Seen on The Inquirer: Canadian coppers admit making up piracy figures

Not surprised, just...

-Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

Since Rob brought it up in the Stellvia entry, here's round 2 of the Shuttle saga. Pretty much bare notes, suggestions welcome, forgive the wiki markup, etc.

Brain 'splodes

===============================================
"Reseeestunce ees fiutil. Yoo weeel bee Useemooletud. Borg Borg Borg."
===========

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"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

I've been wondering about this one for a while. Doug has to understand the language a song is in to get a power from it, I know that was mentioned somewhere. And mixtures of languages he knows are probably okay, since otherwise he'd have trouble with japanese songs with random english in them...
But what about a song that was in two languages, one of which he knew and one he didn't?
I'm thinking about this in relation to the game "Ar tonelico", which has some songs that are mixed japanese and "hymno", a language the game's creators made up. (And finding singers for that must have been interesting, given that hymno seems to involve a lot of sounds that japanese doesn't have...)
I don't really have any ideas for an actual stagger or anything, but it'd be interesting if Doug got a power out of a song that has special effects of it's own in the original context. Of course, since I don't know what any of the lyrics mean no matter what the language is, it's hard to figure that out...
-Morgan. It doesn't help that I can't even find half the lyrics for "EXEC_PAJA/.#Misya extracting"..."Mikuru-chan molested me! I'm... so happy!"
-Haruhi, "The Ecchi of Haruhi Suzumiya"
---(Not really)

While prepping a fic chapter for RAAC, I've become a bit interested in Full Metal Panic (the fic in question is a FMP/Evangelion crossover). I Wiki'd it, but just got confused. Right Stuf lists 3 different "hybrid"(?) DVD collections + an Ani-Mini DVD (whatever that is), 2 different graphic novel collections, and a novel on top of that.
Someone help me make sense of this - is it any good? How many "series" are there? Any particular recommendations?

Jeanne Hedge
www.jhedge.com

"Believe me, if I have to go the rest of my life without companionship, knowing myself won't be a problem."
-- Gabrielle of Potadeia

Here is an article on WSJ.com about a judge in the Phillippines who was dismissed a year ago due to his belief in three invisible elves who only he can see, and who since then has become a regular on TV. One can only shake ones head at this one.
--The Twisted One"Welcome to Fanboy Hell. You will be spending eternity here, in a small room with Jar-Jar Binks and Dobby the house-elf."
"If you
wish to converse with me, define your
terms."

--Voltaire

marryourdaughter.net
Words fail me.--
Christopher Angel, aka JPublic
The Works of Christopher Angel
"Camaraderie, adventure, and steel on steel. The stuff of legend! Right, Boo?"

I was reading a Harry Potter fanfic last night, where wild magic was colored purple, and it struck me that I've seen chaotic/wild magic colored purple in several fics. Has anybody else noticed a trend to use purple for such magic, or any other color? I'm curious as to what people might have seen. Is there something about purple that just screams 'wild/chaos' to fanfic writers?
*grin* So - thoughts/anecdotes? Am I completely off-base here?
-Feinan

Anyone else watching this series as it comes closer to an ending?
The wrap-up so far is almost cliched but still pretty freaking epic.

Tonight, I was going down to the airport to pick up a friend for two weeks of sun and relaxation.
But, I'm not going to.
I'm not going to because instead of a vacation, this week my friend is burying her brother, who committed suicide Friday. He leaves behind a wife and two small children.
She is in a state of shock. She was close to her older brother, and she lost her father two years ago to an illness. No one saw this coming. While he was having problems with his wife, they didn't appear to be ones that were insurmountable. But he hung himself and now, two children are without their father, a wife is now a widow, and a sister and brother are without their big brother.
I feel helpless. I live two thousand miles away, too far to offer any physical support. I've already sent a sympathy card, and talked to her via IM last night. I only know her brother through her IMs, and he seemed like a nice guy.
I just wish I could do more, but here, I am little more then an observer. Going there is impossible, for several reasons. I know she's hurting, and I can't do more then offer a few words of support and comfort. I am also a little depressed for her, knowing that instead of joy this week, she's having to work though the worse someone can know -- the loss of a close family member.
So, why bother? I just needed to vent, to do it in public. There are so very few people I can call friend, and when one hurts, I hurt along with them. This girl has been through so much -- a traumatic experience during High school, her father passing away, and now the loss of her brother. And here I am, unable to do anything real. A card and a few typed words seem so pale, so little. I just needed to put my feelings down in some form. Life can be cruel sometimes, and a lot of times, we can only stand by and watch events unfold and wishing we could do something more.
Her brother is at peace now, but I think it will be a long time before my friend and her family are at peace. I just wish I could take some of that burden from her and place it upon myself. But I am left with only a prayer for his spirit, and a hope that my friend can overcome it.
Craig