Xander Harris

[quote name='Lord Dante']to be honest, i don't blame them fro trying to shelter their youth from what their ancestors had done. I'm not entirely sure that the sins of the previous generation should be passed on to the next.[/quote] I am against altering history in any way, but yes, the Japanese of today should not have to bear the guilt of the WW2 Japanese any more than white Americans should bear the guilt for their slaver ancestors.

I felt it needed a little less Galaxy Quest, and a little more Monty Python. The cynicism and irreverence seemed to be lost a bit in the translation... however, we can't complain too much, since Douglas Adams wrote most of the screenplay before his death. I liked several of the things they added, like the gun, actually going to the nose planet, and the things that hit people whenever they had an idea. It was a good movie, and funny, but yeah, I think that I personally would have liked it even more had the Disney moments been eliminated. That said, apart from what I thought the movie should have been, and just taking it at face value, I thought the love story and the actual character development (it's rare that a movie has more than the book lol) weren't that bad. Like I said, the movie felt like Galaxy Quest, and I liked it on the same level as that movie. But the edges were too rounded, the jokes too padded, drawn out and clean, and the flavor too sweet to put it in the same ballpark as something like Happy Gilmore or Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was a fun movie, but not a masterpiece. The special effects, however, were topnotch. I really loved the scene with the planets under construction. For once, special effects actually felt special again for a very brief moment.

[QUOTE=Xyandar]Thats an interesting poem! hehe I do almost everythin u sed Xander. I don't eat alot of fat, I read books, and I wear different hats=P '[/QUOTE] I wish I could take credit, but it's actually from Monty Python lol...

Why are we here, what's life all about? Is God really real, or is there some doubt? Well tonight, we're going to sort it all out For tonight it's the Meaning of Life. What's the point of all this hoax? Is it the chicken and the egg time, Are we just yolks? Or perhaps we're just one of God's little jokes. Well ça c'est the Meaning of Life. Is life just a game where we make up the rules, While we're searching for something to say, Or are we just simply spiralling coils, Of self-replicating DNA? In this life, what is our fate? Is there Heaven and Hell? Do we reincarnate? Is mankind evolving or is it too late? Well tonight here's the Meaning of Life. For millions this life is a sad vale of tears, Sitting round with nothing to say, While scientists say we're just spiralling coils, Of self-replicating DNA. So just why, why are we here? And just what, what, what, what do we fear? Well çe soir, for a change, it will all be made clear, For this is the Meaning of Life -c'est la sens de la vie, This is the Meaning of Life. M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations Also, we should all wear more hats.

Sorry for you and the girl's family, SpiritWolf. I'll pray for you all.

[QUOTE=Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f]Wrist cutter, none of the images you link to are showing up. The site you're linking to is blocking hyperlinks. This is the message I'm getting:[/COLOR][/QUOTE] Huh. Maybe you have a virus, Chabi. :animedepr It shows up in my browser fine...

Yeah, Chabi, those are awesome! :animesmil Thanks a lot for the textbook recommendation... might be pricey, but if I get serious about this, it's the way to go. I know what you mean about listening and speaking as opposed to writing and reading. I often had the same problem in Spanish class. That's funny what you say about the accent... I'm the same way. If I'm with someone who speaks differently for any length of time, I typically can speak with their accent... Have a good weekend, James Bierly

[QUOTE=Dagger]*blinks* I'm not sure what "most of us" is referring to here, but I've rarely had complaints about subtitles. Obviously the subs on legitimate DVDs are pretty much always excellent (unless they come from Toei, haha), and a lot of fan groups hold themselves to ridiculously high levels of quality. Are you talking about bootlegs or something? I do think watching anime subtitled can probably be somewhat helpful, at least in giving you a better feel for proper pronunciation & the way the language flows. ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] Most of us meant people I know irl... really, this is the first time I have seen someone speak so highly of subtitles... I always thought the general concensus was that subtitles tend to be more paraphrase than literal translation, and thus not a terribly effective learning tool... but you are somone whose opinion a certainly respect, so perhaps now is a good time to bow to your superior wisdom and stop feeling guilty about watching Anime with subtitles instead of w/o lol...

[quote name='QuincyArcher']Well i was speaking from my own experience, it really all depends on what learning styles suit you best. From my experience watching anime with subtitles has helped my japanese comprehension immensley. (In fact, watching with subtitles helped me to learn a majority of the Hiragana before my classes even got into that subject.) I believe that if you're just listening to or "absorbing" foreign words but you having nothing within your own comprehension to ties those words back to, it makes the learning process much harder. It's just like when you were learning your first language. you hear a word that you don't understand, you wont know the meaning of it right away. There needs to be some foundation to tie the meaning down.[/quote] That's probably a good point. I just wish the subtitles most of us have access to were better and less, well, messed up....

[quote name='QuincyArcher']Well if you do want to teach in japan you'll have to be fluent in japanese and nothing less, i hope you know that especially if you wish to teach a language in a foreign country. So learning second-hand wont suffice, if you are in college than take classes thats the best way to learn. I am currently taking my second year of japanese in college and i find watching subtitled anime as well as reading non-translated mangas to be a great study aid, not to mention entertaining. I say subtitled anime because it is much easier learn the japanese spoken word with the english translation when you're hearing it and reading it at the same time, rather than watching the anime raw.[/quote] Most of the people who go from the states don't speak Japanese to start with, but then they can only talk to English speaking people or not talk at all. I want to be fluent because I love to talk to people. I think I'd go nuts if I couldn't communicate in a meaningful way with people :animesmil EDIT: I would love to take proper Japanese courses, but alas, our college does not offer them :( As for subtitled anime and TV, I must disagree with you. As someone else pointed out, immersion is the key to learning a language. If I get really serious about Japanese, I should be watching things w/o subtitles. When you watch with subtitles, you are trying to read and listen at the same time. This is one of the reasons our Spanish teacher was so vehemently opposed to subtitles. When you don't have them, you have no choice but to listen and absorb if you want to have any hope of comprehension. Just my 2 cents on that topic....

Yeah, that's a great idea. I know one of the main ways I learned to read English back in the day was by reading American comic books. Where can one get untranslated manga at in the states?

[QUOTE=Godelsensei] As a tip, I try and make a habit of watching the news in French every so often, to help my comprehension along. Anime works the same way, when it comes to Japanese.[/QUOTE] Word. I always watch my Anime in Japanese, and Ifind that even with just a few lessons, I am already understanding phrases the characters say. I wish we got, like, Japanese news or something over here in the States, but we don't :(

[quote name='Gelgoog Pilot']UGH! The fan made books are still called the Necronomicon...what it means is that there was no REAL one...trust me...my book is called the necronomicon...I know its just a fiction book but it still has the name...so we have read the necronomicon because it exists as fiction... :animeangr[/quote] No. You read [I]A[/I] Necronomicon, not THE Necronomicon. Go here. [url]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/103-3490448-3537467[/url] Look at all the different books that are "The Necronomicon." All works of fiction, by different authors. If you claim to have read "The Necronomicon", you should specify which 'Necronomicon' you speak of. One book entitled 'The Necronomicon' is an encyclopedia of horror. One book which is THE 'Official' fictional Necronomicon simply does not exist. People can say they have read A Necronomicon, but not THE Necronomicon. EDIT: Since some books are entitled "The Necronomicon" one could perhaps say they have read "The Necronomicon" in reference to the title, not the content. Like I said above, one should then specify which of the myriad of books labeled 'The Necronomicon' of which they are speaking. [quote name='Gelgoog Pilot']And whether or not the other version repeat themselves for 40 pages or not...the actually reading can still be accomplished...besides that I doubt may people are going to buy a book they can read or hasn't been translated into a readable form.[/quote] There's a sucker born every minute...

[quote name='sinna']I'm actaully surprised that so many people on the ob have read this book.[/quote] No, they haven't read this book, because IT DOESN"T EXIST! What there is to read are fan made works that are all different from each other. Some are just the same Arabic text repeated over and over, because they figure no one is going to bother reading past the first few pages. Saying you have read the Necronomicon is like reading a fan fic called Star Wars: Episode 7: Leia Gets a Mohawk and saying you have read Lucas's script for a Star Wars sequel.

[quote name='Lunai][font=trebuchet ms][color=darkgoldenrod]And I'm sure that DeathKnight would agree with me, that even those of us who no longer fit into the "teenager" category, are still pretty heavy on the eccentricities.[/color'][/font][/quote] boo ya! Everyone is gloriously eccentric here! The advice I would give, is find out if she wants to get married BEFORE you do the proposal thing. I'm sure if you have been with her three years you will know that by then. Once you know the answer will be yes, find a time when she is least expecting it to pop the question. Girls love a surprise.

well, bloodseeker, that will happen if and when I am teaching English over there... I doubt I will be in Japan before then (although I would like to go to China for a semester... maybe I would end up changing planes or something in Tokyo lol...) good advice, Delta. I'll try to keep talking to the Japanese students as much as I can... That book looks really well done, Wristcutter. What books do you recommend for hiragana and katakana? Edit: *browsing Amazon* Could someone explain what the heck furigana precisely is? I'm confused...

I recently started learning some Japanese from a Japanese girl who attends our college. She is graduating pretty soon here, though, and I would like to continue my studies (especially if I want to teach English in Japan after college, which I do). I've looked into a few books and tapes, but I was wondering what materials those of you who study Japanese like to use? Thanks! To broaden the discussion possibilities, let's talk about language learning techniques. I know a few people here have studied such things at the college level (Lore and Siren are the ones that come to mind; am I right or do I have you mixed up with other people?) and anything else related to learning Japanese or another language. James Bierly

[QUOTE=Foshi Foci][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=Indigo] Fan service gives us guys something to talk about and drool over. I personally prefer full nudity like in hentai. [/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE] :animestun Well, uh, to each his own, I guess... I think that the one reason no one has really brought up so far is the humor value. In scenes like the 'Get Backers' seen described where there is nothing sexual going on but fanservice is included anyway I tend to get a good chuckle. It's kind of a sort of self-parody, methinks. Scenes like that are fanservice, but they are also kind of making fun of fanservice, in a way. The more completely random the fs is, the greater the humor value. That, and the creators are pervs :p

Well, I bought volume one. The good: Great humor, well developed characters, and an extremely likeable protagonist. I especially enjoyed all the little side comments and notes that the creator includes in the panels. I was able to share this with my little sister in junior high, and she read it 3 times in a period of 24 hours she loved it so much. The bad: w/o color it is really hard to tell some of the characters apart just from the art. Also, some panels are really confusing. I think I would like to buy some more of this some time, when I have money again. Thanks for all the recommendations, everyone! You sold me. :animesmil

[QUOTE=AzureWolf][COLOR=blue]Ooooo! That was really nice! I wasn't very fond of you before, Adahn, but that really bought me over! Great display of rhetoric: the truth hurts - really bad. XD I'm glad I wasn't on the recieving end of that one. I realize that sounds sarcastic, but it wasn't meant to be. I'm all for Holy Books, but I really did not like that final claim about God being a Creation of Man at all. Was it even necessary?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] I've gotta agree with you, Azure... Adahn's post was one of the most cutting replies I've seen in a long time... and I read a lot of internet arguements. It seems to me that this thread has degenerated beyond rational discussion. Chabichou won't be convinced that her arguements are wrong no matter what anyone says, and Siren has gotten real nasty, and has gone beyond simply trying to prove Chabichou wrong and is now insulting her intelligence and religious belief in general. Also, neither of them have the credentials to be talking about the textual history of the Quran in the level of detail they are. Let's all be friends, says I... James Bierly

Many of the people I know are bursting with excitement b/c of the NCAA tournaments. I got to thinking: What sports do people here like to watch? Do you/have you play/played sports? If so, which ones? If you don't play sports, do you have some other means of exercise? Myself, I don't really follow sports much, although I'll watch the olympics and the occasional bit of hockey. I went out for football for about 3 days in Junior High, before I got injured and quit. I was in basketball a whole season that same year... but I really, really sucked at it. Nowadays, if I want exercise, I take a walk, or if I am feeling especially energetic, go running. But me and organized sports have parted ways a long time ago... On an interesting side note, I have found that the kinds of people who go out for cross-country and wrestling are the kinds of people I am more apt to be friends with. It's astounding how many of my friends in life have been cross-country runners... How about you folks? James Bierly

I find the media circus and the vicious rhetoric from both sides of the aisle to be appalling. This is a complex case, not a black and white issue of good versus evil. The conservative side has turned a heart-wrenching case into 'symbol of the struggle for the right-to-life' (Cal Thomas said something to this effect in his latest column) and thereby linking it to abortion and other right-to-life issues. The left takes the case and makes it into a symbol of the sovereignty of the individual over her own body versus the wishes of quasi-evil conservative administration. The truth of the matter is that this is a real person we are talking about, a real person in a very difficult situation. I know I for one would not want to live in a coma for a decade. I would rather die. However, death by starvation is an equally horrific fate. It seems to me that the most humane option is the one that is both illegal and, according to some, morally reprehensible: chemically assisted suicide. It seems to be the least painful way to die of the options before Terri now. There is no 'right answer' here, because all three options are horrible. It's a terrible situation. The issue is complicated more when the motives of the husband are brought to question (I personally find his motives to be extremely suspect). It's complicated when the issue of states rights versus federal intervention is brought up. I wish people would realize that this is not a situation that gives people another excuse to retreat from objective thought and to spout loudly and proudly their extreme conservative/liberal rhetoric. It is not a case on which the future of our nation depends (for either side), or a clash between the forces of good and evil. It is a complicated and sad case about one individual person, in which all possible options hold both evil and good, and should be treated as such. James Bierly

[QUOTE=Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f]Sigh...The Mediterranean sea and the Atlanic both have salt water. It's not a difference between fresh and salty water. So are you stating that Muhammad performs some sort of experiment? He leans out of his boat and tastes [B]salt water[/B]? And apparently just tasting the water confirms that there is a [U]barrier[/U] between the two bodies of water? That sounds quite silly if you ask me. How was I playing victim in the beginning of this thread? When I try to explain what I mean when you misunderstand me? My intention is to clarify my ideas that's all. Yes, it "shoves a knife in my heart" when you twist my words around and use it against me. You keep using my past statments to argue my present ones when they are irrelevant. When I talk about metaphors, using my past statements about science to argue doesn't prove anything. I told you countless times, I was addressing two [B]different[/B] questions, two [B]different[/B] subjects. I said, that the sun can be interpreted as a "shining lamp", that metaphor is logical, it's valid. Then you ask "well how does that prove the Quran is the word of God?" It doesn't, that's the thing, I never said that it did. I was addressing the issue of metaphors only, so stop putting words in my mouth. You even go so far as to claim you know you know what I'm thinking: "You don't understand because you don't [B]want[/B] to". Great argument there Siren, and somehow you think this proves me wrong...right. :rolleyes: I've told you countless times that I posted chapter 78 as an example for Zeta. Xander said there wasn't much scienctific-ness to it, which is true. I told him "You're right, Xander, only the verse that talks about the mountains is scientific". You said "Any idiot would know mountains are embedded into the ground". You're right too Siren. But I told you, when I posted the chapter it wasn't my intention to use it's "scientific statement" to prove the Quran is the word of God. I wanted to show Zeta an example of what a Quranic chapter might talk about. Do I make myself clear? Why do you keep arguing with me about this issue Siren? It's so frustrating, I explain my intentions, and you just keep accusing me of contradicting myself, when I'm not. What's wrong with thinking I'm right? Doesn't everyone think that their opinions are correct? Don't you think that you're right about your opinions? I think that's the reason we have them. Isn't that why we're arguing in the first place? If I think I'm right, then I think you're wrong, and if you think you're right then you think I'm wrong. We argue for the sake of trying to get people to change their minds. Apparently because I won't shut-up and agree with your opinion, that makes me "self-absorbed", and "narcissistic"...right. Well, this "narcissistic" person takes the time to thank her lord for giving her life, rather than turning away in arrogance. Actually you don't.Siren, are you stating that it's a [B]fact [/B] that every single scripture, that every single book has been changed? The [B]possibility[/B] is there, but that doesn't confirm it. I never said the Quran is the [B]only[/B] book that's remained unhanged. If you work hard enough to preseve something, chances are you will succeed, we have also succeeded in preserving shakespeare's plays and famous novels. What "immunity to linguistics" are you talking about? What do you mean by that? Holy scriptures are more vulnerable to change because people might disagree with them or misunderstand them. The Torah the Bible and the Quran, were all at risk. But if the Quran is indeed the word of God, then it indeed has remained unchanged because God is protecting it himself. How exactly is he protecting it? Well he allows those who know the message to pass it on properly, meaning the orignial message will always be known, even if there are only a few people who know it. In regards to the Torah, if the copies in the synagogues are indentical to those of 2000 years ago, then you're right, we have no proof that it's been changed. Therefore, we can assume that the Torah and the Quran are in the same leugue, but only concerning this matter. But there is proof that the Bible's been altered, we all know that. How much exactly we're not sure, and we all have different ideas how much it has. Oh, and I took a look at the embryology site you linked to Siren. You were wrong. You looked to see if the word "muscle" comes before "bone". We all know the heart is a muscle and it is one of the first organs to develop, but the muscles I was reffering to is our "flesh that clothes our bones". The site mentions formation of the skeleton before it mentions development to actual body muscles. Hence the Quran is still right about that. Ha![/COLOR][/QUOTE] Hey, Chabichou... I went looking for more info on the scientific claims of the Quran on the internet, and stumbled upon a site filled with scientific rebuttals to those claims. Granted, some of the rhetoric has a decidedly Christian slant, but all the arguements themselves are based in logic and scientific evidence. (yes, there is stuff on the two seas and embryo arguements. Good reads, but way too long and scientific to try and post them into a message board. Hence, the linkage) [url]http://answering-islam.org.uk/Quran/Science/index.htm[/url] These arguements are more than enough to disprove, at least for me, the "The Quran is the word of God b/c it contains scientific truth that could only have been known through divine revelation" claim. Your only other arguement seems to be that the Quran is eloquent, but as we have pointed out, you could use that arguement to prove the validity of a variety of religions. In fact, you could use it to prove that a good novel is the word of God, for that matter. Now, I am not asking a rhetorical question here or trying to be sarcastic. I'm genuinely curious. Do you have any other arguements besides those two (scientific statements and eloquence)? If so, please post them. If not, it seems to me you really have very little, if anything, for your position to stand on. Have a good day, James Bierly

[QUOTE=Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f] When will YOU get that idea into YOUR "thick skull"? [/Quote] Chabichou. I owe you an apology. The "thick skull" quote was originally mine. I said it because I felt I was restating something that had already been said multiple times, but I should have said something like, well, "It has already been stated several times" rather than using the harsh expression that I did. I apologize for that, and for any insult or lack of respect that I conveyed through my choice of words. Good night, James Bierly

[quote name='Chabichou][COLOR=#004A6F']The Quran has been translated, but the Original arabic version remains. You can always go back to that as a reference. That's why it's importanat to try to learn arabic, to get the true meaning.[/quote] The same can be said of the greek and hebrew sources for the Christian bible. What's you point? [quote name='Chabichou']The only scientific revelation in this chapter was "have we not built mountains as pegs", meaning, mountains have roots going into the ground. I posted the entire chapter so that you will see there is a limit to how you can interpret it, mountains means mountains, in this case it is not a metaphor, because the verses before and after it describe nature as well. Get my drift? [/quote] So mountains go into the ground. Good. Muhammad could see what a two year old can understand. Big whoop. [quote name='Chabichou']Zeta interpreted the verse about the "seas converging with a barrier between them" as hell and heaven with earth between them. Sorry Zeta, but that interpertation can't be used because the verses before and after it are describing nature as well.[/quote] Congrats. You proved one of the minor arguements raised by someone wrong. I seem to remember there being several other explanations offered for that verse besides Zeta's, however... [Quote=Chabichou]I wasn't dancing around a point. I wanted to post and entire chapter, and found a site that had the translations of the Quran. I have memorised this chapter in Arabic and I understand it too. Sure I could go get a book that has the translation, but I don't fell like typing it all out. I read the online translation and confirmed that it means the same thing as the arabic one. I didn't post it before reading it. I could long. Honestly, since when was linking to other sites a crime? "Oh, Chabicou is wrong 'cause she links to other sites". Right.[/Quote] Chabichou, how many times must we say it to get it through your thick skull: You can't prove X with X. You keep saying things which essentially amount to "It's true because the Quran says it is!", which proves absolutely nothing. So linking to the Quran accomplishes very little... [quote name='Chabichou]Muhammad was given the words to him by the angel, but not just told, they were put right into his mind, that's how he had them memorized instantly. Someone needs to actually write them down, so he would speak the words clearly and they wrote it down, without additions or deletions even in the vowel sounds that end words. For instance the word for lion is "asad" but we could say "asad[B]a[/B]" or "asad[B]u[/B]" or "asad[B]i[/B']". It still means lion, but it could change the meaning of a sentence. Is the lion eating the deer or the lion being eaten himself? Even if the word order says "the lion is eating the deer", the change in the vowel sound could make the lion the direct object rather than the subject. But this advanced grammar arabs barely worry about anymore.[/quote] There are Christian denominations that believe the Bible was written in a similar fashion (I don't believe so myself, but there are people who do). There are Jewish sects that think there is mystic power contained within the Hebrew characters that compose the Torah, b/c they think every single word came directly from God. How does the belief of direct inspiration make Islam in any way unique? It doesn't. [quote name='Chabichou]They [B]were[/B] high and mighty, but I told you they were [B]changed[/B']. Humans put their own words in as well, and took out words that God said himslef. Jews drink alcohol because the scratched that rule out of their book. Christians eat pork because they scratched that rule out of their book, and they have the so-called new testament, which to their advantage has less rules.[/quote] Did you even bother to read what I wrote and quoted on this in my last post? If you aren't going to read what people post, why did you start the thread in the first place? I've taken the time to read all your posts, and even your Quran excerpt. Do me the courtesy of returning the favor. [quote name='Chabichou']Don't tell me they were just "minor changes", I've heard many chrisitans say that the old testament, which was the Torah, was changed beyond recognition by the Jews.[/COLOR][/quote] Well, I don't know what Christians you are talking to, but none of those that I know say that. And the Torah is only the first 5 books. The old testament has been added to by the Jews (in the form of additional rules, a few history books that some Christians don't count as scripture, and books with interpretation of the law for today), but Christians do not believe the Torah and other core OT teachings were 'radically altered beyond recognition.' Here are the sorts of things Christians [I]actually[/I] say about scripture: [url]http://www.biblestudylessons.com/cgi-bin/gospel_way/bible_preservation.php[/url] I don't expect you to read it all. It's just meant to convey that the idea that Christians agree with you in your assertation that there was a great Jewish conspiracy to rewrite the old testament is ludicrous. Using the types of arguements you use, I could claim myself to be a purple dinosaur, on account of the fact that I say I am, and many unidentified Muslims I've talked to agree with me! If you aren't going to bother to read what people post and take their arguements into consideration, if you are intellectually incapable of stretching your mind beyond 'The Quran says it is the word of God! So it is!' and offering more persuasive arguements, if you can't admit defeat on even the most minor of points, than I don't know why I'm wasting my time on this thread... James Bierly