Zen

[color=darkred][size=1] I'd like to make a request for a banner/avatar set, featuring the Bleach character, Kenpachi Zaraki. I have a preferred picture right here: [URL=http://tn3-2.deviantart.com/fs11/300W/i/2006/190/0/c/Zaraki_Kenpachi_by_Tru_Colorz.jpg]Kenpachi Zaraki[/URL] I have three specific requests I'd like to make for it. One, I'd like some form of color effects on it. Some black and crimson coloring if possible. Two, I'd like the words: "If You Wish To Die..." in the upper left hand corner and "...I'll Help You!" in the lower right hand corner of the banner. Three, in the avatar, try to fit his name in in the corner somewhere, if possible. Just Kenpachi will do. Also, a border would be really nice. Crimson if possible. Or, if your feeling creative, just give me something awesome that you could whip up as an artist that you'd think looks cool. Thanks in advance. [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] The reason I'm getting a PS3. Not worth it 'til it's out. [b]Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.[/b] Solid Snake. Thick Mustache. Urban Warfare. 'nuff said.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I think what Aaryana's trying to say is that the death penalty should be reserved for extreme cases such as Saddam. Which I agree with to a degree, but you have to figure what is the limit? What are the boundaries that must be crossed in order to warrant execution? It'd be hard to convince some one that just because Murderer A killed 10 important or dear people to the victim's survivors, he's above the punishment received by someone who comitted a 10 or 20 more murders. It's a do or don't thing, I guess. There isn't much fence riding on the subject unless you have only a couple reservations.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] [b]Heroes[/b] and [b]Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip[/b], two of the best shows on television right now. [b]UFC 67[/b], and [b]The Ultimate Fighter 6: The Lightweights[/b]. Also *crosses fingers* the next season of [b]So You Think You Can Dance?[/b] Call me weird if you want, but that's a damned good show. Also looking forward to [b]Spider Man 3, Ghost Rider, Smokin' Aces,[/b] and [b]Children of Man[/b]. [b]Rich Boy[/b] and [b]Chamillionaire's[/b] next album is also supposed to come out this year I believe. Looking forward to those. Added: The next [b]PotC[/b] and [b]The Bourne Ultimatum[/b][/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] UFC.com, maybe. Jardine went three rounds with Griffin's arch-rival, Stephen Bonnar last year and lost by the judges. Alot of people, myself included, thought it was a crap call, because Jardine dominated the first and third round. Bonnar was a favorite. I suppose beating Griffin really shows that he 'won' that fight, seeing as how Bonnar lost twice to Griffin. Jardine's a mean dude. I.E. the monicker, The Dean of Mean. Has a bad, bad leg kick and is just a rough thrower of the hands.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Written out of sheer boredom. [b]Millenium Gladius[/b] Weapons of bone and sinew, forged by blood, sweat, and tears. Two warriors have broken the mortal body's boundaries for the sake of battle. No longer men, these beasts of combat approach from horizons of red and blue, their arena of wood and steel. The onlookers roar in excitement. There's Glory to be won. *ding!* [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I'll put down a c-note on The Boss to NOT make the top 3. Despite me being such a fine piece, I'm apparently past the underdog stage.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] *add thought bubble* [i]"Maybe this'll buy me some time..."[/i][/color][/size]

[QUOTE=indifference][COLOR=DarkRed]Probably, but not all leaders have been smart in that respect. In the end I think it's sad that instead of owning up to not being able to find Osama, he turned and pretty much tore apart Iraq to cover for it. I'd rather have people mad at me than be responsible for messing up other people's lives on that scale. It's sickening to think of how many innocent people have died because of Bush's fear of having the American people mad at him. Anyway...hopefully things will calm down from Saddam's execution and Iraq can finally start getting back on it's feet for a change. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [color=darkred][size=1] Amen. I've been waiting for an exit since early last year when I first heard of a possible withdraw. And yet Bush in his infinite knowledge still doesn't think 'the job is done'. And I do remember some years ago him saying so proudly "Mission Accomplished" after such a dramatic entrance. I just hope that Saddam's execution doesn't worsen the process. He may become a martyr for his supporting groups and they'll probably have a rallying cry due to his death. Hopefully Iraqi Police will have enough training to get the job done themselves soon.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I got what I'd consider a pretty awesome song on mySpace. "Block Boy" by [b]E-40[/b]. Combine E's animated lyrical delivery with a gritty, synthesizer beat and you got yourself good listening material when reading about me. Also, E-Fizzle is on my friend's list, so it was pretty easy to find out about the song, haha. [URL=www.myspace.com/misterasterisk]MySpace[/URL] Note: Just changed song to "Throw Some Dees" By Rich Boy. Great song also.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Ain't I the cutest little thing? [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Cybernator/pics0212.jpg[/IMG] [b]What's your favorite hobby?[/b] My favorite hobby, among the many that I have, would have to be martial arts. Right now I'm a High Red Belt in ITF Tae Kwon Do. This means that I am just one step away from attaining my much wanted black belt, 1st Dan. Hopefully not more than a month or two away. I've been doing Tae Kwon Do for four years now and I've been obsessed with the arts for a very long time. My favorite sport is Mixed Martial Arts and my favorite movies are, you guessed it, about martial arts. Bruce Lee is my hero in life, and my secondary father figures, next to my actual Dad, are my various male teachers and masters. It's almost more of a life style, rather than a hobby. But if you were to consider it one, then it would by far be my favorite. My other major hobbies are drawing, writing, dancing (hip-hop pop'n'lock) and watching/collecting DVDs (I love myself a good commentary). [b]What do you think your best personality trait would be?[/b] I think my best personality traits would be, I suppose, my loyalty and the support I give to those that I am loyal to. My friends and family are the most important people in the world to me, and I would do anything to help or protect them. When I help teach my Tae Kwon Do classes, I have two or three students who are usually reluctant to continue practicing a particular move they are having a hard time grasping. Sometimes they are one of my good friends, sometimes I barely know them, but I always stick with them and encourage them until they get the move down. Me and my friends in the class have sweated and bled onto one another in sparring rounds, and yet have always remained the best of friends. In one case during a soccer game, my friend Corbin took a bad spill onto concrete at school. Some group of freshmen thought it was funny until I told them all the "Shut the (censored) up." and had it not been for another two of my friends holding me back, I would have beaten the life out of one of the brave few who decided not to shut up and back away. I could say it would be my sense of humor or confidence, but that sort of thing would be for others to say about my character. To me, my loyalty is my best personality trait. [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I don't know. There are alot of brutal people out there who would either revel in it, or just not care. I mean, not everyone is as humane as us liberal message-boarders, haha. I'm the kinda guy who thinks that the death penalty should be used, but only in extreme cases such as Saddam or an adult charged with multiple homicides. (All those cases of teenage kids getting the chair are just crazy. I mean, we gotta set the limit. If you're not old enough to vote in your country, then that country shouldn't have the right to kill you, nah mean? Now prison is a different story.) But I have a firm belief that Saddam deserved what he got.[/color][/size]

[quote name='Retribution][size=1']Part of me believes that if you support the death penalty, you should watch what you're asking for. Kind of like how cops have to take mace to the eyes before being authorized to use it, just so they know how it feels on a human being.[/size][/quote] [color=darkred][size=1] And so that they use it with discretion, which should be the same case with the death penalty. I know that part of me would feel a little queesy watching a guy get hung, but the other part of me would also remember the much more awful things that Saddam did to people. Am I alone in this feeling?[/color][/size]

[QUOTE=Phaedrus]Thou shalt not kill. Corollary: Except if someone has killed other people, and then this holy-balls ten commandment is somehow null. Then you have the right to take someone's life because they killed others! Don't mind the hypocrisy of such an action! Instead, turn your heads and look at Pittolie, or Opie, or whatever-other-celebrity! That's right: looking away and ignoring problems makes it so they're never solved, and it's like they never existed at all! Let the lawmen handle it--the ones who are usually incumbents and rich snobs with interest groups totally under their noses influencing every decision they make! Or let your president do it all for you. **** the American people--what use do THEY have in a government that was made for the people, by the people? Let's be anti-abortion but pro-death! Ha ha, ha, ha. Ha. Ha ha ha ha! HAHAHAHAH! Rules: the only real ones aren't enforced, and the ones that are enforced were just meant to be broken, especially by the lawmen who put them in place, and the government which assures their citizenry's acquiescence to the law. The funny thing is that by arbitrarily killing anyone you're creating echoes of revenge that will only more deeply afflict the separation of the world.[/QUOTE] [color=darkred][size=1] I can't help but think this is a poke in my direction. The Bible Says Thought Shalt Not Kill, but yet it is full of death, war, and smiting. I think when God said "Thought Shalt Not Kill" he meant in a cold-blooded murder type of way, like Saddam did. How else would you explain all that divine retribution in the Bible? I'm a Christian, but I'm also a liberal. While I don't have a decided stand on abortion, the last time I checked, a pure fetus isn't on the same spiritual level as a rapist genocide-committing, war criminal/dictator. That whole echo of chaos thing sounds good on paper, but I bet if some psycho raped, tortured, and murdered your family, you'd want to blow his brains out in the most inhumane way. Think about it. Revenge isn't always a 'good' thing, but it's basic human process which everyone would more than likely commit unless you are, say, Jesus Christ himself. And even then, you only have two cheeks to turn.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] [b]What is it?[/b] [Thread] The Complaint [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] Because looking back on it, I think it was all pretty funny (despite the fact that I was a main-figure in the whole 'plot'), and it actually accomplished something to a certain degree. And like John said, Truman Show. Haha. Funny enough, I actually made alot of my better current friends through the 'secret' organizations we formed. [b]What is it?[/b] [Members] White, Ezekiel, Dragon Warrior, Retribution [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] Because they are all generally ballin' (cool for those not in the know) individuals. Also people I would consider good friends. [b]What is it?[/b] Size 1 Text, with or without color. [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] Because it looks pretty and all the cool kids use it.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Instead of abolishing said 'profanities' why not have some person skim the Arena's RPGs once in a while and look out for excessive naughty words? I mean, I thought the whole rule was that profanity would be allowed within boundaries, and yet there is no way to monitor this activity. I mean, I'm the kinda guy who advocates an author's right to creative freedom, but the example Charles pulled up has merit to it. Putting a little bit of a 'tasteful filter' on the Arena might not be a bad idea in the form of an extra semi-mod or two who can just act as an agent to alert the higher ups of any distasteful language. Think of Pulp Fiction without curse words. Think of Scarface without the profanity. While the stories could have still been told, alot of the personality behind the characters would have been lost, or atleast not as defined, if the film-regulators decided that cursing was a no-no. Which is why they have ratings boards who regulate that sort of thing. I don't know exactly how such a feat would be executed, but hey, it's just a suggestion.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Fear of the unknown, fear of that which is different or foreign, and fear of what is not understood are the most primal fears of the human mind. Which is why racism, religious war, and the such have occured so much in human history. Aswell, this also goes along with Retribution's explantion of 'conditioning'. If you as a human are faced with something you've never encountered, or have been conditioned against (or with the absense of), you will more than likely approach this 'thing' with caution or, in drastic (negative) cases, fear. Dat's wut me dinks.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Simply put, this is possibly one of the best songs ever, and forces people to recognize and respect the talent of rap artists. Alphabetical Slaughter by Papoose. [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g5Q7MVbC-s]Click Here To Watch The Video[/URL] The song is amazing and worth atleast a look, even if you're not a fan of hip hop.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I don't see the problem with the whole death penalty issue concerning guys like Saddam. The guy committed freakin' genocide. I thought they would have popped a cap in him when they found him in that hole he was hiding in. I think the death penalty is a little extreme in some cases, but seriously, Saddam getting hung is, I think, going a little easy considering what he did to his 'fellow' human beings. I'm the first one to say that human life should be preserved, but sometimes that whole philosophy needs to be thrown out the door when extreme cases are presented. Such as the execution of a dictator/mass-murderer/rapist/sadist with a really thick mustache. I'm suprised this is news here. I mean, usually when dictators are executed it's big news. Particularly when it's televised. PS - Atleast he didn't go out like Mussolini. Real messy.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I've been drawing since I could pick up a pencil. I loved animals and monsters as a kid, and alot of the things I drew came from either my love of animals (alá sharks, snakes, lizards, and such) or just a strange child's imagination (lots of worm and dragon-like monsters). Eventually I also got into drawing dinosaurs and what not. Then around 3rd or 4th Grade, I saw my first episode of Dragon Ball Z and immediatetly switched hustles and began tracing and drawing (badly I might add) Dragon Ball Z characters, along with a few Street Fighter characters (who I would later favor in art style). Then Gundam, Digimon, and all the other anime began flooding into America and eventually I found myself drawing in my own distinct, original style which I still use and develop today. So I guess it would be animals, nightmares, anime, and Jurassic Park which inspired me to draw.[/color][/size]

[size=1][quote= Wikipedia] Aquarius is an astrological sign, which is associated with the constellation Aquarius. Under the tropical zodiac, Aquarius is occupied by the Sun from January 20 to February 19, and under the sidereal zodiac, it is currently from February 13 to March 14. Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac and associated with future ideas and the unusual. Individuals born under this sign are thought to have a creative, intellectual, challenging, entertaining, progressive, stimulating, and independent character, but one which is also prone to rebelliousness, coldness, erraticism, cowardice, and impracticality. In terms of anatomy, Aquarius is said to rule the legs from knees to ankles and the circulation of blood. In terms of geography Aquarius is linked with Sweden, Canada, Ethiopia and Poland. Physically, individuals born under the sign of Aquarius supposedly tend to have a vague expression, straight and silky hair, finely chiseled features, and a tall and slender figure. The males are often said to tend to be rather effeminate in appearance and the females somewhat broad-shouldered and masculine. Aquarius is traditionally thought be ruled by the planet Saturn, but in more recent years many astrologers have labelled Uranus as the ruler or co-ruler of Aquarius, attributing the erraticism associated with the Sign to the planet's influence. In mythology Aquarius is often associated with the mythological figure of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, from the Greek myth of the Trojan War. Aquarius is also associated with the Greco-Roman god Uranus/Caelus and sometimes the god Cronus/Saturn. [/quote] [color=darkred] [b]My B-Day[/b]: January 24. I suppose this is really close to who I really am, haha. I am very creative and progressive, I guess I could be considered entertaining and I know I'm a very independent/liberal kinda guy. I suppose I do look pretty effeminate (child bearing hips), and I'm a tall/slender guy. And apparently I'm a stone fox. I think the funniest think about this is the bit about the legs, because I'm a martial artist, and the particular martial art that I take is Tae Kwon Do, which puts alot of importance on kicks with the shin and foot. Haha. I guess the stars do have some role in our lives, haha.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I've basically given up RPGs due to time and creative difficulties (writing stuff still though), but I think that controlled RPs tend to come to fruitation better and more coherent than those that are allowed to run wild. While the latter is fun and interesting, it tends to get muddy as the stream goes on. It really depends on what you are going far and if you have plot points and an ending that you want to get through. If you do, than some control would be necessary, if not complete control. [/color][/size]

[IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Cybernator/NewHairCut004.jpg[/IMG] [color=darkred][size=1] [b]Name:[/b] Mike By the way, DW sucks.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I hate to tell you guys, but Ortiz just got his behind handed to him by Chuck Liddel the other day, haha. 3rd Round TKO. Same with Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine handeled him in the middle of the 1st round with a TKO also. On top of that, Rich Franklin lost his title to Anderson Silva, The Spider. Though I am looking forward to Silva hopefully losing that title to his new challenger in February. My favorite fighters are Chuck Liddel, George St. Pierre, Keith Jardine, B.J. Penn, and the list kinda goes on. Like I said, MMA is my favorite sport, so I have alot of information about it off the noggin.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] As I am on a site filled with anime and action/kung-fu movie fans, I find it extremely difficult to understand why there aren't any fans of the Ultimate Fighting Championships or Mixed Martial Arts period. It's my favorite sport, and if ever there were to be one I'd hope to participate in professionally, wishful thinking would lead me to that one. Anybody else a fan? Any favorite fighters and what not?[/color][/size]