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:: blows rasberry at Gside ::

Easter Eggs... wonder what kind we might find in the upcoming Gargoyles DVD. *^_^*

MC
Mooncat
Saturday, January 4, 2003 10:15:50 PM
IP: 68.102.23.36

Mooncat> <<Easter Eggs are the hidden goodies you can find on a DVD>>: "Easter egg: n. [from the custom of the Easter Egg hunt observed in the U.S. and many parts of Europe] 1. A message hidden in the object code of a program as a joke, intended to be found by persons disassembling or browsing the code. 2. A message, graphic, or sound effect emitted by a program (or, on a PC, the BIOS ROM) in response to some undocumented set of commands or keystrokes, intended as a joke or to display program credits. One well-known early Easter egg found in a couple of OSes caused them to respond to the command `make love' with `not war?'. Many personal computers have much more elaborate eggs hidden in ROM, including lists of the developers' names, political exhortations, snatches of music, and (in one case) graphics images of the entire development team."
<<the wrong use of terms is a pet peeve of mine>>: Very good, young pedant.

Hyperion> <<Istanbul...Constantinople>>: Can you take me back to Constantinople?

Warpmind> <<Maybe I'll just sit back and crack my nuts>>: When I offer my nuts around the suite, no one wishes to partake.

Spacebabie> <<That’s because it’s a GIRL who is killing all the alien baddies>>: And she's hot.
<>: That's what second through fifth viewings are for.

Gunjack/Lain> <<and the real fun will be figuring out which one of us said that>>: The strung bow had a lone capitalized I, so I'd say that was Gunjack. To which I rechannel one Francis Ottoman and say, Gaaay...
<<It's got like, I dunno, a HATCH>>: PA, and another Gunjack.
<<hes as romantic as a box of sawdust>>: A true man.
<<he doesnt even know how to spell hallowe'en>>: The apostrophe is optional.
<<alone and cold sleeping in the BATHTUB>>: Will he at least have a rock and a stuffed coyote, or will he have to draw a face on his hand?
<<Guess what happened while we were gone, though? Go on, guess!>>: Uhm... Snow? Outlines getting written? Sex? Riots in the streets? Dogs and cats living together? Mass hysteria?
<<gunjack>>: She's even uncapped your name. Be careful, next you might find the smell of cooking meat sickening.

Imzadi> <>: Granted, I do tend to prefer ranged weapons, but I like red meat off the bone, and the concept of malt beer.
<>: You have heard that another name for a bikini is a bailey?

Fire Storm> <,LM DOES like vanilla>>: And another good bonus to you.
<<the only problem is that I can't make jokes about it now>>: That is a problem. Maybe you should start small and stay with consistant small jokes, waiting to see how far you can go.
<<you would expect them to get good bass, but I guess you need an amp to do that>>: Granted, I was talking about something else, but dwarves should probably stick to percussion. You need height to get good bass, and I can't see a dwarf playing much flute.
<<you could go to the top of some romantic cliff or something.>>: That's what I meant by more creative about out of the way places to go.
<<For a better explanation>>: You probably should have at least mentioned something about Largo's shirt.
<<Then lock the main door to the dungeon, pump in pheromone gas, let the cameras roll and make a pay web porn site>>: Even with the prisoners you've kept locked in solitary for the majority of their life?

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Saturday, January 4, 2003 08:57:58 PM
IP: 68.38.240.227

Flavor Test: That one's old. I think I took it almost a year ago. I think I was Bread(?)

FS:<<we were watching the movie "Toy Soldiers">> That movie gets three stars for killing Will Wheaton. :)
<<What can I do to make it up? I mean, me and my sisters are all between the ages of 16 and 21 and have NEVER been with a man before!>> That was supposed to be a reference to "Sighlent Night Deadly Night," one of the more disturbing "holiday" slasher movies, where (naturally) premarital sex is "naughty" and Santa must punnish. }:D

Revel:<<back in the bayou city, though wish I was still in Florida, tx>> Aren't you breaking some double standard that states only women are allowed to be nauseatingly sweet and sappy? :p I think watching "Moulin Rouge" has messed up your mind. :PPPP

Patrick:<<From the reviews I've heard of "ST: Nemesis" the entire movie sounds like it's more of a fan DISservice. :P
>> I can definately say that about Westley Crusher's cameo appearance at the wedding.

Airwalker:<<It was defintely better than INSURRECTION>>I have to disagree about that. I thouhht Nemesis was trying to hard to be a "Wrath of Kahn". I was silently quoting the dialogue from the "Battle in the Motaura Nebula" sequence. The only difference was that Data didn't have the extended death scene Spock had so I couldn't do:
*exhausted rahspy voice*: "Ship, out of danger?...I have been... and always shall be.... your friend..." :p

Josh:<<Ford Excursion>>you mean Ford EXCRETION.

Leo
Saturday, January 4, 2003 08:11:55 PM
IP: 68.96.8.12

flavor test: VANILLA? I AM FRELLING *VANILLA*?!?!?
Well... LM DOES like vanilla...

Gside: <Congratulations, you really do have a keeper>
Ah, the only problem is that I can't make jokes about it now. For example, we were watching the movie "Toy Soldiers" (1991) and when the main character was being held by the gunman and the gunman said something like "you did all this", I said "Sorry Mr. Frodo"... LM wasn't too happy about that.
<Nah, personalities, skills, and equipment for my first opus>
Ah, either way, fun abounds!
<But he is also quite old, so he might have gotten it first and taught it to others>
True... One can hope!
<Ultimately, but dwarves do only get dragged in later, and no not generate as much volume>
Well, you would expect them to get good bass, but I guess you need an amp to do that.
<Either works for me>
Excellent.
<You just have to be a bit more creative about out of the way places to go. Perhaps create your own dimension to sneak off to. And as a bonus, no really uncomfortable place>
OR you could go to the top of some romantic cliff or something.
<We should. Who wants to be in a low quality orgy?>
EWWW! AUTO SHOW carpeting? Low quality lube? A single 60 watt bulb for lighting?!?

SPike: <My son is filking the Battle of Helm's Deep from "The Two Towers">
Get 'em while they are young, I always say!

Leo: <AAAAAHHHH MY EYES!!!!!! I CAN'T SEE!!!!!!>
::FS bursts out in maniacally laughter for a few minutes::
<Naughty!!! Must PUNNISH!!! Because Santa punnishes naughty boys and girls>
::FS reads the above, thinks about commenting in a way that would totally nuke the standards and ethics of the CR, decides against it, and just laughs maniacally due to the naughty images in his head!::
::Laugh:: You have been a VERY naughty girl this year!
But Santa! What can I do to make it up? I mean, me and my sisters are all between the ages of 16 and 21 and have NEVER been with a man before! ::LAUGHS!::

Spacebabie: <Oh those are good!>
Definitely better than the peanut ones!

Ah, I understand. LM and I are just forgetable! ;)
There are just too many couples to remember in here.

Hyperion: <It never says the tank was out of control, after all>
"Hey Bill! Look, it's one of those French fags! GET'EM!"
"DIE YOU JERRY LOUIS LOVING MOTHER F@#$ER!"

Niamhgold: < Eh, go back to getting lei-ed> < Bow chicka bow...oh, you're not talking about *those* kinds of presents, are you?>
I like how you think!

DPH: < *finds Todd's body on the floor and extracts a DNA sample*>
Ah... just getting around to obtaining a sample, I see.
<Please explain that.>
::FS dons a scientist-type lab coat and pulls up a black board from hammer space::
Well, 666, the sign of the devil, has been taken in common culture to be a sign of evil.
1137 is a 'Leet' version of the word Elite, short for 'Elite hackers,' although it is ironic that VERY few actual hackers use leet speak. It is mostly used by script kiddies (People, usually kids, who download scripts that can crash AOL, Microsoft, ETC with the press of a button, so they can say I 4M $0 K3Wl N0w!) Another variation or leet is l33t.
And 2003, well, is this year!
For a better explanation, check out Piro's rant at Megatokyo.
Unless I decide to get REALLY smart a$$ and give a math lesson.;)

Christine: < new Dissidents fic>
Ah, it was my hope that she would have stayed and brought her new love with her, but at least she is still on a boat!
"We haven't seen anything in WEEKS! We need to find SOMETHING!"
"Well, I know a way to find something. Vocate venti fortunate..."

Imzadi: <I'm just going to fix myself into my jeep>
But just try getting that into the store!
<On the other hand, its a lot easier to !@#$, just spin around and face your partner>
Kama Sutra for the Broom
<No, he's saying the movie had NO plot>
Oh. Ok then!
<Damn commies>
Damn you dirty super- mutant-ninja-zombie-commie-nazi-apes! Damn you all to hell!
<84. I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.>
Unless you are low on cash. Then lock the main door to the dungeon, pump in pheromone gas, let the cameras roll and make a pay web porn site!
<In the shakespearean sense or the regular way?>
Well, they were both basically the same thing, so let me say she was lightly injured... before she was my dinner.

Taleweaver: 
I make Lex a player!
<Broadway, Goliath, and Talon are paired up and thus out of play.>
Not necessarily Broadway. Some people pair Angela with Brooklyn, remember!
<Hudson is retired from the field.>
Um... Have you read Christine's work? ;)

Stephen R. Sobotka Jr: <A new character is brought in to become a mate for either Brooklyn or Lexington>
Just for fun, replace that OR with AND

HIghlander: What would happen if a vampire tried to turn a human who was destined to become an immortal into a vampire when he was still mortal? Would be become a vampire immortal, or would the death involved just turn him into a regular immortal? And I don't mean TGS vampires. I mean more classical vampires or Canites (White Wolf vampires)

In other news, someone went Berserker in England with TWO axes!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2626215.stm
Fire Storm the Naughty - [<---- HULK SMASH!]
Saturday, January 4, 2003 07:10:37 PM
IP: 66.72.184.69

AIRWALKER - [I'm still unhappy that for example some of the ambiguity in Merlin and Mary Sefton's relationship is basically taken away by openly having them married in the future; a kiss at the end of one season doesn't mean that everything is going to work out and they will end up happily ever after.]

True, but I had planned from the start, when working on "Pendragon" Season Three, that the two of them were going to be a "permanent" couple (well, by 2158 and after, Mary is dead); call it soft-heartedness, but I thought that, in light of all the tragedy that Merlin had had in his life (being fathered by a faerie tyrant for the purpose of helping that tyrant conquer the world, pursued ruthlessly by that tyrant when he refuses to help his father, being unable to avert the tragic downfall of his pupil Arthur's kingdom, and being betrayed twice in love), he needed a little happiness in it. I intended the two of them to be a relationship that would work and last, as a result.

I'll admit that "Two Roads Diverged" killed a little suspense there, but truth to tell, I hadn't planned on any suspense over whether they would stay together past the end of Season Three; yes, I had intended some suspense over whether they would get together to begin with, but that was intended only for Season Three of "Pendragon". (That was the main reason for "The Sleepers", in fact; I wanted an episode for Arthur, Merlin, and Mary between Mary's introduction in "The Curse of Rivencroft" and the first hint of her and Merlin's feelings for each other in "Giants in the Earth" in which they would still be simply involuntary fellow-travellers). Truth to tell, I don't think that anybody on the staff at the time that we were doing Breakdowns and Writing for "Two Roads Diverged" had considered Mary's mention as Merlin's wife in the future a case of giving away too much; at least, nobody mentioned it during the process.

(And, admittedly, Greg Weisman did much the same when he mentioned in "Ask Greg" that there'd be descendants of Dingo and Robyn Canmore in the 22nd century in his MasterPlan; from what I know of those two, I very much suspect that their relationship in "Bad Guys" would have been even stormier than Merlin and Mary Sefton's).

So, true, it means that we aren't likely to see the two of them break-up (followed by Merlin, after moping around for a few episodes, entering a same-sex relationship with an adolescent male wizard, followed by the two of them breaking up after aforesaid adolescent male wizard protests Merlin's tendency to misuse his magic, followed by them reuniting only for the adolescent male wizard to get killed by a would-be super-villain by accident, followed by Merlin losing it, heading after said would-be super-villain and killing him in a particularly unsettling and gruesome fashion....:) ). But I believe that this is one area that we'll just have to agree to disagree on.

But don't worry that much about Mary; this upcoming season of "Pendragon" is going to show that there's a lot more to her than the future "Mrs. Merlin".
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Saturday, January 4, 2003 06:38:17 PM
IP: 67.28.88.178

LAURENCE - You wrote: [Gargoyle instincts such as "gargoyles protect" will be in evidence, but it would be extremely muted by their human upbringing.]

This opens up the question if "Protection Instinct" is biological or not. You should decide for your basic rules which one you would like to go with. I personally don't believe that the idea "Gargoyles Protect" is a biological imperative; instead its more tradition and upbringing than instinct. If the Clan you are designing has no background in Protection then I don't think not Protecting would particularly bother them that much. (On the other hand if your going to have them raised with a strong moral background and a desire to do good then they might decide on a Protection Path on their own though it wouldn't have to be the traditionally understood and presented situation of "Gargoyles Protect" from established Clans.)

You wrote: [I wonder though, if you have to see and hear human magic for it to touch you... are gargoyles immune to magic when they are in stone sleep?]

Probably; after all they can't see or hear anything when they are stone.

GREG BISHANSKY - You wrote: [Well, one of those is still true.]

Only one? I figured on those four based on the stories up to this point - Redemption dealing with Demona in the Main Series (I know its backtracking soon but it was going way too fast up to this point; I just hope that it feels organic rather than as an obvious retcon), Destiny/Fate dealing with the Timedancers, their travels, and what they keep/tell the Clan in the present (the idea of alternate realities was introduced in TGS S1 and it should be brought up in dealing with this - after all who'd to say that the future in TIMEDANCER is THE future; it could be an alternate future), Love/Couplings based on the fact that everyone who falls in love is automatically set and basically gets turned into a JeanScott Entity Couple.

(I mean I didn't mind Broadway and Angela getting married but Goliath and Elisa was way way too fast for my taste; With Brooklyn and Meryt getting together there were different circumstances that made a speedup feel perfectly timed. In general the Gargoyles seem to be operating by a Human Biological Clock when dealing with relationships except for Lexington who almost seems to be the relationship punching bag in the series. I would like to see some sort of follow-up on the entire Lex/Kristie thing; I found that to be extremely interesting and full of potential. I'd hate for it to just petter out after just being introduced. I figure that Kristie probably would want to get away after Kylie dies and that a trip to NYC might be a good way to work this plot out; and it doesn't even have to lead to any relationship.)

You wrote: [The Utopia/Peace one well, let's just say the majority of the current staff (remember there are turn overs) thought the utopia/peace of the future was lame and unrealistic, and went through pains to correct it into a more realistic future.]

I did notice this in the most recent season of TIMEDANCER. I appreciated the desire to correct the original situation which was completely unrealistic (Sudan and the Gaza Strip were listed as an Economic Powerhouses only 200 years from now for God's Sake!) but it did seem a little ackward, as it was a more realistic future being grafted onto a Utopia. It could use a little more fine tuning to make it feel a little smoother than it is. (Of course given the end of the last TIMEDANCER season there probably isn't a point to do much correction as everything is probably going to leveled in the conflict with Apep and can be rebuilt a little more properly afterwards. I just hope that if TGS does go back to do some thinking about the period from 1997-2175 that they might write out some outrageous stuff listed in the past and rework it slightly; in otherwords a little bit of retconning. :-) )

You wrote: [Lets just say, TGS has more balls than it used to ;)]

TGS is still putting up interesting reading material; I just hope in the future that it won't give certain things as givens. TIMEDANCER this last season gave away way too much on the assumption of following some of those major themes I mentioned before.

I'm still unhappy that for example some of the ambiguity in Merlin and Mary Sefton's relationship is basically taken away by openly having them married in the future; a kiss at the end of one season doesn't mean that everything is going to work out and they will end up happily ever after. (This is also almost a given in most TGS relationships; two people hook up and they must be soulmates and linked forever. Whatever happened to relationships not working out or just ending in friendship or just not going anywhere or just casual sex? :-) )

And just because Demona's sort of redeemed doesn't mean she has to revert to a tougher version of her DARK AGES self once she gets together with Benedict; those wasted thousand years should have some effect on her thinking even if her outlook and goals have shifted due to Angela; dare I say I felt she was becoming a bit of a Mary Sue? :-)

(**Reads back the last line**
I was just joking!! Please don't beat me for saying that! :-) :-) )

JOSH - You wrote: [I can't say I really understand this concept, as from the description in here is that it's anything done to make the fans happy]

Depends on the interpretation your taking. The stricter version is that basically Fan Service tends to be gratuitous Sex shots aimed mainly at the male audience. The broader version is well, gratuitious Sex shots aimed at the entire audience. :-)

You wrote: [Riker is nothing without his Kirk-like ability to screw alien females and get into trouble for it!]

But he's gotten too old for that! Even Kirk stopped doing that after Movie #4; so why shouldn't Riker also quit at his fourth Movie?
Airwalker - [airwalker9999@yahoo.com]
Brooklyn, NY
Saturday, January 4, 2003 01:01:44 PM
IP: 12.88.164.45

Didn't see many interesting posts yesterday so I skipped on the posting. Today I baked for the first time ever, this yummy tunnel of fudge cake (it doesn't bake all the way through so its all gooey and doughy inside).

Went for a massage yesterday. Cursed spa jacked up their rates. I hate it when they do that.

Little bro had some friends over today, so they were being noisy and I avoided them.

Re: Fan Service: I can't say I really understand this concept, as from the description in here is that it's anything done to make the fans happy...which looks like something that appears in every published piece I see.

Patrick: <<the entire movie sounds like it's more of a fan DISservice>>: But Riker and Troi getting married was a particular disservice! Riker is nothing without his Kirk-like ability to screw alien females and get into trouble for it!

Gside: <<Gaaay>>: I could handle that stereotype if it meant dead-accurate aim and the ability to secrete arrows from my back 8-)

Hyperion: <<I'm not dead; I don't think>>: Are you often unsure? <<That was a load-bearing boss!>>: I discovered several of those in metroid prime the other day. <<No one likes you. No one at all>>: I know at least one person (outside my family, they don't count!) who does. <<are you talking to me?>>: And if I was? <<that's my two cents, plus tax and tip>>: that's like $450 canadian, right? ;-)

AirWalker: <>: Likewise. The extended set should be quite incredible. <<Girls on the Dark Side are supposed to be Hot no matter what>>: Because an evil ugly girl is just a bitch, while an evil hot chick can actually get men to do her bidding.

Warpmind: <<crack my nuts>>: That sounds painful.

Spacebabie: <<Revel had to fly back to Houston I already miss him so much>>: Why so soon? <<surfed the net together >>: Geeks. <<its good to know that you are doing something worthy>>: It was my dad's stuff. <<That’s because it’s a GIRL who is killing all the alien baddies>>: Actually no it would rule equally if it were a guy. <<We are starting to sound like Cartman and the gang playing Bosnians verses Americans>>: Only more stupid since we aren't 8 years old. <<So you can borrow them?>>: LOL!

Godiva: <<Considering that my uncle loves to eat, I'm wondering how he's managed to survive the twenty-something years they've been married>>: Watching my father, one remembers that loving to eat is not the same as fine taste in dining 8-) <<Anyone know of a good joke to cheer me up?>>: Sorry, but I can only have one funny thing per year and today isn't the day.

DPH: <<BTW, I figure, if 6 generators can project a forcefield to block out Oberon, 1 nuclear power plant is more than adequate for the forcefield strength I want>>: Your figuring is irrelevant because you have no idea how powerful those 6 turbines were. <<Please explain that.>>: What's to explain? 666 (evil) plus 1337 (hacker) = 2003. Therefore 2003 is the year of the evil hacker.

Greg X: <<Please, kill me>>: Yeah, and me too. Damn saps. <<the utopia/peace of the future was lame and unrealistic, and went through pains to correct it into a more realistic future>>: Not while humans are around! <<Normally I'd say something really mean spirited about how lame this sounds, but... ugh, words fail me>>: I'll do it: DPH GET A HOBBY. << Josh, if you only knew what I know of where all the characters are going>>: Oh, shut up.

Lain/Gunjack: <<The following message comes to you live from Valentine's lap>>: Sick. <<the real fun will be figuring out which one of us said that>>: Well, Legolas is clearly gay, so... <<Pity that they had to wrap her in a walking tank to keep the hormone levels under control>>: I don't think we were ready to play that game with her in a bikini as she is shown at the end 8-) <<It's got like, I dunno, a HATCH. And it pinches. I think I left something in there, and I don't mean my keys.>>: I have no idea what this means. <<I'm writing this with oooooooone hand.>>: Most guys know how to do that. <<That stuff tastes like CRAP!>>: Thank you! Just out of curiosity, what is your poison of choice? <<lets not even get INTO the steps involved in preparing that turkey>>: And the fact that it's called "stuffing the turkey". <<the only thing the Pagans ever seemed to celebrate was sex>>: Its the only thing worth celebrating. I mean, the birth of the messiah doesn't even come close! <<Does anyone else find that kinda odd?>>: I live in America, where we worship sex anyway. So no. <<from the looks Lain's giving me, it would appear that I will NOT be celebrating sex>>: LOL! <>: Damn, couch is too good for him, eh? <<Guess what happened while we were gone, though? Go on, guess!>>: No one needs that visual 8-)

Sleep time. And SG-1 on Scifi.

87. My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them.

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Encino, CA, US of A
Saturday, January 4, 2003 04:06:46 AM
IP: 67.118.128.5

*The following message comes to you live from Valentine's lap*

yo.

greg b>> <<TGS has more balls than it used to>> mu ha ha. <> holy craps! thats like.. 5 million dollars canadian!!! *faint* <<if you only knew what I know of where all the characters are going, especially Demona>> naughty naughty.. Yeesh, homes, no leaks, 'kay? *tries to figure out how to do a chtulu smiley, but Lain steals keyboard first* ... um.. >:E ??

silvadel>> <> you cant. legolas is MINE!!!!! ALL MINE!!!!!!!! especially the hair... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
...
I'd let him string MY bow, if you follow...

...and the real fun will be figuring out which one of us said that. ; )

godiva>>
A man and a woman are driving down the same road at the same time.
As they pass each other the woman leans out the window, points and yells, “PIG!”

The man immediately leans out his window, shakes his fist and shouts back, “WITCH!"

They each continue on their way, and as the man rounds the next corner, he slams into a pig that had wandered into the middle of the road.

If only men would listen...

spacebabie>> <<At least I can cuddle with the pillow he slept on>> thats pathetic.. oh wait..*sniffs gunjack pillow* mmmmmmm.. uh.. nevermind..
<<That’s because it’s a GIRL who is killing all the alien baddies.>> ah yes, samus aran, the ORIGIONAL action heroine. Lara Croft, eat yer heart out. Pity that they had to wrap her in a walking tank to keep the hormone levels under control...
"It's got like, I dunno, a HATCH. And it pinches. I think I left something in there, and I don't mean my keys."

laurence>> <<girls are always smoking hot, despite their evil>> well.. of course.... ;)

hyperion>> <<So, I'm not dead>> WOOHOO!! :D:D:D:D shall we continue to drive gunjack insane?? *makes kissy faces* ];)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!! *yoink*

val: hype? I'm writing this with oooooooone hand...
who's got the evil smiley NOW!?! BWAHAHAHA!

... oh he likes to pretend hes soooooooooo bad.. ;) tee hee hee ;)

<> Yeah, I (Val) just had my first taste of wine this christmas.
...That stuff tastes like CRAP! And people drink enough of it to get pasted and turn themselves into modern art on the road? I'll never understand that...

(heh heh hehe.. wine now.. how many sins is that honey? bwa ha ha..)

*gunjack moves and unceremoniously dumps lains shin onto the corner of the computer tower. requisite beat - down ensues* he needs to work on this whole "romantic" thingy. hes as romantic as a box of sawdust..
Mooncat><<originally based on the pagan custom of dying eggs red as part of a fertility rite in spring celebrations>> ...Yeah. The maypole is a pagan phalic symbol, easter eggs originate in pagan fertility rites... Which makes stocking stuffers, well... You get the picture.
And lets not even get INTO the steps involved in preparing that turkey.

It seems that every time I try to celebrate something, I find out the Pagans invented it first. And the only thing the Pagans ever seemed to celebrate was sex.Does anyone else find that kinda odd? It's like an entire civilisation of prehistoric Hugh Heffners. o.O

...So here's the deal. From now on, rather than the major holidays, I will be celebrating "We bastardized your culture, converted your people, and destroyed your religion day" on Easter, May Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving,
and Christmas.
Valentine's Day will be celebrated the way I've always celebrated it: with a tommy gun.

...And from the looks Lain's giving me, it would appear that I will NOT be celebrating sex.

*snatches back keyboard* forgive the lout. he doesnt even know how to spell hallowe'en. *huffy* like a typical man, he appears to have forgotten that valentines day is our anniversary... tommy gun indeed. i think someones going to be spending a very romantic evening alone and cold sleeping in the BATHTUB! *hmph!*

<<But you don't have to take my word for it. I've only been into anime fandom scene for over a decade.>> ...In the words of our dear friend Macie...
Val: roooAAOOOOWR!
*dramatic pause*
Lain: HIIIISSSSS!!!
... *licks nose*

*i claim no responsibility for the above. ok, except for the nose licking part. thats me all the way baby!*

but in all honesty, <<Try to post what you need to say all together instead of lots of little posts in a row, or at least don't use new pictures with each bit post -- it looks better and is kinder in terms of bandwidth>> ...who died and made you admin? ;)

on and fan service? check out 'golden boy' for the "NIPPLES AHOY!" that should settle the discussion nicely ;)

the whole experience will be very.. nipply..

Kathy><<That aside, back when TGS was getting started and presumably to this day, there was a period of planning called "Breakdowns" where overall season arcs, mini arcs and individual stories were developed before any stories were actually written. Also part of this process was the suggestion of characters and their associated development.>>
...So, uh... Whatcha trying to say here?

Gside><<We should. Who wants to be in a low quality orgy?>> EeeeEeEeEeEeEeEewwww... Oh, and we knew YOU missed us. :D ...Guess what happened while we were gone, though? Go on, guess!

tony elliot>> mail soon! (likely tomorrow night) :)
lain and gunjack
Saturday, January 4, 2003 02:43:33 AM
IP: 65.93.74.26

"When angels are forced out of Heaven, they become devils. You agree, don't you Spike?"
-Vicious "Ballad of Fallen Angels"

Holidays were great, finished watching the first season of "Babylon 5" on DVD. Can't wait for season 2 to be released. Haven't watched an episode in a couple years, but damn, this is still hands down, no room for debate, the greatest sci-fi series ever written. All hail Joe Straczynski!

SPACEBABIE> <<1. Held each other 3. Kissed good by.>> Please, kill me. <<Any day is a good day to draw Demona.>> Amen.

AIRWALKER> <<The way that TGS leans tends to be slightly different depending on the series we are talking about although the main constants seem to be Redemption, Destiny/Fate, Utopia/Peace, and Love/Couplings.>> Well, one of those is still true. The Utopia/Peace one well, let's just say the majority of the current staff (remember there are turn overs) thought the utopia/peace of the future was lame and unrealistic, and went through pains to correct it into a more realistic future. We're still working on it. Not to mention lots of other stuff. Lets just say, TGS has more balls than it used to ;)

DPH> <<I'll agree to end this game when everybody agrees that my holographic mistletoe can't be corrupted. Meanwhile, to make the game fair, I'll keep the current specs as they are being worked on online. Feel free to point out any weaknesses right now. Yes, sometime around the first week of November, I'll stop working on the specs to give the construction crews time to implement all changes. BTW, I figure, if 6 generators can project a forcefield to block out Oberon, 1 nuclear power plant is more than adequate for the forcefield strength I want.>> Normally I'd say something really mean spirited about how lame this sounds, but... ugh, words fail me.

I need to go see "The Two Towers" again.

TONY ELLIOT> <<Do you have autograph from her on a Demona picture?>> The question wasn't directed at me, but I do. A beautiful poster of Demona signed by Marina Sirtis. Actually when the poster was signed, Marina loved the poster so much she tried to steal it. And I don't blame her... okay, so that experience did not happen to me, but as far as I'm concerned, when I pay $200 for this poster and signature, I own the story as well.

JOSH> <<<>: Oh, if only you knew what the rest of us knew 8-)>> And Josh, if you only knew what I know of where all the characters are going, especially Demona. Great stuff is coming.

"If the primates that we came from, had known that someday politicians would come out of the gene pool, they would have stayed up in the trees and written evolution off as a bad idea." - Captain John Sheridan "Babylon 5"
Greg Bishansky
Saturday, January 4, 2003 12:46:39 AM
IP: 216.179.7.17

Coyote: Thank you Coyote-san! I was just asking because I saw on this site that Chiang and Mei are Chinese surnames and was curious.

Site: http://www.yutopian.com/names/
Heather - [Kheetor84@cox.net]
Warner Robins, GA, USA
Saturday, January 4, 2003 12:13:17 AM
IP: 68.99.148.20

Spacebabie - <We should end this game.> I'll agree to end this game when everybody agrees that my holographic mistletoe can't be corrupted. Meanwhile, to make the game fair, I'll keep the current specs as they are being worked on online. Feel free to point out any weaknesses right now. Yes, sometime around the first week of November, I'll stop working on the specs to give the construction crews time to implement all changes. BTW, I figure, if 6 generators can project a forcefield to block out Oberon, 1 nuclear power plant is more than adequate for the forcefield strength I want.

Fire Storm - <666 + 1337 = 2003! 2003: Y34r 0f th3 3v1l l33t> Please explain that.

kathy - <Laurence is asking questions and replying to other people's posts. The fact the board has been slow for the last few days just makes it seem more noticable.> Slow? between 12pm and 2:30pm, 4 posts were made by Laurence. In any 2.5 hour period of time, I don't expect to see immediate responses.

Imzadi - <At 1 per week?> No, at the rate of 0.125 stories per week. Of course, 1 per week.

Revel - Good luck with the recovery.
DPH - [<-click here for the start of specs on holographic mistletoe v3.0]
AR, USA
Saturday, January 4, 2003 12:04:25 AM
IP: 204.94.193.10

Those two Chinese clan names are entirely given names. I know for a fact because I gave Mei Hsing her name (she's named after a character from 3X3 Eyes), and there was a debate during her creation because one writer kept referring to her as "Hsing," implying it was a last name until I corrected them and informed them that Mei Hsing is all one name.
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Friday, January 3, 2003 11:48:28 PM
IP: 216.234.127.247

Hmmm -- I was actually dissipointed in "The Two Towers." Some of it was probably because I had such high hopes for the film. I was worried before I even saw it because of how disjointed the second book is -- and I figured (and quite rightly so) that it would be difficult to deal with in a film.

I was kind of upset that they did not stay true to the book like they did with the first one. They also used a bit too much light hearted humor for tolkein.

I will say that if I needed a protector I would take Legolas over just about anyone assuming my enemies were physical...

silvadel
Friday, January 3, 2003 11:38:14 PM
IP: 208.59.247.9

I'm glad Laurence is here. Because now we can actually talk TGS again and I got a question myself.

Are the names Mei Hsing and Chiang Yun the traditional surname first and given name second or is that all a given name?

Heather - [Kheetor84@cox.net]
Warner Robins, GA, USA
Friday, January 3, 2003 09:44:37 PM
IP: 68.99.148.20

Jet lagged, need sleep, been on a cot the last few nights, but still have a grin on my face *kisses Spacebabie*

will comment later just reassuring my existance.

Revel - [samrx5@cs.com]
back in the bayou city, though wish I was still in Florida, tx
Friday, January 3, 2003 08:36:38 PM
IP: 172.156.175.163

Well, saw the "Two Towers" again today, as I'd planned; it was fun to see it again, and catch a couple of things that I hadn't noticed the first time around. (For example, Saruman's crebain - crows who do some spying for him - show up briefly at Helm's Deep in the sky above shortly before his army gets there, as if doing some reconaissance). I'm still looking forward to the third movie this coming December.

Of course, it's definitely interesting to "Gargoyles" fans if for no other reason than that John Rhys-Davies is in it, in two roles: Gimli the dwarf and the voice of Treebeard the Ent. (It's particularly amusing, in light of his "Gargoyles" voice actor career, that he should be doing Treebeard's voice; one of Tolkien's leading inspirations for the Ents was his wanting to do the Birnam Wood scene in "Macbeth" properly, one where the trees actually uproot themselves and march off to battle.)
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Friday, January 3, 2003 06:55:12 PM
IP: 65.57.57.76

Blue text--perfect for my mood.

Well, let me wish all (and yes, I do mean everyone) a belated Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate around December 25) and a very Happy New Year. I meant to post this much sooner, but dear old hubby was hogging the 'puter...as usual.

Anyways, Christmas vittles consisted of a big pot of Gumbo, turkey, candied yams, and stuffing made by my mom (Dee-lish!). Salad was made by my dad (Not too bad, considering I'm not a salad person). Mac 'n' cheese was made by my sister, Jolie (Not bad for her first try). String beans w/bacon *attempted* by my Aunt Sharon (my uncle's second wife). I don't think she even tried to get it right. There was NO seasoning in it and the bacon she put in there for flavoring wasn't even cooked first. She just basically boiled the bacon while cooking the string beans. Considering that my uncle loves to eat, I'm wondering how he's managed to survive the twenty-something years they've been married. My Aunt Marge made a zucchini casserole that was just yummy. For dessert, I made my world-famous pumpkin pies and my sister, Nikki, made a lemon meringue pie. My mom made a spice cake and a sherry cake. There were a couple of other desserts, but I can't remember what they were.

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

Replies:

Lain> I took your advice. I reread our "discussions" and you'll have to excuse me, but I got the impression that you were the one with the attitude, not me. Going back to the very first response from you, you made it clear that you were going to come after me with daggers because of your experience with praying and the like. That's the last I'm going to say on this matter, because like I had said what seemed like a gazillion times, I only posted the original post because, AS A PARENT, IT WAS A SHOCKING THING TO HAVE HAPPEN TO MY CHILD. Nothing more, nothing less. For me, this discussion is closed. If you feel the need to respond, my email is posted.

Patrick Toman>--<"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia.' But only slightly less well known is this: 'Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line.' Ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha- (thunk)" – Vizzini> That has got to be the funniest scene in the movie. We got "The Princess Bride" video as a Christmas present from my cousin. I absolutely LOVE this movie. It is soooo funny.

Green Baron> I'm sending you a cyber-bowl of my mom's gumbo, to remind you of home. Enjoy!

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

Back to my blue mood. Anyone know of a good joke to cheer me up?

Godiva - [reneeprater@adelphia.net]
Montclair, CA, USA
Friday, January 3, 2003 05:51:56 PM
IP: 68.64.159.83

WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! Revel had to fly back to Houston I already miss him so much
Tuesday
1. We exchanged giftys. He’s still wearing the dragon necklace I gave him and we watched the Moulin Rouge DVD that he gave me last night (((His first time at seeing the movie)))I’m going to hang his GORGEOUS pic he drew me..andh ad framed by my fic writing computer.

2.Noshed on Dad’s wings and other goodies while watching Animal Planet
We both had to endure my dad’s repeating Disturbed’s Oooh Wa ah ah ah.

3. Sipped champagne while flipping between Dick Clark and the Fox New Years eve special.

4.Counted down to the New Year and went to bed.
Wednesday
1. Watched the bowl parade that took place in down town Orlando on TV. They made the floats out of citrus.
2.surfed the net together
3.Went to see the Two Towers
4.Ate the traditional New Years meal.

Thursday.
1.More net stuff
2. Talked about art and fics and cuddled.
3. Ate small dinner while watching Moulin Rouge
4. Went to Circue Du Solei with my parents. My dad managed to get front row seats!

Today
1. Held each other
2.Took him to the airport
3. Kissed good by.
4. Went home :’(

At least I can cuddle with the pillow he slept on
Josh<<<cool new Canon G2 and some lighting stands>>>Printer of Scanner?<<<If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.>>>I love that movie.<<<including an interesting trip to the thrift store to donate a metric load of old clothes>>>Salvation Army Thrift store??? Still its good to know that you are doing something worthy.<<<My brother and I have completed about 43% of Metroid Prime, having a great time with it.>>>My brother wouldn’t play Metroid or any games with me.<<<Metroid rules>>>That’s because it’s a GIRL who is killing all the alien baddies.<<<Not on this laptop.>>>Going to make you gag anyways<<<Get a room.>>>:::sticks her tongue out at Josh again and pulls down on her lower right eyelid.:::

Spike<<<My hubs got me a 72-piece set of Cretacolor Aquamonolith pencils, almost impossible to find here because they're made in Germany>>>My mouth is just watering from hearing reading that. Please post a link to the first pic you draw with them.

Gside<<<Shame on you>>>I was just waiting until someone special showed up.

Firestorm>>>I am sssssssssssssooooooooo Sorry.

DPH<<<Holographic Mistletoe v3.0 will be at least 10 times harder to mutate than v2.0.>>>We should end this game. We are starting to sound like Cartman and the gang playing Bosnians verses Americans.

Dreamie and Winterwolf>>>Rock on!

Patrick<<<Elisa taking off the skirt of her Belle costume to reveal her stockings and garters as a good example of fan service. ;) >>>So you can borrow them? ;)

Lawrence<<<or shots of Margot and Brendan in the background. >>>How is that a service to the fans?

Moon Cat<<<Today is a good day to draw Demona.>>>Any day is a good day to draw Demona.

13. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” ~Mark Twain

Spacebabie - [LadyAndromeda@smstars.zzn.com]
Orlando, Florida, U.S.A
Friday, January 3, 2003 03:58:53 PM
IP: 67.24.93.107

Ah, much better. :) Thanks for your imput all, and I'm feeling that I've pretty much got it covered.

As you all pointed out, some things aren't transferable to a new setting. For example, the characters themselves (which is what BESM also suggests is a bad idea) or their mannerism (such as saying Jalepena).

So then I'm left with "trademarks" of the series which are transferable namely:

1) Mythological references - Iroquois and French Canadian Folklore
2) Shakespearian references - Perhaps not as overt as in the series, such as the appearance of Macbeth, the Wyrd Sisters, Puck etc. Rather, I'll be using the more obscure ones. For example, Halcyon Renard and his daughter "Fox" has King Lear overtones. I could do something similiar with let's say Hamlet, with a similar storyline giving *ahem* "homage" to the play.
3) Gargoyle instincts such as "gargoyles protect" will be in evidence, but it would be extremely muted by their human upbringing. They would for example, have no concept of clan structure in gargoyle terms. However, since the gargoyles have been raised by the Sisters of St. Clare (the gray nuns) they would probably be readily familiar with a communal family structure under a single superior.
4) The system of magic, which I've gleaned from the Ask Grey archives. I wonder though, if you have to see and hear human magic for it to touch you... are gargoyles immune to magic when they are in stone sleep?

As well, I appreciate the concerns about my feelings they were much appreciated. However, I'm far more elitist and arrogant than most of you could ever hope to be, so don't worry so much. If I'm taken down a peg or two its probably a good thing.

After all, I'm still going to think that "fan service" refers to humour as well as libido, even if I now use "trademarks" on this board. ;)

Laurence
Friday, January 3, 2003 02:27:02 PM
IP: 128.233.231.52

*Warpmind strides in*
Well, I saw both Harry Potter AND Two Towers yesterday. Great way to spend a day, I tell you. :)

And, frankly, I don't have much to say today... Maybe I'll just sit back and crack my nuts... um... WALnuts and HAZELnuts, that is! ;)

Anyways, later, and be well, y'all.
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmindATtiscaliDOTno]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Friday, January 3, 2003 02:13:16 PM
IP: 213.142.68.251

TODD - You wrote: [Well, today is J.R.R. Tolkien's eleventy-first birthday; I'm planning to celebrate it by going out to see "The Two Towers" again.]

I've already seen it twice. I found it to be incredible, even more powerful than the first movie. I think what interested me so much more in THE TWO TOWERS was more the conflict that the Humans were facing in Rohan rather than the tribulations Frodo was going through. What Frodo was going through was powerful and well acted; his interaction, pity, and desperation in dealing with Gollum was marvaleous. But I still felt more interest in the attack on Rohan and the Battle of Helms-Deep. Desperate, Gritty, Captivating, and Explosive and thats just how I'm describing the acting. The special effects were something else. I can't wait to get this on DVD.

LAURENCE - You wrote: [Guys can look ugly, but girls are always smoking hot, despite their evil.]

Or good for that matter. :-) I think that the rule is supposed to stand something like Girls on the Dark Side are supposed to be Hot no matter what while Girls on the side of Good are also Hot but not as likely to be immediately noticed.

I do think though that this is more a Core Rule than a Fan Service aspect. Although Fan Service does tend to play into this rule. After all if your a real world villainess wouldn't you design a costume that would be comfortable rather than walking around in a thong, cape, and piece of string? (Not that I'm complaining about the standard Fan Service Villainess Costume..... :-) )

You wrote: [Mecha explode.]

Usually.

If you want some basic anime rules then take a look at EXCEL SAGA episode 17. Not only is it hillarious but it basically sets out a few of the basic rules and structure of Anime and American Animation. (Or as they kept refering to it Japanimation and Cartoons. :-) )

You wrote: [What in particular do you think about when coming up with new TGS plotlines?]

Well I'm not involved at all in developing TGS plotlines although I am a loyal reader of the series. The way that TGS leans tends to be slightly different depending on the series we are talking about although the main constants seem to be Redemption, Destiny/Fate, Utopia/Peace, and Love/Couplings.

You wrote: [In Japanese anime this includes such classics as a big hammer than comes out of nowhere to smack somebody on the head, cats in the background, or (as some have pointed out) risque stuff like panty shots or scenes involving bath houses and sake.]

The hammer on the head/cats in background aren't really fan service. They are more along the lines of minor gags or director's signature (ala John Woo and his all those birds he sticks in his movies). Fan Service is more along the lines of Panty Shots, Breast Shots, etc.

You wrote: [Examples: giant sweat drops, sneezing when someone is talking about you, nosebleeds, panty shots, cat ears, gushing tears, and giant hammers to smack the lecherous or obnoxious over the head.]

Thats not so much Fan Service; The Term Fan Service is much more limited to what MoonCat mentioned. Another term would probably fit what you are describing better than Fan Service.

TALEWEAVER - You wrote: [Lets not forget the many loves of Brooklyn.]

That almost slipped my mind. That is a constant although TGS did depart a little from the standard model; mainly he's supposed to fall in love with someone who won't love him (ala Maggie and sort of Angela) only to eventually and finally find love with his soulmate (in TGS Sata, in TV Katana); TGS departed from this with Meryt and went onto the altered model that you mention - No Love, a Fling or Two (Two depends if you count Pandora), and finally his domesticating Soulmate.

You wrote: [For a real good laugh, Spike wrote a funny piece with a deathmatch royale between the many Mrs. Brooklyns.]

I loved that story! I have to find that again; I forgot to save it the last time I saw it.

You wrote: [Brooklyn has the most. Followed by Lex. Broadway, Goliath, and Talon are paired up and thus out of play. Hudson is retired from the field.]

Except for Lex that is usually the way it goes. With Lex it usually varies between no significant other to finding someone after a long period of despair or after having accepted that he is going to be alone forever.

LEO - You wrote: [ex. Riker and Troi getting married in StarTrek Nemesis?]

I don't think that is so much Fan Service as most of the Star Trek Fans I know didn't really care one way or the other. The Riker/Troi Sex Scene is more along the lines of Fan Service.

PATRICK - You wrote: [From the reviews I've heard of "ST: Nemesis" the entire movie sounds like it's more of a fan DISservice.]

NEMESIS was an alright Star Trek movie although FIRST CONTACT was the best Next Generation Movie. It was defintely better than INSURRECTION. Had the right mixture of action and "philosophy" although I was unhappy that they didn't use Worf as much as I would have liked. Given that Riker and Troi were married I would have liked to see a mention from Worf to them given what was being developed between him and Troi at the end of the TV series.

I thought that it was alright for what it was - a way to write out Picard and Data. The next movie can easily be done now with a mixture of Next Generation, DS9, and Voyager.

MOONCAT - You wrote: [Gratuitous Sex and Violence (but mostly sex) is Fan Service. The Panty Shot. The Shower Scene. Courtesy Breasts.]

Don't forget ADV's greatest contribution to recognising Fan Service in BURN UP EXCESS - The Jiggle Counter. :-)
Airwalker - [airwalker9999@yahoo.com]
Brooklyn, NY
Friday, January 3, 2003 12:48:44 PM
IP: 12.88.160.85

Speaking as someone who both played and GM'ed his fair share of campaigns back during high school and college (when the energy of youth permitted limitless all-nighters and "summer vacation" meant three months off instead of a one week trip)... some of the most aggravating experiences I ever encountered were when the GM tried WAY too hard to make the game "feel" like a particular cartoon, TV show, or movie. It's just very difficult to make direct adaptations from something that is predominantly a visual storytelling media into something that needs to be verbally descriptive and, above all, engaging and interactive. When you try too hard to hit every little nuance, more often than not you just end up boring the reader / player who is already familiar with the source, or going over the head of the reader / player who is not.

What would make for an RPG campaign with a good "Gargoyles" feel? Would simply having characters with names from Shakespeare who say "Jalapena" a lot and who always wear the same clothes every day be the way to go? If you want to engage the players in the world you're trying to create, I think you'd probably need more than that, and look at some of the broader themes rather than just attempt to duplicate the window dressing. What kind of settings will the characters encounter? What kind of interactions will they have with each other, and with the "extras"? What will be the driving forces behind their adventures?

Mood and motivation. If your characters are all gargoyles, it's nearly guaranteeded all the action will take place at night. And if you take as a given that "gargoyles protect"... there's a starting off point for all sorts of misadventures, from chasing down muggers to crossing paths with a Big Bad who's all the time scheming schemes within schemes. If you've watched the show much, you can take just that and a little imagination and develop a campaign that will have a "Gargoyles" feel without ever once quoting the Bard or having someone utter "Jalapena."

Asking others for suggestions is fine, of course. That's what forums like this are for. But whether you're gaming or writing fanfic, there's really no substitute for becoming familiar with your reference material yourself. Your own impressions and judgements are what's going to be your best guide to writing a campaign that YOU as the GM can also enjoy. And don't be afraid to get input from your players, either. If you've been gaming with the same group for very long, you'll probably already have an idea of what things hold their attention and what doesn't.

And that's my two cents, plus tax and tip.
Patrick Toman
Friday, January 3, 2003 12:44:11 PM
IP: 66.93.14.153

666 + 1337 = 2003!

2003: Y34r 0f th3 3v1l l33t
FIre Storm
Friday, January 3, 2003 12:37:55 PM
IP: 66.72.184.69

So, I'm not dead; I don't think. These kind of New Year's Eve parties always make me unsure for a few days.
The basic problem is this: most people assume there will a number of wine drinkers at a given party. Usually, though, at said party, most of the "wine drinkers" go an help finishing of the Smirnoff Ice or Bacardi Silver. For some reason, I always feel an obligation to help make up for those that don't drink their fair share of wine, as well as sampling all the other goodies (liquor, port etc) Hence I needed to drink the equivalent of a small in ground pool later that night so I don’t' wake up feeling like an elephant just did a tap dance routine in my head.
IN a related note if anyone has seen "Vampire" wine, imported from Transylvania, (no joke, they call it "the blood of the vine") I can't really recommend it for human consumption, but I'm sure it would make a fine oven cleaner.
In other news...
Ok, question: For people the post creative work online, how exactly do you keep people from ripping off your work wholesale? I ask as I'm considering posting a piece I'm working on so I can get feedback from people that I haven't had some kind of relations with, however, as I intend for this to eventually be an attempt at publication and therefore money, if some moron lifts my ideas and sells them ahead of me, I'm going to very irritated.

Moving on...

Gside>Istanbul...Constantinople.....

Assort. People> Better yet ensure that the boss is in fact a free-standing support so that, upon his death, his base does not collapse for no good structural reason. "Look out! That was a load-bearing boss!"

Niamhgold><but the Baltimore homeless people do> Nifty! Now if only MD didn't have draconian weapons laws I could live there comfortably.

Josh><Dude, that was deep. You should go to Berkeley.> No one likes you. No one at all.
<Screw you, hippy!> Are you talking to me...I dint' see anyone else here...are you talking to me?
<What's chutney>A pungent relish made of fruits, spices, and herbs. Staple of Indian cooking.
<that car companies don't want to develop fuel cells> Actually GM is working on the technology quite hard.

Ok that's quite enough of that.
**************************************
"Every generation of Centauri mourns for the golden days when their power was like unto the gods. It's counterproductive. I mean, why make history if you fail to learn by it?"
"You know, Vir, you have what the earthers call a negative personality."
"No, I don't."
"There. You see?"
Hyperion
Friday, January 3, 2003 12:26:34 PM
IP: 151.199.237.191

Re: GPS - Kudos to Don-Bando! And heck, I'll give some to Mooncat (mostly because I was sure she knew the answer, but she's also so kawaii and entertaining. ^_^).

LAWRENCE - I don't think MC is meaning to seem mean, but she does have a point. What many people percieve as "fan-service" isn't what others see, nessessarily.

I'd also second the recomendation that you simply WATCH the episodes before you start developing your RPG. See what actually is in the eps as 'flavor' and take your cues from there. Just some advice actually...

Maintain and Check Six!

Stephen R. Sobotka Jr.
Tampa, FL, USA
Friday, January 3, 2003 12:21:18 PM
IP: 65.35.132.55

Laurence - Um... well besides colorful eggs and egg shaped treats used to celebrate Easter (originally based on the pagan custom of dying eggs red as part of a fertility rite in spring celebrations), Easter Eggs are the hidden goodies you can find on a DVD, put there by the DVD producers to surprise and delight the end user.

(^_^);;-- sorry to be so nit picky, but the wrong use of terms is a pet peeve of mine. It vexes me so. And I can't really let it pass when I see it, because to me that would be tacit approval and propagating of misinformation.

Why not simply call traits, or trademarks (A distinctive characteristic by which a person or thing comes to be known) of the Gargoyles universe... it's traits and trademarks?

As for naming the recognizable traits of the Gargoyles universe... things like the use of Shakespeare, and saying "Jalepena" -- I think the more important quality of role playing or fan fiction is to do a good solid story while remaining 'in character' -- whether a character says or does not say 'Jalepena' won't make a bad story good, or a good story bad. Formula writing where you have to depend on the formula alone to carry things tends to drain the soul out of a story, and it becomes just a collection of cliches instead of an interesting read.

Using a cliche/trademark, just because it *is* a cliche/trademark of a particular show/genre is what is mainly done for... Parodies.

Sorry if this sounds elitist or mean. It isn't intended that way. But I think in fan fic and rpg's, you are either familar with the universe and can play based on that familiarity, or you need to do the best story you can cold, and shore it up with first hand experience/research (ie, acually watch the show) with the subject rather than depending on a listing of cliches, otherwise the fic or play comes across as fake and plastic.

Just my two cents
Mooncat
Mooncat
Friday, January 3, 2003 11:33:01 AM
IP: 68.102.23.36

The London "vampyres" are Unseelie halflings rather than "true vampires".

Well, today is J.R.R. Tolkien's eleventy-first birthday; I'm planning to celebrate it by going out to see "The Two Towers" again.
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Friday, January 3, 2003 07:14:18 AM
IP: 67.28.90.36

Okay, okay, Mooncat settle down. You can be the anime expert if you want. I don't really care. My question remains the same... what are the "easter eggs" (for lack of a better term) then that you would have to include to make a episode have a gargoyles "flavour"?

And thanks for the response on the vampires Todd. A few of my players read the TGS series, so when I introduce my vampires, I'll be able to keep it straight with what they are reading.

Btw, are the vampires in London during the fairy war traditional vampires or new and improved unseelie vampires?
Laurence
Friday, January 3, 2003 02:46:19 AM
IP: 128.233.234.251

Imzadi> <<I'm an elf fan, myself>>: Gaaay...
<<Probably, just not by name>>: Pretty much what I thought, though it would be interesting to figure yout which one he was.
<<But that would suck>>: Which is why I'm an engineer.
<<Charming, really>>: You're welcome. And you did ask.

Fan service: Generally it's a difference of the definitions of the parts, and the connotations of the whole.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Friday, January 3, 2003 12:07:29 AM
IP: 68.38.240.227

Ugh. I'm staying out of that one.
I just have a bit of good news.
I found out that I will have a new little half-sister before the end of the month, after months of worrying and general cage-i-ness (sp) and compications on the part of my stepmom. :)
Weird part is that I'm 21. My mom was 21 when she had me.
That's all for now, folks.
Dezi
Thursday, January 2, 2003 11:49:55 PM
IP: 68.58.158.101

GPS - dang, someone beat me to it! The Gratuitous Panty Shot (sp?) is of course as staple Fan Service example.

Cat Ears, and the Hammers from Nowhere are *not* fan service. To say cat ears and hammers are fan service is like putting a candle on a piece of plain bread saying that makes it a birthday cake.

Cat/fox ears/tails that just 'pop up' are often to show the character is being sly or tricky. The giant sweat drops are to show a character's emotional state (nervous/embarrassed, etc) the Giant Hammer From No Where is a common anime way to show a girl's violent and antagonistic reaction to a guy's lechery (or perceived lechery)... and are recognisable anime traits, but by no means have they ever been considered fan service.

Gratuitous Sex and Violence (but mostly sex) is Fan Service. The Panty Shot. The Shower Scene. Courtesy Breasts. The hero falling and his/her head landing between the breasts or thighs of a pretty girl (or boy, hey it's anime)... Fan Service is unnecessary goodies meant to *arouse and excite* the viewer.

Some guys get turned on by mecha/battle scenes, so I guess that falls in the ball park of fan service, to some people too. But Cat Ears and Hammers From Nowhere, while they are staples of anime, are **not** fan service except maybe to someone who might have a very particular *fetish* for them.

Fan Service is just that, a very special service to the fans from the animators/artists/writers, etc, of the canon production crew. It's the extra rich and usually naughty frosting on the cake.

But you don't have to take my word for it. I've only been into anime fandom scene for over a decade.

From the Web

http://www.anime-stop.com/editorials/fanservice.shtml

http://www.serc.rmit.edu.au/~ashelton/anime/html/gloss_fan-service.html

http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/muepsilonkappa/lexicon.shtml#F

http://www.geocities.com/gaetano125/Glossary.html

http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/kawaiianimemangapage/termspage.html

http://www.animecritic.com/reference/glossary.html

http://www.animeonline.net/forums/misc.php?action=animefaq

http://www.haze-studios.com/gloss.htm

http://www.animeinferno.com/reviews/glossary.html

http://www.davisanime.org/newsletter3.html

and so on...

ooo.. Gargoyles is almost on!

later
MC
>^,,^<
MC
Thursday, January 2, 2003 11:28:15 PM
IP: 68.102.23.36

Leo > From the reviews I've heard of "ST: Nemesis" the entire movie sounds like it's more of a fan DISservice. :P
Patrick Toman
Thursday, January 2, 2003 11:22:50 PM
IP: 67.38.255.46

Fan Service:

ex. Riker and Troi getting married in StarTrek Nemesis?
Leo
Thursday, January 2, 2003 10:37:22 PM
IP: 68.96.8.12

GPS = Gratuitous Panty Shot.

**ONE SPOILER AHEAD IN THE DISCUSSION OF FAN SERVICE**
The definition of "fan service" that's been presented is probably the most thorough definition I've seen ... considering I've read reviews of "End of Evangelion" which call the evisceration and tearing limb from limb of Unit 02 fan service (not to mention Evangelion was famous for promising sex-type fan service in its "next episode" spots, only not to deliver). People who've read my screenplay also have said I wrote in a considerable amount of fan service, and I always thought they referred to the sexual type ... which was never my intention, although pushing the envelope of what's been commonly seen before and what's going over the edge was part of my goals in writing it ... but actually by *this* definition, the whole thing would be fan service.
**SAFE TO LOOK NOW**
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Thursday, January 2, 2003 09:49:51 PM
IP: 216.234.123.225

PATRICK - So I take it that the "changelings" of White Wolf aren't quite the same as the changelings of traditional faerie-lore (faerie infants or elderly faeries who get substituted for stolen human infants and can be tricked into giving themselves away if you claim that you're using eggshells to brew in)?

I do take it, however, that "garou" has something to do with werewolves (in light of the fact that the French or French-Canadian word for "werewolf" is "loup-garou").
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, January 2, 2003 09:49:37 PM
IP: 63.208.40.127

MOONCAT - I think you're right with the definition of Fan-Service, as far as anime goes... Sorry, Lawrence. I do recall the use of many a GPS in a lot of anime from long ago...

And I'll give kudos and 1,000 points to the person that can tell me what a GPS is, and here's a clue: it's not a Global Positioning System. ^_^

Maintain and Check Six!

Stephen R. Sobotka Jr.
Tampa, FL, USA
Thursday, January 2, 2003 09:38:55 PM
IP: 65.35.132.55

I've found over the years that you have to be careful when throwing RPG lingo around among people unfamiliar with the game it came from. What "fan service" means in this "Big Eyes Small Mouth" system (which I freely admit I've never heard of before) could very well be a bit different that the what "fan service" means to the anime/manga fandom. Just like "mutants" and "superheroes" will mean somewhat different things to gamers who use the Palladium universe versus fans of Marvel comics, or how no one who's ever used the White Wolf system would quite know what I was talking about if I were to mention "garou" and "changelings."

So that's my contribution to today's "chatty" comment room... just a comment that sometimes it helps to explain the jargon you plan to use. :)
Patrick Toman
Thursday, January 2, 2003 09:36:40 PM
IP: 67.38.255.46

Re TGS vampires: without giving too much away, regular vampires (of the sort that we did in "Thicker than Blood") aren't vulnerable to iron, since the process that the Unseelies used to change them into vampires (in their early efforts to produce "Unseelie halflings") had some flukes in it that caused them to develop somewhat differently; iron's therefore no more dangerous to them than it is to ordinary humans. It's only with the "Unseelie halflings" such as George Harrison that you get a genuine "Third Race-ish" nature (such as being vulnerable to iron) as opposed to the "mutated faerie-ness" that vampires have. (This stems mainly from the fact that the original vampires were produced in a period when Madoc and his cohorts knew nothing about genetic science, and were essentially "flying blind" in their efforts to alter humans. For the "Unseelie halflings", they had Sevarius's genetics expertise that he had already brought to bear in producing the Mutates and Thailog).
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Thursday, January 2, 2003 09:01:22 PM
IP: 63.208.40.127

I figured out the explanation for "fan service" that I thing should explain the concept properly. *ahem* It is elements included in an animated program that are designed to amuse the audience rather than advance the story. Since it fullfills this function, it is called "fan service". Examples: giant sweat drops, sneezing when someone is talking about you, nosebleeds, panty shots, cat ears, gushing tears, and giant hammers to smack the lecherous or obnoxious over the head.

Where I got it? I don't know I heard the phrase first, but I've come across it on newsgroups, from talking with friends, and in the "Big Eyes, Small Mouth" game which is designed to allow you to roleplay in an anime fashion.

Click to find out more about the game.
Laurence
Thursday, January 2, 2003 08:02:19 PM
IP: 128.233.231.27

Laurence - Try to post what you need to say all together instead of lots of little posts in a row, or at least don't use new pictures with each bit post -- it looks better and is kinder in terms of bandwidth.

Fan Service -- I ask again, where did you get your definition of Fan Service? Because I've been in Anime Fandom for over ten years, part of a circle that was fan subbing raw stuff from Japan years before there *was* any anime commercially available here besides "Robotech" dubs... and never has the cat tails and hammers been considered or called Fan Service. It's cute and all, but it isn't Fan Service. I'm sure you are a "devotee" and all, but your term facts are incorrect.

Other news -- Just saw "Comic Book Villians" -- and owch! The scary part of the movie is how much it reminds me of local comic shops and the people who hang out there. yee!!!

Oh! I'm wearing my Gargoyle's sweatshirt top today! It's so warm! I love it. I wonder what it would take to get a license from Disney to do other Gargoyles t-shirts and sweats and stuff. I'm already wearing my Gathering convention shirts out. sigh...

Okay, quick stop at the grocery to return the rented DVDs, originally picked up as part of my New Year's Eve contribution to the festivities at my friend's house. I rented a handful because I wasn't sure what everyone would want to watch. Out of the handful I brought, we wound up watching Austin Powers Gold Member. And maybe it was the wine, but we had lots of fun! I drank some good sparkling wines I'd never tried before, had some nice treats (I also brought a big box of Godiva chocolates to the party)... and everything stayed down until 4am.

I should be grateful I was able to enjoy myself and not toss my cookies until long after I was home and it wouldn't be such a downer. The upside is that I don't have to worry about the New Year's calories from the chocolates and champaigne. So I guess it's a win win situation after all.

Well, after going to the grocery, it will be back to cleaning house then Gargoyles art. I'm feeling very much in the mood to draw Demona today. Yes. Today is a good day to draw Demona. *^_^*

later
MC
>^,,^<
Mooncat
Thursday, January 2, 2003 06:22:36 PM
IP: 68.102.23.36

DPH > No, asking how the weather is in everyone's part of the country is "chatty" Laurence is asking questions and replying to other people's posts. The fact the board has been slow for the last few days just makes it seem more noticable.

Yeah, that did sound irritable, but the guy is asking questions about TGS and writing in general and that was at one point the reason for this board.

Fan Service is a weird concept. I'm still not quite sure I'm getting it. That aside, back when TGS was getting started and presumably to this day, there was a period of planning called "Breakdowns" where overall season arcs, mini arcs and individual stories were developed before any stories were actually written. Also part of this process was the suggestion of characters and their associated development.
kathy
Thursday, January 2, 2003 05:06:49 PM
IP: 66.82.160.1

Laurence - this is not a chat room. 5 posts in a 24 hour period comes across as chatting.
DPH
AR, USA
Thursday, January 2, 2003 04:03:14 PM
IP: 204.94.193.57

Just a quick question, since Vampires seem to be a result of Madoc's experiments (if you beleive Vlad Tepes) does that mean that they are vulnerable to iron like other halflings instead of wooden stakes?
Laurence
Thursday, January 2, 2003 02:25:21 PM
IP: 128.233.231.27

Yes, the sexual titilation is fan services, but it is a part of a larger thing. Have you ever noticed for example that sometimes characters will suddenly grow cat ears and a tail for a split second or two? Or that anime characters when they cry sometimes gush out tears like waterworks? These are all part of the anime formula, known to devotees as "fan service".
Laurence
Thursday, January 2, 2003 01:41:24 PM
IP: 128.233.231.27

Well, basically there isn't a pre-generated cast yet, since I'm GMing a Role-playing game rather than writing a story. I am figuring though that there will not be a "clan" as such, only two or three gargoyle hatchlings who were raised by preists or nuns. The whole gothic feel of Montreal is that of the religious churches, of which there are a lot. A lot of them are being turned into condos and night clubs now, but they were originally houses of worship.

Since Montreal is an old city (stretching back to the late 1600's) and it is a rather wet place (being on the St. Lawrence with the Great Lakes Nearby) it seems like a natural place to have ghosts. The main child of Oberon figure will be a figure from French Canadian folklore, mainly Ti Jean. I'd like to know more about him, but he is proving to be annoyingly elusive.

Laurence
Thursday, January 2, 2003 01:37:53 PM
IP: 128.233.231.27

Lawrence -- umm... I'm curious, where did you got your definition of "Fan Service" ? -- I don't know if you know this, but that is a term used by fans of anime/manga to describe gratuitous sexy shots/costumes, usually In Canon (the actual professional release) of an animation or manga. Fan Service, for Gargoyles, would be Fox and Elisa in Eye of the Beholder, where Fox is nude and Elisa is skirt-less and flashing her garters, or Elisa in the episode Protection in her 'naughty' bad cop outfit.

Things like saying "Jalepena" aren't really fan service. It's more the recognizing of the trademark phrases and archtypes of the Gargoyles canon.

Mooncat
>^,,^<
Mooncat
Thursday, January 2, 2003 01:26:07 PM
IP: 68.102.23.36

Well first off, you need a reason for their existance and secrecy...

IE How did gargoyles come to montreal? Were they always there, or under some magic that just ended so as for them to just start now, or did they come from some other place/time/land? If they have been around for ages, why havent they been discovered yet?

Then you need to decide on main characters -- make at least a FOUR page biography of each, and at least a ONE page biography of 5 more minor characters. Focus on interactions between the characters as well as the history, feelings, and attributes of each.

Wait at least a week to let all of this gel in your mind...

Then you can start writing stories if you like.

silvadel
Thursday, January 2, 2003 12:28:14 PM
IP: 208.59.247.9

Maybe if I phrase it like this... If you were to take the gargoyles universe, make a new cast of characters, and move it to Montreal... what would you do? What elements would you take from the show, and what elements would you leave behind? I know you've done it for london, and for creating new clans... so I'm just wondering how to get into a "gargoylian" mindset.
Laurence
Thursday, January 2, 2003 12:04:29 PM
IP: 128.233.231.27

Stephen Sobkota Jr> Actually, what is meant by fanservice is not "fan-fiction" but rather pointless extras that animators put it. In Japanese anime this includes such classics as a big hammer than comes out of nowhere to smack somebody on the head, cats in the background, or (as some have pointed out) risque stuff like panty shots or scenes involving bath houses and sake.

As for Elisa's garter belt... whoo boy do I remember that. ;)

The fan service things I remembered since my last post was the word "jalapena", or shots of Margot and Brendan in the background.
Laurence
Thursday, January 2, 2003 11:54:28 AM
IP: 128.233.231.27

Nothing doing today. Minor dinner party at the house tonight, and the food was GOOD.

P.S.: It will be 75 here tomorrow!

Patrick: <<"big robots exploding" is cool if you're twelve years old>>: I'm 21 and I happen to find big robots exploding extremely cool.

Fire Storm: <<Re-afirmed my power, sacraficed a virgin>>: In the shakespearean sense or the regular way? <<Can't we just have a general spending increase in orgies>>: I wish!

Spacebabie and Revel: Get a room. A non-comment room 8-)

Taleweaver: <<be sure you can withstand your fellow man before joining the throngs.>>: I haven't been to that thing in years. People smell. <<Fan service comments>>: Very right.

Stephen: Yu-Gi-Oh is totally lame. <<Fan Service comments>>: Good points.

Gside: <<Still waiting on mine.>>: Finally officially posted today. <<It's all about the dwarves>>: I'm an elf fan, myself. <>: Probably, just not by name. <<You're just trying to mollify me>>: Most likely. <<Be like my brother and get into debt>>: But that would suck! <<The gastronomic troubles have moved to my colon, and I'm slightly feverish and achy>>: Charming, really. <<should the end user be expected to not be afraid to do some developing>>: The user should be afraid. They become a developer, and the rules change. Der. <<Lack of income, mostly>>: I hear you. <<Who wants to be in a low quality orgy?>>: Not me!

Night folks

86. I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Encino, CA, US of A
Thursday, January 2, 2003 12:59:51 AM
IP: 67.117.14.17

Niamhgold> <<And my profs finally got my last grades in>>: Still waiting on mine. And one guy never imporessed me with his punctuality.
<<I'd want at least an Aragorn and a Merry/Pippin se>>: It's all about the dwarves.
<<And a treebeard. With movable limbs!>>: They're selling a talking Treebeard. And I was just pondering if we've seen Quickbeam in the movie.
<<Do you still collect?>>: Nope. Haven't had easy access to a store when I went off to college, though I've picked up a few graphic novels since then (McCloud, Dark Knight).
<<my anime interests have been shoved to the back burners as other things have taken precedence>>: My condolences then. Hope you find more relaxation time in the future.
<<Take a vacation in the Mount Washington Valley (Attitash, Bretton Woods, North Conway Grand Hotel, etc) and you're bound to run into me>>: Unfortunately probably won't happen soon, as all relatives are on the west.
<<maybe a little mocha mixed with dark chocolate?>>: You're just trying to mollify me.

Imzadi> <<You're an artist. What are you gonna do with a credit card?>>: Be like my brother and get into debt.
<<Feeling better?>>: In a sense. The gastronomic troubles have moved to my colon, and I'm slightly feverish and achy. And it annoys me when my capilaries close off.
<<My theories on how computers should be apply to the end-user. Not the developer>>: And should the end user be expected to not be afraid to do some developing?
<<Much better idea>>: I thought so.
<<Cheapness or collegestudentness?>>: Either. Lack of income, mostly.

Fire Storm> <<Can't we just have a general spending increase in orgies?>>: We should. Who wants to be in a low quality orgy?

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Thursday, January 2, 2003 12:22:28 AM
IP: 68.38.240.227

Lain - check your email.
DPH
AR, USA
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 09:40:25 PM
IP: 204.94.193.43

Spacebabie <<To those of you who are currently in New York or anywhere it's cold. HAHAHAHA, it's 70 Degree's in January.

Personally, I like it cold in January. It gives balance to the seasons. Indiana's lack of balance is really throwing me off, and that's only 50 degrees in January.
I went home to north western Illinois for Christmas and it was a lovely 20-some degrees as the high. Ahhhhhhh.
I need some snow.

Dezi
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 06:34:32 PM
IP: 68.58.158.101

Happy New Year, everyone!

PATRICK - So they don't give you Martin Luther King Day and Presidents Day off, then? :(
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 06:27:56 PM
IP: 65.56.174.251

Greetings all... Happy New Year and such. ^_^

Well, Kellie's back in NYC... we had fun while we could meet, though we didn't get to do all the stuff we'd planned (such as going to see the Lion King at Channelside IMAX, or even seeing the stage production at the Performing Arts Center...). But we did get to go to Universal to see the Macy's balloons and their version of the parade, and check out one of the dolphins at the Clearwater Aquarium (he's a recent transient from NYC, and turns out Kellie knows him from her volunteer work.).

Also recently got some Yu-Gi-Oh CCG cards, and registered to take part in the Duelist Tournaments... Just have to find some people to play Duels with. Any takers? ^_^

FAN SERVICE - Most of the general fan-service I've seen has been the following:

A) Goliath/Elisa find a way to mate and/or have a child.
B) A new character is brought in to become a mate for either Brooklyn or Lexington.
C) A new character is brought in to become a new Ally or Antagonist for the Clan. (Usually one of two themes here: Said Ally is usually and old friend of Hudson's or Goliath's, or Protagonist is either from the Past or Future.)

I've also noticed that the number of Mary-Sues have been on the decline since about the turn of the Century... I guess people have become on the know that such archetypes don't usually go over well with the general fandom. (though there are some exceptions, naturally).

Maintain and Check Six!

Stephen R. Sobotka Jr. - [ssobotka33616@yahoo.com]
Tampa, FL, USA
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 05:35:23 PM
IP: 65.35.132.55

Fan Service> Dragons alive! When I first heard that term, I got a slightly different image in my mind. I heard it on Neon Genesis evangelion and I pictured Shinji being fanned by Misato and the Dr. in classic skimpy slave girl outfits while Asuka peeled him another grape. Yes, i'm such a guy.

In regards to Gargoyle fan service. Lets not forget the many loves of Brooklyn. For a real good laugh, Spike wrote a funny piece with a deathmatch royale between the many Mrs. Brooklyns. I've seen it done a few times, TGS included. Brooklyn has one love that for varying reasons doesn't work out. The following romance is the one that domesticates him.

I think the romantic pecking order goes: Brooklyn has the most. Followed by Lex. Broadway, Goliath, and Talon are paired up and thus out of play. Hudson is retired from the field.

The only other fan constant is the female fallibility quotient. Its my fancy way of saying, "The girl is always right." A hunch or a feeling expressed by a female character (call it gut feeling, hunch, or intuition) invariable and unerringly is the right view. Same can't be said for the male characters case in point the Lexington low infallibiity quotient. In his case, especially with romance, the rate of success bottoms out and can even go into the negative.

Core Themes:
One I can think of is appeals to a person's better nature. Goliath especially did that. I think that's a cool theme, I like the notion that we can be betterthan who we are.

Well, those are my thoughts. Love 'em, Hate 'em or Ignore 'em, they're out and out to make mischief.
Taleweaver - [loremaster27@hotmail.com]
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 03:15:12 PM
IP: 208.147.170.10

Ha!
I've got that beat. After a foggy and chilly morning here in SoCal, it's warmed up to 75 possible 80 by the end of the day. The Rose Parade was nice. Though be sure you can withstand your fellow man before joining the throngs.

Welcome to the New Year!
Taleweaver - [loremaster27@hotmail.com]
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 02:50:40 PM
IP: 208.147.170.10

Good morning from the Sunshine State. Yes, after one really bad airport weather delay, I made it yesterday morning and was picked up.
We spent most of the morning all over each other. Why? Because we can. ]:D
To those of you who are currently in New York or anywhere it's cold. HAHAHAHA, it's 70 Degree's in January.

*Sticks her tongue out at Josh*

*Exits kissssing*
Spacebabie And Revel
Orlando, Florida
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 02:30:24 PM
IP: 67.24.18.103

Well, celebrated New Years the usual way...
Re-afirmed my power, sacraficed a virgin the the tentacle gods, etc, etc.

Imzadi :<I'd hate to see a communist spending orgy>
Can't we just have a general spending increase in orgies?
Fire Storm
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 02:10:56 PM
IP: 66.72.184.69

Happy New Year!

Fan Service in Gargoyles > I suppose "big robots exploding" is cool if you're twelve years old... but I'd be more inclined to consider things like Elisa taking off the skirt of her Belle costume to reveal her stockings and garters as a good example of fan service. ;)

I'm still tired from last night... I think I need a nap.

:: staggers off to enjoy his day off, since the next one won't happen until Memorial Day ::
Patrick Toman
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 09:54:29 AM
IP: 67.38.254.183

Happy new year!

Lunch the grandparents and a haircut today. Dinner with the family at a nice steakhouse. Relaxing way to bring in the New Year.

Oh, and of course the best way to ring in the New Year: grades! The last holdout professor finally emailed me and I got *straight A's*!. I'm SO stoked. My GPA will finally go UP for once ;-)

Other news...nope. Still dancing about the grade though! Made some progress with programming in C. So far it looks just like matlab, but with a *slightly* different syntax and not as powerful array arithmetic.

Patrick: <<those good intentions of getting the new flooring / carpet / rugs down BEFORE the furniture arrives never do seem to pan out just right.>>: That's why you don't buy the furniture until the carpet is down 8-) <<what can I say? I can't resist a good "Princess Bride" quote>>: A true geek.

Spacebabie: <<make Josh vomit all over his keyboard>>: Not on this laptop.

Fire Storm: <<HARPY CHEW BEER everyone>>: I don't like beer.

Niamhgold: <<best not to ask how>>: Mach 3!! <<more of a "wet" media person>>: What a useful piece of info... <<keif>>: Is that like yoink? Or more of a gank? ;-) <<And a treebeard. With movable limbs>>: Full scale. <<It does not appear to work with N3>>: Curses. Metroid Prime would be really entertaining starting with full energy 8-) <>: But you did not enjoy. <<Perfect!>>: I hope so. <>: You're an artist. What are you gonna do with a credit card? ;-) <<Yes, you were>>: Devious planning?

Dezi: <<airs footage of a cop with a rifle gunning down a cantelope>>: Do you often have trouble shooting fruit?

DPH: <<What would you do about homosexual guards?>>: Not have them guard members of the same sex, der. <>: That will work fine. <<who do you hire/which 3 candidates do you want to sued by?>>: Hire everyone but the white male. Apparently that isn't discrimination in this country. <<13 weeks of releasing stories>>: At 1 per week?

Gside: <<capitalistic orgy of spending>>: I'd hate to see a communist spending orgy. <<something in me decided to go out the way it came in>>: LOL! Feeling better? <<but someone has to come in second, and people like consisntant orderings>>: I nominate females. <<This kind of thing where you lose track of what is under discussion, and how you wouldn't on anything important>>: Oh 8-) <<C's nature as a lowish level language and how it violates your theories on how computers should be>>: My theories on how computers should be apply to the end-user. Not the developer. <<you burn wood and let the smoke permeate the meat>>: Much better idea. <<It's just that my cheapness often outweighs my geekness.>>: Cheapness or collegestudentness?

Okay folks, good night. Off to the airport to pick up a friend tomorrow.

85. I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. "Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse." Instead it will be more along the lines of "Push the button."

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Encino, CA, US of A
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 04:30:27 AM
IP: 67.117.15.72

**Dreamie and Winterwolf enter tossing confetti and pause for a long deep passionate kiss**

Happy New Year to everyone! ^_^

**Winterwolf carries Dreamie out of the CR to conclude the New Year's festivities before sleep** ^_~
Dreamie & Winterwolf
Seattle, WA
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 02:57:11 AM
IP: 67.84.187.131

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

MC
Mooncat
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 02:54:08 AM
IP: 68.102.23.36

Almost had it. Oh well.

Saw Two Towers again today, then went into a capitalistic orgy of spending. Came away with a bunch of anime and three new Pratchett books.

And then a bit after posting, something in me decided to go out the way it came in. I was not happy.

Imzadi> <>: Perhaps, but someone has to come in second, and people like consisntant orderings.
<<Not sure what you're referring to>>: This kind of thing where you lose track of what is under discussion, and how you wouldn't on anything important.
<<What are you talking about?>>: C's nature as a lowish level language and how it violates your theories on how computers should be.
<<Burning flesh rarely smells good>>: No, you burn wood and let the smoke permeate the meat.
<>: Rarely.
<<That's mildly sick>>: Thank you.
<<She was talking about my mind>>: I think that one was mine.
<<Hand me your geek license, so that I may shred it>>: Fear not, when I get a camera I am sure it shall be digital. It's just that my cheapness often outweighs my geekness.

That's about all I feel like for now. I'll continue when I feel better.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 01:22:13 AM
IP: 68.38.240.227

Happy New Year everyone in the Eastern Time Zone
Leo
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 12:10:10 AM
IP: 68.96.8.12

Happy New Year.
Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 11:59:49 PM
IP: 68.38.240.227

Imzadi - <84. I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.> What would you do about homosexual guards? <83. If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.> I can beat that: Poison both drinks after you secretly take antidote. Actually, that creates a problem with hiring people. If it is a pain to fire somebody, then you don't want to hire them in case things get bad and you have to have lay-offs. Here's a trick question: equal qualifications with 4 candidates only difference is who the person is white male, white female, black man, and black woman. Now, who do you hire/which 3 candidates do you want to sued by?

Spacebabie - <Not really but next year> Holographic Mistletoe v3.0 will be at least 10 times harder to mutate than v2.0.

Yes, I've already started hiring crews to work on Holographic Mistletoe v3.0. Step 1 is building 10 nuclear power plants (I'm not sure if that will generate enough power) with runways and hangers so each nuclear power plant can have its own squadron of 24 (I wonder if that is enough or should I double it to 48) fighter jets. I have a page with the specifications as I have worked things out.

Tony - It probably is, but I have to work up the guts to set-up myself up to get a mental evaluation. <Maybe folks could re-read the stuff they haven’t read for 6 years and we can start discussing the TGS in the TGS C.R. again.> Actually, we had TGS discussion when Timedancer Season 4 was airing. TGS discussion when (NOT if) TGS releases new stories.

Niamhgold - I do prefer a variety of flavors in my food.

Selanit - <With TGS slowed almost to a standstill> From insider's point of view, TGS has enough material (once all stories are written) to continuing going for more than 13 weeks of releasing stories.

Hyperion - <DPH does however receive +10 points for the prisoners idea. That's some good thinking.> I'd still like to have a reality show where illegal immigrants try to cross the US border while facing various obstacles.

Gunjack - <we're back.> It's about time.

Green Baron - <Library yes, but it shoudl be in a prison, since they shoudln't be outside the prison complex> That's wasting money. <they should have 14 hour work weeks if not more.> Let them work up to 10 hours a day. Let them work in the kitchen, under close supervision, etc eliminating the need for so many paid employees. <Public schools would be good if they weren't failing so many children.> I agree. I like the idea of school vouchers.

I'm glad to know I wasn't the only person who overlooked Wilek's birthday.

*presses button and Holographic Mistletoe v2.0 goes offline*
DPH
AR, USA
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 10:55:08 PM
IP: 204.94.193.43

Laurence> Pretty nifty idea. It is hard to make up any Gargoyles RPG or fanfic that can be true to the show and fan service with an interesting plot.

Others> Sorry for not posting, been going through Robby/Texas withdraws. I love it there.

Oh!

Mara, love the card you sent! I just found it on my e-mail on my dad's computer!
Heather - [Kheetor84@cox.net]
Warner Robins, GA, USA
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 08:57:14 PM
IP: 68.99.148.20

I have some questions about writing gargoyles stories. You see, I'm interested on what constitutes "core themes" and "fan service" that would be essential to any gargoyles story, even if you were to write it with different characters and different settings than New York. The reason I am interested to know, is I am planning to detail an RPG setting (using BESM rules) set in Montreal, Canada. There isn't a gargoyle clan there, just a couple of rookery brothers who will eventually join one of the two clans in New York or perhaps the one in Paris.

I've got some ideas of what "Fan Service" might be such as:

1) Shakespearean References
2) Stone freezing to capture a particular emotion. I have heard it said that the virtue of sculpture is that it can capture an emotion much better than a human face can because of its stillness.
3) Guys can look ugly, but girls are always smoking hot, despite their evil.
4) Gargoyles change to match the culture they are in, due to the culture taking inspiration from them in their artwork.
5) Mecha explode.

Core Themes:
1) Revenge. Revenge is a core theme of the show, with its futility and its tendency to self-perpetuate.
2) Ancient enemies. Whether due to immortality, sleeping away the centuries, or passing the vendetta from generation to generation. Fueds last centuries in the gargoyles universe.
3) Gargoyles survive, they do not thrive. Of the three races, gargoyles are the most endangered. They gain intolerably slow successes followed by sudden devestating setbacks.
4) Gargoyles protect.

I know there is more, but what suggestions do you have for other things that would fit these two categories? What in particular do you think about when coming up with new TGS plotlines?
Laurence
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 07:44:09 PM
IP: 128.233.236.211

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoo I'm in the year 2003 whilst you yanks are still in 2002 for a couple more hours :P

Still hope this new year goes well for all and that you are all happy and merry!

And once again with feeling...

WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
Silverbolt
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 07:26:11 PM
IP: 213.122.102.68

Re Zoo Tycoon: those must be quite some zoos, if you've got the option of including dinosaurs and yetis among the attractions.... :)

Really twisted idea: Putting up a sign saying "Do Not Feed the Crocodiles", and then, when the crocodiles start heading for the visitors and attempt to eat them, shouting to the visitors while pointing to the sign, "Can't you read?"
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 07:13:57 PM
IP: 65.57.57.98

Happy New Year everyone!
I had my *party* last nite since everyone I know has to work tonite except me. So tonite I will sit with my dog and pet rats, and watch the ball drop on Times Square (or Animal Planet depending on who controls the remote).
Last nite, however, I got to eat at Outback Steakhouse for the first time ever. It is verrrrry good there. I was really hungry too, the only one to clean my plate.
I went with my boyfriend, B, and his friend Nato and this girl that Nato is "flirting" with. For kicks, I told the waitress it was Nato's birthday, so on top of getting ready to explode from steak and blooming onion, he had to eat all of his birthday ice cream. He now hates me, he said so. But on the upside, its been a long time since I have seen B laugh that much. Then he took Nato's ice cream and made a soup out of it.
According to the little ticker in the bottom of my TV screen it is now 5:59:45 seconds until the new year. Must be a slow news day.
I think though that I have stumbled upon the solution to our over crowded planets ills. We should let lions (or other large hungry predators) roam the streets of our cities. Any one who is too stupid to get out of the way is expendable. The hope is that this will also weed out the people who earnestly believe that 2/3 equals 75%. grrr.
Another note for the slow news day: Our local NBC affiliate just now aired a story warning residents of the lovely Indianapolis not to shoot their firearms in celebration of the new year. This is what a bullet can do. *airs footage of a cop with a rifle gunning down a cantelope*. Just in case anyone forgot.
Now I shall go entertain myself by playing with the colored paper my family got me for Christmas.

Dezi
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 06:05:42 PM
IP: 68.58.158.101

Christine > Have you got the dinosaur expansion set, too?
Paul informs me that he does but that he hasn't done anything with it yet. The boy's busy putting Yetis in his zoo though and the poor things just howl for attention....

Niamhgold>> > Are colored pencils still the medium of your choice? >>
I still like colored pencils but due to my chronic CTS, I've switched to a water-soluble pencils, like the Cretacolor Aquamonolith pencils. I still have the control I like with pencils but I blend colors with a paintbrush instead of the pressure of mashing down with a colorless blender. I still do lots of layers but it's a lot easier on my hands.
>>Where'd you learn, or are you just a natural? >>
Environment, education, and evolution.... *laughs* I tell my students that I've been drawing since I was two and just never stopped practicing.

Spike
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 02:06:28 PM
IP: 64.216.236.39

** Niamhgold enters **

Back in Balteeeeeemore! What a long drive, but it wasn't *bad*. Just got trapped on the G. Washington Bridge for two hours, but made up the rest of the time quite nicely (it's best not to ask how ;)). Left at 5:30 yesterday morning and got in around 4 PM. I discovered that I'd lost the gate key to the parking lot, so, when I stopped to search my car for it, I got ticketed for stopping in a no-stopping zone. Figures ;)

Everything else is okay. A little sore from carrying/driving for way too long, but I've hooked up my tv to my computer and I can finally make a batch of demo reels for internships/competitions. And my profs finally got my last grades in :)

Today I'll spend New Years packing, sleeping, watching tv, and maybe calling my roomie, who's in Philly. Then up tomorrow for another trip.

Wilek: Happy birthday! <Wheels in the CR demolition cake and hands over a remote> Go on and pick your demise! ;)

Tony Elliot: <Christi Smith Hayden has done a lot of work for TGS, art and writing. Does she ever post here?> Yes. But I think you've seen her post by now ;)

Spike: <I'm glad to see that you've been enjoying my work on TGS> Are colored pencils still the medium of your choice? Because, they are *so* incredibly well-done. It must take a lot of patience, because they require hours and hours of working in layers. I've never been able to do that--more of a "wet" media person, I guess :) Where'd you learn, or are you just a natural? <My hubs got me a 72-piece set of Cretacolor Aquamonolith pencils, almost impossible to find here because they're made in Germany> Awesome! I was so excited when I opened a bag under the tree and found new Prismacolor markers...mmm, Prismas....

Gside: <Why thank you> Yer welcome! <Sorry, no digital camera, and don't want to waste the film> I understand. I always keif my roommate's camera when I need one, anyways ;) <Sam was a good guy> I concur. However, I'd want at least an Aragorn and a Merry/Pippin set. And a treebeard. With movable limbs! <Way back when I sold off my Marvels #2 to a friend of my brother's who wanted to get the entire series autographed> Do you still collect? <Thanks anyway> Sadly, my anime interests have been shoved to the back burners as other things have taken precedence :( <We were in a big black minivan with Jersey plates, should you care enough to remember> I think I was cut off by a black van once, but that was in Connecticut and they had New York plates :( Next time! Take a vacation in the Mount Washington Valley (Attitash, Bretton Woods, North Conway Grand Hotel, etc) and you're bound to run into me :) <Man> Hmmm...maybe a little mocha mixed with dark chocolate?...

Imzadi: <Same obvious cracked walls, same enemy weaknesses, blah> Which is what makes a series successful. That's why the FF series has lasted so long, even though no two games take place in the same worlds/with the same characters. <Does it work with disc systems (ie PS2 or N3?)> It does not appear to work with N3, just n64, according to their site (www.gameshark.com/productinfo/products.html.) PS2, definitely (my brother always cheats ;)), and Dreamcast. You could look into it, though, since it may be possible to use one of their existing products with it (cheatcodes exist for N3, but I cannot locate an N3-specific gameshark product). <Your car needs a CD player> I lived. <33% and 50% 8-)> Well, at least you're more pickupable! ;) <I'm also not a very good best friend and my *inner* child is a ritch bitch (which, IMO, is completely redundant)> I'll have to take those. And the new IQ test, too, since this one is actually functional ;) <High 60's and sunny> Perfect! :) <The real problem is people who don't pay their bill on time 8-)> I will not get a credit card until I have a steady job ;) <Oh really now? I'll have to remember that, as I was a mocha as well> Ah, yes. Yes, you were... <That was twisted> BWAHAHAHAHA!

Happy Chew Beer, Firestorm!

Happy New Year to everyone else! ;)
Niamhgold
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 01:28:39 PM
IP: 206.41.199.51

Spike > what a marvelous idea for Zoo Tycoon! Becca loves that game too and I'm surprised she hasn't thought of it. Must tell her. Have you got the dinosaur expansion set, too?

Happy New Year, all. Things are a little crazy here but I won't burden you; that's what LiveJournal is for nowadays.
Christine - [christine@sabledrake.com]
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 12:29:01 PM
IP: 65.239.13.31

Spacebabie: <To all the CR couples>
HEY! You forgot one!
Fire Storm & Lady Mystic!
:P

HARPY CHEW BEER everyone!
Fire Storm
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 11:22:01 AM
IP: 66.72.184.69

To all the CR couples:
Aaron & Mara
Robby & Heather
Lain & Gunjack
Coyote & Rayvn
Dreamie & Winterwolf

Let us ring in the new year with love and kisses and enough sugary sap to make Josh vomit all over his keyboard.

Spacebabie
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 10:49:58 AM
IP: 67.24.16.252

SPIKE - Your son is definitely beginning to scare me. :)
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 07:00:47 AM
IP: 63.208.44.104

Today is the first day of the rest of this year. ;)

kathy > I've been there, too... those good intentions of getting the new flooring / carpet / rugs down BEFORE the furniture arrives never do seem to pan out just right. Contractors... gotta love 'em.

Spike > "I don't think the maker of that game counted on the player building a fence around the zoo gates so the guests can't escape when the crocodiles get loose...." - LOL!

Josh > Hey, what can I say? I can't resist a good "Princess Bride" quote. ;)

"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia.' But only slightly less well known is this: 'Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line.' Ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha- (thunk)" - Vizzini
Patrick Toman
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 06:59:42 AM
IP: 67.38.254.183

Lots of errands today, including an interesting trip to the thrift store to donate a metric load of old clothes.

I also started my UCLA grad school application. I hate poorly coded online applications. Because of their sloppy website, I've used incorrect forms all over the place and may have accidentally submitted my application sans personal statement 8-). That's what I get for trying to finish early.

My brother and I have completed about 43% of Metroid Prime, having a great time with it. This is way better than my brother's own score, which took 3 times as long 8-) Metroid rules. What's really funny is that once you start thinking the way you need to for the first Metroid game, you have the mentality for every other one. Same obvious cracked walls, same enemy weaknesses, blah.

Patrick: <<That word you keep using, I do not think it means what you think it means>>: I added that because it seemed fitting along the lines of that last rule I posted.

Spike: <>: LOL your son is cool!

Happy birthday wilek!

Gside: <<Did you claim workman's comp for that?>>: Bastards. <>: I think Pippin would object to being second. <<Shame on you>>: Bad geek! No cookie! <<As the one you used as a reference, I will back up that claim>: Not sure what you're referring to. <<why are you with a research team that disagrees with you rather fundamentally?>>: I'm not. What are you talking about? All I said was that I didn't know C yet. <<Sadly true>>: Happens to us all. <<Why wait?>>: I've got good reasons, trust me. <<t's not really lack of products as much as laziness and fear of screwing up, which he does already>>: Once they're painted, if you screw up the wash you just "erase" it with mineral spirits, and that takes off the wash but not the paint. That is, if you use acrylic paint thinned with spirits in the first place. <<What about sausage>>: Burning flesh rarely smells good. <<But of course>>: I suppose a mirror is enough. <<Are you saying I didn't miss you>>: No, just that some don't care. <<cheese is good>>: I tasted some great cheeses in Hawaii. Of course, they could have just tasted better because its Maui. <<you can't tell until after death. And then there are the occaisonal lucky corpses>>: That's mildly sick. <<Why thank you>>: She was talking about my mind 8-) <<no digital camera>>: Hand me your geek license, so that I may shred it. <<art lends itself to such a thing more easily>>: Damn hippy artists. <<My grandmother works well with guilt trips>>: As do all grandmothers. <<Man>>: Exactly. <<Exist>>: Among other things.

Well, I'm out. Lunch with the grandparentals tomorrow.

84. I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Encino, CA, US of A
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 04:20:49 AM
IP: 67.117.15.121

Well, I hath ruturned. Finished reading my new book, and reread its sequel which I had recieved previously. We listened to almost all of Return of the King, up to the Scouring during the trip (that's 13 discs). Otherwise, New Hampshire was quiet as always.

Warpmind> <<I've even sacrificed flesh and blood for the company, too>>: Did you claim workman's comp for that?
<<I'm anticipating some gifts might have been sent to my apartment instead>>: Sorry, haven't even started yet.
<<Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to y'all>>: For proper parity, I declare that phrase should be Merry Christmas and a Pippin New Year.

Spacebabie> <>: Shame on you.
<<What if it’s not?>>: Then you should be even more shamed.

Imzadi> <<Note this doesn't happen with anything that's actually important>>: As the one you used as a reference, I will back up that claim.
<<Because the research team I'm working with next semester works in C>>: Then why are you with a research team that disagrees with you rather fundamentally?
<<Keep her>>: That's what I was saying.
<<You've been lying all this time?>>: Only some of the time, and only when really obvious.
<<A VERY theoretical woman>>: Sadly true.
<<My witty response to this will wait till another day>>: Why wait?
<<I'll get you the names of the products tomorrow>>: It's not really lack of products as much as laziness and fear of screwing up, which he does already.
<<Why am I not surprised?>>: Maybe you could tell me.
<<Personally I think smoking is gross. Smoking anything>>: What about sausage?
<<You spend a lot of time admiring your ass?>>: But of course.

Gunjack> <<for those of you who missed us>>: Are you saying I didn't miss you?

Hyperion> <<Yeah...I mean, why'd they change it? I can't say>>: I guess people just liked it better that way.
<<That's "cheese-eating surrender-monkeys>>: Hey now, cheese is good.

Imzadi> <<Metroid Prime. Beautiful game>>: With any luck, we'll also have that as well as Vice City after vacation.
<<Is one ever really finished fornicating, except when one kicks the bucket?>>: Yes, but you can't tell until after death. And then there are the occaisonal lucky corpses.

Niamhgold> <<Great minds eat alike>>: Why thank you.
<<Pics>>: Sorry, no digital camera, and don't want to waste the film. Though he was inspired by one of the examples on the site (Fire Dragon, with the book).
<<I'd probably get stuck with all the Sams>>: Sam was a good guy.
<<there are professors who hand out D's and F's even if you bust your arse, but there are others who seem too...timid>>: Same in most fields, but perhaps art lends itself to such a thing more easily.
<<Like when we brought him to the comic convention and he saw Alex Ross>>: Way back when I sold off my Marvels #2 to a friend of my brother's who wanted to get the entire series autographed.
<<Sorry, I don't know>>: Thanks anyway.
<<Maybe I'll run into you...I'm driving through there on my way home tomorrow (Monday)>>: We were in a big black minivan with Jersey plates, should you care enough to remember.
<<How else are the New Hampshirites supposed to get people to visit us?>>: My grandmother works well with guilt trips.
<<Mocha is my flavor of choice>>: Man.
<<Spam spam spam spam>>: Spam wonderful spam, wonderful spam.

Tony Elliot> <<Maybe folks could re-read the stuff they haven’t read for 6 years and we can start discussing the TGS in the TGS C.R. again>>: Tried that onece, it petered out.

Imzadi> <<What'd I do?>>: Exist.

CSH> <>: I think they've started to count on things like that lately.

And apparently a happy birthday for Wilek.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Fair Haven, NJ
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 12:41:55 AM
IP: 68.38.240.227

*slaps self for overlooking this* Happy belated birthday Wilek.
DPH
AR, USA
Monday, December 30, 2002 08:09:02 PM
IP: 204.94.193.26

Hey guys. AOL was just being annoying I guess. I emptied some lower level caches that IE neglected to clear and today it works fine. What was throwing me was the error message kept sending me to a page that said "You've accessed a service for AOL members only although we recognized your sign in as authentic. Won't you join blah blah blah". Whatever.

Dog needs to go to the vet - it appears she has screwed up her back knee. The floor estimator is FINALLY coming, the movers are on their way with our stuff and I'm sick. It must be Monday. Blarg.
kathy
Monday, December 30, 2002 01:09:49 PM
IP: 66.82.160.1

Tony>>
>>>Christi Smith Hayden has done a lot of work for TGS, art and writing. Does she ever post here?
Oh, yes... I look in from occasionally when I can wedge in the time between illo work and teaching. I'm glad to see that you've been enjoying my work on TGS. I'd like to think that my time with TGS really sharpened up my writing skills because it's some of my best work. Thank you!

Josh>> My son got Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion but I have no idea how well he's doing on it. *laughs* He's too hooked on Zoo Tycoon but I don't think the maker of that game counted on the player building a fence around the zoo gates so the guests can't escape when the crocodiles get loose....

My big Christmas haul: My hubs got me a 72-piece set of Cretacolor Aquamonolith pencils, almost impossible to find here because they're made in Germany. Woo!
Spike
Monday, December 30, 2002 08:54:36 AM
IP: 64.216.236.91

Tony > I passed the FE in 1997 when I graduated, and since I started work that fall I've actually now had just over five years of engineering experience. I work in the highway and bridge department of a consulting firm. Need more details what that's like... just read "Dilbert." ;)

Josh > "Inconceivable!" - That word you keep using, I do not think it means what you think it means. ;)

:: off to work ::
Patrick Toman
Monday, December 30, 2002 07:00:38 AM
IP: 67.38.254.183

Dad and I re-shot most of our model pictures today, since he got a cool new Canon G2 and some lighting stands. We had to take all the models out of the case (which is 7'x6'), so they were all over the hobby room. That allowed us to clean out the display case. We've got some great pictures, which will hopefully replace the ones on my site sometime soon.

Selanit: <<*seriously* cool leather masks>>: Kinky.

Leo: <<US $1,777,877.00>>: That's awfully cheap.

Niamhgold: <<32% Pick-upable and 79% lovable>>: 33% and 50% 8-) I'm also not a very good best friend and my *inner* child is a ritch bitch (which, IMO, is completely redundant). <>: Your car needs a CD player. <>: High 60's and sunny. <<Sadly, I've heard that story from several different people >>: And all of them have farmer's tans. <<Those damn plastic people.>>: The real problem is people who don't pay their bill on time 8-) <<Mocha is my flavor of choice>>: Oh really now? I'll have to remember that, as I was a mocha as well. <<Don't forget that carrot! You can't just have the balls and the men>>: That was twisted. <<Never underestimate the power of morning java!>>: Is it more powerful than Samus' plasma beam? <<My roommate's going to explode>>: Who's gonna have to clean that up? <<Gameshark RULES>>: Does it work with disc systems (ie PS2 or N3?) <<Marketing analyst, or something included in publicity/marketing.>>: As an engineer, I'd have to put you out of my misery. <<*my* witty response to this will wait till another day>>: I feel your pain. <<That movement didn't last very long>>: That's okay, we didn't learn anything from it.

Patrick: <>: Actually, I think that's elsewhere in the list.

Kathy: <<Did AOL kick all non members off of IM when they put out version 8.0 or am I just getting some weird error message>>: No problems on this end. But then, its becoming par for the course ;-)

Tony Elliot: <<when I dress up in a tuxedo and drive a BMW Z3, I look like a sharp, spicy, blonde James Bond>>: Do you often drive a Z3, you bastard? <<makes voodoo doll of Josh>>: What'd I do? <<Maui sounds really nice, heck, LA is twice as warm as Milwaukee; jeans and a T-shirt will do in southern CA, ‘round here, you can’t walk outside without 8 pounds of insulated clothing>>: Well, it does certainly rule. <>: Oh, if only you knew what the rest of us knew 8-) <<naturally condensed liquid Nitrogen.>>: LOL! <<That’s how it is in the Star Trek “universe”, and there is absolutely no reason it can be that way in ours too>>: Yes there is. It's called racism and affirmative action. Long story, but the way things are right now, special interest race groups won't ALLOW the kind of unity that exists in Star Trek. <<Josh says it all, less typing for me>>: We're in agreement. Call CNN. <<Calling a Dodge a “German” car would be an insult to BMW and VW>>: Fortunately, Jeep is not dodge 8-) Besides, BMW and Mercedes made plenty of Jeep-like devices. <<I’m leasing a Caravan right now>>: That's a minivan! Curse! <>: Depends on how you define major. My Jeep is on 87k and I haven't had to replace the engine or trans, but I've had other repairs probably totaling half the purchase price of the car.

My brother and I just played 2 hours of Metroid Prime and finished 21% in under 2 hours (it took him 14 hours to get 41% by himself). More on that tomorrow.

83. If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.

Inconceivable!

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Encino, CA, US of A
Monday, December 30, 2002 04:40:53 AM
IP: 67.118.128.178

Hey, I found a close up pic of Sevarius's mosquito!
Fire Storm - [<--- Sevarius's mosquito]
Monday, December 30, 2002 02:55:37 AM
IP: 66.72.184.69

I was counting Patrick Toman twice.

Tony Elliot
Monday, December 30, 2002 01:34:49 AM
IP: 65.29.159.249

Wow that was fast -- no you are number 11 -- I am the new number 12...
silvadel
Monday, December 30, 2002 12:26:38 AM
IP: 208.59.247.9

12th...

Taste test results: “Yum! I’m peppermint. Fresh, classic, and crisp, I’m as tasty as they come.” I wouldn’t have guessed that one, but when I dress up in a tuxedo and drive a BMW Z3, I look like a sharp, spicy, blonde James Bond. Yea, peppermint, I like that, the classification is growing on me.

I was really hoping to be in Florida this week, but my cat’s paw was broken, so no go to FL :( Click on my name for a pic. **Tony makes voodoo doll of Josh, and puts it in nearest freezer**. I didn’t think I’d have to envy Josh this week because of my own vacation, but now I do. Maui sounds really nice, heck, LA is twice as warm as Milwaukee; jeans and a T-shirt will do in southern CA, ‘round here, you can’t walk outside without 8 pounds of insulated clothing. At least it’s supposed to be above freezing most of this week.

Just finished reading Equality and Out of Joint. Equality was a fun episode with a lot of possibilities for future plots. I see some promise for Angela and Richard, and also Angela and mommy. It would have been fun for Alex to turn Elisa into a gargoyle again, but I suppose that would have been too much of a “The mirror” clone.

Out of Joint – Woah! This is a major episode. I’m assuming that after this episode, I can safely start reading the Time dancer series. Does anyone one have any reading reconditions of what stories to read? Brooklyn’s reaction to Julia’s advances was rather cute. Brook was pretty suave picking up chicks during his trip to the mall in Equality; but this time, when it’s a high-class woman, he flusters.

Christi Smith Hayden has done a lot of work for TGS, art and writing. Does she ever post here?

Replies
-------------------

Green Baron
<Exchanging presents is still good, but we can't let the appetizer outdo the main course.>
Ohhh!! I like that. I’m gona’ remember that quote, it’s a good one.
You post quite a bit here, Baron. Does the army give you Internet access, or do you have do you go to the Kosovoian equivalent of an Internet Café?

Hyperion
<Looks like it’s time to punch up tickets to Wisconsin in Orbitz…>
Don’t forget you’re thermos so you can bring back some of our naturally condensed liquid Nitrogen.

<Actually in the part of PA I'm in, if you see someone of black or Hispanic origin walking around without some sort of landscaping tool, it's generally a good idea to call the cops.>
That kind of racism makes me sick… but it’s unfortunately the exact same way in my neighborhood. It’s too bad that we don’t live in a society where race/skin color aren’t any more relevant than the color of one’s eyes or hair. That’s how it is in the Star Trek “universe”, and there is absolutely no reason it can be that way in ours too.
**Tony finishes rant and goes back to listening to NPR.**

Patrick Toman
Congrats on P.E. I’m assuming you just passed you F.E. What have been you 4 years of “Engineering Experience” so far?

Josh
<Saw "Catch me if you can" today. I hate Leo and I still really liked this movie.>
Josh says it all, less typing for me.

<Fortunately for me, Daimler bought Chrysler, so now when I buy a jeep I can say I'm buying German>
Calling a Dodge a “German” car would be an insult to BMW and VW. I’m leasing a Caravan right now. The transmission died in October, JUST after the warranty on the power train expired. I just blew $2000 (ok, my dad did) on replacing the d@nm thing just to turn the car back in to the dealer in 3 months! I never much cared for GM cars, but at least they last 100K miles before any major repairs are necessary. The caravan barely lasted 37K!!! Next car is definitely a VW, Honda, or Toyota…. maybe Ford’s Focus.

Patrick Toman
<…and a framed picture autographed by Marina Sirtis. And thus continues the ongoing Christmas tradition of getting at least one "Trek" related from my family every year.>
That’s a cool tradition. Do you have autograph from her on a Demona picture?

DPH
<Material possessions aren't what I really want: I want to wake up without depression hanging around me.>
I don’t say this as a joke or insult, but perhaps Prozac or some other anti-depressant may be a “quick fix”. At least being in Arizona, you don’t have to worry about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, aka winter depression). I get that big time up here in Wisconsin; 10 hours of daylight and cold gloomy weather are a big source of depression in the northern states.

Selanit
<I don't stop by here much any more; I used to read the room quite a lot, especially to see the comments on the latest TGS eps. With TGS slowed almost to a standstill, s8.org slowly fell out of my round of sites.>
I’ve just started reading the TGS last month, and was hoping to get some conversations going about the episodes with my posts. Maybe folks could re-read the stuff they haven’t read for 6 years and we can start discussing the TGS in the TGS C.R. again.

Mooncat
You’ve completed yet another round trip of the sun. Hope you have many more enjoyable ones to come.
<bounce, bounce, Bounce!!!>
Maybe that’s why you weren’t feeling to good, all of that bouncing! Well, you’re better now, so that’s good. The less you feel bad, the more stories you can write. Keep up the good work on GNL.

Tony Elloit - [h664e34@hotmail.com]
Milwaukee, WI
Sunday, December 29, 2002 11:50:17 PM
IP: 65.29.159.249

cool! Ten!
Dezi
Sunday, December 29, 2002 09:33:09 PM
IP: 68.58.158.101

NEIN!
Josh
Sunday, December 29, 2002 09:28:23 PM
IP: 67.118.128.120

8th in the name of the Fay!

MC
Mooncat
Sunday, December 29, 2002 09:23:55 PM
IP: 68.102.23.36

:: peeks back in for a non top ten post ::

kathy > Anyone can still use IM. I've gotten that same error after having the connection go bad on me upon trying to sign in again. All I can figure is that it means the server thinks you're still logged in. When it happened to me, the only thing that got it working again was waiting an hour or so without trying to log in again.

And if waiting it out doesn't work, the next thing I'd try is intalling a new version of IM. Hope you can get it working again... so maybe one of these days we might actually run into each other online again. :)

:: lurks out to finish watching "Back to the Future" on DVD ::
Patrick Toman
Sunday, December 29, 2002 09:13:07 PM
IP: 67.38.254.183

Lucky number 7!
Patrick Toman
Sunday, December 29, 2002 09:05:32 PM
IP: 67.38.254.183

Somewhere in the Top Ten vicinity, probably 6,7 or 8.

Kathy: I think your progam's funnin' with you, I was just able to sign on perfectly well with IM, and I'm not an AOHell subscriber.
Coyote the Bando
Algonac, Michigan
Sunday, December 29, 2002 08:54:16 PM
IP: 216.234.100.45

floats in after an anti stress bath and Long island iced tea

I take the fifth.

Back to writing
Spacebabie
Orlando
Sunday, December 29, 2002 08:40:27 PM
IP: 216.148.246.134

4th
Ed
Sunday, December 29, 2002 08:21:43 PM
IP: 213.187.48.1

2nd or third! :)
Niamhgold
Sunday, December 29, 2002 08:15:47 PM
IP: 12.104.22.73

2nd?
Leo
Sunday, December 29, 2002 08:15:43 PM
IP: 68.96.8.12

No way, 1st!
kathy
Sunday, December 29, 2002 08:13:39 PM
IP: 66.82.160.1