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Like Greg B mentions, the Magneto performance was fantastic. They were all fantastic and dead on characterizations. And watching the film you do not think about Gandalf at all, which only shows how the actor breaths such life into his characters they live and breath each a unique individual.

Jean Grey -- Wonderful performance by Famke, and I have utterly adored this actress since I first say her in Star Trek Next Generation playing opposite Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard's "perfect match" -- however I found her part the weakest in the movie, because there is no apparent reason that Jean has to leave the Blackbird at the end. Maybe this will get some plot support when the DVD version comes out. As it is, a lovely heroic sacrifice that made no sense.

Mystique, Rebecca Romijn (sp?) Stamos... *purrrsssss*

"Because we shouldn't have to"

I went ahead and got the novelization afterwards. It adds nothing however, so I'm taking it back. I was hoping for more 'outside the film' depth, especially since the writer tapped is X-men guru Chris Claremont. grrrr. Will take the seven bucks and go see the Matrix in another 2 weeks instead.

Also looking forward to the League of Extraordinary Gentlement. -- "and women" Didn't realize the female vamp was Mina Harker. Ooo... Nifty!!!

Well, off to take the book back now, then back to coloring art.

meow much!
>^,,^<
Mooncat
Saturday, May 3, 2003 10:05:01 PM
IP: 68.102.23.36

*sigh* I really gotta see that X2 film some time this week.

Well things having been interesting around my area, my sister worked with a group called the 'Young Americans' who came to my school. My dad tried to trade places with me so he could get out of watching them (dance shows always start looking the same after a few times.) But he went and after he and my mum came back I wished I had gone too, sounds like it was a damn good show... though my sister seemed to fancy every boy and is wondering why the americans kept saying that her shoes were very positive *weird*

I don't know if any of you guys have seen the English version of robot wars, but my best friend has really got me peed off because apparently his design is now being developed for the next Panic Attack robot (see link) (GIT! Hate him!)

And now I've got only about 2 weeks left of school *sob* and my head of year told us that as soon as the lunch bell goes... she doesn't want to see any of us again in the building! *she's a real charmer ain't she? :P

At least I've got Monday off because of Bank holiday monday *May Day* Anyone up for dancing round may poles ;)

silverbolt
Saturday, May 3, 2003 06:03:17 PM
IP: 81.131.79.170

Hey, all! Long time no see! ;)

Just wanted to wander in and say hi after few weeks of total hell, with projects and presentations due and everything at school. Ouch! The scariest thing, though, was with my final Matlab project ... one of my dreams during the week was about how to write one part of the Matlab code that we were having trouble with. So I wrote it down as soon as I woke up, and then went and tried it the next day ... and it worked. I'm completely doomed if I'm dreaming about *Matlab* ... :)

Speaking of doomed, I'm going to a friend's wedding later today ... ick. ;) Can't wait to get that over with ... it's a weird situation, let me tell ya.

Can't wait to see X2 either ... my brother told me about it, but said they need to introduce Cable (he's always been a huge fan of Cable from the comics). We'll see ... ;) He said it was kinda good, though. Hopefully I'll get around to seeing it later next week, after my final projects are turned in and done.

Just a few more days, and then I'll start finals and be done with the semester!!! Yay! Then I get to go to Rochester, NY for my internship at the end of this month. They're *really* setting me up nicely ... and one of the managers is trying to meet me at the airport! That'll be neat. :) I can't believe how insanely lucky I got by landing this job ... :)

Well, the wind is blowing like crazy outside, with lots of dust everywhere ... and I'd better start heading out to that outdoor wedding ... ;)

Well, hope y'all are doing well, and I'll talk to you later!
Ravyn
Saturday, May 3, 2003 05:31:00 PM
IP: 150.135.118.198

Saw X-Men. It rocked. Here's my review.

A bit of warning, this review contains opinions and thoughts that may be potentially offesive.

*** SPOILERS ***

Everyone revised their roles as if they had never stepped out of them. Hell, Halle Barry's performance as Storm improved ten-fold. When the first one came out, I was all but demanding Storm be re-cast.

"Who says he's the bad guy?"
Magneto was definetly the hero of this movie. Every single one of his actions was completely on the ball. Especially those last ones. Crucifying Stryker, and of course when he reversed Stryker's plan. I would have done the exact same thing. And his escape scene was nothing short of a masterpiece. Great job by Sir Ian McKellen all around. I didn't even think of Gandalf once. I'm not knocking Gandalf there at all, I loved Ian in that role just as much, just complimenting his acting, and range. Someone please give this man an Oscar!

"The real bad guy"
Stryker made a great villain, he embodied everything wrong with the human race. The actor who played him did great job. I don't know his name though. He kind of reminded me of a cross between John Ashcroft and Donald Rumsfeld.

Bit of trivia for all you non comic readers, Colonal Stryker was based off the villain of an X-Men graphic novel written a decade or so ago called "God Loves, Man Kills", named Reverend Stryker. It was a similar plot though, a classic story, and this was a great adaption of it. Though I think it would have taken a lot of balls to have made him a Reverend in the movie also, they still did a great job.

"Poor, naive, idealist"
Patrick Stewart once again was perfect as Xavier. Not once did I think of Picard, or even of the actor playing the man. I just saw the character. That poor, deluded, idealistic dreamer.

And Hugh Jackman is Wolverine. Nuff said! Okay, not 'nuff said. He's the ultimate badass, anti-hero. Always was in the comics, and he is in this movie as well. The first movie showed us more of his "kinder, gentler" side, but here we get to see him go berserk, and on the military also. Gods that was beautiful. Though in this day and age of of post-9/11 government, and military worship, I'm surprised they got that on screen. And his fight with Lady Deathstrike at the end... I can't say it was the best action sequence ever, but it was definetly one of them.

The plot was great, everyone did a great job acting. I think this was much, much better than the first movie. It didn't suffer from sequalitis at all. And it knocks the first X-Men movie out of place as the best comic book adaption of all time.

9 out of 10
Bring on X3!

*** END SPOILERS ***
Greg Bishansky
Saturday, May 3, 2003 03:15:52 PM
IP: 216.179.5.66

*facepalms* I just realized in my last post I wrote cartoon shoes instead of cartoon shows..whoops! ^_^;;

Revel> Glad you like. ^_^

Btw, updated again, mainly to update two older contests (because now we can edit/add/delete entries!!!)

Also, the mascots for the Gargoyle TV show Parodies are up, as well as our first entry!! :D
Siryn - [ekkapinto@yahoo.com]
Saturday, May 3, 2003 02:07:34 PM
IP: 66.66.97.209

Two test on Monday and then I'm just gong to hang out till about Wednesday probably go see X2 on Tuesday. It's been a fast semester, or it always feels that way looking back at least.

Josh- Rained? Guess the world is coming to an end. Better find someone to hold.

Niamhgold-Big congrats

Christine- We'll all be praying and hoping for the best when the surgery begins.

Spacebabie- awww. *gives caramel to sooth burns*

Siryn- I like this new topic, going to have fun with that :D

Gunjack- <<leav your pants>> not in public, thankyouverymuch.

*site update*
New story uploaded and new art. Including a few school pieces.
*end*

"Gnomish monks?! What the hell?!"
-Strata, WTF comics-
Revel - [<<---------New Stuff]
denton, tx
Saturday, May 3, 2003 01:31:09 PM
IP: 129.120.173.67

*Warpmind stumbles in.*
Paaaaaaaiiiiiiinnnn... Eleven episodes of Excel Saga over a timespan of no more than four days... My brain is on fire... *Whimper*

Gunjack Valentine: Assembling a 12-gauge from junk, eh? That sounds like a shellfish project. Planning to use buckshot or rocksalt? (Or a favourite of mine: cayenne pepper.)

Gside: The Keeper of Secrets has been described as "Hentai Cthulhu". 'Nuff said. Oh, and I want some Saber Marionettes. :)

Josh: Considering that I've had TIE Fighter for years, the Collector's Edition with the two extra battles, even, and I just HAPPENED to find an emulator that let me play it on the new machine... why would I spend time on finding a newer game that wouldn't offer as much in the way of nostalgia?

Lain: Finally managed to access your remarkably busy website: Pretty, shiny website... :)

Well, that pretty much covers this post... Now I must resume my neural mutilation (Excel Saga marathon), unless I suffer a rare attack of Better Judgment. ;)
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmindATtiscaliDOTno]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Saturday, May 3, 2003 09:14:02 AM
IP: 213.142.70.173

************X2 SPOILERS*************

LOVE IT! LOVE IT LOVE IT!

Everything was the bomb! My only wish was that they should have did something more with Colossus too. They should have given him 15 seconds of fame instead of 5 for the escape from the school.

Favorite line: Magneto to Rouge "Love what you did to your hair."
SunshineAngel
ATL, GA
Saturday, May 3, 2003 09:07:19 AM
IP: 12.13.176.70

Rain in California in springtime? The horror, the horror! :P

Attention all Gathering attendees: A plan is now in the works now for an after-con trip to the Astroland Amusment Park on Coney Island, to take place Sunday afternoon and evening, after closing ceremonies.

http://www.astroland.com/

Astroland is the home of the world-famous Coney Island Cyclone, the world's top-ranked wooden roller coaster. "Gargoyles" fans will also recognize it as the site of the end battle in the episode "The Reckoning."

I'm taking a show of hands on who's interested. If we get a group of at least 15 people together and make an advance reservation for our party, we will qualify for a group discount rate of $9 per person for full admission, as compared to the normal $22. So if you're going to the Gathering and you're interested, e-mail me and let me know.

And if you're not signed up for the Gathering yet... well, what are you waiting for? ;)
Patrick Toman - [ptoman@artchicks.org]
Saturday, May 3, 2003 08:57:24 AM
IP: 65.43.146.140

Spent most of the day in San Jose, first at Apple then seeing X2. The mac store across the street from Apple is going out of business, so you'd think they'd have some really good deals. And they did...just not on anything I actually wanted. Apparently "cost" isn't far below retail, and when I can get developer (and now employee) discounts on Apple stuff, it just wasn't worth it. I picked up iTrip, an FM adapter for my iPod. I'm looking forward to testing it out soon.

It rained ALL DAY. Its MAY in CALIFORNIA and its RAINING. I take little solace in the fact that its warm and sunny in LA.

***MAJOR X2 SPOILERS***

My friends and I were on the lookout for all the hidden references. Remy (Gambit) was in Stryker's list of known mutants, Dr. McCoy (Beast) was being interviewed on TV. The shots with Colossus and the opening fight scene with Nightcrawler were awesome.

I look forward to seeing Jean's Phoenix in the next film, as that ending was just too obvious as soon as I saw the fire in her eyes during the telekinesis earlier in the movie.

The three main teenagers were all well acted and interesting. At first I thought the Iceman/Pryo/Rogue thing was going to be a stupid teenage relationship drama, but fortunately it wasn't. I especially enjoyed the scene with Bobby's family and how realistic their uncertainty was. What was up with the brother, though? Was he jealous? Afraid?

I think the movie could have benefitted from a full three hours. One of the strengths of the cartoon was that it explained the drama of political events going on in the world that related to mutants. The movie barely scratched the surface.

Overall, it didn't kick me in the balls. But it was good. It might have eaten out my girlfriend, I'll have to check.

Previews: They all rocked and I'm looking forward to seeing all of those movies except for "28 Days Later". Not a zombie fan.

***END SPOILERS***

Mooncat: << The only weakness I saw was at the very end, with Jean Grey>>: Why was it a weakness?
<>: This is why I don't go to movies by myself. I was able to enjoys Nachos AND Rebecca Romijn-Stemos 8-)

Question: <<Does any major characters die in the film>>: Go see it and find out for yourself.

Gunjack: <<My name ain't ed, foo>>: Shut up, ed.
<<those kids bought one>>: Total lack of ingenuity.
<<I'd be more worried about the gun bursting and turning everyone nearby into PVC pincushions>>: Never had that problem.
<>: This seems like a bad idea in windows. Don't clear anything except your user folder.

Spacebabie: <<burned my finger with the glue gun>>: HAHA!
<<Can't freakin weed when it's raining>>: I thought you were talking about smoking pot for a second.
<<which is better: Peace on Earth, or Free Will??>>: Peace on Earth. If no one has free will, then they won't want it.
<<Cool, but WTF?>>: agreed.
<>: How much and how much?
<<and you do?>>: In this case yes.
<>: Oh, then no. Starscream isn't that duplicitous.
<>: You live in Florida. You should have more than a bit.
<<better than a tin of Spam>>: True.

Niamhgold: <<The semester's done!>>: So Jealous.
<>: Congrats. I know what the waiting is like.
<<even if it is a Mac>>: It only hurts the first time. And this isn't your first time.
<<sweaty, sultry Baltimore in June for my 21st bday>>: Are you sure you didn't mix up the order of adjectives in that sentence?

Gside: <<they're of a more recent vintage>>: My bad.
<<I'm an engineer. What do you want from me?>>: From you? Software that doesn't suck.
<<pretty stupid of me>>: Did it blow up?
<<Where do you want them?>>: Left on.

And that's all for tonight.

185. If I capture an enemy known for escaping via ingenious and fantastic little gadgets, I will order a full cavity search and confiscate all personal items before throwing him in my dungeon.

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Saturday, May 3, 2003 02:46:57 AM
IP: 64.165.202.66

Imzadi> <<Since 1994>>: Nah, they're of a more recent vintage.
<<watch it with that techno-babble>>: I'm an engineer. What do you want from me?

Gunjack> <<there's no way in heck I'd use one made by someone else>>: I've used my father's, which was pretty stupid of me.
<<Leave Your Pants!>>: Where do you want them?
<<My comp no longer displays some graphics>>: Did your browser default to not loading pictures? Or try instaling a graphics viewer or other browser (Quicktime, Mozilla). Or try reinstalling IE if you can read gifs/jpegs elsewhere.

Spacebabie> <<Here have a nice big huggy>>: I should feel left out more often.

Niamhgold> <<get yourself kicked in the balls AND eaten out>>: Interesting good/bad and male/female juxtaposition.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Saturday, May 3, 2003 12:29:04 AM
IP: 198.151.130.245

Mooncat: The ending works perfectly, if you know Jean Grey ;)
Niamhgold
Friday, May 2, 2003 06:03:25 PM
IP: 209.143.83.90

Yes! The semester's done! And nothing is better than ending it with a party, a day at the beach, free food, and a trip to the Arundel Mills Muvico to see X2 straight when it opens :)

GO SEE IT and get yourself kicked in the balls AND eaten out ;)

I finally got all of my internship papers settled today. I'll be staying in Baltimore for the summer, since I got a miraculously cheap subletting opportunity to live with my best friends and within walking place of an internship site that pays and has comic book Wednesdays (aka 2 hour lunches). I'll be working a lot in Photoshop illustration and painting this summer; nothing I like better than being assigned my own computer (even if it is a Mac ;)) with my own Wacom tablet, and being told to paint in photoshop. Plus, I get to build model mock-ups, and we do a lot of Disney license advertising. This year it's for the re-release of the Lion King.

I'll be more coherent when I get home (going to NH for a month before coming back to sweaty, sultry Baltimore in June for my 21st bday), and will hopefully have a longer post then.

Adios!
Niamhgold
Friday, May 2, 2003 06:00:25 PM
IP: 209.143.83.90

I've finally completed a new fanfic. "The Guardians: Shadow Path" is now posted. Mature eyes only, though, it's kinda violent and has some sex bits.

Also: updates on my medical mess and other writing projects, as well as the first peek at the print version cover of Black Roses!

Click or go to http://www.eskimo.com/~vecna/new_stuff.html
Christine - [<--- site update, new story!]
Friday, May 2, 2003 04:18:34 PM
IP: 208.187.9.203

Ouch ouchie owie owie owie

I burned my finger with the glue gun. I've been preparing my costume. Had some annoyance in the form of the boy a few days ago.

It rained too. Can't freakin weed when it's raining.

Revy called me yesterday...Weeee

*****************Angel and ER Spoilers*********************

Angel---good question which is better: Peace on Earth, or Free Will???

Gunn reminded me of Brooklyn in "Enter Macbeth" where he kept on kicking at the lock. Love the fact that he used a Galaxy Quest quote when the lock finally came off.
Lilah's back?! Cool, but WTF?!

ER- Roman's arm caught on fire!!!! He's going to amputate it.
***********************Spoilers End*******************

Replies:
Gside<<<Even so, sometimes I feel left out.>>>Awww. Here have a nice big huggy

Josh <<>Good for you.<<<Free?>>>No I just paid for some disk space with Angelfire<<<You mean the sport trac? >>>Yeah the Redneck mobile<<<Well at least he's not one of their models.>>>In his mind he could be.<<<just because you don't know what you're talking about.>>>and you do?<<<Except without the side-switching.>>>I was talking about the Shakespeare/Gargoyles characters�not the parrot.<<<Really? >>>Yup<<<Now that is just silly.>>>but it�s true..If kids were fighting over Bible trading cards they wouldn�t have a problem�but since it�s not religious they are �Evil�. I guess the Southern Baptists are afraid that their precious lil darlins would discover that there are other types of religion and culture, discover that there is more to the world than the church and *gasp* Think for themselves and have a free will!<<<you think its sunbathing, but if that were true then more geeks would be doing>>>I have a bit of a tan.<<<Weak prize.>>>better than a tin of Spam

Bulletproof>>> Sorry no one else here speaks �Missynease�

Dezi<<<A stale oreo cookie!!! >>>Only one?

Gunjack<<<How little you know me.>>>Yeah he prefers celaphod to amphibians

Spacebabie - [LadyAndromeda@smstars.zzn.com]
Orlando, Florida, U.S.A
Friday, May 2, 2003 02:29:20 PM
IP: 209.244.151.112

Okay, here's one for the techies...

I was recently clearing up my HD, and I think I threw away something I shouldn't have. My comp no longer displays some graphics. For example, Megatokyo: All images, borders, buttons and pretty much everything but the flat grey background and the newspost text refuse to appear. All I get are little red-x pages. I just reinstalled Java, and no luck. I messed with some of the advanced settings in the "Internet Options" list... No luck.
anyone know how to fix this?

Gunjack "GAAAAAAH!!" Valentine
Friday, May 2, 2003 02:27:44 PM
IP: 65.93.73.60

Hey gang!

MGC (Monthly gargoyles art contest) has been updated once again!! :D Voting is now up (and working, thankyou Guan!) for Gargoyles in NYC. Everyone did a great job! Congrats!! :D

Our new topic for May is TV Parodies. Draw any gargoyle canon character, or gargoyle fan character in a parody of a tv show (either old or new) (game shows and reality shows are acceptable) (cartoon shoes are not allowed)

FOr more information check out the website! :D
Siryn - [<--MGC]
Friday, May 2, 2003 01:18:43 PM
IP: 66.66.97.209

Up late last night writing and drawing creepy little robot b@$7@rd$. I'm pretty proud of the latter... I call him Miles, and he's too cheerful for a flat-faced tech junkie fetus.

Josh - My name ain't ed, foo. <<Is there any other way to make a potato cannon?>> ...Well, those kids bought one. I'd be wary of a spud gun I built myself, but there's no way in heck I'd use one made by someone else. <<Not everyone wants a truck-mounted spud gun to kill many people. One is usually sufficient.>> If you aren't gonna do it right, don't do it at all. And I'd be more worried about the gun bursting and turning everyone nearby into PVC pincushions.

Mossberg Project - Rough pistol-grip is finished. Sculpting is in progress.

Off to do something important maybe!
Gunjack "Leave Your Pants!" Valentine
Friday, May 2, 2003 12:25:30 PM
IP: 65.93.76.11

Mooncat> Does any major characters die in the film
Question
Friday, May 2, 2003 04:28:33 AM
IP: 216.170.210.200

X-men 2 -- Really Good! I was surprised. There was a ton of characterization in this one, and lots of fantastic special effects, and a nice suspenseful main plot. Eye candy galore. The only weakness I saw was at the very end, with Jean Grey, and that was a small thing compared to the rest of the movie. Worth my movie money and going to a midnight showing.

Only thing that would have made it better is if I'd remembered to grab nachos before claiming my seat. Since I was by myself, didn't want to abandon a prime spot even for jalapeno cheezy goodness. Oh well, my waistline will thank me tomorrow.

For those who are thinking of picking up the DVD X-men 1.5, with the extra footage, there is also a coupon for a free X-men 2 movie ticket. I got my DVD today, used my coupon to watch X-men 2 tonight (or tomorrow considering it's technically friday morning)

Love Wolverine. Love, love!!! Surprising good supporting character, Pyro. I want to see more of that guy.

Preview goodness -- Trailers included Matrix 2 Reloaded, Sinbad (Dreamworks new animated film) -- both got applause. Also preview for The Hulk, and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

now it's 3am my time. bed. bye!

mooncat
>^,,^<
Friday, May 2, 2003 04:05:45 AM
IP: 68.102.23.36

I went to project presentations today for my programming class and suddenly my project and presentation don't look so good, so I went home and fixed up the latter. But I'm not willing to put any more effort into the former, so I'm just going to hope everyone's too dazzled by my Keynote slides to notice.

I also found out that MATLAB has a really stupid "feature" to remove toolbars and menubars from new figures. The problem is that they are tied together, so you either have both or neither. Now, I *could* subclass the entire figure hierarchy, but that would suck and take 4 years. All I wanted was the button bar (and Bud-Clare, just because you'll yell at me, the choices for the setting are ON and OFF, working with that would suck), but instead I'll have nothing.

Bud-Clare: <<Yes. Or apathetic. One of the two>>: But it doesn't really matter, right?
<<A great big ego?>>: It gets things done. Honestly.
<<That's so sad>>: No, its funny. Until he gets graphic.
<<Impressive as in frightening?>>: No.
<>: No problem, as my previous life experiences prove my computer masochism.

Dezi: <<there was no way I was going to make the guy a sandwich>>: Some wife you'll be! Won't even make a sandwich in the middle of the night!

Mooncat: <<Comic book superhero bait with a Futurama chaser>>: You forgot Family Guy! Otherwise, an excellent analysis.

Ed: <<it would be months before you were caught up>>: Which is exactly what happened.
<<even though I had a lot of questions>>: Which is exactly what happens with TGS newbies.
<<the gun would have been home-made>>: Is there any other way to make a potato cannon?
<<Amatures>>: Not everyone wants a truck-mounted spud gun to kill many people. One is usually sufficient.

Gside: <<thin mints I've been saving>>: Since 1994.
<<You buy spam specifically to thow it away?>>: No. But if I encounter it, that's where it ends up.
<<Copy, paste, quotes, search, first result>>: Hey, watch it with that techno-babble.

DPH: <<I'm almost home free>>: Bastard.

Lain: <<they SHOULD all work but..>>: But geoshitties sucks ass.

And that leaves just 14.5 days till I go home.

184. I will hire a drama coach. The hero will think it must be a case of mistaken identity when confronted by my Minnesota accent (if everyone sounds American) or my Cornwall accent (if everyone sounds British).

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Friday, May 2, 2003 03:07:12 AM
IP: 64.165.202.66

wow.. im popular :D
lain
Friday, May 2, 2003 02:03:26 AM
IP: 65.93.72.146

well now. after *3 FARKING DAYS* of trying to update my webpage, it is finally finished, yay. i hope. i have checked all the links and they SHOULD all work but.. one never knows.....

*prays*
lain - [<< -- updatification]
Friday, May 2, 2003 01:06:17 AM
IP: 65.93.72.146

I'm almost home free. Only 1 more semester test tomorrow and I've taken all my semester tests.

According to one teacher, I scored an 80% on the semester test and have a B as my final grade in my global environment of business class.
DPH
AR, USA
Friday, May 2, 2003 12:36:06 AM
IP: 204.94.193.20

Dezi> <<A stale oreo cookie>>: Whee. Or maybe I'll just crack into those thin mints I've been saving.

Imzadi> <<Weak prize>>: Yes, not even double stuff. But I take what I get.
<<My answer stands>>: You buy spam specifically to thow it away?
<<Interesting>>: Helped me through my matlab assignments to remind me of definitions.

Bud Clare> <<Thank you>>: You're welcome.

Dezi> <<there was no way I was going to make the guy a sandwich and mail it to New Jersey>>: You could always have had Jimmie's deliver me a Fat Koko.
<<in reward for his sleuthing>>: Sleuthing? Copy, paste, quotes, search, first result.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Friday, May 2, 2003 12:12:14 AM
IP: 198.151.130.245

Dezi & the Lovely Ladies - How little you know me. If it had been me, the gun would have been home-made, and the article would use desciptors like "dismembered", "multiple victims", and "visible from space".

Feh. Amatures...

Remember kids, Unless you're the US Army, fuel-air explosives are BAD!
Gunjack "Pizzapopuloussss" Valentine
Thursday, May 1, 2003 07:54:51 PM
IP: 65.93.75.134

Even though I'm not in London most of the year I can't seem to break the habit of writing London in the "City" box in the comment room window.

Bud-Clare: Yes, that would be ideal although I don't know if there's anyone on the staff that would be interested.

Question: Yes, it's open ended but it's still a clear unit in its own right. If that was the last episode, it would just be a tragic end-point. (Although really, being open-ended isn't the issue here).

Josh: Sure, people can go back to the archives, but it would be months before you were caught up. And it's quite a mammoth undertaking. And I only really watched X-Files in season 8 when it was on after '24'. I could follow what was going on easily enough. I could even follow some random out of order 'Babylon 5' episodes I saw, even though I had a lot of questions. It's just about having enough basic information given to you so that you know what's going on. As for "The Cage", it actually used clips from "Metamorphosis" as well as general exposition to keep the reader up to speed. TGS often does this as well of course, but in some of the major arcs it just isn't practical with such a lot of material to explain. I agree that the "Previously" bits are fun and should be kept.
Ed - [ed@steelclaw.org]
Cambridge, England
Thursday, May 1, 2003 07:09:26 PM
IP: 131.111.8.102

Leo- Probably some drunk college student.
Revel
Thursday, May 1, 2003 05:44:20 PM
IP: 129.120.173.67

Josh - [I'm slowly becoming addicted to X-men Evolution. And I have no idea why]

I'll go out on a limb and say it's because it is now on nightly on the Cartoon Network, and the X-men movie anticipation from a zillion comic book superhero fans is seeping into you. Plus it is actually well animated with some interesting plots.

Cartoon Network's Justice League /X-men Evolution sandwich works like peanut butter and jelly, better together than they are alone. Comic book superhero bait with a Futurama chaser.

It's also on at a good time spot for the college age and older fan crowd, with a lack of any real competition on other networks. I know the late weeknight showings finally gives me a decent chance to catch the series. Since I tend to sleep late on Saturday mornings I missed most of the original run.

Mooncat
>^,,^<
Thursday, May 1, 2003 03:35:06 PM
IP: 68.102.23.36

SPACEBABIE > Would you email me if you're interested in helping out with the Writer's Track at the GATHERING?
kapogge@yahoo.com. Thanks.
kathy
Thursday, May 1, 2003 01:39:32 PM
IP: 66.82.198.57

dezi>> <<Did you hear about that kid that shot his face off with a frog in a potato gun? It was you wasn't it?>> ooooooh.. so THATs what happened to his nose...

lain
Thursday, May 1, 2003 12:56:30 PM
IP: 65.93.75.95

Re: Potato Gun

Denton, TX. Hey that's Revel's neighborhood!! Any more details Revel?
Leo
Thursday, May 1, 2003 12:29:56 PM
IP: 68.96.8.12

Thanks Josh.
And as for the oreo- it was really late and I was tired so there was no way I was going to make the guy a sandwich and mail it to New Jersey. Hee hee It would be a stale sandwich even then. I hope Gside accepts his oreo gracefully in reward for his sleuthing.

Heres a link to the potato gun story:
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/4/037235-6704-010.html

And here's something funny from MSNBC (and don't even start with bias in the press, since they have been doing nothing but kissing major butt since the war started anyway):
http://www.msnbc.com/news/907379.asp?0cl=c1
Kinda fishy.

Dezi
Thursday, May 1, 2003 10:22:18 AM
IP: 68.58.158.101

Gside> <<And you'll want this page:>>
Thank you.
*****************
Josh> <<But I admit that I am not skilled enough to track down that bug. Happy?>>
Yes. Or apathetic. One of the two.

<<What do you think it is, just out of curiosity?>>
A great big ego? I don't know... I just wanted to harass you. It's an interesting way to pass the time.

<<No, disturbing is when he goes online via airport and IM's me>>
*L* That's so sad.

<>
Impressive as in frightening?

<<You'll have to let me know.>>
Possibly in graphic detail. I may want to share the pain.
Bud-Clare - [budclare@yahoo.com]
Thursday, May 1, 2003 02:37:02 AM
IP: 66.24.93.77

Sooo tired. I did some insane total-body workout today at the gym, frequently pushing/pressing/moving my maximum, and my various limbs are about ready to give out. Fortunately, I'm sitting and typing, which is about the least strenuous activity known to man (you think its sunbathing, but if that were true then more geeks would be doing it).

I'm working on uploading my model pictures to my website, so you'll have to let me know what you think when they're done. I noticed that the flaws on the models aren't as apparent when you view them through a camera.

Bud-Clare: <<How about you spend more time programming before you start mouthing off about other people's mistakes?>>: Okay fine, I yield. The program works fine on my computer and code ran fine on the "problem" computer when I used it with similar (if not identical) cases, so I gave up. More importantly, I don't think the case where I used it would ever show up because I wouldn't ship the program with the test cases I wrote. But I admit that I am not skilled enough to track down that bug. Happy?
<<The stupidity of your own screw-ups (and you _will_ screw up) tends to make you more understanding>>: An excellent philosophy for life.
<<it's not really your _worst_ flaw>>: The word "worst" is absolutely subjective. Worst in what way? The flaw that smells the worst? The one that prevents me from having already conquered the world?
<<take my word for it>>: What do you think it is, just out of curiosity? No, I'm not going to ignore you (because I freely admit I have many flaws), but I want a chance to say why that flaw isn't the one an interviewer needs to be concerned about (or I may be wrong and you could be right, but either way I'd like to know).
<<You don't actually believe that everyone is your peer>>: True. But I didn't say that. I said I treat them all equally (and technically, "all" excludes friends, family, and certain women). Notice the shift in meaning.
<<you believe that you're smarter than everyone else>>: Not true at all. Just most people 8-)
<<Disturbing" is the word that I would have used>>: No, disturbing is when he goes online via airport and IM's me 8-)
<<Kinda Captain Kirkish, isn't it?>>: I almost said "modify the deflector dish to emit an inverse tachyon pulse, that oughta solve our problem!"
<<It's not the preppiness... It's the smirk>>: Yeah but in Evolution, everyone has that smirk. But I suppose that's a valid comparison for the movie.
<>: That's what you get for insulting my programming skills! kidding.
<<My next AI project involves Matlab>>: Its not hard to learn. Sometimes the syntax is a bit picky, though.
<<we mostly just have to figure out how a neural network program works>>: I hear MATLAB's neural stuff is pretty impressive. You'll have to let me know.

Bulletproof: Interesting.

Dezi: <<I'm pretty sure I at least halfway bombed out on my Comm Research test>>: You failed a humanities midterm? You'll make a fine mac user ;-)
<<It involved statistics. I don't involve statistics>>: Why are people so afraid of multiplication?
<>: That sounds like the logical choice.
<<waits for Josh's happy dance to end>>: Sorry, only special stuff gets my happy dance.
<<Now he's all excited and wants to go to CompUSA tomorrow to 'look' even though I won't be able to get it until fall>>: Um, I've got bad news for you. Apple just sent out the new iBooks a week ago and there will probably be a new model in the fall (no, I don't know for certain and if I did I couldn't tell you due to NDA). Apple typically has a 3-6 month upgrade cycle. If I were you, I'd wait until the end of the summer to buy and buy the last of the white iBooks (the current form factor). Trust me, you don't want whatever all-new iBook comes out later this year. First revs are buggy (like first year car models).
<<can I have a cdburner put in it? Right now, I'm thinking iBook G3 800>>: Nope. The current iBook 800 doesn't have a cd burner option. If you want a burner, you'll have to go up to the 900 or find an older 800. Of course, that's today. 3 months from now could be a very different story. And since I'm in iBook PD, I'll know all the dirt, which I won't tell you because Apple would sue me into the ground 8-) Check out Apple's online store (store.apple.com) to see what options you can get on which iBook and how much it'll cost. They didn't rate Apple's online shopping experience the best for two years without a reason. Email me if none of that made sense.
<>: then might I recommend that you mail order from Apple's education store and get a 10% discount?
<>: They used to. But iMacs don't come in pretty colors anymore.
<<it's easier to catch than our unstable WB>>: Does your WB randomly go black-and-white? Mine does, and the fact that I pay for satellite drives me nuts when I try to watch it.
<<but you should be>>: Nope.
<<Deaf?>>: Well technically I was reading it.
<>: I don't. The suspense would have driven me nuts.
<<Did you hear about that kid that shot his face off with a frog in a potato gun?>>: Darwin Award.
<>: That was nice of them.
<<A stale oreo cookie!!>>: Weak prize.

Gside: <>: My answer stands.
<<you'll want this page>>: Interesting.

183. Before using any device which transfers energy directly into my body, I will install a surge suppressor.

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Thursday, May 1, 2003 02:16:39 AM
IP: 64.170.153.125

Dezi: [Gunjack: Did you hear about that kid that shot his face off with a frog in a potato gun? It was you wasn't it? ]
shhh! no one is supposed to know about that.
and...stale oreo? don't you mean he gets a sandwich, in gratitude of his service?
Lynati
Thursday, May 1, 2003 01:57:07 AM
IP: 65.66.152.183

Gside: Yea! You win a prize! It is.... A stale oreo cookie!!! (man, I'm a dork)
Dezi
Thursday, May 1, 2003 01:34:28 AM
IP: 68.58.158.101

Imzadi> <<Huh?>>: General reasurance to the unsure. See: Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus.
<<My trash can>>: I was talking about the demi meat.

Bud Clare> <<My next AI project involves Matlab, which I had never even heard of prior>>: Don't worry too much, it's mostly a matrix tool. And you'll want this page: http://www.utexas.edu/math/Matlab/Manual/ReferenceTOC.html

Dezi> <<Where's Captain Kirk>>: A song by Spizzenergi, from Portugal in '81. Covered by REM in '92. Web searches are fun.
<<Huh? care to give a "previously, on Gargoyles"?>>: Some time back a pair named Rene and Satan showed up and made an obscene number of one liner posts. You should be able to find them in the archives.

And now, a bit from a fun anime series, Kiddy Grade, titled La Muse, after the ship.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Thursday, May 1, 2003 12:49:21 AM
IP: 198.151.130.245

Um, Yeah. What he said. *shrugs*

Anyway. Finals week is nearly over. I'm pretty sure I at least halfway bombed out on my Comm Research test. It involved statistics. I don't involve statistics. Everything magically left my brain as I entered the door.
Lots of crap was up in the air, but now all is good, so maybe I'm back *yes I can hear the collective sigh*

My boyfriend and I had the great idea at the same time to get a laptop. One we can both use. The basics are his use for school stuff, and my school stuff, mainly involving my photo stuff for the news paper. In the end, I talked him into a Mac. *waits for Josh's happy dance to end*. Now he's all excited and wants to go to CompUSA tomorrow to 'look' even though I won't be able to get it until fall. Gives him an excuse to go all the way to CompUSA though. Josh- If I get the notebook from CompUSA- can I have a cdburner put in it? Right now, I'm thinking iBook G3 800, just cause I AM a poor college kid. Hee hee, I wish they came in pretty colors like the Imacs.

Replies:
Bud-Clare:<Kinda Captain Kirkish, isn't it?> Where's Captain Kirk?! :) -If you don't get it, I'll understand. Not that you're underestimated, but it is obscure, so I'll be amazed if ANYONE does.
<Hey, it's not the dog's fault. Hell, he'd be a better president...> I'll not go there....:)

Josh: Evolution is cool. I'm so happy that it was moved to Cartoon Network, it's easier to catch than our unstable WB. Stupid Pacers made me watch Smallville til 2 am. Yes that show is cool too so there. :P :)
<Still not worried> Oh but you should be.
<just hearing about it has made me blind> Deaf?
<This reader showed up and read everything at once.> I'm a relative newbie too. I just wish I would have found this place sooner.

Gside:<Where do you think all the spam goes?> Spam spam spam spam!
<Not quite, but if anyone breaks the current record holders, the nature of the required posts will get them banned.> Huh? care to give a "previously, on Gargoyles"?

Jaden:< but the only thing that remains is my ears plugging up when I drive> Air pressure? vs. Sinus Pressure?

Spacebabie:<The southeast is full of big skeeters and fire ants are all over> And KUDZU!!!

Gunjack: Did you hear about that kid that shot his face off with a frog in a potato gun? It was you wasn't it?

Lain:<oh my gaaaawd!!!!!> I sent REM a graduation invitation as a joke when I was in high school and they sent me a nice card. Signed in marker. :)
<you havent been here long enough to be that cynical ;) > eh, I blame society.,:)
Dezi
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 11:48:02 PM
IP: 68.58.158.101

searsgdhf rgsdfvst sears saresd dsaeasd asrewe saearts searea sears
bulletproof
fgwfsrf, gfdb, gtrevfgsf
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 12:18:34 PM
IP: 207.232.130.66

SPACEBABIE - Yep, the Scarlet Witch introduction episode in "X-Men: Evolution" is a very good example. The X-Men could lose the fight with her without endangering the future of the series, since Mystique's objective in having her attack them was not to get rid of them but to see how well Wanda's abilities worked before sending her after the real target: Magneto. (Shades of how many of Xanatos's apparent efforts to capture or destroy the gargoyles were really only tests of his latest equipment.)
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 07:34:14 AM
IP: 63.208.40.221

Josh> Grr. I think you jinxed me. My next AI project involves Matlab, which I had never even heard of prior to your complaining about it. (Fortunately, we don't need to write an actual program, we mostly just have to figure out how a neural network program works. It's still kind of freaky, though.)
Bud-Clare
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 05:46:54 AM
IP: 66.24.93.77

Josh> <<What happens when the bug really IS in the compiler or the OS?>>
That doesn't prove that the programmer was an idiot, it just proves that no one can think of everything. How about you spend more time programming before you start mouthing off about other people's mistakes? The stupidity of your own screw-ups (and you _will_ screw up) tends to make you more understanding.

<<Not really. I tell them the flaw I have that creates the most problems in a working environment. And that's the most debilitating.>>
But it's not really your _worst_ flaw (take my word for it), and it's not even entirely true. You don't actually believe that everyone is your peer, you believe that you're smarter than everyone else. :P

<<There's fewer things funnier than seeing my roommate enter the bathroom with his airport-equipped iBook.>>
"Disturbing" is the word that I would have used...

<<He figure out that the only way to solve the first problem was to change the properties of air so that the dynamic viscosity was 10,000 times what it normally is.>>
Kinda Captain Kirkish, isn't it?

<<Buffy was awful.>>
:P~~

<>
It's not the preppiness... It's the smirk. (Although I haven't really watch Evolution, so I'm basing this on the movie version.)
******************
Spacebabie> <<Because that would get in the way of your foot.>>
*L*

<<The southeast is full of big skeeters and fire ants are all over.>>
Hence my avoiding it.

<<Sorry He�s MINE>>
What does that have to do with hitting him? It's vastly different from hitting _on_ him...
*******************
Gside> <<I'd think he could sense the trouble and leave before she would become interested in him.>>
I agree. He's very perceptive that way. (And probably _only_ in that way...)
Bud-Clare - [budclare@yahoo.com]
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 03:55:59 AM
IP: 66.24.93.77

I did some other poor student a huge favor today by offering to trade my last-day presentation spot for an earlier one. I finished my project, so I don't need the extra time and someone else probably needed it desperately.

Then I got started on my last assignment of my undergraduate career, which would be very nice if the assignment didn't suck so much. None of us could get the FEM software to solve any of the problems we were given. Even the professor came in at one point. He figure out that the only way to solve the first problem was to change the properties of air so that the dynamic viscosity was 10,000 times what it normally is. Well, that's not air, is it?! If he had just said that at the beginning, none of us would have had trouble.

Spent most of this afternoon updating my website and working with the model pictures so I can get them uploaded to my mac.com site and have a real gallery.

***Buffy/Smallville SPOILERS***

Buffy was awful. That whole thing with the vote at the end was so stupid.

Okay so here's my problem with smallville. My friend and I have figured out that its the WORST show out there, but we can't seem to tear ourselves away from it. Probably because of the superman plot thread. If not for that, we'd run faster than we do from Dawson's Creek.

That said, this episode was actually not that horrible. Next weeks should be a return to the painfully cheesy again.

***END SPOILERS***

I'm slowly becoming addicted to X-men Evolution. And I have no idea why. Then my roommate goes and says that I look like Cyclops. I am not that preppy!

Warpmind: <<I'm taking great delight in blasting rebels outta space from the comfy seat of my TIE Fighter>>: Wouldn't it be easier to just pirate a newer game that does that?
<<America hasn't tried to invade Canada yet>>: Yes we did. And we succeeded. Why do you think we call it "North America". We own their ass!
<<that's what they're PAID for>>: I doubt it.

Spacebabie: <>: Free?
<<white Ford Explorer SUV/Pick up truck>>: You mean the sport trac?
<<He?s a stock boy for Tomy Hilfieger>>: Well at least he's not one of their models.
<<No just with the semester>>: Ah.
<<if you keep up that attitude more people are going to want to kick your ass>>: Still not worried.
<<I?m not flashing you>>: That's okay, just hearing about it has made me blind.
<<Because that would get in the way of your foot>>: No, just because you don't know what you're talking about.
<<Wasn?t he the Iago of the Transformers series?>>: Sure. Except without the side-switching.
<<Sorry He?s MINE>>: I don't think either of you need to worry.
<<Evanescence is from Arkansas>>: Really?
<>: Now that is just silly.

Jaden: <<Last thing I need is to be up at 4:30 in the morning trying to write a report>>: Agreed. I long ago refused to do that. The result is that sometimes I start writing a paper two weeks before its due.
<<kind of like blessing under fire isn't it>>: So true. It was worth it to see Disturbed.

Gside: <<Virginia>>: Huh?
<<Where do you think all the spam goes?>>: My trash can.

16 days. Just survive 16 days.

182. I will not hold any sort of public celebration within my castle walls. Any event open to members of the public will be held down the road in the festival pavilion.

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 03:10:07 AM
IP: 64.168.28.24

Imzadi> <<Such a time existed?>>: Yes, Virginia, the wipe always came at midnight saturday.
<<Bad geek. No cookie>>: You're the one who wasn't looking at the context.
<<There are vikings?>>: Where do you think all the spam goes?

Warpmind> <<what with two-and-a-half buttload of anime>>: One load defined to be between 6 and 7 gigs?
<<The discs look mostly worship-worthy>>: Thank you.
<<the Darkstalkers episodes seem to have the sound largely, well, shot>>: Been a while, but mostly I seem to remember a buffering problem that I don't feel on non- .asp files.
<<seeing Felicia in all her furry glory made up for *that*>>: And not my ladies of the hidden weapons?
<<so unless this is a problem exclusive to my copy>>: My copier has been known to allow the occaisonal error, but it's mostly good.
<<What I WANT you to feel bad about, however, is Yatta>>: Evil laugh, squared. It was just so insane I had to get it. Mostly luck which disc it landed on.
<<Try to imagine a Slaanesh Keeper of Secrets wearing a Sailor Moon outfit, tiara, scepter an' all>>: Mmmm, sexy... Though it would help if I know what the Slaanesh looked like.
<<As for Puni Puni Poemi... What the HECK?>>: It's what Nabeshin did after Excel Saga. You'll thank me after you see him use his afro some more times.
<<There is, after all, a reasonable chance she wouldn't LET him>>: I'd think he could sense the trouble and leave before she would become interested in him.
<<You mean, those newspaper pages were...>>: From the Medium and the Caelean. The former being the requisite rude news source (hence much porn appearing in its pages), the latter being from the women's college and staffed by many lesbians (hence the pornography for feminists article, lesbian porn story, and accomanying pictures). The pictures aren't much of a loss, similar can easily be found on a web search. Though I'm surprised you weren't brought to pause by the genetalia staring you in the face.

Gunjack> <<I've been suffering from a deplorable fit of normalcy lately. This demands redress>>: Excellent. I await your further plunge into the depths.

Spacebabie> <<We know you are thankful for a lot>>: Even so, sometimes I feel left out.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 01:08:34 AM
IP: 198.151.130.245

I finally got over this cold, but the only thing that remains is my ears plugging up when I drive. I don't know why, but I hate IT!

Bud-Clare<That's twisted> Well that's okay, I've always considered myself kind of...off. Ha

Josh-I just hope that my classes don't go too fast. Last thing I need is to be up at 4:30 in the morning trying to write a report. Concert damage- kind of like blessing under fire isn't it.

Question- Has anyone ever had this problem? My DVD player on my computer won't display the DVD menu. I can play and watch the movie itself but the menu is just a black screen. No one can seem to figure it out. A mystery.

Well I gotta prep for a job interview.
Later.
Jaden - [jaden1444@aol.com]
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 11:50:32 PM
IP: 172.192.239.225

Hey folks how are you all going. To wave my folks money I cancled my domain and hosting plan and went with something a little cheaper.

Which is good because my dad�s Ford Probe just died. He bought a white Ford Explorer SUV/Pick up truck�the beauty part is that it�s automatic.

My brother finally got a job. He�s a stock boy for Tomy Hilfieger.

Bought a bunch of stuff to make my Gathering costume today. Going to need a few other things such as glue sticks and hair dye.

Also went to the Cracker Barrel for Lunch and the sold TY Beanie Babies at the store part. I bought a Filly the Horse

This is what she looks like http://www.ty.com/3_detail?id=2346.

Time for some Replies
Gside<<<What about me? >>>We know you are thankful for a lot

Josh<<<Done done?>>>No just with the semester<<<Alas, you'll have to wait.>>>and if you keep up that attitude more people are going to want to kick your ass<<<How many times did people in this room try that with REAL trolls? >>>I believe I had done pretty well.<<<BLIND! I"M BLIND!!!>>>I�m not flashing you.<<<I'll thank you not to put words into my mouth.>>>Because that would get in the way of your foot.<<>>Wasn�t he the Iago of the Transformers series?

Bud Claire<<>>The southeast is full of big skeeters and fire ants are all over.<<<Nevertheless�>>>Sorry He�s MINE

Kathy>>>Thanks for the info

ghost of Reverend Attila>>>Here Kitty kitty�<<<That happened in Arkansas? I didn't know they could read ;)>>>Hey Evanescence is from Arkansas

Mecord<<<People should just be glad these kids acctually want to read something.>>>It the latest FAD with kids and the antiFad patrol are at it. The previous Fad was Pokemon�before that it was Beanie Babies, before that it was Power Rangers and before that it was Ninja Turtles. Yes I can remember when Turtle figures were taken away from kids

Gunjack<<<Behold, the mighty power of my ROTARY SQUID LAUNCHER!!! >>>now I have a craving for some Takoyaki and some Calamari.

Christine>>>Good luck on your surgery.

Todd<<<My own two cents' worth on the complaint over the "heroes always win" clich�>>>Unless you are GregX then the villains always Win ;)<<<Of course, there are ways for the heroes to lose in an episode without automatically ending the series.>>>Like the episode of X-Men evolution which debuted the Scarlet Witch?

Guan>>>Sounds great.

Spacebabie - [LadyAndromeda@smstars.zzn.com]
Orlando, Florida, U.S.A
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 10:19:50 PM
IP: 209.244.146.226

I've been suffering from a deplorable fit of normalcy lately. This demands redress.

Consequently, I am now making a sawed-off mossberg 500 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun out of common household items and scraps I found in a dumpster.

That is all.
Gunjack "Mossberg God" Valentine
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 04:11:10 PM
IP: 65.93.74.98

*Warpmind lurches in.*
Oooog, what with two-and-a-half buttload of anime, accompanied by my finding Shin Megami Tensai for the SNES emu, AND the discovery of a neat little program package that lets my XP-running computer run DOS games from as far back as the eighties without difficulty (right now, I'm taking great delight in blasting rebels outta space from the comfy seat of my TIE Fighter), my spare time is being, well... suffice to call it temporal attrition. :)

Gside: The discs look mostly worship-worthy. With a few exceptions: the Darkstalkers episodes seem to have the sound largely, well, shot. Of course, seeing Felicia in all her furry glory made up for *that*, so unless this is a problem exclusive to my copy, don't feel bad about it. ;) What I WANT you to feel bad about, however, is Yatta. I'm going to have to hurt you for that somehow. And I think I have just the trick. Try to imagine a Slaanesh Keeper of Secrets wearing a Sailor Moon outfit, tiara, scepter an' all. With an entourage of Daemonettes in regular Japanese schoolgirl uniforms, of course. };) As for Puni Puni Poemi... What the HECK? *Brain hurtz. Lots.* Where Shin Megami Tensai is concerned, no I suppose there was never an official version in English... more's the pity. Would have been fun to see how far Christian Fundamentalists would have actively gone to fight THAT game. ;)
As for Rincewind running away from Granny Weatherwax... You sure? There is, after all, a reasonable chance she wouldn't LET him... ;) ...er... packing? *Blinkity* Due to spatial concerns, I had to unpack the discs at work in order to fit them into my backpack. I folded up the cardboard box as well, for the sake of your address... but you speak of this... "packing"? You mean, those newspaper pages were... *blink* DAMMIT! :/ Oh, and the amount of time for mail to Canada versus to Norway... isn't it obvious? America hasn't tried to invade Canada yet, so we're not so much on edge... };)

Josh: More work for the post office? But... that's what they're PAID for, dangit! :P

Well, anyways, that pretty much covers this post. Time for me to get back to what really matters here. *Reaches for flightstick and fires up Abandon Loader.* Seeyalater! :D :D :D
Warpmind de InzanE - [warpmindATtiscaliDOTno]
Middle, Nowhere, Norway
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 02:54:43 PM
IP: 213.142.70.243

Calling all authors! Calling all authors!

I plan to add a new feature to the gargoyles website collection: the gargoyles fanart archive. This has been announced at last year's gathering, and while I didn't finish this new page by now, the idea is not forgotten.

Now it would be nice to be able to create ONE account as an author or artist and post both stories or pictures with the same account or have crosslinks between an author's/artist's story page and his pictures. Additionally I'd like to link in the adult section, so all three sections (and every future enhancement that might be created) share the same user data.

For this I'd need to change the way of authentification. Unfortunately that'd mean new passwords for all current authors, cause I cannot decode the current password file and set it in the database. On the other hand we would get a way of re-setting one's password automatically (especially because it's all inside the database, not split into the user data in the database and the password in a separate file).

Now my question is: Would the authors be okay with this change? Those having set their email will get the new password sent to them after I changed the system, those without a valid email would have to contact me, of course.

You might send me an email (using the address linked in below) or answer here (or in the regular S8 commentroom) - I'm open for discussions.

Guandalug la'Fay - [guandalug@gargoyles-fans.org]
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 12:08:25 PM
IP: 145.254.104.97

<Then we come to �Metamorphosis�. We�re told that Elisa has a brother named Derek who is working for Xanatos. The story expands his previous role but functions as an independent unit moving forward. >

No it doesn't. The episode ends with him running off and the audience left wondering where he runs off to and if he will be cured.
Question
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 10:12:56 AM
IP: 144.92.164.204

Ed> <At any rate, I�d be interested to hear if anyone has thoughts and suggestions on this topic.>

I do. You have a point there. It's all about promotion.
Edi - [brooklyn2040@yahoo.com]
Lares, Puerto Rico, USA
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 09:17:40 AM
IP: 66.50.0.57

Not much happened today, spent most of my morning checking out the new stuff from Apple. They unveiled a music downloading service today and badass new iPods. I'll have to build me one of those this summer.

Also got Rodimus Prime today, which brings my rabid transformers-shopping to a halt until I have income again.

Ed: <<it just isn?t any good if the viewer tunes in at the beginning of a programme and half way through still doesn?t ?get? what?s going on>>: Normally I'd agree with you. But TGS is written. That means that any time I want to know what's going on, I can go back through the archive and read the old stories. That isn't possible on TV, where you can't predict which episode will air and when.
<<It should be possible to ?get hooked? at any point>>: Not necessarily. You didn't see people getting hooked on x-files during the 7th season, did you? Or at the last season of Deep Space Nine? No. Because they were sagas, and anyone who showed up at the last minute had no idea what was going on. There was so much leading up to the last season of those shows that there was no practical way for a newcomer to catch up.
<<if the only readers left are a dwindling hub of loyalists that have been there since the beginning then it isn?t doing its whole job>>: This reader showed up and read everything at once.
<<To illustrate an inclusive, forward-moving plot, look at Derek Maza?s story arc on the original series>>: That's very interesting, but this has nothing to do with your point. You couldn't watch "The Cage" and have any idea what's going on if you hadn't seen Metamorphosis and Her Brother's Keeper. I can imagine the questions now:

"Who's that guy"
"Brother?"
"Well then why does he work for Xanatos"
"How'd he become furry"

Blah blah blah.
<<there?s no penalty if you haven?t>>: You've obviously never watched an episode of gargoyles with someone who's vaguely familiar with the series but hasn't seen many of the episodes.
<<There you really need to understand certain things about Harthoth even in the episodes where he is pretty much in the background>>: Not if you read the Harthoth train from the beginning.
<<A brief rundown of major characters to appear in each particular episode>>: I like this. Each Star Wars novel opens with a list of the important characters, just a "$Name, $race $gender". Works great as a reminder.
<<these aren?t really appropriate for TGS>>: Are you talking about the "previously, on Gargoyles" sequences before the episodes? If not, I think you should use those. They're great and they tell the reader WHICH episodes to read if they have more questions.

Bud Clare: <<Even to the bathroom?>>: A great place for reading, if you ask me.
<>: Windows user. 8-)
<<More than six or so rotations would take a long time>>: Didn't realize that. Apologies.
<<it _must_ be the other people who are wrong. *rolls eyes*>>: What happens when the bug really IS in the compiler or the OS? In any case, I tested and re-tested and everything else seems to work fine (including other instances where I used the same command).
<<you lie, then?>>: Not really. I tell them the flaw I have that creates the most problems in a working environment. And that's the most debilitating.
<<How about a complete, but fairly brief, synopsis of the entire series so far (for each series)?>>: Great idea.

Gside: <<That was when the wipe was predictable>>: Such a time existed?
<<So many confusable acronyms>>: Bad geek. No cookie.
<<More than herring obsessed vikings?>>: There are vikings?

Mecord: <<that's the best place to read undisturbed for long periods of time>>: There's fewer things funnier than seeing my roommate enter the bathroom with his airport-equipped iBook.

Off to sleep.

181. I will decree that all hay be shipped in tightly-packed bales. Any wagonload of loose hay attempting to pass through a checkpoint will be set on fire.

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 02:27:38 AM
IP: 64.168.28.24

Bud-Clare>> <Even to the bathroom?> Oh come on, that's the best place to read undisturbed for long periods of time. ;)
Mecord
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 12:30:58 AM
IP: 12.255.15.121

Taleweaver> <<Remember when this was a hotly contested race to make the top ten?>>: That was when the wipe was predictable.

Imzadi> <<You wish>>: Yes, yes I do.
<<Nope. But apparently the movie>>: My bad, I was referring to FFX2. So many confusable acronyms.
<<Because we don't trust Canadians>>: More than herring obsessed vikings?

Greg> <<Watanabe did "Cowboy Bebop">>: I think they're different Watanabes. IMDB lists Bebop's as Shinichir�, while Nabesin is in as Shinichi.
<>: Yoko Kanno, at least.

Bud Clare> <<Damn, beat me to it>>: Evil laugh.

Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Monday, April 28, 2003 11:18:41 PM
IP: 198.151.130.245

oh my gaaaawd!!!!!

i wrote matt from mac hall some fan mail today AND HE WROTE ME BACK!!! I FEEL LIKE SUCH A GEEK!!! :D:D:D:D:D
WOOHOO!!!!

*continues dancing around like a complete and utter freak*
lain
Monday, April 28, 2003 09:05:46 PM
IP: 65.93.75.225

Mecord> <>
Even to the bathroom? You deserved to be picked on. ;)
********************
Josh> <<If it can only handle cubes with four or five rotations, doesn't that limit the effectiveness of the AI?>>
*drums fingers on desk* Josh... I do not own a supercomputer, or anything remotely in the ballpark. More than six or so rotations would take a long time. And, as I've already said, the crappy lisp compiler that I have won't let me do more than four, anyway. This is not my problem.

<<Unfortunately, this is a bug in MATLAB's code, and they're idiots for having the problem.>>
Of course, it _must_ be the other people who are wrong. *rolls eyes*

<>
So, you lie, then?

<<Where'd they come from (besides "eggs").>>
Squidgy places. Ick.
**********************
Warpmind> <<In fact, I shudder to think what Rincewind would do if exposed to Granny Weatherwax..>>
Run away?
******************
Dezi> <<and get rid of his little dog, Rummy, too.>>
Hey, it's not the dog's fault. Hell, he'd be a better president...
*****************
lain> <<time to duct-tape gunjack to a chair and force him to watch it>>
Damn. You're evil.
******************
Gside> <<Run away, of course.>>
Damn, beat me to it.
*****************
Taleweaver> <<Nothings worse than seeing a villain brought down by Attention Deficit.>>
That's not entirely true. If the villain _actually_ had ADD, then it would be funny. One of the heros finds out that he has ADD, and they decide to use it to their advantage...I'd be amused. It's the pseudo-ADD that's a problem. ;)
***************
Ed> How about a complete, but fairly brief, synopsis of the entire series so far (for each series)? A paragraph or so per episode should be enough. That would be good for both people who haven't read it in awhile, and need to refresh their memories, and for people who've never read it before, but don't have time to read the entire archives. (And it would help with discussions, since people could easily look up the name of the episode that they're thinking of.)
*************
Damn, I'm hungry...
Bud-Clare - [budclare@yahoo.com]
Monday, April 28, 2003 06:57:31 PM
IP: 66.24.93.77

Josh: Well� yes.

But I think you�ve got the wrong end of the stick. I don�t mean simplifying the stories, or compromising them in any way. It never followed that because �Gargoyles� was a cartoon that therefore it was simplistic. But it always had a need to keep its audience abreast of what was going on. If you make television, it just isn�t any good if the viewer tunes in at the beginning of a programme and half way through still doesn�t �get� what�s going on. �Gargoyles� had incentives to remain accessible to newcomers as well as continuing to entertain its regular viewers. Specifically, if it didn�t deliver ratings, it got canned.

TGS doesn�t have a risk of cancellation in the same way, but it does have the same need to ensure that a reader can �dip into� the series and pick things up and get excited about what is happening. It should be possible to �get hooked� at any point. After all, one of the principal reasons of the series is to keep the fandom alive and if the only readers left are a dwindling hub of loyalists that have been there since the beginning then it isn�t doing its whole job. It�s simply catering to a finite audience, and probably a shrinking one at that.

The series should be capable of attracting �Gargoyles� fans that haven�t kept up with the extensive and complicated backstories of the characters spanning over 200 episodes. Heck, there�s even a possibility that we could get fans who never saw the original series curious. This doesn�t work if the episodes become too �exclusive�.

I don�t think this is a bad thing from the point of view of the episodes. For one thing it prevents the series becoming retrospective in tone. There�s an inherent danger of feeding off continuity in that you�re so busy going back on yourself that you miss the chance to break forward in exciting ways. To illustrate an inclusive, forward-moving plot, look at Derek Maza�s story arc on the original series.

We start off with �Her Brother�s Keeper�. That�s about Derek and forms a complete open-ended story on its own.

Then we come to �Metamorphosis�. We�re told that Elisa has a brother named Derek who is working for Xanatos. The story expands his previous role but functions as an independent unit moving forward.

Then we have �The Cage�. We�re filled in on the mutates and then presented with a new action plot that drives the action forward. Viewers who have watched Derek�s development over three episodes get the satisfaction of seeing the bigger picture, but there�s no penalty if you haven�t.

Compare this with, say, �Timedancer� season 4. There you really need to understand certain things about Harthoth even in the episodes where he is pretty much in the background. You need to have some sense of his history with Brooklyn and Sata even though that history hasn�t all been told yet. The stories do a mixed job of keeping you up to date but generally rely on the regular readership to follow the disparate instances of character development and get a sense of a developing trend. This is an example of exclusive storytelling. You can get a sense of what�s going on, but you suffer by not having seen the ground work.

(This isn�t just a feature of TGS, mind you, nor is TGS the worst culprit I�ve seen of backward-looking stories.)

At any rate, this is a bit of a tangent since there are other ways of ensuring that the reader has all the tools necessary to understand and enjoy the story without changing the stories you�re telling. One is to incorporate appropriate exposition into new episodes. �Expatriate� did this rather elegantly, by reintroducing us to Arthur�s rather large group through a Scotland Yard briefing. For anyone who couldn�t quite remember who Kevin was or what Dulcinea�s real name was this served as a refresher course � and part of the plot. Television series and comic books I�ve seen have employed such methods as: -

- A general introduction to the series that keeps track of current events. All the TGS series have a rough introduction on the main page but this simply covers the season as a whole. Series like �Pendragon� and �Timedancer� don�t tend to evolve organically but move from status quo to status quo. Brooklyn is travelling with [so-and-so] or is stuck in [such-and-such] a time period. Arthur has a particular quest for the season, be it finding Merlin, defeating the Unseelie Court or simply reclaiming his identity.

- A brief rundown of major characters to appear in each particular episode. Obviously it would only be the relevant characters and you�d only need very brief descriptions. This is particularly helpful for characters such as Harthoth or Apep whose goals remain broadly the same throughout a number of episodes but who don�t appear all the time.

- Clip-shows or reruns (although these aren�t really appropriate for TGS).

- Asterisked footnotes for new readers.

There are probably others that I�m not thinking of.

At any rate, I�d be interested to hear if anyone has thoughts and suggestions on this topic.
Ed - [ed@steelclaw.org]
London, England
Monday, April 28, 2003 06:36:16 PM
IP: 131.111.8.102

*reads Clifford's posts*

Why does this remind me of the old saying "Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools speak because they have to say something"?
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Monday, April 28, 2003 06:29:44 PM
IP: 67.28.89.194

Cowboy Bebop > I love that series (at least so far) I'm currently working my way through volume three.

Josh > The ducks came from Tractor Supply, a chain that sells fencing, farming equipment, feed and other stuff that's handy around a rural environment.

kathy
Monday, April 28, 2003 05:45:48 PM
IP: 66.82.160.1

Villains and villainy> I'm not sure where this topic sprang from, but that's never stopped me from jumping in with an opinion.

I agree with Todd, that most villainy deals with untenable circumstances. However there are some old tropes that should be retired or at least give few writers second thoughts.

The self destruct button: As exciting and action-packed an escape from an exploding villain hideout was, it has now got to be so cliche' it doesn't illicit any feeling of jeopardy or danger. The first time James Bond runs through an exploding corridor and escapes by the skin of his teeth was great, but when Hillary Duff and Frankie Munez do it I laugh. I say leave the villainous installation. I did like 'The Cage' because Goliath used a resource, the old Cyberbiotics lab, for his own purpose.

My second pet peeve is the ADD escape for the heroes. The villain has the heroes captured, dead to rites. A small distraction pops up, a head turns and suddenly the heroes slip out, the tide is turned and the bad guy is vowing he'll get them. Nothings worse than seeing a villain brought down by Attention Deficit.

Last one is actually a fond wish rather than a pet peeve. The villains I prefer aren't the ones plotting to take over the world. Too cliche and universally recognized as an unobtainable goal. The bad guys I like are the ones who have reachable goals. When Xanatos wanted to dominate the gargoyles, that was scary, because it was a reachable goal. For villains to be effective I need to believe that they can deliver. Thailog is scary because he had the resources and the inclination to achieve his goals. And his goals aren't the impossible 'take over the world' scheme. Its all about GIT (Getting It Done)
Taleweaver
Pomona, CA, USA
Monday, April 28, 2003 03:51:05 PM
IP: 24.205.177.107

what the crap are sporks for ????? honestly everytime i go into a taco bell i freakout when the spoon pokes me in the mouth. it's crap i tell you pure crap. YAKEDO NO NAKA DE JIGOKU! HA HA HA HA HA AHHHHHHHH.RAAAAAAAAAAAAA.......... OH TACO BELL TACO BELL PRODUCT PLACEMENT WITH TACO BELL ENCHIRITOS. NACHOS BURRITOS! IN CONCLUSION "KIDS TATTOO YOURSELVES EVERYDAY SPOT YOUR BODY WITH OBSCENE PICTURES AND CARTOON CHARACTERS...IT'S FUN.
clifford the evil pop-tart
of mind, THE REAL WORLD
Monday, April 28, 2003 02:49:36 PM
IP: 66.250.68.40

beware the coming of the 2nd. death cheese and eggos will rule and we will remain helpless to stop the strudels while we are crushed by the underbelly of the beast.
Clifford the evil popt-art - [tallgeese-x@aol.com]
of mind, the real world
Monday, April 28, 2003 02:40:08 PM
IP: 66.250.68.40

GSIDE> Watanabe did "Cowboy Bebop". And I think some people involved with Bebop also did "Vision of Excaflowne". Both have beautiful animation... and great stories and characters to go with them.
Greg Bishansky
Monday, April 28, 2003 09:12:33 AM
IP: 216.179.1.160

My own two cents' worth on the complaint over the "heroes always win" cliche. Actually, in most cases, the heroes *have* to win for the series to continue, since in these cases, the heroes losing and the villain winning would mean the deaths of the heroes at the villain's hands, the villain taking over or destroying the world - or at least embarking on the crime wave of the millennium, or something equally undesirable that would automatically end the series. For example, in "Gargoyles", Goliath and his clan would always have to foil Demona in an episode involving her genocidal schemes, because if Demona won, all the humans would be dead (as well as Goliath and his clan, most likely).

Of course, there are ways for the heroes to lose in an episode without automatically ending the series ("Metamorphosis" in "Gargoyles" is one good example). But in most cases, what's at stake in an episode is something of such high importance that the continuation of the series demands that the heroes have to win. (Which might suggest that the key to allowing episodes where the heroes can lose without it turning into a bleak series finale is to go for lesser stakes.)
Todd Jensen - [merlyn1@mindspring.com]
St. Louis, MO
Monday, April 28, 2003 07:07:16 AM
IP: 65.57.58.80

Well that was a nice long 5-day weekend (skipped classes on Thursday and don't have them on Wednesday/Friday). Didn't do much except fill out the paperwork for Apple and watch the Family Guy and Futurama DVD's my roommate bought. Great cartoons.

Lain: <<what he means is that>>: ...new eps are never coming. I know what I meant.
<<well now, wouldnt THAT be an total disaster>>: Speak for yourself. I'd have nowhere to run if they started up the draft!

Oracle: <<can you people maybe put up some character bios for those that are just peeking>>: Here's a great idea. Why don't you start reading each series at the beginning, and then you'll know who the characters are! I know, its shocking, but it just might work.

Kathy: <<three week old ducks>>: Where'd they come from (besides "eggs").

Gside: <<punish me master>>: You wish.
<<previews of X2?>>: Nope. But apparently the movie "kicks you in the balls and eats out your girlfriend".
<<why does it take longet for mail to get from Jersey to Canada than Jersey to Norway?>>: Because we don't trust Canadians.

Warpmind: <<TRYING to get all the mail out before closing time, so that people could actually have a chance to pick up packages the day they arrive>>: This would create more work for the post office.

Ed: <<'Bad Guys', which will be released after that, is an entirely new series>>: Except for all of the main characters.
<<Does anyone have any suggestions for how to make TGS easier to follow?>>: Geez, its a continuation of a children's cartoon. Do you really WANT to make it easier to follow?

Christine: Good luck withthe surgery.

Edi: <<Disney should put the Gargs back on air with new episodes and new animators>>: I'm sure if they thought they could make any money, they would.
<<DISNEY should hear the fans>>: Disney does hear the fans. That doesn't mean they do what the say. There just aren't enough people who care. Gargs first aired 10 years ago. Most people are either too young to remember it or never watched it in the first place.
<<and put them back on air with all new saga, like TimeDancer and Pendragon>>: Just so you're clear, Pendragon and TimeDancer as you see them on TGS are not necessarily how they would be animated. These are spin-offs based on one-paragraph descriptions given by Greg Weisman years ago, not taken from secret unreleased scripts.

Gunjack: <<where all the bullets miss and the heros always win>>: Which gargoyles were you watching?

DPH: <<Where and when (what time slot) would you start airing new Garg episodes?>>: My direcTV service has THREE disney channels, not counting their affiliates. I'm sure they could find space. Perhaps just replace the current airings on Toon Disney? That would put it in the evening so people don't have to worry about the adult themes.

And I believe that makes me 10.

180. If I ever build a device to transfer the hero's energy into me, I will make sure it cannot operate in reverse.

Josh - [ATkicktothenutsDOTcom]
Berkeley, CA, US of A
Monday, April 28, 2003 03:56:03 AM
IP: 64.168.30.82

9th in the name of cute fluffy werewolf pups everywhere! WOOF!
silverbolt
Monday, April 28, 2003 03:00:10 AM
IP: 81.131.162.153

8th.
Na zdorov'ya.
Gside - [gside@eden.rutgers.edu]
Piscataway, NJ
Monday, April 28, 2003 02:18:48 AM
IP: 198.151.130.245

Ok Seventh
Leo
Monday, April 28, 2003 02:02:41 AM
IP: 68.96.8.12

Sixth
Leo
Monday, April 28, 2003 02:02:07 AM
IP: 68.96.8.12

Sixth...

Remember when this was a hotly contested race to make the top ten?
Taleweaver
Monday, April 28, 2003 02:01:37 AM
IP: 24.205.177.107

Fifth...
Bud-Clare - [budclare@yahoo.com]
Monday, April 28, 2003 01:50:35 AM
IP: 66.24.93.77

4th in the name of my RP
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RPGSSF/
Tony Elliot
Monday, April 28, 2003 01:35:01 AM
IP: 65.25.168.162

Third
Gabriel
Monday, April 28, 2003 01:34:15 AM
IP: 68.116.248.99

2nd in the name of the Fay!

Mooncat
>^,,^<
Mooncat
Monday, April 28, 2003 01:32:21 AM
IP: 68.102.23.36

Top 10, numero uno
DPH
AR, USA
Monday, April 28, 2003 01:22:19 AM
IP: 204.94.193.69