...I don't need to start imagining Doug getting stuck in Lost. Even if his response to the threat against Kate last night would be unspeakably cool...


-- Bob
---------
For Jor-El so loved the Earth, he sent his only begotten son...

As promised here is my first attempt at a Nanoha fanfic. Thought I'd post what I have so far. Warning: Not yet proofread. Good night.
-------------
Deep inside the Area 51 complex the massive Aquinas hub of super-computers was humming along parsing intelligence data gathered from across the world correlating satellite pictures with census data, intercepted emails with secret agent reports, and so forth for millions of sources of data. All with the infinite patience of a machine, coldly calculating the odds, sifting through that vast mass of data for the nuggets of information its human masters where interested in.
In the middle of this electronic nerve center spanning several floors and broad enough that people sometimes got lost in the twisty maze of maintenance tunnels Technician First Class Johannes was having a cup of coffee. He had just gone trough the arduous task of fixing the Helios subsystem, by the highly technical means of a swift kick. Therefore he can surly be forgiven if in the process of massaging his foot he accidentally dropped his canteen, after all, not that many millions of dollars of electronics shorted out.
Cyan Productions Presents
Sir you have to see this! Cried the Colonel as he barged into the office, waving a printout of something. Whatever it can't be as important as what just happened! My grand plan for world conquest was thwarted again!
What is it Colonel? I ask with barely suppressed fury as I turn away from the computer to look at this ignorant twerp who dared to interrupt. Hah, he looks nervous now!
I'm very sorry for interrupting General, but Aquinas flagged this for immediate action. We finally might acquire one of the Whispered.
Hmm, you could hear the capital in that last word. Must be important. Well what are you waiting for. See to it immediately, the computer is never wrong, and I am busy! There look at him run. If only I could get that to work in the game too.
And so the general turned back to the Galactic Destroyer Maker and dismissed the matter from his mind.
A Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Full Metal Panic crossover.
And so it came to be that a few hours later in the land of the rising sun, where the mentioned object was just doing that particular action, near the Seishou Auxiliary Elementary School agent Smith was trying to be inconspicuous. In a black suit with sunglasses on. It might have worked better if it wasn't raining quite so hard. It had been hard to find any agent willing to there for this mission, this was one of those areas that most agents avoided like the plague, much like certain parts of Jubaan in Tokyo and Sunnydale in California. Agents had a tendency to start hallucinating in those areas and report things such as demons or girls in miniskirts jumping tall buildings. Much as had happened to poor agent Mulder.
Smith wasn't afraid however. He had volunteered for this mission because it was certain to be a cakewalk. After all how hard could it be to abduct a ten year old. Unfortunately for Agent Smith he ignored the ominous thunder that this thought produced. And if this girl really was a Whispered he would just have to turn her over to his real masters in Amalgam.
--Insert title here.--
... and Cassandra is about to have kittens. Suzuka finished explaining. I smiled and tried not to wince as my left leg sent a reminder not to let Signum tag me in the future. Before I could respond however this weird guy in a full suit stepped up and asked;
Miss Testarossa, may I speak with you in private for a minute?
Huh, this guy stands out like a sore thumb, he had to be a rookie from the Bureau. I wonder what they wanted to talk about and why the Admiral hadn't just called me. Probably just some paperwork that has gotten messed up again. Sure, Nanoha can you tell Miss Haruna I will be a little late?
Ok, see you in class. She replied as she and the others ran off to get out of the rain.
So what did you want? I said ignoring the car driving up behind me as the bus left.
Please get in the car. He calmly asked while pulling out a gun and aiming it at me. There was a click of a car door opening while I was too stunned to react. Fortunately Bardiche knew just how to react, and his announcement of Defenser took these jokers by complete surprise.
^_^
I knew this was going to be easy agent Smith thought to himself, as the courtyard cleared of kids eager to be out of the rain. Everything was going according to plan until he pulled the gun and told her to get into the car. What was that? He wondered and adrenalin surged at the unexpected and clearly mechanical voice. S#!T, there is probably going to be a Mythril strike team here any minute. Better take her down and drag her of before they get here. His legs almost gave way under him when his bullets bounced off something in mid flight. And where has she suddenly gotten that pole arm from?
Scythe Form she calmly announced as she settled her furious red eyes right on him.
Yes Sir Came the response from that same mechanical voice as the pole arm suddenly sprouted a massive golden energy blade. Before she took more than two steps in his direction however a voice from the car called out: Beta Three! Beta Three!
Escape plan three, the part of his mind that wasn't frozen in shock noted and training took over. Get out of the hot zone under cover from the smoke grenades and make your own way back to the meeting point in Tokyo. He was already moving through the rapidly spreading smokescreen before the full implications hit him.
E: "Did they... did they just endorse the combination of the JSDF and US Army by showing them as two lesbian lolicons moving in together and holding hands and talking about how 'intimate' they were?"
B: "Have you forgotten so soon? They're phasing out Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Looks like Talienas' favorite webcomic is having some domain registration issues. Attempts to reach project-apollo.net get to a "this domain is on hold pending deletion for nonpayment of registration fees" page.--
"Use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of General Zod has been approved."
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

Okay, I'm giving up on this fic. As far as I'm concerned, it's jumped the shark. The only thing the latest chapter -- which I've just finally read -- had to recommend it was the excellent DADA class sequence at the end, but that's not enough to rescue this fic from spiralling down towards its death from pointlessness.
And it had such potential, too.

-- Bob
---------
For Jor-El so loved the Earth, he sent his only begotten son...

In a remarkably sympathetic article that can be found here.
(Lawrence Lessig, a professor of law at Stanford Law School, regularly comments on legal matters for the Financial Times.)
-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

... an' now I got so many bunnies, I don't know what to do! Please mister, you wanna buy a bunny? (From a Spike Jones song, IIRC)
(since I couldn't find a bunny thread in the past three pages or so that wasn't either a specific setting or co-opted to discuss and develope one of the bunnies)

So... redhead, bright green eyes, floral name... Suppose Lily Evans was Haruno Lily instead? It's at least a hook to hang a HP/Naruto on, if you have a plot to be hung.
- CD
ETA: Also, you know how they say that everyone is the hero in their own mind, be they protagonist or antagonist? Well, I just figured out a possible justification Akatsuki can use - they're capturi8ng these dangerous, insane demon vessels and getting them out of circulation, and whatever their final goal, they certainly believe that the benefits - probably mainly to themselves, granted - outweigh the damage done along the way.
Edit: TitleThat which does not kill us... has made its last mistake.
SERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
Next morning, Harry found himself butt-naked in the other side of town, mouth tasting of lima beans. - from Uzumaki Harry by Shadow Crystal Mage
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

chapter 13 is now around 25 kb or so...
Just thought I'd let you know that progress, however slow, IS being made...
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

...or how long they're going to be available, so get them now if you want them: screenshots from episode 25 of the new anime. (Spoilers, obviously.)
Obviously, from the shots of Urd and Skuld, they're continuing the anime past the Lord of Terror arc...
-Rob Kelk

(Edit: If Paradox sees Skuld like that, he's really going to worry... -RK)
--
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 listen to a lot of filk songs, and after seeing March of Cambreadth show up, I've been trying to think of some useful filk for Doug. After a bit of consideration, I thought this one might be...interesting. And given the origin of its subject matter, I thought Doug would approve of the song wholeheartedly.

Operation: Desert Storm
Tom Smith
The land is burning and dry under hot desert skies.
My gut is churning but you won't see fear in my eyes.
Nothing to lose as I climb in and look to the roads,
Then light the fuse of the cannon, which promptly explodes.
The blast sends me skyward and into free fall,
With one final thought as I head towards the wall:
I'll get that Road-Runner if it's the last thing I do.
If Murphy's Laws are religion, I must be a saint.
What else explains semis bursting from tunnels I paint?
A thousand Rube Goldberg nightmares lie smashed in my garage --
How many falling pianos can that damn bird dodge?
From magnetic birdseed to dynamite darts,
I could buy General Mills with what I spend on parts,
But I'll get that Road-Runner if it's the last thing I do.
I should forget it, he's not big enough for a stew.
My line of credit with Acme is ten years past due.
Got no insurance, I can't sign for claims with my paws.
In vile durance for breaking most EPA laws.
But my super genius will deal with that dunce,
Remember that I have to win only once,
And I'll get him someday -- perhaps I should try something new.
My canyon compactor was perfect to echo my screams.
My backpack reactor worked fine, until I crossed the beams.
My bomb extender snapped back with the lit TNT.
My flying blender was just a tad quicker than me.
But I'm smarter, I'm stronger, and he's only fast,
Let's hear him "beep beep" with his head up his ass,
And I'll get that Road-Runner if it's the last thing I do!
(spoken)
.... Eureka! That's it!
EARTHQUAKE PILLS!!
Effect: All mad-scientist-style equipment within range backfires disastrously against its creator.
--Feinan

Everybody talkin' 'bout the seventh son
In the whole wide world there is only one
And I'm the one, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I can tell your future, it will come to pass
I can do things to you make your heart feel glad
Look in the sky, predict the rain
Tell when a woman's got another man
I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I can talk these words that will sound so sweet
They will even make your little heart skip a beat
Heal the sick, raise the dead
Make the little girls talk outta their heads
I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I can talk these words that will sound so sweet
They will even make your little heart skip a beat
Heal the sick, raise the dead
And make the little girls talk outta their heads
I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I'm the one, hey, hey
I'm the one
Oh, I'm the one, babe
Oooo, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
-- Johnny Rivers, Seventh Son
(I've always had a sneaking suspicion that Orson Scott Card's "Alvin Maker" series was inspired by this song; so many of the things the singer says he can do in the lyric, Alvin does do...)

-- Bob
---------
For Jor-El so loved the Earth, he sent his only begotten son...