I wonder if Doug would ever commission a music artist for specialty songs? It would be an interesting job to specifically create songs primarily as a catalyst for Doug's power. And, if it were done in his home universe, the pay would be quite substantial, considering what his apparent bank statement looks like.

Does anyone know, or know where I can find, the lyrics to Stillwater's song "Mindbender"?
Thanks!
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

...is one that Doug would never want to play:
So you think you're a Romeo
playing a part in a picture-show
Take the long way home
Take the long way home
Cos you're the joke of the neighborhood
Why should you care if you're feeling good
Take the long way home
Take the long way home
But there are times that you feel you're part of the scenery
All the greenery is comin' down, boy
And then your wife seems to think you're part of the furniture
Oh, it's peculiar, she used to be so nice.
When lonely days turn to lonely nights
you take a trip to the city lights
And take the long way home
Take the long way home
You never see what you want to see
Forever playing to the gallery
You take the long way home
Take the long way home
And when you're up on the stage, it's so unbelievable,
Unforgettable, how they adore you,
But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity,
Oh, calamity, is there no way out?
Does it feel that your life's become a catastrophe?
Oh, it has to be for you to grow, boy.
When you look through the years and see
What you could have been
Oh, what might have been,
If you'd had more time.
So, when the day comes to settle down,
Who's to blame if you're not around?
You took the long way home
You took the long way home...
-- Supertramp, Take The Long Way Home
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

...I'm now paying real cash to keep this board advertising-free. It's not much -- 6 months of "gold level" service for $34 -- but it's worth every penny in my opinion.
Now, since I can easily handle this cost out of pocket, I'm only going to say this once: If anyone wants to contribute to the upkeep of the board area, there's a donation option at the bottom of the main page, the treasure chest thing. Also, there's something called EZSupporter that I know nothing about, but apparently members who are EZSupporters defray my costs with their visits. If you care to, feel free to use either of these options. If you don't care to, or can't for any reason, don't worry about it. This is the only announcement I'll ever make about this, so don't worry about endless whining pleas.

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

I go away for a little bit and Bob changes forums. Eh, as Logan said, at least there's no popups. I'm Aaron Johnson, known to many as Ebony. Regular reader of the EPU forum and stories and starting to be a fan of Bob's work as well. I also do work in the RPG market, as Senior Editor for Living Room Games, the company that picked up the Earthdawn license from FASA (now WizKids). I also have a day job as a proofreader; one that I'm trying to bail out of sometime soon.
Ebony the Black Dragon
aka Draco Draconis Ebenium
known to FASA as Aaron F. Johnson
Senior Editor, Living Room Games
www.lrgames.com
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

Well I don't know why I came here tonight
I've got a feelin' that somethin' ain't right
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair
And I'm wonderin' how I'll get down the stairs
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you
Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you
And I'm wonderin' what it is I should do
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face
'Cause I'm showin' up all over the place
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
Well you started off with nothin'
And you're proud that you're a self-made man
And your friends they all come crawlin',
Slap you on the back and say
Please....please....
Tryin' to make some sense of it all,
But I can see there is no sense at all
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor,
I don't think that I can take any more
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right,
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
Well you started off with nothin'
And you're proud that you're a self-made man
And your friends they all come crawlin',
Slap you on the back and say
Please....please....
Well I don't know why I came here tonight
I've got a feelin' that somethin' ain't right
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair
And I'm wonderin' how I'll get down the stairs
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you
-- Stealer's Wheel, Stuck In The Middle With You
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Okay, you evil people have actually made me think about a Sailor Moon Step when I never intended for one. The following little scenelets have been coming to me over the past week, with the last one manifesting midmorning today as the result of a collision in my mind between the phrase "Magical Princess Schwarzenegger" from the earlier thread, and Doug's likely opinion of Tuxedo Mask's general utility in a battle.
Enjoy.
-- Bob
-----------------
"Look, Luna, were you a military advisor back in the old SilverM? Tactical advice, strategic things, stuff like that?"The cat looked a bit confused. "Noooo," she admitted. "I wasa royal advisor on protocol and etiquette.""Right," I said, valiantly avoiding sarcasm. "Well, then, Lu,why don't you just leave the business of training Usagi to fight in my hands, and when we find your Moon Princess, you can tell us how to say hello to her properly."---------"You, I like. You're a mensch," I said, and Artemis preened. I jerked a thumb toward Luna. "*She's* an old biddy." The white cat snickered while Luna faced away from me and superciliously raised her tail and nose.---------"That's *not* the way it was done in the Silver Millennium!" Luna sniffed.I grabbed the annoying critter by the scruff of her neck beforeshe could dodge, and hauled her up to eye level. "And whathappened to the Silver Millennium?" She scowled at me but saidnothing. "I rest my case."---------"Listen to Luna," I told Usagi. "Consult her, learn from her.But don't trust her fully. She has her own agenda, which may notbe *yours*. Allow her to advise you, but don't let hermanipulate you."Usagi turned an uncharacteristically-serious gaze upon me. "Andwhat about *you*, Doug-sensei? What agenda do *you* have?"I grinned and laughed. "Good girl! You'll be a leader yet." Ipatted her hand. "I have two goals right now. One is to makesure you get trained well enough that you can survive to meetyour destiny, whatever it is, on your own terms.""And the other?""The other is to go home."---------"Is that all you can do? Throw flowers? Because you really should be packing more heat of some kind. If it has to be magical, well, we can work with that. You can enchant guns, you know. I've done it." I paused for a moment. "Not intentionally, mind you, but I've done it."Usagi perked up. "You can? Cool! Maybe you could make Mamo-chan a great big machine gun that shoots roses!" She wrapped her arms around a huge imaginary long-arm, sited along its invisible barrel and started spinning around in place, blowing away enemies that existed only in her imagination. "Badda-badda-badda-badda-boom! 1200 roses a minute! Those youma won't stand a chance!" she bellowed. "We'll mow'em down! We'll shred'em!"The room was silent for a long moment as two cats, Tuxboy, the other Senshi and I stared at a Usagi lost in the fantasy of being Magical Princess Schwarzenegger. Then I turned to Mamoru. "You know, that's so silly it just might...""No," he said."Okay," I replied. "It was just an id...""No," he repeated.-------------
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Fan artist Dave Menard has expressed a willingness (after I asked him ) to do some DW2 work. He's chosen a scene early in chapter 12... and I think, when it's released, you'll all love it, based on the description he's given me of his intentions.
But of course, I can't tell you what it is, because that would be a spoiler...

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

I was reading the thread on the Transformers theme, and wondered what other tracks from the movie might do.
Hunger (the Sharkicons theme) strikes me as something that might be useful if Doug weas in an eating contest - or if the effects were different, for drumming up customers at a foodstand"I pick you up by the throat.""I'm twice your height right now, you can't reach... Damn, you did!"- Excerpt from a Werewolf LARP
D for Drakensis

You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.

Here's one that's probably been thought of before, though the most logical consequence might be a bit overpowered.
Pat Benetar's "Invincible"
I can see this as granting, well, invincibility, but only in a true life-or-death situation, due to the lines:
Stand up and face the enemy
It's a do or die situation
We will be Invincible....
Is this one already in Doug's repertoir, and if so, just how does it work?