Okay, for a couple of weeks we had 32 registered members here, with the most recent one being Kaze no Ryuu. Then, last week some time, it dropped to 31. No problem, I think to myself, there's probably some function that discards inactive members, just like at the EPU boards. Then this morning, we're back up 32 -- and the most recent new member is still Kaze no Ryuu.
I'm so confused!

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

The final draft of Chapter 12 went to my prereaders about half an hour ago. If all goes well, it should be posted for public consumption no more than a week from now.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

It struck me while I was driving home from work yesterday that this song would be rather nasty in the BGC universe. There are a few other possibilities for it, of course, but the immediate one I thought of was to break any limiting codes or devices on any boomers in range, turn an enemy's electronic devices against them, and so on.
The following lyrics are my own transcription, since Google has failed me. *grumble*
---
Psykosonik - "Teknojihad" - _Psykosonik_
(shoot at once)
Teknojihad
(shoot at once)
A boot into the face, the dream that fills your night
Decades later it seems George Orwell might be right
Your dead polemics have sent millions to their graves
Despite your armies still we'll never be your slaves
Chorus 1:
Goodbye
Goodbye
(shoot at once)
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Chorus 2:
Teknojihad
Electronic holy war
Teknojihad
Burn the system to the core
Teknojihad
Hear the angry voice of God
Shoot at once now we unleash
Teknojihad
Servitude is in the mind of death and life
Don't be confused by the terms of left and right
Statism is statism by any name the same
Apathy is suicide and we will bear the blame
Chorus 1 x1
Chorus 2 x1
(shoot at once)
Cupid's Arrow Brother Warthog Error
Zeroboys unleash domestic terror
Jack it in and burn the data
Violence a religion they can relate to
So let them hear this
And let them feel this
Don't forget that the power always comes
From the barrel of a loaded gun
(spoken)
The battles continued into Sunday morning, with tanks and troops finally forcing students to evacuate... *gunshot* running for their lives. Blood was spilled on the streets.
By thousands and thousands year round they're being killed *machine gun firing*
Somebody's got to make some sacrifice
Somebody's got to make some sacrifice
Somebody's got to make some sacrifice
It had been a massacre.
Chorus 2 x1
(spoken)
Blood was spilled on the streets... It had been a massacre.
---
Another version I heard once made it rather explicit that the incident which inspired the song was the Tienemen Square massacre. The spoken bits are, to the best of my knowledge, voice samples from news broadcasts covering the massacre.
Yours,
Adam Rajski

"Everything You Know Is Wrong"
It would be the ultimate in causing massive confusion from things working exactly the _opposite_ from the way they're supposed to. With lyrics like "Black is white, up is down, and short is long" the metagift has a whole load of fun things that might happen.

I didn't do as much on it this week as I'd hoped. I'll try to finish my final polishing in the next day or so, get it to my prereaders this weekend, and if no great complaints are raised, I'll probably post it on Access Denied!, the FFML and r.a.a.c all on Friday.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Okay, in an attempt to redirect an off-topic discussion over in "The Game", let me try to start it up over here.
First, after looking for and finding "The Crosstime Adventures of Athena and Sheila" (for reasons which I will explain below), I found a link to Biles and Hosmers' "Sailor Moon Z" and rediscovered "Athena", the "pre-incarnation" of Sailor Mercury. So as it turns out, I did know who folks were talking about, but I still wasn't planning on using her.
Now, the reason I was looking for that fic. It's one of the few places I can remember where an obscure factoid I once heard was employed: I don't remember where I heard it, or who said it, but apparently, Misato in Evangelion is supposed to be an analogue/parallel universe alter ego/whatever of Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon. It's used as a device in "Crosstime Adventures", but that seems to be the only place anyone has ever played with the concept in a fic. And just about the only time I've ever seen the claim. Has anyone else ever heard this, and does anyone know of any definitive source for the claim? Thanks.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

You may or may not have noticed, but at the top of most of the forum screens there's a new option -- a live chatroom. I don't know if anyone's really interested in it, but it's been available since, well, the beginning, so I thought I'd activate it.
I'm also making other minor tweaks here and there. Among other things, I'm planning on shutting off the emoticon option if I can; I've had any number of messages suddenly and unexpectedly display smiley faces when I didn't intend them. If anyone objects, let me know.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I can't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier (of course, my memory being what it is these days I could just be forgetting ) - what about Styx's Mr. Roboto? I know it's a little late in the game, but it seems to be a rather fitting Boomer-related song...
Offsides
Drunkard's Walk Forum Moderator and Prereader At Large

I could see Doug trotting this out during the Evangelion step during the battle with the 5th(?) angel (the geometric one that they kill with the electron beam cannon they black out all of Japan to power). Angel manages to sever the power cord? No problem; we'll run it through Doug!

Quote:

---

Light Up My Room
by Barenaked Ladies

A Hydro-field cuts through my neighborhood
Somehow that always just made me feel good
I can put a spare bulb in my hand
And light up my yard
Late at night when the wires in the walls
Sing in tune with the din of the falls
I'm conducting it all while I sleep
To light this whole town
If you question what I would do
To get over and be with you
Lift you up over everything
To light up my room
There's a shopping cart in the ravine
The foam on the creek is like pop and ice cream
A field full of tires that is always on fire
To light my way home
There are luxuries we can't afford
But in our house we never get bored
We can dance to the radio station
That plays in our teeth
If you question what I would do
To get over and be with you
Lift you up over everything
To light up my room
A Hydro-field cuts through my neighborhood
Somehow that always just made me feel good
I can put a spare bulb in my hand
And light up my yard
Light up my yard
Lights in my yard
Light up my yard

---

Today is the one-year anniversary of the release of chapter 11. I had hoped to release chapter 12 by today, but that is not to be. However, you'll be glad to know that it is almost complete. Right now (in between tasks for the Book From Hell) I'm doing final polishing, and hopefully I'll be able to release it either by this weekend or if not, then next.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.