Xander Harris

Maybe you don't actually have to say anything quite yet. Try this: don't sit really close to either of them. Keep your distance. Don't touch them or let them touch you. Be pleasent and friendly but nothing more. Hang out with one of them only if the other is present also, and preferrably also some other people. I had a girl who apparently wanted to be more than friends earlier this year, and I wasn't interested in her, so I just tried the above. It stopped at the friendship level and has stayed there. We are still good friends, but nothing more. Just try making it clear nonverbally that you aren't interested. If your friends are intelligent at all, they will back off. If not, then do what Lore said. She is wise. James Bierly

[QUOTE=Lore][color=#ff6600]I live on the IT (Institue of Technology) Honors floor at the University of Minnesota. Guys and gals, actually. I'm not actually in IT (there are honors liberal arts students on the floor as well), but most of the people who hang out in the lounge are all IT. Every Wednesday night is a physics homework party (they've got class Thursday mornings, or something, heh). It's a lot of fun, I love living here. duck duck, Sara[/color][/QUOTE] Yeah, that does sound like a fun place to live. Do you attend the U of M, but just not the IT? In my experience, though, homework parties rarely lead to actual studying, but do help the economy immensely in regards to junk food consumed ;)

[QUOTE=Panda]It sounds like he is not ready for a relationship. [/QUOTE] Yes. There is nothing wrong with deciding not to date seriously in college so you can have the experience of meeting and hanging out with lots of new people. Sometimes I regret not having a girlfriend, but other times I think it is for the best because I am always available to hang with the guys. However, once you have entered a romantic relationship, that relationship needs to be the most important relationship to you. It is selfish and cruel for him to want to live like a single and still have a serious girlfriend. Maybe, in time, he will grow up and be ready to be a responsible partner. But I don't think it's healthy for you to spend your life waiting for him to stop being so immature. Find someone who is willing to make a real commitment to you, and you'll be a lot happier in the long run. Hoping you find true love, James Bierly

Cancers are Highly emotional and sensitive: Well, I can be emotional at times, but rarely do I let my emotions completely dictate my actions. The times when I do are times I often end up regretting. I am sensitive, in that I can usually pick up on signals people are sending, but other times I can't. For instance, the other night one of my friends was crying about something, and I didn't notice it until someone else pointed it out. But I think partly it was because I don't really know her that well. People I know well I can read like a book. So I think I sort of fit this, but not always. Cancers don't like to argue or get into arguements I love arguing. That's why I like philosophy so much. But when arguing would do more harm than good, or harm a relationship, I tend to avoid it. Cancers look for Security. Who doesn't? Cancers are not risk-takers Depends what area of life you are talking about. If you are talking about physical stuff, I tend to be fairly timid. I'm not the first in line for the new rollercoaster, so to speak. I have never actually asked a girl to go out with me, for fear of destroying a friendship relationship. This needs to change. But in other areas I am willing to take chances. Especially in the area of entertainment, I am willing to try just about anything once. I think that's how I ended up being a punk music and anime fan, when a few years ago I was not interested in either. I like trying unorthodox stuff in my RPG groups. I'll try most foods at least once, also. I love trying out new food. Cancers are shy and not very sociable people Hah! If you knew me, you'd be laughing too... one of my friends likes to say that I can walk up to perfect strangers and talk with them like I've known them my whole life. Which is true. It's a survival skill of sorts that you pick up when you are both a pastor's kid and a performer in a small town. Everyone assumes that you know them, and that you are their pal, but you often only know about 25% of the people who want to have a conversation with you. Grace and Peace, James Bierly

[QUOTE=Panda] Now on topic: My favorite soda, which here in my area we call it "pop", is actually an Italian Soda. Raspberry to be exact. An Italian Soda has Club Soda, flavoring, half and half and whipped cream on top. It is very tasty and much better than just a plain old can of pop. You can usually buy them at coffee shops but I like to make my own at home. It's much cheaper that way. Ramune can usually be found in Asian grocery stores or at most anime conventions. It's some good stuff. I enjoy the orange flavored one but nothing beats the classic Lychee flavor. I really think the bottle is half the fun of the drink! I have a bottle of Hello Kitty Ramune in the fridge right now. It has the cutest Hello Kitty print on the outside. It just rocks.[/QUOTE] I love Italian Soda. They serve it at the local coffee shop, which is a great place to hang out, do homework, and talk to people, but I can't stand coffee (I'll drink cappucino, though, heh). The only kind I've really had is Huckleberry, because I like it so much it's hard to want to try anything else. Ramune, eh? Well, if I ever get to an Anime convention, I'll track down a bottle or two. There aren't really any Anime conventions that I know of around here, though.

I'm afraid of those little puffy white dogs, that look so cute and fluffy until they come after you, with fangs bared, barking for blood. They're sort of like the evil alien babies in Galaxy Quest. I'm afraid of ending up single the rest of my life. I'm afraid that one day my roommate will get into the bunk above me and it will come crashing down, causing severe injury to me and awakening we quite suddenly. I'm afraid of our cafeteria :p I'm afraid of forgetting to do assignments, and ending up flunking out of college. It won't happen, but I still have the occasional nightmare ;) I'm afraid of never getting to see the entire Full Metal Alchemist series or Samurai Champloo. .... What?? :confused: I'm afraid my computer will decide to commit sepuku, and it will let out a hideous laugh right while I'm typing a term paper, before emitting a belch of smoke and dying. I'm afraid of sitting here typing things I am afraid of all day because it is so much fun and missing my class. Ja Mata, James Bierly

Coolness is in the eye of the beholder. When I'm in Heemstra (my dorm), there are 4 DnD players in the basement (where I live), and three of them (including myself)DM. I can hardly leave my door without hearing someone discussing Attacks of Opportunity or Dragons versus Giants or somesuch. So my RPG hobby is pretty cool around these parts. Other places, not so much. Anime, again, depends on who you are with. One guy in the basement is like, the biggest Anime fan in the dorm, but there are other people down here who can't stand the stuff. Sara, your dorm sounds cool... a lot like a female Heemstra... for curiosities sake, where do you go to college at? Anyhow, conventional idea of 'cool' and 'uncool' seem to be very high school. In college, people don't tend to talk about each other in such terminology. Heaven's Cloud, you collect comic books to read? Cool! I myself always buy comics for the story and artwork, not because of potential resale value. But this illustrates my point. To me, you have gone way up in the cool-o-meter because of that. But most people I know don't read comics, and wouldn't find that cool. The eye of the beholder, I'm tellin' ya'll. This sketch is getting long, and I have a test to cram for, so Hasta Luego, James Bierly

I'm with Morpheus. If he feels you are holding him back now, just think how he'll act later if you are married. He doesn't sound worth your time to me.

[QUOTE=Kurai Ookami]Hey there people! :D I just wanted to know: What's more important to you? A career that makes you happy or a career that is high paying? Please explain why.[/QUOTE] Well, as I go back and forth between two choices of major (Philosophy or Political Science) I am faced with precisely that dillema. If I go with Philosophy (to be a professor, more than likely), I will have relatively low-paying jobs and student loans for the rest of my life. If I go with poly-sci my chances of getting a job out of college are good, and my earning bracket is high. Decisions, decisions. Luckily, I have my writing and rhetoric major that I am taking as a double major along with whatever I decide on from the choices above to fall back on.

[QUOTE=Ohkami][font=Verdana][size=2][color=navy]Fruits Basket eh? I haven't read the manga, but I've seen the anime.[/color][/size][/font] There's lots of humour, the romance is between just a few characters mainly and the sci-fi/fantasy is that the cursed family turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, and the cat.[/Quote] That sounds right up my alley. Lots of humour, a bit of romance, and some really weird sci-fi/fantasy thing. :D That's sort of what I thought it was, and why I was interested, but I wasn't sure. I think I'll pick up a book or two of it the next time I have some money and am in a book store. Thanks for the response! Anyone else want to chime in about the Fruits Basket manga?

While looking at manga in Barnes and noble today, I say something that looks kinda cool called 'Fruits Basket'. I actually have never bought manga before, just anime, but this one looked kinda fun, because it says on the back that it is an unusual mix of humor and sci-fi/fantasy and a little romance and such. Sounds funny. Also, I saw the anime of this mentioned on Deathbug's website, and he is cool :cool: I could use a good laugh. I decided not to buy it, though, until I knew more about it. I also didn't buy it because I couldn't tell if it was intended for girls or not. I wouldn't want to buy something and then find out it was a girl's comic, and feel my manhood slipping away ;) . So anyhow, has anyone else read this series? Is it any good? Would it be worth my money or not? Is it for girls? Inform me!

Imagine this: an alien from a peaceful utopian society comes to Earth on the behalf of an alien union trying to decide what to do with the Earth. It asks you to be it's tour guide as it tries to understand our planet. What places would you decide to show it on our fine planet? What would you tell it about the people here? What observations/misconceptions/insights do you think the alien would develop about the world? Note that this is not meant to be an RPG (since I posted it in the lounge, heh); it's meant to allow people to show what they feel is important/noteworthy/bad/good/distinctive about life on Earth.

I'd just like to go on record as saying yeah, Panda is the shiznick. Always nice to people, and intelligent, and executes her duties with genuine grace.

I just don't get why he thinks anyone would care to run his life. Most people have enough trouble with their own. Humans with internet connections never cease to amaze me...

[QUOTE=Cyriel][COLOR=DarkOrchid] You know, this is actually what I did last night. I basically didn't go home until about 10:00 p.m. After school I stayed with friends, eating brown sugar pop tarts (the best kind - pure sugar), played some Soul Calibur II (fav is Talim), and hung out. Then I went to another friend's, made some pasta with pesto, and ate a pint (yes! one whole pint!) of cookie dough icecream while watching Lethal Weapon. It was awesome; I felt like Miss Congeniality for some reason. :babble: [/COLOR][/QUOTE] Yay! That makes me happy. I feel bad for people with such really demanding parents that they end up not being able to enjoy some of the best years of their life because they are working so hard and are always so stressed out. I'm glad to hear you were able to just relax a bit. There are few things in this world that a pint of cookie dough ice cream won't solve ;) Anyhow, I'm also happy you had a good talk with your mom. Looks like things might be looking up! *does happy dance for Cyriel* Ja mata, James Bierly

[QUOTE=Cyriel][COLOR=DarkOrchid] Basically, lets assume that I've kept a perfect 4.0 for the majority of my high school...and actually entire educational history. And at the end of my first semester of my senior year...some bad things happen. Like 3 A- and a B-. So...aside from calling oneself a moron, is there a way to break this gently to your highly expectant parents? (aka asian parents ;) [/COLOR][/QUOTE] This is not at all a trait unique to Asian parents. A caucasian friend of mine got a B in a class and got grounded for it. White parents can be just as strict. What to do? Just tell them you are trying your best. Also point out that a B average is more than enough to get into a decent college. And be really nice to them the rest of the time. Do a couple extra chores or something to keep on their good side ;) Try not to stress too much about grades. In 10 years you won't even remember what grades you got in high school. Life is too short to waste it in agony because you are not perfect. You're human, which entails a certain amount of imperfection. My primary advice? Chill. Take an evening off from studying some day when you get your homework done in school. Completely off. The books will still be there the next day. Go take a walk, buy yourself something good to eat, and watch anime (or play games, or whatever you do to relax) till you fall asleep. It sounds to me like you need to give yourself a little down time. Even if your grades aren't the greatest in the world, working yourself into an early grave doesn't help. In fact, it will make your grades worse. I think if you relax a bit it will ultimately help your grades, because you will have more energy and your brain will be less frazzled. Ja mata, James Bierly

[QUOTE=poo62.2] Another thing that annoys me about nerds is that no matter how hard you try, they will outshine everyone else, making your efforts look like dirt (i mean i academic prepossess) [/QUOTE] Yes! Death to the smart people! How dare they make others look stupid in comparison! If only the whole world were filled with dumb people, it would be so much better. Just think: if there were no smart people you wouldn't have been able to come on the computer and give your opinion on this topic.

I think in the way it is sometimes broadly nerd is a label applicable to anyone passionate about something besides sports in high school. Classically, however, a nerd is a guy with a flanel shirt w/one pocket on the front that has his pen. He typically has glasses that are so thick they could stop bullets. He spends his life with computers, and can make them dance, sing, roll over and take out the trash. However, he posseses the social skills of a frog. That's what I think most people think of when they think nerd. Kind of like a smart Napolean Dynamite. But Bill Gates was a nerd and got rich. So now all of a sudden there are all these girls that think nerd is hot. Because rich is always hot in some people's minds. Geek on the other hand, as the saying goes, origionally refered to a sideshow performer who would bite off the heads of live chickens for the amusement of drunk yokels. Ja Mata, James Bierly

I am about a quarter Irish, a quarter English, a quarter French and a quarter German.

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]I guess the two major genres are shoujo and shounen. Shoujo is anime aimed at girls, and includes such sub-genres as boys' love and (most) magical girl shows. Shounen is anime aimed at boys, and includes stuff like virtually all mecha series and certain types of romance anime. Another term you might see from time to time is seinen, which is basically shounen, but for an older audience. Berserk, for example, is a well-known seinen anime. Josei (i.e. Gokusen) is the female equivalent of seinen. Generally, however, you won't see people using "seinen" or "josei" nearly as often as shounen and shoujo. It gets a little more complicated than that, though. Magical girl anime--series in which the main character literally transforms into a magical girl for the purpose of either fulfilling her dreams or saving the world--are traditionally shoujo fare. Shoujo magical girl shows include Sailor Moon, Fancy Lala and Pretear. But there are also [i]shounen[/i] magical girl series, such as Magical Project S (a Tenchi Muyo spin-off) and Nurse Witch Komugi (a Soultaker spin-off). As a second example, you can safely assume that all boys' love (yaoi/shounen-ai) anime are shoujo. However, girls' love (yuri/shoujo-ai) anime can be either shounen or shoujo. ^_^;; ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] Hey, thanks! I feel a lot smarter now :cool: That was a lot more clear than what I was getting off wikipedia. Can you or someone else help list some more of the subgenres? I know that so-called 'fighting anime' would fall under the Shounen umbrella and would include stuff like Yu Yu Hakusho. Would stuff like Trigun and Cowboy Bebop fall under the 'fighting anime' subgenre as well, or something else? What subgenre would crazy stuff like FLCL fall under? Or do the subgenres only apply to certain animes (like boys love and magical girl), and the rest don't really have a genre beyond Shounen/shoujo/seinen/josei? I am really curious about this, as it can help me guide my further exploration of anime if I kind of know how to lump things together. Oh, and would you consider Love Hina to be Shounen or Shoujo :confused: ? Again, thanks for the info Dagger. You're my new OB heroine ;) James Bierly

I have been reading some reviews over on TheOtaku lately, and see references to various genres from time to time, such as Shouje (sp?) anime, or 'magic girl' genre anime. I am curious as to what all the major genres are considered to be, as well as which animes fall into various categories. Anyone want to help out here?

I think 48 hours is good, myself.

I've only recently started getting into anime the past year or two... I think I'd say I started watching when I was 18... First Anime was Cowboy Bebop. Current favorites are Love Hina and Escaflowne...

I like rock... it is fun. But I doubt that everyone who likes Anime likes rock music... I don't really see how the two go together. A lot of Anime uses orchestral music and pop music primarily, and Cowboy Bebop uses Jazz. I think perhaps 'all Anime fans can enjoy music that isn't in the language they speak' might be a somewhat more factual statement. Still, I have a hard time saying that everyone who likes one thing will automatically like another.

Hmmm. The nature of the thread has changed... I like gals who like the same things I do, but with enough differences to keep life interesting. I like girls with cute smiles, lively eyes, and unique/thoughtfull outlooks on life. I like girls with quirky senses of humor. I like girls who are musical, artistic, creative etc. Most of all I like girls who are really smart and can talk about all sorts of things but who are not full of themselves and concieted. I like girls who are in control of themselves and their lives, but can still let their hair down have a good time within the limits they set for themselves. I like girls who have not lost touch with their sense of play and whimsical fun, but who also live in reality.