For some reason I can only post when I'm at work. When I try to post from home, I get a timeout after clicking the submit button. I tried three different browsers across two different operating systems. Weird...

Well. I exhibit no surprise.
Ja, -n

===============================================
"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"

These were the winners of the Anime Boston 2006 AMV contest. There were a lot of *damn* fine AMVs this year, and except for the drama winner I was rooting for all of these.
Drama: Lost Ones - "Change the World" by Anberlin, set to The Place Promised in Our Early Days.
Fun/Upbeat/Other: Foxman Begins - Batman Begins trailer audio set to Naruto. This one had the entire crowd laughing hysterically.
Romance: Conter Les Heures - "Halleujah" as covered by Rufus Wainwright set to Chrono Cross. Very well done, however beware the spoilage.
Comedy: Fullmetal Hell - Various clips set to the Fullmetal Alchemist movie. Even for someone like me who has zero interest in FA this was incredibly funny.
Best Editing: true:FICTION - "Das Omen" and "Lauf der Zeit" by E Nomine set to various anime. The sheer amount of clips and technical wizardry in this AMV is astounding.
Action and Best of Show: Hold Me Now - Hall Om Mig by Nanne Gronnvall set to Princess Tutu. My friends and I were ecstatic that this won; in fact, it is quite possibly the best AMV any of us had seen. Watch it. NOW.
Side note: strangely enough, there were a large number of Bon Jovi AMVs this year; at least three or four.*********
Touched By His Noodly Appendage
www.venganza.org

The Flu Pandemic
by Greg Henkel
Performed by The Flying Fish Sailors

It was the Flu pandemic
And it swept the whole world wide
It caught soldiers and civilians
And they died, died, died!
Whether theyre lying in the trenches
Or lying in their beds
Twenty million of them got it
And theyre dead, dead, dead!

There was a soldier on the battleground in 1917
He turned there to his buddy
with his face a ghastly green
He said We made it both through Paeschendale,
the Somme, and Flanders too
But now my numbers up my lad
for Ive gone and caught the flu
chorus
Well a nurse was in the hospital
when Tommy was brought in,
When he sneezed she caught a face full
that was flying in the wind
She wrote a letter home to England
to tell them of her plight
But the letter never got there
cause the Postman too had died
chorus
From the meadowlands of Somerset
and oer the bounding main
To the shores of old Americay
they sung the same refrain
Mother, fathers, uncles and aunts
as well as the odd nephew
Brothers and sisters and bosses and lovers
were all got by the flu
chorus
Well a farmer out in China
watched his family dropping down
And a businessman in Cairo
hit the street without a sound
And an eager little Bolshevik in old Sevastapol
couldnt keep up his grinnin at Lenin
as Comrade Virus took its toll
chorus

Much to my suprise, it seems no one has siezed n the seemingly-obvious reversal of a common aphorism to make a revelutionary slogan that is "Fight the hand that beats you!" Hence, I donate it for the use of the writer maniacs here, wherever it may seem apropos.
- CDSERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
A kung-fu nun in a leather thong was no less extreme than anything else he had seen that day. - Rev. Dark's IST: Holy Sea World
--
"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

Authors note only one of these flavours is not can actual Japanese Ice-Cream flavour. Can you guess which one? I dont really have an ending for this it is just a fragment.

Thibor could feel the wall against his back. He pressed into it, feeling every pit and imperfection in the paint. His eyes remained focused on the door.
Well Major. We always knew it could come to this eventually. Cammy said with a shaky, forced calm. I didnt think it would be under these circumstances; but if I do not get a chance to say it
Will not die. Thibor grated. Is bad situation. Is going to take every last ounce of strength. Every nerve. Every fiber. Is going to be fought with tooth, and nail and tongue; but will not die!
Speak for youself Major. Simon said, taking cover behind Cammys desk; his long legs bending almost to his chin. Im hoping for a quick and relatively painless death. I dont think Ill get one. But I can always hope.
Look chaps. Cammy said. There is an air vent over there. I deeply regret the necessity, but I am going to squeeze through the grating and leave you both to your ill-deserved fate. Cheers.
Is not happening. Thibors hand closed on Cammys wrist. She tried to pull away, but Thibors hand expanded, fur and claws ripping through the skin. His other hand grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against his chest.
Thibor! Cammy squirmed in the werewolfs powerful grip. Look this is hardly dignified.
And crawling through air vent is dignified? Thibor grinned. Besides. Is too late!
Im back! Naoko burst into Cammys office, a cooler dangling from one arm.
How was your family? Cammy asked through a banana grin as she tried to wiggle out of Thibors grasp. Everyone is well I take it?
Theyre great! Naoko said dropping the cooler on Cammys desk. Mom just got a new design contract, and Dad is standing at the crossroads of hell.
Cammy nodded. Naokos parents were lovely people. Her mother was an architect who specialized in environmentally sustainable office tower designs. Her father was an actor who was currently working on a remake of the Lone Wolf and Cub films. They were progressive, educated and wildly supportive of their daughters chosen career. In fact they were as ideal a family as could be hoped for; except for one thing; the care package that they always sent home with their daughter.
Simon! Naoko leaned over the desk. What are you doing down there.
I dropped my wallet. Simon rose, his long frame unfolding.
Has volunteered to buy us all dinner. Thibor said. Is finding fabulous Indian food place; is serving food so hot that is making whole skull into tandoori oven.
Sounds great! Naokos eyes gleamed. Maybe later. Right now it is time for ice-cream! You can start your excuses now.
I just havent been working out as much as I normally do. Cammy said, a drop of sweat on her brow. I fear I would not be able to fit into my uniform if I indulge.
I am becoming a transvestite. Simon announced. And if I eat too much ice-cream I wont be able to fit into Lieutenant Colonel Hoyles uniform.
Am not planning to become transvestite. Thibor said. Am planning to try and get into Cammys uniform; but cannot have any ice cream because am planning to lick own crotch later and is not wanting bad taste in mouth before starting.
Thibor! Cammy said. That is inappropriate.
If is volunteering alternate crotch, then compromise is certainly possible. Thibor grinned, collecting an elbow in the midriff.
Better than last time. Naoko said. Sorry Cammy, I checked, eyewitnesses spotted you in the gym this morning doing an estimate 300 sit ups. Simon, nice try; but IST uniforms are unisex and incredibly stretchy, it would still fit. Thibor Ick.. just ick!
Naoko. Cammy said reasonably. Do we really have to do this every time you go visit your parents? Why dont you just tell them that you really dont like Japanese specialty ice cream.
I cant. Naoko said, hanging her head slight. Back when I was training for the Olympics gymnastics team, Dad and Mom would always meet me after practice and wed go out for ice cream. It was their way of showing how proud they were of me. So now, because we cant get together very often, they always send it home with me. It is really important to them, so I cant just throw it out; and I cant eat it all myself. So, can you all please help me
Very well. I shall go first. Cammy disengaged from Thibor and flipped the top off the cooler. She was rewarded by a slight whoosh and tendrils of vapor, evidence of the dry ice that kept everything frozen on the long journey from Kyoto to London.
Thanks Cammy. Naoko produced a small bag of plastic spoons. What did you get?
I am uncertain. I think it might be green tea. Cammy popped the top off of the container, revealing a green, slightly granular looking ice cream. She dipped a spoon in and scooped out a sample. No. It is not green tea; and is rather horrible.
Char grilled seaweed. Naoko read off the side of the container as Cammy passed it over. She took a spoonful, winced visibly, and passed the container to Simon. Well, at least it is high in iron.
Is words describing how wrong this is. Thibor stated, emptying the container. But am not allowed to use them in polite conversation.
Ello, Ello, Ello, Wots all this them? Colonel Byrd stood in the door frame, a wide, pseudo-grin stretched across his features.
Were sampling some ice cream Colonel. Cammy said with a straight face. You are certainly welcome to join us.
Tah. Byrd snagged a spoon and container, snapping the top off with a flick of his thumb. The ice cream was a dull gray. He scooped up a mouthful and moved it from cheek to cheek, contemplating the taste and texture. Just what flavour is it then?
Charcoal. Naoko said.
Dont taste a bit like er. Byrd tossed the container to Thibor. Dyou agree there Major?
Would not know. Thibor said with a forced calm; aware of Cammys gaze falling on him. Interesting.
Interesting? Cammy tried some, her features screwing up slightly at the taste. Major, I appreciate your restraint, but I am unsure how you can label the contents of that container interesting.
Is matter of scale. Thibor said. Is land that features, blowing yourself up on TV, universal school-girl fetish, and Hello-Kitty vibrate... weddings. Is all strange. Charcoal flavoured ice cream just rates interesting. Is not truly bizarre enough to get into top ten.
Ugh! Naoko nearly spat up the mouthful she had just tried. No way! Squid guts!
Better than charcoal. Thibor tried it and passed it along. He accepted another container from Cammy. Squid ink?
Oh bloody hell! Salt flavour. Byrd reached for another container. Best have some of the curry flavor. All we need is fishnchipsGuinness flavor and it will be a lads night out.
The Guinness is over by Simon. Cammy covered her mouth as she giggled. Oh, Thibor! Do try this one. Dracula Cool Garlic Mint flavor. Oh my. This is simply horrible.
It cannot be worse that this one. Simon countered. Hot spring water, with the smell and taste of sulfur.
Miso Soup Ramen! Naoko dug out the artfully cut kamaboko and flicked it at Simon.
I can top it. Simon deftly flicked a bit of plum back at Naoko. Pickled plum and shiso flavor.
Finland ice, with extra xylitol. For the exquisite taste of visit to dentist. Cammy said.
Pit Viper. Naoko looked pained as she swallowed the mouthful. Ick. They say it is supposed to be an aphrodisiac.
Best ask Bitterbuck to confirm that. Byrd chortled.
Colonel! Naoko went red, her freckles vanishing momentarily.
Well its either ask Bitterbuck or the Hello Kitty Vibrator. Byrd shrugged. An I doubt the Vibrator says anything other than I love you, lets all be friends and go explore the cave together.
It is albatross flavor! Cammy said, providing a distracted before Naoko exploded. It is bloody sea-bird, bloody flavor!
Better than lemon collagen. Thibor managed around a particularly chewy mouthful.
Last one. Soy sauce. Simon passed on the container.
Well, this as been truly horrible, thank you Second Lieutenant Yoshida. Byrd patted Naoko on the head, causing her knees to buckle slightly. Carry on then.

Hello everyone ... I'm back!
I've got a few questions to ask.
Does anyone here know where to get the next chapter of Knight of Shadow?
The last one I got was chapter 5. Ain't heard from Azrael's Wing since.
Does anyone here know how to reach him?
Thanks.
117

One of the rules that almost every creative-writing class emphasizes is that you don't stop writing when you hit a brick wall - you just write something else.
So, here's something else, using as its premise a thought that's been nagging at the back of my brain ever since I watched the anime... While it doesn't say so anywhere in the story, it's set between DW III and DW IV.
Bob, if this passes muster, let me know; I'll send you a copy with all the HTML markup already in.

DRUNKARD'S STAGGER: A DAY IN THE LIFE
By Rob Kelk
Based on the Drunkard's Walk fanfic cycle
(created by Robert M. Schroeck)
and Princess Nine
(created by Kensei Date)

This story contains spoilers for the end of Princess Nine.

"Don't cry,
Look up at the sky,
You can see the future
Between the gray clouds."
-- translated from Princess Nine, by SHOUYOU

I don't know why I was surprised. The song that got me to this world was Take Me Out to the Ball Game -- I should have expected to land on an Earth where baseball was the big sport. I don't know whether they even play baseball in Japan back home, but they love it here ...
Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself. My name's Doug Sangnoir, I'm a professional good guy, and I've spent most of the last five years wandering from alternate world to alternate world, trying to find my way home.
I've been on this Earth for nearly two weeks. From my point of view, it's a quiet world. I've heard vauge rumors about people with metahuman abilities (like me), but I haven't seen any evidence of any native to this world. The Japanese aren't borderline-xenophobic here, the way they are back home. There aren't any armed conflicts worse than minor border skirmishes going on. (Korea is split down the middle, and the Arabs and Jews don't like each other, but nobody's called out even the light artillery over either of those problems.) There's no sign of any illicit conspiracies, criminal or otherwise. And there's isn't any hint of a company that could become another GENOM.
It's boring.
Maybe that's why baseball is so popular here -- it's a distraction from the banality of everyday life. Or maybe it's because there's a team from an all-girls school trying to get to Koshien, the Japanese-high-school equivalent of the World Series, this year. From the newspaper stories, it looks like they're the first girls' team to even be allowed to try (which was my first hint that they don't have full gender equality here yet).
I decided to take an afternoon off and see them play last week. They're good -- their pitcher's a "natural", and most of the others are almost that good. Many of them would be in line for professional contracts in some of the worlds I had visited; here, I doubt they'll be able to use their gifts anywhere outside of a school yard unless they're very lucky.
I have a ticket for their next game. The girls are playing the team from their brother school -- a team that's said to be as good as they are, and by all reports has the best batter in the high-school league. This ought to be good.

* * *

We lost. We aren't going to Koshien this year.
And it's my fault.
I know what I have to do.
Nobody will miss me, anyway.

* * *

Shame about the girls not winning this afternoon, but they did a pretty good job considering how badly some of them were off their game for the first eight innings.
I did some historical research after the game -- the more I can find out about other worlds' versions of Japan, the more likely we'll figure out why the Japanese back home are so insular and racist. (Maybe there's something in my subconscious that aims me at so many worlds' Japans, just so I can get this information. I'm not going to complain about it.) But it's only because I stayed at the library until they closed that I was motoring across the Rainbow Bridge at the right time.
About halfway across the bridge, I noticed a pedestrian -- a teenaged girl, from the height and hair. It wasn't until I was even with her that I realized she was climbing the guardrail.
I didn't know what honor code the locals lived by, and I didn't care. Even if she was acting in accordance with local laws and customs, I couldn't let her kill herself. I stopped my bike as quickly as I could safely, turned around (luckily, there wasn't any other traffic that evening), and headed back to the girl. But I doubt she'd trust a stranger ... unless I tweaked the situation with my metatalent.
(Earlier, I mentioned that I have metahuman abilities. The important one in this case is my ability to get powerful or subtle effects from music. I carry a large music collection with me, in a voice-activated computer built into my helmet.)
There were any number of things I could have done, some of which would have been more effective in the short term, but the long-term effects of the one I chose would be better all around -- if it worked. If it didn't, well, I could always switch songs to The Chain and grab her before she hit the water, and worry about the long term after saving her life. "" I told my helmet in English, ". Play song.>"
""
It didn't take very long to get back to where the girl was about to jump off the bridge. I turned my bike back around so I was pointing the right way for traffic, and turned on the parking lights. "Excuse me, miss," I yelled to her in Japanese as I pulled a local map out of the bike's pannier, "could you help me find the U.S. Embassy on this map?"
"I'm a bit busy, sir ..." she answered in a quiet voice without turning around.
"I know, and I'm sorry, but I don't think you'd be able to help me if I wait for you to finish what you're doing. Please?"
She sighed, swung her weight back, and jumped back, off the railing and onto the sidewalk. Then she turned around to look at me. She was a pretty girl in her mid-teens -- she'll be a heartbreaker when she grows up. If she grows up. I had a nagging feeling that I'd seen her somewhere before ... but that wasn't important just then. She walked over and looked at the map that I offered, and we spent about a minute figuring out how to get from here to there.


We spent an hour talking about her.
The song's effects had worn off long before we reached Cafe Kawasumi, the first place we could find to get coffee, but she didn't seem to notice. We walked in, placed our orders, and sat at a table near the door (so she could leave whenever she wanted).
Neither of us said anything for a minute. Finally, she whispered, "Thank you, sir."
"For the coffee? Think nothing of it," I answered with a smile.
"No," she replied. "For stopping me from throwing myself off the bridge."
Ah. She didn't really want to kill herself ... which puzzled me all the more. "If you don't mind, why were you going to jump, miss -- What is your name?"
"Azuma Yuki."
Where had I heard that name before ... oh, yes. "The baseball player?" She nodded. "I saw you play today. Oh, where are my manners? My name's Sangnoir Doug. Pleased to meet you, Azuma-san."
"Pleased to meet you, Sangnoir-san."
Formalities (belated as they were) out of the way, I steered the conversation back to Miss Azuma. "You're a very good outfielder, Azuma-san. Do you plan to make a career out of playing baseball?"
She flinched slightly, then looked at her lap.
"Why not?" I asked.
If I hadn't heard her speak normally on the bridge, I'd be wondering whether she could speak above a whisper. "I shouldn't do anything to stand out."
Oh, dear. It looked like this was another case of "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down", with the girl's psyche getting hammered at the same time.
The coffee arrived just then. We both waited until the waitress left before continuing.
I asked leading questions; Yuki replied in the shortest phrases possible. To summarize what she said, it was an extreme case of the nail that stuck out getting hammered down. She was MVP on her junior-high softball team, but the other girls on the squad (I hesitate to call them her "teammates") punished her for being better than they were. They pushed Yuki away so hard, and the adults in her life did such a good job of ignoring what was going on, that she tried to kill herself.
This is where Yuki's story gets a bit odd. She claimed that she was stopped from trying a second time to suicide by Fifi, an alien from the planet Yukara, 18 light-years from Earth. Back home, the Warriors (the organization that I belong to) didn't know of any planet by that name, or any habitable planet at that distance from Earth, so this part of her story might be a delusion that Yuki constructed to cope with what was happening to her. But this wasn't my home universe, so Yuki might have been telling the unvarnished truth.
Fifi became Yuki's only friend (poor girl) through the rest of junior high, and helped her by telling her things that she needed to know. This continued through most of Yuki's first year of senior-high school. Fifi would tell Yuki things about the baseball games she was playing, or in one case something about one of her teammates (Yuki didn't say what, and I didn't pry). Yuki would act on what Fifi told her, and things would turn out well.
(At that point, I wondered whether she was a precog who had worked her metatalent into her delusion. Assuming it was a delusion; I couldn't ignore the possibility that Fifi was real, and a precog.
But I thought it more important to listen to her story than to take the time to examine her under magesight. Besides, the other people in the cafe would have thought I was leering at her if I did that, and neither of us needed that kind of reputation.
So I'll never know.
Anyway.)
About a week ago, Fifi left Yuki. (One way or the other.) Her current teammates -- I have no hesitation calling them that -- rallied around Yuki, kept her from retreating into despair, and got her started on the road to recovery. The fact that they were winning game after game helped to re-build Yuki's self-esteem, too.
Then came the game that they had lost this afternoon. It had gone into extra innings, the other team's star batter came to bat, and he hit one over the fence -- just above Yuki's glove.
She was looking at her lap again. "If I had worked harder, maybe I could have caught the ball. It's my fault we lost."
I shook my head. "I was there, remember? Azuma-san, you climbed the wall to try to grab that ball! There was nothing else you could have done to catch it."
She looked up. "Are you sure?"
I nodded. "I'm positive. And it wasn't your fault that you lost. Half your team were playing below par; if any one of them was on their game today, you could have won."
I didn't expect that comment to get Yuki to show emotion, but it did. "It's not Ryo-san's fault we lost! Or Izumi-san's. Or ..." Then the anger flowed out of her as quickly as it had arrived. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be sorry for having emotions, Azuma-san, or for standing up for your friends. Those are good things." I took a sip of my coffee. "It wasn't any one person's fault that you lost today. Something was going on -- I don't know what, and I don't care what -- but something kept your team from playing at its best. It's nobody's fault, or it's everybody's fault, but it isn't your fault."
A ghost of a smile danced on her face. She's cute when she smiles. "Thank you, Sangnoir-san."
"You're welcome. There is something you, all of you, should do because of your loss, but killing yourselves isn't it."
She looked surprised. "Oh?"
"Yes. What you should be doing is getting ready for next year. You came this far this year -- with a bit more work, you can go even farther. But that means you all need to practice, practice, practice."
Yuki sighed at my comment. "You sound like you're a baseball coach."
"No, just somebody who enjoys watching a good game. Do you want more coffee?"
She stood up. "Thank you, but no. I should be getting back to my teammates. They might be worried about me." She started toward the door, then turned back. "Will you come see us play again, Sangnoir-san?"
I shook my head. "Probably not, Azuma-san. I doubt I'll still be in Japan for your next game. But I wish you luck."
Then she walked out of my life, and into her own.

* * *

Yes, we lost. We aren't going to Koshien this year.
But there's always next year ...

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Credits and Acknowledgements

"Douglas Q. Sangnoir," "Looney Toons", "The Loon" and any representations thereof are copyright by and trademarks of Robert M. Schroeck, and are used with his permission.
"The Warriors", "Warriors' World", "Warriors International" and "Warriors Alpha" are all jointly-held trademarks of The Warriors Group.
The Drunkard's Walk fanfic cycle was created by Robert M. Schroeck, and is used with his permission.
Princess Nine was created by Kensei Date. The Princess Nine anime was written by Hiro Maruyama, directed by Tomomi Mochizuki, and copyright (C) 1998 Kensei Date / Phoenix / NEP21.
Lyrics from Princess Nine (performed by Miki Nagasawa and Mami Kingetsu) were originally written in Japanese by SHOUYOU and copyright (C) 1998 Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. The English translation, uncredited in the North American CD liner notes, is copyright (C) Animetrax LLC.
Lyrics from Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (performed by The Animals) were written by B.Benjamin/S.Marcus/C.Cadwell. The copyright holder is unknown to me.
All excerpted lyrics are used under provisions of copyright laws and international copyright treaties which permit quoting of limited selections of text in other works.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Concordance
And there's isn't any hint of a company that could become another GENOM.
After the events of Drunkard's Walk II, this is something that Doug would be on the lookout for in any late-20th- or early-21st-century alternate Japan he visits.
Cafe Kawasumi
A nod to Ayako Kawasumi, the voice actress who originally played Yuki Azuma.

(Edit for formatting.)
-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 was re-reading DW2 and something struck me, Doug worries about getting tools to fix his motorcyle, and I am surprised that no-one has suggested (to my knowlegde at least) any song that creates tools, since you are often enough caught without the right tools for the job on hand even if they do exist in that particular universe. So does anyone have any suggestions? I was looking at a few songs but none of them where quite right.
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."

That this song's come up before, somewhere, but I just thought of an absolutely perfect power for it.

I was a highwayman. Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five
But I am still alive.
I was a sailor. I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide.
I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico
I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
But I am living still.
I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around..I'll always be around..and around and around and
around and around
I fly a starship across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again...
I was a highwayman. Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five
But I am still alive.