Brasil

Ah, yes. Yes, I did intend for certain parts to sound childish, because, well, kids rock and their almost innocent presentation of writing intrigues me. How they construct awkward sentences and pronoun mis-use is quite neat. Syrupy Sweetness was written during my childhood fable period, along with Wonderful Lego Land (which I've also posted on OB), and actually, portions of EPICITY were written/revised during the childhood fable period. If you look really closely in EPICITY, I think you can tell what passages were written during the fable period. Oh, the secret weapon. It's The Waffle King's Doomsday Machine. It's a throwback to Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. Dr. Strangelove featured a kill-all device called the Doomsday Machine. While Strangelove's was activated by attack, Syrupy Sweetness' is activated by human action. Syrupy Sweetness has a very clear-cut political agenda about it, with some very...caustic political messages. I'm not going to say what they are right now, but if you want to take a few more looks at the story, see if you can pick out what's really going on. Syrupy Sweetness is an allegory for a few different things, as all child-type fables should be.

I'm going to ignore pretty much everything that has been said, for a few different reasons. 1) I don't have the time. 2) I can't stand reading that crap. 3) I feel dumber when I even glance over some of those page-long paragraphs. (Grammar and structure are your friends, people...just a word of wisdom.) So, since I'm ignoring the "customary" reasons for disliking Bush...I dislike him because of the No Child Left Behind Act. This is a recently proposed/enacted "bill" of sorts that requires high schools to maintain a relatively positive testing average, and heavily penalizes schools that "don't make the grade." It seems that this act stemmed from some inane ideal that every child has the capacity to do well on exams. Anybody that attended any high school anywhere knows this isn't the case. There are students who just don't get it, who just can't get it, and regardless of how much an instructor tries, or how much the instructor doesn't try, those students will never achieve the kind of testing capacity that No Child Left Behind desires. It's quite foolish, really, to penalize an [i]entire[/i] high school because of a handful of braindead juniors who consistently fail chemistry exams. The Bush Administration is inappropriately stepping in here, pushing the teachers and school admins around. It really makes me wonder why politicians think they know everything about what makes a classroom run properly. I would much rather leave school decisions up to admins and instructors, those who [i]are there on a very regular basis, and/or have first-hand experience on a day-to-day basis.[/i] Do Bush and his cronies feel that they have a grasp on classroom environment because they happen to visit a small handful of schools in the country and have charts telling them what's going on? I'm really interested to see just what those charts were...because, as we all know, many GPA statistics are drawn from standardized testing, and standardized testing is really not an appropriate grading tool for people to judge a school on. I mean, it discards all forms of human knowledge, just requiring that facts be spewed. There is very, very slim space for actual thought and human interaction. Considering the lack of human element in standardized testing, the lack of deeper thought, how can we accurately portray schools by standardized testing? Simply? Students are going to fail. Some are going to fail quite miserably. But does that give the Bush Admin the right to step-in and basically control everything? I don't see No Child Left Behind as a simple testing regulation; I see it as a very disturbing first step in stripping instructors of control. McGreevey is already doing it. Even though Rutgers' theatre program got slammed with the budget cuts, and a few other programs got scaled back a lot, Rutgers got spared compared to other schools. And McGreevey's proposal to merge Rutgers with some other local colleges, discarding the Rutgers name and forming a huge conglomerate college really makes me doubt just what politicians know. Basically, Bush, I say to you, "Let we teachers teach. We know what's best for our students in a classroom. And when one of us is unsure of a course of action, there are other instructors in the school who can advise us. You stay in the Oval Office. We've got the classrooms covered." EDIT: Being a classic rock 'n' roll fan, I notice the term "70s." [quote][i]Originally posted by Crimson Spider[/i] [b]and DO find stuff, you will not be justified because of the thousands of these tree-hugging peace lovers don't agree with you because of their 70s Flower-child thinking.[/b][/quote] Jesus Christ! Grow up! That sentence [i]alone[/i] perfectly illustrates just how much of a rhetoric-spewing fool you are. I mean, Christ! Get a clue! Do you realize how immature that one statement is? Do you realize how much of an idiot you look by saying it? Oh, and I'm sure you're going to reply with [i]another[/i] poorly written, boring, boorish, inane two page paragraph, right? Good for you, CS. You're a monkey on a typewriter.

I suppose I should explain, lol. "Writing Superheroes" is the title of a book I recently read. It was about how students use popular culture to better understand the world around them and mature in a social environment. The students wrote skits about X-Men and performed them, then had discussions afterward about gender roles and social context.

A graphic organizer (information display) for a presentation on classroom techniques in incorporating popular culture to instruct students about society. Eventually, I'll provide a link to the X-men comic cover that I drew inspiration from. EDIT: Here it is. [url]http://www.nabou.com/x-men/x-men_comics/comics_covers/the_uncanny_x-men_cover_378.html[/url]

?SS? For the longest time, the city-states of Waffland and France hated each other. They continuously quarreled and warred. You would think after 400 years they?d learn to get along. After all, there was enough syrup in the neighboring midget province of Vermont to sufficiently supply both countries. But neither the Waffle King nor King Louie De Touets wanted to share the bountiful and tasty syrup of Vermont. They both wanted to gorge upon it and cover their loyal and quite scrumptious subjects in it. Any peace talks that were scheduled between these two leaders always erupted in violence and vicious name-calling. The Waffle King would accuse King Louie of stealing his shower caps, and King Louie would retort with a slur against the Waffle King?s mother. Forks would then be thrown, but often missing their targets, to cause massive fatalities on both sides of the breakfast table. It was not long after the 14th peace talk had failed, when the nation of Waffland invaded and occupied France. King Louie was forced into his palace by roving tanks and RPG?s. The forces of Waffland, having been terrorized for sometime by the once superior army of France, now had the upper hand, thanks to a bigger weapons development budget. The Waffle King was pleased with his army?s advances and the pressure placed on King Louie to surrender his lands and retreat into the mountain ranges, thus allowing Waffland to gain full access to Vermont and all its syrupy goodness. But sadly, this occupation of France, while having some positive effect, also led to enormous amounts of violence. Though King Louie was holed up in his palace, his army was still on the outside and able to cause damage and confusion among the people of Waffland. Bombs would still go off and destroy buildings, usually public buildings. Houses of knowledge and wealth in Waffland?s capital were blown-up. These terror attacks perpetrated by the factions under King Louie did not achieve the withdrawal of the armies of the Waffle King. Retribution was enacted, and many Frenchmen perished in bombings and ambushes with assault weapons. This was all small stuff compared to the really atrocious atrocities that went on every week. There were individuals on both sides that were willing to die for their leader and would wire themselves with deadly explosives and walk into breakfast houses to detonate. In the aftermath of these attacks, officials had to clean up the scene, which was not an easy task. There were bits and pieces of citizens everywhere, tables and chairs were overturned, glass crunched under foot. Windows were blown out, and walls were scarred with burns. But the one detail that most officials threw up over, was the syrup that made the floor sticky. Upon hearing of the destruction to his citizens, the Waffle King vowed vengeance upon France. He appeared in front of many of the other nations? leaders and voiced his opinion that King Louie De Touets needed to be booted out of office in order for the violence to stop. This would be no easy task, the Waffle King explained. King Louie was a dangerous individual, just shy of the factions who claim part of his armies. It was of the opinion of the other leaders that yes, King Louie is dangerous and yes, he needs to be stopped. However, we do not have the time to deal with him as of this moment. This enraged the Waffle King, and he stormed out of the conference room, sickened at the unwillingness of the leaders to put an end to the nation of France. The Waffle King returned to Waffland to propose his idea to his cabinet. King Louie De Touets must be deposed, he said, I have a plan. Then his aides drew the blinds and the meeting began. His aides marveled at the depth and ingenuity of the plan. It was simple to explain, and wasn?t boggled down with logistics of execution. It set simple standards and requirements. The Waffle King described it with gusto and flair, which caused his cabinet to flock to it with enthusiastic admiration of their leader. He called for immediate research and development of the technology needed, and his team of scientists hopped to it, determined to win the king?s favor. At the same time, King Louie gathered together his best spies in his subterranean office. I need to know what the Waffle King is doing, he explained, I have a feeling he?s up to something that threatens my well-being. I want you three to infiltrate his palace and steal the secret plans and bring them back here. I will reward you with three drums of syrup should you succeed. I expect nothing less than perfection from you. If you are caught, I shall disavow any knowledge of your activities, for failure is not rewarded. With that known, go forth and succeed. Having been given their mission, his spies, Pierre, Francois, and Denny, slid silently out of the office and out into the night. They all separated when they were out on the darkened streets. Francois stole down the alleys, using the cover of dark to his advantage. Pierre took to the overpasses, and Denny, well Denny just strolled down the streets. He was an innocent-looking spy. Francois reached the palace first, scaled the tall wall and leapt down with ease. The guards were not about, probably snug in their beds, or smashed out of their heads on that glorious syrup. Francois padded quietly through the yard, avoiding searchlights and such, when he came across an entrance that said, PUSH. It opened with the greatest of ease, not squeaking nor creaking, well oiled, you see. There was a long hall now, with doors numbering ten. Francois decided to check which was home to the plans. Door One was locked, he found out so quickly, and Door Two would provide no access as well. The next three doors were shut tight, and Francois began to feel sickly. The waning hours of night caused him much alarm, for it would be day soon, and with capture much harm. He decided to retreat, to escape to the dawn, and bids you hope leniency for he the pawn. The other two spies, though cunning and brave, laid in wait for Francois and his success to deprave. Lucky Pierre took a spot on a roof, where he could see anything that moved. Denny sat outside on a chair, enjoying the cool dawn air. Lark, Pierre saw one move, down there in the yard. Who goes there, he thought, it must be Francois, that sly little fox. He thinks he is slick, but has just walked into my trick. Pierre then sounded the alarm and Francois was found. It appeared this was the end of this noble spy. But then Pierre called out to him and dropped a rope from high. Latch on, Pierre cried; for there would be no reward or syrup, should Francois have died. Francois took hold, he pulled with might, and this escape was quite a sight. But the duo was to not get far because the army was right there, their rifles raised in the air, pointed straight at their hearts. The two spies froze, paralyzed with fear, a frightened gasp alone escaping. Their knees rattled and buckled, their fingers went numb, as they heard the call to fire. The shots rang loud, true and clear, and punctured their surface, causing them to fall back to the yard from which they came. Through all of this commotion, Denny sat there, hidden behind a paper. Nonchalantly he read, munching on some toast, sipping of his coffee. Soldiers armed with automatic weapons ran past him in both directions, chattering into their radios. Attention, attention, they cried, the perimeter has been breached. All personnel on high alert, code orange, they ordered, and the palace was locked down. No soldiers paid any mind to Denny as he strolled down the street with a copy of News Today folded under his arm. Meanwhile, in the palace, the Waffle King?s security council began an investigation into the alleged spy infiltrations. It appeared Pierre?s luck had finally run out. He was the spy who survived and now the secret agents were brutally interrogating him. Who sent you, they asked, what was your objective? Pierre kept his lips tight and was silent, but this did not stop the hot light beaming down on his face. His silence made the interrogation more torturous. The bulb was brought closer, almost scalding his leathery skin, and now barbaric methods were utilized. The agents forced Pierre?s eyes open with toothpicks and withheld Visine. His loyalty to King Louie was still too strong, and he thus refused to talk. The agents felt it was unfortunate that he did not see the futility of his actions. They were going to draw out the answers they desired using any means necessary. It was time, they decided, to break this spy. Electroshock methods, though outlawed by many pro rights groups, was the most efficient way to obtain information. Pierre was thankful when they removed the toothpicks from his eyes but saw the equipment now being rolled in. We have ways of making you talk, a foreboding man warned. But scared as he was, Pierre would not betray his king. I will not talk, you pigs, he declared and was brutally slapped across his right cheek. The sting brought tears to his eyes but he was steadfast in his resolve. An agent forced a piece of wood into his mouth. Bite down hard, the agent advised. Pierre did as he was told. Dots of gel were placed on both sides of his head and the voltage was set at a low setting to start. The first few sessions tingled, but the agents gradually turned the power up each time. The fifth time was at three-fourths power and Pierre dreaded the switch. Will you talk now? They asked. They were not satisfied with his response and joyfully sent current into him. Pain jumped through his body and he cried. He wished it to be over and screamed in anguish. I?ll talk! I?ll talk! He yelped. The power was then turned off and the machine wheeled away. The agents smiled and the information poured out. Though the information was shocking, the Waffle King was expecting it. He called his publicist and ordered the press into his conference hall. There he told the world what had just transpired. My friends, colleagues, and business associates, he said, I have received startling information from a very reliable source. It appears that one of you attempted to sabotage my peoples. A coward is what you are and I assure you, I know who you are and you will be stopped for your evil and deceitful ways. As the Waffle King was addressing the reporters, and in addressing the reporters, the world, King Louie was watching intently in his subterranean office. He was eating banana pancakes doused with syrup. The Waffle King?s words struck a chord with King Louie. He was deeply offended by those stinging barbs in the Waffle King?s words. How dare he say those nasty things about me, King Louie fumed, I?ll show him! Then King Louie stormed out of his breakfast hall, leaving his half-eaten banana pancakes on the table, sopping with syrup. The king?s temper had risen and was giving him indigestion. He screamed at the top of his lungs for his cabinet and advisors. They hurriedly filed into his conference room, still dressed in their nightgowns. Why are you not dressed, the king demanded. Your Majesty, Le Beck Fin answered in the group?s defense, you have roused us out of bed. We slept soundly beneath the warmth of our covers, and dreamt of symphonies, the queen?s warm apple pie, and geese getting blown right out of the sky. But we are awake, now, and ready to hear what Your Majesty has to say. King Louie was quite pleased at this, and then took up much of the morning to voice his disgust with the Waffle King. The Waffle King has insulted me, the king exclaimed, and for that transgression against your king you must teach him a harsh lesson in international diplomacy! The king was far beyond rational thought now. We must bring about the destruction of the Wafflers!!! I want a full press siege laid upon his palace and all his people gathered up to be gassed!!! I expect to see no more Wafflers walking my beautiful city!!! It is time we purified my city!!! Now, GO!!! Then King Louie kicked his council out of his conference room and the assault began. Rockets blew apart chunks of the walls of the Waffle King?s palace and citizens of Waffland were rounded up and mass executions took place. King Louie watched these executions broadcast live around the world. How marvelously delicious, he thought. However, the Waffle King did not share this opinion and expressed it thus to his advisors: King Louie has gone too far! The time has come for our action to be swift and resolute! His country must be annihilated for the good of the world! In a rage the Waffle King activated his Doomsday Machine. IT IS TIME TO DESTROY HIM, the Waffle King screamed. System activated, security network optimal, weapons efficiency rating at 100%, a pleasant female voice announced, system ready. Excellent, he shouted and pressed the button to once-and-for-all, destroy King Louie De Touets of France.

[center]?EPICITY? ~Narrations Of Cinnaminsonia[/center] What unusual tale I am about to say, What lengthy histories I now relay, What delusional hero I do tribute pay, What disturbing adventure I do now replay, My Muse does inspire and I sing her praise. ?Satyria, my glorious and righteous inspiration, You that bless my brain with a tale?s incubation, I sing the ensuing verses to thee.? I have given my Muse her credit due, Now I shall begin anon, my tale to you. --- Passage 1: ?Lunacy Enacted? ?A short time ago in the Faraway-but-not-so-magical land of Cinnaminsonia, An odd group of five set out on A quest of the unusual type. These five attended the local high school Of the land, a school rooted in Prevalent perverted provinciality. Cinnaminsonia was ruled by a Hairy and ancient king named John. They called him King John to be exact, If we shall get anal retentive about it. Cinnaminsonia was a boring land, Populated by drab and dull inhabitants, And featured little to none amusement, Except when the traveling circus rode into town. Despite John?s efforts to bring life to it, This land remained a dull and uninspired Insipid cesspool of boredom. Those who had long since passed Cinnaminsonia, Those who had adventured far beyond the city walls, Those who had stayed their feet and still resode in their familiar abodes, They saw the utter banality of life in Cinnaminsonia. They exclaimed, ?Oh dear God! It?s so boring!? Then one of them had an idea. He would change the land for the better. He would create excitement where there was none. His name was Joe. He knew to rile, Flinging forth spit and bile And sped down from his throne in the trees. In the halls of the high school, As our five did trek, Joe appeared before them, Clad in only his fig leaf. He spoke to them: ?Hey all. I?m Joe. I?m ordering you guys to go on a sacred quest.? And this group of friends Were confused and thus Spoke back at him. Brian began, ?What? Who are you? Do you play the piano?? And then Geoff did interject as well. ?Yeah, whot the ?ell? Do you play the didgeridoo?? Joe replied to their questions and said, ?I already told you, man, But I shall speak it again. I?m sending you five on A glorious quest to seek out A magical instrument of piping. Your quest, is to seek out the The Golden Plunger of Presai.? Thunder boomed and trumpets sounded. And then Matt spake, saying, ?Er, right.? The one they call Tom said he liked to hit things, And Joe cordially ignored him. There was one who did not address Joe, however. This one just sat on the floor and ate paper. Joe asked the others who he was. ?Oh, he?s just Paul.? they replied and continued staring at Joe?s leaf. ?Hey!? Joe yelled, ?Stop staring at my junk! Pay attention! This is an important quest. The Golden Plunger of Presai contains Knowledge of an expansive size and Grants you great power if you can wield it. All of your wildest dreams will come true if you find it.? ?Can I watch NASCAR 24/7?? Tom asked. ?Yes.? Joe replied. ?Awesome.? said Tom. Then Tom turned to his fellows and said, ?Fellows, we gotta? do this.? And at that moment, A great shudder was felt throughout the land of Cinnaminsonia. The other Alumni felt this and in their chat room conversed. --------- Actually, Mitch, I said 20k. Chances are, it will be over 40k by the end. lol, and the "Alex" in the ninja scene is not me. I make an appearance later. ;) Baron, you hit the nail on the head. It's a modern epic with traditional epic sensibilities. I'm actually really surprised people like it, as it's written specifically for my Cinnaminsonian brethren, and most of the jokes in there are inside jokes. I suppose a good joke is universal, though. :)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by rttocs77 [/i] [B]Poison Tounge...I kind of liked Alien Resurrection, mainly because I adore anything Jean Pierre Jeunet does. The cinematography was good, you have to admit. The story was kind of lacking though. [/B][/QUOTE] I cared not for anything in Resurrection. The cinematography was nothing spectacular, nothing original. Just fell upon cliche after cliche after cliche. I didn't find it exciting at all, just...crap. Do you consider Resurrection to be a good movie, simply because of camerawork? That's the worst reason. The story sucked, you admit it. Generally, story needs to be placed above visual when one is watching a movie. Take Solaris, for example. I respect it simply for trying to be a 2001. But, it fails miserably in doing so. Should I say that even though Solaris' story was absolutely dreadful, the visuals were teh roxxcorrs, so I should enjoy the movie? Or X2. The story was abysmal. It was unfocused, 50 pages too thick, messages were muted, characters were underdeveloped, but it's got nifty special effects...although, I felt the special effects were overhyped. Nightcrawler's teleportation madhouse didn't feel exciting at all, even though people raged about it. But since X2 had "cool" camerawork, it's a good movie? The [i]only[/i] character I found interesting was Pyro, and he had what, 10 minutes of screen time with 10 lines? That's an example of poor main characterization, when a minor supporting character grabs a viewer moreso than Wolverine or Jean Grey. Notice how Deathbug has only 2 reasons for enjoying X2? Nightcrawler and Pyro. I agree with him (her?) about Pyro, of course. Pyro's scenes were the only entertaining ones, because he had mystery...flair...a certain something to get our attention. Now after all that, considering nifty special effects and a sub-rate story, we still enjoy the movie? I don't buy that. I have never bought that. When we enjoy a movie simply because of some cool camera angles or CG, we're not doing the substantial movies justice. There was a thread on the Alien series somewhere...I can't find it, though. I'd direct you to that if you want to see my view more intensely.

I figured it was Word being naughty. Thanks, Baron.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crimson Spider [/i] [B]For a calmed down innocent game that anyone from your youngest brother to oldest great grandfather can play. Animal Crossing. Played that baby for a month strait. Lets you customize your house, find things, and generally play the game how YOU want to. With a second memo card, you can have a second town. [/B][/QUOTE] CS, granted AX is soothing and calm, but I seriously doubt an "oldest great grandfather" can play it. When you consider just how old that person would be, and the probability that they don't have much interaction with technology, getting them on a highly advanced video game console and teaching them the intracacies of the controller, menus and such seems very unlikely. Sure, sometimes you can "teach an old dog new tricks," but does that really seem likely with the "oldest great grandfather?" And technically, you don't play AX the way you want to, because if you play it the way you want to...that is, not playing all the time, because who wants to play games all the time...the game will penalize you. There is a real-time clock in there that ticks by no matter what, so in order to keep your town running smoothly, you are [i]required[/i] to play, therefore playing not on your own schedule, therefore not playing the way you want to play. The game does control what you do to a very large extent. Randomly generated towns or not, you still have very specific obligations...paying off your house, keeping the town in good condition, keeping your neighbors happy, being sure to save every time you're finished playing. Otherwise, the game [i]does[/i] chastise you for disobeying a rule...a rule that the game instates. You're not free to play AX the way you want to. The creators of the game want you to believe that you can do whatever you want. Still a great game, of course, I love it, but...yeah. The game controls you.

I'm just going to give the board a heads-up. Apparently, if you're using any special symbols in Word documents, like spades or diamonds, they will screw up the entire post's appearance, adding weird little dashes and freakish letters. The solution is delete those special symbols before posting. I'm not sure if this is only on the Fiction forum, but I'm thinking it's a board-wide thing, as I saw a post last week in the lounge that was suffering from the special symbol affliction. Adam, James, any answers to why it happens? Or just chalk it up to Word being naughty?

Passage 3: ?Mammothed Transportation? And at that moment, As the fellows of Wangarang Were most seriously contemplating The most effectual path of action For successful completion of their Sacred quest, Scott appeared before them And said, ?Hey Geoff! It?s me, Scott! I hear Joe?s been talking to you guys.? And Geoff did retort with a cluck And spake, saying, ?Scott! How?s your mom?? Scott did respond, ?Oh, she?s doin? good. College is great, too. How did Balloon?s Besiege 2 come out?? ?It turned out pretty good. It was really bad though.? Geoff said as he chuckled. And Scott said in his wisdom, ?Do not fear bad films, For they do not hurt greatly, And they slowly fade from memory, Like Trial of the Witch or The Hardee Boyz. But, while this is pleasant conversational activity, It is not why I am here. My comrades and I know of Joe And are aware that he has Ordered you on a quest To seek out a magical plunger That grants supreme power.? At this, Brian spoke, ?Yeah. He said we need to go out and get it.? In hearing this, Scott chastised them: ?Go out and get it you cannot. Retrieval of the Golden Plunger of Presai Is a most dangerous event, And contains dire consequences For the world as we know it, Should it be taken from its Pedestal Of Porcelain.? Scott was in all-serious when he warned them Of these unsafe and perilous hazards Associated with the Golden Plunger Of Presai, But these friends took no heed of his warning. ?Sure, Scott.? they said and walked out the door, Leaving Scott alone with Alex Ward. ?Don?t worry, Scott! I?ll help you!? Alex triumphantly exclaimed. ?Drat.? Scott muttered. Scott was thus not pleased, And deemed necessary a target to release his frustrations. He thus turned and kicked Alex Ward in the groin, Most excellently dropping him to the floor. As Alex fell, he heard a familiar taunt. He heard it softly at first, as if it were a whisper and he heard it twice. It said, ?Alexaaaanda! Alexaaaanda!? Wangarang?s members then conversed With themselves as they strolled down the hall. Twas Brian who spoke first: ?Okay, where is this plunger?? And Joe then appeared again, Again clad in only his leaf. He spoke to the band, And the words flew from his mouth, Forming words that said, ?It?s in Presai! I already told you!? And with that, Joe gave Brian a swift kick in the groin, Then disappearing into thin air with a slight poof. Brian?s genitalia felt immense pain and forced him to scream out. ?OWWW!!!? he cried. Seeing his friend in anguish made Geoff feel slightly sorrowful, But then Geoff realized where Brian was injured And found it funny. He laughed a hearty laugh, And also clucked a hearty cluck. As Brian recomposed himself, Also creating a glorious composition, He addressed his friends and asked, ?So, then, where?s Presai?? Matt, In all his good wisdom and knowledge of the shore, Spake, ?It?s down around Seaside Heights.? ?Guys, then we?ve got to go there! It?s not too far!? Tom exclaimed. But Geoff did doth see a problem with transportation, and replied with, ?Tom, we all can?t fit in any of our cars.? And thus the group was met with a problem. They all sat and pondered a solution. Failing to arrive at a desired plan of action, They all stood up and pondered a solution. Finally they just started milling about. It was decided that some fresh air might Jumpstart their logical thought processes. Thus and quite logically, they went outside, For fresh air was not to be found Within the halls of the high school. Exiting the school, There a great light blinded the amigos, And they shielded their eyes. Eventually, this great light dimmed, Forming an aura around a certain vehicle in the parking lot. The group heard a choir singing, And thought it was a heavenly choir blessing them. But in all reality it was just the concert choir. This tale means no offence to the concert choir, of course. Upon seeing the great, white school bus, They all turned to each other and exclaimed, ?Eureka!? The Beast was then chosen as their Means for transportation and the friends Went back inside to ask for the keys to the mammoth vehicle. Along the way they passed Alex Ward. Alex Ward turned to them and said something stupid, Attempting a joking nature. This is what he said: ?Bunny rabbits are white because they got scared. Do you know why they got scared? Because their ears are so long!? And as Alex laughed at his unfunny joke, A deafening thundering was heard in the sky. Storm clouds rolled in and the wind began to moan a death wail. At this, Alex ran away, down the hall, Scared at the scary sounds, And bumped into a band of ninjas. They turned to him and threatened him. ?We are the joke assassins. ?The Bleeding Smile? is our name. Our sovereign, Christopher, has bid us kill you For cracking an inhumanly dumb joke. Prepare thyself.? Alex ran upon hearing this. Some members of the guild started after him, But their leader bid them heel; ?Our lord, Christopher, shall enact his vengeance against Alex Ward.? Alex continued running down the hall, and out the door. There a great wind started to blow, and Alex fell to the ground. Christopher then appeared before him, In all his grisly visage and bloody armor, And said, ?ALEX WARD, YOU HAVE TOLD AN IDIOTIC JOKE. PUNISH THEE I SHALL.? And then Christopher lifted his arms high, And beckoned to the sky. The storm clouds parted, And a great bolt of lighting came streaking down to Alex Ward. Christopher smiled as the ill-fated jokester was burned to a crisp, Then laughed and ascended back to his throne Amid his fellow Riders Of Thunder. Back inside the high school, The fellows requested access to The keys of that mammoth bus, The Beast. ?Mr. Cook,? they asked, ?we need to go to Seaside Heights. May we use The Beast for our journey?? Now, Ed Cook was one of the nicest teachers around, And although it was an odd request, He trusted these friends and gave them the keys. The group looked at each other, Marveling at how easy that was. They thanked Ed Cook and climbed into The Beast. Geoff wanted to drive, and the others let him. They all needed to get supplies, however, For in every epic, food and drink are needed. Look at Odysseus or Gilgamesh. There was a vast store of food down the asphalt drive. --- Passage 4: ?The Young And The Rations? The store of food was immense, With height of giants, And girth of Marlon Brando. The friends began perusing the aisles, Looking for sustaining supplies. Upon finding their items of need, They approached a strange corridor, Sided with strange magazines and candies of various sorts. Strange beeps emanated from a mysterious scanning plate. The friends were perplexed at this. As the line moved, their time to pay had come. The teenage girl scanning their items Did pleasantly ask them how their day was going And inquired if they were having a party of some sort. They responded, ?Party, nay, though we wish to have A fun nocturnal activity shortly. Our purpose now is to fulfill our mission.? The girl asked what their mission was, And they replied, ?We have been given a sacred quest. We are to go to Presai to pull A magical plunger from a Pedestal Of Porcelain.? The girl most certainly did not expect this answer, For the answer was of unusual and Seldom-heard nature in this, Her place of employment. Unsure of the proper response to the answer, She wished them good luck on their quest, Handing them the receipt of their purchase. Brian went to take the paper record from her hand, But Paul quickly snatched it with his teeth, devouring it Like a ravenous wolverine. This caused great alarm in the girl, But Matt quickly and with great care Assured her that Paul was going through a Transitional phase attributed to a new medication For his Acne. This calmed the girl?s fear, Allowing the group to be off without disturbance. Upon reaching that mammoth bus, The Beast, They looked through their bags. This is what they beheld. Bottles of IBC Root Beer, Which would surely give them the energy boost they needed In the wee hours of the morn?. There in the bags was a variety of foodstuffs, as well. HERR?S potato chips, Especially beneficial to those Who abhor the taste of flavored potato chips; Lucky Charms, For their marshmallow bits are so magically delicious; Donuts, and some OREO cookies for Paul. But before beginning their most glorious quest, They took notice of a lack of protection. Granted, they did possess many rubbery defenders That stayed away those vile diseases and Lecherous creatures who sought to inflame and encroach Upon their bits of pleasure, But weapons were what they lacked, And they lacked weapons hard. They had heard of a battiest genius Who kept shop in Cheney Castle. Few knew exactly what he did, And few did not care to know, But our adventurers needed his assistance Should they truly care for victory in their quest. --- Passage 5: ?Enter Mad Science? Cheney Castle was looming and ominous, But seemed radiating with a strange pleasantry. This did throw our heroes into a queer mood And they stepped off The Beast with a slight apprehension. Brian walked up to the massive door, Taking note of the mammoth and gargantuan Figure head that hung well fastened, unmoving From the sturdy wooden entrance. He took hold of the protruding piece, And used it with a steady hand. The door opened, revealing a buxom young brunette. Paul took sight of her, letting his jaw drop, But in secret wishing he would be Allowed to drop his pants, As his naughty bits were most excited now And he wished for them to calm upon Beholding the beauty that stood in the doorway. But dropping his drawers would be unbecoming Of his heroic nature and would tar His forming legendary status, For heroes and saviors are thought to be Purest and most chaste, as the prevalent Thought today doth say. We all know heroes cannot be chaste, For no man or woman is totally in control of Their naughty bits. Paul did let joy fly from his mouth, Saying, ?What knockers.? The brunette heard him. She smiled and curtsied, Being sure to reveal more cleavage As to increase the tightness of Paul?s pantaloons. Upon witnessing Paul squirming with desire, The brunette ceased teasing him With her delicious sexuality, Turning to the entire group and saying, ?Welcome, travelers, to Cheney Castle. My name is Helen and I assist Dr. Cleaver in his labwork.?

My Top 10 goes something like this, 1) King Kong (circa 1933) 2) Apocalypse Now 3) Dr. Strangelove 4) The Graduate 5) Taxi Driver 6) Monty Python double hit (Holy Grail and Life Of Brian) 7) Ghostbusters 8) Alien double hit (Alien and Aliens...the last two suck ***) 9) Terminator double hit (T1 and T2) 10) Pulp Fiction Okay, so it's not really 10 movies...more like 16...but you get the idea lol. I saw a network broadcast of King Kong when I was a kid in the mid 80s and fell in love with it. The soundtrack just pumped you up, and nobody could just sit still when King Kong fought with the T-Rex. Even the sheer technical brilliance is unmatched today. Today, filmmakers just resort to CG when creating a movie monster. King Kong used stop-motion animation with 14 inch figurines. It used rear screen and miniature screen projection and black paint on removable lenses to matte the actors in with Kong. Rear screen projection involves projecting completed stop-motion animation onto a massive glass or thin cloth sheet, then filming the live-action actors reacting in front of the projected film. Miniature screen projection is essentially the opposite. Completed live-action film is projected onto a tiny screen in the miniature set, and advanced frame by frame as the stop-motion animation is filmed. Truly excellent and innovative stuff. King Kong also brought blue screen techniques into the limelight. How's that for setting history? Apocalypse Now. Epic filmmaking. Francis Ford Coppola's greatest work, in my opinion. The film has enormous scope, spanning 3 hours and just blowing us away with its grandeur. We follow Captain Willard as he travels deep into the darkest heart of Cambodia to assassinate the renegade Colonel Kurtz. But as we go deeper and deeper into the savage jungle, Willard becomes a savage. He becomes Kurtz in mind. Stunning cinematography, the colors are orgasmic, filled with reds, yellows, oranges, and blacks when we arrive at Kurtz's Compound. Some say it is the greatest war movie ever. I am inclined to agree with them. I recommend that you all see Apocalypse Now...try to find the REDUX edition. It's breathtaking. Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb. The ultimate black comedy. Black comedy is dark satire, not something like Scary Movie. Dr. Strangelove starts with an insane general who orders a nuclear strike against Russia simply because he got tired after...ah...to put this mildly...releasing during intimate activity. When President Merkin Muffley is informed of General Ripper?s exploitation of Plan R, the War Room becomes a madhouse as Muffley and his staff, including the loony General Buck Turgidson, attempt to prevent a nuclear holocaust. Complicating the situation is the drunken Russian leader, Premier Kissof, and the disturbing revelation of the Russian Doomsday Machine, a machine that will destroy the world if attacked. The movie is pure, unadulterated lunatic satire. Simply amazing. Most won?t appreciate the humor, sadly, because most would go in expecting the blatant sickness of a Kevin Smith movie (No offence to Kevin Smith, of course. His movies are hilarious, but just crude.). The Graduate. Three words. Simon and Garfunkel. Two more words. Dustin Hoffman. Two more. Mike Nichols. Two more. Anne Bancroft. The Graduate is a young college graduate?s odyssey of seduction, betrayal, love, apathy, insecurity, and a self-realization. This film was poignant back in the 60s, but it still touches the very essence of what it means to grow up and mature. We all are Benjamin Braddock, staring out into the vast world, ?just a little worried about [our] future.? Feeling down and lonely, like no-one is there to understand? Spend 2 hours with Ben. You?ll feel right as rain. Taxi Driver. Social outcast, a loner, depressed, apathetic, a bit sad, angry, simple yet intelligent. That is Travis Bickle, and that is who we get shoved into a cab with for an entire film. By the end of Taxi Driver, we cannot help but view the world differently. We see things as Travis sees them, but the question is, ?Were we ever looking at the world differently than Travis?? Travis describes himself as ?God?s lonely man.? How many of us have felt lonely at some point? I?m willing to bet 90% of OB. Heh. Taxi Driver is a film that, like The Graduate, touches a vein of truth that runs deep in each and every one of us. Monty Python. I really don?t have to say anything. Just imagine King Arthur on the quest for the Holy Grail but [spoiler]ends up getting arrested at the end, because a random knight killed a famous historian during the film of a documentary.[/spoiler] Ghostbusters. A quintessential 80s movie. We grew up on it, we love it, our dog loves it, and we [i]all[/i] wanted a Proton Pack?well, I wanted Sigourney Weaver [i]and[/i] a Proton Pack, but what are ya going do. Alien double hit. In space, no one can hear you scream, but in the theatre, they all can hear you. From a Hitchcock in space motif then a total genre reversal to an all-out combat picture, Alien and Aliens is the epitome of sci-fi, matched only by? Terminator double hit. Cameron was a genius. He sucks now, but during the 80s and early 90s, he made cinema. Terminator is an all-time great sci-fi film, quite possibly in the Top 5 of all-time. The plot is brilliant, taking a conventional theme of a killer robot (harkening back to Fritz Lang?s Metropolis, perhaps), but making that killer robot a futuristic cyborg assassin sent back in time to kill the mother of John Connor, before John is even born. Kyle Reese, a human soldier, is sent back to protect Sarah Connor; [spoiler]they fall in love and conceive John.[/spoiler] Where else could the story go after that? Sarah has been institutionalized, John is a delinquent, and Skynet sends another terminator back to kill John himself. We are introduced to the T-1000, a ?mimetic polyalloy.? What the hell does that mean? Apparently, ?liquid metal.? T-1000 is a sci-fi shapeshifter, making for a very exciting villain. T2 is a 2.5 hour adrenaline rush. Pulp Fiction. A perfect film. Cinematography, story, writing, direction, pacing?everything is perfect. The film grabs you and never lets go. You?re left feeling an electric state of wonder and joy when the end credits start rolling. I usually can only curse in expressing my amazement every time I watch Pulp Fiction. And my wonder and amazement is constant every time I watch it. Sorry for the rambly feeling of the last half of the post here.

Copy and paste into Word, edit text, then copy and paste into Photoshop for the finishing touches. RESULT: Neat lighthearted banner. EDIT: Again, added a border, lol. I seem to always forget. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=518410[/img]

??Peter, you really need to get a job.? ?But, Mom?? ?No. No ?buts? about it. You?re getting a job.? ?I don?t want one!? ?Don?t raise your voice to your mother, Peter.? ?Dad?? ?Stop your whining and listen for once.? ?Yes, Pete. Please listen to us. We know what we?re talking about.? ?All right?I?ll listen.? ?Good. Now, you need a job. You?re seventeen and even though we will help you with college expenses, you?re going to be expected to bear most of the brunt of tuition and books. There are a lot of good jobs out there and it?s easy to get a good one if you know what to look for.? ?Pay attention to your mother, Peter.? ?You only have a year-and-a-half left before Graduation. You need to start saving now. Tomorrow you go out and get a job.? ?Okay??? ?Your parents said that?? ?Yeah.? ?Dude, your parents were harsh.? ?I know. They never got off my back about that until I started working.? ?Where?d you work?? ?Uncle Joe?s Happy Fun Land.? ?What the hell is that?? ?An amusement park.? ?Cool.? ?It wasn?t fun, dude.? ?Oh.? ?Yeah, you know the guys in the suits?? ?Oh! You were one of those guys? Cool!? ?I cleaned the suits.? ?Oh, bummer.? ?The job paid great, though. $10.50 an hour.? ?Bitchin.? ?Hell yeah. Hey, pass it.? ?Sorry. Here.? ?Thanks.? ?Careful inhaling.? ?That?s damn good shit. Where?d you get it?? ?No, no. Trade secret. My lips are sealed.? ?Haha. Man?? ?What?? ?I need a job again.? ?Get a job on-campus.? ?Nah, I hear those blow.? ?Check the ?paper.? ?Want ads?? ?Yeah.? ?I don?t think so.? ?Why not?? ?They?re just?shit.? ?Well, dude, I?m running out of ideas.? ?Me, too. I?ve got the munchies. Campus Center run?? ?I?m up for it.? ?Cool. Let?s go.? ?Dude, the weather sucks.? ?I hate rain.? ?Makes everything wet.? ?Hey, Mike, hurry up. I?m getting soaked. Mike?? ?Pete, you?re a frosh, right?? ?Yeah.? ?And what?s your major again?? ?Com-sci. Why?? ?I found your job. Check it out.? ?What? That?? ?Yeah, dude, check it out!? ??Hey students! Need a job? Try this! $17.00 per hour. Flexible hours. Fun and easy. Scholarships available. All majors. Secure a job after graduation!!! For info, call 1-800-609-3766.? So what?? ?Call the number. It sounds awesome. And you don?t have anything to lose.? ?All right?where?s my cell?here it is. Okay, what?s the number?? ?1-800-609-3766.? ?1-800-609-3766?? ?Well?? ?Mike, shut-up. It?s ringing. I?? ?Good afternoon, Waltherson Enterprises, Miami division. How may I help you?? ??oh, hi. Uh?my name is Peter Kitchner and I saw a flyer for a job opening? It had this number to call.? ?Ah, you?re applying for the internship?? ?Um, yeah, I guess so.? ?One moment, please, Mr. Kitchner. I?ll transfer you to Human Resources.? ?Pete, what?s up? What?s the job?? ?The secretary or whoever is transferring me to Human Resources.? ?But what?s the job?? ?I think it?s an internship.? ?Cool.? ?Patrick Wallace, Director of Human Resources, how can I help you?? ?Hi, my name is Peter Kitchner and I saw this flyer for a job opening at your company.? ?Ah, yes, Mr. Kitchner. The job is an internship at an up-and-coming tech company. The company specializes in deep sea exploration and heavy water development. The intern would be placed at the primary operations platform to act as an administrative assistant.? ?Who would I work for?? ?Normally, the interns report to the Organization Administrator, but this is a special case, so you would be reporting directly to Dr. No.? ?Dr. No?? ?Yes. Dr. No. He?s a very gifted forward thinker. We?re very pleased to be working with him. He has some ideas that would benefit many, many people, and we?re eager to provide support. We?re also eager to provide college students like yourself with a chance to secure a post-Graduation employment opportunity. It?s out of this dual-purpose mission statement that we?re organizing this innovative internship. It?s a one-of-a-kind opportunity, Mr. Kitchner.? ?Sounds great. When would I start?? ?We could start you within the week. We would take care of all of your remaining semester expenses, fly you out there, and you wouldn?t have to worry about a thing. Do we have a deal?? ?Sure. Sounds good to me.? ?Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Kitchner.? ?Thank you, Mr. Wallace.? ?So, Pete, what?s up?? ?I?ve got a job.? ?Awesome!? ?Yeah.? ?Heh, now that you?re a working guy, snacks are on you, dude.? ?Shithead.?

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shroom [/i] [B][color=#006699]Yes, I realise that. I was stating that [i]most[/i] people loved it when it came out, but now they bash away. I was just trying to establish that. For...some...reason. ^_^;[/color][/b][/quote] Hehe. :) No worries. Hey, "realise." Nice. Gotta love the British spelling. The reason, I think, that MGS2 was met with positive reaction, was simply due to initial...amazement, I suppose. It was a flashy debut, but when gamers got down to it, explored the game, and played it through, realised, "WTF." It was an example of style over substance...wait a minute...MGS2 was re-released with extra content, some content that was designed to appease those disappointed with the original game...and what was the re-issue subtitled...[i]Substance[/i]. :eek: :D [quote][color=006699]I think the first person perspective added postively to the game. What's so bad about being able to see and shoot in the first person view? Because it's easier? It's what Snake (er...Raiden) would have seen in the first place. The FPV also gave you a chance to hold guards up. [b]That[/b] was fun, albeit unimportant, but fun anyway. Collecting dogtags added quite a bit of time into the game, if you're into that type of thing.[/color][/quote] It was the only puzzle aspect in the game. Only good thing I can think of, is that it required gamers to think logically. Which dog tag were you getting first on the Tanker's lounge floor? [quote][color=#006699]Check, check, check, and check. :p[/color][/quote] You saucy fellow. Mr. Ambiguous there. "Check" as in you enjoyed the "gameplay," or "check" as in you were agreeing with me. Saucy, saucy fellow. :p [quote][color=#006699]Yes. It is. But it's also better than anything [i]any game[/i] sends are way. That was the most innovative thing to be placed in a game EVER if you ask me. [spoiler]He could also read your memory card, now that was awesome. "I see you've played some other Konami games".[/spoiler][/color][/quote] Knowledge about the self. Knowing about knowing. Metacognition. Or in this case, meta-gaming. MGS1 is the ultimate gaming adventure because it's self-knowledgeable. [spoiler]I mean, what other game has you looking on the back of the game disc's actual jewel case to find a CODEC frequency? Or, "Tap the circle button repeatedly to regain strength. Don't think about using Auto-Fire, or I'll know." Or even the support team suggesting pressing up against a wall to see Otacon. Brilliant gameplay. MGS2 can't even begin to match that ****.[/spoiler] [quote][color=#006699]You lucky dog you. I'm going to have to wait myself. My wallet still hasn't recovered from SCII, Viewtiful Joe, and Fire Emblem.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Such is the life of a gamer. Search for a good deal and you shall receive. And oddly enough, Walmart, who used to advertise low prices, have higher prices than Gamestop. Quite odd. I go through Gamestop or Best Buy for my gaming needs, and occasionally Amazon. That method has served me well...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crimson Spider [/i] [B]I guess I missed the big sign that said I was annoyed. Cuz I wasn't. What I had meant when I said try her out was basically trying to find a girlfriends/wife, not using someone. Just lack of better wording at that moment. [/B][/QUOTE] "Why she says this I don't know. But she does, and convincing her otherwise is IMPOSSIBLE. So she's not doing a THING." If you weren't annoyed, why ALL CAPS? Why not use italics? They're much more effective in emphasizing something. I mean, if I were to say... "I really don't see WHY ANYONE would do such a thing." "I really don't see [i]why anyone[/i] would do such a thing." See the difference? The italics represent clear thought much more easily than ALL CAPPING something. TRY IT sometime. [i]Try it[/i] sometime. Perhaps it's because you haven't experienced the power of the English language yet that you don't see the subtleties of it. EDIT: "Cuz"? Oh dear God. No offence, but...::shudder::

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shroom [/i] [B][color=#006699]I don't know what your opinion on the game was when it came out. But pretty much everyone was impressed with it, they loved it, praised it. Now a few years later it's being bashed repeatedly by the same people that loved it. Because they are comparing it to 2nd generation PS2 games. A lot of times even wonderful games can look bad next to games that come out 1 or 2 years later. MGS2's story was boring, in that aspect it didn't live up to MGS at all. But the game play aspects were improved ten fold, for that reason I enjoyed MGS2 more than the original MGS. Which is [i]also[/i] why I can't wait for MGS: Twin Snakes, MGS' story, MGS2' game play. Another game that this has happened to (being praised at release and trashed a year later) is SMS. [/color][/B][/QUOTE] Considering I never compared MGS2 to any 2nd generation PS2 game, or for that matter, any PS2 game at all, I fail to see how you are able to bring in later games. Considering also, that I played MGS1 until the disc wore out (Literally. It doesn't work anymore.), and my MGS2 disc still works perfectly...should tell you something about where my comparison draws from. I really couldn't care less about what more recent games blew MGS2 out of the water, or what games fans praised more highly. My comparison is to MGS1...the game to which MGS2 is a sequel. While MGS2's gameplay may have been very sweet, I still found more thrill from [i]not[/i] being able to shoot in first-person--not even having the option to. What's more of a white knuckle experience? Running around in broad daylight and not having to worry about enemies, because you can simply press a button to see them clearly [i]and[/i] shoot them at the same time? Or, sneaking around in an enclosed basement armory, with very little maneuvering space, having to avoid trapdoors and infrared beams, as 3 armed guards steadily patrol the area. And not forgetting, you just caught a cold from a sick soldier moments before. Yeah, rolling was neat and a fun little addition, and the corner glance thing was cool, but regardless of how those additions made the game easier, it didn't necessarily make it more enjoyable. I enjoy tense and tight gameplay. I prefer it over having 4 different motions attributed to one button. I most certainly prefer the press-and-release firing of MGS1's SOCOM over the user-unfriendly pressure sensitive addition in MGS2. You want to talk gameplay? Let's talk gameplay. Did you enjoy being an errand boy in MGS2? Did you enjoy the gameplay of having to sniff out C4 and disarm them? Did you enjoy the gameplay of just firing Stinger missiles at the RAYs? Did you enjoy the gameplay of the (basic) swordfight against Solidus? Did you enjoy the gameplay involved in defeating Fatman? Was there any gameplay involved in defeating Fatman? Oh, defusing C4. :rolleyes: What about Vamp? Just running around and shooting, knock him into the water. Did you enjoy the 30 minutes spent protecting Emma on the bridge things, only to [spoiler]have Vamp kill her?[/spoiler] Now, let's take a look at MGS1. The first boss battle has you frantically shooting at Revolver Ocelot, but ALWAYS making sure that you don't fire an errant bullet at his hostage, who is tied up in the center of the room, surrounded by C4. Subsequent boss battles pit you against a tank, in which you need to run up and toss a grenade into the?cockpit. And if you happened to forget to pick up those Claymores before the fight, you?re in for a nasty surprise should you run the wrong way. The fight with Psycho Mantis [spoiler]requires you to use the Player 2 controller[/spoiler]. Otherwise, you?ll never hit him. Isn?t that gameplay much better than anything MGS2 sends our way? EDIT: About TwinSnakes. My copy has been reserved since Feb 03. I'm really looking forward to it. :D

[quote][i]Originally posted by Shinmaru[/i] [b]Plus, you play as pirates. Who doesn't love pirates?[/b][/quote] Shin, you goof. :p Pirates are indeed fun, though. When we mention FPS on Cube, TimeSplitters2 must be mentioned. I know Scott loves GE, and hates EA's recent stuff, so I'm positive he'd love TS2. It's goofy enough for comedy, the engine is rock-solid, and it's smoooooth. Inanely fun...but you already knew that from the deathmatches ;) I'm surprised that I'm mentioning this, but for vehicular combat, Star Wars Clone Wars is exceptional--for Cube that is. Xbox's version blows monkey chunks. On Cube, the framerate is nice, sound is great, controls rock (except for the on-foot levels...they're kinda bulky), and the deathmatch mode is surprisingly fun. If Scott enjoys Twisted Metal, Clone Wars is the wholesome Star Wars equivalent. Speaking of vehicular homicide, I've heard very good things about Roadkill. Picture a game of The Road Warrior. Violent, post-apocalyptic, Twisted Metal but with more character options, RPG elements, customization, lightning fast levels (last I read)...shaping up to be a great car combat title. Shin has already mentioned Melee, but I'm sure you already encouraged Scott about that. For the horror genre, REmake is excellent. The atmosphere is terrific...uber-creepy. The graphics are gorgeous and are totally effective in relaying the mood of the series and the framework of RE1: isolated in a mansion.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crimson Spider [/i] [B]That's probably what it is. Like I said: I'm not that good with relationship advice. But you can take it from this guys possible view: This girl, looks nice, acts nice, is polite. Maybe I should try her out. [/B][/QUOTE] If you know that you're inadequate in dispensing relationship advice, then why, might I ask, were you trying to convince your sister of doing something, then getting annoyed when she refused? If you know that you give out **** advice, why get flustered? And we could look at it from his P.O.V., but we're not in his P.O.V., now are we? We are concerned with your sister's feelings and trepidations. We are concerned with your sister's motivations, not the man's. That is the dynamic of the world. No set reality, only fractured perspective. We see only what we see, and determine only what we experience. As much as the idealist in me enjoys "benefit of the doubt," we cannot always give another the benefit of the doubt. EDIT: Just a little thing I noticed. "Try her out." You're unsure of this, too. "Try her out" is a negative connotation in dating. It signifies using someone. It might just be a typing error, or it could be a Freudian Slip.

Let's examine, shall we? Your sister is uneasy about this situation, unsure about what may or may not arise from it. Keeping in mind, also, but not harping on, the fact that this man may be Middle Eastern, and while the likelihood that this man knowing your sister is Christian is low, probability slim, it is still a possibility, however unlikely. Granted, Blind Date is an idiotic show that does not portray a positive light on blind dates, but I really don't see how that positively or negatively affects the said situation, because I can guarantee that the majority of daters on that show do not meet once in a Blockbuster. The problem is not that she is refusing to pursue this. The problem is your refusal to accept her decisions. I understand the "older sibling" ideal, but your sister has made an intelligent decision based upon an unease regarding a newly presented situation. To pursue something that one is weary of, or not 100% sure of, is foolish. I quote Joe from Reservoir Dogs, "He was the only one I wasn't a hundred percent on. I should have my ******* head examined for goin forward when I wasn't a hundred percent." Your sister made the right decision by not going forward when she wasn't 100%.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shinmaru [/i] [B]This is my biggest pet peeve in gaming, really. Too many people overstate the importance of graphics. Are graphics important? Well, sure they are. A bad graphical experience can ruin a game, no doubt. However, a lot of people seem to think that graphics are the end all-be all in decided whether or not a game is good. It's sad when graphics are held to a higher standard than gameplay. [/B][/QUOTE] Graphics. [quote]XtremeVerbatage: it doesn't matter how hyperadvanced a graphical system is XtremeVerbatage: it only matters if the system is effective XtremeVerbatage: take for example XtremeVerbatage: the original Contra XtremeVerbatage: the graphics weren't terribly flashy XtremeVerbatage: very colorful XtremeVerbatage: but still basic XtremeVerbatage: but they were effective XtremeVerbatage: and I think that's the problem with many gamers today XtremeVerbatage: they look at a game XtremeVerbatage: like SMS XtremeVerbatage: "******* horrible graphics" (exaggeration) XtremeVerbatage: but don't think, XtremeVerbatage: well, is this graphical system effective for the game? JamesOtaku01: *nods* JamesOtaku01: And there is a difference between technical and aesthetics.[/quote] Technical versus aesthetics. A few games come to mind. Contra. The graphics were nothing mind-blowing nor revolutionary, but were colorful, fast, and totally effective for the purposes of the game. The gameplay was tight, controls felt like the controller was just a part of your hands...an extension of your body. They were THAT good. Come to think of it, NES games had some of the best gameplay ever. When talking about aesthetic versus technical, Silent Hill is required to be discussed. Silent Hill is the kind of game that exudes creepy. Many considered the graphics half-rate at its debut. But gamers failed to realize that the grainy graphical system was intended and was [i]incredibly[/i] effective. Silent Hill was, for the most part, the horror genre's game. SMS. Tropical theme. Tropical graphical system. Tropical colors...a summer game. And when was it released? Summer. Coincidence...I think not, lol. :) SMS's graphical system had aesthetic quality. While it may have not had top-notch technical achievement, it had effective graphics. I think that's the most important distinction when talking about graphics: Are they effective?

[Goofy British Accent]Theodore Longfellow is an aging rock ?n? roller. His musical career has dwindled greatly since his band parted in the late 90s, but Theodore was fortunate enough to fall into professional killing. One would not imagine a 40 year old rocker to have any combat skills nor to have any abilities to maim or slay, apart from destroying good housewives? ears. But, Theodore Longfellow possessed something that no other bounty hunter had ever possessed. Theodore has a silver tallywhacker, a detachable one, at that. His detachable silver tallywhacker makes for a spectacular blunt weapon and beating a bounty down is no problem at all. The detachable silver tallywhacker is easily concealed down below in Theodore?s trousers, making for a very appealing bulge that the young women go bonkers for. Theodore has an armadillo in his trousers. Oh, not literally, of course. I mean, that would just be ridiculous to think that one such as Theodore would stick an armadillo down his trousers, into areas that would feel pain of a scurrying and clawing armadillo. Simply ludicrous. Pish posh. Flabbergasted. Would never do. Simply never do. But why is Theodore a bounty hunter, you ask? He?s good at it. Simply that. He?s good at killing because his detachable silver tallywhacker allows him to be. At first, he was just a freelance assassin, working for the highest bidder. This found him immense commercial success, as his services were often very high in demand, very high in demand indeed. Theodore Longfellow was the most prestigious bounty hunter in both Britain and America. His name was widely known and recognized by many as the greatest bounty hunter to ever live. Princess Diana called upon him regularly, wishing that he dispose of corrupted aunties in a manner that would not disgrace the Princess. The Princess became infatuated with Theodore, often gazing into his deep, dark eyes and playing with his copious amounts of facial hair. Diana loved him dearly, but it was not an affair-ish love, not at all. It was a deep emotional supportive bond, the kind that forms between best friends. Theodore and the Princess were rarely seen apart, often playing merry games in the yard and never once, did the subject of sexual activity come about. But, as we surely know from When Harry Met Sally, no man and woman can be friends without possessing sexual desires. I shan?t not go into gory detail, but I say this. Diana enjoyed Theodore?s company many times, and that detachable silver tallywhacker found its fair share of activity. Wink, wink, eh gov?nah. But Diana?s time was to be cut short and her death was a tragic one. Theodore felt it most, as his long-time friend, companion, confidante, and employer was now deceased. He suspected foul play but the estate forbade him from taking any family-approved investigation. He thus took the law into his own hands and worked deeper, longer, harder and even more deeply into this matter. What he uncovered shocked him. Before her death, and before her marriage, Princess Diana had been one of an elite assassin team known as Adam?s Angels. There were no paparazzi that caused her death. The paparazzi were not to blame. Adam had ordered the hit. Theodore knew what he had to do: KILL ADAM. Such begins his tale as he joins The Southern Vipers under the guise, TrouserSnake.[/Goofy British Accent] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=517103[/img] I figured I'd just reply with a totally new character bio. Just seemed easier.

CS, do cite your sources, please. I'm curious as to where you found this information. I was unable to find anything confirming the statistics you have offered. So, please direct us to where you found this information. Thanks.

I would go talk to your school advisor before writing it. Talk to your guidance counselor. Something about this assignment strikes me as fishy.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by vegeta rocker [/i] [B]I would find out exactly what happened and i would be angry that something like this happened. But THEN i would find out what events put this into play. I would be angry at the fact it happened but i would wonder what kids could be doing to grab this kind of attention. I would be concerned that my kid had a gun at him/her. Where is the question? Though i don't see how it relates to the current topic, i was in shock. But thats a stretch comparison and you know it. [/B][/QUOTE] "I would find out exactly what happened and i would be angry that something like this happened. But THEN i would find out what events put this into play. I would be angry at the fact it happened but i would wonder what kids could be doing to grab this kind of attention. I would be concerned that my kid had a gun at him/her." Comparing that to: "I disagree however with the severity of the raid being the first thing parents think of, rather then just what their kids are doing." There are definite conflicting ideas here. You previously said that you disagree that parents' initial focus be on severity of the raid, and you implied that parents should ask why it happened first. However, now you seem to be changing your mind and admitting that you would be in shock first (thus having a reaction to in the initial experience), THEN you would seek out why it happened. Which is it? Do you disagree that parents' first concern should be the situation and then why the situation happened? Or are you agreeing that being worried about the situation comes first? --- "Where is the question?" You misquoted, and chopped out an entire few paragraphs. You omitted the question. --- "Though i don't see how it relates to the current topic, i was in shock. But thats a stretch comparison and you know it." Stretch? Nah. 9/11 was trauma. This was trauma. The definition is the same no matter what the circumstance. And if you think about it, it relates very well. I asked you what your reaction was on 9/11, a very traumatic day. You replied with shock. Shock. You didn't mention anything about asking why it happened. You were concerned with the moment, with the initial experience, which is precisely what we're talking about: initial reaction to initial stimulus versus the inquisitive reaction to initial stimulus. Based on your own admittance, you reacted to stimulus before thinking about the stimulus.