Panda

I eat meat. I went for many, many years without eating beef after seeing a video on a few of the methods used to slaughter the cattle. Even today I rarely have a hamburger and I can't even remember the last time I ate steak! Pretty much a chicken and fish eater. I am totally against cruelty to animals and believe there are humane ways of processing livestock. But animal cruelty is best left for a different discussion. I would have to agree with James about teeth. Look at our dentition. We have teeth made for processing certain types of food. We are made to eat a mix of things, including meats and vegetables. For instance cats have teeth made specifically for eating meat. Cats need taurine which is found in meat and they need that essential part of their diet. We have teeth to eat a variety of different things, so I eat both meat and veggies.

I have a couple of songs to add to the great list already posted in this thread. Hello by Lionel Ritchie. From the time this song came out I always felt it was really on the creepy side. Then I saw the video and then it really made me feel uneasy. It's like Lionel is stalking a blind girl who makes creepy sculptures of people's heads. Now there is a Starburst candy commercial that spoofs this video and uses the song. [u]Hello by Lionel Ritchie[/u] I've been alone with you inside my mind And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times I sometimes see you pass outside my door Hello, is it me you're looking for? I can see it in your eyes I can see it in your smile You're all I've ever wanted, (and) my arms are open wide 'Cause you know just what to say And you know just what to do And I want to tell you so much, I love you ... I long to see the sunlight in your hair And tell you time and time again how much I care Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow Hello, I've just got to let you know 'Cause I wonder where you are And I wonder what you do Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you? Tell me how to win your heart For I haven't got a clue But let me start by saying, I love you ... Hello, is it me you're looking for? 'Cause I wonder where you are And I wonder what you do Are you somewhere feeling lonely or is someone loving you? Tell me how to win your heart For I haven't got a clue But let me start by saying ... I love you Ah a great happy stalker song is "I Want You To Want Me" by Cheap Trick. I think it pretty much qualifies as a stalkers song since it is pretty much telling the person you want them to "beg" you. What's up with that?! [u]I Want You To Want Me by Cheap Trick[/u] I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I?d love you to love me. I?m beggin? you to beg me. I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I?d love you to love me. I?ll shine up the old brown shoes, put on a brand-new shirt. I?ll get home early from work if you say that you love me. Didn?t i, didn?t i, didn?t I see you cryin?? Oh, didn?t i, didn?t i, didn?t I see you cryin?? Feelin? all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin?. Oh, didn?t i, didn?t i, didn?t I see you cryin?? I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I?d love you to love me. I?m beggin? you to beg me. I?ll shine up the old brown shoes, put on a brand-new shirt. I?ll get home early from work if you say that you love me. Didn?t i, didn?t i, didn?t I see you cryin?? Oh, didn?t i, didn?t i, didn?t I see you cryin?? Feelin? all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin?. Oh, didn?t i, didn?t i, didn?t I see you cryin?? Feelin? all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin?. Oh, didn?t i, didn?t i, didn?t I see you cryin?? I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I?d love you to love me. I?m beggin? you to beg me. I want you to want me. I want you to want me. I want you to want me. I want you to want me.

Welcome to [u][url="http://www.moses-lake.com/index.html"]Moses Lake, Washington's Great Escape![/url][/u] I figure they mean when you are here it is a "great escape" when you can get away! My little hometown of Moses Lake is pretty much in the center of the state of Washington. Unlike what many people think of the "Evergreen State" we do not have trees. We are also known as "The Desert Oasis". Sagebrush and scrub land is pretty much what we have here. Moses Lake is very popular for it's warm weather and great activities for the outdoorsman. Fishing, hunting, rock climbing, water sports, sand dunes for ATVs...if you like being in the outdoors there is plenty to do here. -Mostly a farming communtiy in this rural area. Lots of family farms and ranches. We did have a mad cow here. It was butchered before they realized it was sick. Of course the place that butchered it also had a beefalo (cow/buffalo crossbred) escape and end up on Interstate 90 which clogged up traffic for a while. -We have an ill-tempered emu that runs wild near the airport. -Approximately 16,000 residents. Here are some tidbits about my hometown. -Japan Airlines has it's flight training school here. My dad works there! -A episode of the television show "Unsolved Mysteries" was solved here. It was about a guy who "kidnapped" his teenage girlfriend. He was found working at K-Mart in the automotive department. She worked as a desk clerk at a local hotel. -The airport has one of the largest runways in North America. We are actually one of the emergency landing areas for the Space Shuttle. -When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 we got the majority of the ash. The farmers loved it since it enriched the farm soil. -The airport scene for "Die Hard 2" was filmed here. -The movie "Always" filmed scenes here. -We had one of the first school shootings here, it's like we started the trend. Back in 1996 a kid freak out and kill his teacher and 2 students, wounding a few others. -During the Cold War we had Titan missiles here. You can still go out to the empty missile silos and climb around in them. Lots of urban legends surround that place. -In the near by town of Lind, Washington they have an annual Combine Demo Derby. They take these huge combines that are normally used to harvest crops and smash them up. It is a yearly event people travel miles to see. And the most important reason my hometown is special: I live here! ::strikes pose:: Well, nothing as exciting as the rest of you who live in big cities with great museums, cultural events and historical sites. Small town in the middle of nowhere. Nothing amazing ever happens here. I know, I sound like Naota from FLCL.

[QUOTE=Baron Samedi][size=1]When I point up it's bright, but when I point down it's dark. What am I?[/size][/QUOTE] You are a lightswitch! Now since it is almost 3:30am here. I am going to post my riddle and put the answer under a spoiler tag. I am sure someone will try an answer this one before I get back to check on the responses. No cheating, be honest and try to answer it then look at the correct answer. Hopefully this one hasn't been asked yet! Different lights do make me strange, thus into different sizes I will change. What am I? Answer: [spoiler]YOU BETTER NOT BE CHEATING! Now if you really want to know the answer it is the pupil of the eye. Bright light or dim light will make it change sizes.[/spoiler] I am off to sleep...zzzz :sleep:

To mod or not to mod, that is the question. I was very honored to be asked to moderate the Otaku Lounge. Just like Sara I have a soft spot for this quirky forum. Ups and downs I am here for the ride. If there were someone else who is qualified to take over my position and I were no longer able to moderate the OL, I would hand over my Mod Rod to the next in line. This forum is difficult to moderate since it is the off topic forum. Relationship help threads, politics, and religion to more lighthearted topics like favorite sodas, dreams and questions about favorite childhood toys- the Otaku Lounge has it all. However long my moderator status is active I am very proud to say I was on the moderator staff here on the OB. Besides working on the OB I am also a moderator for a corporate run anime website. That is a completely different world than the OB. Corporate message boards have a feel to them that all members are possible customers so they let them get away with almost anything. Except things that threaten the corporation itself of course. I really do enjoy being here much more than over there. Some rules are very strict there but posts can be very spammy. Oh so very spammy. Now I totally agree with what many of you have stated in this thread already about some people seeing the Mod position as being oh-so powerful. It is easy to over look the negatives. The angry people PMing you or trying to flame you in the forums for some decision you made concerning their post or thread. At times it is very difficult not to let it get under your skin. There is also the repetition of having to close, in the case of the OL, all the "Hi, I am new here!" threads. It is totally understandable where the burn out comes from. My theory on being a moderator for the Otaku Lounge, or any message board, is to have moderation on moderation. This statement is two-fold: First, don't let the mod job control your life. Everyone has a life and responsibilities outside the message board. Don't put aside things like family obligations and homework to attend to a message board. You have a responsibility to the boards, but also to your offline life. Second, don't go on a power trip just because you are a mod. You need to make sure the members abide by the rules of the site but mods need to remember to do this tactfully. There is always that "special" member who gets under the skin of a mod. It would be very easy to slip down to their level and start flaming back, but all moderators need to lead by example. There is much responsibility in being a moderator. It is definitely not a decision someone should make without thinking about the big picture. Good and bad, be ready for it all.

That is just sad. I can understand her being a bit concerned over the cookies, but taking them to court. She may have won in court but I am sure this lady won't be invited to any neighborhood BBQ's! On the topic of the bizarre nature of the judical system I have a perfect example. One of my close friend's lost her father because he was hit by a drunk driver. Her dad was out jogging and was hit by a drunk in a pick-up truck. The man had 3 previous DWI's and his license suspended. When that jerk hit my friend's dad it broke the side mirror off of his truck. The drunk ended up taking off. My friend's dad ended up on the side of the road in a ditch, too far off the road to be seen by passing cars. When they found him he had bled to death. From what we understand they said if he would of had help right away he would be alive today. But because he didn't get help right away, he died. The grand total of the drunk guy's stay in prison for killing a man, hit-and-run, DWI, DWLS and who knows how many other crimes? An entire 6 months. It just makes you sick doesn't it.

[QUOTE=Altron]*finishes chewing the mouthful* "Oh! Very good. I like mine medium rare. And it almost tastes like chicken."[/QUOTE] My leg!! Oh the horror!! :eek: Now really, has anyone ever seen this beverage in the stores? I stumbled across Panda Soda one day, the image that is, but I have no info about whether they still make it or where it is even from. Any info I would love to have. I must try this soda!! [quote name='Dark Serena']Has anyone heard of Hansen's natural soda?[/quote] Why yes, I have heard of this all natural soda. One of my friends is really into going to buy food at the co-op and living all natural. I saw it there while shopping with her. I remember thinking that the flavors sounded interesting. A nice change from all the heavy sugar generic sodas out there. I should have bought a few to try out. Maybe I will next time I go to the co-op. Now tonight I tried the new Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. I have to say that if you really like Dr. Pepper and cherry flavor you will enjoy it. I can't taste any vanilla flavor at all. It starts out with a strong Dr. Pepper flavor and leaves you with the cherry after taste. It is very sweet tasting. I am drinking this as my dessert. To me it is a sipping drink. It does not taste like a diet soda since it doesn't have that nasty after taste and is very sweet. I like it. I give it a thumbs up!

As mentioned before in this thread high school is the most stressful time in your life, then you graduate and realize college is the most stressful time in you life. Then you graduate again then realize the working world is the most stressful. So on and so forth until the end of time. Basically it comes down to life being stressful. Try not to miss the important things like having fun. High school for me was stressful but it was also filled with many wonderful times with friends. Don't forget to take some time out from the studies to have fun.

[quote name='Rei_Man']Panda - Would I be right in saying a vicar?[/quote] Yup, you can also answer that riddle with any one who "marries" couples including judges.

Well I am happy you got some Ramune Sara! It's not my favorite soda ever but the bottle has got to be one of the coolest ever. It's gotta be the marble. Now I have a question. Has anyone had this soda, pop, soda pop, soft drink or carbonated beverage? (Everyone calls it something different, so I thought I would cover my bases.) [center][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/Panda_chan_/drink.jpg[/IMG] Nothing says refreshment like a Panda![/center] I was wondering if anyone has seen this drink? Or better yet actually enjoyed this beverage? How good does a Panda taste?

Baron: There are three generations. Grandpa, Dad and son. The grandpa and dad are both fathers, the dad and son are both sons. ^_^ Eegah, I don't have a riddle. Let me think of one and edit it in. Edit: I got one! I've missed a few riddles so if this one has been asked before just skip me and move on. Tell me now, if you can, Who is that highly favored man, Who though he has married many a wife, May still be single all his life?

When I saw this on the news the very first thing I thought of what this: [center][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/Panda_chan_/misc/bertosama.jpg[/img] I wonder if Ernie knows who his roommate hangs with?[/center] Do you guys remember the evil Bert on the Osama posters? This new "hostage" situation made me think of that poster. It's like they take these serious situations...rally to support their leader or a hostage situation...and make it into a joke by putting Bert in the posters and using a doll as a hostage. It makes it a bit more difficult to take them seriously when you see stuff like this. The confict is very serious and I don't want anyone to think I am making light of the situation. But by using Bert and a doll...are they trying to make the war more "kid friendly"? Someone needs to send in GI Joe to rescue the hostage!

[quote name='AnarchyMan']is that that soda where you have to go through a complex soda opening ritual with a peice of plastic? cause if so, the the korean woman who sold it to me was all like "be careful when opening that" why should i have been careful... was i in danger withouteven knoing it?![/quote] That would be the one. Sometimes when opening the Ramune bottle it will fizz up and make a huge mess. It's like opening a can of soda that someone was shaking. That is probably what she was trying to warn you about.

[quote=Drix]Welcome to modern medicine, Azure. Technological advances that keep people who, in natural physiological conditions would have died long ago. Let?s take a few examples of medical procedures that actually ?unhealthy? by your definition: -Any sort of invasive surgical procedure. -Chemotherapy -Blood pressure medication -Tracheotomy -Cardiac defibrillation -Respiratory intubations[/quote] Thanks Drix, I was wondering when someone would bring this up. I am currently on several nasty drugs that are suppose to help me by practically killing me. You know, the burn the village to save the village idea. I am currently on a chemotherapy drug called Methotrexate. Along with that a few other drugs which require me to be on birth control for my own safety. Needless to say several of the medications cause terrrible health problems if I were to become pregnant. One of them requires me to be off of the medication for at least 2 years (or take other drugs) in order for it to be out of my system to be safe to become pregnant. Nasty drugs. Over time medicine has been know to be used for other conditions than that of what it was originally intended for. For example. Hydroxychloroquine was originally used to military men who were suffering from and preventing Malaria. While being used in these soldiers they noticed their arthritis went into remission. Now Hydroxychloroquine is prescribed for people suffering from Lupis or Rheumatoid Arthritis. I am lucky to have good insurance with covers most of the cost of my medications. My birth control is covered because I need to be on them due to the drugs I am taking. One thing I did notice was my health insurance will cover a vasectomy but will not cover a hysterectomy. I am sure this is because of the cost of the actual procedure but it seems a bit unfair for women. It basically all comes down to what, in my case, the private insurance company is willing to pay for. I am sure I could find another health insurance company that if I paid enough would cover everything. It all comes down to money. Oh and on a side note Depo Provera can also be used in birds to treat mental disorders like feather picking.

Sorry your account got banned. This subject is better addressed via the PM system than the message boards. It would be best to contact the staff privately than open up an thread to address a problem. This topic will not produce quality conversations for the members of the boards to reply too. It is highly unlikely the other members will know exactly why your account was banned. I highly recommend keeping this to the PM system rather than OB posts. -Panda

One ghostly story that recently happened was an experience my mom had. My mom and aunt (her sister-in-law) who was visiting were sitting around the house in the evening. My dad had left the house to go pick up some dinner. My mom and aunt hear two firm knocks at the door. They look at the time which is right about 7:30pm. They were thinking it was kind of strange for someone to come visit so late. My parent's house is about 10 miles from town out in the country so my aunt tells my mom she better check out the window before answering the door. Normally people don't make the trip out there without calling first. My mom looks out the front window and doesn't see anyone outside. She goes to the backdoor of the house and finds their dog sleeping on the porch. Normally he would have barked if someone showed up at the house. Because he didn't it seemed a bit strange. Also since he was on the back porch they know it wasn't the dog's tail hitting the front door. My mom and aunt were trying to figure out what it was they heard. Right then the phone rang. My mom answers the phone and it is her sister. She was calling to let my mom know that their older brother had passed away. He passed away right about 7:30pm, the same time my mom and aunt heard the knocks at the door. My mom is convinced it was her brother's spirit saying goodbye to her. When my mom told this to me it gave me the chills. Creepy, just plain creepy.

How honest am I? I am honest enough to say I don't always tell the whole truth, and that is the truth! I do not always tell the entire truth. If a store clerk asks me if how I am doing, I know they don't really want me to unload how I really am feeling. So I usually retort "I'm fine". That may not be the entire truth. Maybe I am feeling in good spirits but not physically feeling good, but I don't think they really want to know everything. Now if I were told I needed to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I would.

I am both a leader and a follower. It really depends on the situation. When I was working in veterinary medicine I was a leader. I was never afraid to make decisions. Many of the times, especially during emergencies, decisions needed to be made quickly. I had no problem telling people what to do and how to do it. When put into that situation I was never afraid to take the reigns. Anything dealing with my career I have never been timid about making decisions and being the one in charge. Other times I am very content to sit back in the shadows. I can go with the flow and let other people be in control. I feel there is a time and place for certain actions and I know when I need to let someone else be the leader. I know I am not qualified to be the leader and my place is as a follower. I am happy being a mix of both leader and follower.

[quote name='Manic Webb']However, if there's one major problem I've seen with immigration issues in the US, it's that the government always targets the brown people. Canadians can hop and skip across the US/Canada border with no problem, but Mexicans have to crawl through sewage ducts. Asians have to go through hell getting to the US from over the Pacific, but Europeans can book a flight with no problem. When was the last time you heard of the INS busting an illegal Welshman?[/quote] That last part of your quote I did giggle at. I would have to agree it seems that those who are easier to pick out of a crowd seem to get, well, picked out of a crowd. When my mom immigrated from Japan she was 16 years old. When she got off the boat the US immigration officals gave her a new "American" name. Her birth name is Yoriko but that isn't "American" enough so they named her Dora. Her twin sister Noriko was given the name Doris. It always seemed strange to me that she couldn't keep her given name since it was too foreign. I have also been a bit wishy-washy about immigration issues. Illegal immigration is just that, illegal. My family all came to the States legally. Growing up I have been friends with many people whose family illegally came to the States from Mexico. I live in a very rural area so we have many farm workers who are illegal. I also am friends with many farm owners who employ these workers. Many people know that farming is lots of work, little pay. They hire these workers who are willing to do hard manual labor that others do not want to do. The farmers get work done, the immigrants get employement, it all seemed very beneficial. Yet like I said before, it is illegal. It is breaking the law. But I don't think I am worthy to judge the decisions these immigrants have made since I have not walked a mile in their shoes. What can I say, I am a fence sitter on this issues. I can see both sides and it really is one that puts you between a rock and a hard place.

[quote name='NorykoAngelcry][SIZE=1][COLOR=darkred]Anyways, one of my favorite drinks (which is hard to find around Tennessee) is Faygo! I love Red Pop and Rock n Rye is awesome. . Plus, Faygo comes from Detroit, Michigan (*sniff* my home *sniff*) [/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] You so totally rock! I had Red Pop Faygo for the first time this past summer when I was in Indiana for my hubby's family reunion. I had never even heard of it before then. I loved it! The nastiest flavor was one my father-in-law picked out. It was Diet Chocolate Cream Pie!!! ewwww!! Don't ever drink that flavor, it is really nasty. Alas, Faygo is nowhere on the west coast of the US, well, at least to my knowledge.

If you don't have to wear a tux I say just skip that rental and wear nice slacks and a dressy shirt. When I was in school the focus of dances was for the girls to show off their dresses. The guys were there to tag along. Usually the dances we had were so dark inside that details like who had on the expensive outfits versus the cheaper ones were practically impossible to tell. Plus, most of the guys at the dance, once they started to dance, would end up taking their jackets off because they would get too hot. So the only time you ever saw the tux was in the pictures. Speaking of which. Things I can remember that my date spent money on at prom. Dinner, a corsage and tickets to the prom. If you are the one taking care of those items you could always make dinner. One of the dances I went to my group of friends got together and the guys made dinner for the girls. It was alot more fun the going to some expensive place to eat. It was much more relaxed. You can also make the corsage. There are many online sites that give free directions on how to make them. The tickets, there probably isn't a way to save money on those. Whatever you do, don't stress out. It's suppose to be fun. Don't lose sight of that. :)

I am not afraid of tsunamis since I live in eastern Washington state. There is a nice little mountain range called the Cascades that is a nice barrier from the ocean. Of course that is not to say I am not afraid of volcanoes. In 1980 when Mt. St. Helens erupted my hometown got a ton of ash dumped on it. I guess that is why I have always been interested in Pompeii and Mt.Vesuvius. I worry that could happen to me. If you walk out into the field behind my house you can still find piles of ash from the St. Helens eruption. Now back on the topic of tsunamis, does anyone know how far inland those mega-tsunamis could reach? Can they go over mountain ranges like the Cascades? Not that it would change my way of life, I am just a bit curious. As if tsunamis aren't bad, now we have to worry about mega-tsunamis!

I [b]love[/b] buying gifts for my friends and family. I am not sure who is happier, the one receiving the gift or me giving the gift! I enjoy seeing the suprise on their faces and happiness that a small token can make them feel. It doesn't matter if the gift is expensive or just a knick-knack, it makes them smile. That to me is the part that makes me happy. On the other hand when I receive gifts I feel like they shouldn't have spent the money on me. I would rather them get something for themselves than spend it on me. I really appreciate the gift and it makes me feel really special, but I feel funny being on the receiving end of the gift giving. I know it is a double standard but that is how I feel. I think I get this from my parents. They always gave gifts to people and never expected anything in return. So whenever they got anything it felt like they were very honored by the gift. Little things matter, no matter what the price of the gift it is very special that someone is thinking about you. I think that is what makes giving gifts so special to me. That is also what makes me feel so overwhelmed when receiving a gift. Someone actually cares about me enough to buy a gift.

[QUOTE=DarkOtakuBoy] [I]What happened in 1961 that will not happen again for over 4000 years? [/I][/QUOTE] The date will read the same upside down. If you take "1961" and turn it upside down it still reads "1961". In the year 6009 it will happen again. ^_^ My riddle, hopefully it hasn't been asked yet. I kinda wandered away from this thread. Sorry! Here it is! I have two fruit in my basket. When I rearrange the name of one, I get the other. What are the fruits?

It's been definitely interesting to read everyones posts. :eek: I am not as creative as the rest of you with my spending. I would pay one million dollars to the person who could come up with the cure to Rheumatoid Arthritis. A cure for this nasty disease is worth more than one million dollars to me and millions of other people who have the disease. That would definitely be the best money I would ever spend.