Godelsensei

[QUOTE=Afire][FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2][COLOR=RED]LETTER FROM GOD TO WOMEN, When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils. But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you. Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From one bone, I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects man's life. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone, I shaped you.......I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully. Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The ribcage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Support man as the rib cage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side. You are my perfect angel.....You are my beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart. Your eyes......don't change them. Your lips - how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form. Your hands so gentle to touch. I've caressed your face in your deepest sleep. I've held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are most like me. Adam walked with me in the cool of the day, yet he was lonely. He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you; my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support. You are special because you are an extension of me. Man represents my image, woman my emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God. So man......treat women well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt me. What you do to her, you do to me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father, and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness, show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self. Love GOD.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE] So women exist solely to "support" man and practice "humility"? Well, that's [i]one[/i] way to get your windows smashed in, I suppose. *disapproving eyebrow*

[quote name='MistressRoxie][color=#9933ff][size=1]I also agree with Ken that it [b]is[/b] sad that our coutnry can't invest money into finding alternative fule for the day when *gasp* there won't be any fossil fuel left!!!!![/size'][/color][/quote] That day isn't coming any time soon--it's the extraction that just becomes too expensive for the effort. Alberta is absolutely rolling in oil, but no one seems to care, because it's mixed in with the sand. Additionally, I find it pretty sad that people are able to convince themselves that every one in Saudi Arabia is out to kill them and their family.

[QUOTE=AzureWolf][COLOR=blue]Really? I always thought it was illegal since they take people into custody and rehabilitation after attempted suicide. Granted, I guess there isn't [i]technically[/i] any punishment for successful suicide for obvious reasons, but I always thought it was written in the books as something illegal. And no, I'm not confusing the religous burial thing with legislative law. I'm honestly not sure if it is illegal, which is why I'm asking.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] In Canada, at least, it's illegal to [b]take a human life.[/b] That includes your own, though the "punishment" for attempted suicide is more along the lines of rehabilitation. So it's illegal in an ambiguous sort of way, I guess.

[quote name='AzureWolf][COLOR=blue']I don't fully understand the "it's stealing" argument. While it's obvious who is the stealer is, I don't quite comprehend whom the stuff is being stolen from, and what has been lost/stolen.[/COLOR][/quote] I guess it's stealing in a more abstract sense. You're not paying for something that has a price tag. I see it as on the same level of theft as sneaking into a movie/onto a ski lift without paying.

[quote name='ForgottenRaider']Is there a problem with limited sexism? In anime or the world.[/quote] Come again? I'm sorry, but you seem to be questioning whether or not sexism is, in fact, [b]bad.[/b] So, to answer your question, yes! there is. There is a problem with any amount of sexism, anywhere, at any time, for any reason.

If this [i]is[/i] true, there's no way any one could ever improve upon the Powerpuff Girls. Ever. It just cannot be done: they are far too awesome.

[quote name='r2vq']Probably because blokes don't have boobs or bikinis in real life.[/quote] Actually, men do wear bikinis. They just don't have the top portion to them, for predictable reasons. However, allot of people refer to them simply as "Spedos". I pretty much agree with you on the fanservice point, though female characters are more frequently totally sexy-ified. I mean...ever heard of yaoi? *chuckles* Oh, and just to clarify things a bit, anime can be divided as follows: [IMG]http://www.geocities.com/godelskarkel/animepiegraph.jpg[/IMG] I assure you: Miroku is a ******* [i]angel[/i].

Stealing is completely immoral and unjustified, but when it's so damn easy to do so, very few people can help themselves. Consequentially, they like to make excuses for it, warping it around to make it seem like they're doing the right thing: "Without the internet, they wouldn't have publicity!" "I'm opening up the world to different kinds of music!" "lolz0rs britny want rule da world ne way!111!!!!11" So, I know it's bad of me to download gigs upon gigs of illegal material, everything from movies, to music, to games, but its just being there, for the grabbing, makes it seem entirely innocuous to do so. It's like having a regular store located next to one that just sort of chucks the same products at you and doesn't care if you pay or not. People will get suspicious, but nobody's going to go to the first store.

I'm only about 300 pages into it, but "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" is definitely one of the most appealing books I've read in a while. The style of writing is reminiscent of classics whose authors were paid by the word, while still managing to be satisfactorily sarcastic. Despite how utterly [i]dry[/i] allot of the dialogue, descriptions, and vocabulary used are at some points, I don't find my enjoyment of this book at all compromised. Those details have probably improved my opinion of it, if anything. Clarke's take on magic is quite unique, as well. The whole thing with the magicians simply being scholars of magic, showing no motivation to actually practice it, was altogether charming. Its being available to certain people doesn't render them utterly faultless, either: Gilbert Norrell is delightfully conceited, Jonathan Strange endearingly impulsive. And the Gentleman With Thistledown Hair is quite possibly one of my favourite fantasy characters of all time. He's so full of himself and unwilling to take advice or receive the opinions of any one, it's tear-jerking. He's the kind of character more books need: proud, pretty, and entirely fantastic. Add this to the illustrations, footnotes, Stephen Black, pleasing page-count, Arabella, and the odd snide, patronizing comment, and you have the workings of the greatest fantasy novel written within the past hundred years--after "Lord of the Rings", of course. (But that goes without saying.) Another impressive point to consider is that this is Susanna Clarke's first novel, yet it manages to maintain a steady atmosphere, writing style, and play host to imperfect characters. I've already used this word to describe something specific, but the all-around verdict is, most definitely, [b]"Charming."[/b]

The main problem with the death-penalty is that the courts make mistakes. Having an innocent person end up on death row is a risk that simply isn't worth it. (Life in prison is probably more of a punishment for allot of people than simply dying, anyway, though this argument is entirely relative.)

I find it more offensive when properly-proportioned female characters are portrayed as having an inexplicable obsession with housework. Tsunade has a formidable bust, but she's hardly a push-over. That's the distinction most people seem so unable to make: low-cut does not equal dis-empowering. In fact, the situation is frequently quite the opposite. After all, Haruko is able to keep a household full of men at her beck and call while wandering about in an entire array of questionable outfits.

I tend to make full use of the comma; that is: I use it whenever possible, even if I could feasibly do without one. Because Comma needs love, too, even if Apostrophe is the most misunderstood one, Exclamation Mark the most abused, and the Colon twins (Colon and Semi-Colon) the most frequently neglected. I hate it when people misuse punctuation, writing it off as something "unimportant". I don't think I need to go into the dramatic difference one or two commas can have on the meaning of an entire paragraph, so I wont. However, I will point out that, whenever I see something in the vein of, "I have a dog, his name is Ralph," or, "We fixed the server, everything is back online," or, "I hate that guy, he's such a moron," I feel like hunting the perpetrator down, burning their house to the ground, and killing them. Or at least force-feeding them language text-books. Either way. Because [i]the comma is not a conjunction[/i]. Do not use it in the place of one! It is a lazy, crude, utterly infantile mockery of such hard-working words/phrases as "so", "however", "and", as well as my two best buddies, the Colon twins. Why use a comma when you could just as easily put to work your pal, Semi-Colon? Why be content with, "I have a dog, his name is Ralph," and a life of eternal mediocrity, when you could go with, "I have a dog; his name is Ralph," and, therein, be not only correct, but open-minded, sympathetic, and downright [i]classy[/i]? The only excuse I can think of for this gratuitous abuse of the English language is, simply, "I don't speak English!" After all, even the stupid can punctuate. And if they can't, they're just not trying hard enough--so there.

[quote name='r2vq']A biology teacher at my school once said that if a girl had Barbie's proportions, she'd snap at the waist.[/quote] One has to remember that the doll's proportions are based on the idea that [i]she isn't going to be naked at all times[/i]. If Barbie's waist was of proper proportions, it would end up looking unbalanced when you dressed her up. (The same is true of Ken's "lump". Because that's pretty much what it is.) I'm not arguing that Barbie is a positive role model or anything, but the technical aspects of the doll's design are something people usually fail to consider.

[QUOTE=r2vq]I've been to two different Anime Conventions in Toronto. CN Anime once. Anime North twice, and again this May. I suggest you a few things. 1. Bring water bottles and food. A lot of water bottles. Food and water is always expensive. 2. SLEEP! Don't go sleepless! You wont enjoy yourself! 3. Read your schedule and plan where you want to go so you don't miss out on things. 4. Bathe. It's important to keep your hygene up. XP 5. Go with friends! It's always best with friends! 6. Don't be shy! Meet new people! Make new friends! You never know who you'll meet. 7. Enjoy yourself. You're there to have fun. -ArV[/QUOTE] 8. Tell Godel before sporadically switching costumes on the day you plan to meet up with her. I think it's also important to bring a relatively large amount of cash, be willing to chew out fellow geeks, and to be prepared to fight to the death over specific collector's items.

[quote name='elfpirate][b][color=darkgreen]Crime is not decreasing. You are blind if you can't see the increase in violence-- in both the frequency and intensity of the crimes committed.[/color'][/b][/quote] You're only focusing on the crime rate of one area, however. And that area happens to be a Reserve, which are notorious for being unwholesome, to begin with. Also, we live in different countries. I haven't detected crime rate going up in the area I live--something very bad will happen once every two or three years, and the rest is really unremarkable, resulting in zero to minor injuries. Outside the immediate community, you get worse areas, where more violence occurs, but the trends in these areas are pretty much static. A few areas within the city continue to get worse, others improve, and most stay the same. One area being riddled with acts of violence, even if they are becoming more and more prevalent, doesn't justify accusing the whole world of going down to hell. (Especially if you don't watch the news, which would mean you wouldn't have heard of the situation anywhere outside of your immediate location.)

Woah--! Where the crap did you get the inspiration to come back, all of a sudden? Geez man, you nearly gave me a heart attack. *swt* Anyway, I love the avatar. Something about the simplicity of it is just so appealing. The text on the plain background balances out the business created by the colour of Mugen's skin and clothing, while giving the definite feel of an "off-set subject". Technically, it's very impressive, as well; no roughness or anything like that. Good work, soldier.

As a knock-off of a popular German toy for grown men, sold primarily in tobacco shops, the ever-familiar Barbie doll was re-invented by a woman, Ruth Handler, and introduced to the American public in 1959. Since then, the doll has changed in everything from expression, to basic facial structure, to what she can and cannot do, career-wise. When you get down to it, following the history of Barbie is parallel to following that of women's role in Western society; the doll's eyes were originally downcast and her expression humble--very different from the penetrating, manic grin/glare of the dolls I used to play with when I was little. Her facial structure has changed, as have her clothes, hobbies, and careers. However, Barbie has, and always will, remain the image of over-done, in-your-face, big-busted femininity. And, likewise, how she is viewed has remained pretty-much static: little girls adore her, for whatever reason, and a select group of mothers, along with most feminists, loath her. They accuse Barbie of brainwashing the young women of the world into thinking they have to be the flesh-incarnate of that flawless, smiling, vinyl doll. (Every one remembers the song "Barbie Girl".) This accusation is easy to support--Barbie is, after all, a big-busted, tiny-waisted, yellow-haired sex toy gone child's plaything. Having that as your role-model throughout child-hood has got to teach little girls the wrong sort of lesson. (Something along the lines of, "Good looks, boys, expensive clothes, and flashy cars are all that matter in life.") However, when you look slightly deeper into the world of Barbie and her friends, one cannot help asking the question, "Or does it?" Barbie is the centre of a female-oriented world. All of her friends are girls, all driving expensive cars and toting trendy titles and careers: Astronaut Barbie, Pilot Barbie, Doctor Barbie. Positions that, thirty or forty years ago, would be entirely dominated by men. But Barbie was always the centre of everything, even from the beginning. She is entirely independent, answers to no one, and seems to have nothing holding her down. She has no parents to live up to the expectations of, no children to take care of--originally, her creator was loath to even give her a boyfriend, because she thought it would ruin her image. Which is [i]why[/i] Barbie has never had children. Sure, her friends do, and she has baby-sat, and has a little sister, Kelly, but Barbie is ultimately her own woman. She, again, dominates her own life and has nothing holding her back. Which is an interesting way to look at the easily-sniffed-at image of female sexuality that is ingrained into our subconscious from the tender ages of three or four years old. I primarily see Barbie as just a doll, but when you try and interpret her and her world, it's surprising what you can get out of it. Also, it's interesting all the different ways girls interpret Barbie's role as a toy; my friend and I used to re-enact the Spanish Inquisition, while other children used to take their doll's to the prom. (I distinctly remember sticking Lifeguard Ken's hand in a pencil sharpener, to the horror of another friend, when she saw the results.) I'm also interested in what guys might have to say about Barbie, likely having no real experience playing with one. I loved mine to death, literally, as did most of my friends, while allot of girls I know still have theirs in perfect shape. It's interesting what you'll do to a toy before you have any concept of monetary value. So, what is Barbie, to you? Do you think you've been influenced by Barbie at all? What are your parents' take on the doll? (I know my mother was hesitant to give me one, at first, because she thought she would be a "negative role model".) Look beyond, "It's just a toy...!" What do you see?

This is just a scam on the part of some major eye-glasses company so they can cash in on the sudden jump in the percentage of people who are in dire need of assistance, when it comes to seeing. Otherwise, it's just kind of dumb...

I think all parties involved--that is, her parents and her husband--want what's best for her. No parent wants to outlive their child, and I can identify with some one who says it is not desirable to live as a vegetable. And, you have to look at her husband's situation before declaring him to be a scum-bag. His wife is in a coma--more specifically, one she shows no sign of ever waking up from. What is he supposed to do? Remain by himself and give up on ever having children because of this? It may sound cruel, but if some one is dead for all purposes, it's hard to continue to consider them your life-mate.

Damn you, Skippedry, and your saying pretty much what I wanted to say. First. However, instead of just re-stating everything, I'll point out another thing I consider an important factor in girls reading [i]yuri[/i] (or, if you want to be anal, [i]shoujo ai[/i]--at least for the most part) comics: men. Or, more accurately, a lack of men as important characters. Since most series, regardless of genre, tend to involve male characters as the [aptly-named] "Man", it's interesting to see a series that is entirely female-oriented. This is especially the case since yuri tends to have an actual plot, something yaoi is famous for being bereft of. It changes the perspective and also manages to be sort of "exclusive", if you will. I'm sure there are other reasons for girls to read yuri, but this one is definitely significant, even if a reader doesn't realize it.

Living where I do, I rely on CBC for my news, but I tune in to CNN every so often, just to hear what the view is down south. And, while it would be crazy to say any form of media isn't sensationalist, CNN is just way over the top. It's the use of extremely aggressive adjectives and verbs that just change the whole perception of what happened. ("Bloodbath in Brooklyn" instead of "Murder-Suicide in Brooklyn", for instance) I also get the notion, from Americans I talk to, that it is not in the least bit safe to go anywhere at night in a US city. I don't know if it's true or just what the news tells them, or both, but it's different from the case here. One of my camp instructors, who moved here from the States, told me she moved here because she could walk down the street at night and basically be ignored, instead of having people approach her and ask her, "So, what do you do?" (This was the example she gave me, probably because I was, like, nine at the time...) While it's generally a bad idea to go skipping about in alleyways at nighttime anywhere, I've been downtown after dark, shopping or simply heading home, and always feel safe. The discrepancy in the amount of violence between countries can be attributed to allot of things: for instance, America has a very large population, and its cities are fairly diverse (not only in terms of race). However, Toronto is the most diverse place on Earth, and doesn't hold a patch on New York, when it comes to violence. Even within one country, you have huge discrepancies. You can have a very small community utterly riddled with violence and crime, and then you have your sheltered suburbia. And remember--crime isn't on the rise: the coverage is. This applies to nearly all cases, especially with big cities. Any one who reads MacHall knows, after all, that, "EVERYBODY GETS MURDERED IN NEW YORK!!!" And the Vinyl Cafe tells us that, "Toronto is a great place to meet people, especially if you go out at night." (But only after B... [can't remember her name--damn] gets over her fear of...people. Everywhere. o_o) And I can't pretend to be unbiased by the media, either: I shall forever remain convinced that the country is absolutely riddled with chain saw-wielding maniacs.

This is the first thing I've submitted to the Anthology in a while, indeed the first bit of fiction i've written in a while, so it might sound a bit rusty. I was going for a plainer style of writing this time, so I hope this doesn't turn out to be quite boring. (That said, I would like to point out I just happen to like the name Molly, and this has nothing to do with the OB member. >_>") *** The sun?s rays were wasted on Molly who, in fear of burn, would dash to and fro but rarely, and always in a wide-brimmed hat and floor-length skirts. Even on the hottest, most brilliant of days, she would sooner cower in a door well, for fear of marring the delicate pastiness of her skin, than enjoy the fact that it was no longer winter and would not be again for a long while. At the moment, she was standing just within the threshold of her own front door. The sun had mostly set by this point, and the streets were beginning to empty of people. Summoning a great deal of inner strength, she took a step forward, out, into the world. It was immediately after this that she remembered the step. It was not a big step, only a hand span or so from the street itself, which was not a very impressive thing. It was uneven, stained, and frequently cracked. City birds?primarily pigeons?shat on it in the midst of their waddling, and the constant wear from several thousand sets of heals had not done wonders for it over the years. It led to even bigger streets, which were, ironically, cleaner, because the carpets were allowed there. No one walked where the carpets were allowed, except for the birds, who could not only stand fully erect beneath them, but were largely too stupid to know better. Overall, it was not a good street. But it was far more welcoming than empty air, when it came to stepping. This welcoming manner quickly evaporated, however, when it came to hitting one?s knees, shins, hands, and elbows against it in an act of senselessly violent clumsiness. Especially when one bit one?s tongue rather hard in the process. ?Molly, Molly, you are too stupid for words,? she told herself, reaching for a favourite book temporarily lost to the cobblestones. ?And,? as she dusted off her skirts, ?you shall very soon be getting yourself killed. I guarantee it.? With this promise, she turned herself about and shut the door behind her, being mindful to lock it. ?The question remains, however, whether this shall be before or after some foolish being breaks into your poorly-defended home and attempts to take from you all that is not nailed down.? She re-adjusted the position of her glasses upon her face and began to walk, boots clacking authoritatively down the street. Book still held dearly to her breast, eyes darting back and forth at the people who took little notice of her, if any at all, she walked for nearly five minutes. At this point, she slowed to a stop, in order to peer into the window of a store she had not seen before. ?And she fell unto a shallow love with that which she saw?? The words drifted automatically from her weakened tongue. ?For it was naught but an entire host of that which she most dearly adored?!? She emitted a little squeal of glee and click-clacked her way into the shop. Instantly, her nostrils filled with the delightful sent of baking. Her skirts rustled softly as she browsed the shelves for something to take with her when she left. Settling upon a small cake, the surface of which was largely dominated by cinnamon and icing sugar, she took a paper bag from the shelf and reached for the tongs. ?Molly?? She nearly dropped her object of utmost affection in her surprise. ?Ah?hello, Professor.? Remembering to smile, she waited for the older woman to say something. ?I haven?t seen you in several years, Molly. How are you?? ?Mostly fine. I just purchased a new home, only a few minutes from here.? Her former teacher appeared impressed, and declared as much. ?Thank you. Is?is this store new?? It was somehow strange talking to the Professor as another woman, and not, well, the Professor. ?It?s been here quite a while. Years. Since I was a young girl. I remember when it opened. You didn?t notice it?? ?I only just moved into the area.? This was a silly excuse. A ridiculous, foolish one, even. Molly had walked through this area every day for years while attending the University. But the Professor did not appear to notice. ?It was nice seeing you again, Molly. Good luck.? ?You too, Professor.? As soon as she heard the door close behind the other woman, she let her face fall into an expression of annoyance. ?What did she mean by impressed, Molly? It has been a very long time since you were in school!? Insulted, she paid for her dessert and continued on her way. She did not think she would return to this bakery again. And it was a sad thing, because the cake proved to be quite superior.

It's a neat concept, and enjoyable, in terms of events. However, try and avoid over-description. We didn't really need to know how glimmery Chris' eyes are or that his clothes are baggy. That sort of thing--it clutters up the writing and makes it lose continuity. Also, try and blend sentence lengths. If you have a long sentence, don't follow up with another. Try and strike a sort of balance, or else things can get dragged out. Very intriguing, however. So much emotion! : O

Moral decay, say you? There [i]was[/i] a time when it was considered entirely acceptable to be a member of the [i]KKK[/i]. Why? Because it was black people. Nobody cared about black people back then. Nobody cared about women's rights either. However, it is now socially unacceptable to beat your wife or lynch black people. Consequently, when things like this happen, people care. That's why you see so much of it on the news and in the papers--it's not that it's happening more, it's that people are caring more. Which isn't exactly what I'd call moral decay. So, society's moral standards are increasing, crime is decreasing, whatever you see on the news, but school shootings are going up. This is tragic, but I think it can be linked to the availability of guns and how trendy victimization is right now more than a total moral collapse, on the part of the whole world. People didn't get killed in car crashes when nobody had cars, or ones that simply didn't move too quickly. New developments give rise to new dangers. And you have people who would have done stupid, heartless things, regardless of when they were born, if raised with the same attitude--there is just more to work with now.

I think this mostly springs from Disney, along with the fact that people grow up having pretty much all serious media acted out by real people. Because, when you think about it, shows like Family Guy, South Park, etc... aren't exactly what I'd call serious. They're directed at a non-child audience, but they're for humour. So people grow up "knowing" that cartoons are light entertainment. And most kids don't give a crap as to whether what they're watching has any kind of insightful or artistic value, so it's kind of natural to follow through with that idea. Another thing is that most kids' shows involve some kind of magic/space travel/stuff that would be pretty expensive to not have in animation. Kids just tend to like that kind of thing, after all. With cartoons, you can make anything happen without being subject to the cost of special effects, make-up, and whatnot. Add that to kids not caring about the quality of the animation itself, and it's clearly much easier to create a cartoon show for children than to go through all that business with sets and special effects. So, since most kids' shows are cartoons, and kids are used to this, movie/show makers just go along with what works best. (I remember, when I was little, I would automatically assume anything that wasn't a cartoon would be highly boring.) Consequentially, most cartoons you see on TV in North America are for kids. Adults, however, can appreciate "un-fantastic" scenarios and characters, so most live-action shows are directed at adults, because kids simply don't find them interesting and it would be more expensive to make ones they would than to simply animate them. A show like, say "Friends" (lets forget about the huge cost of celebrity actors for now) has a handful of frequently-used sets: the restaurant with those couches they always sit on, two or three apartments, that tiny length of hallway, and that's pretty much it. The show doesn't really exceed these boundaries, when it comes to sets. And if it does, it's only briefly. So it becomes easier and more profitable to make live-action shows for adults, who will watch sit-coms, because they can follow a completely dialogue-driven story-line. Most kids would get bored, however, if there was no action in a show at all. Imagine a live version of, say, "Kim Possible". You'd have a huge range of sets, require a ton of special effects and stunt doubles, makeup, and whatever else. That's a big investment to make in something that might flop. So, most TV being for adults, and most of shows directed at adults being live-action, aside from a handful of comedies (which also play off the benefits of being able to represent a sci-fi as easily as a sit-com), people just get used to the idea. It becomes hard to break the stereotype, and since everybody's in TV for the money, no matter what they say (same for movies), it is far from prudent to create a cartoon series for adults that is meant to be taken seriously. And that's pretty much my theory regarding that. I think more people are becoming more open-minded about cartoons of late, for sure. When you think about it, it was considered remarkably low to be a voice-actor maybe thirty years ago, and now it's something that all the celebrities are doing, no matter how crappy the movie. With the growing popularity of Japanese cartoons, people are exposed to serious plots and messages through animation. My parents have seen a reasonable portion of the anime movies I own, including both the light-hearted (Totoro) and serious (Grave of the Fireflies), and I know my mom, at least, has developed a greater appreciation of animated works. (As a side note, Japanese live movies mostly really, really suck, so there's naturally a bigger market for animation there. I mean, hey, there's nothing worse than a low-budget sci-fi or fantasy. If you want proof, watch "Onmyoji". That thing stole two hours of my life, which I could have spent online.) Crap, that was a long post. o_o