Panda

Please do not bring back old threads. The last time this thread was posted on was back in 2003...and you just responded to another skateboarding thread right before this one. We only need one thread about a subject on the front page of the OL at a time. TheBlackSkater, please work on your spelling and grammar as well. We have a high standard when it comes to post quality here on the OtakuBoards. If you have any questions about posting here on the boards please feel free to PM myself or any of the other moderators of the site. Because of the age of this thread and that there are now two threads of the same subject on the front page of the OL I am going to close this one. -Panda

Recently TokyoPop and GoComics has announced that they will have 3 manga titles available for mobile phones. You can read more about this [u][URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/manga_on_mobile_phones/108/]here on theOtaku.com front page.[/URL][/u] I was wondering if this is a service you would take advantage of on your own mobile phone? What if there were more titles available? For me I don't think I would use this service even if there were more titles available since the screen on my phone is so tiny it would be difficult to see what was going on in the manga. I also love being able to hold a manga in my hands, flip though it and take my time reading it. With manga on a cell it just doesn't seem as relaxing to me. Manga for me is a break from technology. It gets me away from the computer, television and the phone. Having it on my phone just doesn't seem right to me. On the plus side is that you would have manga available where ever you have phone service. On a road trip, vacation...you get a craving for new manga it is as close as your mobile phone. It would also save on paper since it wouldn't be printed out. I suppose if you have a PDA or a phone with a larger screen like those ones made for games it would be better as well. I am sure there are other benefits if I start to think about this service. What are your opinions on reading manga on your mobile phone?

My favorite stereotype of Asians has to be that we all know some form of martial arts. This stereotype did come in handy since my brother and I never got picked on in school since everyone just assumed we had been trained in some sort of secret martial arts method. :rolleyes: We did eventual start practicing Tae Kwon Do since we figured everyone already assumed that we knew some form of martial arts we should know at least one. We are Japanese but practiced a Korean martial art. As far as the general populace is concerned it's all the same. Asian + Martial Arts = Someone You Don't Mess With. The only other thing I have done that was influenced by my heritage has been learning traditional fan dances. After all, everyone knows all Japanese girls wear kimonos and carry fans! [center][IMG]http://www.televar.com/~jkb/fandance.jpg[/IMG] Geisha in training.[/center] As an adult I don't think I have done anything influenced by my race. I am definitely not the "submissive Japanese wife". I am very vocal and I married a man with German heritage. Now if we ever have a daughter I am sure I would teach her a few fan dances. I am sure that would definitely qualify as race influencing interests.

How much can I take? I would have to say that my anime viewing is filled with a large range of different series and movies. Here is my short list of the "bursting points" when it comes to anime programming. -[b]Over the top cuteness:[/b] I can't watch things that are overly saturated with sugary sweetness. Just seeing previews with uber-happy music and hearing the voice actors dog whistle voices is like nails on a chalkboard. Unlike some of you I can handle the Tachikomas since I actually find them really cute. The Tachikomas to me are balanced out by the rest of the characters and story line. I don't feel like it's an overdose of cuteness. Anything beyond that amount of cuteness is over my level. -[b]Sexual content:[/b] I am not one for the graphic hentai anime series or movies. I would rather have a suggestion of a sexual nature than seeing things on the screen. Bouncy breasts, nudity and the occasional panty shots don't bother me. -[b]Violence:[/b] This all boils down to story line. If there is no other reason for violence it just becomes annoying and useless. All in all it comes down to the story line. If the story is not there the anime, in my opinion, will be a flop. I will overlook some animation glitches if the story line keeps my interest. I chalk it up to my suspension of disbelief. I can let some stuff slide.

There are several things that can prevent your e-cards from being approved. In recent days there have been several card denied due to: -[b]Poor image quality:[/b] The image used for the card is very pixelated and/or difficult to see. -[b]Just an image:[/b] Some people just send in images with no message on them. We do not put the text on the image. The person submitting needs to use a program like Photoshop to put the text on the image. -[b]Stolen greetings: [/b]Yes, it happens. I know this since someone tried to submit one of my greeting cards to the site again as their own work. -[b]Inappropriate language:[/b] The card will have sayings or language that is inappropriate for theOtaku's greeting card section. -[b]Poor text color or choice of font:[/b] Some people will submit an image that is mostly white with white text on top of that. If the text is too difficult to read because of text color or font style it will not be approved. Please feel free to email me an example of one of your cards and I can tell you why it was denied if it isn't one of the above reasons. I have never received any emails concerning this so I am not sure who you have been emailing. Send it to [email]Gail@theOtaku.com[/email] with greeting card in the subject line. I look forward to viewing your greeting card!

[quote name='Rules page under what is considered Spam on the OB']Double Posting: OtakuBoards does not allow for double posting. If members post a message and wish to post another directly after, we ask that they edit their original message rather than create a new one. The only time we allow an exception to this rule is if a member is posting fan fiction. If your fan fiction is too big for one post, you may double post.[/quote] Double posting is considered spam on the OtakuBoards. jblessing just corrected you on the information about how many post counts are required to attain member status. If you also remember when you signed up for the message boards that all members are required to read the rules of the boards. It also states in the intro: [QUOTE]Note: We ask all new members to read this page before posting. If you do not read the page, you are putting yourself at risk, by not being aware of how our site operates. When conducting moderation duties, our staff will always assume that members have read this page. As a result, members will still be held accountable to the rules, whether they have read them or not.[/QUOTE] He was not being rude when telling you. Under the rules of the site we operate under the assumtion that you know the rules. If you double post you are breaking the rules despite knowing what they are. I suggest re-reading what counts as spam on the boards since there are more items than just one word posts. If you have any questions please feel free to PM myself or any of the other site staff. I don't want you to feel like we are being mean, but the rules are clearly stated and we expect people to follow the rules. The OB is a really fun board to be a part of. Just sit back, respond to posts and have a good time. Member status doesn't mean nearly as much as the quality of your responses. Stop by the Otaku Lounge and hang out with us! Before you know it you will have the "member" status. First and foremost, have fun and get to know the other members. The title will come in time. :D

[b]1. Have you ever attended a convention for Anime Purposes only?[/b] Nope. I go for the anime and to meet friends I have made online. The panels, dealer room and anime viewing rooms are just the icing on the cake. I love meeting the friends I have made online. [b] a) If so, what makes you want to attend an Anime Convention?[/b] There is so much more to an anime convention than just anime. Just looking at the dealers room- you can buy manga, swords, Japanese candy, video games, toys...there is hundreds of different things to buy in the dealer's room. There is also the Masquerade, gaming rooms and chances to meet industry people. [b] b) If not, do you plan to attend one in the future? Why or Why not?[/b] I will go to conventions as long as I can. This year I am going to Sakura-con in Seattle, Kumoricon in Portland and Anime Expo in Anaheim. Those for sure, possibly more. Have to see how the finances hold out if I can afford any more. [b]2. Have you ever attended any conventions that were /not/ Anime related?[/b] Only veterinary related conventions. So besides anime conventions I have only gone to work related conventions. [b]3. Assuming you would go to an Anime related convention, how much would you be willing to pay for a weekend pass for a reasonably large convention?[/b] If I have to pay to get into a con the most I would be willing to pay is $50. If I am not attending a convention as press I pre-register as soon as they post that registration is open. If you register early you can generally get better prices than at the door. I would highly recommend preregistration since many cons will put an attendance cap on how many people they will allow in due to fire and safety codes. This happened last year at Kumoricon and they have put an attendance cap for this year's Sakura-con which is taking place next month. [b]4. Assuming you would go to ANY type of convention, how much would you be willing to spend on commercial products?[/b] I am assuming you mean how much would be willing to spend like in the dealer's room. It really depends on the convention and what the product would be. At a vet con I would spend money on work related stuff since it was, well, work related. At an anime con I general spend my money on items I can't easily find in my hometown. So imported collectables would be on that list. [b] a) On average, how much have you spent in the past?[/b] At anime conventions I probably spend an average of $1000. That would include travel, admission, lodging, food and goodies. [b] b) What's the most you've spent?[/b] Probably my Anime Expo trips since I have a great group of friends in California that like to go out and party. I spend lots of money on stuff outside the con like going to the movies, drinks, dinners, lunches, breakfasts with the group. It would be the above average price...maybe more. [b]5. Assuming you would go to ANY type of convention, how much would you be willing to spend on NON-commercial products (fanart, doujin, "artists' alley," etc.)[/b] I don't spend my money on the fan art or non-licensed items. [b] a) On average, how much have you spent in the past?[/b] $0 [b] b) What's the most you've spent?[/b] $0

I consider myself a pretty easy going person. There are some "buttons" that can be pushed to shorten my fuse. Those buttons would include things like making false accusations against me. That really annoys me. Otherwise I pretty much have a "let it all pass by" attitude. If something starts to stress me I step back and take a look at the big picture. For instance. Let's say some angry guy driving down the road cuts me off, flips me off like I am doing something wrong when I am not. I am going to be upset about this since I did nothing wrong...but what power does this guy have over my life? None. Is getting mad about this loon going to make any difference about what has been done already? Nope. I chalk it up to him having a bad day (or life) and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Plus, my life is pretty good and OBVIOUSLY his life must be terrible. If my life was as awful as his I would probably be loony too! In other words, I am fine, it's everyone else with the problem. :animesmil

[b]How do you feel about your appearance and what would you want to change about it?[/b] I am pretty much ok with my appearance. The only thing I would change is to lose the extra weight the medications I have to take packed on my body. I hate being as heavy as I am now. Other than that I am fine being short and I am fine with my other features. Even the large scar I have on the back of my right hand from when I had to have surgery to amputate a finger. Heck, even the finger being gone is fine. My RA hasn't caused any disfiguring joints yet so I don't have to worry about that just yet. I am sure when it happens I will just deal with it. Just need to less...round. The plus side to being pleasantly plump would be getting big bear hugs from me. No one likes to hug a bag of bones! I'm squishy. I really am shaped like a panda. (See banner below.) [b]And to what degree does your appearance effect your overall self-esteem?[/b] My appearance has little to do with my self-esteem. The biggest stress on my self-esteem has been my disability. Having an autoimmune disease that will cause my joints to disfigure and possibly loose function of those joints weighs heavily on my mind. Constant pain and fatique is also hard on my self-esteem since I am use to being very active. Not being able to do all the things I use to do has been hard on me. Otherwise I think I am a fun person to be around. I like to make others laugh and I think I am a pretty groovy gal. If someone is just going to judge me because I am a bit on the chubby side or arthritic then that is their issue and not mine. I am not going to let them bring me down.

It is very difficult not to judge someone by their appearance. There is this guy who lives in my hometown and if you saw him walking down the street you would think he is just some dirty construction worker guy. In truth he is the richest guy in this town. Judging by his appearance you would never know that he has money to burn. He actually paid for one of his long time employee's kid to go to college...tuition, housing, books...everything. He may not look like "money" but if you see the diamond ring his wife wears your eyeballs would pop out. It is a flippin' doorknob sized rock! I try not to judge people by their appearance but it is very difficult not too do that. When you see a homeless guy on the sidewalk drinking a 40oz of malt liquor it is a knee-jerk reaction to think that this guy is a loser and should get a job. Who knows what turn of events lead this guy down this path of life. I know since I judge people by appearance that I too will be judged. I make sure I have my hair fixed and the right clothes on to give the proper professional look. I pretty much dress in a business casual way. When kicking back I wear t-shirts and jeans. I guess for me it comes down to wearing what is appropriate for the event I am attending. I wouldn't wear my Sunday's best to go to a rock concert and I wouldn't wear an anime t-shirt and shorts to a funeral. Right clothes for the right occassion. Remember -- you judge, you get judged.

If you have ever worked with the public you have put up a front. Your boss wants a happy face for the customers so even if you are stressed out about school, feel sick, have sore feet and are dealing with family problems you have to put on the act like you are happy and pleased as punch to be there working. There are times, such as the one I mentioned above, where you have to pretend to be something you are not. A perfect example for me goes along with the "Phobia" thread. When I was working with animals I had to deal with guinea pigs all the time. Owners would gush about how cute their little guinea pig was and I would happily agree with them. My co-workers of course all laughing quietly to themselves. Evil co-workers and creepy little rodents...but when you are dealing with clients it is easier to go with the flow then explain that I have a fear of guinea pigs. I am generally a happy person. Unfortunately that is also a bad thing. If I am feeling bad and am not my chipper self people begin to freak out. Times like this I feel like I have to put up a front just to keep people from worrying. Even though I am normally a happy person I still feel like I have to put up a front just so people won't worry. It's weird. I was thinking I wouldn't put up a front to be something I am not...like a gangsta or something else to be a part of a clique...but I do put one up to pretend I am happy when I am not. I guess I do put up a front to be something I am not. Hmm, I guess I just had an apithany.

Here are my opinions: 1. An Otaku to me is just a fan of anime. They watch anime and/or read manga. I don't think that being an Otaku means you have to watch every single anime, know the script by heart in Japanese or dress and act like your favorite character. An Otaku is an anime fan. 2. To each their own. If you don't like a certain type of anime then I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Enjoy the anime you like and someone else will enjoy the other stuff. 3. Again, to each their own. I find nothing wrong with watching the "main stream" anime programing that can be viewed on American television. If these hook people then maybe they will seek out more anime that isn't so Americanized. 4. Oh boy. I have actually had a person try to compete with on my "Japanese-ness". It actually drives me a bit batty. So what if you can speak or write Japanese? Does that make you more of an anime fan in my eyes, no. Many people learn the language with no connection to anime so it really doesn't hold any weight with me if they are learning Japanese or not. Learning Japanese doesn't make you more a fan. 5. I see nothing wrong with watching other animated programing. If I decide to watch a Disney animated film doesn't negate my anime fandom. Watch what you find entertaining. 6. I think being a bit more picky about your anime is fine. It's hard to think that someone would find ever single anime appealing. I am not into the magical girl anime stuff but I am not going to knock anyone who does enjoy it. To each their own. Watch what you like. 7. Again, I think people will watch what they enjoy watching. I watch everything from mecha stuff to shonen-ai to horror based storylines. This of course doesn't mean I don't watch "girly" anime programs either. To each their own, watch what you like. 8. I have no problems with younger fans. I am friends with many anime fans below the age of 15. I don't think age has anything to do with someones fandom.

My 2 cents on the titles. On other message boards that I have been a member of whenever there is a "title" that members can attain via post count some people will spam their way to a higher title. I would be afraid that if the "title for post count" came back that this would incourage quanity over quality posts just for a title. I think having the custom title area for members is enough to fulfill that need for some sort of member title.

I feel online that we are pretty evenly split between guys and girls. But my experience at conventions has been that I feel outnumbered by the boys. In my group of friends from Robotech.com there are about 10 of us girls to about 30+ guys. I am sure it is because of the age group of the fandom. Back in the day (the mid-1980's) most girls were not into anime. It really was something that was more of a guy thing. Nowadays looking at the fandom, like the Inu Yasha fandom, there are both guys and girls...dare I say, an even mix of both genders. The nice thing about my core group of friends at cons is the fact these Robotech boys fawn over us girls like we are gold. It does make me feel special. :D

Hey, there is an evil guinea pig picture too. I figured if I was going to post that evil doll picture I would post an evil guinea pig picture. It's only fair after all. Creepy, creepy, CREEPY! If I end up murdered, you know it was the doll that did it! I did think of another semi-phobia I have. I am a bit afraid of water. When I was little I almost drowned so I am very careful when swimming. I never swim alone and I always keep an eye on where the edge of the pool is. You will never find me just hanging out in the middle of the deep end of a swimming pool. I very rarely use a diving board either since jumping into the pool off a diving board will send you fairly far down into the pool. That brings back a very bad memory of being at the bottom of the swimming pool drowning. Nope, don't like water. I would much rather be climbing rocks than swimming. Heights > Water.

Hopefully she can petition the school board about it. After all if innocent accidents like this happen again all the school board has done is re-enforce to the kids that telling the truth will get you in trouble. It's going to make kids hide stuff instead of being open and honest. Zero tolerence is basically shooting the school in the foot. They really do need to look at the big picture. This girl was never in trouble and she was honest. Honesty in her case appparently wasn't the best policy. This is the lesson they have now taught to the other students.

[quote name='Sanada']I'm very much afraid of dolls.[/quote] Oh Sanada, my friend's mom has the ultimate doll for you to be afraid of. I am not afraid of dolls but this one I have made an exception for. This doll gives me nightmares and I run past it since it freaks me out. If you stand it up it is about 5 feet tall. Has long arms AND looks like a clown. The arms and legs are really long, they look like they will reach out and grab you. It sits in their foyer somewhat behind a door. So you walk in the room and when you go to shut the door the clown is sitting in a chair behind the door. I just expect it to jump up and kill me. Either that or I will see it sitting there, look away and when I look back it will be gone. Hiding some place waiting to attack. Creepy, just plain creepy. [center][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/Panda_chan_/misc/cloughdoll.jpg[/IMG] This thing is nightmare fuel.[/center] Now that I have worked on that new phobia for all of you to deal with, my phobia is that of guinea pigs. I really don't like guinea pigs. I hate the way they look so calm inside of their cage and then when you reach in to pick one up they freak out! In a flurry of sawdust and fur they scurry quickly over to the other side of the cage. They make that "veep, veep, veep" noise too. I know they do that to taunt me! Looking at me with those evil red eyes...waiting for me to touch them. Darn you creepy little rodents!! No matter how much I tried to work with guinea pigs while at the vet clinic I could never pick one up. I can hold one if handed to me, but I still can't pick one up on my own. Everytime they freak out I freak out. I would rather work with mean snakes and angry lizards than a guinea pig. [center][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/Panda_chan_/misc/gpig.jpg[/IMG] They're fixin' to loose a finger![/center] I am fine with heights, snakes, spiders.....but no way are you going to get me to cuddle with a guinea pig.

It is very sad when you have people who make blanket statements about anything. Saying that all anime is porn is like saying that all vehicles are motorcycles. We all know there are more vehicles than just motorcycles...as we also know that there is more to anime than the hentai stuff. I am like James and very fortunate to have an understanding family. My dad totally cracked up watching GTO. My mom watches anime with me and she gets really emotionally attached to characters. Like when we watched Grave of the Fireflies together she cried. Not all my friends understand why I am so obsessed with anime but they don't tease me about it. It is really their loss when they have closed their mind to something that they might actually enjoy. Their loss, not ours.

My first experience with death was when my uncle died from cancer. I was 5 years old and I really didn't understand the situation. We had gone to visit my uncle and his family in California, which later I found out that it was because it was going to be the last time. We went to Disneyland and did a bunch of family stuff together. When we made it back to Washington state we got a call a week later to say he had past away. We then turned around and went back to California for the funeral. The day my uncle died was the birthday of his youngest son. I don't remember being sad or anything since I didn't understand what was going on. For me the first time a death really got to me was when I was about 14. A little boy whom I would take care of in the church nursery drowned in the lake behind his house. His mom thought his dad was watching him...and vice versa. He ended up wandering out of the backdoor that was open to let some fresh air in and he fell in the lake. The funeral was heart wrenching. There was this tiny white casket up front with flowers and balloons that said "We'll Miss You'" and over the PA system they were playing kid songs. I cried my eyes out. At the cemetary they parents had a bunch of balloon and they cut just one free. Just thinking about it makes me sad. For me when someone who has lived a full long life passes on it seems ok. They got to do all the things they wanted. But when a little one dies, it just doesn't seem fair.

Oh my, the last time this post had a response was back in February of 2002! Please do not bring back long dead posts. If you feel there is still conversation value you are more than welcome to start a new thread about the topic. Because of the age of this thread and that now it would be best suited for a different forum I am going to lock this thread. If you have questions about posting or other inquiries about the boards feel free to PM myself or any of the other moderators. Thanks!

Ah, self-esteem. I suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder...which is just a fancy way of saying that I am a worrier. I worry about everything. I did go though a very bad bout of depression shortly after I had to "retire" from my career due to my Rheumatoid Arthritis. I am not embarrassed to say that I went to a therapist during that time and got on some medication. I knew it was more healthy for me to work through it then sit in a dark cloud of depression over something I couldn't control (ie autoimmune disease). I currently rate my self-esteem at a middle of the road 5. I am not very happy about the RA which has, I should say the medication I have to take has, caused me to gain a bunch of weight. That has been a major blow to my self-esteem. Other than that I am pretty happy about who I am. I try my best to keep a positive attitude and look at the bright side. I am still a worrier and I am sure I always will be, but at least I am plugging along with my life and making the best of it.

If I were the one who was in the coma I would want to have the plug pulled. I think having my family suffer ever day, wondering if I would wake up, would be too hard and sad. I wouldn't want to put my family though that heartache. If I were gone they could mourn and move on with their lives. Which is what I would want. If it were a loved one. I would follow their wishes. My grandpa had a DNR order towards the end of his life. We honored that. If one of my loved ones didn't want to be in a coma hooked up to machines then I would honor their wishes and pull the plug. If I didn't know what their wishes were...I am not sure what I would do. I just pray that I am never put into that situation.

I am definitely nowhere near extreme when it comes to body modification. I have my ears pierced twice on both sides. I did have a third piercing in one ear but it kept getting infected so I removed it. As for tats I have only one right now on my left ankle. I plan on getting another one. I want to get a panda (suprise, suprise) but I need to get some money. I love looking at people's skin art. I don't have a problem asking people if it is ok to appreciate their work. I don't stare and gawk. That is just rude. I think if people choose to express themselves through body modification then it is their choice. I wouldn't go and get those implants on my forehead or cover my entire body in tats, but I don't think it is wrong if some one does it. On the note of body modification there are also the people who do self amputation. They feel that their body isn't the way they like it so they cut off their fingers, toes or go Van Gogh and cut off ears. I am not sure about this, skin art and piercings I can handle but self amputation is waaaay to extreme to me. :animeblus

Welcome to theOtakuBoards strangematt. 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. We encourage people to introduce themselves within their posts as they enter discussions throughout the boards. We would rather that than having a ton of introduction threads. 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. 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

This thread, despite Adahn try, is not a good example of the quality of threads we like to see on the OB. A request for other members of the site to "give a shout out" would be best suited for your signature so they can PM you. There is also the "What's special about where you live?" thread that would help fit the bill. You can search that thread for people in your home state. Because of those reasons I am going to lock this thread.