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BTW.. I am strong believer in Idontknowtheanswerism.. just for the record..

;)
lain
Saturday, March 3, 2001 07:31:12 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

heh heh... just found this..
it isn't meant to insult or anything but if you are a very strong believer in Creationism, please don't thump me for posting this I'm not trying to prove a point or anything - I just thought it was slightly interesting..
*ducks just in case*
lain - [<<- no beating on lain, k? I didn't write it.. I just found it..]
Saturday, March 3, 2001 07:28:00 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

The Spring 2001 issue of Avalon Mists is now posted! Check out all the great submissions by many talented writers and artists at http://www.gargoyles-fans.org/avmists/ -- just a click away!

Now accepting submissions for the Summer 2001 issue; the deadline is Wednesday, May 30th. Send them to christine@sabledrake.com

Doug > sorry I missed your birthday; I'd send Godiva over to make it up to you but then I'd have Kit gunning for me ; )

Coyote > SO glad to hear about the hot water! What an incredible pain in the tail that must have been! We were without it for one night at work and the residents were climbing the walls!

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Saturday, March 3, 2001 03:31:37 PM
IP: 21-018.075.popsite.net

Beth H.> **grins** Don't worry, some chick called for my roommate (who wasn't around) at 7 this morning, waking me up. She was spazzing out because I guess she was supposed to go bike-riding with my roommate, and she hadn't shown up yet and wanted to ask me if I knew where she was...before I could answer, she said, "Oh, wait, I've got a message on my machine from her. Never mind." and hung up. :)
Good luck with your job search! :)
Lady Corax
Saturday, March 3, 2001 01:31:56 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

::flops and covers head:: grr.. ***AMD Athlon... since I was noted to fix that.. I want sleep... ::pouts::
Aingeal
TIRED!!! WANT SLEEP!
Saturday, March 3, 2001 01:20:01 PM
IP: 207.42.162.180

::wanders in and collapses in corner:: oy vey... sleep would be nice.

Firestorm>> I am running an MAD Athlon, 800 Mhz.. is NICE.... get one.. is happy...

Warpmind>> when i got my computer I was told to get AMD because they're outdoing Pentium in reliability nowadays.. the guy i bought mine from said they set up a locak server on a K-6 and it was outdoing the local pentiums... but everyone has their own tastes ;)

NOTICE! >> ::grins:: Archwolf says hi, but is too busy to post... ::grins:: I think i'll go distract him. :p

Well.. i'm off to get stuck doing video production stuff ::whimper:: byebye
Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Don't Ask...it ivolves beig chained to a Mac'n'crash
Saturday, March 3, 2001 01:13:35 PM
IP: 207.42.162.180

*enters*

Urrgghhh...the lady whom I'm trying to get to hire me called me this morning at around 10:00am. I was trying to sleep at that time. Oh well, I don't REALLY need my 12 hours of sleep. ;P Anyway, she wants to meet me today at 3:00pm and see if the kids like me and interview me more. Wish me luck!
Beth H.
Saturday, March 3, 2001 01:04:02 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

Imzadi - posting any more than 2 - 3 times a day is considered chatting. It's about perception.

**RP RELATED**
Almost through with exploring ITAG completely. 5/6 is done. When I am finished, I will put an explanation up about ITAG in this area.
**END RP RELATED**

Hehe. It's my first weekend as a full-time employee to work overtime.

Coyote - It's Quake time. (Double meaning)

SJ - small world. Hmm. I might be tempted to scan a picture online I have of the ex lier-in-chief when he was governor. I can still reach my student congress president. How many people can claim that priviledge?

Imzadi - You forgot about Netlag. She likes to slow interne connections down. What would make you think Namitlum has the ability to project multiple versions of himself?

That's not all folks. or is it?
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Saturday, March 3, 2001 11:38:59 AM
IP: max1-25.cwy.cei.net

Taleweaver: Okay that's one language. English, french, spanish, latin, german...ah the list goes on. And more people write in those languages combined than Chinese and Japanese (even though there are 1 billion chinese people...that only makes Chinese the most SPOKEN language).

Firestorm: <<CLEAR>>: I didn't even realize I made a pun there. The reason mac users are so militant is that we are constantly bashed for using macs by PC users. Trust me, you'd start to get defensive, too. Yes, you can actually buy mac parts. Believe it or not, all mac users are not either a) rich or b) professional graphics artists. The motherboards have IDE and used to come with SCSI too (alas, SCSI has been sacked to the Firewire gods). I personally believe that Windows was not the direct cause of the Seattle quake, but it was a nice thought anyway.

Lain: That's nothing. Before I dropped a class, I had three hour finals at 8AM, 1230PM, and 5PM on the same day. Boy would that have sucked.

Gside: What is a "boo yaka"? Yes, I did just have to show you up. Hehe. No, actually total blocks doesn't matter, it just means I've been a dork twice as long as you have. Unless you take twice as long to do a block, in which case...anyway, the true one-upping comes when people post their averages. 8-).

Mac militant-ness it isn't because we survive without software. We have plenty of software. I mean, how many office suites does one need? The irony is that microsoft is often voted one of the top software companies for mac software. The stuff MS Mac Business Unit puts out is often better than its PC counterparts, and I often hear PC users bitching about it. But it goes back and forth. The next version of Office for PC will be better than the current mac version, but mac:office 2001 is better than the current PC version...blah blah blah. But really, if we couldn't get everything done that we needed to, there wouldn't be as many mac users as there are.

::SARCASM DRIPPING:: I know, lets start a really huge flame war in the CR about macs/pc's! That will certainly be a good way for us to spend our time.

Ignorance is bliss...to the ignorant! To me, its just plain annoying.
-Mr. Floppy, "Unhappily Ever After"

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Saturday, March 3, 2001 06:49:45 AM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-95.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Me> <<Coo yaka>>: That was a freaky typo. It was supposed to be Boo.
<<Corrections are easily thought of as part of the same post>>: Case in point, and no I did not plan this.
Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Saturday, March 3, 2001 02:40:54 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Doug> <<It won't feel quite as good as if I didn't have to, but>>: You two are really big on the guilt thing, aren't you?

Warpmind> <<I WANNA USE MY OLD PC GAMES!>>: Can I get a "Coo yaka" from the congregation?

Winterwolf> <<Can anyone guess why I especially love posting from work?>>: The server you use is called ice, and as you have an affinity for the cold...

Imzadi> <<that wouldn't involve them dragging their own hand over their ink, making their writing illegible?>>: Learn Hebrew. Or maybe Japanese. Or you could always figure out ahead of time what you want to say, how much room it would take up, and write each line backwards.
<<Just as I was finished packet 278, too>>: Just had to show me up, didn't you. Eh, I was probably trying to show up anyone with less than me.
<<tell that to the people who correct their own posts>>: Corrections are easily thought of as part of the same post, especially with their proximity.

Mandolin> <<Torturing him is one of the regulars' favorite pastimes here>>: I fondly remember my Drunken Sailor inspired session. And I do believe it was my only one. Shame, that.

CtB> Enjoy your water.

Fire Storm> <<Why are most Mac users MILITANT Mac users?>>: Because you have to be to survive without the software they would use with other platforms.
<<The christmas episode is #2, right?>>: Yup, though there is an episode in the seasons taht starts out with a christmas premise, then it does deviate.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Saturday, March 3, 2001 02:39:34 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Coyote: Congratulations! Glad you got your hot water back. Enjoy it, friend! :)

SOROW: The best smiles are often the ones least often seen. <grin>

SJ: You're not the only one who's been saying that stuff about small worlds lately. One of the guys I knew in high school, who graduated the same year as me, may very well become the next UT student body vice president. But I've already graduated from that body, so I don't care too much. :)

Thanks for all the Belated Happy Birthdays!!
Doug
Saturday, March 3, 2001 02:06:31 AM
IP: pool-63.52.170.118.dlls.grid.net

WAAAAAH!!!!
*just found out that her psychology and astronomy courses have their finals on the same day at 2pm and 7pm respectively.. and then another the next day at 9am*
waaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*wants to eat the schedule-y making people for breakfast tomorrow..*

*goes to play with dirt and plant new plants to releave stress*
lain
Saturday, March 3, 2001 12:33:11 AM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Uhmm, SJ ... your night's gonna get even more surreal if Miss Angus wins ... she's in the final three.
Coyote the Bando
Friday, March 2, 2001 10:11:10 PM
IP: 216.28.101.118

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, DOUG!!!!!!

**places a huge cake on the Tea Table of Peace** Dig in, birthday boy! ;) Hope you had a great one. :)

Coyote> Hey, congrats on getting your hot water back!!! I'm so happy for ya. Take a nice, looong hot shower to celebrate (although I don't know about that *8* hour shower...) ;) **hugs** :)

And thanks again to everyone who offered me get-well wishes and encouragement and everything...it really means a whole lot to me, and I'm glad to say I'm all better now, save for a few lingering bruises. So thank you again for your support and thoughts! :) You guys rule.
Lady Corax
Friday, March 2, 2001 09:22:00 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

Okay ... that was weird ... did anyone else have the entire room turn completely white and load bizarrely? Ah well ...

Doug: Before I forget ... Happy B-day. :)
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Friday, March 2, 2001 09:14:28 PM
IP: 216.28.101.118

Happy Belated Birthday Doug!!!
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky
Friday, March 2, 2001 09:11:47 PM
IP: dialin-174-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

PARTY TIME!

NASA had to cancel the X-33 AND the X-34!

*FS dances a jig*
Fire Storm
Friday, March 2, 2001 09:11:44 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Doug>> <Condolences on things not working out with Steve. > thanks. actually, it's better to hear this now, since I haven't actually met the guy :)
< I will keep praying you are able to remain sane in that crazy Catholic school you're attending.> sane? I'm in this comment room, aren't i? but thanx for the prayers

happiness!


Daphne - [suburbanbubble@hotmail.com]
the suburban bubble
Friday, March 2, 2001 09:02:47 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.198.213.philadelphia1.level3.net

**SJ walks into the CR a bit dazed**

Okay, this is a little surreal. I caught the very beginning of the Miss USA pageant, and I just discovered that Miss D.C. is Lian Angus. Why is that important? I went to high school with her! Hell, her younger sister was in my homeroom class!

Those demonic little singing children at Disney are right--it IS a small world after all.
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Friday, March 2, 2001 08:54:34 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

Aingeal: <I'd say get AMD, if you can, get an Athlon.. that's what I run.. they're NICE>
Thats what I (hope to) run! As soon as my motherboard gets repaired, I'll be cruising at 800mhz!

Imzadi: <Jeeves didn't know about EKG's? I'm shocked!>
CLEAR!
<Let me tell you about modified spud guns>
As soon as I get my CNC router, I am making myself a gasoline powered spud cannon!
Light weight, and able to shoot a potoato over a half mile!
<naturally I'm going to suggest a 600 MHz G3 processor by motorola, which is about $150>
You can actually buy Mac parts? Does it use SCSI or IDE drives?
Question: Why are most Mac users MILITANT Mac users?
<That's sooooo not cool>
I know! :)
Hey... I am FIRE storm, not ICE storm!

Lady Corax: Are you planning on going to the gathering?
It's only 500 miles to the hotel!

Gside: <It's not an episode, it's an OVA>
Ah... let me guess: The christmas episode is #2, right?

SJ: Hope you got the videos

Warpmind: <My friend, I couldn't possibly accept a computer on those premises.>
Understood.
<simply because, as many here probably have already seen, I am NOT GOING BACK after G'01>
So you are seriously gonna stay here?
Have you thought of a part of the country/
<Oh, by the way, I just want to let you know... no AMD. Don't like AMD. And DEFINITELY no Cyrix...>
AMD has gotten ALOT better!
And Cyrix is out of business! (Yeah!)

Are we sure that the Seatle quake was NOT caused by Windows XP crashing? :)

Does Windows XP run off of the Windows 2000 Kernel?

Coyote: <I can take a shower in MY OWN HOUSE!!>
And the ground did quake and open, and from the crack came molten sulfur.
Yes, this is now the end of the world.
... and no one in Detroit noticed! :)

Congrats! Hmm... your post was at 7pm, so if you take that 8 hour shower, you will get this message around 2am! :)
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Friday, March 2, 2001 08:25:09 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Two quickies ...

First off, my hot water's working!! OH, PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION!! I can take a shower in MY OWN HOUSE!! (which I did, much to the gratitude of my co-workers. ;) j/k)

Second ... voting is up at the Fanart Fight Club ... I hope I don't have to beg like last month ... ah hell, I'll do it anyway ... pleasepleaseplease vote for me!! ;) (clicky my name link)
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Friday, March 2, 2001 06:55:22 PM
IP: 216.28.101.118

Imzadi> Ah, but think of how many languages (Hebrew comes to mind) the read right to left. Just because the predominant English style is left to right, doesn't mean those in charge use it. The same way in the past learned men spoke Latin, but conversed every day in the language of the region.
Taleweaver - [taleweaver@usa.net]
Friday, March 2, 2001 06:17:30 PM
IP: hal5000.engineering.csupomona.edu

A little bit of good news before I go to work. I won "Best Smile" for my senior class. I don't know how, I never smile anymore. *shrugs*
And Imzadi, Kit, Doug.. I just can't imagine going to the prom without him. I think we're still friends, but it hasn't seemed like it lately. Hopoefull things will be better after spring break. I'm going to have to think about this. Thanks for the advice. :)
SOROW
Friday, March 2, 2001 05:37:55 PM
IP: a020-0739.dll2.splitrock.net

**sticks her head in, dabbing her eyes**

Excuse me... went to a reading of Margaret Edson's "Wit" this afternoon, and the ending teared me up... can't imagine what the stage production would have done to me. It's an excellent play, but I'm emotionally drained now.

Aingeal> I'm taking Web Programming this semester, and I'm actually handling things very well... could you send me a copy of the script and maybe some configuration info (where the scripts have to be on the server, what the first line has to read, et cetera)? Can't promise anything, but I'd like to help you out. (Hey, I got Dr. Chang's survey script assignment done a week ahead of time, so I must be learning something...)

Imzadi> DC is Dis Connect, the identity that we have all collectively given that little demon that causes us to get cut off from the Net at inopportune times and won't let us back on. Torturing him is one of the regulars' favorite pastimes here.

Christine> Glad to see you're okay. :)

Tattoos> My reason for not having one usually convinces people who want me to get one to stop pestering me. I'm too indecisive to get something that permanent; forget disliking it years down the line, I'm more likely to want something else within a WEEK of getting it done.

That's all... have an hour to do work...

**Mandi ducks out again**
Mandolin - [weird_web@hotmail.com]
Friday, March 2, 2001 05:29:55 PM
IP: 144.175.21.16

*Peeks in*
Ahem
Annon: Sorry for calling you a ratf*ck and thinking your throat needed ripping out. I know the score now...sorry. Thank you for eventually bringing some happynes to a friend

ShadowWolf
Friday, March 2, 2001 04:49:07 PM
IP: viking203-213.dhcp.csuohio.edu

Why isn't Demona making a move against Thailog yet you all ask? Gee, you'd think there'd be a reason for that.

::Laughs maniacally and disappears in a ball of flames::
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky - [Madoc55@hotmail.com]
Friday, March 2, 2001 04:27:38 PM
IP: dialin-1151-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

Okay I decided not to go to my classes today...all two of them 8-)

Todd: How does one celebrate St. David's day?

Aingeal: What's DC and why are you stabbing it repeatedly?

Taleweaver: I'm sorry, but I cannot accept the fact that the world is dominated by left-handed people. If that were true, don't you think someone would have devised a way for left-handers to write using a pen that wouldn't involve them dragging their own hand over their ink, making their writing illegible? Yes, ruling the current world would suck, but once I take it over, I will be able to change it and make it a kick-ass world.

***** TGS SPOILERS ************
Kirshanta: You know Beth is doing Coyote just like Christine suggested in her fics. 8-) I also think that Demona is not smart enough to overthrow Thailog so quickly. Not that she isn't a bright girl, but think about any of her "plans" during the series. How involved were any of them? Xanatos could have easily thwarted her, so I'm expecting Thailog could do the same. She's sitting on a deserted island trying to come up with something really brilliant...I hope.
******* END SPOILERS**********

DPH: The Eyrie building is cool, that's why I want to duplicate it. On the other hand, maybe a giant bucky-ball would be cooler. Who knows? Like I said, my plans for world domination aren't finalized yet. Does Namitlum have the ability to project multiple versions of himself?

Seattle Quake: I am as glad as the next person that no one was hurt, but I did find this one news snippet incredibly funny. Bill Gates was in the middle of a massive presentation of Windows XP when the quake it, causing everyone to scream and run out of the building. Or was it the OS that caused people to run? When we asked God for comment, he said "Missed him by THAT much". Hehe.

Anonymous: okay, sick stalker dude, begone!

Gside: Those bastards over here in Berkeley still haven't gotten SETI working yet. Just as I was finished packet 278, too. Oh well, I guess my CPU could use a break.

Doug: HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Winterwolf: <<this is a comment room not a chat room>>: tell that to the people who correct their own posts.

Therefore, I have conclusively proven that its faster to download 3.5 meg than to shove it up your ass, ignoring the time it takes to shove it up your ass.
-Mike Margolis

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Friday, March 2, 2001 04:17:13 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-95.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

I got this letter stuffed under my door a half hour ago, it's from my roommate from last year:

"I am so sorry I really did not mean to scare you (though in hindsight) I can see that I did
I (obviously) did not think through what I was doing
I know I have broken your trust and that's why I was afraid to go talk to you
I had the gargoyles page that you bookmarked on my computer so when I was browsing on the net the other day I decided to have a look
I saw what you said about being so alone here and I wanted to let you know that in some way you are not totally alone..
I know that I am a horrid person because of the living arrangements thing and you are right
I did a terrible thing and I am sorry
I just didn't know what to do last year sometimes I felt so suffocated, like I had a huge weight on me
I didn't know how to deal with what you were going through or how to help
some things you just didn't tell me (probably because you didn't want me to judge you) and when I found out it felt like you didn't want to know me
this year we started doing things together and having good talks (which makes what I did all the worse)
I was glad we were getting along so well and (I thought) becoming even closer even though you were making plans to be anywhere but here
I know the things inside that made me not want to tell you about that although none of them are a good reason for what I did. at first I honestly thought that you would not be here next year because you wanted to be somewhere else so badly
I soon realized that you might not but put off telling you anything because then I wouldn't have to deal with it all
then you said you were staying and wanted to start looking for a house and I was too much of a coward to say anything, very selfish
there is no excuse and I should have told you what was on my mind. Instead I tried to avoid the issue by leaving it and hoping that it would resolve itself (which is very foolish)
I don't know what all this does now
I'm sorry that I read some real personal stuff about you on gargoyles and I'm sorry that I hurt you
it is my fault for not handling things well
I still care about you and if you're even willing to talk to me I would like to be friends
either way you can tell the gargoyle people whatever you want that I am some dumbass or something else I promise I won't read it the bookmark is deleted
ps If you still want it I brought back some ocean water and a tiny bit of sand from reading week break for you"


and then I cried. Because this is the first and only time any friend I thought I had has ever EVER apologized for something that hurt me, even intentionally.
She was the one who got on a bus at ungodly hours of the morning and came to be with me at my mother's funeral. She was the one who sat by me quietly while all my other so-called friends sat in the seats behind us and giggled. She was the one that held me when I was so numb with the loss that I couldn't speak for three days. She was the one I sneak-attacked and hugged on the way back from just the other day. It was her new computer that we used that silly limp wobbly-wheeled cart to bring down the terror on University College hill and didn't break. It was her mesmerizing screensaver that I stared at for hours on end when she wasn't home. It was her hair gel I stole when she wasn't looking and I KNOW she was the one who nabbed those Q-tips..
it was her house we went to in Saskatchewan when we were on our way to burry my mum. It was her who drove me around in her beaten up old wonderful car and showed me the sights of the city.
It was her who gave me my only valentine on Valentine's day. It was her we dragged to the skydome to see the jays play last year, and it is her joy-filled yelp of "PUPPIES!!!!" that I still immitate every time my dad brings our dogs to pick me up from school when I go home sometimes.
And yes, it was her who sat on my bed that night and told me "I don't know where you got the idea that WE were living together next year.. *I* already have a house with X, Y and Z" and I phoned my father at midnight and cried because I didn't understand what I had done wrong, I had thought we were getting along so well and then ZAP right out of the blue.
It is OUR lives that have such a stupid stream of coincidences.. born in the same city, going to the same dance school, mothers on the same art studio tours, her looking through my highschool yearbook and saying "hey!! I went to primary with her!!" and me saying "this is not possible!! You are from SASKATCHEWAN!!!" How could we have been so close and shared so much yet never met until the stupid university computer just *happened* to put us together.. and we even lied on the application forms with the same lie about how tidy we kept our rooms... Come on, you think something is going on here?
I even remember how people went to you at my mother's funeral and thought you were me because I used to have your long curly blonde hair..

Girl, nothing matters. You are and will always be precious to me, no matter how many stupid misunderstandings we have. I don't have many friends in this world, but those that I do have I love to the end. I am not angry with you. I appreciate what you tried to do, even though it scared the life right out of me. Thank you for those words that you said. They show your strength.
People always think that I'll bite if I am angry and I don't think I will ever understand why..
lain
Friday, March 2, 2001 04:14:48 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Oh BTW - Can anyone guess why I especially love posting from work? HINT - The answer is right before your eyes. ;)

Additionally this is my new pic. I like it too much to use another... except perhaps on special occasions. ^_^
Winterwolf
Bronx, NY
Friday, March 2, 2001 03:45:19 PM
IP: ice.greyinteractive.com

Winterwolf peeks into the CR.

It’s been too long. Let me... **laughs uncontrollably as Caliope tickles him** Ah! Please stop Cali! I’m extremely ticklish! **barely manages to say that broken out during his laughing fit** **shudders, shivers, is highly sensitized and afraid of a repeat performance after Cali stops for now**

Well I want to say I’m planning on going back to regular posting status. ^_^
I should have reliable home access now and maybe squeeze a little time from work to stay caught up.

Caliope> **HUGZ** I missed you Cali! **shakes and shivers** The very idea of tickling had me curling up and trying to cover myself! <Roswell> It has been fun to watch these two weeks. Michael and Maria certainly where enjoying the high life. I wonder how they will explain Sorenson’s death. After this past Monday’s episode Liz is really looking lame. I can’t believe just how much of a goody two shoes her and Max are. And so lame Liz in playing in an arcade alone for hours! ;P Tess and Kyle are really fun to watch now. It was hilarious how he had to stop on his winning streak and Maria auditioning to be a stripper! LOL ;D So what did you think Cali? <happiness> ^_^ Silly me. **HUGZ** Just being happy is great and I get to feel that way often myself. One day we’ll get together just have to bounce of the walls and have a fun time. ;P

Aingeal> Woo yeah! The Imzadi Troy Riker thing! **hi-five**

Imzadi> Belated welcomes. Enjoy. Oh and btw – this is a comment room not a chat room. There is a difference.

SOROW> **HUG** I hope things have been better. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. ;)

Conspiracy Theorist> Belated Welcomes to you. Don’t mind me just catching up.

Lady Corax> Good to hear you were able to defend yourself. Hope your wounds heal quickly.

Kit> I hope your friends and family are making a quick and speedy recovery. My prayers go out to each of them.

XenaTrek> Hi It’s great to see you around again. :)

Beth H> Name change noted. I hope moving on as the name change shows is a positive event.

Doug> Well from everything that has happened at your current job I think you will have a great opportunity in your next one. I hope you find a good job that suits you soon. At least the house sounds like it making steady progress. Congrats to both of you! <birthday> Happy belated birthday! <house> D’oh! I should have just not commented it seems. :( Hope that gets resolved in a flash.

Niamhgold> Hi. I’m very happy to see you are zipping around in high spirits! I’ll be sending email.

Well I have other things I’ve neglected long enough. **wolfish grin** (No way would I do a sheepish grin... That would be out of character after all)

Bye!

Winterwolf
Bronx, NY
Friday, March 2, 2001 03:41:39 PM
IP: ice.greyinteractive.com

*Warpmind enters, puffing slowly on what seems to be a home-rolled cigar.*
Heya... seems my posting frequency is dwindling. Mainly due to IM. I don't complain... ;)

Imzadi: Compatibility? No sweat. Just make sure all word processors can handle all formats that have and will be, and network all word processing software to efficiently convert all file formats to the new standard... hm?

Fire Storm: *Ehum* My friend, I couldn't possibly accept a computer on those premises. I'm not opposed to free stuff, but I couldn't accept a free computer to bring back to Norway after G'01... simply because, as many here probably have already seen, I am NOT GOING BACK after G'01. No way. Couldn't send me back if you wanted to! But aside from that little detail, well, if you still wanna scrounge up those parts... ;) Oh, by the way, I just want to let you know... no AMD. Don't like AMD. And DEFINITELY no Cyrix...

To all Seattle CR posters: Hope there were no irrepairable damages, and no bodily harm! Same goes for any other Seattle residents, with the sole exception of the Gates family. Not that I wish Mr. Gates any harm, but his obituary is one I would smile happily upon reading...

Imadi again: NO MAC FOR ME!!! I WANNA USE MY OLD PC GAMES!!!

Spike: Online Gathering should be fun... I'll attend if I can; I probably won't have any contest entries - I'm pretty much bending my concentration toward LA in June...

Anonymous: Reveal thyself! This is nary the dwellings of veiled men nor women!

Doug: Citizenship was the plan from day 1 - several YEARS ago. As for looking into other connections... but of course. Never put all your eggs in one basket, huh? *Wry grin* Still, there are nearly four months left still. :/

Well, that's 'bout it... Later, gang.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Friday, March 2, 2001 12:28:59 PM
IP: mp-217-217-152.daxnet.no

Doug - It was not a co-worker who told me that. It was a person directly above me. Like I said earlier, if 95% of the work being done had to be done standing, things would be different. Only 5% of the work being done requires standing.

I received my first paycheck from Molex last night. Since I have a pretty good sum stored up in a checking account, it's about time to increase the sum in a savings account. Besides, I can't wait for direct deposit to kick in.

I know I can probably no make the gathering this year :-(, but who says it is not too early to save for next years.

2+5=8

**BFTS RP continues**
Path Finder quickly calls castellan Larry Jones, preceptor of the order of defense, "Focus your scanners and verify that there is a gateway to another universe here."

A few seconds later, Larry Jones replies, "Damn, you're right. Stay right there, I am sending immediate reenforcements to secure the area, until we can have a meeting to discuss what to do about the situation."

Namitlum [one cybercookie to the person who can figure out the mutant power, based on the name] is dispatched to head to Path Finder's location immediately with orders to secure the area or die trying. Preparations are being made to transport Lunacy and Lunatic to Path Finder's location.
*MEANWHILE**
DPH is hooked to some VR machines.
The telepath says, "DPH is starting to get better. As long as the VR program continues on track, DPH's mind will come around."
*meanwhile*
David Goodner asks Plastique, "I found some money being routinely directly deposited into your accounts that does not come from ITAG. Are you being paid to spy on us?"
**END BFTS RP for now**
Alright, things are starting to shape up.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Friday, March 2, 2001 11:47:56 AM
IP: max1-10.cwy.cei.net

*enters pondering fancy-pants anonymous*

come out come out whoever you are.. I am not going to play your game.

I think you already must know that leaving an anonymous post with an anonymous proxy server is not the most brilliant way of inviting someone to seek you out. I mean, I enjoy the thrill of a good hunt as much as the next but this is just plain silly..

If you hadn't considered this one too, if you were afraid you had broken my trust, do you honestly think that trying to scare me with anonymous posts about loving me (which I DO find rather threatening, BTW) is the best way to win back that trust?

if you think this sort of thing is fun and you are getting your jollies out of it then it's all well and good but don't try to make it sound like you're on the "good guy" side of the equation. Quite frankly from what you have posted and the manner in which it was done, I have no choice but to assume you ARE the scary kind of "friend" the VERY scary kind in fact. The kind that you call the police about. The kind that makes you want to pay exhorbitant amounts of money to the Government so you can buy and register some sort of firearm you can take to class with you..

are you getting the idea?

if you are a friend, have at least a little consideration to the emotional stress you are putting your "love" thorough at the moment.
if you really are a friend trying to do something nice then that is wonderful but if you keep this anonymous business up further you will never ever have my trust.

please stop this nonsense.
lain
the Great White North, armed with common sense, and a little courtesy
Friday, March 2, 2001 11:18:51 AM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Oh... I get the "CrushLink" thing!

You get one, then you put in a few e-mail addresses of people you think it may be, then if your wrong, THEY get messages!

Which sucks that I didn't read the fine print... ok... the size 12 print...

Hell, I just picked 5 e-mail addresses (sorry people), but I am not sure it worked. No cookies!

But, what a childish idea that website is based on.
I mean, you have to GUESS who has a crush on you, then you put them in a list, and if you are wrong, EVERYONE on that list gets mailed.
Lather//rinse//repeat

Although... I guess if you want to know...

Again, sorry people.
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Friday, March 2, 2001 11:03:42 AM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Todd: I see. Hmm.
Doug
Friday, March 2, 2001 10:05:22 AM
IP: pool-63.52.167.16.dlls.grid.net

make that last post read "Does anyone know CGI and/or Perl well enough...."

thanks... ::runs off blushing::
Aingeal
Friday, March 2, 2001 09:58:06 AM
IP: 207.42.162.180

Hey! Can Iask you all a question? Does anyone know CGI and Perlwel enough to tell me how to get a Comment Posting setup to work like this CR does? I have a setup I'm trying to get running, and I must be messing something up, since it's not working.GRR

If anyone has suggestions, i would REALLY appreciate the help.

::hugs to lain, Val, Wolf,and anyone else that wants one!::

::perches on Archwolf and glares at ShadowWolf:: go back to sleep Shadowboy. :p
Aingeal - [aingealeklly@yahoo.com]
Hades, VA
Friday, March 2, 2001 09:13:29 AM
IP: 63.165.157.34

Just Added! Three New Guests Join the Gathering of the Gargoyles Roster!

The convention staff is happy to announce that Tom Wilson will be joining friends and fans at the 5th Annual Gathering of the Gargoyles. Mr. Wilson is known to "Gargoyles" fans as the voice of Detective Matt Bluestone, conspiracy buff, reluctant Illuminatus, and partner to Elisa Maza. Fans of the "Back to the Future" movie trilogy will also recognize him as Biff Tannen (Parts 1, 2, 3), Griff Tannen (Part 2), and Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (Part 3). His most recent work includes appearances on the TV series "Freaks and Geeks" as Coach Ben Fredericks, as well as guest appearances on such series as "Nash Bridges" and "The Hughleys."


Also joining our guest list is Story Board Artist, Patrick Archibald. He did boards for Silver Falcon, City of Stone Part One, High Noon, The Cage, Avalon One and Three, Walkabout, Pendragon, Cloud Fathers, Turf, Hunter's Moon One and Three and the Bad Guys Leica Reel. Storyboarding is the visual equivalent of scripting an animated project. Working from the animation teleplay, each scene is sketched out in meticulous detail. Animators then use the storyboards as a guide to complete the thousands of cels necessary to bring each episode to life.

The next process then involves placing those thousands of cels over the appropriate background and individually shooting each frame. Those backgrounds were carefully and meticulously painted stages on which the action unfolded.
The 2001 Gathering of the Gargoyles is lucky enough to have one of the artists responsible for setting the "Gargoyles" stage as our latest guest to join the roster. Bob Schaefer was one of two main Background Painters on the series. His episodes included: Metamorphosis, Lighthouse In the Sea of Time, Silver Falcon, City of Stone (I-IV), Outfoxed, Double Jeopardy, Avalon II, Heritage, Kingdom, Hound of Ulster, Eye of the Storm, New Olympians, Sentinel, Bushido, Future Tense, Gathering I & II, Hunter's Moon I & II.

We hope you will join us in welcoming Tom Wilson, Patrick Archibald and Bob Schaefer to their first Gathering of the Gargoyles. Don't miss your opportunity to meet and greet these animation professionals. Send your registration in today!
http://gathering.gargoyles-fans.org/registration.htm

Not sure you can attend but would still like to support the Gathering of the Gargoyles? Become a Non Attending Supporting Member:
http://gathering.gargoyles-fans.org/supporting.htm

Need a refresh of all of our Gathering guests? Stop by:
http://gathering.gargoyles-fans.org/guests.htm

kathy - [gathering2001@art-chicks.com]
Friday, March 2, 2001 08:21:59 AM
IP: rr-56-12-177.atl.mediaone.net

DOUG - Yep, it's always March the first.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Friday, March 2, 2001 06:10:14 AM
IP: 216.87.46.248.dialup-stl.primary.net

Part 2!!

Todd: Good reasons for not wanting to rule part of the world. Maybe Kit and I will just make you one of our subordinates. :) Thanks for mentioning that bit about St. David's Day, I didn't know about that. Wonder if the day is always March 1st or just the first Thursday in March. <shrugs> If the former, I can't help but wonder why every Welsh person I've ever met has been a jerk to me. :(

Coyote: Sorry to hear about your tax return mess-up, but I agree with Kit that it may work out better in the long run for you to have paid off those loans rather than attend the Gathering. <shrugs> Perhaps you'll still get to, who knows? I wish you the best of luck finding another way to do it, and with getting your car fixed and your heat back too. <waves away offered Execution Cake remote> You probably need one of those more than I do right now, friend.

Firestorm: Thank you for reminding me why I will never in my life attempt world domination. Having to worry about all the issues you mentioned at the same time is not the kind of thing I want to deal with, attractive as it might be for some. :)

Lain: I felt much relief at reading your father's letter, thanks for posting it in here. I hope you two can make up somehow, you should be on the road to it now at least. Keep your strides firm and stay determined. :) <These not-real friends are the best I've ever had> I sometimes feel that way about the people in here too. Like you I don't want to give up my friends in the room any time soon, if ever. :) Wish Kit and I had known your address, or we too would have sent you something. :(

Patrick: <nods> Glad you also enjoyed the Simpsons boy band episode, it was indeed clever. More clever than Simpsons has been in a long time. I hope it's the start of a new trend for the show, one more in touch with the great episodes in its past that have been unfortunately absent from recent seasons. :( King of the Hill and Futu-rama were pretty clever too, though the latter could have used better writing. Oh well.

SJ: I agree with you on gun control (an issue I think we've done enough with) and the Fat Albert and Harrison Ford movies (nobody is worth that much money!). You're right about some parents just being lousy, no buts about it too. :( My dad's one of those unfortunately, thinks contributing money is enough to endear a person to you and earn their love, especially when coupled with lots of anger and disappointment whenever they hear of the slightest bad thing you did, and attempts to discredit the other parent who's being more committing and loving whenever possible. <shakes head> He's of the Columbine mindset too. I'm not gonna go into it more than that. Condolences on being screwed by your dad as royally as you hint at, it is good that you've turned out to be a nice, wonderful, and entertaining person (judging from your posts) despite all that though. <in agreement with Jannie> Condolences to your sister too, on the bad life she's had and all the grief her kids have given her. I'm very glad to know they've come around since then and are now beginning to direct their anger to where it belongs. Best wishes for you all in the future ahead. :)

Lady Corax: Glad you're doing better, hope the pain soon fully goes away and you can enjoy the euphoria you mentioned. :) I too share your and SJ's fears about raising children, btw. Strangely, wanting to laugh in the face of those fears and prove them unfounded is the main reason I someday want my own kids. <grin>

Pistoff: Now that you put it that way, I can think of better ways to go too. Don't want to talk about them now though. :) Congrats on the new computer, hope it works well and good luck being able to pay off the price someday. Maybe you'll win the lottery. :)

Mandi: Thanks for the happy birthday, and explaining the Traci situation. It would have driven me nuts and confused me a lot too. I'm glad it's over now, and that she's okay. Hope things remain so for a while to come. Liked your bit about Jen and Wendy too, it must be really cool knowing girls like them. :)

Niamhgold: Good luck with your work, courseload, and personal stuff, I hope you can soon get the time to stop in here again. You were missed. :) I hope you can overcome it all in time to relax on that Carribean cruise (congrats on it btw, you have my envy). Thanks for the confetti cake, though I usually prefer my birthday treats with a little more fiber in them. <grin>

Christine: Congrats to you on surviving the earthquake also, good luck to you, Dreamie, and all Seattle area residents with the aftershocks. Good luck with the publisher and Archmage too, I'm glad that things are going so well. Finally, good luck with the crazy residents, may they soon learn that driving you bonkers is not a good idea. :)

Lain-Related Anonymous: Hmm, I wonder who you are. I think I'll wait and let others discover the answer. I hope it's not what I fear. <frown>

And now that this is done, I must go and claim one last present Kit said she had waiting for me a while ago. Then it's gonna be sleep time. :) Thanks to all who gave Happy Birthdays once again, I appreciate them. It's been a day with many ups and downs, equal amount of both. And as usual on my birthdays I don't feel any older, probably won't for a while. :) See you all again soon, everyone be cool and stay that way. <grins one last time, then strolls out>

**RP AGAIN, WRAPPING UP THINGS FOR ARCHWOLF'S CHARACTERS TEMPORARILY SINCE HE APPARENTLY IS UNABLE TO POST**

"Foolish girl!" Shadow Wolf is laughing at Winter Blade as she continues parrying his dagger thrusts. "You actually think you can win against me?" "One of us must tire eventually, Shadow Wolf," Winter snaps, knocking aside other slash with her own sword. "I like your spirit, girl," he grins back. "You are strong too, a formidable opponent. It is easy to see why Archwolf liked you. Too bad he is gone." Screaming at the mention of her love's name, Winter leaps forward and lashes out, her sword laying open a cut on Shadow Wolf's cheek. He growls and sticks one of his daggers into her side as she tries to leap back. Winter looks at the wound and snarls, then gasps and collapses to the floor unconscious. "The poison worked like a charm," Shadow Wolf chuckles, stepping towards Winter and smiling as he picks up her limp body. "You!" a voice cries out, and he turns to see Schaefer and Xothux looking at him from a nearby corridor. "You are with Thailog!" "Indeed," Shadow Wolf nods. "He sent you to take care of the Ravens, did he not? I have one here, I've dealt with her. Go find the others." Schaefer frowns and looks at Xothux, who has raised an eyebrow. "Is she dead?" he asks. "Does it matter?" Shadow Wolf hisses back. "Leave!" Turning away from the two damned souls, he snaps his fingers and lets a portal of shadow open on the far wall, then steps through it. As he steps into the room on the other side, he looks into Winter Blade's closed eyes and smiles, smoothing her hair away from her face as he lays her down on a bed. "Surely you can love me," he whispers. "You loved him, so surely…" The rest is cut off by a panicked gasp from Archwolf's shade. Immediately he leaps at Shadow Wolf but passes through him without being noticed. The other shade steps in front of Archwolf as he snarls and recovers, shaking his head and clapping his hands.

Back in the Mall of America, Leah, Tom, Madison, and a few soldiers are fighting bravely against the horde of twisted werewolves attacking them, all of whom are shrugging off bullets like dust, howling and snarling as they leap and tear at their foes. Many soldiers already lie dead on the floor, torn to pieces by the monsters as the bellows of the Goroistro continue to echo from outside. "Damn it, what are these things?" Tom curses as an Ebony Spiral is only knocked back one of his HE grenades. "How do we kill them?" "Don't ask me, I'm just trying all the usual ways!" Leah snaps in reply. Several more soldiers rush around the corner as she speaks, Ventura and his bodyguard responding to Tom's radio call for help. "Twisted Werewolves!" Keith shouts, grimacing with pain as he hurries along with them. "Use silver if you have it!" "Silver?!" Ventura throws up his hands. "Damn it, we didn't know about these things!" The soldiers merely begin firing their guns and having little effect. Keith sighs and draws three silver shuriken, snapping his wrist and flinging them at the nearest Black Spiral. It roars in pain as the stars sink into its neck, falling back and slumping into death. The others roar and keep attacking. Just then, Warfrost leaps off the Ebony Spiral he was clawing at and howls mournfully, then runs off and away before anyone can react. "Where's he going?" Tom asks. Leah shrugs, then smiles. "They're fleeing too!" she yells, pointing at the werewolves, who are growling and running away. "No, you don't, you horrible…thing!" Ventura yells, leaping on a straggler and body-slamming him to the floor. Everyone smiles and gathers around as the werewolf curses and growls. "I still got the knack!" Ventura laughs at it, slipping on a choke-hold. "You're not getting out of this one, dog-boy! Give it up!" "What are you, anyway?" Madison asks the werewolf, who stops its snarling and grins. "The ones who dance the dark spiral, human," it replies, letting its lupine features change into very human ones. "You can not see the spiral's pattern, but we see it, and we walk upon it with our every step!" "Enough of your bellyaching!" Ventura declares, snapping the werewolf's neck. For good measure, he then draws a silver letter opener from his coat and buries it in the creature's throat. "Shouldn't we have found out where they came from?" Tom asks as the Governor gets up. "I already know," Leah answers. "Thailog must have sent them. He has one of those things working for him- a powerful one called Shadow Wolf. I only saw him twice, but both times I was frightened of him more than anyone else I have ever seen." "Maybe he's somewhere here too," Ventura grimaces. "Let's not go looking," Keith suggests as the Goroistro bellows once more. "They really need help outside." "But that girl Winter…" Tom frowns. "We'll find her," Madison says. "Soon as we tend to this newest batch of wounded, we'll get back to searching the Mall. If it's not too late." "If," Leah agrees, grabbing her radio. "Bobby," she says into it. There is no reply. Tom and Leah both frown, but before anyone can say anything there is a series of incredibly loud explosions from outside, followed by a Goroistro bellow of uncharacteristic volume and tenor. "I don't like the sound of that," Governor Ventura says. "Neither do I," Keith agrees, waving at the others. "Come on, let's go find out what's happening." He runs off, wincing in pain. Tom, Leah, and Ventura follow, the soldiers staying behind to tend the wounded as the screen goes blank.

**NEXT TIME- RAVENS VS. GOROISTRO- AT LONG LAST. END RP**
Doug
Friday, March 2, 2001 01:08:17 AM
IP: pool-63.52.171.178.dlls.grid.net

**RP HERE, WITH MANY REVELATIONS**

"Augh!!" someone is screaming loudly as the screen comes on. Michael and Erin stand in the living room of the Aziz mansion, trying to cover their ears. "What could they possibly be doing to him?" Michael grimaces. "I've never heard anyone scream like…" "The screams should stop soon," Erin interrupts him with a shake of the head. "Soon he won't be able to scream anymore." "But he'll still be alive?" Michael frowns. Erin nods. "The punishment is that brutal." "Maybe I don't want to know what it is," the British agent cringes. As Erin nods in agreement, there is a loud meow from behind her. She and Michael turn to see Bessus, Sarita, and Mist walking into the room, the latter carrying a limp body slung over her shoulder. "Alex!" Erin wails as Mist lays her master down on the couch with a loud yowl. Gubio moans as Erin grabs his shirt and shakes him, then his eyes open and he smiles. "Did we win?" Erin answers him with a relieved smile and kiss on the lips. "We found him downstairs in the basement," Bessus tells Michael. "I recalled he was still down there, so I thought we should check it out." Michael is about to reply when the doors of the mansion are blown off their hinges. Terrell rushes in with a roar, caiveh and Desert Knight soldiers filing in behind him to run through and secure the building. "Where is the man who enslaved my people?" the caiveh warrior demands. "Upstairs being dealt with," Erin answers, turning away from Gubio to smile at them. "The metal dragon?" "Blew up by itself," Queen Noor says, walking in with her stepson at her side. "It was very sudden, yet quite gratifying after all the casualties we took." "If only I had figured out that program sooner," Gubio sighs, then smiles. "But it did blow up?" "Yes," King Abdullah II nods. "Good," Gubio grins. "That Egyptian guy who paralyzed us helped me figure out what it was, what needed to be done. Then he knocked me out. That thing was his master, I thought…" "That's how it is with Harthoth," Michael chuckles. "Just when you think you know him, he turns around and does something completely different." "Egyptian?" Terrell frowns. "What'd he look like?" Gubio shakes his head. "Never mind. He's probably long gone by now." "That would be impossible," Noor counters. "We have the estate completely surrounded and sealed off." "That won't keep Harthoth from getting away, Madam," Michael laughs. "And where he'll turn up again only fate can say." "Never mind him," Abdullah II snaps. "What about the guy we came for, the one who dared besmirch my name?" "He's upstairs," Bessus replies. "Fasil and Hassan are tending to him." "Si," Sarita agrees. "And the kind of punishment they are giving is every bit deserved." Gubio looks at Erin for an explanation, but she shakes her head. Terrell meanwhile lifts and speaks into his radio. "What's that, Gennar? A locked door? Well, break it down!" There is a loud crashing sound from upstairs at his command, then a chorus of terrified screams. Seconds later, all the caiveh and Desert Knights rush down the stairs and out of the mansion. "What do you suppose got into them?" Michael scratches his head. Both Bessus and Erin shake their heads as Fasil and Hassan come down the stairs, both looking disgusted and covered in blood. "Let's get out of here," Fasil declares, walking towards the door. "Did you kill him?" Gubio asks them. Fasil grimaces and keeps walking. Hassan shakes his head. "We took him to the pain." "The pain?" Gubio asks. "You don't want to know, love," Erin tells him, her look making it clear she also means this for the others. "Let's go home then," Gubio shrugs, getting up off the couch. The others nod and then follow him and Fasil outside. Upstairs in the mansion, a once-proud Turkish man lies on the floor with healing potion just drying on his face, guttural moans coming from his mouth. The man's eyes, nose, lips, and hands have all been sliced off, along with his tongue and all his hair. His ears, though, he retains, so that he can hear the screams of horror when anyone sets eyes upon what he has become. <cyber-cookie if you can guess the movie being referenced>

The display changes to Thailog's secret base, where Mecord is explaining the confusing issue he raised the last time we saw him. "I am a human and an elf," he tells Thailog and the other bad guys gathered around him. "Child of Two Worlds. It all started about five years ago- I was just David Lane back then, a bored computer engineer whose only real escape from humdrum life was Multi-User Dimension programs. Then one of those programs turned out to be a recruitment device for a super wizard a la The Last Starfighter, with the dragon lord Bardic in place of Centauri. What, none of you have seen that movie?" There are many shakes of the head. "I saw it!" Edison declares. "He wanted you to save the universe, used the program to find you!" "Not the universe, just his world," Mecord clarifies. "There was a prophecy- one from Earth with the proper potential would become the Child of Two Worlds, save Mystica. Bardic used this program to find the one destined to become the Child, who was me. Once I showed my potential, I was taken into Mystica one night in my sleep and quickly had to get used to the new experience of living there. Its enchantments surrounded me as I did, and I became the elven wizard/warrior I had played in the MUD, Mecord Lein. I still don't know why it happened, only that it did. Shortly after the change finished taking place, I met Bardic, Senthet, Lithanne, and my other friends. They helped me understand what I had become, and together we saved our world. There was still much work to be done of course after that, still many evils to fight. So I stayed, and led the Guild in its purpose. Only because of you, Gar, did I ever come back here." "You had to chase your enemy, didn't you?" Gar laughs at him. "Had to run seeking death instead of waiting for it, the curse of humanity." "So you are human and yet elf," Dahak says. "I understand now." "As do I," Thailog nods. "I still don't," Zale says. "What caused you to become an elf again?" He sees Thailog glaring at him and immediately shuts up. "I have one more question for you, Child of Two Worlds," the evil clone gargoyle turns and says to Mecord mockingly. The elf nods in beckoning. "Are you happy now? Has working to save the world made you happy?" "Has working to conquer it made you happy?" Mecord asks in reply. Thailog growls and then snaps his clawed fingers. "I am happy just to have one of my enemies finally in my grasp," he grins. "You actually managed to infiltrate my base, perhaps you could have stopped me. Too bad. We'll send the other one back to Nereus with a warning. This one, you can kill." Gar smiles and nods, not bothering to thank Thailog. At a gesture from him, Lithanne steps forward and raises her knife. Mecord grimaces and looks at her with a calm expression. She does not move, and Gar hisses angrily, rubbing his gem and speaking a word of power. Screaming loudly and causing Thicaarn to awaken and immediately cry out in terror, Lithanne lunges forward and buries her knife in the calm Mecord's neck as the screen goes blank.

**NEXT TIME- WRAP-UP IN TURKEY AND ANOTHER STARTLING REVELATION. FOR NOW END RP**

<Doug comes strolling in, looking very happy> Hey everybody. As Kit told you, my birthday was today. :) Thanks to all who sent their greetings and encouragement on the decision I announced Monday, though I'm disappointed the latter weren't as numerous as they have been in previous years with other things. :( Oh well, maybe y'all will make up for that now that I've prompted you. It won't feel quite as good as if I didn't have to, but… <sighs> I guess RL is being tough on us all right now. It certainly is on me and Kit- we finally managed to get Mom to back off about the wedding ceremony after eating lunch with her today (she agreed to let us worry about it like we were hoping, she was being driven nuts anyway by trying to plan it all out herself, not that we can't sympathize), but another huge issue has arisen. The men came to install the washer and dryer in our new house today, and one of them found an exposed wire in the dryer vent that constitutes a pretty significant fire hazard. Did we expect this? No. We don't like it either. So now we have to play phone tag with the manufacturer's repair coordinators to get it fixed as our warranty allows for. We're playing phone tag with the utility constructors too, trying to make sure they do everything right and get a timetable for when it will all finally be done. We talked to a building inspector about finding any more problems that exist with the home as-is, but he couldn't schedule us in for three weeks- meanwhile we're worrying that the house is gonna collapse or burn down before we can even fully move in and enjoy it. <much angry muttering> As this all goes on, we both still have to deal with our jobs and Kit with classes, which are going alright for her. :) At my job, things have been calm except for the one mess-up on Monday, but the boss is becoming increasingly distant and seems aggravated every time I talk to him. This I know is not good. :( Maybe next time we speak I'll drop some hints about wanting to leave the company, see how he reacts. <grimaces> I hate to have to do it, but with the way I'm feeling about work right now, he's only making things worse. :( Today was good at least. One's birthday should be so. Just got back from a party the gang threw for me at the club, it was a lot of fun and I got some very nice cake and presents. <grin>

Dreamie: You don't think I'm a loon? :) Thanks, I'm glad someone doesn't. Oh, and for the record, I was only up because I was trying to finish a very big post. Congrats on living through the earthquake, I was worried. :(

Ironwolf: You're welcome. Hope things are going okay with you and your sister. I'll be praying for her too.

Warpmind: You're gonna become a permanent US resident? That's a good plan. Kit and I still want to help you with it if we can, but right now I honestly can not say how much we'll be able to. I'm getting out of my job sooner or later, this house business continues to eat up our finances... <sigh> Maybe you should try looking elsewhere in America for the help you need getting settled. Austin is a nice area, yeah, but there are many other great places in the nation. You have plenty of contacts in other places, too, thanks to this room. And you'll probably be able to hook up with them at the Gathering. Kit and I, as you know, aren't gonna be able to attend. :( Just think about it- I'm not saying we don't want to help you, it's just that someone else may be able to do it better than us. Thanks for the sympathy you expressed, I give you mine on the parent situation and hope things go well between you and them up until your departure and beyond it too. Glad you and Lynati are continuing to enjoy time spent together. :)

DPH: Glad your job's going well, and that you got a special project (hope it goes well, congrats). And I'm even more glad that they got rid of an inept employee. I too often wonder how such people get hired by my company, and I'm always amazed by how long it takes to get rid of them. :( Condolences on all the disability-related troubles, though- hope you never have to deal with a boss who thinks of it in the same way that co-worker you mentioned did. I don't like the thought that such an intelligent and friendly person as yourself (opinion comes from reading your posts) might have to resort to the ADA to keep their work. :( But unfortunately, such have some of us made the world. <sighs> I agree with you about being alive but severely damaged as a fate far worse than death.

SOROW: Congrats on the effective dance choreography, and on the date going well. I agree with many others about it being best to take things with the new relationship slow for now, hope they continue to turn out good for both you and the lucky guy. Sorry to hear about the credit card trouble, but sometimes it's good to learn lessons the hard way, you know? Best of luck recovering your finances. Good luck with the prom too, I agree with Kit that you shouldn't take Joe considering the breakup and all. I hope you two can make peace soon, though, it can't be good for you to be mean to each other. :( Whatever happens please be sure to post us some pictures of the dance. You probably look really cute in your tiara and lime green dress. :)

Daphne: Condolences on things not working out with Steve. Oh well, you'll probably find someone better soon. I will keep praying you are able to remain sane in that crazy Catholic school you're attending. <ironic grin> Condolences on the Mardi Gras violence also, glad you stayed away from the festivities like Kit and me (we like celebrating, but not when people use it as an excuse to go completely nuts).

Jannie: I think the experience will stand me good too, that at least will make the job worth it. <grins> Thanks for the sympathy and encouragement, on the house also. I watched that Big Apple show you mentioned tonight, it was pretty good but not that great IMO. Better than ER at least, we agree with you on that show going down the tubes. :( Kit and I enjoyed The District again Saturday night, as she's said. They have a month of re-runs coming up now, hopefully we'll get to see the episode we missed. <crosses fingers> We also enjoyed the new show preceding The District, Kate Brasher- it has good acting and nice scripts and characters too (Hector Elizondo is God). It's a good replacement for Walker, but we're still missing it. Hope to see that show airing on a new night and time soon. <fingers crossed> Very good points in your posts about parents, children, and differing points of view. I wish the children and parents of the world could learn the lessons you mentioned earlier in life, it would probably solve a lot of our species' family-related problems. :( As things stand with me, I've only recently started being able to understand my parents and their viewpoints. And they still drive me up the wall most of the time! :)

Dividing Up The World: Give me control over Austin, Santa Fe, Colorado Springs, and all land within the triangle formed by them. That'll make me happy. <grin> Taiwan would also, since I could bring back all the cool arcades they used to have when I was there before the guy who owned most of them got busted for illegal gambling and fostering corruption in the last year my family lived in the place. :(

Aingeal: Thanks. I hope Archwolf can come back in here soon. Hope the tournament went well for him also. Good luck with the hassles in your life.

Conspiracy Theorist: Yeah, here's hoping. :) Detective work interests me more than standard police work too, I'm not sure I'd like having to deal with violence and/or anger as much as most cops do on a daily basis. However, you have to do one first to get to the other, I believe. <shrugs>

Imzadi: I agree with you about the Illuminati, and Clinton. He definitely isn't a member. His wife, though, might be. <grins> If nothing else, it would explain the stability of their marriage. L Good luck with that big midterm you've been worried about all week.

Daniel: <nods> Yeah, we worry. And worry is always hell. :( Glad your life has settled down.

Mary…Beth H: Got it. I will call you by your real name from now on. <salutes> Best of luck with all the homework, essays, and such you're dealing with, the babysitting job too. If you still like kids and are good with them, you shouldn't have much trouble getting it. :)

Jaden: <Staff duty> I definitely would want to escape that. :) Thanks for convincing me never to go into the Army, friend. Congrats on surviving it too.

Stephen: You're right on the money about music, and all forms of media too. If I could remove one industry from the globe, the professional critic and award giver industry would be it. Things probably wouldn't really change at all if that were to happen. :) Glad your fast food job is going well, I remember mine being incredibly hectic and demanding too. And yet I was able to deal with the pace somehow, respond to it well, and earn a medal for excellence in customer service. :) I hope you can do the same.

**BEGIN SPOILERS**
I too feel that the time between Thailog's takeover of Nightstone and the events of this week's episode should have been explored more. Many great story options were probably missed. :( Still really enjoyed this week's though. It had a very good fight with Coldsteel, some nice development on Dr. Gray (though I still can't say I like her as a character, at least she's more fleshed-out now) and Lexington (good to see his implants serving a possible use, instead of them just being a character feature), and great writing all around. Some very good illustrations with well-drawn characters too. I didn't get some of the events in the story, like the one o'clock thing, but the majority of elements being good made up for that quite a lot. :) Especially appreciated the little bits of development on Broadway, Angela, Xanatos, Hudson, and Matt. Thailog made an effective villain once again too, good use of the Valkyries and I too am wondering what's the deal with Fergus. Coldsteel should make an interesting new ally for him- he made a good antagonist in the story, but I kinda wished more development had been done with the guy. He's a very stale character, you know. :( Matt's replacement needs more development too. I also agree with Kirshanta about the Elisa issues- she should not have stayed behind in this one, that was kinda out of character, and she and Goliath better get the chance to make their announcement soon, it drove me nuts when they were denied it. :( Overall, 8.5/10 stars, I hope the good work is kept up and improved on the issues I've named. I'll find out if it has been next week.

Buffy and Angel were also great this week. I didn't get the vamp fight in Buffy either, but I suppose they felt the need to throw in one little fight after all the heavy emotion and development the rest of the episode had been. Spike, Glory, and Ben weren't around, but that was alright- the episode didn't need them. Its script was perfectly written, directed, and acted, with great development on all the main characters, Tara and Anya especially. Buffy and Dawn also had some very good scenes when reacting to Joyce's body, and I liked seeing a glimpse of Dawn's daily life at her school. Joyce will be missed very much, but I agree that her send-off was very entertaining and profound. <joins in silence for a moment> Angel too had a perfect script and great acting, I thought. Angel had the best development I've seen all season, and so did the other characters. Everything made sense and was acted well, from Darla's running away to Lindsay's going on a vengeance craze to Cordy's worrying about the troubles of the city beneath her selfish exterior and Wesley being the only one sensitive to it. Wesley and Gunn made a great duo as well, and it was nice seeing Kate try to move on from her depression (I agree with Spacebabie that Angel Investigations should hire her, they need to do something with her on the show. Faith should also be part of the team, but that'll happen any time soon. <sigh> Oh well, just as long as we get to see her again someday…:). Angel's development and dialogue I enjoyed all throughout, especially with the Host (who is very right about epiphanies) and in the last scene where he wants to work for his friends instead of vice versa. The three-eye demons were good menacing villains too, very well-written fights and development surrounding them. Overall, this episode was truly a good dawn for the series after all the darkness it had gone through before, and I hope the day that follows will be equally bright and wonderful. Only two things I'm wondering about- Kate never inviting Angel in (does that mean he's become something other than a vampire with a soul now?) and wasn't Angel's bloodlust supposed to have been reawakened back in October? Nothing was ever made of that. I'm not saying something should have been, the ep wasn't that great and all, it just doesn't seem like Joss to ignore continuity like that. <shrugs> Oh well. Hope new episodes of these shows don't take too long to come out.
**END SPOILERS, PART 1**
Doug - [DougElder21@yahoo.com]
Friday, March 2, 2001 01:07:37 AM
IP: pool-63.52.171.178.dlls.grid.net

Imzadi> <<as someone in web design, I'm surprised to see you bash them so hard>>: Feh. All you need is a text editor, and perhaps a list of esoteric tags. Though I do like my wysiwyg.
<<I disagree that tatoos are a window to the mind, beyond the wearer's desire to draw on their body>>: Anything someone does is a window into their mind, you just need to be able to interpret it. And some actions reflect only shalowly.
<<Lack of foresight into a future where they might not want the artwork>>: But lack of foresight in one area may lead to lack of foresight in another.

Someone accidentally snipped the fiber optics cable to the seti project. And Just as I was about to send off data packet 135, too.

Fire Storm> <<Make fun of me. I just heard of it Wensday>>: If you say so. Haha. Though you had heard of it, so you managed to move out of outer Mongolia.
<<It seems like EVERYONE has heard of this before>>: It's one of the more famous demi-translations.

Taleweaver> <<music. So if you ever wonder why a particular song just pops in your head and gets stuck ther>>: Ear worm. Lately mine tend to be Seven Bridges Road and the Pyton monks.

Anne O'Nymous> <<I am here if you care to seek me out>>: That seems completely contradictory to how you are behaving.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Friday, March 2, 2001 12:43:22 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Man, was Survivor intense tonight...:) My new favorite quote for the week: "I ain't no damn Hershey bar!" -Colby :) (had to see it to get the joke) ;)

**LC walks through the various insanity going on in the room, going to Coyote and taking his hands gently**

Coyote> Here, now, don't get too worked up over that you-know-what Jerri...I hate her too. But I'm sure I can calm you down a bit...wouldn't want you gettin' too stressed over her, you know...;) **still holding his hands, leads him out of the room**
Lady Corax
Thursday, March 1, 2001 11:19:43 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

In the words of Pike the Wolfrider:
"I just want to stab something"
ShadowWolf
Thursday, March 1, 2001 11:07:40 PM
IP: viking203-213.dhcp.csuohio.edu

Hmm... we've got a winner... "Idiot of the year". Kinda hard to let someone know you care then not let them know who, isn't it? ::sits on ShadowWolf:: down boy.. maybe he'll grow a brainstem and play fair... like as in letting someone know an IM or his ISP, etc so that we have a clue who he (hopefully not she) is.
Aingeal
Hades, Firey
Thursday, March 1, 2001 11:06:37 PM
IP: 207.42.162.186

*Looks at annon* Some one throat that ratf*ck. He annoys me. He makes me wanna kill someone. THING someTHING

ShadowWolf
Thursday, March 1, 2001 10:52:36 PM
IP: viking203-213.dhcp.csuohio.edu

Don't worry, you know me. And I mean good friend love, not the scary kind. I'm just letting you know that I am here for you even though it probably doesn't seem like it.
Anonymous
Thursday, March 1, 2001 10:48:34 PM
IP: proxy4.anonymizer.com

*PANIC PANIC HYPERVENTILATE!!!!*

WHAT THE HEEEEECK??????!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*pant pant pant*
lain saucer-eyes..
Thursday, March 1, 2001 10:14:36 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Lain - I just wanted to let you know love you, and I am here if you care to seek me out. I haven't abandoned you, I was afraid to be smothered and broke your trust, I'm sorry.
Anonymous
Thursday, March 1, 2001 09:16:37 PM
IP: proxy4.anonymizer.com

**SURVIVOR THOUGHTS***

Well, I hate to say this, but I feel somewhat disappointed.

I was sort of hoping for a croc attack. Or a snake attack, at least. Instead, we just got Mike burning his hands. Although we did get to see a cool shot of the skin falling off his paws as he was being attended to.

It is an interesting situation, though; serious injury automatically eliminates you from the tribe. I sure hope that they wrote that into the contracts of the show, because I unfortunately envision Mike filing a lawsuit down the road about how he was "unjustly deprived of his opportunity to complete the game" if they didn't.

And I do hope that he is okay. I'm sure he is, but I bet he won't be playing the piano anytime soon.

And I must say, Elizabeth continues to be just so damn cute. Who didn't want to hug her and comfort her when she was crying about Mike?

Oh, and Jerri is not the Gervase of S2--she's the Richard. I can conceivably envision her going all the way to the end. Being a dick equals success on this show.
***END SURVIVOR THOUGHTS***
Sevarius Jr.
Thursday, March 1, 2001 09:02:50 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

SJ: eBay. There are over 90 listings for Mazinger Z and a few for Tranzor Z. Hell, THIS link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1412405418
has the entire Tranzor Z series. (And Transformers G1)
(24 hours left!)
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 08:55:07 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

**SPOILER WARNING ... "SURVIVOR" SPOILERS AHEAD!!**

Whoa ... Sara was right.

Sara is a celebrity gossip columnist for a local radio station up here ... she reported something about Mike burning his hands severely and leaving, but she never mentioned that because of his accident he automatically got booted. That's a rough way to go ... not only because it's not the way I wanted to see him get voted off, but it's also because they didn't get a chance to vote off Jerri!! Dammit, she's got to go!! I hate her!! I don't care about what kind of stupid bizarre chocolate-flavored sex fantasies she has, I want her GONE!!!

**composes self**

Sorry ... but if Jerri does indeed win the million ... then I'll lose all my faith in human decency and common sense. SJ, is it safe to say that Jerri is to Survivor 2 what Gervase was to Survivor 1?

**END SPOILERS!!**
Coyote the Bando - [gathering_motor_city_2004@hotmail.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Thursday, March 1, 2001 08:51:05 PM
IP: 216.28.101.115

Sevairus jr>>>> here is some info I copy and pasted from Anime GrapevineThis is the one that started it all. The very first Giant Mecha Anime.

Dr. Hell is bent on world conquest using giant robotic monsters. Dr. Kabuto learns of this threat and creats the Mazinger Z out of a newly discovered alloy called Super Alloy Z. The bad guys learn of this weapon and assasinate Dr. Kabuto, but not before he gets word of the creation to his grandson. Koji quickly discovers the giant robot and learns to pilot it. He then uses Mazinger Z to save the earth from the evil creations of Dr. Hell.
It was originaly made in 1972

SURVIVOR SPOILERS>>>>>Wow! first there was that lil skirmish between Keith and Jerri over fried green cherry tomatoes. Then the challenge where the prize was Sprite and Doritso then Mike! it wasnt a crocodile attack((Never trust Trailors))He was near the fire and the smoke blew into his face. then he past out in the fire. That was deep and sad that Mike had to be evacuated. very emotional from Kucha
End Spoilers>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Christine>>>glad you and your family are allright.
Kit>>>Glad your friend are recovering.
Spacebabie
Orlando, Fl, America
Thursday, March 1, 2001 08:51:02 PM
IP: user-37kaohb.dialup.mindspring.com

Tranzor Z> Good luck finding a site on that. Yes, I do remember the show. The kid with the little hovercraft like vehicle that fit in the robots cranium. And there was a female robot, mighty Aphrodite, whose main attack was, ah hem, cleavage missiles. (How that got by the censors remains a mystery to me.) I remember seeing it in the late 80 early 90's, but the animation style seemed a lot older. More Speed Racer, than Voltron or Robotech. Usually, I can brag if I've seen it I can remember it, but I can't recall a full episode. Sorry.
Taleweaver - [taleweaver@usa.net]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 08:41:46 PM
IP: hal5000.engineering.csupomona.edu

Kit>> <best of luck with Steve> steve is out. my friend (the one who thinks he owes me) told me as much. but now I'm trying to decide if I should ask a sophomore... he's great, but he's 15.
Niamhgold>> <anyone from the CR who might have been near, or caught in, the action! > I wasn't on South Street, but I am a faithful listener of y100, the official radio staion of Fat Tuesday (philly's mardi gras celebration). before and during the party, they were all positive, but ever since they've been talking about nothing but all the stuff that happened... drivers drove into crowds, and the police wouldn't let innnocent bystanders get the heck out, and poepl threw beer bottles at the cops, and one girl called in to the station and was talking about how she got assauted by this group of drunk guys. It's scary.
Warpmind>><You know how to wrangle words, don't you? ];) > [grins] yeah, well, I try.

Happiness!
Daphne - [suburbanbubble@hotmail.com]
the suburban bubble
Thursday, March 1, 2001 08:10:43 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.202.194.philadelphia1.level3.net

Okay, I need your guys help on something.

Like an epiphany, I just remembered a treasured memory from my childhood today--the old anime show Tranzor Z (aka Mazinger Z). This show came out in the mid-80s here in the states, in syndication from Japan. I just remembered the show today after reading about it in Toy Fare magazine. This was one of my ALL TIME favorite shows as a kid! And it's been a good 15 years since I've seen it anywhere.

So I was wondering--do any of you remember the show, and if you do, do you maybe know of any websites that have good info on the show or where I could find any old tapes of the show?
Sevarius Jr. - [SevariusJr@excite.com]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 08:04:34 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

Earthquake > had a few teeny aftershocks last night; I was at work and felt neither, didn't know until they said something on the radio. The water at Harbor House was fixed but then the hot went out, so the kitchen was a disgusting pit full of greasy dishes that I couldn't clean. Joy. Plus the one resident who irks me the most was seeking attention all night :P Oh, well, at least it's my weekend now!

Avalon Mists > just a reminder, the deadline for the new issue is today. Got lots of pics but not much in the way of written material, so will be an art-heavy issue. I think we'll extend the Challenge until next time too, so as to hopefully get more entries.

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 03:56:17 PM
IP: 01-055.075.popsite.net

*enters*

God, I have so much to do. I have to catch up on my math homework (because I couldn't do it and my dad wasn't home to help me), I need to work on my physics (which I'm behind in), and I have to write another critical essay by tomorrow and write another poem for a Theatrical performace by Monday for my Creative Writing class. Grrr...So glad I'm not in a relationship right now with anyone. That would just add to the pile of things to think about.

On top of all that, I'm trying to land a babysitting job. I need to get recommendation from the last parent who's child I babysat. The problem is, I haven't babysat in a few years because most of the kids in the neighborhood have grown out of that stage. But kids love me and enjoy being around me, so I hope tht isn't a problem.

Will go now. later!

*GONE*
Beth H.
Thursday, March 1, 2001 03:46:18 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

that's suppose to say: Norther California (I need to learn how to type
Revel
Thursday, March 1, 2001 02:35:58 PM
IP: ac8f7dcc.ipt.aol.com

Hello, just droping in for a few wuick responses that I just had to say.

Christine-Glad you guys made it out in one piece. My grandparents use to live in California until a quake moved them to Texas.
Spike- I was just curious, the art contest list you posted does not show a category for orininal characters. Are you dropping that category this year? It's not a big deal it's just curiosity. And I remember that Round Robin last time too. That was so random, but it was so cool. I think someone through MacGuyver in there at one point if I recall.

SJ- You might want to know if you were to take out a contract hit on Harrison Ford my mother and her world wide connection of Ford Fans would probably come after you. :)
You don't want to get her started on defending that guy.
Revel - [samrx5@cs.com]
denton, tx
Thursday, March 1, 2001 02:33:54 PM
IP: ac8f7dcc.ipt.aol.com

*delurks after tying up Neeter and hiding her from Jannie*

Taleweaver> Heeeeyy... Are you saying us left-handed ppl are stupid? I's not stoopid. I's just a girl. O.o
*breaks out the femi-sheild* :P~
Oracle
Thursday, March 1, 2001 02:09:08 PM
IP: mke-24-167-233-114.wi.rr.com

Hmm.

**WORK RELATED**
One of my co-workers (a temp) looks like she is sleepy while she is at work. This has been every night I have seen her. I learned something new last night and am finished with a special project for now.
**END WORK RELATED**

**RP RELATED**
Believe it or not, 2/3 of ITAG's organization has been covered. When that is through, I will give an explanation of some character names and the different 'orders'.
**END RP RELATED**

No BFTS RP from me today.

Happy birthday, Doug.

**Fireworks shoot off outside the CR.**

Why duplicate the Eyrie building? Frankly, I would rather have the complex geometrically possible structure at the top of a building? Why? Just so it would scare people away from wanting to visit. Of course, my building would be so large and tall that the Eyrie Building would like a measily hotel.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Thursday, March 1, 2001 02:02:45 PM
IP: max1-38.cwy.cei.net

Hey there all - been a long time. Sorry for the latenessof the spoilers:

ED YOU ARE WONDERFULLY RIGHT >> By the way everyone, isn't it amazing ed and I actually agree for once...

But seriously, would that fight EVER end!!! It was like one of those episodes with the Pack where the whole show we see nothing but proof of Goliath's stamina. Come on, for once, the detail was too much - at least in the fight scene. I think the one o'clock thing could have use a few more - like winks between Owen and Brook or a smug smile or seomething.

And will someone please tell me what this Gray person is doing there? Why did it take Xanatos 3 years to decide that the clan should have a physician. And no, I don't think the development on her makes her more likable - its the opposite in fact. She pisses me off. It's like having a disagreable co-worker. She insists on knowing every part of your private life and hangs around you on breaks and during lunch even though you did not invite her. The suspense they are trying to create around her is no good either - it's not interesting, it just makes me dislike her even more. Get it over with - unmask her as an Illuminati or an Unseelie or a crooked cop or Dr Sevarius' sister or SOMETHING. But get her out.

I loved the development between Coldsteel and Goliath - the feelings Coldsteel had towards his rookery brother which have been closely explored in Dark Ages were finally brought to the fore.

Also, Angela's fledgling power - very nicely put in (although maybe she should have thought to use them against the Pack too).

Wonderful exploration of Lex's abilities. Finally, we get to see what he can DO - not just what he has become.

And Thailog - nicely put in, although I agree with Ed that too much time has passed for Demona not to have made her move. But Thailog over The Pack and vampire any day.

And finally, the crux of the problem - since when does Elisa stay behind? She never stays behind even when Goliath asks her to - why does she when Brook asks her?

However - that is not the problem. The problem is : WHEN ARE ELISA AND GOLIATH GOING TO SPIT IT OUT. I mean its been at least a month - if not more - since the first episode. Don't tell me that in all that time, there has not been one second where they could announce their ... announcement. It would make for great internal struggle to beef up a few episodes.
And where has Beth been in all this?

OK - thats all. Later...
kirshanta - [kirshanta@yahoo.com]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 12:31:54 PM
IP: g67-31.citenet.net

Christine, Dreamie and all our Seattle-Tacoma people> Hope you're safe, glad to here few were hurt. Let's hear it for Civees. Personaly, I'm a little concerned that there have been so many high magnitude earthquakes, everywhere but California. It's like being in a herd of gazelle when the lions get hungry. You know something's going to happen, but not when.

World-Domination> Don't need to lay out plans. Left-handers have been running the world for the past millenia or so. Personally, I wouldn't want to rule the current world. It's like that Pinky and the Brain where Brain could rule a world full of Pinkys. Yeah you can, but why would you want to.

Though sometimes you worry me Sevarius Jr. It beats one of my childhood plans. using a telepathic transmitter to make all right-handed people think they were lemmings and have them rush out into the sea. It would have worked too, but when I tuned in the frequency of human thought, it was a station that broadcast elevator music. So if you ever wonder why a particular song just pops in your head and gets stuck there, don't look at me.
Taleweaver - [taleweaver@usa.net]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 12:01:54 PM
IP: hal5000.engineering.csupomona.edu

::wanders in with sack over shoulder and knives in hand:: anyone up for a stabbing party? ::dumps sack to reveal a hogtied DC:: This lil bugger messed up phone call this morning. ::begins slowly sharpening knives:: bye bye DC...

~~~~~For the sake of anyone who doesn't like blood I won't continue`(well not in here)~~~~~


Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Tired, Frozen, Hades
Thursday, March 1, 2001 11:42:24 AM
IP: 207.42.162.186

Gside: <Almost everyone knows what it is just by looking at it, and for those two people in outer Mongolia who haven't seen it yet will be greatly educated>
Oh, fine. Make fun of me. I just heard of it Wensday.
It seems like EVERYONE has heard of this before.
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 11:07:45 AM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Gside: <Almost everyone knows what it is just by looking at it, and for those two people in outer Mongolia who haven't seen it yet will be greatly educated>
Oh, fine. Make fun of me. I just heard of it Wensday.
It seems like EVERYONE has heard of this before.
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 11:07:36 AM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Heh... I just found the official Harry Potter movie site and they JUST posted the movie trailer less than an hour ago. Most excellently cool!!

2nd Annual Gargoyles Fandom Internet Reunion >> Leva was sidelined by putting her back out (chasing a goat, of all things...) so we've been a little slow in getting the site up but we're almost ready! We should be up and running this weekend.

We've got some new contests this year plus we're going to try to have two Pro Chats, as well as role-playing in the RPG room with our Gamemasters Abram Wintersmith and Wraith. For those you that are up for a challenge, we'll be holding the infamous Round Robin story-telling session. (My contribution to last year's was "And to top it all off, Elisa's monthly visitor was late, and darned if she knew how she was going to explain THAT to Goliath.")

(Hey! If you can't make people spit soda on their keyboards at least once during a round robin, you shouldn't be playing...)

For those of you that are interested in entering our contests, here's the categories:
Writing Contests:
Crossovers
After The Kiss
Mythology in Manhattan
Adult Fanfic (to be held via private mailing list)
Poetry
Limerick

Art Contests:
Canon Characters: Gargoyles, humans, mutates, and Oberon's children which appeared in the TV show.
Fanfic Illustration: Scenes from various fanfics, TGS, Wintersmith Dreams, etc. New rule this year: All fanfic illos must have a link or URL to the story illustrated or they will be disqualified.
Chat Gargs: Do you have a gargoyle alter-ego? Belong to a clan? We want to see your character sketches, scenes of chatroom life, RPs gone wild, and clan portraits here.
Hatchlings Rule!: Gargoyles art from artists age 12 and younger.
Pro Artists Showcase: We're going to try to persuade Roy Sato and some of the other Gargoyles production artists to post some of their favorite sketches here, in addition to those fanartists working in the art industry today.

NOTE: You don't have to do new artwork for Reunion 2. I gladly accept older art that has been posted elsewhere. My only restriction is that you not enter pictures that were in last year's Reunion.

The 2nd Annual Gargoyles Internet Reunion
March 30th --- April 7th

Hope to see you there!


Spike - [<==<< Harry Potter movie site]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 09:33:47 AM
IP: adsl-208-190-39-26.dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net

Christine> I'm glad to hear you Tim and Becca are alright. I e-mailed you but Hotmail was being a b!tch and the letter bounced.
Greg Bishansky - [Madoc55@hotmail.com]
Thursday, March 1, 2001 07:59:08 AM
IP: bess3.lhric.org

CHRISTINE - We're all glad to know that you're all right after the Seattle earthquake.

Today is traditionally St. David's day; St. David is the patron saint of Wales, and I can't help but wonder if Emrys (who is Welsh and stresses that side of his family background because it's the human side, i.e., the non-Unseelie side) ever celebrates it. (Actually, he and Arthur are both old enough to have known the original St. David; Arthur even appointed the original St. David Archbishop of Caerleon - the highest-ranking ecclesiastical title in Britain at the time - after the then-Archbishop decided to retire).
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, March 1, 2001 07:15:55 AM
IP: 216.87.46.2.dialup-stl.primary.net

*Lynati ducks in, and wraps lain up in a BIIIIG HUG*

lain: I am back. And it wasn't paradise, it was just a shower. (note to self: do not IM Choirboys lyrics to lain while she is listening to a tape of live Ani Difranco and unheard Tori Amos songs.) *more huggles* Don't worry, my sister. (Why not? because I am asking you nicely not to.)
I have a mad difficult art history exam today; hence why I had to be up at 4:30 am to study for it.

*sits down to chat with lain*
Lynati
Thursday, March 1, 2001 06:37:34 AM
IP: 207.94.232.61

Howdy All! It's past my homework-time (which is like a bed-time, but it tells me when to stop doing homework), so I think I'll lounge around and post.

On gun control laws in my world: Hey, my ideas may not be perfect. They may not even work at all. They may be more effective than current plans. But so far I haven't heard a single good idea about gun control from any of my critics in this room. I've only seen criticisms of my idea. Please post yours, so that I may rip them to shreds too (or jack them for when I take power).

Now, for my own personal arsenals, there's no such thing as too much firepower. You'll just have to trust me with it. Of course, I don't want any more than a bad-ass exoframe and maybe a heavy laser rifle (of course my cars will need missiles and machine guns built in: traffic-be-gone!).

GREAT NEWS FOR MAC USERS!!!!: I have made gargoyles icons! If you want them, or want a specific icon made, please let me know. The set is far from complete though. I have about 14 or 15 icons, taken from a variety of sources, including the TGS pics (can I do that or do I need a disclaimer...it is personal use after all) and screen shots from the S8 archives. If you want me to make a custom icon, I'll need a picture to make it from, preferrably a high quality one. Contact me for more info.

Tim: Militia = bad. Why bad? Because a militia can overthrow me. As long as I'm in power, I'm gonna make an effort to prevent the formation of militias.

Lady Corax: Good luck taking AZ back from me...its not like I won't have control of the rest of the world and all its resources to stop you. What resources do you have in AZ? Rocks? I'm quaking in my monarchial robes 8-)

Lain: I see...um...kinda speechless here after that rant. Maybe you should lay off the crack for a while (or send some to Berkeley, where we can use it!).

Sorow: I yelled at Steve Jobs when Apple announced a Key Lime iBook (and Apple can do little wrong in my eyes), and I'm afraid you're really going off the deep end wearing something like that (unless its one of those strategically cut revealing dresses, in which case knock 'em dead).

Sev Jr.: <<It involves an army of mutated gerbils, and it won't be pretty.>>: EWWWWW! That whole KY thing was just too Richard Gere. Do you mean mutated like funny shaped or mutated like GIANT (or both?)?

Fire Storm: pay someone NOT to come? That's sooooo not cool.

Aingeal: ah, blatant mac-bashing. I won't get into a flame war with you, because its a waste of my time. I will admit that windows has its use (gamerz) and a few features that macs don't have...yet. But macs have their uses too, and as someone in web design, I'm surprised to see you bash them so hard.

Gside: I disagree that tatoos are a window to the mind, beyond the wearer's desire to draw on their body. I personally would never do it, but I see lots of normal people with bizarre and MASSIVE tattoos. "Why?" I ask. "Because it looks cool." Lack of foresight into a future where they might not want the artwork doesn't mean that the tatoo indicates that'd make a lousy parent. Did any of that make any sense? Anyway, with Apple: the new pro mouse is a great mouse and definitely not that crappy hockey-puck that used to come with macs (which I can't STAND). I understand you're having little sympathy for people who've never used a computer before, but its harder to learn the conventions when there are so many more of them to master.

Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.
-Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), Fight Club

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Thursday, March 1, 2001 03:51:06 AM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-173.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Happy birthday, Doug.

Kitainia> <<Man, this place has changed for the worse>>: Not so much. It's just thar there's been so much bad stuff happening, when something more moderate happens, we're all condolenced out.
<<Who's Justin Bailey?>>: That's the password (plus a second row of dashes) in Metroid to get Samus out of her armor with all items. Apparently it is Austrailian slang for only in bathing suit.

Imzadi> <<your old games will be unplayable>>: I have decided that I don't have to worry about it, because with the way the emulation scene is, a good enough emulator will be made no matter your stance on the issue.
<<But that doesn't mean that I'd be better just because I don't have any artwork on my body>>: I never said anything about tattoos, there are other ways of determining some of a person's character from their image. Though they do reflect the mindset of the owner.

Gunjack> <<You can argue that a well-regulated militia ISN'T nescessary to the security of a free state>>: Because there is a standing army, and since the army is in place, normal people don't need weapons, so the ammendment can be repealed. But then, being founded on revolution, we should make sure it can happen again in case things start going really bad.

Niamhgold> <<been a long time, hasn't it?>>: Heck yeah.
<<Plus, check out Tidus's clear sword>>: Flame of Recca flashback: Ensui. I always have had a thing for elements.
<<the characters have gone back to VIII realistic>>: Aw, but you gotta love the Amanoesque IX. It just has more style, and it's easier to fit in the class costumes. And I really need to finish VII before I start on VIII.

Imzadi> <<I won't force Apple to make bigger and more complicated mice>>: But the thing should be palm sized, not tip of three fingers sized.
<<Imagine having never used a computer before>>: I have little sympathy for that. Spend enough time around computers, and you will learn the conventions.

Fire Storm> <<Hey, when is the episode "Despriately seeking Shampoo?">>: It's not an episode, it's an OVA, number 1 as it happens.
<<That URL was NOT supposed to be there>>: Eh, who cares? Almost everyone knows what it is just by looking at it, and for those two people in outer Mongolia who haven't seen it yet will be greatly educated.

Sev. Jr.> <<Jesus.com. It's only *slightly* sacriligeous, I swear>>: There's a webcomic, Fat Jesus. Interesting premise: a bunch of scientists try to create the second coming and mess up on the cloning, then the subject escapes.

Na zdorov'ya.

Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Thursday, March 1, 2001 01:49:12 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Imzy: I wouldn't GIVE Warps a MAC if I was getting paid a million bucks... no.. wait.. maybe then.. anyway... so.. you're G3 thought is all kinds of wrong :p (and a note.. was I going to give him one, i'd give him one that wouldn't crash all the time)

anyway... ::wishes hope and comfort to those in the earthquake area::

I'm off to flirt with a Wolf... later.
Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Hades, Frozen, Sleeping
Thursday, March 1, 2001 12:03:24 AM
IP: 207.42.162.179

Hey, folks! All's well here after the little shake-up ... we live north of Seattle so it wasn't as bad up here. A couple things fell over (those precarious stacks of games in Tim's office took a messy tumble), but no real damage for us. Woke me up -- my first thought was, "jeez, that's a loud truck going by!" -- but having grown up in So. Cal. and being blase about such matters, I went right back to sleep once the quake was done. Called work later -- downtown Seattle -- and heard that a pipe burst in one of the walls and they were without water for four hours. The worst of the mess seemed to be in the Pioneer Square area, which was already a moderate disaster what with tear gas and property damage courtesy of the Mardi Gras rioters. Ever since WTO, we just can't have an event in Seattle without the troublemakers having a field day ::sigh:: But it was nice to wake up to so many e-mails and phone messages from people wanting to check in. Good to be loved! ; )

Book update > Archmage is finished but for a few bloopers Tim caught during his reading of it, so now we just have to get the maps and cover and stuff done. I got a short but terrific intro from James Ernest (the Cheapass Games guy for those of you who follow such things). Finished the revisions on Silversilk (ElfLore I) too, and will just be checking a few last things before submitting it to that encouraging publisher. Which means I actually have a little free time for the nonce ... well, not really, I have Sabledrake stuff to do and all ... but there may be a fanfic in the works soon.

Parent debate > not going to go into this much, but to say that I had a surprising realization the other day -- much of my writing seems to involve female characters who have a very strong bond with their fathers (Amber Maza, Cat Sabledrake, Theresa Zane in Black Roses, etc.). And it occurred to me that I might be, through my writing, trying to make up for the lack of my own father as a strong emotional presence in my life. He and mom split up when I was a teen and we were never close before that; never at odds either, just distant. Dad remains a sort of quirky figure on the horizons of my life (I did spot him for one brief moment as an extra when we watched Wild Wild West at the con). I never went through the whole "girl children of divorce grow up unable to ever trust other men because of their fathers' abandonment" thing, but this recent little bit of enlightenment did make me stop and think.

Kit > sorry to hear about your friends being hurt! My best to them.

Coyote, Pistoff, and others I may've missed > a shame you won't be able to make it to the Gathering! Maybe next time?

I forgot what else I wanted to reply to ... ack. Must get ready for work, so farewell for now!

Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 11:36:41 PM
IP: 13-058.075.popsite.net

SJ/Pistoff: You can both be at the gathering for little more than $3 a day! (Travel only)
Isn't $3 a day worth it for the HELL you are going to cause?

OR, Pistoff, you could always take the 12 hour drive down there... or maybe not.

Hmm... ya know, maybe it's worth it to pay you two NOT to come! ;)
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 11:08:36 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

**SJ wanders into the CR humming A Perfect Circle's "Judith" (to playfully annoy any Catholics in the room....you'd have to know the lyrics to get the joke ;)**

Well, it's Ass Wensday.....I mean Ash Wensday. It's also the day you're supposed to give up something for Lent. I would give up something, but I'm not Catholic, never was, and frankly, I'm just too lazy.

But, in the spirit of things, I thought that I would point you towards something festive and fun for this special day. CLICK ON MY NAME to go the holiest of websites, Jesus.com. It's only *slightly* sacriligeous, I swear.
He's blond, he's blue-eyed, he's the Son of God, and he's single, ladies!!!!

Guns: Well, I'm just glad that my claimed nation of China has quite a few guns, thank you very much. But we need more. There is no such thing as too much firepower.

On a more serious note, since I'm an ADJ major, I have actually studied Firearms and Firearm Control, and I can say a couple things with honesty and validity:
1. It is essentially IRRELEVANT to compare the USA with other nations with stricter or less strict gun laws. The basic fundamental is the culture itself. Look at Japan--they have some very graphic and violent media, manga and anime and the like (even their game shows are a little violent), but their crime statistics involving firearms are low. American statistics are much higher, because ever since our inception, this country has had a spectacularly violent culture. Guns just happen to be a part of it because in our history, that is the weapon we have become most familiar with.
2. The idea that the elimination of guns for the general public would cause some sort of decrease in the amount of guns for criminals is, with all due respect, utterly absurd. The actual number of firearms that are obtained secondhand by criminals through the public (i.e. a criminal steals someone's firearm) is ridiculously small (I can't recall the exact figure, but it's some incredibly low number like 5%). It's almost a cliche to say this, and most anti-gun advocates don't believe it, but the reality is that you could have a total ban on public firearm ownership tomorrow, and it would only remove a very slight fraction of the guns owned or obtained by criminals. I live in the D.C. area. D.C. has a strict no handgun law. With that said, I could walk down to a dozen street corners on any given night, and buy a complete arsenal of handguns dirt cheap. It's just that easy.
3. People like Sarah Brady will never admitt to this, but the fact of the matter is that statistics do show that handguns actually PREVENT more crimes than they are used in crimes. A large part of this is the increase in concealed carry permits that many states have adopted.

To make an editorial comment.....you're *never* gonna get rid of guns. Most democratic / liberal politicians (cause let's be honest, that is mainly who supports gun control legislation) have sort of danced away from this topic, because they haven't met with great public support. The surveys show that the public supports gun control, maybe even an increase in gun control laws, but the majority do not favor a repeal of the second amendment. Personally, I think that this gun control issue really hurt Al Gore in the election. Honestly, I do. He was a part of the Clinton administration, which was very pro-gun control, and that scared a lot of people in states such as West Virginia and Tennessee--both of which went to Bush in the election. It is not inconceivable to think that Gore's stance on gun control hurt him dearly in his hopes to become President.

Buffy Stuff ***SPOILERS AHEAD***
I personally didn't have any problems with the cinematography. I thought it was very well done....parts of the show were very surreal, too, such as when Buffy looks out of the window and hears the children playing, or when Dawn reaches out to touch her mother's body. I thought there was some very innovative work done.
Likewise, I didn't have problems with the script. I thought it was odd that the technicians left, but then again, that is really what worked best for the story. They had to leave, so that Giles could come in and touch Joyce, and Buffy would then tell him to not touch the body, and at that point we see the fact of her mother's demise hits home.
I didn't think the show was slow. For God's sake, someone had died. No one's going to be doing cartwheels and doing observational humor.
The only problem that I did have with the show is one that I share with Taleweaver. The insertion of the vampire at the end was awkward, and really didn't have much of a place....except of course, to uncover Joyce's body so that her children could see her one last time. But the vampire just seemed....out of place. But that's minor.
Overall, a great episode, IMO. Hush is one of the greatest of Buffy, but I may have to say that may take it's place on the sheer fact that the performances and the writing on this one are just unbelievably above par for all involved.
***END BUFFY STUFF***

World Domination: I too have my plans for world domination. It involves an army of mutated gerbils, and it won't be pretty.
To all my enemies, you had better have some vasoline or KY handy, unless you want to endure some real pain. I tell you this in the interest of mercy.

Final Fantasy: I'm just looking forward to the movie, which should come out this summer. Sure, it nearly bankrupted Squaresoft, but it looks so goddamn good, I'm gonna watch it over and over and over again.
Unless it turns out like the Muppets in Space, aka Star Wars Episode One. Not all CGI is cool.

lain: Have you met Jackal? My, you would have fun with him. He'd love you, I know.

Cause let's be honest, how many of you read lain's post like me and thought she was channeling Jack for a minute? I miss that crazy little mofo, and I wonder where he's disappeared off to again...

Pistoff at the Gathering: If this should happen.....when this happens......I will move heaven and earth to be at that particular Gathering. I will lie, cheat, steal, and maybe even whore myself out to see "Mr. Kerns comes to the Gathering". Because that, my dear friends, will be the true coming of the Apocalypse. I just picture him stepping into whatever venue the event is held at, and beautiful visions of the building melting fill my head. Glorious, f***ing glorious!
I'm serious, Fred. Jesus, we would have so much fun (and subsequent mayhem), they'd dig a hole straight to hell just to throw us in it. ;)

***ENTERTAINMENT NEWS***

Well, sometimes I think that Hollywood has nothing left to surprise me. Then a story like this comes along, and I'm just stupefied.

They are making "Fat Albert: The Movie". Bill Cosby, apparently not happy enough just fading into obscurity, wants to make a movie of the cartoon. AND he wants to turn the movie into a franchise. Now, Fat Albert was a fine cartoon....I admitt, I enjoyed it. But a live-action feature? I think I liked it better when it was called "Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps".

And if this doesn't disgust you, it should: Harrison Ford will be getting 25 million for his next film, "K-19". The catch? He only works for 20 days of production. That's a pay check of exactly 1.25 million each day.
For a brief minute today when I heard this story, I wanted the man dead. Then I just cried at the unfairness of life
Sevarius Jr. - [SevariusJr@excite.com]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 10:41:09 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

Lady Corax: Got the Highlander spoilers, thanks for them. I agree with you about that alternate ending, it would have been dumb as heck. :( Glad you liked the Ocean Front Property joke.

SOROW: <mouth falls open> You're going in a dress that awful color too? Damn! <scratches head> Well, have fun. That's really all I can say. And as for whether or not you should still take Joe, I say don't. He and you had something great, but it's over now. Going out with him again will only bring pain. :( Good luck whatever happens.
Kit
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 10:40:41 PM
IP: pool-63.52.170.179.dlls.grid.net

Tim>> are you kidding??.. no narcotics for me.. my brain comes like this au naturel..
lain
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 10:06:19 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

**enters quietly, whispers into Lady Corax's ear briefly, she pulls out a half-melted candle from her pocket**

Thanks, sweetheart. **sets up the candle on the Tea Table of Peace, lighting it with a convenient Zippo**

For those who're wondering about this ... it's for the residents of Seattle (yes, including you, Dreamie), just to keep them in our thoughts. I remember living near Seattle when I was a kid, and have some wonderful memories of visiting many popular sites there. Here's hoping the city's none the worse for wear.

Jannie: Okay, maybe I *am* only getting but one side of the story, but I do realize that it is only one side. If we did know the other side of lain's story, it might indeed be different ... however, I've only got what she says to work with. *sigh* That didn't come out too great, did it?

**receives Lynati's good-fortune vibes** Thanks. :)

The money: Well, I've done it before ... the Dallas trip came after I'd pumped $1100 into the car (it was a few months after the engine was changed). I think I can do it. :)

Mandi: Oiii ... remind me *never* to get myself in a situation when I have to be admitted to *THAT* hospital!!!
But I'm glad that Traci came out okay.

XenaTrek: Hiyas. :) **hugs**

Milady Corax: Interesting fact about the Arizona border. **grins, hugs**

Okay, all for me ... Mom just tried calling a relative in Washington but all circuits are busy ... we're hopin' she's okay ...

**leaves lightly**
Coyote the Bando - [gathering_motor_city_2004@hotmail.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 10:05:57 PM
IP: 216.28.101.6

david G>> "lain says, "learn to sing your own song""
lain
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 10:04:42 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

[Tim reads Lain bewildering rant with a perplexed look on his face]

Uh... Lain, no offense, but are you using any narcotics? I got lost after that whole atheism bit...
Tim
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 09:59:14 PM
IP: wsc0051.wsc.edu

SOROW>> sometimes it hurts to see something you have slip away through your fingers and be able to do nothing but watch it go..
to be deliriously happy but watching the dream that can never be slide past you.

and my world is crashing down deafeningly around my ears but it's OK..
stand in the middle and you won't get dizzy
stand in the middle and you won't fall down
if you stand in the middle you can keep your balance
stand in the middle and the wheel spins round and round..

yeah yeah I'm OK, don't get all worried or anything.
it's just like I'm watching my life go by and I'm not in it at all anymore. In one of those moods where I understand the whole universe and can see the face of GOD.
Mind if I rant?
**RANT**
and he says I'm a mask what would you do how can i hide my strength pruify me my piece falling off the board where is my dream where is the soul of my son gone to if i am the soul of a DAMNED atheist what does it matter where i go these lost thoughts make for no pain here i am sure he hurts the same he needs not my love for he has the love of the lord of the sky dont ask me to understand i am too far from the path these white feathers in my hand tie to this burning tree i dont want your money how can i see and not believe dont play innocent with me i know more of you than you do do you think i need jesus..susje deen i kniht uoy od some get something they never bargained for do you think i need anyone dont you know what is the colour of your soul can you paint me its portrait what is it that you wont say to me would you pick these oranges from this tree red and gold are the colours of what do you watch the ocean with its amber memories of sunset dont pretend your happiness suffer and say balance tu illud in cor illus refringis sicut in primo perdito angelo fecisti ubi turrim superbie illus in INFIRNUM deiecisti havent changed my mind since i met you deep water draws you from every picture in 20 years will you still know where i live oh as i sleep i feel you exiting from my lungs dont choke does this distance make you fear i await your return from paradise silver slivers take a long breath before you speak embroider me with gold this kind of gold? people who drink evian are naive pass through like a river water you are my light keep me burning under this ocean cant write songs here can i write my own rowandan mothers dying can i take the pain of this world what do you really think of me do you think these quantum moments are less harmonious i didnt always want to be a hug you know i wanted to be a lollypop anam craidhte seachad air ifrinn fheinn ach tha thusa brosnaichadh nam bliadhnaichean see your demons come to life its ok cos this is a lifebouey in a sea of peppermint when the hubble sees 1967A we can rent this life to own tastes like the garden or penaten cream for the soul 8 lb of china blue on my desk silver stingray if i was a tree i would be a ginkgo answer me the worlds most asked question do you think you know the answer pizza boy lives on huron but i have no address yet gaudete in capite vestro angel cage i play this promise for you but it turns to sacrifice what power there is in this embrace do you think gabby flies with my six wings and i bleed for nothing the swiss cheese of your soul testifies holding itself in its hands can i heal a lemon with one leaf or will this hot pepper tempt me too far do you think i forget them anubis tepy-dju-ef who is upon the mountains told me he was only a mask but who is his wearer gaelic vocables used to mean something catalyst from jodrell bank exploded biro these signposts never change an t-oran gaoil m'fhaisaid chiontach fheinn oh dear i think i should stop now..
**END RANT**


wow.. that was.. cathartic..

and now you all think I am a REAL wierdo and you must appreciate what poor Valentine has to put up with on a regular basis ever so much..
no wonder I have never dated ;)

och.. I feel drained..
*smiles weakly and passes out on the couch*
lain
anyone who claims that they know the answer is coming back again again again..
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 08:51:38 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Dreamie> Man, that's wild to hear about that earthquake up your way today! I hope that things are okay for you, and that damage wasn't too great. :)

Kit> Sent you off the Highlander movie spoilers just a little while ago. :) Hope you're doing well!

Doug> Hope you're doin' great too! :)

Beachfront property in Arizona> I love the joke, Kit! :) Such a good one. :) And legend goes around here that we were *this* darn close to actually getting a little oceanfront property...don't know if this is historically confirmed or not, but legend is that when they were deciding on the southern boundary for Arizona with Mexico, the guy who drew the line during discussions drew the nice slanted line that we have today...but he could have just gone ahead and drawn it straight, and if he had, the very southwestern corner of the state would have been oceanfront to the Gulf of California. Wouldn't that have been wild? ;)

But that *is* just a local legend, so please no hurting me if it's totally historically inaccurate! ;)

And Kit, I'll let you have all the beachfront property in lovely AZ right after Josh takes over the world and I take back the state from his forces...oh, darn it, did I say that out loud? ;)

**LC tries to quietly sneak out of the room, whistling innocently.** ;)
Lady Corax
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 08:38:05 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

Josh & Gunjack: What Many people people don't relize is that the term "militia" refers to any and all willing and capable civilians, wether or not they're organized, in order to defend themselves and to overthrow any possible form of oppression and tyranny. You have to remember the diction of the time period. Since then, the meaning of Militia has Changed in popular culture somewhat

You Have to remember, the U.S. Constitution is simply a general blueprint for our Government. The founders DO elaborate their intentions, but they were sometimes written in seperate documents. But alot of people don't know about them or overlook them.

Give me a few moments and I'll rustel some up for you.
Tim
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 08:16:44 PM
IP: wsc0051.wsc.edu

DPH: If I give you a country, it will be in effect as long as a) I am alive or b) you start abusing your power and/or acting like an idiot, whichever comes first. My parents try to tell me how to spend my money too. "Josh, don't blow your cash on that shiny new laptop that gives you filthy thoughts!" "Josh, don't forget your going to need money to live off of when you get out of college." "Josh, you don't NEED satellite and eight magazine subscriptions and DSL, do you?" POOEY!

XenaTrek: Joyce had a tumor? Shows how much I've been watching. I've pretty much missed the whole year since last may.

Fire Storm: Jeeves didn't know about EKG's? I'm shocked! Let me tell you about modified spud guns. I'm sure someone will have a story to top this, but here's mine. A couple of friends and I built two cannons out of ABS pipe (cuz PVC was too damn wussy!) and powered them with hairspray. They were triggered by a barbeque lighter. Now, when I say cannons, I mean 6 feet long, 4 inch diameter. Then we rack-mounted them on top of my Jeep. It ruled. During testing, one blew apart and the other nearly blew my friend's foot off. Ah, the joys of being a young pyromaniac...
If we're talking about computers, naturally I'm going to suggest a 600 MHz G3 processor by motorola, which is about $150 (board included, I believe). Its a pretty sweet chip, the catch is that Warps new computer will be a mac. As much as I love macs, I won't be forcing them on anyone UNTIL I take over the world. But a mac shoved into an ammo case would be the epitome of the whole new "industrial design/computers are art" thing that Apple's been trying to push recently, and it'll look a hell of a lot better than those new iMacs.

Greg: Sorry, no New York for you. US of A is going to my best friend. That's the whole thing, including Hawaii and Alaska. As for the scottish castle...you'll have to talk to whomever's going to be in charge of scotland (that person's name escapes me at the moment). And you won't be the only one with an Eyrie building. I'm designing my base of operations too...

Aingeal: And if we use the G3 motherboard/processor combo, then we can use NVIDIA's new GeForce3 (drool)...but I don't think anyone's gonna want to donate one 8-) I know I wouldn't, and I don't even have a computer that can use it!

Sorow: if you and your ex have so much grief, then why are you going to prom with him? Isn't the whole point of breaking up that you don't want to be together anymore?

Okay all, back to programming. I'll post something else later.

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.
-Robert A. Heinlein

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 07:45:36 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Kit> Oh, this is so ironic! Actually, I'm choosing to wear that red dress for my drill team banquet instead because my cousin is letting me borrow one of her prom dresses. Guess what color it is.......LIME GREEN! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, sorry but I thought it was funny. I'm sure you were absolutely beautiful and I'll write a song for you about a girl in a lime green dress. j/k ;) As far as my date for the prom, I'm suppose to go with my ex-boyfriend but I've been really mean to him lately. I feel bad and now I'm not sure if he'll go with me or not. I don't think he understands how much it tortures and pains me to see him at school or anywhere. We had something wonderful and now it's gone and I can't stand it.
SOROW
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 06:52:00 PM
IP: a020-0850.dll2.splitrock.net

Dreamie: So, a riot last night wasn't enough for you up there in Seatle so you had to go and have an earthquake, eh?

Tsk tsk... some people! :)

From what I have seen, this is a well known fault and the same location of a deadly 7.1 earthquake in 1949.

Hey, I went to eh USGS site, ok?

I am glad that the injuries are only minor.
Fire Storm
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 04:39:39 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Hello everyone... I'm just stopping by to let you in on some news...We just had a 6.8 earthquake here in Seattle. It lasted around 20 seconds or so as much as I can tell, and it was pretty violent where I was. There are a few injuries I hear around the area along with some minor damage such as items falling of shelves and breaking, though downtown there is quite a bit of damage from falling brickwork. Starbucks HQ is going to have quite a time cleaning up the mess their SoDo building created. The epicenter was centered South of Seattle more around the capital of Olympia and we're still being caucious of aftershocks.

I just thought I'd let you all know! ^_^

Dreamie - [Dreamie09@aol.com]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 04:18:27 PM
IP: ac83e76f.ipt.aol.com

Hi ya'll.

Just trying out a new picture and letting folks know I'm still alive. I haven't had much to say lately, but now I'm thinking about going out to find an ammo case to build a computer in. I might even buy some periphrials just so I could re-case them in a smaller ammo box to go with it, but it would probably be easier just to use the smaller box as a floppy dispenser or something.

Here's something neat I found in a SF novel called Firestar by Michael Flynn.

What if the bird will not sing?
Nobunaga answers, "kill it!"
Hideyoshi answers, "make it want to sing."
Ieasu answers, "wait."

It's supposed to be a traditional Japanese poem. I have no idea who the author might be or how accurate the translation is, but it's kind of cool. I'm thinking of adopting it as my new sig-file.

See ya'll later.
David G. - [david_goodner@yahoo.com]
Arlington, TX, USA
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 03:30:32 PM
IP: 198.215.20.3

Aingeal: I am DEFINATELY willing to put it together. Thats what I did with all of my computers.
<and what about doing a ZIP drive?>
Hey, if someone is willing to donate it, thats fine with me!
Zip 100 drives are about $50 each now.
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 03:15:59 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

OH, I forgot... make sure someone that KNOWS HOW to put it together and set it up, DOES... mine was screwed for 2 months after I got it because the company messed it up.

Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Hades, Tired, Frozen
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 03:06:53 PM
IP: 207.42.162.179

Fire Storm: I'd say get AMD, if you can, get an Athlon.. that's what I run.. they're NICE. Microstar runs a good processorand NVIDIA does good graphics card... sound Blaster! Live! is a good sound card.. the higher the RAM in it the better... aim at at least 128 MB RAM...I'll check into things on CD.. i might be ble to get a CD-R for about $70... or less...get a case with space to upgrade....they're cheap...and Maxtor does a nice HDD. (has been reading stuff from her specs for her computer) Diamond also does good graphics card... and what about doing a ZIP drive? (assuming anyone has one they don't want. heh.)

there's my 2 cents.

Well.. i'd post more, but I've got to head home in a few to do dinner for my rents... they both had birthdays this past week, so I want to do something special for them.

byebye ::curls up at Archwolf's side::

Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Tired, Hades, Frozen
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 03:03:25 PM
IP: 207.42.162.179

DERN LOT BOYS!

That URL was NOT supposed to be there!
Fire Storm
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:57:35 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

If we're dividing up the world, I'll say this. I don't want much. Just New York City. And when I say New York, I mean Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens the whole nine-yards.

And I want a Scottish Castle so I can build my own Eyrie Building to live in and control the city. I'm not isolationist so anyone can come and go, and I'll trade with anyone.
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:54:18 PM
IP: dialin-598-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~pyang/base/allyourbase.swf

Yeow! I am surprised at how many Okonomiyaki recipies are out there! And many are from Ranma fans (Who probally wanted to know what it was).
I will have to try this soon.

As for "Anything Goes," I figured as much! It IS quite silly!

Imzadi: <Ask Jeeves about EKG's>
He's useless! ;)
Screw it. I ordered the pads, I'll make an amp, and try it myself.
<No idea how big the particle accelerator is>
If it is in a hill, it's bigger than a house.
<the world as I see it>
Hmm... interesting, interesting...
But I will wait to make further comments until Wilek posts.

Parents: Man... I am glad my parents just ignore me and favor my sister!
I just hope I can raise children well. I want kids. I would like to be there for them. I can say everything that I want to do right, but there is no way to know what exactly is "right."
All you can really do is try your best, be there for them when they need it and not be there when they don't need you. It's not a perfect plan, but what about raising a child IS perfect?

Pistoff: Cool! You got a decent computer!
What model? It probally can fit in a ammo box... :)
(And the cool thing is that opening your computer no longer voids the warranty!)

Todd: <Sorry, but I don't want a tropical island either>
How about a nice library in your home town with every book you want?

Robby: <tea drinking ceremonies>
Hmm... I must not be to that one yet.
Hey, when is the episode "Despriately seeking Shampoo?"
Saw that one on tape from Blockbuster. I am guessing that it is late Season 3 at the earliest, but probally season 4 or 5.

DumlaoX: <Justin Bailey>
I bet he was a programmer for the game.

Jaden: <Whatever the reason(s) I had then and the ones I have now I could probably have fulfilled doing something else and be a HELL of a lot more happy>
My sympathys. And DON'T GET DEAD!

Gunjack: Honestly, you don't even need THAT much to make a semi- or fully-automatic weapon. Go to the toy store and grab a toy gun. They have a (plastic) mechanism that moves back and forth when you pull the trigger. Copy that with a pair of tin snips in sheetmetal about as thick as a spoon. Use a few pipes, some springs, and viola!
As for a regular gun... hell, I have the right stuff in this house. ANYONE does.
If ya really want to go for a decent home made weapon... why not a modified spud gun?

*BUFFY STUFF!*

Ok... some nits. The show was done well, don't get me wrong.
The playing with the audio was VERY interesting.
The cinamatography was good. It really set the mood.
But after the first 20 minutes, I was like "GET ON WITH IT!"
Yes, it set the mood, but the episode was, well, boring.
Sorry, but that's how I saw it.

*END BUFFY!*

Warpmind: Well, if thats the case you want for your computer...

EVERYONE WITH SPARE COMPUTER PARTS: It's time to build Warpminds computer! As ya all know, Warpmind is in the middle of nowhere (READ: Norway), and getting computer parts is nearly impossable or VERY expensive there.
Parts here are dirt cheap (256mb ram is $70).
I am looking for people to donate parts. I personally don't think we should send him home with anything less than a 700mhz, 128mb ram, 32mb video card, 20gb hd, sound blaster live 5.1
Any suggestions on what type of processor (AMD, Intel), brand of video card, etc? The good thing is that no single part is going to be over $150 new, and most are going to be FAR less. (AMD 700s are under $70.)
Anyone with a older CD Burner is encouraged to donate it.
LET'S GET WARPMIND A COMPUTER TO TAKE BACK WITH HIM!
(Monitor not included, sold seperately. Software not included, sold seperately. Sorry, gotta do that. Power diferences and legal problems with the os.)

Heres what we need:
Processor
Motherboard
Case (No power supply)
Floppy Drive
Hard Drive
CD-ROM drive
Video Card
Sound Card
RAM

Due to regulations, I am pretty sure we can't put a US modem or network card in it.

Personally, I say a AMD T-Bird 700 or better.
Did you want a ammo case for a computer case? If so, I can probally pick up a metal or composite one at Harry's. The composite one is cool!


All your base are belong to us!
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:41:22 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Imzadi > Re: Joyce's Death >> Basically complications from the removal of the tumor from her brain.

Buffy Ep. >> Very different then a typical Buffy episode. Its next to "Hush" as my favorite episode in terms of writing and acting. I didn't care much for the cinematopgraphy. Some sequence of shots really bugged me.

Angel > Haven't watched it yet, its on tape.

I think that covers it for now. Tho for some reason I can't access my 'ellislis' account yet I can access my 'xenatrek' account on yahoo. Hopefully it will fix itself by tomorrow. If not, I'm gonna change my email address again.

Later all!
XenaTrek - [ellislis@yahoo.com]
Orlando, FL, USA
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:28:57 PM
IP: proxy2a.lmco.com

Imzadi - I am only interested in protecting myself from potential dictators. I was thinking you could give me some small country to temporarily pacify me, then take it away, and then some new dictator would screw me over. With my holographic technology, I keep you busy for hours trying to take out potential astertoids and the minute you stop, well, the real stuff starts showing up.

Parents - Don't ask me what I think the idiot I live with. He tries to tell me how to spend my money. He does not understand why I would want weekends off instead of working. The way I view an ideal dad is one who would let his sons and daughters make certain mistakes and not offer advice unless being asked.

**WORK RELATED**
Beyond admitting that I work for Molex, I will admit to working in the VHDM area. It seems as though I have been 'chosen' to work on a special project. I don't mind being 'chosen' as much as I am curious why 'I' was chosen. I saw administrative 'politics' in play as 1 person who was moved out of my area was moved back in. That give me a pretty good idea was 'I' was chosen for a special project.

In other news, my former direct boss got her eye brow pierced and has ring out of it. It guess that it is more proof that my former direct boss still needs to grow up a little more.
**END WORK RELATED**

Kit - I plan on using the 'Americans With Disabilities Act' only if things get bad for me. I knew a person on 1st shift who thought I should not be working there because of my back problems. If I hear such a comment now, I do not have to put up with it.

that's about all I have to say for now, except for one thing:
**BFTS RP continues**
Plastique was just finished being debriefed when she gets called in by justicar David Goodner, the perceptor of the order of accountability.

"What's up?" asked Plastique.

*meanwhile*
seneshal Scott Attebery, perceptor of the order of service, asks the telepath and the doctor, "Are you sure hooking up DPH up to this VR equipment is safe?"

*meanwhile*
Path Finder [a mutant whose powers inclue uncanny sense of direction for finding people and things] is traveling in a private plane towards the middle of the Amazon Rain forest. She lands the plane because of a wierd reading she is getting from radar. She walks a few feet and spots something . . .
**END BFTS RP for now**
What the heck is DPH doing with 3 open threads at the same time in the same post? Are 2 of them tied? What did Plastique spot? Tune in next time to find answers to these and other questions.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:26:05 PM
IP: max1-38.cwy.cei.net

* * * * * Buffy & Angel Spoilers * * * * *

Wow, they definately go out with a bang for sweeps months.

Buffy was beautifully crafted story. It really took it up a couple of notches. Everyone's reactions were deep and meaningful. I, too, loved Anya and Tara's contributions. They starting to become more of the Scoobies than just the girlfriends.

There is one gaff, though, the vampire attack at the end. It disrupted the flow, adding nothing to the moment. In my head, I loop around it. Fighting through the grief is believeable, but neither Buffy or Dawn are out of the shock part to deal with grief. But that is only two bad minutes out of an hour of top-notched, grade AA drama.

Angel> Was great and full of depth. I especially liked what the Host said about an epiphany. You can't go back, you have to go to a different place. I also like what he said about preferring Dark Angelus to Brooding Angel. Amen to that brother. Wesley and Gunn have become a real dynamic duo. But what's up with Redneck Lindsey? Driving around in a pickup, looking to run Angel over? He knew the score with Darla, why is he surprised and hurt that it ended like it did.

A dramatic two hours. The only problem is, now we've got a couple of weeks before we see what happens next.

* * * * * End of Buffy/Angel Spoilers * * * * *
Taleweaver - [taleweaver@usa.net]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:25:54 PM
IP: hal5000.engineering.csupomona.edu

::Walks into CR, sits down on a couch (do we have couches in here?), whistling "I think I'll go for a walk outside"::

Ah, another beautiful day in Berkeley. It must be summer already, because there sure as hell aren't any days like this in spring. Last spring it rained 75% of the days. YUCK!

Gunjack: BLAH BLAH BLAH. This is my plan. But its only a plan, its not law yet. Like I said, I'm open to suggestions. Interesting thoughts on Israel and Switzerland having lower crime rates, but then again they don't have gang-bangers. Transport 50 bloods and 50 crypts to Israel and let them party with full-autos and we'll see what happens to their crime rates. I can't stop people from making weapons. I admit that my plan isn't anymore full-proof than any other crime prevention plan. If you want a gun, you'll get one. Same is true in the world now.
As for the 2nd amendment, it is my interpretation that right to bear arms exists solely for the right of forming a militia. The founding fathers of the USA did not envision children getting accidentally shot while playing with the guns owned by their parents. I can easily argue any viewpoint I want, as lawmakers in have been arguing for over two hundred years and still can not reach any agreements.

Justin Bailey: hehe...I remember that. I still think Metroid and its various incarnations are the greatest games ever, second to Legend of Zelda 1 and 3.

*****TGS Spoilers******
Could they please just kill Thailog already? He's beginning to become an annoying villian, and his schemes need some more...I dunno...Xanatos-ness. How about some new villians? More about the illuminati, or that damn dragon Apep that kept creeping up in the timedancer series? Since the unseelie, Thailog just seems kind of anti-climatic. Or maybe we could just have a few episodes without villians, where there would be more examination into character's relationships with each other. Are Goliath and Elisa ever going to get the chance to announce their "engagement" or whatever they call it?
***** End Spoilers******

Kit: oh yeah, that was me about the friday thing. I just can't keep more than my last 2 posts in my memory, cuz I write too damn much. And oceanfront property in AZ may not be a joke forever...who knows?

Can someone tell me how Joyce died in Buffy?

Mandolin: How in the hell does a hospital confuse someone for dead? I recently heard a similar story from a friend of mine. He was at a convention and saw someone who'd he heard had been hit by a truck and died (during this time, the victim dropped off the message boards and such as he was in traction). At first he thought he saw a ghost, but when he walked up to the "ghost", it was in fact his "dead" friend.
I think it would be funny as hell if someone walked up to me and said "Josh! I thought you were dead!" just because I dropped out of communication for a while.

Warpmind: Don't worry, I won't be even trying to kill you, despite Daniel's suggestions. About the computers, I'll think about it. But I won't allow any file-compatibility issues anywhere in the world. If I ask for a document, I expect it to be readable by my computer without having to emulate anything. I think that's a reasonable expectation, as well as a step towards global harmony. Love your idea about dancing on people's graves. I actually never considered that as one of the perks of being immortal...but now I'm counting the days till my enemies die of old age while I remain a physical 25. 8-)

People who want two-button scrollers with their mac: GO OUT AND BUY ONE! They're cheap. I won't force Apple to make bigger and more complicated mice. Remember, their philosophy is that anyone should be able to use their computer. Imagine having never used a computer before (this is gonna be a stretch for the people in this room, I know). "Okay, so I move mouse over there, and I click it" "No, not with that button" "Which button?" "That one. Ugh. You click a different button depending on what you want to do" "all I want to do is delete the file" "oh, well then you right-click it and select delete" "my right or your right?" "I'm behind you! We have the same right!"...you can see where this is going. My roommate just bought his mom an iMac and his dad a g4 cube, and I was there when he helped them get set up. It was pretty complicated, as both were techno-weenies. I can't even imagine having to explain the intricacies of two buttons and a wheel to people who've never used a computer before.

Only two things are infinite, the universe and stupidity -and I'm not sure about the former.
-Albert Einstein

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:20:28 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

*Warpmind enters, tossing back a couple Fisherman's Friend.*
Hmmm... I didn't post yesterday, it seems... I got distracted... in the best way there is... *Smiles enigmatically to Lynati.* Anyways...

Daniel Johnson: What? You're suggesting Imzadi kills me? *Winks Lynati over* A little detail to consider: Lynati knows kung-fu. I kinda suspect you don't... ];)

Lain: I'd say something, but I don't know what... *Places a foamy ginger ale on the table before Lain* All I can say is... better let it all out here than in your father's face, I suppose... that'll allow for reasonable arguments with him later on... Aside from that, I suppose you know what I think, but that's a bit too... personal for the CR, huh?

Imzadi: There is one small detail I disagree with regarding your scheme for domination: the bit about all computers becoming Macs. While I don't personally have any particular problems with Mac users, I would personally never want one. However, I'm sure we could come to some agreement; my preferred OS is MS-DOS; the STABLE OS that came from MS. (Stable as a relative concept, naturally - it's not perfect, but I've never had trouble with it, and I've used the same machine for 7+ years now.) Here's what I suggest: start from scratch with an entirely new OS (designed for one single language - English - , and protected against translations, as that process tends to produce problems), with built-in OS emulators for every major OS - Lunix, Unix, Mac, MS-DOS, OS/2, Windows, et cetera, et cetera. That way, everybody can happily use old and new software without worrying about OS compatibility. (Presumably, all new software would have to be made for the new OS.) Doesn't this sound like a much better plan? Oh, and you can just forget about the one-button Mac mouse - gimme two buttons and a wheel NOW! ;)

SJ: So, they've been allowed to run those final tests on the Skycar, after all? I thought the project had been postponed because some dumb beuraucratic stooge said no...

Doug: Hmmm... I'll whip up an e-mail on the job issue, 'kay? Too bad about that unfortunate event... Hope things work out somehow...

Gside: See, you're not immune to Metal after all. ;) "When losers say it's over, you know that it's a lie; the Gods made Heavy Metal, and it's neeeeeeeeveeeeeer gooooooonnaaaa diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeee!!!" ]:)

Fire Storm: Oooo, nice box! Maybe I should rig Ahasverus into some sorta custom casing, too... ];)

Daphne: *Grin* You know how to wrangle words, don't you? ];)

The parent debate here... *Shrug* What can I say? I come from a dysfunctional family - my parents never beat me. ;) (Dunno who said that first, though.) I reckon my parents are fairly good, far as parents go - they've always held me on a leash, nudging me back on track whenever I've been aiming astray (well, they've tried, at least...), but they never pressured me into things. Still, I am loath to tell them, well, mom at least, that I'm not planning to return to Norway after G'01... not that I'm afraid of what'll happen afterwards, but I'd rather not live in an ice castle *until* then... *Shrug* Oh, well, I told dad, but I don't think he's told mom yet, at least... if he did, I'm sure I'd hear about it soon enough. (Then, there's that itty bitty little sadistic streak that suggests I just tell them "Don't wait up" as I board the plane...)

Pistoff: Not gonna be at G'01 after all? Drat. I was hoping to get you in a verbal duel. ];) You with your civil, yet scathing tongue, me with my arsenal of puns... see who'd cringe first. ];)

Kit: I didn't say I didn't want to hear *that* Masters' works helped you - just spare me the icky details. ;) And the reason I didn't get a chance to express my sympathy before was that, well... I didn't post before now? :| Too busy on IM... I don't think *you* want *those* details. ];)

Oh, and I see there's been another little Immortality spur here... *Shrug* I for one want immortality - but not through replacement body parts. I want to keep my original packaging, unaging, for a good long run, say, a few dozen millennia? I have come to this conclusion after a lot of pondering, and, weighing the downsides against the upsides, well, I think I could live with the knowledge that everyone around me would eventually grow old and die. (A bonus would be the threat that I'd be dancing on someone's grave, and then, six decades later, *do* so...) ];)

Gunjack Valentine: When you mentioned the crime statistics for Switzerland and Israel, I'd like to butt in: don't just look at the crime statistics - also take a look at the statistics for accidents involving firearms. And looking at those schematics of yours, I'm very, very tempted to build a gun of my own... Hmmm... I think dad's got some 20mm ammo in the basement somewhere, blanks he found when he was in the air force... ]:) Surely, that ammo can be made functional somehow... ]:)

That looks like it... now, I really ought to get off my hiney and read that TGS episode... :|
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:08:25 PM
IP: mp-216-43-179.daxnet.no

** Niamhgold enters, looking a little bit ragged **

Hi, all, been a long time, hasn't it? Well, things have been amazingly busy here--work, some personal stuff I've been struggling to overcome, and a courseload that literally has my climbing up the walls (literally, for my dang-blasted sculpture class! ;)) But I've found some free time, and of course the first thing I'm gonna do is post in my favorite CR!

Gathering 2001: Unfortunately, won't be able to make it this year... :( ...but that's because, for my parents 25th anniversary, we're going on a Caribbean cruise! But I do not that at least three pieces of my artwork will be making it to the con, so at least I'll be there in spirit (again!)

Mandolin: Wow, that is quite a fiasco...but at least the Traci you know shall be fine!

Mardi Gras problems: Jeepers, riots all over the place! And all because they knew that they'd have to be eating fish every Friday night for the next few weeks? ;) Hope my friend Jamie in Philadelphia is okay, as well as anyone from the CR who might have been near, or caught in, the action! Luckily, nothing happened in this city, but I guess that's because we didn't do anything to celebrate Fat Tuesday... hmmmm...well, except for that nasty jumbalaya stuff they served in the cafe last night...

Jaden: Hang in there, pal, you'll make it! We all make decisions that we think are correct in the beginning, and then we go through with them and--dang-blastit--it's nothing like we'd thought!

DumlaoX: Ahh, Metroid...back when NES games were eerily dark and spooky. And a little more challenging...in Zelda, it took me a couple times to defeat the boss, in Metroid, it took me a heck of a long time to get Motherbrain, while in the Final Fantasy series, or any other current series, the end guardians only take me about two tries, at the most, to demolish.

Speaking of Final Fantasy: I cannot _wait_ until the release of X! My goodness, do you all see the _goodies_ that are gonna be included in the thing? Plus, check out Tidus's clear sword! (And, I can't help it if I gush over the fact that the characters have gone back to VIII realistic, Squallish-style ;))

Kit and Doug: Let me add my condolences to your friends! ** Hugs ** We get a lot of trouble like that around here (probably the reason why there were no Mardi Gras festivities last night); just this weekend was dubbed the most violent on record for the past ten years. There's already been like 201 murders for 2001. Oh, yeah, and if I'm not in tomorrow...** wheels in a giant cake, with confetti ready to explode from within ** Happy Early 22nd, Doug!

** Le sigh ** I've gotta get back to work, folks, so I'll hopefully catch y'all later! It was good to see the old faces again!

Adios! ** Huggles and cookies to all who want 'em **
Niamhgold
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 01:01:50 PM
IP: 206.41.204.68

Firestorm> its no problem at all. glad to help
Ranma Saotome - [Ranma_Saotome79@tendodojo.com]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 12:59:54 PM
IP: host-209-214-112-92.bna.bellsouth.net

Wow! Ask and ye shall recieve!
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 12:38:00 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Fire Storm> okonomiyaki is a lot like pizza except pizza is baked. and their are a ton of Anything Goes Martial Arts contest. its basicly any compitition that Ranma appears in because he's the heir to the Anything Goes Martial Arts teachings.....and they just add the Anything Goes Martial Arts to whatever he has to do basicly
Ranma Saotome
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 12:24:46 PM
IP: host-209-214-117-32.bna.bellsouth.net

**delurks for the first time in over a week**

Hi all! Now that I have time to post for a change...

Imzadi> Nice to meet you. As for your plans for the world... er, I should inform you that you have some competition. I happen to know a group who are plotting to take over the world eventually. Will they succeed? I don't know, but I think Jen and Wendy may just take over the Mafia if they get the chance. (Before you laugh, Jen's the Italian techie who has blackmailed administrators into getting things done by holding their computers hostage, managed to break into a corporate system for the hell of it last month, and has a psychotic bird and filing cabinet obeying her every whim - and she's working to get her pilot's license. Wendy's the Marine who doesn't know her own strength, has a literal arsenal in her apartment, and spent Ring Dinner stalking waiters and intimidating the president of the college into letting in several juniors who were gypped out of their tickets because Marriott screwed up. I do NOT put it past those two.)

Anyway, on to other things.

Doug and Kit> Ow. I hope Tricia, Jammer, and Shauna are feeling better soon.

Doug> Since I probably won't be around to say it tomorrow, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Coyote> Congrats on getting your water back. It's about damn time.

The Traci situation> Okay. Let me explain in detail what really happened. An online friend, Traci, was in a major car accident a while ago, and word got around on the board she frequented that she was in a coma. Shannon, another friend of mine, was constantly calling the hospital for information on her condition. The hospital was less than cooperative - one dumbass actually said "stop calling, she's dead" at one point just to get Shannon to stop calling. She made one more try, got someone with a brain, and was told that Traci was still in the coma, but improving. She'd been e-mailing Dana, another poster and close friend of hers, who had been posting since Shannon's Net access was severely limited.

The next day, Shannon called in the hospital again, and was told that Traci was dead. This time, it wasn't a diversion to get her to stop calling. Dana posted this to the board and everyone went nuts. Shannon's Net access went down for the next week due to her parents not paying their bills.

Three days later, we get a message from someone with bad typing who could be Traci. Some people thought it was a sick joke, but a couple of us decided to check it out. Shannon managed to check her e-mail from a school computer, and informed us that yes, Traci was awake.

This is what happened: The day that Shannon called and got the bad news, another Traci had been brought in for a heart attack and died of cardiac arrest. The overworked receptionist misheard the last name (since both began with an S) and gave Shannon the info on the wrong Traci. When Shannon found out what really happened, her Net access was nil, so she had to wait until she could get to a public computer lab. Traci had broken one wrist and sprained another, and the hospital administrators would not allow her to use a computer or a laptop. Her brother managed to smuggle her dad's laptop in for her anyway so she could post. As far as we know, she's going to be discharged this week or the next... there hasn't been much in the way of news, but Traci IS GOING TO BE FINE.

So that's how that whole fiasco happened.

**BUFFY SPOILERS!**

Haven't watched Angel yet (didn't get in til 10), but here's my thoughts on this week's Buffy. I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say that I actually did have some problems with the ep - writing nitpicks. I found it unbelievable that the paramedics would declare the time of death in front of a family member and leave the body there; shouldn't they have taken Joyce to the hospital and have a doctor declare the time of death? Isn't that the procedure? It seemed horribly wrong for them to just *leave* Joyce there. And while I knew what they were trying to do with the cinematography, it didn't quite work in certain parts. I'm very glad that Spike had no subplot, and there was no Ben/Glory; that would have just cheapened things. (No offense to James Marsters. I think Spike would be saddened to hear about Joyce, although he might conceal it; he always had a soft spot for Buffy's mom. But anything unrelated wouldn't have worked.)

Having said that... the acting was top-notch. Even my friend Ruth, who really doesn't like SMG, found nothing to criticize in her performance. I loved the characters' reactions to Joyce's death, especially Anya, who was at a complete loss as to what to do. (I'm afraid this may drive a wedge between her and Xander; I don't want it to, but I'm afraid it will.) Xander and the drywall was actually believable for me, seeing the state of the walls in my dorm. Tara relating to Buffy was quite nice too. Dawn's meltdown in the hall - I really felt for her then, since she's already had so much to deal with. And if "Mini-Harmony" even tries to make a story out of this, I hope something nasty happens to her. (Sorry, but the most shallow b*tches in my high school and middle school knew better than to cross that line - you do NOT sneer at and ridicule someone who's grieving the loss of a family member.)

I did cry at this episode, and I still can't believe Joyce is gone...

**END BUFFY SPOILERS**

that's all...
Mandolin
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 11:33:16 AM
IP: 144.175.21.16

Oh yeah it's that time of year again when I get to go visit my old friend the Student Advisor. I have at least three maybe four classes that I've take that I have no earthly idea what they goe towards. They're just kind of there for now.
And speaking of repedative things try drawing the word "Radware" a hundred and fifty times in as many varations as you can think of. "What, there was suppose to be a theme, oops." Oh well

*COMMENTS ON CURRENT EPISODE OF TGS*
I'm glad everyone like the pics since these were the first that I've made specifically for TGS. When I got the inks though from Shauntell I was very impressed an did not have to fix them at all, which made my part easy. Just thought I'd say that and Thanks for the comments.

Off to a US History review.
Later
Revel - [samrx5@cs.com]
denton, tx
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 11:09:29 AM
IP: ac8a83f1.ipt.aol.com

Imzadi: The Arizona bit was meant as a joke. <class schedule> You know, having Friday almost empty. Was it someone else who mentioned getting to enjoy that? <leaves, grumbling under her breath>
Kit
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 10:48:40 AM
IP: pool-63.52.167.220.dlls.grid.net

firestorm>> *tries to be helpful* okonomiyaki is a kinda pizza-ish pancake thingie fried with various ingredients.. no, I've never had one.. no, I don't speak Japanese..
;)
lain "floating" iwakura
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 10:10:24 AM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Kitania> I sleep well being sane yes yep
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
Token sane guy
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 09:26:53 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-128-185.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

SJ> *nodnodnod* I totally agree with you! I realize that some people should NEVER be parents. Unfortunately, it sounds as if your father is one of them :| We have a favorite saying at school when dealing with a difficult child and finally sit down to have a meeting with the parents.. "fruit doesn't fall far from the tree" Sometimes the parents are worse than the kid! (not that this is the case in your situation!) Fortunately you have become a great man _in spite of_ your paternal genes. *hugs*
I meant to add this as a footnote in my previous post, but forgot to.... that there are times when the parent IS wrong. I was only trying to point out that more times than not, there are two sides to the story & that sometimes parents do things that the child does not understand nor comprehend at the time - but will hopefully understand in the future (after looking back on things).
I think you'd make a great dad! =) Someone else said earlier (forgot who, sorry!) that they will attempt to raise their children different from the way they were raised. That's very common to do. I was raised in an extremely strict Pentecostal environment and it's been interesting to see how each of us 4 kids have raised our own children. Two have been very relaxed with the discipline and two have followed somewhat in our parents's footsteps - with a bit more "freedom". Personally, I'm pretty easy to get along with, but I will enforce *tough love* when necessary. I have always maintained an open channel for discussion & conversation with my kids and have tried to not overreact when they've told me things that I don't necessarily want to hear. *L*
Don't allow your father to eliminate future generations. Instead, learn from his mistakes and don't repeat them with your children.

BUFFY AND ANGEL:
I agree with what has been said already ;)
Btw, I usually tape the episodes, so if anyone needs a copy, let me know and I'll see what I can do to mail you one =)

Kit and Doug> I'm glad to hear that your friends are on their way to healing :) I saw the news on the riots in SA... geesh! I heard that there were more Mardi Gras problems in some other cities last night. I won't be suprised if several cities stop the celebrations. Galveston went to Zero Tolerance their last few nights. I'll bet their jails were crammed full! *chuckles*
Congrats on making your very first house payment! ;) Now only 30 more years left and it's all yours! *L*
Doug, good luck in finding a better job =) At least you've been gaining work experience at your current job. That will look good on your future job applications.
Kit, I don't think that ya'lls RP's were part of the "warning". Maybe for the favorite lyrics that some like to post, they can be put on a website and link provided to them to share. ? My computer won't download all of CR after a few days. It's not the speed, but volume.

Josh> I do understand what you've said and I hope that some day you can find a sense of peace concerning your parents :)

well, I'm off for another trip to Missouri.... have another trailer load of storage to take up there. I'm dreading the weather there, though. High in the mid 30's b-r-r-r-r
I've been wearing shorts, t-shirt and sandals around here this week and packing sweats, sweaters, and coat is a bit difficult *L*
Jannie - [jgmiller@academicplanet.com]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 09:14:26 AM
IP: 209-144-251-150.hou.port.mytelco.com

Enters with her Chibi's. all eating Sailune's famouse ice cream. Chibi Deliah bounces over to Xellos'kun and hands him an extra cone. Zelgadis'kun gives one to Demmie'chan and Squall'kun hands an xtra to Angela'chan.

Justin Bailey>>I remember when my brother played Metroid. his friend Mike was over and taught him that secret. learned it from another friend named...Justin Bailey. Legend has that ol Justin typed in his name to see what happened.

Robby>>>Sorry to hear that your sick. I've been feeling ill to. I recomend you drink a lot of Sobe Lizard Blizzard((it has ecinecia and Zinc))...as for sli Sludge::turns to her chibis:: do you want to take care of him when your done with your ice cream?::all three flash a BEG::

Well we finally got some rain last night. we still need more and the muck fires out west were finally put out.

SPOILER CITY. not to be confused with Spatula City>>>>>>>>>>

TGS>>> Excellent. loved seeing Coldsteel and I liked how much of a big bag Thailog will be this season. loved dr Gray's development ad the whole one o clock deal. great fight scene. Looking forword to next week.
Buffy>>>very sad and very good. good to sho everyon'es reactions to Joyce's death. Loved anya's confusion and Xander punching the wall. Liked seeing Dawn's school life as well. great scene at the end with buffy dusting the vamp
Angel>>>EXCELLENT. This is what I have been waiting for. Angel hit rock bottom snapped and had an Epiphany. Liked seeing him interact with the A team again.Liked the moments with Kate((I think Angel investigations should hire her.)) and loved how Angel caught Cordelia at the end.
SPOILERS END>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Spacebabie - [LadyAndromeda@smstars.zzn.com]
Orlando, Fl, U.S.A
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 09:03:11 AM
IP: user-37kapk4.dialup.mindspring.com

SJ> *nodnodnod* I totally agree with you! I realize that some people should NEVER be parents. Unfortunately, it sounds as if your father is one of them :| We have a favorite saying at school when dealing with a difficult child and finally sit down to have a meeting with the parents.. "fruit doesn't fall far from the tree" Sometimes the parents are worse than the kid! (not that this is the case in your situation!) Fortunately you have become a great man _in spite of_ your paternal genes. *hugs*
I meant to add this as a footnote in my previous post, but forgot to.... that there are times when the parent IS wrong. I was only trying to point out that more times than not, there are two sides to the story & that sometimes parents do things that the child does not understand nor comprehend at the time - but will hopefully understand in the future (after looking back on things).
I think you'd make a great dad! =) Someone else said earlier (forgot who, sorry!) that they will attempt to raise their children different from the way they were raised. That's very common to do. I was raised in an extremely strict Pentecostal environment and it's been interesting to see how each of us 4 kids have raised our own children. Two have been very relaxed with the discipline and two have followed somewhat in our parents's footsteps - with a bit more "freedom". Personally, I'm pretty easy to get along with, but I will enforce *tough love* when necessary. I have always maintained an open channel for discussion & conversation with my kids and have tried to not overreact when they've told me things that I don't necessarily want to hear. *L*
Don't allow your father to eliminate future generations. Instead, learn from his mistakes and don't repeat them with your children.

BUFFY AND ANGEL:
I agree with what has been said already ;)
Btw, I usually tape the episodes, so if anyone needs a copy, let me know and I'll see what I can do to mail you one =)
Jannie - [jgmiller@academicplanet.com]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 08:41:02 AM
IP: 209-144-251-150.hou.port.mytelco.com

* BUFFY/ANGEL SPOILERS *

Both were good episodes. I thought that "Buffy" handled Joyce's death very well; I particularly liked Anya's bewilderment over what she was supposed to do and coming to grips with the whole business of death. "Angel" handled Angel's epiphany very well; I liked his new insights into what his role was meant to be, and his interaction with his former associates. Favorite touches: Kate's mentioning that she'd never invited Angel into her apartment, but he was still able to enter it and save her life, and Angel now wanting to work for his former associates rather than the other way around.

And is it just me, or has Lindsay really started to go off the deep end?

All in all, we've got much to look forward to in future episodes, I think.

* SPOILERS END *
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 07:16:46 AM
IP: 216.87.46.37.dialup-stl.primary.net

*Wanders in on his way to bed*

Real post later (yeah, I know, I say that an AWEFULL lot...), but for now...

Josh><<The idea is that crooks would have a much harder time getting guns if they weren't available to the public (not impossible, but no prevention method is PERFECT).>> Heh. I'm planning on responding to the various Master Plans(tm) in my next post, but for now, a little info.

I am not an engineer, or a metalworker. I have VERY little experience using heavy machinery. Having said that, here is what it would take for me, an untrained teenager, to produce a workable automatic weapon:

1 good gas furnace (and I could build one of these easily enough)
1 Lathe
1 propane torch
1 drill press
1 hand-operated sheet-metal press (easily built from scrap metal and a salvaged screw)

With these tools, and a small assortment of pipe, sheet metal, tool steel, and salvaged springs, I could build a rough copy of an AK-47. Ammunition can be made with ease, or merely bought illegally.
Smallarms require VERY little in the way of resources to produce. They are simple mechanical devices, and they realy CAN be made in a garage. Moreover, there are tens of billions of them in the world. If someone wants a gun, they will find one.
It's not that your plan isn't perfect, it's that it doesn't work at ALL. If you don't believe me, look up the crime statistics for Britian from, say, the last ten years. And while you're at it, check crime statistics for Switzerlad (where in some areas, ownership of true full-auto assault rifles is MANDATORY) and Isreal (where, to my understanding, firearms ownership is equally extreme).
And the second ammendment reads (roughly; it's late and this is from memory): "A well regulated militia being nescessary to the security of a free state, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." You can argue that a well-regulated militia ISN'T nescessary to the security of a free state, but you can't argue that the right to bear arms isn't there.

More later. The last seven hours have been some of the happiest in recent memory. I'm going to go dream about them now. 8 )

*saunters off to bed*
Gunjack "Pure Bliss" Valentine
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 05:14:08 AM
IP: 216-146-183-137.bwn.net

GROWL!!! Ok I'm going out into the field again next week and for a while longer so I'm going to miss coming here all of next week and maybe all of the week after. AAAAAHHHH!

Fire Storm<and you went into the Army WHY again?>> Well, I...er..um..ok..um, no that's not it...uh...Whatever the reason(s) I had then and the ones I have now I could probably have fulfilled doing something else and be a HELL of a lot more happy.

Kit- It's going to be one of the reasons why I quit it too. I've been out of the loop for over a week and I have almost no idea what's going on in my platoon. Oh well I just have to survive it for the next two years. Thanks for the Congrats driving without sleep did make me feel lucky to have survived.

Later.
Jaden - [jaden12@hotmail.com]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 03:39:29 AM
IP: 211.237.77.44

How dare those jerks not show Dark Angel tonight!? Who do they think they are!? I need my Jessica Alba fix! ::taps vein with fingers frantically::

Would someone please write a complete buffy spoiler for me or email me one? As nifty as my satellite system is, we can't get WB because DirecTV doesn't think its a local channel (even though everyone with cable can get it). Thanks, I really appreciate it.

Gside: true, your old games will be unplayable. I'll just force the programmers to rewrite them for macs 8-). Sorry but that's the way it is. And the hardware people will be going away. All of their technologies have been copied by other companies, and they don't make anything in particular that is so great. Besides, anything that's protected will be instantly jumped upon and copied once the company is dissolved (cuz all their intellectual property will be public again). I will not be putting any pressure on apple to add buttons and wheels to their mice. You want a two-button scroller, buy one like I did. The macOS was designed around one button. Not only that, but I think the pro mouse is one of the finest input devices I've ever used. And no, that guy does not look like he'd be good parent material. But that doesn't mean that I'd be better just because I don't have any artwork on my body. I know my own capabilities, and parenting isn't on that list.

Sevarius: <<I understand what Imzadi is saying>>: Thanks for sharing your fears about parenting. You really clarified my point and made it seem much more rational. Logical arguments are not my strong point, which is probably why programming gives me so much grief 8-).

Aingeal: <<I want Wolf. he is sleeping>>: Unless he's me, he won't mind being woken up by a woman.

Kitainia: <<I try to get the same class schedule as you every semester>>: huh? what are you talking about?
<<Or do something rude but understandable at the ceremony>>: Or do what I did. Wear rollerblades and all black along with a pair of prosthetic fangs and a shirt that says "I graduated, can I go back to bed now?"
Plans for the world: These are just preliminary plans. Remember, I have a concil of friends and prominent experts that will be advising me. Some of that stuff will change. But I don't think that an armed populace is the answer to police brutality or "some crook with a gun". Don't worry, police will be carefully screened out for exactly that type of behavior. The idea is that crooks would have a much harder time getting guns if they weren't available to the public (not impossible, but no prevention method is PERFECT). And I can't ban tools without people thinking I'm paranoid and foolish, neither of which is true. So if someone wants to attack you with a hammer...I can't make a utopia that prevents that.
Um, there IS no ocean front property in AZ, nor will there ever be. I live in CA now, and I like it too much. Unless THE major earthquake along the San Andreas occurs during my reign, in which case go right ahead...try not to rip of your buyers too much 8-)

In view of the fact that God limited the intelligence of man, is seems unfair that He did not also limit his stupidity.
-Konrad Adenauer

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 02:56:49 AM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

KIT-- As far as I know, Justin Bailey was a code for the NES game Metroid. Enter that as your password & you got to play the game as Samus Aran, the heroine, without the space suit.

Got classes to enroll for tomorrow. Let's hope for the best.

Till next time...
DumlaoX - [dumlaox@ucla.edu]
Los Angeles, CA
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 02:43:32 AM
IP: pppa32-resalelosangelesmetro4-4r7088.dialinx.net

**BEGIN PART 2, TIME FOR SPOILERS**
I too enjoyed Simpsons this week, though they missed out on a lot of potentially great jokes with Chief Wiggum and Milhouse's parents. The songs were great, especially Recruit My Heart (very subtle song, that one <smirk>), and LT Smash can be added to the list of hilarious one-episode characters Simpsons has had. Hope to see him and all the others (especially Malloy the Cat Burglar and the Very Tall Man) again someday. X-Files was also excellent Sunday night, very good Doggett-Scully development and nice use of continuity and the healers. I am going to be very psyched-up for April 1st when we see Part 2. The real gem of the night, though, was King of the Hill. For the first time, I was really able to laugh at and enjoy an episode of that show. Hank as a pimp and hot Peggy. :) I think Doug and I have found our costumes for this Halloween.

TGS was great again this week, I liked the pics especially. They did a good job of illustrating the fight. Nice to see Coldsteel again, and he made a very effective bad guy. Having Thailog involved in things and recruiting him was a nice touch too, I look forward to what's going to develop from that. I also want to know what it is about Fergus that's creepy- hope we learn someday soon. Good development on Goliath, Hudson, and the rest of the clan in this one, Lex and Sata had some very nice bits during the fight. The dialogue was very well-written too. I also liked how Xanatos joined the fight and the use of the Valkyries. Very good attention to detail with Angela's sorcery and the Dr. Gray scenes (I'm liking her more as a character now thanks to the development she got :). The bit with the Gargoyle Task Force could have been better handled (when did Matt get kicked off it?) but that and the stuff Ed mentioned were the only real slights (I liked the Broadway bits though, good to have the argument between him and Angela resolved, and the one o'clock bit was kinda funny). Hope the TGS Staff continues the good work, I don't want to read any more bad episodes this season. :)

Buffy and Angel were good tonight once again. I missed Spike on Buffy, but his absence was alright considering all the attention he got in the last two eps. Joyce's death was handled very well in this one, everybody's reactions were in character and very well-written. Anya's I enjoyed most, with Tara's a close second. Though Xander's did get a laugh. :) Seeing Dawn's life at school was a nice touch, it's good that she values Buffy in her life and can easily spy jerks. Her friend and the cute guy made nice incidental characters. Great development on the characters all around, Dawn especially. Her having to see Joyce's body was especially well-done and poignant. Good fight with the vamp at the end too. I'm surprised Ben wasn't in the episode, but it didn't really need him. Overall, it wasn't quite as profound as the hype made it out to be, but it was still very much so in a lot of ways. The acting and direction was what made the scenes profound- and as SJ said, it was excellent and quite Emmy-worthy. Overall, a great development ep and a very good send-off for Joyce, who I am going to miss so much. <is silent for a time>

Angel was excellent too, my favorite ep all season. Very good development on all the characters, Angel especially. His scenes with Darla, Kate, Wesley, Cordelia, and Lindsay were all well-written, meaningful, and great to watch. Liked in particular the epiphany bits and his wanting to work for his friends instead of vice versa. The Host was used effectively once again (why isn't this guy on the starring cast line-up, he's in every episode!), and I liked the third-eye demons as chilling antagonists. The development of the other characters (besides Angel) was good too, especially nice seeing Kate dealing with her downfall and Wesley's bit about Cordelia and her visions. Cordy had some nice development also, with her worry over the third eye and the pad. Lindsay had good development too, though I never would have figured him for a redneck driving an old Chevy Apache and swinging a sledge hammer at his foes. <grin> I wish there'd been more Darla, but what we got was great. Excellent fight at the end, with Angel occupying the bad guys while Gunn and Wesley helped Cordelia. I liked the shotgun fight Wesley had too. Very well-written episode overall, waiting till April for new ones is going to drive me bonkers. Hopefully Joss will put one in the middle of March to sate the need. <fingers crossed>
**END SPOILERS**

Dividing Up The World: Give me all the ocean-front property in Arizona. Lady Corax can have the rest of the state. <grins>

Jannie: I did cry at the District's ending this week, it was so wonderful. <grins> Doug and I also got some smiles out of the burglary crackdown, I can't help but wonder if the APD has a similar burglary policy- we've never gotten the stuff back from the time someone broke into this place. <sighs> Oh well. Glad you enjoyed it a lot too. I personally like Joe as a character, though I too grimaced at his actions during the 30-year old case. Congrats on being able to attend the Gathering, wish I could too. :( Glad Anna has been able to learn the truth of your love and actions on her behalf, despite all the troubles in your past. Best wishes to you both for the future. :)

Aingeal: Welcome back, glad to see you in here. Thanks for the news on Archwolf, I hope he'll soon return too. Condolences on the bad job, but congrats on being able to bother people. If you can enjoy doing that, it's always fun. :) Sounds like we have similar relationships with our parents and similar hopes for raising children. Here's to both of us having those hopes fulfilled someday. <raises glass>

Daniel Johnson: I too thank you for the info on Rodlox, and I agree with you on missing people in here. Thinking about them always makes me sigh. <does so> May they all come back soon. Glad to hear your life has calmed down.

Jaden: Congrats on surviving staff duty. It's what got my brother to quit the Army. Hope you don't have to do it again any time soon.

Kaioto: Congrats on organizing a Legend of the Five Rings tournament that went so great. I keep telling myself I have to try that game, but can never find the time. :( Congrats on the good results from the Magic tournament you judged too. You're very correct about martial arts and real combat- I know tae bo and am a brown belt in karate but in every real fight I've been in so far in my life I've always ended up using the straightforward brawling techniques Snake and Cobra taught me back in the Angels. They really work. :)

Stephen: So far the violence in Austin over the weekend hasn't caused too many problems. They just canceled the Mardi Gras parade and all the clubs on 6th Street got extra security in place for tonight. Our friends were hurt badly, but they'll all be okay. Thanks for your concern. Congrats on surviving your first full week of work.

Hurt Friends: Thanks very much to all who gave their hopes and sympathies- Imzadi, Gside, GXB, Todd, SJ, Daniel, Warpmind, Lady Corax, Lynati, everyone. It's all appreciated. We too were worried about them and are glad to have them all out of the hospital now and alright. We're also relieved that they're all okay, Stephanie and unborn Peter especially, just like I'm sure all of you are. :)

Coyote: Condolences on the bad tax return news. At least you can not worry so much about those overdue student loans now. Doug and I are very glad we didn't have to take out some of those ourselves, our fathers being well-to-do and all. Not meaning to rub it in, sorry. <holds up hands in peaceful gesture> I will pray you find some other way to get the money you need for the Gathering and your car, I wish you the best of luck.

Imzadi: Interesting plans for the world. I can't say I agree with all of them- your stance on crime in particular worries me, I don't like police states. And I'm no big fan of legalizing marijuana either (though I could tolerate it if it happened- just don't legalize heroin, or I'll be very mad- I've lost two friends and nearly a family member to that drug). I also don't like your weapons policy- what if some crook with a gun comes after me, or a too-brutal cop in your government's employ? How will you defend the public against things like that if we can't have weapons to defend ourselves? I also must point out- Guns, explosives, and blades are nice to restrict, but if someone wants to they can do a lot of damage with an ordinary tool too. Or a short yet solid and expertly wielded metal rod, Snake's weapon of choice. Your policies on taxing the rich (they should do that to such people already, especially sports figures and bad movie stars), governing the countries, your council, and employment meet my full approval. :)

Parents and Children: I don't really want to comment on this issue, talking about this topic usually drives me nuts. I can handle it in a one-on-one conversation, but in a public forum like this, I don't want to talk about it. Especially when so much has already been said. I will say that I agree with Jannie most on the issue though, parents and children are all people, and there is no manual that tells you the best way to deal with people, unfortunately. :( One must approach their own situation as best they can, and try to handle it well despite the difficulty of doing so. I will be sending all my prayers to all the parents and children in here dealing with relationship problems, I hope you all can somehow get things smoothed over in the future. You'll all live longer happier lives if you do. Trust me, I know. I too had to learn the hard way how important being on good terms with your parents was and how much they loved me and wanted the best for me and nothing but, even though it didn't seem that way at times. :(

Lady Corax: I regret that you feel that way about having children. I personally share your fears, but I want to have children too- I long for the joy of it, and raising them. The bad parts can be tough, but I am confident that Doug and I could deal with them. And we wouldn't necessarily have our kids turn out like us either- we wouldn't even want that. <sighs> Maybe it's just my current inability to have kids that makes me feel this way. Oh well. I hope that someday you do end up with children, if only so you can succeed at raising great kids, then look back and laugh on the fear you once had of not being able to do it. <grins and gives hug>

Pistoff: Welcome back, and congrats on the new computer. I hope that you are able to pay for it someday, and will be keeping you in my prayers. Good luck continuing to survive, as you seem to, on $500 a month. I probably could do that myself if I had to, but I don't like to think about trying. :) <replacement body parts> Personally I would not want to live forever, so I hope they don't come out with these in my lifetime. Just so I avoid the temptation. <grin>

Robby: Hey!! <waves> Good to see you back in here posting again. Congratulations, friend. Hope you can soon come back.

And now this week's catch-up is done, and I must head for the bed. Talk to y'all again soon, may things go well for everyone till then and beyond. I hope I can return to the room soon and when I do it is still every bit the gathering of friendship I value it as. Until later!

**WE INTERRUPT THE POST MONOTONY TO BRING YOU RP AGAIN**

In the waters outside Hope Island, Duke Nukem is grinning as he dodges another radiation blast from his namesake, who is swimming towards him with a hateful look of rage. "Who the hell are you?" the eco-villain blurts and Duke grins. "I'm Duke Nukem." "But…" the other Duke frowns. "Duke Nukem is my name!" "It is?" Duke's mouth falls open, but quickly he closes it around the scuba tube again. "No crazed mutant jerk steals my name," he says around it, "and lives!" As the other Duke growls and gathers energy to launch a blast once more, Duke casts aside his torpedo launcher and a screaming Kiff with it, then draws his shrink ray. "Eat this!" he yells at the evil Duke, pulling the trigger. The radiation hits the burst evil Duke was gathering and there is a very large explosion that flings him back in the water and knocks him unconscious. Duke swims forward and sticks a pipe bomb with timer detonation in his pants. "Enjoy a little reaction," he quips, swimming away towards the surface. Having recovered from being thrown away, Kiff follows, looking very sullen. The screen changes to display Hoggish Greedly and Rigger standing on their pig-like battleship, scanning the horizon with binoculars. "Nothing," Rigger sighs. "Nothing at all," Greedly agrees. "Damn, this is boring!" "Aaah!!" Rigger screams just then. "Rigger?" Greedly asks, spinning around and dropping his jaw as he sees his minion lying dead on the deck from a single pistol shot to the head. Duke Nukem, having stealthily climbed out of the water and onto the ship, grins as he lowers his smoking weapon. "Well, well," he chuckles at Greedly. "For once, one of you guys ain't dressed like a policeman." As Greedly grunts and reaches for his weapon, Duke pulls out his shotgun and fires several times, hitting the evil pig-man hard and knocking him overboard into the water. There is a huge explosion underneath the water just then, the pipe bomb Duke stuck on the other Duke detonating just as Kiff has climbed onto the pig-barge behind Duke. The alien screams as the boat shakes, his scuba mask shattering with the impact as he hits the deck. Having activated his jetpack just in time to avoid the blast's effect, Duke grins down at him. "Scratch four bad guys so far," he chuckles. "Come on, let's go find Asil." Kiff grimaces as he gets up and activates his own jetpack, mumbling something about how he hopes his descendants will never have to put up with a job like his. Meanwhile, inside the Crystal Chamber, the Planeteers are panicking as they look at the huge waterspout the explosion has created on a computer screen. Nipon is grimacing in confusion, as is the Brain. "My friend has arrived," Asil announces with a pleased smirk. "Narf!" Pinky cheers. "Is he going to rescue us?" "He better," Asil snarls in response.

"What is happening?!" Abdullah bin Aziz is ranting elsewhere, picking up his computer and hurling it out the window as its screen becomes a massive cacophony of meaningless text. "What is going on?!" A huge explosion shakes the mansion just then from outside. "I think we have lost our super-weapon," Tariq grimaces, looking out the window at the cheering and gasping soldiers standing around the burned and wrangled remains of Apep's robot body. "No!" Abdullah's mouth falls open. "Allah can not have abandoned us!!" "It gets worse!" someone shouts from behind him, and the terrorist sponsor turns and gasps again as his bedroom's door falls to the ground after being hit with a quick burst of chaingun rounds. Mist roars loudly as she fires them. Hassan, Sarita, Bessus, Erin, and Fasil rush into the room, guns ready and blazing. The remaining terrorist guards try to resist, but are quickly cut down. Tariq draws his own pistol with his non-injured hand and starts to take aim, but a black-clad figure crashes though the window behind him swinging on a rope and knocks him down, firing a quick volley of Uzi fire into the lieutenant's back and killing him in the same motion. "I still have the knack," Michael Marter grins as he lands his feet on the room's floor, then immediately grimaces and doubles over with pain. "Go!" Erin yells at the three slave-girls in the room, waving at the open door. "You're free, all of you!" They gasp their thanks and rush out, Sarita and Mist following as escort. "See you outside!" Sarita calls at the others. "I'll guard the door," Bessus says, walking out of the room after checking to make sure all the soldiers are dead. Erin looks at Michael, who grins at her to show she is okay, then turns to stare coldly at Abdullah, who is frowning at the guns Fasil and Hassan have pointed at him. "What is the meaning of this?" he bellows, standing up. "We are family!" "No longer," Fasil replies calmly. "You forsook us." "I wouldn't want you in the family even if you were Irish!" Mary adds over her husband's radio. "You dishonor us greatly, Uncle," Hassan says, cocking his gun's barrel. "No more." Abdullah smiles at him proudly. "With you I have done good," he chuckles at Hassan. "You are courageous and strong." "I too am courageous and strong," Erin declares, leveling her own gun at him. "Are you proud of me?" "You are a woman!" Abdullah growls. "It is not your place to be so! Allah does not allow it!" "Really?" Erin raises her eyebrows, stepping forward. "Was Khadijah not as strong and courageous as Mohammed, in her own way? Is she not set in just as high a place by our Faith?" "For following her man's will!" Abdullah barks. "That was not all she did," Fasil replies. "You obviously need to study our history again, with unbiased eyes." "I think that would be impossible, Father," Hassan grimaces. "Sadly you are probably right," Fasil nods. "My cousin has always had the failing of looking upon things in the way he thinks they should be, and refusing to believe they can be any other." "And you have the failings of marrying nonbelievers, befriending rabble, and letting your daughters traffic in violence and go unveiled," Abdullah brutally retorts. "One of them," Fasil answers with a smile. "The other wants to be a doctor." "She wishes to touch and treat the unclean?" Abdullah's mouth falls open. "Never! I will not allow it!" "What makes you think you'll have the chance?" Erin asks him, waving her gun a bit. Abdullah growls and reaches for the pistol on his desk, only to find it missing. "Looking for this?" Michael asks, holding the pistol up in his hand. Abdullah growls and lunges for him, but is intercepted by Erin and Hassan, who quickly down him in a lightning flurry of punches, rifle butt blows, and kicks even though he is much larger than they. Fasil looks on with a proud smile. "What shall we do with him, Dad?" Hassan asks when their enemy is lying on the ground gasping for breath and moaning from several broken bones. "We can't take him to be tried for his crimes," Erin grimaces. "With all his power in this country, he'd be out in an hour." "Kill him," Michael suggests. "Isn't that what this is about?" Fasil grimaces, then shakes his head. "He may have tried to kill us all several times over, brought us much dishonor, but he is family." "You can't mean to leave him alive," Mary gasps from the radio. "Not after all he's done…" Erin nods in agreement and looks at Fasil in confusion. Her father merely grimaces and draws a large knife from his belt. He looks at Hassan and his son nods in instant understanding. "Islamic law is quite clear on the punishment for your crimes, Uncle," he turns and says to the growling Abdullah. "We're very sorry to have to do this." Suddenly understanding, Erin gasps and backs away from Fasil and Hassan, her gun lowered to point at the floor. "Mary, you better take Patty away from the minicams' reception screen," Fasil says to his wife as Hassan moves to restrain Abdullah with handcuffs and Michael calmly walks out of the room with the distraught Erin. "This is going to be quite bloody." He raises his knife and starts walking purposefully towards Abdullah, who is gasping and screaming, "No!!!" The cry turns to frantic shouts of rage as he struggles, the view of what is happening blocked by Fasil's body. The shouts are quickly silenced and turn to gasps and moans of pain at the sharp hiss of steel meeting flesh. To protect any children in the room, a censor clicks the screen off.

**ABDULLAH'S FATE WILL BE REVEALED NEXT TIME. WE'LL GET BACK TO THE RAVENS ALSO. FOR NOW END RP**
Kit
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 02:32:08 AM
IP: pool-63.52.171.246.dlls.grid.net

<---This chick is hot! :)

**RP, GRANTING CERTAIN FORCES NEW ALLIES**

The screen comes on again, displaying the meeting room of the Wise Guy Mob. All are still staring at Rachael Leigh Cook as she steps inside. A tall bald Chinese man nonchalantly strolls in behind her, looking around at the others in the room and smiling enthusiastically. "This is the place, these are the people?" he asks. "Yes, and yes," Rachael tells Chow Yun-Fat, who nods. "Excellent." "Um," Robert Duvall frowns at them, "what are you two doing here?" "We came to help," Rachael answers. "Didn't you hear me a minute ago?" She shakes her head and walks over to stand near the group's boss. "I saw you guys kill the Baldwins. Nice job there, by the way- one of them was being real annoying to me. I followed your van back here, called Chow on the way in case there was trouble- he met me here, and we've been eavesdropping on you for a while." "Then you know who we are," de Niro frowns. "Yes," Rachael nods. "And we are interested in joining you." "There is much in this town I like," Chow adds, then grimaces. "But also much I do not. With you, I sense a way to get rid of a few of the things I do not like without the usual amount of trouble." "So you're looking to join us then?" Joe Pesci smiles. "Great. You," he points at Chow, "are a martial artist first class, and she's a looker, no doubt about it. They got my vote." "Wait a second," Forsythe says. "Chow's gonna be real useful with all those martial arts of his, yeah, but this girl here- what's she got that we can use?" "What do you have, Mr. Forsythe?" Rachael replies, smiling. "Well, I…" Forsythe begins, then stops, seeing her expression. "I…" "She's got the mentality down already," de Niro laughs. "Thank you," Rachael replies, then reaches into her cardigan's pocket and extracts four small silver rings emblazoned with mystic runes. "What I have to contribute is these. Very special rings, quite magical. An actor who wears one of them will be able to assume the persona of any character they have played onscreen, becoming capable of any feat the character was able to do in the movie. So that makes you able to have endless bullets in your guns for example," she tells de Niro. "Or you could be an effective lawyer," she adds to Pesci. "Or I could fly the Space Shuttle, or preach, or dance, or…" Duvall smiles. "Do these things really work?" Chow Yun-Fat nods. "Trust me. They even work for movies you are about to star in, parts that have been written for you but you have yet to play. I would not have been able to star in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and perform so well without my own ring." He holds up his right hand, displaying a fifth ring on it. Rachael has a similar band on her hand. "I thought you had stuntmen and wires in that movie," Forsythe says. Chow smiles and shakes his head. "Where did you get these rings?" the Boss asks, picking one of them up and studying it. "They're for these four guys here, not you," Rachael tells him. "I have no need of them," the Boss replies coldly. "Answer my question." "One of them was a gift from Brad Pitt," she answers. "He was given it by a monk he knew in Kundun, or so he told me. The monk had told him it had special powers, but they weren't working for him for some reason, so he gave the ring to me as a birthday present. Intrigued, I sought out the monk and found out the ring would only work for women- it would work for me in the way I told you. The ring was ancient, he said, it was one of the rings used by the Five Lions in the old Afghan legend- you've all heard it, I assume." "The king sent his greatest five warriors instead of his entire army and beat his enemy," de Niro nods. "We know." "Actually, there were five lions and one lioness," Chow says. "She was kept out of the legend after Talibanic Islam started to gain power in Afghanistan- they don't like women very much for some reason." "The warriors succeeded because of these rings," Rachael continues. "They allowed them to be every bit the legends they were believed to be by the common people, instead of only five men and a woman as they actually were. The monk I met had given the five male rings to N'Sync- they'd visited his temple before they started to be big in the music world and he enjoyed their singing." "So that's how they can dance so well," Pesci grins. "Could," Rachael grins. "I broke into their mansion and stole the rings while they were asleep a few months back using skills my own ring gave me. There was a movie about a teenage cat burglar I was going to star in that never got fully off the ground." "Does N'Sync know about your theft?" Duvall grimaces. Rachael shrugs. "I don't know. They never did come looking for the rings, and strangely they've been just as big and famous as ever since losing them- maybe they're settling for that. We can put the rings to better use." "Really?" Forsythe muses. "Well, I can probably use one, but you- yeah, a cat burglar might be useful but all your other movie parts have been teenage love interests, a computer expert, a young rape victim, a babysitter, a voice on Batman Beyond…there's nothing really useful to us." Rachael lifts an eyebrow suggestively, then snaps her fingers. Forsythe screams suddenly as he is knocked down by an explosion of light and sound, his clothes bursting into flame as he lands. Quickly he rolls and puts them out, then leaps up looking ready to kill someone. Rachael smiles. "Are you saying all that might not be useful?" she asks. "None of the people you've played onscreen could do what you just did!" Forsythe gasps. "A character some Gargoyles fan fiction writer wrote with me in mind for the actress playing her can," Rachael grins back. "And what do you know, I can use her powers." ($cyber-cookie to anyone who can name the character and author, this one should be easy :) $) She fingers her ring and looks over the group once again. "So, am I in?"

The display changes to a security office in the Mall of America, where five figures stand around a woman lying unconscious on a table. The image gets blurry as the view shifts to from her eyes. "Why can't I drink from her?" the smallest of the figures is whispering. "She is a Quickling," the one with a staff answers. "Her blood is full of electricity. It would be extremely painful." "Why won't she wake up?" the largest figure grumbles. "We've been waiting nearly an hour." "That Keith guy stuck her with a lot of tranquilizer," another figure answers, grimacing. "Just gotta wait." "Wait how much longer?" Kharsus asks. "The Ravens are still out there, we need to get after them." "This is one of Ian Telman's daughters," the fifth figure says, his voice heavily French-accented. "You are sure she will be on our side?" "Yeah, man," Bobby Mansfield nods. "I told you, she's gone dark. She'll gladly join us, help us destroy the others." The unconscious woman's eyes pop fully open at that. "She's awake!" Claudia hisses. du Gaul, Ty-Ubemngoe, and Mansfield immediately leap into fighting stances and jump back as Stephanie sits up. Kharsus extends a hand to her, in it a long Celtic sword. He bows. "Thank you," Stephanie says coldly, taking the offered weapon. She swings herself onto her feet and looks the group over. A Goroistro bellow shakes the room as she stands. "War is in the air," Stephanie grins. "I sense it may be time for a reckoning." "Indeed," Kharsus nods. "You wish to kill the Ravens now?" "I hate them," Stephanie replies, then gasps as she looks upon Mansfield. "You!" "Whoa!" the commando holds up his hands. "I'm on your side here- I've been a spy for Thailog all along." "Oh," Stephanie lowers her sword. "I see. Another reason to hate you. Great." Shaking her head, she looks at the group again. "Any more of you around?" "Two more," du Gaul answers. "Searching the Mall for your friends." "Let's go find them," Stephanie replies, starting to walk out of the security office. The others shrug and follow her as the screen's image goes out.

**MORE RP LATER**

Hey everyone. I'm back once again. Thankfully not working tonight. :) Things at the store are stable as usual once again, the new assistant manager is still being a pain but not that much. And our sales volume is pretty high. :) Doug had a bad experience at his job recently he told y'all about yesterday. <looks over posts, grimaces at lack of sympathy> Man, this place has changed for the worse. This I do not like. Does anyone want to hear the other news about our lives? <waits for response, hears crickets> I'll say it anyway. The house's mailbox is finally set up correctly, we got mail out there today. :) We've mailed off our first payments on the house and property mortgages, things are going well in general. Thursday is Doug's 22nd birthday, and we'll be getting a washer and dryer moved into the house then too. Our utilities are still being set up, but hopefully they will be finished soon. Jammer and Tricia send thanks to all who congratulated them, they're doing fine and staying home tonight after surviving the Mardi Gras riots heavily wounded. Jammer has been relegated to what amounts to administrative leave on his bouncer job, he's responsible for filing and helping the club manager cut payroll until his broken arm heals. It will probably be good experience for him. Keith picked up his new glasses today, and he is back at his job doing fine. It's the same for everyone else who got injured, though Shauna doesn't speak much thanks to what happened to her jaw. Since she's a chronic nagger, that may be somewhat for the good. That's the news, on to replies.

James: Thanks for identifying General Chaotica. I'm not very up to speed on black and white TV shows. I agree with you about Marilyn Manson being evil, though I still don't share your definition of the term. <I'm sane> Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night. :)

SOROW: Congrats on the date going well, I'm happy it did. Glad you found a red dress for the prom too, now you can enjoy "The Lady in Red" when they play it. I would have liked to enjoy that song at my prom- unfortunately Mom insisted I go in her old dress. Nobody ever wrote a great romantic dance song about a lady in lime green. :( Don't feel bad about possibly not being able to get a date to the prom- having fun is the most important thing about that experience. Maybe you can get your co-worker to go with you too, you never know. :) I do agree, though, that you're probably right to want to take things slow. <Don't ever let anyone make you feel bad about yourself> That is one of the secrets to surviving life. Glad you've learned it. Congrats on getting over the bout of depression you had. <Maxed-out credit card> I can empathize on that problem, I had it myself once. Best of luck dealing with the situation, and congrats on the lesson you've learned.

Ironwolf: Thanks for the permission and the good luck wishes. The paper is almost done, I'm turning it in next week. Condolences on your awful life, I hope from now on it goes better. Condolences especially on the girl who hurt you- she needs to learn that sex is a two-way road and should be part of a relationship, not the all of it. Treating it like she did with you is just as bad as faking orgasms. Unfulfilling for your lover, and for you. :( I also wish you major condolences on the friend dying of a hospital screw-up. Having to listen to my dad complain about those as much as I have in my life I know very well how bad they can be to have to live with. :( I'm happy that you are still able to live your life with smiles, and know that love at first sight is real. :) Good luck helping your sister out, I'll keep y'all in my prayers.

SJ: You're right, others could have easily been nominated to the Best Actor category. The other categories too. (Chris Rock should get some recognition for his great supporting actor job in Nurse Betty, Unbreakable should get Best Picture and Director noms, that actress in the Patriot should get some recognition too- the one who played the son's love.) But they weren't. :( Which is why I want the awards to go to the few IMO deserving nominees so much. I don't think they include Gladiator, but I'm not going to waste time arguing the point with you. $ <grins> If that IMO awful movie wins, I'll just have the Wise Guy Mob raid the Oscars and massacre Crowe and the IMO dumbass Academy judges in the RP. $ <Marilyn Manson> You're right that he's more of a deranged attention-holic than someone truly evil, but I must say I like to hope desperately that he will never become the great cultural icon Elvis has.

Christine: Congrats on meeting a publisher you can be friends with, hope things go well with them. Glad your reading went well too. I wish you all the best in all things book-related. <grin> I can hardly wait to read and/or listen to the results of your writing endeavours when they come out. Congrats on the good time at RadCon also, especially on getting to meet Mike Stackpole. I too enjoy his work and have been wanting to shake his hand and grin for years. <sighs rapturously> Glad Tim had a good time too. <reads celebration plans, smiles> You know, we share the same favorite ice cream, though I like to mix rainbow candy sprinkles and cherries with mine.

Gside: Refresh my memory. Who's Justin Bailey?

Lynati: Best of luck with your project, hope it goes well. I enjoyed reading your description of the music you listened to while working on it. <grin> I also hope you enjoyed Heart of Darkness- that has always been one of my favorite "shiver books." Congrats on getting some good sleep lately, you probably needed it. 21 hours though, that's a long time. My personal record is seventeen hours. I've been unconscious longer than that (I was out for five whole days after my skiing accident) but that doesn't really count as sleep.

Warpmind: <chuckles at his reaction to the mention of Masters' work> That's pretty much what everyone says when Doug and I mention the value his books have to us. In some things we are really weird. :) Thanks for outlining how you arrived at your decision to live in Austin. I think it's a good idea. I too am glad to have so many great companies like id Software and SJ Games here- maybe I should try to talk Doug into getting a job at the latter. There must be something cool he can do for them. :) Looking even more forward to your arrival now. Glad that you'll still be earning money even without your job.

DPH: Thanks for your permission- unfortunately I lost the link between now and last week. <sigh> Oh well, anyone curious can just look in the archived CR for the company name and do a Yahoo search. I found the webpage that way (no, I don't have time tonight to find it again :P ). Congrats on the free meal, I wouldn't mind getting to eat such great food for free myself. <sighs> Oh well. Condolences on your struggle, but good luck with it. I'm glad to see the Americans With Disabilites Act benefitting a friend, but regret that it has to. :(

Lain: Glad your father did something good at last. :) I hope you two will be able to use that letter to make peace between yourselves and gain a normal loving relationship. I've been praying for something like it to happen. <reads letter over and smiles> It's easy to see now where you got your ability to write such wise and poignantly emotional posts. :) Best of luck dealing with the pain he caused before this and getting over it, let us know if we can help at all. <no more lyrics> Rats, I was enjoying them. Oh well, if Kaioto requests it, it has to be. I just hope the big posts Doug and I do every week aren't the next thing protested and banned on behalf of the people in here who use computers that go way too slow. <crosses fingers for luck>

Mary (or Beth H.): <reads Crush-demand post and chuckles> I doubt that has done any good. :( Hope you soon find a new screen name that suits you, I may have to do something similar someday but for now I'll stick with Kit.

Daphne: Condolences on having no rights at your school. That's terrible. Glad you have a 4-year perfect record though. If I were you, I'd keep that record right up until graduation and then after the ceremony get some release by TPing the headmaster's car. <grin> Or do something rude but understandable at the ceremony like what Doug did at his graduation (he took his diploma from the cool Vice Principal, thanked him and shook hands, walked right past the jerk Bishop's outstretched hand after giving him a "yeah, right" look, and then shook hands with and embraced the wonderful Principal, Dr. Gagne, before walking offstage to rejoin his friends and fellow graduates <laughs>). That is if you feel resentful about the lack of rights, if you don't harbor a grudge then feel free not to take my advice. Congrats on the friend set-up going well, best of luck with Steve.

Coyote: Good advice about depression, I'll have to remember it. :) I agree with you about Macy Gray and Gloria Estefan's Grammy garb, or lack thereof. Some women in this world can still look fantastic by hiding most of their skin, but few are willing to try it. <sigh> Congrats on finally getting your water back, hope the heat soon also returns. You've got to be able to enjoy that shower sooner or later. <grins>

Lady Corax: Send me and Doug those Highlander: Endgame spoilers, please! After the horror Stephanie inflicted on us by forcing us to sit through that film we want to know that it at least was good in some version. <doubts it's possible, but maybe…> I agree with you about Ben Stein. Congrats once again on surviving that fight, hope you fully recover mentally soon.

Valentine: <large stag pic> Ah, I getcha. I was just using that pic to see what it looked like. I'm surprised you don't remember Terry Holder. Doug got the room in quite a state of worry about him back when he threatened us. Of course, Gus was in my life back then too, so maybe he got the lasting attention. <shrugs> I hope Doug and I too can forget such maniacs one day, however hard it may be. <chuckles at typo-related bit> If it wasn't for MS Word's spell-checker and auto-correct features I'd probably have the same amount in my posts. :) <Alice> Thanks for telling me about this game, I don't think I'll check it out, though, now that I know about it. On general principle I tend to avoid any game that maligns a beloved children's story.

Imzadi: <civil engineers have figured out the money's in fixing bugs> Ah. So that's why all the construction projects in Austin, especially downtown, are taking so long. :) I try to get the same class schedule as you every semester. So far, it's only worked once, and that was last year. :( I agree with you more than Todd about renegade robots (though he is right about one able to pity them for being slaves), who have always been a worry for me even though I enjoy computers and related machines so much. :(

Conspiracy Theorist: You'd make a very good detective IMO. <Bengali> Ack! That's terrible news, and I didn't even know about it. <grimaces> I didn't know her that well, but I'd like to call Bengali a friend. I hope wherever she is now, she's okay.

End Part 1!
Kitainia - [frostfire@mail.utexas.edu]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 02:31:14 AM
IP: pool-63.52.171.246.dlls.grid.net

Its late, I'm sick, and I'm STILL trying to find a viable method to post again. Here's hoping...

Firestorm-As a pretty big Ranma fan I think I can field this one. Okonomiyaki is close enough to Japanese pizza that its a working translation. When Ukyo is shown cooking the stuff, the Ranma anime goes into fair detail to show how the stuff is made. Basically, its pancakes (But not) with almost ANY toppings you can think of thrown on. Pineapples, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, bananas, grapes, peanuts, whatever the heck you want. Okonomiyaka translates roughly to "As You Like It". So basically, it is Japanese Pizza.

As far as "Anthing Goes Martial Arts", thats mostly just a Ranma gag, used as a catch all to put Ranma into any kind of silly situation the writer can think of. With "Anything Goes", Ranma can get caught up in Ice skating, rythmic ribbon fighting, tea drinking ceremonies, cooking, sword fighting, mountain climbing, or whatever else, and still be expected to be able to handle it, due to his "anything goes" training. Its a gag thing mostly. (And as Ranma once said himself, "If its got the words "Martial Art" in it, that means I can win!")
Robby
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 02:12:10 AM
IP: ac9825f8.ipt.aol.com

::wanders in and curls up in a corner::

I think that I will follow suit and not get into the parent debate. I love mine, even tho we have fought for years and ahve mass tension at times. I DO want children, even tho my mom threatened me with children exactly like me..heh. I hope to be a good parent, and plan to take the things i learned from being on the recieving end of my parents mistakes, NOT to make the same ones. ::shrugs:: I will wait and see. I'll let my children tell me if i did good or not. The one big thing is that i want them to be able to talk to me. (seems i've gotten into it anway :p ) One big problem I see is that when kids don't think their parents will listen to them and accept them for who they are, they clam up and hurt themselves and others, when had they talked things might hve been resolved.

I don't claim to be an expert on anything, I'm just a listener, but i hear enough to see solutions sometimes... ::shrugs::

life happens.

::looks around:: I want Wolf. he is sleeping.
Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Lost and Cornfuzzled, Insanity
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 02:07:51 AM
IP: 207.42.162.179

Great. Once again, my website's host isn't letting me link to a picture. So, the URL is http://pistoff.koolhost.com/pics/TauraColor2.jpg ...
Pistoff
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 02:06:35 AM
IP: ppp119-pm4-coosbay.ucinet.com

Since I am tired, I want to ask this so I can go to bed.

For those of you who know Japanese, WTF is okanamiaki? (I TRIED to spell it. Phonetically it is ACK-a-na-me-ah-key)

I ask this because in Ranma they have said this and they use this nearly interchangably with pizza.
I figure this is NOT an exact translation, but a rough translation for those in America that know squat about Japanese culture.

And what is with the (insert any idea here) Anything Goes Martial Arts Competition?
(Ice skating, okanamiaki cooking, ping pong, takeout delivery, etc.)
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 12:23:42 AM
IP: 64.109.143.22

<Stomps in and slowly beats DC to death with a sledge hammer, pounding on him until his skin is a flaccid bag of crushed bones and watery innards.>

That's for what happened to my old computer. In addition to all the other crap that's been happening to me lately, a few days ago my computer died. Spectacularly. It had been getting worse and worse for the last month or so, and finally got to the point where it would crash if I tried to run *any* program. I knew the end was near, so I started copying my important files to disk as quickly as possible. Of course, the thing crashed several times while I was doing that. I managed to get most of the stuff off the hard drive before it crapped out completely, except for things like the address book. Now I've lost all the email addresses of people I know, and have been able to recall only a few of them from my memory. (By the way, sorry for the long delay to the people I owe replies to--between the computer dying and everything else in my life, I just haven't been able to get to most of the replies.)

Anyhow, the computer got to the point where it would crash even before it finished booting, and finally it wouldn't boot at all. So now it's sitting in a box, waiting for me to remove the parts I'd added to it (I had just bought a 128-MB ram chip for the goddamn thing a day before it croaked). Now I'm typing this on a new computer that I'll probably never be able to finish paying for. The last one I had was the cheapest one I could find, (it was average when I bought it somewhere around two years ago, but that always changes fast), and I had nothing but problems with it for the last year or so. This time I decided that, for once in my life, I was NOT going to settle for a cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel piece of crap that would start falling apart as soon as I unpacked it....

So now I have an HP Pavilion with a 933 MHz processor, 40 GB hard drive, 128 MB of RAM, a CD-ROM drive *and* a CD-RW drive, and a 17-inch monitor. I had to use a credit card because there's no way a guy who makes $500 per month can afford something like this. And the card already had a considerable amount on it from paying for car repairs and such (payments were $200+ per month), and now I'll be lucky if the payments don't double. But what the hell. This is my primary means of keeping in contact with my friends, and it's just about the only chance I have of getting anything published, since I tried the traditional method of mailing manuscripts to magazines for more than ten years and have absolutely dick to show for it....

So, thanks to the increased debt, there's no way in hell I'll be going to the Gathering this year. Which is probably good news for a few people, because it means I won't be verbally abusing them in person. ;) But oh, how I would love an opportunity....

I swear, if I ever earn enough money to pay off my credit cards (and I know there's no chance in hell of that ever happening), I'm gonna cut 'em up and friggin' MELT the pieces.

Well, thanks to various things keeping me out of touch, I've lost track of most of what's been going on in here. But while I'm here, I'll make a few replies and comments...

Lain: Sorry about what's going on with your father. The only advice I can think of is to try to talk things over with him, and maybe you can work something out. Hopefully, he'll at least be willing to talk about things, and listen to what you have to say....

Bonzai kittens investigation: Christ, this it pathetic. Take a good, long look at this, folks--this is our tax dollars at work.

The "killing off characters" topic: I always hate it when characters I like get killed off. But if it's done well--for a damn good reason, other than shock value or an attempt to boost sales or viewership--and it's very dramatic and advances the plot, then I'm okay with it. A good example of this was Marcus's death on Babylon 5--it made sense, it wasn't just tossed in at the last minute, and it was a good, heroic death--not like a character falling down an elevator shaft or some lame crap like that. In my own stories, I tend to be more interested in watching the characters change and grow--and, which seems to go against the majority of opinions I've seen on this, I find it more fun and interesting to write about the heroes in my stories than the villains--though sometimes one character's death makes the rest evolve a little more...but I try to avoid it if possible. ;)

Dividing up the world: I don't really care who gets what, as long as nobody gives me any crap. :P

Grammys: I didn't watch it. I don't care about any of those "artists" like Britteny Spears and N-Sync. The sooner they go away and are never heard from again, the better. :) Though...one thing that annoys me is that one of the people I work with won a trip to the Grammys...all expenses paid...and there I was, stuck working for almost minimum wage, as usual. Grrr. But before she left, she said that she was planning to yell "Hey you guys!" (a "Goonies" reference, I think...not really sure) to her son who was watching at home. My gods...first of all, I doubt her voice could be heard up on stage or picked up by the microphones, and second, she would've been tossed out of there for causing a disturbance. But jeez...she might as well have yelled, "Hey, we're a couple of 'tards from Oregon!"

Kirshanta: Sorry this took so long, but I'm glad to provide a little support. Getting all high and mighty and calling you "Missy"...he was out of line. Period. It's a shame that other people keep patting him on the back and thanking him for "stopping" a situation that was pretty much over when he stepped in, and in fact, he made it worse with his lecture. This kind of thing is what drove me out of this place months ago, and in a way, it's what brought me back, because when I see this happening, I can't remain silent about it anymore. But it's very hard to stomach...

SJ: Yet another Star Trek series? Oh please, no! Well, it could be worse, I suppose--they could start adapting "Dark Passions" ... ;) And what's with that stuff about Battlestar Galactica? Gods, that show was awful the first time around. As for wanting to die in the middle of an orgy...uh, personally, if I were in that situation, I would want to *finish* the orgy before dying. Wouldn't want to go before you come, y'know? ;) And the skycar...I remember seeing bits about that on shows like "Beyond 2000" ten or more years ago. It was originally called the Moller Merlin, I think...

Doug: Going down a black hole wouldn't be the best way to die. ;) It would only appear from the outside that you'd be frozen in place, because of the effect that much gravity has on light. What would actually happen, according to theory, is an effect called "spaghettification"...meaning you'd be crushed infinitely small and stretched infinitely far...and I doubt it would happen quickly. I can think of better ways to go...but y'know, technology is advancing so fast that I wouldn't be surprised if sooner or later enough replacement body parts are available to keep us going indefinitely. ;)

Fire Storm: That "ammo box" CPU... <droooooooool!!!!> :)

And, finally, a little experiment I did. I honestly never thought I would do this, because I've never really been that good at drawing. Most of the time, what I draw is awful. But I finally took a shot at it, on impulse, after a friend and I were talking about putting together a "cheesecake" calendar featuring characters from my fanfics. So I gave it a shot...and the result isn't as awful as I expected it to be. ;) So..click my name to see the first drawing I've done since the last art class I took in high school almost a decade ago... O_o
Pistoff - [pistoff@uci.net]
Wednesday, February 28, 2001 12:17:48 AM
IP: ppp91-pm4-coosbay.ucinet.com

Dang it, forgot the best part...

Coyote> **hugs** ;)
Lady Corax
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 11:52:44 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

SJ> <<Last thing the world needs is more screwed up kids running around, and I certainly don't want to add to the problem.>> Let me just throw in my two cents...I totally, totally agree with your opinion on this one. I am just plain scared to death of ever having children, because I'd either screw up royally or they'd end up like me. ;) Seriously, though, I understand and agree with you on this topic.

Parental Debate> Not *even* getting into this one. Sorry. Unless y'all *really* want me to. :)

Well, just so y'all know, I'm doing much better today. Should be back to normal pretty darn soon, and then I can brag about surviving my first fight. :) Not that it was anything I'd *ever* want to brag about, or even mention ever again. Oh, well.

Take care, everyone, and see ya around!
Lady Corax
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 11:51:49 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

I forgot I wanted to say this.

Jannie: Yes, I see what you are trying to say, and I agree with it. It is often convenient for children to blame their mistakes upon their parents, regardless of whether or not they are correct or it is fair to do so.

I'll give you an example. My sister was a single mother for virtually all of her children's life (they are both just old enough now to move away from home). The reason for this was because she divorced her first husband. I don't want to get started about him. Let's just put it this way--he was of the all-too-common breed of human excrement that thought it was acceptable to, shall we say, "physically educate" a woman. In the years following the divorce, he hardly ever saw his kids...he would frequently say he was going to show up and take them someplace--say to the park, or to a movie, etc.--and just never show, and not even make a phone call. He hardly ever paid child support. So, with that said, who did my niece and nephew blame and lash out at? Yep. My sister, their mother. She was the subject of a lot of displaced anger, and unjustly so. Since then, my niece has "come around" and realized that all of that time was spent being angry at the wrong person. My nephew hasn't quite made the same strides, but he's much better as well. This, I think, is a good example of what you are trying to say. Sometimes it is not the parent's fault, or at least, the parent is doing what they think is the right thing to do, even if it maybe isn't quite the best thing to do.

However, I must say that sometimes you have to call a spade a spade. I love you, but with all due respect, you don't know MY father. Believe me when I say that when I call him an asshole, I am actually showing remarkable restraint on my part. Sometimes a parent is just a BAD parent. Bottom line. I won't go into it, but trust me. I am not blowing smoke up anybody's ass here. Lesser men than me would have probably committe patricide long ago.

I understand what Imzadi is saying. I'll be real and admitt that, after being raised by my father, I honestly don't know if I ever want children. That should tell you what kind of a parent he is, that I would actually have serious doubts as to whether I ever want to produce offspring. I don't ever want to take the risk of screwing up another human being like I've been screwed with. I absolutely know that I would be a better parent, but I still don't want to take that risk. Last thing the world needs is more screwed up kids running around, and I certainly don't want to add to the problem.

So, I do agree with you....but sometimes a parent IS lousy, and there is just no other way to it. Like I said, sometimes a spade is just a spade.
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 11:32:30 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

Imzadi> <<if you can't duct his brains>>: You can. You haven't tried hard enough. Don't ask me how I know.
<<What's Vanilla RP?>>: Vanilla I use to mean standard, unmodified, flavorless. RP just stands for Role Play. You might want to check out the jargon file for other words I might spit out: http://www.science.uva.nl/~mes/jargon/
<<so everyone has a chance to move their files and stuff>>: But my old games will be unplayable. I don't want to have to buy them (again, in some cases).
<<Microsoft, however, will be dissolved as a corporate entity the day I get power>>: Any chance you could spin off the hardware people. Say what you want about everything else they do, but the hardware is nice and solid. On that note, any way you could get Apple to add another button and a wheel on their mice?
<<The problem is that killing large amounts of the population will not go over well>>: Soylent Green doesn't kill anyone. It just gives you a time buffer before things go really bad.
<<but that's still nowhere near fast enough to handle a neural connection>>: I'd be willing to have a character interpreter before it gets transferred. That would cut down on a lot of bandwidth.

Fire Storm> <<I think I just found my next computer case>>: Mine's being detailed. Too bad I don't see my brother more often. I wonder what he's going to do with the rest of the rune and the sky.

Lain> So when are you going to start stalking me?
<<I wrote some to him backwards on a letter interspersed with the actual words I was writing>>: Ever read the letters of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson? He had some funky ways of hiding messages and whatnot in his.

Fire Storm> <<I just hope that I can offer you something some day!>>: Don't worry abou it. It's just some ftping. And I get about 600k/s up and down from Rutgers servers. And besides I have my ways.

Imzadi> <<I just don't feel confident that I'd ever be good parent material>>: Take a look at "scary 1, 1a.jpg" in my directory, and tell me if you think he is good parent material. Side note: That is a picture of my brother and his daughter.

Bloody fingers on a purple knife. Flamingo drinking from a cocktail glass. I do believe it is time for some more moxy. Moxy Früvous, that is. I present Jockey Full of Bourbon.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 11:10:19 PM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

***BUFFY SPOILERS***
Wow.

I think that just about sums up the entire episode. Wow.

If I'm not mistaken, USA today gave this episode a 4 star review. It deserves it. This was maybe the best episode of Buffy ever. Perfect direction. Perfect acting, from Buffy right on down to Anya despairing over what death really is. When Emmy time comes around, the judges sure as hell better be paying attention.

Just an utterly amazing episode. I think Greg's right; silence fits this particular show best.
***END SPOILERS***
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 10:45:17 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

*** BUFFY & ANGEL SPOILERS ***

Don't know what to say about tonight's Buffy episode aside from it was very well done and very well directed. I think silence speaks well for the rest of it.

Angel was a good episode, and a nice follow-up to last week's spectacular episode. I knew Angel wasn't going to becomes Angelus, cause I doubted Darla could make him happy. It isn't sex, but a moment of happiness. Nice to see Angel have an epiphany, and I'm also glad that he's back on the side of light. Nice development in Lindsay, and I hope we see more of Darla and Dru in upcoming episodes.

*** End Spoilers ***
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky - [Madoc55@hotmail.com]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 10:15:12 PM
IP: dialin-1270-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

[HAMPSTERDANCE DISCUSSION]
DAniel Johnson>> <You *wanted* the hampster dance song? Uh, OK> sure I did. it rocks. It's like one of those songs they play at high school dances with the electric slide and th cotton-eyed joe.
Firestorm>><Theres a *CD*?> yep. I know they sell it at my local boscov's... but I don't know where else.
Lynati>><One of these days I have GOT to rollerblade to that song> that is such a good idea. I should try that.

{END HAMPSTERDANCE]



Imzadi>><Whoa...that's early. If I've hit the sack, my body doesn't even function at 5:30AM > I have a bus to suburbia to catch at 7:00. I have no choice in the matter

Warpmind>> <you're okay> just ok? :) I'll take what I can get.

Daphne - [<--click for the hampsterdance]
the suburban bubble
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 09:19:17 PM
IP: 17-034.002.popsite.net

*BUFFY SPOILERS!*

WOW...
The first 20 minutes were emotional as HELL.

The rest... Too 'artsy' in my opinion.

*END SPOILERS!*

More later
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 08:27:35 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

It's happening already... I'm falling behind on reading TGS. Now I've got TWO stories to get to.

This week's "Simpsons" > I thought the "boy band" episode was pretty clever, actually. In fact...

:: sings :: Gnirehtag eht ot og! Gnirehtag eht ot og!

There... let's see if those subliminibible messages (as Dubya calls them) really work. >:)

http://gathering.gargoyles-fans.org/
Patrick Toman - [gathering2001@art-chicks.com]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 08:23:43 PM
IP: ac879d1c.ipt.aol.com

*bows*
allright
I write no more lyrics
sorry
lain
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 07:59:01 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Hey folks. Sorry to be a party pooper and all, but I've received a couple of complaints about the volume increase due to the lyrics postings. Now, as much as I appreciate a good song once in a while, this is too many in one pass.

Unlike Chat Rooms, where the volume gets erased pretty fast, the Comment Room builds up over the week. So please, try to keep the lyrics down some, maybe use some linkage or email instead.

Thank you for your time.
Kaioto - [kaioto@yahoo.com]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 04:48:01 PM
IP: 141.133.147.152

::Struts into the CR, wearing a stylin' pair of Oakley A-frames and singing "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood..." then probably gets beat by everyone else in the CR for singing it::

I think today is the first Berkeley february day that is warm and sunny. It has the most calming effect to live in a city that's almost as depressing as Seattle and wake up to beautiful skies and such. Makes me wish I had some sort of built-in solar panels that could absorb the energy of sunny days...hey, idea for exo-suit...

A pity gargoyles can't walk around on days like this in their normal form (without magical help). I really think the Manhattan clan would get a kick out of it, feeling the sun on their wings. Anyway...

Fire Storm: SWEET idea for a computer case. If I were a PC user, I'd definitely do it. It can probably withstand being dropped if you put some springs on the inside. But since I love macs so much, I'm looking forward to my next computer case just being a 1" thick titaium box with a glowing white apple on top. 8-)

DPH: How much of a player in the game of world domination do you have to be? If I take over the world, are you gonna try to take it from me? Or is there a way (besides giving you the sun) that I could satiate your lust for power?

Jannie: You're confusing my emotions, probably because I'm not very good at explaining them. Forgiving is very hard for me to do, especially in the case of serious wrongs. But that doesn't change the fact that I love my parents very much and think that their efforts to try and fix things are truly wonderful. I guess you could call that forgiveness. But in my eyes, I won't ever forget it, and I will always look back on it with pain and regret. I agree that parents are only human and that they are prone to making mistakes. But this was a huge error on their part, one that everyone around us noticed (but obviously no one mentioned to them). And I don't think I will ever be a parent for a number of reasons. One is that I'm not exactly good people. I have a history of being cruel, heartless, and downright sadistic (that's "history", not "I am"). Any girl who would want to have a child with me would therefore also have to be nuts, and therefore our child would likely be the anti-christ. Barring that scenario, I know that all people try to fix the mistakes of their childhood, and I think the best way for me to do that would be to not have a child at all. I just don't feel confident that I'd ever be good parent material. I'm too critical, both of myself and of others. So I don't think I'll ever see the world through a parent's eyes.
As for the republican comment, I meant those as two seperate thoughts. The recounts actually have nothing to do with me being embarassed about being a republican. I was referring to all the stupid shit Bush is saying right now, and it just kind of came out in the CR as a stream-of-consciousness. Sorry for the confusion.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
-Douglas Adams, "Last Chance To See"

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 04:46:19 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Gside: Again, thanks for your time and files!
I just hope that I can offer you something some day!
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 03:44:53 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Quick note #2: Fire Storm> Thanks again. Ranma episode 7 is now up.
Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 02:33:04 PM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Privileged and Confidential

Dearest [insert my name here],
Just a short note to tell you happy I am that you are my daughter and to confirm how proud I am of all that you have achieved in the past year. Your growth has been phenomenal and I would not change you for any other person in the world.
I know that it has been difficult for you but it would be a pity to throw all your progress out of the window unnecessarily.
You are very special to me and will always occupy a unique place in my heart; I can still remember holding you after you were born and the deep feeling that I had at that time will be with me as long as I live.
Please do not be upset with my relationship with [insert girlfriend's name]; there is no reason to feel any jealousy. No other person will ever occupy the exclusive place in my heart that I reserve solely for you.
You are my daughter, my flesh and blood and, as such, will always have a relationship with me that is inseparable from me. It has been a privilege to have you as a daughter and I have always been proud of you as a person and your achievements.
You have a tremendous potential and, if you apply yourself, your potential is boundless. All that I have ever asked of you is that you do your best in everything that you do. If you follow that simple rule, you will achieve all the goals that you have set for yourself.
I can only wish you the happiness that I found with your mother and I hope to find with [insert girlfriend's name again]. If you are willing to put effort into your relationships with others, you will find life a lot happier and your outlook will change significantly. Give others a chance. If they fail or do not meet your standards, forgive them and try to share your happiness with them; you will both benefit.
I love you in the only way that a father can love a daughter - with all my heart in a deep and non-judgmental way.
Take care and remember, I will always be there for you.
Dad."

I rest my case that he's not a total jerk..
however it doesn't quite remove the pain of the things he says in anger..
nor the fact that I am still chained to this life and contemplate stepping into traffic occasionally when I am having a large moment of irrational impracticality :P
STUFF YER PhD man..
STUFF IT!!
I will believe your touch before I believe your words..

DPH>> that isn't my poetry..
you want my poetry? ask Gunjack.. I wrote some to him backwards on a letter interspersed with the actual words I was writing.. and then drew fish all over it and played with crayons.. and then drew an Angel with a Gun on the back.. and the rest of the letter in orange hilighter and also wrote a babble-page full of everything that poured out of my brain for a half hour or so..
ask him about it sometime, maybe he'll quote some.. ;)

totality.

there's a change brewing here
in this conformity
heavy and humid
and grey

flow from here
oh flow the river running
flow from here
to a new beginning

watch this hesitance
oozing from the pavement
like weeds in the summer

Running down to the water
wash away this paint
before it's all too late
play the reeds through this silence
this fragmentation of love
broken wings of the Word
keeping the spark bright under this ocean
ain't so easy as it looks

flow from here
oh flow the river running
flow from here
to a new beginning
flow through this shell
oh flow like the river running
flow from here
to a new beginning
purify
purify
purify..

-Robin B

wow.. and now I have officially skipped EVERY class today.. yee haw..
and I feel fiiiiine..
I'll go to psych tomorrow though
least I have half a chance of learning something there..
and I ain't callin my dad tonight
and my buddy from Cold Lake hasn't called me
and my "non real" friends on the internet sent me a great whack of mail that I found under my door.. two from Green Baron.. a big box from Lyn.. full of gummy worms and an awesome letter that forced me to tears.. and other stuff.. including an envolope of SAND that had opened and got everywhere but.. oh well.. I ate the reeses cups anyways, even though they were gritty.. ;)
well sorry dad but these not-real friends are the best ones I have ever had.. and I ain't lettin go.. they might not be quite like flesh and blood but I don't care..
*grips*
*feels like rabid wolverine and decides not to grip others, rather waits to see if she will be gripped instead..*
lain
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 02:18:25 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Josh> “About time they finished the damn recounts. Its times like this I'm embarrassed to be a registered republican.”
Why does this make you embarrassed?


Concerning the recount:
The Miami Herald newspaper reported this morning (Feb. 26)
that even if ballots in Miami-Dade county with the slightest
dimple, indentation or "hanging chad" were counted in Al
Gore's favor, George W. Bush still would have won the
election. "Al Gore would have netted no more than 49 votes
if a manual recount of Miami-Dade' ballots had been
completed," concluded public accounting firm BDO Seidman --
a firm hired by the Herald and their parent company, Knight
Ridder to conduct a private recount.

BDO Seidman used the loosest possible standard in their
recount. Any ballot that "bore some kind of marking that
might be interpreted as a vote" for either presidential
candidate was counted.

And Gore still fell short.

In fact, when BDO applied a stricter standard to the recount
(only counting ballots that bore clear marks of a
presidential vote) George W. Bush actually picked up votes
in Miami-Dade.

WARNING - POTIENTIALLY DISAGREEABLE CONTENT:

I know this is not going to be a popular viewpoint, but after reading the “parent bashing” posts, it’s hard for me to just sit still and not say anything.

I am not going to say that whatever problems anyone in here might be having or has had with their parents are not true, but I know from personal experience just how the different POV’s can become – depends on who is telling their sides.
Examples: my daughter, Anna… when she ran away, she took great pleasure and enjoyed the pity & sympathy that she was given when she told her new “friends” of how she was physically abused by her father. For the first week after she ran away she did, in fact, have fingertip bruises underneath her upper left arm…. Why? Because she is a very strong and (at the time, husky) young girl and during the argument that was going on in the neighbor’s yard.. (that she took it to) she attempted to go to another neighbor to plead for assistance. (There was no reason for assistance, we were all just talking, pleading, and arguing) and her dad ran after her, took her arm and brought her back to our yard. She tried to pull away; he tightened his grip around her arm. Being the soft area that it is, it left very light fingertip bruises. THIS was the physical abuse that she claims that he did to her. She didn’t bother to mention this was a one-time episode, that she was causing a very large scene, and that she was the one who created the situation. She also made it sound as if she had suffered years of abuse. Another example….. she told these friends of how much she feared me if she did not make straight A’s in school… She told them that I would beat her within inches of her life if she brought home less than a B. Ummmm… nope. If she brought home a D or an F, she was grounded for 3 weeks until she brought the grades up. Why? She has an IQ of 143 and the only reason she made bad grades was b/c she failed to turn work in on time. She would make 100’s and 90’s on papers but then loose 20-30 points for being late. But, once again, she failed to mention any of that.. just that I became very irrational and mean if she brought home a failing grade. Yes, I became angry with her – but only b/c I knew she could do better and wouldn’t apply herself.
Ok, that’s only 2 examples I’m giving.. there are a lot more. We all slant stories to eliminate as much blame or guilt as possible on ourselves.

I think what made me the saddest was Josh’s post when he said: “ I stood up to my parents for a lot of psychological abuse that they put me through. They were shocked, they cried. They had no idea what they were doing to me or that it had hurt me so much. And that upset them. So it means they really did mean well, they just fucked up. I don't think I can forgive them, but they have made lots of effort to change.”

From what I read… they were not aware that making Josh feels like he did – but once it was brought to their attention, they showed genuine remorse, they’ve tried to correct it and yet he can’t forgive them?? Josh, what is it that you want from them now? Why can’t you forgive them?
Parents are human. There are no perfect parents; there are no sure fire manuals on how to raise a child. Some day you will be a parent and until then, you’ll never be able to understand what it’s like in the shoes of one.
I too had complaints about my parents while I was growing up.. my dad was the topic of many therapy sessions last year, but no matter how bad I felt things were, how unreasonable I felt they were being, I always knew that they loved me and that they were doing what they felt was right for me. Even Anna has come to realize that things and situations that she once thought were barbaric, were actually only to protect her.

Lain> I hope that you can sit down and talk things out with your father. Do it now so that it does not fester into something that one day grows to be too much to handle.

I really have no idea of where I wanted to go with this post. I guess I just wanted to remind people that there are TWO sides to every story and instead of getting into a parent bashing mode, stop a moment and see if you could think of all of the things that your parents have sacrificed for you or have given you… all of the good times instead of just how rotten they are.

Jannie
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 02:13:02 PM
IP: 209-83-228-171.hou.port.mytelco.com

**RP RELATED**
Imzadi - Yep, BFTS RP is my answer to the other RP. BFTS is where the name started, but lately I have entertaining notions of changing the name. Funny you should ask about ITAG. ITAG stands Internation Talented And Gifted. Translation: a whole bunch of 'gifted' individuals. Most members fall under the category of 'mutants'. Of course, there are quite a few part fey members.
**END RP RELATED**

1+1=3

Lost days - Regrettably, once I slept through breakfast on a bus trip. I am convinced I probably have a sleeping disorder because 8 hours of sleep leaves me sleepy. Now, 10 hours of sleep gets me well rested and very sharp.

Imzadi - too late, I already planted a gravity manipulator on an asteroid. I also left holograms of gravity manipulators on other asteroids. I am hedging my bets against a world coup. I have no plans for taking over, but if someone else does, I want to make sure I am a player in the game. Of course, I could send holograms of asteroids about to enter the Earth's oribit to test out defenses.

Lain - Have you collected your poems and tried to get them published for money? You seem to have a real talent for poetry.

**BFTS RP continues**
The telepath and doctor prepare to hook up to some machines in attempt to help DPH.

*Meanwhile*
"You sent Path Finder to find Jason Filler?" asked Daniel Johnson.

"Only in an attempt to help DPH," replied the page.

"Well, according to Plastique, Jason Filler is NOT in our universe," said Daniel Johnson.

"That might explain why Path Finder felt she had multiple directions to go to find Jason Filler," replied the page.

"Which way did she go?" asked Daniel Johnson.

"Toward the middle of the Amazon Rain Forest," replied the page.
**END BFTS RP for now**
Daphne, don't worry about you-know-what-happening YET in the Realm. I think I just provided enough spoilers for upcoming events in the BFTS RP.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 12:37:02 PM
IP: max1-66.cwy.cei.net

Ok... I think I just found my next computer case... A AMMO BOX! Check out my link! (Gunjack... interested? :)

Gside: Thanks! Got it!
Fire Storm - [<---SWEET Computer case!]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 12:22:58 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Quick note: Fire Storm> Episode 6 is now up. My name link should bring you there.
Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 11:51:12 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

surrender then start your engines
you'll know quite soon what my mistake was
for those on horesback or dogsled
you turn off at the bend in the road
I hear she still grants forgiveness
although I willingly forgot her
the offering is molassas and you say
I guess I'm an underwater thing so I
guess I can't take it personally
I guess I'm an underwater thing I'm
liquid running
there's a sea secret in me
and it's plain to see it's rising
but I must be flowing liquid diamonds
calling for my soul
at the corners of the world
I know she's playing poker with the rest of the stragglers
calling for my soul
at the corners of the world
I know she's playing poker
and if your friends don't come back to you
and you know this is madness
a lilac mess in your prom dress
and you say I guess I'm an underwater thing
guess I can't take it personally
I guess I'm an underwater thing I'm
liquid running
there's a sea secret in me
and it's plain to see it's rising
but I must be flowing liquid diamonds
liquid
liquid
liquid diamonds
I curl
I go inside a shell
I see it so
and you're doing oh so well these days
do it again
and I say it's coming back again
something like the
seventh day, such was it
can he bring me those chains?
keep it back
daddy's down
preaching back into himself
oh keep it just between us
it's liquid
liquid
lain
-More Tori
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 10:42:07 AM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

she was a January girl
she never let on how insane it was
in the tiny kinda scary house
by the woods by the woods by the woods by the woods by the woods
by the woods by the woods by the woods by the woods by the woods
black dove black dove
you're not a helicopter
you're not a cop out either
honey black dove black dove
you don't need a spaceship
they don't know you've already lived
on the other side of the galaxy
the other side of the galaxy

she had a January world
so many storms not right some how
how a lion becomes a mouse
by the woods by the woods...

but I have to get to TEXAS
said I have to get to TEXAS
and I'll give away by blue, blue dress

she has a January girl
she never let on how insane it was
in that tiny kinda scary house
by the woods by the woods..
.. black dove..

-tori
lain
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 10:15:23 AM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Josh> Ah. Doug> I half-watched Simpsons while searching web
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
Token sane guy
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 09:25:03 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-129-209.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

IMZADI - Sorry, but I don't want a tropical island either. I'm more at home in a temperate climate. But thanks anyway.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 07:08:24 AM
IP: 216.87.46.67.dialup-stl.primary.net

*Lynati wanders in*

lain: *more hugs for lain* ...Barenaked Ladies AND the Emporer's New Groove? geez.
I still say that you should tell your dad what happened to you...all of it...preferably in a nonchalant manner in front of his new girlfriend, or some other moderately public venue.
Or, barring that, just get a copy of Alanis Morissette's "Perfect" and put it on repeat everytime he is in hearing distance, and see how long it takes for him to realize something is wrong.

"Sometimes is never quite enough
If you are flawless, then you'll win my love
Don't forget to win first place
Don't forget to keep that smile on your face

Be a good boy; try a little harder
You've got to measure up, and make me prouder

How long before you screw it up?
How many times do I have to tell you to hurry up?
With everything that I do for you
The least you can do is keep quiet.

Be a good girl; you've got to try a little harder
That simply wasn't good enough to make us proud.

I'll live through you
I'll make you what I never was
If your the best, then maybe so am I
compared to him; compared to her
I'm doing this for your own damn good
You'll make up for what I blew.
What's the problem?
Why are you crying?

Be a good girl; Push a little farther now
That simply wasn't good enough to make us happy.

We'll love you...just the way you are...if your perfect."


Beth H. : Got 'em. Thank you.

Coyote: awww. Good luck. *attempts to send positive luck vibes*

*flops down next to lain, pondering greyhound bus schedules*
Lynati
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 06:43:15 AM
IP: 207.94.232.54

::Swings open the CR door and walks in, listening to Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory" on a discman and drinking a jolt cola::

Howdy all! I decided to take a break from writing my philosophy paper to post. I'm writing about whether or not a family is morally justified in buying a second television set to shut up their whining kids when they could send the money to charity and pay for a poor child's urgent medical care. I know, it depends. That's what the paper's about 8-)

I saw the most bizarre advertisement today on TV. It was an add for Wisk disks, which for those of you who don't know are laundry detergent that's packed into disks for easy dispensing. About halfway through the commerical, I realized that the voice was KEITH DAVID! What the hell is the voice of Goliath doing on a laundry detergent ad? Can you just imagine a "celebrity endorsement" in the TGS world with Goliath on TV talking about laundry detergent? Cuz that's what came to mind when I heard his voice.

Lain: I have to agree with Sevarius Jr. You deserve to be loved and treated well, just like every other human on this earth. Don't put up with crap, because you don't need or deserve it. Stand up for yourself. I recently had an interesting experience. I stood up to my parents for a lot of psychological abuse that they put me through. They were shocked, they cried. They had no idea what they were doing to me or that it had hurt me so much. And that upset them. So it means they really did mean well, they just fucked up. I don't think I can forgive them, but they have made lots of effort to change. If your dad really is a jerk like Sevarius is suggesting, then he won't care when you stand up to him and you should stop talking to him. If he truly cares about you, then he will try to fix things when you tell him off. ::Offers Lain chocolate:: Always makes me feel better 8-)

Sevarius: About time they finished the damn recounts. Its times like this I'm embarrassed to be a registered republican. Don't worry, I didn't vote for Bush, I voted for Nader. I can't wait for the car of the future. That will have to be the intermediate step while I wait for Gunjack and Fire Storm to finish my flying exo-suit. I wish I had the discipline to be a fighter pilot, because I think flying would be the coolest thing in the world. Oh well.

Gside: <<But that takes all the fun out of it>> but if I do that, then that means that if you can't duct his brains, you should...EWWWWWW!
<<His answer to the vanilla RP>>: Great. What's Vanilla RP?
<<How about you just make them public>>: yeah, I guess I could do that too.
<<How about Windows emulation? I want backwards compatability for my games>>: nope. Don't worry. All games will be made for mac once there's no more windows...at least they will if they want to stay in business 8-). And the windows-gone thing won't be an instantaneous law that takes place the day I get power. I'll take place slowly, so everyone has a chance to move their files and stuff. Microsoft, however, will be dissolved as a corporate entity the day I get power.
<<Soylent Green is always fun>>: I agree, so is Agent Orange. Or Napalm, or C-4. The problem is that killing large amounts of the population will not go over well with the population. Like I said, I'm gonna try to keep everyone happy. Because that's what will keep me in power.
<<You get a statics problem>>: HA HA! ROFL! As a civil engineer, I deal with statics every day so this is doubly funny.
<< Analysis of functions (rootfinding, solving martices...>>: Yup, exactly the same in my MATLAB class.
<<I'm sure we could have a clone or somesuch on hand to make it look like we live there>>: I just wouldn't feel right giving someone control over a country if they weren't willing to live there. Something about it just bothers me.
<<The next iteration is supposed to be quite fast>>: USB 2.0 is supposed to be faster than current firewire, but that's still nowhere near fast enough to handle a neural connection.
<<Blood, mostly (or totally) naked girls, hentai tentacles, large robots, big guns. That, and huge scary eyes>>: Ah, now I see the attraction. But for some reason it still doesn't interest me.

If I can't abuse power, why would I want it?
-Wally, "The 2000 Dilbert Calendar" (sic)

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 03:23:56 AM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Gside: Ok, THAT worked like a charm!
Fire Storm
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 01:45:46 AM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Fire Storm> <<http://eden.rutgers.edu/~gside/temp/
Right?>>: Sorry, it's http://www.eden... I'm pretty sure I said the www part.
Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 01:30:08 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Gside: Nope. Not yet.
http://eden.rutgers.edu/~gside/temp/
Right?
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 01:23:08 AM
IP: 64.109.143.22

New TGS: Nice work once again. More set up for events further in the series.

Imzadi> <<In our programming class, we use MATLAB>>: I have that right now in CS323. Analysis of functions (rootfinding, solving martices...)
<<which is essentially a really big programmable calculator>>: Pretty much what I said, although I said powerful instead of big and graphing instead of programmable.
<<The reason they'd have to live in the country to rule it is a morale thing>>: I'm sure we could have a clone or somesuch on hand to make it look like we live there.
<<there's no way it would be able to handle the bandwidth of a neural connection>>: They're gradualling improving the bandwidth. The next iteration is supposed to be quite fast.
<<You live in NJ?>>: Yup. I post my city and state with every post, and my ip tells you my university.
<<are completely incapable of talking about anything but computers>>: There are things to talk about other than computers?
<<You do not scare me>>: Wait.
<<I hope you're odd though>>: I'd like to think so.
<<Never could understand the attraction>>: Blood, mostly (or totally) naked girls, hentai tentacles, large robots, big guns. That, and huge scary eyes.
<<I think I've got one of those lying around here somewhere>>: Be careful. We just recently cleaned out most of an infestation.

Fire Storm> <<Can't access the files>>: I never said the Rutgers network was good. Get it yet?

Gunjack> <<with a battered fedora perched on his head>>: I'd think a pith helmet would be a bit more appropriate.
<<this post's sole reason for existence is to prove Gside WRONG>>: I knew if I kept at it...
<<Should I even ask?>>: Probably a bad idea. I think "Mr. Hot Pants" was in an episode of DBZ. But that guarantees nothing aobut what I said.
<<could you post that linki again please?>>: In case you forgot it again, narbonic.com
<<I really AM that incompitent>>: This is usually the place where I agree and continue on. I think I'll do it again. Yup, I knew it all along.
<<And if your mental image of me includes a LBD, we'll have words>>: Only if you're a long cool woman. But since you claim you aren't, I don't think we have to worry about that. And you were the one to indicate that you were curvy.
<<but then again, he may be the Antichrist>>: Is not Hell put to use for justice?
<<yes, that DOES qualify as strange>>: I do disagree with you on that point.
<<Remind me to change the locks on my workshop>>: Just put a toy or two on remote guard duty.
<<How can they muck with your genetic code after being fried by a nuke?>>: You'd be surprised.
<<And I'm afraid to ask, but where does this info come from?>>: Personal experience.
<<you only get one try at dying, so why not make it visually appealing>>: And then have your estate sell it as a lost Jackson Pollok.
<<Ruprest! Don't take the cork off the fork!>>: Excues me, may I go to the bathroom? Ahh.
<<What happens when the immovable object meets the irrisistable force?>>: You get a statics problem.
<<Gotta maintain that sweet L337|\|ess>>: Must make sacrifices to the tiny god.
<<The first night, I was awake till 1am>>: That's nothing, but I do hope I will never take another overnight train trip in coach. I want my berth.
<<I ended up next to a friendly chap named (no kidding) Casey Jones>>: ...You better watch your speed. Trouble ahead, trouble behind. Don't you know that notion just crossed my mind... I have no doubt that line and "Does anyone know how the song goes" from John are from actual experience.

Todd Jensen> <<since it isn't where my skills lie>>: Just get connonized where your skills do lie, like me.

Warpmind> <<VERY medieval, I tell you>>: Medieval, I beleve I could handle. I was thinking of checking them out when a review at amazon mentioned a choral-type piece. That, and I like the titles.
<<350 mb>>: I kind of thought so. But then, I'd have to move it over to eden, then use netscape in exceed to put it on myspace. That might be even uglier.

CtB> Good luck finding an alternate source for the money.

Daniel Johnson> Heal quickly.
<<killing lain is Not Allowed>>: Getting back into Kibology?

Lain> Good luck with your continued troubles.

Imzadi> <<used in the "forget" sense rather than the sexual sense>>: But that takes all the fun out of it.
<<What's BFTS>>: Battle for technology saga. His answer to the vanilla RP. ITAG is a group from BFTS.
<<Private schools will be abolished>>: How about you just make them public, keeping the current faculty employed as they are? Sorry, my father teaches at a private school.
<<Windows will be abolished>>: How about Windows emulation? I want backwards compatability for my games.
<<I'll have an economic advisor who will be elected by Econ PhD's from around the world>>: Be careful. We have someone here (temproarialy martally absent) who might claim that position.
<<if we're already past the point of no return, then I'm open to suggestions>>: Soylent Green is always fun.

Sev. Jr.> <<Try the car of the future.....it FLIES!>>: It think I'll wait for It.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 01:11:18 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

<Doug dances back into the room, accompanied by Jammer, Keith, Shap, and Gubio>

Some celebrity news SJ missed- Trey Parker and Matt Stone are still doing their presidential family spoof but Bush's twin daughters will not be portrayed as lesbians nor possibly even featured on the show. However, those of us who still want to see lesbians on network TV need not fear. Sometime this next month a Friends episode will feature Winona Ryder making out with Jennifer Aniston. Heard this on a radio station today, I'm not sure if it's true, but if it is I may actually watch Friends for once. :)

**SPOILERS** Hope you all watched Simpsons last night- it was truly hilarious. Boy bands were spoofed, N'Sync was actually entertaining, and they had some great songs even if they did contain subliminal messages. :) Nice bits from Bart, Lisa, and incidental character LT Smash too (I laughed especially hard at the hippie fantasy). If you didn't see it, you missed one hell of a great show. :) **SPOILERS END**

<Doug and the other guys jump, spin, twirl, leap, backflip, spin again, kick high, and disappear after closing with The Matrix>
Doug
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 12:51:00 AM
IP: pool-63.52.167.62.dlls.grid.net

::perches on lain's shoulder and preens her hair:: I sorry honey. Know you ARE loved by some tho. ::puts wing about her::
Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Earth, Mid-term-ville, HELP!
Monday, February 26, 2001 11:40:29 PM
IP: 207.42.162.179

<sighs> It's been a crazy day. First of all, all of Kit's and my friends who got injured are out of the hospital now bruised and bandaged but recuperating. They'll be fine, nothing was permanent except for a few scars in the case of Tricia and the missing teeth (which are scheduled to be replaced by enamel crowns soon). Thank you all for your prayers concerning them.

Second, at one of the stores today I pissed off a manager by suggesting to a customer that since her car suffered some minor damages (bumper, spoiler, and part of door knocked loose) from being rear-ended by the store forklift, the store might pay for the damage to get fixed and that she should talk to management about this. As a result of my acting with common sense and reasonable fairness, the head manager of that store now does not want me working there anymore. <grimace> Now I can only work the other two stores our company has in town. <sigh> It doesn't matter much anyway. I came to a decision this weekend that as soon as Kit and I get fully moved into our new house (that's going alright btw, we mailed off our first payments today and are getting a washer and dryer moved in tomorrow), I am going to seek employment elsewhere and once I have it quit my security job and work the other job I get full time. I don't know yet if it will be another security job I'll get or what, I'm not even going to start looking until I'm ready- ie we're moved into the house. What happened with the manager today has only small bearing on why I decided to do this- it's more the tedium, low pay, lazy co-workers, hardly-ever-available boss, and other stresses of the job getting to me than anything else. I guess I'm just dissatisfied. Would I work security again if the opportunity looked right? Probably, but it'd have to be with a company that is more established here in Austin and has more reliable people working for it, plus one that pays a little more. Maybe I'll try to go commissioned, work in an armored car- that could be fun. :) Does this affect my decision to be in law enforcement someday? No, not at all. I still respect the APD, regard them as very professional good people, and want to join them at a point in the future. But the job where I am now is not where I want to be once I am settled in my new residence- I know I can do a lot better than it and want to try my best to do just that. :) Warpmind, if you still want to work with PS 2000 when you come here, I can put in a good word, but it probably won't do much as I'll probably be in another position somewhere else by then. It's gonna be another month, maybe two or three, before we fully move into the house, so this decision is not going to take effect for a while. But it is going to happen- that I have decided. No, no one yet knows but me, Kit, and you. Especially not Abel. <grin>

Valentine: Terry Holder is a former officer of our company who I recommended Abel fire after witnessing him pull a knife on some kids smarting off to him after he told them to leave the property for no good reason (they had smarted off to me after I told them to not whizz around the parking lot so fast on their bikes- they could hurt someone. I told Holder to watch them just in case they were trouble, instead he ordered them to leave, then when they wouldn't cussed them out and pulled the knife). I was talking about it in here back in October 2000 when it happened. I have never seen the guy since that night, but some of our night officers now and then report spotting him in the parking lots we work late at night acting crazy, driving in circles, raving about a mission he's on and needing bullets to "shoot dogs." The guy is a psychopath, and Abel didn't spot it until it was too late and then was not able to get rid of him for over a month, not until I spotted him doing something drastic. It is largely because of guys like Holder and other inept officers working for us and never seeming to get the just firing they deserve for whatever reasons that I am going to leave the company within the next few months.

Lain: Best wishes. I too can empathize with you about your father, though I do thank God I don't have similar difficulties with my dad. We're not exactly on the best terms, but we're not spiteful and angry towards each other like you and yours. :( I hope you two can make up someday, though I honestly can't see how that could happen. :( Good luck, I'll keep you in my prayers.
Doug
Monday, February 26, 2001 11:18:38 PM
IP: pool-63.52.167.126.dlls.grid.net

*SJ walks into the CR listening to Blink 182's "Enema of the State" (their only good one)*

Well, the Florida recount is finally over. Not the official one, the other one, the one that the press was doing. Cause they were so sure Al Gore had really won.

Guess what? He didn't. Bush, still the rightful winnah, but then again I've been saying that for months. Let the bitching and moaning begin anew.

Lain: Please don't take the "abused woman" stance on your relationship with your father. The abused woman stance, I'm sure you know, is where the woman still refuses to leave the man or say anything bad about him even though he treats her like garbage. After what you have said, I don't entirely bu y the "but he's not a bad father" rap. He sounds pretty damn insensitive to me. My question is this: was the necklace he gave his girlfriend the exact one that your mother gave to you, or is it an exact replica? Because if it's the same one, something that was a gift to you from your dead mother, and he gave it to his "woman", than that's one of the coldest things I have ever heard.
I'm sorry if I sound bitter, but your father sounds much like my father. I ridicule my older brother, because he always goes "Well, dad really made a lot of mistakes raising me, but I know he meant well." NO, HE DIDN'T. I know my father--he's just an asshole. No "meaning well" about it. And your father, no offense, seems like he's heading down the same road. At the least, he's sounds incredibly insensitive.

But I leave you with a positive note: Welcome to the Future!

Tired of rush-hour traffic? Fed up with Road Rage? Try the car of the future.....it FLIES!!! CLICK MY NAME!!!
Sevarius Jr. - [SevariusJr@excite.com]
Monday, February 26, 2001 11:13:10 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

now my charms are all o'erthrown
and what strength I have's mine own
which is most faint: now tis true
I must be here released by you

but release me from my bands
with the help of your good hands
gentle breath of yours my sails
must fill or else my project fails,

which was to please. now I want
spirits to enforce, art to enchant
and my ending is despair,
unless I be relieved by prayer

which pierces so that it assaults
mercy itself and frees all faults
as you from crimes would pardon'd be
let your indulgence set me free..

-Shakespeare.. or whoever..
lain
Monday, February 26, 2001 10:05:58 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Well, I wasn't going to say anything more tonight, but...

Oh, lain. I... I tried to come up with something comforting and/or witty to say, but I'm at a loss. Maybe tomorrow. Good night, dear friend. *Hugs*
Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Monday, February 26, 2001 09:43:42 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

no, my father isn't horrible.. he just says cruel things sometimes.

the girlfriend is fine, I like her
so is all I have seen of her daughter

in fact I think she's a better daughter than me, she's a physiotherapist you know, has a degree and a house and two jobs..

and what place is it of mine to interfere with my father's girlfriend? I have met her twice.. her daughter once.. she doesn't know me..
if I said anything to her, my father would probably be angry with me for interfering..

if I don't pull good marks this year in school, he WILL disown me..

sure he'd be happier with her daughter than me so *ponders that essay that was due two weeks ago that is still unstarted*

"don't tell me.. we're heading straight for a waterfall"
"yep"
sharp rocks at the bottom?"
"most likely"
"bring it on.."
lain "runaway" iwakura
Monday, February 26, 2001 09:36:39 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Lain: Ah, I see. I'm sorry.

For Firestorm: the world as I see it.

I'd like to take over the world fiscally, but I'm expecting to do it through force. It will probably involve blackmailing and controlling key military officers all over the world. I really think that's the best (if least popular) way to do it.

Heath care: universal full coverage. But we won't be keeping vegetables on life support, hoping that someday they'll either wake up or we'll find a cure. Not exactly compassionate, but its too expensive.
Employment: "It will be the responsibility of this government to find a job for everyone that wants one." Government works programs will abound as public projects such as boosting the internet backbone and earthquake retrofits in California begin.
Education: Free, high quality education through high school. I won't make people go to college. Private schools will be abolished, and all that money will go into the public school system. Teachers will make more than they do now, but they won't be rich. No private universities will be able to charge more for admission than the average in-state public institution.
Research into all fields will continued, funded both privately and publicly, just as they are now.
Infrastructure: see employment.
Business: there will be a crackdown on con artists of various types, and microsoft will be dissolved completely. The entire world will be run on Macs, now that we'll finally have a stable operating system in march. This will have the double advantage of keeping the world on one software standard and giving me a valid excuse to get rid of microsoft. Various UNIX's will still be allowed, as many of them are compatible with MacOS. Sorry if my mac-centric behavior offends people. Windows will be abolished, because it is a security risk (that's why the Army currently uses g4's for its web servers).
Crime: I'm in favor of the death penalty and fewer appeals, along with stricter penalties for smaller crimes. If we shoot every jay-walker, then not only will there be a lot less traffic (especially in Berkeley and NYC), but there will be much fewer people committing more serious crimes. I'm not saying I advocate the death penalty to jay-walkers, but just gives you an idea of my train of thinking.
Drugs: not really sure what to do. I know I want pot to be legalized, and I want the chair for anyone who kills someone while drunk driving (no, I've never lost anyone to this horrible death). I'd like to ban smoking indoors for the entire planet, as well as places where kids are important, like Disneyland. I mean, come on. No one should smoke at disneyland! But I'm not sure about legal ages yet for drinking or smoking. As for the harder drugs, no ideas yet, but I'm open to suggestions.
Citizen-owned weaponry: absolutely NOT. Despite people's interpretation of the constitution, people do not have the right to bear arms even to do defend themselves. They have the right to bear arms to form a militia (which also won't be happening once I take over). So guns in the hands of the public are out. I'd prefer to say the same about blades, but I really can't restrict that. I mean, how could I have someone arrested for bringing a kitchen knife set to their mother's? I might want to put a restriction like they have at airports, nothing over 3" in public.
How am I going to pay for all of this? Taxes will be on an increasing scale, up to a maximum of 50%. But to raise extra money, I'll be taking everything over a million a year. So if you make 2 million a year, you'll see 500,000. People just don't need more than that. Taking billions from people like Bill Gates and Larry Ellison will fund all that crap. Also, there will be much less government bullsh*t spending. I'll decide what is "bullsh*t spending", but for example I'm not going to pay beauracrats what they make now. Public service should be its own reward.

Military power: I don't know the current US budget, so I can't compare. What I will say is that the police will become a branch of the military, probably being incorporated into the "national" guard. Service will be optional, and officers in the cities will be limited to non-lethal ordinance (non-lethal doesn't mean painless, though!). Research into space travel will continue, and space defense budget will probably increase, while sea and land budgets will decrease. I don't really see the need for tanks and subs in a world that is unified, but the threat from alien attack requires space budgeting (I am assuming that aliens exist even if they haven't been found by the time I gain power). Speed traps will be abolished. Don't be an @$$hole on the road and you won't get a ticket.

I will rule on the advice of a council of my friends and specialists. I know that it sounds scary, but trust me when I say that my friends are, for the most part, nothing like me. They have no designs on world power as long as I give them a little country to rule. I won't answer to anyone. The specialists will be elected by other experts in their fields. For instance, I'll have an economic advisor who will be elected by Econ PhD's from around the world (popular vote). The reason my friends are involved in the council will be to help me with moral/ethical decisions (because I'm not very good at them and may do something stupid in a fit of anger). My friends are appointed, obviously. And no family members will be allowed in government, lest they try to guilt trip me into doing something stupid.

The people I put in charge of countries can rule anyway they want, I suppose. But they cannot be removed from power except by my will (if my entire council says to get rid of them, I'll consider it). And they answer to me. Its not much good putting my friends in power if they won't help further my goals. Besides, most of my friends have morals and might try to overthow me, so I've got to keep that in check somehow. I will try to keep the population of earth happy, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Scenario 1: Try to address their concerns. However, if I can't do that, kill them. I mean, I'd like to make everyone happy with me ruling the world. But if they're only demand is that I get my ass into a grave, then I'm going to have to eliminate them with extreme prejudice.

Scenario 2: First, the people I put in charge of countries will have very little control over any military that is stationed in their country. The military answers to me. Second, there will be an even distrubition per capita of resources as the entire world is brought to the same technological, health, and social levels. However, assuming those two things didn't happen, I'd have them removed from power. By force, if necessary.

Scenario 3: There will be a tax on families that have more than two children. A high one. This will help keep the population down (I jacked this idea from China). Now, if we're already past the point of no return, then I'm open to suggestions.

When hinges creek in doorless chambers and strange frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candle lights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight.
-Ghost Host, Disneyland
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Monday, February 26, 2001 09:33:53 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

lain: Well now ... that's quite an unexpected turn of events there ...

I don't know for sure, but I'm inclined to agree with Josh and GXB here ... your father sounds like a selfish, horrible person judging by your description of those events. Sounds a lot to me like he's placing a lot of misplaced blame on you for your mother's passing, and that's just not right. If he were willing to listen to you, you could probably tell him this. But it sounds like he's far beyond the point of listening to you at all.

I tell you one thing ... if it were me in your shoes, and he eventually decided he was going to do something drastic to prove a point and disowned you ... I'd be right in his face, telling him that after the way he's treated you, he has absolutely no right to even consider you his to disown.

A question, though ... besides what you've posted, what is your impression of the girlfriend? Or the daughter? If you could talk to either one of them and tell them what's been happening, could either one of them (in particular the girlfriend) be able to convince your father that he needs help and shouldn't project misplaced blame for your mother upon you? If you told them *exactly what you've told us,* would that help?

Just curious.
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Monday, February 26, 2001 09:21:25 PM
IP: 216.28.101.143

Imzy>> no divorce.. my mother died in my arms last year of cancer..
they were actually the only parents I knew who didn't divorce.

he loved my mum very much.. stayed by her, even gave her all the morphine injections by himself.. drove her to the hospital over and over..

he thinks he is such a saint.. he doesn't even know about Mr dude and my baby yet.. yeah tough guy.. you just be the hero eh?
*sighs*

no, I'm not angry or really depressed..
just tired
and missing my family..
lain
Monday, February 26, 2001 08:52:19 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Lain> I am truly sorry to hear about your problems with your father. I understand it perfectly as my father and I are no longer speaking. I don't like to see anyone having parental difficulties, so I hope you two can work things out.
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky - [Madoc55@hotmail.com]
Monday, February 26, 2001 08:50:01 PM
IP: dialin-760-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

::Puts in a Blink 182's "Dude Ranch" CD (their only good one) and sits down for some R&R::

Ever get that feeling where you walk out of an exam knowing that you bent it over and shoved your foot in its @$$? That's the feeling I have right now. My programming midterm was a piece of cake. I hope the next one is just like it. Now all I have to do is figure out how to do this programming project where I model heat transfer in a cooling fin. Sounds like fun, huh? This is why I'm having someone ELSE design my exo-suit. 8-)

BTW, I decided not to kill Lain, so you can all stop telling me not to.

Responses: I'll just start at whomever posted after me and work my way to the top. Sorry about my double post last night, I accidently double-clicked the submit button.

Fire Storm: Ask Jeeves about EKG's. Maxim magazine said its the best search engine, though they didn't compare it to google, which is also pretty cool. And if Maxim said it, it must be true.

Gunjack: That has got to be the best "travel nightmare" story I've ever heard. The thought of mixing gatorade and honey makes my stomach churn, and I think soda is a food group! Why do you do this every year?
<<Some of us need the cash for guns and gear>> I have to agree with you. It may not buy happiness, but it gets pretty damn close. I mean, I'd be pretty happy with lots of cash to blow on a cool house, car, computer, exo-suit, etc. And if I were rich, I'd have plenty of time to look for the kinds of happiness that money can't buy, like love. So it seems like, directly or indirectly, money gets the job done. But please tell me you don't refer to yourself as a L337 H4><0R...cuz then I'd have to laugh at you.
<<I can feel my brain coming apart at the seams>>As an engineer with camp counselor experience, I am obligated to tell you that duct tape can probabaly be used to hold your brains together. "Cuz if you can't duct it, f*ck it!" fsck used in the "forget" sense rather than the sexual sense.

Todd: Sorry you don't want a piece of the world. Makes my job a little easier. But if you'd like your own deserted tropical island (no administration required), let me know.

Lynati: <<I be one who needs a ride>> no problem.

****** TGS SPOILERS********
James: of course Goliath was fine. They can't really kill him, now, can they?

Ed: The one o'clock thing was hysterical! It was a set up joke for the audience as Owen tried to "save" Brooklyn and family from having to endure the doctor's discovery of the magical radiation.
******* END SPOILERS*******

DPH: What's BFTS and ITAG? And I am NOT COOL with you have a gravity manipulator in an asteroid belt (not nearly as dumb as I look on my website!)! Besides, Lain made no attempt to move when I was aiming at her, so unless you teleported her and neglected to mention it, Lain would be exactly where she was when I took aim. Your holograms, while interesting, didn't change things. Thank you for playing (and don't worry, Lain is quite alive).

Fire Storm again: I'll do another post specifically devoted to your questions about my domination. No idea how big the particle accelerator is. See if there's a website for LBL (Lawrence-Berkeley Labs).

Coyote: Bummer about Gathering. Hope you can find a way. Personally, I prefer the line from Nine Inch Nails: The sky cracks open and god himself will reach is f*cking arm through, just to push you down.

Lain: Sucks about your dad. What a bastard. How dare he say that about you? You are his daughter, for christ's sake. Every day I become more glad that my parents are alive, well, and happy together, so I don't know much about divorce and new girlfriends, but I did to deal with a lot of psychological abuse from them. Still do, I guess. So I feel some of your pain. And it sucks. Great Barenaked Ladies song...
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Monday, February 26, 2001 08:44:42 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

if I were you
(and I wish that I were you)
all the things I'd do
to make myself turn blue
I suppose I'd start by removing all my clothes
tie my pantyhose
around my neck
I'll be that girl
and you would be right over
if I was a field
you would be in clover
if I were the sun
you would be in shadow
and if I had a gun
there'd be no tomorrow

if you will not have me as myself
perhaps as someone else
perhaps as you
I'll be worth noticing..

I'll be that girl
and you would be right over
if I was a field
you would be in clover
if I were the sun
you would be in shadow
and if I had a gun
there'd be no tomorrow
there'd be no tomorrow
there'd be no tomorrow..
lain
Monday, February 26, 2001 08:12:07 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

*lain drags self wearily in*
hey all..
I am feeling sicky-poo and jetlaaaaaagged still and wimpily tired and weak and like one of those sticky hand-toys you used to get in cereal boxes that got accidentally stuck to the side of a schoolbus for seven years..

first off.. my father's girlfriend is driving me up the wall.. or rather.. my father's actions regarding her are driving me up the wall..
a few weeks ago there was the "I hope you don't mind.. I stayed at her house last night.. [insert long telephone conversation pause with deafening silence]" which left me.. well.. silent..
then on holiday.. he refused to tell my mother's mum that he was seeing anyone and instructed me not to mention it on pain of death but then proceeded to write a great many emails to.. "work" in front of her that *I* knew were not work related at all but.. Gran is a trusting soul.. "Ive just got to send this email off to work now.." yeah.. riiiiight...
then the last day, as we are driving out of the laneway to go back home he says, brilliantly, "well that's THAT over with" like.. is that the best you can do? the nicest thing you can say?? cos it sure wasn't what I wanted to hear as I was waving my grandmother goodbye for what will probably be the last time I see her alive ever again..
then what the next day when we get home?? Dinner at the girlfriend's house.. with her daughter.. and he lectures me for an hour in the car that I have to be nice and get along with her because if I dont [insert threat of choice]..
like.. I am going to be mean just for spite?? what?? do I look like I would do that??
and at the door.. I see she is wearing this necklace.. egyptian cartouche.. I read "I love you" on it.. and I get this dizzying flash and KNOW INSTANTLY that he has given it to her.. and I am sad because it is the same nacklace my mother gave to me two years ago for Christmas.. and now he has given it to her..
so I play "happy daughter" for three and a half hours and then we leave to go back to school. In the car, I try explaining to him that I am not happy here at school, I hate the classes, I am bored to tears, have not learned hardly a thing in all the time I have been here.. and his answer is that "you only get out what you put in".. gee dad.. THAT was helpful.. show me where the jar is and I'll give it all.. And I don't like the people here and am tired and lonely and secluded and unhappy.. so what does he say?? that I am "the most selfish little bitch he has ever known" and "he is not going to let me ruin his life" and "do you know how much I would rather be holding [insert girlfriend's name] in my arms in front of a nice warm fire with my bloodpressure down than I am sitting here driving you back to school?"
"I used to think I was self centered but I don't hold a candle to you"
I wonder does he practice and save up all the meanest things he can think of just so he can say them at the exact worst times??
"no you have no idea what I went through with your mother and I know you're too selfish to ever do that for anyone"
geez, does he even open his eyes?
"so dad.. you think if you were sick I wouldn't do the same for you?"
"I know you wouldn't"
"well jeez dad, you obviously don't even know me at all, so don't you dare claim you know what I would or wouldn't do for ANYONE"
".."

I wonder when he died too, or if I was just too much of a selfish life-ruining bitch to notice that I appear to be the only family I have..
lain "sailing off the ecge of the world" iwakura
Monday, February 26, 2001 08:11:09 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

I seem to be coming down with something again. I was hoping to get caught up, but I don't have the energy to write a big post.

Kit:
Oh, my. I hope your friends' recovery is quick.
----
Imzy:
While I do respect you as a fellow Mac user, I hope you now realize that killing lain is Not Allowed. However, killing Warpmind is Allowed if he continues with the dreadful puns. >:)

Sorry, but I don't have the energy for any more right now.
Daniel "Is it farther to New York or by bus?" Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Monday, February 26, 2001 07:27:03 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

DERN LOT BOYS!

Ok, ok... so it collapses ALL spaces!
Fire Storm
Monday, February 26, 2001 07:26:32 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Ok... That looked like crap. Here it is PROPERLY formated!

(Mainly for Imzadi and Wilek)

A few questions for you:
Do you plan on taking over the world through:
A. Force
B. Diplomacy
C. Fiscially (AKA MicroSoft)
D. Other (Please Specify)

So... once you take over the world, then what?
1. What is your plan for the human populace? What will you do about:
. A. Health Care?
. B. Enployment?
. C. Education?
. 1. Child education (Up to junior high/middle school)
. 2. Teen education (High School/College)
. 3. Adult education (Continuing education)
. 4. Research
. D. Infrastructure (Roads, telecommunications, public transit, etc)?
. E. Business?
. F. Crime?
. 1. Drugs?
. 2. Citizen owned weaponry?

2. What kind of military power will you keep?
. A. What level of military spending for: (compare to US military budget)
. 1. Land?
. 2. Sea?
. 3. Air?
. 4. Space?
. 5. Unspecified military service (please list)
. B. How will you staff the military? Will service be:
. 1. Mandatory military servive?
. 2. Optional Military service?
. 3. No military, only police, heavily armed
. 4. No military, only police, lightly armed
. 5. No military, only police, unarmed
. 6. No military, no police

3. How will you rule? (Absolute Monarchy/dictatorship is assumed)
. A. Advice of a single advisor?
. B. A council of advisors?
. C. Parlamentary/Senate?
. D. Will you have to anwser to anyone?
. E. Are your councils/Senate/ETC democratically elected or by your appointment?

4. How will the people you promised countries to be allowed to rule? (See above for some options)
. A. They anwser to you
. B. They anwser to no one
. C. They anwser to the people (elections)

Senario: There is growing opposition to you. People are starting to protest. You (or your advisors) catch wind of a coup growing and will probally attempt to overthrow you in a matter of weeks. How do you prevent this?

Senario: One of the people you appointed to rule a country is increasing his military power in an attempt to take over one of his neighboring country to claim their vast natural resources. What do you do?

Senario: The planets population is growing too large for the planet to survive. What do you do?

Please, anwser honestly.
Fire Storm
Monday, February 26, 2001 07:25:48 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

**enters looking haggard**

You know the old expression, "the further you leave your feet, the harder God kicks you in the butt to knock you back down?" (or is that an old expression in my mind alone ...?)
Anyway, right now my Gathering trip for this year is in *serious* jeopardy. The reason, you ask? My own stupidity. My *entire tax return*, which I was planning to use toward my trip, instead wound up being credited toward a huge amount of student loans that are long overdue.
Now I wouldn't have been so angry about it, if it hadn't been for that I had plans for the money, and *needed* it for more than just my trip (it was also going to go toward paying for repairs on my car, which I need so that I can get to work, but apparently the Government doesn't see it that way ... ).
**sigh** And I was having such a good day, too ... this was enough to wreck it ... hell, this was enough to wreck my *whole* *year.*
So if you don't see me in LA ... you'll know why. :(

**trudges out, hopefully to post later in the evening**
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Monday, February 26, 2001 07:16:52 PM
IP: 216.28.101.143

Jaden: And you went into the military WHY again?

Kaioto: <now the I vacuum the turf at Sky Dome>
:)

Imzadi: <But we're going to small and sleek here>
Oddly enough (and against my will) I was up half the night figuring this out.
Even odder, I think I am on to something. GIVEN the idea for 1500lbs lifting strength will take a minimum of 1" extended from your skin (superstructure), but this gives pleanty of room for the anti-kenitic armor.
<There's a particle accelerator that's smaller than a stadium here at UC Berkeley, but unfortunately its built into the hillside>
How big the the diamater? (Any idea?)

A few questions for you:
Do you plan on taking over the world through:
A. Force
B. Diplomacy
C. Fiscially (AKA MicroSoft)
D. Other (Please Specify)

So... once you take over the world, then what?
1. What is your plan for the human populace? What will you do about:
A. Health Care?
B. Enployment?
C. Education?
1. Child education (Up to junior high/middle school)
2. Teen education (High School/College)
3. Adult education (Continuing education)
4. Research
D. Infrastructure (Roads, telecommunications, public transit, etc)?
E. Business?
F. Crime?
1. Drugs?
2. Citizen owned weaponry?
2. What kind of military power will you keep?
A. What level of military spending for: (compare to US military budget)
1. Land?
2. Sea?
3. Air?
4. Space?
5. Unspecified military service (please list)
B. How will you staff the military? Will service be:
1. Mandatory military servive?
2. Optional Military service?
3. No military, only police, heavily armed
4. No military, only police, lightly armed
5. No military, only police, unarmed
6. No military, no police
3. How will you rule? (Absolute Monarchy/dictatorship is assumed)
A. Advice of a single advisor?
B. A council of advisors?
C. Parlamentary/Senate?
D. Will you have to anwser to anyone?
E. Are your councils/Senate/ETC democratically elected or by your appointment?
4. How will the people you promised countries to be allowed to rule? (See above for some options)
A. They anwser to you
B. They anwser to no one
C. They anwser to the people (elections)

Senario: There is growing opposition to you. People are starting to protest. You (or your advisors) catch wind of a coup growing and will probally attempt to overthrow you in a matter of weeks. How do you prevent this?

Senario: One of the people you appointed to rule a country is increasing his military power in an attempt to take over one of his neighboring country to claim their vast natural resources. What do you do?

Senario: The planets population is growing too large for the planet to survive. What do you do?

Please, anwser honestly.


Gside: <So? Wouldn't it be worth it?>
DEfinately!
<Wait, how much space does a basic myspace account hold?>
350 mb

*TGS SPOILERS!*

Looks like the plotline of this season is really starting to pick up! It definately looks like Thailog is the seasons number 1 villian

*END SPOILERS!*

Todd: <You'll forgive me if I decide to keep out of the "dividing up the Earth" business>
You can be the voice of reason here.

Gunjack: <Project Pitman>
Any idea where I can find info on that?
<synthetic muscle>
What is the base material of this? NiTol?
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Monday, February 26, 2001 05:53:12 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Lynati>sent 'em. :)
Beth H.
Monday, February 26, 2001 05:28:21 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

*Warpmind enters, looking disgustingly happy.*
Ahhh... mixed myself an Irish Coffee today, after a long hiatus in that respect... there's something really special about sitting down in a relaxed position, a plushie white tiger beside you, an Irish Coffee and a bag of Hershey's Kisses on the table, and a book in the Callahan's continuum in your hands... *Sigh* I fear Gunjack Valentine will never forgive Lynati for giving me those two books... ];)

Daniel Johnson: No, that wasn't awful for me... For you, maybe, but I enjoyed it immensely. ];) As for me rubbing off on Lynati... well, let's just say that this is just the hors d'eouvres (How in the world are you supposed to spell that, anyway?) as far as rubbing is concerned... G'01 will be a holy (or unholy, depending on perspective) terror for those who might get caught in the rubbing. ];)

DPH: I am strictly pro a singular, efficient government. As I suspect Wilek is. After all, it's his project... ];) As for taking over the sun, I doubt it. You'd have to ask him.

Daphne: You wouldn't? Aw, there my respect for you just dropped a couple notches. ];) (Just kidding - you're okay.)

Imzadi: I cannot explain what the Illuminati diverted attention from with the Clinton scandal. You're not cleared for that. ];) As for the Nereus Project, ask Wilek. He's the Top... Creature.

Lady Corax: Aw, been in a fight? :( Get better, soon. (Speaking from experience, while any physical injuries don't always leave scars, there are the mental ones... and they can't be surgically corrected.) I agree - everyone ought to learn basic self defense. Heck, if everyone learned true Martial Arts, everyone'd be following the philosophies behind them, and nobody'd be picking fights anymore... So... out of sheer morbid curiosity, what happened? (And what happened to your assailant?)

Kit/Doug: OWIE! That must have been one heckuva ruckus... Good thing Stephanie got away reasonably unharmed, as well as the baby... Hope the others make it without permanent damages... And a big cheer for Keith, Jammer, Shap, Shauna and Tricia for risking themselves to aid a pregnant woman... And jerks tend to pick the mouth because it's an easy target, as well as demoralizing. (And just in case you wondered, no, hearing of this incident has not affected my decision.)

SJ: So, you're the big, sturdy kinda fella, eh? I dunno - the lighter ones are much more fun watching in a fight; they bounce. ];) (No, really, we do...) As for your "Reeducation of the Masses" deal... I read that as "Reduction of the Masses". Coincidence? ];)

Gunjack Valentine: Devilspawn? Me? *Innocent look* Little ol' me? How can you SAY such a thing? You've gone off and hurt my feelings here! *Sob* That does it, you're REALLY in for a verbal beating now... ];) (In case somebody didn't get it, this little part of today's post is to be read with a fair concept of what the word "sarcasm" means.) ];)

Gside: Ah... I see. Well, there's only one thing to do, then... turn you on to such quality metal such as Manowar makes (or have they retired? Must check...), examples being "Black Wind, Fire And Steel", "The Gods Made Heavy Metal", "The Warrior's Prayer" and so on... VERY medieval, I tell you... :)

Gunjack Valentine: *Grimace* Well, whoever said the gangs got those weapons legally? My guess is that they raided police and/or military armories... sure as Heck wouldn't surprise me... :(

Conspiracy Theorist: Ah, yes, the Illuminati is an interesting society indeed. Heck, if I found the time and opportunity, I'd probably delve into the mysteries there, too. As it is, I stick around in the "Fiction" segment as far as it's concerned. However, you might want to pump a guy named Tim Morgan for information... ];) (Christine's husband.) Personally, I lean to the opinion that the Illuminati Society's objective isn't power, but knowledge is the objective, control the means with which to attain it. Thus they constantly run various sociological tests around the globe. That is the only way I'm able to explain the state of Norway (pun intended) as it is today... As for the origin of the Illuminati, well... I kinda lean toward the theory that they've been around since the dawn of time, give or take a decade... I'm fairly sure they were involved in founding the Vatican, and the Roman Empire, and so on, and so forth, yadayadayada...

Lynati: Lost days? *Raises hands* Been there, done that. Worst event was going to sleep one evening (after a LONG continuous wake) and not waking up until about 40 hours later... Strange thing, I didn't sit comfortlably for some time afterwards, either... ;) (The last bit was a joke.)

Well, that's about it. I oughtta get to reading the latest TGS ep... but I'll hafta wait... I'll do it later this week, sometime... :|
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Monday, February 26, 2001 01:09:08 PM
IP: mp-217-200-176.daxnet.no

GARGOYLES: 'THROUGH THE STORM'

***Comments and spoilers***

I'm afraid I don't have time to do a longer review this time. Basically, the episode was fairly enjoyable but didn't do anything special IMHO.

Gray's development might have seemed less forced had it been hinted at over several episodes rather than forced in our faces for this one. Her motives appear mysterious but nothing really fascinates in her actions. The Thailog plot wasn’t exactly the genius Machiavellian scrape I might have hoped for, and in the battle itself I find it doubtful that Angela the twenty-something trainee witch can use spells without any magical conduit, whilst the dear old Archmage had to rely on the Grimorum. The strands of the story lacked cohesion: Broadway’s arrival simply – it seems – for the sake of resolving the loose end left by ‘TRANSITIONS’; the one o’clock thing (what was all that about?); and the tenuous link between Gray’s plot and Coldsteel. I think the story tried to deal with vulnerability and mortality but it didn’t seem a very comprehensive study. The running battle wore thin. The fleshing out of Coldsteel and Gray was welcome, and whilst a name for Matt’s replacement would have been appreciated, hopefully this rather stereotypical gargoyle-hater will have his character slowly built. No fallout to last week’s Demona turnout: instead we were given to understand that some time had passed with Thailog in charge of Nightstone, which seems a missed opportunity in my opinion. Speaking of missed opportunities, the most interesting bit for me was where Coldsteel abandoned the clan to the mercy of the cops – shame that ended in the standard darn-it-they-got-away scenario. And lastly, Fergus – seems he’s got a secret (an Unseelie in hiding perhaps), but being Dominique’s number 2 at Nightstone doesn’t seem a great way to keep inconspicuous.

The writing was good although some of the battle scenes lacked vigour somehow. The art was outstanding, as was the colouring. It was a nice read, but didn’t do anything that daring or gripping.
Ed - [ed.reynolds@virgin.net]
London, England
Monday, February 26, 2001 12:25:32 PM
IP: ac81fb37.ipt.aol.com

Haha. I was just thinking about helping colonize a planet in another Solar System. Yep, free airfare included. No comment about what the catch would be, though.

Conspiracy theorist - You say you need a place to hide. If you trust me, I will give you a device to get you back and forth to a place where the Clinton's hitmen and the Illumaniti can't get to you easily.

Imzadi - Taking me out would be difficult, at best. I have quite a few hologram projectors at my disposal so you would never know shot the real me or a hologram. On top of that, I have this cool power of creating portals to virtually anywhere, thus preventing me from being cornered. I'll settle for the magma core of the Earth. You see my point. Controlling the Earth is not as important as others things like sunlight, heat, etc. I'll just settle for owning the entire asteroid belt. Where did I leave my artificial gravity manipulator? No comment why I am looking for that device. Let's see I need to protect Lain. **Holograms of Lain show up all around the world.** Good luck in finding the real one now.

**BFTS RP continues**
"But Lunatic and Lunacy were headmaster transformers. They are entirely diffirent," said the doctor.

"Yes, but they both had problems controlling too many vehicles at once. I'm betting that is similiar to what caused DPH's problem," replied the telepath.

*Debriefing of Plastique Saber*
"ok, Jason Filler know has the powers of Mr. Connect, right?" asked the Page.

"Of course," replied Plastique.

"And where is Jason Filler," asked the Page.

"In another universe, according to DPH," replied Plastique.

"DPH was not conscious when Jason last left. How do you know?" asked the Page.

"That's where DPH said Jason went to last time," replied Plastique.
**END BFTS RP for now**
Will ITAG be able to awaken DPH?

DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Monday, February 26, 2001 11:22:49 AM
IP: max1-19.cwy.cei.net

Okay episode read. **SPOILER** Goliath was shot straight in chest twice and yet he was the least harmed when the battle was done o_o **END SPOILER**
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Monday, February 26, 2001 11:21:29 AM
IP: h2odam.sdccd.cc.ca.us

Josh> A deserted extra small one of Hawaii or Japan please. There is probably least one of them around ever since the Dark Agency fell. Poor Danburite (shrug) Conspiracy Theorist> yep the camera got the whole scene (nod and keeps rolling just in case you have more to say) New episode of TGS> gonna read it now boys and girls :)
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
Token sane guy
Monday, February 26, 2001 10:38:53 AM
IP: h2odam.sdccd.cc.ca.us

::looks over at Lynati:: I don't know that i've lost a day... but i'd like to lose a couple of managers if anyone is having violent tendencies and wants to drift into Virginia, USA.

Anyone else in here stuck with a retarted job working in the restaurnat business? ::grumbles and sulks next to Archwolf:: I hate my job... it's starting to kill my grades...

::shuts up and ends rant::

On happier note, I can bother people now! ::grins:: I have no life, and hen i'm doing HW on my comp I can now pester anyone that's willing to talk to me in IM. I'm in Yahoo as svc_lady, AIM as...hmm... lotsa things... try FrozenInFlame for now... and hotmail/MSN as ladynewill2u@hotmail.

TALK TO ME PLEASE! ::smiles:: I'm really not half as sane as I seem.

anyway.. i'm off to try and find the elusive things called sleep.

Later people.
Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Hades, a lil warmer, imagination
Monday, February 26, 2001 10:08:32 AM
IP: 207.42.162.186

*Lynati enters, looking mildly perturbed*

oookay...has anyone else here ever lost a day? I know someone here slept through a friend of their's trip to New York...I think I just did the equivalent at least. (from where I live on the coast, it's only about a 3 hour train ride to NY...so, six hours up and back....?)
See, I am right at the threshold of getting sick.
That is my only way of reasoning out the fact that I slept for 21 hours yesterday. went to bed at 4 am...got up for about 15 minutes to eat at noon...went back to bed...slept through dinner...slept...slept...finally got up a little after 1 am. Then I lurk through here, several hours too late to keep lain from getting shot at. And those nasty customs people ransacked my gift to her...turns out that my sand/reeses pieces gag a while back was an omen. :|

*sends prayers out to all those injured in the riots*
...it's things like that that keep me from paying much attention to the RL. Everytime I decide to take a chance and look around, something horrible has happened that I can't help with in any way.

Imzadi: If there truly be no shuttles at G'01, then I be one who needs a ride.

Daphne: <hampsterdance> yaaay!! ...it only took me three tries. :) One of these days I have GOT to rollerblade to that song.

Beth H. (the former Mary Flanders) : *raises hand* I would like to see your fics.

DPH: I don't know how well it applies to in this current calling; but I did "call" ALL the moons in this solar system about 4 1/2 years ago.
...don't mind sharing out, though.

Daniel Johnson: heh heh. Blame Valentine for the egrets. He's the one who gave me a straitline I couldn't refuse.
Look, I'll show you:
***
Valentine says:
the street is submerged. sisn't know it was raining THAT hard...we'll have the pond refilled in no time! maybe we'll get more egrets...
Lynati says:
cool.
Lynati says:
I have no egrets.
Valentine says:
and hopefully, my comp won't get zapped by a power surge.
Valentine says:
...
Lynati says:
heh heh heh.
Valentine says:
*DIES laughing*
***
Gunjack: oooh!! cybercookies!! *snatches up tray*..incidently, since when is "sisn't" an synonym for "didn't' ??

I will give half of my newly acquired cybercookies to anyone who can name the song that this is from:

"This is the story of how we begin to remember;
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein.
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rythym and the roots of rythym remain..."

*Lynati Exits*
Lynati - [Lynati_1@hotmail.com]
Monday, February 26, 2001 09:06:48 AM
IP: 205.184.255.93

Dang Yahoo... My e-mail address won't work so I had to get a new one. Stupid, stupid Yahoo...

I also found a site, 'Animated Dreams", that analyzes cartoons and reviews them. Well, the webmaster reviewed Gargoyles and it was listed under the 'Timeless' page. Yay! Anyways, the link is http://www.crosswinds.net/~animateddreams/index.html or you can just click on my name.

Kit><I'm sorry to hear that this happened. I don't know you very well yet, or anyone else here for that matter, but I hope that your friends have a speedy recovery and that things go okay in the end. Be happy, it could've been much worse. =)

Lady Corax><Self defense is something everyone should learn. I unfortunately learned it the hard way, but {hopefully} most people won't have to. I hope you're okay though. =)

Deviding the World><Hmmmm... I've always wanted to be a megalomaniacal dictator. I'll start with just one little country, say the UK perhaps, than I'll slowly expand, taking over one country after another until the whole world is mine! *maniacal laughter*

Clinton's Pardonings><Yeah, the freak is really trying to leave office with a bang. Nobody he's pardoned deserves it. He's just trying to create one more big publicity thing before he leaves. Then, Senator Hillary will continue the Clinton tradition of scandals and such. The whole Clinton family is nothing but a bunch of publicity-crazed nut cases.

Eminem and the Grammys><Oh boy, I could go on for hours about what I think of him... The #$@%$! freak... Him and Manson both...

DPH><That would be impossible. I drink 100 cups of coffee a day. I don't need sleep. Besides, with Clinton's hit men out to get me, I can't afford to go to sleep. But all the shaking does interfere with my typing...

Warpmine><The Illuminati has always appealed to me, even more so than the Clinton stuff. I first found out about it, not from Gargoyles, but from several books I found about secret societies. There are many rumors about them, some believe that they started during the 18th century, around 1790, and are a satanic group of terrorist-like people. Who try to cause wars and such to achieve their goal, a new world order. Which I personally think is garbage. I don't care much for conspiracy's concerning satan worshippers, cults or the paranormal. I go for much more logical stuff. You can find out a lot about the supposedly "new world order" version of the Illuminati online, but my main references are old books that I buy, things that go after it with a more logical point of view. I became interested in Gargoyles because of the Illuminati stuff, Matt Bluestone reminded me of myself, though I'm definitely not obsessed with it like him, just... interested. =)

James Birdsong><HA! You reporters know nothing. Clinton doesn't know he's a part of the Illuminati, he thinks he just joined the club "Old Men Who Chase Interns." He's just a front for the society's 'other' activities. As for Duval, we'll get him someday *looks upwards dramatically* Someday! Did the camera get a good shot of me?

Daniel Johnson><*sigh* Thanks, I hope so too.

Sevarius Jr><**Dragonball (I'm assuming the original series, not DB GT)** Yep, tis DragonBall. Unfortunately, Funimation had only dubbed the first 13 episodes of it, and the three movies. All of which have very bad dubbing jobs done on them.

Later!
Conspiracy Theorist - [Conspiracy3000@yahoo.com]
Monday, February 26, 2001 08:46:03 AM
IP: ac920f81.ipt.aol.com

Imzadi >> *bows* Thanks for the compliment.

Imzadi and LC: > Re: Engineer Week >> Thanks, I'm really glad I am in that ranking. Tho the week was a tad long. Friday however went rather quickly.

LC: > Re: Hugs >> Thanks for the hugs. *hugs back*

LC Re: Self Defense >> Thanks for the tip. Glad you were quick on your feet. Both of my dads came from the army, so before I went to college, they taught me how to defense myself different situations. I must be a little out of practice, cuz I can take Coyote (6' and a big boned man) yet I can take my brother and my friend (6' to 6'3, and arouund 130 average lbs) down.

Re: XFL >> Finally went to the my first game w/ The Rage vs The Bolts. The good part of the game, I can finally sit down, the last game I went to was w/ MSU and UofM and everyone was standing the whole time. The game itself was good... tho the men in my party (co workers and friends) were more interested in the cheerleaders since we were right behind them as well as a women up in the bleachers who was flashing. There were a couple of fist fights next to our section as well. I guess most sporting events are like that. :oP

Gotta run. More later.


XenaTrek - [ellislis@yahoo.com]
Orlando, FL, USA
Monday, February 26, 2001 08:24:04 AM
IP: proxy2a.lmco.com

Kit> I don't pray. But I hope your friends are alright and I'll keep them in my thoughts.
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky - [Madoc55@hotmail.com]
Monday, February 26, 2001 07:56:42 AM
IP: dialin-80-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

hey look.. dawn already.. fancy that..

gah...

*hands duct tape to Gunjack*
stick yer head back together with that, man
;)

love,
lain
Monday, February 26, 2001 06:23:49 AM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

You'll forgive me if I decide to keep out of the "dividing up the Earth" business. For one thing, I wouldn't want to be stuck with the task of administering the conquered territory that I'd be ruling over, since it isn't where my skills lie and it would get in the way of doing much else. Of course, I could appoint a few subordinates to do the administering for me, but they might wind up deciding that if they're going to be doing all the work, they might as well have all the prestige that goes with it, and so decide to depose me. So I'm going to be sitting this one out.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Monday, February 26, 2001 06:19:55 AM
IP: 216.87.46.100.dialup-stl.primary.net

*Val kicks the CR door off it's hinges, and enters. Instead of his normal suit, he is attired in cammies and a bush jacket, with a battered fedora perched on his head. He carries a Morelli Coat Gun, and a Widowmaker 10mm rifle is slung over his shoulder. Two smears of suspiciously blood-like dark liquid are painted under his eyes*

It has been a VERY long night. I can feel my brain coming apart at the seams, so I'll just post this mess before I collapse. Something tells me the dreams are going to be vivid tonight...8 |
And just so there isn't any confusion, this post's sole reason for existence is to prove Gside WRONG. ; )

Gside><<That's Mr. Hot Pants to you.>> Should I even ask? <<The hater went crazy from the mercury, of course.>> I'm sure you're just *waiting* for someone to ask this, but WHAT mercury? <<I believe it's the common way of referrring to going without undergarments.>> I believe3 the Scott expression is "Going Regimental". <<I rather thought so. So do you have any plans to deal with Dr. Madblood?>> Ok, lemme just say that I'm an IDIOT. with that fact FIRMLY in view, could you post that linki again please? Yes, I know you've done it three times or so, but I really AM that incompitent.
<<Must obey silky curves. Wait, where'd the silky come from?>> No clue. And if your mental image of me includes a LBD, we'll have words. <<Wilek is just.>> *switches to Doc Holliday voice* ...but then again, he may be the Antichrist.

Lynati><<Gunjack: I believe that that is a "deep thought", by Jack Handey.>> I do believe you're right! ; ) *hands her a tray of Cybercookies*

Kaito><<Darnit, I was waiting for that pic! You took it! How could you? Whaaahhh! ::runs off crying::>> Poor little lamb... ; ) ...Don't worry, it's only my "Feeling Serious" alternate. <<Hm ... I’ve got a marble up my nose ... strange thing that ...>> Uh, yes, that DOES qualify as strange. Any clues as to how it got there? Any rambuncious children in the area?

Warpmind><<like the little fish...>> Enough with the cozyfishes! AAAAGH!!!
Besides, I'd be more worried about the tapeworms/flukes/pestilences than I would about the fish. <<Weapons regulations. I'm not saying owning weapons is a good thing, but I don't particularly like living in a country where gangmembers carry MP5's...>>> Dude, those are some RICH gang members. H&K is the best in the world, but you pay for whatcha get.
<<Ooops, wrong door.>> Remind me to change the locks on my workshop...

Aaron><<I dunno, underwear can be optional...>> This is true. <<(Wonders again why only Warpy has odds)>> Because I'm too busy, and because you don't post often enough to give me sufficient material? ; ) <<Nah, I'll handle obscure references, and you do the weapons, and we'll be kind of a Wilek-by-committee.>> Sounds like a deal! <<Not unless you're looking to grow more little blue suckers like your right arm.>> I have a Ka-Bar... It'd jsut be like shaving, right? ; ) <<Hentai tentacles should never be consumed, lest they muck with your genetic code.>> How can they muck with your genetic code after being fried by a nuke? ...And I'm afraid to ask, but where does this info come from? o.O

Jannie><<If so, from my understanding of things, the US and British military bombed some of the anti-aircraft command sites that have been shooting too much and with more accuracy at the no-fly zone.>> Heh. Cool. Maybe we can park a GBU-12D between his bedposts this time...

Shadowrider><<While I must object at your point about weapons...I am pro a strictly controlled weapons market, and I am quite sure that crime is not solved by giving a weapon to everyone...>> Another thing to debate if we ever meet at the Gathering... ; ) Pity we've already done Dallas.

SJ><<That's why I plan to kick the bucket right in the middle of an orgy.>> It's also why *I* don't plan on leaving a recognizable corpse. Personally, I'm split 50/50 between 500 lbs of HE, or "catching" a 747. Greasespot!
Yes, I'm horribly morbid. But you only get one try at dying, so why not make it visually appealing?

Greg B><<I swear, these days it seems like it's insane to NOT be armed at all times.>> That's why I don't like going anywhere without at least a good knife... And why I want one of those CCW permits that Shadowrider is sure won't help crime. ; )

Taleweaver><<...or for a good Steve Martin double feature 'Bowfinger' and 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.'>> Haven't seen Bowfinger, but DRS is one of my alltime favorites... "Ruprest! Don't take the cork off the fork!" ; )

Ironwolf><<I starting to feel like a crack dealer psss hey kid wanna read something good?>> Remind you of anyone, Warps? ; )

Wilek><<I almost said that I intend to go down fighting, but the truth is that I do not intend to go down at all.>> What happens when the immovable object meets the irrisistable force? FUN! ; ) <<And when they tumble out the airlock, they flash-freeze, and we reduce them to their component atoms with the plasma cannons...<muhahahaha> I like the way you think. >:)>> Jun and I prefer your version... ; ) <<Story. Now. ;P>> At the bottom of the post. Though I'm farely sure you heard it last time... <<That's three.>> Who're one and two?

Kit><<The Holder sightings are worrisome enough...>> Who? I don't watch the news... <<Some of us believe money is of less importance than other things in life. :)>> Some of us need the cash for guns and gear. Oh, and constant comp upgrades. Gotta maintain that sweet L337|\|ess. Personally, my entire family has been dirt poor my entire life. I'd like to think that I've learned all the lessons about poverty, and it's time to move on to the Filthy-Stinking-Rich material. Besides, several of my long-term goals will requires SERIOUS startup capital... <<I'd never heard of it before, but if it has a female lead and is a shooter it could be worth a look...>> Um, you haven't heard of Alice!?
o.O ...whoa. I don't think it's a shooter, but it seems to be a VERY dark 3d adventure based on the "Alice in Wonderland" books. Alice has a butcher knife. <<The main character in Metroid has always looked more asexual than female to me.>> Ever beat the SNES or Gameboy versions in under 2.5 hours? If that ain't female... *chuckles*

Lady Corax><<Well, mechanical engineers build weapons--civil engineers build targets. :)>> A-MEN!

Wanna know how to keep an Evil Mastermind in suspence? ; ) ...There I was, in the Utica Greyhound terminal in upstate NY, waiting to begin the 72-hour ride home to Dallas. I grab my ticket and walk out onto the platform, and the whole place is just FILLED with rockers. Woodstock III (Otherwise known as Mongol Hordes II) had just ended the night before, and so I ended up on a bus with 58 EXTREMELY crazy people. The whole first evening, I was sitting next to a (rather nice) guy from Canada who had thrown his shoes away on the second day of the concert because they got soaked and were hurting his feet. The two friends he was supposed to ride back to Canada with had LEFT, so all he had was his ticket, his backpack, and 35 cents. For food, he had 2.5 bottles of gatoraid and a jar of honey. We discovered that mixing honey and gatoraid is NOT a good way to deal with hunger.
The first night, I was awake till 1am. I was REawakened at 3am when we arrived at the next stop. The bus was supposed to depart at 6am. Unfortunately, do to a foulup somewhere in the Vast Corperate Architecture, it didn't arrive till noon. Since I had no money and very little food, there was nothing to do in those 9 hours but listen to my music tapes, read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Matianence", and watch the "House of the Dead 2" demo... over, and over, and over...
So, the bus finally arrives, I board in a state of bliss, grab a seat, crunch up into the fetal position with my pillow, and attempt to go to sleep. Unfortunatly, this is the point where the two hippies sitting behind me begin to discuss drugs. At length. Including the ones they (and the rest of the passengers) have been using the night before while I was trying to sleep. They managed to keep me awake for another two hours, before I finally passed out... Only to be awakened at the next stop. This time, I ended up next to a friendly chap named (no kidding) Casey Jones. We compared Eastern Philosophy books (his was "the Tao of Piglet"), and generally had a decent time all that day and into the night. Then we arrived at... Memphis, I believe, and I almost got left behind by my bus. Fortunately, the Psycho Girl with the broken leg chewed out the busdriver into waiting went to find me. And thence home, via another ten hours or so of exhaustion and scenery.
And the fun part is, I do this every year. The next one's coming up in a few months... *shudders*

And I'll finish in the morning! I'm exhausted! I lost a post earlier, and had to rewrite a bunch of this from scratch!

******************END PART 1****************************
Gunjack "Drowning the World" Valentine
Monday, February 26, 2001 05:54:08 AM
IP: 216-146-183-152.bwn.net

Gside: Can't access the files. Server not responding.
I'll try tomorrow.

Anyone know anything about EEG/EKGs?
BASICAILLY I want to know if standard EKG sensors are sensetive enough to register the electrical impulses of arm and leg muscles.
I don't care if a EKG machine can read them, just if the sensors can pick them up.
And if anyone knows of a computer interface, well, thats just that much better!
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Monday, February 26, 2001 04:04:21 AM
IP: 64.109.143.22

******* TGS SPOILERS!!!*************

This ep ROCKED! I loved every minute of it. It was an ep that had some real meat in it, not the 12 minute reads that we've been getting.

I loved the interaction between Dr. Gray and the gargoyles, and I admire her ability to just stick there even though she's not wanted (of course, that's how she was written).
And I loved seeing Angela actually USE her magic. Fulmenos Venite always was my favorite spell (come, who hasn't wanted to use it on a professor or three?). Great care is used to show that Angela is no sorceress, though, and that it drains her to use this spell, compared to the Archmage who threw lightning bolts like they were free AOL CD's. Attention to detail is so nice in these stories.

Coldsteel and Thailog are a match made in heaven. But I think I missed something. When did Bluestone get dismissed from the Gargoyle Task Force? And why? I'd like to see Matt enlist the aid of the illuminati to put this new guy away. Or did they put him there in the first place?

Looking forward to episodes about the Gathering in Japan. Should be entertaining to say the least.

Great pic of Thailog at the end.

*********** End TGS SPOILERS*************
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Monday, February 26, 2001 02:28:46 AM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

******* TGS SPOILERS!!!*************

This ep ROCKED! I loved every minute of it. It was an ep that had some real meat in it, not the 12 minute reads that we've been getting.

I loved the interaction between Dr. Gray and the gargoyles, and I admire her ability to just stick there even though she's not wanted (of course, that's how she was written).
And I loved seeing Angela actually USE her magic. Fulmenos Venite always was my favorite spell (come, who hasn't wanted to use it on a professor or three?). Great care is used to show that Angela is no sorceress, though, and that it drains her to use this spell, compared to the Archmage who threw lightning bolts like they were free AOL CD's. Attention to detail is so nice in these stories.

Coldsteel and Thailog are a match made in heaven. But I think I missed something. When did Bluestone get dismissed from the Gargoyle Task Force? And why? I'd like to see Matt enlist the aid of the illuminati to put this new guy away. Or did they put him there in the first place?

Looking forward to episodes about the Gathering in Japan. Should be entertaining to say the least.

Great pic of Thailog at the end.

*********** End TGS SPOILERS*************
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Monday, February 26, 2001 02:28:45 AM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

*slumps against the wall.. having survived her third firing squad of the day and still having emerged on the livelier side of alive*

...
lain
Monday, February 26, 2001 01:39:38 AM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

::Listens to pleas and threats, swats Aingeal of his head...then fires his laser anyway, intentionally missing lain by a scant few centimeters:: (hey, aingeal torched my head, I'm allowed some violence too!)

Okay, I won't kill you, lain. My apologies for overreacting. You didn't deserve that. Your intentions were in the interests of friendship and that good stuff.

Stephan: Can't give you those. the US of A was already promised to my best friend. Sorry.

James: I think I can provide those for you. I've had a lot of requests for tropical islands, and I'd like to be able to meet them, especially for people that are cool but don't necessarily provide me with resources for world domination. Any particular island?

Gunjack: Many people I know set up hotmail accounts so they could give the address out and have all their spam come to that account instead of the "real" account they use (I do this with my AOL account). After having the account for only a day, they often find several advertisements in their mailbox without having given out the address. So I'm a touch neurotic when it comes to computer privacy. Its not a big brother thing I worry about, its just the selling of e-mail addresses. Its very profitable, and companies like AOL and MS definitely take advantage of it. I just don't like having junk in my mailbox. That's what AOL servers are for 8-)

That being said, my AIM and ICQ#'s are on my website. I'd be happy to chat there (or here). As I recall, there was some huge lawsuit about MSN being able to communicate with AIM. If anyone on MSN messenger wants to try and IM me on AIM, I'd be curious to see if it works. Then this whole little flamewar is useless (which will make everyone happy).

Gside: In our programming class, we use MATLAB, which is essentially a really big programmable calculator. Its really cool, but we don't do anything in the class besides programming for the purposes of doing math, like iteration of formulas and that stuff.
The reason they'd have to live in the country to rule it is a morale thing. If even the ruler of a country didn't want to live there, would you? And if everyone tries to cram into (name of popular country here), its going to get a bit crowded.
A USB port in the back of my head would RULE! Memory sticks and compact flash readers, here I come! And just think of all the other cool stuff I could attach with a USB port...burners, hard drives, speakers. But there's no way it would be able to handle the bandwidth of a neural connection. Might need a SCSI-3 port for that, or a firewire-2.0 port.
You live in NJ? Oh well then that's not impressive. I'm in CA, so if my rommate went to NY and back before I woke up, it'd be much more impressive.
I don't know about you, but let me tell you about the programmers in Berkeley. They're smelly and have no social skills. Most can barely talk without mumbling, and if they can are completely incapable of talking about anything but computers. The thought that they have critical influences everywhere is just scary, not the programmers themselves. Programmers aren't scary, just odd. You do not scare me. I hope you're odd though, cuz odd is cool.
There's a particle accelerator that's smaller than a stadium here at UC Berkeley, but unfortunately its built into the hillside.
I confess, I'm not into anime. Never could understand the attraction. But a perverted tentacle, huh? I think I've got one of those lying around here somewhere...

If brute force doesn't work, you're not using enough.
-Mike Margolis

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Monday, February 26, 2001 01:36:44 AM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

****Kyryn steps into the room****

Gentlebeings,

TGS now proudly presents...

Through the Storm

Written by Shauntell Holm with contributions by Alan Coleman Waltrip

Artwork by Shauntell Holm. Coloring by Revel.

A hunting we will go...

**** Kyryn steps aside to avoid the mad stampede to read the new episode.****
Kyryn - [<<--clicky, clicky!]
Denton, TX
Monday, February 26, 2001 01:36:21 AM
IP: denm1-9.iglobal.net

Oh, I almost forgot. Aimee Major is the current featured artist at Angst Technology (inktank.com)
Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Monday, February 26, 2001 01:19:12 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Imzadi> <<"Programming for Scientists and Engineers" which is a weenie comp sci class>>: The analagous course over here is in FORTRAN. What language you got?
<<unless you're in charge of another country (in which case you'd have to live there)>>: Why? In this day and age of advanced communications, one could probably rule from Jupiter.
<<it might be kind of a turn off when girls noticed that there's a firewire port in the back of my neck or something>>: I'm sure we could design a seamless fake skin plug for when you're not using it. I really would like to have a USB port in my head.
<<New York and back before you woke up? That's pretty damn impressive>>: Not too much. I'm in Jersey, so it's pretty easy. He was back by 4:30, and it isn't even my record.
<<I don't think there's a doubt that were subjected to the work of Computer Engineers most often>>: I'd think MechEs and ChemEs would be pretty high up there, what with structural supports, and chemical additives and plastics.
<<They're freakin' everywhere! (and it scares me to no end)>>: So I scare you, do I?

Warpmind> <<Who the <Insert your favourite rude four-letter word here> is Boilingbroke?>>: I was just trying to come up with a random name that wasn't you, so I went Shakespearian with Henry IV, although I did misspell it.
<<Oh, wait, you don't like metal whatsoever, myabe?>>: Essentially. As I said, I tend towards the older styles.

Daniel Johnson> <<Do you get the feeling that I like him?>>: Nah, you're going to serve him for dinner tomorrow with a nice francaise sauce.
<<I love Baby Elephant Walk>>: Mancini has put out some nice works, hasn't he?
<<Where ever you go, there you are>>: Buckaroo Banzai. Interesting film. A bit was shot at New Brunswick, I believe.

Imzadi> <<For the Clinton scandal, what would the Illuminati have been diverting attention from?>>: Worked, didn't it?

Fire Storm> <<Could I grab Season 3, episodes 5, 6, AND 7 please?>>: I'll have to do it one at a time, they're all around 50 megs, and I can only handle 90 at a time. Wait, how much space does a basic myspace account hold? Eh, it's easier to go with what I know for now. 5's on eden now, standard rules.
<<But that means that I would have to make a VERY powerful particle accelerator that is smaller than a stadium!>>: So? Wouldn't it be worth it?
<<What do you think of the Cranky Monarch version and the Riverdance version?>>: I'm pretty much just a fan of the standard Live Noise version. The King of Spain, a former conehead.

Sev. Jr.> <<Brazil. Home to bizarre yet humorous Spanish-language game shows>>: And a rather odd movie by Terry Gilliam.
<<Mongolia. Just cause the megalomaniac in me wants to rule Genghis Khan's old stomping grounds>>: That, and you'd have your own Mongolian hordes. And you could stuff out from outer Mongolia.

Lady Corax> Wishes that you won't need your defence skills again.

Toku Kai> <<now the I vacuum the turf at Sky Dome>>: Now the 'Leafs call me up to drive the Zamboni. What is Moxy going to do now that Clinton and Yeltsin aren't in power anymore?

Imzadi> <<not a hentai tentacle (whatever THAT is)>>: The evil laugh returns. Not much into anime, are you? Hentai means perverted. I'd reccommend LBG or Urotsukidoji if you want to find out.

Kitainia> Well wishes for your injured friends.

Gunjack> <<Real post under construction!>>: Really truly?

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Monday, February 26, 2001 01:06:39 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Right, no killing Lain! Not on my watch, anyway. <gestures at the goons she has ready to drop a protesting DC in the path of any firing squad's shots and grins>

Stephen, Valentine, Lady Corax: Glad to have all your prayers.
Kit
Monday, February 26, 2001 12:34:04 AM
IP: pool-63.52.169.23.dlls.grid.net

Y'all chat on MSN?... might I join in sometime? I'm Ladynewill2u@hotmail, if anyone's willing.. ::shrugs:: It'd be nice to meet people in real time.

::returns to pestering Wolf::

Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Hades, Frozen
Monday, February 26, 2001 12:26:06 AM
IP: 207.42.162.186

Josh - And I, for one, DIDN'TA know that they could track those things... It never even occured to me! O.O ...Yeesh! Big brother, eh?
Gunjack Valentine
Monday, February 26, 2001 12:04:31 AM
IP: 216-146-184-220.bwn.net

Josh - No killing Lain. In case you weren't aware, I'm her bodygaurd, and I take my job rather more seriously than I should. ; ) ...And for the record, I use both MS messenger AND hotmail, and I have yet to recieve ANY spam in the year I've been using them. They may be devilspawn, but then, so's Warps. As a matter of fact, I've gotten more spam (shower girl, baby chimp) from warps than I have from everyone else except Harding U.
And she was sending you an invite for MS messanger, because that's what our little group chats on. ; )

Real post under construction!
Gunjack "16 Tons" Valentine
Monday, February 26, 2001 12:02:21 AM
IP: 216-146-184-220.bwn.net

::perches on Imzy's head and pecks at him until he gives up and decides to leave lain alone:: play nice.. or I will send you nasty lil stuff to your e-mail.. ::evil smirk:: I never claimed to be nice :p

::filps wings happily:: My Wolf is back! ::flies off to perch on her love:: hmm... ::pulls Wolf over so she can keep pecking Imzy:: that's better.

Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Hades, Frozen
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:48:37 PM
IP: 207.42.162.186

(packs clothes, razors, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and books into travel bag) Dividing up world> I am small and insignificant. Just give me an island and a laptap *including lifetime supply of batteries, phone that doesn't require billing, and a modem* for while I'd like to live as loner that I am, I still must have internet for the comment room's sake. Thank you and no I don't expect you to fulfil my humble humble request. And oh yeah island must have food and clean water. I can make my own shelter :)
James Birdsong
Token sane guy
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:43:40 PM
IP: adsl-63-207-129-42.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Greetings all...

<flops down> Well, this week's been interesting... I've had my first full week at work. Forgot just how demanding fast food service is! And, I offered to work my regular hours Saturday to help out my manager Adrianne. Hope I get overtime. ^_^ What made it bearable was my girlfriend came over after work and gave me a foot massage!

Anyway, on to the replies :

DOUG & KIT : Hope your friends recover and return to full health soon. Sorry to hear about the violence in Austin... hope this doesn't cause trouble in your area too much.

LADY CORAX : Ditto for you! Hope you're doing better as well.

COYOTE : Say Don? question: I'll be looking to hopefully purchase a car in a couple of months or so (a used one most likely). Can you tell me what's the best options for me to look for? One major concern : Gas milage and an automatic.

SJ : Ish, your rant over the Grammys... I'm glad Eminem didn't win Album of the year, but hey at least he got a nomination... most contriversial artists never so much as get that much sometimes! I don't think the Grammy judges gave the top award to Steely Dan just because they wanted to avoid any possible fallout from gay rights or anti-violence groups. I love Steely Dan myself - as I do most music artists from the 70's - and it was great to see him get some recognition at last.

Ultimately, why should it matter who wins what award at ANY of these shindigs? We all go out and listen to what music we like ourselves... and that's all that matters to us in the long run.

IMZADI : Greetings... um to be honest, ya'll can have the world... I just want Missouri, Texas. Louisiana and Florida. ^_^

Will have more to say later! ^_^ Maintain and Check Six!

Stephen R. Sobotka, Jr. - [scififangargoyle@yahoo.com]
Tampa, FL, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:39:01 PM
IP: 65342hfc52.tampabay.rr.com

Er, it will be in the Daily Texan tomorrow according to sources. Our UT student paper has no Sunday edition. My bad. :(

<wheels an invisible bulletproof shield in front of Lain and then walks out>
Doug
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:32:16 PM
IP: pool-63.52.167.72.dlls.grid.net

*sighs*
oh well.. another enemy...
lessee.. how many have I made tonight???

*wafts white flag of surrender and backs against wall for the Imzadi Firing Squad*

just make it painless, eh?
lain
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:26:56 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

Lady Corax: I too am glad you're alright. <sheepish grin> Soon as I read your post I was worried about you.

Valentine: Jammer, Shauna, and Tricia did indeed take the worst of it, among our friends. Some other people in the riots got hurt even more badly, a few were even killed. Elena got beat up pretty bad too, the cops had to pull Boris off one of the guys who hurt her (the rest were already knocked out). All our friends pretty much gave as good as they got, but I don't know how many they put down or how many attacked them. The police broke things up at the end, by then all but Stephanie (who'd gotten away), Tricia, and Boris were knocked unconscious. They found Tricia crying and cradling Jammer's head in her lap while the battle raged around her. A picture of them some lucky sod got was in the Daily Texan today.

Kaioto: Kevlar gloves sound very useful indeed. :) Your cousin has it right about the police officer's basic credo. Protect yourself and others, especially your fellow officers. Uphold the law too. :)

Imzadi: Please don't kill Lain. We like her too much. <grin>
Doug
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:18:44 PM
IP: pool-63.52.170.151.dlls.grid.net

DPH: How about ONE moon. That's already significantly more than the countries I'm offering anyone else, and should provide with you with more than enough $$. Actually, I only said take over the world. Someone else might have already gotten to the moons by the time that happens. Ditto on the asteroid belt. And yes, I'm starting to think twice before promising you anything. You're looking for more power than I'm willing to give out. Might have to have you killed 8-)...nah, you hang out here, so you must be all right.

Holographic birth certificates are nice, but can you mail them to the IRS? And what about their social security numbers? Living inanimate objects may have to eat, but like I said I still don't think you can claim them as dependents.

Sevarius Jr.: Sorry, you may not fly throught the air without wires, even with the green destiny sword. The laws of physics are legislative effects in my world and will be enforced (and that includes gargoyles that "can only glide" if they're seen hovering)

---On a MUCH more serious note-----
Sadly, I'm going to have to kill lain soon. Apparently, lain thought it would be appropriate to send me an advertisement for MSN messenger. For those of you unaware, MSN/hotmail is owned by MICROSOFT, who is my arch-nemesis. This means that now MicroSHAFT has my email address, and I will recieve no end of advertisements as microsoft sells it to every porn site and spammer in the world. And I've worked so hard to keep my email address safe. Now I need a new one. (imzadi@kicktothenuts.com?) I thought we could trust each other not to give each other's emails out, but I see my trust in fellow gargoyles fans has been seriously misplaced. I honestly feel violated. I'm probably just overreacting.

We are all computer savvy people in here. We know what the different chat services are, we know how to use them. If you want to persuade us to use your particular service, send us a personal e-mail. None of us deserve to have our e-mail addresses given out to massive corporations.

To deny our impulses is to deny the very thing that makes us human.
-Mouse, "The Matrix"
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:11:12 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

**LC walks back in**

Everyone> Thank you sooo much for all your thoughts and support! You really don't know how much it means to me...things are tough right now, and just knowing that all of you care so much is wonderful. I love you all! :)

Kit> <<Knowing how to pick yourself up after the fight and recuperate is even more important, to quote Snake.>> Exactly. I never even realized that it was so bad *after* a fight...I'm not hurt that bad physically, but it's the mental part that's killin' me. I'm just worried about *your* friends, though...they're hurt a lot worse than I am. I hope and pray that they'll recover soon!

SJ> Don't worry, I try to bring humor to serious things too...it's the way I deal with things. :) And yes, just so you know...I did kinda beat the sh!t out of the dumb idiot...he honestly ended up flat on his back crying.

Well, that's enough from me for tonight...thank you all again! :)
Lady Corax
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:05:45 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

Kit & Lady Corax - Is the world going mad!? : ( ...here's to hoping everyone recovers... And those friends of yours, kit; protecting a woman and her unborn child. THAT is heroic. : | ...May they all have a speedy recovery. Especially Jammer, Tricia, and Shauna. Sounds like they took the worst of it... : (
Gunjack Valentine
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:03:53 PM
IP: 216-146-184-220.bwn.net

Josh: Well then, let me have China then! All I will need then is a cool Green Destiny sword and the ability to fly through the air without wires. ;)

Self-Defense: Everything I know about defending myself I learned from Jackie Chan movies and professional wrestling. Therefore, I should be okay in a fight, as long as I have a lot of props surrounding me. If not, at least the pro wrestling has taught me how to take a good bump.
I suppose I'm lucky I'm such a big SOB, cause for some reason, most people just don't want to pick a fight with me. I'd like to think that it's because I radiate an aura of badass-ness, but I think it's due more to the fact that I'm broad-shouldered and stocky enough that I actually *do* look like a pro wrestler. Well, a cruiserweight, at least. I pity the poor fool who tries to take my luchadore ass on! Arriba!!! ;)

Seriously, though, I was just trying to bring some humor to a very serious matter. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I'm glad that Lady Corax is okay, and not seriously injured. And I think I speak for everyone when I say that I hope she beat the sh!t out of the dumb SOB who tried to mess with her.
And remember, my dear Lady, the pain one experiences from breaking heads is *good* pain! Seriously, though, I'm glad you're okay. We all are.

Greg: Brazil speaks Portugeuse? Don't know if I want them for a country now. I only speak Spanish, not Portugeuse.
Oh well, if they become mind, that'll have to be part of my Big Brother program, under "Reeducation of the Masses".

Weird Ironic Thingy: Today, in the first lap of his race, Dale Earnhart Jr. wrecked his car. He got bumped from behind, and slammed into the wall. He was okay, just a little bruised, but the car is totalled.
NASCAR is gonna really be hit hard, I think. I mean, Dale Jr. wrecked his car just 1 week after his father died in the 500. With all of the recent deaths, I think the sport is really gonna get some major heat calling for stricter safety regulations.

And to end this post, here's some ENTERTAINMENT NEWS!!!
********

Hollywood is doing the right thing--they're letting the Asian filmmakers show us their stuff.
It's being reported now that Ang Lee, who directed the BEST FILM OF 2000, "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon", is hard at work on a prequel to the critically acclaimed masterpiece. The prequel will focus upon Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), as they first meet and fall in love, even though she is engaged to Li's brother-in-arms. I believe the action again surrounds the Green Destiny sword. Personally, while I desparately want to see more of this series, I think even Ang will be hard pressed to make another film as beautiful as CTHD. But I'll probably love this movie too.

And in a very wise move, it looks as if they will be bringing Tsui Hark's wonderful film, "Warriors of Zu" (starring CTHD star Zhang Ziyi and featuring fight choreography from Woo-Ping Yuen, of CTHD and Matrix fame), to America. Sweet!

Bryan Singer news: Director Bryan Singer has officially signed to direct X-Men 2. He was basically the only one from the original film who had not signed on to do the sequel.
But in a move that has me scratching my head, he has also signed on to help develop and direct the pilot for a new Battlestar Galactica series. That boggles me. Is Galactica really worthy of a revival? I never liked that show the first time around.

And in further sci-fi news, a new Star Trek series is planned for the fall, to air on the UPN network. Unless of course the SAG actor / writer strike postpones things.
I am praying fervently for that strike to occurr.
Look, I think it's painfully obvious by watching the soulless abomination that is "Star Trek: Voyager" that Trek is utterly devoid of all creativity and entertainment value. This is just a blatant effort to cash in on a dying franchise while there's still some blood in the veins.

And finally, Cartoon Network has released it's schedule for 2001. Here's the highlights:

*Several new, original series will debut, including: Time Squad (in June), Samurai Jack (in August), the Justice League (DC!!! in November), Grim & Evil (October), 110 new episodes of existing original series (stuff like Dexter's Laboratory, and I can assume, Powerpuff Girls)
*Airings of such series as Superman and Batman
*96 new eps of DBZ, including the Maijin Buu saga.
*Six "new" anime series, including: Mobile Suit Gundam, Pilot Candidate, Gundam 8s, Outlaw Star (which they've already been airing), Big O, and Dragonball (I'm assuming the original series, not DB GT)
*A week long on-air and online marathon of Powerpuff Girls!
*Much like this past summer's Toonami storyline, a new weeklong serialized story entitled Toonami: Lockdown.
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:48:21 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

I was only going to trade ACCESS to sunlight for a few things. Nothing for me means minimal sunlight for you. Ok, how about giving me access rights to the asteroid belt instead unless you figure out why that would be equitable? Ok, or how about access to the moons of Jupiter or Saturn?

On 2nd thought, you might be leary about giving me control over ANYTHING that I ask for.

Proving holographic family alive wouldn't be too difficult. Holographic birth certificates, you know. Living inanimate objects have to eat, you know. So I bring humanoid statues to life.

Darn, I got a headache from laughing so hard when you figured it out.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:42:01 PM
IP: max1-5.cwy.cei.net

Lady Corax: You are very right about fights and self-defense. Knowing how to defend yourself is one of the most valuable skills you can have in life. Knowing how to pick yourself up after the fight and recuperate is even more important, to quote Snake. :) Congratulations on being able to do these skills, though I regret you had to. I'll be praying your wounds heal soon, and thanking God you survived. Unfortunately you're not the only person I'm doing that for tonight. :(

I don't know if any of you saw the news, but last night Austin suffered enormous riots during its 6th Street Mardi Gras celebration. Hundreds of people were hurt severely, including:
Jammer- five broken ribs, one broken arm, several scrapes and bruises, missing two teeth, a huge bump on the head.
Tricia- scrapes and bruises, two stab wounds to arms and one to leg from a crazed maniac Boris knocked out too late.
Shap- two broken ribs, one missing tooth, scrapes and bruises.
Shauna- dislocated jaw, five missing teeth, three broken ribs, scrapes and bruises.
Boris- one broken rib, four teeth knocked out, scrapes and bruises, bump on head.
Elena- two broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, broken collarbone, two teeth knocked out, bruises and scrapes.
Keith- two teeth knocked out, three broken ribs, black eye, broken glasses, bruises and scrapes.
Stephanie- scrapes and bruises, but nothing worse because she managed to get away quickly with Keith, Jammer, Shap, Shauna, and Tricia all covering her escape. Peter, the child she carries, is fine.
<sigh> Why do jerks always have to hit in the mouth?

Seven of these eight friends of ours are in the hospital tonight. They will hopefully be out soon, but Doug and I are very worried about them. We both had to work last night, so we missed the action. No one expected the violence to happen, but still it did. Your prayers for our friends will be appreciated in the extreme. Thanks in advance to any who send them.

I'll be back again soon.
Kit
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:40:36 PM
IP: pool-63.52.167.126.dlls.grid.net

I was only going to trade ACCESS to sunlight for a few things. Nothing for me means minimal sunlight for you. Ok, how about giving me access rights to the asteroid belt instead unless you figure out why that would be equitable? Ok, or how about access to the moons of Jupiter or Saturn?

On 2nd thought, you might be leary about giving me control over ANYTHING that I ask for.

Darn, I got a headache from laughing so hard when you figured it out.
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:40:05 PM
IP: max1-5.cwy.cei.net

PDH>> Re The Sun: Wouldn't have something to do with the Sun being the starting point for all food chains that don't involve chemiotrophic tube-worms, would it? That whole power source thing for solar energy and the heat for the planet might be a commodity too. Stars are useful like that.
Kaioto - [kaioto@yahoo.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:25:35 PM
IP: 141.133.147.152

DPH: control over the sun would not grant you any power whatsoever, unless you literally mean CONTROL over the reactions in the sun, in which case my position as ruler of the world would be useless compared to yours. In which case, NO, you may NOT have the sun!

Taxes: I guess you could consider your holographic family "dependents" if you can prove that they exist (birth certificates, SS numbers, etc).
You cannot claim deductions for property destroyed trying to save the world. That's the governments job. If you get involved and some stuff blows up, that's your problem. If, on the other hand, the government destroyed it while trying to save the world, you can reasonably suggest that your property was destroyed without due process and demand reimbursement for it (good luck getting said reimbursement, however).
Inanimate objects brought to life? They qualify as a dependent as much as a pet does (which they don't, I believe). Unless they're sentient. What do you think we do when we make babies? We're just rearranging food (inanimate) into a person (animate).

Now, I am not a tax attorney, so don't yell at me when the IRS beats down your door.
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:24:27 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Why would I want control over the Sun? If you can't figure it out, you're obviously not qualified to be dictator of Earth.

I am trying to get a head start on filing my federal income taxes, but it seems so overwhelming, and I have to ask some questions:
1)Can I claim exemptions for my holographic family? Keeping them alive isn't cheap, you know.
2)Can I claim deductions for property destroyed while away fighting to save the world?
3)If I bring an inanimate object to life, could I count that as a dependent?
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:06:09 PM
IP: max1-5.cwy.cei.net

Fire Storm: I have no doubt that given massive size allowances, you could build me anything I want. But we're going to small and sleek here (not that I won't keep an army of mechs as backup)

Daniel: I was at Macworld SF, and I got to play with the TiBook, lift it, turn it, oh my god it was orgasmic. I must have one. Its faster than your tower because it uses a new G4 design, which I believe has THREE altivec units, for a whopping 5.5 gigaflops (drools).

Sevarius: Brazil could probably be handed over, and believe it or not, no one has asked for China yet. Why do I have the feeling that I'm going to show up at Gathering and several of you are going to physically threaten me if I don't give you the country of your choice, regardless of what you have to offer for my plans for world domination.
<FBI investigating this CR>: okay, not a gargoyle, not anthropomorphic, not a hentai tentacle (whatever THAT is), not a mad scientist. Human, probably, with plans of world domination. Do you think the FBI will mind? If so, I may need Gunajck and Fire Storm's "toys" sooner than expected.

LC: Way to kick butt. I think I speak for everyone here when I say "we're so proud and so glad that you're all right"

well, time to watch gargoyles

You’re Satan, aren’t you?
-Gene Siskel, “The Critic”

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:03:10 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Doug>> You know, my cousin Patrick is a cop in Rhode Island, does a lot of prison guard and urban work. It isn’t an easy job by any means, but he finds it rewarding. Still, it is definitely dangerous, as I’m sure you know. He told me something interesting at Christmas though. One of the things he really wanted to get was a new set of gloves, but I was very interested in the specifications on these things. He was looking for a set that was very heavily reinforced, army-navy type stuff. Basically, he’d be happy with Kevlar, basically. When I asked him why, he pointed out that one of the things he and his co-workers were very concerned about outside of the typical stuff were incidental cuts and pokes with sharp objects. It is the drug users and the people with concealed weapons. One of the officers in the area had gotten his hand stuck with a suspect’s needle while making an arrest and they were worried about HIV and all sorts of things. I guess what I took away from my conversations with my cousin boiled down to, “Protect your fellow officers, protect the civilians, and don’t forget to protect yourself too.” Be safe, my friend.

Fire Storm>> I used to be the king of Spain … now the I vacuum the turf at Sky Dome … ;-)

Dividing up the world>> You know, I just want to be crown prince of Greater Boston and the surrounding areas enclosed by I-95. All I ask is the bring this stupid state under my totalitarian anarchy for a couple of dozen years or so and see if I can’t out-perform the 100,000 petty bureaucrats, hacks, politicians, Havard-graduate unemployable intellectuals, organized criminals, and special interest groups with one hand tied behind my back and a tax rate of under 4%. </bitter> ;-)

Lady Corax>> ::big hugs:: I’m sorry you had to run into that sort of a situation. Practice, practice, practice. The key to everything in that sort of occurrence. If your body and mind are trained to be able to react properly without much conscious thought, you’re a lot better off than being in a dangerous situation needing to remember what to do. That’s one of the main reasons I want to get back into practice with my martial arts training as soon as my school schedule permits me. (God only knows, that’ll probably be when I graduate.)

Don’t underrate the “silly” self-defense classes though. The most effective martial techniques are generally neither graceful nor acceptable in tournament competitions, so they are usually excluded from “real” martial arts classes offered at most dojos. The combat techniques you can use most often in RL aren’t pretty kicks and punches, but fast, hard, and potentially crippling strikes to vital points. There isn’t a martial art out there that I’ve ever encountered that actively encourages you to kick a man in his groin, but it is a very effective maneuver. Same with bending someone’s fingers back, breaking their knee-caps, or twisting their arm into a breaking-lock. Aikido has some pretty good techniques there, but again, they generally don’t want to set you loose snapping your sparring-partners limbs. There are some things you need to do in a real fight that just aren't “sporting” hence aren’t taught by sport martial arts.

Wow … I’m exhausted. I just spent my entire weekend from Friday 6PM on judging at Grand Prix Boston for Magic: the Gathering. It was a long, long assignment, but it was fun because it was a mix of a lot of local friends getting a crack at something big and it introduced new faces from around the globe. I got to work with some of the more famous judges in the Duelist Convocation International (our judge circuit) and learned a lot. Compensation was good. I managed to obtain my Level 2 certification, which is about as far as I want to go in the judge-ranks. I have no desire to get up to the level were I’m organizing regional championships and big-money events.

I managed to pull off my Legends of the Five Ring tournament on Sunday there without a hitch. Snow kept some people back, but we still managed to do more than break even on the costs of all the prizes we gave out. We had an artist doing signings and gave away a Daisho to with winner, and a Katana to the runner-up. There were a lot of other prizes and no one walked away without feeling it was worthwhile to come. Man, we had people from Maine, New York, and Philadelphia come all that way, just for Peter’s and my little side event to the big Magic tournament. All the locals were there, and everybody got along so well. It just amazes me how well everything came together, with support from all over the gaming community, from anonymous prize donations from some of the more successful players, support from our store sponsors, and other tournament organizers. I dunno, maybe its all the chocolate and caffeine that kept me awake for so long … but it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling to see it all happen and everyone having a good time.

OK. I’m a sap. So sue me. ^_^

Alright, Kai go pass out now … night night.

X_x^zzzzzzzzzzzz
Kaioto - [kaioto@yahoo.com]
Boston, MA, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 09:59:26 PM
IP: 141.133.147.152

LC> Whew. Glad you're all right though. I've been meaning to take a martial art for a while, might as well get off my butt and do it.
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky - [Madoc55@hotmail.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 09:43:37 PM
IP: dialin-523-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

*rushes in before Coyote can take Lady Corax out and offers a peace crane and a gentle hug of strength and pride*

Bless you my lady, for having the strength..

love,

*lets Coyote take Lady Corax out*
lain
Sunday, February 25, 2001 09:32:11 PM
IP: dynrez216-32119.dhr.reznet.uwo.ca

**comes to Lady Corax's side, gently hugging her, then picks her up in his arms**

Careful now, milady ... no need to strain yourself further. **carries her out**
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Sunday, February 25, 2001 09:20:47 PM
IP: 216.28.101.54

**LC drags herself in.**

Hoo boy, y'all...I'd like to take this moment to recommend that *everyone* in here know how to defend yourselves physically. Even if it's one or two silly self-defense classes, or serious training, or something...do it.

I'm so serious when I say it's what saved me this weekend. I never, eeever thought I would ever be in a situation where I would be forced to defend myself, but I was. And it was scary, and awful, but thank everything that is good that I was able to do what I did. And I have a certain self-defense instructor to thank for that.

So seriously consider attending a self-defense class if you haven't already. And I pray that you all will never, ever have to be in a situation where you have to use any kind of physical force...it hurts, believe me. Even when you "win" the fight, it hurts A LOT.

**sigh** Well, I guess that's about it for me tonight...I'm outta here to nurse my wounds a bit. See y'all around, and bless all o' ya for listening to me...may it never happen to you.
Lady Corax
Sunday, February 25, 2001 08:52:53 PM
IP: manzy-mo-1-226.rescomp.arizona.edu

Hey everyone, just got of Staff Duty. It's a 24hr. on 24 hr off thing that lasts all week. We just sit around in this small room and try to stay awake. I finished four of those left behind books , but at least I'm done. I'm sorry that I missed out on a few things and I'm going to miss more because we are heading out into the field again at the end of this week. So I'll try to catch up when I can.
Later.
Yawn
Jaden - [jaden12@hotmail.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 08:35:28 PM
IP: 210.91.100.11

SJ> Actually, everything in Brazil is in Portugese, not Spanish. My mother is Brazilian so I know.

But I agree with you on the FBI. Ugh, my tax dollars are going to that.
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky
Sunday, February 25, 2001 08:10:54 PM
IP: dialin-261-tnt.nyc.bestweb.net

Bonzai, my little kittens!

That must be the dumbest thing I've ever seen. The FBI is investigating? I'll remember this next time I read a story about some serial killer chopping up people. I'll wonder why the FBI hasn't caught the bastard yet, and then I'll remember, "Oh, they're too busy making sure kittens aren't really being stuffed into jars."

Wait, this just in....the FBI is investigating this comment room to make sure that the inhabitants really aren't a menagerie of gargoyles, humans, anthropomorphic (sp?) manimals, mad scientists, or hentai tentacles. Beam me up, Scully and Mulder!

COUNTRIES: Okay, all the good ones are chosen. So, I'll make my bid, if they're any left, in order of the country I want the most:

1. Brazil. Home to bizarre yet humorous Spanish-language game shows, and the smallest bathing suits this side of dental floss.

2. Taiwan. I figure if I can't have China, I might as well have Taiwan, cause they make everything else that China does not.

3. Mongolia. Just cause the megalomaniac in me wants to rule Genghis Khan's old stomping grounds.

Surely one of these can be mine!
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 08:05:31 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

::rae at Imzy:: something wrong with reading ST and having a crush on Data? I did that for years in HS... now I've got my fuzzy tho... a lil more real... tho still as kute. ::preens Archwolf's fur:: Anyway...

::tips head:: Imzadi is Betazoid. Simple meaning = "beloved", deeper meaning, "the first" as in the first one to touch the other's soul.

(has immersed self too deep in ST at times... even has a Klingon language instructor)

okay.. i'm off for a bit... ::flies off in search of people to watch X-Files with::
Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Hades, Frozen
Sunday, February 25, 2001 06:36:02 PM
IP: 207.42.162.187

I took Spunky to visit my mother today. She loved him! She even remembered his name, which I had told her a couple of days ago. He quickly proceeded to lick her face. Many of the staff and residents liked him too so I guess I'll have to bring him around more often.
----
Imzadi:
Up to now, I've been patiently waiting for my backordered Titanium, but the other day I actually *saw* one at CompUSA. They just had the one demo model, but...dang is it cool! It's even better in person. I couldn't get over how thin it was, and the screen is gorgeous. The slot-load DVD drive worked perfectly; someone had put "2001" in it and I amused myself for some time ejecting and inserting it. The funny thing is that it'll be even faster than my G4 tower. OS X is simply amazing. I'm sure that there will be plenty of apps before too long, considering that porting UNIX apps is a snap, and Cocoa has to be the easiest programming environment I've seen.

Daniel "Look at me! I'm a bunny!" Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 06:31:19 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

Imzadi: <I'm going for something the size of a building, bristling with frikin' laser beams and rockets and stuff>
THAT I can do!
<I checked there, nothing>
Sorry about that. I know there is a copy out there SOMEWHERE!

Gunjack: <Also, once you get your tech base up high enough, you can use nueral taps to run everything>
Yeah, I figured about 5 anwsers on how to deal with it last night.
<BTW, I've got some REALLY freaky Neo Kali toys that I'm holding in reserve, partially because they poach on FS' territory>
Joint project?
<If you don't care about being subtle and just want to wreak some havok, you can use the heavy exoframe>
And if all hell breaks loose, whip out the mechs!

Gside: MySpace sucks! Could I grab Season 3, episodes 5, 6, AND 7 please?
<I'm talking about the Capcom CPS2 beat-em-up>
THAT one! Cool!
<Why not? It'd probably be like a nuke for reasonably sized objects. Like a building or two>
Yeah, true. But that means that I would have to make a VERY powerful particle accelerator that is smaller than a stadium!
<Skippy's a Klingon, and I'm sure he has many useful skills>
He can dance and make MC's nervous!
<Of course, I'd have to tape the whole thing>
And now I vacuum the turf at skydome. I couldn't wait. I lowered intrests rates and gave each new baby chocolate eclairs.
And remember, slower pizza's are more lucious because the KING OF SPAIN NEVER RUSHES!
What do you think of the Cranky Monarch version and the Riverdance version?

What will Wilek think of this? Dual alliances? Betrayal? Voiding military contracts? (EEK!)

Jannie: <Update on the Bonsai kittens>
Why am I not surprised?

Daphne: <I could've just bought the CD and saved the effort. oh well.>
Theres a *CD*?
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 04:19:40 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

::Wakes up, stretches, looks outside to verify that he is still in this cursed city and college wasn't all a dream...yup, it wasn't::

Ah, the joys of a good ten hours of sleep. I missed sleep last night so we had to get reacquainted.

Warpmind: Klatu Verata Nictu! Army of Darkness rules.
For the Clinton scandal, what would the Illuminati have been diverting attention from? Can you tell me more about the Nerus project?

Jannie: LOL about Bonsai kittens. I can't believe I send them my hard earned money.

Daniel: I run a Powerbook G3/333 and I'm hoping to pick up a Titanium this summer. I haven't been playing with the Beta (though I did BUY it) or any of the internal builds that my roommate "acquires" because I just don't have the hard drive space to support it right now. I'll probably buy OS X in the summer, when most of the apps I use will have been carbonized. And I can't be princess of canada because I already promised Canada to my favorite cousin. And I know when you call me Imzadi you don't MEAN it. Its just my callsign cuz its a cool word and translates losely to "de-virginizer" 8-) Funny about the dog. I've never been much of a dog person (unless its Sony's Aibo!), but I can appreciate the cute things they do.
Well, when I want to do it, I don't use turbotax...

Lain: its okay, we won't tell anyone that you read Trek books or have a crush on Data.

Spacebabie: DAMN! You want it all, don't you? England, Ireland, and Scotland have already been asked for. But barring me giving those countries to those people that already have applications in, I'll investigate the possibility of you ruling ONE of them. But you are right, they do need better teeth over there. I'll insist that my best friend (who will be ruling the US) send over swarms of members of the ADA to take care of those brits.

Patrick, other Gathering attendees: Okay so if the official hotel is the Sheraton, and the con is there, and people are staying there, why do they need rides to con? And I'm absolutely certain the Sheraton will provide some sort of shuttle to LAX or Burbank airports, wouldn't they?

DPH: What will you do with control of the sun? Its not like you could live there...

Daphne: Whoa...that's early. If I've hit the sack, my body doesn't even function at 5:30AM

Activate SLAVE GIRLS. Fondle SLAVE GIRLS. Activate SLAVE GIRLS.
-SimShatner (with the help of Mike Margolis and Maneesh Goel)

Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Sunday, February 25, 2001 03:37:16 PM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Been working on my taxes. How do people actually do it without TurboTax? :P

lain:
*I* know what "imzadi" means; I just wasn't going to try to define it. It can mean lots of things. And don't worry; I've seen every episode of ST (well, except for the last year or so of Voyager) so you're not alone. I've even read some Trek books. :) Not recently, though.

I hope things get better.

And the Princess of Canada line was just a joke; everyone knows that it's Dr. Evil.
----
Spacebabie:
<<If the website creator had it written that it was a joke somewhere then maybe this wouldn't be happening.>> Yes, well, we are dealing with a college student prank, here. You expected common sense? It's just gotten so silly. There are far worse things on the Internet.
----
DPH:
Do I know the URLs of my favorite sites? For the most part, yes, although it's easier to just select them from a menu. Why?
----
Daphne:
You *wanted* the hampster dance song? Uh, OK.
Daniel "Where ever you go, there you are" Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 02:35:49 PM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

Ok, I'm getting really tired of waiting for my chapters to be posted at that Ranma 1/2 website. So, who here wants to read chapters 4 AND 5? I'll e-mail them to anyone who wants to read them. :)

BTW, I think I'm going to change my user name. 'Mary Flanders' no longer suits me I think. It's just a name from one of my gargoyles characters that I wrote about in a fanfic ages ago. Hmmmm...from now on, just call me Beth H. (seeing that that IS my real name and all...) :)
Mary Flanders (Beth H.)
Sunday, February 25, 2001 02:31:22 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

Imzadi >> <if you didn't have to wake up for speech comps, would you still wake up for cartoons> yeah, probably. 8:00 sounds early, but it's way better than 5:30 AM, when I usually get up.

Warpmind>> <God Save The Queen"? Was that a subtle insult hurled at me? ;) > nah. I wouldn't do that even if I *had* thought it up. though now I wish I had thought it up... but I still wouldn't have done it :)


I finally got the hampsterdance song! it took like 50 tries, but it works! geez, I could've just bought the CD and saved the effort. oh well.

happiness!

Daphne - [suburbanbubble@hotmail.com]
the suburban bubble
Sunday, February 25, 2001 02:17:54 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.220.134.philadelphia1.level3.net

Daniel Johnson - Do you know the URLs for your favorite websites? I think I have you beat on this one.

Conspiracy theorist - what would keep me from doing a DNA scan on you while you sleep? Let's see, a couple of portals to remove from bed, then make you fall through DNA scanners enough times to get a copy, and return you to you bed in the same postion you left.

Warpmind - Ok, one government or total anarchy is what you are after, probably the former. May I have a written agreement that you will NOT attempt to invade other universes if/when you control the current one? By the way, when you take over the Solar System may I have control over over our litte bitty Sun?
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 01:45:24 PM
IP: max1-14.cwy.cei.net

Just to clarify on the hotel...

The Gathering does indeed have an official hotel: The Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Terrace Parkway, Universal City, CA 91608.

We have negotiated special room rates for Gathering attendees (details on our web site), but the hotel is not just a recommended sleeping place - it's where the convention will be happening. So the most convenient place to stay if you want to be within an elevator's ride of the convention is the Sheraton.

Reservations must be made by May 23, 2001 to receive the Gathering group rate. To make your hotel reservations, call the hotel directly at (818) 980-1212 or toll free (888) 627-7186, and remember to tell them you are with The Gathering when booking your room(s).
Patrick Toman - [gathering2001@art-chicks.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:47:25 AM
IP: aca3f1c3.ipt.aol.com

I want to be the ruler of the british isles..England,Scottland,Wales,Ireland and N.Ireland. The lil islands such as Mann, and Shetland and every piece of land England owns.I'll be their queen...its darn time they get a ruler who inst inbredd and has a descent set of choppers.
I'll end the feaud between England and IRA and hire a lot of detists from America and make it manditory to have a chekup every six moths...Better hire a lot of orthodontists as well.

If not that...then let me at least have Austraila,New Zealand and Tasmania...I'd order Jerri to be kicked off the island.


I just learned how to work the DVD player whoo hoo...

The feds are checking out Bonsai kitten. If the website creator had it written that it was a joke somwhere then maybe this wouldnt be happening.

Clinton's pardoning.... Mr. crouching intern Stolen Sofa is really flaunting it. He is pardoning people who dont deserve. another scandla with Hilary's brother.. Its like this guy is saying "I can do whatever I want and the people will still love me." Yeah keep laughing it up Bubba. You will be hanging out with Nixon after you die.

Surviovor...I may end up watching thw whole hour this week since I'm not taping stuff for my mother.
Speaking of survivor...My dad filled out an application to be on Survivor3.
his top 2 reasons for being on the show are
1.Avenge Rudy
2.money

Well see ya later. Hopefully my cold will be over.
Spacebabie - [LadyAndromeda@smstars.zzn]
Orlando, Fl, U.S.A
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:19:43 AM
IP: user-37kap3g.dialup.mindspring.com

Daniel J>> hey.. "princess of Canada"?????
S'cuse me??
:P:P
lain
The Great White North
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:02:55 AM
IP: ttya0f.ptbo.igs.net

Imzy>> Where am I?? heh heh.. I live in the wired.. I live everywhere.. ;)

Daniel J>> the translation of "imzadi" is something akin to "the first" meaning a first lover or soulmate.. that sort of thing. From the first Trek book I ever read.. I mean.. not that I read Trek books.. or watch ST:TNG ever.. or every day.. and not that I think Data is.. heh heh... I have to go now... before I say something REALLY incriminating ;)

I have to go now because of a certain thing that is upsetting me that I will tell you about later when my Father has not ordered me off the computer and I am back at school, whose saving Grace is Free High Speed Internet.. ;)

love,

lain "no matter where you are, everyone is always connected" iwakura
Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:01:04 AM
IP: ttya0f.ptbo.igs.net

Jannie:
The *FBI* is investigating? I can't stand it. Yes, the site is a tasteless joke, but that's all that it is--a joke. So now the Feds are investigating joke websites; that's just peachy. I guess that Agent Kay was right when he said "we at the FBI do not have a sense of humor that we are aware of." :P I'm always entertained by the creative ways that our government devises to spend our money.
Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:40:34 AM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

Sorry for being so quiet lately. Life has settled down now. This has got to be the coolest dog. How could someone have abandoned him? I was a little too slow getting up this morning so he decided to jump on the bed, lie on my chest, and lick my face. :P And he weighs fifty pounds! I've been getting a LOT of exercise, too, which is a good thing. He's sprawled on the couch staring at me right now. Do you get the feeling that I like him? ;)
----
SJ:
And the current discussions are on-topic?
----
Gunjack:
"Imzadi" is a Betazoid word from Star Trek: The Next Generation. There is no precise English translation, but it's what Troi and Riker have called each other at times. Yes, I am a veritable fountain of esoteric knowledge.
----
Imzadi:
After giving the above information, I feel a bit odd calling you this. :P
Yep, I'm a die-hard Mac user; have been for years. Note the email address. :) Heck, my first computer was an Apple IIe, and I still have an old IIgs in the attic. I'm currently on a Power Mac G4 and an iBook SE, although I have a PowerBook G4 on order. Someone already wants to buy the iBook. I can't wait for March 24th; I've been playing with the Mac OS X beta for a few months now, and the final release is going to kick several varieties of butt.
<<I can't come up with something that sounds better than Queen of Scandanavia.>> How about Princess of Canada? Just be sure you have the documentation to back it up.
----
Doug:
<<thanks for the info on Rodlox>> No problem. Real Life can get in the way sometimes. He'll be back when he's back, or something... There's been a number of people missing recently; it's just frustrating because there's nothing we can really do to find them. The important thing is that people in here DO worry when people are missing. And the dog is doing great: thanks! :)
----
Warpmind:
"Affectionately hounded?" Arg, that's awful, even for you. ;P
----
DPH:
What, you don't keep copies of your bookmarks? Tsk, tsk. ;)
----
Lynati:
<<taking care of them is sirius business>> Groan. Warpmind is rubbing off on you.
<<I have no egrets>> Aaaaaaa!!!! *Runs away, babbling about ethically challenged punsters.*
----
SOROW:
Hang in there, and don't let him push you too fast. If he really cares about you, he'll be patient. Good luck!
----
lain:
lain's back! Yay! :)
----
Gside:
Oooh, I love Baby Elephant Walk!
----
Conspiracy Theorist:
Yeah, I remember Bengali. I know she was having some problems and wasn't here for a while, but them she came back. Then she disappeared again. Sigh. I'm afraid I don't know anything else. I hope you find something.
Daniel Johnson - [danielj7@mac.com]
Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:23:32 AM
IP: adsl-138-89-70-193.nnj.adsl.bellatlantic.net

Update on the Bonsai kittens:
click on my name or http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_203667.html?menu=news.quirkies
Jannie
Sunday, February 25, 2001 10:14:16 AM
IP: 209-83-228-157.hou.port.mytelco.com

Conspirary Theorist>(reporter stance as I face camera and hold mike) you heard it here folks. This person *l* actually thinks Clinton is part of the illuminati (giggles) and also is trying to bring down Duval (turns off camera and mike. covers wrists with sleeves and ends post) GONE
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Sunday, February 25, 2001 09:50:37 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-129-42.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

*Warpmind enters, looking... somewhat miserable.*
Memo to self. When lovesick, Dido no angel is NOT a good idea to listen to... :| *Sigh*

DPH: Borders, as in between countries. Since the concept of countries will be pretty much shot to pieces with the Nereus Project... 'nuff said.

Aaron: As I said, another show that hasn't reached Norway yet, then...

Imzadi: Then whatever interest could you have in Scandinavia? On second thought, if you want to answer that, better do so elsewhere... ];)

Daphne: "God Save The Queen"? Was that a subtle insult hurled at me? ;)

Gside: Who the <Insert your favourite rude four-letter word here> is Boilingbroke? And thanks for helping me get that word right. That one has always caused trouble. (Ever seen the famous "Klatu Verata N*cough*" scene from Army of Darkness? ];) And you don't like Manowar? But... but... they're GREAT!!! (Oh, wait, you don't like metal whatsoever, myabe?)

Conspiracy Theorist: You're devoted to uncovering the Illuminati? Oh, but we're going to have a lot of fun with you, then... ];) Oh, and I, too, wonder whatever happened to Bengali... :|

Imzadi again: No member of the US Congress, nor the president are members of the Illuminati, of course. Have you ever heard of this little thing called "Lobbyism"? Not to mention the First Lady... ];) As for the Clinton Scandal, well... have you not yet realized that the Illuminati's number one specialty is diverting attention? ];)

Well, that about concludes the post. Later, everyone.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Sunday, February 25, 2001 05:53:20 AM
IP: mp-217-212-127.daxnet.no

::throws programming books of desk in frustration and boredom::

Okay, I've been studying for this cursed midterm in "Programming for Scientists and Engineers" which is a weenie comp sci class. For the last four hours or so, I've been pouring over how-to's and sample problems. Now for some R&R!

Sevarius: States of Insanity, Euphoria, etc. Lots of people have asked for them. I don't think I can give those out. I mean, suppose I gave you the State of Euphoria. Does that mean that I can no longer be in Euphoria? That would suck, cuz Euphoria is fun. America, of course, was the first country to go. It will be ruled by my best friend, who is a much more fair and benevolent person than I am. I'd recommend you all move there, unless you're in charge of another country (in which case you'd have to live there).

Coyote: France is taken. Sorry. My friend Casi wants to repopulate it with English people (that's her idea of amusement). I don't think I'm going to give away regions, that's too many things to give out. Countries have nice borders and all the rules can easily figure out where their power begins and ends. Now if I start needed to promise more things, I may use regions like mountain ranges, or perhaps individual islands out of countries or something (I've heard many requests for tropical islands, and there's plenty to go around).

Aingeal: I'm 5'8" and 110 lbs. Everyone is bigger and stronger than I am, including most women. I can't afford to be intimated by every person that turns into a dragon and burns all my hair off. 8-)

Gunjack: If you use neural taps in the suit, does the wearer actually have to be plugged in? Not that I'd mind, but it might be kind of a turn off when girls noticed that there's a firewire port in the back of my neck or something.
Funny that you mention Ahnuld, we were watching Predator last night at movie night. Now THAT's an exo-suit. Clothes a bit larger? No problem. I get tired of getting hit when I tell people my waistline 8-).
As far as I'm concerned, 8-10 times strength enhancement IS super strength. What is the upper limit of the heavy exoframe? Two tons? Move a house off its foundation? Gauntlets will be a must. All that strength and no ability to throw punches wouldn't be very useful.
Three high-energy weapons are not critical in my eyes. This is more of a toy than a weapon (not that I won't have fun destroying stuff with it). How does an organic laser work? Can the rockets be targeted by a "look-down, shoot-down" system in the helmet? That would be pretty useful, and I know those sorts of systems are alreaydy available on modern fighters. No flight is a problem, though. I don't expect to be able to fly with just what I can wear under clothes, but is there an external backpack-type thing that would enable flight (and conviently stores in an overhead bin)? If you remove a few of the weapons (like everything but the organic laser), would the power supply be able to power the flight pack? Can you tell me more about the Neo Kali toys?
But your description is very impressive. You've hyped up quite a product. What's the sticker? And does it come with a six-disc changer (or an 80GB MP3 drive)? It'll need a sticker on each wing (front and back) that says "keep honking, I'm reloading" cuz I'll MEAN IT!

Gside: New York and back before you woke up? That's pretty damn impressive. I'm jealous. About engineers, I don't think there's a doubt that were subjected to the work of Computer Engineers most often. Although a civil engineer probably approved the design of the house/apartment you're sitting in, they didn't design it. Engineers didn't design any of your furniture. But engineers did design the computer your using to read this and the browser that's looking at it. Specifically, computer engineers. And as often as a drive over the golden gate bridge, my car most of the other cars on the bridge all have chips in them that were designed by computer engineers. They're freakin' everywhere! (and it scares me to no end).

ConspiracyTheorist: This is the first post you've made since I joined the CR, so let me say hi. If you find the Illuminati, will you be joining them as Matt Bluestone did? I'm sure you don't think you'd be able to expose them. They'd probably just kill you if you did. LOL about Prissy the cat.
I like the idea of the illuminati, because it explains a lot of the conspiracy-type stuff that goes on in the world. Even if there are members in government, the whole government couldn't be filled with them. I mean, blaming the roswell coverup on the American Gov't just sounds silly. They are incompetent to say the least. They can't do anything without fighting and arguing about it for months or even years. The illuminati society covers a lot of topics, yet allows for things like the idiocy of the clinton scandal (I personally do not believe that Clinton is smart enough to be a member of the society. I mean, wouldn't Mr. Duval consider such a schmuck to be an insult to the average IQ of the society?
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Sunday, February 25, 2001 04:32:04 AM
IP: adsl-64-161-24-195.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Sorry for the double post, I accidently missed Doug's reponse. Hehe...

Doug><**Conspiracy Theorist: Welcome! Good to see a fresh voice in here. I don't think I want to be in politics after reading a couple of your posts, especially the Clinton-related one (Damn, every time I blink new baggage and mysterious coincidences keep turning up around that guy!), but then I never really did want to be in politics anyway. Wanting to be a police officer and do some good
for the common man is the extent of my ambitions. That and living a long happy life with Kit. :) As for conspiracies, I have to say I don't like them very much. Real life is confusing enough as it is. Hopefully someday the affairs of the world will be easy to understand once again. <fingers crossed>** Thanks for your welcome! The Clintons are {so far} the strangest folks I've researched. There's so much they've done this past decade, it's unbelievable. My main aspiration right now is to go into law enforcement. I'd thought about becoming a cop, but my size sorta rules that out. I weigh less than 95 pounds and have pretty much stopped growing. So I may go into detective work, it fits with the things I like to do. I do the conspiracy stuff mostly for humor and to take up my extra time. I have an _odd_ sense of humor so this stuff appeals to it. As for the world's affairs, I don't think they will ever be easy to understand, but here's hoping!
Conspiracy Theorist
Sunday, February 25, 2001 04:24:40 AM
IP: acaa5f25.ipt.aol.com

Sorry for the late post, been busy lately...

Gside><**Pretty much the standard: galactic domination.** Oh. I tried that for a while, but when Clinton's hit men went after me, I gave it up. They're still on my trail though...

Wilek><**Trust us, if you side with OUR conspiracy, you'll have little to fear from other conspiracies. >:)** Perhaps I should rethink my strategy... I seem to have tapped into an odd group of people who will be useful in my planned counterattack on Clinton... **You could be
very valuable to us--conspiracy theorists, by definition, are rather good at weaving together seemingly disparate threads of evidence into a coherent timeline of events and structures of influence, and that kind of skill would be useful for investigations and for helping us conceal ourselves from the other conspiracies.** Yeah, I'm pretty good at that kind of stuff, and I've got an excellent memory. I can still remember what the last episode of Gargoyles was that aired on USA before they ended it, it was Bushido, next would have been Future Tense. We just gotta be careful... Clinton's hit men are everywhere. I've got contact with many other theorists that believe that if we can get enough folks together, we can topple the Clinton family's power by hiring our own hit men to infiltrate their home... Hehe... **Why, trying to take over the world. But for a good cause of course. :)** That's what they all say...

James Birdsong><**You may already have said and if so discard this message but what does the illuminati think of you people and what do you think of them? (puts mike in front of you and turns on video camera with extra zoom)** Well, they want me dead. I've got tons of info on their secret activities, not to mention the fact that Clinton himself is a member of their secret group. As for myself, I know that I don't stand a chance against such a powerful organization alone, so right now I'm gathering forces and teaming up with my colleagues to go after Mr Duval. We're just hoping that he doesn't turn out to be immortal...

On another note concerning the Illuminati, I've done a hefty amount of research on the real thing, and it is believed that they still exist. The organization was first recorded during the 700s, they were a secret society of scholars, poets, writers and the wealthy. They lasted as such until the 1300s in which the society disappeared, but resurfaced during the 1500s as a much larger society which also protected it's members. Who was leading it was unknown. The society's activities became less and less public until it was last recorded during the late 19th century to early 20th century. There has been no absolute evidence as to their existance, but there are many rumors. And as a conspiracy theorist, it is my job to find them out. =)

DPH><**Tying seemingly unrelated events together makes you ... rather valuable. You might want to bring along protection from DNA scanners. You never know when one of the conspiracy groups in this CR might try to CLONE you.** I've got protection. Besides, I already tried to clone myself, the product of it was a furry cat that I now call Prissy. I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong...

Kitainia><Most people don't know about it, which I've found to be quite surprising, since it should be a really big deal. Their family is a strange one... which is why I find them so interesting. As for the media, they also seem to find them fascinating and it's unlikely that they'll stop talking about the Clinton family in this lifetime.

On a much more serious note, you guys remember a poster by the name of "Bengali", don't you? Well, she was a friend of mine a short time ago, but she just sorta disappeared, giving me one last e-mail. She said she was leaving the US and not coming back due to personal problems. She said goodbye and asked me to finish writing her fanfic multi-parter "The Staff of Ankon Konu" for her. What I'd like to know, is if any of you have had contact with her recently or know her in person. And if so, please, could you give me any info on what happened!

Later!
Conspiracy Theorist - [RepublicanW2001@yahoo.com]
Sunday, February 25, 2001 04:14:20 AM
IP: acaa5f25.ipt.aol.com

Gunjack> <<Why do you think they call it "riding shotgun?">>: Granted, but I was talking more about initiating the thing.
<<My word, just LOOK at all that green!>>: I told you the CR needed more of it.

Imzadi> <<Us mac users use command-r>>: command, control, meta, double bucky, it's all pretty much the same.

Doug> <<Especially the Civil ones, as it's your work I most often get the chance to appreciate>>: Debatable. Everyone's so often surrounded by the work of one engineer or another, it gets hard to figure out what kind of discipline is most prevalent.

Gunjack> <<Glances over the top of "Cyrano de Begerac">>: Cyrano or Don? I'm not sure which I like better.

Warpmind> <<Guess who just got snailmail from two of his favorite ladies?>>: Boilingbroke?
<<receit (receipt? recipe? Aw, whatever>>: The second.
<<considered uploading any of the classical Manowar songs to your MP3 cycling?>>: I'm sorry, but I don't think it'll happen. If my tastes change, it just might happen.

Imzadi> <<Sleeping late rules>>: Well, yeah. Once, my roomie managed to visit New York and return before I awoke.
<<they can make you stronger, faster,>>: ...Bigger, better, the King. Of. Spain.
<<how funny would THAT be?>>: Not as funny as you would think.
<<THAT triggers the sensor>>: You could make it a pressure sensor between the body and the suit. Or maybe one that reads electrical impulses to muscles.

Fire Storm> <<Aliens vs Predator?>>: Yup, but not the one you're thinking of. I'm talking about the Capcom CPS2 beat-em-up.
<<A quark weapon? Na>>: Why not? It'd probably be like a nuke for reasonably sized objects. Like a building or two.
<<I want to be the King of Spain!>>: Once, I was the King of Spain. Now I eat humble pie. As long as I get to have a shot at it. Just long enough for a game of Crokinole with the Princess of Monaco, some jokes with the OPEC leaders, a couple economic policies, and switching places with my peasant clone. Of course, I'd have to tape the whole thing.

Daphne> <<I still can't download the thing>>: Try looking at the source for where they hide the midi.

Imzadi> << Who is Skippy and why doesn't he have any skills besides dressing himself up like a Klingon?>>: Skippy's a Klingon, and I'm sure he has many useful skills. Never met him in person, myself.

Gunjack> <<And will I EVER get to those replies?>>: It doesn't look like it.

I don't think i've put up enough Henry Mancini. So now you get his Baby Elephant Walk.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscatway, NJ
Sunday, February 25, 2001 02:14:59 AM
IP: gside.resnet.rutgers.edu

Firestorm><<Hmm... Well, from what I have so far, the hardest part is making it is this...>> I'm fairly sure they ironed out the force-feedback technology back in the 80s with Project Pitman. If I'm not mistaken, you can set the sensors to compensate for the force that they impose on themselves. So your arm pushes forward against the suit's sensors, which causes the suit's arm to move forward. In doing so, it presses against your arm, thereby exerting force on the sensors. But the suit's systems KNOW how much force they're generating and where, so they can screen out that kind of feedback.
Also, once you get your tech base up high enough, you can use nueral taps to run everything. That makes a suit about as easy to control as your own limbs. <<The only "suit" I can think of that would overcome this little problem is to make a mech.
But then you are talking a minimum of 20 feet tall.>> My gunsuits are all around this size, but that's cause I like to play with BIIIG guns. 30mm rotary support cannon, anyone? No? How about the 42mm Flakcaster? And the Banshee HVM pods? And the 120mm M1 Recoiless Rifle? Laird, but I loves that Recoiless...

Josh><<But what about under a suit? Or a pair of jeans?>> We can do that too, but you'll have to buy clothes a size or two larger. In fact, it's a big help that your scrawny, since it leaves more room in your clothes for the suit without making you look like Ahnuld. Basicly, we peel away most of the armor plating from the version I described earlier, and just wrap you in the myomers. There's a VERY thin composite frame for the muscles to "pull" off of, and integral ceramet plates give you 50% coverage over your body, with about two thirds the damage resistence of the heavier version. The muscles themselves are a reactive synthetic, and they'll stop most smallarms and fragments.
First, the bad news. If you strip a suit down this far, you lose the main drive systems; which means no more super strength. You can get maybe 8-10 times normal strength (yes, I REALLY lowballed on the previous suit) before the synthetic muscle starts tearing under the stress. also, there's the little problem of your extremities not being able to handle the stresses. If you punch someone with that kind of force, using your bare hands, you'll be pitching left-handed for quite a while. Guantlets can handle that problem nicely, of course. Also, the power unit is too small to run both the suit AND a few energy weapons, so the plasmafaust and laser are out. Plus, you don't have enough shielding to stop the brainfrier from frying YOU, so that's pretty much out too.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other options. How about a nice organic laser grown into the surface of the suit? It'll take some time to recharge between shots, but you can varry the power setting (and thus the recharge time) according to your target. Also, I'd include some Viper gyrocs (12.7mm guided rockets, maximum range ~2,000 yards, with a shaped-charge warhead that will penetrate 4" of steel, and user's choice of laser or IIR guidence) in a quadpack on your forearm. BTW, I've got some REALLY freaky Neo Kali toys that I'm holding in reserve, partially because they poach on FS' territory, and partially because I'm not sure if you're ready for advanced grav- and nanotech.
So you've got a really strong suit, pretty good bulletproofing, but no flight and no big guns.
Now, the GOOD news. Jesus died for th- Whoops! Wrong notes. *ahem* ...The "musclesuit" is tight-fitting enough (think of a slightly bulky wetsuit) that you can wear it INSIDE another suit of armor. So if you want to go full incognito, you wear the muscle suit. If you KNOW you're walking into trouble, and still want to be subtle, you wear the hardshell and an overcoat. If you don't care about being subtle and just want to wreak some havok, you can use the heavy exoframe; that'll double your weapons payload, proof you against anything up to HEAVY rocket or cannon fire (like Hellfires and 120mm APFSDSDU). That float yer boat?

Lordy, but I'm tired. Lyn's been tying my brain in knots all night... And will I EVER get to those replies?
Gunjack "Fancy Dancer" Valentine
Sunday, February 25, 2001 01:48:43 AM
IP: 216-146-183-2.bwn.net

Heylo.

Doug> as far as Archwolf goes he's doing ok/good... he's at a fencing tournament this weekend. I'll let him know he's missed.

Imzy> You don't want to go bald, don't play with people until you know they're not bigger or more powerful than you are... ::chuckles:: in this case... I'm just a female.. don't mess anyway :p... skary.

::flops in corner:: well.. looks like I'm delurked for the time being... I'm bored... and btw.. if anyone knows CGI and/or Perl really well... say Hi? I'm struggling to get some stuff to work.

btw... I'll make some really useful comments when i can actually access either the TGS site or a TV that I can see something on.. my work schedule bites, as does the school internet filter.

::curls up and tucks head under wing:: nitenite
Aingeal - [aingealkelly@yahoo.com]
Hades... sm town version, Cant decide to be frozen or not
Sunday, February 25, 2001 01:15:36 AM
IP: 207.42.162.200

Josh: Okay then ... can ya give up regions? I'm willing to not have the rest of Spain or France, if you'll let me have the Pyrenees. :)
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:56:44 PM
IP: 216.28.101.132

What, we only get to claim countries? That's it? Damn. I was hoping for something more....

Maybe I could have the State of Euphoria, if no one else is interested in it.

Or America if it isn't taken. If I was to have a country, it'd have to be that one.
Sevarius Jr. - [bpoole@mailexcite.com]
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:31:52 PM
IP: cache-2.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net

::rifles through paperwork::
JESUS that's a lot of requests for countries! I'll get back to you guys as soon as can. Like I said, I'm generally devoting power to close friends and family and people who can provide me with the necessary resources to actually take over the world. Like Mr. Gunjack who wants to make my extra-cool exo-suit.

Firestorm: Spain, huh? We'll see. RE suit: details, details. I'm offering you the cosmos! For the cosmos, you can make it work. But if I have to go with a battlemech, forget 20'. I'm going for something the size of a building, bristling with frikin' laser beams and rockets and stuff. Then I won't need clothes to hide it, just a hangar 8-).
Tips on being immortal: don't get dead. Easier than it sounds, been doing it for 19 years. And considering the way I drive, that's quite a shock. Anyone need a ride to gathering? ;-)
I guess from Michigan you could walk to Gathering, but that would take a very long time.
pleasegivemea@kicktothenuts.com should forward directly to me. If you'd like to try, go ahead. I'll write back, but since *******@kicktothenuts.com forwards to a different account, I can't send mail from funny e-mail addresses like that. But I'm working on it.
Who is Skippy and why doesn't he have any skills besides dressing himself up like a Klingon? No offense to you, Skippy, I don't even know you, but this is what the rest of the chat room has said.
Where's the Avalon archive? avalon.gargoyles-fans.org? I checked there, nothing.

Daphne: I thought the hinge joke was cute. ::sticks tounge out:: hmmm...Secretary of Stuff. Stuff is one of my favorite magazines next to Maxim, and I'm sure if you ask nicely they'll give you a job (I'm just full of smart-alec responses today). On cartoons, if you didn't have to wake up for speech comps, would you still wake up for cartoons? Or would you just tape them?

Mary: Japan? We'll see.

Janine, Coyote: There's no GOOD reason my choice would start a flame war. She's a particular celebrity, and if I say her name I'm liable to have to deal with someone being offended or bitching that her (show/song/movie/whatever) is a piece of crap and blah blah blah. That being said, my current choice for queen of my world is Jessica Alba, aka Dark Angel. There are enough buffy fans in here that I was afraid to say anything other than Sarah Michelle Gellar (who I do think is really hot but she's dating that bastard Freddy Prinze), but I guess there's no big deal. I might have gotten my ass kicked if I'd said Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera (sp?).

GATHERING ATTENDANCE: There's an official con hotel? I had no idea. I just figured people stayed wherever they could. Is it closer to the airport or to the con? Anyway, I'll be living in LA during the summer, so I can probably supply a few rides to the airport for the small price of helping me pay for gas.

There is an old vulcan proverb: only Nixon could go to China.
- Spock, “Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country”
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kickothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:28:01 PM
IP: adsl-64-170-152-74.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

I wrecked it because of the false repairs, I mean. They never fixed the starter and it went dead in the middle of the road- I hit a moving van's back end. No damage to him, but my car was pretty totaled. I traded it in within a week.
Doug again
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:27:32 PM
IP: pool-63.52.168.151.dlls.grid.net

Coyote: You did miss something, bigtime. The Volvo broke down back in August, I got it fixed, and then it turned out they did false repairs and I wrecked the damn thing by accident. So we traded in the remains for a new 2000 Focus dirt-colored hatchback, which has been stupendous for us since. :)
Doug
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:25:04 PM
IP: pool-63.52.168.151.dlls.grid.net

I too liked Zeta Project this morning. That other robot made a worrisome antagonist. I didn't like that Flores got away though- hopefully he'll pop up again someday and get his.

Aaron: He did win? Damn it! Thanks for the correction. :(
Doug
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:22:38 PM
IP: pool-63.52.168.151.dlls.grid.net

Coyote> *chuckles* I'm glad you asked Josh why it would cause a flame war... I was curious myself ;)

Sevarius Jr.> Yeah, I'm enjoying the Ultimate X-Men series. :) Denis keeps me informed on the characters. After I finally saw the movie, I had a better understanding of the "main" characters. I have been trying for over a year to become familiar with all of the characters and story lines, but waaaaay to confusing for me! O.o
I only read Ultimate X-Men and Area 52 comics at this time. Have you read #3 yet? Pretty awesome!!

Doug and Kit> Ohmygosh! did you see The District tonight? wow! I almost cried at the ending! It was hilarious watching the barbs about each other's bf/gf (btwn Jack and Sherry)... her making fun of the young age and him never getting Alfred's name correct! *L* I was glad to see Ella not pursuing the 30 year old case, but my dislike for Joe still remains as strong. He gets on my nerves O,O
It did make me wonder something... is there a time when one can be "too righteous"? At what point is it ok to look the other way? Is it ever ok? Is there a statue of limitations on doing what is right? I thought it was a very good episode tonight =)
Looks like a new series will be on CBS soon.. The Big Apple, or something like that. It will have ohhhh geesh, *brainfart* the guy who played Al in Married With Children. Gaw, don't you hate when that happens? I completely went blank. I noticed that it will air at the same time as ER, though =\ However, I'm becoming disgruntled with ER with their newest "relationship" concerning Carrie. geesh.
I've left Boy Scout district committee meetings to watch ER - but I wouldn't do that now.... ohwell *sais*

Gathering attendance> *waves hand in the air* I'm going!
I've been trying to put together the travel plans and costs *cringes* eehgads! I'm at a minimum of $691 for the costs so far. O.o Also, in case anyone needs to know.. there are no shuttle services to any of the airports to/from the con hotel. =|

I've finally gotten to watch Shanghi Noon (very funny) and Hollowman (intense) hehehe

Mr. Peepers is on SNL - gotta' go! He cracks me up! :D
Jannie
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:14:58 PM
IP: 209-83-228-134.hou.port.mytelco.com

Imzadi> I want to be the new empress of Japan! >:) (that would definetly be interesting: a 5'10" white girl as the empress of Japan ;P)
Mary Flanders
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:04:40 PM
IP: adsl-63-195-144-108.dsl.scrm01.pacbell.net

Couple short 'uns ...

Doug: You drive a Focus? When'd you get that? (Last I knew you guys had a Volvo ... did I miss something???)
Anyway, there's nothing wrong with Fords. It's just that Dale Earnhardt won his seven Winston Cups driving Chevys (four in Monte Carlos and three in Luminas).

Josh: Uh ... yeah. Any particular reason *why* it'd cause a flame war? Just curious.
Coyote the Bando - [gathering_motor_city_2004@hotmail.com]
Algonac, Michigan
Saturday, February 24, 2001 09:27:15 PM
IP: 216.28.101.83

Imzadi>> <A cabinet member, huh? Like, the door or the hinge?> ha. ha ha. and did I mention ha? you know what I mean, like Secretary of Stuffm, or Minister of Something
<How on earth can you people actually wake up for Saturday morning cartoons? > [raises hand] actually, I get up early for speech competitions, and I tape the cartoons.

Doug>> <The guy's name was Joseph Galante, he was featured as an RP villain.> shoot. must've missed that one.
< I doubt he could be as great as Dr. Gagne, Mr. Conway, Father Frank, and the religious teachers at Kelly were before the Bishop screwed things up> you're proabably right. I've got no basis for comaprison other than my own experience and what people tell me, though.
<Best of luck getting set up with Steve if you want to be, I hope it goes well.> thanks. actually, he supposedly emailed me the other day, but I got no email at all that day, including another email I was told I had gotten. Excite's been bugging me lately anyway, so I switched to hotmail. maybe it'll help :)

Lynait>> <queen of scnadinavia> [hums a couple bars of God save the queen]

[then begins humming the hampsterdance song] I still can't download the thing!

happiness!


Daphne - [suburbanbubble@hotmail.com]
the suburban bubble
Saturday, February 24, 2001 08:22:27 PM
IP: dialup-63.214.203.221.philadelphia1.level3.net

Imzadi: I want to be the King of Spain! :)
Fire Storm
Saturday, February 24, 2001 07:41:41 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

Imzadi: <Well if you can build me a Xanatos-style exo-frame, the cosmos is yours>
Hmm... Well, from what I have so far, the hardest part is making it is this:
You move your arm, which triggers a sensor.
The sensor trigers the servo which moves the arm with force.
THAT triggers the sensor.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
The only "suit" I can think of that would overcome this little problem is to make a mech.
But then you are talking a minimum of 20 feet tall. You would have to find some REALLY big clothes to hide that thing!
<Oh, and if you need tips on becoming an immortal, I'll be happy to share.>
Sure! Let me know!
<I'm curious as to how people who are going to the Gathering are planning on getting there>
Plane. Only way to get there from Michigan.
BTW... do you have a email address pleasegivemea@kicktothenuts.com? :)
<Is it just me, or is this a lot like that, but the people are slightly better looking and generally have some talent besides dressing themselves up like klingons?>
Don't knock our good friend Skippy! :)
We only dress up for the costume party.
<But if you happen across the plans, email them to me PLEASE>
I have seen a few copies around on the net somewhere. Try Avalon Archive.

Lady Corax: <Thanks for the DVD info! I really, really appreciate it.>
No prob! Just remember to pick one that suits YOU, not anyone else.

Gside: <I'm sorry, but I spent a good part of the evening killing your children>
*HISS!*
Aliens vs Predator? Lan party?
<while Fire Storm heads the strange matter/energy department>
"Strange matter"? Hmm... A quark weapon? Na... :)

Gunjack: <You do weapons to!? What the HECK!?>
Mainly "Special" weapons. I dabble in standard weapons, but I'll leave that mainly to you.
<Why don't people tell me these things!?>
Need to know basis? :)

*POSSIBLE ZETA PROJECT SPOILERS!*

Todd: The oddest thing about the new synthoid is that it mainly used non-leathal ordinance. Does Zeta even HAVE non-lethal ordinance?

*END SPOILERS!*

Oh yeah! Daria is back on the air with new episodes! Monday at 10pm on MTV.
Fire Storm - [Night-Flame@usa.net]
Saturday, February 24, 2001 07:39:53 PM
IP: 64.109.143.22

::At 5 in the evening, he gets out of bed, stretching his arms and letting out a most animalistic snarl::

ARRRRRRRGHH! ::Picks up a half-finished soda and downs it::

Good morning Vietnam! Sleeping late rules. How on earth can you people actually wake up for Saturday morning cartoons? Okay so for some bizarre reason, not only was our movie night a huge success, but I woke up with someone else in my bed and marks all over my neck! God, its really been way too long since that happened.

Warpmind: I don't want all the girls. I already have mine picked out too. At the risk of starting a flame war, I won't name her.

DPH: Alive but severely damaged would suck, but if you were immortal, you could a) heal or b) live long enough to where medical tech advances and could fix you (they can make you stronger, faster, blah blah). 1+1=3 is false, but one+one = 3 for extremely large values of one (hehe programming rules). I suppose one+one could equal -1 also. How's that for a braintwister?

Lynati: "I see," said the blind carpenter, who picked up the hammer and saw. 8-). Queen of Scandanavia does sound good, but not nearly as good as Josh, Leader of Earth. No, Josh, Undisputed Ruler of the World. No...nuts, I can't come up with something that sounds better than Queen of Scandanavia. But don't worry, I'm not going to use that as my title (how funny would THAT be?).

Sorow: Congrats on your date. Its good that you've "gotten back in the saddle" so to speak and that you're not permanently destroyed by a bad breakup. I've seen it happen to a lot of friends and it sucks. Good for you! Bummer on the credit card. Those guys are nazis and when I take over the world, most of them will burn. Slowly. That's what they get for charging me interest between the day the sent me the bill and the day they recieved the check (and I mailed the check the same day I GOT the bill!). Funny about your tiara. I once had a girlfriend who did the same thing.

Aaron: Eminem did NOT have the album of the year, he just had the better album than any of the other schmucks that were up for it. Why couldn't they choose a cool album, like some heavy industrial stuff? (note: I'm a HUGE linkin park fan, don't flame me).

Lain: where on earth are you!? Japan?

Anyway, I'm off to start a semi-functional day. Midterms to study for, house-warming parties to attend, FOOD to eat!

::Blasts a hole in the wall and uses his new exo-suit (thanks Gunjack) to fly away...then realizes its raining in Berkeley and he forgot an umbrella. FSCK!::

There’s no excuse for this kind of erratic retardism.
- Adam Carolla, “Loveline”
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Saturday, February 24, 2001 07:38:19 PM
IP: adsl-64-170-152-74.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

*lain wandrers in*
yeah.. I am alive and jetlagged...

AND I AM GOING TO BED!!!!!!!!

goodnight...
love,

lain "it's 01 30 am tomorrow where *I* am right now.." iwakura
Saturday, February 24, 2001 07:24:17 PM
IP: ttya15.ptbo.igs.net

IRONWOLF - What's Lockheed doing here, anyway? Did Kitty Pryde abandon him?

* BRIEF SATURDAY MORNING SPOILERS *

I rather enjoyed today's "Zeta Project". I hadn't even expected Bucky to return, but it was fun to see him back (and still the trouble-maker). The real highlight, however, was not just the new assassin-robot, but the twist at the end where he now mistakenly believes that Zeta's his target; that one really surprised me. But I think that it works. Now Zeta's got two parties after him, and that assassin-robot strikes me as possibly even more dangerous than Bennet.

I also liked Zeta and Ro's disagreement on whether to warn the arms merchant or not - and I couldn't help but think that both made good points. On the one hand, the guy's a genuine trouble-maker; on the other hand, I could agree with Zeta's disapproval of the whole assassination attempt.

At any rate, I still think that this is a pretty good series - though I also still think that it could do with some better animation (at least the voices and scripts are good ones).

* SPOILERS END *
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Saturday, February 24, 2001 07:03:21 PM
IP: 216.87.46.116.dialup-stl.primary.net

Um, Doug, Eiminem got three of the four things he was up for. He just got robbed when it came to Album of the Year.

Warpy> OZ is HBO's critically acclaimed prison drama, chronicaling the lives and deaths of the inmates and employees of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison. It's very good.


Aaron - [JCarnage@Yahoo.com]
San Antonio, TX, USA
Saturday, February 24, 2001 06:22:24 PM
IP: 126-pool3.ras10.txhou.agisdial.net

Hi all. Thank you to all for the well wishes. They mean a lot to me, but I think lain needs them more. *gives her a hug* News for this week:
Good news: My date on Thursday went really well. We went to a comedy improve joint and I never had so much fun. He's such a sweetie, but I'm not going to get into a serious relationship just yet. It's too painful after my last breakup. He's also trying to go too fast so I had to tell him to hold up. He's disappointed ;) I'm such a tease.
Bad news: I'm in a little bit of trouble cause I maxed out my credit card. Most of it was left over from Christmas presents, so now I'm forced to cut my spending until I get more paychecks. Damn.
Stupid act for the week: I bought a tiara to go with my prom dress and I'm wearing it around the house all the time cause it makes me feel important. I'm so gay :)
Stuff only exciting to me: I choreographed half a dance yesterday in 30 minutes....yea for me.
Love ya.
SOROW
Saturday, February 24, 2001 02:26:50 PM
IP: a020-0851.dll2.splitrock.net

*Wakes up, looks around*

Warpmind: awww...*smooch*...heh ehh heh.."Jason".

Daniel Johnson: <pets> yeah, I was just talking to Warps about pets, and he agrees that taking care of them can be sirius business. My bearded dragon took up a lot of my time when I first got him. *glances at Gunjack Valentine with an eeevil grin* But unlike others, I have no egrets...

Imzadi: ahh...no, you missed the point. not your fault; you don't know the surrounding circumstances. (I should take a line from my own stories, eh?) I in no way though you were gonna knife anyone; I just look for any excuse to put my hands on warpmind. (heh heh; as if I need any.) And the other bit was that HE, if he wanted, COULD have any girl in the scandanavia region. But he doesn't want any of them. He wants me. ( :D ) So, ya don't need to have that meeting, see? :) That was what I meant.
...huh. "Lynati, Queen of Scandanavia." I think I like the sound of that.

*Gone*
Lynati
Saturday, February 24, 2001 02:08:06 PM
IP: 207.94.232.162

Hmm. Is it me or has Netaddress.com been done the ENTIRE week? I guess I could either go back to hotmail or excite or create another one at mail.com.

Also, a few days ago, my bookmarks disappeared into seemingly thin air. *Glares at you-know-who.*

Warpmind - What kind of borders? Are you talking about borders as in Planets, Solar Systems, or Galaxies?

Imzadi - Immortality is not all it is cracked up to be. I consider being alive but severely damaged to be a worse fate than death.

An early wipe only proves that Robby . . . nevermind.

Darn, I hate being 1/2 awake because I miss things.

I had an interesting 1st week as a Permanent Employee. One full time guy got fired (I didn't see how he got hired in the 1st place) so that should make things interesting.

1+1=3 or does 1+1=-1?
DPH - [dph_of_rules@yahoo.com]
AR, USA
Saturday, February 24, 2001 01:43:58 PM
IP: max1-67.cwy.cei.net

*Warpmind enters, grinning, wearing a Friendship Bracelet, and carrying a little plushie white tiger, two paperbacks and a small bag of Hershey's Kisses.*
Hello, everyone. Guess who just got snailmail from two of his favorite ladies? ]:)

Imzadi: You can have the girls for all I care. I already have mine picked out. :) As for my plans regarding resources, well... Let's just say that electric power will be likely a major production here. Aside from that... let us attend those matters in a more private location, hmm? Fnord. Oh, and for the record, I will NOT be a total prick about trade. For starters, that'd kinda go against the concept of the Nereus Project. For seconds, well... I'll be going heavy on the imports, so I might as well keep the borders open. (Not that there will be too many realistic borders by then, anyway...)

Lynati: *Snuggle* No worry, love. My reasons for calling dibs on Scandinavia are purely contemtuous, and not whatsoever affected by hormones. ]:) Oh, and you looked absolutely gawgeous on the pic - methinks the next four months will go slowly... :|

Lain: The package was sent today. You probably won't recognize the name - that's because I couldn't make it to the post office on time, and had to convince a friend, under threat of severe physical harm, including but not limited to gelding, dismemberment and surgical removal of spare organs, to drop off the package and get a receit (receipt? recipe? Aw, whatever...) for it. It should reach you well within two weeks. :)

Aaron: OZ? What is OZ? I've never heard of OZ. Is this yet another American show that hasn't reached Norway yet?

Daniel Johnson: So, you're being affectionately hounded? ;) Have fun, dude. :)

Gside: Ah. Right... By the way, considered uploading any of the classical Manowar songs to your MP3 cycling? ]:)

Doug: The plans, so far, is that I make myself a permanent US resident immediately after G'01. That'd make figuring out a date quite simple, hmmm? ;)

Well, that about does it... I've got two new chapters of the Callahans Continuum to plow through! A vast arsenal of new puns! A pile of cheap jokes! A heap of deep thinking! And lots and lots of reasons for Valentine to fear IM... ]:) Later.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmind@usa.net]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Saturday, February 24, 2001 12:52:40 PM
IP: mp-216-45-166.daxnet.no

Doug thanks for the prayers
lain good to know you are feeling better

Love at first sight now this is refreshing knowing more people who have experienced it. give us single people hope :o)

Well I can’t post a lot some scary stuff is going on right now with my sister and I may need to get very involved to help her out hopefully it is not as bad as I think it is, well time will tell. (Looks around the room and takes a basket out from a nearby portal with a sleeping Lockheed curled up inside.) Hope yall don’t mind baby dragon sitting

Bye

Ironwolf
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:58:04 AM
IP: host-209-214-40-148.cha.bellsouth.net

I suppose it'd help if I included the link ...
Christine
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:49:58 AM
IP: 23-112.075.popsite.net

New on my site: two more of Demona May's pics in the Annex (mature eyes only), plus updates to the Gargoyles Links page. Click or go to http://www.eskimo.com/~vecna/new_stuff.html
Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Saturday, February 24, 2001 11:48:23 AM
IP: 23-112.075.popsite.net

Tenth?!
Spacebabie
Saturday, February 24, 2001 10:53:05 AM
IP: user-37kapg5.dialup.mindspring.com

Todd: <nods> Yeah, I got that. Still, it's difficult for me to think about the creator while dealing with whatever he's built. :)
Doug
Saturday, February 24, 2001 10:52:54 AM
IP: pool-63.52.171.215.dlls.grid.net

Doug> I'm glad you understand
James Birdsong - [LennexMacDuff@yahoo.com]
San Diego, CA, USA
Saturday, February 24, 2001 09:04:47 AM
IP: adsl-63-207-129-71.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net

Saturday morning and I can make the top ten? hehehe cool!
*happy Top Ten feet dance*
Jannie
Saturday, February 24, 2001 08:06:07 AM
IP: 209-83-228-185.hou.port.mytelco.com

*Lynati stumbles in, attempts to secure ninth*
...did I make it?
*falls asleep on couch*
Lynati
Saturday, February 24, 2001 07:17:12 AM
IP: 207.94.232.162

DOUG - Well, I agree that it would be difficult to pity a machine out to destroy the world, but my thought was based on this. The machine didn't choose to destroy the world. It was programmed to do so by whoever built it, and that's the only reason why it's doing it; it's just a slave, obeying orders because it's unable to choose to disobey them. The evil comes not from the machine, but from the person who built it and programmed it to do these things.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn@ninenet.com]
St. Louis, MO
Saturday, February 24, 2001 06:59:30 AM
IP: 216.87.46.4.dialup-stl.primary.net

Dreamie><<Unfortunately, mainly loons are on now... oh and Doug. :::laughs:::>> *Glances over the top of "Cyrano de Begerac"* And me. ; )

"What would you have me do?

Seek for the patronage of some great man,
And like a creeping vine on a tall tree
Crawl upward, where I cannot stand alone?
No thank you! Dedicate, as others do,
Poems to pawnbrokers? Be a buffoon
In the vile hope of teasing out a smile
on some cold face? No thank you! Eat a toad
For breakfast every morning? Make my knees
Callous, and cultivate a supple spine,-
Wear out my belly grovelling in the dust?
No thank you! Scratch the back of any swine
That roots up gold for me? Tickle the horns
Of Mammon with my left hand, while my right
Too proud to know his partner's business,
Takes in the fee? No thank you! Use the fire
God gave me to burn incense all daw long
Under the nose of wood and stone? No thank you!
Shall I go leaping into ladies' laps
And licking fingers?-or-to change the form-
Navigating with madrigals for oars,
My sails full of the sighs of dowagers?
No thank you! Publish verses at my own
Expense? No thank you! Be the patron saint
Of a small group of literary souls
Who dine together every Tuesday? No,
I thank you! Shall I labor night and day
To biuld a reputation on one song,
And never write another? Shall I find
True genius only among Geniuses,
Palpitate over little paragraphs,
And struggle to insinuate my name
Into the columns of the Gazette?
No thank you! Calculate, scheme, be afraid,
Love more to make a visit than a poem,
Seek introductions, favors, influences?-
No thank you! No, I thank you! And again
I thank you! But-

To sing, to laugh, to dream,
To walk in my own way and be alone,
Free, with an eye to see things as they are,
A voice that means manhood-To cock my hat
Where I choose- At a word, a Yes, a No,
To fight-or write. To travel any road
Under the sun, under the stars, nor doubt
If fame and fortune lie beyond the bourne-
Never to make a line that I have not heard
In my own heart; yet, with all modesty
to say: "My soul, be satisfied with flowers,
With fruit, with weeds even; but gather them
In the one garden you may call your own."
So, when I win a triumph, by some chance,
Render no share to Ceaser- in a word,
I am to proud to be a parasite,
And if my nature lacks the germ that grows
Towering to heaven like the mountian pine,
Or like the oak, sheltering multitudes-
I stand not high, it may be- but alone!"

-Cyrano de Bergerac
Gunjack "From the MOON!" Valentine
Saturday, February 24, 2001 04:59:07 AM
IP: 216-146-183-1.bwn.net

Oh c'mon Imzadi.. it's only 2, the night is young!
:::glances around at the nearly empty internet hangouts:::
Unfortunately, mainly loons are on now... oh and Doug. :::laughs:::

And BTW, Josh there's an extremely hairy single white male named Jim-bob heading your way. Don't say I didn't warn you! :::laughs:::
Dreamie
Saturday, February 24, 2001 04:19:04 AM
IP: aca62ac3.ipt.aol.com

Fifth? Top Ten?
Gunjack "Giggles" Valentine
Saturday, February 24, 2001 04:11:05 AM
IP: 216-146-183-1.bwn.net

Now that I've gotten a mark in, hi to Dreamie and Winterwolf. You'd think we'd have something better to do than chill in chat rooms at 4 in the morning CRT (like, maybe sleep) even though its only 130 over here.
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Saturday, February 24, 2001 03:57:12 AM
IP: adsl-64-170-152-74.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Fourth!
Josh "Imzadi" Wurzel - [josh@kicktothenuts.com]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Saturday, February 24, 2001 03:54:55 AM
IP: adsl-64-170-152-74.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net

Third! ^_^
:::waves at Doug and Winterwolf:::
Hiya nightowls!
Dreamie
Saturday, February 24, 2001 03:52:42 AM
IP: aca62ac3.ipt.aol.com

Top Ten!!
Yeah Yeah!!
Maybe second maybe not.
**Waves**
ISP still messy. I don't need something that starts working at 3AM and later. Oh well. I'm working on it.
Winterwolf
Bronx, NY
Saturday, February 24, 2001 03:51:29 AM
IP: 1cust64.tnt48.nyc3.da.uu.net

Part 2.

Christine: Congrats on the reading going well, and on making a real connection with that publisher. I hope things go well for you with her in the time ahead. Best of luck in all book matters. :)

SJ: <Grammys> I happen to like Steely Dan, even if they are old, so I was glad they won. Glad U2 won also, although they have written better songs than Beautiful Day before now. I'd rather have given the Song of the Year to Semi-Sonic (Chemistry) or Evan and Jaron (Crazy For This Girl), but Beautiful Day was the best choice of the noms IMO. The other awards I didn't really care about. Though I must say I'm glad Eminem lost all his, I hate the guy royally. <Oscars> Good fight scenes do not alone make a good movie. If they did, the Matrix would have won Best Picture last year. It didn't even get nominated for Best Picture. :( You may like Gladiator and applaud its nomination, but Kit and I don't and do not. That's that. <shrugs> What really irritates me about this year's Oscars are all the movies that were great and didn't make it to nominations even though they really deserve them IMO. Unbreakable, Nurse Betty, The Patriot…<shakes head> At least Almost Famous and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon may get some of the respect they deserve. If the Academy doesn't pick all the dogs they've nominated instead. The MTV Movie Awards will hopefully nominate and award many of the deserving performances and movies that didn't make it to the Oscars like they should have (and their Razzies can award more of the dogs). <Rachael Leigh Cook> I saw that preview and I agree, the movie looks appalling. But I'm still gonna watch it for Rachael alone- she has a history of making awful movies worth the time. She did it with She's All That and Get Carter anyway- not so much with Anti-Trust. Maybe the film will be better than it looks too- we shall see. I agree with you about Tim and Faith, he is one hell of a lucky man.

Ironwolf: No, I haven't read Sunglasses After Dark. I'll have to check it out. Glad you liked the vampire theories. <bad life> Condolences on all that you mentioned, the dead friend and the girl liking sex more than having a relationship with you especially. I don't think I could take that kind of relationship myself. I almost had it once, with the girl I was dating before Kit. Till I found out she was two-timing me. That relationship ended in a hurry. :) Hope you've bounced back from all that bad stuff and have a better life now. If not, well, I'll be praying you get one soon. <CR as a community> I agree, and a very nice community it is. Glad you came back to it. I hope that we can provide the friendship and intimacy you like all of us need in life better than your RL experiences have. Thanks for the excellent advice about never giving up (Lain wasn't the only one listening :). I too agree that you're right about love at first sight- Kit and I had it. So did Tricia and Jammer, I think. :)

Guandalug: Congrats on finishing the new Fanfic Archive, I hope it is soon uploaded. I checked on my stories again and they look just fine. :)

Warpmind: <using Masters to settle arguments> You do indeed not want to know. <grin> Thanks for your continued e-mails on coming here and working. I mentioned your desires about working for our company to Abel on Thursday and he seemed interested but not that much. :( Predictable boss response, I guess. <shrugs> Kit and I will do our best to help you get settled in here if you still want to live here, just please let us know when you plan to come. We'll do our best to clear the schedule in preparation. I hope no big disaster shows up the week in question and messes up everything like it did this week. <crosses fingers> Condolences on the job loss, glad you're able to survive and still earn money despite it. BTW, I have to ask- when you come here, are your folks coming too? Or are they staying in Norway? Just curious.

Daphne: The Southeast Texas diocese. The guy's name was Joseph Galante, he was featured as an RP villain. Glad your Cardinal's cool, but I doubt he could be as great as Dr. Gagne, Mr. Conway, Father Frank, and the religious teachers at Kelly were before the Bishop screwed things up. Not if he's letting your school get away with giving you no rights and circulating that terrible take on the Constitution anyway. <mutters> Congrats on successfully setting up your friends, I'm glad that's going well. Best of luck getting set up with Steve if you want to be, I hope it goes well.

Imzadi: Welcome! Good to see you enjoying the place so far, hope it continues.

Happy National Engineers' Week to all engineers. Especially the Civil ones, as it's your work I most often get the chance to appreciate. <grin>

Renegade Robots: I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd have trouble pitying a machine programmed to destroy humanity and actively doing it. <grimace> Other than that, I agree with Todd on this issue- I have trouble seeing robots and computers with the emotions that make villains. But I suppose they might be able to develop them, especially if a sentient mind were imprinted onto their circuitry somehow (like with Coldsteel, or the Guod AI in the RP). Thanks to GXB for the Coyote data, I hope those stories someday get made by Greg or TGS. Cyoti-X in particular I'm interested in, if only because I've always thought the Cyoti robots were cool.

Lady Mystic: Thanks for updating the archive again, and all your coding work that made the room the way it was. <my request about the missing CR> A little late for that now, but thanks just the same. I found a little RP continuity mistake with the Winter Blade- Shadow Wolf fight going on right now (which I hope to finish next week).

Aingeal: Good to see you still lurking in here. Can you tell us how Archwolf is please? Some of us are missing him. :(

$ If the RPs this week are a little bland, blame it on writer's block. I've been going through that again lately. :( I hope the Harthoth arc's climax is at least good. We'll get back to the Mall of America next week probably, and hopefully end it. Just so anyone still reading it knows, a major confrontation with Thailog in his secret base is the next big fight planned (yep, Kit and I are gonna take care of him before Turner and Gothmenes, who are the real threats. :) We'll get to that soon, gotta end the Mall and Abdullah arcs first. $ And now the posting is done, so I must hit the sack. I have to work in less than ten hours. :( Later everyone, see you again very soon. Oh, and FIRST!!! :)

**BACK TO RP IN ARABIA, WITH DEVELOPMENTS AND EXPLANATIONS**

In the basement of Abdullah's mansion, Gubio continues to type frantically, cursing as the program resets again. Then he snaps his fingers and grins. "What?" Harthoth asks from over his shoulder. "What have you realized? Tell me!" "It's simple," the hacker answers. "Current Earth technology can not create a program capable of operating a machine as sophisticated as your master's new body. A sentient mind imprinted directly onto microchips, though, and forcibly enslaved to a control program…" "Can do it," Harthoth gasps. "And that's why they needed my master!" "Exactly," Gubio nods. "However, the program isn't perfect. It keeps resetting itself. I have a guess why- your master's will is still present in his mind, and it's just as strong as the control program, maybe even stronger." Harthoth pauses for a moment, then nods. "I believe you are correct. My master is fighting the control program. I can feel his anger. He likes his new body, but he wants to be in charge of it. The program is preventing him." "Well, I don't know if I want your master to get that body," Gubio says, "but I want the program to stop forcing him to attack and kill my friends at Abdullah's command even more. Maybe we can use his will being there to our advantage. What can you tell me about your master?" "He is Apep, the Dragon of Darkness," Harthoth answers. "He was destroyed long ago in the war between dragons and fay, but his spirit still lingers in this world and it has great power. Without a body, though, it can only act through willing subjects such as myself." "If this body were destroyed, would your master die?" Gubio asks. Harthoth shakes his head. "No. His spirit would manifest, but then it would be forced to retreat. The noonday sun is out." "And Apep's power lies in darkness," Gubio says. "I get it." He picks up his radio. "Hack, any progress figuring out the program?" "No, man," the other hacker answers. "Every time I'm close to something it resets and knocks me out." "Same here," Gubio grimaces, then turns back to the computer. "And I can't find the control program shut off command- Tyl was never good at hiding files, so there probably isn't one. So there's only one option left." With that, he goes out of the program he's in and brings up another, then starts typing lines of code. "What are you doing?" Harthoth asks him. "Making a virus," Gubio replies. "It's going to cause your master's new body to crash and self-destruct." "You can't!" Harthoth gasps. "You can't destroy his new body!" "Watch me," Gubio snaps. "Wait!" Harthoth grabs his arm. "If we hold off until nightfall, my master's spirit will become stronger. He could triumph over the program then, defeat it. You'd have him as an ally against Abdullah." "My friends will be dead long before nightfall if your master isn't stopped right now, buddy," Gubio snaps. "Besides, your master's evil, he's crazy, and he wants to rule the world- I don't think I want to leave this body in his possession. Do you have a problem with that?" Not waiting for an answer, he turns back to the screen and types several more lines of code, then opens the Apep program again and prepares to upload a command. Behind him, Harthoth briefly adopts an expression of inner turmoil, then shakes his head. "Your loyalty to your friends is admirable," he tells Gubio. "I had friends I was as loyal to, once," Harthoth sighs, then raises his hands and starts gathering power in them. "A long time ago." Gubio turns around, feeling a prickling on the back of his neck. He is just in time to see the ball of energy Harthoth is throwing, and the sad look on the Egyptian gargoyle's face, before the impact hits him and he falls back against the desk, slumping to the floor unconscious. "Forgive me," Harthoth leans down and whispers to him, then glances at the computer monitor and nods. "Forgive me, Master. I was too late." Smiling strangely, he vanishes from the room. On the monitor, the words "Virus Successfully Uploaded" are displayed.

Outside the mansion, the robotic dragon suddenly stops dead, then begins to shake wildly. "Everyone get back!" Queen Noor shouts at the remnants of the Desert Knights, and they eagerly move to comply as their foe continues its mad dance. "What is going on?" Andrea asks Amad, who shakes his head to indicate he doesn't know. "This better not be the preview to some ultimate weapon," growls Terrell. Then he and everyone else are knocked down in a burst of force as the dragon explodes. Shards of metal are flung in all directions, killing or wounding many more soldiers. A great scream of loss vibrates through the air as the explosion subsides, and the surviving Desert Knights get back up just in time to see a great black serpentine shape vanishing in the air. "What do you suppose that was?" Aussie asks Ivan, who is smiling at having flown high enough to avoid the explosion's concussion wave. "Death," he replies. "Or something very close to it. Come, let's go help Michael." Aussie nods in agreement as he banks the chopper away. On the ground, a loud chorus of victory breaks out among the soldiers helping each other stand back up. "We have won, Stepmother," Abdullah II smiles at Queen Noor. She shakes her head, pointing at the mansion. "Almost," she corrects the King of Jordan. "The master of that thing is still inside. Fortunately, Erin and the others should be about to get him, if they haven't already." "Let's go give them some aid!" Terrell suggests, starting to run towards the mansion. "See to the wounded," Abdullah II tells his stepmother, then runs after the caiveh leader. Noor nods, then moves to lay hands on the nearest injured Knight. Close by, Andrea is assuring General Earle they are alright while bandaging an unconscious Amad. On top of a hill not far from the battlefield, Harthoth watches them. "Do not fear, Master," he tells the dark presence in his mind. "This is only a temporary setback, we're simply at the drawing board once again. With time I shall ensure you have a body just as worthy of you, which you and no one else will control." "You let him destroy that one," Apep snarls back. The Egyptian gargoyle only smiles. "I wasn't sure of any better way to save you. Did you want to continue to be a slave?" The only reply is a growl. Smiling again, Harthoth turns and walks off into the desert as the screen goes blank.

**IN KIT'S NEXT POST- ABDULLAH'S FINAL STAND. WE'LL ALSO GET BACK TO THE OTHER RAVENS THEN. FOR NOW END POST AND RP**
Doug
Saturday, February 24, 2001 03:42:37 AM
IP: pool-63.52.168.155.dlls.grid.net

**RP WITH SURPRISING DEVELOPMENTS (Apologies to Mecord for messing with his characters like this, if he has a problem I hope he will come in here and mention it.)**

The screen comes on, displaying Stephen Franks, Donna Gardner, Thailog, and Dr. Ed Edison walking into a large meeting room. General Zale and Dahak are already there waiting for them, as is the strange wizard Gar, who stands over a chained Mecord and Thicaarn with Lithanne in close attention. "You bastard!" Thicaarn is yelling at Gar. "You'll never get away with this! Release my sister now or…" "Shut him up," Gar commands Lithanne, who nods and coldly walks over to Thicaarn and knocks him out as he gasps. "What did you want to show us, Gar?" Thailog asks the mage as he smiles proudly at his charmed slave. "Make it quick." "Yes, please do," Zale says. "I have troops to train." "And I have soldiers to clone," Edison chimes in. "And I have programming to create for those soldiers," Gardner adds. "And I a base to transform back to normal," says Dahak. "This will not take long," Gar assures them, walking to Mecord's side. "These are the intruders who got in here- two of them anyway. The other elf did not return, and the dragon who came with these two your soldiers killed. This one here is Mecord Lein, my enemy." "Good that you have captured him," Thailog says. "Did you wish us to witness his execution?" "His humiliation," Gar replies with a cold smile. "I don't want to kill him yet." Cracking his knuckles, he walks up to Mecord, who glares at him defiantly. "Aren't you scared?" Gar chuckles. "I am about to unveil you." "Not at all," Mecord shakes his head. "Do it, if you wish." "Very well," Gar claps his hands, rubbing his mastergem. There is a shimmer in the air surrounding Mecord, and then his pointed ears turn into normal human ones, he becomes shorter and stouter, his hair turns red, and his eyes turn from catlike green to ordinary human brown. "Look upon him, my friends!" Gar laughs triumphantly at the others. "Mecord Lein is not an elf as it first appeared. He is merely a pathetic human!" There is no response and Gar frowns. "He's a human?" Zale asks as the others look confused. "Yes, I am," Mecord says. "Name's David. Good to meet you." "He is a human who was using illusion to make himself appear to be an elf," Gar snaps. "Such is a crime of the highest order, and to the world I now reveal his humiliation!" "So the intruders' leader is your old enemy and a human wizard," Dahak says. "Thank you for clearing that up." "Now tell us why we should care that he's human and not an…elf, did you say?" Thailog grimaces. Gar's mouth falls open. "But, but…" "You're not on your world anymore, Gar," Donna snaps. "Try to remember it." Turning around, she walks out of the room. Stephen Franks follows, turning a finger in circles around his head. "What have you discovered about these people?" Thailog asks Gar. "What did they hope to accomplish here?" "I'm not sure," Gar replies. "I just got through deciphering the magic spells on their leader. I thought you'd want to see exactly what he was." "Thank you," Thailog tells him. "Now go back to interrogating him and the other one. I don't care as much about who they are as why they ever came in here." "I can answer that!" Mecord/David yells and Thailog turns to him with a frown. "You're Thailog, right? You want to rule the world?" "Yes," Thailog nods. "I came here to stop you," Mecord replies. Thailog's look grows interested. "Please tell me more." "I'm from the Thieves' Guild of Mystica," Mecord goes on. "Gar's world. We're dedicated to preventing anyone from having too much power. Gar is one of our targets, has been ever since he stole and began to use the forbidden mastergem. He fled from us to this world, we followed him, and we discovered you." "And now you are extending your mission to people you feel have too much power in this world," Thailog guesses. Mecord nods. "Why aren't you going after the United States Government then?" Zale asks him. "Or Lord Oberon?" asks Dahak. "He is the most powerful being here!" "Gar was the most immediate target," Mecord answers calmly, looking at each of them with a frown. "He came here and joined up with you, making you our target as well." "This one is our enemy!" Edison declares. "Let us kill him!" "A good idea," Thailog nods in agreement, then turns back to Mecord. "First, how did you find us?" "Wilek Nereus," Mecord answers. "His resources helped us locate your base. From there it was simple for us to break in magically. First we just wanted to get information on you, but then Gar captured Lithanne, so we came back to extract her." "I see," Zale replies. "And why were you posing as an elf if you're human?" "He is embarrassed by his humanity!" Gar declares. "He wishes to be of the more magically powerful elf race!" "Actually, I am an elf," Mecord replies, causing Gar to laugh while the others frown. "And I am a human too," Mecord adds. "Perhaps you can explain?" Thailog asks confusedly. "Gladly," Mecord replies. "I've got nothing else to do." As he begins, the screen's image fades.

**EXPLANATION IN MY POST WEEK, AND MECORD'S BACKSTORY (note to Mecord- if you're still lurking in here, care about the RP, and want to know what I'm planning to do with your characters, please e-mail me. I'll continue using them until then.). END RP**

Hey folks. Here I am, up late once again. And not working this time. <smiles widely> Am I happy? Oh yes. :) Unfortunately I've been sleeping away the day off and I have to work during the day once again tomorrow so I do not have nearly as much time to post tonight as I like. <sigh> Not much to report on the life front- the job has been pretty quiet these last three nights except for a lot of unsecured merchandise. And a couple using the parking lot as a make-out place, which I of course have no problem with. <grin> Last night we did get a little excitement when some people who'd had a road rage fight at a traffic light earlier in the evening came into our parking lot and started yelling at one another. The cops had to come to calm them down, but they got there quick enough that nothing really happened with the situation. <wipes sweat off brow> Other than that, working at night the past three days has been boring, exhausting, and little more. I'm glad it's over. In other news, the house is now full of furniture and hopefully our utilities will be set up and connected by mid-March. Kit and I are meeting with a county appraiser on Monday to get the property set up for tax purposes and we'll start making monthly payments on it and the land the same week. On Wednesday Kit and I attended the funeral for Keith Ruiz, a local sheriff's deputy recently killed by a drug dealer he was busting. Millions of people were there, and it was a very nice and solemn ceremony. I'll probably be attending a lot of similar ones when I become a cop, hope they're for as equally cool people as the speakers at this funeral made it sound like Ruiz was- I didn't know him, but think I would have liked to very much. <silent moment> Mom's birthday was yesterday (the 22nd), and she had a good one. We're still arguing over the wedding ceremony, but I think I've calmed her down enough to where she'll let us make the decision. Which is how it should be. :) Kit and our many friends still in college (Shap, Shauna, Jammer, Tricia, just about everyone but me) have all finished their first round of semester midterms, Kit is out with the girls again tonight, Jammer and Tricia are engaged, everyone's happy. :) And I am posting now. :) On to replies.

Conspiracy Theorist: Welcome! Good to see a fresh voice in here. I don't think I want to be in politics after reading a couple of your posts, especially the Clinton-related one (Damn, every time I blink new baggage and mysterious coincidences keep turning up around that guy!), but then I never really did want to be in politics anyway. Wanting to be a police officer and do some good for the common man is the extent of my ambitions. That and living a long happy life with Kit. :) As for conspiracies, I have to say I don't like them very much. Real life is confusing enough as it is. Hopefully someday the affairs of the world will be easy to understand once again. <fingers crossed>

Daniel Johnson: Forgot to say this last week- thanks for the info on Rodlox, I'm glad to know he's okay. Though I wish he'd come say so himself. <sigh> I too am wondering where Curly and Cyborg are, now that you mention them. And all the other CR dwellers about whom I've forgotten. <grimaces at that fact> Congrats on the great new dog, hope he continues to be a good one.

Spacebabie: So that's glomping. :) Thanks for the definition. <Sterling death threats> Geez, can't some people understand that accidents happen? <shakes head>

Coyote: Congrats on the new roof and on getting your water back finally. I hope you soon can get back heat and hot water too. In the meantime, all that hugging with Lady Corax is bound to keep you warm at least somewhat. <grin> Read about Dale Earnhardt's funeral in the paper today, it sounded like he had a very nice solemn ceremony. I'm sorry to hear more people didn't attend though. :( BTW, what's wrong with Fords? Their Focus is the fastest most manueverable car on the road today, or at least mine is with me behind the wheel. (I've had it 7 months, driven like a maniac almost every time behind the wheel, and no tickets or dents yet! :)

Wilek: Glad you liked the DC death. I saw something you might find interesting at Dragon's Lair yesterday- a plush Chulthu covered in Pokemon designs. Kinda makes sense for them to be connected. :)

James: <I'll stay perfectly sane> I must say that I don't think some things about you are very sane. The tentacle fondness, for one thing. But if you say you're sane, I'm sure you are. Hope you enjoy it. <grin> I certainly enjoy being on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Interesting Travel Stories: I don't really have many, I'm sorry to say. The interesting Goth hitchhiker Kit and I picked up coming back from A-Kon last year, the goose that delayed my family's flight to Taipei from Tokyo by getting caught in our jet's engine, smelly crowded Oriental airports, my little sister thinking costume jewelry needed to be declared and getting us in BIG customs doodoo…yeah, pretty boring stuff. <grin>

Shadowrider: My paternal grandfather often used to say the same thing your father does. Before he got Alzheimer's. <sigh> And no, a year isn't a long time for Kit and me. We've already been together nearly four. And we want to get our house completely figured out before our marriage. Our careers are the next step, then maybe kids. <grin> Hope to see you in here again soon, and that your service continues to go well.

Emmabu: Congrats on the new fan, I'm glad something made that bad day you described worth it. <Water vs. Coke> Both taste good, both are nice to drink in different situations. I like both and will continue drinking them often, no matter their good or bad qualities. Personally it's milk I don't like. :)

SOROW: Condolences on the bad Valentine's Day and lack of people to talk to IRL. I hope both change soon, especially with your date this weekend. Needless to say, I am hoping it goes well and he turns out to be sweet, nice, and braver than your last boyfriend was.

Kaioto: Thanks for letting us know about Robby's troubles, hope they end soon. I'll be praying for it. In the meantime, may you keep doing the great job I think you are as administrator of this place. :) I agree with you about killing off characters- it needs to be senseless sometimes, meaningful some other times. And never should it be like it is in the comics with the meaning getting taken away too soon. :( Nice speech about sleep, work, and your master plan. I think I share a similar philosphy for my life, only it includes becoming a cop and living with Kit. <grin>

Mandi: Glad to hear Traci's not dead, but I am surprised by the false report. <shrugs> Oh well. Hope she soon gets out of the hospital and back online. If anyone in here ever really does die, I'm sure I'll feel the same way I did when I thought she had, if not worse. <grimaces>

**SPOILERS AHEAD**
Thailog had a very well-written triumphant return in TGS this week. I liked him as a thinking villain rather than a physical threat, and what he did in the latest episode taking back control of Nightstone should make for some very good stories down the road. And some very evil plotting too, I'd imagine. <chuckles> Enjoyed the Demona development as well, and the very well illustrated scene with her and Angela. Should be intriguing to find out what allies she's going after, looking forward to finding out. Great writing on the Thailog plotline and good development of the clan alongside it. I noticed a lack of detail in places but nowhere that it really mattered. His takeover was very well-written and executed, though I think we should have gotten more hints about Fergus and Thailog before now. <shrugs> I still liked it, though. Hope to get more development and focus on the clan in the upcoming episode as they deal with this sudden new threat. I missed Elisa this week also, hope we see her again in the next episode. That's really all I can say that hasn't already been said.

Buffy and Angel- I wasn't a very big fan of the episodes this week. Buffy seemed stale and predictable, with uninteresting supporting characters for once. The confrontation between Giles and Spike made me grin, and Xander seeing the world through his job was funny (especially since I found myself able to sympathize), but those were the only high points. Up until the end anyway- I was caught shocked by Joyce's sudden death. Hope Whedon does his best to make it meaningful. As for the other things that happened in the episode, well, I wasn't really a big fan of April and Warren. Like many have said, they were predictable and stale. The Buffy development seemed too "been-done-before," Xander's comfort speech was its only high point, and I didn't like seeing Dawn just reject Spike when it could have been more interesting for them to still be friends even though Buffy hates him. I agree with Kit about Buffy and Ben being dumb- glad that didn't work out. I stopped watching Felicity because its relationships were similar. <grimace> Glad they at least mentioned Oz- I miss him a lot too. Willow and Tara just aren't as entertaining. :( Ben in a dress was kinda funny, but not that much. Overall, this ep just felt like filler, I hope for something MUCH better next week. Angel had some very good developments, with both logic and continuity operating at full steam. Good to see Darla actually working against him now that she's recovered, and her development with Lindsay was well-written. Lilah's development was also, made nice sense for her to be scared of the Dark Avenger. Holland's return was well-done and creepy, right up until the shattering of Angel's assumptions about the masters of Wolfram & Hart. Very nice development on Angel in their conversation too and I liked the philosophical spin on things Manners did a lot- a very good scene there. :) Also enjoyed the fight scene preceding it, especially Lilah's "Stake the bitch!" and Lindsay's replying punch. <grin> Liked how the Host and the bookseller continued the plot in their brief but well-written scenes. Missed Gunn, but liked the despair we saw Wesley and Kate experiencing as their lives came crashing down. Decent development on Virginia, though I didn't like the result of it. Cordelia had more good confrontation scenes with Angel and her dialogue was well-written, but there wasn't really any earth-shattering development on her. :( At least the plot with the three-eyed kid had a potentially worrisome ending, I was thinking it would just be background comedy and little more right up until that strange phone call Cordelia got. Wonder who the demon setting her up is, hope we'll find out next week. Very chilling end with Angel collapsing and giving in to his despair over what he saw of the world and what he ended up doing trying to fight evil- totally ruining Kate's life, abandoning his friends, fighting a very human foe he thought was demonic. I think he wants to give up now, figures he might as well change back into Angelus if it's the only way to get rid of his pain. Sex worked before, so… I have a feeling, however, that it's not going to work. He did say earlier in the season Darla never made him happy. We shall see. :) His questions about what Darla really wants were interesting too. Overall, a very dark episode that made me shiver a lot but also a very well-written one with many many very nice bits of human drama. They say it's always darkest before the dawn…
**SPOILERS END, AND PART 1 TOO**
Doug - [DougElder21@yahoo.com]
Saturday, February 24, 2001 03:42:13 AM
IP: pool-63.52.168.155.dlls.grid.net