Epitome

[quote name='Vicky'][SIZE=1]I know a lot of therapist who subscribe marijuana. There was one skater, who I forgot the name of, dying of a brain tumour whose doctor actually subscribed marijuana in his final days.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=#4863A0]That is not a therapist. That is a doctor who treats [b]cancer[/b]. Thats totally different. Whoever is telling someone to deal with their emotional problems or feelings by using drugs, is just a rotten therapist in my opinion. But yes, I agree with what Retribution said. Most of this debate is based off personal morals, so it tends to be moot. So with that, I pass.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#4863A0]Actually I would. I lived in Maryland not too long ago and they have cicadas there every some odd amount of years. One of my friends dared me to eat one, so I said "Hey, what can it hurt." I ate it and it actually tasted pretty good. Come to find out that many people in the more southern states on the east coast that do end up getting cicadas fry them and eat them as a delicacy. I thought that was pretty cool. So yeah, I would eat them if it was going to help stop global warming or issues like that. The only bug I really don't think I'd have the cojones to eat would be a roach. I cannot stand those little buggers. They scare me to death and I'm not afraid of much. Even though I'm not too worried about it global warming like you said, but who knows? So yeah, bring them to the table, and I'll eat it ^_^.[/size][/color]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]But this sparks my real question: How the hell did you make the leap from weed to heroin? Nevermind. I don't want to know. On the other hand, why let your negative experiences with substances ruin your life? It's not like you died from it all. And if your life is ruined, that's odd. Because you're clearly typing coherently and capable of getting online and talking to other humans. Wouldn't "ruined" be more fitting if you lost control of your limbs, or your brain, or your ability to breathe?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=#4863A0]First off, it wasn't like I decided one day that "Hey, heroine is a good idea." Look back at other posts I've made and you'll get your answer. And yes, it did ruin my life. I hit rock bottom. I was homeless, had no money, no where to go, and no one that cared about me. People do go into recovery. They do get better. I am in recovery and have been clean for several months now. [quote name='8bit'][FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"][INDENT] I think you mean a nice fat "J." As in joint.[/quote][/color][/font][/indent] No, I meant "l" as in a blunt. [quote name='8bit'][FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"]No. It's not a gateway drug. The only reason it's considered a gateway drug is because it's the most readily available illegal drug.[/quote][/font][/color] Okay, believe what you want. It is a fact. Go to any rehab, school, D.A.R.E. program, anywhere that is affiliated with education on drugs and alcohol. Go to hopsital, your doctor. You'll get your answer. [quote name='8bit'][FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"]What the hell kind of weed did you smoke? Was it laced? Because as far as I'm concerned, weed does [i]not[/i] make you depressed, especially not enough to make you end your life. Weed makes you happy. I know a girl, whose name will be Susan, who just got really down on herself a lot. She started seeing a therapist and taking prescription pills to fight the depression (that was about a year ago). Three months ago she started smoking weed and it has helped her immensely. Even the therapist agreed that as something she could keep to herself from her parents (her parents nosy personalities were part of the problem), it's made her more secure. Now it's not like weed changed her life or anything. She has a long way to go still, but at least it's giving her a shove in the right direction.[/quote][/color][/font] Once again, weed = depressant. It gets you high which makes you happy but it depresses the mind and body, when you are high and after you come down. There isn't much more I can say. From my experience, and people that I have had experiences with, it has lead us to use other drugs and get very down ourselves. It lead to lack of motivation, loss of interest, and so on and so forth. Thats my opinion on the matter. If you don't believe what I have to say or are not willing to listen, by all means, have fun. Some people aren't like me, and I know this. This is just the way I feel about the situation. EDIT: I don't know what therapist she's seeing, but that person should lose their right to be a therapist. Any therapist that suggests using drugs to get rid of problems shouldn't have a license.[/size][/color]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Not at all. I don't want to pay taxes on it because unlike the majority of kiddies here, I'm old enough to have to actually care about where my money comes from to do any particular vice that takes my fancy. Here's what I say. "I am not up for it being legalized, and I smoke the green." Oh yes and you're so right Beth dear. "Anger. My Anti-Drug."[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=#4863A0]I stand corrected then. However, I do believe that a lot of people, I shouldn't have said almost 100%, would prefer it legalized so they don't have to face legal consequences, for those that do smoke. However, I was wrong in one instance, I could be wrong in many. [quote name='Kenso'][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]Epitome, I'm going to have to shoot down your idea of 'if for legalization, obviously a user'.[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote] I agree, I was wrong to say that. [quote name='Kenso'][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]My other big reason is simple. It's true that if it was legalized, no one would be able to make any real money on it since it's easy to grow. However, how much money would be saved if we stopped having to try and stop it. How much money is spent every year on catching, persecuting, jailing, etc. criminals with pot-related crimes? I don't know the exact number, but I'm certain it's damned high. So while you're not making any money on it directly, you're saving a lot not trying to stop it. (Not to mention freeing up the manpower for better uses.)[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote] To address this manner. Yes we would probably save a lot of money but how much money do we spend catching, persecuting, and jailing people who are drunk while driving? Would you prefer if they made it legal to drive while under the influence of alcohol? And with the saving money, comes the fact that if legalized, which Raiha straightened me out on, taxes would definitely be placed. Today, in my state (New York), the tax on a pack of cigarettes went up $1.40. I smoke cigarettes so its a bummer to me, but would you like the U.S. taxing, as Raiha said, something you enjoy doing? Even though I believe it is something that shouldn't be done period, you are still going to be paying ridiculous amounts of tax money to get high. Whether it be through paying taxes you pay to pay for jailing and all that, or going to the corner store to buy a pack of doobies. Also, if you take the statistics, people who start smoking pot at a younger age are more likely to go to harder drugs as well. And like you said, some do and don't continue into the addiction. I am biased, I am an addict. It is a gateway drug. It is a fact. For me, pot just didn't cut it anymore and I needed something better. [quote name='Kenso'][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]Both of them find the idea that they would try something harder straight up offensive, and Jerry is raising two absolutely wonderful children[/quote][/font][/size] I did too. Before I started smoking pot, I told myself I'd never do it. I did it. So I told myself I'd never do anything worse. I did. I tried cocaine. I then told myself that I would never do it again. I did. So I told myself I wouldn't use heroine. Can you guess what happened? I did. This is a progressive thing. Some don't get that effect yes, but some like me did. That is why I am so against it. In an indirect way, weed ruined my life.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#4863A0]I was just reading over this thread again and I found out some other things that I would like to add to the matter. Now, I didn't blatantly admit it either when I brought this topic up when I was up for it being legalized, but no one here has just straight up said "I want it legalized so I can blaze out legally." Now no one has said it, but I'm almost 100% sure that all of you that are up for it being legalized, smoke the green. Doesn't that make sense? [quote name='Darren']I don't know anyone who has a kid and smokes pot, but I know plenty of people who have kids and don't.[/quote] Trust me, they are out there. There is an old friend of mine who lives right down the street from me who has parents that actually grow their own pot. Now, they think that marijuana brings them closer together, which it probably can. But just because you don't have the experience of knowing people who don't smoke and have kids doesn't mean they dont exist. That also goes hand in hand with the fact that you never showed up late for a job, dropped out of school, etc. Just because you didn't doesn't mean it does not happen. Maybe you just haven't gotten to that point yet. Maybe you have dropped down the scale far enough. [quote name='Darren']But I think the drop-out rate is probably higher with people who go out to party. (Those parties usually consisting of alcohol consumption. Not marijuana)[/quote] I'm not too sure what parties you are going too, but marijuana, cocaine, ecstacy, and all sorts of drugs are used at parties. I went to St. Bonaventure my first semester and almost every party I went to I was offered some type of drug if not a nice little toke on the chiba. [quote name='Darren']They should know when to say they're done. Sorry, but if they can't be smart about drugs (the same way that people need to be smart about alcohol) then they're bound to ruin their lives.[/quote] Some people, like myself, are addicts and alcoholics. They don't know when to stop. Its a disease that tells them that they can keep going and everything will be okay, when in all reality their whole lives are falling down around them. Now you can get help like I did, but some don't. So don't even come to accept the fact that they do have this disease and won't put down the alcohol or drugs. Why? Because they are in love with that bottle, that bag, or whatever it is. It solves their problems for that while of being high or drunk. But when they stop, they have to face reality and that is too much for people sometimes. Oh and I forgot to mention physical withdrawal, thats a huge factor too. Okay I'm done now.[/size][/color]

[size=1]Alrighty, thanks to the both of you.[/size]

[size=1]I agree with pretty much everyone about what was said. Nuclear war, housing, taxes, so on and so forth. But here is my opinion. All of these crises(sp?) would most likely not be as much of a risk if it weren't for... can anyone guess? DING DING DING!!!! George freaking Bush. Don't take offense to this Bush fans, I just see his policies as very... for lack of a better word, ignorant. To be honest I think most of our struggles come from his not-so-good way of running this country for the past almost 8 years. How he got re-elected I don't know. I believe if he were not in office, the U.S. and the world in general would be a much better place. I'm not going into specifics at the moment because I am very tired and about to go to bed, but I will edit this tomorrow and get more in-depth with the conversation. But yes, Bush is my excuse. Obama '08.[/size]

[size=1]Is it possible to make a permanent change in font, size, color, etc., so that you don't have to type in "[*size=1][*/size]" before and after every post? I was just curious.[/size]

[size=1]Thanks a bunch. It doesn't seem as if I have Photoshop on here (I have a MacBook, but the lowest quality), but I'll definitely look into to getting it. Thanks again.[/size]

[size=1]Quite a while ago, I actually had a thread that was based on this topic too. I was doing a public policy project for American Government and that was the policy that was chosen for me. Now to get to the point, I was completely for it back then. I was the definition of a "pot-head." I smoked everyday, everynight, before school, after school, during school, whatever. Name the time and I was probably trying to get "lifted." Its been about 3 years since I did that project, and now I am totally against the idea of it being legalized for many a reasons. To start I will say this: Marijuana, regardless if you believe it or not, is a gateway drug. For some people, yeah, they can smoke pot all their lives and never move on to crack, cocaine, heroine, meth, and all the harder drugs in the book. But for most, they will. I started smoking weed at the age of 11 or 12 years old. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed doing it very much. It "eased my mind" as some would say. I continued smoking pot and drinking on occasion until cocaine was introduced to me. Now, I am an addict, I am in recovery. You can call me biased but this is my experience. I blew up when I try coke, and I could not stop. I went to outpatient rehab and got off of the cocaine but figured I could still smoke a little ganja, right? Wrong. Next thing I know, I started popping lauertabs, which are painkillers for those of you who do not know. That lead to OxyContin, which is one of the strongest pharmeceutical painkillers that are allowed to be prescribed. Guess what came next: heroine. So, yes it does lead to other drugs. Another thing about those facts that you brough up 8-bit, how do you know that Marijuana is not included in "All Illegal Drugs." Now, you are correct, it is impossible to die from smoking too much weed, but who's to say that none of those "All Illegal Drugs," deaths were caused by somebody under the influence of marijuana and got into a car accident, or decided to commit suicide because they were under the influence. It is not illegal for a reason. People have lost their lives because they started smoking weed, believe it or not, it's true. I am living proof. I haven't used so I am back on my feet, but if I smoke weed again, I will shoot dope again, plain and simple. Rachmaninoff also said it all. I started failing out of school when I began smoking weed. If my friends didn't like me smoking, who cares, I'll find friends who do. Smoking weed became the most important thing, everything else came second. I began selling weed and never got caught, but I have been caught with the possession of marijuana. It is not fun. And you will probably say, "well if it was legal, that would never happen." This is true, but their is obviously a reason for it being legal, some I have described. My final reasons, which most pot smokers will never believe is as follows: Smoking 5 joints in a week has more carcinogens (cancer causing agents) in them than a pack of cigarettes a day. I have been in many rehabs and had this told to me and have looked it up many a times; it's true. The reason that "tobacco," is the cause of most deaths is because most pot smokers smoke cigarettes. Some don't, but most do. Now, I know most of you will disagree with me on this, but look it up in a real medical journal. Don't use wikipedia. It is true. Now don't get me wrong, people can smoke weed and not turn into what I am today. But, weed isn't illegal so cops can make their quota by arresting kids with possession. It is illegal for a reason. Just a few months ago I would have been all for it being legalized, but I have learned there is a reason. Who knows, maybe one day it will be legalized, but whoever makes that decision, in my opinion, is just setting themselves up for more addicts and more drug problems in the US than what we have today. So, that is my opinion on the situation. If anyone is interested read up on the old thread I created a while back, and maybe you will get some more feedback. EDIT:[quote name='Retribution'][font=Arial]I also think it should be legalized. Primarily, it's not as dangerous as alcohol and not as addictive as cigarettes/alcohol[/font][/QUOTE] I just read this and I wanted to add something to my post. You are thinking along physical lines. Alcohol and cigarettes have a physical addiction where your body becomes accustomed to having that alcohol and nicotine in your system, much like opiates (heroine, tabs, OxyContin, morphine, dilated). If you don't get that drug in your system, you go through physical withdrawal. Marijuana has a psychological withdrawal to it; its a known fact. Try not smoking for a month, you may be able to, you may not. But I assure you throughout that time, there will be periods where all you can think about is smoking a nice fat "l."[/size]

[quote name='Starwind']I look back at some of my early posts and it makes me want to hang my head in shame. They are brief, lacking of any real content, and have no kind of structure, I had no idea where the enter key was, and both spelling and grammar hurt me physically.[/QUOTE] [size=1]Haha, I can totally relate to this. To be completely honest I never really had the grammar problem, but the lack of content was definitely there. I was just looking back at an old Art Studio thread where Nomad (not sure if he is still here) was posting a lot of his banners and art in general. Almost all of my posts consisted of "I don't like the banner because I don't like the band," or "I like the banner because it is green." I found that absolutely hilarious. I like to think now, as some of you have already said (I think I already did too ^_^) that I have some logical input on some discussions. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like I actually am useful to people now. Heh, who knows.[/size]

[size=1]Excellent. Very much appreciated. They look great. EDIT: However, it says that the banner is too large? EDIT #2: Nevermind, I got it. Thanks again.[/size]

[size=1]Ramen... oh Ramen... I am obsessed with it. My first semester at college I was attending St. Bonaventure and literally I wouldn't go to the dining hall at all. Well maybe rarely I would, but most of the time I was up in the floor lounge making a nice bowl of some [b]Cheddar Cheese[/b] Ramen, which is my favorite flavor. However like KimmehWolfwood said, I am not picky either. Give me a bowl, and 3 minutes later it will be gone. Most days I will squeeze in a bowl for a snack or if I'm just getting lazy and not wanting to make dinner then into the microwave it goes, but I try to eat more healthy foods every once in a while. The only time I normally don't get my daily "dosage," of Ramen is when the pantry at my house is out of it. And that is always a bummer. So yeah, I am obsessed with it. I'll eat it whenever I have the opportunity.[/size]

[size=1]Uhm, not necessarily but around the size of yours would be nice. ^_^[/size]

[size=1][b]Forced Listening:[/b] When I first found music, I immediatley knew that it was going to be a huge part of my life. I started off listening to music that my mom had listened too, due to my being in her car alot of the time. I listened to stuff like [i]Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston[/i], as corny as that sounds. Even then I could relate to the words that were being spoken through music from those people, and I knew that I was going to grow up playing and listening to music on the daily, which is very true today. However, I wasn't open to new music because I was comfortable where I was with my music tastes. I enjoyed it very much. [b]The Birth of a New Age:[/b] I remember one day coming home to my brother listening to the ever famous [i]Eminem[/i], and for some reason I was very intrigued when this happened. I was in about the 5th or 6th grade and I started to experiment with my tastes in my music. I found myself really getting into hip-hop however, because every day I came home, my brother would be in his room blaring [i]Eminem, Big L, Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G.[/i], the OG's of that genre. [b]The "Emo" Era:[/b] Soon after really getting involved with hip hop I moved to an area of Maryland where there was only two types of music that were listened too. Country, which I was totally not interested in, and rock, which I had some interest with. I began listening to the classic rock stuff like [i]AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix[/i], you know. Eventually I got into high school and from that I evolved into "emo." I was listening to screamo bands like [i]From First to Last, Underoath, Emery, Bullet for My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, As I Lay Dying, It Dies Today[/i]... the "emo" stereotyped bands. [b]In the Now:[/b] Now I will pretty much listen to anything and everything. I think part of the reason is because of the way I was stereotyped from that "emo," era, and I don't want anyone to go through the insults that I had to go through. I am willing to listen to anything and everything. I still listen to all my favorites from hip hop, emo, classic rock, whatever. [i]Angels and Airwaves[/i] is one of those favorites and I find that they are classified as a lot of different genres. However, some music expresses me much better than others. I can say safely though that music is [i][u]HUGE[/i][/u] in my life today, and I dont know what I would do without it.[/size]

[size=1]I have been listening to "Angels and Airwaves," very much lately. Particularly the album Empire-I and even more specificly the song Rite of Spring. For those of you who don't know, this band was started by Blink-182's Tom Delonge, with members of some other successful bands. The song in particular that I am listening to is about how Blink-182 came about, which is very cool. Its been stuck in my head for days so I just keep listening.[/size]

[size=1]I was just reading through a lot of my old posts from when I was on here alot before, and through those I have actually been able to see how much I have matured through the years. I joined OB quite a while back and have been on and off for a couple of years. I always manage to make it back but reading through some of the old posts I have made, I realized how much more educated and mature I have become through time. I was actually reading through a thread called "Goodbye for Now..." which I started, and I was discussing me leaving due to someone saying I was "playing mod." I think back on that now and remember it quite clearly, but I see that a) it was a stupid thread in general because I knew it was against the rules, b) because someone was pointing out faults in myself, that wasn't even a mod, I decided to leave and c) how young I was intellectually. Even through some of the posts I made that weren't as corny and unnecessary as those, I see some posts where I completely added nothing to a discussion and just said a one sentence post saying "I liked this," or "I didn't like that." I remember absolutely perfectly too why I was doing that. I wanted to get more posts and make myself look better to the boards, when in all reality, if I had added something to a discussion or actually put some thought into most of my posts, that would have been such a better way of maybe looking better. Its odd to see now. All I was interested in was the number of posts I had on the boards. I feel today that I might have some good input into a discussion because I feel more educated and more mature than I did when the boards first found me. Now I understand that obviously you will see yourself mature over time, because its complete nature to happen. But looking back, I see those posts and think how much of a child I used to be, and I am starting to become an adult in the real world. So I was just wondering if anyone else has had experience similar to mine, and their thoughts on the matter.[/size]

[size=1]I am looking to get back into making banners, yet I am not too sure which photo editor that I should be using. I used Ulead Photo Express when I was using a PC which I cannot find a copy of that which is compatible with Macs. So I was just interested in what other OBers that use Macs and that are in the banner making business use. Some opinions on which ones work for you guys would also be nice. Thanks.[/size]

[size=1]I actually like playing as Dry Bones, which is the skeletal koopa troopa, so if you could make it with him in both the banner and avatar it would be nice. Also I forgot to request a border.[/size]

[size=1]Nic and David Sheff are two people that have lived and experienced things that most people will never even think of in life. I myself, have experienced some of those things which made these two books a great read for me. Some background on the books: Nick Sheff found himself drunk for the first time at the age of 11 years old. By the age of 12 he was smoking pot daily, and at the age of 18 had his first experience with crystal methamphetamine. From there, his life as well as his fathers, David Sheff, went on a physical and emotional roller coaster for the next 5-6 years. "Tweak," written by Nic, is a memoir of his experience with becoming, being, and recovering from his addictions and alcoholism. It discloses many of the events he has been through as well as many of the struggles he experienced to finally begin a program of recovery, which has now kept him sober for almost two and a half years. He discusses people he met, ways he tried to use and live a healthy lifestyle, his experience through rehabs, using drugs such as meth, heroine, cocaine, and so on, his relationships with family, friends, lovers; when it comes down to it, it discusses everything an addict or alcoholics mind thinks and how he acts on those thoughts. Me being also a recovering heroine addict, this book was a great read for me. I related to alot of the thoughts and actions that Nic has had or done, and alot of the experiences that he had, such as being in rehabs. I also related to the hurt that he felt, which is why we continued to use, and the hurt that others had due to his using. This book is definitely something I think everyone should read. "Beautiful Boy." written by his father, David, is also a memoir of what a parent goes through when it comes to having a son or daughter that is an alcoholic or addict. I don't really want to go into this book too much because it was such a realization for me of how much I was killing my parents, friends, and other family members, every word of it is worth the read, and I don't really want to spoil much. All I really want to say is that this book, saved my life. Literally. My father first introduced me to "Beautiful Boy," when he first got done reading it. He, knowing of my drug use, suggested I read it, and then I would know how it feels to be in his shoes. After I finished with that book, I really did want to stop hurting myself and others that I care about. I was already scheduled to go into a rehab when I had found out that his son had also wrote a memoir. I read that and I related to everything, but found hope in that people do recover from this disease. So, I was just curious if anyone has read either or both of these books and wanted to get their thoughts on it. They sure as hell saved my life. For anyone who has the disease of alcoholism or addiction, please read it if you have not already. They might have the same impact on you that they had on me.[/size]

[size=1]Since I just returned to OB, I figure a new look would be in order. And since, I have been obsessed with Mario Kart: Wii over the past few days, I figured that should be apart of the banner and avatar. I don't really have much I would like in it besides my name in both. Surprise me with the rest. I know, I'm not giving anyone much to work with but I figure, I'd rather be surprised than be specific. Thanks in advance to anyone who is up to the task.[/size]

[size=1]I didn't really appreciate the movie. The only other thing I can say on it is that Robert Downey doesn't suit me as the super hero type.[/size]

[size=1]Its been a while since I've been on here so I thought I'd put some of my thoughts on the game. It took me forever to find a copy and I couldn't seem to find one but finally was able too. I am very pleased with the game especially the WFC play. However compared to the old MK's such as the ones for SNES and such, its one in the same to me. I can't say I am dissappointed, but I can't say I am in ecstacy over the game. Old things such as the "Lighting Bolt" items and such as that are far too frequent for me which in the old games were gifts from God during a race. The other thing I was very disappointed in was the fact that some of the older tracks that they brought into the game were changed dramatically. For example, Rainbow Road in MK for SNES was the funnest map for me. It was a classic in the MK world and in MK:W I am very disappointed about the amount of changes made to the map. Now I understand, new games require change, but even when it comes to other tracks the change didn't seem to be necessary. In the Battles, the name of the track is lost in my mind (I believe its Block something or other), they changed it to the point that its hard to even maneuver around the map. I like change, but I like classics as well. The thing I dislike about the game most, however, is the fact that items are completely not random like they were in the older versions of MK. If you are leading a race, it is a literal impossibilty to get something to defend you besides bananas, maybe a green or red turtle shell once in a blue moon, or the fake random item boxes. That disappoints me. Obviously its still easy to win the race but its just not something that rubs me the right way. And in the opposite, when you are trailing far enough behind the leaders, you always manage to get a Star, Lightning Bolt, Blue Turtle Shell, or even the rocket, which the name also escapes me. For me, I wish the game was more balanced. However, the game has some perks as well. Playing online is absolutely a blast. You can play with people all over the world and its quite fun. I was just playing a game with my brother not too long ago and we played for hours, so that is definitely a plus. Also, some of the newer tracks are very fun and some difficult to learn and master. I myself havent had the game for too long and am working on the 150 CC races at the moment, and some are giving me difficulty. I also appreciate the introduction of the bikes into the game. They are a little different which is very cool. And the ability to unlock new cars, and new bikes with the ability to unlock new characters is also a plus. This is the first MK I've played since MK for SNES, so its definitely nice to have a classic game with some new perks introduced to a system that I have. The game is definitley an experience and if you are an MK fan like James said, its worth the money. I would suggest to anyone that owns the Wii to go out and have a blast on the track with Mario and all his friends and foes.[/size]

Today, I bought a MacBook for school since I'll be going away to college in the next week, however I seem to be having a little bit of a problem with the application iChat. Everytime I log into iChat using my AIM account, it logs me in then immediatley afterwards says that I lose connection. I know its not a problem with my internet because I can still browse the internet and use other programs that need internet, the only one that is acting screwy is iChat. Can anyone help me out?

[size=1][color=orange]I appreciate all the feedback from everyone, it's been extremely helpful. And about what you said Whiteblaze, I don't only do things when I'm told to do them. I do my homework, I clean the house on a regular basis, do the dishes, etc., but the thing is, is that unless someone is there to kind of keep "pushing" along, then alot of the time I just quit. A perfect example. I get out of school at 10:50 AM everyday and lately I have been working on a very large English project. Its worth like 85% of my grade for the 4th quarter. Now I told myself today that I was going to come home and work on it and try to get a good amount done to make sure that tomorrow in class I don't have to be doing as much, but now, I'm being the procrastinator that I am and responding to this thread on OB, and that's what worries me the most. I am afraid that my normal habits for doing homework or schoolwork in general, will greatly affect my grades at St. Bonaventure. High school is one thing, but college seems like a totally different ball game. You can just glide your way through high school and you will be fine. You miss a couple homeworks here and there, have a bad test this day, it's really no big deal. But the way I see it, in college if you miss a homework, you are sick, or you don't too well on a test, you're screwed. You end up getting so far behind on work and don't understand anything that you are learning, and then you get screwed when tests, labs, and such come about. To be honest with you, I am a good student too. But for some reason when I think about college, I think that it's going to be something that someone like me will have no idea how to handle it. I guess that's one of the main reasons I'm so nervous to go: I just don't know what I'll do if I can't.[/size][/color]