Ayn Rand was a tsundere.
Add your own!
-------------
Epsilon

In a move certainly designed to infuriate the organization in question, a new restaurant in Williamsburg, VA, will serve you a steak dinner... and a handbag made from the skin of the cow in question.
I am Amused.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

So....

About six years or so ago, I was just starting out on my own, had just picked up my first computer with my own money, and was reveling in living my own life. A friend of mine took me over to a friend of his, and he was playing a strange game on his computer: he had a man he was dressing up in different costumes. Now, he *said* that this was just the beginning of the game, that there was a whole world after it. I was intrigued, and a few weeks later I picked up my own copy of the game.

You of course know what game it was.

It started out simple for me. I1 - Through the Looking Glass - had just come out. Fifty levels of content just waiting to be explored. I picked a server that seemed lightly populated: Infinity. Only, I was lacking any idea where to start. So, like the Fanfic author I was, I ripped an idea off of someone else, and made Anduros, a MA/SR scrapper dressed in red a black. Anduros, however, never really got anywhere. I think level 7 and Kings Row was where he fell into obscurity. So, back to that wonderful Creator. I had decided this time that my naming scheme was going to follow a pattern: "A", Male; "B", Female; "C", Huge; "D", Male; and so on. Hm. "B" stands for "B"laster, so!

Brahela was born. A Fire/Ice Blaster that I *liked* and was *fun*.

When she was about level 14 I wrote up a story explaining her background. You can read about her http://florestica.com/drogan/coh/purpose.htm]Purpose here. Brah was fun, exciting, and I was looking forward to a fulfilling journey with her.

By the time I had her at level 18 or so, I had already made "C", my only Tanker that was played once and deleted a few months later, and "D"erunichin, a Katana/SR Scrapper, who I wrote about in http://florestica.com/drogan/coh/discovery.htm]Discovery. So I was back to "E" and Female when I was playing Brah with a group in Boomtown, and had a defender on the team. A FF defender.

Brahela fell to the wayside to my new love, El'yia, a FF/Dark Defender. After writing about her http://florestica.com/drogan/coh/darkness.htm]Sorrow, abandoning my naming scheme to make an apprentice of her's called http://florestica.com/drogan/coh/meeting.htm]Xyn'el, El and I shot up through the levels quickly. (for me!)

El reached level 50 about three years after I first made her. At that point, I had made and played other toons rather frequently. I had explored redside with a MM and a dominatior, had made new toons, and had started concentrating on a new server, called Virtue. Reyshal took off where El'yia retired. A Grav/FF Controller who had another 50 levels in front of her.

But, every so often, I went back to my first real toon, Brahela. From where I abandoned her for El at 18, she was creeping up levels. In Jan 09, when she migrated from Infinity Shard to Virtue Shard, she was a respectable 36. But, as everyone knows, Blasters are in debt more often than they are out of it (At least, before Patrol XP came along), so leveling Brah was a tedious balance of paying off debt and gaining XP.

Then Reyshal hit 50. Whoo! Two toons at 50! Myr'tai, my MM, hit 50. Hey! VEATS! Jan 11, and Brahela was level 42. I played her for a day. And I found, I *liked* playing her once again. She became my focus. Over the past week, she's shot up from TFs and Alignment missions from 45 to....

This morning, a PuG of Dr. Khan. I started with Brah at half a bubble into 49. I was *going* to make it to 50 before Saturday and the All-Star Thrash of Khan. For a speed run, there was much dying, debt, and XP. By the time we got to Reichs, Brah was five bubbles in. Just half a level more, and I'd reach my goal. Then came the Reichsman. And death. And more Death. After three defeats and a team wipe, we got our act together and started pulling AVs into the hall to deal with them. Vanessa, Nemesis, Gyrfalcon. The Countess hadn't been called on by the time of the wipe, but we were able to rush Reichs, beat him to a pulp, then dominated Madam Crey.

When she fell, it was "Mission Complete!"

And I noticed sparkling around Brahela. I took a look at the last few chat messages. '2206010 experience gained!' Brahela hit the magic number, six years after creation.

I don't really know why I felt the need to put all this down, but its here. Brah's currently standing by Ramiel, waiting to fight Trapdoor. In my head, of course, she's not gaining stuff from the Well of Furies, but the Well of Innocence. But like all stories, there's a bit of truth in the telling.

Salvte.

So, with Reichsman being the new WST, I've been contemplating drop totals. Reichs is incredibly easy to speed run (51 minutes on a PuG yesterday, featuring only one Thermal corr for debuffs), but it also has one of the largest concentrations of mobs in the game.
So, Saturday afternoon, I'm planning the opposite. This won't be a fast TF, but I'm looking for data. So I'm proposing something similar to what people have done on ITFs: clearing every map of every last mob.
That includes wiping out the entire exterior of City Hall, Boomtown, Axis Earth, and the interior of Reichsman's fortress.
To speed matters, I intend to bring Nene along on this, so that Fulcrum Shift can properly lubricate our damage cap gears.
Timing is probably going to be some time after 3PM PST on Saturday. Not looking to take slot reservations or anything (I suspect people will be there anyway in the channel alone), but just letting people know what they're getting into.
But I say we put a bit of a dent into the 5th's recruiting numbers, hmm?
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."

Take a look at this.  It's just what it says on the tin. (Make sure to click the picture.)
I really like how the Fifth Doctor is drawn, though the only one I don't like as much is the Eleventh.  It just seems a bit off for some reason.  I think it might be the eyes.
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.

Some time in the next week, I'll be moving the site from Eclipse.net to its own domain, hosted by my provider, Netcarrier.
I'm doing this because my site's been living for the past decade on what amounts to a complimentary vanity webspace provided as part of a dial-up account, and some of the development tools and software that I thought was available to me where it is now actually aren't.  And I haven't actually dialed up to the dial-up account in something like six years, if not more.
Moving give me lots more disk space, more support for expanded features on the site -- like the dynamic blogging system I'm going to be installing on the top page now that I've got the basics for that worked out -- and a distinctive URL.  At the same time, though, Peg and I get to keep our Eclipse.net email addresses.  And to top it all off, it's going to cost about 60% of what the dial-up account cost me.  (Plus registration for the site name, of course...  but I'll be looking for a good inexpensive registrar.  Any suggestions?)
The old site will be redirecting traffic tot he new site for a while, too, so no one (least of all Google!) will lose track of me.
Right now my next step is to select a good domain name.  "Accessdenied" and "access-denied" are both already taken in most TLDs, although I can get "drunkards-walk" in either .COM or .NET.  Or I can do my name.  I'm surprised at how undecided I am...  When things start moving after that, I'll let folks know.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I'd be very surprised if it hasn't been suggested before, but Doug understands Japanese, right? Then how 'bout the themesong to The Cat Returns? Kaze ni Naru (Become the Wind) (lyrics and translation) allows Doug and one other person he cares about to become a kind of wind spirit: invisible and intangible, but detectable by the gentle breezes about their persons even when they stand stock-still. In this state, Doug and guest have all the capabilities and limitations of natural winds.

Exactly what it says on the tin. My month old, practically brand new latest model  iPod Touch is acting weird. Around 10 o'clock today, I touched the sleep button to turn it off for a while, and when I tried to turn it on again, nothing happened. It still have about 50 perecnt of its charge at the time, so it's not a battery problem. Now, more than 13 hours alter, it still won't turn on. This has happened before, and I was able to turn it on again about 12 hours later, but frankly I'm concerned. I haven't backed it up recently. Anyone know what this could be about? Have you heard of this happening to anyone else?
--------------------------------------
I am the LORD OF THE CRACK!
Check out said crack:
Takamachi Nanoha of 2814- Green Lantern Nanoha. To START! Now with a TvTropes page!
FATE/Holy Grail War of 2814- The Fifth Holy Grail War with Magical Girl Prisma Illya, in the DCAU, from the above story.
Magical Girl Magistra Erebea Molly- the world's first Dresden Files/TvTropes Crossover.
VENGEANCE! The Musical! The Story of Uchiha Sasuke

Complete once for Notice of the Well, and Bonus Merits. Subsequent runs each week earn Badge Credit. Changes every Tuesday.
From CoH Announcements Board
---
February 1st to February 7th: The Statesman Task Force (level 45+, full team required), from Statesman
in Independence Port & The Lord Recluse Strike Force (level 45+, full team required), from Lord Recluse
in Grandville.

February 8th to February 14th: Return of he Reichsman (level 45+, 4 player min), from Dr. Kahn in
Founders' Falls & Thus Spoke the Reichsman (level 45+, 4 player min), from Barracuda in
Grandville (Please note the last mission requires your SF leader to
speak to - not call - Lord Recluse at the end of the Strike Force in order to complete)

February 15th to February 21st: The Lady Grey Task Force (level 45+, full team required), from Lady Grey in the Rikti War Zone

February 22nd to February 28th: Clamor and Destruction (Level 20-25, 5 player min), from Sister
Psyche in Independence Port & Pirates of the Skies (level 20-25, 4 player min) from Silver Mantis
in Sharkhead Isle (or your base's mission
computer or oracle)
---

The Master said: "It is all in vain! I have never yet seen a man who can perceive his own faults and bring the charge home against himself."

>Analects: Book V, Chaper XXVI

I said when Mid's update to have Alpha Slot Support, I'd post PD's
current build. Well, they have, so here it is. This build was original
made by Ed (Drenivian) as a Variation of his build for Moyoko, and I
have since tweaked and retweaked it over the course of a year or so. I
call it the "Valiant" Build, after Eddie Valiant, the detective from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.92
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click
this DataLink to open the build!
Purrfect Detective: Level 50 Natural Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Claws
Secondary Power Set: Regeneration
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level
1: Strike

• (A)
  Mako's Bite -
  Accuracy/Damage: Level
  50
  
• (3) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (3) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (5) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 50
  

• (A)
  Numina's Convalescence -
  Heal: Level 50
  
• (5) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (7) Numina's Convalescence -
  +Regeneration/+Recovery:
  Level 50
  
• (7) Regenerative Tissue - +Regeneration: Level 30
  
• (9) Healing IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Doctored Wounds -
  Heal/Endurance: Level
  50
  
• (9) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (11) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (11) Doctored Wounds -
  Heal/Endurance/Recharge:
  Level 50
  
• (13) Doctored Wounds - Heal: Level 50
  
• (13) Doctored Wounds - Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Efficacy Adaptor -
  EndMod: Level 50
  
• (15) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (15) Efficacy Adaptor -
  EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge:
  Level 50
  
• (17) Efficacy Adaptor - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (17) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy: Level 50
  
• (19) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Endurance: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Obliteration -
  Damage: Level 50
  
• (19) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (21) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (21) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (23) Obliteration - Chance for
  Smashing Damage: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Mako's Bite -
  Accuracy/Damage: Level
  50
  
• (23) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (25) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (25) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 50
  

• (A)
  Numina's Convalescence -
  Heal: Level 50
  
• (27) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (27) Triage - Heal/Endurance: Level 30
  
• (29) Triage - Heal/Recharge: Level 30
  
• (29) Triage - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30
  

• (A)
  Recharge Reduction
  IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Celerity -
  Endurance: Level
  50
  
• (31) Celerity - RunSpeed: Level 50
  
• (31) Celerity - +Stealth: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Numina's Convalescence -
  Heal: Level 50
  
• (31) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (33) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Luck of the Gambler -
  Defense: Level 50
  
• (33) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (33) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (34) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Steadfast Protection -
  Resistance/Endurance:
  Level 30
  
• (34) Steadfast Protection -
  Resistance/+Def 3%: Level
  30
  
• (34) Steadfast Protection -
  Knockback Protection:
  Level 30
  

• (A) Apocalypse
  - Damage: Level
  50
  
• (37) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (37) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (37) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (39) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 50
  

• (A)
  Luck of the Gambler -
  Defense: Level 50
  
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Obliteration -
  Damage: Level 50
  
• (39) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (40) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (40) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (40) Obliteration - Chance for
  Smashing Damage: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Analyze Weakness - Defense
  Debuff: Level 50
  
• (39)
  Analyze Weakness -
  Accuracy/Defense Debuff:
  Level 50
  
• (48) Analyze Weakness -
  Defense
  Debuff/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (50) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (50) Analyze Weakness - Chance for +ToHit: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Numina's Convalescence -
  Heal: Level 50
  
• (36) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (36) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (36) Healing IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Luck of the Gambler - Recharge
  Speed: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Recharge Reduction
  IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Recharge Reduction
  IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Adjusted Targeting - To Hit
  Buff: Level 50
  
• (42)
  Adjusted Targeting - To Hit
  Buff/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (42)
  Adjusted Targeting - To Hit
  Buff/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (42) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Performance Shifter -
  EndMod: Level 50
  
• (45) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 50
  
• (45) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Luck of the Gambler - Recharge
  Speed: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Luck of the Gambler - Recharge
  Speed: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Damage Increase
  IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Run Speed
  IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Recharge Reduction
  IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Run Speed
  IO: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Jumping IO:
  Level 50
  

• (A) Numina's
  Convalescence - Heal:
  Level 50
  
• (45) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
  
• (46) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A)
  Efficacy Adaptor -
  EndMod: Level 50
  
• (46) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (46) Efficacy Adaptor -
  EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge:
  Level 50
  
• (48) Efficacy Adaptor - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (48) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy: Level 50
  
• (50) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Endurance: Level 50
  

• 26% DamageBuff(Smashing)
  
• 26% DamageBuff(Lethal)
  
• 26% DamageBuff(Fire)
  
• 26% DamageBuff(Cold)
  
• 26% DamageBuff(Energy)
  
• 26% DamageBuff(Negative)
  
• 26% DamageBuff(Toxic)
  
• 26% DamageBuff(Psionic)
  
• 3% Defense(Melee)
  
• 3% Defense(Smashing)
  
• 3% Defense(Lethal)
  
• 3% Defense(Fire)
  
• 3% Defense(Cold)
  
• 3% Defense(Energy)
  
• 3% Defense(Negative)
  
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
  
• 3% Defense(Ranged)
  
• 3% Defense(AoE)
  
• 4% Enhancement(Heal)
  
• 72.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  
• 56% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 5% FlySpeed
  
• 316.25 HP (23.62%) HitPoints
  
• 5% JumpHeight
  
• 5% JumpSpeed
  
• Knockback (Mag -4)
  
• Knockup (Mag -4)
  
• MezResist(Immobilize) 8.8%
  
• MezResist(Stun) 6.6%
  
• MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
  
• 4.5% (0.075 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 130% (7.267 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Fire)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Cold)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Energy)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Negative)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Toxic)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Psionic)
  
• 5% RunSpeed
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 3.3%
  
• 20.08 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  
• 3% DamageBuff(All)
  

• 12% (0.671 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 25.1 HP (1.874%) HitPoints
  

• MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  
• 4% Enhancement(Heal)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Toxic,Psionic)
  

• 15.06 HP (1.125%) HitPoints
  
• 1.5% (0.025 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 10% (0.559 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 2.5% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
  
• 3% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 3.3%
  
• 20.08 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  
• 3% DamageBuff(All)
  

• 12% (0.671 HP/sec) Regeneration
  

• 4% (0.224 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 10.04 HP (0.75%) HitPoints
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%
  
• 20.08 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  

• 12% (0.671 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 25.1 HP (1.874%) HitPoints
  

• 10% (0.559 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 15.06 HP (1.125%) HitPoints
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 1.5% (0.025 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 20.08 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  
• 
  3% Defense(Melee), 3% Defense(AoE), 3% Defense(Ranged), 3%
  Defense(Smashing), 3% Defense(Lethal), 3% Defense(Fire), 3%
  Defense(Cold), 3% Defense(Energy), 3% Defense(Negative), 3%
  Defense(Psionic)
  
• Knockback (Mag -4), Knockup (Mag -4)
  

• 16% (0.894 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 40.16 HP (2.999%) HitPoints
  
• 4% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 10% (0.559 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 15.06 HP (1.125%) HitPoints
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
  
• 3% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 10% (0.559 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
  
• 3% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 11% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  

• 12% (0.671 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 25.1 HP (1.874%) HitPoints
  

• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 2% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Energy,Negative)
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  

• 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed
  
• 25.1 HP (1.874%) HitPoints
  

• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• 12% (0.671 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 25.1 HP (1.874%) HitPoints
  

• 15.06 HP (1.125%) HitPoints
  
• 1.5% (0.025 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 10% (0.559 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 2.5% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)