According to this Register story, an unarmed North Carolina teenager was shot dead by a sheriff's deputy while aforesaid deputy was executing a search warrant at the teen's residence. The teen was suspected of stealing two PS3s.
I thought the "trigger-happy cop" stereotype was a fallacy... If the story is accurate, I hope the deputy gets some unpaid leave time, possibly a few decades' worth...

-Rob Kelk
--
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

I apologise for my recient absence from the game, RL has been bogging me down and I just don't have the time to play for the time being. So as it stands Feel free to remove my toon from the supergroups on both servers since I don't know when or If I'll return.
I enjoyed the time I did spend with the group when I did log on and someone else was on to chat with ^_^ and I'll miss being a lowly sidekick to all you mighty hero's but life hates me and refuses to give me free time heh. I'll still lurk on the boards here and may occationaly pip up with a comment if i can muster enough intellegent words to make one.
Terrence Knight

Every science fiction fan worth his or her weight in Star Wars action figures knows that the Manifest Destiny of Mankind is to explore space, seek out new life and all that jazz, right? Nearly 40 years after the first moon landing, though, its kind of apparent that the rest of the species doesnt think that way. This depresses fandom to a great degree, and we wish that something would change.

The Windup
Next Sunday AD, multiple inventors come together over the internet and create a Plot Device composed of everything the budding post-scarcity society needs to get off the ground. This would normally be the point in science fiction when we fulfill our Manifest Destiny In Space, but it turns out that mankind is more interested in using the Plot Devices to bring everybody up to a decent standard of living. Sure, theres a certain amount of interest in space operations from governments and corporations, but no real interest in colonizing the Final Frontier.
The Pitch
This is a time for pioneers, people with skills and determination and who could be safely considered expendable by their patrons. People who've dreamed their entire lives for a chance like this, and are willing to risk it all for their dreams.
In short, it's time for the science fiction fans of Earth to stand up and be counted! The Mundanes may inherit Earth, but the Fen shall conquer the galaxy!
Well, eventually anyway.
They're working on it.
*insert appropriate dramatic music here*

I'm happily married with a house and three mistresses.
Even with the beard I'm not as hairy as my sister is.
Got a new Hummer, two Ferraris, and some Lexuses,
And all the girls I know got the big big breasteses.
I got a ten-story mansion on the beach
With a swimmin' pool filled up with the drool of Robin Leach.
Richer than a Twinkie, I got so much cash
That to me Paris Hilton is poor white trash.
I take forty-seven weeks of vacation a year.
If people piss me off I can make 'em disappear.
Every time I sneeze I get a feature on the news;
The reporter says "gesundheit" and hilarity ensues.
And how did I get to be the man that I am?
A god among men, only without the tan?
It's simple, every time I have to make a choice
I just listen to my little inner voice.
And he says:
Shave all the hair off your butt and glue it to your nostrils.
Okay.
Steal all the milk from all the supermarkets and put it back in the cows.
All right.
Find out which species of rodent is the most flammable.
Okay.
Let's see what fun crafts we can make using only a chainsaw and Regis Philbin.
Yeah!
So how do I explain my little cranial expressions:
Intuition, premonition, or demonic possession?
It could be God, an angel, or my dead uncle Paul
Or that nasty purple fuzzy thing that lives in my wall.
Doesn't matter, and to be honest I don't wanna know,
'Cause thanks to him I've never had to deal with an HMO
And I can go show off my rocket powered solid gold Benz.
I tell ya life is so much nicer with invisible friends.
Record an all-banjo Falco tribute album.
Done, and done.
Put on a tutu, glue two live wiener dogs to your face, and prance around the subway terminal screaming, "Stop looking at me!"
Okay.
There's no reason not to have sex with a cheese grater.
Hmm, no, I suppose not.
Set up a stand outside of K-Mart with a plate full of frozen peas and a sign reading "Take one!" If anyone asks you what the hell you're doing, give them a button that says "I asked about the peas!"
He's become my best friend, sticks with me to the end;
Thanks to him I'll never live on ramen noodles again
And he's always by my side, every minute, every hour
Though it does get kinda creepy when I'm trying to take a shower.
Still I can't complain 'cause he made me rich
And figured out it was the possum milk that made me itch.
If it seems weird remember the voice made me do it;
I don't question what he says I just get up and get to it.
Itemize everything in your cat's litter box for the next seven years and mail a report to the President with a note saying "Here!"
Good idea.
It's time to find out what urinal cakes taste like.
If you say so.
Get a black and white horizontally-striped suit, a mask, and a bowling ball with a small length of rope hanging from it, and tiptoe around the airport.
Sounds like fun.
How old does a baby need to be before it's too big to fit down the toilet?
I don't know. Let's find out!
Keep swallowing magnets until your farts can erase video tapes.
Will do.
So to that guy in my head I just wanna say thanks
For removin' my angst, so I'm no longer shootin' blanks.
And now I own several banks, plus an inflatable watch
And paid Justin Timberlake to let me kick him in the crotch.
I followed his advice and now I'm makin' major ducats;
If it wasn't for him I'd still be processing McNuggets.
So when life makes you feel like you should've stayed in bed
Just listen to the voice in your head.
And he'll say:
Fat people are full of toys. Go get some!
Yeah!
Build a 20 foot tall nude statue of Tony Goldmark licking warm margarine off a malnourished dolphin out of onions, Pez, and lint.
With pleasure!
If Yanni didn't want to be set on fire and shoved down a flight of stairs, surely he would have said so explicitly by now.
Yeah, I guess so.
Go to a McDonald's Playland, tie that big Officier Big Mac thing to the back of your car, and drive away at 90 miles an hour. When a cop pulls you over, roll down the window and indignantly ask "WHAT?"
You got it!
Move to New Jersey and become a comedy rap artist.
Oh, do I have to?
-- Sudden Death, Inner Voice
-- Bob
---------
...The President is on the line
As ninety-nine crab rangoons go by...

I am looking for a naruto fic that was recced a while back, It was a Naruto/HP cross where Naruto was an ANBU and three other nin were taken to Hogwarts to protect Hogwarts from ninja attack,
Can anyone else remember this fic?_______________________________
We are the swords in the darkness, the watchers on the walls. The fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn. The horn that wakes the sleepers. The shield that guards the realms of men. -The Brothers Black
_________________________________
Take Your Candle, Go Light Your World.

Well, I put this original fic thing up on my livejournal, hoping for enough responses to act as a sounding board for my working the universe out and keep my own interest in it rolling.
No dice.
So, I'm inflicting it on everyone before I admit defeat and give up. ^_^

I dont think I will get around to finishing this one so here is the opening. It was based on an offhanded remark and Lord Omega and the decalf incident some months back.

It was so logical, so rational, and so simple, that it could have only come from a machine. Which was all good, because the plan had been born in the digital synapses of Lord Omega himself. Was it a plan for world domination. No. A destruction reigned down on the flesh-sacks that they would forever remember, at least until the last degenerate one of them died, gripped in a choking metal fist? No. A mild interruption to Wednesday night traffic, followed by a bitter editorial in the Thursday Paragon Times. No.
Lord Omega had simply put an end to coffee shipments into Paragon City. His meticulous research had shown that the removal of coffee from Paragon would cause a 20% drop in work efficiency, a 1.3% reduction in the economy, and a 16% increase in inter-personal conflict. All it took was a handful of drones in the shipping areas of Independence Port and Talos. Simple, efficient and effective.
The results had not been all he had expected, as his master plan had ignored the presence of decaffeinated coffee, which by its very nature, did not meet his very rational definition of the beverage. There had been a drop in efficiency and economy, but they had not been as pronounced as he had planned. There had been another problem.
Someone had taken it personally.

* * *

Incoming! Fire in the hole! Superball dove through the doorway, rolled across the floor and slid in behind Australis, crouching low and hiding behind the antipodean hero's legs. Were all going to die! Horribly!
Superball, for the last time, I am not going to kill any of you. Bella appeared at the doorway, her red eyes glowing. However, should I choose to retract this uncharacteristic mercy, I assure you that you shall be the first to know; followed shortly thereafter by the smoke detectors, fire suppression system and medical transporters.
Still no coffee? Australis shuffled slightly, trying shake Superball from his leg.
None. Bella collapsed into a chair and rubbed at her temples. And no I would not like a cup of tea or decaf, but thank you for the unspoken, and all too common of late offer.
Bonjour mes braves. Jackie Frost sauntered in, a stoneware mug held in one hand. She raised it to her full, red lips and took a sip, obviously relishing it intensely.
No. Bella cradled her head on her arms and tried to sink further into the table. Not even for that.
I shall ask again tomorrow. Jackie settled down on the corner, leaning back and arching her spine to better display her tremendous assets. She languidly placed the mug within Bellas reach. The heat appears to have left it. Bella, ma cher, if you could please.
Bella reached out a hand and dragged to mug across the table. She cupped it reverently between her palms; leaning forward to inhale deeply over the liquid. A thin trickle of stream rose from the mug. Bellas red eyes met Jackies cool blue ones. With an act of supreme willpower, Bella pushed the mug back to Jackie. Australis sighed deeply and extracted a five dollar bill from his pants pocket and dropped it to Superball. Bella arched a single eyebrow at the pair; causing Superball to cower further and Australis to pale ever so slightly under his heavy tan. They eyebrow ratcheted another few degrees as Jackie dipped two fingers into her massive cleavage and extracted two fives, handing one to each of the men.
Am I to understand. Bellas soft, Spanish flavored accent became as hard and unyielding as iron. That the three of you have been betting on whether or not I will let myself be seduced for a single cup of coffee?
Oui. Jackie confirmed taking a sip. Mon dieu! Tres chaud. Though you should be aware that it is not merely a cup of coffee. It is Jamaican Blue Mountain beans; roasted dark in the French fashion and brewed in the proper continental tradition.
Australis considered the tableau in front of him. His relaxed demeanor betrayed slightly be a stiffness in his spine. This was the moment of truth; his Kheldhian instincts were screaming at him to trigger the transformation to his larger and somewhat more fire resilient dwarf form. He fought back the impulse; he had a good read on Bellas body language; her temper was under control and she was unlikely to lose it and explode at the revelation.
Superball. Jackie. Australis. Bella leaned back in her chair. I am serving notice that my uncharacteristic mercy is hereby revoked.
Before the comment had left Bellas lips, Jackie leapt through the door of the kitchen, sealing the doorway behind her with a thick wall of ice. Australis; fully transformed into dwarf form, plowed through it a moment later, trailed by Superball who was making meep-meep noises.
Bella sighed and let her head drop back down to the table. It would only get worse from here. It was already worse, Jackie had taken the cup of coffee with her.

Okay, I promised Scott I'd ask about this -- we were discussing the Halloween costume bits/extra slot thingy yesterday, and he was absolutely certain that he'd heard a promise that the (or a) contact for completing the process would remain somewhere around the city after the Halloween content was deactivated. Can anyone confirm or deny?
Thanks.
-- Bob
---------
...The President is on the line
As ninety-nine crab rangoons go by...

I'm trying to figure out something to use for my concept villian Pyre Ant, which, as a fire themed character leaves me with Corruptor, Dominator, and Brute.
Brute:
Fire/Fire was my initial concept, but honestly, I have massive trouble with the pacing of Brutes. I'd rather not play another.
Dominator:
Again, Fire/Fire. Pacing issues again. Not as bad, but it's there.
Corruptor:
I really like Corruptors, for the same reason I dig Offenders. I like the debuf & blast angle, making this my ideal choice. One would think a Fire/Thermal would be what's called for, but I'm an *awful* healer. Actually, I'm an awful bubbler too, so the shields could be problematic. I'd like an alternate Debuff set that would make sense.
So, I guess that's what I'm asking - what debuff set could you rationalize for a Fire themed Corruptor other than Thermal?
--
Christopher Angel, aka JPublic
The Works of Christopher Angel
"Camaraderie, adventure, and steel on steel. The stuff of legend! Right, Boo?"

Agent's Log.
Date: 514th Turning Period of the 48th Cycle, 4th day of the 18th Week.
Local Date: 94th Turning Period of the 37th Cycle, 1st day of the 7th Week (estimate).
In what was a malfunction of an otherwise routine matter transit, I seem to have been hurtled back in time to an unknown location. I am attempting to make use of the (crude) local information sources to piece together where and when this is.
My father once told me that I would regret not allocating more educational bandwidth to astronomy. I wonder how he'd respond to knowing my current predicament? He might laugh. That would be like him.
In the meantime, I am putting my talents to work alongside a local, seemingly unofficial source of law enforcement. It seems that there is an unspoken barrier between Baseline and Enhanced legal activity. Perhaps a deliberate source of bureaucratic redundancy? I should ask. I should be asking about more things, I think. For starters, where I'm going to put this log so that it can be found later. I don't trust the local computer networks: just interfacing it with my tooth computer seemed to overwhelm their system. And infuriated the librarian, although I did apologize in the traditional manner.
(Personal note: based on observation, the species do not conform to a Type 7 etiquette system. Continue to categorize. Discover more about physiology, activity cycle, diet and presence/absence of pl'krt.)
I will continue this log where possible.
Prina'Surt'Valtir.