WELA

uhm just wanted to say sorry to all the people I haven't emailed in a while...Things are not going well...poor excuse I know, but depression's a b*tch. Thanks for not sending me a nasty email, like one of my "friends" did. The moment I feel I can write 'normal' or even cheerfull emails, I'll do so...love you all, bye

VENA

****

SIMONWHO

Sorry, this has nothing to do with Firefly but everything to do with quality Sci-Fi. As many of you know, Doctor Who is returning next year. As a long standing fan, this is even more special to me than the Firefly revival. Today marked the first showing of any footage from the new series (due in Marchish) which you can see for yourself at www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho and I hope that you Firefly fans will tune in (or get copies if you're abroad). For those of you who don't know, Doctor Who is the world's longest running sci-fi series, from 1963 to 1989, with a large number of spin off books, audios and revivals. This time, it's going to be a big budget series so no ropey effects but hopefully it's going to have the same heart as the original (or should I say hearts?) So, yes, very excited. We now return you to our regularly scheduled Firefly ramblings.

BREDASONG

Now I know for a fact that there are other Washington state browncoats cause I met one. And yet I can't find any info online about them getting together. If you live in Washington (preferable puget sound area) give me a holler, cause I'd like to have a shindig and meet all you cool people. :smile: Breda

MAI

I know there are quite a few guys on this board so I'd like to get a male perspective (or anyone for who has managed to build and keep a relationship together). Why are guys so mean? (ok, i know not all of you are, i keep hearing this rumor that there are actually good ones out there). So here's the thing... I ran into a former... could-have-been-a-keeper. At he least did a really good job of prentending like one, but decided to break my heart instead. All he has to say is "hi. how are you?" as if nothing ever happened and we were just the best of friends..... please what is with that? Ok done ranting for the moment.

JAZAF

Yes!!! Finally I got a Gorram Job. .....At a Liqour Store...:evil:

UNCHARTEDOUTLAW

Well, I haven't been on the site all that much lately. I've hit a spell of working on my VW bus and that's taken a bit of my attention. Teaching's taken the rest of it. And now it's the holiday season and I'm getting ready to brave the malls and shops. I have this great Firefly fic in the works...it's gonna be a long one and I've really missed working on it lately. I feel like I need to watch some eps again and rekindle the excitement I have for the show. You know, get a feeling for the language and cadence of the show. On the upside, I've opened another slightly more personal website for myself. The Bear Flag Restaurant at www.geocities.com/norcalriviera is a site just for me and my interests. Slightly inspired by Steinbeck, the old West (read: Firefly), and my Volkswagen, it's an interesting little build I've been working on for the past three days. I'll have links from there to here, and also to my cafepress site. If you get a chance, feel free to check it out. As of right now, it's about half done...kinda like the death star, but less threatening. :) Just know that my heart's still out in the black even though I'm not here as much. -Taylor (the UO)

AURAPTOR

And it really put me in a better mood per this whole delay thing. I hadn't checked out the extra stuff on Disc 4 in a while, and it really was a treat. The vision of Joss and seeing how committed he was to getting his story from inside his head to script to screen..... wow. When I think of everyone, from Joss, to the actors , the assitants, the writers.... how they were speaking of Firefly as a thing already behind them and before the news of the BDM....I get a really warm , happy feeling. There seemed to be a sense of joy as well as sadness in all of them. They all knew they were happy to have worked on Firefly, and how unique a project that was. One telling aspect was Adam Baldwin's remark to Tim Minear about how everyone knew THEN,while they were on the set, that Firefly was special. It wasn't going to be a case where they just finish up another job, moved on, and then some yrs down the road realize that they enjoyed making that crazy SciFi /Western thing for FOX. I remember listening to Jewel talk about getting the call from Joss and getting the news of the BDM. I wish I could have seen everyone's face the moment when they realized that the ole girl was gonna fly again. :biggrin: One of the things I enjoyed in watching the extra stuff was the part where everyone gave their opinion about what we would have found out had Firefly been able to continue. Would Simon and Kaylee have kissed ? Whats the deal w/ Blue Sun and River ? Mal and Inara, would it have worked? Zoe and Wash... what troubles would they and their marriage have to face and over come? Book.....how [b]does[/b] a preacher know so much about crime? Never give up, Never surrender!

MAI

Just a quick thank you to everyone for reading my earlier blog and helping me out. For all the guys on the board please don't get me wrong, I don't hate all men. Just one request could all of you start wearing signs around your neck so we can tell you apart... "I'm a good guy" or "I am self-centered bastard don't bother" Is that too much to ask? p.s. I replied to everyone's comment in that same blog if you're interested....

FEMALEJAYNE

Ken Jennings lost on his 75th Apperence. :( It makes me sad since I have only missed 5 Jepardys since Ken was on and now have no desire to watch. Jennings had brought something to the show it was lacking. That is my great sadness for this month, hopefully there will be no more. Finals are over now and I can live like a human being again. No more studying until 2:00 only to wake up at 4:30 to study more. No more begging people to proof read my english paper and getting my direct quote changed (it's a pet peeve of mine) but there is no more mud this year either, The sweet (Alright it's stinky) smell of clay pulled from a plastic bag. I guess my laundry bill will go down though. It's time to wake up and not just go through the movements. Happy Holidays to all and to all Sit tight Firefly is on it's way! Joss should send us loyals a clip or something to get us through the new year.

THATWEIRDGIRL

It's kinda dreary today. Grey, chilly, and wet. I was sitting here trying to think of a way to make Gunhand's cold winter better. Not getting very far. Then someone changed the channel. Now, I'm laughing and smiling and having fun in photoshop. Got an idea for a pick me up. Galaxy Quest can turn an afternoon around.

SIMONWHO

There's an awful lot of unnecessary sequels out there. I grant you, Lethal Weapon 2 was neither better nor worse than 3 & 4 but surely just one of them would have been enough to show us the pattern that they all would have followed. Contrast this with Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and that other not very good one. Each sequel could stand alone and if you recast Ripley and redesigned the Aliens, you wouldn't necessarily think "Alien rip-off" on viewing them. What brought this to mind was a reminder of thoughts I had years ago that there really should be a sequel to A Knight's Tale. For those of you who haven't seen it, A Knight's Tale is a fun reworking of history with its tongue firmly in cheek. Well written, funny and with a good heart, I would certainly have paid to see the characters again. My personal take on it would have been A Knight's War, seeing Sir William take on those dastardly French, with his faithful lieutenants by his side, his girl very close by but the scunner Adhemar also on the battlefield, fighting alongside William. Another strong contender is Unbreakable. I suspect this won't happen unless M Night Shamalyan gets rather desperate simultaneously with Bruce Willis but I think the universe created deserves another visit. It would be interesting to see what 'Mr Glass' does now he has discovered his destiny and the same for 'Security' as well. Now that all the elements have been set up, it could be a little faster paced too and more intensive. Now one of the movies I would have suggested, Get Shorty, has its sequel coming out in a few months, Be Cool, so we'll see how my theory works out. Mind you, history is littered with sequels that we thought we wanted such as Men in Black II, Blues Brothers 2000, Fierce Creatures, The Godfather part III. Who knows, maybe one day we'll all think "Ah, they should have stopped after the tenth Serenity movie." Though the prospect of Jewel doing a belly dance when she is the same age as Nichelle Nichols was in Star Trek V is perversely appealing (Nichelle was 56 so that would make Serenity IX: the Wrath of Badger due at some point in 2038).

EBONEZER

hehe. Shindigers. Thats a funny word. Anyhoo, I made myself a new AIM screen name (BrokenGriGri still exsits, but this on is a little more discriptive of who i am, for less confusion) Its: shiny ebonezer so add it to your buddy lists and be cool.

VETERAN

I feel like I'm the only person who has any sympathy for this guy. Fact is he lied to the papers (media) but under oath he told the truth: He used steriods. There are other baseball players involved with the same trainers who are still denying they knowingly took steroids. If he knew what he was taking, dollars to donuts, they did too. The hell with the media, under oath this guy came clean. Unfortunately for him it maybe too late, he probably has pituitary cancer, a big price to pay for a mistake. The Yankee organization has given a lot of athletes second and third chances (eg. Howe, Gooden, Strawberry). If those players were worthy of a second chance, then why not Giambi?

THATWEIRDGIRL

he got me this

ZARK1976

First off, let me say that I don't even know if I spell it right, is it gray or grey? I like grey so I'm sticking with that. First of all, again, big thanks to everyone who showed for my Shindig on Saturday. I hope you all had fun, and that no one thought my snide comments were out of place. I wasn't expecting to have so much extra snack food left behind. You're all pretty cool. I don't know about anyone else, but my new favorite scene is the Serenity Vallry stuff on Serenity. LOL. Next time, Hasufel will probably have to lead everyone in a sing along. I'll try to come up with another date we can all gather and watch more. I'm also thinking of my grey cat, he's so sweet, I can't tell you how sweet he is. I'm also thinking about the holidays, I'm thinking of Christmas with my family and New Year's with my friends, maybe. I'm thinking of yet another holiday season of listening to people talk about the person they're dating or married to, and how sweet they are at holiday time. I'm thinking of how when I was a kid, I got so excited about Christmas. But now, my parents don't buy me toys, and pretend there's a Santa. I missbeing a kid, and loving Christmas. Now I just look forward to it, because I get to spend time with my family, and with the losses the past few years, they become more precious.

GLOWYRM

glowyrm is irate... :pissed: glowyrm is alone, and doesnt know how to find out what she wants to know.so i just guess that this little glowyrm will have to wait till tonight to find out... lesson for life... [quote]when one finds oneself in the beginning of the middle of a series that one has never before seen, one should [b] NOT[/b] ask jeeves. [/quote] glowyrm dec 6 2004

MINIME

... AND MISSED FIREFLY!!!!! Unbelievable. Find it tough to be awake at 2am, and keep planning to be awake to at least turn the tv on so the bean counters know i wanna watch the show, but haven't managed it so far. (I'm Australian, we're having Firefly shown at 1am here...) BUT - this week I'm on night shift, things usually quiet down around midnight. BUT - of course tonight would be the excpetion when I have been run off my feet until right this very minute, when Firefly finished 20mins ago. AHHHH. Ok, it's out of my system now.

SAFFRONFAN

Looks like I've found a place to stay. THEREALME invited me to the treehouse, where I hope to get along with everyone. He is definitely one of my friends.

SIMONWHO

That means this is a blog about my thoughts on spoilers but contain no spoilers for "Serenity" or indeed anything because I know nothing. Anyway, I was thinking about how hard it is going to be to avoid spoilers for the movie. Joss does like his surprises and marketing men love to reveal them in the trailer. The number of movies now where they use the very last shot of the movie or the climax in the trailer is ridiculous (I'm certain that Jim Carrey's demise is shown in the Unfortunate Events trailer, hope I'm wrong but...) So what can we do? On the one hand, I'm desperate to see more about the movie. On the other hand, I'd like to know very little if not nothing before I see it. And there's going to be TV ads, bits on TV, spoilers post in good faith on these very forums. Bah. I don't know. I could fly to America to see it well before it launches in the UK but then I'm going to Australia two months later. Hmm, hmm, hmmmmm. Of course, some people will go into Serenity knowing absolutely nothing about it, not a clue. They might even go in thinking it might be a sequel to Serendipity (I know someone who went to see Independence Day thinking it was going to be a historical drama about the American Revolution). Now that is entering with no spoilers. With that in mind, wouldn't it be good if the first scene was pure old fashioned Western and then you do the big reveal that it's actually sci-fi too? This is what I never understood about The Train Job, it was pretty much all set up to do that except there are several giveaways that it's set in the future. Just think about how surprised viewers of Deadwood would be if suddenly a spaceship turned up over the cliff in one episode. Ah, just a thought.

HOTPOINT

Hi All, After a [i]very[/i] long period of inactivity on the writing front Chapter XXI of the Here Be Dragon's Fanfic series is finished and needs proof-reading so I'm hoping someone will volunteer. Any takers? I'm sorry it's been so long :crap: [b][i]EDIT[/i][/b] [i]At the advice of Channain I really need a Beta Reader familiar with my previous stories[/i]

SOULOFSERENITY

Well, technically I already am an Uncle; my wife brought 4 nieces and a nephew with her. Anyway, just before 4 this morning, my sister gave birth to my nephew Issac Love. He weighs 9 pounds 4 ounces and is 22 inches long. Big baby!! Woot!!

HAKEN

For those planning to watch 'Earthsea' on the Sci-Fi channel, here's a bit info from Le Guin about the series. [quote] "Earthsea" 11/13/2004 "Miss Le Guin was not involved in the development of the material or the making of the film, but we've been very, very honest to the books," explains director Rob Lieberman. "We've tried to capture all the levels of spiritualism, emotional content and metaphorical messages. Throughout the whole piece, I saw it as having a great duality of spirituality versus paganism and wizardry, male and female duality. The final moments of the film culminate in the union of all that and represent two different belief systems in this world, and that's what Ursula intended to make a statement about. The only thing that saves this Earthsea universe is the union of those two beliefs." Sci Fi Magazine December 2004 I've tried very hard to keep from saying anything at all about this production, being well aware that movies must differ in many ways from the books they're based on, and feeling that I really had no business talking about it, since I was not included in planning it and was given no part in discussions or decisions. That makes it particularly galling of the director to put words in my mouth. Mr Lieberman has every right to say what his intentions were in making the film he directed, called "Earthsea." He has no right at all to state what I intended in writing the Earthsea books. Had "Miss Le Guin" been honestly asked to be involved in the planning of the film, she might have discussed with the film-makers what the books are about. When I tried to suggest the unwisdom of making radical changes to characters, events, and relationships which have been familiar to hundreds of thousands of readers all over the world for over thirty years, I was sent a copy of the script and informed that production was already under way. So, for the record: there is no statement in the books, nor did I ever intend to make a statement, about "the union of two belief systems." There's nothing at all about the "duality of spirituality and paganism," whatever that means, either. Earlier in the article, Robert Halmi is quoted as saying that Earthsea "has people who believe and people who do not believe." I can only admire Mr Halmi's imagination, but I wish he'd left mine alone. In the books, the wizardry of the Archipelago and the ritualism of the Kargs are opposed and united, like the yang and yin. The rejoining of the broken arm-ring is a symbol of the restoration of an unresting, active balance, offering a risky chance of peace. This has absolutely nothing to do with "people who believe and people who do not believe." That terrible division into Believers and Unbelievers (itself a matter not of reason but of belief) is one which bedevils Christianity and Islam and drives their wars. But the wizards of Earthsea would look on such wars as madness, and the dragons of Earthsea would laugh at them and fly away... Toto, something tells me Earthsea isn't Iraq. I wonder if the people who made the film of The Lord of the Rings had ended it with Frodo putting on the Ring and ruling happily ever after, and then claimed that that was what Tolkien "intended..." would people think they'd been "very, very honest to the books"? Ursula K. Le Guin 13 November 2004 [/quote]

MERCEDESTROY

And I don't mean the fish. Let me explain. It's 3:58 in the morning, and I just got home. I have just had a profound experience. Not a moving experience, but profound none-the-less. I am exhausted, dehydrated, and exhilirated all at the same time. Late as it is, I am brewing a lovely combo of peppermint and cammomile to soothe me once I get this off my chest. Enough foreplay ... Tonight Tiesto played in a club in Ybor City, which is in Tampa, which is where I am. One of my good friends is into trance, and he decided I really needed to see the Number One DJ in the world. OK, I was definitely up for that - I have some trance music and I like it. So I agreed to go with him and got a ticket. It never really occured to me this was at a Club. I am clueless about such things, although I should have had a hint when he told me to wear comfortable shoes. (Which I did. Which still did not prepare me for being on my feet for 5 hours straight.) So here I am. In a crowd. In a club. It's 10:00 and the crowd is just starting to form up. There are two DJ's ahead of the main act to warm up the crowd. It works in my case - I start grooving the minute I walk in the door, just moving to the music. It's all good and no one laughs at me. I meet several new people who's names I do not know, because I can't hear but every 5th word or so of anything anyone is saying. I nod and smile alot. This goes on till midnight or so, much music - much dance. Loud,yes, but nothing I can't handle. There are lasers and banks of bright lights, and occasional smoke all being coordinated by someone who knows what they are doing and timed with the music and for the mood. Killer stuff! I am completely grooved in and hangin' easy. Well, in a manner of speaking. I half expected my hip to give out early in the evening and while that never happened, I have no illusions of how well I will be walkin' on the morrow. And this is the warmup. Every thirty minutes or so they remind us Tiesto is coming, as if we are going to forget that! This club, one of it's big main attractions, and I was not fond of it, is this circular dance floor. It moves. In a circle. It has a two level platform in the center. During the first two hours we are there we end up dancing our way into the center of the dancefloor, and there we wait. Prime location for the feast to come. Suddenly I realize the time must have come. The dancefloor has stopped moving and would you know we are absolutely in front of the upper level stage. Perfect placement. And then it starts ... Now understand this. Decoy has taught me a bit about sound, and speakers and placement and stuff like that there. Tiesto opened with a wash/wave of light, sound, color ... and I realized that serendipity had given me a new experience. I was about one foot off of being at the exact apex of every speaker in the house. I was caught in the crossfire as it were. Loud is not the proper concept. You can grasp loud. This was a palpable presence - something that actually grasped you, forced the air back outside of your lungs. My vision blurred, reacting to a combination of how hard the floor was vibrating to the beat, and I think the air in front of me was actually shimmering from the vibration ... it was ... intense. This concert or whatever you choose to call it, is a cooperative effort between the DJ and his audience. They feed off of each other. No two concerts will really be the same, or such is my understanding. I surely can see it, saw it in action tonight. Third song - the breakdown section where it goes quiet and then builds back to a heavy beat climax. He brings it down and the crowd knows what is coming ... he starts to bring it up, and holds, and holds and holds - there is a pattern to these things and at the point where it should have taken off again we are still holding. The audience is anticipating the moment ... and you can feel the tension build and the anticipation. And then he hit us with the full restoration of the beat, the light bank, the ful

GLOWYRM

*insert melodramatic sigh here* glowyrm is in love... and knows it cant happen cause he's fictional, and glowyrm has a sun for a butt. Jayne is SOOOOOOOOO well lets face it, i wanna see that man brought to his knees and crying. why? cause i like the tough macho "real man" type. but i cant seem to eat a whole one in one sitting :biggrin: tuesday nights eppisode was very cool. i like the old fasioned duel. the rapiers made a real statement... shiny pointy things are good... or not if your on the recieving end. are mal and inara realy infatuated? well i kinda guess mal must be, i mean who wouldnt?? inara has the voice of an angel, the body of a she-devil and a sharp yet sweet personality. and she can fence. but is the feeling reciporical? did i spell that word right? and do i have any idea what the heck im going on about? probably not but your the one reading it!lol

ZARK1976

I was at work, and feeling weird, stupid dreams lately and oh so lovely cold medicine, WOOT! Anyway, I was just standing there and turned around and saw a co-worker named Wayne. Well of course I just started on the ballad of Jayne but with Wayne substitued. People think I'm crazy. Anywho, If you've got a hankering to amuse and delight your co-workers and there's someone there with a similar name, serenade them. BOO YAH!

RAY53208

this is why i dont wanna go back to work after my vacation. blah.

BROWNCOATGAL

The other day, I was getting to thinkin and had a few fun questions… 1. How were you first introduced to Firefly and who introduced you? 2. What was the first episode that you ever saw?? 3. What was your first impression of the series? 4. What is your favorite bit of the …erm “messages”…that firefly sends? 5. Have you recruited any other Browncoats??? 6. What did you do/feel when they cancelled the series? GRRRR! These are totally random questions. So, just to be fair, I’ll answer them too. :wink: 1. My dad saw the first episode on TV (train job) an he introduced me! 2. The first episode that I saw was Bushwhacked!! I was always sad that I never saw Train Job first… :disappointed: 3. I was a little confused on the characters because of my lack of first-episode-viewing....the dead people kinda scared me too( cuz I was a newbie!!:crap:) 4. I really love how all of the characters are outcasts and how they strive for freedom(wow that was an odd explanation:smokin:) 5. Hells yah!!! I bug my friends about it until they watch it and become obsessed!!!!!!! :evil: 6. :finger: I went with the whole "write to FOX and politely cuss them out" thing… an I got my friends to do it too!! OK ya…so there yous go!! Have fun!!!

RAY53208

you know what they did? they created a TOTAL SYSTEMS MELTDOWN at work today. hours... HOURS without the ability to buy, sell, or otherwise use computers... the horror! THE HORROR!!! me am sleepy now. :knife:

IRIVER

I just watched Edward Scissorhands, and I noticed something peculiar about it. There is a character in it that is made to be this strange religious freak. Upon closer examination, I realized that she looks quite a bit like Summer Glau. And in the parts of the movie where this woman gets freaked out, she has the trademark River look to her. It is really strange. I know that this woman can't be summer herself, because the movie was done a long time ago, but there is the possibility that this actress could be related to our favorite psycho teen. Is there any one out there who can confirm or deny my suspicion? Thanx a metric ton. iRiver

GLOWYRM

well people, i cant believe it. im a second cousin for the third time. to define "second cousin" i will say that the children in question Chloe (nearly 2, Keith (about 10 weeks, and now William (born saturday) are the offspring of my cousins BJ (six months older than me) Nikki (seventeen) and Brooke (six months my junior) in that order. i havent yet met the newest addition to the clan but i will be getting to see him at christmas. my family is big... im one of thirteen (i think) grandkids, and my family is five generations living. yes, five generations. "nan smith" is 85 on new years eve her daughter "nan" is 67 at the moment "mum" is 47 "glowyrm" is 24 "jerry" and "tayta" are almost 6 and 2 years old respectively. do any others have an amazing family tree like this??? i would realy love to know. family is such an important thing these days i would be so happy to celebrate "longevity" and family with evderyone this 'silly season'

RHYMEPHILE

Just like Amazon did a couple of months back, Barnes&Noble.com is having a sale on FOX Season 1 titles at half-off. No, there's no Firefly, but other Season 1's are only $14.95. As I write this, 9:42 a.m. on Dec. 13, the discount isn't reflected on the site yet. But check there in a few hours or later on today for this deal. List of $14.95 titles: 24 Angel Buffy Futurama In Living Color King of the Hill Millennium Roswell The Simpsons And feel free to spread this info around, like to Whedonesque.com

CHOSEN1

Okay, my friend Pam says they've postponed the Serenity release. I guess its true what they say: Good things come to those who wait. It still sucks though. here's what Joss said as he announced it on whedonesque.com "Are you guys starting to hear that fanfare? Those distant drums? Are you slapping on your side-arms, pulling on your long brownish-colored coats and thumbing your crisp new bills in anticipation of the cinematic event of the year? Well, it's official: on April 22nd you, the true the blue the loyal, can step right up with the rest of America and WAIT FIVE MORE MONTHS. Heh. See, sometimes studios shuffle around release dates... Okay. Don't panic. right now you're panicking. you're thinking, "how could they do this to me?" But what you SHOULD be thinking is: "How could they do this to JOSS?". Seriously. That pity is mine and I want it back. So what happened? Well, nothing terribly original. April got crowded with a lot of titles aimed at a similar demographic, and the studio decided September was a clearer corridor for the film to make the kind of impact it should. This isn't about a lack of confidence in the film -- in fact, they told me this before they even saw it. And now they have seen it, and unless they're way better liars than I'm used to, they dug it. Actually, they dug it pretty large, which is a good sign since there's not a single finished effect in the film. There's no reworking the end, no reshoots, no "does it have to be in space?". It's just a marketing issue. Now you'll get to watch lots of trailers in the summer. And hopefully, by the time it comes out, other people, people who ain't us, will get a whiff of what we're up to, and come along too. I love this movie. I HATE waiting to show it too you. I felt pretty much the way I imagine you're feeling right now when they told me. But these guys know what they're doing, and they're trying to protect their investment, not bury it. So I gotta be a grown-up. The release date is September 30th. Hopefully it won't change again. Spread the word. Keep the faith. And gleam the damn cube already." -j. joss | November 23, 05:12 CET

GIN0IS

...

THEGREYJEDI

I'd like to know. Feel like a mach truck went over me slowly with each axle, first one side, then the other. Then did it again. Then Niska got a hold of me. Conquered the fever through force of will, drove the cough into hiding, but oh, the ache. The ache!!!

GLOWYRM

well, im now not so clueless as i once was... i have just learned that "bushwacked" was the first eppisode i watched. then i read a few q and a's and was interested to read the different ideas about reavers. my personal philosophy is that they are reavers, they dont need explination. they are the ultimate boogeyman, with bite. however, because i have to be a nit picker here are some of my other thoughts... [i]"...speculation on reavers seems to be that they are either "crazy insane monsters that were once human" or "perfectly normal when viewed as a seperate and distinct species" lets face it folks, we arent going to find out any time soon. the referance to the deep void could quite possibly be an extreem version of sensory deprivation (used by the nazis in ww2)it could also be a sly aside to the psychological breakdown when the human brain is starfed of oxygen, seretonin or one of the other hormones linked with depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. (and i dont mean multiple personality disorder.) it may also be that they are culturally tuned to cannibalism, or have a physical requirement for certain nutrients found in the human body. eg there is a genetic condition that forces the 'victim' to consume excessive ammounts of haem type iron. this is found in abundance in the human liver, spleen, heart and blood. it is also easier to absorb than many of the manufactured iron suppliments (it pays to watch CSI) :biggrin: as to the skin sewing... we have endangered more species of wildlife in the persuit of 'fasion' perhaps the reavers dont see human skin the same way many of todays conservationalists see tiger and ermine. to a reaver, 'fur ain't murder' many cultures also do not discard any part of an animal that can be put to use. be it as food, clothing, adornment and jewelery, husing and shelter, or as a way of demonstrating their social status. the picts and early gauls used to put enemies severed heads on pikes around the dun (or fort) not only as a deterent to invaders but as a sign of wealth (to have enough to support an army) and social status.(gotta respect a guy who has 100 heads on pikes around his dun, when your dun just has a few) - glowyrm " [/i] if you cant tell, i am a bit of a wierd one... i like historical stuff (think 'horrible histories' rather than 'war of the roses') i have even begun attending a medieval type group called the Society for Creative Anachronism or the SCA. i like dressing up in the old clothes, and bashing away with my play sword. i love eating and drinking and being all ladylike at events and feasts. i also love bashing at old cars... i wanna be a panel beater when i grow up :biggrin: i keep mice as pets, as well as hermet crabs, a dog and kids. one day i want to own snakes but i have a few other things to do first.

CHOSEN1

I am finally done with finals! I was up into the wee hours of the morning this morning and finished my last paper. It was like giving birth. Ten hours of labor and I produced a literature review on intervention techniques for families affected with schizophrenia. By the time it was over, I was beginning to feel schizophrenic myself. Anyway, I just wanted to share in my bliss. The only problem is that now I don't know what to do with myself. I guess I'll just bust out the fuzzy socks, vodka, and CSI dvd's cuz mama is free!!! (you can't tell, but I'm doing the happy dance in my chair and grinning like an idiot)

UNCHARTEDOUTLAW

On the upside...there's a mere 24hrs before all us teachers get two weeks worth of break. The downside...it's not 24hrs later yet! I cannot begin to express my frustration toward my students right now! Like, I can hardly type it out with any clarity. My seniors, for example, have managed to read the Sheltered version of [u]Hamlet[/u] and now I'm showing them the movie so hopefully they get the idea of what actually happens...and they're talking through almost the whole thing!! Tamade! These are the same students who last year started a petition to get me to teach Senior English this year! I have so washed my hands of them. I'm done dealing with them. I'm done putting up with their shite! I just want them graduated and gone. And at the same time I feel bad for saying that. They are good kids...most of the time. I like them as people. But I teach in a small town (small for Silicon Alley standards) and they all have known each other since they were in diapers together. I live an educational soap opera here! I just need to keep my eyes on the prize, right? Two weeks off with my wife and time to relax and work on my bus or my Firefly story. I guess my other downer this week has been the sudden news of the closing of my only trusted VW mechanic and the end of VWTrends Magazine for whom I've written a few articles. Just a sad December. The UO will be back...I promise. He's off having adventures while I'm here. -Taylor

HAKEN

For those of you who have never seen one of these (or heard of it for that matter), the Quiksilver was held yesterday.

WERZBOWSKI

Ni Hao, fellow Browncoats... Yes, I am still about, even though I rarely have the time to visit anymore. I just wanted to wish all my fellow Browncoats a happy holiday season, no matter what you celebrate. To those of you I call 'friend'... Sorry I haven't been around lately, and I hope everything goes well with you. The reasons for my absence will become obvious in this blog. To those of you who have read my fanfiction... I'm sorry to report that due to real life, my writing has completely dried up. There will be no more tales of Werzbowski, or stories from the crew of Pandora, in the forseeable future. Again, the reason will shortly become obvious. Because of this I have removed all my fic from the site so that people wouldn't be left hanging. It is unfortunate that I must report that thanks to work related issues, and the recent discovery of my father having lung cancer, I don't anticipate being able to hang out with you guys again any time soon. I hope to stop by now and again though to lurk, and if you can spare any prayers & best wishes for my father, they'd sure be appreciated. - 'Ski PS: To those of you who I used to correspond with via email... my address has changed. It's now werzbowski1@yahoo.com

THESOMNAMBULIST

Well it's all Mr Whedon's fault. I'd given up watching TV of any kind since Northern Exposure. Then he goes and makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly and takes TV to a new level. Three TV shows of such quality and accesibility that he's inspired myself and two friends to try and write one of our own. So that's where we are, just a few days shy of having a pitch ready for the BBC. It's not easy this TV writing lark. When you start of with a blank canvas the possibilities are limitless, and we all have individual ideas of our own. But we've managed to find a format that all three of us love and things have come along wonderfully. Of course we're under no allusions. There's a long way to go, and it'll be extremely difficult to keep our original idea in tact, but at least having a completed script is better than not having a completed script. That's the impetus. The script. That now gives us something to approach the BBC with. So there you go. I'll keep things updated as they develop. TheSomnambulist

HOTPOINT

Hi All, Just a few lines to help advertise my next FanFic Series [i]Horse, Foot and Artillery[/i] which is my take on the idea of a Second War of Independence. The new series continues the Storyline established in my earlier series; Death Or Glory, Wolf Pack and Here Be Dragons... because I just can't tear myself away from it. You can find a "poster" advertising the new series at

DTUCK

There comes a time when everyone makes the choice between family and career. But when your career involves your family, what do you do? Disregarding everything I've always been careful with concerning online identity (because, honestly, I'm not sure I believe it anymore), I'm just gonna say it outright, because the details are what's important. I work in an Internet Gaming Center, like an Internet Cafe, where people come and pay to use our computers to play online multiplayer games. We also host Magic the Gathering tournaments on Fridays and casual play at all other times. My older cousin is a big guy. He comes in to play Magic, and, as family, has a VIP account on our system, which gives him unlimited time on the computers. Pushing 6 feet tall, he's also very muscular, and tends to use his size to intimidate people, though not maliciously. Now, I'm short. Barely 5'4", skinny too. But I've always been unusually resilient. I was a shoe-in for sports, since I could run faster than anyone else, and get back up from a hit that would make others dizzy. My resilience has acted as a buffer between his actions and my feelings about them. I never thought he was too rough, because I could take the rough-housing and give it in return, but his actions towards others recently have opened my eyes. Apparently, when I wasn't here, he twisted a kid's arm, and has done it before. I'm thinking he made sure he didn't do it in front of me, because, first and foremost, this is a place of business, and needs to be a safe environment for youngsters. The next time my cousin comes in, I'll inform him that he's lost his computer rights, and that he should take a voluntary leave of absence from the Gaming Center for a month or so, until he can sort out whatever makes him feel the need to mess with people the way he does. What's more, my family actually owns the Gaming Center (and the local ISP), but he's related to me through my mom, and it's my stepdad's business, so that adds new angles that may or may not prove troublesome. And to top it all off, I think I'm in love with the daughter of the manager of the Center, my 3rd cousin by law... (not really, but that'd make a bitchin' Springer episode, wouldn't it? :biggrin: ) What I want to know is, have I done the right thing? Was I too harsh, not harsh enough? How do I react when we're at my grandparents' house, away from my place of business? Should I try to mediate situations where he will be in the same place with my paternal relatives, and vice versa, or just stay out of it? Eternally confused, D-Tuck

MONTANAGIRL

I am new to Firefly and have only just recently become a member of FireflyFans. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being a generous, kind, and helpful group of people. I have asked stupid questions, been unable to figure out how to use the underline function properly (then had the same problem trying to quote), and generally bumbled my way through the site. Someone always came along and answered my questions or showed me how to do what I needed to do, without once making me feel like an idiot for not knowing how things worked. Thank you for making me feel welcome and wanted. Browncoats really are the best people in the 'verse. May you all have a safe and shiny holiday season!

TENTHCREWMEMBER

Wow, what a year. I quit my rutting job. (And I have been happy ever since!) I discover Firefly. (A friend loans it to me) I become addicted to Firefly (I am more than a fan, I am a junkie! LOL). I discover the FFF.net I discover 11th Hour's Guerilla marketing site. I discover the Blue Sun Room. I make my first Firefly wallpaper, w/ 11th Hour's permission to use her images (she's so cool!). I discover other FF fans in my area. I discover the Serenity Movie Board...mmm points! I make many many more FF wallpapers/images. I have an "incident" at the local emissions check facility; my arm is burnt bad. I meet Gojiro! (My first meeting of a fan from FFF.net!) I organize our first Shindig. I give away half-a-dozen homemade FF shirts, and I get motivated to do more from the positive response of my fellow fans. (I meet a dozen other fans! Woo!) I post my "Big Damn Heroes" board game on Gojiro's site (free to all fans!) I open a Zazzle site. I open a Cafe Press site. The first Southern Ohio Browncoat (SOB) Shindig is a big success. I post my first filk, "Malthumping". The local SOBs make shindigs a regular happening, each one better than the last. Thanks Gojiro and KarenKay! I hit the 100 mark on designs for my FF products for my fellow fans. I discover the OB. I start the Caption Tightpants game on FFF.net The BDM gets postponed until September. (grr! argh!) I find a new job! (Wooo!) I post some Firefly Haiku filk. I hit the 200 mark on designs! And I am still going strong! I love doing this, and I love that people enjoy the things I have created because that drives me to make more. Combine that with the fact that fans have gotten the shaft from FOX and therefore almost all merchandising has been fan created, I am driven even moreso. I love to get the wonderful items created by my fellow fans as much as I love having them get mine. I recommend getting your hands on anything you can that another fan has created (I especially like Maniac's shot glasses, personally). Thanks again to Joss, the "Shiny Nine" (aka the cast), the TV/movie crews of Firefly/Serenity and all the fans here, who make being a fanboy so much fun! Cilantro! TCM

TAUSETIPRIME

My god- Im happy. This must be a huge problem for the world. something must have gone wrong. But, bottom line is this: I have two friends who have returned from Iraq. They are well, but not without wounds. I took the time to ask them about their duties there. Both said the same thing: I'm glad to be home, but I want to go back. These are people who have taken a part in something that we should all revere. I honor my friends in the service, including my own little brother who now serves on a ship in Japan. The navy has proved to be a great friend to my relative who would have never found a friend in any sort of college life. Anyways, something must be wrong in the world, because im happy. Therefore, I need some help! I wish well for my little brother, and I hope he remains safe. Because if he doesnt, I will have to go into whatever horrible world he comes into and rescue him myself!

CHOSEN1

I love spoilers. I do. So I went a read the spoiler thread on this here website and now I am so upset by what I found out that its been on my mind for the last few days. I can't tell you what it is because not everyone likes spoilers. I did send my family the DVDs for Christmas and my sister told me she was in the middle of watching the pilot when I called. She said "I can't talk I'm in the middle of Firefly." Those words made me happy. Now my beloved sister can share in the obsession. I also watched Dodgeball and was happy to see Alan Tudyk in it. It was a cheesy part, but leave it to Alan to bring true emotion to a guy who thinks he's a pirate. I am so impressed with his work. I Robot is also very good, if you get a chance. Alan plays the main robot in it(whose name escaps me). Well, I guess that is enough rambling for one day. Happy Hollidays to all my fellow browncoats! You guys are the best!

BROWNCOATGAL

Just a thought.... Seeing as how most action flics these days end up as video/computer games, I was wonderin' if anyone has heard anything about a Firefly or Serenity game.......:blast:...........hmmmm

SIMONWHO

Here in Britain, millions of us are currently rejoicing in a blind man's suffering. His career destroyed, his morality questioned and his name turned into a punchline for a thousand jokes. Are we sickos? Well, yes, but this is something with reason behind it. David Blunkett is the blind man's name and until last week he was Home Secretary, the cabinet post for the person in charge of prisons, law and order, internal security, etc, etc. Currently in power is the Labour party, supposedly a left wing party (you know, free healthcare, decent pensions, no means testing, all the things that America as a civilised country/superpower doubtlessly has). But Blunkett has presided over some of the most right wing, restrictive, bordering on fascist policies. Many have attributed them as a post 9/11 reaction but rather Blunkett has long held these idea but it is only since the attacks that he's been able to put them forward as policy. Top of the list is ID cards. In the UK we haven't had a central ID card system since the 1950's when the courts declared them an infringement on our rights. But once again, the Labour government is trying to introduce them, despite the protests and wishes of civil rights groups here. There are several complaints about them, most notably 1) they're a terrible infringement of citizens privacy and 2) they won't do any good. Spain for example has long had ID cards. Did that prevent the 3/11 attacks? Nope. Unfortunately, despite the home secretary's departure (sex scandal, our favourite trick), the government is pushing on with their plans. I doubt they'll carry them through for several reasons: 1) they're impractical, 2) they're hugely expensive, 3) people like me are going to undermine the system. Compulsorary ID cards are the beginning of the end for civil rights. If anyone in any position of power can just click a button and know everything about you, you have no privacy, security or freedom. Even if you think you've done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, a united database will prove otherwise. I think this ties in with Firefly nicely. The whole Alliance/Browncoats war was about freedom from a big tyranny. It's not as though the Browncoats were insisting on anarchy, they'd have had local governments but they refused to accept instructions from a remote power, oblivious and uncaring of their needs. Let's just hope the anti-cards movement has more success than the Browncoats, for all our sakes.

HASLINGER

I miss my grandfather. Don't really know why, but I decided to watch Saving Private Ryan. I totally forgot that Nathan Fillion plays pvt. Ryan from Minnesota. It's a great scene, definately one the most memorable. Officially Fillion is my hero, as if he wasn't already.

GLOWYRM

ok, am i the only aussie (tasmanian) who didnt get to see my beloved capitain/crew/ship last week... i was soooo annoyed. i stayed up extra late only to not see firefly! argh grrrr. why cant those annoying iddiots at the tv station settle for the fact WE LIKE THE DARN SHOW~!!! merry xmas everyone

SIGMANUNKI

Well, Winter Solstice is upon us again. For those that celebrate it, I wish you a merry Yule surrounded by friends, a night filled with laughter and a great feast! As a gift, I offer my [i]quite rough[/i] proto-type of my Shadow Puppet Movie Maker. If people like it I'll make those pesky dependencies go away, redo the UI, etc Let me know what you think.

SYRYN

i mmoved to a new home in a new state and there is no local tv reception so we are literally watching the boxed set of the tv series over and over and over again. can't wait for the movie!!!!!!!! even though i'll have to go to another city to go see the movie :-D

MANTICHORUS

Well, this is just to say that I hope you have a Merry Christmas & a Shiny New Year. I probably won't be back on the boards until Thursday 6th January 2005 (sheesh, better start gettin' used to typing and writing that...), so I'll see you all then.

UNCHARTEDOUTLAW

Allow me to preface this blog by saying that I am the least Zen person on earth. I love old stuff (see my 38 year old VW bus) and I love science fiction. I feel sometimes like I really have trouble living in the now. That said, I feel sometimes like I am the most luddite science fiction fan. I have noticed some trends in society that are starting to scare me because I feel like only I can see the bigger picture of how they're all slowly starting to connect...like three or four big freight trains all heading toward each other with our world at the center. First, what happened to the days where kids could get a book or a toy that [i]didn't[/i] make noise? Case in point: wife and I are at Costco last night and I pass this cart with two young girls sitting in it looking at a couple of Disney storybooks that make all sorts of noise or play songs or something (never was a big Disney fan). Case in point two: my students and their cell phones. Oh my god, their worlds revolve around their ability and desire to interact with it constantly. [i]Edit: We are raising our children to be dependent on technology and on things that make noise and entertain them, not interact and engage them![/i] Which brings me to two, what happened to the day and age where people did not feel this incessant need to communicate? Don't get me wrong, communication is good, but not when you're driving (whether it's a car on the road or a cart at the store), in class, in a movie/play, in a meeting, concert, or anything else that is just simply more important than the world around you! It's like people who are strange enough to set their car alarms while camping! Now here's where my Zen side comes in: [b]enjoy the world around you, people![/b] I don't care if it's a rose or your own child...it's beautiful! It has to be more important than texting someone or some random call from some random person. Third, our political climate. We are turning inward, people! [b]We are scared![/b] Fear drives our culture today. [i]Edit: You history buffs know this kind of thing has happened before. Hmm, can we say 1930s Europe?![/i] "Oh my gawd, what if little Johnny falls on that tanbark?" "Garsh, what if Al-Qaeda decides to blow up my local Wal-Mart?" "Jinkies, serin gas is everywhere...and radon...and carbon monoxide...and I need disc brakes instead of drums...and my car has to be totally silent inside so I can enjoy my stereo instead of paying attention to how my car's doing and what's ahead of me!" [i]Edit: We're softening, world! We are becoming lazier and we feel we can tolerate less! Honestly, everyone needs to drive older, well-maintained cars in which there's a decent stereo (hey, I like my music too) but you can still hear the road and the car and are aware of what's ahead of you.[/i] Here's my prediction...it will sound like science fiction, but remember that all good science fiction (note, not sci-fi...science fiction) takes our society's ills and places them in a future context: I predict that our society will continue to turn inward, ever narrowing our world perspective, becoming more and more fascinated by small shiny objects that bleep and twitter and connect us to each other without actually connecting us to each other. Hard currency will become obsolete. More records will go digital. Phones will become more and more centered on music, texting, pictures, video, games, making popcorn, telling you if there's an accident ahead, brewing your coffee, debating quantum theory, and less on making actual phone calls. Phones will eventually just be embedded in our skulls when we turn 13 and the resulting "voices in our heads" will create in the world a great schizm between those of the digital generation and the "luds". [i]Edit: And I have to ask--What happens when all those great electronic networks crash? It's inevitable. You cannot battle entropy forever.[/i] The haves will have more and the have nots will have...well, not. The gaps will widen, children [i]will[/i] be left behind. America will be left behind the rest of

MAI

Happy Holidays everyone! It's almost here and am I ready? YES!!!!!!! I have a big party for all the little rugrats where I work. What could be more fun than a dozen plus kids ages 1-5 bouncing off the walls from a candy cane high? If anyone has seen my sanity please let me know. It will be dearly missed by the end of the day. On second thought, maybe it's better that I don't have it.

MALSDOXY

To all Browncoats, lifers and newbies alike: I wish all of you a very shiny Christmas and all the happiness in the 'verse. A special holiday wish for Haken, our benevolent webmeister- thank you. and to Fox :censored: you From MalsDoxy, waiting patiently for the BDM

REEQUEEN

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

BOFFIN

I couldn't take the empty blog block, so here I am. I recently donned my coat of brown, quite a while after my first exposure to Firefly. I had seen a snippet of Ariel when it was first broadcast by Fox, and (I'm embarrassed to say) I dismissed it after two minutes. Before anyone grabs an e-pitchfork or torch, I have to say that I don't watch much TV. I saw a brief clip of our crew in the Alliance hospital, and turned it off. You may be assured that I'm kicking myself to this day, as I now see what a fantastic series Firefly was. I eagerly await Serenity, and until then I plan on puttin' down roots with you fine folks. -Boffin

CHOSEN1

I've always hated the day after Christmas. I always feel compelled to return everything that doesn't fit or I just don't like. Logically, I know that the lines will be hell, but there is no stopping me. On the bright side, my sister and father are now just as addicted to Firefly as I am. Mission Accomplished. Ps-If you are reading this JuJu, I just want to say: Ashampbanyanya.

GUITARCHICK

Technology is cool! It really has shrunk the size of this planet. I have found people I have lost touch with for years. "It's a small world after all…"

NIGHTSEEKINGBEAR

FIREFLY ROCKS!!!! I just bought the DVD set of Firefly: The Complete Series for the first time. I had never seen the show when it first aired on Fox back in late 2002, but I was intrigued by the entire concept, the whole show, etc. After all, I love Joss Whedon, not to mention that I am a HUGE Buffy and Angel fan. Anyhow....I've been watching 4 or 5 episodes of this short-lived show....and like I said above... IT ROCKS!!! It's an awesome show!!! Gods, this is a great show! What was Fox thinking when they pulled the plug on it??? They never gave it a chance. Those pricks. lol Anyhow, it's a sweet show. I love it. I can't wait for Serenity to come out....the movie that is. Need I say more??? Todd a.k.a. Nightseeking Bear

SIMONWHO

Now there's two different sorts of families at Christmas. There are some who enjoy being with their nearest and dearest, love picking out presents for friends and relatives, can't wait to see what Santa has brought for them and watch the Queen's speech with deep interest to see if the Commonwealth has had a good year. Then there are those who recoil at the sight of wrapping paper, begrudge every card they write, grumble endlessly about how the season starts earlier each year and "over-commercialisation" then feign sleep in their armchair rather than play charades. To those people I say :disappointed: I love Christmas. I love the idea that there's a day when we have to be nice to one another because people should see how easy it is to smile and have a cheerful greeting on hand to perfect strangers. It should be a joyful time of year. Sadly this year has been overshadowed by the tidal flood that has devastated huge amounts of the world (note to American readers: you may have seen this as a brief mention on your news, after the bit about the dad selling his kids' presents on eBay) but I suppose that just means we're going to have to dig a little deeper from the Christmas spirit this year.

REEQUEEN

Hopefully, not me.

LESLIE

Have y'all seen the trailer at

POTEMKINVILLAGER

:stupid:

TRACY

Got my next door neighbor, who's my adoptive mei-mei, to come in for a facial. She sat down, and I said: "I've got something really cool to show you." "K," she said. On came the "Firefly" pilot. The facial was done, and she sat down on the couch to watch the remaining part of the eppy with me. She'd make comments and laugh but more than anything, she watched intently. At the end, I said, "So?" Did you like it?" "MAN, IT'S GOOD! IT ROCKS!! IT'S..." "Shiny?" "Absolutely!" There you have it - I've got the DVDs for Xmas - and already made a new convert. Shiny! Tracy

SOULOFSERENITY

Okay, time for a really stupid question. On my computer at work, I can't access any websites that I don't already have saved as favorites. I have Internet Explorer. Every time I try to go somewhere new, the screen says: Error FW-1 at agocfw 1: Failed to connect to the WWW server. Now can someone please tell me what in the good gorram that means and what I have to do to fix it?

AURAPTOR

Just a thought I got while watching the Return of the King box set. As everyone knows, the Palantiri, or Seeing Stones, enabled those of strong will to see things far off, or communicate w/ others. The Palantir didn't lie, but it might not give the viewer the whole truth either. Basically, the Palantir could show you some small portion of what was. However, even a true image and taking it out of context...well, it can be deadly. Ask Denethor. Anyway... it sort of reminded me of how politics works. Sure, some times there is out and out lying, but more often than not, we get snippits of truth mixed in with well constructed propaganda. Long story short... ( cause right now I'm drawing a blank as to what all I WAS going to say ... ) don't be swayed by things which are out of your control..just keep doing what you know, stay the course and you'll be fine. I'll try to bbl and clarify more, if i can.

HAKEN

For those keeping up with what's happening down in SE Asia, here a Seismic Monitor from IRIS.

TAUSETIPRIME

I came across several interesting (to me, at least) pieces of information from varying sources, and I thought I would bring them all together here. First, I was gazing ever-so passively at the NATO headquarters homepage, and I saw something that immediately made me think of fireflyfans.net. This is an entry in the FAQ for the site: [quote] Q: Why do you spell ‘organisation’ with an ‘s’and not a ‘z’? A: By tradition, NATO uses European English spellings in all public information documents. Common examples where differences occur between European and North American usage are the words “defence” and “defense”, and “Organisation” and “Organization”. [/quote] Now, I don’t know if everyone has seen it, but there is a great thread started by Ebonezer entitled "I'm not usually a nit-picker but this is bugging the hell out of me." that discusses this very issue (take the time to read through it, its incredibly informative, and more than a little funny). Now, I was expecting a lot of bloated diplomacy and over-worded responses when I clicked the link to the FAQ's, but I smiled like an 8 year old when I read both the question and the answer. This is the NATO freakin' website! I know there are a lot of school children that have reports due on the subject of NATO, and therefore I can understand the seeming infantile nature of both the question and answer. But, nonetheless it sticks out in my mind like chrome rims on an 83 Datsun pickup. The only people in the world that would EVER ask that question are either children who don’t know any better, or adults who really need to read more (by the way, both of those categories are 100% American too!). Another interesting tidbit that I picked up from that site was this little gem: [quote] On 12 September 2001, less than 24 hours after the terrorist attacks against the United States, NATO declared the attacks to be an attack against all the 19 NATO member countries within the terms of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. [/quote] I didn’t know about this. I’m not sure how I missed it, but that is beside the point. I like the sentiment, and I hope this is the kind of solidarity we can see more of in the future. After gleaning those gems from the NATO site, I popped over to ESPN's page 2, where there is an excellent Q&A with Bill Simmons. The whole article is very well done, but there are a couple fun entries: [quote] Q: Do you have a top five list of the actors that you would love to see die in a movie? I was thrilled when Paul Reiser was ravaged in "Aliens." I think Jimmy Fallon might be up there now after he ran onto the field at the end of the World Series. -- Bob Brassil, Boston SG: That's a great question. I never liked John Lithgow, so his demise at the end of "Cliffhanger" never gets old for me. Same for Glenn Close in "The World According to Garp" and Diane Keaton in "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (although that was a truly disturbing ending). But you're right -- very fun game. My list includes Robert Wuhl, Renee Zellweger, Eric Stoltz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Spike Lee, Michael Rapaport, Gretchen Mol, Talia Shire (as Adrian), Jim Carrey, Kirstie Alley, Meg Ryan, Adam Sandler, the entire cast of "American Pie," and, of course, Jimmy Fallon. (By the way, just coming up with that list was strangely cathartic.) [/quote] I would love to see this discussed more often (especially considering the role that actors have in commenting in today's political arena). I have my own entries I would like to add to this list: Pauly Shore, if for no other reason than "Jury Duty" is currently being aired on TSO, and I cant understand how he was allowed to make movies and Firefly wasn’t deemed worthy. Ben Affleck. He obviously has lost all sense of reality, and Matt Damon needs to take him into career decision receivership. I like most of his movies, and I think he can be a capable actor. "Chasing Amy" and "Mallrats" are great movies IMHO, but lately he has given his name to bombs the likes Iraq and Afghanistan will never see. I’m sure there are ot