John

Most modern hardcore leaves a bad taste in my mouth, metalcore/deathcore especially. Is it intense? Sure, but it just feels like a cartoon intensity to me--a bunch of 20-somethings trying to make something more spectacular of themselves than they really are. I can deal with some '90s stuff, and I'm giving United Nations a chance, but other than that, everything except oldschool hardcore just seems to lack a certain vitality. Lately, I've been working on my familiarity with the chip music scene by finally getting around to some Bit Shifter and Anamanaguchi. I was pretty disappointed with Bit Shifter's [I]Information Chase[/I]; just a bunch of brainless dance tunes put together on a Gameboy, although "Hexadecimal Genome" was quite a highlight. Anamamaguchi, though, is ****ing great. Their free EP, [I]Power Supply[/I], is inventive, filled-out (three band members'll do that for ya), and really intense. I also listened to their album [I]Dawn Metropolis[/I] on their site, and it's even better. Really talented stuff, I might have to buy it. I also listened to Starscream, and while their rougher, noisier approach to chiptune is a nice contrast to most of the stuff out there, I might have to give them a bit more time to grow on me.

Dear most of you, 1) Recognizing a word officially doesn't mean it will suddenly gain common usage among highly-regarded literary works now and in the future. No sensible person ever defends their word usage with the phrase "it's in the dictionary". People use what words they want, and giving one the recognition of being a "real word" means nothing. 2) If you haven't noticed, English is already pretty messed up. For the most part, that's what gives it character and makes it endearing. 3) Language isn't sacred. People should use whatever words they want however they want to get their meaning across. If anything "corrupts" a language, it's resisting new developments as they come, which are natural and culturally beneficial. You're welcome, John

[quote name='Article][IMG']http://estb.msn.com/i/FB/EB6EAEFDE7FB812263F1F1E5A6FED.jpg[/IMG][/quote] "I don't care [I]what[/I] it's about, we need to have an image accompanying every article. It doesn't matter what, just put something in there. Don't give me that look. Now go back to your desk and do it."

[B]Getmooh:[/B] [url]http://www.getmooh.com/[/url] It calls you so you can have an excuse to get out of an unpleasant situation! It even plays recordings so it sounds like there's someone on the line!

Look what I found: [url]http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/dees1.htm[/url] The sheer volume of images here is stunning. Post your favorites, everyone. [IMG]http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/easter_dees.jpg[/IMG]

[quote name='Sara'][SIZE=1][B]EDIT[/B]: [URL="http://www.worldsuperheroregistry.com/world_superhero_registry_gallery.htm"][B]This is [I]completely awesome[/I][/B] (click)![/URL] And very related.[/SIZE][/quote] This site has me smiling so much. So does the Wikipedia article on the topic. Especially this: [quote name='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-life_superhero']For attention or to highlight a cause of significance to them, some people name and/or garb themselves like established comic book characters. As they are particularly photogenic, this often gets them more publicity than they would get if they were dressed in everyday garb. Quite often they climb something.[/quote]This definitely beats the [URL="http://www.realsuperpowers.com/"][B]Real Superpowers[/B][/URL] website I found a few days ago. EDIT: Also, I notice your area has a few heroes keeping it safe, Sara. Ever heard anything about them? DOUBLE EDIT: The horoscopes thread has more posts than this. Get on board, ***holes.

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]I would so have a witty put-down here except I am too busy laughing myself purple. Also in the new rules I would like to institute a policy that all trolls must be licensed and sanctioned by me personally after a thorough, comprehensive test of their abilities. All those who fail the test are to be packed inside of [COLOR=DarkRed]deadSeraphim[/COLOR]'s locker.[/FONT][/quote] I'm pretty sure Alan wouldn't approve you for that position, bub. Also, his locker's already packed to the brim with freshman nerds last time I checked.

[quote name='Nyle']I don't need no sample, got a girl with a banjo.[/quote] I'm ****ing SOLD. [quote name='DeathKnight][COLOR=crimson']Good counter defense, in my opinion, to the "rap is not music" camp.[/COLOR][/quote] That camp doesn't deserve to be reasoned with.

Holy ****, this thread got real tl;dr real fast. I think an important issue that hasn't been addressed (from what I've skimmed of these tangled mounds of text) is why do all of you think everyone should be alive for as long as they can maintain happiness? If someone wants to end their life, why do you say, "They have issues"? What is it about being alive that's better than being dead, and why should we feel the need to rescue someone from the "mistake" of not wanting to live anymore? These questions are directed more towards those of you who don't cite religious reasons as your opposition to suicide than those of us who do, since I already know more or less what those answers would be.

Why would anyone worry so much about this that they change their habits to avoid it, and yet won't do the same to avoid being struck by lightning or something else that's probably a good bit more likely?

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']obviously someone swiped the merchandise and replaced it with rocks.[/quote] [IMG]http://www.partyconnection.co.uk/acatalog/30370.jpg[/IMG]

[quote name='James'][FONT=franklin gothic medium]Well, we're already talking about leeks. Why not alligators?[/FONT][/quote] Well alright then! (This post would be a lot funnier with less than 25 characters, but obviously I was missing some post quality until I added this statement.)

Hahaha, I love the awful Photoshopping in that picture. I can't get my head around thievery, or stealing from individuals, at least. I accidentally left my mp3 player at work (an infrequently-visited computer lab) overnight once, and when I came back, it had been stolen. This was the first time I'd ever really encountered a situation like that personally, and I was baffled at least as much as I was angry. I just don't get what kind of person sees something they want sitting on a table and says to themselves, "That is now mine." (I'm pretty sure that's what they say, at least). Same thing with this, really. But at least the family got their money back. Eventually.

[B]Coat of arms:[/B] When I thought about where OB's identity came from, my mind kept coming back to how incredibly close, enduring, and storied the friendships made on here have been, in comparison to pretty much anywhere else on the internet that I've yet seen. The coat of arms symbolizes the things that have had a large part in facilitating those friendships: AIM (both through individual conversations and, perhaps as importantly, huge group chats), threads on the Boards, and the most important element that lays the foundation for most of our interactions, glacial walls of text. I wanted to put myO in there for the important role it played before (still?), but I couldn't figure out how to symbolize it. [B]Flag:[/B] You know this to be true.

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']I love finding amusing stories like this: [URL="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29796962/wid/11915829/"][U]Twitter gets you fired in 140 characters or less [/U][/URL]Nothing like a good laugh to make one's day better. Heh.[/quote] Stopped reading after the reporter used the word "netizens". Oh, how it hurts me to see non-internet people try to talk about the internet.

[quote name='Sara'][SIZE=1]My understanding is that having a robust immune system increases your chances of dying. Death occurs as a result of the immune system overreacting. That's why most of the reported deaths have been healthy young people (unusual), rather than the very young or very old (normally at risk).[/SIZE][/quote] Wait, what? Did the writers of [I]House[/I] design this virus?

[quote name='Sabrina'][FONT=Tahoma]I still view assisted suicide as something that's illegal for a reason. These people know this and yet they're doing it anyway. [/FONT][/quote]What's the reason it's illegal? Why does the government think it's wrong? I mean, I know why you do, and I know why I do, but do you think the government should be using the same religious basis? Also, legality and morality aren't the same thing. Obeying the law doesn't necessarily make you a good person, and breaking it doesn't necessarily make you a bad person. This group thinks this particular law is wrong, and they're putting their own freedom at risk by choosing to go against it. I don't think they're wrong about that part, at least.

[quote name='Sara'][SIZE=1]Change in a phone booth? (My area doesn't even have public telephones anymore, much less the privacy of phone booths. It's sad.)[/SIZE][/quote]On that note, how did Superman ever get away with that crap? Honestly, is there any [I]worse[/I] place to change than a phone booth? 1. If anyone sees you go into a phone booth, they will know you're pretty much the only person who could be coming out of it. 2. Being in the middle of a city street, [I]lots and lots of people will see you go into a phone booth[/I]. 3. GLASS WALLS AGH. I think Superman could have changed in the middle of the street--or not changed at all, and just fly off in his business suit and glasses--and nobody still would have figured out his secret identity. Any comic book fans around here know of an explanation for this? [SIZE=1] [quote=Sara]That's an interesting question. It really depends on the level of heroism you're looking at, I think. The larger the scale of your acts, the more people are going to want to know who you are. (If you're just some costumed nutter trying to cheer folks up, people are probably more likely to just let you be. You're not a threat to anyone, and you're probably not that interesting.) If you're actually dealing with crime and criminals, I'd say you'd have a really tough time of it. How big is the college in question? Your best bet might be to make friends with someone in facilities management. I'm sure there are a wide variety of places on campus that you could utilise, if only to lose someone who's following you. In any case, you could probably get a "free" pass on your first couple weeks of heroism, depending on how active those weeks are and the seriousness of your actions. I think people would be willing to write you off as a one-time weirdo as many as four or five times. Especially if you live in a town full of college students who're prone to do silly things. (On that note: you might even have someone else claim the credit for what you've done, which would free you up considerably.)[/quote][/SIZE] Thing is, with any long-term heroing, I think it'll probably become pretty likely that you'll [I]eventually[/I] get people trying to figure out who you are, no matter the seriousness of your heroing. Using buildings on campus to throw people off and hide in is a good idea, and I suppose you could use some non-destructive means to impair your pursuers: smoke bombs, pepper spray (very questionable), and pre-planned escape routes fitted with hazards or non-lethal traps that only you would anticipate. Even so, heroism means I'd have to start hitting the gym if I wanted to be successful at most anything, especially escapes, should they ever become necessary. As far as costumes go, I think it's important to have the most ridiculous one possible. Not only is it important to make yourself a symbol of your cause (to be truly effective, a hero must incite their populace towards adopting the change that the hero is spearheading), there's also no sense taking yourself too seriously if you're going to take up the mantle of vigilantism. The biggest wrench in this plan is that my town is actually a pretty nice place; not a lot of problems. It's fairly clean, has an excellent appreciation of the arts for such a small place (about 20,000 people), and doesn't have enough crime to warrant going out in a suit every night waiting for something bad to happen near you. I can really only think of two things that could be better. 1) These people have no culinary taste. A lot of the favorite foods or restaurants in town are just... shockingly bland. They seem to actually be able to suck the flavor [I]out[/I] of dishes that, based on the ingredients, look like they should at least taste like [I]something[/I]. Bringing flavor awareness to the town would improve it quite a bit, if that were possible. 2) Thanks to the town's strong German heritage, my college was listed in some magazine as the #6 party school in the nation. Perhaps I could provide some assistance to the drunk people trying to get home on late Friday nights?

[B]Sabrina:[/B] Thanks for clearing that up. When you said you agreed with Raiha, I thought you were saying that you agreed with her hatred of that group (an opinion which she made very clear in her second post, in case there was any confusion). Also, the thing about the mentally ill woman was not only one incident, but the article gave us almost no info about it. At the very least, it isn't conclusive evidence of ineptness on the part of Final Exit. [B]Raiha:[/B] Instead of exacerbating the situation, I think I'll give you a mulligan here: reread my post and try again, please. [B]Allamorph:[/B] You are correct, sir--easy things are cowardly and wrong. This is why I sprint everywhere instead of driving and [I]only[/I] shoot from half-court when playing basketball. Doing things that actually solve my problems or make a situation easier show that I am weak, and it's wrong to be weak. (Seriously though, I think you may be oversimplifying when you call suicidal people "cowards". A bit of empathy goes a long way towards understanding a person. And why is it that you think cowardice is wrong? Do you also think being brave is inherently right? Aren't a lot of terrible people very brave?) EDIT: Sorry, disregard all the things you've already addressed in your other post. [B]Gavin:[/B] Assisted suicide is still illegal, so they have to make deaths look natural to avoid the government stopping them from doing something that they think is right. I don't think there's anything suspicious about that.

Honestly, I just wanted your own thoughts while I work out the logistics of my plan (I really hope I'm not the only person who analyzes these kinds of subjects this much.) And to use an [SIZE=2]&nyaaaaaaaaaaaa once before James outlawed it.[/SIZE] One noteworthy issue: small town vigilantism. Is it plausible in any way? I live in a little college town, and I can't think of any way to keep one's identity or headquarters a secret. I mean, if you're leaving the scene of an injustice after saving the day, [I]somebody[/I] is going to follow you eventually, be they the police, a local reporter, or just some college kids looking for a good story to tell. I'd like to say you could rely on the goodwill of your faithful citizens, but that's not really too likely in most cases, especially if you plan on committing to superheroism long-term.

What is it about suicide that you guys think is inherently immoral? What, exactly, do you see as morally corrupt about wanting to take yourself out of this world? And when one man sees another struggling with the means to kill himself and end his suffering, what is immoral about that first man feeling compassion for the second and wishing to help him carry out the decision he's made? In other words, what's your moral basis--what do "right" and "wrong" mean to you when you say suicide is "wrong"? Now don't get me wrong, I think suicide is wrong, too. But I know why I think that--I'm a Christian, and I think a person's life isn't their own to make such a decision with. I believe no suffering a person can endure is able to outweigh God's love for that person. I don't blame somebody for trying to assist someone who wants to kill themself, but I think they're terribly mistaken. So do you really have a reason for hating this group and calling them murderers, or are you conforming to the idea of alive = good, dead = bad because it's what feels comfortable?

[center][IMG]http://www.vandijk-movies.com/Twelve_monkeys_ver2.jpg[/IMG] [LEFT] A few days after [I]La Jetée[/I], I watched [I]12 Monkeys[/I], which is more or less a remake of the former by Terry Gilliam. Insomuch as the basic plot structure, at least, and since [I]La Jetée[/I] is pretty much nothing [I]but[/I] a basic plot structure, it lent itself well to a re-envisioning. It was an amazing movie; one of those sprawling, multi-layered productions that are the reason the word "cinematic" carries those peculiar connotations of scope and wonder that it does. Not to imply that the movie is about attractive people kissing in front of sweeping vistas, if that's what you thought I was getting at. Rather, it's one of those where, when you think your brain has already become overloaded with visual interest and a fascinating plot, the movie just keeps throwing more of it at you. Even for someone who'd seen the film's inspiration and thought I knew what would happen, I was completely engaged at all times. Watch it, I insist. [/LEFT] [/center]

You fir[SIZE=2]st. [/SIZE][SIZE=2]&nyaaaaaaaaaaaa[/SIZE]

[quote name='Drizzt Do'urden']Either way, America was founded with Tobacco being its "cash crop". So it's kind've saddening to see them start to drive people out,[/quote] I don't know whether to make a joke about slavery, bizarre economic nostalgia, or bringing back tricorn hats. D:

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE=1]This thread needs moar lolcats.[/SIZE][/quote] Everywhere on the planet has needed [I]less[/I] lolcats for about two years now.