DeathBug

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]John Adams once said that the Vice Presidency was the most useless public office ever incented, or something along those lines; it was created initially to break ties in the Senate. I think that generally, VP's aren't very important to the newsmedia, unless they're doing something out of the ordinary. I can't recall off hand a single thing Al Gore did in eight years, and I don't think that I'll remember much of Cheney, either. I'm not trying to bash either of them, or the duties they and their predecessors held, but the Vice Presidency simply isn't a job that lends itself to notoriaty.[/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman] [color=darkviolet'] I'm afraid I'll have to dissagree with that remark. (and ask you to make your font bigger, the size makes my old eyes hurt) Kerry and Clark don't show pictures of soldiers being loaded into body bags in their ads. Sure, in one ad I saw on Monday you see Kerry in his BDUs looking at a camera, but there's nothing to suggest that Kerry could have won the war if he stayed in longer. I don't see that as profiting from the war. [/color][/quote] [color=indigo][font=comic sans ms] Why not? It's the same principle, really. [/color][/font] [quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet']Also staying on that topic, I don't think Kerry tries to use the fact that he was a Luetenant to get his point across.[/color][/quote] [color=indigo][font=comic sans ms] He can if he wanted; I don't think anyone would mind. I think he's not because his service record is less-than-admirable, and he'd look like a hypocrite for attack Bush's record, but that's niether here nor there. the point is, he could if he wanted to, but he doesn't feel that serving as a Liuetenent is the best part of his career. [/color][/font] [quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet']On that same note if Bush wanted to use his military career as a spring board, I don't think there'd be a problem there. either [/color][/quote] [color=indigo][font=comic sans ms] No, there would be a problem becaue Bush is Bush, and Bush is always wrong. I don't meant to sound like some right-wing conspiracy theorist, but most of the media doesn't like Bush; this is a simple conclusion after four years. They're going to harass his daughters, dig up his service record, diss the National Guard, harass him for visiting Dr. MLK Jr's gravesite....it doesn't matter what this man does, there's going to be a group who hounds him for it. This practice is dangerous, because it disenfranchises those with legitimate concerns. Again, though, that's niether here nor there. [/color][/font] [QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet] I don't think you followed my analogy completely. Letting your superiors know that you think you deserve a promotion and telling someone that they should do what you say because you 'out rank' them are two different things. I feel that Bush is using the fact that he was in office during 9/11 to gain votes and so do many other people who saw this ad (use the link on my post and read, or go to google). The line that I'm talking about states that: 'I will not use my rank for personal gain, which is what Bush seems to be doing. [/color][/QUOTE] [color=indigo][font=comic sans ms] I'm aware of what you're saying, and I still don't think it fits. Bush's "rank" is President, or Commander-In-Chief. He's not pulling rank because, because pulling rank involves pointing to you rank to gain something. He's not pointing to his rank as president, he's pointing to what he accomplished during his tenue as president. He's trying to say, "When the chips were down, this is how I behaved." It's not only completely fine, but, as a politician, he'd be stupid not to. [/color][/font] [quote name='ChibiHorsewoman] [color=darkviolet'] Keeping that thought in mind I think the american people should bump this Master Sergeant back down to E1. But I'm not everyone, so that's just my thought on the matter[/color][/quote] [color=indigo][font=comic sans ms] And that is your opinion. However, fifty percent of the american people wanted Bush to be president, and a good deal of them were greatly impressed by his response to the 9/11 situation. These people are most likely going to vote for him again. And, on the flip-side, the group of Americans who hate hate HATE Bush with every fiber of their being are going to vote against him, obviously. And most of the media will continue to slam him, because that's what they do. [/color][/font] [quote name='ChibiHorsewoman] [color=darkviolet'] Not to sound rude, but if my 'finest hour', as you so eloquently put it, involved such tradgedy, I'd put it far behind me and focus on other things like maybe my military career, or my academic career or maybe other accomplishments that I made during my first term as president. I'd show some class and leave out human tradgedy[/color][/quote] [color=indigo][font=comic sans ms] The attacks of 9/11 proved that America is far more vulnerable than we thought, and many people believe there might be another attack. Americans should want to be reminded of how those in power reacted to the catastrophe. Bush's approval rating went through the roof diectly after 9/11 because most Americans thought he did an excellant job dealing with the aftermath of that tradgedy. Everyone who reacted bravely and with decisiveness, heroism or conviction has a right to be proud of what they've done, and a right to point towards it as an accomplishment. 9/11 was an honest-to-God national crisis, and Bush reacted to it in a way the vast majority of American approved of. tHere is no reason why he, or any politician, can't say, "When the chips were down, I acted thusly." It's not only unrealistic, it's foolish. [/font]color][/ [QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman] [color=darkviolet] I admit that maybe I didn't choose the questions very well, and I do appologize for that. But I do think it's absurd to say that al this is is tryiong to bash bush. Believe me If I wanted to, I would, but I think we should all try to be above all that. I don't think he's wrong because he's Bush, I think he's wrong because he didn't think about how his message would affect other people, and that's something you really have to consider when your president. [/color][/QUOTE] [color=indigo][font=comic sans ms] But you are bashing Bush, and so are several posters on this thread. You can admit to simply not liking Bush; I don't think anyone would question the validity of your opinion for that, any more than I'd be disqualified for my opinions of Bill Clinton (Nice economic policies, but personally, a scumwad.) I believe that no politician would run a national campaign ad without looking into how it would be recieved by other people. Bush is not the flaming idiot others make him out to be. In a crisis, Bush reacted bravely and decisivly. why can't he say that?[/font]color]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]John Kerry cited his experience in the Vietnam War during his campaign; isn't that profiting off of the Vietnam War? Wesley Clark cited his war time experience no end during his campaign; was'nt that profiting off the war? CHW, I'm afraid your analogy doesn't quite work. "Pulling rank" and having pride in your accomplishments are two different things. If a military officer believes that he is the best person suited for an operation, isn't it his responsibility to let his superiors know, and tell them why? The american people are Bush's superiors. He believes that he's the best person to be president, and he's telling the American people why. He's not 'pulling rank', he's saying, "These are my accomplishments. I believe I should be assigned this post again; the final decision is up to you." I really think that this is only an issue because it's Bush that's doing it. Bush has been dogged non-stop since he was in office. Any other politician can point to his finest hour, but Bush is forbidden to. Not to offend, but this whole question is geared to slam Bush. Look at our choices: we either are strongly offended, vaguley offended, or have no issue. Yet again, Bush is wrong because he's Bush.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]I think that it is completely expected for Bush to make such an ad. A simple fact of politics is that you want people to remember you at your best. Whether or not you like Bush, I think we can all agree that he was at his best directly after the 9/11 attacks. I'm not ofended by these ads, and I wouldn't be offended if any politician from any party ran similar ones.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Parents have the final word until you're no longer their dependant. [i]Should[/i] they? Yes. I mean, you look at how much money, time and energy it takes to raise a child, it should be among the least of said parent's privliges to determine what that child is exposed to. Besides, it's better that a parent be overprotrective than apathetic, in my opinion. At least the overprotective parent cares about their child's development. Perhaps the reason some parents are 'over protective' is because their children have not shown themselves capable of handling certain content or situations. Of course, i'm sure their children would say otherwise. Me? I was in Wrist Cutter's camp; I played Doom at the age of nine. Ah, those were the days...[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms][i]No es verdad[/i], Asheron. I only looked at the Ultra and super rares purposefully; to have looked at every good card would have taken forever. RFB-DI is going to be very overlooked in the english game, because you actually have to build a deck around it. Most ENG players aren't willing to play anything that doesnt' conform to their precious hand disruption/beatdown/Yata hybrids. --; [/color][/size][/font]

[color=induigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Hence the reason I never watch award shows; they're most self-congradulatory, and I never end up caring about the outcome. I'm happy that Finding Nemo won best Animated, and....that's it. The fact that Halle fricki'n Berry on anything at all valuidates my belief that these awards are a crock. Berry is one of the worst actresses I've ever seen; she sleepwalks through most of her roles. There's no justice. I mean, heck, Ellen Degeneres had more emotion in Nemo...[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Well, the first thing you've got to realize is that the US, Britain, France and similar countries aren't democracies, they're republics. Were they democracies, the voters would vote directly on every single issue that was brought up in the senate/Parliment. They're republics because they vote people into office whom they believe will vote in their best interests. The Founding Fathers of America feared that an over-abundnce of democracy was bad, as it would lead to chaos, and a tyranny by the majority. (For example, civil rights bills would be incredibly hard to pass if they depeneded souly on a vote of the majority.) Now, as for Britain, unless I'm mistaken, the royal family doesn't have any political power, and the hereditary House of Lords have very little. (Someone from Britain correct me if I'm wrong.) The vast majority of the political power is weilded by the House of commons, and they are elected by the people. Democratic republics still work; truer, about fifty percent of America were unhappy with the results of the election of '00, but that's historically uncommon. Usally, races aren't nearly as close. Besides, President Bush is recognized as the legitamate President by America, winning through an election. Monarchies can loose poliical legitamacy very quickly. The purpose of the monarchy is as a political figurehead and a source of national pride; however, I have read that many Britons are calling for the removal of the monarchy, because of recent scandals that have provided more embarassment for the nation. I believe I would stick to the American system of elections, but I would probably remove the electoral college. Thus, people are allowed to directly elect their representatives, who in turn will create legislature.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Just as a side note, "Tokyo MewMew" is being changed to "Hollywood MewMew" by 4Kids. --; Apparently, their perogative is to remove any trace of Japanes culture from the dubs. (See Shaman King) Maybe we'll be lucky, and that will be the worst change... I'm curious about something, though; is there any possibility of an anime that's recieved a less-than-stellar dub to recieve an uncut version?[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][font=comic sans ms][size=1]"Danger? I laugh at Danger! Then I run and hide until it goes away." -Xander "And [i]this[/i] is the crack team that always foils my plans?" -Spike "Then we'll be gods! We are gods, we are gods..." -Andrew "I'm imagining having sex with him again." -Anya "Wow, imginary Xander is quite a machine." -Willow "Now, I know things might get a little intense out there, but try to watch the swearing, okay?" -The Mayor "Can't you just be dealing drugs like normal people?" -The Principal "Well, this is just...neat!" -Spike[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]The whole "Huck behaves badly" argument has absolutly no merit, in my opinion. Plenty of literary characters behave "badly"; so what? Now, as for racial tensions, I might not fully understand the situation, because I'm Anglo-American. One the one hand, I don't think ignoring historial context and pretending that the past didn't occurr is going to help anybody. On the other, bigots in America still use deragatory names for minorities, and it might be very unpleasant for African-American children who read it. However, is that justification to ban an entire book? Isn't that censorship? Wouldn't it be so much easier to simply print "School friendly" versions with the offensive word removed? My question is, why do I only ever hear this debate over Huck Finn, and never over To Kill A Mockingbird, or All the King's Men, etcetera?[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]I'm so sick of "the"! I hear it everywhere! All those immature, lose-minded conformists use "the"! It must be because they're insecure, or gay. Well...seriously, the word that I'm hearing too much, that's not really a buzzwaord, is "irregardless". "Regardless" means to take no heed of something. "Irreardless" means the exact same thing. It's not realky a word! It's a made-up word created by someone trying to sound smarter than they are! Wha'ts sad is that it's entering common dialect. Sigh.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]There are my different varieties of American comics; this is true. However, most of them simply don't have any market power. At my local Borders, the entire comic rack is Marvel and DC, and that's probably true in most other areas. The only place to get more diversified comics are usually the specialty shops. Marvel and DC have an overwhelmingly large share of the market, and as long as they only produce super heroes, comics will be percieved as only being about super heroes. If there's going to be a change, they're going to have to help initiate it. Semjaza makes a good point: manga is cheap. The Shonen jUmp books are $8 a pop, and TokyoPop are $10 a pop. Most American graphic novels are $12-$15 each, meaning that most people who buy them are already fans. Fortunatly, Marvel's trying the digest format in a line of books to be released in two weeks. If they do well, it will encourage them to continue the format. Here's hoping. [/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]I was disapoiinted and confused by the Evo decks; they only gave us two new cards when they promised three. (Make the DM and the BEWD [b]common[/b], not super rare!) I was confused because several of the cards were from Magician's Force and Legacy of Darkness; I thought it would have made more sense to get more cards from the discontinued sets, rather than the new ones. I'll probably get the Kaiba deck, though; Paladin o f White Dragon, Premature B urial, Nobleman of Crossout... I must agree that the restrictions seem like a good idea. Even though I always use six of those cards in my Warrior decks, I think that anything that causes a shake-up in the scene is a good one. Progress is bred from discourse, after all.[/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='Charles'] Furthermore, name calling shouldn't be answered with more name calling (I'm looking at you DeathBug).[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Understood, and I apologiz; one should not post while angry. I'm going to fall back on my earlier analogy and say that content may be screened under a certain set of standards when this content is in the eye of the general public. Like I said earlier, it's like sex: you can have all the sex you want, but you can't have sex in plain view of the public. There are a few exceptions to free speech, as well; five, I believe. They are: [list][*]Fighting words-Speech that is very likely to provoke retaliation, such as vicious insults or racial slurs [*]Incitement-speech likely to incite "immediate lawless action", or presenting a "Clear and present danger" to the public; yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater is the classic example [*]defamation-libel or slander; must be untrue and malicious[/list] The other two are what I believe to be relevant to this case: [b]Obscenity[/b]: Speech that depicts or describes specfic sexual conduct in an offensive matter, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political and social value. and [b]Time and place manner[/b]: regulation of the time, place and manner of speech is permissible as long as the regulation is content-nuetral and does not interefere with the message. If DJ's can express themselves without vulgarity or obscenity, then they can be forced to do so, if doing so does not alter their original message. The FCC is within their rights, as stated by the Supreme Court, to place restrictions on Clear Channel's use of a public airway.[/color][/font][/size]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Actually, you should wait until you get to college. A great deal of college professors have views that are definatly left of center, and from what some of my friends have told me, they won't hesitate to share them with you. However, it's good that you're questioning what you're told, and trying to understand the reasoning that's caused them to teach this way. Although most teachers will stress independent thought, you'll meet many whose definition of "Independent thought" is, "Whatever conforms to what I'm teaching."[/color][/size][/font]

[QUOTE=Mitch][size=1][color=red] First you spell his name "Nadir" in the title, and then you spell it "Nadar" in your post. Either it's sarcasm or it's ignorance.[/size][/color][/QUOTE] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Actually, it's niether. The title of my post had been altered since I last checked it this morning. Drix D'Zanth is listed as the one who altered it. I've PM'ed him on the subject, and await an explanation of what happened. [quote name='Trastic Nerve']He's an egomaniac who only gets off by looking at the 20 people who vote for him. He's also an idiot, but everyone already knows that.[/quote] That's irrelevant to the point, which wasn't about Nadar himself so much as it's about certain person's reactions to Nadar. Many vocal Democrats have decryed him and said that he has no business running, as he'll only draw away votes from the Democratic nominee. My opinion was that behavior and line of thinking is very malicious, because these people would seek to squelch Nadar's right to political expression. [/color][/size][/font]

[quote name='Transtic Nerve'].I'm so tired of idiots like you telling me what is and isn't decent. Kiss my ***.... how about that decency.[/quote] [color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms] And I'm tired of people who can't hold a civilized argument. If you can't recognize that both sides of this argument have equally valid viewpoints, then you're the one up on a high horse, and you're doing a disservice to the others who might share your position. Obviously, the right to freedom of speech is sacred and should be protected. We don't want the government controling the flow of ideas. However, the other extreme is equally bad, with vulgarity and obscenities all over the airways. A balance is necessary, and the fact that there is such debate over this issue is rather reassuring, because the thought of no one being concerned over the freedom of expression is almost as disgusting as Bubba's show.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=comic sans ms][size=1][color=indigo]Recently, I read an article complaing about the multitude of Spider-Man comic book titles. You've got the original, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Ultimate spider-Man, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Spider-Man Unlimited, Marvel Age Spider-Man, Venom, The Pulse, Spider-Girl, and currently two mini-series... Too much of a good thing? I think so. It's an example of what's wrong with US comics today. First,no innovation. Every title Marvel publishes is either one that has its roots in the sixties, or one that was a spin-off of one of the sixties characters. There are a few exceptions, but the fact is, no one in that company is taking a chance on new material. Why not? Simple; why risk money with something new, when you've got a stable of characters you know will sell? X-Men sell. Spider-Man sells. Why mess with what works? Undortunatly, that kind of thinking, while useful in the short-run, is harmful in the long run, for the exact reason i've just illustrated: too many titles about the same thing. Folks in marketing will say, "But they're not the same! Ultimate spider-Man is for the younger crowd, to get them into comics! Marvel Age Spider-Man is for the twekve and under demo! Amnazing and spectacular are the core titles. Marvel Knights is for the more mature crowd, etc..." Folks in marketing caused the Clone Saga, okay? Heres' an idea: why not have the original book, Amazing Spider-Man, appropriate for all ages? Then you don't need Ultimate or Marvel Age? Take Spectacular, and make it the darker, edgier, more mature book. Apparently, the thought of appealing to as many demographics as possible with as few different titles as possible never occurred to anyone. --; Maybe, if we did this to the X-Men, and Batman, and superman, new readers wouldn't be so damn confused over the huge multitude of titles. Also, I hate to say it, but the Ultimate Universe has to go. It's stuck in a rut, and the great talent that's on the books could better be put to use inside the "main" Marvel Universe. Finally, American comics need to stop copying manga and actually learn from it. Manga isn't successful just because it looks different; it's successful because it covers a far broader range of genres that just superheroes. I like superheroes, but I also like peanut butter, and I don't need everything I eat to taste like peanut butter. Marvel's recently taken a step in the right direction with tHe Pulse, about news reporters covering super hewroes, and X-Static, about celebrity super heroes, but they're still tied to super heroes. Try some romance, or drama, or comedies. With all the talant Marvel currently has, you'd think different types of stories would emerge. Oh, and maybe having better market penetration wouldn't hurt. ^^; So, basically, trim the fat and broaden your horizons: if American comics could do that, they might become more popular. It'd be a shame if this great medium died out.[/color][/font][/size]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=cominc sans ms]Over the past few weeks, I've rediscovered the joy that is Full House, thanks to Nick@Nite. I watched this show as a child, and had all but forgotten about it. Looking back on it now, I realize how incredibly sappy it was. Every problem is solved by thee nd of the episode, and hugs go all around. Sure, you could call it trite and annoying, but I find it quaint and charming. In a world where has-been pop stars flash kiddies watching the Super Bowl, it's a bit refreshing to have a program that can barely contain the various family values that it's bursting with. Also, as an older guy now, I can make the decision that I would totally date a girl like Vicky. ^^; So, any other Full House fans in the...house...?[/color][/size][/font]

[font=comic sans ms][color=indigo][size=1]Well, for those who haven't heard, Mr. Ralph Nadar is back, and has thrown his hat into the 2004 election as the Independent party candidate. Several people are very upset about this; specifically, Democrats. The votes Nadar drew away from the left in the last presidential election cost Al Gore the presidency. Democrats are basically saying, "Aw, not again!" and calling Nadar a "spoiler"; they want him to drop out. I think that the attitude many Democrats are taking regarding Mr. Nadar is horrible. Nadar has every right to run, and to try and deny him that right just because he's going to mess up your game plan is criminal. Basically, I'm from two schools of thought regarding this position. First, third party politicians are going to run, and they're going to draw votes away from the main parties. That's part of the political game. It happened to the Republicans with Ross Perot, and now it's happening to the Democrats. Next election, there's a good chance it will happen to someone again. Those complaining should learn to deal with it. Second, and far more important, is that the Democrats (who are complaning) are trying to deny Nadar the ability to take a political stance on an issue, and silencing his right to political speech. Realistically, a third party in America can't hope to win under present conditions. However, they still have a political voice, and should run if they feel the need to. I'd actually like it if more third parties made the headlines and got their messages out to the public at large. It's important for the basic principles of the republic that political speech not be impeeded. Those in the Democratic party who would silence Nadar to increase their odds of winning thee lection should be disgusted with themselves. At least, that's how I see it. Thoughts?[/color][/size][/font]

[font=comic sans ms][size=1][color=indigo]The newest issue of [u]Shonen Jump[/u] contains the ten Super and Ultra rares of the next Yu-Gi-Oh expansion, [i]Invasion of Chaos[/i]. If you don?t want to know what they are, don't read any further, because I'll be discussing each of them. I'll be rating each card off the cuff, as Good, Average, or Poor. I'll also be looking into the possible combos for the cards. I hope you enjoy. ^__^ [b][u]Ultra Rare Cards[/b][/u] [u]Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning[/u] Light/Warrior/Effect/8/3000/2500 This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster in your Graveyard from play. Once during each of your turns, you can select and activate 1 of the following effects: *Remove 1 monster on the field from play. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack during this turn. *If this card destroyed your opponent's monster as a result of battle, it can attack once again in a row. Well, let's start with the big boys. The BLS-EotB is one of the famed Chaos Monsters, and, IMO, the most powerful. He can eliminate any monster on the field from play, or attack your opponent twice. Either effect is massively powerful, especially given his stats. He gains all Warrior support, but the Summoning requirements make him a monster that can't just be placed into any deck. Combos: None, really; this guy doesn't need any help. Be sure to play him in a deck that has plenty of light and dark monsters. Rating: Good [u]Dark Magician of Chaos[/u] Dark/Spellcaster/Effect/8/2800/2600 When this card is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned successfully, you can add 1 Spell Card from your Graveyard to your hand. A monster that is destroyed by this monster as a result of battle is removed from play instead of going to the Graveyard. When this card is destroyed or removed from the field, it is removed from play. Well, now; this is the second Chaos Monster, and he's just as strong as the first. His ability to remove other monsters from the game is similar to the BLS, but his secondary ability, the recursion of a Spell card, is arguably more useful. If you dump him in the Graveyard and revive him with Monster Reborn, you can get your Monster Reborn right back. Or, get back Change of Heart, Dark Hole, Heavy Storm, or whatever cards you might need. Unfortunately, once he's on the field, you'd better be prepped to keep him there. While there's ways to bring him back into play, it'd still be a good idea to protect him with Trap or Spell cards to allow him to put the hurt on your opponents as long as you can. Rating: Good [u]Black Tyranno[/u] Earth/Dinosaur/Effect/7/2600/1800 If the only cards on your opponent's side of the field are Defense Position Monster Cards, this card can attack your opponent's Life Points directly. A decent Dino's none to common in the game, but this guy's pretty good. He's not searchable, but the ability to burn through 2600 points each turn more than makes up for it. Combo this guy with Book of Moon to use his effect, and Super Evolution Medicine to summon him. Rating: Average [u]Levia-Dragon - Daedalus[/u] Water/Sea Serpent/Effect/7/2600/1500 Send "Umi" on your side of the field to the Graveyard to destroy all cards on the field except this card. Wow. This guy just rocks. He can be summoned with one tribute with A Legendary Ocean (which also counts towards Umi, and can be used with his effect.), and then wipe the entire field. How does a direct attack of 2600 points sound to you? Obviously, this guy's only use is in Aqua decks. Pack your water wings. Rating: Good [u]Guardian Angel Joan[/u] Light/Fairy/Effect/7/2800/2000 When this card destroys a monster and sends it to the Graveyard as a result of battle, increase your Life Points by an amount equal to the original ATK of the destroyed monster. Saint Joan gets an upgrade, and a very worthy one. The ability to increase LP while simultaneously going on the offensive is unique, as there are few good LP gaining cards. Unfortunately, there is little Fairy support at the moment. All is not lost, however. The Japanese set following IoC has a great deal of Fairy support, and Joan would fit right in Sanctuary of the Sky decks. Rating: Average [u]Insect Princess[/u] Wind/Insect/Effect/6/1900/1200 As long as this card remains face-up on the field, battle positions of all face-up Insect-Type monsters on your opponent's side of the field are changed into Attack Position. Each time this card destroys an Insect-Type monster in battle, increase the ATK of this card by 500 points. Aww; I wish this card was good. I personally think it looks really cool, but, unfortunately, its applications are almost nil. If it were level four, there might be some hope, but...egh. I suppose you could combo her with DNA Surgery, but what's the point? Rating: Bad [u]Manticore of Darkness[/u] Fire/Beast-Warrior/Effect/6/2300/1000 During the End Phase of the turn this card is sent to the Graveyard, send 1 Beast, Beast-Warrior or Winged Beast-Type Monster Card from your hand or your side of the field to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card from the Graveyard. Now, isn't this one annoying bugger? You don?t even have to normal summon it. discard it via Magic Jammer. Loose it to your opponent's card effects. He just keeps coming back. With Enraged Battle Ox and Giant Gorilla arriving, Beasts and Beast-Warriors will be entirely viable. Manticore will be a fine pick. Rating: Good [u]Strike Ninja[/u] Dark/Warrior/Effect/4/1700/1200 You can remove this card from play until the End Phase of this turn by removing 2 DARK monsters in your Graveyard from play. You can use this effect during either player's turn. You can only use this effect once per turn. My favorite card from this set. ^__^ It can vanish in a flash, only to reappear next turn. It also gains from Warrior support, which is plentiful. It can survive Regeki, Dark hole, CED, Mirror force, just about anything. The downside is the rather hefty cost, but there are ways to minimize it. I wrote a detailed analysis of this guy in the old ?Essays of the Cards? thread; look in the old Anime Archives to find it. Strike Ninja is good, but requires some support before hand. Rating: Average [u]Dimension Fusion[/u] Pay 2000 Life Points. Both players Special Summon as many of their monsters as possible that have been removed from play. This is a very interesting card that has several applications. First, know that your opponent must have at least 1 monster removed from play before you can activate it. Second, be wary of the LP cost; 2000 is a bit hefty, so make sure you?re getting at least two good monsters out of the deal. This card requires some very strategic use, but can turn the tide in a duel. Hmm?.perhaps combo it with the Strike Ninja? Rating: Average [u]Dark Mirror Force[/u] Normal Trap You can only activate this card when your opponent's monster declares an attack. Remove all monsters in Defense Position on your opponent's side of the field from play. This card sucks. It just?sucks. It?s not chainable, and it?s far too situational. Besides, if your opponent is attacking, odds are, all of their monsters are in attack mode. It looks pretty nifty, though, so you could trade it off for something better I you pull it. Rating: Bad [u]Super Rare Cards[/u] [u]Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness[/u] Water/Sea Serpent/5/2100/1200 Offer 1 "Torpedo Fish" on your side of the field as a Tribute to destroy 1 monster on the field. Offer 1 "Cannonball Spear Shellfish" on your side of the field as a Tribute to destroy 1 Spell or Trap card on the field. Ehhh?.this seems like it would be good, but it?s not. First, even with A Legendary Ocean on the field, Goblin Attack Force and the like can kill it. Second, you?ve got to pack Torpedo Fish and spear shellfish in your deck to make use of its effect. TF and SS suck. Besides, to summon these lil? fishies wastes your Monster summon for the turn. Since it?s a one for one trade-off, it?s not worth the effort. Maybe if his effect worked with any Water-element monster, he?d be better, but no? Rating: Bad. [u]Freed the Brave Wanderer[/u] Light/Warrior/Effect/4/1700/1200 Remove 2 LIGHT monsters in your Graveyard from play to destroy 1 face-up monster on the field with higher ATK than this card. You can only use this effect once per turn. This card came so close to being good, but falls short. First, even though he?s a Warrior, he wouldn?t work in a Warrior deck; there?s too few Light type warriors. Second, even though he can be used to summon the Chaos Monsters, he wouldn?t work in a Chaos deck, because you don?t want to use up your Light monsters, then have nothing to summon the Chaos beasts with. The only deck this could really work in would be a total Light deck, but even then, it?s not that good. It can only be used once per turn, Freed has to stay on the field, and you?re loosing two monsters to get rid of one. Too situational. Rating: Bad (And I?m biased towards Warriors and Light-elementals, too.) [u]Chaosrider Gustaph[/u] Wind/Warrior/Effect/4/1400/1500 You can remove up to 2 Spell Cards in your Graveyard from play to increase the ATK of this monster by 300 points for each card removed from play until the end of your opponent's next turn. This effect can only be used once during your turn. Remember Bazoo, the Soul Eater? Meet his brother. On the one hand, Gustaph?s power up only brings him to 2000 points, as opposed to Bazoo?s 2500. However, what he lacks in power, he makes up in Speed. He can be searched by Sangan, Witch of the Black Forest, Reinforcements of the Army, Flying Kamikari #1, and General Freed ..I think that?s it. Also, whereas Bazoo eats Monsters, while Gustaph eats Spell card. It?s easier to say good-bye to a Spell card than a monster. Rating: Good [u]D.D. Scout Plane[/u] Dark/Machine/Effect/2/800/1200 If this card is removed from play, Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position on your side of the field during the End Phase of this turn. This is a strict support card. It sucks on his own, but can provide aid for so many monsters. Bazoo. The Chaos Soldier. Strike Ninja. Chaos Emperor Dragon. There are probably others I?m forgetting, but if you use any of the above-mentioned, you might want to place this guy in your deck. Rating: Average [u]Wild Nature's Release[/u] Normal Spell Increase the ATK of 1 face-up Beast-Type or Beast-Warrior-Type Monster on the field by an amount equal to its DEF. Destroy the monster during the End Phase. With the advent of Mad Dog of Darkness, Manticore, Berserk Gorilla, and, of course, Enraged Battle Ox, Beast decks will be quite the force to deal with. What Limiter Removal is to Machine decks, WNR is to Beast decks. It?s not quite as versatile, but with an Enraged Battle Ox on the field, or a Berserk Gorilla, you?ll be able to lay the smack down, jungle-style. Rating: Good [u]D. D. Designator[/u] Normal Spell Declare 1 card name. Look at your opponent's hand, and if he/she has the declared card in his/her hand, remove that 1 card from play. If he/she doesn't have the declared card in his/her hand, remove 1 random card in your hand from play. This card has the potential to be devastating, but could backfire on you. Basically, only use this card if you know for sure what your opponent has. It?s a sure-fire way to kill the Sinister Serpent, though. Rating: Average [u]Reload[/u] Quick-Play Spell Add your hand to your Deck and shuffle it. Then draw the same number of cards that you added to your Deck. Perhaps I?m missing something?but I don?t see the use of this card. Sure, you could get a bad hand, but you don?t have any guarantee that your new hand will be better. You loose one card. Besides?if you?re constantly getting bad hands, you might want to rework your deck. If anyone can see the use of this card, let me know. Rating: Bad [u]Dedication through Light and Darkness[/u] Quick-Play Spell You can only activate this card by offering "Dark Magician" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Select 1 "Dark Magician of Chaos" from your hand, your Graveyard or your deck and Special summon it. This card has plenty of potential in a Dark Magician deck. Use Skilled Dark Magician to get the Dark Magician out, then get out DCM to wreak some havoc. The best part of this card is its versatility: your DCM can be anywhere in play and you can call it up. Not bad. Rating: Average [u]Trap Jammer[/u] Counter Trap You can only activate this card when your opponent activates a Trap Card during the Battle Phase. Negate the activation of the Trap Card and destroy it. Well, you?re probably comparing this card to Seven tools of the Bandit; I did too. They?re both about even; this card may not be able to negate a trap at any time, but it?s free. Use at your own discretion. Rating: Average [u]Big Burn[/u] Normal Trap You can activate this card when your opponent activates a card that specifically designates a monster in the Graveyard as a target. Remove all monsters in both players' Graveyards from play. Wow, this card sucks almost as much as Dark Mirror Force. How does it suck? Let?s count the ways. First, it can only activate when your opponent targets a monster in the Graveyard. Second, it removes cards from graves. Third, it?s very situational. Sure, it can stop many strategies, but what can this do that Soul Release can?t? Rating: Bad As you can see, we?ve got a great new set coming up. ^__^ I didn?t even look at Drillago, Suprising Matsata, or the Chaos Sorcerer. This is one of the coolest sets yet. It?s a good time to play Yu-Gi-Oh.[/color][/size][/font]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]The FCC regulates public airways. Emphasis on [b]public[/b]. They can control the level of vulgarity on public airways. People can have sex, but they can't do it in public; the FCC regulations work under a similar priciple. As long as they aren't silencing a message, but rather dicating the terms under which a message can be conveyed, I don't see a problem. Bubba and Mr. Stern can harbor their wears via private means if they wish. It's not as if they FCC is silencing their right to speech, although others would have me believe that. The FCC is simply asking that, as long as they're on public airways, they tone down the vulgar contents of their shows. I believe Boba Fett made an excellant explanation of the situation. I'll just nodd and say "ditto", because he expressed it better than i could have. I have to say, I'm not that sad to see Bubba go; the vulgar and sexist tone of his radio show and the other DJ's on the network is the main reason I don't listen to 98 Rock. (I'm a 97X man, myself.)[/color][/size][/font]

[font=comic sans ms][size=1][color=indigo]I buy the following titles regularly: Naruto, The All New Tenchi Muyo!, Shaman King (my new obsession), Trigun, and...Yu-Gi-Oh. I also have two volumes of Excel Saga, and both volumes of Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star. Oh, and I've got the first volume of The Big O. I have many, many more American graphic novels, though.[/color][/font][/size]

[font=comic sans ms][size=1][color=indigo]Hmm...the first anime I watched was DBZ, because all my friend seemed to like it. It was okay, but then I discovered other series, particularly Outlaw star and Tenchi Muyo!. I'm very picky about the anime I buy, but in a way different than from what I believe you're asking. I only buy anime if I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy it. It's just too expensive to buy up DVD's left and right. As a result, I see most of my anime via the television. This is interesting, because at the same time I can watch and ponder The Big O or Witch Hunter Robin, I can also completely enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh and Shaman King. (Shaman King pwns.) Of course I wouldn't appreciate certain series had I seen them earlier, but thisa pplies to most experiences, not just anime. I had to watch Tenchi Muyo! more recently to catch most of the sexual innuendos I missed out on. ^^; Basically, I'm a mature guy who has some immature tastes. Now, if you'll excuse me, Digimon is on.[/color][/size][/font]