Panda

The first one I didn't see at the theater but I think I might go see this one. I thought the first story was quite funny. The first one definately had it's moments. What I enjoyed about the first was the amount of jokes meant for adults. They were done in a way that the little ones wouldn't catch on but would make the adults chuckle. I never go into a movie with really high expectations so hopefully this is one film I will leave from being pleasantly suprised. :)

I really don't consider it an extreme sport but I do love rock climbing. Sport only not traditional. The difference between the two is that sport climbing is when there are already bolts placed in the rock that you can clip into. Traditional climbing is when you place your own cams and safety equipment. What I find really enjoyable about climbing is that it is a great workout. There is nothing else I think about when I am climbing, only climbing. Being out in the sunshine is a wonderful feeling. I have been out climbing when there have been some pretty bad accidents. Ones that the people have to be taken out by helicopter. Usually it is people who don't know what they are doing or just aren't paying attention. Climbing is definately not something you want to do if your mind isn't on the task at hand. The worst injury I have ever had ::knock on wood:: is some scratches and bruises from bumping into the rocks. Great sport as long as you take the proper safety measures. :)

Adam, I am still having problems with my site. My counter is still not working. I am getting signatures in my guestbook and comments on my posts. But still no change on the amount of visitors or my popularity ranking. Thanks for your help with this! :D Edit: All is well with the counter now! Thanks Adam! :D

I like more unique pet names. In vet med you see lots of people who choose the exact same same for a certain animal. Iguanas named Iggy, mice named Mickey and so on and so forth. I think having an original name is more interesting. I named my pets after some of my favorite older movie stars. Brynner (Yul Brynner), Heston (Charlton Heston) and Harrison (Rex Harrison). My cat I named after my favorite They Might Be Giants song "Ana Ng". The song seems so appropriate for her. Sometimes you just have to wait to see what name would fit best for that pet. A great place to look for names is in one of those baby names books. If you are in the bookstore anytime soon try flipping though one of those. What I like about those books are they will give you the meanings behind the names. Perhaps you can find one that matches her curious personality! Best of luck in finding the perfect name! :D

I enjoyed the movie. I was with a group of friends at Anime Expo last year and we watched it all together. It does make you think about if you were put in that situation what you would do. Would you kill your friends to stay alive? I did like the girl who was on the video tape explaining the rules...she was just so perky for the situation. It just added to the uncomfortable feel of the entire movie. The way she was acting just made it seem like this was all fine and good. Like the BR Act was no different than any other law out there. It had a Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" feel to it. I really don't know what I would do. It was a bit depressing seeing what those kids had to go through. It is interesting how through this "trip" the kids still managed to stay in cliques, confess their feelings for each other and try to be "normal". I do know with my luck if I were stuck on the BR island I would probably end up with the paper fan as my weapon! I haven't seen BR2 yet, I think I might try to find it at Anime Expo this year. I have heard mixed reviews on it. When I see it I will let you know how it is! ^_^

I too have noticed that the counters have stopped working. I posted in myO about it and had several other members mention that their counters aren't working either. Many of us use it as a way to know if we need to check out site for comments. Because it isnt' working you have to go into your site several times to check throughout the day for new comments. Hopefully this little bug will be fixed soon. ^_^

If I am understanding the question correctly it is if we only had 3 more days to live what would be do? If I am deathly ill then I would probably just spend it in bed surrounded by my friends and family. If I were healthy I would get on a plane and fly someplace beautiful and tropical to lounge on the beach enjoying the solitude. That just sounds really relaxing and a very pleasant way to exit the world. Just basking in the sunshine. Now in real life the closest I came to having that actually happen was when I was in the 7th grade and I had a major allergic reaction to penicillin. It put me in the hospital. I missed a total of 2 months of school. I think I hit my lowest point when the Reverend of our church came to visit me and talked about "going to meet God" and the like. I thought...geez, am I that bad that I need to have this talk?! At that point I thought any minute I was going to expire! Being on death's door was bad, but making up 2 months of homework was even worse!

I have been debating if I should go back to college. The major problems being money, time, my health and for what degree? I don't know, I will just have to play it by ear. I graduated high school and got my Associates in Applied Arts and Sciences from Big Bend Community College at the same time. I had my college paid for while I was still in high school so I think I might have spent a total of $1000 on books and stuff at BBCC. I was very fortunate. I then went through the vet tech program at Cedar Valley College. Worked in vet med for 7 years until I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and couldn't do the physical work anymore. So now I am working as an office manager for a Hearing Instrument Specialist. I work with senior citizens instead of animals. They are easier to deal with, they move much slower. :laugh: I miss not being able to work with the animals and that has been a real bummer. Health wise, this is the best option for me right now. ::sigh:: So this brings me back to wanting to go back to college. Because of my health I am not sure if that it would be wise to try to seek another career. Of course I did just get an email talking about making millions on eBay! :rolleyes: Best of luck to all of you while you continue your education and get out into "the real world". :D

::takes some crackers from ed:: Thanks TVE for the definitions there. I now see that I am avoidant. That just hit the nail on the head. By chance did that definition have my picture by it? :p I find that making friends online is much easier for me than IRL. It doesn't matter what gender you are, how much money you have, what size you are, where in the world you live...online you are all right next to each other. The playing field is equalized. I have made many friends online and even got to meet a few of them. I had to go to Ohio for a veterinary conference and it just happened to be in the same town as one of my online friends who I got to meet! It's fun to finally put faces and screen names together. Solo is right though, having physical companionship is important. I have 2 very close friends who are in my hometown. They are the ones I go shopping and hang out with. Sometimes you just have to take the chance on a friend. If you don't try, you may be missing out. At least you can say that you gave it a shot versus always wondering what would have happend. I guess what it comes down to is be yourself and your true friends, online or in real life, will like you no matter what. :)

Ok, time to spill my guts! I just hope this doesn't change your opinions of me...unless it is for the better, then I am all for change! :p I really love 80's power ballads. I will sing them at the top of my lungs while driving my car. Songs by Cinderella, Winger, Poison, Skid Row....if it is a power ballad, I will love it. I know they are super cheesy, but I love them anyway. I am a rabid Genjo Sanzo fangirl. :love: I have dreams about him! I think there might be something wrong with me and this obsession I have over an animated character. I think I am going to watch some more Saiyuki as soon as I finish this. I have more pictures of Sanzo on my website than I have of my hubby! Well, those 2 things are really my secret indulgence. I swoon over Sanzo and sing power ballads. Perhaps I should combine the two, sing power ballads while thinking of Sanzo! Oh, that just breaks my heart!

My avatar submissions are for a Sanrio Category. The first five are attachments and the sixth one is hosted on my server. This was fun! ^_^ 1. Name: Hello Kitty Category: Sanrio 2. Name: Purin Category: Sanrio 3. Name: Pochacco Category: Sanrio 4. Name: Badtz Category: Sanrio 5. Name: Group Category: Sanrio [IMG]http://www.televar.com/~jkb/SanrioKitty2.jpg[/IMG] 6. Name: Hello Kitty 2 Category: Sanrio

[quote name='aclu.org']First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."[/quote] Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can say anything you want. You can't go into a crowded gym and scream fire! Or go on an airplane and say you have a bomb. Slander, threats and the like are not covered under the First Amendment. If you want to speak out against the government and it's laws, that is covered. Now on to the subject of discrimination. I haven't felt as much discrimination as my older family members had. My dad was interned in a camp during WWII so he went through a lot more than I ever have. I have been very lucky and haven't felt discrimated against for anything. I think the closest would be at my old job when I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Some of my co-workers wouldn't ask me to help since they didn't think I could do the work anymore, even if I could. I am not sure if it was because they didn't want me getting hurt or if the just didn't trust me to help because of my medical condition. It wasn't enough "discrimination" to make me say anything. All in all, I have been very fortunate to not be discriminated against because of my age, gender, race, religion or anything else.

In my personal experience I know long distance relationships can work if both people are dedicated in making it work. I met my now husband when I was 16 years old. We were in a long distance relationship for 2 1/2 almost 3 years before he moved back to this state. During which we didn't see each other at all for those years. I was in Washington state and he was in Florida. It was a lot of work and cost a bunch of money. This was before nationwide cell phone plans and email access. We did all of our correspondence through phone calls and letters. Yes, letters. We were determined to make it work and we did. Not ever relationship is made to stand up to this kind of trial. My opinion is that if it is meant to be, it will be. If not, at least you can say you gave it your best. Don't just give up because it is the easy way out. If you both really do care about each other then it may work out. Nothing in life is easy. At least you can say you tried. I know through the years John and I were apart were very difficult, but it was all worth it to be where we are today. Best of luck to you in whatever path you decide to take. :)

Now this takes me back to the 80's. I have never been a breakdancer, but I really do enjoy watching those who do. When you get to see someone who is really talented it is amazing what they can do. Physically it takes a lot of pratice and to be able to think up these moves and put them together in a way that looks so fluid and effortless is really amazing. I am not that talented but I can appreciate all the hard work put in by those who are. :)

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']The biggest problem with what you are saying is this: the criminals aren't the main source of gun-related deaths! Yeah, it's hard to believe, but if you look at my previous posts, I've pointed out that there are more gun-related suicides than homicides, and many gun-related deaths are accidents as well (in some states the number rivals that of car-related deaths, actually). So it's not just an issue of taking the guns away from the criminals and murderers; it's an issue of preventing unnecessary loss of life. I mean, it's a bit ironic that people buy a gun to protect themselves but more often than not end up just shooting themselves or someone they love.[/quote] I am sorry, my bad, I should have made that statement a bit clearer. When I was referring to the "bad apples" I mean the irresponsible gun owners and criminals. The irresponsible gun owners would be the owners who leave their guns stored incorrectly. They are the ones who clean loaded guns and shot themselves or others. The irresponsible people who leave guns where children can get to them. Those people are the "bad apples" along with the criminal faction. I too have heard that many people who buy guns to protect themselves end up having the very gun injure themselves or the ones they are protecting. It really is ironic. I do strongly feel that there should be well monitored gun control AND care. This means making sure those with guns are handling and storing them properly. I doubt they will make sure people are storing their guns properly since it would cost a lot of money to have someone going to every single gun owner's home to check on their gun storage. I have no guns in my home, just 2 big dogs and a very ill-tempered Siamese cat to protect me.

Let me start out with a little background as to why I hold the beliefs that I do. I grew up in a farming community. It is a very rural area where everyone and their dog has at least one gun. If you want to get a heated debate going just say the words "gun control" in the grocery store and watch the sparks fly! My dad had guns for hunting. They were always kept locked up in a safe. Hunters in our area always asked for permission to hunt on land before going out. The people in my community are very responsible. Hunter's education is a very popular course to take in the community. If everyone were like this, there would be no problem with having guns. Unfortunately there are the others who aren't responsible that we hear about. The person who leaves a loaded handgun in a nightstand draw so their child can get to it. The criminal faction that use the weapons to commit crimes against society. They are the irresponsible group that ruin it for the rest. In my opinion making guns illegal will take the guns out of the hands of the responsible gun owners and those "bad apples" will still have theirs. They will just find a way to get a gun. The criminals will always find ways around the law. I see it like saying we should outlaw all cars since so many people are killed by them every year. Some drivers speed, drink and drive or are just not paying attention. They kill hundreds of people. Not everyone is a bad driver, but the few ruin it for the rest. I am sure all the responsible drivers would be very upset if they had to give up their cars because of the irresponsible ones. I know I would! I agree that there needs to be very strict laws on owning a gun and those rules must be inforced. I don't think people need to have the high powered military grade guns, there isn't a need for that so I see no problem banning them. Responsible hunters, sport shooters and the like should be able to have their guns for their activites. I believe strict gun control and care should be inforced. Banning guns I don't think is the right answer to the problem.

I enjoyed the movie. I thought the animation was beautiful and I loved all the Japanese folklore that was included. It was like seeing Santa, the Easter Bunny, Cupid and so on going to the spa. My favorite character would have to be the Namahage since it reminds me of what my parents would tell my brother and I when we were little. If we didn't do our chores the Namahage would come and take us away! And to see the Namahage walking in to the bath house just caught me as being amusing. It is so out of character to seem them "after work". Normally when they are thought about it is screaming and busting into your home looking for lazy children! I guess it would be like seening Satan working in a flower garden, just a bit out of character and amusing. I know they didn't have a big part, if you can even call it that, but it just made me think about my parents and growing up. I love all the gods and other characters in the bath house. I thought that was a very original idea to put into an animation. I enjoyed the movie more than Kiki because I felt the characters were a bit more colorful in Spirited Away. :)

My least liked character would have to be Picolet Chardin II from Ranma 1/2. Watching anime I have found some characters I don't like because of the evil acts they do, but with Picolet, he just made me physically ill. The massive amounts of food he eats and the way he does it makes me loose my appetite! Just the way he [spoiler]kissed girl Ranma by putting half of her in this mouth was gross! The long lips and tongue flapping around wasn't very attractive aswell.[/spoiler] That particular character just really makes me sick! I know there are lot of really bad/evil characters that people hate. There are also lots of annoying/obnoxious characters in anime. For me Picolet Chardin II from Ranma 1/2 is far and away the worst because he is the only one that will actually effect me in my real life. I lose my appetite whenever I see him. No other character does that to me. Eeegah, now I don't want to even eat lunch....

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet] So now I have three questions: 1.) Have you ever cheated in anyway on a test or paper? 2.)Do you think that a person would cheat if he or she thought they could get a away with it? 3.)What do you think is more important in the long run: your GPA or your integrity?[/color][/QUOTE] 1.) Have you ever cheated in anyway on a test or paper? I would have to yes to this. When I was in the 2nd grade I cheated on a spelling test. I had completely forgotten that there was a test that day and I hadn't studied the words. I was so worried about disappointing my parents with a failing grade that I wrote the answers on my desk with my pencil very lightly. I did try to spell the word on my own first then would check my answer. I at least tried to do the test on my own first. I know, it is rationalizing and there isn't a good reason for cheating. I was young and made a decision I regret. So when I finished with the word I just used my finger to erase it. I never tried to cheat off my neighbors, but I did do that. It made me so sick I never did it again and english became my favorite subject in school. I never wanted to feel that low ever again. 2.)Do you think that a person would cheat if he or she thought they could get a away with it? I don't think someone would cheat if they didn't feel like they had too. I had many times where it would have been easy to cheat, but never did. I remember in one of my college classes the instructor left during a test and a bunch of people started to share answers on the exam. I didn't need to so I didn't. If given the chance and if they felt the need to cheat to pass, I think someone would cheat. 3.)What do you think is more important in the long run: your GPA or your integrity? Your integrity. In the end you are the one who has to live with your life decisions. I know people who had great GPA's but were terrible, backstabbing people. Who cares if they had a great GPA in school, when you are in the real world nobody cares. It comes down to what you know and how you use it, not some numbers in a file somewhere from the past.

When I was little our house was broken into. Before that happened we never worried about locking our doors at night or durning the day . We lived about 10 miles from town on a farm. Nothing like this had happened in our area before. Most of our neighbors never even locked their doors when they left the house! The jerks who broke into the house trashed the place. The pulled stuff out of the closets and cabinets it really awful coming home to see that. I was about 6 years old when it happened and those idiots ripped apart all my stuffed animals. I walked into my room to find stuffing everywhere! It was like walking into a room to find a mass murder was committed! Even now thinking about it, it still makes me upset thinking about all my stuffed animals being ripped apart like that. A few days later our nearest neighbor had their house broken into. The bad part was who ever did it drove a vehicle through the front door. The stupid thing is, these people never locked their doors so the burglars could have just OPENED THE DOOR! So not only did their house get broken into, they had to do some repairs to their house. That really sucked. On a good/bad note they did catch the guys who broke into the houses! The bad part was they were Mexicans who were in the country illegally so they just deported them and that was it. We never got our stolen items back or any compensation. They just got to go back to Mexico. That just didn't seem fair. :flaming: Needless to say, my parents lock the doors all the time now. Edit: I forgot to add that at my house I have a security system, neighborhood watch program, I know Tae Kwon Do and I have 2 very large dogs. I feel pretty safe. Oh, and I do have a very mean Siamese cat I could throw at a burglar so she could attack while I run away!

That truly was a gifted piece of journalistic intregrity. And there are people who complain that the reporting of news events are going down the drain! I say "HA!" to them! :: waves copy of Daily Otaku:: This is a fine piece of work!! Des, thank you for a great read. It was very funny and the reporting was on spot. Excellent job! :laugh:

One of the joys of working in veterinary medicine! LOL Since the thread started with a squirrel story I will continue with a squirrel story. I have several squirrel stories but I will go with the one that is probably the most unusual. Those stories are usually the most fun. :laugh: One of our clients brought in a male squirrel to have him neutered. The squirrel had been living in a tree outside of her house and for some reason, saw her as his mate. Whenever she would go outside the squirrel would want to be with her and was very friendly. When her husband or any other man would go near the house, or her, the squirrel would go crazy and attack! It would make that annoyed squirrel chirp and chase guys down. If it caught them it woudl bite and scratch. Vicious little bugger. Her hubby wanted to kill the little guy but she didn't want him to die since he was so sweet to her. So she brought him in and we neutered him. Let me tell you, you don't want to mess with a squirrel who is angry! I had a fun time trying to anesthetize him! The surgery definately took the wind out of his sails and he calmed down. Now he doesn't bother the guys anymore. Isn't it weird how some animals will attach themselves to a human. It happens alot with birds, but this is the first time I have ever heard of a squirrel! On a side note I have a couple of unusual animal stories about my pets on myO page. You are more than welcome to go check them out. I got a million weird animal stories to share. I will probably be back later to post a few more.

[quote name='Xander Harris']The other people I see in the fantasy/manga/rpg isle scare me. They typically don't bathe, and look at me with scary, hollow eyes. You meet some freaky people in comic book stores, too. I always get a kick out of the weirdos who can't seem to decide if they are goths or punks, and dress in a bizzare sort of hybrid way.[/quote] Xander that is so true. I think those of us who love anime get this bad reputation from those otakus who have HOBO (Horrible Otaku Body Odor). They are the people other people remember standing in the fantasy/manga/rpg isle. I look too, well, preppy to be put into long term memory. But that HOBO is something that does cause a lasting memory! There was the other point brought up by Transtic Nerve about "cool" and popularity. I was in sports, band, school activities like dances and stuff. I was popular, people knew who I was and were friendly to me. But I don't know if that is "cool". Some people think hurting animals is "cool" and I definately don't think it is. Perhaps someones coolness is all dependant upon what their opinion of cool is. Therefore, I am the coolest Panda in the world!

For me the worst anime I have suffered through was Kai Dou Maru. I picked it up in the used DVD bin at the local video store for $3. Now I know why. I thought the story on the back sounded interesting and figured for $3, the same cost as a rental I would give it a shot. I should have spent that $3 on a Happy Meal, it would have brought me much more happiness! The story was very slow and seemed to drag the entire time. The washed out animation style I didn't care much for. The characters were just plain boring in my opinion.I wouldn't go as far to say boycott all works by the studio, but it has made me a bit more wary when picking up new animes. Most of the animes I have watched or mangas I have read have come via friend reference. I think I will stick with stuff that comes with a glowing review from those I trust! This thread has been very interesting to see what others see as really bad animes, some listed are ones I totally agree with while others are ones I like. Oh well, to each their own.

To each their own. People will like and dislike what they choose. If someone decides they hate anime that is their opinion. If someone decides they hate American animation this is also their opinion. I think it is a bit hypocritical to say those who's opinion is different than your own is a "hater" when you are steadfast on your opinion of hating something. Wouldn't that make you just as much a "hater" as they are? If you love anime, keep loving anime. Don't let others tell you what is "good" and what is "crap". Keep your mind open to other ideas and opinions. If you refuse to at least try to understand their view point or how they came to this opinion there is no way you are going to get them to see your side.