Japan

[COLOR=Navy]eh....I hope I don't upset anyone with my 'happy-go-lucky' kind of post. >_> Anyways, I really liked that poem lol. I definately thought that it was about cats and nothing but cats. Come on, Charles is the only guy I know that is crazy about cats...why wouldn't he write a poem about a 'pussy?' I guess that I may be a bit too innocent, lol. Anyways, this is pretty good for an Ode, Charlie. I loved this poem a lot....like all of your poems and stories. I can't wait to read the next poem you write! ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]If you ever read the Bible, cover to cover, and each of it's versions...King James, New International Version, and so on, Chabichou, you would understand that none of the text has ever been changed. Sure, the Bible is rewritten when it gets tranlated to another language. [quote name='Chabichou']Many people start to follow Jesus' teachings. It's not like they converted or anything. They simply knew that God has sent them another prophet (or as Christians believe, his Son) down with a new book, which corrected the mistakes in the altered Torah.[/quote] Jesus didn't bring a new book. He is the fulfillment that the whole Old Testiment was about...the coming of Christ, the Savior of the world. Plus, the New Testiment contains many books...not just one. They were written by God through inspiration and dreams to the authors...for example, Revelation.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]If you leave Naraku and Keiko out of InuYasha, you wouldn't really have a plot now would you? For me, the only disappointment I've had was the Metropolis movie. It wasn't very good in my opinion, and it didn't quite fit my tastes.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]The third movie [I]is[/I] better than the first two. I've seen and owned the second movie since about September I think. My favorite parts of the second move are definately the 'sit boy' and Sango beating up Miroku. The second movie was really boring in parts, though. The third movie is way better. It is all about InuYasha's family, also, he and Seshomaru fight. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]The anime they show aren't really all that bad. The companies like 4Kids that license it is what make it bad. Look at what they did with Shamen King, Tokyo Mew Mew, and One Piece. The dubbing is horrible, and they changed characters' names in One Piece. They even changed the anime from Tokyo Mew Mew to Mew Mew Power. Also, in One Piece, they changed that cigarette that is in Sanji's mouth to a lolli pop. They changed Zoro's name to Zolo....what is worse, eventually Shonen Jump magazine changed his name to Zolo as well. So it isn't the fact about anime going downhill, but the companies that license it that are. That's not to say that all of the companies are like 4Kids, there are quite a lot of good ones out there like Viz. They show Lain and Abenoboshi on G4TechTV, and Full Metal Alchemist is not a bad show either. If you want good anime, you have to stay up and watch them.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]Just because your school doesn't like it, it's not the end of the world. If your parents don't like it, ignore them and continue to do what you like to do. If you don't have any manga or anime and you wish to go out and buy some, get a job when you are old enough and go buy it with your money. Your parents can't tell you what you can't and can buy with your money. I own all of the Shonen Jump magazines thus far and so many other manga that I lost count. I also have anime on either cd-r, recorded on VHS, or on a DVD. Maybe the reason why they don't like certain things because you are drawing, reading, or viewing the anime/manga when they are trying to teach you or when you are suppose to be working on something. My school has a new administration and my parents dislike anime. When they say....don't go out and buy that, I buy it anyways. The adminstration at our school is really strict and annoying... Also....if you do research in the library, and you are researching anime, make sure you have two windows open of the browser. One of something that looks like you are doing what you are suppose to be doing, and the other window of whatever you like. Another thing, if your family is upset about you being alone in your room all the time, come on up and join them every once in a while. They just want to spend time with you. It's pretty simple really.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I mainly got into various Gundam series because I always want to expand my horizons and watch new anime. Gundam wing about four or five years ago was the very first Gundam series. I liked it, so I watched other gundam series as well. With all of the Gundam series I love all of it...the music, plot, characterization, mechas, and explosions...yes, explosions. I could also feel like myself walking in their shoes in a sense because I felt like I could relate with them. Like the Gundam Wing pilots, for example. Many people weren't very nice to me and they often ignored me. I felt alone. Also....at the same time, I had a few close friends, but we'd get in fights every so often. Anyways.... Gundam X's appeals mostly to the crowd of 08th MS Team and Wing. From the 15 episodes I've seen, there is romance, and a boy who finds this special Gundam mecha....really good 08th MS Team appeals to fans who don't particularly like tons of episodes. It tells the whole story thoroughlu in just 12. I loved it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I think that when people do that, it's fun to find out what their username use to be. Like...after reading Tony's post in the 'What is your set-up' thread, (he posted a picture of his tv, games, and systems) I finally figured out who he was...cause I reconized the room... Anyways, I don't know why I still need it this tag in my sig anymore.....I'm the only one with a country as a username as far as I know.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I remember this one game that a close friend of mine, his brother, and guy friends used to play a lot. The object of the game is to see who could drink a whole gallon of milk the quickest. Sounds simple right? Wrong....nobody really wins....because when you get three-quarters of the way done, you end up throwing up.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]One thing for sure that I'd like to change is get rid of my disability and also change my chest size. :animeshy: I'm just sick of getting teased. Other than that, I'm really happy with myself. I wouldn't want to be anyone else. I am not fat and I don't look anorexic. My close friends think I'm pretty....who cares what others think? Their views don't really matter all that much.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]Samurai were one of the higher classes other than lords. They are like an in between of the lords and the peasants/merchants. Ninja weren't the most honored of people. They were low life assassins hired to do the dirty work. Not only did the Samurai commit Seppuku, but other Japanese people as well. If they feel like they dishonored their family, they'd commit seppuku as well. Here is some more information about Seppuku just in case you didn't know. When the head gets chopped off with the samurai friend's daito (long sword), the samurai committing seppuku thrusts his wakizashi (short sword) into his stomach just like Doc said. Also, right before the whole process of seppuku begins, the fellow samurai rinses his sword with some water. He did to cleanse the sword. The daito (long sword) at one time was used by the samurau to cut down any commoner that offended them. The long sword was more than 24 inches long in length, and the short sword was between 12 to 24 inches. The wakizashi was never used by the owner except for to commit seppuku. The Samurai often gave their swords names. They believed that it was the [I]soul[/I] of their warriorship. Also, the oldest swords were straight and their early design came from Korea and China. The wanting of tougher, sharper swords led way to the curved ones you see today. In the Edo period, the Samurai were highly respected. The Samurai's, an lord's families were the only ones who were taught Japanese etiquitte. Examples of the Japanese etiquitte were Tea Ceremony, opening doors correctly, and bowing. Also, the Samurai were the ones who started many of the traditions you see in Japan today. For instance....the food that the Japanese eat during their New Year celebration. The food is called, osechi-ryori, or Japanese New Year's Cuisine. It contains many sweet and salty foods such as sweet potatoes and herring. They also eat lots of mochi (steamed sweet rice pounded into rice cakes). That is one example that was handed down to generation to generation by the Samurai. Their day to day diet mostly contained really sweet, or really salty foods because they often had to travel long distances. The sugar and salt helped keep them hydrated and with energy. Towards the end of the Edo period, the samurai were disgraced and no longer needed. That's when the reign of the samurai finally came to an end. Hope that helped. ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]Both samurai and ninja have their good points. Samurai are very honorable, while Ninjas sneak through castles through means of stealth. I think that they are both equally cool. Ninjas have awesome balancing skills, various cool weapons and explosions while samurai are very talented with the sword. They are both really awesome in my book.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]Here is mine....though it is nothing special sense I only got first console last spring. That console is none other than the [B]N64[/B]. My friend gave it too me. He also let me borrow a couple of games. I own three controllers and the only game I really own is Zelda: Ocarina of Time. My second and only other console is the [B]PS2[/B]. I bought this console this past December right before christmas. The games I own are DDR Extreme, Orphen: Scion of Socercy, Robotech: Battlecry, and NFS: Underground. For handhelds, I own a GBC. The only games I have for it currently is my orginal Pokemon Red Version, and Felix The Cat. I bought Pokemon when it first came out. I also have a GCN Link Cable, Worm Light, tv, and VCR. My VCR is vital to my gaming needs since I have one of those really old tv's in my room. I have to manual plug when I want to switch between the N64 and PS2. I guess my set up is pretty sad.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]My friend's brother played this one game when he and his friends were in woodshop. I don't know what they called it, but object of the game was to clamp those hand clamps on your nuts and see who outlasts everyone else. Well, my friend's little brother played it and as soon as his clamp came on....he was rolling on the floor in agony.... stupid, stupid :animesigh[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]Who cares? You are going to be surrounded by idiots every day of your life....there is no stopping it. You just have to learn how to deal with them and tune them out...you can't just get rid of them.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I only have like a few friends here and only about a small handfull in real life. I'm fine with the video game geek friends that I have and I wouldn't have it any other way. I tried to be friends with everyone, but I got made fun of and I had headaches almost every night worrying about their problems.... So now I only have a handfull and I'm content with just them.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]Have you ever faked being sick to get out of doing something or going anywhere you didn't want to go to? I faked being sick today because I didn't feel like going to school today. I didn't feel like dealing with all of the idiots that my school has today. Also, I haven't got to sleep past 8 AM in ages, and that didn't go well with my late night habits...heh So I faked being sick. I don't regret my decision either. I haven't felt more relaxed in such a long time. I finally was able to sleep in past 10 AM, play a lot of Mario 64 and Zelda:OoT, and I finally had the chance to draw. So, have you ever faked being sick?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]What keeps me here? I have no clue. I ask myself that question everyday. I just go here out of habit and boredom. I also like to keep in touch with my six really good friends that I've made here as well. (You know who you are)[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Panda]Welcome to [u][url="http://www.moses-lake.com/index.html"]Moses Lake, Washington's Great Escape![/url][/u] I figure they mean when you are here it is a "great escape" when you can get away! My little hometown of Moses Lake is pretty much in the center of the state of Washington. Unlike what many people think of the "Evergreen State" we do not have trees. We are also known as "The Desert Oasis". Sagebrush and scrub land is pretty much what we have here. Moses Lake is very popular for it's warm weather and great activities for the outdoorsman. Fishing, hunting, rock climbing, water sports, sand dunes for ATVs...if you like being in the outdoors there is plenty to do here. -Mostly a farming communtiy in this rural area. Lots of family farms and ranches. We did have a mad cow here. It was butchered before they realized it was sick. Of course the place that butchered it also had a beefalo (cow/buffalo crossbred) escape and end up on Interstate 90 which clogged up traffic for a while. -We have an ill-tempered emu that runs wild near the airport. -Approximately 16,000 residents. Here are some tidbits about my hometown. -Japan Airlines has it's flight training school here. My dad works there! -A episode of the television show "Unsolved Mysteries" was solved here. It was about a guy who "kidnapped" his teenage girlfriend. He was found working at K-Mart in the automotive department. She worked as a desk clerk at a local hotel. -The airport has one of the largest runways in North America. We are actually one of the emergency landing areas for the Space Shuttle. -When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 we got the majority of the ash. The farmers loved it since it enriched the farm soil. -The airport scene for "Die Hard 2" was filmed here. -The movie "Always" filmed scenes here. -We had one of the first school shootings here, it's like we started the trend. Back in 1996 a kid freak out and kill his teacher and 2 students, wounding a few others. -During the Cold War we had Titan missiles here. You can still go out to the empty missile silos and climb around in them. Lots of urban legends surround that place. -In the near by town of Lind, Washington they have an annual Combine Demo Derby. They take these huge combines that are normally used to harvest crops and smash them up. It is a yearly event people travel miles to see. And the most important reason my hometown is special: I live here! ::strikes pose:: Well, nothing as exciting as the rest of you who live in big cities with great museums, cultural events and historical sites. Small town in the middle of nowhere. Nothing amazing ever happens here. I know, I sound like Naota from FLCL.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]You forgot the isane asylum they have there...at least I think it is there. Anyways, I remember that school shooting!! Some lady came to something I went to a few years back and talked about it...it was her son that died. Spokane is nothing too special, but it's pretty awesome compared to Pullman. Pullman is the location of Washington State University. There is nothing to do down there...literally. Here, there are three malls, lasor tag, ski resorts all around, and a cool place called Riverfront Park. There is a merry-go-round there, as well as an IMAX theatre, rides in the summer, and ice skating in the winter. Northtown mall has a big arcade located in the basement of the place. There are Go-karts, rock climbing, DDR, as well as other fun video games. As well as a big Cinema with reclining seats. We also have our own minor league baseball team, and hockey team. Most of the people go to the hockey games because there are ALWAYS fights on the ice. Cool bands come here a lot as well as WWE, motocross, and various other events at the Spokane Arena. The Globetrotters even come once a year as well as the circus. Our city was voted as the 'All-American City' as well. There are also really pretty well kept parks located all over the city.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]It is not just the extremists in Islam that believe other races and countries should reform or die. It states in the Koran that you are suppose to get rid of non believers of the Islamic faith. The Christian faith is far more than just "do good things" Christianity is where you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When you believe that Jesus died on the cross for YOU to wash away YOUR sins, then you become a Christian. That's more than the simple....do good acts and you'll get to Heaven. If you don't believe Jesus died for you to wash away your sins, you'll go to Hell. I am not shoving it down your throats, I'm just telling you what is true. The reason why we do good works is not because of our own merit, but for God's glory. We are to be an example for everyone on Earth of what living the Christian faith is all about. To explain the Crusades, or other people who claim to be Christians, but act like theives and whatnot. The Catholic church of that time had the people fight in it to have savation. So when they died, their souls would go straight to Heaven and not have to go through purgatory. The crusades were probably a Christian version of Jihaad. Another possibility was that they were not true Christians. But, I have no right to judge. Only God can judge when their time comes. Also, about the orginal sin concept. Catholics aren't the only ones that believe that. In fact, all the sects of Christianity believe that. We are all sinful by nature. When a woman gives birth to a baby, she passes the weight of of sin to her child. Does that make sense? Now with Baptism... I believe that you should not baptize your babies. I believe that you should wait till they are older and make the decision themself.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I'd like to have the ability to stop time also. Reason being because it'd be nice to stop time for my own purposes as well as for others. Like....if I really am going crazy over this one guy, I'd stop time....so that I can tell him how I really feel, and whatnot. I also would like to stop time for exploring. New York City, or Heidelberg would be pretty interesting places with various people in midstep. I'd also would like to help others in need as well. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I don't think that the game is over hyped. Then again, I never played any of the single player...only the multi player. Reason being that I don't own the game or the console. I'm just happy with my PS2 and N64. Anywho! I've played many many FPS though they aren't my absolute favorite and the genre I rock at. From Wolf 3D, to Counter-Strike, to various James Bond FPS, they all seem alike...sort of. The multi player in Halo/Halo 2 seem very unique than the others. I really enjoy playing the multi player for hours and hours at my friend's house until my fingers get really sore and I have a terrible headache, lol. Halo and now Halo 2 is a great way for my friends and I to get together, drink tons of coke, and eat tons of pepperoni pizza. I love Halo 2. My friends can tell you this because I get really hyped when I get a kill, or I get mad when someone kills me. Exp: Me: I got a double kill with the rocket launcher!!!! YAY (did I mention that I'm horrible at FPS?) I can move around with ease now....Halo 2 is actually helping me improve in the FPS genre. Anyways, I don't think that the Halo series are over hyped. This is the only FPS that I haven't gotten totally bored out of my mind with. While others I do. Let the fans of Halo/Halo 2 be fans. You don't hear me complain with all those PokeMon game fans, now do you?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]Another great anime to see on tv would be the ever popular [B]Sai-Yuk[/B]. I've seen only two episodes of this series, but it was hilarious! It'd be really really nice to see the entire series.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I only really played three scary type games. I Think that the Fatal Frame series are by far the scariest. Mostly because of the helplessness you feel throughout the game. Especially in the first game where you have limited film. The other game I played a bit of was Half Life 2. It wasn't all that scary, but tended to be more freaky than anything else. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I love the smilies here! Group Sounds have some awesome smilies as well. Don't replace the any of the smilies here but add to them. These smilies make OB have it's own personality. [/COLOR]