Wyvern

Overall, I thought this was a very nicely written and entertaining samurai story, DeanTheAdequate. The elements of samurai culture that you incorporated into the piece were used very effectively throughout, particularly those of honor and devotion towards traditional melee weapons. The conflict, crisis, and resolution of the piece were also well developed and interesting. The story currently seems a bit rushed to me, however, due to the personalities of the characters being only briefly touched upon in order to quickly get to the crisis of the piece (the battle). The fighting unfortunatly didn't seem too exciting to me for this reason, and you might want to strengthen the readers attachment to the characters before reaching the battle. You could do this by expanding each segment of the piece and giving the reader a better sense of the relations between the characters and their personalities, particularly those of Naota and Hikame who are only briefly mentioned. Try to show the personalities and backgrounds of the characters through their actions and dialogue rather than explaining them to the reader, as that will make them stronger as characters. An entertaining story with the potential to become a very entertaining story. Thanks for sharing it!

Certainly a good starting point for a story piece, MeThinksUFoolish. I like the manner in which the uncertain events of the room nextdoor are revealed through the presentation of sounds that the first person narrator hears, and look forward to an expansion of this segment into a full story. There was one thing that confused me a bit in the first sentence, which was the wording of the sounds as they made their way into the narrator's room. When reading "entering my room" the first time, I was uncertain if it referred to the sounds or the narrator, and you may want to reword that little segment a bit. More please.

My apologies Tattered, I saw two posts of the same thread and deleted that which had the least views on it only to find that you editted this other one out of existance. It was irresponsible of me, and I hope that you archived the work elsewhere so that you can post it again. Once again, I'm sorry for having accidentally gotten rid of the actual work. For future reference: if members make multiple posts, it's best to simply leave them as they are and let the moderators get to deleting the extras in order to avoid these sorts of mistakes. Hopefully, the quirk in the system causing these errors will be corrected some time in the near future. Having said this, Wyvern bows apologetically to Tattered and promises to provide a thorough commentary for her next poem, hoping that she'll be able to post "What Shall I do?" again.

Belchfire sighs and swivels restlessly in his applicant easychair, checking the time on the aged grandfather clock that rests in the corner of the Office and wondering what could be taking the Elder of Initiates such a long time to arrive. Blushing slightly at the numerous compliments and constructive criticisms he's recieved from the Pen members that have gathered in the Office, the eager applicant lifts his head to thank them once again just as the door to the office slams open and a bustling crowd begins flooding into the office. Belchfire, Ayshela, DeanTheAdequate, Tanuchan and Jade are all squished towards a corner of the room as it starts getting crowded with large, muscular men wearing cowboy hats, trucker jeans, and loose-fitting leather jackets. The unavoidable odor of chewing tobacco mixed with the stench of horse meat previously eaten for lunch fill the members' nostrils, causing them to violently gag for fresh air. A gang of roughly dressed, rowdy men cause the entire room to quake as they barge in carrying two roosters by the throat, and proceed to set up a cock-fighting ring in the center of the room. Somewhere in the Office, what is thought to be a grizzly bear is shot at by a hillbilly in a beer-stained NRA T-shirt. Belchfire's eyes widen and he stutters as he's seperated from the other members in the Office and shoved towards the Recruitment desk of the room. His jaw drops open when he arrives at the desk only to find Wyvern sitting there with several packs of sodas resting by his scaly feet. Grinning and nodding towards Belchfire, the overgrown lizard quickly shakes his hand before jumping on top of his desk, picking up a megaphone from inbetween two paper stacks, and yelling: "Alright you manly men...you wanted it, you got it! "The Mighty Pen Burp Off," one hundred percent guaranteed to cause rough and rowdy excitement for the whole family..." The room suddenly goes silent and crickets chirp in response. "Errr... sorry, I meant only the MEN of the family!" Upon hearing this, the rowdy men that have gathered in the room cheer loudly and begin recklessly moshing in the room. Directly outside of the Recruiter's Office on the grassy area surrounding the Pen, several monster trucks begin driving around at full speed, running over Aardvark's Dodge Viper that happens to be parked there several times and reducing it to a pile of rubble. "Come on now, who wants to hear some belching?! Lemme hear you say *Belch*!" With that, all of the rowdy men in the room begin to belch at full force, causing the Pen to tremble at it's very foundation. "Good! Now today, we have a very special battle for you... it's myself, Wyvern, versus the late belching champion Belchfire!" Having said this, Wyvern kills the power on the megaphone and hops down from his desk, quickly turning towards the extremely nervous Belchfire. Nudging the applicant with a scaly shoulder, the lizard quietly hisses into his ear: "Just play along with me here, I'm getting paid big time for this... Choose a soda, guzzle it down, and belch at full force. Then, I'll do likewise, and after the winner is declared your application will be accepted. Got it?" Belchfire nervously nods and whispers a curse under his breath, turning towards the sodas available. Noticing a quaint-looking Mint soda and not wanting to offend anyone with bad breath, the applicant picks up the soda can, shakes it, and rapidly guzzles it down, preparing for an enormous belch. The crowd of men let out a cheer as Belchfire lets out a powerfull belch that takes the form of a concentrated fireball, which flies through the room and lands directly on Melba's left shoe. The Almost Secretary of Initiates cries out in rage as she gets a hot foot, having already had a bullet embedded in her left calf after being mistaken for a grizzly bear earlier, and begins tossing muscular men to the side one at a time in order to reach Wyvern. At the Recruitment desk, Wyvern applauds Belchfire's performance and then steps up to the belching plate himself, taking out a can of post-dated Bulldog rootbeer and spiking it with a touch of Bruteweiser. Shaking up the concoction and guzzling it in one go, the overgrown lizard proceeds to let out a belch of flame so great that it engulfs the entire room in a blazing inferno. By the time the flames have passed, the muscular male audiences clothes have been reduced to cinders, revealing their timid pink bunny rabbit boxer shorts. Before Wyvern can so much as mutter a word of apology, Melba leaps at him like an Almost Secretary out of hell, fully ablaze in flames. As the greedy reptile is thoroughly throttled by Melba, Belchfire is declared the victor by the masses due to his not burning off expensive clothes in the process of his belching, and is paraded out of the Office as a hero by a crowd of men in pink boxer shorts. The battered Elder of Initiates briefly manages to catch a gimpse of Ayshela in her undergarmets due to her clothes being burnt off with that of the rest of the crowd before stamping Belchfire's application ACCEPTED and promptly spurting blood onto it from his nose. ;-p OOC: On a more serious note, Belchfire, an excellent application poem and certainly an ACCEPTED application. Welcome to the Mighty Pen! I look forward to reading more of your writing, and hope I haven't taken too many creative liberties in the formation of this roleplaying response (this goes to Ayshela as well!). Once again, welcome!

Vlad and X-Sabre, Your points are well taken, as a lack of effort in numerous responses has become apparent and is an issue that should be dealt with. You're certainly not the only members who feel this way, as others have complained about similar matters. It's apparent that something should be done about the issue. The first thing that all members and honored guests should do in order to avoid such responses is to read Peredhil's "Manners and Consideration" thread posted in the Cabaret Room, paying particular attention to the third pointer in that thread. Remember that in posting responses and threads, you are catering to a wider audience than simply common internet acquaintances. We have a very large range of age groups here at the Pen, and the one kind of writing that every age can appreciate is thoughtful and considerate writing. Another thing members might want to do to conquer this difficulty is to simply ask themselves: "will I be able to look back at this post in the future and be proud of what I posted?" One thing that I occasionally do is look back through my old posts by clicking on my profile and then on the "Find all posts by this member" option, which I encourage others to use for this exercise. We look happily upon all levels of writing here at the Pen, just so long as that writing has had some thought and effort put into it. I realize that it's not always fun to edit posts for grammar and poorly thought out statements, but it's ultimately very rewarding. It's viewed as a sign of your dedication to the guild. A third thing that should be noted: wallowing in misery over this subject is just as inconsiderate as the responses in question themselves. Difficulties should be pointed out in an intelligent and constructive manner, and should provide thoughts on how the situation can be improved as a whole. PM members whom you don't feel are providing well thought-out feedback and offer them constructive feedback on how they might be able to improve their responses. Remember that not every member will be able to provide critical feedback for a piece, as we all have different levels of writing. Dwelling on severe disappointment, however, will only intimidate people from posting and drive them away from the community. One final thing, though it might not be that relevent to this issue: remember that the Pen is a place to have fun with your writing just as much as it is for recieving feedback for your works. One of the reasons that I roleplay so much is because it places a focus on writing to entertain people in the community and have fun rather than writing for personal improvement, in which others are expected to give critical feedback. I would like for this thread to be moved to the Minstrel Hall where membership issues are usually discussed, but feel the decision rests on the shoulders of Vlad and X-Sabre. If you guys wouldn't mind for this to be moved there, I would be more than happy to do so. ;-) Having stated all of this, Wyvern gags and rinses his mouth out with a long shot of Bruteweiser, generally despising technical posts like the one he just wrote... ;-p

Crash-Bang! A scaly tail slams against walls and tables as it's host is dragged forcefully towards the door of the Recruiter's Office. Smack-Crack! A scaly face is swiftly beaten down by a clenched fist. Nnnnooooooooooooooo! A piercing Almost Dragonic cry fills the Recruiter's Office as the bruised form of Wyvern is tossed into the room by Melba's firm hand. Brushing a few loose scales from her palms and scowling at the overgrown lizard, the Almost Secretary of Initiates rapidly shuts the door behind her and proceeds to stand guard directly outside of it in order to make sure that the overgrown lizard doesn't try anything funny Grumbling curses under his breath and lifting himself from the messy Office floor, Wyvern quickly brushes the dust and coffee stains from his tunic and sighs. The lizard then turns towards MeThinksUFoolish and quickly bows, taking out a clipboard along with the Crow Feather of Reliability and hissing: "Name?" MeThinksUFoolish clears his throat for a moment, then answers: "MeThinksUFoolish." Wyvern's face goes blank for a moment, then he slowly nods and jots it down. "I see... quite a way to start an application interview, though I suppose the general concensus of the Pen populous would be that I'm foolish. For what it's worth, though, MeThinksUAPotentialPurchaserofAlmostDragonicProducts." MeThinksUFoolish frowns and scratches his head. "Errr... no, what I meant was..." "I see that you've also labeled yourself a Savage Dragon" interrupts Wyvern. "Well, that's good to hear. Dragonic breathren are always welcome here, though savagery is not always as well-received. We should team up some time, I could use your directness... it could give schemes an almost savageness!" "Errr..." mutters MeThinksUFoolish. "I'm not sure if I..." "A nice application, by the way." hisses Wyvern as he stamps MeThinksUFoolish's sheet ACCEPTED. "Should you need any new crayons, I'd be happy to sell you some of the Almost Dragonic variety... though I last I checked, we're all out of the color gold." OOC: An ACCEPTED application, MeThinksUFoolish, welcome to the Mighty Pen! I apologize for the lateness in responding, and look forward to reading more of your writing as well as participating with you in writing projects. Once again, welcome!

Thanks to all of the people who tuned into the first episode, as well as everyone for their comments. As others have noted, it ended up only being broadcast for one hour rather than the regular two due to some Realplayer difficulties, though I still ended up D.Jing the other hour due to the music still playing throughout the building I was in. Overall, it was a very tense and overwhelming experience and I was a nervous wreck throughout it. ;p Since I've had practice with all of the equipment now in an actual session, I should be much less nervous in future shows... Over the hour that Realplayer was working and I was on the air, I mentioned that I represent the crew known as the Mighty Pen and dedicated a track to the Big Pointy One and the Seven ("Time to Unravel" by Atoms Family and Greenhouse Effect). I was planning to also dedicate tracks to Quincunx and Valdar and Astralis, but there wasn't much of a point in doing so when Realplayer stopped working. Ah well... perhaps in a future session. ;-) A special thanks goes out to Vlad for AIMing RGWradio while I was up in the studio and chatting with me. That was very thoughtful of you and it calmed my nerves quite a bit. Much respect due! Next weeks show is subtitled "Mushy Music," and is going to be a documentary on the wildly experimental hip hop/electronica/pop label Mush Records. Those who can't stand hip hop vocals should note that at least half of the music that will be played in this upcoming session will be non-vocal, instrumental hip hop that borders more on IDM than anything else. Plus, there'll probably be more shout-outs, so be sure to tune in!

DeanTheAdequate sighs to himself and shifts in his applicant easychair, dismally staring at the cluttered desktop of the absent Elder of Initiates while Appy and Yuki Kokoro continue chatting about the numerous far-fetched schemes that have detained the reptilian Elder in the past. The tired applicant finishes counting the number of bulging stacks of unfinished paperwork that loom menacingly on the desk and grumbles a string of curses to himself. He was slowly rotting away in the office, but unlike Lord Mitsurugi, he wasn't getting messages every day informing him that his death was imminent... Just as Appy and Yuki Kokoro begin discussing the rude manner in which Wyvern opens doors when he finally arrives at the Office, the Office door slams open and the overgrown lizard himself rushes in as fast as his scaly legs can carry him. Waving towards Appy and Yuki and promptly bowing towards DeanTheAdequate, the lizard shakes the applicant's hand and hisses: "Apologies for my lateness, was a bit tied up with various affairs after an inappropriate comment I made about the numerous manners in which Almost Dragonic Inc. might be able to abuse a certain Pal, who's name will not be mentioned here. Let's just say he likes to Pay, and has a fondness for Visa..." Wyvern is interrupted as Appy and Yuki simultaneously cough and cast him an angry glances. Nervously gulping and nodding, the greedy lizard immediatly rushes towards his desk, snatches DeanTheAdequates application from its craggy summit there, and begins reading over the story as fast as he can. After finishing with the application piece, the overgrown lizard grins and hisses: "This application piece is well above adequate, Mr. Adequate... very well narrated. I'm certainly glad that police officers have become much less skilled in the arts of combat since the ages of this story, not to mention that honor has become far less important a concept..." Wyvern scratches his scaly chin thoughtfully, then continues: "You had really ought to check out Madoka's Samurai Sheep Training Dojo here at the Pen some time. The code of the bashido pales when compared to that of the baaaashido, after all... plus, the spring grass ramen they serve inbetween training sessions is surprisingly tasty." DeanTheAdequate stares in a perplexed manner as Wyvern drools for a few minutes, and is relieved when the overgrown lizard stamps his application ACCEPTED shortly afterwards. OOC: A very good story and an ACCEPTED application, DeanTheAdequate, welcome to the Mighty Pen! I look forward to reading more of your writing, and hope to participate with you in future community projects.

Here are the madlib results, thanks to everyone who participated in this one. The original story segment used for this madlib was from Regel's Revisiting, an excellent story thread in the Assembly Room that has yet to be commented on (and which I'll be sure to comment on in the near future). The original segment read: Then, I replaced various words with blanks to form the following: It has been quite a number of [A Unit of Time] since [Name of a City] was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the [Name of a River]. It's known as the [A location] City because of the number of [Adjective] [Plural Noun] that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those [same plural noun] have been removed as the city kept [Verb ending in “ing”]. I was in the east end of my [Adjective] hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my [Type of Family Relative]’s [Noun] was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my [Plural Noun] anyway. Instead I swung down [Name of a Street] and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in [An emotion] had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. [Verb (past tense)] is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of [same Name of City] even though I called it home for many years. The [Three Initials] tracks where we used to hunt [A Type of Animal (plural)] in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's [Plural Noun] living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare [A Junk Food] factories (which always made you [Adjective]) and of course the [A liquid] plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. ----- After plugging in the results of the participants, the following stories are formed: Ayshela's Version It has been quite a number of milliseconds since London was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Tigres River. It's known as Melba's closet of doom City because of the number of shiny mushrooms that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those mushrooms have been removed as the city kept sliding. I was in the east end of my prickly hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my great-grandfather’s persimmon was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my guitars anyway. Instead I swung down North East Street and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in glee had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Shot is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of London even though I called it home for many years. The RPC tracks where we used to hunt deer in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's bricks living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare Skittles factories (which always made you crinkly) and of course the beer plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. Alaeha's Version It has been the duration of an Almost-Dragonic warranty since Boring (a city in Oregon) was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Euphrates River. It's known as the behind the skeleton in the closet City because of the number of slithy cute widdle bunny wabbites that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those cute widdle bunny wabbites have been removed as the city kept skipping. I was in the east end of my pert hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my wife-in-law’s mechanical pencil was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried her in my empty two-liter bottles of Coke anyway. Instead I swung down Not Main Street and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in red hot apathy had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Contracted is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Boring even though I called it home for many years. The WTF tracks where we used to hunt gazelles in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's brown paper bags living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare Hostess Twinkie factories (which always made you filthy) and of course the post-dated root beer plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. Lady Celes Crusador's Version It has been quite a number of hourglass durations since Les Boules was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Magog River. It's known as the on the porcelain throne City because of the number of delicious angels that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those delicious angels have been removed as the city kept summoning. I was in the east end of my delirious hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my uncle’s rabbit was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my chairs anyway. Instead I swung down Ste-Catherine and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in sorrow had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Blew is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Les Boules even though I called it home for many years. The BBM tracks where we used to hunt felines in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's wings living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare Poutine factories (which always made you adorable) and of course the expresso coffee plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. Lumpenproletariat's Version It has been quite a number of weeks since Cologne was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Amazon River. It's known as the Athens City because of the number of big drunkards that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those big drunkards have been removed as the city kept drinking. I was in the east end of my small hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my twice removed second cousin’s pubcrawl was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my bartenders anyway. Instead I swung down Dominion Road and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in fear had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Drunk is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Cologne even though I called it home for many years. The CFC tracks where we used to hunt tasmanian tigers in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's batteries living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare Burger Kings' Barbeque Bacon Double Cheeseburger factories (which always made you tiny) and of course the salt water plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. Xaious, Master of Time's Version It has been quite a number of minutes since Houma was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Mississippi River. It's known as the Bourg Supermarket City because of the number of depressed cats that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those depressed cats have been removed as the city kept licking. I was in the east end of my happy hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my uncle’s town was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my clocks anyway. Instead I swung down Gresham Street and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in anger had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Killed is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Houma even though I called it home for many years. The BMP tracks where we used to hunt dragons in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's houses living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare Jellybean factories (which always made you smelly) and of course the hot sauce plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. Peredhil's Version It has been quite a number of eons since Albuquerque was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Nile. It's known as the between the ears and 1.5 inches behind the nose City because of the number of pleural Bengal tigers that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those Bengal tigers have been removed as the city kept hopping. I was in the east end of my geriatric hometown. The urge to drive past and visit the black sheep of my family tree’s butcher was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my mad cows anyway. Instead I swung down Lyre on Fellings Street and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets copeseticly had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Thudded is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Albuquerque even though I called it home for many years. The EDW tracks where we used to hunt reptiles in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's choo-choos living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare Onion Ring factories (which always made you fusty) and of course the mercury plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. Zariah's Version It has been quite a number of nanoseconds since Kilmarnock was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Wacomaca. It's known as the Beach City because of the number of sexy towels that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those towels have been removed as the city kept sun bathing. I was in the east end of my tan hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my distant cousin’s bikini swimsuit was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my crabs anyway. Instead I swung down Cubit Creek Rd. and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets calmly had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Swam is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Kilmarnock even though I called it home for many years. The FUN tracks where we used to hunt dolphins in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's clouds living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare potato chip factories (which always made you salty) and of course the margaritta plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. Savannah's Version It has been quite a number of years since Little Rock was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Tennessee. It's known as the produce aisle in Kroger's City because of the number of sweet trees that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those trees have been removed as the city kept driving. I was in the east end of my cool hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my mama’s monkey was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my trucks anyway. Instead I swung down Poplar Street and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in anger had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Walked is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Little Rock even though I called it home for many years. The DPE tracks where we used to hunt fish in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's cages living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare Milkyway Candybars factories (which always made you beautiful) and of course the Coke plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. Gwaihir's Version It has been quite a number of split seconds since Cowtown was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Muddy River. It's known as the by the avacado that is refrigerating on the windowsill City because of the number of silly desert songs similar to the insides of old trash cans that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those silly desert songs have been removed as the city kept slurping. I was in the east end of my depressive hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my uncle's cousin's baby's sibling’s life's shadow was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my multiplication tables anyway. Instead I swung down Pterodactyl Street and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in purple passion had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Upended is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Cowtown even though I called it home for many years. The PEN tracks where we used to hunt manatees in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's ventilators living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare grease-nuggets factories (which always made you lacadaisical) and of course the cooling lava plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. DeantheAdequate's Version It has been quite a number of eons since Prauge was my home. A university town and center of commerce nestled in on the forks of the Yangtze River. It's known as the Marenaras Trench City because of the number of droopy campers that lined the streets. Shame is that many of those campers have been removed as the city kept mating. I was in the east end of my tall hometown. The urge to drive past and visit my third cousin’s fudge was strong but I decided against it. Besides I carried him in my balilaikas anyway. Instead I swung down Rockford Street and soon found myself in familiar haunts. The kid that used to walk these streets in squeamishness had grown up and moved away but some of this area still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. Cleaned is the only way to describe this part of my life because I never really felt connected to this part of Prauge even though I called it home for many years. The LIB tracks where we used to hunt blue footed boobies in the tall grass, the Western Fairgrounds with it's spoons living in and around the race track, the smells that eminated from the Kellogg’s and Dare beef jerkey factories (which always made you swirled) and of course the bleach plant were we watched the line on hot summer days, these were the landmarks of the east end. ----- That finishes the responses for this madlib. Now, I encourage other Pen members to form their own Mighty Pen Madlibs and host them in this thread! I'd certainly like to participate in a couple...

The first showing of "Any. Given. Moment," subtitled "The Overview," will be aired tonight in a few hours if all goes according to plan and I manage to work the equipment right. Also, there's another convenient internet based method of supporting the show. If you'd like, you can send comments via AOL Instant Messanger by messaging RGWradio. I can actually read the comments while I'm in the studio D.Jing, since there's a computer there that's always connected to that AIM account. In terms of recording developments, Degenero Angelus said that he might be able to record the shows in MP3 format. I greatly appreciate his generosity in offering to do so, and would suggest contacting him about it if you have questions. No promises, since he's only mentioned that he should be able to, but one can always hope... ;-) Finally, the production studio camera doesn't seem to be working at the moment (at least not on my computer), which means that for now you won't be able to see me at work from a camera. I'm certain that WRGW will fix this shortly, though... Please listen in and support!

I think it's high time we revived this thread, particularly in light of Zariah's newsletter being temporarily put on hiatus. I'll start by hosting another Mighty Pen Madlib, and after we've finished with it anyone else who wants to try their hand at hosting another one is highly encouraged to do so. The same rules and concepts as before apply, so those new to this game can read about how it works at the beginning of this thread and contribute. Remember: the more original and creative the choice of responses are, the better! 1) A Unit of Time 2) Name of a City 3) Name of a River 4) A location 5) Adjective 6) Plural noun 7) Verb Ending in "ing" Adjective 9) Type of Family Relative 10) Noun 11) Plural Noun 12) Name of a Street 13) An emotion 14) Verb in past tense 15) Three Initials (example: ABB) 16) Type of Animal 17) Plural Noun 18) A Junkfood 19) Adjective 20) A Liquid

Thanks to all who have posted and shown interest, and apologies for the lateness of this update. It took a bit longer than expected for the radio station to organize all of the show information, hence the rather lengthy wait. The on-air schedule for Spring 2004 has now been posted at http://www.gwradio.com, and you can check it out to see what day and time my show is aired and read the little profile I wrote for it if you'd like. "Any. Given. Moment" debutes January 23rd, which is this Friday. It can be streamed live from http://www.gwradio.com through the "Listen Live" option, from the times of 10:00 P.M to 12:00 A.M U.S Eastern Standard Time. Once again, Realplayer is currently required in order to listen to the show, though we're hoping to install another method of streaming come late February. This show will be on every Friday from this point onward, so if you happen to miss one, tune into another! Every listener from the Pen is thoroughly appreciated. The call-in number for the station is (202) 994-9749. If you'd like to chat with me over the air, you'll need to keep it clean (i.e no cursing) and radio related, otherwise I'll be forced to disconnect you. If anyone is thinking of calling, you can also mail me in advance that you'll be phoning in if you'd like, as I could then better prepare something to discuss. Surprise callers are appreciated as well, though. There is also a good chance that there will be a few very special guests on my show at certain occasions, which I think will further intrigue Pen people to listen in. Just keep your ears and your eyes peeled, and be sure to tune in as much as possible. ;-) For those who live far away from the East Coast and are wondering about time differences, time zones are listed on this site: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ In terms of archived audio sessions: it is possible to record the radio sessions to mini-disc, though I probably won't be doing it much due to my lack of knowledge on the workings of mini-discs as well as my lack of funds. Still, should a particularly special show arise, I'll be certain to record it never the less. Note that my first show might not be quite as professional as my other shows due to this being my first time working with D.J equipment, though I've been trained in how to work everything and it should be well worth your 2 hours regardless. This first episode of "Any. Given. Moment." is subtitled "The Overview," and deals with the theme of teamwork. The focus is going to be placed on giving the listener a broad overview of what to expect from the show by playing only tracks where three or more M.Cs exchange verses. The topic of teamwork as an element of hip hop and of music, as well as of historical importance, will be touched upon and discussed over the course of the show. The Pen members most likely to get dedications in this episode are those with multiple RPing personas that work as a team, though I might be too busy figuring out how to run everything smoothly to get to doing that. Hopefully, I will however... ;-) The abbreviated version, in pointer format: "Any. Given. Moment." Fridays, 10:00 P.M - 12:00 A.M U.S EST http://www.gwradio.com (202) 994-9749 Thanks once again to everyone who's shown interest and plans to tune in. Your support is more than a simple reminder that people will be listening, it's an inspiration.

I went to see Breeze Evahflowin, Poison Pen, and Immortal Technique at Ben N Moes in Washington D.C this evening. Before I describe the events of the concert, a funny incident occured when I was searching for the small cafe where the artists were hosted. I arrived there way too early, since it ended up being only a twenty minute walk from my dorm, and I mistook the club nextdoor to Ben N Moes for the locale. When I asked them if they were selling tickets yet, they responded "yes, but remember it's only for gay men." Confused, I asked them if they had a concert going on this evening, and they said something the lines of "yes, it's Spank night." I was actually beginning to believe that the concert was only open to gay men, until I asked about the hip hop artists and they pointed me towards the correct concert hall. ;p After waiting in the cold and then in the front row of the small cafe where it took place for a while, the artists came on in order. There was a short warmup act known as Flex Matthews who was pretty good, and then Breeze Evahflowin was the first of the lineup to take the stage. He delivered some excellent performances, and definitely struck me as a very hungry and talented M.C, which was expected given the material I had heard from him previously. Poison Pen was the next rapper to come on, and he had an enormous amount of stage presence due to his being physically huge and extremely rowdy. While he had a great personality and a funny set, I didn't like him quite as much as Breeze due to his being completely smashed off of liquor through his entire performance. Never the less, his set was good, and he performed my favorite of his songs "Top of the Food Chain," which I was happy about. Finally, Immortal Technique came on. I had heard very good things about him before, but hadn't heard too much of his material previously. All I can say is WOW. I had entered the concert deciding I wouldn't buy anything, but ended up buying his CD "Revolutionary vol. 2" shortly after his set. He's an incredible lyricist, and possibly one of the finest M.Cs currently spitting in hip hop. To give you an idea of where he's coming from, he opened his performance with an acapella version of the track "The 4th Branch," which begins: "The voice of racism preaching the gospel is devilish A fake church called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist Forgetting God is not a religion, but a spiritual bond And Jesus is the most quoted prophet in the Qu'ran They bombed innocent people, tryin' to murder Saddam When you gave him those chemical weapons to go to war with Iran This is the information that they hold back from Peter Jennings Cus Condoleeza Rice is just a new age Sally Hemmings" I'll definitely be on the lookout for more things from Immortal Technique in the future... as it stands he was clearly the highlight of the evening. It was worth the eight buck entry fee just to see him alone. So, has anyone else been to any good concerts lately?

I really liked this poem, smallscale_mind_games, and thought that it drove across the theme of materialism and it's corrosion of emotions very well. I particularly liked the original imagery and metaphors that you used throughout, such as the metaphor for life as a Parker Brothers game and all of the imagery circulating around luxurious items. They made for a very interesting and entertaining read the whole way through. In terms of potential improvements; while I loved the imagery you used in the last stanza as well as the intriguing manner in which you ended the poem, it doesn't read quite as smoothly as the other stanzas to me. The placement of the adjective "valuable" in the second line of the stanza seems to be largely responsible for this, as it seems to break the flow a bit. You might want to rephrase that particular line, as the other lines of the stanza read very smoothly. Well done.

Wyvern slowly paces into the Cabaret Room, practically tripping over several open cans branded with the letter "S" and entering just in time to hear Loki Wyrd's riddle. Noticing no response from Spiders Soul and scratching his scaly chin thoughtfully, the reptilian Elder clears his throat of a few ashes and hisses: "Well... either Melba, or a closed thread." ;-) OOC: Loki Wyrd and Spiders Soul, as Appy and Aegon have politely pointed out, the Pen boards are not meant for this type of chatting. I encourage you both to use the Pen's Shoutbox, which is very much intended for this sort of chat and requires no downloading. Might I also add that respect for other board members and thoughtfulness are key factors in deciding whether a member goes up in rank come promotion time. Thread closed.

Yuki Kokoro twiddles her thumbs and leans back in her applicant easychair, happily chatting with the numerous Pen members who had gathered in the Recruiter's Office to comfort her. She had been sitting in the Office for quite some time now, but had heard numerous stories of the reptilian Elder of Initiates' "Almost Perpetual Absences" and thus was fully prepared for a lengthy period of waiting. Turning towards Alaeha and reaching for one of the delicious panini sandwiches she had brought from Celes Crusador's Cafe, the applicant's thoughts of lunch are suddenly interrupted as two huge men carrying a fidgeting sack burst in through the Office door. The well-built men immediatly open the sack and toss Wyvern out of it onto the cluttered floor, adjusting the badges on their chests that read "Zoo Security" and glaring at all of those present in the Office. Pointing a muscular finger to the overgrown lizard squirming on the ground, one of the officials growls: "Dis' guy one of yours?" The Pen members in the Office all stand in silence for a long moment before purple shadow finally mutters: "Yep... looks like our Elder of Initiates." "He was caught trying to steal flamingos from 'Beckpecka Bradley's Animal Safari' Zoo..." grumbles the other security guard. "With da help of deese." With that, the guards reach into their sack and toss out three lawn gnomes, which clunk hollowly on the Office floor. Those gathered in the office stare at the gnomes blankly, in silent awe of Wyvern's stupidity. "Anyway" mutters the first guard. "We've gotta talk to the people in charge of dis organization to get reperations for all da hummingbirds your boy scared in this fiasco. After all, a hummingbird that's too scared to tweet is a very sad thing... I take it we go to dee, aaa, Elder Tower to meet dis Ozymandias fellow yes?" The members and guests in the room frown and slowly nod. "Thank you for your time." mutters the second official as the two of them depart from the Recruiter's Office and head towards the Tower of Elders. Wyvern slithers on the ground of the office like the lizard he is, clawing the brochure he carries labeled "Flamingos, Lawn Gnomes, and YOU" and whining: "Not once does it mention here lawn gnome loyalty, not once! Even Lazy the Elder Dwarf would have been better than those immobile idiots. What a decieving book... and it had my heart set on going into the fancy flamingo feather coat industry too." *sniff* Wyvern slowly lifts himself from his position on the floor, angrily tearing the brochure to shreds before bowing to Yuki Kokoro and muttering: "Exxxcellent to see that you've finally decided to apply, Yuki." hisses Wyvern, quickly snatching her application and reading it over. "And a very good application piece at that." Wyvern scratches his scaly chin for a moment as he notices a striking detail, and then mutters: "Say, what is this pocket of Hammer-Space thing you've got? Sounds intriguing... can it be used for storing a wide variety of hammers? If so, we should go into the tool business." Those who have gathered in the Office cast Wyvern a few nasty glances that read "you've caused enough trouble for one day," which makes the lizard immediatly stutter and stamp Yuki Kokoro's application ACCEPTED. "I'm hoping the pocket doesn't have anything to do with M.C Hammer...?" the lizard adds as he hands Yuki her accepted application. The greedy Elder grins briefly before being promptly clobbered over the head by three different sizes of Anti-Wyvern Mallets for mentioning the name of such a heretic. ;-) OOC: A very well written and ACCEPTED application, Yuki Kokoro. Welcome to the Mighty Pen! I'm very happy to see that you decided to apply, and am definitely eager to have you as an active part of our community. Once again, welcome!

Wyvern tip toes into the Cabaret Room as quietly as possible, dodging numerous attentative gazes as he dashes from one shadowed corner of the room to another and carefully hides his tail between his legs. Slowly approaching the area where Salinye's gifts have been gathered and silently wishing that he had that neat shadow walk talent that Yui and Cioden possess, the lizard carefully extends a claw and places an envelope with "Happy Birthday Salinye!" scrawled on its front on top of the pile of presents before breathing a sigh of relief. Grinning at his successful stealth operation and turning back towards the exit of the room, the overgrown lizard abruptly stops in his path and lifts his scaly nose to the air as a wonderful fragrance suddenly dominates his olfactory glands. Chocolate frosting, whipping cream, marinated cherry.... Wyvern's brain finally registers "cake" just as he realizes that several people are staring at him sniffing at the air like an idiot. "There is he is!" cries a Pen member while signaling for the Cabaret Room doors to be closed and locked. "The sugar bandit that got the birthday girls' garmets infested with vermin! Get him!" "W-w-wait!" cries Wyvern frantically, shaking his head in panic and extending his arms in front of him in a defensive manner. "I just wanted to wish Salinye a happy birthday! And besides, my gift to her includes a box of bleach and a can of pesticide..." ;-) OOC: Hope you had a very Happy Birthday, Salinye.

Wyvern bites his scaly lip nervously and adjusts the pin on his suite, approaching a chef wearing an "I H8 Wyvern" smock and a large hat lined with kitchen knives. The terrified lizard extends his trembling claws as the chef hands him a flaming platter of "Greedy Lizard a la Flambe" and points towards the door leading into the dining room. "This is for table four, get it to'em and make it quick. There're a lot more platters where that one came from." Wyvern quickly nods to this and begins heading towards the entrance of the dining quarters, not noticing the flames of the dish he carries as they burn straight through the enchanted Butling cufflinks Peredhil had endowed him with. Stepping into the enormous central dining room of the charity ball, Wyvern chokes and immediatly considers turning back as he notices the decorations present throughout the chamber. Numerous cat haikus had been framed along the walls, and a trashcan in the shape of Wyvern with an open mouth to stuff trash into rests at each corner of the room. Floating near the brightly lit ceiling amongst colorful balloons and streamers is a gigantic cute kitten balloon, which has an inflated Wyvern doll clutched in the fangs of its mouth. Stuttering to himself and bravely summoning all the willpower he can muster, Wyvern strides into the room and rapidly makes his way to his assigned table with the Greedy Lizard a la Flambe platter. Nearing table four, the overgrown lizard begins hearing the haughty voices of nobles chatting there. "I still think that we're overdoing it." mutters a whiney voice "Why nonsense!" exclaims a more upbeat voice. "How could you say such a thing Alfred? This Wyvern fellow has abused more poor little kittens than I have geld in my money pouch." "I still say it's overdone." responds the whiney voice. "I mean, certainly the greedy lizard is not to be admired, but that's no reason to devote an event to his suffering." "Think of the kittens Alfred..." comes another voice. "The kittens." At that moment, Wyvern arrives at the table and clumsily slips on a part of the rug, accidentally losing control of his platter and sending the Greedy Lizard a la Flambe flying directly into Alfred's lap. The whiney nobleman screams as his fancy trousers suddenly catch fire and jumps from the table, running around in circles until the pricey pantolons he wears are reduced to a pile of cinders and his "Wyvern is a cheater" boxer shorts are showing. Deeply blushing and wildly cursing, the infuriated nobleman quickly rushes to the nearest bathroom while Wyvern stands frozen, silently cursing at his clumsiness and quickly trying to think up an apology for the disaster. Remembering Peredhil's manner lessons, Wyvern immediatly recalls rule #456392 - "If you make a fatal mistake in manners, there is no error that a thorough apology cannot fix." The gears in Wyvern's mind slowly turn, using every politeness gadget they have to offer, until he finally manages to hiss: "Don't worry... the dish will still be edible if you eat it off of the floor on your knees." The noblemen all stare at Wyvern in silent shock, and the overgrown lizard's lip trembles. This couldn't be a good sign... "Well..." continues Wyvern. "I mean, the pigs can do it, so so can you. Errr... that is to say, your friend certainly has fashionable boxer shorts. Well, aside from the Wyvern remark on them, I mean..." Wyvern winces at his lack of genuinely nice things to say and slowly begins backing away when suddenly, an uproar of laughter from the nobles at the table catches him off guard. Cleaning out his ears out with a Q-tip to make sure he's hearing correctly, Wyvern raises a brow as a noble exclaims: "Good show, my fellow, good show! Alfred deserved every bit of the embarassment for defending that cad Wyvern, and it was excellently executed. Plus, those googly eye glasses suite you nicely! Please accept this small tip." With that, the nobleman hands Wyvern a check for one hundred thousand geld. The lizard's eyes slowly read over the check, and widen in disbelief. "Now then gentlemen." continues the nobleman while laughing. "Shall we?" With that, the noblemen all laugh and nod, lifting themselves from their table and getting on their knees in order to eat the Greedy Lizard a la Flambe off of the ground like pigs. Wyvern's jaw drops open in disbelief, and he stands there several minutes in awe before gleefully pocketing the check and heading back to the kitchen. He certainly wasn't complaining if the noblemen enjoyed eating farm animal style, and there were many more tables to serve...

Over the course of my Winter break, I had the chance to watch all 39 episodes of the classic 1950s comedy television series "The Honeymooners," which I gave to my parents as a Christmas present since it's always been one of their favorite shows. This show is proof that great comedy never ages, as I thoroughly enjoyed every episode and found the majority of them genuinely hilarious. Granted, one or two episodes have a few outdated moments of corniness, but overall it's startingly fresh and funny. The script is excellently written, the plots are original and well developed, and the acting is absolutely fantastic. Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, and Audrey Meadows all have their unique qualities as actors, and compliment each other perfectly throughout the series. It's amazing how well this series stands up to modern sitcoms, as unlike recent series it really gets you grinning and laughing out loud. I'd definitely recommend seeing one or two episodes, particularly "A Matter of Record," "Dial 'J' for Janitor," or "Chef of the Future" if you can find them. Wyv- -who probably has a bit of Ralph Kramden somewhere in his bloodstream...

Wyvern quietly tip toes towards the baggage claim located at the far end of the Cabaret Room, nervously glancing in both directions before opening several of Salinye's suitecases and retrieving a number of Almost Dragonic products that he had secretly stored within their depths. Removing a large bag of Almost Dragonic Brand (un)Processed Sugar™ from the undergarmets compartment of one of the clothing suitecases, the lizard glances at the sack in an uncomfortable manner before turning towards Orlan and muttering: "Hmmm... in terms of bugs, it seems that we might have quite a few ants now." Orlan raises a brow curiously as Wyvern shudders and drops the bag of sugar. The overgrown lizard briefly casts a disgusted glance towards the product before continuing: "And a few centipedes as well, it seems... I knew I shouldn't have added sprinkles of cemetary dust as an ingredient, even if they do make Almost Dragonic Brand Sugar popular with the zombies. Oh well... It shouldn't pose any big problem. After all, we can always call an exterminator (just as long as it isn't an exterminator named Tim associated with masquerades...) Wyvern is suddenly interrupted as a piercing scream is heard from the area surrounding the baggage claim. The reptilian Elder quickly spins his head towards the source of the sound, only to flinch and duck as he realizes that the luggages rightful owner has discovered her open baggage. "What th-?!" cries the voice of Salinye. "My bags are open, insects are all over my undergarmets! What's this, Almost Dragonic Brand Sugar...? WYVERN!" Wyvern grimaces, considers these horrified exclamations for a moment, then calls out: "Um... say Salinye, if you don't want any of those undergarmets any more, I'd be more than happy to-" Wyvern's sentence is cut short as he gets a face full of high velocity high-heeled shoe, and promptly collapses to the ground in excruciating pain... OOC: Looks great Orlan, thank you once again for helping out with this. One minor thing I noted: there are now fewer posts per each page in a thread and fewer threads for each page in a room. I'm sure this can easily be tweaked in the Admin pannel, though, and will look into it later. Much love for a quick and efficient move.

"The Porkening" Brutal and direct: 15 points Told somewhere inbetween pizza chefs and swine spirits: 10 points The swine spirits are not a form of liquor, but a ghost: -5 points Lack of disgusting, swine spirit liquor: 15 points Suggestion that narrator may have been under the influence of swine spirit liquor when writing this: 20 points The specific, capitalized sound of the thumb breaking, which also suggests substance abuse: 5 points Double-meaning used for the word "Dough": 5 points Use of the phrase "umm..." without fortune tellers noticing: 10 points Scares people from buying bacon pizza, thus leaving the reader with an urge for fresh, hot donuts from Krispy Kreme: 100 points Overall: (15 + 10 - 5 + 15 + 20 + 5 + 5 + 10 + 100) minus the number of times Aardvark has spiked Wyvern's drink with swine spirits = the rating. "Sentinel" Brutal and direct: 15 points Told in third person to the fifth dimension: 10 points Narrated in the present in the future: 10 points The Endless reaches its end: 15 points Dominant captain of the Endless comes from a rural family of hillbillies: 10 points The captain still acts like a sissy when he notices the derelict powering up: -5 points A single derelict outpowered a dreaded naught running about endlessly: 15 points Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 15 + 10 - 5 + 15) added to the profits that come about from the major motion picture version™ = the rating. "Secrecy" Brutal and direct: 15 points Told in third person: 10 points Protagonist dies unexpectedly at the end: 10 points Achmed jumps up and down in place, only to have a jump rope dropped to him afterwards: 5 points Senseitive wordplay: 5 points Black arts are discriminated against: -10 points The protagonist has the nickname Viz, and The Viz Never Sleeps: 15 points Achmed loses time by pondering the importance of timing: 10 points Mentions Gauntlets, but is in fact more similar to Prince of Persia: 2 lawsuites Antagonist wins - Fatality: 50 points Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 5 - 10 + 15 + 10 + 50) times the amount of preemptive bribe money Aardvark has chosen to incorporate at this point = the rating. "Duel" Brutal and direct: 15 points Told in third person: 10 points The inebriated duelist exits victorious: 20 points Psychic blows used a medium for shutting up noisy, annoying dogs: 10 points Traditional drug laws prohibiting duelists to "take hits" are incorporated: -5 points The power of the "hits" are still felt by spectators miles away: 10 points Mundane car alarms are set off: -5 points The names of the duelists allude to the concept of Civil War, but fortunatly the black arts are not discriminated against: 5 points A self explanatory dueling law that promotes destruction: 5 points Overall: (15 + 10 + 20 + 10 - 5 + 10 - 5 + 5 + 5) to the power of X where X is equal to the number of hours Wyvern is allowed to be the bookie for these duelists = the rating. "Lynne" Brutal and Direct: 15 points Told in a framed narrative - third person from first person: 20 points Emotional and evocative: 40 points Avoids sentimentality while still being touching: 20 points Gertrude-Stein-type long sentences: 0 points Non-Gertrude-Stein-type writing: 10 points + 5 points for relief Neato car blown to smithereens: 10 points if it was a Civic, -10 points if it was a Viper. Sense of regret from narrator at the end while still leaving the reader with a warm, fuzzy feeling: 20 points Lack of comedy in this particular response: hey... how the heck was I supposed to know that Aardvark writes sane stories as well?! Overall: (15 + 20 + 40 + 20 + 0 + 10 + 5 +/- 10 + 20) minus the number of minutes Wyvern is scolded for making this commentary semi-serious = the rating. "Suicide" Brutal and direct: 15 points Told in third person: 10 points Irony of this small segment getting 14 responses while other Aardvark stories get 0-3: 14 points Likelihood of this being attributed to attention spans: high Leaves reader with a cold, sickly feeling: 15 points Story convinces Gwaihir to summon gnomish pixie elves: 10 points Story leads into a discussion about Board Policies: -80 points Overall: (15 + 10 + 14 + 15 + 10 -80) + I (Incomplete) = the rating. "Exerpts" Passive and direct: 10 points Told in first person: 10 points The Creator turns out to be a geek who uses terms like "infinitesimally" and "illtimings": 0 points Excessive nerd talk is replaced with "yadda yadda": 20 points Humankinds fate ultimately rests in your reading the logs: 20 points Sleep-inducingly scientific: -20 points Quietly rests inbetween "Sentinel" and "Colonisation": 5 points Random reality rifts thrown in for effect: 5 bonus points Overall: (10 + 10 + 0 + 20 + 20 - 20 + 5 + 5) plus the amount these planetologist logs go for on e-bay times the amount of profits that Wyvern gets for them = the rating. "Background" Brutal and direct: 15 points Told in third person: 10 points Djinn's incorporated without a single Jafar reference or so much as a peep from Robin Williams: 20 points Protagonist lives to see another day: 5 points Suleiman looks like a pirate at the end, but never kills a ninja: -10 points Protagonist makes the Guiness Book of World Records™ for screams, his heart stopping before his vocal cords do: 20 points "Nanotoknonnen-Os" not plugged as Suleiman's favorite cereal: -5 points Overall: (15 + 10 + 20 + 5 - 10 + 20 - 5) to the power of the number of corrupt wishes Wyvern gets granted = the rating.

Wyvern a.k.a Evan Litwack a.k.a D.J E. Literate proudly presents... "Any. Given. Moment," a radio show to be aired online over the course of Spring 2004 at WRGW. I realize this might not be the best time to make this announcement, with people just arriving back from their Winter breaks and the Pen in the midst of switching hosts, but I figured I had to make this information public sooner or later. I've mentioned and hinted at this little project once or twice over chat channels, but have otherwise kept it completely under wraps (no pun intended) until now. Allow me to explain. This next semester at my University, I'm going to be hosting a radio show. The show, which I've entitled "Any. Given. Moment," will be aired online from the campus radio station on a weekly basis. I've classified the music I'm going to be playing as "thematic independent hip hop," and those of you who have been around for my last two compilation CDs should know the deal. In fact, if you liked the concept behind my previous Pen compilations, chances are that you're going to love "Any. Given. Moment." I'm planning to make the show a highly conceptual affair by tackling a different theme or topic each week, and basing all the music I play in the show around that topic. So... what does this show have to do with the Mighty Pen? Well, first of all, I would really really appreciate it if you guys could tune into this show and spread the word about it. It only lasts two hours each week, and it would mean a lot to me if you could listen in as an audience. As a D.J, I'm not only going to be representing my radio station WRGW, but also the Mighty Pen crew worldwide. You can expect me to dedicate tracks to members of the Pen and give Pen members shout-outs, which I hope will heighten peoples' interest a bit. I realize that not many people here are into my obscure genres of hip hop music (though you might gain a new appreciation for it through listening), but I hope that people will tune in regardless simply to see a Mighty Pen representative at work. ;-) What? Why? Where? When? How? What? - "Any. Given. Moment," a thematic independent hip hop radio show hosted by Evan Litwack a.k.a D.J E. Literate (a.k.a me). Why? - Because D.J E. Literate is bored of typical hip hop radio shows and wants to try something different. The show is classified as a "Speciality" show, meaning that I can ignore top ten listings and have complete freedom of creativity in my musical choices. Don't be surprised if I end up mixing hip hop with other genres of music. Where? - You can listen to "Any. Given. Moment." at www.gwradio.com, where there's an option to "Listen Live." There's also an option to view the station through "Live Cam," in which you can actually see me sitting around doing nothing (or dancing like an idiot) in real time as I make announcements and as the music plays. WRGW's radio streams unfortunatly currently require a RealMedia player in order to be listened to, which can be downloaded for free through links on the site. To those who adamantly refuse to so much as touch Realplayer, an MP3 method of streaming might currently be in the works, though there's no telling when it will be finished and incorporated. When? - "Any. Given. Moment." will be aired every Friday from 10:00 P.M to 12:00 A.M U.S Eastern Standard Time. The "On-Air Schedule" for Spring 2004 at www.gwradio.com has yet to be posted, but should be up by some time next week. The radio station will start airing programs after Martin Luther King's Day (January 19th), meaning that the first airing of "Any. Given. Moment." will probably be January 26th. The exact date has yet to be confirmed, but it will definitely be later this month. Until then, I would encourage people to spread the word and make sure they have the media equipment required to play it. How? - How can you help? The best method of helping me out is simply to tune into the radio show at www.gwradio.com, Fridays from 10:00 P.M to 12:00 A.M U.S EST when it starts being aired. The more people that tune in, the better! I encourage folks to spread word of the show to family, friends, other online communities, etc. There will also be the option of calling up the radio station while I'm on, in which you can actually chat with me in real time over the air (though it would have to be about the show or subject, not about other Pen things). I'll post the number you'll be able to call to do so as soon as I get it. More exact information and dates will be posted in this thread as the month progresses, but I hope this gives people a general overview and an idea of how it will work. I realize there's quite a bit of information to digest in this post... If you read over it carefully, consider yourself due for a shout out! ;-) I hope that people take interest, so we can add "Any. Given. Moment." to the ever-expanding list of community projects here at the Pen. Thanks for reading!

Wyvern cheers and applauds Tralla's excellent Quill quest idea, recalling the brilliant series of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingston "Choose Your Own Adventure" books known as Fighting Fantasy that he always used to play. The overgrown lizard clears his throat of a few ashes and sets up a Bruteweiser stand in the hopes of attracting a large crowd, then hisses: "A very original and intriguing idea for a Quill Quest, Tralla, definitely count me in as a participant. I won't be able to help out with the engine or hosting due to my almost dragonic knowledge of computers, but would be more than happy to submit an entry or two and help you with any potential story ideas." With that, the reptilian Elder seats himself at the newly set up booze stand and begins pocketing beer nuts before anyone else has a chance to taste them...

"Melody" has really got me wishing I knew a thing or two about guitars, since I'm definitely intrigued to hear the melody with my own ears after reading this piece. Your amazingly vivid imagery really drew me into the poem, Yui, and the structure and rhythm of the poem were both brilliant as well. Even without having heard the guitar piece, I think the poem evokes enough feeling and emotion to give the reader a deep appreciation for it. Needless to say, I thought it was an excellent poem. In terms of possible improvements, I didn't think the fourth stanza read quite as well as the others. "o'erthrown" seemed a bit out of place to me, and the combo of "endures" and "hordes" seemed to break the otherwise perfect rhythm. These little flaws seemed minor in the context of the rest of the piece, however. Awesome poem! Wyv- - On a mission to get one of his more guitar-savvy relatives to play this melody for him before his vacation ends...

You're definitely off to a good start, Boaz. I'm looking forward to learning more about Seth and the King's dilemma, and am intrigued to see where the story developes. I particularly liked your uses of dialogue in this first segment, as they were worded very nicely and really built tension between the two parties. One thing I feel you might be able to improve in this segment is the tense. When it's noted who's speaking in the dialogue, the tense shifts from past ("argued the small man...") to present ("the man asks...") to past again ("Replied the contact..."). Choose past or present and make sure you stick with it the whole way through. Another small thing you might be able to improve in the second paragraph of this segment is the use of more showing and less telling in the description of Seth. In the paragraph, the reader is told that "He knows the basic rule by heart, people can’t defend against the unknown, and the unwary are the easiest kills. He is a silent killer, the one that people in the know, and with the money, can learn how to contact." Rather than telling the reader that Seth knows the rules and is a killer, you might want to show these characteristics through actions and details. Perhaps Seth could carry around a special kind of knife only used by silent killers? Or maybe he could show that he knows the rules by mentioning one or two of them in his dialogue? Anyhow, hope these comments help. It's excellent to see you writing again after such a long time, and I'm definitely looking forward to the continuation of the story.