Panda

[COLOR=Red]Reminder: Please make sure you state why you are addicted to the items you listed. There have been several posts in this thread that only give a list of items. Please take the time to share with us what about those items hooked you. Why are you addicted and/or obessed with the items you listed. I don't want to see this thread become filled with random lists of items with no reasons. Thanks all![/COLOR] Now on topic. I mentioned before that I was addicted to the internet. I am also addicted to watching and collecting anime series. I love going to the store and finding the limited edition boxes for a series. I then find out the release dates and wait until I can collect the entire set. I really do get a rush from finding a series that I have been waiting for. Most recently I found the collectors tin for Full Metal Alchemist and I was really excited since I heard it was getting very difficult to find. Needless to say, I love my anime and my collection. Now I am just waiting for Sakura-con so I can get into the dealer's room to spend more money!

Welcome to theOtakuBoards naraku the demo. Please be aware that we have a rules page that all members are required to read before posting. The [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"][U]Rules[/U][/URL] and [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?][U]FAQ[/U][/URL] can also be found on the left navigation menu. Also, we have pretty high standards when it comes to the quality of posts (ie: making them well thought out with care given to grammar). When you re-read the rules page it will make more sense to you. We have specific forums for discussion. Topics about anime need to be posted in the Anime Lounge. Because there is an existing [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=39612][u]Inu Yasha thread[/url][/u] I am going to lock this thread and you can join the discussion in progress in the Anime Lounge. If you have any questions please feel free to PM myself or any of the other moderators. Again, I welcome you to the boards and I hope to see you posting around the site. Have fun! ~Panda

I was such a tomboy growing up. I admit that I had my fair share of Barbie dolls. Of course they all were played with along with GI Joes and misc. Star Wars action figures. Usually she would be the mutant creature. Think "Attack of the 50 foot Woman" and you got it. I never liked the over abundance of her material goods. When I was little I don't recall Barbie having a career, just Ken, tons of clothes, cars and houses. Now there is a Barbie for every profession. I must admit that the Veterinarian or as they call it -- Pet Doctor Barbie -- is quite professional wearing her capri pants and mid-drift exposing top. :rolleyes: There was also the Animal Lovin' Barbie who came with her own panda AND was ready for "safari and fashion fun". I know if I were to go on safari I would definitely wear a short pink mini-skirt and gold lamee! :rolleyes: I never saw her as a roll model at all. I could never relate to her. She was just something to attack with dirt clods and be the villian in the war games I played with my older brother. She was incredibly rich, never worked and was a tall, thin blonde. Obviously being Japanese I knew I would never grow up to be like her. I do remember quite a few of my childhood friends wanting to be Barbie when they grew up. I am sure it was the idea of having the jet-set lifestyle and popularity. I don't blame them, that idea is very tempting. I just always felt that if Barbie were a real person she would be a total airhead rich kid snob. Life is easy and money grows on trees for her, not like the rest of us who have to struggle in life.

I am not one to really watch a lot of sports on television either. I love going to a sporting event, but being at home watching it on the t.v. just doesn't have the same feeling. I guess for me sports really needs to have the full sporting even feel to it. I think it's the energy that I enjoy. ^_^ I do have to say that I use to be very much like SaiyanPrincessX. I was obsessed with my Tae Kwon Do classes and going to tournaments. Loved the competition. Next to that basketball was one of my favorites. I am short but I can shoot 3 pointers no problem! As an adult I really got into sport rock climbing. I do enjoy watching the X Games when they have the speed climbing competitions. I just wish I could climb like that! Unforutnately my health isn't too good anymore so I have to settle for just watching sports now. No more participating, just observing. Which is fine. It also means no more sports injuries for me! Woo Hoo!

A weird dream I have been having is this re-occuring dream. I consider it weird since I have been having this dream for so many years. It has yet to be resolved. In the dream I am walking towards this old house. It is fall and the wind is blowing, leaves are falling. The color in the dream is very dreary. I enter the house and realize that this is the same dream I have been having on and off since I was 12 years old. I look out the window and I see a man walk by the window. I know I need to find out who this guy is. I run out after him and try to catch up. He is fairly tall and wearing a trench coat. No matter how much I try to catch up with him I can never reach him. Usually at that point I wake up with an overwhelming feeling of sadness and disappointment. The last time I remember having this dream was about a year ago. I am not sure if there is something in my life that triggers this dream or why I keep having it. For all these years I have never been able to catch that mystery man even though in my dream I know it is a dream. It's like I am stuck in a rut and can never get out.

I am in agreement that blanket statement of suicide being selfish is not appropriate. I think there are many things to take into consideration. For instance I had a friend who commited suicide because his ex-girlfriend from high school got engaged to get married. I felt that what he did was selfish. He left a note telling his friends and family how much he loved them. Yet didn't think about what would happen when his mom walked into his room and found him dead from a self inflicted shotgun blast to the head. If he loved her so much, why would he leave her with that final memory of him? On the other hand there are people who are slowly dying of painful disease and want to die and commit suicide. I don't feel this is selfish. I know I am biased since I can, first hand, relate to those suffering from a painful disease process. Pain is pain, whether it is physical or mental. Regardless of what is causing the pain the thought that death will bring peace and take that pain away is very tempting for those hurting. I don't think saying all suicides are selfish is fair. Just my 2 cents.

Welcome to the OtakuBoards! Depends on the request. If you are looking for someone to do some art for you it is best to post in the "Art Studio", Custom avatar or banner needs to be posted in the "Art by Request" forum. Basically post your request in the correct forum. I also highly recommend that you re-read the rules for the site. We have a very high standard when it comes to posting. Make sure they are well thought out. As your post stands right now it is very vague which makes it much more difficult to answer your question. Make sure your thread will develop into conversations of quality. I am going to lock this thread since the quality is not up to our standards. Please feel free to PM me with your question and/or if you have more questions on the rules of the site. Thanks and remember to have fun posting! -Panda

[quote name='Japan][COLOR=Navy']Panda told me that I'm going to have a blast, so I'm taking her word for it.[/COLOR][/quote] We shall have fun! I think Sakura-con is a great first time con since it isn't so huge you feel overwhelmed by everything going on. It also helps that this con is in our backyard so to speak. As for what I thought was the best anime convention has to go to Anime Expo. There is something about the energy that thousands of anime fans together that is hard to explain. With so many people there are also so many vendors and a larger pool of guests from the anime industries. Your chance to meet big names are higher at a huge con like AX than at a smaller convention. So, in my opinion best first time con would be going to a smaller local con like Sakura-con or Kumoricon. Best overall convention is Anime Expo in Anaheim, California.

Welcome to the OtakuBoards! The quality of your thread is not what we like to see on the message boards. As it is now this thread can be answered by a yes or no response. You have not set up this thread for discussion beyond a simple yes or no. I am going to lock this thread because of that reason. If you would like to edit in some discussion topic such as feelings of acceptance from friends, family or community. Something that will generate conversation amongst the members- I will be more than happy to re-open this thread if you add to your first post. Just use the edit button and PM me and I'll open it back up for you. Again, welcome to the OtakuBoards. :) -Panda

Welcome to the OtakuBoards! Discussion concerning anime needs to be posted in the Anime Lounge. Normally I would transfer this post over to that forum but since your post is lacking in substance I am going to lock it. Make sure when you post on the OtakuBoards you take the time to add detail to your response. For example, give reasons why this is your favorite anime, what makes this anime so special to you? Perhaps you can tell us a bit about this anime if you feel no one has heard of it. Just listing anime series or movies won't lead to discussion. When starting a thread the first post will set the stage for the posts to follow. If you have any questions please feel free to PM myself or any of the other moderators on the site. Welcome once again to the site. :) -Panda

I am sending my thoughts and prayers to all those in your community elfpirate. I know what happends when the media decends upon a small town for a school shooting. It happened in my little hometown too. Being a small community you end up knowing everyone involved. My thoughts are with you too. It really is a scary world we live in. Kids act out, sometimes they say things like "That guy is a jerk. I could just strangle him!" Is that a threat? Are they serious? Are they joking? It's getting more and more difficult to tell who is a real threat and who is just blowing off steam. Sad, very sad indeed.

First thing I thought of when I read this thread was "The Village". If you wanted a very simple life then, much like the movie, you would have to create the isolationist environment to achieve this. I know I would not be happy going to a place like that. The internet, computers, modern housing and technology are too much apart of my life and there is just no way I could find someone in a small community to make me computer parts and internet connections. Let's not even mention the lack of outside cultures you would be missing out on. No more movies, manga, anime or foods. I am also to dependant upon the medical community and I doubt a small village would have a Rheumatologist in town. If you were able to give it all up more power to you. I know for me it won't be happening. Not to mention that most of the land around this planet is under the control of somebody. Finding a place you can live your "utopia" without paying taxes to the government would be a task in itself. Unless you plan of being like a serious version of the [URL="http://www.conchrepublic.com/welcome.htm"][u]"Conch Republic"[/u][/URL] and secede your nation. The mechanics of something like your own culture would take lots of money to do. I am not sure if it is possible. Edit: Even if I were transported back to a time when, let's say the US was being settled. I don't think I would leave the city. Like I said, I like the comforts of establishment.

The last time this post was active was back in 2003! Please don't resurrect old posts. If you feel the topic is worthy of discussion again please feel free to start a new thread instead of bringing back such an old thread. If you have any questions please feel free to PM myself or any of the other mods. Thanks! -Panda

You are not a senior member yet so when you submit or re-submit art you need to wait for it to go through the approval system. The first two pictures that I remember you submitting: One of Goku on a cloud, the other of him thinking are both on your account. I am not sure what happened but they are both there. I did not delete any of your work and those two are the first you have submitted to the site. You may need to wait for the other moderator of the fan art section to answer the question of the non-deleted art that disappeared and is now back on the site. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

I had not ventured in to that thread in fear of spoilers and I just checked out the last page which shows how much the thread has taken a turn for the terrible. There are a few good posts but it has turned into a major spoiler thread since that is what it looks like people are just listing the endings. Just lists of spoilers and even a double post in that thread. Arrgh! Most of the spoilers without explanations and no spoiler tags too! I am not sure what can be done about it. No matter how many times a mod may remind members to use spoiler tag there will be those who don't bother reading those warnings. Of course by then the damage is already done. Perhaps a sticky at the top of the forum about how to use spoiler tags and when to use them? I don't know if those who spoil a series/movie realize what they are doing or if they are just being malicious to other members of the community. I would like to give the benefit of the doubt and say they don't know what they are doing is bad. :animeangr Edit: When I started this response no one had responded yet! You guys are speedy! Dagger, I think at least a sticky would help those who may not know how to use them but want too. It might help just a little bit with those people and maybe those who just don't know what the net-etiquette is about spoilers. I am all for a sticky in the AL.

Very nice Photoshop work. My only suggestion would be for the first image. The Lulu image seems like the edges are a bit jagged. Try using the smudge tool lightly around the edges to give it a softer look. I am sure there are others who are far more wise in the ways of Photoshop to give more detailed helpful hints. I like your work. The changes you made with Juu's photo is a major change from the original image. I really like the mosaic treatment of it. Great job with the images. :D

I am not sure if it is actually happening more now than in the past or if we are just noticing it more now. Things such as kidnapping becomes major national news if the Amber Alert is activated. In the past we didn't know that a child is missing, now it is national news. In a similar light I think violence is what people have come to expect from their news programming. Another thing is to consider your age. When we were little there was a lot of violence out in the world but as children we are sheltered from it and/or we just don't understand it. I grew up in the 80's and didn't realize that there was an honest fear of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. No clue at all. But as an adult I see more of all this violence in the world. On a local sense I have seen and heard of much more violence now than when I was younger. One of my classmates got shot in the face outside of the grocery store. We had one of the first school shootings here in my hometown. There's a bunch of crazy meth labs and meth heads here too. The criminals have always been around, we just notice them more now since they are on tv. Who knows. We live in a wacky world.

Ghosts: I like to keep an open mind on this. I think because I want there to be ghosts. I am a major fan of all those movies that deal with haunted houses and ghosts. If there is a program on tv talking about ghosts or have film/photos of ghosts I will be watching it. I hope ghosts are real, that would be very interesting to see how people would react if ghosts were proven to really exist. Most interesting indeed. Gnomes: The only gnomes I believe in are the ones that use to reside in my neighbor's front yard. That is until the day they disappeared. We think someone stole them as a joke. But then again, maybe they came to life and ran away...who knows. Fairies: I don't believe in them. I really don't have too much to say about fairies since I never really subscribed to the mythos. Dragons: I am very much like Bloodseeker. I believe in Komodo Dragons, Chinese Water Dragons and other reptiles with the name "dragon" in them. That is my extent of dragon belief.

[quote name='James][color=#B0251E'] I think that makes her page entertaining as well as being a place for her to muse over whatever is in her mind at the time.[/color][/quote] Why thank you James. Of course if anyone goes there today they may think I am out of my mind. Who in their right mind posts a picture of a shark riding on elephant? Me. You know it! I didn't start blogging until I opened up my own myO account. I have my own personal website but I would only do updates maybe once every 7 or 8 months. I found doing a daily update on myO was much easier than writing up my website update. Updating my personal website means I would have to build a new page to my website in Flash, upload it to my server, change the links so they link correctly...it was too much work for just a little update. Writing an update for myO was so much easier and fun. I enjoy making my blog very interactive. That would be asking and being asked questions. Many of the questions I ask are off the beaten path and really wouldn't be up to par to post on the OtakuBoards. For instance asking which you would rather have: a) The Emperial March play whenever you walked into a room? b) A funky wacka-chu-wacka 70's soundtrack play when you walk down the sidewalk? This type of question on the OB would probably result in silly, spammy posts. So I post this in my blog and the comment box is fine for a short and silly response. All of my friends and family know about my blog and can check in on it anytime they want. This way they can check in on me and see what is going on in my life. I am really bad about emailing, calling, mailing..etc..all my friends and family. This way they can keep tabs on me. The short update I do at the begining let's them know that I am still alive and kicking. It's easier than sending out that generic letter to everyone! So, to sum it all up: - I use my blog as a way for my friends and family to keep tabs on me. - Gives me a place to visit with online friends. - Allows me to have an outlet to unleash my bizarre humor on the unsuspecting masses. There you have it. Why I blog and why you must visit my blog. :animeblus

I am not Irish but I have always worn green on St. Patrick's Day. While in school it was for self preservation. It was easier to wear green than fend off the pinchers. I too have never been a fan of foods that have been dyed green. It just seems kinda icky. Salads can be green but eggs, milk and apple sauce shouldn't be green. Happy St. Patrick's Day all. :D

It appears we have a couple of different lines of questioning going on in this thread. Make sure you guys address both. I would hate to see the quality in this thread slip. ;) My first love. I would have to say that my very first love was a crush I had that started back in the 3rd grade. I had this huge crush and I never did anything about it. I think I had this crush for years and years. I mean, all the way through high school. Of course by that time it wasn't a major crush like it was back in grade school. It faded. Oh the memories. I don't think anyone ever forgets their "first love". As for true love, I really believe that you will know it when you experience it. When I met John, who is now my husband, I was 16 years old and I [b]knew[/b] he was the man I was going to marry. He is my soul mate and I knew it once I met him. Mind you we became best friends first. Which really is the important thing. Being married to your best friend is really an amazing thing. I have always felt like it was meant to be. Being with him always felt natural...normal. I have a difficult time explaining it. The best I can do is say it's like this. The relaxed feeling you get when you are hanging out in your bedroom, surrounded by the things that make you feel happy and comfortable...that is what it feels like to be with your true love. A warm, safe, happy and comforting feeling. That is what true love feels like for me.

I've thought about this question for a while now. When I first read this thread it made me think of the movie "Indecent Proposal". In the movie a young couple who are in need of money when a very rich older man offers to pay a million dollars to have one night with the wife. Having a relationship outside of marriage to me is wrong. That would definitely be breaking my moral code. Even if I were really down and out there is no way I would cheat on my husband for any amount of money. That is my own personal ethics. I respect my husband and would never go against my marriage vows. Now there are other things I have in my moral code which I can "bend" depending on the situation. For instance, I feel that lying is wrong. You shouldn't lie to others. But there are times when I don't tell the entire truth. Someone asks me how I am doing, I will reply "fine" or "ok" since that is pretty much the generic answer. Most of the time when people ask that they don't really want to know exactly how you are doing. Even if I am not feeling my best I will say I am fine. My marriage vows are set in stone. I will never change that no matter how much money is involved. But if you wanted me to, let's say eat veal, if you paid me enough money I probably would. That money I would then take and donate to animal rights groups like WWF. Take the negative to do something positive with it.

This topic really isn't going to result in quality conversation. First off we don't even know where you are. Your profile says you'll kill us if we ask. Seeing how we are a world wide community if something was falling in your sky the chances of finding someone here who happened to be in your area watching the sky at the same time are slim to none. Because of the very limited nature of this thread I am going to close it. If you want to expand your post to include perhaps a topic like seeing UFOs or something of that nature I will be willing to re-open your thread. Just PM me if you would like to do that. -Panda

[quote name='Generic NPC #3']Thunderdome is such a completely awful movie. :animesigh[/quote] That is what makes it so wonderful...Raggedy Man. :p Well, I grew up in a home with parents who LOVE going to the movies. When it came time for my brother and I to get our first jobs we both ended up working in the one and only movie theater in my hometown! I guess they just figured they would put us on payroll since we were there so much already. I have been going for as long as I can remember. I am not even sure what was the very first movie I ended up watching. I can remember going to see ET the Extra-Terrestrial back in, I think, 1982. I remember getting really freaked out when the guys in the radiation-type suits busted into the house. That is as far back as I can remember being in the theater. Great Siren, now I have Thunderdome quotes on the brain. :animestun

Please do not bring back really old threads. Before today the last time this thread was posted on was back in 2003. This topic isn't even appropriate for this forum any longer. If you feel that there is still discussion value in this topic please feel free to open a new thread in the appropriate forum to continue the discussion. Remember, discussion does not mean just posting a link. Adding in discussion about the storyline, animation production and such would give the post some substance. As you can see by some earier posts in this thread what was ok back then is now considered spam by the current rules of the OB. Due to the old age and poor quality of this thread I am locking it. If anyone has any questions about this please feel free to PM myself or any of the other moderators. Thanks! -Panda