To clear my BLAHs I've taken a mini vacation to Azeroth.
You'll find me occasionally on WoW's Alleria realmserver as:
Morsa, Troll Shaman -36
Vanomiel, Night Elf Druid -21
Rusci, Blood Elf Mage -17
Sathariel, Draenei Warrior -15
Dhorrim or Dhorrin [I forgot the spelling q.q] Dwarf Hunter -8
Mordalys, Forsaken Warlock -5
Sorrell, Human Rogue -4
Morsa and Vanomiel can also occasionally be found in the Arathi Basin PVP battleground. Come get your easy kills versus someone with LOLNOOB gear!
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

In Canada, at least. Don't forget to take the postcard that Elections Canada sent you to the poll, along with photo ID and proof of residence (a

bill with your name on it will work for the latter).

And vote for the party you really want in power, because each and every vote a party gets gives them more federal money for the next election. "Strategic

voting" sends that money to some other party - is that really what you want?

Edit: Just got back from voting - a driver's licence counts as both photo-ID and proof of residence.
--
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

http://www.spore.com/spor...dia#qry=sast-500148211889

http://www.spore.com/spor...dia#qry=sast-500148214477

http://www.spore.com/spor...dia#qry=sast-500148218416
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

(by request)

I could go into a lot of detail, but suffice it to say I didn't come up with these on my own, I shamelessly stole them a long time ago from the boards.
And I finded the link. So, here you go.

Empath Bind Guide

And Ops? Pay special attention to the bit after the file setup. "target_friend_next" is something I think you were asking for.

--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

Oh, yeah, let's step back into the 80s and the 90s:

http://letsanime.blogspot.com

Gods, I'm old.

Went around the city with my nephew yesterday morning - I took photos while he got more time in to qualify for his IFR rating. Out of 190 shots, two were horridly overexposed (glare from the morning sun on the windows), most were so-so, and 28 were what I consider good enough to show off. One of those 28 was, in my humble opinion, very good - here's a half-size version of part of it:

[img]http://web.ncf.ca/fm536/flightphotos/parliamenthill-12oct2008-1024x768.bmp">

That's just one photo, and I did title this thread "Showing off photos..." Anyone else have some good recent photos you'd want to share?
--
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

"This is my best plan to take over the world. " The boy said excitedly.

"What is it this time?Last time you held the world hostage and tried to kidnap a teen star pop sensation. " His handler asked morosely. Big Fire
would owe him big for looking after this guy. It was revenge. They were just waiting for a misstep to forcibly retire him even after he sprung this guy from
incarceration.

"I've been reading about the Haitian zombies. We find tetrodotoxin from a blue-ringed octopus in Australia, feed it to living sea life, and we have
our very own sea army at our command! "

"I ...don't think it works like that. " Handler rebutted, but the kid was already off an running at the amenities. Big Fire found the kid worked
very well as a distraction and supplied him with the technology needed to pull off his schemes. Handler rubbed his temples.

"Everybody's looking outward into space for handwavium. They'll never be looking for under the sea. Under the sea, under the sea-" The kid
launched into the song.

"Darling, it's better. Down where it's wetter. Take it from me. "

Let us cut away from this travesty of a song.

"It's the simplest thing ever. Seals are clubbed in Canada. You can't swing a club without hitting a dead seal. " The kid chattered at they
clambered on the rocks.

"It's clubbing seals on the rocks, and they're dead, because people do not get up in the middle of the freezing night in Canada to club seals!
" Handler hissed at him.

"Where'd the hell you get blue-ringed octopus poison?" Handler looked at the little skewers dabbed with wavium and poison.

"I hacked into a ship and diverted them only slightly off-course. "The kid chattered. "I couldn't find any blue-ringed octopus so I
substituted blowfish poison instead. "

They inserted a skewer dabbed with handwavium and poison into the seal's mouth and waited through the night.

"The sun's coming up in about five minutes. " Handler told him tiredly as they had stayed there for hours.

" But-"

"No buts. We're going home. We can try a different plan tomorrow night. "

The two left. Unseen, behind them. the first seal's eyes opened, and glowed red.

"Better hide the evidence. " Handler tossed the grenade behind him without looking as undead zombie seal became animal scraps mixed with other dead
seals.

SONGS OF INNOCENCE

Part 1: The Little Girl Lost

Here is how the universe began, with a singularity
exploding with the beginnings of the fundamental rules of the universe. Energy from the infinite singularity spread,
which became matter, which turned into stars, which turned into clouds, then smaller stars and planets. Then life.

Here is how the universe began, with three sisters who had
a question. The question was, could they create a being more powerful than themselves?
With the question came the experiment, the universe built to make the answer.

Here is how the universe began, budding from an older one,
unnoticed by its parent.

Here is how the universe began.

How will it end?

-1-

None of these things were going through Usagi's mind as
she dozed serenely on her desk, the paper beneath her head slowly absorbing the rivulet of spittle that ran down the edges of her open mouth. No, her dreams were of light and love and the gloriously mundane. There was a knock on her
door, one that failed to wake her. Then another. Nothing. The door opened and Usagi's mother peered in. Shaking her head, she strode across the
room to her sleeping daughter and shook her shoulders.

Usagi woke with a start, flinging the pen that she had
clutched in her hand towards the bedroom ceiling. It landed on her head point first before dropping down onto the
carpeted ground. Rubbing at the sore spot, she looked at her mother with a tired grimace. "What time is it?" Her voice was cracked with fatigue, and she had to clear her
throat repeatedly after she spoke.

"Just after noon," came the answer. "We didn't see you at breakfast, and when you weren't there for lunch either, I thought I'd come and see how you
were."

"I'm wishing that whichever sadist came up with
mathematics would die," said Usagi. Standing up, she stretched, cracking her neck and knuckling the small of her
back. "And my eternal curse on whoever decided that all of our papers should be due in the same week."

Usagi went over to her large mirror and leaned in, staring
at her red eyes and haggard face. "The bruises under my eyes have bruises.
And I think, no, wait, yes, I am developing a pimple on my forehead. Egad, two of them."

Mother sat down on Usagi's bed and sighed. "Much as I like to see you study-"

"You emotional terrorist, you," interrupted
Usagi, seeing where the conversation was going and not liking it one bit.

"Ahem. Much as
I like to see you study, you should have managed your time better so that you wouldn't have to do ten things at once."

"It's only five things," said
Usagi. Then she frowned. "Three things.
Five . . . three . . . ."

"In any case, you come down and eat, and then take up
where you left off. The brain needs food just like any other part of the body."

Usagi's stomach growled in agreement and Usagi herself
did the same. "Let me just wash up a bit first, then I'll be down."

"Good. I'm
sure your father would like to hear how your papers are coming. And maybe you can practice getting along with your
brother."

Usagi scowled.
"I'm not the one who needs to act like a human being rather than some kind of mutant slug who thinks childish insults are comedy gold."

With another weary sigh, Usagi's mother left the room,
closing the door behind her. Usagi looked down at her desk, grimaced at the large wet spot on her paper, and then
organized her desk. So she was wrong, she needed to do four things. And
she'd nearly finished off two of them. Hey, maybe she could actually sleep on her bed tonight. What a treat.

Padding to the bathroom with new clothes in her arms, she
debated whether she could take the time for a shower before her stomach put in a veto on that. Contenting to simply
wash her face and hands, she promised herself a full and luxuriously hot shower after lunch. Toweling off, she changed
into new, clean clothes, feeling halfway awake now. She made to go get lunch when a bird passing by her bathroom window
caught her attention. It sat on the windowsill, still and calm, and then flew away again as suddenly as it came.

Usagi looked at the city the bird flew into and
smiled. Despite the sunlight burning her eyes, she could see it was a beautiful day.
Even the prospect of more schoolwork, because of which she could not go out and enjoy it, couldn't dampen her appreciation of the day and the
city.

"Good afternoon, Crystal Tokyo," she said to her
home.

It said nothing in return.



-2-

Lunch was a rather strained affair. Father and Mother were perfectly pleasant, of course, though they both wore similar distracted visages. The pressures of state were omnipresent, as were its trappings. Servers and valets came
and went, mostly silent, as they left small dishes of exquisite taste and immaculate design and took away the empty dishes and bowls. Usagi, her bangs still damp, had trouble staying awake after her immediate hunger was satiated.
Further, her brother, Mamoru, was sitting sullenly beside her, presumably from a parental telling-off. What
pleasure Usagi could take from her brother's chastisement was somewhat lessened by both his terrible attitude and, perhaps more importantly, the covert
kicks to the shin he directed at her. Usagi retaliated with her world-renowned pinches, sometimes to his arm or through
his pants leg. Neither let their pain show on their own rather stiff faces, and Usagi even appreciated the kicks to the
degree that they kept her awake through the meal.

"Mother tells me that you've been having some
problems with schoolwork," said her father, warm and chiding. He swirled a glass of water in his hand and lightly
sipped from it before setting it down without a sound. He was dressed in coal black, the only color coming from a
single, small gold starburst that decorated his left lapel. This was, for him, casual wear for an intimate meal.

"Problems finishing, not doing," answered
Usagi. "Never enough time in the day."

"Time management-"

Usagi put her head in her hands and groaned softly, then
muffled a gasp of pain as Mamoru kicked her again. How did he find the exact same spot every single time, no matter how
she shifted and moved? Mutant freak and his mutant freak powers of being a pain in her arse.

"In any case, you'll be finished soon,
yes?"

"One way or another," she said. "Either I shall be done in two days or I shall be dead."

Mother laughed, the long sleeves of her white blouse
sliding down her arms as she lifted a hand to her mouth.

"What is it you're doing, anyway?" said
Father, after looking fondly at his wife.

Usagi turned away to think, while at the same time making a
quick retaliatory strike against Mamoru with three rapid pinches to his arms that nearly brought tears to his eyes.
"Maths, but that's mostly articulating proofs. Literature, almost but not quite done with that. History. Biology. Finished philosophy,
linguistics, civics, and economics."

Father perked up.
As befitted his position, he took a keen interest in nearly all of those subjects. "So tell me about
them. What are you writing?"

"Stuff, lots and lots of stuff, most of it hot air and
nonsense," Usagi said, trying to evade answering. Quite honestly, the prospect of having to talk about her work
was too much like doing it, a prospect that she truly loathed returning to. That she would have to once the meal ended
was making her linger over it, and she didn't think she would have the willpower to pick up her pen if she had to talk about it. She particularly didn't want to discuss civics, which had taken a rather jaundiced look at the current political
landscape. Though she quite enjoyed being an oligarch, she had to be aware of the inherent unfairness of living in a
post-human oligarchy that was verging into a theocratic autocracy.

She was Serenity, heir to the Electrum Throne, the royal
princess. She was the daughter of Serenity and Endymion, the Eternal Queen and King of the Immanent Gods, the true
Monarchs of Creation, rulers of the Empire of Humanity, which had as its capital the shining city of Crystal Tokyo.
They had defeated the forces of evil, and pushed the Earth to heights of glory and prosperity that it has never known.
Or so the stories went.

The meal continued with Father turning his attention to
Mamoru, catching up on how his own schoolwork was proceeding. He answered back in a less hostile manner, though he was
terse and mumbled as much as he could. Father nodded as if all was right, though Mother pursed her lips
disapprovingly.

Usagi left just as the last of the plates were being taken
away and the large warm cups of coffee (for father) and hot chocolate (for everyone else) were being served. Making her
apologies, and pleading both a heavy schedule and a need for a shower, she left, taking her cup with her.

After her shower, which was not nearly as long as she
wished it could have been, she went back to her desk. With a healthy gulp of hot chocolate to strengthen her, she took
up her pen once more, set it against paper, and then fell asleep.

This time in her dreams, she saw many things.

Handwavium raid ends in escape

Published: Oct. 12 2008 at 2:47 PM

OSHKOSH, Wis., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- A raid by federal and state agents on the Sandwich Group International compound at Wittman Airport ended with a dramatic

daylight escape, officials said.

The 9 a.m. raid was part of a nationwide sweep of suspected handwavium users. Sandwich Group International was under suspicion since early April, when the

group purchased a former Soviet space shuttle and moved it into a hangar at Wittman.

The alleged handwavium users escaped from the compound aboard what witnesses claimed was the space shuttle, which burst out of the hangar at 9:15 a.m. Elements

of the Wisconsin and Michigan Air National Guard engaged the shuttle briefly over Lake Michigan, but the vehicle escaped into orbit.

Officials recovered destroyed electronic equipment and six barrels of handwavium. The handwavium will be turned over to the Transrationality Science Assessment

Bureau for analysis.

Here's my build plan for my DB/SR. I could use some advice on how to make him a little better. Please be aware that I'm trying to avoid going after ludicrously expensive IOs and Procs where possible. The only ones that I've used are ones I haven't had too much trouble getting previously for not wholy ludicrous prices. Well, except for the LotG recharge, but eh.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.4006
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Senoku: Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Dual Blades
Secondary Power Set: Super Reflexes
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Weapon Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Power Slice

• (A) Pounding Slugfest - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30
  
• (5) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Endurance: Level 30
  
• (7) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Recharge: Level 30
  
• (50) Pounding Slugfest - Disorient Bonus: Level 30
  

• (A) Serendipity - Defense: Level 40
  
• (3) Serendipity - Defense/Endurance: Level 40
  
• (3) Serendipity - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
  
• (11) Serendipity - Defense/Recharge: Level 40
  
• (15) Serendipity - Endurance: Level 40
  

• (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage: Level 53
  
• (5) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (7) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (43) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (43) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (45) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 53
  

• (A) Serendipity - Defense: Level 40
  
• (23) Serendipity - Endurance: Level 40
  
• (23) Serendipity - Defense/Endurance: Level 40
  
• (39) Serendipity - Defense/Recharge: Level 40
  
• (39) Serendipity - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
  

• (A) Flight Speed IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Soaring - FlySpeed: Level 53
  
• (9) Soaring - Endurance/FlySpeed: Level 53
  
• (9) Flight Speed IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
  
• (11) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Pounding Slugfest - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30
  
• (13) Pounding Slugfest - Damage/Recharge: Level 30
  
• (13) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (42) Adjusted Targeting - Recharge: Level 50
  
• (43) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  
• (45) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
  

• (A) Freebird - FlySpeed: Level 53
  
• (15) Freebird - +Stealth: Level 53
  

• (A) Healing IO: Level 50
  
• (17) Healing IO: Level 50
  
• (17) Healing IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage: Level 40
  
• (19) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance: Level 40
  
• (19) Touch of Death - Damage/Recharge: Level 40
  
• (37) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
  
• (40) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 40
  
• (40) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 40
  

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

• (A) Flight Speed IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage: Level 53
  
• (25) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (25) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (37) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  

• (A) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (27) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage: Level 53
  
• (27) Multi Strike - Damage/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (31) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (34) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (39) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 53
  

• (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  
• (29) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  
• (29) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  
• (31) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  
• (31) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage: Level 53
  
• (33) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (33) Multi Strike - Damage/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (33) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (34) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (34) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 53
  

• (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  
• (36) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  
• (36) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 53
  
• (40) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (46) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 53
  

• (A) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (42) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (42) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (45) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (46) Red Fortune - Defense: Level 53
  
• (46) Red Fortune - Endurance: Level 53
  

• (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage: Level 53
  
• (48) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (48) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (48) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 53
  
• (50) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 53
  
• (50) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 53
  

• (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 50
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Empty
  

• 11.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
  
• 11.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
  
• 11.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
  
• 11.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
  
• 11.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
  
• 11.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
  
• 11.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
  
• 11.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
  
• 3.13% Defense(Energy)
  
• 0.63% Defense(Negative)
  
• 6.88% Defense(Melee)
  
• 8.75% Defense(Ranged)
  
• 9.38% Defense(AoE)
  
• 12.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  
• 31% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 9% FlySpeed
  
• 100.4 HP (7.5%) HitPoints
  
• 9% JumpHeight
  
• 9% JumpSpeed
  
• MezResist(Held) 6.05%
  
• MezResist(Immobilize) 8.25%
  
• MezResist(Sleep) 3.3%
  
• MezResist(Stun) 3.3%
  
• 5.5% (0.09 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 52% (2.91 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 3.15% Resistance(Fire)
  
• 3.15% Resistance(Cold)
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Energy)
  
• 4.39% Resistance(Negative)
  
• 9% RunSpeed
  

• 8% (0.45 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 0.63% Defense(Energy,Negative)
  
• 2% DamageBuff(All)
  

• 4% (0.22 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 10 HP (0.75%) HitPoints
  
• 3% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 1.25% Defense(AoE)
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 3.3%
  
• 20.1 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  
• 3% DamageBuff(All)
  
• MezResist(Held) 3.3%
  
• 3.75% Defense(Ranged)
  

• 4% (0.22 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 10 HP (0.75%) HitPoints
  
• 3% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 1.25% Defense(AoE)
  

• 1% (0.02 End/sec) Recovery
  

• 8% (0.45 HP/sec) Regeneration
  

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

• 8% (0.45 HP/sec) Regeneration
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.75%
  
• 20.1 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
  
• 2.5% DamageBuff(All)
  
• MezResist(Held) 2.75%
  
• 3.13% Defense(Melee)
  

• 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed
  
• 25.1 HP (1.87%) HitPoints
  
• 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
  

• 10% (0.56 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 3.13% Resistance(Negative)
  
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 3.13% Defense(AoE)
  

• MezResist(Sleep) 1.65%
  
• 0.95% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  
• MezResist(Stun) 1.65%
  
• 1.88% Defense(AoE)
  
• 1.88% Defense(Melee)
  

• MezResist(Sleep) 1.65%
  
• 0.95% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  
• MezResist(Stun) 1.65%
  
• 1.88% Defense(AoE)
  
• 1.88% Defense(Melee)
  

• 10% (0.56 HP/sec) Regeneration
  
• 15.1 HP (1.12%) HitPoints
  
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  

• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%
  
• 1.26% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
  
• 2% DamageBuff(All)
  
• 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  
• 2.5% Defense(Ranged)
  

• 2% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
  
• 2.5% Defense(Energy)
  
• 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  
• 4% RunSpeed, 4% FlySpeed, 4% JumpSpeed, 4% JumpHeight
  
• 2.5% Defense(Ranged)