AzureWolf

[COLOR=blue]I have to agree with Godel. I honestly have no clue nor any knowledge from which to extrapolate a conclusion from, but anime is not a perfect or enlightened form of entertainment. So, it's my opinion that when you have more of any form of entertainment, the percentage of quality entertainment remains constant. The more good shows you have, the much more bad ones you have. Even if that's not the case (i.e., every anime is great), the anime series that are better than the others will create a standard that will make the others seem bad by comparison. I think that made sense. O_o[/COLOR]

[quote name='Dagger][b]Last Exile[/b'] should be a safe bet, particularly if--as the original poster suggested--the person in question has the patience for something like Tsukihime. It offers a uniquely immersive viewing experience and lacks the generic feel that plagues more than a few of GONZO's other anime.[/quote][COLOR=blue]Oh [U]no[/U] you did [U]NOT[/U] just compare Last Exile to Tsukihime. That trash doesn't even belong in the same breath, let alone sentence. Comparing the two is like comparing a sapphire gem to a very impressive trash can. Garbage is garbage, even if it looks like very nice garbage. In other words, Last Exile looks good, but that's all that's there. Tsukihime offers so much more, even if it can't hold a finger to Last Exile in terms of art and animation (but hey, which anime can?). I strongly doubt there's any correlation to Tsukihime and Last Exile fans. Sure, you can like both, but that doesn't mean the two animes have anything in common (quite the opposite, IMO). I would not recommend Last Exile to someone on the basis that he/she liked Tsukihime. (btw, patience? O_o What do you mean? Tsukihime was only 12 episodes long.) Out of curiosity, though, why don't you just ask him what he would like, or are you trying to get him into a new anime he's never seen?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Ok, blame Baron's experimental myO for crashing my browser and thereby destroying what I had typed up over the weekend. This post is just going to be a really watered down version of the original: only the essentials, and everything else will be elaborated when necessary. So... [B][U]Crows (haha, I liked how you started that)[/U][/B] Everything you mentioned is correct to my knowledge, except for Rakka [SPOILER]not remembering parts of her dream[/SPOILER]. This is just speculation, but it always felt like we felt and experienced Haibane Renmei [B]through[/B] Rakka, so everything that's shown is what she knows/experiences. To get to the heart of the matter, I'm pretty sure she [SPOILER]remembered the crow[/SPOILER]. But you know who could probably clear this up the best? Mimmi. ^^ She's the one who has this classic fresh in her mind, haha. I never really linked the Haibane with the crows in such a way, but that was quite clever. But here's the clincher: [SPOILER]are you saying/thinking that the Haibane may be more crow than human[/SPOILER], if you know what I mean? That is, assuming all the Haibane were Reki-ish in that they [SPOILER]committed suicide[/SPOILER], is their state of being a punishment (or almost a fall from grace)? *clicks link* O_o I never knew crows carried so many different connotations. [B][U]Halo Too[/U][/B] That was a very nice pickup, Mimmi! I honestly can't see the relevance, but it is an interesting point nonetheless. I'm drawing a blank when I try to extrapolate something from the fact, so I'm hoping one of you lovely ladies have something more. ^^; Mimmi, [SPOILER]you start talking about Nazi and stuff, but then say they are treated equal[/SPOILER]. That just kind of confused me. *demands elaboration* [B][U]Sin-ified[/U][/B] Mimmi, I can't tell if what you said was something you got from the show, or your own opinion on a delicate topic. That is, [SPOILER]in the world of Haibane Renmei, can one forgive him/herself, or do you just believe someone should be able to[/SPOILER]? Also, [SPOILER]guilt, forgiveness, and penance[/SPOILER] are all different things. That is, if you [SPOILER]feel guilt, and then overcome it[/SPOILER], that's not the same thing as [SPOILER]recieving forgiveness[/SPOILER]. Now that I think about it, can you (even in IRL), [SPOILER]forgive yourself if you've wronged someone else[/SPOILER]? O_o Yes, you can move on, but that's not [SPOILER]forgiveness[/SPOILER]. And yes, you can do [SPOILER]good to make up for it (aka penance)[/SPOILER], but that's not quite the same. [B][U]FGiWD™ Revisited[/U][/B] So she doesn't?! Wait, what did I think that would mean? I guess I'll just have to steal Mimmi's idea...

[COLOR=blue]The kings ate like... kings. Cooking for them was a 24 hour job: after one meal was prepared, all time was spent preparing the next meal. There were various experts and apprentices in the king's kitchen. The newest apprentice would always be assigned the worst job: roasting the meat over the flame. The furnace wasn't your typical furnace. Rather, it was huge and the flame was usually about five feet (I'm not sure about this sentence - it was just bigger than usual). What was bad about roasting was that you had maybe 20 whole pieces of meat, and maybe five at most on one stick. The apprentice would have to stand so close to the fire and rotate these things to perfection. Lots of stress from the fire, and a lot of strain from rotating such heavy things. That's all I know. Hope that helps.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Morpheus]We, or namely a few "Prophets", created the entire ideal. It formed in the minds of those that sought the "Why are we here" that we look for today and found no answer. I don't mean to be so blunt, but isn't it entirely possible that we are just here? That there is no real reason? Tell me this: If god is so all-powerful, why didn't he just speak to us all and not just 4 people?[/QUOTE][COLOR=blue]Well, for the record, Prophets weren't the ones to write most of the stuff. Secondly, Jesus is considered the human manifestation of God on earth by most Christians (MOST). No one said a lack of God is impossible, though. But hey, it's all up to you: if you are willing to take that gamble, you'll either rot in hell or in the ground. By just a small, infinitesimal leap of faith, an eternity can look much nicer, eh? ;) Also, don't misunderstand: I'm not saying anything against the book (hell, I haven't even read it). It's just that, the stuff I read online was quite unsettling: the author argues something as complicated as God, but doesn't know that there's a difference between revolution and rotation. And then various (possibly edited) excerpts clearly show that this "scientist" doesn't know that light is the standard for time (and then you have the fact that arguing something like the speed of light is pretty much pointless). Rather than go on and on about various, disturbing analyses I've skimmed through via google, I think it's best not to take these comments to heart and just read the book and judge for yourself. But, just based on what I found online, I will be wary about the author's scientific "facts" while reading (whenever I get around to getting the book, haha).[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Alright, that's fine. I'll be sure to check it out sometime. Still, one more question: what exactly does the book try to do? Disprove Creationism, or say that creationism has been altered by humans or something? Cause one dude was talking about Creationist Scientists (or something like that), which makes it sound like either people made up the stories, or altered them.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Everyone loves Pythagorean Gambit. ^^ You da man, Heaven's Cloud. Anyway, James, it was bothering me that this book you spoke of didn't gain much publicity, hype, or anything. Seriously, if this work was as sound it was made out to be, there should have been an uproar (or [B]something[/B]). Surely, there's some kind of flaw in it, as I haven't heard it become common knowledge that the Bible is wrong on the origin of species. Does he explain how he carried out his experiments? Or was it just, "here's a bunch of numbers and data that proves it's wrong. Just take my word for it"? Also, did he use a translation of the Bible, or work with the original language? You'd be surprised at how many theological arguments fall apart at the seams when they realize that a word like "attacked" was derived from something that could have equally meant "moved past" or "overcame" (just an arbitrary example). After looking into the book a little bit with google, it sounds like an extremely abstract compilation that makes assumptions and then jumps head first into things: A "ready, fire, aim" methodology, if you will. Hardly scientific. Although, he's got a noble cause: to dispel the fallacies created by people who messed with the word of God. But from what I can tell, there's no real data. Just assumptions, interviews, and speculation (i.e., if we assume this, and take this for granted, then it's clear that this is wrong). In addition, a few scientific facts are supposedly off, and appear to be done because not many are the wiser when it comes to science and they blindly believe anything as long as the word "science" is behind it (regardless if it's proven or not). That's just the impression I got from google. Obviously it's controversial, so people against the book might ironically be the ones skewing the facts. But, at the same time, it's hardly popular! So I'm wondering how logical and competent it truly is. I'd really just like to see an unadulterated, concrete excerpt (no skipping, no ellipses, no brackets - because that's all I could find online). Quoting a book is perfectly legitimate if you cite it, right? ^^:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]As far as movies go, you can't go wrong with Samuari X: Trust and Betrayal. I think it's also called Rurouni Kenshin: Reminisence. It's got action, drama, LOVE, a stupid teenager, and a little philosophy. It's very sophist when it comes to that little bit of philosophy, but most popular philosophical animes are.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue][QUOTE]1. Have you ever attended a convention for Anime Purposes only?[/QUOTE] No, only because I'd feel very out of place and feel like it was a waste of time. There's nothing to be gained, nor do I feel like I'm an accepted part of such a community: I don't like Evangelion, and I hate cheese. [QUOTE]1. b) If not, do you plan to attend one in the future? Why or Why not?[/QUOTE] Yes, I plan to sometime in the future. Based on where I go to med school (and assuming I get in), there may or may not be bigger and better anime conventions where I'm located. So, the "why" is just because of physical convenience. [QUOTE]2. Have you ever attended any conventions that were /not/ Anime related?[/QUOTE] Yes, Ubercon III, a mostly gaming convention with a little bit of anime. There was an ongoing marathon of "philosophical animes" on the Saturday it was set for, consisting mostly of Akira, Evangelion, and Lain. I don't remember the others. [QUOTE]3. Assuming you would go to an Anime related convention, how much would you be willing to pay for a weekend pass for a reasonably large convention?[/QUOTE] If you are going to have a blast all weekend, money shouldn't be a hindrance, eh? ;) [QUOTE]4. Assuming you would go to ANY type of convention, how much would you be willing to spend on commercial products?[/QUOTE] Depends on how many nifty things were available. I got a ton of tickets (for free - $62 or $124 worth?) and just got my caravan a ton of junk. There wasn't anything worthwhile to get, you know? DVDs and stuff you can get anywhere else isn't much incentive to buy it there, you know? So, depends on how unique and interesting the stuff is. [QUOTE]4. a) On average, how much have you spent in the past?[/QUOTE] Admission fee and maybe eight bucks. I won a tourney so the tickets paid for anything I wanted. ^^ [QUOTE]5. Assuming you would go to ANY type of convention, how much would you be willing to spend on NON-commercial products (fanart, doujin, "artists' alley," etc.)[/QUOTE] If they are interesting, definately a handsome sum. Art stuff I'll probably be more inclined to get than anything else I can think of. Hey, why don't you answer your own questionaire, eh? :p[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Every now and then, when I'm browsing through a few myOtaku sites, they'll be this strange buzzing sound or picture flash sound. It's very annoying, and since I listen to music, it makes things more irritating. Any way you can exclude these annoying ads or make them mute? I recently switched browsers. The one I was using automatically fragged advertisements for me, so I don't know how long these types of ads have been around and if anyone else has been annoyed by them.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]I don't know what your wallet size is, but I absolutely recommend an external hard drive. After trying one out, I can't say I prefer any other type of storage. They are just so convenient in every way imaginable. All my siblings have a laptop. I have a cheesy, pathetic laptop issued by the school I go to (Stevens). There's also three family computers, and all of this is centered around a single (wireless) router. The family computers were what I used to use to store stuff since my laptop doesn't have much space. Sounds ok, right? But here's the deal: I have siblings. Let's go down the list: [LIST][*][B]Sister #1[/B]: Likes to collect anything and everything she sees, regardless of quality or usefulness. Sorting is also not something she's into, so things she does tend to become rather messy quickly. [*][B]Sister #2[/B]: Downloads anything that has a virus in it. Manages to screw up most computers that then need to be formatted and lose all data within. Also solves "file missing" errors by deleting things.[*][B]Brother[/B]: Loves gaming. Needs powerhouse stuff, and loads any computer full of games - even if he doesn't play them.[/LIST] So, within this chaos, how am I supposed to have space and security? After sisters 1 and 2 filled up their laptops, they now set their sights on the family computers, which are now full to the brim with God knows what. Then my brother installs games on every computer just in the case of some imaginary LAN party. With my own external harddrive, I can keep that which is precious to me safe and sound, and with space to spare. While you can put security on it, I don't think anyone needs to go that far. Last, it's very convenient to carry and give to someone else, should they want something you have. I invested in a Maxtor 300 GB external hard drive and never regretted it. It's very nice-looking too. Also, in case my laptop somehow got corrupt (like by a virus), it's ok because all my important data is on the external hard drive. And if my laptop blows up, that's ok too (well, not really, but you know what I mean). Of course, the only downside is that the data storage isn't as permanent and safe as a CD. But certainly, it's better than floppies. Oh, and it is a bit pricey, but it's a one-time thing: you won't ever have to buy anything else after you've put about $300 on one of these things. Setup and installation are VERY easy as well. Alternatively, you could just add more memory to your computer, but that's just not as cool or "personalized" (or as easy, for that matter).[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Woo!! Episode 124 is finally back to the Naruto greatness. I actually saw the advent of [SPOILER]Rock Lee[/SPOILER] from a mile away, what with them needing to [SPOILER]wait one more day[/SPOILER] and all. But man, everything afterwards was so unexpected! Oh, I heard that in episode 123, they added the cheesy [SPOILER]Lee about to be killed[/SPOILER] scene. You know, before he [SPOILER]goes for the bottle of sake[/SPOILER]. It did seem out of place, so it would make sense that the anime added that scene. Ninjas are ninjas, and [SPOILER]Rock Lee[/SPOILER] isn't any less a ninja. If he lost, he would accept it. Anyway, while I saw [U]his[/U] arrival, I SO did not see [SPOILER]the Sound arriving to the rescue[/SPOILER]! Woo! Things really seemed hopeless at the moment, even with the calculated arrival of "the Beast," but now, things look pretty good, haha. The fights have been lacking before Neji's battle and the ones after it, so episode 124 really made up for a lot. One thing I didn't understand was why Naruto didn't play his trump card when [SPOILER]he was getting his butt kicked by the bone dude[/SPOILER]. O_o He was just staring in awe the whole time. While we are talking about translations, looks like AnimeONE and Dattebayo are continuing. I tried Dattebayo before the whole licensing thing, and I have to say, I think I might prefer them. While AnimeONE (& ANBU) has great translations, theirs are more suitable for storybooks. That is, on paper, their translations are good. However, when it comes to conversations, it's sometimes hard to see people saying things the way they have translated it. That's where Dattebayo shines: their translations are very "conversational." Oh, and [SPOILER]Sasuke's a dick and Neji's teh awesome[/SPOILER]. There, I've said it. No one can argue with me, cause it's so true and no one can convince me otherwise. It'll be like arguing that the sky is green.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]To paraphrase too many people to count, I've heard that Mai Hime finally stops sucking as of episode 20. Is this true? All I've seen is a picture and, having never seen any of the series, it makes no sense to me. Spoilers are fine by me for this anime. And how much influence does Yuki Kajiura have on the music?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]You are looking for an [B]anime[/B] that is [B]on par[/B] with Castlevania?! O_o Goodluck. There's Tsukihime, but that doesn't really focus on the vampire aspect of things as much as you would imagine. Well, it does, but not in the way Castlevania did. Vampire Hunter D, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and Hellsing just don't compare to Castlevania, IMO. I think there's Blood: The Last Vampire, but that just sucks even if you don't compare it with anything else. Anyway, those are all vampire-related animes, but again, if you are looking for something like Castlevania, Hellsing is your best bet. Unfortunately, even that won't satisfy you, provided you are looking for a Castlevania-ish anime.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]I'm pretty sure it's a Korean game and not an anime. That being said, why would you want it? The artwork is horrid. Ugh, the perverted artist puts so much emphasis on the butt. Maybe it's just not my taste: I really don't like anything the guy/girl has drawn. The style/look of the characters is almost repulsive to me. Anyway, there's an official website for the game. It has some pictures and stuff.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]O_o [SPOILER]Vlad is another name for Dracula...[/SPOILER] Why else do you think [SPOILER]Bram Stoker[/SPOILER] based a movie off of him that was titled [SPOILER]Dracula[/SPOILER]? Also, the impaling thing is what I was referring to. [SPOILER]Alucard, son of Dracula, never was known for any impaling[/SPOILER]. On the other hand, [SPOILER]Vlad the Impaler[/SPOILER] was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the ending scene.[/COLOR]

[quote name='James][color=#B0251E']There's a book by an Australian geologist (which I've mentioned before here), which basically goes into great detail in terms of disproving, point-by-point, the biblical account of creation (from the great flood -- where did the water go and for that matter, where did it even come from? -- to the ark -- what about animals that need to live in swarms? Those that require fresh water? Single-cell organisms? Noah and his wife would have had to run at the speed of light to feed them all, lol).[/color][/quote][COLOR=blue]O_o Really? Was I around for previous origin of species debates? I don't remember hearing about any such book, but I'm interested, heh. Need name... thank you. Granted, I probably won't check it out anytime soon, but I will sometime.[/COLOR]

[quote name='boxybrown305][COLOR=DarkRed']This is true, but did you also know that the name "Alucard" was the name of Dracula's son according to some nostfaratu mythology. And the mother was Karmilla Miraluca, also mentioned in the series (and a prominent character in Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust).[/COLOR][/quote][COLOR=blue]Is that so? I always thought they ripped the idea from Castlevania, haha. If you've played Symphony of the Night, you know how cool Alucards seem to be, haha. But the Alucard in Castlevania has a very "noble" air about him. (and yes, I know he first appeared in Castlevania III) But you see, that's what makes the name so misleading: [SPOILER]Alucard in Hellsing isn't Dracula's son, but Dracula himself[/SPOILER]. The name ALONE was the reason why I didn't figure out [SPOILER]who Alucard really was[/SPOILER] until [SPOILER]the impaling[/SPOILER]. Does the manga give a more sound ending?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Wow, Generic, you are one cool dude! It's not lame at all! You approached both sides of the argument without creating any hostility whatsoever! I wholly agree with the idea that any discovery in science doesn't immediately equate to debunking the "higher being" belief. One thing you said really stuck out: you said that creation stories are alike. Is this more incentive to believe that the stories are true (since different sources say the same thing), or do you feel that just makes them less reliable (like they just ripped off one another)? Just asking your opinion, heh. [QUOTE]Wherever our species came from, here we are now... neh?[/QUOTE] Don't you think that's like asking how to get to point B from point A and not knowing where point A is? That is, a better understanding stems from knowing what happened before, because we know the result of things (i.e., the now). Therefore, if we look at the past, looking to the future becomes easier, don't you think?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]In high school, I was too nerdy to be with the jocks, and too dumb to be with the nerds. I was in the squishy middle of "almost a nerd." I was in all honors classes, but no one respected me. When I went down to A-Level classes, the lessons were too simplistic and I wasn't being challenged. That, and the teachers were sometimes too scared of seniors (who were left back countless times) to administer a specific lesson or test. So I stuck with the honors courses and was basically left out for most of high school. I actually found my childhood friend - except now, he was a stereotypical drunken Polish dude. He didn't have any remorse for carrying the legacy, and knowing him from before, I knew that it was simply that the thought that propagated the action (i.e., he became a drunken Polish guy because the stereotype was there, so he used it as an archetype). I had one best friend through most of high school. Then he got the ugliest girlfriend you can imagine. Things slowly drifted after that, and even after he ditched the girl after a few months, it was never the same. My math skills were unbeatable. The clique of smart kids were always mad at me, kept tabs of my grades, and always tried to compete. Hard as they may try, they couldn't top me in math (they topped me in everything else, though :animeswea). There was an opening in Biology Honors, where a Freudian slip basically got half the school on my bad side. There was this one girl who sucked terrible in the class, and failed every single test. I couldn't imagine how she got in. One day, I found out the answer: her father was the head of the science department. It was a casual conversation with one of the kids there: [INDENT][i]"Who's that?" "That's the head of the science department, and her dad." "Oh, is that how she got into honors?-" "OMFG! I'm telling!"[/i][/INDENT] So yeah, I learned in high school that girls have some mafia-style connection, where if one of them hate you, all of them do, and some will go so far as to try and kick you in the balls. X_X In junior year, another "almost a nerd" transferred to my school. We had so much in common: games, dope math skillz, and I would later get him into anime. I didn't feel left out after that. I can't say I remember feeling more left out than my experience in high school. Everything else was pretty good, heh.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]I don't think either side has said they have proven it. Rather, science uses circumstantial evidence, and religion is built on faith. To illustrate, there are various things (fossils, DNA, etc.) that point to the possibility of "this and that" happening, which lead up to the creation of man. That's the science half of it. On the other hand, you have religion, that says, "It went like this," and, to a large extent, has not been disproven. Granted, it hasn't been proven either, but it's stood the test of time, haha. Personally, I like to think that science compliments religion, rather than the standard "polar opposites" view most people take. I'm not saying atheists are idiots, but I've noticed that those who can grasp abstract ideas better tend to believe in God. For instance, there's the whole "Can God create a rock so big that he himself cannot lift?" paradox. Apply that to the idea of fate and God knowing what everyone will do in the future, and you have a paradox that most people don't like. That is, God can only know what will happen next if you are fated to do so. Of course, those who see it as such merely don't see the infinitesimal creativity of an all-powerful being. We don't even have to tread beyond the realms of logic to prove God can know what will happen and free will can coexist. That's my two sense. ^^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue][B]LOL@Generic NPC #3 XD "What the hell were you thinking?" That was just golden.[/B] Yeah, I'm on the same boat as Generic. I can't say I've done any of those weird games. Although, to add to the list, I'll tell you about some that are (or used to be) common here. I remember when we were doing group projects, we always ended up with one jock. He couldn't help with the project of course, but he bothered to come to the meetings anyway. What did he do, you ask? He used to ask everyone for the capital of Thailand. :rolleyes: I wonder why almost every jock plays that game? O_o Then there's that hopping over dangerous fences (i.e., hurdle) race thing that got one kid nicknamed "One Nut." o_O Last, I don't know many of the details of this game, but I saw the result: red flesh on finger joints, along with occassional bleeding. There's something people do at lunch tables, with a nickle, and their finger joints. Maybe hit the joints at high speeds? I don't know. People who played just had really nasty and red hands.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Does anyone remember [B]Gundam 08th MS Team[/B]? I used to like that anime, until I saw the end. The characters and scenario seemed promising, but they really never built on all the things that they started with. Shirow (the main guy, whatever his name was) had a rather amusing social behavior. That's probably what made the show stand out in my head. But yeah, the show sucks because it just doesn't do anything, haha.[/COLOR]

[quote name='maladjusted][color=darkslateblue'] What exactly did you not understand?[/color][/quote][COLOR=blue]I think, if he's like me, he didn't understand the relationship between [SPOILER]Alchemy and the Gates[/SPOILER], or, more directly stated, [SPOILER]how the two worlds (really dimensions) interact[/SPOILER]. I imagine the foreshadowing they did when Mr. H was talking with those dudes at the end will clear things up in the movie? O_o Although, I just have to say, they used the perfect historical background: [SPOILER]WWII - 1920s-1940s, give or take, heh. I imagine it's closer to late 1920s and early 1930s than anything else[/SPOILER]. No, that didn't help explain anything, though.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Is there any way we can get the linking to a specific post thing back? It used to be possible, when the comments link would have the post on top of it. Now, when I want to say, "check out this post" or something, I have to say, "go to page 14 in my blog and it should be the second from the bottom." I missed that feature, and it was nice to highlight particular entries every now and then. Sometimes I'll pick up about an event or something from a previous post, so newer people have no idea what I'm talking about. You can see where I'm going with this. Am I the only one who misses that "feature?"[/COLOR]