why must I feel compelled to bring up semi-obscure music in the face of more modern selections?

Taleweaver> <<that's why there are engineers like me around. Making the imposible, possible for a neat low price>>: Amen to that, brother. Though when do I get to learn all the fun stuff?

Warpmind> <<You're completely right, and utterly twisted to boot>>: Just doing my job.

Aaron> <<If you pull up "bondage" + "Sales" on Google>>: So, just what prompted you to check this out?
<<Eva does have a manga>>: True, but which came first? I was under the impression that Eva did the anime first, which is backward of industry standard over there.
<<it would be kind of a shame to lose the nifty look the current one has>>: I wouldn't think that would be too hard. Just change a couple colors and one image in the adult page.

May you heal quickly, Mecord.

Daphne> <<takes us out to the football field to set off rockets>>: Always fun. I've launched quite a few in my time. Got one double stage, one F-15 (?, has decals that say Tomcat and Navy) with fold out gliding wings, and one with two side carried separating gliders. Though my favorite was the one built out of a carpet tube, plywood (fins) and styrofoam (nosecone). It used three F engines and had to be launched with a car battery. The first time it went, the garbage bag parachute didn't hold and it buried itself a foot in the ground. The second time one engine didn't light, so it had a nice spiraling path. You never quite know hwere rockets are going to land, though (and youcan forget ever finding any Skeeters). Hope the nuns aren't too angry.

Sev. Jr.> <<Yggdrasil, are you named after this game?>>: I'd assume he's named after the norse world tree, and BoF just happened to name something else after it in parallel. Though I'm waiting for Yggs to complain about Rastatosk one of these days. Anyone know if they mention Yggdrasil in Valkyrie Profile, it would make a lot of sense there.
<<Urotsukidoji. Tentacle fans take note>>: I think LBG has a slightly denser tentacle population.
<<Jim Carrey to sign on as Zyphod Beeblebrox>>: I don't think so. Zaphod's too cool to be played by someone as cartoonish as Carrey.

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Friday, January 12, 2001 11:04:40 PM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com

**A drumroll sounds, and smoke begins to filter into the CR....suddenly, fanfare begins to play, and fireworks erupt. Out through the blaze steps.....Sevarius Jr.!!!**

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, your Olympic hero has once again come back to the CR!!! Boy, is it good to be back. I’ve had, shall we say, a rather “difficult” holiday season.

First off, let me explain my absence. During well.....the early to mid part of December, I sort of dropped off the face of the CR, so to speak, because of college exams. Apparently, the professors of my classes seemed to think it would be funny to have 3 separate term papers all be due at about the same time, ON TOP of the regularly scheduled exams. As I was busting my ass working on them, and finishing up my work for the semester, a wonderful thing happened!

My modem died!!!

Well, to be more accurate, it died a slow death. Sometimes it would work, other times, nothing. Finally, by Christmas, it had given up the electronic ghost....which was fortunate, cause I was about to shoot the son of a bitch anyway for all the aggravation it was causing me. AFTER, Christmas, by the New Year, I went away for a family reunion in the *wonderful* (note dripping sarcasm) town of Augusta, GA. More on that later.....Anyway, when I got back, I was able to switch computers. So, I’m using a cheap ass Packard Bell that is beyond horrible, but at least the freakin’ modem works.

Anyway....Christmas.....well, my Christmas was relatively painless. Things are always hectic around my house at the holidays, because well......I’m afraid that I just don’t like my family very much. Well.....I suppose that I like some family members, and others I could really do without....but this year, nothing too horrible.
I got a decent load of stuff, too. Tons of video games--Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy 9, Breath of Fire 3 (Yggdrasil, are you named after this game?), Syphon Filter 2, Final Fantasy Anthology (after much searching I finally have this game!!), and the crowning achievement---EVIL DEAD, the video game. My dream has come true--I AM BRUCE CAMPBELL!!!
Plus I got some new threads, and some new books (the latest by one of my favorite authors, Chuck Palahniuk, author of the brilliant “Fight Club”, as well as some new stuff by Alex Garland, and Douglas Clegg). And some comic books. ;) Some music.....the usual stuff I like, stuff like Stone Temple Pilots, 3 Doors Down, Godsmack (who are not as good as their idols, Alice In Chains, but getting there), and Incubus. I swear......if you don’t own Incubus’album “Make Yourself”, go buy it *now*. It’s maybe the 2nd best album of the year 2000, right behind A Perfect Circle, “Mer De Noms” (which is simply some of the best music I’ve heard in a loooooong time. Best of 2000 easy. Life would be more enjoyable if Maynard James Keenan sang everything).
I also got a lot of anime and anime related paraphernalia. I got a whole bunch of those awesome Gundam model kits, as well as some anime to go along with it all. Some naughty person even slipped me some Urotsukidoji. Tentacle fans take note. ;)

Christmas was replaced with hell, however. I do not know if any of you have ever been to Augusta, GA, and I mean no disrespect to those from the South, but...well, bottom line, this city boy HATES this place with a passion. Augusta is the home to the Masters golf tournament, but it’s also the quaint little redneck town that my parents grew up in, and where most of my relatives still live.
I’ll be honest with you--the town sucks. All they have there, besides golf shops, are fast food restaurants and tattoo parlors. I kid you not---you can find ink shops on just about every street corner, it seems. And not pleasant looking shops, either. They don’t look like they use a whole lot of clean needles if you catch me. Oh, and there’s plenty of bars, too. Redneck bars, honky tonk bars....places where a flannel shirt and jeans are considered “formal wear”. And everyone seems to own a dog......not just one dog, but several, and they all are half-wild, and most of them seem to have some sort of skin condition. And the television sucks. And there’s nothing to do to have any fun, unless you’re a redneck. No, wait--I take that back. They *do* have a minor league hockey team, the Augusta Lynx, which is somewhat interesting. Other than that, the town’s a black hole. If God was going to give the world an enema, he’d stick the hose in Augusta, GA. These people still wave the Confederate flag proudly, for God’s sake.

I sound a little bitter, don’t I? Maybe it’s because, at heart, I am a city boy. I’m spoiled, though. All my life I’ve lived in the Washington, D.C. metro area, which is a rather large metropolitan area, so a little southern town won’t cut it.
Then there’s my relatives down south. The non-immediate family.
You know how there are those relatives in all families that you want to forget? I want to forget ALL my relatives down in GA. They’re all rednecks. I’m talking, beer-guzzlin’, football-watchin’, Garth Brooks-listenin’ rednecks. It was horrible, the whole experience. Jesus, not even any good-looking 3rd cousins to fool around with. Sheesh.
What? Don’t give me that look. It IS the South, after all.

Anyway, I had a tough experience, especially after the whole trip lasted over a week. The pains in my head which make it hard to live were tough. The Xtasy helped, though.
Sorry, that was a joke for Jackal. I know he’s a “Jo-juh” boy. ;)

Now, that I’m back, though, the usual insanity can continue!!!

Politics: Well, somewhere along the way I’ve somehow become the second coming of Rush Limbaugh. That’s....rather insulting, actually.....but what the hell!
Since Green Baron was wondering about my opinions on the Chavez and Ashcroft debacles, I thought I’d open my big fat mouth and speak. About Chavez.....well, I suppose it would have been nice to have her, but still, I think she did the right thing in stepping down. I mean, is it really such a horrible thing, what she did? Tried to help out someone who was in this country illegally? Yeah, it was “wrong”, but on the other hand, it was a good thing she was trying to do. But it does look like a conflict of interest if she got the job, so unfortunately she has to be sacrificed.
Ashcroft, on the other hand, I feel a little more strongly about. I gotta disagree with you, GB. I’d like to see Ashcroft get the job, for 2 reasons--1) He has all of the qualifications (the criticism he’s drawing is based upon his personal beliefs, not his ability to do the job), and 2) the evil Republican in me wants him to get nominated just to piss the Democrats off. ;) I’m not a huge supporter of Ashcroft.....I really am not terribly familiar with him....but the main criticism against him is the African-American judge thing and the abortion thing. The whole deal with him denying that one African American individual a federal judge spot may be something to really look at, but the heat is sort of drawn off of that seeing as Ashcroft has supported other African-Americans for federal judge jobs. The abortion thing is the big issue, and it’s ridiculous. So the guy doesn’t believe in abortion--this disqualifies him from becoming the attorney general? If he was being nominated to the Supreme Court, this should be an issue. But guess what? He ain’t gonna be rewriting abortion law if he gets the job. Bottom line--Ashcroft is qualified, but may not get it cause of partisan politics.
This whole controversy is really just sad if you ask me. It really proves what Ralph “Lazy Eye” Nader was talking about when he was criticizing the Democrats and the Republicans. This is all party politics at it’s worst. One party has the power, and the other party is just bitter about that, so they are doing everything in their power to sabotage the other party, NOT because they are representing the people, but rather because they want some sort of revenge. It’s sad. Whether you think Bush should be in the White House, he’s the prick we’re gonna be stuck with for the next 4 years, so you might as well just let the guy do the best he can. That is what will benefit the nation. But no, you’re gonna have the 2 main parties bicker at each other. Everyone, get ready for 4 years of constant bitching and whining by both sides.

Taleweaver: I caught your Jeopardy episode, and I was rooting for you. Alas, you were not victorious. I still blame Alex. Arrogant, know it all prick! I’ve got his number.
What can you expect, though, he’s *Canadian*.

Sorry, that was just a joke for lain. I’m sure she’s missed me. ;)

Tim Phipps: Good luck in the Marines, buddy. Remember, Private Pyle, no jelly doughnuts in your foot locker! ;)

Winterwolf: I saw your pic at your site......and DAMN you’re hot!!!! I’ve always wanted to date a girl with fur as pretty as yours. ;)

DPH: Well, as my good friend and Watergate conspirator / burglar G. Gordon Liddy (yes, I’ve met him. In the bathroom of my university, actually, but that’s a whole other sordid story....;), always says, “Global warming is a bunch of bullsh!t created by the pinko liberal tree-huggers. We’ve got plenty of oil and other natural resources!”
Trust me, don’t disagree with Mr. Liddy. The man takes pride in explaining the “proper” way in which to kill someone with a No. 2 pencil.

Doug & Kit: Thank you for inquiring about me in my absence, but as you see, here I am! :)
But I gotta disagree with you about the Simpsons! Last weekend’s show was one of the funniest I’ve seen in a long time. The opening animation festival had me dying. The “Davey and Goliath” bit had me rolling! And I did a spit take when I saw the name of the testing lab. “Screaming Monkey Laboratories”. Oh well, different strokes for different folks, I guess. ;)

*****BEGIN GARGOYLE FIGHT CLUB*****
The first rule about Gargoyle Fight Club is that you don’t talk about Gargoyle Fight Club.
The second rule of Gargoyle Fight Club is....you *don’t* talk about Gargoyle Fight Club.

These are always fun, and it’s been a while, so I think I’ll partake in them.

Oberon Vs. Magneto: The whole Magneto-using-iron idea is intriguing, and he could maybe take Oberon to task, but bottom line, I think Oberon wipes the floor with him. Just waaaay too much power there.

Lobo vs. Silver Surfer: Wow, this is tough.....Lobo’s got some impressive creds, seeing as he killed everyone on his home world. But Surfer does wield the Power Cosmic, which even Galactus has a hard time dealing with. So Lobo sleeps with the fishies.

Punisher vs. Batman: Why does everyone count Batman out? I do think that this would be one hell of a fight. Both men represent individuals who were just fed up with the world and decided to change it themselves....only, we know Frank Castle has taken things to an extreme level that Bats would never reach. Both men have impressive hardware, and I would guess that when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, both are pretty evenly matched. I see this fight going in one of two ways--Batman and Frank fight, but Batman refuses to take things to the next, lethal level; Frank has no qualms about doing so, so Batman’s toast. OR, Batman just plain outsmarts Frank (and while Castle is no dummy, I don’t think he’s on par with Bruce. Bruce is freakin’Mensa all the way), and uses his IQ into trapping the Punisher and subduing him. Since these two scenarios favor each man in different ways, I’ll call this a draw.

Xanatos vs. Iron Man: This would be a cool fight. Lots of Gundam style robot fighting, but in the end, gotta give this one to Iron Man, due to experience and better hardware.

Brook vs. Nightwing: Well, Nightwing was trained by Bats, but I’m gonna give it to Brooklyn, just cause it seems like he’d win.

Sata vs. Shiva: Shiva. Sata lasts maybe a minute, cause Shiva isn’t used to fighting opponents with Gargoyle anatomies, but then Sata’s head gets handed to her. Literally. Shiva can kick *Batman’s* ass, and that’s saying something.

Macbeth vs. Deathstroke: Well, both are immortal, but Deathstroke has an advantage in that he’s far more ruthless than Macbeth, who’s really just a decent guy deep down. But, I give Macbeth the edge, on intelligence and cunning alone. This would be one brutal fight, seeing as both men can really take a lot of punishment, but ultimately Macbeth would win.

Elisa and Matt vs. Joker and Harly Quinn: What, is this a joke? Elisa and Matt are resourceful, so they could maybe last a while, but this is the Joker we’re talking about. After a few minutes of holding their own, Joker makes our favorite NYPD tag team a red smear on the floor. Elisa and Matt’s only hope is that Harly is as goofy as usual, which distracts the Joker long enough for them to escape, or more unlikley, bust a cap in his pasty white ass.

Chavez vs. Gordon: A draw, cause let’s be honest, any contest with them would end with them acknowledging the competency of the other in a show of mutual admiration and respect. Gordon buys Chavez a cup of coffee, and they commiserate over the “colorful” officers that they command.

Twins vs. Robin / Spoiler, Hide and Seek: Twins, easily. Not a chance for the Boy Target.

Goliath vs. Captain America: Why do I think Cap would win? I’m gonna call this one a draw. Both heroes are tough and smart, and any fight between them would be one hell of contest. But ultimately, both men are honorable, and would acknowledge the other with mutual respect. Goliath would be impressed with Cap’s deep sense of honor and his strong values, and Cap would admire Goliath’s bravery and his struggle for acceptance.

Dr. Strange vs. Oberon: Strange has taken on gods before, and won.....I’m actually gonna give this one to him. Oberon generally wipes the floor with ordinary mortals, but Strange is one hell of a sorcerer, and I think he’d pull some spell out of his mystical ass and wallop the big blue bastard.

Lex vs. Spidey: I doubt this fight would happen, cause Lex seems the type that would be a Spider-Man fan, and would idolize the wall-crawler. If they ever did trade blows, I’d give Parker the advantage.

Bronx Vs. Lockjaw: What, the Inhuman’s dog? Eh, he’s a pussy. Bronx makes him his bitch. Hopefully, not literally.

Loki vs. Loki: They’d probably just get together, share a beer, then go do something naughty to Thor and Brooklyn. By Odin’s Beard!

****END GARGOYLE FIGHT CLUB!!!***

And finally......Because it’s been a while......ENTERTAINMENT NEWS!!!

Spider-Man Update: Great news!!! The film is filming! Now, as we speak, the Spider-Man movie is becoming a reality!!!!
With a good cast, too. So far, the principals are Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, James Franco as Harry Osborn, and the Uberbabe, the future ex-Mrs. Sevarius Jr., Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson. William H. Macy might come on as J. Jonah Jameson. Still, great cast, huh?

And speaking of other Marvel properties.....the Iron Fist movie is a reality. it will be made, and yes, it’s true, Ray Park WILL be Iron Fist!!! How freakin’cool is that??? God, this movie will be awesome. I bet we’ll see martial arts action the likes of which have not been seen since that 70s classic, Black Belt Jones!!!

Hitchhiker Fans: Jay Roach, the director of the upcoming Hitchhiker movie, wants Jim Carrey to sign on as Zyphod Beeblebrox.
I would be more excited, except with the Grinch movie, I’ve officially begun to hate Jim Carrey. He’s a one trick pony. I’m waiting for him to stop acting like a smartass moron, but.....that’s all he *ever* does.
Jackie Chan fans should rejoice, because not only is he currently filming the sequel to Rush Hour, but he’s committed to making a sequel to Shanghai Noon. If you haven’t seen Shanghai Noon, go rent it. It’s one of the best movies of 2000, if you ask me. It’s not Shakespeare, but it’s very funny, and just an all around wonderful film. Plus it’s got plenty of Lucy Liu in it. :)

And in Star Trek news (I gotta report this, cause Skippy’s still not here), the latest rumors on the 10th Star Trek movie have Riker and Troi reportedly tying the knot. La dee frickin’da. At this point, the only way I could work myself up, so to speak, to go see another Trek film is if they show Riker and Troi *consummating* their marriage. Imzadi!

And to all of you in the RP....please, have a little mercy on ol’ SJ, and fill me in on what’s been going on. Cause I’ve been down and out for a month now! Show a brother a little love. :)



Sevarius Jr. - [SevariusJr@excite.com]
Friday, January 12, 2001 10:06:13 PM
IP: cache-2.spg.va.webcache.rcn.net

*walks in carrying a set of nonexistant Trio UFO catcher dolls* I was thinking of making up character t-shirts and having the guests at G2k1 sign em and put em up for auction. Anyone think I should also just sell the shirts to the general Gathering public? E-mail me for help and ideas and stuff I know it's not something I could possibly do all alone.

Aaron::Yes!!!!! We got Jeff Bennett! (I would do a happy dance, but then y'all'd be traumatized for life)

Oh, come on white boy,I'm sure all the girls in the fandom will be more than happy than to teach you and the rest of the rhythm deficent male fandom how to dance.


Interesting. If you pull up "bondage" + "Sales" on Google, one of the first things it brings up is... A CS Hayden art page?

I... have to try that. Is there something about Christie we don't know?





GARG- Jeff's coming to the Gathering and everything is right with the world.
Shinigami - [MCordova999@hotmail.com]
Friday, January 12, 2001 09:39:07 PM
IP: acaf3873.ipt.aol.com

ok, first and foremost!
thank you to everyone who offered advice on my project. Unfortunately, I've been so busy that I didn't even see most of them until it was too late! :( I apaologize for that. ANyway, what I ended up doing was writing a script about two people, one who was really into the topic and another who thought it was incredibly boring. If anyone wants to read it, email me. I just hope my group will use it.. we already taped the thing, then got a reprieve because most of the group was absent for the class the day it was due (not my fault... the bus got stuck behind an accident), and now my group is considring redoing the whole thing. I'm not happy.

names>> ok, Daphne means something like "laurel tree". I came across it when I needed a name for a character in a story I'm trying to write. It's sort of a play on my RL name, which approximately means "Famous and Victorious" or something like that. Can anyone guess what my RL name is?

Physics is Phun! At least, it is when the teacher takes us out to the football field to set off rockets (insert jokes here... believe it or not, the most obvious were not the most recurring in my class). Let's see, none hit the school, but one git the convent, one got stuck in a tree, one got stuck on the power lines, one hit a guy (he's ok...just too stupid to move when the rocket came right at him) and two got caught by another guy who's got an arm in a sling. and my group's was the only one to go sideways!

Happiness!


Daphne - [l.grow_yophilly@excite.com]
Friday, January 12, 2001 08:53:31 PM
IP: 209.246.211.135

Gunjack: <<Just signed on as weapons consultant to another two mods. I love my work... 8 ) >> What is it exactly that you do for a living? It sound like it could be fun!
Tim
Friday, January 12, 2001 08:06:50 PM
IP: wsc0051.wsc.edu

Greg> Alas the Buffy characters would defeat the Gargoyles characters
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Friday, January 12, 2001 07:32:28 PM
IP: adsl-64-165-16-226.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Here are some fights I just thought of.

Brooklyn VS Spike ("Buffy" pre-chip)
Goliath VS Angelus
Angela VS Drusilla

I just watched the "Buffy" second season finale, so I have this trio of vamps on the brain.

Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky - [Madoc55@hotmail.com]
Friday, January 12, 2001 07:16:33 PM
IP: dialin-178-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

**Holograms of smiles start showing up in the CR just as DPH is about to enter.**

Alright. All that is keeping me from being hired right now is the recommendation of my direct boss on Monday. My boss's boss's boss recommended me and the guy doing hiring has not talked to my boss so that is all that is holding it up. That is also the reason for all the holographic smiles. After that, all I have to do is wait for a background check, and then take a drug test. If all goes well, I will be hired just a few days before my birthday.

**RP RELATED**
Winterwolf, I will be shutting down the battle on Monday when I post using aformentioned planned post of shutting down the battle. Do your best to make things as difficult as possible.
**END RP RELATED**

Oberon vs Magneto battle - it depends on if Oberon decides to toy with Magneto. If he does and Magneto knows Oberon's weakness, Magneto wins within minutes by surrounding Oberon with metal.

Xanatos vs Iron Man - Hands down iron man wins. One reason: more battle experience.

I think the the professional athletes are being way overpaid. They should agree to a salary cap and use the rest of the money to bring down admission costs.

Tim Philips - I believe you found the best use of the CR room - letting your problems go.

**BFTS RP continues**
*AD*
Tired of working in a neat, organizated work environment? Come work at Xelom where everything is completely chaotic 95% of the time.
*END AD**
Luckily, DPH summons a forcefield to protect everyone but yells, "Jason, I could use some magical energy."

Uriel casts a spell creating blinding light NCA to go blind momentarily.

DPH lets his forcefield collapse when he sees Jason Filler struggling to breathe. Realizing this, DPH opens a few portals to let some fresh air enter their area. Enough fresh air permeates the area to allow DPH, Plastique, Jason, and Ureil to continue the battle. Unfortunately, DPH can not see Winterwolf or Frost at the present time and hopes they are doing alright. DPH summons ten thunderbolt attacks against NCA's forcefield, but they have no effect on the forcefield. DPH opens a portal and pulls himself out of the battle for a few moments to get some clean air and time to clear his head without NCA seeing him. Thanksfully, NCA is still blinded at this moment.
**END BFTS RP for now**
Has DPH turned turned chicken?

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Friday, January 12, 2001 06:34:07 PM
IP: max1-71.cwy.cei.net

One thought that I had on the possible "Emrys vs. Klarion" match that I proposed last night: the really fun way for it to end up would be like this.

Klarion gets the upper hand, probably through a fluke of some sort or maybe just plain cheating, but just as he is about to finish Emrys off, Mary Sefton slips up behind him and brings a flower pot down on his head, knocking him unconscious. Afterwards, Emrys tells Mary, a trifle indignantly, "I could have beaten him anyway; I was just about to recover and send something in his direction." Mary, nodding in a clearly unconvinced way: "Of course."

Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Friday, January 12, 2001 06:25:15 PM
IP: 216.87.46.130.dialup-stl.primary.net

Hey. I been busy playing with my new toy. *tired stretch yawn* http://pub32.ezboard.com/bwritersgroup it's a creative writing website. *smile* I'm Piseag for those who will read and wonder. Piseag translates into Kitten in gaelic.

I'm on my own today because Mecord is sick. Poor guy. Stomach flu or somesuch. *sympathetic cringe* So drop him a line or something. As for now, i'm going to sleep. Nite peeps.

Cat
Friday, January 12, 2001 06:04:20 PM
IP: kjerstin.dorms.usu.edu

Yes!!!!! We got Jeff Bennett! (I would do a happy dance, but then y'all'd be traumatized for life)

Interesting. If you pull up "bondage" + "Sales" on Google, one of the first things it brings up is... A CS Hayden art page?

Kai> Welcome back, congrats on your G2K1 registration. See ya there.

Gside> Actually, Eva does have a manga. I've got some of it. It's a little different from the series.

Guandalug> Like you, I prefer the easier plan for the Adult Archive. Though it would be kind of a shame to lose the nifty look the current one has.

Well, I think that's it. Light week.

Later.


Aaron - [JCarnage@Yahoo.com]
San Antonio, TX, USA
Friday, January 12, 2001 05:42:46 PM
IP: 209.33.137.148


**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR FANS OF BRIMSTONE:

This coming friday {not today}, there will be a marathon of BRIMSTONE episodes on the Scifi Channel starting early in the morning!!

So set your VCRs, call in markers for recording if you don't have one or more VCRs - and tape away.....because I've heard a rumor that they may be airing some of the Final Six eps that weren't on the air before!!

Small question: using hte Brimstone rules, does that mean a dammed fae can only be hurt with dammed iron? makes'ya wonder, eh?
** End worlds-shattering announcement.

Also - last night, there was a special about HARRY T MOORE himself!


finally - i don't envy that Anonamous guy who used the TGS logo.

Rodlox {check out the schedulebot}.
Friday, January 12, 2001 04:21:39 PM
IP: proxy2-external.owml1.md.home.com

*Valentine enters in high spirits*

Wheeeee... So many bosses, so little time... Just signed on as weapons consultant to another two mods. I love my work... 8 )

Lynati><<I don't think I'm the only confused one, either.>> I can help iron out MY end... I (the REAL I, I mean), am Lain's honorary Bro. I play Wolf to her San. Nadia (not to be confused with Lain) has the hots for Valentine (not to be entirely confused with me). Things clearer now? 8 )

*Heads off to dig through the weapon stacks*

Gunjack Valentine
Friday, January 12, 2001 04:08:31 PM
IP: 216-146-183-94.bwn.net

*Warpmind enters, smiling blissfully.*
Howdy-do.

Gside: You're completely right, and utterly twisted to boot. ;)

Lain: And I wasn't planning to get into details, anyway. ];)

Lynati: No, Ani DiFranco doesn't ring a bell... (Then, I'd let none but you ring my... *ehum* never mind...) Oh, and I count from G'01, not present day. :) As for your opinion... *whew* that's a big relief - there are some great guys there, y'see - there's more to it than just the most obvious... Oh, and about those muscles/push-ups... there is *one* particular incentive I can imagine... *Grins ferally and lifts Lynati from the floor.* Just let me finish the post, and I'll show ya. ];)

Gotta run, gang. *Skids out with Lynati perched on one arm.*

Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Friday, January 12, 2001 03:45:03 PM
IP: spock.ti.telenor.net

Greetings everyone,
Question: Will we get the new comment room pictures up soon?

Still itching to use a harthoth pic.

Alternative Energy> I've only gotten bits and pieces of this discussion. I'd place odds on fuel cell/electric vehicles. The only prohibition technology-wise for electric and solar powered vehicles is the cost and weight of batteries. After seeing the leaps and bound battery technology has made for laptop computers, I'm conviced that with enough interest, EV vehicles could be viable in a short amount of time.

As far as solar cells using high energy rays from viloet end of the specturm. I feel improving cells relies on upping the effiecency. The light that makes to earth is sufficient, cells just don't convert nearly as much of it into electricity. Right now the best are around 20% efficency, get that up to 30% and you have tremendous advanatages. Though it does remind me of a magnetic turbine I designed once. It was a satellite that created a magnetic funnel to concentrate solar wind passing the charged particles through a metal ring creating electricity by induction.

But the biggest obstacle to alternative vehciles remains the public acceptance. I think they should use a VW Beetle strategy: have a functional, reliable car for a reasonable price, like the 60's VW Bug. But in a world of gas-guzzling SUV's and slammed coupes with whale fin spoilers, it's not going to be an easy sell. That and the technology isn't cheap. The solar car our school built cost around $60,000. I know the lightweight batteries are upwards of a grand or 2. Well that's why there are engineers like me around. Making the imposible, possible for a neat low price.

TTFN

Taleweaver - [taleweaver@usa.net]
Friday, January 12, 2001 03:19:34 PM
IP: hal5000.engineering.csupomona.edu

*ducks from Lynati*
lain
Friday, January 12, 2001 02:39:09 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

*Lynati Enters*

Heyla, all.

Tim Phipps: Good Luck with your future plans. I hope everything works out, and that somekind of random phenomona causes your parents to grow a brain. Or two brains, rather.

Shadowrider:Congats!

lain: Directions to the home of the sachinwalker...?
And if one may be so bold; what, if anything, is up with your dealings with valentine and the green baron? I don't think I'm the only confused one, either.

Warpmind: ...have you ever read/heard the lyrics to Ani DiFranco's song "The Diner" ?
Also, in regards to one of your e-mails- Technically, it would be a year and a half, not a year. ;)
...oh, and I (briefly) looked up that other site you commented on...and my opinion still hasn't changed one way or the other.

"And every pop song on the radio
is suddenly speaking to me..."

Well, things are alright, excepting my hotmail account being screwy. My back and shoulders are still complaining over yesterday's workout. ( It doesn't matter how talented of a linguist you are, it's still impossible to explain to your muscles the point of doing ANY push-ups, let alone knuckle ones.)
Other things... are going well. ^_^
Rolling along with the stories, too. That's good.
Well, that's all for now.

"...Yeah, art may imitate life;
but life imitates TV."
-Ani DiFranco, "Superhero"

*Lynati exits through the fabric gate, which is back to being heavy black velvet curtains*
Lynati - [Lynati_1@hotmail.com]
SilverSpring, MD
Friday, January 12, 2001 02:23:57 PM
IP: 207.226.219.38

::opens her mailbox and is buried alive beneath an avalanche of queries re: Sabledrake. FLOOMP! One hand waves feebly from beneath the heap, and a dim and muffled voice can be heard to cheer in delight at the surge of interest::

Whoa! This is great, folks! Thanks! I will be getting back to people shortly with answers to questions and more info, but for the meantime, thankyouthankyouthankyou! We can really make something of this!

Am starting a new mailing list for Sabledrake; all who'd like to be on it please e-mail sabledrakemagazine-subscribe@egroups.com and sign up!

Bye for now; it's my day to be class mom at Becca's school!

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Friday, January 12, 2001 02:16:59 PM
IP: 19-138.075.popsite.net

Hi to everyone! Well, let me tell you...it's great to be here again. I just finished ten days of very very hard training course for Corporals...it was indeed so hard that I seriously doubted to be able to pass it. Anyway, I did it, and I received my ranks just this morning. Oh, yeah!;)
As usual, I'll be here until Sunday. So, anything new around here?

Winterwolf & Emambu:> Got your emails. I'll reply in a few hours.

Winterwolf (again):> Got your letter too! Well, I'll comment in my email...but, I can tell you it was a great pleasure to receive it.

See later everyone!

Shadowrider - [shadowrider@katamail.com]
Milan, Italy
Friday, January 12, 2001 11:22:50 AM
IP: h255-22-56.mi2.albacom.net

Still Running

Woke up from another bad dream
In a cold sweat and tangled sheets
Anisqsaaqtualsaqtualsaqtunga Uumatiga Tusaajaksatuaq
And for a moment it feels so real
Issumaqsuqpaktillutit
All those nights you took advantage of me
Well I tried to run then and I've been running ever since
And I'm

Still Running - Qimaajunga
Still Running - Qimaajunga
From those painful memories - Iqaumagumangi
They're haunting me - puigurunnangi
I can't break free and I'm still running

Too young to understand
Such hurt from loving hands
Qangunaqtuqainnaqunga
Ublutamaat lqqaqpakunga
What I needed were arms to hold me
Tigusilauravit
You stole my innocence
Well I tried to run then and I've been running ever since
And I'm..

(Susan Aglukark / Charlie Major)

lain
Friday, January 12, 2001 10:05:28 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Todd Jensen> Klarion would win
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
Token sane guy
Friday, January 12, 2001 09:46:21 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-129-158.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Hi
Anonymous
Friday, January 12, 2001 07:09:32 AM
IP: p462-29.ppp.get2net.dk

*once again peeks in from work*
Sorry, no update today..... Didn't have the time to upload it. Next update is to be expected at monday morning.

On to replies

Christine> *chuckles* No need for excuses. As good as those stories are - they are the best excuse for the amount. Good authors simply NEED to write a lot :)

Doug> <<I'll check on my stories this weekend and let you know about them.>> Thanks. Should be okay, but I'm only a poor little fay and cannot guarantee perfect transitions :)
<<I hope you and the other people re-coding it will be finished soon>>*smiles mysteriously* Other ppl? Nobody else but me..... I get hints, bug-reports and wishes, but the coding (and the story-transfer) is my own work. Nobody else in this part of the task. Of course, other ppl work hard to get the whole site running, but the fanfic-archive right now is a one-person-job.

GSide> <<Odd thought, do you have an adult version of the archive ready yet?>> Well - not really, though it would be no work at all. Removing that one line in the code that does the blocking...... What'ya say - How should the Adult Archive be designed? Same design as the normal archive (just with access to those 'special' stories and listing only stories rated 'X' or 'NC-17' in the Top Ten and New Stories) or completely seperated with only those authors listed who have adult stories? I for myself would prefer the first way (less work, only minor adjustments and has the advantage of being able to read an entire saga even if one of the stories is adult-rated). The second method would be possible as well, but it'd take a wee bit longer to implement. Oh - and (of course) Story-Adding and such stuff will stay in the 'regular' archive (no need to duplicate THAT part - crosslink it mayhaps, but not duplicate :)

*looks around, smiles wickedly and disappears back to work, this time using Winterwolf's monolith as a gate*

Guandalug la'Fay - [Guandalug@gmx.de]
Friday, January 12, 2001 04:33:35 AM
IP: mailgate-a.ais-gmbh.de

Warpmind>> Turkey baster?? I.. no wait.. I really DON'T want to know.. ;)

Valentine>> hey, hear that?? we are more than friends.. heh heh.. aaaah yes.. me and my multiples of internet dates.. or.. not.. :P

Doug and Kit>> just so you know, Valentine is currently my super awesome bodyguard AKA big brother (even though I am older than him..??)
oh well..
Nadia is a character of mine who wants to do stories with Valentine's characters.. or just Valentine.. I haven't figured that part out yet..
also possibly part of an upcoming CR RP about the new detective agency that the Baron, Valentine, Nadia and I have formed.. oh and Attila too.. :P could be all good.. maybe we should start by investigating this monolith thing.. :)

Green Baron>> you dressed as OWEN at the Gathering?? (yes.. Valentine told me..) *drools* I um.. I HAFTA see that.. oooooo... *knees quake*
And thanks for the stuff about my sister. Yes, I think you are right she must be inside me somewhere. She is so different from me, though, when I can feel her.. it is strange. Sometimes I think you are trying to encourage me to be an atheist.. which is funny cos.. yer a Catholic but.. *shrugs* whatever.. not that I'm complaining :)
I have something else I should post you.. just you wait.. it is wierder than the last one.. ;)
*snuggles*

And who was it that made the crack about being CUTE??? NO cute for lain.. lain doesn't DO cute.. unless it's puppies.. or baby koi fishies.. or.. nevermind ;) (not ONE word out of you, Valentine *brandishes Kbar..*) :P

Oh yes.. and we found mr STUPID hacker.. heh heh.. it was FUN and .. the origin of the detective agency :)

Useless info to follow tomorr.. er.. later :)

Time for the Tylenol 3 and nightmares wheeeeeeeee..
love you guys,

lain
the Great White North
Friday, January 12, 2001 02:43:13 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Doug><<Best of luck to you and Valentine, since you seem to be somewhat more than friends.>> Heh. Ain't *that* ironic. Yup, more than friends... Bodygaurd and Principle, in fact. 8 )

Replies tomorrow, if yer *LUCKY*! o_O

Gunjack Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Friday, January 12, 2001 02:27:49 AM
IP: 216-146-184-197.bwn.net

Well, I splurged today. Bought four books, two Diskworlds (Light Fantastic and Equal Rites), Reinventing Comics, and Watchmen.

Also, it's rather annoying when one of the nose rests on your glasses breaks. At least they're replacable.

Gunjack> <<has anyone ever actually seen Gside in person?>>: No. THough I do have some evidence of someone I claim to be, and there is a picture that I claim is mine in my directory.
<<what's the ignition temp of magnesium?>>: Not sure, But I believe it's the most important part of sparklers. To quote webelements: "finely divided magnesium readily ignites upon heating in air and burns with a dazzling white flame."
<<Too complex for me, thanks>>: I'ts not too bad. You just have to figure out the differece in circumference of circles with radius k and k+3, where k is the radius of the earth. This comes out to be 2pi(k+3)-2pik=6pi. An absurdly small amount of money would have to be spent to extend the cable, in comparison to the cost of supporting it.
<<I'll... Keep that in mind>>: Well, it was either that or remind you to put pontoons on both sides of your oil drum torpedo when you don't know which way you will have to turn.
<<How big a blast could you get out of a good gas tank full of Hydrogen?>>: Well, I don't think you could run very long on STP hydrogen, though not much oxygen would be able to mix with the blast, luckily. The boom gets much bigger if you have one part oxygen to two parts hydrogen.
<<Of COURSE there's a manga!>>: Isn't Eva about the only exception to that?
<<I'm still trying to figure out what WTBF means>>: I'm thinking "...bloody..."
<<the melodic, orchestral dark of 6 and the more simplistic synthesised dark of 7>>: Orchestral just generally rocks my world. Though midi implementations of orchestral tend to annoy me.
<<just avoid that pool of cold, blue water... and don't stare too hard at the squirrels>>: And whatever you do, don't eat the mutated fish. Though I wouldn't mind any of the recorded effects.

Emambu> <<how about Winterwood by Don Mclean>>: I'll see what I cna do, but I hope you don't mind if I wait until I get back to my LAN.
<<Chingrish is not contained in the engineering colleges>>: Yup. It's generally concentrated among the sciences, and those are almost engineering.
<<I feel like the oldest newbie right about now>>: Nah, that's me. I just showed up here one day with an odd thought, and I still haven't made a remotely significant contribution to the fandom. heck, it still feels really strange not saying/typing "Mrs. Morgan."

Guandalug> Odd thought, do you have an adult version of the archive ready yet? Keep up the good work.

Christine> A toast to a long run of Sabledrake, with an ever increasing readership.

Lady Corax> <<hands him a slice with a smile>>: I'm not sure I'd eat it. Smiling food tends to creep me out.

Lain> <<Someone I know just had their band's Email account password stolen>>: Well, if the email server is local, you could probably go an admin and ask really nicely to have them change your password. If it's a web account, you're probably stuck with either hacking the system or torturing the guy until he breaks.

DPH> <<Is there a time where we can say without dispute we will run out of oil?>>: No. It all depends on how fast we use it. And there might be some more being made, though I think that's doubtful. And I've heard a theory that says there is a large untapped oil reserve below where we've been drilling that eventually refills depleted wells.

Warpmind> <<Shapeshifting'd be fun, and the lightning bolts would be cool, too, but there'd be a lot of trouble restraining that libido, aye?>>: Hmm, combine all three and you'd only be one affix short of what is necessary for homonecropyrobestialiacophobia.

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Friday, January 12, 2001 02:21:33 AM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com

*Warpmind waltzes in, grinning like a fool, hovering about three inches bove the floor. Upon closer inspection, slightly pinkish clouds form under his feet where he steps.*
Top o' the morning everyone.

Christine: Excellent that the mag returns. Dunno if I can do Romance well, though. Maybe after G'01? *Winks to Lynati.*

Lynati: Oooo, a jar of jam... *Wicked grin* Be with you in a minute, luv. ]:)

Dreamie: Thanks for the update.

*Sigh* All Hail to Beaureaucracy... Today I received instructions on reading the kWH counter in my apartment. It is to be checked on 01012001, and the readout must be sent in by 01032001. As I said, I received it today. *Grmf* Anybody got a spare Phoenix Gate lyin' around?

Random thought... Imagine being an Avatar of Zeus? Shapeshifting'd be fun, and the lightning bolts would be cool, too, but there'd be a lot of trouble restraining that libido, aye? ;)

*Leaps after Lynati with a grin, a two-gallon jar of jam, and a turkey baster.*

Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Friday, January 12, 2001 02:14:34 AM
IP: hume.ti.telenor.net

Begin Part 2!

Tim P.: Glad you're smart enough to recognize some of the good things people already have in their lives, unlike many college football players. :( IMO, paying them for playing is going way too far. College sports already get too many benefits compared to the other IMO more vital and important departments. But I won't bore you with rants you've heard before. I can understand your feelings about the Marines, I've kinda gone through the same thing with my family over wanting to join the APD someday. If I have to hear a family member asking me worriedly if I'm sure I want to be a cop and mentioning all the crazy and dangerous stuff they have to deal with one more time…:) But they love me, so I can understand their worry too. I thank God that they didn't put me through what you went through over the DOT deal, condolences on that. :( Like you, I'm confident I'm up to the challenge I have chosen for myself, and thus I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor. If you think you can do it, and have faith in yourself, you're probably right in your belief. Hope you enjoy the Corps, I know I probably wouldn't. <grin>

Kyryn: El Paso to Denton is indeed a lot of driving. Congrats on accomplishing the return journey. Kit and I plan to make an even longer one in the near future- Austin to Santa Fe, NM. Gotta look up an old elementary school teacher of mine and show him the degree I could not have earned without his efforts on behalf of all his students, myself included. :) Good luck with the work you have to catch up on, hope you get it done soon.

Wilek: I like your new year's resolution. :) Thanks for the power advice. I too hope they soon make robot servitors available to the public. I'd like a few myself.

Niamhgold: My name has been translated to mean "wise," "strong", and "dark water" in various languages. All nice meanings, but I think I like the Chinese one the best. Doug Elder translates to Wei Dao-Lan, which means "wind in the valley." If a name must have a meaning, it should be an interesting and exciting one. Hope your name's meaning is similarly cool. Just out of curiosity, what is the personality test's definition of a Shark?

Mecord: Hope the week is as entertaining for you as you hope. I too wish you luck with the long English class, and am glad your love is in it with you. Looking forward to your next post.

Spacebabie: Glad your cat's getting better. Hope you'll pet and comfort her a lot when she gets back home.

SOROW: Congrats on finding interesting books! They should keep you busy. Hope you end up having time for more than four. Good luck dealing with the fatigue.

SJ: Sorry to hear about your modem, glad it's back up and running now. Or if it's not, I hope it will be soon. I've been missing you, man, and not just the rants.

Kaioto: Good luck getting your life back together, congrats on having time for it. Congrats on getting the chance to introduce Lexy to your whole family too, glad things went well. Thanks for sharing your interesting thoughts on the human condition again, I wish there was less truth in them than there is. <sigh> I hope to live up to the image you described as little as possible, wish me luck. :) I agree about all the things you said were sad and pathetic, wish I could encounter fewer people who do them in my life. :( I wish you luck with work, school, etc. Hope you'll come back soon.

Rodlox: <nods> Interesting Biography episode, that one. Of course that show generally is very interesting. Good thing Gubio has a lot of episodes of it on tape, and always makes it a habit to get the new ones, Kit and I not having cable and all. :) $ Thanks for the RP bit, I did have to edit it into the plot a little as you can see below but that was no trouble at all. Hope the upcoming scenes with our characters are entertaining, and don't impact the plans Kit and I have for your characters that much. <grins> Hope Mecord, SJ, and Robby will also soon have the chance to get back into the action with their bits. Was laughing at Green Baron's from earlier today. $

Lady Corax: I welcome you back also, good to see you friend. Thanks for the pizza. Good luck with the homework and all things related to school. <Doug thinks about bringing up that he's already graduated again, but decides he better not gloat>

Fights: Not gonna comment much on this topic, I'm not interested this time around for some reason. <shrugs> I do agree, though, that the Punisher could probably take Batman on easy and win. :)

Emmabu: Stephanie's already gone thorough the peanut butter and pickles phase. She's also had mega-cravings for frozen fish sticks (not still frozen, Christine, sorry. :), McDonald's French Fries, huevos rancheros, and a whole lot of other foods I can't remember right now. The baby seems to like ice cream especially, although Stephanie did eat a lot of that even when she wasn't pregnant. <shrugs> Thanks for your good luck wishes on the house, you're probably right that Kit and I will want to do some remodeling. Just as long as the need isn't immediate, things should be fine. <fingers crossed> Good luck with the new semester, and Kit and I will make sure to let you know what we thought of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon after we see it this weekend.

Green Baron: Whenever you want to come here, you're always welcome. Didn't know your step-brother was around. :) I too hope SOROW goes to UT-Austin, Kit and I want to meet her. $ Thanks for the entertaining RPs, please keep them up. Hope you don't mind Kit and me jumping the gun a bit with Ashcroft joining Ted Turner's gang. $

Guandalug: Thanks for the update on your progress. I'll check on my stories this weekend and let you know about them. Keep up the good work on the archive, I hope you and the other people re-coding it will be finished soon.

Xenatrek: I noticed you were missing. :) Welcome back! Congrats on the hearing dog approval, and good luck making the music videos. I regret that you won't be able to fully enjoy what you create. :(

Jaden: Hey friend, good to see you again. <waves>

And that is about all for tonight. I don't want to go to bed now, but I am tired and I have to work tomorrow, er, today, so I must sleep. And so I will. Hope everyone continues to be happy, I will see you next time with reviews of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Anti-Trust as well as the new Angel episode. And of course more replies and RP. Later!

**RESUME RP, RAVENS' SAGA**

In the Mall of America, Kharsus steps out of a magical portal he has created and gestures to the figures following him. Paul duGaul, Xothux, Ty-Ubemngoe, Schaefer, and Claudia step through the portal, and it closes behind them. "Here's where Lord Thailog's spy said the Ravens are," Kharsus tells them. "We have to find them. Once we find them, the spy's life is to be spared." "Which one is he?" duGaul asks. "I do not know," Kharsus sighs in response. "Dahak, Dr. Edison, and Alchemist jointly created him using one of General Zale's commandos who volunteered for the experiment. I had no part in it. However, the spy should recognize me once we come upon the Ravens and make himself known." The group nods, then begins to spread out. Ty-Ubemngoe grimaces at the piles of rubble and wrecked shops around them, and especially at all the dead bodies that lie on the Mall's floor. "There was a great battle here," he declares. Schaefer nods in agreement. "Yes," Claudia chuckles lustily. "I can smell blood still lingering in the air. Hope someone alive and full of it is nearby for me to drink." She grins, displaying her fangs, and causing the rest of the group to turn away, some shuddering in revulsion. "These Ravens have some beautiful women amongst them," Paul duGaul says. "It will be fun getting to know them, if we leave one or two alive." "Even the granddaughters of your Jewish-American friend Ian Telman?" Xothux asks. "Especially them," duGaul smiles back. "You know how it is in France. A woman usually does not say no, and if she does, well…" He cracks his knuckles and laughs. "I just want to find them and kill them," Kharsus says. "I will show Thailog that I am a wizard of more value than Gar, even if I must do it without my conjured servants." "We'll find them," Ty-Ubemngoe says confidently. "All we have to do is follow the trail of destruction to its center, where I would gamble they are." He turns to the floor, then grimaces, seeing the piles of rubble magically moving and reforming back into the Mall of America's walls, the destroyed shops seeming to repair themselves, and the bodies vanishing. "What?" Xothux asks, grimacing as the rest of the group turns to glare at him. "This place needs some major ordering!" Kharsus sighs and casts a spell, causing a large arrow to appear in the air. "That way," he says unnecessarily, and the group moves to follow its direction, Paul and Ty-Ubemngoe still glaring at the nonchalant Xothux, Schaefer loading his rifle, and Claudia licking her lips.

Meanwhile, in Camp Snoopy, Doug gives Anthony a confused look. "Well, uh, I think Kit's half-gargoyle because somebody mutated her, but my memory…Can we please just worry about these damn zombies now?" "Sure," Anthony shrugs. "I just sensed another threat coming in, and wanted to let you know." "Thanks," Doug grimaces, going back to blasting any zombies that get near them. Anthony sighs and continues to do the same. Around the battlefield, the other Ravens are doing likewise, many of them cursing loudly as their guns click dry and they have little time to reload as the zombies continue closing in, the efforts of the Ravens without guns only barely able to keep them back. "All these fights have nearly run us out of ammo!" Mansfield declares with an oath. "How many of these things are left?" "We don't exactly have the chance to count," Boris replies grimly, continuing to gun the zombies down. "We are outlasting them!" shouts Elena. "Just have to hold out till help arrives." "And it is on the way!" Kenny reminds them, moaning as his body remolds itself from the latest death. Many of the Ravens shake their heads in disbelief as they turn back to fighting the zombies. "When is it going to get here?" Kit asks the air, shooting down three of them and keeping an eye on Jerry as he continues moving towards her through the ranks of his undead minions. Tom, Shap, and Shauna are also watching the vrock with worried frowns, ready to launch grenade, shotgun blast, or arrow at him if he gets close to them. Nearby, Keith spins to glare across the court at Stephanie, who is smiling at him and making a come-hither gesture with an evil look in her eyes. Just then, War Frost leaps over a group of zombies and, barking heavily, crashes into Stephanie and knocks her down. "You filthy beast!" Stephanie yells as they roll around on the floor, the dire wolf clawing and snapping at her. Roaring, she throws War Frost off and into a nearby wall, which the dire wolf crashes through. He then collapses meekly, a loud moan on the air. Growling, Stephanie rises to her feet, only to find Winter Blade's sword leveled towards her. "Nobody messes with my companion and lives," the otherworldly werewolf declares. "Nobody messes with me and lives either," Stephanie shoots back, getting into a fighting stance of her own. "And whoever you are, I'm stronger than you." Watching from across the battlefield, Keith refrains from whooping in jubilation as the two sword-wielders clash blades and concentrate on one another, starting to fight. With incredible stealth he moves towards them, noticing as he does so that both appear evenly matched and the battle could take quite a long time if he was not planning to intervene. Shaking his head, Keith readies himself as the laughing Stephanie parries and dodges Winter Blade's thrusts. Then he leaps forward and grabs her by the neck in a judo grip, causing Stephanie to scream as he knocks her to the floor. "Sorry to do this," Keith declares, snapping her neck. Kit's sister gasps and faints. "Thank…," Winter Blade begins to say as Keith gets up, then stops, seeing the look on his face. "I've only killed her for about five minutes," the Ravens' ninja sighs, drawing a pair of handcuffs and snapping them on Stephanie's wrists. "You take her sword, I'll…what?" He stops speaking and looks into Winter Blade's eyes. "You love her, don't you?" the werewolf asks. Keith is silent for a moment, then nods. "Unfortunately, yes." Ignoring the expression of emotional turmoil Winter Blade is suddenly wearing, he kicks Stephanie's sword over towards the werewolf and then bends back down to cuff her feet together as the screen goes blank.

**THE BATTLE WILL GO ON NEXT TIME, END RP**

Doug
Friday, January 12, 2001 01:58:48 AM
IP: pool-63.52.168.130.dlls.grid.net

**RP ALERT**

In his office in Atlanta, Ted Turner and Steve Case are grinning at each other and raising glasses of champagne in toast. "The FCC has approved our merger," Case says with a smile. "The FTC and EU have as well. Our plans are completely on schedule." "Yes," Turner agrees. "Soon we will be able to take direct control of all America's communications, Internet and cable based. And then on the appointed day, we shall be able to open the way for Lord Gothmenes, Lady Synatia, and Lord Deavik to take over this world!" There is much cheering from the various other personages in the room, who include Geraldine Laybourne, Jamie Kellner, Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters, Archbishop Weakland, a representative of the Taliban, John Gotti, and other evil folk. "My Empowered Womyn Scouts are still lacking somewhat in their training progress," Laybourne says regretfully. "Perhaps you chose the wrong girls," Waters says. "I think you should have gotten people with more previous combat experience." "They'll do fine once they fully adjust to the regimen," Laybourne replies. "And they soon should. I've asked Marchioness du Sade to literally whip them into shape." There is an exchange of chuckles around the table. "I have some good news," Hillary says after it's died down. "Socks and Buddy found Reverend Atilla. They are moving to eliminate him now." "Good," Turner smiles. "They should succeed. Once they do, we'll have one less possible source of resistance. I take it your men are ready to step in if they fail?" he asks Gotti, who nods. "I have hired seven men in Texas who can easily cross the border into Louisiana and strike if necessary," the Mafioso says. "I also have several friends in Louisiana itself, including the Governor and Mayor of New Orleans." "Excellent," Turner nods, then looks at Kellner. "On your end?" "Geoffrey has the Captain Planet team closing in on Asil," the WB Network executive says. "They found the truck she was using to get around. Soon they will attack it and recapture her." "Remind them I want her alive," Turner says. Kellner nods. "I will. I'm also continuing to work on getting Mr. Whedon's shows off the air, as you requested. If they weren't so popular, I'd have them gone by now, but…" "Those shows are well-written, well-acted, realistic, and yet fantasy TV, Jamie," Turner snaps. "They're not the kind of show our masters want humanity to watch. I want them off the air as soon as possible." Kellner nods. "Yes sir. We're continuing to censor them in the meantime." "Keep up the good work," Turner replies. "Archbishop?" "I have drafted the bulls necessary for the excommunication of Benjamin Shapiro and Orion Sanders," Weakland says. "All I have to do now is get papal approval, which shouldn't be too hard to achieve given that all the Pope knows of these two individuals is what I will tell him. Without their healers, their cleric and paladin, the Ravens are nothing." "Too bad we cannot excommunicate them," the representative from the Taliban sighs. "But they are not Muslim. I too have good news- we have a possible new ally. Ayatollah Ali Khamanei of Iran wants in on our plan. He is willing to add to our forces his army of fanatics." "Accepted," says Turner. "I'll talk to him about specifics tomorrow. I sense a question in the room." "I have one," Waters says. "What are we going to do about George W. Bush being President? Al had to be a white moron and get himself killed instead of winning the election like he was supposed to." "Never fear," Turner chuckles. "We already have one friend in the Bush administration who shall help us ensure that the President does not impede our plans. He is a very good friend, a good friend of our departed friend Bob Jones, and he's here right now. Mr. Ashcroft, please stand up." John Ashcroft, seated farther down the table, stands at Turner's wave and bows. There is a smattering of applause, and Turner smiles again, glad that things seem to be proceeding according to his desires.

The display changes to the basement of Abdullah bin Aziz's mansion in the Middle East, where Tyl is chuckling as Gubio looks at the numerous images the Evil Hacker has created of himself, apparently confused as to which is real. "Mixed up, Gubio?" all the Tyls snort as one. "Too bad! We can all kill you, you know!" With that, the images fire their laser pistols, and Gubio only barely is able to drop to the floor and let the bolts pass overhead, keeping his gun aimed at one of the images as he does so. "You think I'm the real Tyl?" the image asks, pointing at itself. "You are," Gubio answers, then fires several times. Tyl screams in surprise as the bullets smack into him, then falls over, his images blinking out as he hits the floor. Gubio leaps up and runs over, then covers his nemesis with one hand while using the other to disarm him. "I watched you get up from the chair and kept you as a reference point," he says, placing his gun against Tyl's head. "It wasn't that hard. You're not so tough outside the Net." Tyl growls an oath, his hands flying to his wounds as he gasps in pain. "Let's see who you really are," Gubio decides, reaching down and pulling the Evil Hacker's ski mask off with some minor effort. Immediately he gasps and turns away, finding the face of a horribly burned black man in his mid-thirties underneath the mask. "My first computer exploded and did this to me," Tyl hisses, delighting in Gubio's revulsion. "I've wanted to destroy them ever since, and worked for it." "Lousy way to live your life," Gubio says. Tyl grins and nods. "Yeah. But I've no regrets, except for not getting to snuff Queen Noor. Maybe in my next incarnation." "You sick twisted mother<bleep>er," Gubio shakes his head, then stands up and turns away as Tyl laughs. Gubio ignores him, walking over to Harthoth and shooting open the lock that holds his chains. "Thank you," the Egyptian sorcerer says as he brushes off the bonds and gets up. "No problem," Gubio says. "You took the paralysis off us, didn't you?" Harthoth nods. "Abdullah bin Aziz reneged on our deal. That move cost him my loyalty." "So I gathered once I saw you tied up in here," Gubio replies. "What was your deal anyway? And who are you?" "I am Harthoth, servant of Apep," the sorcerer says, and is about to continue when Gubio holds up a hand to stop him. "I've heard of you. You've got a couple websites. I thought you were just a legend." "No," Harthoth shakes his head, grimacing slightly at the news that people on the Internet know about him. "You must help me now, if you want to save your friends, Turkey, the world…My master. Abdullah bin Aziz has control of him through that computer." "Right," Gubio says, stepping over to Tyl's workstation. "Tyl was setting up some program. What were you doing over here, Tyl? Tell me and I'll give you medical attention. Tyl?" He turns around and sighs heavily, seeing the Evil Hacker has just fainted into death thanks to his grievous wounds. Gubio bends down to close his foe's eyes for the last time, then reaches for his radio to call Erin as the screen goes blank.

**TO BE CONTINUED, END RP**

Good evening everyone. Or morning in some parts of the world. :) Had a good day today, it was One-Eleven day. That's the day when Wal-Mart holds a little appreciation party for all its hardworking employees while the store's open- the managers fix barbecue, potato salad, carrot cake, and other goodies for us. Security guards are among those appreciated, and can of course partake of the goodies. <grin> I call it One-Eleven day because it falls on January 11th, don't know if the day has an official name. Work went well today also, I had a run-in with the store's deputy loss prevention supervisor, a guy whose confidence I really had to earn, especially since I inadvertently pissed him off during my first week. Today he was friendly to me, and smiling as though he was glad I was there. Quite a welcome change. :) Kit's told you most of the other good news of this week, I can only add that today we got an answering machine message from the mortgage lady saying we've been approved. I have to call back in the morning to find out how much. We've also been referred to a pretty good realty company, they should be able to help us find a house to move into soon. So life is going well for Kit and me, though we are somewhat worried about the Seven Deadly Sins showing up in our area. For those who don't watch the news, the Seven Deadly Sins are a gang of seven convicts who escaped from a Texas prison a few months back and have been terrorizing the Dallas, Houston, and Austin areas. All are pretty vicious and dangerous characters, and they're also heavily armed. What scares me the most is that thus far they've been smart enough to successfully evade recapture. <grimace> Hope the cops get these guys soon so we can stop worrying. As a security guard, I'm having to watch out for them, and I do not like worrying about what they might show up and do. On with replies now.

Spore: Nope, haven't heard of Detective Conan. Sorry. I must thank you, though, for mentioning the problems girls of size 0 have finding clothes. Now I know why a very pretty short girl I knew in high school, Catherine Levacy, seemed to wear a lot of the same outfits over and over again. And why some seemed more appropriate for children than people our age. <frown> She still looked great in them, I'm not disputing that, but it did always bother me. <shrugs> Good luck to you in the quest to find clothes you can wear, I regret to hear you must be on it.

Stephen: Nice pic of you and Heather, thanks for posting it. Congrats on winning her parents' approval, I too remember being nervous when I met Kit's folks. But that meeting also went well, of course. :) Interestingly enough, her father told us pretty much the same thing Heather's told you and her- he approved of me, but gave us a sermon on not rushing things. I think we've pretty much fulfilled that wish so far. I remember her mom smiled at me when we met and said, "So this is Doug" in a very pleased tone. That was also gratifying. :) Hope your happiness continues, and that Kit and I can sample some of that pizza you mentioned someday. I bet it's great.

Lain: I like your friend Nadia's outfit and mannerisms. <grins, then notices Kit glaring at him and adopts a less emotional look> Hope she comes in here more often. Best of luck to you and Valentine, since you seem to be somewhat more than friends. Thanks for posting those bits from your mom's diary, they're so full of meaning I think the works of many professional writers pale in comparison. Your mom was truly a wonderful person, and loved you very much. Condolences once again on losing her. <sigh> Like Kit, I'm sure she's proud of you, wherever she is now. So you need not get depressed now, y'hear? <grin> Despair is never a good thing. And besides, you still have a large part of life ahead of you in which to become the person you want to be. You don't have to get things right from the start, otherwise life wouldn't be the great and wonderful journey it is. Here's hoping that you'll continue to learn from your experiences, and learn to be happy one day. Thanks very much for sharing those bits with us so we too can learn what your mom had to impart. <clasps hand> Thanks for all the bits of knowledge too. All are interesting, and none are useless. There is no knowledge that is not power. <grin>

Winterwolf: Thanks for the encouragement, it's valued. Congrats on getting out of your old job at the right time. On my dad, well, it's not so much that he's distant, it's that he's egotistical and inconsiderate of others' perspectives and opinions. He also doesn't think about the possible consequences of his words and actions a lot. For example, when I got my car I asked him for help getting approval for the loan with a co-signing, and he said no, saying I was making a mistake going into debt and so on. He also chided me about the 20 year-old car I was replacing, which had broken down. Really got me angry at him. I went ahead and got the car I have now on my own, as you know. Three months later, I found out Dad intended for me to do that, because he knew I could and wanted me to act with confidence in myself. If he had just told me that, and not made all the complaints about my mistakes, I probably never would have been angry at him. <sigh> Good intentions, bad method. And if he knows that, he refuses to admit it. :( This is just one example of what has caused Dad and me to be at odds. There's also what he thinks of me buying a house in Austin- he says I shouldn't get myself tied down at this age like that, that I should look for the most lucrative opportunity and go where it is. I don't want to do that, he doesn't understand. Dad also won't even tell me where he's put my paternal grandparents, who both have Alzheimer's and about whom I am constantly worried. Yeah, they don't remember who I am now, according to Dad, but I still love them and have very good memories of time spent with them. I want to know they're doing alright, and he refuses to tell me any more than that they have Alzheimer's and don't even remember who they are most of the time. :( I don't think Dad likes Kit much either. <sigh> Oh well, Enzo likes her and Mom has grown to, and they're the ones that count. I'll deal with Dad somehow, maybe we'll make up eventually. Part of me hopes so at least. Thank you for caring enough to say the words you have, I'll keep them in mind the next time Dad and I speak.

Valentine: Like I said above, good luck to you and Lain. Good luck also with getting back to your fanfic. I often wish my own creativity demons would come back to me, hope they do soon. 1984 was indeed a repressive book, I remember being horrified by it when I read it. Confused also. I do agree that it's a classic, but IMO Orwell needed some major coaching on plot development and expressing human emotion through his characters. Although in many cases lack of emotion was probably what he intended to get across…Hmm.

Daniel Johnson: Doug was quite entertained by your post in the third person. He hopes you will learn to enjoy being hyper, and wishes you good luck in all that's going on in your life. :) He is also glad that your mother is doing well, and regrets to hear that you sometimes feel guilty about what you're doing for her, but agrees that such emotions are unfortunately all too human. :(

Mary: <sighs at the bad news> Sorry to hear about your break-up. I wish there was something I could do, but I honestly don't know what to say to best comfort you other than it's probably for the best and you'll find the right person sooner or later, good luck. Not enough, I know. :( I'm confident you'll get your happiness back eventually, just have to wait and stay hopeful and confident in yourself and the world. Hope the pain soon passes. If you need a friend to help with it, you know where to come. <fluffs up the couch in readiness and sets out a piece of cyber-cake>

**TV SHOW SPOILERS**
Simpsons was way too dumb and predictable this week, Kit's already said why. There were a couple of funny moments, though, and the letter to Lisa was touching. <sighs> Enjoyed X-Files, they had some more good antagonists and another interesting plot. Doggett and Scully continue to be good partners with an interesting and entertaining relationship onscreen. Good development on them this week too. Buffy's new episode featured some very nice development on Willow and Anya, and the season's second most hilarious villain IMO, first being Harmony (Spike doesn't really count). Also laughed out loud at the scene with Anya driving ("Get ready, I'm stepping on the small pedal. I expect us to accelerate." :) and Xander's confrontations with the troll, who had some nice well-written dialogue and a cool costume to match the laughs he sparked. Enjoyed his fights with Buffy and the gang. I agree with Kit that some of the acting seemed fake this week, but that will soon change I'm sure. The plot flowed well, and there was another more-than-decent script. It could have done without all the emphasis on Willow's gayness and Buffy's thinking about life as a nun (they could have established her sadness over losing Riley better IMO if they'd left that out), but otherwise it was great. Very nice foreshadowing at the end with Dawn eavesdropping, I can hardly wait to see what develops when she finds out her true nature, and how she'll react to it. I also can't help but worry that the Watcher's Council is going to do something bothersome now that it knows what Buffy's currently up against. Will wait and see what happens next. :)
**SPOILERS OVER, BACK TO REPLIES. BUT FIRST END PART 1 OF POST**

Doug - [DougElder21@yahoo.com]
Friday, January 12, 2001 01:58:15 AM
IP: pool-63.52.168.130.dlls.grid.net

I'm back!

Earlier today in speech class, we where talking about how many college football players want to be paid for playing. I said "I don't know alot about sports so I don't think I'm qualifified to offer an opinion. But it is my understanding that athletic scholarships are how colleges compensate their players, and being aid was the idea behind pro organizations like the NFL."

Suddenly, most of the guys in the classroom was giving me a sour look.

"That's a completly logical statement," said our instructer, "that's why it doesn't fly."

"..."

Winterwolf: <<Now before you just go it's probably good to talk some more about it and let your family know you've made up your mind. >> I've been trying to do that for nearly four years. I'm afraid that they'll just have to learn that I have a life of my own. I've been going to college for nearly two years largly to keep them happy. Of course the college credit is good for going toward a higher enlisted rank. I'd like to go to boot sometime this semester so I don't have to go home to my parents so they can degrade me by calling me lazy, crazy, and unmotivated, and then have to get some shit job that sucks the life and spirit out of me.

Last summer, my Dad's sister got me a job at the Iowa Department Of Transportation as an agreggate technichian, testing roadbuilding materials. But first I had go through a week of training and a couple of test to become certified. I was under a lot of pressure from my parents who where contantly criticizing me, my sleeping schedule had changed and I was very nervous, so I had a lot of trouble staying awake during class. And I was having a lot of trouble understanding the text and the complex math problem that the job required, which was also very discouraging. So I failed the second test and the instructers did not have a good opinion of me. My parents where furious and said I had let my aunt down. The accused me of everything from being lazy to being on drugs. They brought up all sorts of bad things from my past, especially during High School and how introverted I was. And on a particulary stressful day when they were stressing me out to the edge of a nervous breakdown, they accusd me of being psychotic. They kept reminding me of how I "screwed up a good thing."

A couple weeks latter I got a job in the Outgoing Sales department at MCIworldCom (you know, those annoying bastards who call you up to sell calling plans that you really don't need). The job was tough and I never really caught on, not making more than 2 or 3 sales per day compared to the 8 to 30 sales that others made, but I knew I couldn't quit or be fired. I wasn't able to exercise very often, either. Not only my reputation as a worker was at stake, I was affraid what my parents would do. About two months after being hired, a bay supervisor came to my desk and said that if I didn't improve real soon, she would have me fired. This, combined with the stress I already had at home and at work, I eventually broke down and took an extended break. Pretty pathitic, huh? Not exactly an uncommon occurence in this sort of business, and I did decide to hang around longer that many other in my training class, but sobbing in front of your co-workers isn't something to be proud of. Never told my parents about that. The next day I got off early by going home sick and the next day when I arrived at work, our bay supervisor said I was being "let go." Stingy little Chihuahua-looking f-ck didn't let me finish working that day. At first I was worried what my parents would do, but the weren't that upset. My sophmore year of college was starting in 3 weeks anyways so I just stayed away from home by execised at my old high school gym.

So here I am...
Grrrr... Screw my parents, Screw their media fed paranoia, and Screw the DOT!

And come to think of it, Screw everyone else. ; )

Tim Phipps
Friday, January 12, 2001 01:16:26 AM
IP: wsc0051.wsc.edu

**A black smooth nine foot tall monolith appears and Winterwolf steps out**

Hi! That is the only way to travel! Travel by mysterious monolith. ;)

Getting back to the issue of cost on gasoline verses any other fuel it's a little tough to compete with an industry that receives billions in the last decade alone. It is important to recognize that subsidies have been provided to the oil industry since the 1920s. These subsidies include the percentage depletion allowance, expensing of exploration and development costs, the enhanced oil recovery credit, accelerated depreciation, deep water drilling royalty relief and others.

Gunjack> I think the core game is similar but more rules have been imposed on mech creation making it stricter on the placement of weapons and more inline with the table top game version it is based on. Also there have been some changes in piloting which make it really allows for a more frenzied game pace. I don't think I saw anything new in weaponry but I really haven't given it much time yet so there could be some new ones.

Emambu> School life is attacking you already? Oh the horror! Best of luck to you. Make it stop or at least hope you can whip it into shape. Sounds like that car needs to be whipped into shape too. It brings back memories of my fist car that was riddled with problems of it's own. Now I walk most places and just take the train to work. Speaking of walking I'm all healed now. Come on and try and tackle me into the snow just watch out the female winterwolf will get very upset if she doesn't know were playing and pounce! ~_^ Now what's wrong with a cutie 5' 2" or thereabouts? I'm not that much bigger now! Plus it makes hugging sweeter IMO and easier to sweep her off her feet! ^_^

Caliope> Hey Cali! **FUZZY HUGZ** You didn't give me any extra hugs! :( <female winterwolf> You missed the misses? ;P Oh there go some more cheezy puns! If you want to see her, click on my name. That link will take you to see her. ;) <was that part under the top 5 list for me> Yes it was! You wanted to know what you said! But it is nice to talk to yourself sometimes. J/K Less fights that way! ROFL ;D <snow> You should stop by in the winter. I'll take you to my winter wonderland. Umm that's just to see snow! ^_~ <female winterwolf> Aww don't be concerned about her. We're just friends at the moment. **FURRY HUGZ** Okay? ;P

Green Baron> So true on oil. This season has really thrown an evil wrench in the works on Natural Gas. I'll have to keep an eye on how this works out.

Kyryn> Thanks. She's a very talented one. Got the perfect cute anime type look to it. Now you know what we look like! LOL

XenaTrek> Welcome back! The place just isn't the same without you. I hope you get your hearing dog ASAP! :)

Dreamie> Funny. Very Funny! I suppose next you'll be probing people and having them take you to their leader? :D

Yggdrasil> <subterranean pipeline> I'm interested in seeing how this develops. Good point on spill containment. <Fuels> I think Hydrogen would be excellent in so many ways. The only thing is that its going to require the most technical innovations. So I'm looking to it as a long term down the road solution. I think one of the nice things for the short term is we can at least mix several of the other alternatives or have hybrid vehicles with gasoline to at least lower the dependency. This mixing typically lowers emissions and in many cases enhances vehicle performance.

******BFTS RP******

**AD** Need more cash? Want to make money fast? Sell all you organs to the Human Fund. We won't wait for you to kick the bucket we'll take them all on the spot and pay you big money by check that we send out in the mail! Once you endorse it and bring it to your bank you will be rich. Please note checks take 4 - 8 weeks for delivery. **AD**

As the fireball streaks straight at DPH Frost weakens it by creating frozen orbs that snuff out part of the fire and Winterwolf launches DPH into the air with a gale force wind and land safely in a pile of soft snow far away from where the weakened fireball strikes.
"Are you okay?" Winterwolf asks DPH.
DPH nods and gets up.
"NO!!" NCA furious decides to use more strategy in his attacks. Using a special technique he casts multiple spells seemingly simultaneously. NCA covers the area in complete magical darkness. He chemically alters the air reducing the oxygen content to asphyxiate his enemies. He causes energy bolts, fireballs and massive boulders to rain down on the area. "You will all die!" He laughs and goes to retrieve the osmium.

Has NCA finally won?

******END BFTS RP******

Good night! I should be sleeping already! Better park the monolith where I got it!

**Winterwolf enters the monolith and after a moment it vanishes without a trace**

Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@wildmail.com]
Bronx, NY
Friday, January 12, 2001 12:37:42 AM
IP: 206.15.120.82

Well, you'd think that on my day off I'd find some time to read the CR, but noooo...

I'll try to catch up tomorrow...er...this morning if I don't sleep too late. ;)

'Night all.

Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Thursday, January 11, 2001 11:44:00 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

Hello to all

Not much to say tonight. Just want to make my presence felt.

On the post of Oberon vs. Magneto, I am going to have to side with Oberon. To me the wide variety of powers that Oberon has exhibited would far outweigh any advantage that magneto would have. Besides all he would need to do is scream SLEEP!!! SLEEP !!! SLEEP !!! and it would be all over.

Winterwolf: Interesting point about the pipeline. The problem with a subterranean pipeline in the arctic resides in the permafrost. You are correct it makes its construction and upkeep horribly expensive, but on the bright side any spill would not have much penetration.

Alternative Fuels: Interesting ideas; Currently my money's on Hydrogen. I mean this literally, I'm heavily invested in Ballard Fuel Cells. Obviously I would be overjoyed if the H fuel cell were to become the new standard, but I would be pleased with any change from today’s level of emissions.
The best option, in my opinion would be solar power. The reasons for this stance should be obvious but there is limitation to solar power that we may never be able to fix in our lifetimes. It all has to do with our planets natural defenses. The Earth's magnetic field and the atmosphere do a superb job of removing many of the high energy EM rays produced in our sun as well as from background radiation. This is good for life because high-energy rays include X-Rays, Gamma rays and UV Radiation. The presence of these types of radiation are known to be hazardous to human health, so it's good that they are stopped. It is bad for solar energy because the most energetic light never has a glance to power the device. This is why pure solar cars are not practical. Have you ever seen a purely solar car. They are one big solar cell. For reference the solar car at Queens University cost over 3 million to develop and build and costs about 1 million per year for insurance. I don't know but for now I’ll stick with my Chrysler.

Wow looks like I did have a bit to say. Goodnight.

Yggdrasil - [eng050599@hotmail.com]
Ontario, Canada
Thursday, January 11, 2001 11:09:12 PM
IP: proxy1-external.ktchnr1.on.home.com

Hey everyone, how are you doing? Sorry I havn't been here, never had the chance to get on-line. I recently got fed up with not knowing what's going on in the world so I broke down and got a TV and cable. Movies, CNN, Voyager, and more! It's all mine HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..HA..HA!

Later.

Jaden - [jaden12@hotmail.com]
Thursday, January 11, 2001 11:08:49 PM
IP: 211.237.77.49

Todd: Yep, that was Klarion. Or as he's known in the comics ...
Klarion ... bum bum BUUUUM ... the Witch Boy.

Coyote the Bando
Thursday, January 11, 2001 10:12:42 PM
IP: 216.28.101.18

Not to mention Emrys versus the nasty wizard-kid in the Etrigan episode of "New Batman/Superman Adventures" (Klarion was his name, wasn't it?)
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, January 11, 2001 10:08:02 PM
IP: 216.87.46.160.dialup-stl.primary.net

<Dreamie bounds into the CR>
Hello again! I hope everyone is well ^_^
Now, on to replies and irreverence…

lain:<< The right is said to control creativity and artistic endeavours while the left is said to rule mathematics and other (supposedly :P) logical activities. However, it is the left that is associated with evil and the devil, therefore all things logical must inherently be evil as well.>>
Well as stated before since each side of the brain regulates the opposite side of the body, it could be equally said that Creative and artistic activities are just as evil as their logical counterparts. Theologically it could be said logical thought in the brain (since it’s the left side) is evil, while creative thought expressed by the body(left side) is evil, or vis versa. Either way is gives new reason to why Ned Flanders owns the Leftorium.

Welcome Back Steven! You know, I say everyone should have one of those computer-shaped voodoo dolls to take their aggression out on. ~_^

Kit to GXB: <<Making her walk home in the snow I get, but why naked? <shakes head> >> O.O Now that’s one heck of a snowangel!

<<lain wanders to Green Baron…>> How cute <smirks at the two> ^_^

Christine: Wow, congrats on the Writer’s Digest review!

Cali:<< naw I think there were SOME good guys, I dont remember how many, i read it a LONG time ago. >> Keep your eyes open, they show up when you least expect it.
<< Texas or Scotland?>> Shawn Michaels and Mel Gibson? <wicked grin>

Welcome back Lady Corax <grins and waves>

Emambu:<< Monolith: Someone's got a really good sense of humor. :) Thanks to Dreamie for bringing that up!>>Aw thanks…<blushes> it was my pleasure. BTW, how’s it going?

Warpmind:<< *Smirk* So, what's the update on the Mysterious Monolith? ]:) >>
Winterwolf:<< I haven't seen any more info on the Monolith. Any Seattle residents out there know anything? Are you guys hiding it now! ;P >> Ask and thou shall receive! Here’s the latest from a few days ago….

Saturday, January 6, 2001
--Monolith handed to Parks Dept.--
ASSOCIATED PRESS and KIRO 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS
SEATTLE -- A 9-foot-tall monolith that has been appearing mysteriously around the city since the new year began has been moved once again.
This time, the artists who say they created it have retrieved it from an island in the middle of Green Lake and handed it over to the city Parks Department. The Parks Department plans to reinstall it on Kite Hill in Magnuson Park, where it first appeared on Monday.
The steel slab, which recalled the ominously humming and occasionally shrieking central icon in the 1968 movie "2001: A Space Odyssey," had disappeared from Magnuson Park by daybreak Wednesday.

It appeared at Duck Island in Green Lake on Thursday.
Members of "Some People" stepped forward to say the monolith was their creation. But they say they have no idea who schlepped the metal rectangle to Green Lake, several miles from Magnuson Park.
Seattle artist Caleb Schaber, 27, said the 15 members of Some People spent several months planning the monolith project. They raised money, hired a builder and made plans to erect it on Kite Hill on New Year's Eve.
The slab measures about 9 feet tall, 4 feet wide and 1 foot thick.

--Park's Monolith Saga Takes Another Twist--
January 8, 2001
By KOMO Staff
SEATTLE - The bomb's been banned, but the monolith's still coming back.
That's the latest twist in the saga of public sculpture at Magnuson Park.
Sunday morning, a 1,000-pound non-explosive practice bomb was sticking out of the ground on the park's Kite Hill. That's where the 9-foot monolith -- in honor of the icon in the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" -- first appeared on New Year's Day, before it was hijacked to Duck Island in Green Lake Park.
Now, Seattle Parks Department officials removed the bomb Monday afternoon, and are keeping it in storage for the unknown artist to reclaim.
They're still planning to reinstall the monolith, and are working on a support structure for it. It may go back up sometime next week.
The monolith is the creation of loosely organized artists group called Some People.
------

So I guess you could say the monolith was moved by “Some *other* people”

Winterwolf:<< You seem to be good at vanishing without a trace yourself. Are you hiding in that monolith by any chance?>> O.O <gasp> He knows….<whispers low into her watch> Personal note, relocate mother ship…

Here’s another thought provoking news item…

--Mystery product is hot topic in science community--
Scott Engler
Published January 11, 2001 9:37 AM PST
SEATTLE -- It's code name is "It" or "Ginger" and it's the talk of the science world. It has wowed some of the biggest names in technology.
But is it hype or fact. A great promotion or the dawning of a new era in technology. And more important, what the heck is it?
Here's what we know: a writer named Steve Kemper wrote a proposal for book deal about a revolutionary new invention code-named "it" or Ginger. But the catch is, he couldn't tell anybody what it was.
What he could tell them was that a famous inventor named Dean Kamen had come up with a device he said would "profoundly affect our environment and the way people live worldwide."
He demonstrated the device to Apple's Steve Jobs and Amazon's Jeff Bezos. Bezo's said it "is a product so revolutionary, you'll have no problem selling it. The question is, are people going to be allowed to use it?"
Jobs said, "If enough people see the machine you won't have to convince them to architect cities around it. It'll just happen."
Here are some other things to ponder as we play the “What's It?” game. Don't forget Damon worked with gyroscopes on his last project and flies a helicopter on his way to work. Which would point to a flying machine. And Ginger was the name of a chicken that wanted to learn how to fly in the movie “Chicken Run.” And then there's this:
A personal transportation device damon patented in 1995. We took this information and headed to the science fiction writing community for answers.
Kelly Eskridge says, “I have this vision of a pair of big anti-gravity boots and a little stool on a stick that you can pilot around the streets by yourself.”
Nicola Griffith says, “You just throw it on the floor at a thimble full of water and voomf! There it goes you climb and wap! The next thing you know you're in Karachi.”
Greg Bear says, “You got two little ducting fans that are lifting you up about three inches along the pavement and you're going to be scooting along on this thing.”
We won't know for sure what it is until 2002, Kamen says he won't reveal his new invention before that because he doesn't want large corporations stealing his idea. And there's always the possibility that the invention It or Ginger, doesn't exist at all.
Copyright © 2001, KCPQ-TV, Seattle
------

Hum…What a noodle scratcher *this* story is… Any guesses? If I were Karmen I’d reveal it to be a glass of water, glitter and a stirring stick. Yes that’s right ladies and gents, your very own treki teleportation device! ^_^

Gside: <<"Lethologica" means not being able to remember the word you want. >>Hum… I wonder if there’s a word for when you can’t remember the word for being unable to remember a word.
<<<<Goliath in his loincloth, or Sevarius in a clingy green dress?>>: But what if Goliath's loincloth was lilac tie dyed in front and cow print in back? >> As long as it’s a small loincloth, I don’t believe I’d care either way. ^_^

Welik:<< Cool, I blew his mind! ;P >> I really don’t think you want to be admitting…oh nevermind. >:)

Niamhgold:<< Guess I should register for the art show now, huh? Procrastination is my favorite enemy...bwhahahaha.... >> I could always “take care” of that enemy for you. <winks> There’s no way I’d let anyone miss out on your work, it’s absolutely fabulous!!

<waves and bounds back out> ^_^

Dreamie
Thursday, January 11, 2001 09:42:55 PM
IP: ac8f1179.ipt.aol.com

This topic's always fun. Here are my contributions. I think all of these would make interesting matches.

>>>>Gargoyles vs. Anybody We Can Think Of<<<<
D.C. (Mostly Batman characters)
Brooklyn vs Nightwing
Sata vs Shiva
Macbeth vs Deathstroke the Terminator
Elisa and Matt vs The Joker and Harley Quinn
Chavez vs Gordon (in scrabble or something)
The Twins vs Robin and Spoiler at Hide and Seek

Marvel
Goliath vs Captain America
Dr Strange vs Oberon
Lexington vs Spiderman
Xanatos vs Ironman
Bronx vs Lockjaw
Loki vs Loki
(Ok, I did the whole gag just so I could put that one at the end. So sue me)

David G - [david_goodner@yahoo.com]
Arlington, TX, USA
Thursday, January 11, 2001 09:36:24 PM
IP: adsl-65-65-208-12.dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net


Okay, how's this for fight-to-a-draw?:

Detective Zeke Stone vs Rogue {movie}..?

{imo, Stone'd win over Wolverine and Sabertooth easy}.

comments? rebuttals?

Rodlox
Thursday, January 11, 2001 08:46:48 PM
IP: proxy2-external.owml1.md.home.com

Oh yeah, and we're both on MSMessenger, too.
Gunjack Valentine
Thursday, January 11, 2001 08:38:32 PM
IP: 216-146-184-197.bwn.net

***********TIME SENSITIVE PLEASE ACT FAST********
If ANYONE knows how to work ICQ, specifically tracking IPs(?) PLEASE contact me or Lain RIGHT NOW or ASAP. My ICQ is 104039324. If you don't know about ICQ but know someone who does, please contact em... Thanks...

Gunjack Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Thursday, January 11, 2001 08:35:41 PM
IP: 216-146-184-197.bwn.net

*Lynati Again, looking very happy*

***Useless Fact ];)***
Not that anyone really cares, but I discovered something today that I just HAVE to post...
Warpmind has one of THE sexiest given names I have ever heard. (And if ya don't know it, I ain't telling.)
***End useless Fact ];)***

lain: yer welcome. ^_^ wet? water? huh? oh, just e-mail me. And no, if you've sent anything to me at my snailmail address, I won't even be in that State until the 21rst.

Warpmind: I was all set to write you a nice big letter, and then hotmail starts too kick me of the internet entirely whenever I go to write. I'll try again tomorrow. So until then; Sweet dreams. :) *smooches*

To keep up the trend (And because I really like this song)...

"I've lived a long life, and now I'm looking back
it's the end of the road, the laststop on the track
and I smile as I think of my true love once more,
she's the light of my life...the one I adore

Chorus
She...she was the prize
the prettiest girl with the loveliest eyes,
She...she was the prize
Shiny black hair and those lovely...lovely brown eyes

I met her one night at the Harvest Fair dance
Ilonged for a whisper, I hoped for a glance
then she turned and she smiled, and I melted away
and I knew I'd be with her 'til my dying day!
Chorus
We stood on the cliffs and we walked hand in hand;
we threw stones in the waves, we drew hearts in the sand.
Without warning clouds rolled in and blackened the sun;
and when they rolled out, my Light, she was gone...
Chorus
I've shed all my tears and I've said my goodbyes
now I'll lay myself down where my pretty girl lies
and when I awake,I'll be on earth no more
...I'll be dancing a jig with the girl I adore!"

Gaelic Storm, "She was the prize"

Hey, can someone out there with the knowledge and the spare time track down what the translation of the Chorus of this song is?

*Lynati Exits, brandishing a jar of jam and motioning to Warpmind...*
Lynati
Thursday, January 11, 2001 08:19:30 PM
IP: 207.226.219.47

Todd Jensen> I'd still say Oberon. I doubt he'd fight the homo superior in a place where there is iron nearby.
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Thursday, January 11, 2001 08:06:15 PM
IP: adsl-64-165-17-159.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Milady Corax: **sits down and eats some more pizza with her**
You're right, propane does have to be pressurized for it to be safely carried, which is why hi-los and other industrial trucks use the pressurized cylinders for fuel tanks. Propane is also much more volatile than gasoline, and additionally costs a large amount more (have you ever had a barbecue propane tank refilled? Around here the service usually costs approximately $25 for a three gallon can.).
Right now ... and hear me out on this ... the one clean fuel that has the best infrastructure for refueling and most affordability, believe it or not, is diesel fuel. Hybrid diesel/electric cars are being developed (Jeep had a concept a few years ago called the Commander which was a diesel/electric), diesels tend to have much better fuel economy and emissions (by their nature, the emissions of diesel vehicles are heavier than air, so rather than rising into the atmosphere it sinks to the ground), and are awesome as far as torque goes. But then you have the downside ... diesel engines are more expensive to start off with (despite diesel fuel normally costing equal to midgrade unleaded), they always smell like diesel, are incredibly loud, and when they break down *they* *break* *down.* Diesel mechanics are much different from gasoline mechanics, as well, so if you know how to work on a gasoline engine (like me), you're completely lost when confronted with a diesel.

**stays with Lady Corax and happily chats up some more with her**

Coyote the Bando - [gathering_motor_city_2004@hotmail.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Thursday, January 11, 2001 07:44:52 PM
IP: 216.28.101.18

While we're at it, how about Magneto vs. Oberon? (I don't think that the prospects would be too good for Oberon, given that iron is affected by magnetism).
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, January 11, 2001 07:43:20 PM
IP: 216.87.46.148.dialup-stl.primary.net

Todd> Ace can beat Bronx. DPH> Silversurfer can beat Lobo
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Thursday, January 11, 2001 07:10:57 PM
IP: adsl-64-165-17-159.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

As promised, an extremely long post will come today.

**WORK RELATED**
Still no word about where my application is and no phone calls that would indicate a background is being performed.

Incompotence is everywhere, especially since some of the work currently being done here is being move to a new plant in another city, causing short-term problems. Dilbert would have a field day here because of all the potential material he could get.
**END WORK RELATED**

Lobo is from Superman/Batman Adventures. I would argue that Bruce Wayne has access to more 'toys', but would not even consider using most of them.

This may sound like a dumb question, but when I was in high school, we were told by a certain year, there would be no more oil available. Is there a time where we can say without dispute we will run out of oil? If so, when is that projected date?

Gside - did I mention everything in my private collection has limits imposed only by the nature of the device? if a conventional jack hammer should fail, I could always pull out a non-conventional one.

Ultimate weapon - Actually, I was thinking about a temporal teleporter/replicator. Conviently arrange for your opponents to develop some disease that affects the mind just before they would start a rebellion through the use of temporal teleportation.

**BFTS RP continues**
*AD*
Tired of working for a boss that is so much smarter than you? Go to work at Xolem. We guarantee that if you have average or above average intelligence, you will be as smart or smarter than your boss.
*END AD*
Jason Filler asked Connect, "What do I do?".

Connect replied, "Just let me take control."

Quickly, Connect destroyed the energy wall and NCA looked stunned.

"How is that possible for you to do that?" asked NCA.

Without thinking, Jason replies, "for me to know and you to guess."

NCA glares for a moment and says, "No, it can't be. You acquired Connect's powers. You (pointing at DPH) did this and shall pay dearly."

NCA launches a giant fireball (bigger than DPH) at DPH.
**END BFTS RP for now**

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Thursday, January 11, 2001 06:57:11 PM
IP: max1-43.cwy.cei.net

k guys, I need some serious help here..
Someone I know just had their band's Email account password stolen and changed by some freak that lives at ICQ# 103804169 and he can now read all her personal mail AND send stuff to her record company..

is there any way anyone knows that you can either find out a)where he is or b) what the password has been changed to?

lain
Thursday, January 11, 2001 06:26:10 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Hi ya'll. Sabledrake's back. Cool. Quarterly. Hmm... Let's see.
February -- romance -- Got it, cool little short story I wrote back in college instead of taking notes one day.
May -- action -- Have to think about that one. Shouldn't be too hard.
August -- villainy -- This one's easy, since I have a habit of writing from the POV of the antagonist. I have a couple of good short stories and a way cool article for the Tremere in Vampire: the Masquerade.
November -- myth & magic -- Or maybe I should use the article here. It's so hard to decide. I have a good Myth & Magic short story, too.

When's the February submission deadline? I'll probably have to find that story on hardcopy and type it in.

David G. - [david_goodner@yahoo.com]
Arlington, TX, USA
Thursday, January 11, 2001 06:00:33 PM
IP: adsl-65-65-208-12.dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net

**Lady Corax is still sitting at the Tea Table of Peace, sipping a Pepsi and eating pizza with Coyote.**

Coyote> Nah, of course I don't mind! Please, help yerself to the pizza! **hands him a slice with a smile**

Alternative fuels debate> I agree with Coyote on the this...I don't think many people are going to go for hybrid cars right away. And ethanol is basically out, in my opinion, because of the NOx emissions. I don't know much about methanol, but propane seems to work well, except for the fact that I think the fuel tank has to be pressurized in order to hold propane, or something (correct me if I'm wrong please!). I personally like the idea of the hybrid cars, if they can just get them to have a longer range and more power.

On the subject of fuels, has anyone ever been to a drag race where a car is using race gas with those cool additives in it that makes the exhaust smell like certain things? It's so cool to have a car zoom by you on the track, and then you smell root beer! Spiffy root beer scented race gas...**drifts off into daydream mode**

Lady Corax
Thursday, January 11, 2001 05:27:34 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

Not much time to post, since I was supposed to start the day's modelling hours ago. Instead, I watched Al Pacino's "Looking For Richard". To anyone interested in Shakespeare or conniving, bloodthirsty villians (Wilek, this means YOU), go see it ASAP. It's likt all the good parts of Shakespeare, with none of the bad. And it has Kevin Spacey in it, so there's another reason.

Christine><<May -- action>> Heh. You don't say... <<But what we're REALLY looking for is people willing to take on columnist gigs, just four times a year, not too demanding, whaddaya say?>> Sounds interesting... Any requirements for the columnists to be attuned to the outside world?

Just pulled my Industrial Bowie out of the steelbox today... I'd almost forgotten how much fun REALLY BIG knives are. Especially homemade ones. Practical Art!

Many years ago, when I was in my prime
I courted bonnie Ailie, around the harvest time
I courted her so well, that she said she would be mine
and I won my darling Ailie

And as we were a'wakin', along the golden sand
She'd sweetly talk, and she'd hold me by the hand
she'd look into my eyes, oh it made me feel so grand
To be with my darling Ailie

Doin through the glen, where the wild eagles fly
Down to the place, where my bonnie lassie lies
I brush away the tears, as they flood into my eyes
As I think of my darling Ailie...

My life is fading now, with each falling grain of sand
soon I must go, to a far and distant land
I hope that once I'm there, I'll again hold the hand
Of my own dear darling Ailie

Down to the glen, where the pines they grow tall
There I'll lay down, and await the angel's call
For all I want to do, is to die after all
And be with you, my darling Ailie

I strolled the heather, on the side o' the hill
Where I'd go walking, with my Ailie McGill
I loved her then, and how I love her still
How I miss you, my darling Ailie
-Ed Miller "Darling Ailie"

Keep safe, people...

Gunjack Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Thursday, January 11, 2001 05:16:29 PM
IP: 216-146-184-218.bwn.net

**jumps in briefly**

XenaTrek: Ah HA! There ye be, girl!! **hugs** I already told ya I'd be happy to help ya get the money. :)

lain: Hmm ... why does "Meditation" sound so familiar? Oh yeah, I remember, I played a tenor saxophone arrangement of it while I was in college. Very nice piece.

**slips back out after quickly waving to Lady Corax**

Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Thursday, January 11, 2001 04:39:20 PM
IP: 216.28.101.18

wow.. was hugged by Lynati *feels special and wears big grin*

Lynati>> thanks for the bear hat!! (what is lain without the bear hat??) I have been worried about you lately, everything swimming to water that is wet? *more hugs* did you ever get that Christmas card I sent you, BTW??

oooooo my violin student just started practicing next door!!!! *is super excited!!!!! must haul out own instrument someday* haven't played since mum died..

Valentine>> that reminds me.. I also used to be able to play the Sleepy Maggie song on the violin.. er.. fiddle.. and took lessons from McIssac's teacher (who is also crazy) :)
for other snazzy music, check Napster for Seinn o and E Horo by MJ Lamond, Andy Renwick's Ferrit by Ashley McIssac (celtic meets grunge.. heh), Amazing Things and/or Recovery by Runrig, I Love the Trees by NOMOS (don't be surprised if it isn't there) Still Running by Susan.. erm.. that's all for now.. :) Tell me if you can't find any of them and I shall send them.

Green Baron>> what?? you are not a romantic?? PIFFLE!!! next you'll be bringing me flowers.. and no, my favourite is NOT roses.. :P *curls up tightly against the Baron, grateful for warm safe snuggles* I just tease you all the time cause you make me nervous, you know that?? I hope so. *kisses his palm and presses it to her heart, lowering eyes so that he won't see..*

*goes to closet and hauls out very out-of-tune violin, tunes it (that e-string needs some help..) and begins to play "medidation" from Thais..

lain
Thursday, January 11, 2001 04:14:39 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

GB > thanks for helping her out! And me too, for that matter. ::hug::

Emamby > I'll be looking forward to seeing it!

Guandalug > ::sheepish grin:: sorry ... am too prolific for my own good!

ANNOUNCEMENT -- Sabledrake Returns!
Yes indeedy, it's true ... our hiatus turned out to be only one short month in duration. Thanks to an upswing in attention (reviews and an upcoming listing in Writer's Digest, no less!), Tim and I have decided to bring Sabledrake back in a revised, quarterly format beginning in February (had to offset it from AvMists, which is in March <g>). So, the themes will be as follows:
February -- romance
May -- action
August -- villainy
November -- myth & magic
We are now most eagerly accepting submissions of fantasy and sci-fi themed short stories, poems, artwork, game-related articles, and reviews. But what we're REALLY looking for is people willing to take on columnist gigs, just four times a year, not too demanding, whaddaya say? Contact me for more info! Also click, or go to http://www.sabledrake.com/magazine.htm for previous issues and guidelines.

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Thursday, January 11, 2001 04:05:54 PM
IP: 05-037.075.popsite.net

Ouchies I woke up with this big nasty bruise on my lower back calf. I'm always getting mysterious bruises

Gues what happened yesterday. After Scriptwriting class I came home to find a nice cardboard box...It was my Anime YAY. This shipment included tapes 3 and 4 of Rayearth2 3 and 4 of Fushigi Yugi and the final three tapes ofthe Slayers seasone one

Yay!

Spacebabie
Orlando, Fl, U.S.A
Thursday, January 11, 2001 04:00:24 PM
IP: user-37kapeo.dialup.mindspring.com

*Lynati Enters*

Hmmm...usually, I don't like country music, but it seems that childhood nostalgia has made the country-ish flavor in certain folk songs palatable enough to like. Or maybe it's situational...but I have recently found myself repeatedly listening to Mary Chaplain Carpenter's "Something of a Dreamer" on one of the old mix tapes. (An Omen, perhaps?) Nrrrr...

Gunjack: Cheryl Wheeler, "Estate Sales". And it's more cute than it is funny. But still a good song.

lain: >hugged by lain.< *hugs back* Thanks. Good luck with feeling better, and the site, too. *Ties a little bonnet with bear ears on it onto lain's head to keep it warm.*

Warpmind: *deep breath* Gonna go check my e-mail now...

*Feeling full of cold and dread and other such things, Lynati Exits*
Lynati
Thursday, January 11, 2001 02:50:59 PM
IP: 207.226.219.74

*peeks in, and glances at calendar*

Wow! Can't believe its nearly a whole week since I've been in this room. Ack! I wonder if I've been missed? Then again, has anyone (minus Coyote and GB) noticed I've been missing? Hmmmm?

My cousin has driven down this way from Michigan last Friday and will be here until Tuesday. She's in a process of moving down to S. Florida for two things. She should have a better chance of getting her singing career up and running down here then she would in Michigan. And, the couple she's been house (actually dog) -sitting for has moved to Boca Raton. She checked out N. Miami Monday, and like me, was not very impressed w/ the housing. Today she's checking out West Palm Beach. She should have better luck w/ it. At the same time, if I can get a hold of some video equipment, I'm gonna work on my video production tactics and make more music videos for my career goal. :o) Thats the sum up of where I have been for the last week. Sorry about that.

GB: >> Got a copy of the letter for the donation you contributed. Thanks. I am now at about 10% of getting my hearing dog. Now gotta work on the other 90% (Grrrr... thats gonna take forever).

FYI: I believe I have mentioned it before, I have been approved for a hearing dog. A hearing dog is simular to a seeing eye dog, where a HD will listen for sounds that I am unable to hear, ie knock on the door, certain alarms, etc., The cost of obtaining and training of the dog is $5,000, the canidate is not obligated to pay any portion of the cost. The cost is contributed by fund raisings and/or donation. If anyone is interested in donating or are interesting in fund raising, please email me privately and I'll let you know how you can help.

Gotta run, I'll try to post again next week if not sooner.

XenaTrek - [ellislis@yahoo.com]
Orlando, FL
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:53:17 PM
IP: proxy2a.lmco.com

JAMES - I believe that the Lobo in question is the disreputable alien biker from "The New Batman/Superman Adventures".

As long as we're going for crossover showdowns, how about:

Bronx vs. Ace (Bruce Wayne's dog in "Batman Beyond").

[Personally, I think that it'd be a draw.]

Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:48:53 PM
IP: sys.slpl.lib.mo.us

...
Xena
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:36:50 PM
IP: proxy2a.lmco.com

*Warpmind enters, looking at Lynati with a concerned frown, slight beads of nervous sweat forming on his forehead.*
This could be Heaven or this could be Hell...

Lynati: I think you should check your e-mail.

Gunjack Valentine: Ah, THAT explains it... :) And the dodge was a buick apiece. ];)

Emambu: Touch-ups. The story's largely unchanged; just a few awkward phrases'n'stuff that have been modified.

Well, that just about concludes this post. *Sighs, glances at Lynati, pulling her back into the secluded corner for a long, long talk...*

Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:23:23 PM
IP: hume.ti.telenor.net

***Kyryn steps in.***

DPH> Actually they did a Punisher vs. Batman crossover a while back. I don't remember what happened in it, though.

G'side> <TGS application> No problem. We understand how RL can get.

Winterwolf> Very cool costume!

Later All!

***Kyryn disappears.***

Kyryn
Denton, TX
Thursday, January 11, 2001 11:31:45 AM
IP: exofw.aicpa.org

RP WARNING!!
**Garden District of New Orleans. 1134 First Street

Reverend Attila sits a table containing about $1 million worth of catnip as his face is buried in it. An alert is sounded and Attila takes his face out the catnip as his nose is now white like the powdered catnip. He looks into the screen to see Socks, Buddy, and some AFL-CIO goons as well as a few of Hillary's loyal troops. On another screen, four Teamsters and UAW thugs are next to his door, along with ten enforcers who are NEA.

Attila merely pulls out his miniature assault rifle and says, "Say hello to my little friend as he shoots at the door killing most of the Union thugs, except for a few Teamsters and Attila shoots them.

He comes out onto the staircase and starts firing at the other thugs, until only Buddy the Dog and a Hillary loyalist remain, so Attila pushes a button releasing P-Nut, the Forsyth lab who tears the loyalist apart and has a standoff with Buddy. Socks appears behind Attila, but Attila turns around.

"You thought you could get me old cat."
"Who you callin old, catnip nose?"
"Remove yoru gun."
"Only if you remove yours"
Attila and Socks emove their guns and start puffing up.
"Now, we finsih this. hisss!!!!"**
TO BE CONTINUED!!

Christine> I've been supplying Miss Towle with soem information on Gargoyles as well. She's even using one of your info sources, too :)

Winterwolf> I think we can get the resources responsibly. I don't liek how dependednt we are on OPECa nd I don't liek how much oil we consume. We are teh secodn largest producer of oil in teh world and if we were wiser iwth our oil, we could export it to Europe for 2/3 the price OPEC charges, but that's not likely, since we are so dependent on oil.

natural Gas si good, but the price is so high, because the deamnd has gone up and Sen. Domenici ahs mentiond that we may need to sue a few reosurces. I do support publci transportaion, but mainly because I only pay $55.00 a month and my insurance is easily 4x that if I drove in New Orleans. I am a cpaitalist first. I liek conservation, because to me, that is part of being a conservative.

Doug> I may visit Austin, but it amy take a while. My step-brotehr lives there,a nd hopefully SOROW will go to UT, so when I visit I can meet her as well :)

Yggdrasil> I know it's still legal in the world. It reassures me that it wouldn't pass today's tests. That says a lot to me about how much we improve over time. Humnaity seems to improve upon itself, only not as fast as we want.

Gside> Well, if the guy was Belgian. You have a case. Belgian bankers are also known as pirates. I think most of them have Dutch roots. Now those are some real crooks.

Niamhgold> ::hugs:: I can't help it. There's something about you I like :)

Caliope> I rent teh car. You drive. I don't have a liscence yet and I don't plan to drive until I turn 25 and get better insurance rates.

Welcome to the fray, Rowan.

Briana> I remember you, barely ;)

Nadia> Lian has warned me about you :)

Jannie> 95 degrees inside can be a problem, but I can deal with it. I think 80 is a great temperature for setting the air conditioner in the summer.

Gunjack> Neitzsche was a big inspriation to Hitler, but Hegel was to Fascism what marx was to Communism. Martin Luther also was a role-model to Hitler, because Luther was incredibly anti-semitic.

Goodfellas is good, but on the level of The Godfather

Niamhgold> Fluff Astrid. I don't knwo where that is from, but I have you added to my Yahoo Pager list.

Kaioto> Such is life. We are spoiled brats, but when the good tiems end and a crisis starts we will coem together. Thinsg are going too well and we have grown complacent. That is the price for good times.

Sevarius Jr.> I was wondeirng where you are. Are you as pissed as I am about the attack they did on Linda Chavez. It proves that Unions are not only a bunch of racist hypocrites, but they are also xenephobes who can't stand good deeds. I wish Ashcroft would have resigned and Linda would stay.

Kitainia> $Cromwell and Rosseau shall meet. Fanatical English Puritan versus Enlightened French prick. It should be amusing$

Lain> Yep. You know your Latin :)

<<lain wanders to Green Baron, who is sitting on the couch. Curling up beside him, lain puts her head in his lap and falls asleep..* >> ::kisses her forehead as she falls asleep, and Attila comes in to put a blanket over her so she'll be warm.::

Lynati> I am well. Ask Lain :)

Coyote> Alternative fuel is only more expensive in teh short-term. It is long-run situations that really matter, and if oil prices go up, demand will shift as people replace their cars.

Embabu> Yep. Econ Business is a different angle from PolySci.

RESUME RP!!
**Rage Against The machine is in rehearsal when Rosseau appears. He makes his presence known and they all flock to him.

"The time is here. Che Guereva lives and you must help me to ocnvince him to join me and soon all the RedSith will be under our new leadership."**

END RP!!!

Green Baron - [greenbaron@hotmail.com]
New Orleans, Louisiana
Thursday, January 11, 2001 11:27:31 AM
IP: adsl-78-220-248.msy.bellsouth.net

Hi-ii!!!

I was right! My grades were in the mail! And I did OK too, I got 2B's and 3 A's....I'm still confused about that B in english and A in spanish...it baffles me still, but oh well! Its still good! *grinz*

Winterwolf><<I should be careful Don't want the female Winterwolf jealous!>> Theres another winterwolf?! Where?! *looks about* Why do I always miss these things?! :P <<It all makes sense now! I thought you went somewhere one winter saw snow and just had happy memories of it!>> lol something like that, where i lived it didnt actualy snow much, but we always went to the mountains for vacation in the snow. it was nice, cuz once we got sick of snow and cold and frozen car doors, we'd just pick up and go home! :P <what I said> lol hey, I didnt know you were that into anime! *finishes reading post* hay, was that part under the top 5 list for me, or have you taken up a habit of talking to yourself dear? ;)

Gunjack> <<Ahh, I see *clearly* now! So many things make sense! All my questions are answered, and I can take my proper place in the grand scheme of things! *sets fire to his manuscripts, formats his HD, and signs on as Caliope's personal slave* ...That what you had in mind?; )>> LOL no, not realy, but it'll do nicely anyways! Now go get me a drink or something why dont you, darling *waves Gunjack away absentmindedly* :P Oh and, Texas or Scotland?!?!?!? O_o

Emambu> eh almost! lol I got 2B's, the rest A's. and in any case, I got A's in both of my Art classes so I'M happy! :P Now what have YOU been up to young man!? I havent chatted with you in awhile!

Well, I gotta get! I'll see you guys later!!! *HUGZ all and skips and hops on out*

Caliope
Thursday, January 11, 2001 09:48:23 AM
IP: 136.145.70.217

*peeks in from work*

Kitainia> <<Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress, hope you'll continue the good work.>>No problem at all. I started it and I already designed most of the new archive. I won't bail out NOW - it's too late already :) Besides - I hate leaving half-done work behind.

Gside> <<Thank you>> No need to thank me. I don't like the look of that either - it's just there on the new archive-pages to match the look of the other pages. The design is only temporary nevertheless - the whole site will be re-designed - but that doesn't mean I won't try my very best to get the fanfic-archive looking good meanwhile :)

Announcement: Next Update happened on the new archive. I have about 1/3 of the stories added - already 56 MB of Data. in the new archive. More to come soon - though I was surprised today by a 'Out of Diskspace'-Warning - wrong configuration on the intermediate host. Fixed that :)

A request to all authors: Please check your story-entries (if already available) and mail me if there's something wrong. Don't change it on your own - all changes will be lost next time I update the archive. (This request will be mailed to all authors once I get the database complete...)

Now, may the winds be with you and read you next time :)

*goes back to work*

Guandalug la'Fay - [Guandalug@gmx.de]
Thursday, January 11, 2001 09:32:45 AM
IP: mailgate-a.ais-gmbh.de

Emambu - The pic's in the mail. comments and criticism are welcome, as are exclamations of rapture and large sacks of cash money... ^_^
Dear Valentine
Thursday, January 11, 2001 03:12:02 AM
IP: 216-146-183-152.bwn.net

*Emambu stumbles in, a chair in his right hand, a whip in his left. With the whip he manages to beat back the attacking calculus problems. Suddenly, without warning a Garrison Keillor essay jumps out from seemingly thin air, but Emambu counters it with the chair. The rabid essay lands in a heap next to the twenty pages of spanish grammar and a history term paper. Seeing his opportunity, Emambu charges with a final surge and slams the door shut, almost catching a murderous computer program in the process. With a final twist, he secures the door, tosses the chair away, and then whips DC in the eye for crashing his computer twice yesterday*

Me, busy? Never. :) So, how's everyone doing? I've been back at college for the last week getting settled into the new semester. And boy, oh boy, it's been a blast so far. :) Sheesh... I can't wait for midterms. Oh well, enough selfish complaining. Let's what's been happening.

Warpmind: When you mean "fixing the avalon pitstop at the end" do you mean, rewriting the whole thing or just touching up parts of it? *looks at DC's fate* Damn... now I can't remember the name of the movie where they talked about those things. :)

Rodlox: Ooh... don't get me started on how awful Dungeons and Dragons was. For one thing: what was the point of the dragons? I mean, why even keep them if the only purpose is to occasionally bring them out to kill them? *sigh* I don't really want to think about the stupidity of it. Makes my head hurt. :) *reads the random evolutionary thought* Interesting thought. Hmm... so does this mean Brooklyn is still a Gargoyle species-wise but on a different part of the evolutionary ladder?

Daniel Johnson: No problem. And yes, I'm sure I don't need anymore snow. :) Actually, out here in Pittsburgh, it's rather interesting. It been snowing almost constantly for the past week (the last two days have been the first break since I got back to college) and yet there's been no accumulation. You figure that out. :) I'd have thought the ground would be cold enough by this point. Oh, and you're right about people not knowing how to drive in snow. It can get a little annoying though when your car has four bald tires and "real-wheel" drive (one of the worst possible combination for snowy conditions). However, learning the power of rocking- shfting the car from reverse to drive and gvigin the gas light taps- can come in real handy. Got me out of a few city parking spots. :) Glad to hear your mother is improving, at least emotionally. Enjoying the simple pleasures can be most rewarding. It helped one of my great-Aunts tremendously. She did eventually die but then again she was 97, so we kind of knew it was going to happen. However, she never seemed depressed because even right up to the end, she could still do needle-point, something she loved doing. Simple pleasures.

Green Baron: Thanks for the clarity. Maybe know I'll finally be able to join in on my cousin's debates (she's a Poly-sci major). :)

Mary: D'oh! Never was a big fan of techno, sorry. :) As for ch.4 of your story.. well it'll go up when it goes up. Or you could just e-mail me it. :) *reads further* Sorry, to hear about you and Bahemut. Maybe at least you can stay friends. Of course I'm no good with relationships, so you probably shouldn't listen to any of counseling advice. ;)

Gside: Actually, I always liked how Jeresy drivers swear by the four color light scheme: green, yellow, pink, red. And the last one doesn't mean "stop." It means "run it at a slower speed." ;) Hmmm... requests, requests. Uhhh... how about Winterwood by Don Mclean (I also like Vincent but I have it on Mp3)? haven't heard that one in awhile. BTW, it was the irreplaceable freon, so I did contribute to small portion of the destruction of the ozone. Ugh! Oh well, hopefully my years of environmental conservatism will help balance it out and keep me in the green (no pun intended). Oh yeah, and I found out this week that Chingrish is not contained in the engineering colleges. It has now spread outward. One of the Calculus TA's falls under this category (thank god I don't have him- instead I get a guy who speaks a combination of Russian and English). I'm going to try and get him to say "He say, you under arrest. He say, you Blade Runner" before the semester's out.

Spike: Could you provide a link to that site where they're doing the audio play of Despair and Deliverance, please? This way I can bookmark it so I'll now when the finally finish it.

Wilek: Sounds like you're griping for excuses now... :) Could it be that I'm finally wearing him down? Quick, get Firestorm in here to finish this thing once and for all! :) *reads comment about snails* You know, I never could see satisfaction of eating escargo. I think that cuisine was built on a dare. BTW, here was the first week of driving the econ teacher insane. One of my friends is an engineer who also got shafted in his class. We both devised two crude little elctronic devices that, when "A" pressed, triggers a bell on "B" to ring. This bell sounds eerily similar to a telephone. Tape device "B" under teacher's desk, and let the wackiness begin. it's not an original idea, I grant you. But it seemed to give him a few more gray hairs. :)

To all those interested about Wilek: Through months of secret communications and hacking various computer systems I have finall brought to light the following information on Wilek Nereus. My life may become forfeit if it deemed that I stand in the progress of Project Nereus, but I must display my report: Nereus, Wilek. The Imperial Governor assigned to Bakura, he ruled and maintained order by instilling fear and terror in the population. Th etall, dark-haired Nereus had heavy features and thick eyebrows. He was cunning, ruthless, and extremely ambitious. When the Ssi-ruuk was defeated, the Allinace helped the Bajuran people overthrow Nereus's regime. The governor refused to surrender, however. he tried to shoot Luke Skywalker with a blaster pistol, but Skywalker deflected the bolt with his lighsaber and sent it back to Nereus. The resulting wound proved fatal; Governor Nereus died as Bakura became free.

This can mean only one thing: Wilek's a clone like Major Tierce under Thrawn's failed cloning experiment! Alert the masses before it's too late! :)

Gunjack: e-mail's up and running (not hotmail, BTW, my main account). Fire away! I'm anxious to see these pics. :) BTW, as long as the ods don't narrow too much I won't take my bet back. After all, I do want to make a little money out of this. :)

Kit: expect to do remodeling. :) Unless you're one of those really lucky ones that falls in love with the house at first glance, you're gonna be doing some remodeling. It's inevitable. :) *stares at his brother and sister who both recently went through the new house process* Good luck with getting the loan. And best wishes to Stephanie. I'm just waiting for the day you come in talking about her need for pickels and peanut butter or some other odd, sodium-enriched, combination. :)

Christine: Up through chapter 4. I hope to get comments to you by the weekend. All depends on how much free-time I get though. :)

Cyrway: Wow... just when I think I'm starting to get accustomed to the regular group of people, a legend returns. I feel like I should bow. :) And she brought pics too! And they're really good on top of that. *bows* Welcome back!

Briana: Geez... more veterans returning. *sheepish grin* Hi, I feel like the oldest newbie right about now. :)

Stephen: Yep... the Bucs will be back. And we have to play them in Tampa this time. :) That should be fun. *reads further* Hey man, Congratulations!! That's a pretty cool story too about how you two met and about how she'd be "honored" to go out with you. I'm glad to hear about the rapid success! May it continue. Word of advice and this goes for pretty much anyone in a relationship: Don't see the movie "Meet the Parents" right before you go and meet the parents. :)

Monolith: Someone's got a really good sense of humor. :) Thanks to Dreamie for bringing that up!

Doug: "Traffic" is a pretty good film though I thought there was one story which really didn't fit in with the rest of the movie. Still, it was pretty good. The one movie I didn't get to see, and want to, is "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." That's gotten pretty decent reviews and a lot of my friends liked it. Like I said to Kit, good luck with the house. Lowe's pr Home Depot would be good if you get one nearby. My sister swears by the former, and my brother on the latter. :)

Daphne: Antioch and Philadelphia are similar in their size and importance (Antioch was rather large back in the 1st century). Therefore, you could always do a comparison: Government, power influence within their region, economy, social/cultural qualities, etc. Basically, everything Taleweaver said. :)

Winterwolf: Ugh! Sorry to hear about your ankle. Hope you feel better. Maybe you'll get some more snow soon. I know that would help. :) BTW, have you played Mechwarrior 4? I have it, but have been too busy to even install it (and Real Myst too *sigh*). Maybe this weekend... Hmmm, reading that fuel emissions article makes me shudder at how much I kill the planet everytime I start my car (The thing always fails it's emissions test and always costs over $200 every year to get to pass). *visits link* Say, she's pretty cute! I say go for her, man. Is 5'2 a good height for you? :) *reads little comment direct at him* Why you... *prepares to playfully tackle Winterwolf but stops on account of his bad ankle* The second that fully heals though, I'm coming after you. Hopefully, there will fresh snow on the ground too. :)

Sevarius jr: Glad to see you're still around.

Kaioto: Welcome back!!

Caliope: I'm guessing you got straight A's. Was I close? :)

Coyote: Glad to see things starting to look up. I hope they continue to stay that way for you.

I think that's all. Sorry in advance for the typos but it's 3am and I should get some rest. Take care everyone,


---Emambu

Emambu - [emambu@commandchamber.net]
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Thursday, January 11, 2001 02:36:13 AM
IP: dhcp81-237.pittsburgh.resnet.pitt.edu

Wheee, what a day... I'm still trying to figure out why I spent an entire evening contemplating cold death, but things are much better now. You two can put down the straightjacket. No, really!
Anyway, I be back in the groove. Spent most of the day playing some remedial Counterstrike and working on my M79 model. All that's left is the breechblock, and I've already got it diagramed out. If it weren't such a messy bugger to work on, I'd be finished by now... : / ...Anyway, I should be done with the GL and started on the lever-action shotgun by the weekend. Booya.

Warpmind><<Gunjack Valentine, according to my frequently inaccurate memory, you've set the odds of me riding into the sunset with Lynati to around 30/1, while the odds of me vanishing in a flash of light with several other guests is around 15/1...>> Your memory is accurate, as are the odds. Think about it. How many members of the ST:TNG cast will be in attendance? : )
<<Mmmm... The last remainder of homemade jam... :)>> Ooo, NICE dodge!

Lynati><<"Going through dead peoples houses; wonderful things they have collected. / Open the drawers and trunks and closets; don't leave a corner uninspected.">> Title and artist, please? It sounds hilarious! :D <<but I have a funny feeling that THAT would be the final straw, and Disney would come in here and lop off all our heads.>> What could they do? It'd be non-profit, so they'd be up the creek without a paddle.

DJ><<I did NOT need that image!>> Neither did I, but misery loves company. ; ) ...And that's relatively minor compared to some of the OTHER ones I've heard... *shudders*

Gside><<That was pure blind luck. I mean, it's not like I'm some strange AI that was designed purely for the purpose of posting to this room, right?>> Yeah. Right. Say, has anyone ever actually seen Gside in person? o_O <<Incidentally, is it correct that the best way to start a rumor is to deny it?>> Way ahead of you, 'Mano...
<<But wouldn't you be running off the battery first?>> Yeah, but you'd be draining it faster than it could recharge, so you'd have to stop every minute or so... <<But what if Goliath's loincloth was lilac tie dyed in front and cow print in back?>> T'would make no difference. Goliath would still be Goliath, and Sevarius would still be creepy... <<The problem is that it needs a magnesium (or some other really hot thing) fuse to start it off.>> Hmmm. Out of idle curiousity, what's the ignition temp of magnesium? I'm trying to figure out if my "Chunky Willy Peter" recipe would work...
<<I am reminded of a geometry problem called the chicken from Minsk.>> Gah, I'm not even looking at that thing... ; P ...Too complex for me, thanks.
<<If you're going to build a jeep out of a motorcycle, you just might want to mount it sideways.>> I'll... Keep that in mind. <<I should really hope so.>> How big a blast could you get out of a good gas tank full of Hydrogen? And they've come up with some interesting ways to cut down the explosion hazard for gasoline tanks that could probably be adapted...

Wilek><<Ghostcloak? Ooh...>> Ever seen one before? Big silver cloak with a deep blue lining, and the soul of a powerfull mage. T'was serving as the Damsel's secret tutor... <<It is a marvel of graphics technology. Not to mention level and character design. And gameplay. And music. And stuff.>> Whoa! O_O *curses inadequate HD space* ...Maybe after I upgrade to a new comp...
<<See my response to Warpmind.>> Ah. That's a bit different. Why haven't you Dealt with him yet? *pulls Meadellin Katana out of his desk* <<Um...nevermind. Don't wanna know.>> Nothing all that bad... He just held his wedding outside, in a field, at noon, in the middle of summer, in Texas. And there weren't enough seats, so I had to stand through the whole ceremony. In a black suit. Isn't it cool when the blakness starts gathering around the edges of your vision? <<Methinks we ought to teach him a thing or two about Japanese culture?>> Methinks we should... Though I conned him into reading a chapter or two from "Understanding Comics", and I think he broke a few illusions in the process... <<There's a manga?>> Whaaaa? Of COURSE there's a manga! Don't tell me you haven't read any Masamune Shirow!? Appleseed, Ghost in the Shell... He's my hero. ^_^ <<Like the real world can do much of anything right.>> *Ahem* ...Texas and H&K. <<She's in the group shot. Kawaii, ne? v^_^>> Very! And a nice rouge's gallery besides... Is that the chappy from Amadeus there? ; ) <<I don't know what your gunsuit's like...>> 20~ feet, 'bout ten tons, nice heavy composite armor, packs a 25mm rifle anD a nice mix of rockets and explosives. Given the likely difference in technology, the Doll would probably eat it for breakfast... What's that monster's armor like, anyway?
<<...<shakes head> WTBF was that?>> Dunno, but it was pretty cool! ^_^ ...And I'm still trying to figure out what WTBF means...
<<Run through with an awl.>> Ah. Though I'm still sticking with "done in by a thug"... <<Cool! :D For some reason, in those dreams in which I've died, the dream ended right there...>> You're missing out. All the good stuff happens after the funeral... So far, I've visited Heaven (double-shotty blast to the face), hung out at a sci-fi convention(mafia poisening), and lived out another ten YEARS of my life (zombies at the movie theater). Plus, getting killed is just so dang COOL... <<At the moment, I'm pushing against a roughly five-lightyear-thick wall of reinforced duritanium.>> I know the feeling... : P ...Though hopefully this time I can get things rolling a little better.
<<I always knew I'd die in a digestive system.>> Don't we all? "Thus may a King proceed through the guts of a beggar." -Hamlet
<<By the time I'm done with his various plot threads, pretty much every living and undead thing in my ficverse, good and evil, will be howling for his blood.>> Popular guy, eh? You need to meet a few of *my* characters... Most notably Malikov and Jack. <<Of course, I'm rather biased; half the population of my ficverse has a quite longer variant.>> Your characters have mullets? Not unless those pictures are screwed... <<Unless you're referring to those hideous sideburns.>> Those too. *Shudder* ...Why can't Snake stay with his normal look? <<It did weeks ago. Haven't you recieved your notice?>> *Looks at the mountian of papers surrounding his desk* ...Heh, my bad... So, does this mean I can browse the armory? There's a few theoretical physics projects I wanna get cracking on... <<With the way things are going, that will soon be about as difficult to correct as unfashionable clothing...>> Gimme an R! Gimme an E! Gimme an O! REOVIRUS! YEEAAAAH! ; P ...Have you read Relic yet? <<Like they're not the same thing?>> Spoken like a true bachelor. ; ) <<I never really got into FF's music until 6 or so, when the series started to take a turn for the dark.>> That's my favorite too... But there's a big difference between the melodic, orchestral dark of 6 and the more simplistic synthesised dark of 7. Nearly every track in FF6 was memorable, but the only one that stands out in my memory for 7 was "One Winged Angel". Anyway, I'll take lighter/smoother/orchestral over darker/hard/simplistic any day... <<Oh, BTW, I've found the solution to your FF2/4j music problems. It was as I suspected; you have an outdated version.>> A blessing upon you!
<<I think I'd be content with rulership of the solar system. ;)>> Baby steps... ; ) ...And I doubt you'd be content after the techs cracked the FTL barrier...
<<Cool, I blew his mind!>> Clogged, more like... <<Never mind. Don't wanna know.>> Lucky you. Some of us don't HAVE the niave option... <<The one I suspect is after you is a very old one named Peter Stubbe.>> Nice guy. Nicer authoritys. Sounds like the whole town needs a good Minigun Sweep... Where the heck do you GET this stuff?
<<Um...there's this little thing called Personal Space of whose existence and importance perhaps you should be informed...? ;P>> Wilek? Be a chum and shut up. ; )
<<The same thing happens to me all the time; I'm sitting here typing, and BAMF!, a week later I'm wondering what I'm doing up a tree with mongoose fur in my teeth and wearing only a Divest Gondwanaland tatoo on my left bicep.>> Heh. just avoid that pool of cold, blue water... and don't stare too hard at the squirrels.
<<Check out www.machinima.com.>> Interesting. HIGHLY interesting. Tell ya what; gimme a few months to get a better handle on the modeling, and then we might take it somewhere... o_O <<Granted, it'd have to be done with all fic characters, unless you have a few hundred thousand buckazoids on hand for purposes of hiring Keith, Salli, and the rest... O_o>> Note the previous mention of voice-alteration software?

Jannie><<You know, if the song is about not believing in God, then why write a letter to Him?>> Irony.

Aaron><<Ah, but does Jane's have pics of the M-16 with underslung Remington 870 weapons system?>> Probably not, but I prefer to do those myself. Besides, the 870's a relic. I'd rather have a Saiga 3-1/2 chambered 12g as a secondary...

DPH><<Ok, what is the ultimate weapon in your opinion, Wilek or Gunjack?>> Definately Gunjack. ^_^ ...Oh, you were asking US? several answers. Philosophical: Information; or to be more practical, a good radio. The more you know about a target, the easier it is to kill. Technologically, I'd say antimatter is about as nasty as you can get. A nice antiparticle stream is pretty hard to beat... Of course, both of these answers exclude magic.
<<I would rather have an arsenal of mutants with various powers than an arsenal of weapons. Wait a minute: could those mutants be considered weapons?>> It's all the same. In my fics, the two Lords follow your method; they both employ vast armies of powerfull "edges" like the Gunjacks to do their fighting...

Winterwolf><<Who doesn't want to have an arsenal of weaponry at their disposal?>> Only fools and Lain... ; ) <<Though for me it tends to be limited to FPS.>> For me too, unless you count knives. Those I've got plenty of, since I used to build 'em in my spare time.
<<Alternative Fuels Info>> ...They way I see it, in order to make the switch from gasoline to alternative fuels,you gotta find a way to match current performance, and then you gotta make vehicles that run off both. If we started right now, it'd take at least twenty years to phase in AFs, since first you've got to use hybrids while you wait for the infrastructure to biuld up; and then you've got to wait for all the old vehicles to wear out. I'd say it'd probably take about four generations of vehicles before the transition was complete...
<<I think you'll want to check it out. You can create your own mech load it up with guns and play in teams or solo in multiplayer games.>> Sounds like #2... Do they have any new weapons besides:
LRM 5-20, SRM 2-6, Sm/Med/Lrg Lasers (plus pulse/ER varients thereof), PPC/ER PPC, AC 2-20 (plus LBX/Ultra varients thereof), Gauss Rifle? If so, then I'll stick to GURPS mecha. More variaty, plus realism.

Kaito><<Society in general (especially American society) is like a typical spoiled teenager.>> Just what I needed to hear while spending an evening contemplating Death... ; P ...Though you make some interesting points. Incidentally, what prompted this? What portion or action of society prompts this? Oh, and welcome back! ^_^

Kitainia><<Best of luck dealing with the undead chibis, hope they don't drive you too nuts.>> Two years too late, though I'm hoping to actually get somethuing accoplished this time around... : ) <<Good luck also with whatever's going on between you, Nadia, and Lain.>> Thanks... Methinks I'll need it.

Lain><<*holds head* oooowwww..>> *Starts creeping around just behind Lain, all the while using his Magic Fingers of Healing to draw out the headache demons* ..Hope your head feels better... :| <<GAH!!!! I AM SOOOOO STRESSED!!!!!>> CALM! *steps up the voltage to the MFoH*

Caliope><<That and that the good ones are taken and the rest are jerks, pervs or gay! :P>> <<*sighs* Oh Gunjack, my dear Gunjack...*puts her arm around his sholder* Let me let you in on a little secret, kay? Now, socialy and biologicaly, men are expendable. Your sole porpose in the world is to please and make us women-kind happy! Once you've learned THAT lesson, you too will lead a very plesent and happy life, cuz if WE're happy, we'll make sure you are too *ginz* got it?>> Ahh, I see *clearly* now! So many things make sense! All my questions are answered, and I can take my proper place in the grand scheme of things! *sets fire to his manuscripts, formats his HD, and signs on as Caliope's personal slave* ...That what you had in mind?; ) ...And good luck finding a non-sexist/jerk/perv/gay guy... though if the search grows too hard, I suggest trying either Texas or Scotland... ; )

Taleweaver><<I prefer to look at the big picture, the individual.>> Isn't that kinda a contradiction? ; )

Coyote - Glad to hear the Cold Dark is thinning out... Keep safe, ok?

Ooo, and welcome back to SJ! Glad to see you again, 'mano! :D

Nifty Assassin idea: Sneak into target's office, switch off target's computer, use tape/putty to cover all holes in computer's case, empty aerosol can of gasoline into case through last hole, plug last hole, and leave quietly. If done properly, this will convert the target's computer into a VERY POWERFUL fuel/air bomb, which should detonate as soon as they switch on their comp.

And on that pleasent note, I bid y'all good night. Peace!

Gunjack Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Shod in marble, gloved in lead
Thursday, January 11, 2001 02:05:58 AM
IP: 216-146-183-28.bwn.net

If you're going to build a jeep out of a motorcycle, you just might want to mount it sideways.

Gunjack> <<even if you did explode the fuel, a properly designed tank could channel the blast in a safe direction>>: I should really hope so.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you about Janice. She's from a Smart Beep comercial, the blind date.

Lain> <<gonna need to hire a translator for THAT class>>: Don't complain until you experience the mind bending challenge that is engineering. Also known as chingrish, or possibly even Indian.
<<this means he has a life.. and more of a life than I>>: Nah, I say it was just bad timing.

DPH> <<will stay in a absolute zero refrigerator until his body is frozen enough to be broken part with an ordinary hammer>>: You'd probably have to warm him up a bit before you could break him apart. I believe at absolute zero atoms fall in on each other.

For those who were anxiously awaiting a TGS editing application, I decided not to, partly because I'm not sure I could give it the time it deserves.

For the mp3, I've decided to go with Bo Diddley's Bo Diddley.

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:38:06 AM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com

Coyote - Hey, Bro! Thanks for the well-wishes! Hope you get to thaw out up there soon!

Lady Corax - Thanks to you as well! Heather and I are doing well... we have a dinner date tomorrow night (thurs.), where I'm going to cook fried rice for her and her folks. We're enjoying our time together, and it's been great all round! :)

Maintain and Check Six!

Stephen R. Sobotka, Jr. - [scififangargoyle@yahoo.com]
Tampa, FL, USA
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:25:46 AM
IP: 65342hfc52.tampabay.rr.com

will work on all things Lynati-related tomorrow, as have secured computer with Word Perfect, needed to upload shiny things I have on disk..
*hugs Lynati*
*takes a some tylenol 3 to combat aching head*
*attempts sleep* _ _
I love you guys / \/ \
\ /
\ /
\/

lain
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:22:00 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

hey all. Got back from Charlie's Angels (which was JUST what I needed.. damn Liu is HOT... um... yeah.. ) they went to bed cos I was wiped. Just as I was going to sleep, I had the most awful dream/vision type thing I have had within memory. So.. well.. now I am stuck being awake :( I wish my sister was here cos then she would be all cuddly and comfy and safe :(
*reads Astronomy problem set, hoping it will induce sleep, then decides against it, knowing that math will probably just cause more nightmares*
things are not good when lain gets nightmares :(

lain
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:16:38 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Apologies for the double post ... Winterwolf also mentioned methanol ... which all the automakers dropped as a potential clean-burning fuel a while back because while it cuts down on emissions of carbon dioxide and monoxide, it winds up producing more NOX gases, which are even *more* hazardous to human health than CO2 and CO.
Coyote again
Thursday, January 11, 2001 12:02:58 AM
IP: 216.28.101.8

Alternative Fuels debate: The problem may only lie in carrying the fuels, and hybrids may have better range, but that only solves one concern. Affordability is also an issue ... electric, hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles are generally more expensive. And even if you converted an engine/transport method over for a cleaner-burning fuel, you also wind up with the problem of the fuel costing more. The cheapest of the cleaner fuels is ethanol alcohol, but anyone who's tried to use ethanol in an older vehicle knows that it makes the car run like crap. Then you have CNG, which is the other readily available clean-burning fuel ... and also usually costs upwards of $2/gallon, because you only source on that is your local gas company. Hydrogen right now isn't viable for use because it's very volatile, even moreso than gasoline. And most of the other proposed clean-burning fuels currently have next to no infrastructure for refueling cars.
Coyote the Bando
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 11:59:10 PM
IP: 216.28.101.8

DPH> Punisher can beat Batman. Punisher meaner, stronger, and has better 'toys' then Bruce Wayne could ever get. I know Silver Surfer but is Lobo that villian from Freakazoid? :)
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 11:48:57 PM
IP: adsl-63-207-129-188.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Hi everyone! Oh who wants to see a lovely female Winterwolf? ;)
http://members.aol.com/mellogirl1/jennie.html
Hey Sexy! <howls and beats his hind leg> Oh yeah! ^_^

I haven't seen any more info on the Monolith. Any Seattle residents out there know anything? Are you guys hiding it now! ;P

Kitainia> Happy things are going well. Hope you can have some good happy times with your sister soon. I'll just have to band together with all the winter wolves out there to continue my quest! ;D

Caliope> **bouncey-happy-wolfie-HUGZ** Hmm. I should be careful Don't want the female Winterwolf jealous! ^_~ <lived in California and that's why I said I missed snow> It all makes sense now! I thought you went somewhere one winter saw snow and just had happy memories of it! ;P <irresistible> You are irresistible! ;)
< What did I say, I have no clue!> You said:
        Top 5
        1> Ranma 1/2
        2> Slayers
        3>Evangelion
        4> El-Hazard
        5> Kodocha
        And TONS more :P

        Winterwolf> *LOL at the joke* Glad you learned that lesson early in life! :P >>

Gunjack> <MechWarrior 4: Vengeance> I think you'll want to check it out. You can create your own mech load it up with guns and play in teams or solo in multiplayer games. The graphics are awesome and it allows you to scale the game to work optimally on your machine.

Coyote> <Alternative fuels> Several of the fuels listed can be implemented in existing vehicles with minimal modifications. Ethanol, Methanol, Natural Gas, Propane can work in engines as they are. The change in them is more in fuel storage.

DPH> Those electric/gas hybrid cars are mentioned. ;) Oh and since you are waiting for tomorrow on BFTS I'll wait also.

Time for sleep. Good night! Be well!

Winterwolf - [awinterwolf@wildmail.com]
Bronx, NY
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 11:14:20 PM
IP: 206.15.120.80

SJ - welcome back.

**DC is suddenly transported just outside the CR room and surrounding by a forcefield. DPH tells DC, "If you interfere in any way whatsoever with me getting hired, the following demonstration will be your fate." With that DPH showed a hologram depicting what all will happen: 1st, DC will be burned at the stack into he is small ashes. 2nd, DC is revived to be boiled in hot oil until his body breaks into small enough particles to be dissolved into the oil. 3rd, DC will be revived and will stay in a superheated oven until his body catches on fire and burns to a crisp or his body completely liquifies. 4th, DC will be revived and will stay in a absolute zero refrigerator until his body is frozen enough to be broken part with an ordinary hammer. afterwards, his body will be broken part with a jackhammer. 5th and beyond, is too gross to be described in the CR. DC promises not to interfere whatsoever and in fact to help DPH get hired.**

Shoo, I hate to extreme violence, but with DC around, sometimes extraordinary threats are required. Notice, there are enough planned ways for DC to die so that his 2 avoidances of death could be used up and he still endures torture.

Wilek & Gunjack - I would rather have an arsenal of mutants with various powers than an arsenal of weapons. Wait a minute: could those mutants be considered weapons?

Speaking of which I was think about what would happen with the following crossovers between Marvel and DC:
1)Rogue vs the Parasite
2)the Silver Surfer vs Lobo
3)the Punisher vs Batman

Alternative fuels - what about those hybrid gasoline/electric cars?

Kaioto - Until people finally start looking beyond themselves and their circumstances and look at a bigger picture, we are all in trouble.

Taleweaver - Most people are not inherinently super lazy - that is they do not want to make big bucks to sitting all day and do nothing. Once we figure out what percentage of the population wants to sit around all day doing nothing and make money, we know how low unemployment can go.

Lain - I think that reminds me of the story I heard in high school about panty hose that has held together since some world's fair a long, long time ago.

NO BFTS RP from me due to small thing called 'Needing Sleep'.

A lot more from me TOMORROW, TOMORROW, I love . . whoops, got carried away.

Good night everyone.

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 10:24:45 PM
IP: max1-54.cwy.cei.net

Kaioto> Nice to see you back. Sorry you seem down. Wish I could argue with you, but most days I think your views are overly optimistic.

The Arthur/Halfling thing> Ya'll remember, of course, that Fox Xanatos is a Halfling, too. Since Arthur never got the chance to train with his powers, they never developed. The fact he's part Fey isn't really that big a deal. Used correctly it could even be cool in some areas. Maybe one of the reasons Excalibur works so well for him is his herritage.

Probably not, but it's an idea.

David G. - [david_goodner@yahoo.com]
Arlington, TX, USA
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 09:39:46 PM
IP: adsl-65-65-208-12.dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net

**enters loosening up slightly more than he has been the last few times he stopped by**

House update: The midwinter thaw we've had the last week has helped us out a bit. Plus, we bought a couple of small electric space heaters. Only have one hooked up right now, in our upstairs, but *man* is it an improvement! :)

Milady Corax: **grins and waves back** hiyas yourself! Ooh, pizza ... **helps himself** ... you don't mind, do ya? :)

SJ: Welcome back to you, too.

XenaTrek (lurking, hopefully): Take it easy down there. :)

Alternative fuels: Until they can make alternative-fuel cars affordable and reasonable per: range of travel, there's no way in Hell people will give up their gas-hungry machines. The average consumer, if forced to turn to clean fuels, would rather be able to convert their current vehicle's engine to run the alternative fuel than buy an entire new car/engine.

That's just my two bits.

And that's all for me right now. **sits at the Tea Table with Lady Corax catching up**

Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 08:53:14 PM
IP: 216.28.101.8

I just phoned my father and.. he was on the phone.. with someone ELSE!!!!
*sniff sniff..*

hey.. this means he has a life.. and more of a life than I..

lain
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 08:26:19 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Hi, everyone. I just finished reading season 2 of the TGS series Gargoyles and I was wondering if anyone knows when season 3 is going to be out. The first two seasons were so great; I can't wait for the 3rd.

Thanks to all those on the TGS staff for doing a great job.
Steve - [nyyankees2536]
New York, New York
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 07:57:01 PM
IP: spider-mtc-tc063.proxy.aol.com

**Lady Corax stumbles into the room with boxes and boxes of pizza for whoever's interested.** :) Well, I was having it for dinner myself, so I decided to share some. :)

Winterwolf> **waves** Thanks for welcoming me back! :)

SJ> Man! That's too bad about your modem. :( Want me to give Mr. DC the People's Elbow just for good measure? ;)

James> Glad to hear you're doin' okay! :)

Kit> Thanks for the welcome back also! Good to see ya. :)

Coyote> **waves and grins** Hiyas! :)

Well, I guess I'd better be going...got some pizza to eat and some homework to do...have fun, and I'll see y'all around!

Lady Corax
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 06:25:14 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

Again, I should bring up that we didn't set out to make Arthur a halfling. It was more the fact that we were going for making Morgana a halfling, fitting in with her "faerie" nature in traditional legend, and Igraine was more believable as a fay than Gorlois was. (And I still wish that I'd thought of the changeling solution that Greg went for; too late for that now).
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 05:45:18 PM
IP: 216.87.46.245.dialup-stl.primary.net


Rodlox here...yes, it didn't restart my computer this time!!!!

**Random Evolutionary Factoid:
The equipment for eating will evolve on a faster rate than for the rest of the body. Example: the Galapagos Finches have varied beaks - from long tweezers to short nutcrackers - yet in terms of the rest of the body, Darwin {and his friends, who were professional naturalists} thought they were one species.
**End of evolutionary factoid....ignoring Brooklyn's cursing.

Last night, I watched A&E's BIOGRAPHY....and guess who it was about. Queen Noor!

**RAVENS RP - on...
Anthony shook his head after hearing that crazed man prattle on about his 'mission'. It seemed that mentally deficient people always had a way of grabbing weapons of destruction - back in Carthage, in Khazaria, and even nowadays. The only difference was the potency of the weapons in question.
"Are we enjoying ourselves?" asked a familiar voice. Anthony turned and saw - somebody long dead: the Devil wearing a disguise. "Walking through another war, kiddo?"
"Not walking this time," Anthony replied evenly. "This time, I'm helping them against evil, things they think came from Hell - did they?"
The Devil chuckled. "People don't need to be from Hell to be evil - that's the beauty of Free Will...besides, remember the Mayans...or Shakespeare," and tossed a book at Anthony.
Anthony caught it, looked up - and the Devil was gone. "'More things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in your philosiphy'," Anthony quoted.
And then an odor wafted in over the winds. Faint, like it wasn't very close yet, but subtlely familiar. Then it hit him - figuratively: decaying wing membranes.
A certain Dammed Gargoyle was on his way here...Anthony just didn't know the When of it. He decided to let Doug and Kit know.
Kit was busy fighting the enemies, so Anthony shot a few of them to lessen the load - _Gotta love these self-refilling clips_...and went over to Doug; if Kit could, she'd join them. "Yeah?" Doug asked. "You getting a vision or something?"
Anthony opened his mouth, then shut it, counting backwards from twelve in Sumerian before speaking. "There's a - a bad guy," as you call them, "a gargoyle coming. Big and mean. Are there any gargoyles here?" because they'd really be at risk of wingrot.
**RAVENS RP - tbc...

how's that?


Rodlox - [@hotmail.com]
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 04:54:29 PM
IP: proxy2-external.owml1.md.home.com

Thanks to everyone who said "hi." I hope everyone is doing well.

Taleweaver: Nah, I'm not a pessimist, that's not my style. ^_^

Individuals have a great deal of potential and power. It is just really aggrevating to watch people throw that all away day after day like so much used tissue and then whine about how things aren't fair enough in the world. The rampant finger-pointing ... the gnashing of teeth ... the trying to take people down to your level ... the rationalization of being completely self-serving ... and general irresponsibility is just sad and pathetic.

The world as a whole won't change until a large enough body of people do an about-face. Of course, people won't be able to move together in the right direction unless we work with one another. Only individuals can rebuild that infrastructure and rekindle hope in the Masses.

I'm certainly not a pessimist, but I want to be a realist. A huge margin of the suffering of the human race is caused or permited because of the willful actions of human beings exercising their free will. That's a reality and a responsibilty I think people need to come to grips with before we can get things en mass done. Until then, we do what we can, one day at a time.

I just always keep in mind that a pebble can start an avalanche ...

***Pendragon spoiler-type stuff***
Eh ... I don't like the idea of Arthur being a halfing myself. First, it makes the whole protest against him being on Avalon in the first place a little less solid to me. Second, it cheapens his destiny and achievements somewhat, by rooting his bloodline back to godlings. To me, it takes away some of his depth as a character, rather than adds to it.

Of course, that's just the way it makes me _feel_ about Arthur. Not everyone will feel the same way, and it adds a plot twist. It also makes him a symbol of the greatness that is achieved in diversity. My only problem is that whole part-godling hero senario just makes heroic feats more blah to me.

Pendragon's story and writing, however, have been exceptional though all its seasons and I still enjoy it greatly. We'll all find a few things we don't like in everything, so I certainly don't think it is a big deal or a major downer.

Keep up the good work in all TGS-staff endevors, everyone.
***End Pendragon stuff***

Goodnight folks, sleep well.

Kaioto - [kaioto@yahoo.com]
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 04:36:26 PM
IP: 208.204.155.241

*lain enters, with drawling Southern accent..*
Guess who just sat through a three hour lecture with the biggest, most Southern-sounding professor AT this University??? Geez.. gonna need to hire a translator for THAT class..
But the class was super interesting (what I could understand, that is..) We learned all sorts of useful things.. like how to collect and use opium.. in great detail.. it's STUPIDLY simple.. and that Bayer's used to market heroin as a cough surpressant. Another tasty fact I learned was that I have five of the possible 6 symptoms of dependence (you only really need to have 3..)
*decides this is NOT such a good thing*
*sighs*
On the brighter side, I am going to get some action tonight.. that is.. in the form of going to see Charlie's Angels at the supercheap University Revue cinema. *grins like idiot* hope it lives up to its reputation :P

GAH!!!! I AM SOOOOO STRESSED!!!!!
*collapses in little stress-pile on the floor, then drags self over to where "do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" is lying and begins to read*

lain, O Apprentice of all that is Useless
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 04:18:45 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Kaioto> Glad your back, but you should leave the pessimissim in the hands of skilled professionals. The current state of human affairs doesn't bother me much. Primarily because it isn't new. Empires from Ancient Egpyt and China to Rome, Tenochitlan and London have all had a period of abject wealth and decadence. Usually right before their collapse. The guiding principle in any civilization is 'I don't want to work!' Are people punks? In large numbers the can be. I prefer to look at the big picture, the individual. People will suffer, life isn't fair, but the good news is that things are in constant flux and in that change and chaos, you can manage to alieve someone's pain and level out things. Nothing lasts forever, this period of propserity will end, probably shifting to someone else. Then they'll face the same problems and lack of maturity that we do know. What remains important is strengthening the connections you have with people know and ensure that you act in the most forthright manner.

Take care.

Taleweaver - [taleweaver@usa.net]
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 01:59:53 PM
IP: hal5000.engineering.csupomona.edu

*Lynati enters*

Boogies. I got a call last night; They already had enough people for the Demos after all, and I was, err, declined.
I hope I get a chance to participate after all; I've only got a week or so left.

lain: thank you. :)

Green Baron: Hey, what's up?

Warpmind: oh. well. That's okay then. I like jam...];)
now go check YOUR email...(and prepare to be frightened.)

"As soon as I learn these ropes, I'm bound to win this fight;
As soon as I know what's wrong, I'll try to do what's right.
As soon as I get this darkness closer to the light...
As soon as I find my, soon as I find my voice.

As soon as I hit my stride, I'll run the course on time;
As soon as I catch your light, I'll do my best to shine.
As soon as I know my part I'll be practicing my lines...
As soon as I find my, soon as I find my voice.

*Pulls Warpmind over to a corner booth to have a serious discussion, which is shortly sidetracked by a previously mentioned like of the taste of jam...*


Lynati
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 01:30:45 PM
IP: 207.226.219.33

(hugged by Caliope)
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 11:38:53 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-129-188.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Hey-loooo! *grinz* hope everyone's doin' dandy! ^_^

Mary Flanders> <<Inu-Yasha>> Ak! That means I'm going to have to wait for EVER!!!! *crys* thats OK tho *sniffles* I can handle it, who knows, maybe my anime sempai can get his hands on a bootleg version for me! I hope i hope i hope... :P and he IS so extreamly adorable! Inu-yasha is one of my fav animes, tho I still love ranma 1/2 too. I did get slightly mad when I found out the ending to the Ranma manga, but I can never stay mad enough at the honorable Miss Takahashi-sama ;P *awwwww's with the rest of 'em at the picie* :P

Gside> <<At the very end, the point of view shifted to an academic convention that was held at Denay, Nunavit. Which sounds remarkably like "Deny none of it." >> Ah! I dont think I even noticed that! hmmm... <<And I tell you that you have it backwards. >> And I tell you I have not! I happen to have statistical proof and everything! :P

Winterwolf>*dancy-prancy-HUGZ* Helloo how do you do?! :P<<Oh! I didn't know you used to live in California!>> I did, for about 6 years and about 10 years ago! lol thats why I said I missed snow! :P <<Okay your irresistible! I knew that when I saw your first post when I got in here back in April.>> LOL realy?! What did I say, I have no clue! :P

Gunjack> <<And why are there so few decent men? Has chivilry died out there? >> lol no, not realy, latin men are very intent on being gentillmen-like, the problem is that most of them are quite sexist as well, and I just dont buy into that. That and that the good ones are taken and the rest are jerks, pervs or gay! :P <<We aren't? >> *sighs* Oh Gunjack, my dear Gunjack...*puts her arm around his sholder* Let me let you in on a little secret, kay? Now, socialy and biologicaly, men are expendable. Your sole porpose in the world is to please and make us women-kind happy! Once you've learned THAT lesson, you too will lead a very plesent and happy life, cuz if WE're happy, we'll make sure you are too *ginz* got it? ;P <<I'm REALLY hoping it doesn't present all men as power-hungry subhumans>> naw I think there were SOME good guys, I dont remember how many, i read it a LONG time ago. <<A most efficient system.>> lol it has not failed me yet! :P Oh, and yes, Inu-Yasha and Ranma 1/2 are both done by the honorable Miss Rumikio Takahashi-sama!!! Heh What can I say, I'm a fan! :P

Well I should get going! I have to go get my mail for I have an evil premunition that my grades are awaiting for me there....*shudders* I'll tell you guys how I did if I was right about the premunition thing :P Bye all!!! *HUGZ all and scampers off*

Caliope
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 09:40:11 AM
IP: 136.145.70.217

Warpmind> Interesting
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 09:32:20 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-129-188.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Sj>>>Welcome back...I know what thats like.. Once fried the modem in my old computer. Georgia isnt really that bad. I loved Atlanta

Utena>>>I stumbled into the middle of the sereies, and I have to say it is good, if not a lil trippy. I have hear somone say this and after seeing Utena I have to agree thw quote is pretty funny"How many licks does it take to destroy the world's candy shell?" Also it has the Slayers voices...Utenam is Maritina and Toga is Zelgadis...of course Utena is also Misty/Jessie from Pokemon. Whats the deal with Angealina Jolie..I mean Nanami? That girl is messed up in the head.
*************Spoilers for Buffy*****************************
Pretty good episode. The troll was hilarious. I like the fact that he was Anyas ex and his transformation iw what casued her to become a vengence demon. It was hilarious watching Anya trying to drive. Also funny was spikes obesession with the onion flower snack and another reference to the world without shrimp. Touching was the parts where Anya was willingto sacrifce herself for Xander and Buffy fighting to protect Xander and Anya's love. Interesting was Dawn listening in on the discussion about her. Can't wait for Angel next week and hopefully a new Buffy two weeks from now.
*************************END SPOILERS***********************

Spacebabie
Orlando, Fl, U.S.A
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 09:29:36 AM
IP: user-37kaovt.dialup.mindspring.com

IP Test
Sorry about this.

Fire Storm
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 08:42:00 AM
IP: adsl-dynamic31-104.detroit.mi.ameritech.net

Does anybody know why Station 8 went haywire for a while this morning? It only just got back up (and it was also inaccessible for a while last evening). I hope that this isn't going to start becoming a trend.

* BUFFY SPOILERS *

I quite liked this one. The troll was a fun villain (I particularly liked the bit about him turning out to be Anya's old boy-friend), and I got some chuckles over the Willow-Anya arguments (my favorite part being the whole "Cat in the Hat" scene - although I have to admit, I didn't get the "fish in the bowl" part until Willow explained that it was a "Cat in the Hat" reference - I guess that my Dr. Seuss memories are a little vague). The part that intrigues me the most for the future, however, is the bit at the end where Dawn's overhearing them talking about her and the Key. I wonder if she will find out that she's really not a "natural" human but an "energy key" transformed into one; I've got to admit, that would certainly be a very unnerving revelation for her.

* SPOILERS END *

Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 07:47:25 AM
IP: 216.87.46.59.dialup-stl.primary.net

*Warpmind enters, smirking at the review of Sabledrake Magazine.*
Cover story... suuure. Probably just yet another coincidence, I suppose. Fun, though, seeing my work specifically named in a review like that. :)

Lynati: *Blinks* Lipstick? *Wipes lip, tastes substance on finger.* Mmmm... The last remainder of homemade jam... :) Anyways, check yer e-mail.

James Birdsong: I kinda doubt Iago to be Scandinavian whatsoever; sounds like you should look further south. Like Greece.

Kaioto! Way too long, man! Your presence is dearly missed every day you're gone. Hope to see you more often, eh? Those points of yours are worthy of consideration... *Sigh* As Merlin once said, he often wondered if his mother's race was really worth it all...

Gside: Okay, okay, so I missed two words. Sue me. On second thought, don't. ;) As for the small inanimate objects... I suppose it would have to be done; wouldn't want to clog up the timestream... :)

Well, that's about it. I'd kinda expected more, really. Particularly since I've just wrestled with Windows ME for, oh, four hours, trying to gain netaccess, even reinstalling the damned Windows (The pane, the pane...) once. In all, I've had a terrible morning, and I'm fully aware of where to place the blame. *Tosses DC through the wall, sending him flying into a pool.* There, that should take care of him... Not at once, but that pool is filled with those neat little parasite fish that latch onto the insides of the urethra... *DC screams in agony.* Well, later, everyone.

Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 03:59:17 AM
IP: ti21a68-0116.dialup.online.no

*Waltzes in with Death-in-Life*

I ain't recovering. Funny how life can go from Heaven to Hell without anything really changing...

Gside><<But remember the Hindenberg.>> The Hindenburg's skin was essentially fabric coated with rocket fuel. Few cars are that flammable; and even if you did explode the fuel, a properly designed tank could channel the blast in a safe direction...

Lain - Don't worry about it. I'll be back to my usual cheery self in a day or two... Meanwhile, keep safe, an' give the GBFC a kick in the sweets for me.

*waltzes back out*

"They don't have medicine for what I've got..."
-Steve Buscemi, Con Air

"I'll feel better in the morning
Nevermind me, I'm all right..."
-Nevermind Me, Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Gunjack Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Shod in marble, Gloved in lead
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 03:14:30 AM
IP: 216-146-184-216.bwn.net

Wilek> <<Although I also like pasta. But then it is a form of bread>>: And it too combines well with cheese and meat. Penne with alfredo sauce and chicken is mighty tasty.
<<Oh. <brain cracks>>>: I love being able to do that. And I didn't even get into the ugly details (which I've probably forgotten by this point).
<<it's running away from or to something very important>>: Yup. You.
<<You haven't lived until you've experienced some of the better offerings for the current consoles>>: That is why you have suitemates.
<<I really have to learn how to ramp up the weirdness like that right at the start>>: Just start watching Junkyard Wars. It'll come.
<<they're starting to come back into style in my ficverse>>: I guess there's always a way to work in modify the cloaks. Though knight and dragoon might be a tad harder (as well as thief, monk, berserker, archer... (though geomancer never really caught on)).
<<Are you aware that you are a font of the kind of ideas that can be twisted in all manner of cool directions by people like me>>: It is one of my goals in life. Though I really do have bandanas like those.
<<his modem died about a week ago and he has yet to replace it>>: Ah. That's not fun.

Guandalug> <<I don't want to adapt what the upper block uses>>: Thank you.
<<buttons with a dark red metallic-looking background might look good>>: Sounds like they might, but it'll be good to have a couple extra to choose from, just in case.
<<Thanx for nitocing>>: Not a problem. I only saw because I happened to scroll down near the bottom.

Kyryn> <<I used to get the weirdest looks from the Engineering/Comp Sci people>>: We just aren't used to females.

Niamhgold> <<if you think I was gonna miss _that_ remark, you were mistaken>>: Sorry, what? You really don't need mush else for flat color replacement.
<<As for left and right sides of the brain--both>>: I wasn't asking which side was more important, I was pondering what is more important for calculations of evilness, the side it is on or the side it controls.

Warpmind> <<I don't think you mentioned that it included eternal youth>>: I did too: "as a bonus, you get eternal life and youth from that last one".
<<guess how small, inanimate objects can be transferred between the units then>>: But would you want to retrieve them?

Winterwolf> <<managed to twist my ankle>>: Heal well. With weak ankles, I know what that's like.
<<Hydrogen gas>>: But remember the Hindenberg.

Sev. Jr.> Welcome back. Do you have any major DC violence planned?

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 02:21:00 AM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com

kit>> useless?? gimme a break, that was HIGHLY interesting.. ;););) once you get over how cruel such a thing is.. :(

**********MORE USELESS BUT INTERESTING INFO************
Lightbulbs:
the world's longest serving lightbulb twinkled its final twink last month. The pear shaped clear bulb, in a hardware store in Ibswich, England, had been lighting the men's loo since the 1930's. The style of lightbulb has not been manufactured for a good many years and the bulb itself was almost as old as the store's owner.. Incidentally.. Ibswich is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 39million some odd Tungsten fillament lengths from Redding, England.. just in case you were wondering..
**********END MOSTLY USELESS BUT INTERESTING INFO**********

************ON TO THE REALLY USELESS STUFF..***************
Chris Hudson of Brighton, England was, in 1976, the world's only professional snail racer.. However.. at the 1995 World Snail Racing Championships his snail was beaten by Archie, a garden snail belonging to Carl Branhorne of Pott Row, England. Archie covered a whopping 13 inches in a paltry 2 minutes. The average speed of a garden snail is 0.03 mph, though a bananna slug can go 6.5 inches in 120 minutes...
***************NOW THAT WAS USELESS!!..*******************
;)

Green Baron>> *hands back handcuffs* Don't look at me like that.. YOU found them first.. :P and just for you.. coz yer gonna need it soon.. ;)
avemariagratiaplenadominustecumbenedictatuinmuleribusetbenedictusfructusventristuijesu.sanctamariamaterdeiorapronobispeccatoribusnuncethoramortisnostrae.amen
See? just cos I'm an atheist doesn't mean I am uneducated.. that was from memory.. heh..

Gunjack>> Yes.. I think you are a wonderful bodyguard.. ;) thankyou! *HUGS*
And look after yourself, you hear?? Don't MAKE me have to come over there and make you better.. *holds head* oooowwww..

Anyway.. must be off..

*lain wanders to Green Baron, who is sitting on the couch. Curling up beside him, lain puts her head in his lap and falls asleep..*
love,

lain, O Apprentice of all that is Useless
the Great White North
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 01:05:43 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

**RP, WITH MEETINGS THAT HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME IN COMING**

"Augh!" Lloky is screaming girlishly as the scream comes on, seeing the huge metal form of Apep flying towards her. The dragon king stops a few feet away and grins widely. "Hello, young wyrmling," Apep speaks. "Good to see one of my kind still active in this world." "Who…who are you?" Lloky gasps, her voice full of panic. "What are you? You look like a…robot!" "Only a shell for my true form," Apep replies. "One which I will soon shed, but it works well enough for now." "What…what do you want?" Lloky stammers, flapping several feet back as the dragon king chuckles. "Do you not know who I am, little one?" he asks, going on with a grimace as Lloky shakes her head. "I am Apep, Lord of the Dragons of this world! Our kind are all my servants!" "Uh, I don't come from this world originally," Lloky whines. "That doesn't apply to me!" "What?!" Apep gasps, the shadowy pupils of his robotic eyes widening. "There are dragons from other worlds as well as this one?" "Well, yeah," Lloky nods, gulping as she looks around for help. On the ground below her and Apep, King Abdullah II, Queen Noor, Terrell, Andrea Grey, Colonel Amad, and a number of soldiers, terrorists, and caiveh are staring at the metal dragon with expressions of utter surprise. "Amad, Your Majesty, Terrell!" Michael Marter shouts over a radio. "The enemy has a very large robotic…" "We know, Michael," Terrell cuts off the transmission. "We're seeing it right now!" He turns to his warriors. "Everyone, prepare to fire at…" Then he stops, realizing nearly all of the caiveh are paralyzed with fear. "Will our Stingers even dent that thing?" Ivan gasps to Aussie in the STRIKE Super Apache. "Only way to find out is to shoot them off," his co-pilot sighs, flicking an arming switch. "Hope he's not really as dangerous as he looks." "Stepmother, the satellites did not detect this creature!" Abdullah II remarks to Queen Noor, who nods. "We must fight it bravely nonetheless," she declares. "Everyone prepare to open fire!" "One hell of a news story, and me without a camera!" Andrea laments as soldiers gasp around her and aim their guns. Abdullah's few remaining terrorists take the opportunity to flee the field, and no one stops them. Colonel Amad nods in agreement with Andrea, then picks up the phone to call General Earle. Apep's attention remains on Lloky as she tries to keep him distracted and silently prays for help.

The screen changes to the basement of Abdullah bin Aziz's mansion, where Gubio, Erin, and their party are grimacing as they try to shake off the paralysis Harthoth cast on them. "Mrrooww!" Mist whines, and Gubio nods in agreement. "Whoever that guy was, his magic was stronger than anything I've ever seen." "His name's Harthoth, and he's a friend of Michael's!" Fasil says. "Or we thought he was, anyway!" "Are you all alright?" Mary's voice asks over the radio. "What is going on?" Fasil curses loudly at being unable to press the transmit button and respond. "If only I hadn't left Samson back at the base to guard Mary and Patty," Bessus laments. "He could have…" "Your dog probably would have been paralyzed too," Erin says. Bessus sighs, but nods. "So do we give up now?" Hassan asks. "Never!" Sarita snaps. "We can't!" As Gubio and Erin frown and open their mouths to voice protest, there is a flash of light and the paralysis effect disappears. "What the…" Gubio begins, but Fasil cuts him off. "Let's not bother with explanations! What matters is we're free!" Erin smiles, then looks around the corner and growls. "Abdullah and most of them are gone. There's just some guy tapping away at a computer." "Tyl!" Gubio hisses, cocking back the hammer on his gun. "The bastard's mine. The rest of you head upstairs, find Abdullah." "You'll join us in a moment?" Bessus asks. Gubio nods. "Mist, go with them." "Mrrow!" Mist protests, but Gubio shakes his head and waves her on. "Alex, this guy…" Erin voices her own protest, but Gubio smiles. "He's only dangerous on the Net. Trust me. I got him." "Okay," Erin shrugs, "but if you don't come back…" Gubio cuts her off with a kiss to the smiles of everyone, then breaks it off and grins. "I will." Turning away, he walks around the corner with gun ready. "You've picked a good man, daughter," Fasil tells Erin. "A brave one." She nods. "I know. Come on, we better take care of business." "Abdullah's not going anywhere except to face Allah," Bessus agrees. Hassan, Sarita, and Mist nod and the group then turns to head up a nearby set of stairs, Fasil assuring Mary and Patty they're fine as they go. Gubio meanwhile steps into the room in which Tyl sits, directing a frown towards the chained-up Harthoth before taking aim with his gun at his nemesis's head. "The program is ready," the evil hacker is saying into an intercom. "Just boot up your laptop, load and start it, control of the dragon's yours." "Thank you," Abdullah replies from the other end. "None necessary," Tyl chuckles. "You're paying me enough." "Too bad you won't live to collect the next check," Gubio says, and Tyl turns around, gasps, then chuckles and starts tapping his fingers together eagerly. "Gubio! At last we meet IRL!" "And you're even less scary in person," Gubio replies, cocking back his pistol's hammer. "Time to die, Tyl." "You think?" Tyl laughs maniacally, clapping his hand on his forearm. Instantly several seeming duplicates of Tyl appear around him. "Guessing game time!" the evil hacker declares, standing up and drawing a laser pistol along with all of his duplicates simultaneously. Gubio looks around in seeming confusion as the screen goes blank.

**TO BE CONTINUED, END FIRST RP OF THIS POST**

Hi everyone! I'm back once again. <smiles> Things going somewhat well in life. Stephanie is now five months pregnant and surly most of the time about various things, but thankfully I've been able to avoid her the past few days. Poor Keith, though, hasn't been so lucky. <sighs> If he can put up with her like she is now, marriage will be a breeze for them. Which is why I'm keeping him in my prayers. Those two belong together, no matter how often they fight. In other news, Jammer just got a promotion at the club where he works, he is now Second Head Bouncer on his shift (the real title is Assistant Head of Security, but he likes the title I just used). He and Tricia are very happy about it. Shap had his twenty-third birthday yesterday, the party was fun. And this morning Doug and I talked to our bank's mortgage lady about the loan which will get us a house. Hope we know about our eligibility for one very soon- we should get one, but we're still full of anticipation. Now, what to comment on in here? <looks over posts, sighs heavily> Good and bad stuff, I see. Let's get on with the replies.

GXB: Making her walk home in the snow I get, but why naked? <shakes head> Sounds like that cop needs serious time with a psychologist. I too cheer for the victory of free speech.

Rodlox: You're welcome for the luck wishes. $ Also glad you like how we're portraying your RP character. We'll keep trying to write him as best we can. Would be nice if you'd do a bit yourself every now and then, though. $

Winterwolf: <nods> You're very right that relationships take hard work. Doug and I had to work unbelievably hard at ours, but the results have been great. :) We argue sometimes, but making up is always wonderful. As for Doug and his dad, well, I know they do care about each other, even though Doug seems to hate the guy's guts in a major way. :( I continue to encourage Doug to reach some middle ground with his dad when I can, but so far it hasn't had much result. <sighs> Oh well, nevertheless I continue to try. :) I'm not going to get involved with your quest to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, though I do somewhat support it. The Baron makes some good points too though. In any case, the matter's pretty much already settled. Clinton's Forest Protection Act was enough of an environmental legacy if you ask me. Hopefully it will stand for at least a few decades. I like trees. :)

Coyote: Firestorm is right, electric space heaters are lifesavers. Especially in areas that have weather like yours does right now. If you don't have one, you should get one as soon as possible. Hope you're still surviving the cold, Doug and I continue to send you our prayers. As we do all the other people stuck in your situation. <gets pensive look> Maybe we need some bad weather guy in here to kill along with DC, Otto Mobile, and the rest.

Warpmind: <nods> An open field is indeed the best place to practice archery. Cold isn't the greatest environment for it either, although Shauna does think icicles are great targets for line shots (hitting several things arranged in a line with the same arrow). Hope she's e-mailed you by now with tips, if she hasn't just let me know. I'll remind her again. Good luck with your hobby in the meantime.

Gside: That does sound like a memorable life. I regret not knowing that teacher. <sighs, then is silent for a time> Thanks for sharing the details of her time on Earth.

Jannie: You and my mother feel very similar about New Year's resolutions. <grin> Congrats on finishing your work, nice job sticking it to your nemesis on the last day. :) Good luck with the next journey your life takes, hope you enjoy it. Hope you enjoyed watching the new District episode last Saturday too, Doug and I did. The development on Captain Hunter was particularly welcome, and the subplot with Rawlins vs. Broussard sparked some good dialogue. Well-written overall plot with Mannion and the Navy too. Hope the show lives on to a second season- things seem like they can only get better from here.

Cyrway: Thanks for the good cold weather advice, I agree with it. And only add that one should drink lots of hot coffee and snuggle up frequently with someone warm. Doug and I enjoy that latter activity very much. :) Welcome back also, hope you'll stay a long time.

Guandalug: I say reset the data on the archive to zero, because it will make less work for you and hopefully encourage many readers to look over the stories on the archive again with unbiased eyes. Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress, hope you'll continue the good work.

Stephen: Congratulations on Heather once again, glad to hear that things are continuing to go well with you and her. Hope it keeps up. Glad her parents support the relationship, it would be a real bummer if they didn't. (Doug and I thankfully don't have that problem, Keith's folks don't like Stephanie very much, though. <frown>) Thanks for the picture, you guys look great together. May you be as happy together in fifty years as you are today, with nothing but lying, cheating, and stealing. :)

Mary: Congrats on your sister going back to school. Hope she'll learn some manners this semester. <grimace> Sorry to hear about you and Bahamut breaking up, though. Speaking as someone who's gone through a lot of breakups with people I thought were 'the one,' I know it must be hard. <sigh> But then again, they do say you can't hurry love and you often have to try several times before you get it right. I did eventually, I'm sure you will too. IMO, you are right to think that a relationship where you feel stuck is not right, nor is one where you really don't know the other person. I wish you the best of luck with your next relationship, whomever it may be with, and may you soon get over your sadness from this breakup. If I or Doug can help in the ways friends do, just please let us know. <comforting hug> I like those songs you mentioned also. Melissa Etheridge, Alanis, Sarah McLachlan, Faith Hill, and especially Annie Lennox are other women who speak memorably to me whenever I play their songs.

Spacebabie: Glad your mom and kitten are getting better, I've been praying. Best of luck to your brother in the Army. My own brother, Ray, was in there for a while too, before he decided brokerage management was more satisfying than putting up with training and drill sergeants all the time. He's still in the Oklahoma National Guard, though- even drill sergeants and training couldn't kill his patriotism and desire to fight for his country when necessary. :) <killer tornadoes> Ack! Congrats on surviving those, may you never have to again.

Niamhgold: <nods> Same with me on payday. Doug is usually very good at reminding me about our financial needs though, so splurging sprees aren't much of a problem. Hope it's the same for you, and I wish you continued good luck.

Green Baron: $ Wonder if Cromwell and Rousseau are going to get along that well. :) $ I pretty much share your practices when it comes to appearance, except on the occasions when I want to look particularly nice or seductive for Doug.

Lain: How's this for useless knowledge? In China, when the government executes someone by firing squad, the person's family gets a bill for the bullets. Strange, but true. :( And on your mother, well, you may feel you've let her down, but I bet she's very proud of you nonetheless, wherever she is now. So cheer up. :) And thanks for sharing her diary, the passages are interesting and touch my heart on a deep emotional level. <sigh>

Gunjack Valentine: "One Headlight" is a favorite song of mine too. Very meaningful. I cried when they played it at Snake's funeral. <sighs at the memories> Best of luck dealing with the undead chibis, hope they don't drive you too nuts. Good luck also with whatever's going on between you, Nadia, and Lain. <knowing grin>

Daniel Johnson: Thanks for the advice. Doug and I will try to live near a good hardware store if not Home Depot. We're not sure where we'll be living next yet, though. Have to get mortgage approval first. :)

Lynati, Spore: Good luck finding the clothes you need. I have known many girls like yourselves who have experienced similar clothing quandaries. Including biker Fauline Davidoff, who has the most challenging problem similar to yours of anyone I am sure. Biker gear in size 0, not easy to find. <grins> The situation calls for a protest to be launched at the clothing companies and an interest group of small women! :) Count me as one 5'10" 148 lb size 7 woman who would support it all the way.

Daphne: Make a boring topic seem interesting? Making the presentation humorous always worked for me. Doug too. Hope this suggestion comes in on time for you to take advantage, good luck with the project however it turns out.

**TV SHOW SPOILERS**
Simpsons stank this week IMO. Did we really need another explanation for Homer being stupid? The stupidity gene on his family's Y chromosome was enough. And this particular explanation was pretty darn stupid if you ask me, especially the explanation for Dr. Hibbert not noticing the crayon. PLEASE. Homer's touching note to Lisa was the one high point. Other than that, this better be the bad show writers' last script. <fingers crossed> X-Files was good again, another cool plot with interesting antagonists, a well-written script, and some nice development on Doggett and Scully. I am still waiting for them to get back to mythology eps though. Hope they do soon.

The new Buffy was pretty good tonight. I liked the Anya, Willow, and Xander development, especially what was revealed about Anya's past and when she and Willow were working together effectively. The troll was a good character too, well-acted and with a lot of great dialogue. Good lines from the characters about him too. Decent Spike and Buffy bits, though nothing spectacular. Liked the progress with the Watcher's Council thread too, and seeing Dawn listening in on the discussion of her true nature. Can't help but wonder how that will affect her. Also enjoyed the episode's actions, and general plot. My only complaints were that a lot of the acting seemed a little too fake (never a good thing), Buffy was way too moody over losing Riley (so much I thought it seemed fake), they put a lot of emphasis on Willow's gayness (I like her and Tara, yeah, but I liked her and Oz more. I know I'm not alone), and the script didn't seem as good as it could have been. Still, decent episode, with some nice development and more than a few good scenes. Hope we get a better plot in the next one, and can see Harmony, Glory, and Ben again. Harmony in particular- I have been wondering for a while now if she knows of Spike's Buffy obsession and exactly what she thinks of it. <grin> Looking forward to the new Angel next week.
**SPOILERS END**

Tim Phipps: The Marines, huh? Well, I'm sure you're up to the challenge and I wish you the best of luck with it. Hope you will make your family proud, and yourself too. It's a hard road you're stepping onto, but if you can keep up your confidence, strength, and so on, you'll probably to be able to walk it to glory. Be careful on the obstacle courses and with the big stone monsters we see in the Marine Corps commercials, and Semper Fi! :)

Kyryn: Congrats on making it back to Texas, good luck catching up on the work. Hope it doesn't cut into your free time so much you have to stay out of here.

Wilek: The Emperor's New Groove was dumb now and then, but more often it was just plain hilarious. Kronk especially. Check it out- I know you'd like it. <grin> Thanks for letting us know about SJ, I hope he gets a new modem soon. I am missing him very much right now. Especially with all the political stuff going on right now about which he could do an entertaining rant. :)

Mecord: Good luck with the long class, though having Cat in it should help. :) Hope you have enough money for textbooks, I recently had to deal with that again myself. The local stores are nuts with their textbook prices, especially on buybacks. A very interesting science book, bought new for $65, kept in near-perfect condition, resold for only $14. Not very fair, if you ask me. <growls>

SOROW: Congratulations on finding interesting books to read. That's always a good thing IMO. :) Hope you enjoy the dancing, even though you're tired. Get some good rest after it's over now. <grin>

Lady Corax, Taleweaver, others: Welcome back!!!

SJ: Welcome back to you too! Glad to see my above bit to Wilek was preliminary. :) Sorry to hear your family reunion was Hell, but congrats on surviving it. Congrats on the revived modem too. Hope you'll soon resume your regular posting rate and do a few entertaining political rants for us. :)

Kaioto: Welcome back! Good to know you're still around, and the family introductions for Lexy went well. Good luck putting your life back together, whatever you have to deal with. Nice meditation on the nature of American humanity, I think there's unfortunately a lot of truth to it. <sigh>

And that's all for tonight. Hope the week continues to go well, and see you all again next time. I should have some film reviews next post- Anti-Trust; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and at least one other good-looking movie whose name I can't remember. are coming out this weekend. About time this town enjoyed decent movies again! :) Will also be doing an RP bit with Fox's latest awful reality show- Asil Visits Temptation Island, dragging Pinky, Admiral Nipon, and Guod along for the ride. The resulting righteous bloodbath will be immensely satisfying to write, I am certain. <maniacal laugh> Right now, though, I am quite tired, and must go to bed as I have work tomorrow and so does Doug. So, later, everyone!!! <waves and leaves>

**RESUME RP ACTION, RAVENS' SAGA**

"Candles, check!" Tanith is reciting as the screen comes back on. "Incense, yes. Other incense, got it! Um, what else?" "Altar cloth?" Leah asks, holding up the item in question. "Not that one, that one," Tanith points, and Leah grabs it and throws it in the Wiccan's basket. "Those rocks too," she adds, and Leah picks up the indicated items and drops them in the basket. "Thank goodness this Mall had a Wicca shop, huh?" she grins. Tanith smiles and nods, then spins around as a large series of explosions and gunfire starts going off in the hallway nearby, mixed in with loud screaming and moaning. "They must have found Stephanie," Leah guesses, checking her assault rifle. "Or some other kind of trouble." "I still need a few more things here," Tanith sighs. "And all my energy. You go help them, I'll catch up!" "Alright!" Leah replies, raising her rifle and running off. "Damn it, Orion, you better be staying alive," Tanith shakes her head as she turns back to gathering spell components. "If only so I can knock some sense into you in case those demons or whatever you're fighting now don't!"

The display changes to Camp Snoopy's central court, where the Ravens are battling the horde of zombies Galante conjured, trying desperately to cut their numbers down while avoiding being overborne. "Aim for their heads!" Kenny reminds everyone, just before twenty zombies leap on him and rip him to pieces. Kenny screams as his blood flies everywhere, then collapses into death. "That's only temporary!" Kit shouts at Doug and Tom as they gasp in shock, then shakes her head and goes back to blasting down the zombies moving in on her. All around her, the other Ravens are doing the same, Lathrop's magic and Orion's holy power working as well as the others' guns. Shauna, Keith, Winter Blade, and War Frost, being without firearms, are knocking back the zombies around them with kicks, slashes, bites, and paw swipes, letting their friends blast them as they try to get back up. "There's too many of them!" Shauna declares, punching one zombie in the face only to be tackled by another as two more swipe at her with their claws. "Gee, Shauna, we already knew that," Shap shakes his head, invoking a prayer as he blasts four zombies to ashes with his Etone shotgun. "No more of that, paladin!" Pastor John snaps, stepping in front of him with full demon features extended and power gleaming along his arms. "You're going to burn now, go straight to Hell and…" He is cut off as Shap blasts him several times with the shotgun, knocking the demon preacher into a display stand and then to the floor in an explosion of sound and light. "Still a preacher, huh, John?" Shap laughs, drawing his holy avenger. "You have to talk to your enemies before blasting them, waste time! Well, I don't waste time!" With that, he lashes out with his sword as John growls and starts to get up, severing the demon preacher's head from his body. John screams in sudden agony, then in a flash of black and gold light his head and body fall to the ground, there to flare up in sudden flame and be consumed. Whispering a quick prayer for the departed, Shap turns back to blasting zombies. "John! No!" Galante gasps on the other side of the battlefield. "You Ravens will pay for this! I…" He is cut off as Doug leaps over several zombies to land in front of him and smack the demon bishop with his nightstick, knocking him back. "I can't remember who you are," Doug says, "but I don't think I like you very much." Galante smiles, then raises his hands and knocks Doug back with a lightning bolt. "I remember you, young fool!" he says, continuing to blast Doug as he speaks. "You didn't like me turning your school into a Catholicism preserve! Bringing more religion and ethics into the curriculum! You failed to see the need, as did your friend Principal Gagne, who I had to get rid of! Never mind that the students loved her, that she'd been in charge for over twenty years, loved her job and wanted to keep it, that she'd brought the school to exemplary standing twice. She was not Catholic enough- she was admitting Protestants and Buddhists, letting the students dress as they wished, letting the history teachers say the truth about the Crusades and Spanish Inquisition! I do not absolve her sins, nor yours! You will die!!" As he raises his hands and laughs triumphantly, a sudden explosion consumes the Bishop, who crumbles to ash and fragments of bone. As Doug's mouth falls open in confusion, Jammer, Tom, and Orion rush to his side. "Are you alright?" Orion asks, clapping healing hands on Doug's wounds as he gasps. "I snuck up and dropped a live grenade down the back of his cassock while he was ranting," Tom explains Galante's death, chuckling. "Worked nice, didn't it?" "Yeah," Doug agrees as they help to his feet. "Thanks." "Don't sweat it," Jammer says. "We still got a billion zombies to axe, not to mention Jerry and possibly Steph." Doug nods, looking towards Kit as Tom and Orion blast zombies away from them and Jammer hands him back his gun. Kit flashes him a grin before going back to keeping the zombies off her. Around her, the other Ravens continue battles of their own while Jerry and Stephanie, seeming undaunted by the loss of Galante and John, look for openings to the Ravens, blood heavy on their minds as they finger sword and glaive. Above the fight, Geburah laughs as he keeps drawing in power, feeding on the energy released by every zombie as it falls. "Soon," he declares. "Very soon now." As the fighting continues, the screen goes blank.

**MORE FIGHTING NEXT TIME, END THIS POST'S RP**

Kitainia
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 12:17:55 AM
IP: pool-63.52.168.21.dlls.grid.net

Well, I'm not dead, but I've been stuck in a hole for the past few weeks.

The reason for my "sabbatical", if you can call it that, is because my modem died on me, and it took WAAAAY longer to fix than it should have, and also I went out of town on a family vacation, to the hell known as the state of Georgia.

Anyway, I'm back, in black, and better than ever. Let the real millennium begin!

Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 11:51:23 PM
IP: cache-2.spg.va.webcache.rcn.net

Darkness!
Like an icy hole is
Darkness!
Freezes us with cold
The darkness cheers the dying
Who are all the while denying
They're in Darkness!
-Upside Down

Gunjack Valentine
Like a puppet with the strings cut...
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 11:49:30 PM
IP: 216-146-183-154.bwn.net

Well, I'm still alive ... sort'a ...

Work and school, school and work. There are a lot worse situations to be in. Managed to finally introduce Lexy-chan to the family ... and I mean the Whole family. Nothing like Italian and Irish Christmas to bring out your 4th cousins and the like. Things went smashingly and now I've been afforded a brief window to try and put my life back in order before getting pulled back into school. If I'm really lucky, I might even get to read some of that new season of Pendragon this week ...

Hope fair fortune finds everyone in the fandom, and this place gives comfort for those for whom times are not so kind.

Anyone who wants to catch up can drop me a line at my usual addy. I check it habitually every day in order to look like I'm working during those annoying lulls where I'm waiting for workflow to catch up to me.

I've got my pre-reg for the Gathering done, so I hope to see many of you there.

Hm ... not much else to say. Though ... come to think of it ... I guess this is a pretty good place to drop one of those after-work musings that like to pester me on the train home ...

Meditations on Humanity ...

Society in general (especially American society) is like a typical spoiled teenager.

No one ~ really ~ loves us. If people loved us, all our wants and desires would be met without reservation. So we sit in our rooms, sulking like brats. We grumble in our warm beds on full stomaches about how our parents don’t provide for us. Meanwhile, a world away, others silently perish without food, family, or shelter. We destroy all we have, either carelessly or maliciously, and then whine about how we are deprived. We take and consume all we can get our hands on, but complain when we have to do so much as take out the garbage. We hurt our parents when we are angry, but would cry abuse if they ever did anything similar to us. We are interested in flashy moves and quick fixes, and then are left to wonder why things only get worse on the long-term.

We are the kind of kid who ought to be kicked out of home at age 18 and told to get a job. But no, we are still spoiled rotten. We demand to move out on our own and then our parents ~ give ~ us the house to ourselves. Each of us have 6 billion brothers and sisters to work with and plenty of room for us all. We have so many wonderful opportunities and the freedom of finally having come of age …

But we continue to destroy our home, squander our opportunities, fight with our siblings, and spend the bulk of our free time whining about how mom and dad haven’t come and fixed everything yet.

And what if they did? Hell, the windows are broken, letting in the winter storms, and we are STILL playing hockey in the living room. No one is patching up the ceiling though the rain pours in on us. We leave the freezer door open and refuse to take out the trash.

We’re still refusing to learn anything, even in the hard-knocks school of our precious sovereignty.

Maybe the day we stop destroying our home, maybe on the day we cease hurting our family, maybe the day when we finally take responsibility for our lives, we’ll be grown up enough to have a real conversation with our parents again. Maybe when we’ve stopped whining and started acting, they’ll be able to help us help ourselves.

For now, we wallow in our self-created misery and blame our parents for ~ obviously ~ hating us.

There is no returning to the blissful ignorance of childhood, so I hope humanity grows up someday soon.

-Kai
Always hoping for a better future ... and ashamed he isn't Doing more for that future ...

Kaioto - [kaioto@yahoo.com]
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 10:56:22 PM
IP: 1cust5.tnt1.brockton.ma.da.uu.net

**Winterwolf enters with a tiny limp favoring his right foot and howls at the moon**

Hi everyone! Yesterday I was feeling sleepy and I managed to twist my ankle. I wanted to post last night but managed to fall asleep. I just went to relax for a little bit. I lay down on my bed to stretch out and rubbed my ankle. The next thing I knew I woke up feeling fresh and good but it was time to get ready for work! You could say that once my head hit the pillow I was gone in 60 seconds! ;P Oh I wonder who's going to roll their eyes now! LOL

Gunjack> <Weapons> Who doesn't want to have an arsenal of weaponry at their disposal? :D Though for me it tends to be limited to FPS. :| <Armored Mech description> LOL So I see! Well I have an overactive imagination that tends to fill in the blanks. So I must have really spiced it up with lots of weapons and other goodies! ;) <Sevarious in a clingy dress> I agree with Daniel Johnson! I did not need that mental image! Damn having an overactive imagination can be harsh sometimes! :P

Oh you want to know about vehicle/transportation alternatives! Okay I can highlight that also. ;)

This info is a mix of info from the Department of Energy and the Alternative Fuels Data Center. Personally I was introduced to alternative fuels when I was studying internal combustion engines three years ago. I had an instructor that was certified to work with compressed natural gas (CNG) and his car was powered by CNG. It was a great boon to have him as an instructor and I learned much more than the core material of the class. (To me that is a mark of an exceptional class one that gets you beyond the core material) I found the whole concept and idea of alternative fuels at this time was fascinating so I've been keeping up on it since. Now to really give you more than just my personal ramblings I double checked my data and general info of several types of fuel is presented below:

Note - All of following have reduced emissions.

Biodiesel - Biodiesel (mono alkyl esters) is a cleaner-burning diesel fuel made from natural, renewable sources such as vegetable oils. Just like petroleum diesel, biodiesel operates in combustion-ignition engines. Essentially no engine modifications are required, and biodiesel maintains the payload capacity and range of diesel. Biodiesel fuel can be made from new or used vegetable oils and animal fats. It is made from domestic renewable resources and is biodegradable. The current drawback to biodiesel fuel is that the cost to producing it would place the price at twice the current price of diesel fuel. Production could reach about 2 billion gallons per year, or about 8 percent of highway diesel consumption within 1 to 2 years.

Electric Fuel - There are currently hybrid and dedicated vehicles that use this form of fuel. Electricity is unique among the alternative fuels in that mechanical power is derived directly from it, whereas the other alternative fuels release stored chemical energy through combustion to provide mechanical power. Motive power is produced from electricity by an electric motor. Batteries commonly provide electricity used to power vehicles, but fuel cells are also being explored. Electricity fueling costs are quite reasonable, however electricity cost varies across the country depending on location, type of generation, and time of use. Dedicated vehicles - The number of one benefit is that there are no tailpipe emissions. There are less moving parts in this type of vehicle which is likely to lower maintenance costs. Unfortunately the current range for these vehicles is 50 to 130 miles. Also the time to refuel is lengthy being several hours.

Ethanol - There are currently dedicated vehicles using this form of fuel. Liquid alcohol produced from grain or agricultural waste. E85 (a blend of 85% denatured ethanol and 15% gasoline) is for light-duty applications, while E95 (a blend of 95% denatured ethanol and 5% gasoline) is for heavy-duty applications. Currently availability is limited. Fueling stations are located primarily in the Midwest; more than 50 public E85 stations are available, in 12 states. E85 is sold in the Midwest at prices equivalent to those for mid-grade unleaded gasoline. Vehicles using E85 can be bought at the same prices as comparable gasoline vehicles with mass production. Ethanol has approximately 80% or more of the energy density of gasoline. This has an effect of enhancing vehicle acceleration as shown in preformed tests. Emissions are reduced. In other respects it is comparable to gasoline.

Hydrogen - Hydrogen gas (H2) is being explored for use in combustion engines and fuel-cell electric vehicles. It is the most abundant element though it is rarely found in its uncombined form on the earth. When combusted (oxidized) it creates only water vapor as a by-product (4H + O2 = 2 H20). When burned in an internal combustion engine, however, combustion also produces small amounts of nitrogen oxides and small amounts of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide because of engine lubricants. The exhaust is free from carbon dioxide. The main problem with hydrogen is bulk storage required for fuel tanks. Because hydrogen is also combined with other elements and it would also be difficult to transport, as it is a gas, the current cost of production is quite high. High production costs and low density have prevented hydrogen's use as a transportation fuel in all but test programs.

Methanol - Methanol (CH3OH) is an alcohol fuel. Odorless clear liquid, produced from natural gas, coal, or biomass. M85 (a blend of 85% methanol and 15% gasoline) is for light-duty applications. M100 (pure methanol) is for heavy-duty applications. Today a process using natural gas as a feedstock produces most of the world's methanol. However, the ability to produce methanol from non-petroleum feedstocks such as coal or biomass is of interest for reducing petroleum imports. The most fueling stations are available in California; stations are also available in New York City, Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Detroit, and other locations. The price for M85 is less than the average price for gasoline.

Natural Gas (CNG/LNG) - There are currently dedicated vehicles using this form of fuel. Extracted from underground reserves, composed primarily of methane. For compressed natural gas (CNG), gas is compressed to 2,400-3,600 pounds per square inch in specially designed and constructed cylinders. For liquefied vehicle fuel (LNG), gas is cooled to minus 259F and stored in insulated tanks. The interest for natural gas as an alternative fuel stems mainly from its clean burning qualities, its domestic resource base, and its commercial availability to end-users. Most natural gas consumed in the United States is domestically produced, currently at about 90%. Gas streams produced from reservoirs contain natural gas liquids and other materials. Currently one out of every five new transit buses in the United States is powered by natural gas. Fuel cost is less than that of gasoline, per gasoline gallon equivalent. Vehicle range is somewhat less than that of comparable gasoline-powered vehicles. Power, acceleration, and cruise speed are comparable with vehicles using conventional gasoline and may be marginally greater. The fuel storage cylinder is typically stored in the trunk for ease of inspection, which reduces trunk storage space. Pressurized tanks have been designed to withstand severe impact, high external temperatures, and automotive environmental exposure. "Slow" fill (up to 8 hours) and "quick" fill (3 to 5 minutes) are available for CNG. LNG fueling times are comparable with those for gasoline. Natural gas is distributed throughout the United States in extensive pipeline systems that extend from the well-head to the end user. Every Continental State has access to natural gas through pipelines. Currently CNG fueling stations are located in most major cities and in many rural areas and Public LNG stations are limited. Conversion costs for a vehicle to us natural gas is about $2,000 to $3,000 per vehicle.

Propane (LPG) - Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) consists mainly of propane, propylene, butane, and butylene in various mixtures. However, for all fuels in the United States, the mixture is mainly propane. It is produced as a by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. Most natural gas consumed in the United States is domestically produced, currently between 95 and 98%. Propane is the most accessible of the liquid and gaseous alternative fuels at this time in the US. Vehicle range is somewhat less than that of comparable gasoline-powered vehicles. Power, acceleration, and cruise speed are comparable with vehicles using conventional gasoline. Propane costs typically range from 5% to 30% less than those of gasoline. Vehicle cost is an additional $2,500 with this fuel system.

Solar Fuel - I see this as a possible enhancement on vehicles. The best combination of this with another fuel is potentially electric. Some research has gone in to evaluating how solar energy may be used to power vehicles; however, the long-term possibility of operating a vehicle on solar power alone is very slim. Solar power may however be used to run certain auxiliary systems in the vehicle. Pure solar energy is 100% renewable and a vehicle run on this fuel exclusively emits no emissions. Right now this one is pretty much a pipe dream.

That wraps up my overview on alternative fuel vehicles.

<you forgot to mention nuclear> Now actually I failed to mention hydro and nuclear power. Well that adds more to the list. ^_^

Mary Flanders> Well you have friends in here that care if you change your mind. **hugz**

Tim Phipps> If you feel that strongly about go for it! Now before you just go it's probably good to talk some more about it and let your family know you've made up your mind.

Emambu> Hi! Are you putting off your post till next week by any chance? LOL

Gside> <Well, being voiced by Tim Curry, cross dressing had to come up sometime> Still do you really want to get that that picture in your head! Though putting that bandana idea out there was potentially worse. (I think Warpmind might be more responsible there) ;P

Wilek> <I blew his mind> LOL Actually I was over stimulated from all the pretty snow! How can you post when there is fun snow to play with? ;) Oh currently it's either melted or dirty snow. Blah! :( <Alice> I saw a demo. You have it right on target with your mix! So far I like it! ^_^ <paradox time> Resolution not to resolve anything in resolutions. Oh let us know how that works out. Too bad you are set up for failure on some level, but then again you will are guaranteed partial success! ;P

Mecord> Hi Mec. Make sure you fill us in on the revenge plot. I'm sure it will be entertaining.

Spacebabie> Yay! Glad to hear Charisma is getting better! ^_^

SOROW> Yeah! Sounds like a good deal to me. When I get a really good book I feel like I can read into the night. Unfortunately I tend to do so and that kills the next day. What its 5AM? But I need to be up at 6AM! Oh I might as well read for another hour. ;P

Aaron> <I called> Cool! **hi-five** :) <Gathering> Hey Aaron are you and Mara planning on going for the late night lobby craziness again at this Gathering? I can see plenty of wackiness ensuing! :D

Lady Corax> Welcome back!

******BFTS RP******

**AD** Your ad can appear here! Ask BFTS posters for details! **END AD**

Two portals open in midair behind NCA. Netlag appears out of one and DC out of the other. They move beside NCA and create an opaque barrier of brilliant blue energy between NCA and everyone on the mountain.
NCA turns and yells. "What is the meaning of this?"
They pass through the force field without harm but it reveals their true forms. NCA cries out. "Energy Shadows!"
The Energy Shadows grab hold of him and drain his power. In a matter of minutes they drain as much power as they can hold and bind him so it is impossible for him to teleport away or make a quick getaway with magic from this fight. The Energy shadows wink out of existence.
NCA taps into his energy reserves and feels he still has more than half of his magical potential. He needed the osmium more than ever now.

Meanwhile

DPH, Uriel, Jason, Plastique, Frost and Winterwolf were puzzled.
"What's going on?" Winterwolf wonders out loud.
"I don't know but it can't be good." Plastique answers.
"What should we do DPH?" Frost asks.
"Spread out. This might just be a diversion!" DPH instructs.
Once they all move apart the energy wall hurls itself at Jason and Uriel.
NCA moves quickly to kill the others.

******END BFTS RP******

Whew! That was the post that kept on giving! LOL Well good night all and see you next time!
BTW - Love that "Wolf's Moon"! ^_^

**Winterwolf exits without a limp thanks to his enhanced healing and howls at the moon**

Winterwolf
Bronx, NY
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 10:51:58 PM
IP: 206.15.120.81

I'm fine Lady Corax
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 10:51:02 PM
IP: adsl-64-165-17-82.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Hey, everybody! How are y'all? Hope you had a great holiday season. :)

Stephen> Hey, congratulations! I'm happy for ya. :) (and sorry I'm late on telling ya!)

Coyote> Hello! **waves**

Well, I can't think of much else to say...except that I'm back! :) See y'all around.

Lady Corax
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 09:14:53 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

Incidentally, as a follow-up to Iain's post, the full moon this month is the "Wolf Moon". I wonder what Mary Sefton and a certain member of the Pack would have to say about that.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 07:53:06 PM
IP: 216.87.46.146.dialup-stl.primary.net

*************UESLESS INFO OF THE DAY******************
OK, Everybody get yer butts outside tonight and look at the moon. If you have already done so, you might have noticed that the moon looked very, very bright.. and you would be correct!
Tonight, the moon, earth and sun are in a near-perfect alignment AND the moon is 99.9% full. This is serving to make the moon apperar 20% brighter than it does usually. The last time this happened was in 1913, so get yer observing in now while you have the chance!! :)
**************END USELESS INFO OF THE DAY******************
seeing as how I am going to stand in hot running water for half an hour and then I must tape Buffy, I will post more exiting stuff later.
love,

lain, O Apprentice of that which is Uselesss - [sanchinwalker@hotmail.com]
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 07:39:06 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

It's scary how much Daniel Johnson and I have in common. Absolutetly scary.

1+1=3

Ok, what is the ultimate weapon in your opinion, Wilek or Gunjack?

Ok, so I seem antsy about work right now. I have been there 6 months as a temp and I sent my application in right after Thanksgiving.
**WORK RELATED**
Apparantly, things are being done. A few people took drug tests today who sent in applications for full-time employment. Obviously, the company will NOT waste money for a drug test if they are not going to hire someone. Unfortunately, I have heard nothing except for a tidbit of information. January 29 is the official day for the temps who got hired to start working full-time. So now, that means I am more attentive and watchfull of the HR department (1 guy) when I see him. Afterall, (hopefully) he could be visting me soon.

Now for bad news or as it said in the plant "Typical Problems". Somehow, I had no work to do in my normal area so I got moved. That is a bad point. The worse part is the area I got moved normally needs 4 people and has only 1 person there right now. I might be tempted to email Scott Adams my workplace stories and will be pretty sure that it will appear in Dilbert.
**END WORK RELATED**

Enough is not enough. Need more input.

**NAME TRANSLATION**
Well, my named translated means God Is My Judge Little Hightower. Talk about a humbling name.
**END NAME TRANSLATION**

Theory about the brains of the two Daniel's: there are composed of a redudant array of computer hardware theoritically designed to allow for maximum versatility.

I remember taking a test in 8th grade to show my interests except I had no real strong interests (my highest were computer related, but they were not close to being 40%).

Gasoline prices are getting ridiculious. Last week, $1.23/gallon; today, $1.35/gallon.

**BFTS RP continues**
*ad*
Market Price - the world leader in highest prices around
*end ad*
Plastique has finished making 1 kilogram of osmium when Winterwolf approaches her and whispers something. Winterwolf then quickly heads over to DPH & Jason Filler and whispers the same message.

Plastique stops making osmium and heads into the cabin, while DPH and Jason Filler disappear into seemingly thin air. Frost starts heading north of the cabin.

NCA appears and starts to grab the osmium when a burst of blinding light comes out of nowhere. Frost, Winterwolf, DPH, Plastique Saber, Jason Filler, and Uriel all converge on NCA during his momentary blindness and start attacking.

Suddenly, gushing water heads out of the ground from seemingly nowhere and is aimed at NCA. NCA sees it just in time to raise a forcefield.

DPH yells, "Everyone keep NCA distracted while I work on penetrating his forcefield."
**END BFTS RP for now**
Will our heroes be able to finally take out NCA once and for all?

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 06:53:51 PM
IP: max1-51.cwy.cei.net

Wanders in wearing a shirt bearing the slogan "Mara's new plaything of the male persuasion."

Spore> Yeah, I know what that's like. I fall in this nebulous area called "Student" which means the Boys department is too small and the Men's department is too big. Sigh.

Mary> Ouch. I'm sorry. I won't lie and say I know how you feel, since my current relationship (five months, five days) is the first I've ever been in. But if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. We all are.

Winterwolf> I called. Thanks again for the opportunity to help a worthy cause. What can I say? Even callous pragmatists slip sometimes.

Gunjack> Ah, but does Jane's have pics of the M-16 with underslung Remington 870 weapons system?

DPH> Pardon the Texanism, but how ‘bout Dan-y'all. ;)

Kyryn> (Outrageous aussie accent) "Today I'm standing beside Highway 666. Running through towns like Cortez, Shiprock, Sheep Springs, and ending in Gallup, New Mexico. For some it is a beautiful stretch of the American landscape." Cyber-cookie to whoever can identify the movie, character, and actor.

Niamhgold> Mara's a shark too. Da-na. Da-na da-na.

Later.


Aaron - [JCarnage@Yahoo.com]
San Antonio, TX, USA
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 06:23:29 PM
IP: 209.33.137.148

Warpmind>(writes down word Jens) interesting. Perhaps Iago is Scandinavian in origen?
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 05:39:22 PM
IP: adsl-64-165-17-82.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

I am very tired right now and I have to go dance in a little while, but I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I'm really proud of myself because I went out and found four interesting books to read this semester. yeah for me!
SOROW
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 05:22:03 PM
IP: a010-0559.dll2.splitrock.net

Charisma news>>> She is getting better. Its been hard recently trying to put in her eye drops and medicine. It looks like pepto but smells like bubblegum

School news...The Winter Spring Semester had jus started. The cool thing are some of my classes...Script Writing, and Fiction workshop are pretty cool...We meet online on fridays for the Scitp wirting class. Th bad news is for my American Lit I have the same @$$hole that I had for Theorys of Lit. I have yet to meet one student who has a good word for him.

Well I got tired of wiating for my Christmas Anime to arive in the mail yet so I went out and bought a tape from a series I havent even seen yet...Revolutionary Girl Utena.

Spacebabie
Orlando, Fl, U.S.A
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 04:45:55 PM
IP: user-37kapgg.dialup.mindspring.com

*Lynati enters*

Heyla, all.

"Never put off until tomorrow what you may never have to do at all."

lain: I hope all your sicky-nesses go away soon, and you feel better. :)
Can you post a link to your site? I don't have the, err, directions to it written down, and I miss going into my Land and staring at the happy geometric pattern.

Warpmind: *anwsering in a sing-song voice, a la "Goldiggers", with eyes not opened*
Yes...but a better question would be, whose lipstick is it you are wearing, seeing as I don't wear make-up except for special occasions...
*Lynati smiles- at least, the corners of her mouth turn up and all her teeth become visible.*
*strained laugh. Lynati opens her eyes and stares at Warpmind* Methinks you have some explaining to do.
*cracks knuckles*

ANYhoo, life seems to be pretty peachy. I get to help out in a couple Lion Dancing demos this week; apparently they put my name on the lists as soon as they heard I was back in town. *Grins* It's nice to have people who know you.
I'm glad I talked myself going to class last night, it went very well. Remembered everything, despite my recent lasiness. (When I came back to the school last summer, I realized that I had neglected to practice the bow that goes at the beginning of each form, and had forgotten it. Erk.)
Been getting more writing done for the stories; small pieces, but very important ones. Still having trouble keeping myself from thinking beyond what I've already created. Been a bit easier since I started letting my mind come up with alternate versions of things that have already happened. Fun, too.

"As soon as I find my voice, 'talk to you all night;
As soon as I get these words, get these word just right.
As soon as I think I see you clearly in my sights...
As soon as find my, soon as I find my voice.

As soon as I see my road, I'll walk the straitest line;
As soon as I know what's yours, I'll understand what's mine.
As soon as I hear in sync I'll be singing all the time...
As soon as I find my, soon as I find my voice."

*Lynati exits, dancing to the Cheryl Wheeler song.*
Lynati
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 02:52:18 PM
IP: 207.226.219.63

Hey all!!!

Just taking a breather before my nest class. I have a strenuously long english class today. We'll see how that goes. I can tell you right now though, Cat has that class too. ;) Between classes with my favorite feline and the revenge I'm implementing on my lazy co-workers this should prove to be an entertaining week.

Lain>> <MORE textbooks to be bought* Geez.. how much money do these people think we HAVE, anyway???> Schools are like drugdealers, they know you need it and don't care where you get the money, as long as they get paid. heh, i wonder if I could draw anymore parallels along those lines... Another time perhaps.

Hmm, no real time for an RP, I'll have to post again later this week (or so I hope).

See ya later!!

Mecord the love sick elf
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 02:11:02 PM
IP: c1213678-a.logan1.ut.home.com

*lain enters, realizing there are MORE textbooks to be bought* Geez.. how much money do these people think we HAVE, anyway???
*shakes head*
now where's that chequebook??..
but the worst part of today is that the 1/2 hour or STAR WARS I got to see at lunch between classes was cut short by a girl whining about wanting to watch "All My Children"
*more shaking of the head, at which point lain becomes dizzy again*
*grumbles*

Valentine>> check my em?? I know no ems.. oh.. email.. right.. *rubs temples* thank you :)

But we get to look at shiny meteorites in geology lab this afternoon, which will be eeeeeexcelent.. at least far more wonderful than the problem set we have for astronomy..

*leaves to sell soul for enough money to purchace problem set text..*

lain, apprentice of Useless Information - [sanchinwalker@hotmail.com]
The Great White North
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 01:19:50 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

*Warpmind enters, yawning.*
Heya, gang.

Lynati: E-mail? *Waits patiently, a hint of a smile on his lips (and is that some of Lynati's lipstick?).*

Ambrosia: Old news, but given little thought.

Lynati again: Sign my guestbook? Hmmm... can't really say - may well be that it takes some time... *Checks* Yup, it registered. I guess Dreambook's just a bit slow at the processing. :) (But I believe that *would* have been my line...)

Daniel Johnson: Hey, that pun was one that I served; what'd you *expect*? ]:)

Gside: No, I don't think you mentioned that it included eternal youth. As for the Chron-O-John, well, I suppose you'll manage to guess how small, inanimate objects can be transferred between the units then, hmm? :)

Wilek: It's Peter Stubbe? Oh, I kinda doubt that - there was not even a hint of canine interference in the dream. :) As for the cloning facilities, *excellent*. That'll provide me with some cannon fodder for the NERF battle against Mara and Aaron - NOW who'll be outnumbered? ]:)

James Birdsong: Actually, I disagree with you. Speakign as a Norwegian, I can assure you, I cannot imagine any Norwegian bearing the name Iago. However(!), the Norwegian version of the name James that IS in use would be Jens. Which is fairly common, too.

Well, that about ends it. Later, muchachos.

Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 12:33:12 PM
IP: hume.ti.telenor.net

** Niamhgold enters looking quite relaxed **

Ahh, I love vacations, and I'm happy--not ecstatic, but satisfied--with my first semester marks :) Plus, I beat FF9 last night and was also satisfied with the ending :)

Anyways, onto replies:

Green Baron: Okay, I took the personality test but for some reason it said I couldn't enter under my email at hotmail because it was already in use--explaining why you may have gotten results from fluff_astrid@yahoo.com. Anyways, I'm a Shark, so ya better look out! (And so far, no one's scored a Shark yet...let's get some more of our cartilage-loving friends! ;))

Wilek: Hey, that's _my_ New Year's resolution! ;) <FF9> Keep going, it gets better ;) The magic system also works _a lot_ better than in VIII, and the ending is very good! (Not as much FMV, but, story-wise, it's got that flair that I've been missing since four) Wheeeeee!

And some more Wheeeeees!

;P

Anyways, _back_ to replies:

Names: I love figuring out names and meanings and linguistic equivalents. Unfortunately, my name is pretty straight forward. I would have loved a name like Orin, Niamh (gaelic roots, of course), or something else of any ethnic background. Aina is a personal favorite ;)

Gside: <Just an image editing program and a color fill> Heh, if you think I was gonna miss _that_ remark, you were mistaken ;} I'm gonna stew on this one... As for left and right sides of the brain--both, because the most successful and intelligent people can utilize both in equally creative and logical ways.

Guess I should register for the art show now, huh? Procrastination is my favorite enemy...bwhahahaha....

Adios!


niamhgold
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 12:22:08 PM
IP: lac-flex148.ncia.net

***Kyryn steps in.***

G'side> Hey, nobody's perfect. :) I note that you, Doug, Rodlox, and Kitania have occasionally caught things that I missed on a final proof.

DPH> Well, I started college as a Pre-Veterinary Science Major, and ended it as an English Major with a Comp Sci Minor --- go fig. I used to get the weirdest looks from the Engineering/Comp Sci people when I was signing up for Fortran and Pascal classes.

Lain> I love your bits of useless information! You never know when some of them actually might become useful.

BTW, did anyone know that there used to be a U.S. Highway in Arizona that was number 666? Okami and I were using a 1980s Rand McNally Atlas to cross the country. (Most of the major highways haven't really changed that much.) We noted in modern maps that the highway had been renumbered to 191...makes you wonder though about some of the people that lived along the highway with the old numbering...

Later All!

***Kyryn steps through a hole in the floor and the hole disappears after her.***

Kyryn
Denton, TX
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 12:06:18 PM
IP: exofw.aicpa.org

Gside> interesting. Lain> James in Gaelic is Hamish. James in Norwegian is Iago.
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 10:20:47 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-130-105.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

*lain enters, feeling marginally better*
I wonder why it is that I always feel better after griping about how much I feel like my life has been run over by a steamroller.. hmmmm.
Griping is the best medicine, second only to laughing.. which Green Baron made me do last night :)
*HUGS ALL*
*lain walks carefully out, feeling a little dizzy, to go to a geology seminar AKA look at lots of shiny rocks for awhile ;)*

lain
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 09:56:40 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

*reads the lyrics to the song, "Dear God" by Sarah McLachlan*
You know, if the song is about not believing in God, then why write a letter to Him?

Jannie
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 09:01:32 AM
IP: 209-83-228-138.hou.port.mytelco.com

*peeks in from work*
Gside> <<Just an image editing program and a color fill>>And who says that that's what I planned? I think I'll re-design those stars :) But you're mainly right - that's something even I should be able to accomplish.
<< <<'upgrading' thise plain yellow ones in the lower block>> >>Don'T worry, I don't want to adapt what the upper block uses. Ain't a smooth gradient, that's right - but I took those from the main pages to stay in the same look. I think buttons with a dark red metallic-looking background might look good - but I certainly have to check that. Before I switch them over I'll present a gallery to choose from :)
<<I rather thought so, but better safe than sorry.>> No problem. I prefer to get such observations - might as well have been a bug.
<<The author Twilight has two entries on the author list.>>Ouch, that's true. Thanx for nitocing - I'm too blind to see that it seems. (Well, guess I would have noticed once I reach 'X' on my way through the author list with adding stories) Just checked: same Alias, different author. Dunno why I missed that one, but I will fix it. One of the two has no mailing-addy, homepage and not even a real name. Guess he's the one to 'change' his alias :) (Depends on the number of stories - if he's without stories, he'll be gone by the time I'm done with the archive - all authors who didn't answer my email AND have no stories in the archive will be dropped (but are - of course - allowed to come back any time)

The bugfix I promised last post has to wait another day, sorry - I was too busy to add all 77 stories from Christine Morgan to the archive. Oh - and it's updated online as well together with an all new story by Duncan - he send me his newest (and up to now only) story, and I could't resist the temptation :)

May the winds be with you.
*disappears back to work*

Guandalug la'Fay - [Guandalug@gmx.de]
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 08:06:37 AM
IP: mailgate-a.ais-gmbh.de

My new year's resolution is to never allow myself to be constained by anything as ridiculous as new year's resolutions.

Gunjack> <<I really wish the damsel with the ghostcloak would drop by more often...>> Ghostcloak? Ooh... <<I'm being swalloed by a boa constrictor>> Hm. Where'd I leave that cigar cutter. Oh wait, I don't have one. I'll have to get one of those thingies that rabbis use for circumcisions. <<I'll have to catch up later; the frickin' fingers won't wait>> Finger frickin' good! But no frickin' bones to throw me. <<I've heard of Alice, but I haven't gotten to play a demo or anything. How good is it?>> It is a marvel of graphics technology. Not to mention level and character design. And gameplay. And music. And stuff. Take Heretic 2 and Sanitarium, add the Quake 3 engine, throw in four cups each of Tim Burton, Lewis Caroll, and Edward Gorey, a tablespoonfull of Wes Craven, a pinch of H.R. Giger and Wayne Barlowe near the end, a CC of LSD, some clockwork, and a DNA molecule from a hentai tentacle. Put the whole thing in a blender and hit frappe. That is Alice. Whether one actually likes it or not is a function of just how twisted one is, and in what ways. I worship it (It's like the inside of my mind, minus the high technology), but it ain't for everyone. The Cheshire Cat rocks, though. He's the missing link between Hannibal Lecter and Kosh. "Only the foolish believe suffering is just wages for being different..." I'd recommend downloading the demo at www.fileplanet.com first (80 megs, but worth every byte), or reading up about it at alice.stomped.com or www.planetalice.com (but don't go into the character profiles; they spoil things you're not going to want spoiled). (Another thing I loved about it, small matter though it may be, is that I can actually play it using just a keyboard and mouse, using mostly the default settings. For someone raised on console gaming, that is an achievement.) <<If this "soulseeker" dude can solidify dreams, I'd be willing to pay him a hefty commission...>> See my response to Warpmind. <<Though I *was* present at his wedding... It's still the only time I've ever passed out.>> <BLINK> Um...nevermind. Don't wanna know. <<Heh. That's the funny part; it's a good 'ol SNES game from way back in the day.>> Woah...really must cruise the ROM sites, then...<<And yet he STILL insists on channeling his creative energies toward 'Great' arts, and chastises me for working on 'low' art forms... : P>> Methinks we ought to teach him a thing or two about Japanese culture? <<Ever read the Appleseed manga?>> There's a manga? <<*Ahem* ...REAL women and REAL guns.>> Like the real world can do much of anything right. <<Though I WOULD like to meet this Teri you speak of...>> Go to my website (name link) and visit my Gallery. She's in the group shot. Kawaii, ne? v^_^ <<And what's the Iron Doll? Anything like my Gunsuit?>> I don't know what your gunsuit's like...the Doll is this ~15' tall four-armed (in the image of its builder) thingie that looks like the evolutionary convergence of the F-117-A stealth fighter and Goro from Mortal Kombat. More concealed weapons than I care to imagine, and probably extraordinarily dangerous to try and pilot. <<Nonononono! You've got to get creative! Schission crashers are all well and good, but there's an earthy appeal to wiresaw garrotes and switchblades, plus sleeve pistols and coat guns...>> Heh, that was a random line from Babylon 5 that just popped out of my head...I love free association. :) <<Sounds like my ultratech Cathedral from GURPS...>> The iron eye of the crystal god...<shakes head> WTBF was that? O_o <<Who're they?>> The makers of Alice. <<Which one is she? It's been a while since I read it...>> Run through with an awl. <<Which is why we maintain arsenals of REALLY BIG guns. ^_^>> True. :) <<Mine was doing basicly the same thing to make mecha-mario and -yoshi...>> Kewl. :) <<Well, since my dreams never actually end when I get killed... 8 )>> Cool! :D For some reason, in those dreams in which I've died, the dream ended right there...<<It gives us something to push against.>> At the moment, I'm pushing against a roughly five-lightyear-thick wall of reinforced duritanium. <<Though I managed to lure my boss out of hiding with the minigun pic...>> Kewl. <<Who needs those? Filo just wanted a good case study on this reality's effects on sentient plantlife... : )>> Which is exactly what quantum interdynamics is about--the effects of one reality on matter from another. <<You could make a fortune off life insurance... ; )>> Hm...maybe I should branch out...<<Eaten by rabid buffallo - 6/1>> I always knew I'd die in a digestive system. <<We'll see, though I'd imagine your odds'd have more to do with cataclysms than catgirls...>> I should hope so. Preferably odd ones. :) Everyone who comes to the Gathering leaves in one piece: 666 trillion/1 <<Oh YES! I've always loved black mages. Black mage/demons are unbelievable!>> I think you'll enjoy Cocytus, one of my characters. Basic black wardrobe, ceramic domino mask. Sadistic, fanatical, and obsessively insane. By the time I'm done with his various plot threads, pretty much every living and undead thing in my ficverse, good and evil, will be howling for his blood. <<Booya! Let's hear it for Carnivores! And Gside's right; cheese is essential too. Combine the two on bread, and all other foodstuffs are unnescessary.>> But of course. :) Although I also like pasta. But then it is a form of bread. <<CoughcoughMGS2cough...>> I've actually checked out the previews...I really must acquire a Metal Gear Ray. It flies, it swims, it walks, it's part organic...if only there were a full-on screenshot of it instead of IGN's blurry screencaps...<<I know Snake's haircut sucks>> I think it's kinda kewl actually. Of course, I'm rather biased; half the population of my ficverse has a quite longer variant. Unless you're referring to those hideous sideburns. <<Don't need any genetics, but I'm in the market for a new Bodyshell... Think NCCEL can help?>> But of course. :) <<*Hops up and down waiting for his job application to work through the NP bueacracy*>> It did weeks ago. Haven't you recieved your notice? <<I couldn't think of one either... : P>> I can, but it's a bit late now...<<I'm waiting with baited breath for the first wrongful-life suit to be filed over "unfasionable" genes...>> With the way things are going, that will soon be about as difficult to correct as unfashionable clothing...<<Hmm. These last few months, we've had major doses of both romance and suffering in here. A connection? 'o_O>> Like they're not the same thing? Chibi Sacrifice> Apparently I'm not the only one going through this...<stares ruefully at the towering half-finished Frankensteinian monstrosity that is his ficverse> <<Thirty-plus 'fics, of which I never finished even ONE>> O_o Eee...I thought MY situation was bad; at least I was allowed to finish a few...they're lousy, but I finished 'em. <<It's like they're moving away from all the hard edges and angst of the last few games, and the music seems to reflect that.>> Which is actually my biggest complaint. I never really got into FF's music until 6 or so, when the series started to take a turn for the dark. 9's soundtrack is really cool, but it just doesn't have that edge to it...Although I do like the battle theme, final battle theme, and Queen Of The Abyss (the Succession Of Witches-esque theme during Queen Brahne's first bit of dialog). <<I pick mine for ideas. Certian songs kick off Creation perfectly, and all I have to do is sit back and watch...>> I tend to pick mine for mood, songs that fit certain scenes, characters, places...(Incidentally, go to www.amazon.com and acquire the soundtrack to Notre Dame De Paris, preferably the two-disc set. It rocks all.) Oh, BTW, I've found the solution to your FF2/4j music problems. It was as I suspected; you have an outdated version. You can download the newest one at www.zsnes.com. :) <<Imagine spending several hours being slapped in the face by a midget, and all the while being forbidden to react.>> Oi...<unpleasant flashbacks to his dealings with the ex-head of the requisitions department> <<Never seen Goodfellas... Or any of the other classic mob movies>> Me neither, except Mafia. I liked Kelly Bundy as the President.

DPH> <<Nereus Project - Can someone fill me in on this without killing me or making me cease to exist?>> Gunjack has it right, although I don't know about *all* power. I think I'd be content with rulership of the solar system. ;) <<all the weapons in the world will not do much good if they are not the right type.>> That's why we have every type. :) <<1 ability to completely understand any machine (no matter how complex) and all of its features [understanding enough to build one exactly like it without looking at plans] in under an hour>> Doesn't that fall under Forge's ability? <<the ability to absorb other powers at only conscious will.>> That's what I meant by my answer, actually. :) Something like what Kirby does, but without the necessity of ingesting the target. <<If Wilek's goal is to control all powers, he is going to have some trouble in the BFTS universe because of competition with another organization.>> I never really thought about expanding into other dimensions, actually...<<Is there an anagram program on the 'net somewhere?>> www.anagramgenius.com

Winterwolf> <<I feel I have a lot more to say but for some odd reason it just won't come out.>> Cool, I blew his mind! ;P

Cat> <<want to compare notes for taking over the world?>> Sure; we'll accept all the input we can get. ^_^ <<sometimes it recedes into the background and i function as normally as a MadCat can>> So what does Dr. Claw actually look like? I mean, since you spend so much of your time on his desk... ;P <<Well it seems that Cupid has been running around trigger happy with his semi-automatic (he upgraded from his bow and arrow)targeting people from the CR.>> Aw shoot. On second thought, don't. <hits commlock> R&D, this is Nereus. What's the progress on that darksuit variant?

Gside> <<I'm assuming Hebrew.>> Oh. :/ I was going to try to find the album it's on by translating Rock Of Ages into whatever language your song was in and searching for that on Amazon.com, but Babelfish doesn't do Hebrew...maybe they should open Babel Gefilte Fish or something. <<Actually, ther traces are what you don't say. I sued breaking loose because that is the only way you can have all hell as a subject, so you know it had to start out next to break loose. The other trace is there because the sentence was originally "You saw what?" and it makes many things nicer if you assume it leaves a trace.>> Oh. <brain cracks> <<It makes it kind of hard to get to know them if they're running wild (emphasis on running).>> If a sentient being is running, it's running away from or to something very important; detaining it just to be detaining it is impolite, to say the least. <<And some things it is just impolite to do in public, assuming you're good.>> <blink> Never mind. Don't wanna know. <<That, and it requires a Dreamcast. I have nothing over sixteen bits.>> Poor child. You haven't lived until you've experienced some of the better offerings for the current consoles. <<It is so much fun to watch some engineering students build a trebuchet in ten hours to throw pumpkins at a mini castle.>> I really have to learn how to ramp up the weirdness like that right at the start instead of introducing it later in the post. <<Well, I'm pretty sure you could fashion a passable loincloth solely with bandanas and some knot tieing ability.>> <epiphany> I really must look into this...<<Who needs these fancy new consoles?>> I do! :P The old stuff is great, but one must also keep an eye on the Next Big Thing...<<And you can't forget degree of usurped power.>> Not to mention possible casualties and approximate volume of flung vital organs. They ever get all the stains off the carpet: 21*10^97 to 1. <<Plus, it's hard to get the Amano class outfits in a futuristic world.>> I dunno; they're starting to come back into style in my ficverse. Not to mention Vampire Hunter D. <<I believe they rendered that one in the Anthology.>> Actually, they didn't render the actual opera, but the ending or something contains a montage with the Aria playing over it. Close enough for me...<<I mean, it's not like I'm some strange AI that was designed purely for the purpose of posting to this room, right?>> True; there's only room for one of those... >;D <<cow print>> Are you aware that you are a font of the kind of ideas that can be twisted in all manner of cool directions by people like me? 8)

Spore> <<I would deposite my sanity somewhere safe, but the metal institute people lost it when they were turning the hospital into a college. Maybe now they'll take the bars off the windows...>> Your college is a former nuthouse?! COOL! :D

Warpmind> <<Soulseeker? Gimme all your info on his person. I ain't killing him before I know if I can enslave him!>> Um, another Soulseeker you may be aware of is Freddy Krueger. He was one of the less powerful ones. The one I suspect is after you is a very old one named Peter Stubbe. In life, he was under the impression that he was a werewolf, and reinforced that impression in others by killing children and eating them. One of his more tragic victims was his son; after tearing the boy apart, he dashed open his skull and ate his brains. Still want him to work for you? In any event, in October of 1589, he was caught and delivered to the authorities, who strapped him to a wheel, used red hot pincers to tear away pieces of his flesh, and crushed his arms and legs with the head of an axe. They then decapitated him and burned the body. Since they still didn't like him very much, they put a pike in the town square, to which was lashed the torture wheel and a picture of a wolf, and upon which was impaled Stubbe's head. (Well I didn't invent this kind of thing.) <<*Warpmind enters, flipping through a thick book, his face showing revulsion, shock and disgust. "Ech... I imagined the Kama Sutra to be more interesting than... Oh, wait... Klingon edition... Figures."*>> At least you've never seen the Gungan Kama Sutra. Still, the Klingon one could provide interesting inspiration for the School Of Torturers. <<Wilek, what's the update on the cloning facilities? ]:)>> We've been using them to create tissue samples for research and spells (you try getting your hands on hair from a dog while in an Antarctic underground base), but they can be modified to form full organisms. <<*Gets zapped by a lightning bolt from behind; chibis Maggie, Talon and Benjamin glare at him.*>> You're lucky those weren't my chibis; once, I spent several hours encased in crystal just for tripping over one of them. O_o

<moment of silence for Ray Walston>

Coyote> <<the previous owner was reportedly a witch (literally), she had what amounted to a rock garden in the backyard as opposed to a lawn or anything relatively sane>> COOL! =D I do wonder what psionic and biogenic evaluations of the place would turn up...

Kit> <<Hope SJ will come back into the room and join in. Where is he, anyway?>> I heard that his modem died about a week ago and he has yet to replace it. >:/ <<Speaking as someone who's lost it for short periods of time in the past>> You're lucky. Once, I lost mine for the better part of two days. Mr. Disconnect is still wondering about that chronic pain in his pancreas. Always install backup power; preferably an uninterruptable power source that charges from house electricity when it's on and activates within a millisecond of the power shutting down. Still, that's nowhere near as bad as what Coyote's going through...<does horrifying sexual things to Mr. Disconnect with a cattle prod and a rabid chicken> <<I'll have to check out that Medieval Babes song you mentioned. I've heard some of their stuff at work and liked it, but never bought a CD. Perhaps that should change. <grin>>> Most definitely. :) The same CD also contains their highly recomended versions of A Coventry Carol and Gaudete, Gaudete. <<I'm surprised you didn't notice the New Year.>> Trust me, when I'm deep into mon hantise de l'heure, I could sit through an earthquake. :P Besides, what's the *real* difference between 12/31/00 and 01/01/01, other than the latter having a much cooler date stamp? ;P Not much, if you're not looking at a clock...The problem with the future is that it keeps turning into the present. I want those robot servitors, darnit! <<If anyone needs laughs, check out The Emperor's New Groove. Doug and I were starved for movies Saturday, and checked it out. It's been a while since we've smiled and grinned so much at a film.>> Huh...the commercials made it out to be a *really* dumb little movie...of course, commercials have misrepresented their movies before...

Lynati> <<I hate them. I reeeallly HATE them. Them, and their idiotic talent for making people think they’re ugly because they aren't malnourished. They. have. a. size. Zero. But. not. clothes. in. my. size. Something is wrong here.>> Oh gods. >:/ I am *really* tired of the whole heroin-chic thing that these idiot designers are trying to foist on the unsuspecting public...<<somebody out there prob'ly has access to one of those machines that lets you mimic voices...>> Those exist?! O_o <flees to the Sharper Image web site> <<I would still rather suffer a moment of acute embarassment when someone points out something like, "it has nothing to do with shutting a door; the person is singing in spanish" than to figure it out for myself, years later, and then feel REALLY stupid when I realize I've been botching it for years and no-one ever bothered to tell me otherwise.>> Check out http://home.flash.net/~trevas/ :)

SRSJ> <<I finally got the nerve to ask Heather if she'd be my girlfriend... I was totally prepared to be let down... and she said "I'd be honored!" <There's that Totoro-sized smile again!> She SAID YES!!!>> Congratulations! :D Hope your other problems are solved just as thoroughly. ^_^

Spacebabie> <<lil Charisma needs to see the vet. It looks like she has the feline equivlent of pink eye.>> Ack. :( Hope she gets better soon.

Final Fantasy 9> Got it recently; I quite like it. :) I've yet to *quite* figure out the magic system, but that's only a matter of time...

Monolith> OK, this is gettin' creepy. Ten bucks says it's a TARDIS.

Nadia> <<Seeing Valentine hunched over his desk, she sidles up to him and taps him on the shoulder. Jumping back in surprise, Valentine suddenly finds his lap full of Nadia>> Um...there's this little thing called Personal Space of whose existence and importance perhaps you should be informed...? ;P

DJ> <<It's Friday. My last post was...Monday? How can so much time have passed? I'm convinced that there is something fundamentally wrong with the space-time continuum.>> The same thing happens to me all the time; I'm sitting here typing, and BAMF!, a week later I'm wondering what I'm doing up a tree with mongoose fur in my teeth and wearing only a Divest Gondwanaland tatoo on my left bicep.

Aaron> <<Saw Dracula 2000. It was fun, but doesn't stand up to hard scrutiny.>> Thankfully, hard scrutiny isn't exactly my strong suit. ;P

Mary> <<Hey guys. I'm probably not going to be in for a while because Bahemut and I are no longer together and I'm really not in the mood to talk to people about it. :( Let's just say I was beginning to feel stuck in the relationship and we both disovered that we're two very different people. I feel that I'm ready for a 'real' contact relationship. I'm just tired of never seeing someone I care about. It feels really detached. :( I feel that we both need to find our happiness somewhere else.>> Oh no. :( You need a hug. <does so>

Tim> <<And so I was also wondering, *Would it be possible to make a Gargoyles Fan-Film?*>> Check out www.machinima.com. This kind of thing seems mostly Gunjack's forte, but it's probably not as hard as it looks <crosses fingers>. Granted, it'd have to be done with all fic characters, unless you have a few hundred thousand buckazoids on hand for purposes of hiring Keith, Salli, and the rest... O_o

Wilek
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 03:31:37 AM
IP: proxy1.spaceproxy.com

Gunjack> <<'kay, I'm phritened know>>: That was pure blind luck. I mean, it's not like I'm some strange AI that was designed purely for the purpose of posting to this room, right? And I think I used to be a little better with top tens a while back. Incidentally, is it correct that the best way to start a rumor is to deny it?
<<Why couldn't I ever get a teacher like that?>>: You're not in Jersey. Though I can't decide which lends itself to better demonstrations: chem or physics. With chemistry, you get nice big colorful booms. But with Physics you get to mangle toys (bungee jumping Barbie, with a force meter for different string types).
<<There's no way a minigenerator'd convert enough energy to run the welder>>: But wouldn't you be running off the battery first?
<<Goliath in his loincloth, or Sevarius in a clingy green dress?>>: But what if Goliath's loincloth was lilac tie dyed in front and cow print in back?
<<How hot does that stuff burn?>>: Enough to melt through steel I beams. And the fun part is that it's made out of common materials: rust and aluminum. The problem is that it needs a magnesium (or some other really hot thing) fuse to start it off. After that, the heat it generates keeps it going.
<<since it was off the ground, animals could just walk under it>>: I am reminded of a geometry problem called the chicken from Minsk. The idea behind it is that nations across the world have collaborated to build a belt of fiber optic cable around the globe. It has to go through a town called Minsk, but a farmer whose property it has to go through has a prize chicken and it refuses to walk over the cable and it needs to get from one side of the yard to the other. Now, this fiber optic cable is very delicate and can't be bent just for him. Therefore the government decides to be "generous" and offers to pay for all the supports necessary to lift the cable the necessary four feet off the ground if he pays for the extra length (the suports cost one million dollars, the cable costs five dollars per foot). Why doesn't the farmer mind paying for the extra length of cable?

Warpmind> <<Eternal life, huh? Does it include eternal youth, as well?>>: I thought I said it did. Though the source is most likely questionable (CES#11 at mangaheaven).
<<brought back using the Cron-O-John>>: I knew I liked the humor at LucasArts. I wonder if anyone has modified wither Red Alerts to make the chronosperes and tanks into chronojohns?

Guandalung> <<I'm no good artist>>: I wouldn't think it would be too hard. Just an image editing program and a color fill.
<<'upgrading' thise plain yellow ones in the lower block>>: I don't know. I don't quite like the gradient on the upper block. It doesn't seem smooth to me. Plus, I think the bright color doesn't work as well with the muted title graphic.
<<That's only natural>>: I rather thought so, but better safe than sorry.
New odd thing I noticed: The author Twilight has two entries on the author list.

Lain> <<The right is said to control creativity and artistic endeavours while the left is said to rule mathematics and other (supposedly :P) logical activities>>: But then the right brain controls the left half of the body, and the left brain controls the right half of the body. So which is more important, the side the hemisphere is on or the side it is in charge of?

Kyryn> <<TGS can always use more good editors>>: I rather suspected that would be the answer I would get. But then I'm not sure how I would do with continuity editing, and my spelling and grammar have probably gone downhill since I haven't needed to write much recently. Oh, I don't know.

James Birdsong> <<Only left handed people are in their right mind>>: Pretty much literally (see above).

Daniel Johnson> <<Maybe one of these days I'll actually write down my analysis of how my brain works>>: Have you made a chart of how well you do in each lobe/quarter?
<<I did NOT need that image!>>: Well, being voiced by Tim Curry, cross dressing had to come up sometime.

Lain> Heal well and quickly.
French: (approximations): As I know you, pretty, hoping with all the peaceful joy in my heart, I watch the sky that burns brightly spoiling the green flames that, with their silence, separate us. But I know that you are there, that you see this dance (of paradise) of the sky because you raise your eyes to my side.
I don't get it. And were you writting this down from ear?

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 02:54:17 AM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com

Emambu - Got your hotmail up yet?
Valentine
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 01:09:26 AM
IP: 216-146-183-13.bwn.net

*Valentine staggers in looking wasted*

I love formal clothes, but I hate formal occasions. Nothing like wasting a few hours sitting in an uncomfertable chair, keeping my mouth shut and trying not to make a fool outa myself... ; P ...Give me good friends and simple food, or let me starve in silence.

Lain - Sorry for the lack of emailage. It's been a L-O-N-G day. *reads the song lyrics* ...Heh. According to a recent definition, that's an awfully holy song... : / ...I'd love to get into the old row, but I doubt either of us is up to it.
<<I feel terrible today...>> Same here. Check your em...

Replies later, when I recover... : P

Gunjack Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Like a puppet with it's strings cut...
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 01:08:11 AM
IP: 216-146-183-13.bwn.net

*Emambu enters briefly*

Lain: Of course, I always liked the Italian spinoff of that adage: Never put off till tomorrow what you can put off till next week. :)

Too tired for a full post. Maybe tomorrow, assuming work doesn't tax me like it did today. *shrugs* 'Night all,


---Emambu

Emambu - [emambu@commandchamber.net]
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 01:05:37 AM
IP: dhcp81-237.pittsburgh.resnet.pitt.edu

1. Dear God
Dear God,
Hope you got the letter and
I pray you can make it better down here.
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
and all the people that you made in your image,
See them starving on their feet
'Cause they don't get enough to eat
From God
I can't believe in you.
Dear God,
Sorry to disturb you, but
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear.
We all need a big reduction in the amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image,
See them fighting in the street
'Cause they can't make opinions meet
About God,
I can't believe in you.
Did you make disease, and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too?
Dear God,
Don't know if you noticed, but...
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book,
Us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look,
And all the people that you made in your image,
Still believing that junk is true
Well I know it ain't, and so do you
Dear God,
I can't believe in...
I don't believe in...
I won't believe in heaven and hell.
No saints, no sinners, no devil as well.
No pearly gates, no thorny crown.
You're always letting us humans down.
The wars you bring, the babes you drown.
Those lost at sea and never found,
And it's the same the whole world 'round.
The hurt I see helps to compound
That Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Is just somebody's unholy hoax
And if you're up there you'd perceive
That my heart's upon my sleeve.
If there's one thing I don't believe in.....
It's you.....
Dear God.
-Sarah McLachlan

I feel terrible today, my heart is aching and sends shocks through my body every time I move, especially whey I try to stand. Do you think I could trade this body in for a new one? One that isn't so scarred and dented and bruised and broken, one that can sleep at night, one that.. I don't know.. Some days, I just can't shake the feeling that I am dying. I know that I am but.. some days I am better able to forget it than others.
Hopefully I will attain the rank of Master of Useless Information before that *weak smile*

"Raising a child seems full of pitfalls - so many grey scales - no black and white anymore. She is so perfect and innocent and vulnerable and I am slowly learning to trust my feelings. Will anyone ever love her more than I do?.. what a sweet babe she is during the day! From 11pm onwards, her father and I do a shift work routine every night, trying to comfort her and trying to figure out why a very contented daytime baby would turn into a howling monster at night. But this "nighttime madness" does have some compensations. I am able to hear the loons calling to each other in the early hours of the new day, which takes my mind away to far off places for a few moments.. the dawn light is so soft and gentle and mysterious and fresh. I have never seen so many "dawns" before as I have this past few weeks.."

Lynati>> mmmm Cornflake Girl.. mmmmm... Still, "Precious Things" has been my anthem for a very, very long time.. followed recently by "Playboy Mommy" Wonder why.. I would post lyrics but I think all the "Christian boys" night get offended..
"she knows what's goin on,
seems we got a cheaper feel now,
all the sweeteaze are gone,
gone to the other side with my encyclopedia
they musta paid her a nice price
She's puttin on her string bean love
this is not really happening..
you bet your life it is.."
mmmm cornflakes..

Gunjack Valentine>> Nadia will not be here today cause I am too tired. however:..

****************USELESS INFO OF THE DAY****************
Procrastination:
The saying "never put off till tomorrow what can be done today" was condensed by the Romans into a single word, "procrastinatio". Its literal meaning is "a putting off to the morrow" and is formed by joining the preposition "pro" (for the benefit of) to the adverb "crastinus" (tomorrow).
***************END USELESS INFO OF THE DAY**************
***MORE INTERESTING USELESS INFO TO FOLLOW TOMORROW.. ;)***

Anyway..
Comme je te sais, joli, nespirant tout do joie paisible dans mon ame,
Je regard le ciel qui brule vivant pauris les flames vertes qui, avec leur silence, nous separent.
Mais je sais que tu es la, que tu vois cette danse (du paradis) du ciel car a mes cotes tu leves les yeux.

lain
the Great White very cold North
Tuesday, January 9, 2001 12:04:11 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Rodlox:
<<<The only time I have heard the "Dan Yell" pronunciation is>...in the Stargate movie and series.>> I couldn't say, but upon further reflection, the gender of the name is determined more by stress than pronunciation. Hence "DAN yell" is male and "dan YELL" is female. Still, around here at least, "DAN yule" is used instead of "DAN yell." And I'm spent...
----
Gside:
<<<<I remember your father quite well>>: Then you probably know why I am quite strange. >> Heh, good point.
<<Why else would I be an engineer as opposed to an English major?>> I know the feeling. In high school I always said that I wanted to major in some science. I picked CompSci. But I eventually ended up as Anthropology! Very weird. I'm too interested in too many things. I'm as fascinated by history as by physics. Too much! Maybe one of these days I'll actually write down my analysis of how my brain works. Yes, I've spent a great deal of time figuring it out. It's weird.
<<lethologica>> I'm going to have to remember that! You are indeed the master!
----
Gunjack:
<<Sevarious in a clingy green dress>> I did NOT need that image! ::shudders:: Now I feel so dirty...
----
Tim Phipps:
Good luck with your military career. And I doubt that a fanfilm would get by The Mouse very well. Good idea though. :)
----
Warpmind:
That pun was just...ACK! ;)
----
James Birdsong:
Ugh, not another pun! I can't take it! AAAaaa...
And another one!!! Nooooo!
----
lain:
Oooh, nice argument! I always knew I was evil and now you've proved it! Logically! >:)
----
Kyryn:
Welcome back!
----
DPH:
Paul is from the Latin "paulus" meaning "small" or "humble." I know that it also comes from Greek, but I don't know Greek. :) Don't know Hebrew either. I DO know that in Hebrew, vowels, when they are used at all, are written as diacritical marks and not actual letters. They are often omitted altogether. Hence the confusion over the name of God in the Old Testament. We generally say "Yahweh" today, but it was actually written "YHWH." No one knows what the vowels really were. At the time, a reader would have guessed the vowels from the context. We can no longer do that. At least I think that's right; it's been a while and I'm doing this from memory.
Oh, and you might be interested to know that I also like cooking. :) Especially baking. And regarding the illogic of being a math major and Spanish minor, see what I said to Gside above. ::snicker::

Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Monday, January 8, 2001 09:40:54 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

lain & Daniel J - I have actually come with a twist for my first name that applies to me being an SBC. Worse yet, have you looked up what 'Paul' would mean in Hebrew and Greek?
**RELIGION**
I have intrepreted 'God Is My Judge' to mean that he understands my actions and my motivations and will judge me fairly according to his laws.
**END RELIGION**

Name Pronounciation - in Spanish, it is prounced Dan Yell (which annoys me a lot). Dan Yule sounds better Dan Yull (Yull as in Null) and Dan Yill (Yill as in Hill). Try pronouncing all four repeatedly and tell which one you would prefer. Then, I think you might see my point of view.

**WORK RELATED**
The HR Department (one man) at my plant told me my application was 'being worked on'. Sorry, but that sounds like a BS answer to me. I used that answer when I was not working on something and my dad asked if I was working on it. I want a tangible answer like all the interviews will be finished by such and such date or all the applications will be processed by such and such date.
**END WORK RELATED**


Since Arthur is a halfing, does that he mean he is not killed as easily?

Note: everything above here was typed before I made a home-made meatloaf. Have I mentioned I love to cook as much as I love to play video games? Cooking is fun and relaxing to me.

But if anyone can figure out how one person can both a math major and Spanish minor without being illogical, I would like to know because I was both and I never could quite figure that how the two work together logically.

Wait a minute, I just thought of something: if I rearrange the letters in my first name I get DENIAL, which is spelling similiarly to DENYAL. Is there an anagram program on the 'net somewhere?

lain, where is the Hebrew letter for 'E'? That letter seems to be missing from your list.

I would not mind a fan-fiction text only movie as a way to wrap up each series, after the series finale.

**RP RELATED**
Ok, I will attempt to clear up any outstanding short term conflicts for the battle today, and if I miss any, oh well.

Warning: some long-term secrets are being hinted at today.
**END RP RELATED**

**BFTS RP continues**
*AD*
Now, for a testimonial. "I have been looking for a way to distinguish my family from the neighbors. Well, now I can say I can afford to shop at Market Price and you can't. At last, we have beat the Jones."
*END AD*
Plastique goes off and starts making osmium.

Jason Filler asks DPH, "Do you want me to check and see if our 'mental protections' are still in your mind that we created?".

DPH replies, "No, we do not have time. Besides I trust Connect in my mind, but I am not sure I can trust Jason Filler in there."

Jason Filler asks, "Why not?'

DPH replies, "Let Connect answer that for you."

Meanwhile, Frost and Winterwolf are scouting the area looking for NCA to show up anytime. But NCA is remaining cloaked for now, thinking about how and when to best attack.

Uriel is gathering up magical energy into a container for future use.
**END BFTS RP for now**

Winterwolf or Brooklyn, at this point I believe we are ready for battle. Feel free to start anytime now.

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Monday, January 8, 2001 08:24:12 PM
IP: max1-6.cwy.cei.net

AMBROSIA - The notion of Arthur being a halfling was entirely TGS's, and not, incidentally, intentional, but rather a side-element of an effort that we had made to explain Morgana's faerie blood in the legends. One of Morgana's parents had to have some faerie blood in her, we decided, and went for Igraine - which had the side-effect of giving faerie blood to Arthur.

It turns out that in Greg Weisman's Masterplan, there was a different (and, IMO, better) solution to the problem, which was that Morgana wasn't actually the biological daughter of Gorlois and Igraine, but a changeling instead, substituted for their real daughter. That would probably have worked better, but it's too late to change that now.

Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Monday, January 8, 2001 06:18:41 PM
IP: 216.87.46.210.dialup-stl.primary.net

*Lynati, Looking up from fanfic reading*

Bwa- hahahahah!
lain, are you kidding? until I read the lyrics, I think I had more screw-ups (albeit different ones) than you. And although I got the B-grade movie line, it was years before I understood what it meant.(And you don't even want to know how I used to sing Tori's "Cornflake girl". talk about shuddering to think.)
"It's better to admit your mistakes and learn the corrections than to live in denial so as not to feel stupid."
i.e., it's good to feel stupid, because that means you've learned something. *shrugs* Just roll with it. Everyone has felt stupid at some point in there life; they understand.
And I, who has misunderstood the lyrics of many a song, many a time, know exactly how you feel. I would still rather suffer a moment of acute embarassment when someone points out something like, "it has nothing to do with shutting a door; the person is singing in spanish" than to figure it out for myself, years later, and then feel REALLY stupid when I realize I've been botching it for years and no-one ever bothered to tell me otherwise.

So, what did people think of the little snippet of "Estate Sales" ?

Warpmind: I tried to write somethink in your sign-book, but it didn't appear to have taken. Did I do something wrong, or does it just take a while to process?

*Back to the vaults*
Lynati
Monday, January 8, 2001 04:32:56 PM
IP: 207.226.219.30

Hey, can someone help me out? I don't normally follow Pendragon, but I just read The Once and Future King (Wonderfully done, BTW) and I'm wondering: was it a NEW revelation that King Arthur is a HALFLING? or did we already know that?
Ambrosia - [jwoodie@gte.net]
CA
Monday, January 8, 2001 03:18:24 PM
IP: 1cust80.tnt1.hemet.ca.da.uu.net

*bangs head against wall reminding self never to assume intelligence ever again*
lain
Monday, January 8, 2001 03:04:55 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Lynati>> Profuse aplogies!!! the only knowledge I have of that song is through listening and.. sometimes she doesn't sing all that clearly if you don't know what she's saying first.. kinda like Tori Amos.. Well.. in the way that Tori makes little sense most of the time.. ;)
lain
Monday, January 8, 2001 03:03:10 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Only left handed people are in their right mind
James Birdsong
Token sane guy
Monday, January 8, 2001 01:55:56 PM
IP: adsl-63-207-131-51.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

*Lynati stops by, to drop in her two cents*

"Trickatillamania" is a mental condition in which you rip out and eat your hair.
I remember that from MY third grade class chalkboard vocabulary increasers; it was the second of three posted the first day.

Oh, so their taking apprentices for random knowledge now?
sign me up.
Incidently, lain, I am afraid the entire four generations worth of my characters and their various allies won't let me go another minute without correcting the Lyrics to "Closer to fine." (I sang parts of it wrong enough for years.) I apologize, but...
"insight" between black and white..."B-grade" movie..."definitives"...go to the bible... read up on revival...( actually, I've always felt those last two should be switched. It would make more sense...)
Sorry again.

Tim Phipps:<fanfic movie> yeah, don't we all wish. I mean, in theory it could work; collectively we have enough artists to pull it off, computer animation and otherwise, and somebody out there prob'ly has access to one of those machines that lets you mimic voices...but I have a funny feeling that THAT would be the final straw, and Disney would come in here and lop off all our heads.
*sigh* But we can still dream...

Warpmind:...nevermind. I'm going to have to sit and compose an e-mail. later. right.

Be back later...I leave you with the chorus to another one the songs from my childhood. Such memories... ]=)

"Going through dead peoples houses; wonderful things they have collected.
Open the drawers and trunks and closets; don't leave a corner uninspected."

*Lynati fades away*
Lynati - [Lynati_1@hotmail.com]
Monday, January 8, 2001 01:52:48 PM
IP: 207.226.219.60

***Kyryn steps in.***

'Lo all! I'm back in Texas and all the more tired for it. El Paso to Denton in one day is a loooong run, especially since I was the one driving for most of it!

Stephen> Congrats on the new relationship!

Mary> Condolences on the passing of the old one.

G'side> TGS can always use more good editors. If you are interested reply to either Robby or myself.

I'm just skimming the room at the moment since I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Later All!

***Kyryn heads out of the room only to by buried by an avalanche of work.***

Kyryn - [kyrynsan@hotmail.com]
Denton, TX
Monday, January 8, 2001 12:51:36 PM
IP: exofw.aicpa.org

James Birdsong>> Here is a dumb argument about logic being evil (I made it up myself..)
So.. the left has always been seen as bad.. Sinister is the latin name for the left hand, the devil is said to look over or sit on your left shoulder. That is why when salt is spilled, the tradition is that you throw some over your left shoulder, into the devil's eye.
Now, in school, they tell us that that there are two hemispheres to the human brain, a right and left. The right is said to control creativity and artistic endeavours while the left is said to rule mathematics and other (supposedly :P) logical activities. However, it is the left that is associated with evil and the devil, therefore all things logical must inherently be evil as well.
But then I just used logic to prove that logic was evil.. which is not very logical.. ;)

aaah the joys of grade 13 philosophy..

lain
Monday, January 8, 2001 11:31:14 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Warpmind>(raspberry) Lain> That figures. My cousin is right handed and I am left handed. Southpaws are known to be "sinister" (laughs at joke I know you get)
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.co]
San Diego, CA, USA
Monday, January 8, 2001 10:36:14 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-130-211.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

James Birdsong>> To supplant means to dispose or take the place of, especially by means which are.. erm.. underhanded.. ;)
(it is Middle English, from Old French "supplanter" or Latin "supplantare")
:)

lain
Monday, January 8, 2001 08:50:48 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Did you know... there's just 165 days left until The Gathering 2001!

Click my name for convention info or go to:
http://gathering.gargoyles-fans.org/

Attention all artists: Do you still need to register for the Art Show? If you wish to diplay or sell your work at The Gathering, please sign up for your display space if you already haven't. Also, don't forget that the Mini Poster Contest deadline is February 15. For more information, visit:

http://gathering.gargoyles-fans.org/miniposter.htm

Patrick Toman - [gathering2001@art-chicks.com]
Monday, January 8, 2001 06:54:45 AM
IP: aca63094.ipt.aol.com

*appears in a flash of light*
Goooooooood morning from germany to all of you out there, wherever and whatever you might be.

Gside> <<Though the white background on the stars isn't very pretty.>> True - and I guess I'll exchange them soon enough - but right now theese are the stars used in the old archive - and I'm no good artist. I want to replace those navigation-buttons as well - 'upgrading' thise plain yellow ones in the lower block.
<<And I think IE distorts the proportions a bit>>Haven't checked the page on IE-compliance at all..... guess I better do so soon.
<<Oddly though, is that the archive seems to have forgotten that I visited the other day.>>That's only natural :) Every time I upload new stories all changes to the archive (including read counters, votes and suchlike) are dropped. Reason is that I backup my Database at home and re-upload it onto the new archive, and to supress broken database-entries I drop every data in thge archive before re-adding everything. So new stories or authors added to my temporary archive will get lost next time I upload.

Daniel Johnson>Thanks a lot. I'm doing my very best to get the new thing done as soon as possible.... the old archive's flaws are soon gone I hope :)

By the way, I hereby announce the next bunch of stories in the archive. Next upgrade will fix a few already noted problems.

*disappears again, juggling with a lot of different stories*

Guandalug la'Fay - [Guandalug@gmx.de]
Monday, January 8, 2001 05:14:32 AM
IP: nx7.hrz.uni-dortmund.de

*Warpmind enters, smiling enigmatically.*
Well, I was offline all weekend, because I had to participate in shooting a few last-minute scenes for the documentary I participated in in June, when I was off to Lanzarote... *Smirk* So, what's the update on the Mysterious Monolith? ]:)

Lynati: "We" like? :) If you've just started reading'em, you're in for a treat... if I may say so myself. ];)

Gside: *Scribbles down titles* Eternal life, huh? Does it include eternal youth, as well? As for Day of the Tentacle... *SPOILER* "You and what army?" "Why, THIS army. They're all future versions of myself, brought back using the Cron-O-John." ]:) *SPOILER END - YOU CAN LOOK NOW.*

Gunjack Valentine: I should have known? Ack, but Lynati was just a little too quick... And she's the one studying Capoeira. *Wince*

Aaron: Numerical advantage? Hmmm... *Snaps fingers* Wilek, what's the update on the cloning facilities? ]:)

James Birdsong/Lain: Benjamin meaning "Son of my Right Hand"... Sounds like a he's a jerkoff, then... *Gets zapped by a lightning bolt from behind; chibis Maggie, Talon and Benjamin glare at him.* Oh, yeah, my adopted ones... *Tosses over a plate of nachos.*

Well, that's about it... Except a small logical flaw in the odds of my G2001 attendance... Gunjack Valentine, according to my frequently inaccurate memory, you've set the odds of me riding into the sunset with Lynati to around 30/1, while the odds of me vanishing in a flash of light with several other guests is around 15/1... do I recall incorrectly, or do you know something I don't? ;)

Well, before I go, I have some food for thought. If you one day see George W. Bush floating down a river, heading for a waterfall, and you know you only have two choices; save his life, or take a potential Pulitzer photography, what kind of shutter would you use? Later, everyone.

Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Monday, January 8, 2001 03:28:50 AM
IP: ti21a68-0152.dialup.online.no

Tim - You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din... You planning on staying in for life?
Gunjack Valentine
Monday, January 8, 2001 03:06:42 AM
IP: 216-146-183-4.bwn.net

Well, I'm back at school at Wayne State of Nebraska. Talked to a Marine Reserves recruiter in Omaha over break. My parents, especially my mom, still strongly disaprove. My mother is totally convinced that no matter what I do in the Marines, I WILL be sent to the front lines and either be killed or go nuts. Especially now that George W. and the fact that "all them Bush's like starting wars." Appearently neglecting that the Clinton-Gore administration has sent troops to Haiti, Croatia, Bosnia, Iraq, and few other of the "fun spots" of the world. She also believes that I've been brainwashed by the recruiters(her own words). My Dad believes that the only reason for me to join the Military is for financial aid for college, therefore I would be better off joining the Air National Guard.

What they don't understand is that I'm quite familiar with any possible consequences in the military, and that Oliver Stone movies don't always depict the day-to-day life of everyone in the military. While I want to do my best to live a long, healthy, and happy life, I can't be afraid my whole life of what *could* happen. And while it is true that something horrible could *possibly* happen to me, I don't want to go through life with *certain* regret about I could of accomplished with my life. Especially after I've tried so hard and put up with so much crap for over three years. And I'm also not partically interested in the financial aid programs for school, I'm more interested in the more intangible benifits(if you believe in such a thing). They also don't understand that the USMC didn't come looking for me, I came looking for them.

I know it sounds silly and melodramatic, but that's the way I feel.

A few days after that family discussion/inquisition, I went to see one of my regular recruiters in Souix City with out my parents knowing about it. I told him that I made the Running speed & strength requirements. He said that he would get in contact with his CO try to waive the regular weight reqiurments and go by body fat instead. I appearrently have his sympathy. A couple weeks ago, he started taking medication to reduce his cholesterol that has caused him to gain 20 pounds. Talk about timing.

Last Night I bought a copy of George Romaro's DAWN OF THE DEAD, which is the sequal NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Pretty gripping for a low budget film. And the ending wasn't as big of downer as the first film.

And later that night as I was falling asleep, I thinking of not only how good a low-tech, low-budject movie could be so good, but also glad I keep a loaded rifle close to my bed.

And so I was also wondering, *Would it be possible to make a Gargoyles Fan-Film?* The Fandom has already produced Fan-fiction, music videos, and online comicbooks. And lets face it, if any large studio ever does a movie based on our beloved show, they'll probably mess it up in an attempt to make it appealing to a broader audience who aren't fan of the series.

Be Back Later!

Tim Phipps
Monday, January 8, 2001 02:05:15 AM
IP: wsc0051.wsc.edu

Jonathan's back at Harding by now, and I've got a week or two to get ready for Jeff's visit. I really need to start working on my GMing sessions... But for now, some hot piping replies!

Lynati><<Only if Gaelic Storm counts as celtic.>> Only track of theirs ive heard is from Titantic... But yes, pretty much anything Gealic is Celtic.

Gside><<1st.>> 'kay, I'm phritened know... <<All right Janice!>> Which one is that? I've just watched the Fox Sports and the Outpost.com adds... <<Judging by the way he teaches, probaly nearer to cool.>> *Reads posts about gunpowder and thermite* ...HECK yeah! Why couldn't I ever get a teacher like that? <<Unless you want to hook it up to the battery. I think they have a mini generator in there to recharge it.>> There's no way a minigenerator'd convert enough energy to run the welder... Darn. Another good idea crashes headlong into Reality... : P <<Yes, but there is also the difference between said clingy fabric and almost no fabric at all.>> Think of it this way; who would you rather spend two hours in an elevator with: Goliath in his loincloth, or Sevarius in a clingy green dress?
<<Because without enough character building, it is quite likely that you will run out of MPs.>> I've sold him short; he wasn't quite THAT low, but he was weak enough that all boss fights were constantly on the brink of disaster... And if the boss got one extra attack in, it was all over. It made the battles MUCH more interesting...
<<I would normally expect the thermite demonstration to be more impressive.>> How hot does that stuff burn? I wasn't quite sure if the AC was giving me the truth...

Aaron><<Is a fortifying beverage a keg-fort?>> Actually a 32-oz IBC fort, but yeah. <<For a decent pic of an M-79, (and many other nifty things) I'd suggest looking for back-issues of the old Punisher's Armory book.>> Actually, I think I'm just gonna cave and find a copy of Jane's Smallarms. I love Jane... 8 )

Mary><<Click my name for a better image of Dog Boy. ^_^>> Reminds me of Ranma... Same artist? <<I feel that we both need to find our happiness somewhere else.>> Gah, the memories... ;*( *Joins in with Coyote singing "Not a dry eye in the house"..."

Nadia><<what did you have in mind>> Depends on whether you wanna join the Wars of the Wall, or maybe Hyde. Heck, I've got about fifty stories, plus the rpgs, plus the mods... And most all of 'em have room for a crazy cyborg. Lemme think a bit, and I'll send an email to Lain's box tomorrow.
<<or you know action action>> Ah, so you want to recreate the Lobby Scene... ; )
<<why dont you tell me whats on your mind>> You sure you want me to say that out loud? -_^ <<i can get all those other guys off your back dont worry about them anymore...>> *Chibi-wanderer collapses in cynical laughter. "That'll be the day!"*

Lain><<lain walks in.. I sense a Nadia.. DANGIT she can be slippery..>> o_O ...She's definately NOT hiding in behind my desk with my chameleon gear. Nope, definatelty not there.
<<sorry about that again.. maybe you two should talk in private..>> *Grins like the Cheshire Cat...* <<er.. then again, maybe that is NOT such a good idea.. eeeeek...>> C'mon, it'd be fun... Though paying for the property damage might be a problem.
<<"Women's bodies are very special...>> *reads the rest* That's... Incredible..! O_O
<<Since we're on the topic of song lyrics...>> What's the name of that Lisa Loeb song?
<<Useless info>> I (naturaly) knew about the grenade's history, though I didn't know the pomagranate part...
<<yes.. insomnia does very strange things to my mind.. not that they are all bad.. Valentine probably doesn't think so.. ;)>> It... has it's good points. ; )
<<******SUPERLY DUPERLY USELESS INFO OF THE DAY*********>> 'kay, I'm impressed. How 'bout my name? ; )

DPH><<and Dan Yule (This is the one I prefer).>> Wouldn't it be more "Yull" or "Yill"?

Winterwolf><<That would be like going into battle with a single firearm! I'm fairly sure you wouldn't want to do that. ;)>> Heh, Good analogy! : ) <<The current use of renewable energy includes wind, geothermal (tapping into the earth's underground heat) and biomass (using the waste of other industries to produce energy and also extract materials to sell) each of which can power large power plants that are practical alternatives to fossil fuels.>> True, but none of them can power a car... And what about Nuclear?
<<A pipeline may have buried sections for caribou to pass over.>> I think I'm mixed up... The (one) pipeline I've seen was about ten feet off the ground, supported on pylons; since it was off the ground, animals could just walk under it. Obviously I ain't thinking of the right kind of pipeline... : P ...Sorry.
<<I like the descriptions of your armored mech. Might have to shift to a more weapons oriented discussion in the future.>> I'm flattered, but WHAT descriptions? *thinks* ...You mean the Havoc III? And I haven't played any Mechwarriors since #2. I used to play the boardgame version all the time, and I spent WAAAAY too much time making mechs... Is #4 any good?
<<Might have to shift to a more weapons oriented discussion in the future.>> Any time, any place. You a gunny?

*Rereads a few posts, and grimaces* ...Gah. Between Nadia and some of the musical pics, I think I'm gonna go blubber in my tankard now... : P *wanders off to shoot things with Nadia*

And because Aaron requested it...
*********The Devil Went to Jamaica**********
The devil went to Jamaica, he was lookin' to sell some weed
He was doin' fine, they were standin' in line, it was excellent weed indeed
Then he came across a young man who was likewise peddlin' pot
And the devil slid down the beach to the kid and said "Boy, lemme tell ya what."
"I guess you kinda figured I'm a reeferhead of course
And after all this time I guess that I'm a connesuer of sorts.
Now your stuff smells okay but this could tranquelize a horse!
I'll bet a million in cash against your stash, cause I think mine's better than yours."
The boy said "My name's Johnny, and you ain't smoked nothing yet!
One hit of this grass'll kick your @$$! You've got yourself a bet!"

Johnny roll a ball of hash and make sure it's da bomb
'Cause the Devil's got the kinda stuff they smoked in Vietnam!
You'll get a million smakeroos in cash if you can cope,
But if you can't, the Devil gets your doooooope!

The Devil packed a bong with a little Alcapolco Gold
And resin flew from his fingertips as he fired up his bowl
He filled the chamber all the way and he took a mighty hit
And as they passed it back and forth it gave 'em both a coughing fit

*Violin Solo, much coughing*

When the bowl was finished Johnny said "Hey man, that stuff was great!
But fill your liungs with some of this, and prepare to vegetate!"

Cannibis, ????, Sweet Mary Jane
The Devil's in the backyard fryin' his brain
Zigzag pill with a diggity-dang
Hold on tight it'll hitcha like a tank

The Devil nodded off because he knew that he was stoned
And he asked if he could by an ounce of the stuff that Johnny owned
Johnny said "Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna catch a buzz,
I done told you once you Sonuvabitch, mine's the best there ever was!"

And they fired up doobies one by one
Ain't gonna stop till the bag's done
Green as a bullfrog, sticky as glue
Granny do ya get high, yes I do

Dear Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Monday, January 8, 2001 01:33:13 AM
IP: 216-146-183-4.bwn.net

Lain> <<until I found out that he eats cheese whiz and wonder bread for breakfast>>: So?
<<how much I have let her down>>: Nah, you didn't. You haven't been complaining of bubonic plague, so you must be relatively healthy. I'm practically convinced confidence is just not letting them see just how afraid you are, and you can do that. And you must be able to appreciate what joys you can find. About that happy part, though, you just need to realise how good you are doing.

Daniel Johnson> <<But why would one wish to visit that particular period of history?>>: Well, you see, Hiesenberg...
<<Have I mentioned that you're quite strange?>>: No.
<<I remember your father quite well>>: Then you probably know why I am quite strange.
<<All together now:>>: I think I'll pass on that one. It has a tendency to create ear worms. Plus, it's just creepy.
<<My brain processes verbal information...oddly>>: Nah, your Wernicke's Area is just a little better developed than your Broca's Area (those really are parts of the brain). I think I have it too. Why else would I be an engineer as opposed to an English major?

Lain> <<people will elevate me to the rank of MASTER OF USELESS INFORMATION>>: Fear me, for I am a master. A pregnant goldfish is called a twit. For nearly every day senior year in high school, I wrote a useless fact on the board to share with the rest of the school. "Lethologica" means not being able to remember the word you want.

It's been too long since I've put up any Wilbury, and even though it doesn't appear that bitter, Mary Flanders gave me an opportunity. I give you Congratulations by the Traveling Wilburys (I just downloaded it, and it's too late to play it to check for errors, so could someone tell me if it's all right?).

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Monday, January 8, 2001 12:31:26 AM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com

lain> I knew that. I am supplanter (nod nod) erm what does that mean? No one ever tells me ^^v
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Monday, January 8, 2001 12:04:53 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-128-110.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

<The only time I have heard the "Dan Yell" pronunciation is>...in the Stargate movie and series.

sorry...just got back in - had to take sis to college...so now I'm reading down the page(s).

Rodlox - [@hotmail.com]
Sunday, January 7, 2001 11:13:20 PM
IP: proxy2-external.owml1.md.home.com

lain:
Keep this up and soon they'll be calling you The Official (But Useless) Linguist of the Comment Room(tm). :)
'Night all.

Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Sunday, January 7, 2001 10:54:27 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

someday, I am sure I will post something so totally useless that you people will elevate me to the rank of MASTER OF USELESS INFORMATION but for now.. I will remain a humble apprentice ;)
lain, apprentice of Useless Information
the great white North
Sunday, January 7, 2001 10:49:44 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

James Birdsong>> Pretty good :) in Arabic and Hebrew, "Ben" means "the son of" much like "Mc" or "Mac" does for Scottish or Irish names. This is frequently used in Arabic names, and one of the longer forms of this name is Benjamin, which means "son of my right hand". James is the English equivalent of Jacob or Jakob, which is also Hebrew in origin and means "the supplanter."

Incidentally, Mononoke Hime, or "Princess Mononoke" means "princess of the spirits of things" or "spirit princess" and Mulan means "magnolia blossom".

And WOW has the room EVER been slow lately *sidesteps to avoid the rush that will inevitably ensue in the wake of such a comment*
love,

lain, apprentice of Useless Information - [sanchinwalker@hotmail.com]
the great white north
Sunday, January 7, 2001 10:38:14 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Lain> and Benjamen means god's right hand. Jacab is latin for James
James Birdsong
Token sane guy
Sunday, January 7, 2001 09:44:04 PM
IP: adsl-63-207-128-110.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Do laundry: check.
Do dishes: check.
Put out trash and recycling: check.

lain:
<<Valentine probably doesn't think so.>> I'd say not. ;)
<<DANIEL>> I knew the "God is my judge" meaning already, and the fact that Hebrew letters had specific numbers and meanings attached to them, but I didn't know the exact meanings. Fascinating. Hebrew is one of those languages that I've always wanted to learn. This is... Hey! are you saying that my name is superly duperly useless info?!! I resemble that remark! ;P

Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Sunday, January 7, 2001 09:31:22 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

For Daniel J and DPH
******SUPERLY DUPERLY USELESS INFO OF THE DAY*********
DANIEL is a two syllable boys name of Hebrew origin meaning: GOD IS MY JUDGE.

In the Bible, Daniel was cast into the lion's den and came out unscathed (Daniel 6:22).

The Hebrew letters which make up the name "Daniel" are DALET NUN YUD ALEPH and LAMED. Taken together, and reading from right to left, they spell the name Denyal.

Each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet has a special meaning and a story to tell.
DALET is the 4th letter of the alphabet, has a numerical value of 4, means DOOR and makes a sound like the D in Delight. The DALET character has the shape of an open door.
NUN is the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of 50. NUN makes a sound like the N in Now. NUN means SHINE, SPOUT, SPREAD in Hebrew and FISH in Aramaic. The NUN is one of 5 Hebrew characters that have 2 forms - the regular [bent] form used in the beginning and middle of a word and the FINAL FORM used as the last letter of a word.
The YUD is the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of 10. YUD makes a sound like the Y in Year. YUD is a simple point. It is the smallest letter in the alphabet and yet is frequently associated with the very large concept of EMANATION, the highest level in the Four World paradigm of Kabbalah.
ALEPH is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of one. The meanings of ALEPH are: THOUSAND, MASTER, TEACHING, OXEN. However, the ALEPH makes no sound.
The LAMED is the 12th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of 30. LAMED makes a sound like the L in Like. LAMED means both TO LEARN and TO TEACH. The LAMED is the tallest and most majestic of all the letters. Since LAMED means LEARNING, it would seem that this would constitute a direct connection between LAMED, LEARNING and GOD.
************END HOPELESSLY USELESS INFO OF THE DAY*********

lain
Sunday, January 7, 2001 08:53:03 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Daphne> How about a parody/spoof of gladiator and Rocky. I know it's a bit cliches, but sports entertaining the masses is a common thread among big cities. Antioch was a large city around that time. Maybe a little too early for gladiators but horse racing is there. And aren't the Belmont Stakes or the Preakness in the Philadelphia area? It sounds like the teacher is looking for common threads of the city. One thread is how they address problems and what problems they address. Health, nutrition, legal jurisdiction, entertainment, traffic, etc. Maybe a sitcom about the middle class. There is a National Geographic from 1999 that contrasted three cities in each millenium. Alexandria, London and New York. I forgot which month, but definate a 1999 'on-the-edge-of-a-new-millenium' articles. Hope that helps.
Taleweaver - [taleweaver@usa.net]
Sunday, January 7, 2001 08:21:01 PM
IP: sfr-tgn-sfs-vty4.as.wcom.net

Mary Flanders>> in the vein of song lyrics..

"Guma slan dha mo Mhairi bhoidheach,
Ge b'e aite 's am bidh i 'chomhnaidh,
'Se mo dhurachd cho fad 's is beo mi,
Gum bidh gach solas aig Mairi bhoidheach."
All the best for my beautiful Mary,
Wherever she may dwell,
As long as I live,
My wish is that she will have every happiness.

Daniel J>> yes.. insomnia does very strange things to my mind.. not that they are all bad.. Valentine probably doesn't think so.. ;)


lain
Sunday, January 7, 2001 08:16:14 PM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Hey, look who it is again. Just got back from a nice visit with my mother. It's not always easy to understand what she is trying to say, but she seems happier than she had been. I helped her with supper and we talked and laughed. She was happy about getting to attend a church service today. It's the little things in life.

Mary Flanders:
I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I can understand the desire to withdraw quite well as I have felt similarly at times. But any friends are a valuable resource, whether they are next door or in another country. I'm sure that you have friends around here, and they can be a great source of support. Also consider how *they* would feel if you disappear. That's not ment as a guilt trip or anything, but just something to think about. Anyway, good luck and, as a Doctor once said: "Just go foward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."

Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Sunday, January 7, 2001 07:01:58 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

**enters and offers a pot of hot chocolate and a beer stein-size mug to Mary**

Help yourself. And please ... take the big chair. **leads her to the big comfy chair** I know how it goes, but it'll pass. Everything does.

While we're doing song lyrics ... one that's fairly appropriate for your mood. (I understand an mp3 is available ... talk to Lady Mystic, she found it)

**clears throat**

I can still see you standing there
Midnight wind blowing through your hair
Remember kisses sweet in the salty air
When love
Was forever

Turn the page, and we fade to blue
The scene has changed, now I'm without you
Well you just walked away when the act was through
And the show
Was over

It was almost like a movie
The way you said goodbye
You must have spent a lot of time
Rehearsing each and every line ...

Now there's not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking

Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye
Not a dry eye in the house

The greatest story was you and me
We had it all we had everything
But then the story's done, it's just history
The last act
Is over

Your every line had the sweetest sound
Your every touch turned my world around
But then the lights came up, and my world crashed down
End of show.
It's over

It was almost like a movie
Those nights we touched the stars
Time stood still for you and I
Now it's sad enough to make you cry ...

And there's not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking

Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye
Not a dry eye in the house

Act One - the story's just begun
Act Two - I fell in love with you
Act Three - knew it was meant to be
Act Four - you don't love me no more ...

Not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking

Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye
Not a dry eye
Not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking ...

--- "Not a Dry Eye in the House" (D. Warren)

Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Sunday, January 7, 2001 06:43:28 PM
IP: 216.28.101.92

*enters*

Hey guys. I'm probably not going to be in for a while because Bahemut and I are no longer together and I'm really not in the mood to talk to people about it. :( Let's just say I was beginning to feel stuck in the relationship and we both disovered that we're two very different people. I feel that I'm ready for a 'real' contact relationship. I'm just tired of never seeing someone I care about. It feels really detached. :( I feel that we both need to find our happiness somewhere else.

Mary Flanders
Sunday, January 7, 2001 06:07:14 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

OK, I seem to have returned to normal (however one defines normal). Don't worry though; I still have a nice slice of chocolate cake waiting for me tonight. Wackiness then ensues.

Gside:
You built a time machine? But why would one wish to visit that particular period of history? You are indeed a strange one.
<<but isn't it traditional to taunt fashions revealed in old yearbooks?>> Ah, point taken.
<<To pirates no less.>> Have I mentioned that you're quite strange? Yes? In any case, I remember your father quite well. One of my favorite teachers, in fact. All together now: "It's a small world after all..." >:)
----
lain:
Whoa! Insomnia certainly has an interesting effect on you. Did your mother write that quote? It was really beautiful. I have a hard time believing that she would think that you let her down. "Why can I not be stronger? Why can I not do what I know I must?" Those are questions we all ask of ourselves. Shouldn't I have done more for my mother? Shouldn't I have tried harder to care for her at home instead of putting her in a nursing home? She is my responsibility and there are times I feel as though I failed her. In many ways, caring for her these past couple of years was like caring for a child. Except that eventually a child will grow up and become self-sufficient (we hope). I had no such hope. One doctor's receptionist told me that she had the solution to my problem; I should quit my job so that I could stay home and take care of my mother 24 hours a day. It would be a lot cheaper than a nursing home. Yes, I could have done that, but I also know that eventually it would have killed me. Yes, killed. And yet I still feel guilty for not doing it.

I'm really rambling, aren't I?

Oh, and I find your Useless Information quite interesting. Please continue!
----
Lynati:
I don't find Goliath's lack of reaction to Demona knowing about Angela that unbelievable. I think that Puck kept him so off balance that he didn't have time to think of such things, which was the intention. Just my opinion.
----
DPH:
The only time I have heard the "Dan Yell" pronunciation is with the spelling "Danielle" which is the feminine form. Of course, that may be a regional thing.
I've always been very good at spelling and grammar. I can look at a word and know automatically whether it is spelled correctly. I just have a hard time getting my thoughts into words. My brain processes verbal information...oddly.

Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Sunday, January 7, 2001 04:22:47 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

**Winterwolf is in for a correction**

Gunjack> Oops! How did that happen? Anyway what I meant to toss in there was: Have you taken a look at MechWarrior4: Vengeance? ^_^

Adios! Okay gone! :)

Winterwolf
Bronx, NY
Sunday, January 7, 2001 03:31:15 PM
IP: 206.15.120.78

**Winterwolf walks in**

Hi! Missed that post I planned on making! Hope everyone is well. Most of the snow here is icky now. :( At least it makes walking around easier and less outdoor clean up work for everyone! It's absolutely balmy out there in the 40s F! ^_^

Gunjack>
The idea on asking the Pres. is just to get things happening more quickly. I know other people that are making the request also so I'm adding my voice to theirs. It's hardly the end for me pursuing this. I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket I need to approach this with more than a single solution. That would be like going into battle with a single firearm! I'm fairly sure you wouldn't want to do that. ;)

Alternative Energy Sources
Well I believe if we were more aggressive with using energy more efficiently and pushing for more renewable energy usage we would be in much better shape. The current use of renewable energy includes wind, geothermal (tapping into the earth's underground heat) and biomass (using the waste of other industries to produce energy and also extract materials to sell) each of which can power large power plants that are practical alternatives to fossil fuels. In addition solar power should also play an important role in providing energy needs. These energies are playing a greater role in providing clean renewable energy and are being implemented around the US although it is happening slowly.

The pipeline and the Porcupine Caribou
A pipeline may have buried sections for caribou to pass over. The problem though is this makes maintenance more costly and in practice is only done in sections. Plus we are talking about a minimum of 30 miles of pipeline.

Now something completely different! I like the descriptions of your armored mech. Might have to shift to a more weapons oriented discussion in the future. Have you taken a look at

Lynati> Good Gargoyle question! I'd like to comment but it has been forever, at least it seems that long, since I saw that episode. You know it might be worth a trop to ask Greg. That is unless someone knows Greg's answer already. I seem to think of some good stuff only to find it's already been asked in the Ask Greg archives.

DPH> <mind my response to your reminder message> Not at all! It just sort of happened as a spur of the moment thing. Help remind myself and other BFTS participants to keep up. :)
**RP ALERT** Well in that case stay tune for some shocking revelations! **END ALERT**

Okay that's all for the moment. Well wishes to everyone! **smiles and waves**

**Winterwolf taking a cue from Dark Stalkers streaks out of the CR in a ball of energy not touching the floor**

Winterwolf
Bronx, NY
Sunday, January 7, 2001 03:20:06 PM
IP: 206.15.120.78

Daniel J- The two ways I know of pronouncing my . . our first name are as follows: Dan Yell (I hate this pronounciation) and Dan Yule (This is the one I prefer).

Daniel J - Interestingly enough, you list the opposite skills I tend to think of myself as having when it comes to creative writing. It's been too long since I studied grammer. I could write an essay that is grammatically correct, but working around quotes would require lots of time.

1+1=3

**RP ALERT**
If no one else in the BFTS RP minds, I will start the battle this week.
**END RP ALERT**

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Sunday, January 7, 2001 02:36:21 PM
IP: max1-61.cwy.cei.net

Avalon Mists reminder > never to early to start thinking ahead (after all, the Valentines' stuff started showing up in stores three days after Xmas this year) ... the Spring 2001 issue of AvMists will be released at the beginning of March and I'm eagerly looking for pics, fics, filks, character spotlights, poems, jokes, and of course don't forget the Challenge -- what's Tom been up to on all those previous jaunts from Avalon? Send submissions to me at christine@sabledrake.com by the last week in February to be included!

Updates > will be adding some reviews and stuff to the MageLore site soon. Tonight, I begin final revisions of Archmage of the Universe. Also picked up the newest Writer's Market so I can begin working on my resolution of collecting even more rejection slips. Started work on a strange little short story called "Death and the Scream Queen," but who knows if that'll go anywhere. Will also get my thank-you notes done tonight, pick up the film tomorrow, and mail those out. Talk about your dying customs ... I'm the only one in my whole family who does it. Then again, I'm the only one who makes an effort to keep in touch ... maybe I'm just weird ; )

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Sunday, January 7, 2001 01:49:43 PM
IP: 14-097.075.popsite.net

Well, that was quick. Things seem to have been awful slow lately. I think I'll take this time to ask a Gargoyles-related question, what with this being The Gargoyles Saga comment room and all.
Humor me if this question has already been asked, but why, in the episode "Future Tense", is Goliath not at all concerned with how Demona knows that Angela is their daughter? Even given the stress he was under, you would think he would take a moment to say, "Hey, how do you know about that?" As far as he was concerned, Demona hadn't recognized her in the 2.5 seconds she saw Angela for in Paris. I dunno, maybe his own concern for Angela's safety blinded him to the obvious.
*shrugs* It still makes ME wonder, though.

Musical interlude, end of song.

"Well, I asked the waitress who she was, and she leaned and whispered, "Look-
she's just a crazy lady who comes in all the time.
Tonight we let her stay because the business is so slow;
but, really, nice folks hate to eat around a girl who's lost her mind."

How must it be- to be the one no-one can see?
She would scream and stare- and we acted like she wasn't there!
Like an invisible lady...an invisible lady...
No wonder she's crazy- she's an invisible lady.

(don't speak, don't stare)
(don't you hear me?)
(don't speak, don't stare)
(can't you see me?)
(don't speak don't stare)
(won't you look at me?) "

*Sits down at convienient computer to read from the fanfic archives, absently drumming her fingers, while waiting for Warpmind's next post.*
Lynati (again)
Sunday, January 7, 2001 01:27:06 PM
IP: 207.226.219.64

*Pokes her head in and freezes*
*doffs non-existent hat and listens with eyes closed to the lyrics to "Closer to fine"*

*sniff. sniff*
That was, like, the anthem song of the camp I went to for 11 years. You play that, or 10,000 Maniacs "These are the Days", and you'd have damn near every alumni in tears in five seconds flat.
(...Incidently, you get a similar reaction from the first set( okay, every set) of my characters to both songs. Gee, I wonder why?)

'kay, I'm gonna read the rest of the CR posts now.
* Sits down to read...*
Lynati
Sunday, January 7, 2001 01:00:24 PM
IP: 207.226.219.64

Since we're on the topic of song lyrics..
Sorry sir I stole your money
Sorry sir, I feel
But it's so, so twisted
So unreal.

It was what I'd heard of
And what I didn't have
But I cannot give what I do not have
And I cannot take what I do not have
I can't take it

Too many things held precious
too many things held dear
that's what I hate
and that's what I fear
Too much to ask for
May leave me feeling lonely
But too little leaves me nothing, nothing

Are we still solemn and bleeding?
Are we still swimming to water that was wet?
You can't give away certain things that you get..

From the outside to the inside
I couldn't tell you how it really was
There has to be more on one hand
Keep your head above water on the other, the other

And are we still solemn and bleeding?
Are we still swimming to water that was already wet?
I can forgive but I can't forget..

I'll wish for you
I'll plead and I'll steal
Hold me precious and hold me dear
I'll wish for you
I'll sing and I'll feel
Don't stultify, don't hold me high
Like a Gothic staple, a last goodbye
one way to float is if you die..
-lisa Loeb

and of course the ever popular:
I'm trying to tell you something 'bout my life
maybe give me inside between black and white
and the best thing you ever did for me
was to help me take my life less seriously
it's only life after all..

well, darkness has a hunger that's insatiable
and lightness has a call that's hard to hear
and I wrap my fear around me like a blanket
I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it
I'm crawling on your shores..

And I went to the doctor,
I went to the mountains,
I looked to the children,
I drank from the fountains,
There's more than one answer to these questions,
Pointing me in a crooked line
and the less I seek my source for some difinity
the closer I am to fine
Closer I am to fine

And I went to see the doctor of Philosophy
With a poster of Rasputin and a beard down to his knee
He never did marry, or see a big great movie
he graded my performance
he said he could see through me
I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind, got my paper and I was free

And I went to the doctor,
I went to the mountains,
I looked to the children,
I drank from the fountains,
There's more than one answer to these questions,
Pointing me in a crooked line
and the less I seek my source for some difinity
the closer I am to fine
Closer I am to fine

I stopped by the bar at 3am
to seek solace in a bottle or possibly a friend
and I woke up with a headache like my head against a board
twice as cloudy as it was the night before
and I went in seeking clarity


And we go to the doctor,
we go to the mountains,
we look to the children,
we drink from the fountains,
yeah we go to the bottle,
we go through the workout,
we read up on the bible,
we stand up for the lookout,
There's more than one answer to these questions,
Pointing me in a crooked line
and the less I seek my source for some difinity
the closer I am to fine
Closer I am to fine
- Indigo Girls

*****USELESS INFO OF THE DAY*******
Sorry I missed yesterday!!
Greanade (garnet, grenadier, pomegranate):
Grannum is the Latin word for grain or seed and is the source of a number of words we now use. Not only 'grain' and 'grainge' and 'grannary' but also garnet, grenade and pomegranate, the latter came from the Latin adjective 'granitus' meaning "having many seeds". Anyone who has eaten a pomegranate will readily see why the Romans called it 'granatum', for it is certainly filled with seeds. They also called it Punica granatum and malum punicum (punic apple) believing it originated in Carthage.
The pulp of the fruit is a deep transparent reddish colour, very similar in appearence to that of the garnet gem. Because of the colour similarity and the similarity of the seeds to the gem crystals, the stone was called "granaticus" by the Romans. This became " Grenat" in Old French and when taken to England, became Gernat and Gernet and ultimately Garnet.
After the invention of gunpowder, experimentation began with various explosive missiles. One of these used by the English army in the late sixteenth century was a small bomb shot by a gun or thrown by hand into a cluster of the enemy. This missile was called a "granate" or "granade" perhaps because it was about the seze of a pomegranate and was gilled with "seeds" or grains of powder. The name became fixed as "grenade". Later, a company in each regiment or batallion was specially trained in the handling and hurling of grenades and were given the special name "grenadier".
(I hope it was worth the wait....) ;)
*********END USELESS INFORMATION OF THE PAST TWO DAYS*****

So.. I think I must have taken up enough space by now but.. what else is an insomniac to do???
:)
Love,

lain
the great white north
Sunday, January 7, 2001 03:51:57 AM
IP: dynrez216-3215.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

*lain walks in.. I sense a Nadia.. DANGIT she can be slippery.. taking over my brain when I am not looking..!!!!*

Valentine>> sorry about that again.. maybe you two should talk in private.. er.. then again, maybe that is NOT such a good idea.. eeeeek...

Lynati>> so, your characters have personal songs that you associate with them?? NEATO!!! Mine have always had that, too!! Amanda has
*ponders why it is that all the super drunk girls have to come to lain to tell their problems about how all guys are jerkfaces* I mean, sure lots of guys are jerks a lot of the time but have you ever noticed how much alcohol seems to contribute to these opinions?? Lots of girls can be jerks, too, don't get me wrong but I never hang around guys when they drink so I never hear those stories..
Our Soph just came home and he is wasted.. he is in the same program as I and last year I had such a huge crush on the guy.. then this year, he lives right across the hall from me. It used to be really ackward, until I found out that he eats cheese whiz and wonder bread for breakfast. It was all over then.. (eiuuu... whiz...) ;P

I found this picture of me as a baby and my parents the other day. I was soooo cute.. whatever happened?? Hmm.. My father looks like the beatles and my mum.. well.. she looks like my mum..
Speaking of Mum.. it is almost a year.. exactly 9pm on Feb 1, which is (funnily enough) Imbolc, Celtic festival for Brigid, who breathed life into the dead.
"Women's bodies are very special - able to create and nurture a new life. Her birth - what a fantastic experience..
"as we drove home from the hospital two days after she was born, I looked down at this beautiful creature and a great wave of emotion swept over me.. a mixture of joy and apprehension. When he went back to work a couple of days later I was feeling terrified to be left alone with her for the whole day. She CRIES! What a powerful sound that is. I don't understand why she cries at times - after exhausting my mental list of "why babies cry" I just hold her close and wait it out. There must be an incredible bond between parent and child from the start. At 4am the rocking chair sends me to sleep but not her. Sometimes I look down and tell her "I don't know what's wrong" "do you feel pain love" Other times I am so exasperated and tired I yell Jesus Christ what the hell is wrong with you, why do you only cry at night!?! The responsibility of having a child to care for weighs heavily at times. She brings out the best and worst in me. It is an enourmous task and these first few weeks are a real test of survival. I want so much to do things right, I want her to be healthy and happy and able to meet the challenges of life with confidence and to be able to appreciate and celebrate all the joys of life aswell..."

Sometimes, I cry with the pain and knowledge of how much I have let her down. Why can I not be stronger? Why can I not do what I know I must?

Anonymous
Sunday, January 7, 2001 02:41:22 AM
IP: proxy2.spaceproxy.com

*nadia steals in under cover of darkness seeking the gunjack*
Valentine psssssssst
im not supposed to be here
*plomps down in his lap again*
but you know you are a sweet thing
what did you have in mind
i was hoping for some action
of any kind
story action
or you know action action
why dont you tell me whats on your mind
i can get all those other guys off your back dont worry about them anymore
just make sure you dont let me down
*smiles coyly*
so do we have an arrangement
i sense lain approaching
later
*kisses him*
bye sweetie

nadia k
Sunday, January 7, 2001 01:56:09 AM
IP: proxy2.spaceproxy.com

Gunjack> <<Ever heard of Adcritic.com?>>: All right Janice!
<<That "yet" sounds rather ominous>>: Heh heh heh.
<<Would that be FF2?>>: As you count it.
<<and where can I get this "translated" version?>>: Well, J2e ( http://j2e.emulationworld.com/ ) made the full translation. And it shouldn't be too hard to find a rom; there's one at OML ( http://oneminuteleft.com/ ).
<<Why?>>: Not sure. We're hypothesizing that it interferes with calcium buildup.
<<I'm still trying to decide if that's the coolest or creepiest thing I've ever heard>>: Judging by the way he teaches, probaly nearer to cool.
<<Any way to do thye conversion without disassembling and/or wrecking the car?>>: I don't think so, it's pretty much direct conversion of chemical potential energy to mechanical. Unless you want to hook it up to the battery. I think they have a mini generator in there to recharge it.
<<Can we say Newspeak?>>: Nah, calcspeak. Either that or Butlerspeak.
<<Notice the subtle difference between a bandanna loincloth and, say, a clingy green dress>>: Yes, but there is also the difference between said clingy fabric and almost no fabric at all.
<<They were called cures back then>>: I was using potion in the general sense, including elixers, ethers, and the like.
<<Why use a cure on one party member when you can have Tellah cast Cure2 on everyone?>>: Because without enough character building, it is quite likely that you will run out of MPs.
<<in CG, or Celes' Opera>>: I believe they rendered that one in the Anthology. And yes, Aria de Mezzo Carreterre is so nice.
<<the coolness factor doubled as soon as Dagger met Cid>>: Any Cid doing anything doubles the coolness factor. Haven't you learned yet that engineers are inherently cool (yeah, right)?

Robby (and/or anyone else qualified to answer)> How is the editing staff looking (in terms of numbers) for the upcoming season?

Daphne> <<I need to make a really boring topic... into an interesting video, and I can't figure out even how to make it funny>>: How about a group of comfused tourists trying to decide which of the cities they are in?

Daniel Johnson> <<He assumes that you have a copy of the yearbook from that time>>: Yes, I do. Seeing as how I live with someone who has worked there for numerous years, and is currently in charge of making the new ones, it would be a safe assumption. Either that, or I've built a time machine in my back yard.
<<and that decade is not known for its "high fashion.">>: Given, but isn't it traditional to taunt fashions revealed in old yearbooks?
<<If "Gside" is a contraction of your last name>>: It is (if it were not, I would have provided you with my last name). Only two letters were contracted out. To pirates no less. (Say "R." R. Say "Ahhr." Ahhr. Now say it like a pirate: "Arrrrr.")
<<especially the day the class was taught how to make gun powder>>: I would normally expect the thermite demonstration to be more impressive. Though enything blowing up is quite fun.
<<The odor of sulfur lingered throughout the school that day>>: He tends to do that, doesn't he?

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Sunday, January 7, 2001 01:11:39 AM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com

Daniel bounces into the comment room, while giggling like the madman he is. He pauses for a moment to turn to the other CR denizens and calmly state, "I like the vans without the windows." He then recommences his maniacal bouncing. This morning Daniel apparently forgot to take his Prozac, and when combined with the large quantities of chocolate he consumed this afternoon his brain chemistry was altered in rather interesting ways. Needless to say, he is quite hyper (to the consternation of his coworkers) and for some inexplicable reason he has decided to write this entire post in the third person.

He is a bit perturbed that the room was wiped while he was at work and had no opportunity to make the top ten, but given his current state he will probably forget all about it shortly.
----
Daniel pauses for a minute to ponder Robby's post on TGS recruitment. In his current state he would be less than useless in such an endeavor; however, he wonders if he could contribute to the project in question. He does have some skills in the area of proofreading, as well as certain technical abilities, but he questions whether he has the creative talents necessary for this undertaking. This will require further thought.
----
DPH:
Daniel fears that at this time he can think of only one way to pronounce his name (or spell it). Perhaps you can enlighten him as to this heretofore unknown piece of name-related trivia? He does know that your custom of enquiring into his whereabouts usually causes him to post, so perhaps the same action will have the same result regarding Sevarious Jr.
----
Aaron:
Daniel would like to assure you that he is not at all disconcerted. In fact, he is generally quite unflappable. He merely finds such comments intriguing.
----
Gside:
Oh yes; Daniel remembers that he had planned to respond to your previous post, but the early room wipe has left him a bit disoriented. He assumes that you have a copy of the yearbook from that time. He would like to remind you that the '70s were not far behind at that point, and that decade is not known for its "high fashion." Furthermore, he should not be held accountable for such things while at such a tender age. If "Gside" is a contraction of your last name then it would appear that he did indeed have your father as a science teacher. If it is not, then it would be a fascinating coincidence. He remembers said teacher very well, especially the day the class was taught how to make gun powder. The odor of sulfur lingered throughout the school that day.
----
Daniel decides that this would probably be a good time to end his current post. A good night's sleep would be highly beneficial at this time. He would further like to assure his fellow posters that he will remember to take his pill tomorrow and thus avoid the current strangeness which permeates his present posting activities. He does not, however, guarantee that he will not continue to consume mass quantities of chocolate and so, as they say, "all bets are off."

Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Saturday, January 6, 2001 10:49:46 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

Daphne - How on earth did you get such a freakish topic? o_O ...Anyway, I asked me dad for some info, since he's pretty knowlegable about the first century.
Serious stuff: Antioch had large Jew and Greek populations, that mixed about as well as oil and water, and apparently Philly has had some race problems too.
Silly Stuff: Ever heard where the city officials held their meetings in those days? ; ) Hint: they didn't need to break up meetings for bathroom breaks...
That's all I can think of off the top o' my head. I REALLY hope you didn't pick that topic yourself! O_O

Aaron - I'll post the full lyrics later. And just search Napster; it's all over the place.

Gunjack Valentine
Saturday, January 6, 2001 09:25:37 PM
IP: 216-146-184-196.bwn.net

Stephen: Way to go, fellow big dude. I'm happy for ya. Really. I hope you two are very happy in your relationship.
Coyote's Note
Saturday, January 6, 2001 09:12:02 PM
IP: 216.28.101.36

**peeks into the room, sees he missed the top ten, and almost leaves, but remembers to post his link and leave a note for Stephen**
Coyote the Bando - [gathering_motor_city_2004@hotmail.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Saturday, January 6, 2001 09:09:37 PM
IP: 216.28.101.36

*kicks Redundancy Demon* ;P
Mary (again)
Saturday, January 6, 2001 09:08:55 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

Gunjack>InuYasha has doggy ears because because he's half dog demon, half human. ^_^ He's lives in Feudel Japan where demons are quite common.

Click my name for a better image of Dog Boy. ^_^

Mary Flanders
Saturday, January 6, 2001 09:07:52 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

[frantic] Can someone help me?
I need to make a really boring topic (a comparison of 1st-century Antioch with modern Philadelphia) into an interesting video, and I can't figure out even how to make it funny. I'm getting really stressed on this, and it's due this week! I had an idea, but it's very boring and I need something people will actually want to watch. Does anyone have an idea of a good way to make a topic seem interesting?


Daphne
Saturday, January 6, 2001 08:52:51 PM
IP: dialup-209.246.212.183.philadelphia1.level3.net

The room was cleared early this week, that's all. Nothing to worry about.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Saturday, January 6, 2001 08:21:05 PM
IP: 216.87.46.252.dialup-stl.primary.net

what happened?
Gunjack Valentine - [miphsingleton@hotmail.com]
Saturday, January 6, 2001 08:10:33 PM
IP: 216-146-183-159.bwn.net

Ok, on the risk of sounding insensitive, here's the opposite side of the "clothing doesn't come in my size" problem:

I'm 5'3" and 105 lbs. I wear a size 0/little girls 14.I can't just walk into Kmart and buy a pair of shorts off the rack. Everybod else calims all they can find is size 0, but just try looking for decent, non-slutwear. Everything is size 5 or larger. Ah well, at least there's the little kids section. As long as I don't mind Winnie-the-Pooh overalls...

Spore - [belleria@hotmail.com]
Camarillo (home of the state mental institute), CA
Saturday, January 6, 2001 05:28:41 PM
IP: lsanca1-ar8-186-032.dsl.gtei.net

David G - The archives are way behind due to insufficient resources (the CR archives have yet to be updated). ITAG has not even been fleshed out at all. You & the BFTS RPers actually know more a lot more about ITAG than even has been hinted at. The link I have provided is the most upto version of the archive. Of course, it's as out of date as the this room's CR archives are.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
Saturday, January 6, 2001 05:06:20 PM
IP: max1-43.cwy.cei.net

Gside><<And just why do you know this?>> Well, it's not hard to tell just by looking that something won't fit you when it seems to be cut for someone 8" shorter and thirty pounds lighter. Which is pretty sad, when you consider I'm only a size five, no? ;)

Warpy> Oh yeah. Forgot that. Well, Mara and I've still got the numerical advantage.

GB> Glad to hear the stocks are up.

Gunjack> Is a fortifying beverage a keg-fort? For a decent pic of an M-79, (and many other nifty things) I'd suggest looking for back-issues of the old Punisher's Armory book. <<Mongolian-style Cluelessness!>> Sounds like some things I've done. Particularily about five months ago. Odds> Well, the discretion has been sort of mutually agreed apon. Oh, and like I told Gside, if something's *way* too small, you can tell it won't fit just by looking. Oh, and I love the quote. Where did you get it, and is there more.

Spacebabie: Hope your kitten and mom feel better soon.

Stephen> Congrats again. Sounds like everything's on track.

Spore> Next Conan Hint!

Daniel J.><<Curiouser and curiouser.>> Hee hee, we haven't gotten to the con yet and we're already disconcerting people.

Saw Dracula 2000. It was fun, but doesn't stand up to hard scrutiny. Catch a matinee.

"He should have been Jesus." my brother, leaving the movie.


Aaron - [JCarnage@Yahoo.com]
San Antonio, TX, USA
Saturday, January 6, 2001 04:57:24 PM
IP: 64.154.229.217

Top ten (if I type fast)!

DPH> Cool. The only problem is, I haven't been reading your RP. I hardly ever read the RPs since I usually only have time to scan through the room. I know you had them archived on a web page at one time. If you still do, give me the link and I'll get caught up.

David G. - [david_goodner@yahoo.com]
Arlington, TX, USA
Saturday, January 6, 2001 03:45:46 PM
IP: adsl-65-65-208-117.dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net

Eigth! Real post later.


Aaron - [JCarnage@Yahoo.com]
San Antonio, TX, USA
Saturday, January 6, 2001 03:38:12 PM
IP: 64.154.229.217

Woo. #7 and a pretty big top ten post at that.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
Saturday, January 6, 2001 03:11:04 PM
IP: max1-36.cwy.cei.net

David G - Actually, you will be near the top of the tottum (spelling?) pole at ITAG. I am sticking with the older style of management names. I will even let you name your own job title.

Daniel Johnson - How many ways do you know of pronouncing our first name? I know of two.

It's past 1:30 pm and I have not gone to pick up wood. Praise the Lord.

Gunjack - I hope you are not taking BFTS RP ads seriously. It seems only logical to me since every radio stations claims to play the fewest commercials, somebody has to play the most commercials per hour and that radio station bought advertising.

Winterwolf - I hope you did not mind my response to your reminder message. Yep, that was me.

Opposite of protect - this reminds of something that came once while I am in Spanish class. In English, it is hard to find a word meaning the opposite of "disgust".

**SCI-FI SPOILERS**
Ok. I saw Black Scorpion last night and I got the feeling I was dropped right in the middle of something. If last night was the season premiere, it failed miserably in its job of setting things up. The biggest question is about the setup of Black Scorpion. Obviously, a cop's salary is not going to be sufficient to outfit the car according to what I can guess. Where did this 'morphin' technology come from? What is Darcy's (spelling?) motivation for hidding behind a mask? How did she and her accomplice get their setup? It all sounds to me like there was a movie pre-quel to what I saw last night. If there is anything about a black scorpion in comics or movies, someone please fill me in.

FarScape - This looks and feels more exciting than Voyager. This part seems to me like a typical bank robbery gone wrong by unexpected (but not unforeseen) problems. Saving a relative/friend or not, I would want to know the entire plan (and any possible complications) before jumping headfirst into the unknown. As brilliant as a masterplan can be, this episode shows the importance of consulting others of like intelligence to double-check everything.

Jules Verne - I did not get to see much of this. It basically looks like they are going to bring to life most of the stuff in his books and add some things, all the while set around during Jules Verne's real lifetime. I do not seem to buy the premise of this series.
**END SCI-FI SPOILERS**

I know a pretty safe way to get posters to re-appear and I am going to engage it.

MIA poster of the week: Sevarious Junior. Wanted to post in this room just to assure us that he is still alive.

For all you people wondering, Brooklyn is alive, and hopefully lurking.

1+1=3

**BFTS RP continues**
*AD*
At Market Price, we believe in the ability of people all over the globe to produce items with high profit margins. That's why we span the globe looking for products just to fill our stores with.
*END AD*
The Speed Stars surround DPH's house and prepare to fire the flame throwers. They all start at the same time and . . . the house does not catch on fire. Confusion quickly overcomes the Speed Stars.

"Good thing DPH had his house upgraded."

"Yep, we can take advantage of the situation and increase the amount of confusion without arousing any suspion."
**END BFTS RP for now**

1+1=3

Oh yea, my hair was taking too long for me to comb it so I had a haircut.

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Saturday, January 6, 2001 03:10:09 PM
IP: max1-36.cwy.cei.net

**Winterwolf claims a top ten spot**

Shinigami> Sounds good to me Mara. As long as I get a spot! sixth or seventh depending on how this all works out! ^_^

Be checking in again later. Adios.

**Winterwolf exits**

Winterwolf
Bronx
Saturday, January 6, 2001 03:07:47 PM
IP: 206.15.120.120

I claim 5th. And 6th in case Aaron's not here to post.

ta.
Shinigami
Saturday, January 6, 2001 02:59:32 PM
IP: spider-mtc-tf031.proxy.aol.com

Just a reminder... The TGS staff is sending out a recruitment call for writers, artists, editors, and breakdowns people. Work commitments are fairly minimal, just one or two assignments every few months genrally. Those interested in joining the TGS staff should send an application to me, stating why you're interested, what you're interested in doing, and examples of past work. (Links are prefferred to attachments, as not all attachments can be seen by the full staff.)

Deadline for applications are Thursday, so get to it!

Robby - [MrNoying@aol.com]
Saturday, January 6, 2001 02:37:00 PM
IP: spider-wk061.proxy.aol.com

Early wipe!

Third!

Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Saturday, January 6, 2001 02:35:51 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Has the room died? Or been wiped? (if so, first)! 8o
Ed
Saturday, January 6, 2001 02:34:40 PM
IP: ac8c661a.ipt.aol.com

1st.
Na zdorov'ya.

Gisde - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Saturday, January 6, 2001 02:34:25 PM
IP: proxy3-external.etntwn1.nj.home.com