From the new album, 'Ultra Beatdown' an unusually short song (3:18) from the original Guitar Heroes, this one just
screams power song to me.

Eternal temptation, their eyes to the sky

This nightmare is everywhere, my eyes open wide

Crash on through troubled waters, oceans collide

We stand alone until the end, we fight side by side

Standing strong together, marching forever on

Fire in the heavens, now that our time has come

We feel the fire burning bright in the night

Where the warrior lives and the warrior dies

Wherever you go, we will be by your side

For the Spirit of Ninja will carry the night

The sky will turn black as nightfall appears

The hatred surrounding, they hide in great fear

The evil all around, the sound they will hear

Will not be for long now, the time it is near

Raising hell forever, still millenniums go by

Fire in the heavens, bleeding ears hear the cry

We feel the fire burning bright in the night

Where the warrior lives and the warrior dies

Wherever you go, we will be by your side

For the Spirit of Ninja will carry the night

Solos: Herman/Sam

Standing strong together, marching forever on

Fire in the heavens, now that our time has come

We feel the fire burning bright in the night

Where the warrior lives and the warrior dies

Wherever you go, we will be by your side

For the Spirit of Ninja tonight

We feel the fire burning bright in the night

Where the warrior lives and the warrior dies

Wherever you go, we will be by your side

For the Spirit of Ninja will carry the night

With the ninja forever, tonight

I think this one will either grant Ninja powers to Doug, or summon a Ninja simulacrum ally.

There was Winter Event testing on the Test Server today. While I've heard little about it, I did find information on the new additions.

Quote:For those not familiar with the Winter Event, it is our annual
event that runs over the winter months that celebrates snow, fun,
winter sports and themes from the season! As a refresher, take a look
at last year's 2007 Winter Event Details.
Everything from last year will be there, but for 2008 we have some new details:
* A new ski course!
* New Badges!
* New purchasable auras from the Candy Keeper
* 3 Piece Universal Travel IO Set purchasable from the Candy Keeper
For
those who may be critical of the Universal Travel IO Set, please know
that they will be balanced by the fact that similar IOs will be
available in Issue 13.

Based on this thread from rpg.net.

The name of the game is simple: Take a movie, book, anime, video game or other property that is grimdark and realise something: that is actually the Mirror
Universe of the actual reality and in another timeline eveyrthing is much happier.

For example:

On day upstanding young man Light Yagami found a notebook on the ground, the so-called Death Note. In it was a list of names. It didn't take long before
Light discovered the awful truth, the name of every person who would be murdered before the end of their appointend life would appear in that notebook!

Light dedicates his life to saving people before they know they need to be saved, assisted by quirky super-sleuth L and reluctant but adoreable shinigami girl
Ryu-chan.

--------------------

Epsilon

This is actually part of a longer entry about Azu Squadron, but it's also the only part currently ready for vetting. Plus it might add to the Roughriders
discussion. Comment @ will. --Mal

--bah Spud beat me to it--
''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

What? It's Bob's fault!

* * *

"Think of it as a morale booster," Evangelia said as she tightened down the final screw on the bracket she was attaching to the wall. The soft
background hiss of the air conditioners and the far-off faint beeping of the Command Center were the only response. She tossed a glance back over her shoulder.

Mag Flashlight stood there, holding the giant message board intended to fit in said bracket across one shoulder. "Oh, it'll be that, boss lady,"
he finally replied.

"So what's the problem?"

Mag blinked. "I'm trying to decide what to put up here -first-," he said. "I mean, the board's only so big...."

"... I hadn't thought of that."

They settled the board into place and stepped back. The banner at the top read QUOTES OF THE LEGENDARY, and a little box with pens, pads, and tacks hung below.

Eva scribbled briefly on a slip, tore it off and stuck it on the board, and turned to Mag with a satisfied expression. "There! Now we just wait."

* * *

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

(EDIT by Bob: update link to point to this site instead of Crapatalk.)

i don't actually have a new fic to recommend, but i wanted to start the thread and use the title, so here it is
-Z, Post-reader at Medium
----
If architects built buildings the way programmers write programs, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization.

Google claims ownership of all
content posted via Google Chrome.

Quote:

11. Content license from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By
submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce,
adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the
Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain
Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom
Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your
Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to
the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.

11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above license.

Because of Federal regulations having to do with data security at institutions like AM Best, the IT department here has started blocking access to all external
email services. Including the web gateway through which I have been reading my email at work for the last few years. So if you're one of the folks who
emails me on a regular basis, be aware that I can no longer see or respond to your mails until I get home in the evening -- and if I get caught up in
something, I may not get to my mail at all. Sorry.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Pain, without love

Pain, can't get enough

Pain, I like it rough

'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

You're sick of feeling numb

You're not the only one

I'll take you by the hand

And I'll show you a world that you can understand

This life is filled with hurt

When happiness doesn't work

Trust me and take my hand

When the lights go out you will understand

Pain, without love

Pain, can't get enough

Pain, I like it rough

'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Pain, without love

Pain, can't get enough

Pain, I like it rough

'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Anger and agony

Are better than misery

Trust me. I've got a plan

When the lights go up, you will understand

Pain, without love

Pain, can't get enough

Pain, I like it rough

'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Pain, without love

Pain, can't get enough

Pain, I like it rough

'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing

Rather feel pain

I know (I know I know I know I know)

That you're wounded

You know (You know you know you know you know)

That I'm here to save you

You know (You know you know you know)

I'm always here for you

I know (I know I know I know I know)

That you'll thank me later

Pain, without love

Pain, can't get enough

Pain, I like it rough

'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

***

Rhea was rather tired of the way this day had gone. This entire world seemed out to spite her. If it wasn't that damned imp chasing after her everywhere,
it was running near her duplicate that seemed to be native here, which was a mixture of horrified observation of what she'd become here and bitter envy of
what she'd managed despite it. She'd kept her mind intact through all that she'd gone through since that horrible day, and the her that snapped
under the pressure gets a borderline perfect life? That was fair?

All in all, she wasn't in the mood for shit as a group of Hellions closed in on her. The cheap teases at her body did nothing to improve her mood, but she
ignored them. They were harmless. Then one grabbed her arm. The entire day, entire week, entire month, the entire time she'd been in this damned dimension
weighed down on Rhea's patience. And that weight caused the brittle structure to snap.

"You want to play, boys? Fine. Let's play," she smiled, before wheeling around and belting the first Hellion in the stupid demon mask with a
skill born of military training. She felt his nose give way with a satisfying crack behind the mask, her own knuckles protected from the dumb move(never punch
a man in the nose, her instructor'd always said. It's harder than your hand) by a skintight sheathe of directed gravity. The others were quickly
immobilized in similar restraints that caused them to gape incredulously at the woman in generally civilian clothes. One expressed their amazement eloquently
enough.

"Fuck! She's a cape!"

***

Officer Capone liked the Atlas beat. The sheer volume of heroes in the immediate area meant he didn't really have to do much work to suppress the local
Hellions and other groups besides point them in the right direction. Truly dangerous super-powered threats were rare enough, and usually there were heroes
pursuing those as well. Nothing'd really happened in Atlas Park proper in so long that he could actually eat a
donut in relative comfort. Especially since he was far enough from the bank if it was robbed...

Thus, when he first saw the situation, Officer Capone didn't necessarily believe his eyes. A young, dark red haired woman in casual clothing was flicking
her fingers at a group of Hellions that seemed to be bending in ways that the human body wasn't supposed to. At first, he thought it was just coincidence,
until he heard a sickening crack from one of the Hellions' arms, and a disturbing giggle from the woman in
question. "My my, silly me. I pressed just too far for your arm to stand. My mistake."

Officer Capone was no hero. If this woman, obviously deranged, was able to handle Hellions with that little effort, there was nothing he could do alone. So he
immediately pulled out his radio and called it in, then drove his car around the block, hoping she wouldn't notice him and be one of those villians who blew everything in their way up on general principle.

***

Rhea's brief bit of vengeance was spoiled by the sound of sirens, causing her to sigh and release the Hellions from the gravitational holds she'd put
them in as several cars screeched to a halt in front of her, officers jumping out and aiming several guns at her. She didn't want to be put in jail, and
obviously someone'd noticed what she was doing to the Hellions. Waving jauntily, she took off in a burst of anti-gravity, flying away at a leisurely pace
as the cops opened fire, missing due to the slight bubble of altered gravity around her.

One officer cursed, pulling up his radio. "Johnson, get me Longbow! We need an Eagle squa-" he stared at the radio as a gunbarrel hit the power
button, turning it off.

"That won't be necessary," the green armored figure in semi-futuristic armor, gently cradling an advanced assault rifle noted. "My
name's Sell-Sword. I'll take care of this. Just keep the Eagles on alert, but don't send them out till you hear from me."

"Why should I believe you can handle her alone?" the officer scowled.

"Because I'm slumming down here. My normal beat is Striga and Faultline," Sell-sword chuckled, before taking off in a burst of blue flame from
rockets built into his boots.

***

Rhea had felt she had a decent escape going before she noticed the man in green flying behind her. From the looks of things, his method of propulsion were
those rocket boots he was wearing, so she darted and zigged through a few alleyways and walkways, counting on her own maneuverability to be able to shake him.
Seemingly, she did, and Rhea was just about to feel good about proving another of these jumped up civvies inadequate to a real soldier when she ran squarely
into her former pursuer, appearing out of thin air. Smacking into the armored figure ruined her concentration, sending the young woman tumbling a couple
stories before she regained her control, seeing him descending after her. She blasted a few bits of radiation in his direction, but they were artfully dodged
as he closed the distance. She didn't really see the object bouncing down towards her till it exploded, sticky goo spreading out all over her, dragging her
the rest of the way to the ground. In a blind panic, she reacted with her gravity powers, fire escapes, clothes lines and other nearby "handholds"
groaning as she attempted to slow herself instinctually, also pulling her pursuer to the ground as well. As she struggled to her feet, Rhea glared at the green
armored man. He looked at her.

"You know, it'd really be easier for everyone involved if you just came quietly."

"Fuck THAT," she snarled, reaching out and gripping him with her gravity abilities. She was so focused on crushing him that she didn't notice for
a whole second when the cold gunbarrel rested itself against her forehead. She started, looking upwards, before looking back at him.

"Yes. You'll be calming down now. And you can't hold me like a two bit thug like those Hellions," the man said calmly, almost casually.

Seeing no real options but waiting for him to put down the gun, Rhea crossed her arms. "So, what now, buddy? Gonna throw me to the cops?"

"That depends on you," Sell-sword noted. "Now, please understand, I don't hold what you did to those Hellions against you. Really rather
minor. Doing it out in the open was stupid, though."

Rhea snorted. "So I could tell. So, is this the part where you offer to shuffle me off into some mysterious special ops group to do your dirty work?"

Sword chuckled. "Nothing of the sort. I'm here because you interest me."

"Interest you," she noted cynically.

"Indeed," he said, keeping that frighteningly large rifle pointed at her. "You see, you strike me as someone not essentially....evil, as certain
people would define it, so much as you're very self-entitled to what you want, and suffer fools poorly."

Rhea looked at him, her face clearly unconvinced. "That's...kinda accurate, I guess..."

"Congratulations. By the definitions of some more...strictly moral heroes in this city, you're a supervillian. I'm not one of them, though,"
he said with a chuckle. "That said, there are very tight laws for non-registered metas using their powers in public. You dance over the line, at the
moment, but that can change."

"By what?"

"By getting a hero liscense," he noted. At her incredulous look, he smiled behind his helmet. "Don't feel it obligates you all too much.
You're merely registering for their comfort. Nowhere does it say you actually have to take action under any
circumstance. That's a draft, and that was shot down in the 60s. I'd think they'd tell you that in basic."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly like this back the-" Rhea stopped, staring at him despite the gun. "How'd you know I was...?!"

"I know a lot about you. About how you were a field medic before, and that your unit was wiped out but only you survived. Like I said, you interest
me."

"You know more about me than you should," she growled. "How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"Because I have to keep some sort of secret from you. I'd lose my mystique otherwise," the armored man chuckled.

The girl frowned at the non-answer. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm a charitable person," he noted deadpan. "No, actually, it's because you remind me of myself. You're not exactly evil,
but you don't bother with their conventions of honor, good, and decency. However, you lack subtlety and control. In your current situation, you'd
undoubtedly be caught by any of a dozen heroes with greater powers than I have, shipped off to the Zig, and eventually freed in one of Arachnos' periodic
raids on the prison there. Perhaps you really would become a supervillian. I don't know. All I know is it'd be
a waste, and I'd rather not lose someone like you to her own foolish mistakes. Perhaps I'm getting sentimental in my old age."

"You know any decision I make is somewhat hard given you have a gun pointed at my forhead," Rhea noted

Sword chuckled, letting the rifle slip down. "I'd think it'd be the other way around, but what do I know?"

Rhea considered using the split second advantage she'd have to flee, but something about the way the man carried himself suggested he wasn't
bullshitting her. At least, if she wasn't going to be hunted down this way...."Okay. What do I have to do?"

"The bane of any hero, regardless of origin," he chuckled. "Paperwork."

***

"Onyx Blast" walked out of the paperwork, scowling into her cell phone. "They aren't letting me fly till at least Security Level 14. This is total bullshit!"

"Consider it a consequence of your rampage. I pulled what strings I could, but you're stuck abiding by the same rules as every other hero,"
Sword's voice noted over the phone. "Unless you'd prefer the Zig."

Onyx scowled at the phone. "I don't see why you're not here. They'd be more amenable if half of them didn't think I'd forged your
approval."

"It can't be helped," Sword noted. "I'm on the tail of one last complication. But feel free to use the base's facilities, such as
they are. Or the Legendary's. They don't let us into their Enhancement racks, but the teleporter bay is certainly useful enough," he chuckled.

"Fine...but you owe me for this."

"Yes, I'm sure I do."

***

Vengey watched as his target came out of City Hall, obviously holding papers that made her a registered hero, and silently cursed. He wasn't sure who that
armored man had been that'd convinced her to move away from his carefully plotted....well, okay, not so much carefully plotted as stupidly lucky break of a
plan to twist her one screw at a time until she snapped and ended up in the Rogue Isles. She was strong, and with enough work, Vengey'd get a great bonus
from the bosses downstairs if he broke her to their side.

The imp was so caught up in a rather imaginative fantasy about what he'd do with his bonus that he didn't notice the telltale footsteps of someone
behind him until a magazine was slid into a rifle. That caught his attention, and he turned around in time to see a figure blurred by muzzle flashes from an
automatic rifle, shredding his knee at the joint and dropping him to the ground in a somewhat dulled imitation of what mortals called pain. He was about to
fling a blast of hellfire in the figure's direction when his infernal senses detected something truly frightening emanating from the double barreled
shotgun aimed in the direction of his head.

"Yes, I imagine that this would get your attention. I didn't receive it to deal with your kind, but I imagine it works just the same," Sell-sword
noted, cocking the blessed shotgun carefully in one hand, his other rifle cradled over his back. Clad in civilian guise, he was certain no one would really
recognize him if anyone was watching. "Now, let's talk about your job with an acquaintance of mine..."

"I don't know what yer talkin' bout, psycho. You're the one goes round shooting people at random what're doin' nothing
od-AARRRRRGHHHH!!" Vengey yelled as Sell-sword touched the tip of the shotgun to the wound his rifle had ripped in the imp.

"Don't play dumb with me, Mr. Imp. It won't work. We both know what I'm talking about, so you should play this as straight as you're able
to, I imagine," Sword said, pulling the shotgun back. "And that rifle wound's nothing to one of your kind, so really...why are you
complaining?"

Vengey glared demonic vengeance at the man, who seemed unruffled.

"Now...I'll ask questions, and you will answer yes or no. Understood?"

Vengey considered his options, realized they were limited and eyed the shotgun warily. "Yeah."

"Very good. Now, you were assigned to Rhea?"

"Yes."

"To torment her to some diabolical end regarding her sanity."

"Yeah."

"And now you're frustrated because I seem to have foiled you."

"Yea..wait, that was you?!"

"I'm asking the questions, but yes. You may be assured that if you take any action, I will take action,"
Sell-sword noted, looking at the demon. "Now that I've confirmed why you're here, let me make myself clear as to what you're going to do from
now on. You are going to leave her alone. Make any plays for her mental well being from here on, and you will answer to me. I won't kill you. I can't,
really. I can just send you back where you came from. But I can make the process slow and extremely painful. At least, as much as a mere mortal like me
can," Sword said casually. "At that point, you'll be delivered to your bosses down in the pit, a failure who not only failed to deliver the
goods, but who got outsmarted by a mere mortal. I imagine your punishment will be most severe. The week of torture
I'd put you through before that will probably seem like a health spa and massage in comaprison."

Vengey once again considered his options, and found himself staring the man in the eye as he did so. What he saw there scared him. Cold, ice blue eyes with no
hint of movement or deviation. Eyes were the windows to the soul, and what Vengey saw of this man's soul was enough to make him think that those had been
no idle threats before. This man had decided, for whatever reason, to protect his target, and if he made any overt plays, Vengey was in for pain both in this
world and the next of the kind that would suitable unstick his cool. On the other hand, he didn't seem magically endowed at all, so he couldn't hold
Vengey to any deal by a mystical binding....

For the moment, the imp nodded. "Fine. You got yourself a deal." Shaking out his leg, he waited until Sword backed up, letting him get to his feet.
"You're a sick bastard, you know that?"

"I imagine that's a compliment."

Vengey smirked, before turning around and heading back down the alley. He was about five feet away when his head exploded in a shower of pinkish goo as a
hollow point bullet went through it like a hot knife in a slipstream through some very imp-flavored pudding sitting on top of a table. The imp wavered, then
shuddered as his head reformed, bending down to pick up his hat. "Do you have any idea how that stings?!" he
growled.

Sell-sword smiled. "Not really. But I don't really care."

Faced with that reaction, Vengey growled and stalked off to find somewhere to lurk while he tried to plot his way out of this situation.

***

"You recruited someone new," Ifrit noted, looking skeptically at Sell-sword. The mercenary snickered at her expression.

"Don't sound so shocked. She's a little rough around the edges, but I think she has potential. She just needs guidance to keep her on our
side."

"...fine. But you really could have warned us first," she said, sighing. Sell-sword never gave her that kind of speech if he didn't have some
amusing secret that no amount of interrogation could drag out of him before she stumbled across it.

"Of course. I'll try to do better in the future," Sword lied, silently considering what Ifrit's reaction would be when she realized Onyx was
a perfect ringer for one of their allies in the Legendary in several ways...
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."