Anyone remember a HP fic, GoF timeframe, where Harry happens to enter the Room of Requirement at the same time as a coven centered on him is meeting?

It was out relatively recently, but damned if I can find it again?

I think it was Mal who suggested using converted cargo containers as living modules. This idea builds on that:

1) Handwave an old http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/sik_s-64.php]S-64 "flying crane" or the equivalent for reliability, spaceworthiness, and extended flight time. (This craft would no doubt be nicknamed "Eagle 1" by the Gerry Anderson Fen, so let's make the name official... )

2) Handwave some cargo containers (that the flying crane can lift) for airtightness and livability; install airlocks in the cargo containers while doing so.

3) Equip the cargo containers as disaster relief modules - a trauma unit, a field kitchen, a communications center, a solar-power generation station, and some bunkhouses.

4) Keep the disaster relief modules ready to deploy to disaster areas.

If Stellvia offered to pay for a chopper and a half-dozen or so cargo containers, would the Blue Blazers be interested in providing the necessary staff - a chopper pilot, two medics, a comms specialist, and a cook, at minimum?
--
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

Guys? I'm not going to be able to join you for very much. At all. Until my damn ISP gets something fixed. There's a loose connection somewhere in the
wires outside the house. It came loose in that godawful windstorm a couple weeks back in Texas. I know exactly what's happening. The sun heats the wires,
things expand and the connection goes *poof*.

At random intervals.

For random amounts of time.

Sometimes resetting the router seems to help. Sometimes it doesn't.

Based on past experience, it's going to take WEEKS of bitching, moaning, multiple trips by technicians out to the house - ALL of whom will swear up and
down that the problem is fixed, that it couldn't POSSIBLY be anything but inside my house - and calls to supervisors to tell them that NO, your damn field
techs did NOT fix it. It's at YOUR END, damn it! FIX it on the LINE or at the CENTRAL OFFICE. NOT at my house, DAMN YOU!

They don't want to own up to something that will cost them money to fix. If they can claim that it's within my house, then it's my responsibility.
BULLSHIT. This didn't start happening until after that storm.

But I know how the game is played.

In the meantime, I'll only be able to reliably get online from about 9 PM until about 9 AM.

It's going to be a long summer.

OpMegs and I have been clearing the Hollows story arc, and it seems likely that we'll be able to access the Hollows conclusion this weekend. Which means we
need backup. So, is anyone else interested in this TF on the weekend? I'm willing to be variable on the time

Ebony: I really like this, I do. I'm assuming this is Numero Catorce, heh. (At first I thought it might be Bella Fuego, but a quick check of who drives
who cleared that up).

Maybe it's because I grew up in the southwest, but this really rings a nostalgic note. Apruebo!



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

Quote: She and Syndesis have a strange relationship.

I've said for years that I have some very specific requirements of an electric or hybrid car that have to be met before I would consider buying one.

It has to have performance at least comparable to a gasoline powered car - in every way.

It has to have the range of a gas powered car, or better. This is based on the assumption that the charging/refueling infrastructure will lag behind the cars
themselves. If I'm going to use an electric car, I want to be able to take a long road trip with it out of state, just like I could a gas powered car.
That's REALLY important in Texas, where drive times are longer than most other places.

It should be able to have some room inside the car, and not be super-heavy due to batteries. Some reasonable cargo space. If I'm going to make that cross
country trip, I should be able to carry some luggage with me.

The thing should either be rechargeable in 10 minutes or less, or have an on board recharge system.

While we're at it, make the braking system into part of the recharge system.

Folks? That car has now been made!

Quote: A British engineering firm has put together a high-performance hybrid version of BMW's Mini Cooper. The PML Mini
QED has a top speed of 150 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. The car uses a small gasoline engine with four 160 horsepower electric motors - one on
each wheel. The car has been designed to run for four hours of combined urban/extra urban driving, powered only by a battery and bank of ultra capacitors.
The QED supports an all-electric range of 200-250 miles and has a total range of about 932 miles (1,500 km). For longer journeys at higher speeds, a small
conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) is used to re-charge the battery. In this hybrid mode, fuel economies of up to 80mpg can be achieved.

That bastard with the death note is at it again. *sigh*

Saw this over at Steve Jackson games in the news for yesterday. Kevin Siembieda has a tribute to him here.

We would probably know him best for these things (copied from the the link above)

Quote: Erick is best known for his many RPG games and contributions to Palladium Books®, including The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® RPG, several
TMNT® sourcebooks, After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks for it, Ninjas & Superspies™, Mystic China™, Rifts®
China One and Two, Revised RECON®, Wolfen Empire™ and many others. He is also famous for Amber® Diceless, the
first truly "diceless" role-playing game, published under Erick's own label, Phage Press. Erick also published
Amberzine® and founded Ambercon™, a series of conventions celebrating gaming, friendship and the world of Amber, hosted at
numerous locations around the world.

I've known about these coming out for a while now, but in case anyone else hasn't:

Knight Sabers with Transforming Motoslaves
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."

ok, I've browsed through the forum history, but I couldn't find the original post about this topic, so I'm starting a new one.

I'm getting tired of playing CoX on my 3 year old laptop. I want the eye candy.

I have about $1000-1200 I've put aside for the purposes of building a gaming rig, and (being a mac fanboi) I have no idea where to start.

Given the previous discussions on graphics cards and whatnot I trust this group to at least point me in the right direction.

This will be used to play CoX (and most likely spore when it comes out).

I have no problem at all building my own rig piecemeal, but I'm clueless when it come to parts.

Thanks in advance.
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
TF2: Spy