Brasil

[i]Originally posted by Shy [/i] [b][u]General Awards[/b][/u] [b]Overall Member of the Year: Shinmaru. Seriously, check out his posts and tell me he isn't one of the best posters you've seen. He consistently demonstrates a positive attitude and respectful...posterly manner.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Charles. His use of subliminal messages upon closing the Lion King thread in the movie forum nabs him a shout-out here.[/size] [b]Male Otaku of the Year: Gotta go with Syk. He's totally rocking chats and totally rocking the Art forum.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Drix. When Drix was visiting regularly, I very much enjoyed rocking some Lounge threads with him.[/size] [b]Female Otaku of the Year: BabyGirl. She's sweet, fun, and has very good post quality. Plus, she's hot; that always helps :p[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Sara. She's cool and composed in every post I see, even when she's laying a SuperMod Smackdown on some unsuspecting n00bish f00l.[/size] [b]Staff Member of the Year: Shinmaru. The Nintendo Forum has never looked better. Way to go, Shinny.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Haha, Charles again. If you need a reason, just check out my MyOtaku. I talk with Charles almost every day, and often about OB matters. ;)[/size] [b]Funniest Member: HeavensCloud. The "Police Raid For Drugs" thread was absolutely hilarious, in part thanks to HC and his replies.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: PoisonTongue. No, I don't think it's pompous or wrong to vote for oneself, provided the reasons are not of a deceitful nature. I vote for myself because I love reading over my old threads, and laughing my ass off at the jokes I was making.[/size] [b]Most Opinionated Otaku: Mitch. "It's my opinion." 'Nuff said.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: I guess, me. I'm...vocal in how I feel.[/size] [b]Member most likely to be here in two years: I try not to think that far in advance, but Shinmaru seems most likely. He seriously has no life, lol. j/k.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: I see OtakuSennen as a second most likely.[/size] [b]Best Newbie: RPCrazy![/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Japan86.[/size] [b]Best Oldie: James. He's older than dirt, lol.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Charles. He's just a tad more recent than James, but not much.[/size] [b]Most likely to become a Staff Member: PoisonTongue.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: I wouldn't mind seeing OtakuSennen as a Mod somewhere.[/size] [b]Favorite Banned Member: Kevin. I had the most fun during that Ban process.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Bloodsin, because there was a lot going on behind the scenes there; it was really quite layered and developed.[/size] [b]Most improved Member of the Year: Amity. The first 10 posts were bordering on Insta-Ban, but the powers that be gave Amity an opportunity to improve, and improvement did occur.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Baron Samedi. His post quality was faltering a bit a few months ago, but he made a conscious effort to improve and I must say, it was a vast improvement. Congrats, Baron.[/size] [b]Thread of the Year: Enter The Net[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Does this nomination thread count? It?s really quite cool.[/size] [b]Silliest Thread of the Year: The Action Figure thread. It was so silly but oh so fun.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Drawing a blank here.[/size] [b][u]Random Awards[/u][/b] [b]Avatar Award: (Best Avatars Overall) Charles, of course. I miss S.H.I.T.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Shinmaru.[/size] [b]Signature Award: (Best Signatures Overall) Baron Samedi. It?s lunacy at its finest.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Tie between PoisonTongue and Charles.[/size] [b]Best Location: (Best Specific Location) Viva la [url=http://www.geocities.com/crumblord/Cinnaminsonia.html]Cinnaminsonia[/url]! (Tie: PoisonTongue and RPCrazy)[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Drix. He?s in our brains.[/size] [b]Best Otaku Couple: PT and RPCrazy. ;)[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Syk3 and Mei are sexy. I?d like to swing with them.[/size] [b]Best looking Otaku: BabyGirl[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: HotSayianChick [/size] [b]Otaku clique of the Year: G3.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Manic?s Not Another Club Club. Honest.[/size] [b]Best MyOtaku: Charles.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Shinmaru, for the old school game reviews.[/size] [b][u]Otaku Writers[/u][/b] [b]Poet Laureate: Charles.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: PoisonTongue (Poetry does not only mean downer, angsty poetry. It encompasses epic poetry, too.)[/size] [b]Writer of the Year: Solo Tremaine.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Charles.[/size] [b]Orginal Story of the Year: Enter The Net.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: College Jobs.[/size] [b]Role-Player of the Year: James. (KILL ADAM. The nail gun scene will stick in my head forever. No pun intended.)[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: BabyGirl.[/size] [b]Brawler of the Year (sparring): I rarely go into the spar arena, but if I had to choose, Charles had some really sweet posts in there.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: HeavensCloud.[/size] [b]Role-Playing Game of the Year: KILL ADAM, of course.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Those Two Guys. Sitcom parody at its best.[/size] [b][u]Social Otakus[/u][/b] [b]Otaku Social member of the year: Baron Samedi. He?s always popping up in the right places at the right times.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Mitch.[/size] [b]Entertainment Otaku of the Year: Bloodsin, of course. I was laughing my ass off between scratching my head as I read through his posts.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Mitch.[/size] [b][u]Anime Otakus[/u][/b] Ani-me? What?s that? [b]Otaku of the Year: (Best Anime member overall)[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b].hack//SIGN Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]DragonBall Guru:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Digipeep of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Gundam Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Yu-Gi-Oh Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Least Disappointing Yu Yu Hakusho Member:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Otaku Gamers[/u][/b] [b]Gamer of the Year: Tony. He?s the Category Mod; you can talk to him about pretty much any game and he?s knowledgeable.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Shinmaru. He?s really more knowledgeable about games than he realizes or tells himself.[/size] [b]Nintendo "Mario" Award: I guess James. I figure this award goes to whoever has the most Nintendo materials. Just from my conversation with him yesterday, he?s a Nintendork in disguise. ~_^[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Shinmaru. He?s a total Nintendo Whore. ^_^[/size] [b]The Sony Award: *blanks out*[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: See above.[/size] [b]Xbox Gamer of the Year: Nate![/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: PoisonTongue. He?s such an Xbox whore these days.[/size] [b]PC Gamer of the Year: No idea.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: No idea.[/size] [b][u]Otaku Artists[/u][/b] [b]Best Graphic Designer (Banners, wallpapers, etc.): Five words: Syk?s Biatch Is A Lame-Ass.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention: Desbreko. His current banner is great. It shows just how much we?re all Nintendo Whores.[/size] [b]Best "Traditional" Artist (Drawings, paintings, etc.): Sara.[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best Spriter:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Series Otakus[/u][/b] [b]Series Otaku Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Square/Enix Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]PokéPlaque (Pokemon):[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]The Triforce Award (Zelda):[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [size=1]-PoisonTongue[/size] [/B]

Haha, actually, AzureWolf, the Xbox font doesn't let me have apostrophes, quotation marks, etc. I had to improvise. ;)

:D Nate, you should use this one. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16277[/img]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dagger IX1 [/i] [B]While Rise of the Machines allows Arnold to deliver some hilarious one-liners with his usual stoic panache, like Shroom said, it wasn't nearly as good as T-1 and T-2. Its ending made me fear that they were planning to put together a fourth film. I [i]hated[/i] the fact that [spoiler]Judgment Day came despite everyone's attempts to stop it. In the first two movies, Sarah Connor said "There is no fate but what you make." So what the hell happened to that principle? I thought that the ability to defy destiny was supposed to be one of the trilogy's main themes.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~ [/B][/QUOTE] Just to give you a hand in understanding the plot progression in the series, [spoiler]They were never going to be able to prevent Judgment Day, regardless of which movie we examine. The entire Branching Path ideal of the series is never brought in by anyone other than humans. Think about it. Reese's dialogue in T1: Sarah: Are you saying it's from the future? Reese: One possible future...from your point of view, I don't know. That's a human saying something we take to be real. Humans in the Terminator series are known to be emotionally-controlled. They live by their feelings. They live by their instincts. They are driven by animal instincts. Sarah Conner in T2 illustrates this perfectly. She is a hunter. Now, realizing that humans are no longer reliable narrators, because they're driven by instinct, we cannot base the Judgment Day scenario on their dialogue or action. As much as we trust Sarah's narration at the end of T2, we cannot accept her monologue as truth, because it is being [i]filtered[/i] through her eyes. We are seeing the situation as she wants to see it. "No Fate but what we make" is a human's value, not the films'. Cameron's inspiration for the original stemmed from a really bad illness in the Mediterranean area. He was bed-ridden for a while, had a nightmare of just one shot: the T-800 rising out of the fire in T1. That nightmare was brought about by his intense feeling of loneliness as he laid there with no-one around. I would further hypothesize that Cameron [i]is[/i] the Terminator in the films. I mean, think about it. The Terminator is something that instills fear and dread and a very large sense of isolation. It is the epitome of Fate. We are all going to be ill, sick, lonely, etc, at some point in our lives. Cameron was using the Terminator as an allegorical figure. Terminators are coming. We are all going to experience extreme amounts of pain sometime. We are all going to have to face Fate. Now, here we have John Connor, who will lead the remnants of civilization to victory after a nuclear holocaust. That is his destiny. That is his Fate. And what is directly linked with his destiny? Terminators. So, John's Fate is a Terminator. Sarah Connor's Fate is a Terminator. Kyle Reese's Fate is a Terminator. And what do the humans do? Try to fight their Fate; try to create their own desired Fate. But how can one [i]prevent[/i] sorrow, sadness, fear, loneliness, death, sickness, etc? Simply, we can't. Cameron knows this. He understands that he could not have prevented his illness. It was a destined happening. He accepted it and grew from it. He didn't fight it, but he did work around it. It actually seems "catch more flies with honey." Granted, I would never get a jar of honey to throw at the T-1000, but...whoa. Check this. The humans are NEVER able to kill the assailing Terminator in ANY of the movies. It's always another machine that kills it. The hydraulic press in T1, Arnie with a grenade launcher in T2, Arnie with his fuel cell in T3...it's always another machine that is victorious. Sarah would have been totally dead in T1 if the hydraulic press wasn't operational. Yes, she did press the activation switch, but if she hadn't, she would not have survived. Thus, the machine saves her. The machine kills the T-800. Sarah and John would have both been killed had Arnie not launched that grenade into the T-1000. Sarah and John didn't stand a chance with no weapon. John and Kate were unable to destroy the T-X, even in the particle accelerator. The T-X still came after them. Arnie was the only entity that destroyed T-X. All of this is an example of machines dictating Fate, not humans. The humans are along for the ride. EDIT INSERT: This "along for the ride" idea is very well supported through the notion that no matter what the humans do/did, the end result was still the same: Judgment Day. Cameron knew Judgment Day couldn't be stopped. Why do you think he canned his original ending? The ending in which they do prevent it. Judgment Day was always going to happen, even if we ignore T3. The robotics lab could have been some random company, but it wasn't. [i]It was Cyberdyne.[/i] Oh yeah, check out the deleted scenes. There was a scene that showed a Cyberdyne executive picking up the chip, handing it to an aide, saying, "Get this to Research and Development first thing Monday morning." Oh yeah. The series is total Fate. T2: blowing up Cyberdyne's main office and Dyson's home office wasn't going to do anything but [i]delay[/i] Judgment Day. Big tech company like Cyberdyne...they'd have quite a few off-site data back-ups. That kind of destruction would give the company's development a bit of a hiccup, I'd think.[/spoiler] So, hope that cleared some of it up. I'm always around if you have more questions.

I have no idea what "Otaku" means. Seriously, I don't, lol. I am not a fan of any anime whatsoever, apart from this parody I saw recently...called Golden Boy, I think, and Powerpuff Girls, but I guess they're considered "Anime Lite." Frankly, I really dislike anime. The writing from what I've seen is godawful, horribly overwritten and sounds totally...ridiculous. I mean, it's just so outrageously blah to the point that I can't stand it and avoid it wherever I can. Dillon, Paul, and Jenn had to essentially strap me down so I wouldn't get up during Golden Boy. And yes, I realize the irony of me being on OTAKUboards, lol. I signed up here to post about video games and movies, so I do not consider myself an anime fan in the least. Haha, to illustrate, I was in the Anime Lounge once because I saw someone viewing a "Favorite Villain" thread in Who's Online. I clicked over and was in the Anime Lounge. I was ready to post my favorite villain as HAL-9000 (Yes, he [i]is[/i] the villain of 2001, acting in self-defense or not. He is potrayed as a totally creepy entity who kills the crew. Villain.). Yippee! 401.

Yep. This is what I see a lot these days. Hot women wiping their lips. ^_^ I like this desktop.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mitch [/i] [B][size=1] And the main thing that I feel matters most in writing is that there is heart there--that there is heart, and it is seen, and it is shown. Rules and organization in writing weaken this, cripple it--seize it. They make writing not one's own. As far as I am concerned, I do not care if I cannot use that in place of who, since who is to be used for people. I don't care. What I care is that I write from my heart--and that it is me, and not what some other person says. Not that I'm not open to suggestions. And not that I wouldn't change things--but that is if I am to be published, then I would do that. If I was going to have, say, a book of poetry published, I would revise it all for better readability--I would change things to a certain askewness that gives it what it should be to the cold calculating governs of what people want to say that writing should be. And at this point I see that I'll end up being a teacher. Not something I'm excited about. Teachers are underpaid, underappreciated. And it just isn't something I'm amazingly happy to do. If I had it my way, I'd just write poems all my life, or writing, and get it published. With no money or money, just as long as at the same time I had enough to keep food on my table. I plan to major in English, perhaps minor in History. End up being a teacher, forced to it. I plan to hopefully, someday, get a book of my poems published, perhaps get known in a small way. We'll see. [/size] [/B][/QUOTE] Ahem. 1) An author can still put heart into a work when the work is highly structured. To say that structure weakens writing is preposterous. I suppose then, you're going to tell me that because The Graduate is heavily structured, that it's a weak novel? That Heart Of Darkness is so dense and heavy, layered with depth, exploding with atmosphere and mood (i.e., structure), that it's inferior to some unfocused piece of ****? Are you about to tell me that Russell Banks' "Sarah Cole: A Type Of Love Story" is inferior simply because it has such a specific narrative flow? That it locks itself into a modality of presentation and thus is substandard because you [i]think[/i] that because it adheres to guidelines or structured form, that it lacks heart? Mitch, you're wrong. Structure does not weaken writing, nor does it weaken the heart. Saying "that there is heart, and it is seen, and it is shown. Rules and organization in writing weaken this, cripple it--seize it. They make writing not one's own" shows just how inexperienced one is. Want to disagree? 2) "I would change things to a certain askewness that gives it what it should be to the [b]cold calculating governs of what people want to say that writing should be[/b]." Are you that self-removed? I mean, honestly. I'm asking. Are you [i]really[/i] that self-absorbed to think that the entire world is wrong? To think that the entire world is a cruel being that is going to kill you? You have to be really full of yourself to be treating the entire writing field like some evil, dominating beast. You're just afraid of the real world. Really, come out of the shell. It'll do you good. 3) Mitch, if that's your attitude towards teaching, get the hell out. We don't want you if you're "falling back" on teaching. Don't do us any favors, okay? "And at this point I see that I'll end up being a teacher. Not something I'm excited about. Teachers are underpaid, underappreciated. And it just isn't something I'm amazingly happy to do." and, "I plan to major in English, perhaps minor in History. End up being a teacher, forced to it." This is gonna sound cruel, but blow it out your ***. Dude, with that kind of attitude you're displaying, with that kind of predisposition to teaching, you make me sick, and I can guarantee you'd make a lot of Teacher Prep instructors/advisors/aides very sick, too. Don?t even think about setting foot at the front of a classroom with your attitude towards teaching, all right? Now, on-topic. I was destined to be a teacher. I had always loved getting up in front of people, have always had a knack for it. Performance was a joy of mine, the feel of an audience just looking at you in awe as you worked the crowd, teaching them, entertaining them. It?s breathtaking. It really is. On top of that, I?m quite good at the English major. I have a definite knack for it. Simply, I will be a teacher because I love it. I have to share my mind with people. It would be such a waste if I didn?t. Also, I?m thinking about getting a Doctorate in Educational Theory. I?ve got a few ideas and theories that can revolutionize (for the better) how schools operate. So, yeah. I?m going into Education. It?s going to be fantastic. Of course, I?ll write on the side if the mood strikes me. If I get published, nifty. If not, hey, I?m doing something that I love. I might also get into screenwriting again, provided I have the time, lol. EDIT: Mitch, you're an idiot. Go and cry about me calling you an idiot, too. Get the sympathy. But know deep down in your heart, you have no frigging idea what life is all about. You accuse me of being an Idealist? Who's saying what here? [quote][i]Mitch[/i] [b]Yes I am this self-removed. Yes I am self-absorbed to the point where I think this world is useless and cruel. And yes, the world shall kill me. I shall live in it, and by it, I shall die someday when I am old. I am afraid of reality. I am distant to reality. I stay in my mind all the time. I don't think I'm full of myself. I see that I'm merely another person in the slew of things. Another useless being that is on this Earth for no reason at all. This is the way I see things. Deep down I'm more of a Naturalist than a Realist. I see the bad in most things. I don't believe in God. I feel that life is pointless--life is a ***** then you die. This is the way I see things. I am cynical. You are an optimistic fellow, I am not. You seem more Idealist than Realist. That is not me. We are different people who view things in a different perception. And I can understand where you come from, because empathy is one of the things I feel. But really, think about it. We live to work in this society as it says. And then what happens? We retire. And then what happens? We are rewarded for all our useless working with a death--an end--and what happens at the end no one knows. We assume that we know. Enough of that anyway. Just see this: nothing you say will change what I think. I do see what you say, but I am stubborn. I shall stick to what I think and that is fine. Why even try to tell me differently? I'm just another human being that has the same exact potentials as you, or anyone had and once had. Again, you speak the truth. And yes, I should come out of my shell. It would do me good. A good that serves no purpose.[b][/quote] [quote][i]Mitch[/i] [b]It depends on where things take me. I might end up being a teacher, I might not. Maybe I'll be a Journalist. Maybe I'll be a critic. Who knows. What's your point? I hate monotiny, so thus I'll hate pretty much any job I'm given. Working in general sucks no matter what you want to say. Being forced to do something sucks no matter what you say as well. Yes, my attitude is horrid, but bluntly, it's the cold truth. What is the point of teaching? Everything you teach shall just die anyway. Everything you teach most likely shall not remember what you have taught if it does not suit them. Most likely, most who enter your class are just the same as you or me or anyone--they're there so they can get a job doing someday what they love--writing. It depends though. If you teach high school level, you're a hell of a lot more prone to see kids in your class just because they have to. In college it's certainly a different case. I think education is pointless. The more I know the more I don't want to know. I see that everything I learn is useless--it is created by the humans that made them. I see it as pointless to know all this when I could be some stupid person that knowns nothing that is happy in his ignorance. But of course this is not the case, and I am no longer happy--well, at least truly happy. I would enjoy teaching on one level. I would enjoy teaching those people to who it matters. But this, more often than not, won't be the case if I teach high school. I know how mundane high school is. I hate education at this point. For all it's given me, I'd rather have it ripped away or never had. Again: this is what I think. I see the negatives in things. You are not going to change what I think. I understand what you say, but at least give me my breathing room. I am an individual and I reserve this right with this post. And what you have said is mostly true, and also what I have said is mostly true--at least to me.[/b][/quote] Huhuh. Sure. [i]I'm[/i] really the Idealist here. Pfft. You live in a Fantasy world, accuse the entire world of being cold-hearted, and believe that you are the center of the entire writing universe, and YOU accuse ME of being an Idealist. You are indeed a moron. I'm the Realist here, Mitch. I see what needs to be done and I go do it. I don't resort to the idea that "oh, we're all going to die so it's not worth fighting for." **** that. There was a South Park episode on...last week, maybe two weeks ago. Wendy broke-up with Stan and Stan reacts by going Goth. You know what? Mitch, you're sounding [i]exactly[/i] like the South Park Goths. "Life is the villain. I only have darkness. I only have dread." Grow up. Oh, and if I [b][i]EVER[/i][/b] hear you talk about Education like that again, I swear to high heaven that I will not be held responsible for my actions.

My newest background, taken with my new Xmas toys. DVD burner, software that lets me take screenshots, high-speed transfer equipment...fun stuff. Haha.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by PoisonTongue [/i] [B]So, I think SNL speaks for all of us here when they show Aaron Carter to be some hyperactive, prepubescent, teacher's pet white boy, lol. [/B][/QUOTE] haha. I just realized. If I were 12, and in the rap industry, I would be Aaron Carter! LOLOL. But trying to get back to the topic at hand... HellsFire, why in the hell are you so jealous of a teenybopper entertainer? I mean, he really has no value whatsoever in entertainment. He's just a pretty face. I'd go as far as to say, he lacks talent, too. Shinny is very much right. More power to Carter for finding success, even though we don't like him. I think instead of being so madly jealous of Aaron Carter, we should be madly jealous of Stanley Kubrick. Watch 2001 Space Odyssey and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I know how Kubrick did the special effects...but they still blow my frigging mind [i]every[/i] time I see the film.

I'm probably wrong about this, and probably will get flamed, but... When you think about it, where does greed come from? A desire for more stuff. A desire to get better things. A desire to rise above those around you. I don't want to bring economics in here too much, but where does that ideal primarily exist? Capitalism. And really, it's not even a matter of Capitalism; it's simply a matter of everyone always wanting something better. Whether or not we [i]have[/i] what we want is beside the point. The point is...[i]we want something more[/i]. This is the way I look at greed, Capitalism, Gordon Gekko (Wall Street. 1987), Ebenezer Scrooge, Nintendo, Socialism, Microsoft, McDonalds, Hollywood--hey...mostly American things...whoa...lol...it's late, cut me some slack. Anyway, our economy is driven by us. You can look at it from as many sides as you want, but the core of any economy is driven by those who...invest in it. If we don't like a product, we don't buy it, forcing the company to re-evaluate. If we want a product, we can petition...file suggestions. Of course, this is in a free market...you wouldn't find that kind of freedom in dictatorial countries. But it is the desire that drives us. It is the greed that drives us. I know that doesn't sound pleasant, but think of how many things we [i]wouldn't[/i] have today if someone hadn't been just a little bit greedy, if they hadn't taken those few extra steps. Hell, Nintendo would not be where it's at today without greed and/or desire. Microsoft wouldn't have the power it has if Bill Gates had played with Legos all of his life. As much as we don't like to hear it, greed and desire are necessary components of human existence. Without it...we're just...for lack of a better phrase, "pot-smoking hippies." And even then, hippies had an agenda. They had desires. They had greeds. I, for one, am Pro-Greed and am damn glad to live in a country that fully supports it. :D ::salutes the all-mighty dollar:: Plus, who doesn't love a few video games at Christmas? I have enjoyed many, many games on many, many Holidays. Metroid Prime took up an entire Christmas day two years ago. Do I regret that? Hell no. Out of desire for fun, came fun.

I think the opinion of Aaron Carter is best summed up by an older SNL skit called "Rap Street." Horatio Sans and...Jerry Minor, I believe, were Kid Shazaam and Grand Master Rap, respectively, two aging hiphoppers from I would imagine the early 80s. Mena Suvari hosted the show and starred in the sketch as Aaron Carter. Of course, Aaron was portayed as an annoying goodygoody who sang songs like "Candy Is Good," "I Like My Bike," and "Help The Police." Suvari was rather hyper throughout the skit, giving Carter some insane bobs and such. So, I think SNL speaks for all of us here when they show Aaron Carter to be some hyperactive, prepubescent, teacher's pet white boy, lol.

Revised in keeping with the source title and source material, Fortune Faded by Red Hot Chili Peppers: Moon come out tonight, Bathe me in your navy light, I?m jaded. My fortune?s faded. Wrap me in your azure hue, I?m here again to dance with you, Here in the cornfields. The scarecrows are out again, River streams around the bend, And I?m here for you. Moon come out tonight, Bathe me in your navy light, I?m jaded. My fortune?s faded. I?m standing here to wait for you, You?re the one to pull me through, I?m here again to dance with you, Here in the cornfields. I want to feel your lunar dove, Please come to me my love, As I stand here for you, Here in the cornfields. I long to feel your loving glow, Longing to have you know How much I love you so. Please come with me. Moon come out tonight, Bathe me in your navy light, I?m jaded. My fortune?s faded. Countless nights here have I stood, Yearning for the blesséd good, Waiting for you, Here in the cornfields. Many nights have long since past, Since I did see you last, And here I still am, Here in the cornfield. Moon come out tonight, Bathe me in your navy light, I?m jaded. My fortune?s faded. I have found that when doing an "inspired piece," one must be sure to keep with the original source material. This is in keeping with "genre grounding." Baron had a good start, but for what the title was, and what the title connected us to, the song didn't gel with the mood. I have spoken with Baron regarding the theme of the original copy, and offer this as the new revision. The obsessive themes of the lover are kept and made stronger in the revision. In Baron's original copy, the theme was muted, or not brought forth strong enough. The revised edit shows what revision can do. Mitch, instantaneous things are not always the best. In fact, instantaneous is often synonymous with instant crap. I've spoken with published authors and have been taught by published authors...award-winning authors, mind you, and they make it completely, undeniably clear that if you write something in a split second, see no possible improvement potential, no need for revision, then the work is a guaranteed trashbin item. It may sound very poetic and wise to say "it came to me in a minute," but that's not how one writes good literature. Good literature comes through many, many revisions; many, many writers re-write entire books in the editing/publishing process. My fiction workshop professor has explained that if you have a good line, don't worry, it will come back in somewhere. So, yes. Never should we be totally satisfied with something written in the span of one minute or five. It just doesn't work that way.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crimson Spider [/i] [B]Played the game myself. Way too short and chaotic IMO. The better racer isn't the one that wins. The luckiest one wins. I'm not a big fan of a racing game that's all up to luck. [/B][/QUOTE] Luck, pishposh. Luck plays but a small part of the game when you're experienced at Double Dash. When you've become competent at DD, the only two uber-dangerous items are the Lightning Bolt and Spiny Shell. Everything else can be avoided rather easily, and often by technical driving, as Des has referred to. Did you know that Red Shells pose no problem when you cut an angle on a corner really quickly, and the Red Shell doesn't make the turn? The Red Shell slams into the barrier that you are now on the other side of, very safe indeed. Bananas are usually very easy to avoid, provided someone hasn't laid 5 of them in a row. Green Shells, bah. Straight line of fire. Star. Bah. I've avoided Starred-up players simply by Powersliding (technical driving), and this dodging has happened in numerous stages, Rainbow Road included. Rainbow Road has some of the most narrow turns in the game, too, IMO. And the character specials are often just huge versions of the usual ones, so Specials aren't a problem to avoid; you just have to allow more room around them. Now, Spiny Shells and Lightning Bolts. Lightning Bolts aren't a problem, as the 1st place driver usually never gets them. I've found that 4th through 7th usually gets them the most. So, if a Lightning Bolt hits you, chances are you're in the top 3 or dead last. Top 3, you shouldn't worry, because the other 2 are hit, as well. And if you're dead last, well...you just suck at the game generally. Spiny Shells target 1st place. If you're being targeted, slam on the brakes and start backing up. Usually, 2nd place will zip on past you, taking the lead, subsequently getting slammed by the Spiny Shell that up until 3 seconds ago, was coming after you. See? Technical driving. Battle Mode. Know the levels, know the level tricks, know the short-cuts, and you can always get the drop on your opponent or get away quickly should they target you. So, really, when you know how to play DD effectively, items become a supplement. They augment your performance. I was recently driving co-op with RPCrazy in Waluigi Stadium. It was Lap 3, we were in 2nd place, and hitting the final turns before the Finish Line. Keep in mind, too, that we had just gotten hit by a Lightning Bolt as we came out of the Pirahna Plant/Fireball gauntlet. So, here we are, in 2nd place, no items, and tiny. 1st place was a few meters ahead of us; we could see them just starting to turn. Know what we did? We did some technical driving, managed to pick up two Green Shells from one of the dual item boxes and I got us in the lead again with some good ole fashioned Powersliding and corner cutting. We boosted over the ramp, landed, and sent those two Green Shells behind us, slamming them both into the 2nd place Kart. See? Not luck...not replacing the driving...[i]augmenting[/i] the driving. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=533421[/img] The red dot is an approximate location of where we were.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Syk3 [/i] [B][color=teal]Very original and does a great job of exposing others to the aforementioned humour that those of us that chat with you on AIM get a taste of every day. Now get back to work and make me a sammich, biatch! [/color]:drunk: [/B][/QUOTE] Hehehe..."get a taste" of Shinny. MmmMMmm good. LOL. The text looks great, Shinny. Looks almost like a child's pencil graffiti on a desk...and actually, it shares the same exact theme, too...insulting someone. Nice work! And I want a sammich, too.

It reminds me of Monty Python. Well done. The insanity of the dialogue and outright lunatic actions totally bring me back to Flying Circus. I swear, I saw John Cleese playing Ken, or Ken playing John Cleese. Excellent work. The art itself is sketch, but hey, it's a parody, meant to be outrageous, so the style fits. Terrific stuff.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Baron Samedi [/i] [b]*chokes silently on Mitch's 2nd last sentence*[/b] [b]Ahem. Yes. So you guys banned him? I'll go check that out... I find the banner enormously funny... lol. Good idea. One little note though [Yes I am a picky bastard] In PT's first reply, the numbers '3' and '3' are too far apart from each other. This is, if you actually typed that up. If not, then it is just an AIM thing.[/b] [b]Love the red BANNED text. [/b][/QUOTE] Baron, I went into Photoshop and checked that out. I figured I had hit the space button by accident, as I had been doing that a lot when I made it...I thought I was in the Arrow tool, but was actually editing text >_< So, yeah, just one little space in there, lol. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=15828[/img]

What would Nintendo be called if they got down and dirty? [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=531674[/img]

Haha, Shinny. Nah, I don't smoke. Cigarettes and I just don't gel. I get along plenty fine with Jello Shots, though. :D Yeah, Charles, I noticed the bold look to it. I'm going to go into Photoshop and check that out. It might be the text size, which makes sense, too, I suppose. Photoshop does odd things occasionally to re-sizing text. Yeah...I made the banner in about 15 minutes...retouching time included. You might say I had...speedy fingers. hehe. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mitch [/i] [B][size=1] Crazy White Boy will [i]forever[/i] be a far greater persona and name than the aforementioned harass that is [i]Charles[/i]. For Charles is a banal name, overtoned with harsh realities that lie in the net of the monarchist societals that are England and its Kings and Queens.[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] Hey, MITCH! Check this out. [url]http://www.britannia.com/history/h6f.html[/url] Still want to say that British History is banal? Do you still want to focus solely on a span of 40 years out of an approximately 3000 year history? British History is some of the most exciting Lore, legend, and societal issues ever. I mean, think about it. Each new Queen or King brings about a national religious change. Groups that had power one year were getting [b]hunted down[/b] the next. Kings usurped control over everything. Act Of Supremacy, anyone? Henry VIII? How can you say that a King beheading his wife simply for not being able to "give" him a son...is boring? How can you imply that it isn't worth learning...delving into? I mean, come on. Seriously. Wake up.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mitch [/i] [B][size=1] He put The Raven Bart there because Poe rocks and he knows it. Long live Poe's work![/size] [/B][/QUOTE] Mitch, NO. You missed the entire point of the entire thread. Now, you may have understood what I was trying to do but wanted to something "original," but what you posted was not anything intelligent, and is the equivalent of SPAM. I put Bart as The Raven in there to connect with students, to bring normally distant material into a closer and more easily relatable environment...AKA [b]The Simpsons[/b]. Shroom hit this idea right on the head. Now, Poe does not rock. He is not the center of the literary universe anywhere. You want to see poetry in action? Check out Walt Whitman. Whitman blows Poe right out of the water. Hell, Shel Silverstein (Where The Sidewalk Ends) is more entertaining than Poe. Short story/novel? Kurt Vonnegut kicks the living **** out of Poe. Did you ever read Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad? No? Conrad puts Poe in his place. And I find it [i]incredibly[/i] pompous and pretentious of you to spout this inane gibberish of Poe being the end-all of literature, and you implying that because you regard him so highly, that you in some way are better than everyone else. Wake up. Poe is nothing special; he's just morbid and obssessive...nothing to get worked up over. He's got some good stuff here and there, but the majority of his work is just the run-of-the-mill death encompassing all. Way to go, Mitch. You idolize a cliche writer. Now, if this thread gets locked, so be it; I understand entirely. If it is allowed to stay open...Mitch, never post in my threads with that **** again. OK? Thanks.

I assure you. Greatest. Banner. Ever. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=531397[/img] I hear a Queen song playing... "Another one bites the dust, ooh another one bites the dust. And another one gone, and another one gone, Another one bites the dust!"

My entry. Went with a streamlined design, in keeping with a new age for MyOtaku.com. Hope you all enjoy. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=531028[/img]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SadClown [/i] [B]Too much special effects and computer animation. I'm as dissinterested in this one as I was the first one. They should have picked a better cast, than maybe it would have been better... [/B][/QUOTE] A substandard cast is one that features Willem Dafoe, Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Bruce Campbell, and Ted Raimi?

Final final design...final tweaking done around 2:30 am or 3 this morning... [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=530344[/img]

Doc Oct's tentacles look badass...his face looks kinda weird, though...weird even for comic book land. But very cool trailer, nonetheless. I was wondering how they were going to prevent Peter from kissing MaryJane in the trailer there. Looked like a pretty reasonable and logical prevention...better than abstinence, lol.

Finished design...took me about 10 hours... :sleep: [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=530190[/img]