This just might take most of the decision about what to do about illegal aliens out of the politicians hands.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2...21,00.html
The politicians won't like that if we start doing things for ourselves we might decide to fire them.
howard melton
God bless

... in the immortal words of Masamichi Fujisawa ... well, you know them well enough by by now, I think.
---
***
This was revenge, plain and simple. It had to be. There was no other explanation. For what sins? For what sins, I ask you ...
Well, alright, maybe there were a few things I did. One or two.
Dozen.
Oy.
I never had siblings, so this sort of thing came right out of left field ... but honestly, I think that I should have expected something like this, in retrospect.
I did mention that she had a unique sense of humor, didn't I?
The one thing I did know was that I needed to fix the regeneration function on this bloody Core of mine, since the template for a recovery after losing all biomass seems to be set ... for the original pattern.
Meaning that, when all was said and done, I had to deal with being a runt again. Damnit.
Kaworu Nagisa, how I hate thee, let me count the ways ...
... the flip side to the situation seemed to be that I was no longer traveling alone. Whether this was lucky or not, I didn't know ... it was certainly less boring.
Unfortunately, less boring didn't necessarily manifest itself in a good way.
Thus, the reason for my being forced to deal with this drek again. Once in a lifetime is enough, thankyou.
Damnit, Shizuru, didn't you know you'd be risking my blowing the place up out of sheer frustration with this?
I bet she was having a ball. Eh. I bet both of them were having a ball, really. Whereas I was faced with an uncomfortable uniform, unfamiliar cultural background, hormonal teenagers and most immediately ... being latelatelate because _someone_ thought it would be amusing to see me dash when she turned off my alarm clock.
Bad Kuga, no Cassul for you this Christmas.
I skidded past the gate, made tracks for the entrance, nearly faceplanted into the floor because of the raised section inside, turned for the stairs ...
... backpedalled when I remembered the lockers.
Changed shoes.
Grrrr. I'll get you two for this. The vengeance of heaven is slow but sure, mark my words!
Dashed upstairs, taking three steps at a time ...
... skidded to ta halt in front of the sliding door of the classroom ...
... fifteen minutes late.
Why does it have to be ... highschool?
Huffed. Puffed. Caught my breath. Or made a show of doing just that, anyway.
Slid the door open and walked in to face my doom in the form of ...
"Normal humans don't interest me. If anyone here is an alien, from the future, from a different dimension, or an esper, then come find me!"
Most of the class was sitting, other than the sensei - a remarkably unremarkable individual - and the person who'd just spoken.
I mentally thanked the terrible twosome who'd gotten me into this situation that they didn't think of signing me up to attend an all-boys school. Then again, they probably knew that something like that would have resulted in genocide on my part.
She was a slender girl, short-ish ... but then, so was I there and then. Hell, I thought like that about almost every asian person I've ever met or run across. Anyway, she was standing ... from what little I recalled from the occasional manga and anime, this meant about as much as that she'd just been introducing herself to the class.
The words hit me, then ...
You know, sometimes, the best sort of revenge is to have fun despite everything. I wasn't constrained by any rules, here. No impending apocalypse, as far as we could tell. A few of the usual conspiracies and such, but compared to what we'd had to deal with before?
So, with a cheerfull and somewhat demented grin, and totally ignoring the sensei who was about to launch a tirade about the carelessness of modern youth or somesuch, I cocked my head and replied.
"Yo. What about alien espers from a future in an alternate dimension?"
And so began yet another chapter in the life of one currently known as Fujino Katsu.
***
Incarna: The Melancholy of Fujino Katsu
***
---
Because that line was too much of a taunt to pass up.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm

The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, by Lemon Demon, could really, *really* hurt to use!
From the looks of it, it's too powerful to use- I'd read it as summoning every villain and hero from a world to one place, and driving them to fight each other.
"Old Godzilla was hopping around
Tokyo City like a big playground
when suddenly Batman burst from the shade
and hit Godzilla with a Batgrenade
Godzilla got pissed and began to attack
but didn't expect to be blocked by Shaq
who proceeded to open up a can of Shaq Fu
when Aaron Carter came out of the blue
and he started beating up Shaquille O'Neal
then they both got flattened by the Batmobile
but before it could make it back to the Batcave
Abraham Lincoln popped out of his grave
and took an AK47 out from under his hat
and blew Batman away with a rat-a-tat-tat
but he ran out of bullets and he ran away
because Optimus Prime came to save the day
this is the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
good guys, bad guys, and explosions as far as the eye can see
and only one will survive, I wonder who it will be
this is the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
Godzilla took a bite out of Optimus Prime
like Scruff McGruff took a bite out of crime
and then Shaq came back covered in a tire track
but Jackie Chan jumped out and landed on his back
and Batman was injured, and trying to get steady
when Abraham Lincoln came back with a machete
but suddenly something caught his leg and he tripped
Indiana Jones took him out with his whip
then he saw Godzilla sneaking up from behind
and he reached for his gun which he just couldn't find
'cause Batman stole it and he shot and he missed
and Jackie Chan deflected it with his fist
then he jumped in the air and did a summersault
while Abraham Lincoln tried to pole vault
onto Optimus Prime, but they collided in the air
then they both got hit by a Care Bear Stare, oooh
this is the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
good guys, bad guys, and explosions as far as the eye can see
and only one will survive, I wonder who it will be
this is the Ultimate Showdown...
angels sang out in immaculate chorus
down from the heavens descended Chuck Norris
who deliver a kick which could shatter bones
into the crotch of Indiana Jones
who fell over on the ground, writhing in pain
as Batman changed back into Bruce Wayne
but Chuck saw through his clever disguise
and he crushed Batman's head in between his thighs
then Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White and
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail"'s Black Knight and
Benito Mussolini and The Blue Meanie and
Cowboy Curtis and Jambi the Genie
Robocop, the Terminator, Captain Kirk, and Darth Vader
Lo Pan, Superman, every single Power Ranger
Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan,
Spock, The Rock, Doc Ock, and Hulk Hogan
all came out of no where lightning fast
and they kicked Chuck Norris in his cowboy ass
it was the bloodiest battle the world ever saw
with civilians looking on total awe
and the fight raged on for a century
many lives were claimed, but eventually
the champion stood, the rest saw their better:
Mr. Rogers in a bloodstained sweater
this is the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
good guys, bad guys, and explosions as far as the eye can see
and only one will survive, I wonder who it will be
this is the Ultimate Showdown...
this is the Ultimate Showdown...
this is the Ultimate Showdown...
of Ultimate Destiny"

"The One I Love"
-R.E.M., 3:18
If it worked, it would be perfect. A little short on wordage, but you could stop the effect when the words stopped...
Sending a message to somebody Doug 'loves' and 'left behind': is that not useful?

"Castles in the Sky"
-Ian Van Dahl, 3:18
Given the content of Utena, how could any other song get you there?

These are my interpretations of many of the vocal songs I have. I'll be basically going, systematically, through my collection here.

"I Need A Hero" (alternate- "Holding Out For A Hero")
-Jennifer Saunders, 3:56
-Bonnie Tyler, 5:50
"I need a hero/
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night..."
The effect of this song is twofold:
First, it provides a boost to all combat-relevant abilities (speed, strength, toughness, stamina, and mental focus), until one of two ending conditions are met.
Second, it sends out an instant psionic 'distress call' to any and all allies (range varies based on transit time). Thus, the song will normally only reach most of a continent, but with those who can teleport or move fast, it will reach farther. This 'call' lets the receiver know of its' user's state of distress, and their specific location, including a non-compulsory psychic imperative effect (powerful enough to make receivers take notice of his problem, but not enough to force assistance).
At the end of the song (as usual), both effects shut down. If, though, at least one ally comes to the aid of the user, the combat enhancement will end, while the summons will continue.

The Government of Maldives, a small nation badly struck by the Tsunami of recent memory, has ordered a market building demolished. The building in question is the economic center of a major fishing community.
Why? Not because it was structurally unsound. It was newly built.
Because it was built using money from a Western charity that is loosely affiliated with a Human Rights Activist group that has protested against abuses by the Maldives government.
--
"I give you the beautiful... the talented... the tirelessly atomic-powered...
R!
DOROTHY!
WAYNERIGHT!
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

I don't know about the rest of you but for those in Seattle,"My-HiME dvd disc1" just arived at the Seattle Public Library ...

This is very disorganise and SoC-y, but it just kind of hit me today that it would be fun to play something like Kingdom Hearts with these characters, and a slightly different combat ssytem from KH2 - I like the reaction command system becasue it lets combats be very cinematic - some of te boss fights that have strings of two or three of the commends in a row if you hit them at the rihght time end up being like the moves from FF7:Advent Children, which just rocks my socks - but I hate that it's based on the triangle button, rather than a top trigger, and while the Dusk Nobodies are good, a touch more of the surreal would be even more interesting.
It begins with a babble about weapons, because that was the starting point - a Tron-like character that wouldn't actually use a copyrighted character design outright, and weapns similar to but discernably different from the ones in TRON 2.0.
Also, being able to pick from a selection of main characters rather than being stuck with the one, even if their storylines are simiar in the broad strokes so only dialogues and a few character-swaps have to be made is the furthest I'm willing to get from a "design your character from scratch" model ala City of Heroes or Oblivion.
The point here is to keep things to what could be reasonably made if I got off my touchus and got to it, meaning no voice acting and a relatively straightforward game mechanic that could be done over CrystalSpace.
The reason I'm even posting it, is to solicit suggestions or outlines for plot and opponents, or design themes for a number of world areas - if anything ever results from it, contributing here would get you a line in the credits, but for more effort than you're willing to do for free more invovled discussions would need to take place, with part of the agreement that if reasonable attempts to contact you for your share fail at some far-future date when theoretical money might be made off a finished product, that the work as contributed may still be used.
----------------------------------
Weapoons, computer themed
Ping - basic gun
Upgrades:
Packet - spray
Trace - homing
DDoS - special attack, spray of homing thast returns from all angles
Cone shape primitive

Pong - big ball that returns after being thrown, pinball type special moves (would have to use a different name, since Pong is a trademark for the game - something pinball-related?)
Multiball - the obvious
Magnaball - homing
Bonus! - swarms of balls from all angles

Need something for a cube primitive - swords, maybe - d8 shape not cube, does melee weapons - sword, staff, spinny shield/saw thing - "Hack"
Armor - Gearhead helmet

Bullet time mode from r2 trigger or Rmouse or Bkey, NWN type context menus with center/default being GO! that lets youu move normally while the game clock is slow for an upgraedeable number of seconds. Some enemies can use it later, so higer slowdown levels available - cardinal slots are commands, diagonal slots open a new menu. Commands: evade, deflect, airwalk, hyper - hyper supercharges the move just started when bullet time trigger hit, including jumping - airwlk is for horizontal movement, jump+hyper is for verticaljumping normally in airwlk works but is not as high - bullet time duration based on endurance - normal fighting burns it slowly and cann be upgraded until it recovers slowly, bullet time chews it up two or three times as fast, also upgradeable to the point that with max upgrades bullet time burns it about as fast as normal combat initially.
(AT LAST! WITH SUPER BULLET TIME THREE, I AM THE PRINCE OF ALL JOHNWOOJIN ONCE MORE!)

Characters -
Tron ripoff digital warrior(ping, pong, hack, & gearhead equipment), penguin (gloves, umbrella & hat equipment) pizza guy (pizza, slicer, cheese, different hat equipment)

Story - pizza guy delivers to house. Guy playing fighting game with pet penguin inside, but just as he rings the doorbell an evil boss attacks! Guy blocks magical death beam with game console, is merged into digital warior. All three are sucked into an evil realm and must escape, then seeek out and destroy the evil! - player choice of main character from the three determines storylines, for replay value.

Boss is attacking everyone around, not just them - they just happened to be lucky enough to be able to escape the realm of evil. A return to beat final boss and rescue other people eventually required

Move with AWSD or left stick, camera with mouse, arrows or right stick. 3rd person view ala KH or TR, or FFX travel. Opponents autotarget when close, but with a ranged weapon 1st person mode is available and required for long range targeting

Digital warrior looks like Great Saiyaman with different textures, bandanna version, but Xenosaga scouter/visor rarther than sunglasses. Helmet also available, cape billows and flows like Spawn? Tron base bodysuit, Matrix falling-code fabric for tabard, cape is Tron motif with glowing circuitry in a geometric pattern.

Travel upgrades: digital warrior gets a hoverbike, Zach has a mini flying saucer Goblin Glider kind of thing, Pengie gets a jetboard, Grannie gets Air Trek inlines, Tee always flies. Tee fights barehanded in meolee range, and has "pick up and toss" bullet time commands as well as the most knockback per strength point . Fighting from the mount may be difficult to implement but desieable - see motorbike chase in FF7AC for why

knockback is a certain distance per strength point with melee weapons, and weapons may have modifiers to it. Falling damage counts if you are smacked into something or don't tap the jump key to recover in the air, if in a jumping attack you travel with the target and hit again at the end, REALLY HJARD if the attackkey is hit again at just the right time. Visible change to the target pipper during the attack window for big damage.

New character for party!
You have rescued MRS GARDNER, the nice old lady from down the street! Shovel, trowel, handbag/glock weapons, garden apron armor. Lara Croft at 85. Digi remembers her bringing him some cookies, Pengie rememberds her bringing him some fish, and Zach remembers bringing her a pizza and getting a mondo tip. Granny kicks ass, but has low endurance. "... Granny is hardcore, man." "Totally." "WARK-wark!"

Main char gender option, also "I like: []guys []girls []both []together OR []no romance subplots" Pengie can transform to human mode after learning magic.

New character for party! You have rescued TEE, biker-goth Tinkerbell. Teaches magic to other characters but is the best at it.

Digi: better at range and offense
Pengie: better at melee and defense
Zach: balanced offense/defense, best endurance
Granny: Super offense, moderate defense, poor endurance
Tee: good melee, excellent magic and stamina, no weapons or armor.

Standard arrowhead and diamond formations, Tee orbits randomly. Whether party members stay close in combat or range wider to pursue is available as a menu option, default being "stay nearby but engage freely." Several AI agression levels, and frontline/range/support role settings

Any character can be made the viewpoint character or soloed to solve distant-switch puzzles, but the main story is Zach, Digi or Pengie depending on which one is chosen. Finishing all three storylines unlocks some opponents and minor characters as playable models and a new storyline as a defector from the legions of evil for use with opponent models, but it is mainly a diffeerent beginning on the normal quest, where as a new recruit sent to round up captives you have a crisis of conscience and free them - for this storyline, before you begin you choose which normal character to take the place of, and that person is seen getting herded along with the other captives instead of landing seperately in the realm of evil and managing to hide. "Hey, new guy! Go round up the slaves... Or is that too hard for a green recruiit?" Catches character being replaced, sees him abused by the caravaneers, and leaves - finds the other characters and is confronted with a "this is evil!" speech, says that's why he's leaving, so let him pass - then they're attacked and have to work together, and by the time the arty escapes the realm of evil the first time they decide to stay as a unit and opose the Big Boss Man together.

Player allocates upgrade points to stats or skills directly, scripted events add new skills or bonuses - upgrade points can also be used to buy a new skill (like using a different weapon than the character's default set) from a non-hostile character who already knows it.
----------------
- CD should really use that CS degree he's been working on for something, after allSERVO: 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

Let's see...
First, we have the word direct from an Iraqi General, Georges Sada, that WMD's were shipped to Syria just before the invasion.
We have a CNN report on a planned al'Qaeda attack on Jordan using chemical and nerve agents
And there's the Kay Report, so trumpeted about for its assertion that no actual stockpiles have yet been found. True, but incomplete. A little excerpt from a few paragraphs after that:

Quote:

---

We have discovered dozens of WMD-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations during the inspections that began in late 2002. The discovery of these deliberate concealment efforts have come about both through the admissions of Iraqi scientists and officials concerning information they deliberately withheld and through physical evidence of equipment and activities that ISG has discovered that should have been declared to the UN. Let me just give you a few examples of these concealment efforts, some of which I will elaborate on later:
* A clandestine network of laboratories and safehouses within the Iraqi Intelligence Service that contained equipment subject to UN monitoring and suitable for continuing CBW research.
* A prison laboratory complex, possibly used in human testing of BW agents, that Iraqi officials working to prepare for UN inspections were explicitly ordered not to declare to the UN.
* Reference strains of biological organisms concealed in a scientist's home, one of which can be used to produce biological weapons.
* New research on BW-applicable agents, Brucella and Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), and continuing work on ricin and aflatoxin were not declared to the UN.
* Documents and equipment, hidden in scientists' homes, that would have been useful in resuming uranium enrichment by centrifuge and electromagnetic isotope separation (EMIS).

---