Inari

[quote name='Xander Harris'] I would just like to say, though, that I just got out of philosophy class fifteen minutes ago, and we were talking about Descartes. He didn't believe that by thinking of something he made it real. That idea is sort of like phenomenalism, which is what he believes in the first meditation. [/quote] [COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]You're right. (As I dig out my old notes.) I didn't fully explain Descartes. He did say that you exist because you can imagine yourself. He was talking about the possibility that you are the only person that exists, and that you imagine everyone else. He rules out this possibility by saying that because you can recognize your own faults, other people must exist. He also said that God exists because we can imagine him. With his theory in mind, do dragons exist? We are able to imagine them now, but this could be because we have been influenced by other historical/mythical accounts of dragons. Were the first people to write or speak about dragons imagining them or did they really exist? I disagree with Descartes on the thought that God exists because we can imagine him. There?s more to it than that. Believing in God is more of a leap of faith. His existence can neither be proved nor disproved. Just because we can think of things doesn?t mean that they are real. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]I'll post these one at a time, so here is my first one. Don't worry I'm not suicidal, I was just kind of depressed when I wrote this. [CENTER][B]Immortal Wings[/B] From the vast expanses of the sky she falls, Down into darkness of the forest floor, She spreads her golden wings and tries to fly, Longing for the freedom to soar so high. Pools of black poison seep from her side, She endures her pain alone and in silence, A silver tear slips from the corner of her eye, Dropping to the snow, its beauty is lost forever. She waits for a sign that she is free, Doomed to wait forever, already forsaken. The chill of night encroaches on her feathers, Gazing at the sky, she longs for the end. Out of the eternal darkness there comes light, Twinkling towards her, they come in majesty, She embraces their touch and welcomes them in, She closes her eyes and flies on immortal wings.[/CENTER][/COLOR]

[QUOTE] Originaly posted by [B]AzureWolf[/B] Wow, very interesting. My short answer is that the greatest philosophers are the ones who don't bother wasting time philosophizing. I know philosophy is the study of knowledge, questioning everything mankind knows - including logic, but in the end, it's always appeared to me as useless fun.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]How can you find philosophy pointless? Is seeking to find who we are, why we're here not the greatest and most noble quest of them all? Without furthering our knowledge of mankind (I hate using that masculine pronoun, but oh well) how can we progress as a society? Philosophy defines us, gives us purpose and direction, and without it humans cease to wonder and discover truths about our very beings. Philosophy furthers understanding, how can you call it "useless fun?"[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Way cool thread! Hey if you're really into philosophy, read [U]Sophie's World[/U] by Jostein Gaarder. I'm reading it right now, and I'm loving it! As far as philosophers go here are a few good (and not so good) ones that you missed, and a few random facts I can remember about them: Socrates- The gadfly! He said that everyone has an innate sense of justice. Plato- He wrote [U]The Republic[/U]. He also made the cave analogy where he shows how people today are in a cave starring at shadows, and that is there truth. When someone leaves the cave and sees the light and the [I]real[/I] truth they could never go back to the cave. (That's the "cliff notes" version :) ) Aristotle- He said that women were merely incomplete men, and defined what a Greek tragic hero was. (I completely disagree) Descrtes- He said "I think therefore I am," and believed that just by thinking of something it made it real. Francis Baccon- He said that we learn the truth by observing nature. John Locke- He was all over the social contract theory. He believed that people were naturally good. He then says that people create government as a contract between people who agree to allow a government in order to protect life, liberty and the right to property. Thomas Hobbes- He also believed in a social contract, but thought that people are inherently evil, and that bad government was better than nothing. He wrote [U]The Leviathan[/U]. D'Holbach- He was an Atheist who thought that people should live their lives well now in order to improve humanity. Rousseau- He felt that justice is only equal when some are favored over others. David Hume- People should individually use what they know to predict the unknown. Kant- He valued duty over happiness. Bayle- He spoke out against divine right, and promoted stoicism (the show of no emotion). Montesquieu- He believed in a balance of power for government. Fontenelle- He believed that man has the ability to make progress and can change its ideas. Diderot- Wrote the first encyclopedia and believed that knowledge has revealed the good nature of human. Hegel- He believed that once an idea arises, I creates an anti-thesis. Then these two ideas conflict with each other and create a synthesis. Then the cycle continues. Charles Darwin- [U]The Origin of Species[/U] and evolution. Sigmund Freud- Father of Psychology. He's done lots of stuff there. Voltaire- I read his book [U]Candide[/U] and loved it! It was a great social commentary of France during the Enlightenment. Confucius- The Chinese guy who believed in a leader who lead by example. Thomas Moore- He wrote [U]Utopia[/U] and spoke out against the enclosure movement in England. (This was when the land lords kicked the peasants off their land and raised sheep because it was more profitable this way.) Thoreau- He was the one who talked about the civil disobedience, and refused to pay his taxes. I know I'm missing lots of good ones, but these were all I could think of at the moment. And as for my comments on each one, I know I oversimplifying them all, but I didn't want to write an essay about each one so this is what I got.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Li reached into her robe to get her communicator when she bumped her injured arm. She recoiled in pain, yet decided to make the call first and then see to her battle wound. Opening the communicator, Li stared into the wonderful technology in her palm. She concentrated hard on the instructions Dave had given her for how to call people and finally dialed Sutaru?s number. ?Sutaru, are you there?? ?Yes, wherever [I]here[/I] is,? he replied. ?Good. Maya, Pieter and I are building a fire, so follow the smoke to find us,? Li instructed. ?Sure thing.? With that Li closed her communicator, ending the transmission. Then she pulled back her long sweeping sleeves to examine her scratch from the raptor. A deep gash graced her upper arm, filled with black soil and matted blood. Li did not panic, but merely opened her water pouch and poured fresh water on her arm, cleaning the wound. After picking the small rocks and bits of plant matter out of the wound, she squeezed the sides of her arm to force fresh blood to rinse the wound. By this time Pieter saw what had happened to Li and remarked, ?That looks pretty bad.? ?Looks can be deceiving. Don?t worry I will have it healed in no time,? Li replied. She then spread some of her Chinese herbs over the cut, and began to wrap it with cloth she ripped from the underside of her robe. ?See, it?s all better now,? she announced. Pieter looked skeptically at her arm. He had seen many wounds in the war, and remembered how easily things could get infected, but trusted her ancient wisdom. With her wound taken care of Li went off into the underbrush to search for anything to burn. Maya called out to her saying, ?Put it over here in this clearing.? Li obeyed and dropped her load of wood onto the growing pile. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Hmmm...... Well my name is Jessica, a very common name. I probably know a gazillion Jessicas by now (and yes that is a number). I live in Idaho home of potatoes, potatoes, potatoes, potatoes, Mormons, and more potatoes. Hell, we even had a celebration for potatoes on Saturday called Spud Day. Right now I'm a senior in high school, and I'm ready to go to college anywhere but Idaho. (For the most part our colleges suck, and so does our education system.) I want to become a veterinarian, so lots of schoolwork. Yeah, I volunteered at our local zoo a couple of summers and loved it. I'm not single, sorry to all those boys out there who know they want me. lol. I've been going out with my boyfriend for a little over seven months, and I love hanging out with him. As far as my interests go, I love to go snowboarding, kayaking, whitewater rafting, backpacking and anything out doors like. (This is probably the only reason I like living in Idaho.) Yep and that about concludes my life in 200 words or less. :wigout: [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]I like happy threads. There so uplifting! I'm happy because I finally asked my boyfriend to the Homecoming Dance. He graduated last year, so I felt that it was my duty to ask him. My friend and I decorated his room with red streamers and I gave him seven roses. (We've been together for seven months! Yeah for us!) I also wrote a semi-decent poem to go along with it. Then he answered me on the same day I asked him. He put a bunch of balloons in my room, and riged it so that when I opened my door they would all fall on me. Only a few fell on me, but it was still way cool. Yeah, so that's why I'm happy. Now I have to go out and buy an over priced dress, and all the other stuff that I have to do to get ready for the dance. Bye![/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Li clutched her at her swords attached her waist. She could sense danger was coming even if she could not fully understand what Dave or the others were talking about. She watched as Dave activated the time portal. Bright bolts of light and electricity shot from one end to the other as the portal opened. Li watched the light focus on the center and grow. She could feel the power standing her hairs on end. She watched Sarek and the others step through, waiting for her turn. Once on the other side of the time portal Li stood amongst the beauty of the Jurassic era. Gigantic, tropical vegetation adorned the prehistoric scene. She took one deep breath of the clean air, and exhaled slowly. Li oriented herself among the leaves and walked into the thick grass. After a few moments Li realized that she could not see anyone from the space station. She was utterly alone. That?s when they attacked her. Three young raptors rustled behind a large bush, and then jumped out to attack her. The largest one flung itself on Li, and scratched her left arm. Li quickly recoiled from the monster and stood back up. She unsheathed her swords and let out a piercing war cry. Her voice echoed off the nearby cliffs as she charged the beasts. Li allowed no mercy as she slashed the first raptor, shredding his leathery flesh and exposing his crimson blood. Just as Li killed the first raptor she heard noise coming from the forest. The raptors stopped to listen to the noise, stretching their long necks to see above the grass. Li saw her opening and attacked again, but with more force. She swung her mighty blade, and cut through flesh and bones, leaving the lifeless form of the beast staring up at her. Li turned to face the last dinosaur when Maya and Pieter came crashing through the underbrush. Both stared in awe as Li slaughtered the last raptor right before their eyes. ?Oh my God!? said Maya, with a hand over her mouth. Li look up to see the shocked faces of her companions. She quickly stood up, trying to look as presentable as she could. Li carefully wiped her blades and put them back on her belt. She then wiped her face and swept a stray hair back into her loose bun. ?We should leave this place before more creatures come to feast on these monsters,? Li suggested. Pieter stared for a second, and then declared, ?What ever you say my lady.? The three quickly hurried off into the thick vegetation, leaving behind a scene of bloody carnage.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]I would NEVER do that to a friend. I wouldn't risk loosing my best friend over some stupid guy. Some girls go through boyfriends monthly, even weekly, but still keep their best friends, which is very important. My friends are more important, because I need them to be there for me when I'm depressed after a break up, or when I?m happy and want to just hang out. Last year this exact scenario came to my life. I had just had a relatively mutual break up with my boyfriend whom I dated for about six months. I had been hopping for a good relationship with my ex, but two weeks after our break up he went out with my best friend. At that point I had lost my best friend, and my boyfriend. I was completely crushed, and it really messed me up. I had no one who I could really talk to about my feelings, and so I had allot of nervous break downs. Things between my ex-boyfriend and I are okay now, but I will never have my best friend back. I just had to go out and find someone else who could actually be there for me. We could never be as close again, and I have a really hard time pretending that everything is okay between us, even today after they have been together for eight months. I could never put anyone through all the **** I went through. It wasn't pretty, so I refuse do it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Li slowed her pace a little, seeing if Sutaru would stop her. He did not, so she continued on her way. Li thought back on their short meeting and tried to decipher their conversation. Her translator/communicator allowed her to speak with the other, none of which could speak Chinese, but some deeper meanings were lost in translation. She was forced to rely on the strange body language of her companions to guess their emotions. Li shuffled slowly down the corridor longing for the warm earth between her toes, the bright sun to light her path, the scent of a rice patty during the harvest or the sting of bug biting her flesh. Even in the palaces and temples there were ways to get out, to get back to the sun. As far as she could tell there was no way out of this metal prison except through the time portal. Li was ready to leave this place, and breath natural air, not chemically altered oxygen produced by machines. Li had been walking for about five minutes when she heard a beeping noise. She whirled around to spot the source of this noise, but could see nothing. Again she heard the foreign noise and was frightened. She had never heard a noise like this before in China. After some time she found that the noise came from her communicator. Li took it out and held it in her hand. She knew nothing of this advanced technology, and so she tried to contact Dave. (The only thing she did know how to do.) A crackling noise resonated from the device, filling her ears with a worse noise than before. Li decided to go find Dave or anyone else who could help her. Just as Li started to hurry towards the control room when she ran into two people. One was a girl, Li thought, dressed in a white blouse and a plaid skirt with long brown wavy hair. The other was a male with brown hair, pale skin, and dressed in a green robe with gold trim. They both seemed happy to see her. The boy extended a hand to her and said "Dave wants you to come to the control room." Li panicked. She could not understand his words. She smiled back and said in Chinese "I can't understand you." The boy looked just as confused as Li was, but the girl understood. She pointed towards her communicator and made a motion to indicate that it was broken. Then she waved at Li, took her hand, and led her back to the control room.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]I went out and did a little research on Goths, and I found this website written by physiologists about Gothic culture. It is [URL=http://http://www.religioustolerance.org/goth.htm]HERE[/URL]. Most of my information came from that site. Basically the term Goth originated from three sources. First, as mentioned before, Goth was the name of the Germanic Visigoth tribes that overthrew the Holy Roman Empire. Second, Gothic was a form of architecture in Western Europe which was popular from the 12th to the 16th century. These Gothic Cathedrals were in the shape of a Christian cross, and were ornamented with stained glass windows and gargoyles. Third, Gothic was a style of literature originating in 19th century England dealing with the dark, eerie and gloomy. These writers included Mary Shelly, who wrote [I]Frankenstein[/I] and Bram Stoker, the author of [I]Dracula[/I] Modern Goths can be nominal or devout Christians. Atheism, Agnosticism, the New Age, Gnosticism, Shamanism, Wicca, other Neopagan traditions, and other minority faith groups. There is no set religion which all Goths follow. Some other commonalities in Goths include: - Its unique music, art and literature. -The use of extreme black clothing, light colored makeup, unusual hair styles, body piercing, bondage items, etc. - A fascination with medieval, Victorian and Edwardian history. -Wearing of symbols such as a Christian cross; an Egyptian ankh or "Eye of Ra," or "Eye of Horus;" a Wiccan pentacle, a Satanic inverted pentacle. etc. This can represent their own beliefs or be meant as a satire. - Goths tend to be non-violent, pacifistic, passive, and tolerant. - Many Goths write about being depressed. Followers seem sullen and withdrawn, when in public. -Many people become Goths after not fitting in at school, reading dark literature, or desiring to be shocking. - A fascination with death. They try to find a different way of thinking about life, like trying to find beauty in life, pain and death. It's all a quest for immortality. - Goth music often deals with thought-provoking topics, concentrating on societal evils, like racism, war, hatred of groups, etc. They tend to concentrate on the very "nasty, unhappy" topics that "North American culture" wants to "ignore and forget." - Some Goths enjoy playing role playing games. However, RPGs are not an integral component of Goth culture. It is just that those intellectual and creative challenges that draw them to the Goth scene make them more likely to enjoy RPGs as well. - Other interests: writings by authors like Dante, Byron, Tolstoy; German Expressionist silent films; writing music; painting, etc. I think that Gothic is a loose term, and means a lot of thing to various different people. There is no formula for calculating who is really Gothic; it means different things to different people as this thread has just shown.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Qang Li entered the spacecraft and her new life with hope, not realizing how primitive she was in comparison. She did not quite understand why she was here, but in her heart she felt that she belonged. In the new world of space and time travel she felt trapped and alone. Li was taught from birth that the Middle Kingdom was at the center of the Earth, but now it has gone forever. She was disappointed to learn that they could not change the course of time, and so nothing she did could return China to its rightful spot as the Confucian center of the world, ruling by example. Eventually Li realized that she could never go back home, and that her destiny was here on this ship and out on the missions through the sands of time. This was her new home, weather she was content with it or not. Li was given an electronic device that acted as a universal translator and communicator. She accepted this, without truly understanding it?s capabilities. Lost in a world of technology this primitive woman found herself in isolation. She knew nothing of the modern conveniences of her new life and the powers that brought her here. At first she set out to understand these modern marvels, only to find herself hopelessly inferior. As time progressed, Li found herself loosing interest in learning almost 3,000 years of history, and instead strived to understand her companions. She watched and studied their mannerisms silently, learning all she could. On her third day on the spacecraft Li left her compartment and left to study at the library. She found herself taking the longest possible route in order to meet people on her way. In the corridor she passed a strange man clothed from the waist down only, exposing his chest. If Li was still in China she would have blushed and raised her fan to her eyes so as not to stair, but instead she made direct eye contact. Starring into those strange crescents swimming within the deep blue of his eyes. Li was a little frightened but did not show it. She slowly bowed her head with a small hand gesture as a greeting. Sutaru called out ?Hey sexy! What are doing so far from your room?? Ignoring the first comment she merely replied, ?My name is Qang Li, and I?m on my way to the enormous library.? ?I?m Sutaru, but why would you want to do a thing like that?? ?I lost my freedom to learn all that I could from the written word before, and now that I can easily learn anything I want, I will surely take advantage of this divine opportunity.? And with that Li walked passed Sutaru, mentally cataloging all that she had learned from their encounter. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue] This sounds like fun! Here's my question: How are we going to break the language barrier? We could have universal translator implanted in our boddies. We could stay in the space craft and learn languages the old fashon way. We could even use a hypnotic learning device to lean languages. I don't care too much either way, but I think that this will make it more believeable.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]This sounds like a lot of fun. I love history and imaginative futuristic scenes would be cool. Name: Qang Li (Family name first, so people call her Li) Age: 32 Race: Human: Chinese Timeline: 239 BC shortly after Emperor Qin?s rise to power in China. He and his son ruled the Qin dynasty until 207 BC when the Han dynasty began. This time period is contemporary with Alexander the Great in Greece and the Middle East. Special Skills: Qang Li is a healer who also practices various mystical powers. She has premonitions of the future and the past, and can make people forget things when needed. Weapons: Li is skilled in the martial arts, and carries two short bladed swords. These were originally made of bronze with jade encrusted grips, but after being abducted she traded the blades in for a diamond edged stainless steal with molybdenum blades. Special Items: She took some of her mystical herbs with her. Generally these can speed the healing process of minor wounds, but they are pathetically out of date in comparison to the medical technologies available at later dates. Weakness: Li?s complete ignorance to the technological advances of the future and languages other than her Chinese weaken her ability to contribute to the group. Personality: Li is quiet and reserved. She respects traditions and cultures, while holding her own Confucius beliefs above all others. Li believes in honor above all else the respectful relationship between leader and follower. In a group Li appears very submissive, while trusting her own judgment above the decisions of others. When in stressful situations, Li acts on her own intuition. She is able to calmly remove distractions from her mind and focus on the task at hand. Li also holds her Confucius beliefs above everything. Through this enlightened understanding she is able to truly know herself and live her life in a proper manner. Description: [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/InariOrchid/ChineseWoman.bmp[/IMG] Bio: Qang Li was born to a nobility class family in the Qin providence in 271 BC. There her father taught her much about the Confucian ways of their people and many other subjects usually reserved only for the wealthy men, such as political science. She even learned some martial arts as a small child and used this knowledge to help her survive her years to come. At this time, aggressive warlords controlled the various states of ?China?, and the people of Qin were constantly under threat of attack from the barbarians from the north or the Chinese people from the south and west. When Li was 15, a woman for her time, the ruler of Qin set out and conquered the various warring tribes. His rule set about a new order for the people of the newly united China. Qang Li and her family looked to Qin for a new Confucian ruler to unite the people and keep China strong. What they got was a strong effective ruler, but at what cost? [I] The inner ramparts have been destroyed. He has regulated and made equal the laws, measures, and standards for all men;?he has quelled the battles? The people enjoy calm repose; arms are no longer necessary and each is tranquil in his dwelling. [/I] ~ Emperor Qin Shihuangdi At first Li and her family were content to live under Qin?s rule, though he destroyed the class structure that made the Qang family strong. Qin centralized the government around him, refusing to give up power to any feudal lords. Progress came about in China until Qin decided to stop all opposition to his rule by destroying the knowledge of the past and confiscating all privately owned weapons. This included the burning of many Confucian books and the murder of anyone who spoke out against this new way of life. The Qang family could not stand for this oppression and decided to save some of their most sacred manuscripts and weapons. The family left their homes to hid out in a peasant village. A local family took in the Qang family and Li was able to learn much about the various herbs that grew in the country and their uses. It was here in the village that Li learned how to focus her mental capacity to perform various tasks such as seeing into the future or past along with influencing the mental abilities of others around her. By this time, Emperor Qin had divided China into 36 providences each governed by three of Qin?s loyal men. One day a convoy of royal overseers came to the Qang?s village and accused Li? father and their host of inspiring rebellion, and sentenced them both to death along with Li?s mother. In the commotion Li was able to induce a hypnotic effect upon the officials and convinced them that the host was innocent, but she was not able to save the lives of her parents. After the horrific scene in which her parents were boiled alive, Li ran away to live alone in the mountains. Li went to the mountains with only a pouch of herbs, some Confucius manuscripts and her father?s swords. She lived in the mountains for three months, learning the ways of sword fighting and falling into despair, until she met a strange group of travelers. Just by looking at them, Li knew they were from another time. They told her of the years to come, and how Qin?s wall at their northern boundary, still under construction, would one day be seen from the heavens. The strange people then told her of the time portal and their mission. They requested that she join them in their quest, and she accepted saying, ?There is no more that I can do for my people here in this time, but perhaps through this journey I can restore the Middle Kingdom to her rightful spot under a good Confucian rule. I will go with you and help you in any way I can.? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]At my public high school, the dress code isn?t so bad. We aren?t allowed to show bra straps, midriff, or boxers for guys, or wear short skirts and shits with large armholes. None of the teachers really enforce this, but I have heard of a few isolated incidences. A few years ago my friend made a shirt with the band 311 and on the back he put ?Who?s got the herb?? I guess some teacher thought it was inappropriate and made him go to the principle?s office. So instead of changing shirts or turning it inside out, he put tape over the word ?herb? and wrote ?basil? instead. I thought it was cool. Way to stick it to the man Jesse! At my school I?ve seen people wearing various ?inappropriate? things on shirts ranging from marijuana leaves to alcohol to nude and semi-nude women to sexual jokes to adds for Viagra (I thought that was hilarious). Mostly the boys were asked to put on sweatshirts and complied. I think there shirts were meant to provoke the authorities and that?s just what they did. As for girls wearing high heals, short skirts and tube tops in the middle of winter; if they want to walk to math class in two feet of snow with the temperature below zero, more power to them. I think our school technically makes girls wear a huge t-shirt if they wear revealing clothing, but I?ve never seen it enforced. What I think is ridiculous at my school is how the seminary kids of the dominant religion here dress up (skirts and ties and dress pants) on a certain day of the week. I think the reasoning behind this is to promote a higher standard for dressing and encourage modesty. What it really does is point out who is of that religion and who is not. It makes me sick how they parade around their religion and encourage their followers to notice who is of what religion. Overall I guess I don?t mind our dress codes, and I?m thankful that we don?t have to wear uniforms. I know that often times uniforms prevent discrimination against people who can?t afford designer clothing, but I feel that freedom of expression to some extent is more important than stopping students from discriminating against others based on clothing. At my school a brand name shirt is just as cool as wearing ridiculously hideous sweater from your grandparent?s closet. It?s all about the look you?re going for, and not all of the ?cool? looks are oppressively expensive. Maybe other high schools are different from mine, but I enjoy the lack of uniforms and strict dress codes. [/COLOR]

OCC: I think you meant Oakland. ;) Crystal drove into Oakland around 6:00 that evening. It felt good to be back in the big city. As much as she loved loesing herself in the wilderness and being cut off from the outside world for weeks at a time, there was something appealing about city life. This place felt like home to her. She drove around town for about an hour reminising about old times, until she finnaly pulled into her new home. It was small; two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living area, but this was all she really needed. The house was relatively new, with starchy white walls and the scent of shampoed carpets lingering in every room. Crystal begane to unload her car when she thought of calling Edgar. She grabed her cell phone and searched for a small black book. She quickly dialed a number and waited. [I]Ring. Ring. Ring.[/I] ?Hi, you have reached the home of Edgar Bellerophon. I am unable to answer the phone right now, so please leave a message after the beep.? [I]Beep![/I] ?Um? Hi this is Crystal Carter. Um? I just drove into town and could use some help moving in. Even if you can?t help, I?d like to go out and get a drink with you or something. Yeah? Give me a call sometime. Bye.? Crystal pressed the END button on her cell and stuffed it back in her bag. [I]I guess I?ll just have to move myself in[/I], she thought. After about two hour of hauling boxes in, Crystal decided that with or without Edgar she was going to get herself a drink. She drove herself downtown and pulled up in front of an old familiar bar. She used to sneak into the bars downtown with crappy fake Ids as a kid and it brought back memories to see another a teenage girl struggling to get into the bar with some crazy ID. Crystal sighed and walked into the bar. As she reached the bar counted, a familiar face greeted her. ?Crystal Carter. Is that you?? asked a woman sitting at the counter sipping some sort of mixed drink. ?Hey Ivy! How?s it going?? Crystal was surprised Ivy even remembered her name. They hadn?t really know each other because Crystal was a grade above her in high school, but she must have recognized her from her younger sister?s funeral. ?Not so bad. What are you doing here?? ?I?ll have a Corona with lime please,? she directed towards a bar tender. Turning her attention back on Ivy she answered. ?I just moved back tonight. I got a great job offer here with lots of benefits, and how about yourself? What are you up to??

In my opinion there are lots of problems in the pharmaceutical industry. Many drugs that they produce have unpredicted long-term side effects that aren?t discovered until the drug has been on the market for a long period of time. I remember hearing something about how people are proposing to reduce birth control pills because they are just now realizing the problems that they are causing for the women taking them and the children of these women. I agree that lots of drugs issued by doctors are highly addictive, (Take codeine or morphine for example!) while marijuana is illegal. I personally am for making marijuana a prescription drug for its various helpful affects on people with things like tremors, but that?s a little off topic. I think that a lot of times doctors prescribe drugs when they are unnecessary. Drugs like penicillin and other anti-bacterial drugs are often over-prescribed, causing more resistant bacteria. I think that a lot of times when people go to the doctor they expect some kind of a prescription even when it is un-needed. As for all of the weight loss pills out there; I don?t think that people wishing to loose a little bit of weight should use them. These drugs should be reserved for extremely obese people who plan to loose a substantial amount of weight.

[B]Name:[/B] Dr. Crystal Elizabeth Carter [B]Age: [/B] 38 [B]Appearance:[/B] Dr. Carter is about 5? 6?, slender and sophisticated. Her light brown hair falls down her face in sleek layers stopping just above her chin. Her eyes are brown with flecks of gold. Crystal wears comfortable clothing, such as shorts and a T-shirt or tank top with her hiking boots, when at work in the woods. She wears more professional clothing in her office, and fashionable clothing when out with friends. [B]Biography:[/B] Crystal was Amy?s older sister, and she was heart-broken at the new of her sister?s death. Though she mourned for the death of her beloved sister, Crystal continued to live her life to best of her abilities, knowing that that was what Amy would have wanted her to do. Crystal left her hometown after graduating from high school and went off to peruse her education. After only 6 years of hard work she graduated with a PHD in Wildlife Biology. Crystal then worked at Yellowstone National Forest for a few years, until she got a job offer near where she grew up. Moving back would not be very hard for Dr. Carter, for she had kept in touch with several of her old friends, including Edgar. [B]Relationship with Edgar:[/B] Crystal and Edgar were never really very close, but after Amy?s death, Crystal started to try to get to know him. After leaving home she sent him a few Christmas cards, but now that she?s back, Crystal intends to help rebuild Edgar?s shattered life. Crystal could become a love interest, but I?m leaning more towards her and Edgar just being friends. Hope this works!

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]Even though they aren't one of my absolute favorites, Jet still rocks. Their lyrics are really catchy. I just remember one day in physics when my whole class burst out into "Are You Gonna Be My Girl." Everyone had it practically memorized. It was hilarious! Their music is simple, yet intriguing. I love "Cold Hard B****" because of the provocative lines. I probably won't buy their CD, but I always crank up the radio when they come on. [/COLOR]

Here's another thought question more directed towards Otaku: On Otaku Boards we indicate our age by filling in our birthdays, but we never have to indicate our gender. By knowing the age of our fellow OB members do we make certain prejudices? Thoughts like [I]they're too young to be concerned with that[/I] or [I]they write really well for their age[/I]could be prejudices. Do you like to know the age of other writers, or does it even matter? I know that a lot of adults have preconceptions about teenagers like [I]oh, he'll crash your new car[/I] or [I]crazy teenagers out partying all night.[/I] Is that right? Do certain age groups deserve this? Even thoughts about the elderly like [I]they should keep old people off the roads[/I] could be considered a prejudice. Are these thoughts valid or a threat to equality? Also, I know that on Otaku Boards you don't have to specify your gender, but should we? Do you believe that there are certain physical differences between males and females that make us too different to find equality? Like in the military should men and women have different fitness standards? Men and women have different bathrooms, is the segregation or "separate but equal"? Why do you think the United States has never had a woman president? Are men and women mentally different because of different hormone levels? In the 1920s Alice Paul proposed an Equal Rights Amendment for equality between the sexes. Does the US need it now, or is gender equality covered in the Civil Rights Amendments of the 1960s? Where is gender equality today? ~The Gadfly

Three hooded figures sped off into the desert, following a small flashing light on Ashi's tracking device. Siiqua, Sai and Ashi keep a sacred silence between themselves. All prayed that their assassin was still alive. As they neared the tracking chip, Siiqua screamed out, "Oh my God...Look!" Chasity lay sprawled out unconscious on the cool desert sand, burned badly. Her sleek glider was truly unrecognizable in a heap of bend and melted metal, thrashed by the explosion. Ashi ran to Chasity's side and checked for vital signs. "She's alive!" "Damn she's in bad shape," said Sai. "Here we can put her on my hover bike. Give me your hand," Siiqua volunteered. The three dragged Chasity's limp body onto Siiqua's bike. "Take her back to the RL headquarters in Veleras. I have some business to attend to," with that Ashi turned and hopped on her glider and abandoned them. She drove on away from Prentice, out into the desert. There in the sand stood a short fence and many holographic projections. Ashi stepped off her glider and walked into the cemetery. She walked a familiar path to the headstone of her parents. Kneeling on the cold metallic ground Ashi looked at the familiar birth and death dates. In the solitude of the cemetery Ashi thought over what she was doing with the Righteous Lightning. "I tried so hard, mom, but nothing I did seemed to help. The Domo's have no morals, and I stooped to their level. I'm sorry daddy," tears began to fall down her cheek, "I'm afraid of the Tai-Pan. Will I be trading one evil party for another monster altogether? And I know that Robotica can't be trusted, but my list of allies is failing. Haven't the people of Autumn suffered enough?" With that Ahsi's hand-held computer started to beep. >Return to Veleras. We have some interesting news from our little spy.< OOC: I will be gone from June 20th until July 2nd, and I won't be able to post.

I agree with James in that morals are relevant when discussing equality. Our morals define our views on everything. So here's another thought question: Should there be an international set definition of what equality is? Should world leaders follow guidelines set down by things such as the Geneva Convention, the Nuremberg Trials, or even decisions by the UN (or the EU for Europe)? If you've ever read the mission statement of the United Nations, it sounds very much like the United States' Declaration of Independence. Should President Bush have first gotten UN backing before going into Iraq, or was he justified in going in alone? Should the US soldiers torturing prisoners in Iraq be tried in US military courts or international ones? Also, under whose jurisdiction should Saddam Hussein be prosecuted? In a US court, UN court, or by his peers in Iraq (Probably with supervision by the US or the UN or a third party)? Where would he find justice? Thank you for all of your thoughtful responses. ~The Gadfly

The sun sank low into the horizon casting beautiful rays of light on the desolate landscape. Dust and debris floating in the atmosphere created a brilliant display of pink, orange, and yellow. The majestic sunset greatly contrasted the chaos of the jagged earth. The earth was void of all life, except for two lonely travelers. The human and the Esrian made an odd pair, but to them nothing seemed more natural. "I had almost forgotten the gorgeous sunsets of the surface. It must be the only lovely thing left on this forsaken planet," Ezra whispered, breaking the sacred silence between herself and Elazar. The human only starred at the sky. She could sense his pain, and felt it within her own heart. She approached him, and could feel the pain resonating from his body. "You should eat something," Ezra said as she held an open package of gruel towards the boy. He took it, glancing to the human text written accost the top. The two travelers had been stealing and bartering for food and water from various human and Esrian colonies for the past year, and they both yearned for some real food. "I always used to love hearing my mother talk about the ancient humans. She had such respect for your culture. I loved her tales of human innovation. How humans were able to build towers as tall as mountains. I never understood why they would want to build something so huge, but they still amazed me. Your use of human magic--Technology--is amazing," Ezra marveled to Elazar. He nodded, but was not in the mood for Ezra's ramblings. "We should get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us," Elazar spoke with a genuinely concerned tone. "Alright," said Ezra as she took some gruel and ate all she could of the discussing human cuisine. OOC: I will be gone from the June 20th until July 2nd, so Cyriel will continue Ezra's story without me until I return.

Ashi stepped out the Tai-Pan's vehicle, only to find herself far outside of the city limits. She stood in the sand as the Tai-Pan drove off, wondering where she was. Ashi reached into her cloak folds and retrieved a small hand-held computer. She accessed her glider schematics and ordered her glider to find her. Far away in the city of Prentice her cloaked glider flew towards her, on autopilot. Next Ashi checked for a message from Chasity to confirm her success. >No New Messages< flashed across the screen, and Ashi began to worry. It had been well over five hour since she had last made contact with Chasity, so something must be wrong. Ashi entered the tracking program, and searched for a tiny radio chip behind Chasity's left ear lobe. The scanner located her just a few miles out of Prentice. Ashi sent a quick message to Chasity when her glider arrived. [I]Well I have to check back with the Righteous Lightning before I can worry about my missing assassin.[/I] With that Ashi zipped off for Heirashii. Ashi entered Heirashii around dusk, and the streets were relatively empty. A few Domo guards were patrolling the streets, and whining about not being allowed to go to the meeting in Prentice. [I]I think I'll have a little fun with these guards.[/I] Ashi focused her thoughts on disappearing, and in a few moments she was gliding through the streets undetected. Two guards posted near her Righteous Lightning hide out were in a heated argument about their being left to guard Heirashii as she approached. Ashi slid up behind the two and grabbed their energy guns. Then in one quick motion she knocked them both unconscious. Dragging their bodies in the dusty road, Ashi placed the two guards just outside a local bar. [I]Wouldn't want to be you in the morning,[/I] Ashi smiled and turned on her way. Behind a small vender and in a narrow ally way Ashi entered the hide out. Siiqua ran to great her. "How are you Ashi?" "Alive," Ashi replied sarcastically. "Medo-kai wishes to see you right away," Siiqua stated, and Ashi simply nodded. In a large conference room, Medo-kai sat at the head of a crescent shaped table. Ashi nodded to Sai and several other Righteous Lightning friends before taking her seat next to Medo-kai. Medo-kai called the meeting to order, and informed everyone of the failed assassination attempt. [I]Damn it! I should have know that the Domos would pull some **** like this,[/I] thought Ashi. Next Ashi informed the group of her meeting with the Tai-Pan. ? "I don't quite trust him, but we need his support," she reported. "Have we placed spies in his home yet?" "Yes, he picked up that little kid just like we planned. Thank you Siiqua for you intel on his soft spot for children," Medo-kai said with an official tone. Siiqua nodded in reply. "Keep me informed of her progress," said Ashi. "And we have another problem. Chasity never contacted me. I tracked her radio chip to a fixed point just outside of Prentice. I propose that Siiqua, Sai and I go tonight to find her."

[B]Name: [/B] Ezra Leiswer [B]Age:[/B] 22 [B]Gender:[/B] Female [B]Race:[/B] Esrian [B]Description:[/B] Ezra is 5' 7" and 125lb. She has bronze colored skin, short brown hair (just above her ears), and sparkling green eyes. Ezra wears comfortable clothing modeled after human designs. She generally wears a green lightweight tunic under her long tan robes. Her shoes are molded to fit her feet, with lace up strings that wrap around her calves until just below her knees. Ezra wears an emerald on a silver chain around her neck. The necklace was a gift from her mother, and she likes to keep it close to her heart. She also has a small tattoo on her right hand in the old Esrian language meaning hope. [B]Weapons:[/B] She carries an ancient Katana forged in the fiery core of the earth. The blade is engraved with the Esrian words [I]Fight for Truth, Justice and Peace,[/I] and the handle is encrusted with emeralds. Many Esrian priests and priestesses blessed this sword to increase its accuracy and swiftness, and it has been past down for generations. [B]Magic: [/B] Ezra is still able to use basic Esrian magic, but mixing her blood with Elazar has weakened her abilities. [B]Heal:[/B] One of the only abilities she can use now is her healing spell, which transfer her own life energy into a fallen comrade. This spell is quite dangerous, for if she heals a person for too long she risks her own death. Ezra can heal herself by draining life energy from living things around her, but because she is opposed to killing without a just cause she has vowed to never drain a human or Esrian of their entire life forces. [B]Lightning:[/B] Ezra is out of practice, but she once was able to channel electricity in the atmosphere. Basically Ezra can conjure lightning bolts during a storm and direct them to a target. She can also use this ability to destroy anything electronic such as energy weapons. [B]Tools:[/B] Ezra learned to use essential human tools for survival. Ezra carries human eating utensils (pots, bowls, and spoons) and also a small book containing maps of the human colonies. [B]Personality: [/B] Ezra is driven and rarely lets anyone get in her way. She will fight for what she believes in and voice her own opinions if she feels an injustice is being committed. Ezra is quiet around strangers until she feels comfortable with them. She is very loyal and committed to Elazar. They are like siblings, and Ezra wont let anything get in the way of their cause for peace. She generally is non-violent and would much rather talk over a dispute than fight, but under certain circumstances she will draw her deadly blade for Justice. [B]Biography:[/B] Ezra came from the ruling family in her village Masrite. Her mother governed the colony to her best abilities. Her family felt strongly about coexisting peacefully with the humans, so she was brought up with respect and love for the human culture. When Ezra was sixteen she began to speak publicly about the benefits of peace between the Esrians and humans. She spoke against the war mongrels and advocated education about the human culture, proposing trade alliances between the colony #654 and Masrite. This angered many of the Esrian villagers and out of this tension sprang forth resistance groups. One clear October evening the rebels performed a coup-de-eta on her family. They burn their home and massacred Ezra's entire family along with some of her mother's supporters. Ezra was taken captive and beaten, left to die. While bound on the floor and heavily wounded, Ezra managed to cut her restraints and escape with only a few possessions: her katana and her emerald necklace. Ezra wandered all through the night finally seeking refuge from the harsh environment in a crack in the earth's crust. She crawled deep into the earth until she found a human colony. Hiding in the out-skirts of the colony, Ezra watched the beautiful colony flourish. She prepared herself to die, with her precious humans as the last thing she would ever see. After some time Ezra slipped into unconsciousness, but was found by a young human boy before dieing. He carried her into his village where his family nursed her back to health. Ezra was wary of this kind gesture from the human family, and tried to escape on several occasions, only slowing the healing process. After some time she came to trust the humans, especially the one called Elazar Kerbasi. The two developed a deep bond, and shared knowledge of both of their cultures. The two became such close friends that they decided to perform a blood mixing ritual. This tied them closer together and changed them both in many ways that they may never fully understand. Ezra adopted Elazar as a brother and cared greatly for his family. Once rumors of Ezra's presence in the human colony were confirmed, a group of humans came to kill her. Elazar's family fought bravely for Ezra, but perished in the process. Ezra could not bear to see another person she cared for die, and dragged Elazar away from the gore. They ran to the surface for refuge, and found that through mixing their blood, Elazar could breath with out his human machinery. Now the two orphans roam the planet, looking for peace where no one wants it. Hope this is okay. And if you haven?t figured it out Ezra is the mysterious Esrian that Elazar found.