/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ "Semarak Api" The 88th Firebirds Official Newsletter Website: http://ftp.sarawak.com.my/org/firebirds/ Volume Seven, 1 January 1998 Part A /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ PART A: Atten-HUT! Latest News and Updates Bulletin Board So You Want to be a Marine.... Songs in the Key of S:AaB PART B: Interstellar Chat Radio >From the Quill Pen Musings of A Guylian-Eating Officer Addresses and Sites Part C: The Gathering 1997 -- Reports /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ <^><^><^><^><^> Atten-HUT! <^><^><^><^><^> Happy New Year, Marines! After a Christmas break, the Firebirds newsletter is back: bigger, better, and with a new name! We have a lot of goodies for you this issue, not least of which are the Firebirds Gathering reports, and excerpts from a recent chat with Joel de la Fuente. Also, as a belated Christmas offering, we have a couple of X-mas songs -- with a S:AaB twist. Please read the Bulletin Board as we have a couple of important messages. Here's to another great year! And, good luck to those getting their PMR results. ;) Servabo fidem, Captain Yasmin "Garuda" M. 88th Firebirds Squadron <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Latest News and Updates <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> FIREBIRDS NEWS Recruits: On behalf of the squadron, I'd like to welcome Privates Stefan, Rozleena (Dove), Hartini (Pelican), Hazel (Dark Owl), Eric, Kee Yew, Andy (Falconet), Ee Von, and Spencer. Let us all raise our mugs of Chiggy von Rootbeer and wish them a happy and fruitful season killing Chigs! Website: The Nesting Site has been updated, notably the Personnel section. There are also excerpts from an earlier chat with Joel de la Fuente. As was stated in the last newsletter, our website was featured in Cyberwave. The transcript for that segment has been added to the Cyberwave site! Go to "Archive" and then, to "Fun Sites". The Gathering: The Firebirds held a Gathering on 21st December, Sunday, from 11 to 4pm. For a full briefing, read Part C of this newsletter. SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND NEWS General: Sonic Images , the people who brought out the B5 soundtracks, are currently looking for other film/TV shows to produce their sound tracks. They state that they would prefer a show that hadn't had their soundtrack released before - could any one on this list think of one? ;) You can vote for Space: Above and Beyond at: but following the link from the index page would be easier. Upcoming Conventions: Here's a partial list of conventions to be held in the first quarter of 1998: Spacedock '98 - Feb 7-8, Hagerstown, MD possible Space actor as guest Earthstation Edmonton - Mar. 13-15, Edmonton, Alberta possible Space actor as guest Neutral Zone - Mar 20-22, Newcastle, England Guests: James Morrison, Tucker Smallwood AggieCon - Mar 26-29, College Station, TX Balticon 32 - Apr 10-12, Baltimore, MD Novacon 8 - Apr ??, Tysons Corner, VA AgamemCom - May 22-24, Los Angeles, CA Major-General Kate Duncan (59th Ready Reserves) has requested that if anyone is in these locations and can help, please e-mail her privately at . Ditto if you happen to have any media contacts (local newspaper, radio, TV). She said: "If you know about an upcoming SF convention in your area, large or small, run it past me. With the debut of "Space" on the Sci-Fi Channel and Space: The Imagination Station in Canada, and it still airing overseas, I want us to be -- we need to be -- *extremely* organized and efficient in the New Year." An R&R may be held after Fantasticon in Los Angeles, in August. Convention Report: From: The 247th Industry Insyderz First Solo Flight Loscon 24, the annual convention of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society, was held November 28-30 at the Burbank Hilton in Burbank, California. The Space Ready Reserve was represented by its Southern California squadron, the 247th Industry Insyderz. Manning the table for the Insyderz was Lynn Loschin, Barry Caldwell and Kyril Rodgers. Liz Mortenson, one of the con organizers, greeted us early in the day and thanked us for coming. Overall, attendance was a little slow, thanks to a competing Babylon 5 Creation Con just a few miles away in Pasadena. Due to this conflict, as well as the fact that Loscon is primarily a literary science fiction convention, the SRR decided to attend on Saturday only. While greeted with the usual snobbishness from certain people who don't watch any television, the overall reaction was better than expected. We had a steady stream of visitors throughout the day, and since the ads just started running that week, most were still unaware of the upcoming reruns of Space on the Sci-Fi Channel. But, as expected, most of our visitors were thrilled upon hearing the news. In fact, several attendees who didn't subscribe to cable TV have now decided that it's worth it. Due to a noncompetition clause with the dealers, we were very limited as to what we could display and sell at our table. A funny thing, since none of the dealers carried any Space merchandise, except for one guy selling scripts. But our SRR patches and dogtags sold very well, much better than expected. Many people purchased dogtags for friends who couldn't be there. The new Incoming newsletters were also very popular. Also on display were Operation Demios flyers, sample UPN letters, and Episode Guides. We met lots of people who were big fans of the show and had seen nearly every episode, as well as a large group who had only seen a few episodes early on and had lost track of it thanks to Fox's bad habit of pre-empting and rescheduling it on odd nights with no notice. But both groups were very excited that they were going to be able to see the show again in 6 weeks. We also met the organizer of an upcoming Babylon 5 con in May of 98, who invited us to attend and possibly present a panel on Space. Late in the day, we were honored to be visited by the Chig Ambassador, Kristian Sorenson, and Glenn Campbell, Area51 Special Effects God, both of whom stayed until quitting time and helped us close up shop. As this was only my second con, I don't have much to compare it to, my only other experience being Fantasticon last August, which is a tough one to top. :) But things went better than expected, and if I do say so myself, our little ragtag crew handled itself quite capably. Barry Caldwell Space Ready Reserve, 247th Industry Insyderz <^><^><^><^><^><^> Bulletin Board <^><^><^><^><^><^> COMMONWEALTH DEFENSE FORCE >From Lt-Col David Inman, 29th Doodlebugs: Merry Christmas to all units of the Commonwealth Defence Force. May I share with you all some words spoken, which I found particularly touching, on Christmas Day by Her Majesty The Queen, in Her Christmas broadcast to the Commonwealth: "Being united - that is, feeling a unity of purpose - is the glue that bonds together the members of a family, a country, a Commonwealth. Without it, the parts are only fragments of a whole; with it, we can be much more than the sum of those fragments." __________________________________________________________ BRING BACK SPACE! >From Lt Col Matt "Thor" McCarthy: The 95th, War Hammers would like to invite you to the opening of the latest weapon in the fight to get SPACE: Above and Beyond back on our screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Over the last year, the international following of SPACE: has grown dramatically, and we now have a large army dedicated fans all wanting to know what they can do to get the show back.   The key to any successful campaign is co-ordination, and to make this possible, on Monday 1st December, the 95th will be launching SOS-L, a new mailing list dedicated to formation and co-ordination of SOS campaigns for fans of the show living outside the US.    Although this list is for the creation of a non-US campaign, the door is always open to US fans. We are looking for all fans of the show as your own knowledge and skill from RL may well prove invaluable as we build this campaign .     The key aims of this list are to raise awareness of the show and to campaign to the companies who buy shows from the US for showing world wide.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For more information please come and visit the SOS-L web site at http://freeSPACE.virgin.net/matthew.mccarthy/the95th/sos-l where you can see a copy of our guidelines and join the list. Or e-mail us at The_War_Hammers@SciFiFan.Com ------------------------------------------------------------------------   *Can you please pass this message to any fans you know, so that together we can get this show back. **This message was originally sent to the units listed on the S:AAB World Roster, If you know of a unit that is not listed there but is still active can you please forward this message.   Thanks for your time, Matt... Lt Col Matt "Thor" McCarthy - Matthew.McCarthy@Virgin.Net CO The 95th, War Hammers - Give Us Some SPACE! http://freeSPACE.virgin.net/matthew.mccarthy <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> So You Want to be a Marine.... <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Hooah/Hooyah (who-ah), adj. U.S. Army Slang. Referring to, or meaning anything and everything except "no." Generally used when at a loss for words. Also: 1.good copy, solid copy, roger, good or great; message received, understood. 2.glad to meet you, welcome. 3.I do not know, but will check on it, I haven't the vaguest idea. 4.I am not listening. 5.that is enough of your drivel--sit down. 6.stop sniveling. 7.you've got to be kidding. 8.yes. 9.thank you. 10.go to the next [briefing] slide. 11.you have taken the correct action. 12.I don't know what that means, but am too embarrassed to ask for clarification. 13.that is really neat, I want one too. 14.amen. -- From the US Special Forces homepage <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Songs in the Key of S:AaB <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Contributed by the Firebirds [Note: Not all of these are the Firebirds' original creations] No prizes for guessing the tune! Joel, Joel The Firebirds did say "You're our honorary member And that's how you'll stay" Joel, Joel How we wish everyday We could see you back on telly In S:AAA one more day Your Cantonese sucks You got a Spanish surname But your face is so Chinese And Spar is your dame.. (oh, okay, this ain't true, but I couldn't think of anything else which rhymes! LOL) -- by a Firebirds Lt. who shall forever remain unnamed. ;) __________________________________________________________ To be sung to Joy to the world. Joy to the world and bring back SaAB Let Fox bring back T.C Let every station prepare them room and Morgan and Wong will sing and Morgan and Wong will sing and Mor or or or or organ and Wong will sing. __________________________________________________________ To be sung to Deck the Halls. Deck the Toga with boughs of holly fa la la la la la la la la Tis the season to hug T.C fa la la la la la la la la Don me now my flight apparel fa la la la la la la la la la Looking down my gun sized barral fa la la la la la la la la. __________________________________________________________ To be sung to White Christmas. (T.C sings this) I'm dreaming of a white christmas, just like the ones I wish I knew. Where the tree tops glisten and Us marines listen to hear chigs eat yellow snow. I'm dreaming of a white christmas with every Von Richtofen that I kill. May Earth days be merry and bright and may Wildcards go and kick ass tonight. __________________________________________________________ To the tune of Hark the Herald Angel Sing Hark the herald, angry angels siiii-ing Glory to the tankborn,Ty "Peace on earth if we kill all Chiggys Have no God with whom to reconcile." Glory all ye nations rise Join the battle in the skies "Hooyah!", the angry angels sii-ing "Watch your six, there's incoming." __________________________________________________________ To the mangled tune of Little Drummer Boy: "Chigs," they told him parampampampam "We kill all chigs" parampampampam "We are THE MARINES" parampampampam "Our biggest guns we'll bring" parampampam ,rampampampam,ramprampampam "Chigs are our enemies" parampampampam "They're filled with greenish grease" parampampampam "They spooge and curse Chigese" parampampampam "Invaded us without an as-you-please" parampampampam ,blah blah "Chigs" they warned him parampampampam "We want to kill them all"parampampampam "Roundhammer's our great big ruse" "And the 58th's the fuse " parampampampam blah blah "We will win this war" parampampampam "Kill AIs, even the score" parampampampam "Coz AIs are chig allies" parampampampam "We wont leave a-one alive" parampampampam blah blah "Marines, it's do or die" parampampampam "Lets hear your battle cry" parampampampam "We'll deal death from above" parampampamam "In space and on earth" parampampampam, blah blah __________________________________________________________ Courtesy of Christine, JMDG-L. 1/ Away on the Toga, (Away in a Manger) Away on the Toga, No Chig finds a bed, No AI lies sleeping, Where Ross lays his head. The Wildcards aren't missing, McQueen has two legs, and Winslow comes calling and Ray Butts ain't dead. 2/ Angels from the USS Yorktown (From the Realms of Glory) Angels from the USS Yorktown, Win your fight, defend the Earth. Aliens known as Chigs are coming, They don't know your Majors worth. Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaansen, Damphousse, Waaaang and West, Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaansen, Damphousse,Wang,West,Cooper Hawkes. Wildcards from the Saratoga, Fighting Chigs with all their might Rescue Kylen then go Under Disappearing into Night Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaansen, Damphousse, Wang and West, Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaansen, Damphousse, Wang,West Cooper Hawkes 3/ Hark the Angry Angels Sing Hark the Angry Angels sing, Death comes spitting from their wing. Chigs and AI's all turn flight, Angels firing in the night. Though they die, They linger on, Memorys live in the last one. Ty McQueen their Major fair, Now with WIldcards fighting there. Ty McQueen an Invitro, Killing Chigs where'er he goes. Hark this Angry Angel Sings, Chig von Richt, I'll give him wings, He won't kill any more kids, Winslow's death will make it quits. See he lays his implant by, Flys so CVR might die, Flies to save the son's of Earth, He will give them all he's worth, Angry Angel from above Fighting for the Kids he loves /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ CONTINUES IN PART B