John

This kid happen to have a suspicious Motorola Razr? :P [quote name='The13thMan][color=DarkOrange][font=Century Gothic]You despise those who steal? I have a question, why is it that you think most people steal in the first place? They don't steal out of greed in most situations, they steal out of necessity. They steal because they have no money, no food, no shelter, nothing. Is it wrong for the unfortunate to take from the fortunate? Was Robin Hood morally in the wrong.[/font'][/color][/quote] That happens, sure, but I wouldn't go [i]near[/i] so far as to say that's why most people steal; it's probably a very small portion at best. And either way, when she said she hates people who steal, it's pretty obvious what type of person she was talking about. And for ****'s sake, quit trying to bypass the censor.

[QUOTE=sakurasuka][size=1]Oh, Tical, the reason the boys don't get commented on is because of the following. The girls here actually know that they're pretty. Otherwise they wouldn't post multitudes of pictures of themselves on a forum filled with anime nerds. They then proceed to post 'I'm ugly' or things of the sort to justify thier need to post pictures of themselves online, and hope for people to tell them how pretty they are. When they don't, they get dissapointed. Emotional Masterbation, people. It'll be the death of us all. Well anyways, the guys here are more interested in the girls. The girls are more interested in themselves. So, as girls, we stick together and comment the other girls, so as not to seem stuck-up and concieted, even though we are.[/size][/QUOTE] Zing! *high five*

[quote name='Gavin][size=1']I'm not talking about this thread in particular, I'm talking about previous threads that have a religious aspect where you and I seem to clash over points, and then dissect one another's replies to claim some kind of verbal victory. My original statement came out a bit blunt, sorry about that, it's just I don't have the time to really go through the whole thing, it's fun sometimes as you're very articulate with your points, but in the end we both know the other isn't going to change, so why keep going was my point.[/size][/quote] The real point is that nobody had [i]started[/i] going yet. Don't serve the sentence until someone's committed the crime. [img]http://otakuboards.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [quote name='Retribution][size=1'] So free will does not exist, only the illusion of it?[/size][/quote] Wrong-o. Free will [i]does[/i] exist, but the choices we exercise it on, if we're assuming the existence of destiny, do not. Like I said before, those choices are illusions because in objective reality, free of human perspective, they're going to happen one specific, quantifiable way. Humans, however, don't know how they're going to happen, so we're under the false impression that we have some sort of ability to determine the future with our actions. Of course we actually can't, but that guise of choice still provides the opportunity for free will to exist, because we don't know what our destiny is, and hell, we have to do [i]something[/i]. And in that way, free will and a set fate can coexist. I think the problem most people have with that comes from the idea that free will entails randomness and unpredictability, when it doesn't at all. EDIT: As an afterthought, anyone who won't do anything because they think it's their destiny is fooling themselves. Since we don't know our destiny, it can be viewed from our perspective that we [i]do[/i] make our destinies, even though we most certainly don't. Thus meaning, in this case, people should actually defy normal logical thinking and ignore destiny (when it comes to most of the decisions they make in life, anyway), even if they believe it's there. That was a point I made towards the end of my first post, in more detail.

[QUOTE=The13thMan][color=DarkOrange][font=Century Gothic]I don't know rather you guys noticed or not but i like to point out to everybody who i think is hot. So, without further ado. Ai.Sakura.chan, you're hot. Color_me_evil, you as well are indeed hot. Congratulations to the both of you. I'd give ya a prize...but they can only be delivered in person ::wink:: Ah, i'm kidding, unless you're up for it. ::raises an eyebrow:: Nah, you're not....are you? Hah, ok. Later. [/font][/color][/QUOTE] And there's a second one down. C'mon guys, don't give up now, this thread could get the record for socially awkward posts~!

[quote name='James][font=arial]The fact that I've been through [b]three[/b'] PS2s, as a result of low-quality parts and overall problematic design, just demonstrates that there isn't any competition in this area. I'm one of many who have had this problem, too.[/font][/quote] And thus, warranty will be an unusually pressing factor for anyone wanting to buy a $600 PS3. :P

Gentlemen... behold[b]![/b] [url="http://img45.imageshack.us/my.php?image=johnibookro8.jpg"][img]http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/7384/johnibookro8.th.jpg[/img][/url] And as an afterthought: [b]Teh DeadSeraphim:[/b] sakurasuka is hot though [b]Teh DeadSeraphim:[/b] Dang, man [b]Teh Deadseraphim:[/b] WOW [b]Teh John:[/b] XD [b]Teh Deadseraphim:[/b] If I wasn't Christian, she could convert me without even trying [b]Teh Deadseraphim:[/b] It'd be like [b]Teh Deadseraphim:[/b] Her: "Have you heard of Jesus Christ?" [b]Teh Deadseraphim:[/b] Me: "No, but you have my undivided attention."

[quote name='White][color=#555555][font=Tahoma][b]EDIT:[/b] Okay now that I'm looking closer I can see an Eject button. But the panel that looks like it would eject is kind of small so maybe that's just for GCN discs.[/font][/color'] :animestun[/quote] I'm heavily under the impression that both the GCN and Wii discs go into that same blue slot. In fact, I think I remember something about how them getting two different sizes of discs to work in the same slot was a bit of an innovation in itself. that panel that you thought was for the GCN disc is most likely there for some other reason, silly *****.

[quote name='Retribution][size=1']You believe in predestination? Lame. :p[/quote] [size=2]You can't believe in destiny and not predestination, that would be contradictory. And I never said I went gung-ho Calvinist about it, either. [img]http://otakuboards.com/images/smilies/wink.gif[/img][/size] [/size] [QUOTE][size=1]If you believe in destiny, and you want to fulfill whatever you percieve yours to be, you will consciously or subconsciously try to fulfill it. Sure, there are isolated cases that don't stand up to the aforementioned, but you can see this working on the small scale too. If I think it's my "destiny" to have a higher spelling score on a spelling test, I will study my hardest to fulfill what I believe to be my destiny. It's a self-fulfilled prophecy.[/size][/QUOTE]But that's all based on the idea that you actually [i]do[/i] know your destiny, when really, you can't in any way short of divine intervention. What people [i]think[/i] their destiny is has nothing to do with what it really is. If you think your destiny is to ace a spelling test, and you study hard in order to fulfill it, then yeah you'll have fulfilled your destiny from a human perspective. But on the other hand, if your objective destiny--your [i]actual[/i] destiny, not viewed from just a human perspective--was indeed to ace the spelling test, then the fact that you did it had nothing to do with your own perception of that destiny. It's essentially just a coincidence that yourperceived destiny matched up with your objective destiny. Or, to confuse you, you were [i]destined[/i] to believe that your destiny was to ace the spelling test. :P [size=1] [/size] [QUOTE][size=1]My major problem with predestination, fate, and destiny is as follows. If you have an inescapable fate, do you really have free will? And if you have free will, do you really have a fate? If you have an inescapable fate, then no matter what you do you will end up with the predetermined fate, and therefore no real free will, as all your actions lead up to that end. If you have free will, then your fate cannot be a fixed one, as your future fluctuates with every decision you make.[/size][/QUOTE] Fate and human free will can coexist because of man's inability to know his fate. If one doesn't know their fate, then they still have an illusion of choice in the actions that they want to take, and man doesn't need real actual choices (which, by what I've stated, don't actually exist anyway) on which to exercise his free will, because the illusion will suffice. And that's the most important thing to realize regarding free will. This illusion is one that can be dissipated in one way, and that, obviously, is to [i]know[/i] your destiny. Thus meaning, knowing your destiny is the only possible way to not have free will. And, judging on the basis of human nature, a person can only know their destiny if that destiny happens to follow a strict set of stipulations. These stipulations would require that the destiny be one that a human would willingly adhere to if he knew what it was (because remember, we gots da free will), or it be one that a human would not be able to change even if he wanted to (and if you think about it for a sec, you'll realize that this is the less likely option of the two). If a man knew his destiny, and it was a destiny that he wanted to and was able to defy, then he would, and that would mean that that couldn't have been his destiny in the first place. So that situation contradicts itself and can therefore never happen. And so, as you can imagine, there aren't many specific situations in which man could know his destiny, but all of those situations result in man having no control over what he can do or even think, and thus his free will ceases to exist. So in conclusion, the choices a man has are simply illusions, emerging from outside man's perspective, but his free will comes as a reaction to those choices, emerging from within man's perspective, and therefore [i]does[/i] exist as a reality. That's as simple as I can make it, I think. D:

[QUOTE=Retribution][size=1]There is no such thing as fate or destiny. There is only coincidence. Everything that seems to "tie together" is just happenstance, not the plan of some divine being. The belief in a destiny or a fate is leads to the excuse for complacency. "If it's my destiny, it'll happen eventually" is a frustrating response to "Why aren't you _____?" I think people believe in fate or destiny because they are self-fulfilling prophecies. If you believe your destiny is to make $100,000 one day, you will work to make that a reality. Only once you achieve that goal do you attribute it to fate or destiny, despite the fact that your devices alone got you that salary.[/size][/QUOTE] I happen to believe in destiny and predestination, and the problem with your argument is that you haven't thought through the situation entirely. You seem to be coming from the idea that once a conclusion is reached, you factor that into your view of the world and let it affect your decisions. But an important part of destiny is that you can't outthink it, nor would it be possible to know your destiny except in special hypothetical cases where there is 100% certainty that you would comply with that destiny willingly (or unwillingly, as it could be I guess). In any other, normal situation, where you wouldn't know your destiny, then anyone who even believed in the idea of destiny at all would have no logical choice but to behave like it [i]didn't[/i] exist, since their knowledge of it doesn't change its specific outcome. And since the reason humans constantly want to know things is so that they can tweak their internal views and their actions to make a better life for themselves, this unusable knowledge must logically be disregarded from their choices. Since almost all other knowledge humans gain is used in some way, small or large, this idea isn't usually thought through, and people understandably come to the conclusion that destiny doesn't exist at all.

My avatar is from the '90s art-rock band Hum, and aside from simply liking their music it's probably my favorite band photo ever. I never get tired of it. =) My custom title indicates my leadership of the Super Otaku Force, and my signature... well, what do I even need to say? We all know it's true. ;P

I think what's best in that video is that they gave the PS3 every possible argumentative advantage, completely downplaying Sony's idiocy, and it still got its *** kicked, lol.

I'm also sorry if I'm sorta jabbing in, but can we perhaps discuss the person's opinion after they state it, or something like that (perhaps even the question as a whole)? Otherwise, a thread which might often have week-long pauses would seem kinda quiet and disconnected. But great idea nonetheless. =) [quote name='The13thMan][color=DarkOrange][font=Century Gothic]::i throw dirt in your eyes and run:: ^L^[/font'][/color][/quote] If you ever throw dirt in Mimmeh's eyes again, I will murder you in the most creative way I can think of.

[quote name='Billy Shears][color=DarkRed][size=1]BTW, King Crimson= awesome. [/size'] [/color][/quote] Seconded, homie.

I'll tell you why it's still active, Des: because reading other people's posts about how they lost (like, [i]again!![/i] omg!) is freaking riveting.

By default, I don't have a great deal of respect for any game that's obviously a copycat in form, and from what I've heard Saint's Row just sounds like a GTA expansion and graphics update. These numerous little things that they add might honestly make the game more fun than the game it copied from, but I can still constantly feel the developer's blunt lack of creativity pulsing through every plastic-looking bipedal alien, slow-motion dive, and freeroaming gangster. And really, that sucks out about 80% of the fun for me.

[QUOTE=Red 6][color=Sienna]:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Oh man, this is too much. Way to much. Imagine you were the vice-principal of a school, mmkay? And you were just sitting in your office talking to your secretary and then the phone rings. You pick it up, and some strange voice you've never heard starts rambling on about how *DaSilva's Real Name* stole a some phone and than starts incoherently shouting about how crime doesn't pay and how he should see the chair... etc etc. This has to be a joke. The guy found a phone on the ground - on the friggin ground. From what I can tell, the guy who the phone belongs too is a dick who probably threw the phone away deliberatly because he had a new one. It's not 'crime' it's 'I found a ****ing phone on the ground... suh-weet.' Come on people, leave DaSilva alone... BTW, I don't buy the "I phoned his high-school" **** for a minute, but it would be REALLY, REALLY funny if it actually happened... Mostly because you'd have to be a major dick to actually do it. I'm talking Dean Wormer-class asshole. Seriously, not cool.[/color][/QUOTE] [i]Lord Infallible has spoken[/i]. Sorry, but I guess this means we'd better call it quits. Good game guys, but Red 6 really trumped us. D: And for the record, yes, I really called his school. I can't be sure if they did anything about it or not yet, but as Retri said, we're planning to make a followup call tomorrow. In conclusion, DaSilva is bluffing, and if it wasn't obvious enough yet, I just got through with him (er, wait, I mean with "his friend Jake". Sorry. >.>;;) that really proved it beyond all doubt to me, lol. Ah, the internet touches people's lives in such heartwarming ways... *nostalgic sigh*

[quote name='Aaryanna][color=SeaGreen']Besides when I tried to look at the myspace account he had listed the page has been taken down.[/color][/quote] Yeah, I didn't get anything from the Myspace link because it was broken. And I'm all for the Super Otaku Force. :P

[QUOTE=Redemption][size=1]We've all known for a long time that virtual reality is going to be a huge thing when it comes into gaming. I'm meaning the whole shabang - headset, mind-reading thing - the works. How do you think the introduction of true virtual reality affect gaming? Do you think it will be a good thing or a bad thing? Will it affect people's health? Will it only affect certain types of gaming (eg. RPG, fighter type) ? Explain why.[/size][/QUOTE] I don't think games with controllers will ever go away, really. Virtual reality would be fun, but it'd just be different from controller gaming, not superior. Much in the same way that the Wii will be probably the most advanced game controller (well, in-package controller. I can't really speak for third party controllers lol) to date, but that doesn't mean it's definitely better than a good old, two-handed solid gamepad. And as for what I think VR gaming will be like? Well, I wouldn't be surprised if it got banned worldwide pretty quick lol. A lot of horror games, for example, could cause permanent trauma to many younger gamers (hell, maybe I shouldn't even rule out older gamers either), and while gory shooters right now might not desensitize kids to violence and the idea of committing violent crimes, I'd bet big money that virtual reality ones would easily. ...Other than that, I guess it'd be fun. =)

[quote name='DeathKnight][color=crimson']It's not karma when people who can't mind their own business forcefully get themselves involved. Or is it? Maybe it is. Still what John did is pretty amusing.[/color][/quote] I think you're reading a bit much into it, lol. Most of the reason I took the time to do all that was because it was entertaining. The fact that he seriously had it coming was pretty supplementary. And even if that weren't true, someone forcefully getting themselves involved in a situation like this would only be eccentric at worst.

[quote name='sakurasuka][size=1]But it's extremely odd for someone on a forum to have [i]called his school[/i'].[/size][/quote] I'd have emailed them, but they didn't have a listed address on their site. :P

[quote name='Gavin][size=1']My advice, give back the phone and pray he doesn't find out you had it.[/size][/quote] Too late. I'd not have said this yet if I didn't think he wouldn't see it at school, but last night I googled some information on DaSilva (I'll refrain from the methods for safety reasons, although anyone who wanted to could get as much info as they wanted on any of us anyway lol), and ended up with his high school's phone number and essentially enough information to incriminate him. I called them this morning, and their vice principal should be informed on the situation now.

[QUOTE=Shy[size=1][b]][/b][b]#7[/b][indent][i]Formerly Horrible. Bloop. Blip. Blap.[/i][/indent][/size][/QUOTE] I wasn't going to answer, but then I realized that this is probably [b]Baron Samedi[/b], and I had to chime in on that. :3

What DeadSerphim said. Rock didn't get worse over time, it just left the limelight. Other genres are more mainstream now, so you simply don't get as many great rock bands and musicians getting worldwide recognition. Now, if you want to find good rock, you usually have to, you know, [i]look for it[/i]. *GASP!*

Even if you are doing research for school or work, Wikipedia is a great source if you make sure to double-check it with other sources. And if you're just using it for personal pleasure, then I'd trust it to be very accurate 98% of the time, and thus you can take absolutely anything it says as gospel, no matter what it may be. Wikipedia is the second coming of CyberJesus.

[quote name='Katana][size=1][color=royalblue]If just about every piece of fanart is accepted, how is that considered to be a "high quality" output? There's no selection process, and there's no turning away.[/color'][/size][/quote] Perhaps that's why Adam wants to turn his attention to the section, ne? =)[size=1][color=royalblue] [/color][/size][QUOTE][size=1][color=royalblue]I can't see how higher quality can come from the deletion of a section. [/rant][/color][/size][/QUOTE] The section was taking up too much time and maintenance in a direction that Adam decided he didn't want to take theO. Getting rid of that section frees up those resources for use in other areas. Thus, higher quality is [at least available to be] implemented. He could have just left the section up there without updating it, maybe, but that would just be tacky. And let's not forget that Adam made a promise to work on a new article-related myO feature. If I were you, instead of focusing all my energy on complaining about the present situation, I would be gaining some support and holding Adam's feet to the fire to make sure he keeps that promise later, and that it ends up being a quality product. [size=1][color=royalblue] [/color][/size][QUOTE][size=1][color=royalblue]The members of SOAP and other article writers b****ed forever on this topic. When the articles closed and it was posted on the news page, it received more comments then the Art of Otaku contest winner. Art vs. writing. =) [/rant rant][/color][/size][/QUOTE] How 'bout writing vs. statistics? I couldn't know whether Adam's claims about the traffic comparisons between Fanart and Articles are correct, but they're obviously in that ballpark, meaning art is still more popular on theO. The only reason the closing of Articles got so many comments was that it was controversial, and the contest was not. Controversy draws more attention. Again, it sucks that Articles was shut down, but these things happen sometimes, and sometimes you'll end up in the minority whether your side is better than the other or not. It's no excuse to look at it illogically.