SunfallE

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='PhoenixClawth']So, moderators, I ask you. Is there anything that can be done to reduce or even eliminate my wallpapers being ripped? [/quote]Short of denying other users the right submit wallpapers altogether?No. The moment you post something on the Internet others will take it and use it with out your permission. What you can do is what you actually did, report the problem with links proving it was ripped and we will remove the wallpaper from the category. Which is what I did when I reviewed the report you submitted about your wallpapers being ripped. With hundreds of submissions on a daily basis, it is impossible for the Moderators to know if a submission is in fact ripped from another wallpaper unless someone reports it with proof showing what it was ripped from. [quote name='PhoenixClawth']At least, could a user get a ban for ripping one another's artwork? [/quote]Actually after so many times of stealing a member does get in trouble so to speak. A warning is often issued for the first offense but after that, depending on the severity of the problem their account is frozen preventing them from being able enter any submissions. And yes if all warnings are ignored a member can end up being banned. The key to helping reduce the problem is member involvement. There are simply far too many submissions for the Moderators to keep track of them. Which is why it?s so important to take the time to report a problem when you find one.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]xliquidousx[/B], a thread?s main topic of discussion should be something that can spark an intelligent discussion of some form, and avoid spam. It requires very little effort to simply put down a question. And for other members to do the same. For a good example of a game that requires more interaction from the members look at this thread: [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=52286][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B][U]Choose......[/U][/B][/COLOR] [/URL] where you actually have to take the time to explain your choice and then turn around and provide new choices for the next participant in the game. So due to the spammy nature of this thread I will be closing it. Please take a moment to review the rules and faq that are located on the left side bar of the forum and the sticky Otaku Lounge Rules which is pinned at the top of the forum. Once you have re-read the rules this will make more sense. If you have any questions feel free to pm myself or another member of the staff. ~SunfallE [B]Thread Closed[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Name:[/B] Kendra Ashkevron [B]Age:[/B] 21 [B]Sex:[/B] Female [B]Alliance:[/B] Light [B]Hometown:[/B] Ashkevron, a small town that is close to Taliara. [B]Weapon(s):[/B] Kendra uses [URL=http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3180/twinsword4vf.jpg][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B][U]twin swords[/U][/B][/COLOR][/URL]. She also has a small pistol that she uses as a back up. Although she is a fair shot she prefers her swords, as she is quite skilled with them seeing that her father trained her since she was a small child. Given to Kendra by her father these unique dual swords push together to form an innocent looking staff, with each serving as the scabbard for the other. [B]Gift:[/B] Ever since she was a small child Kendra has had the ability to heal simple cuts and bruises by touching them. Since her ability requires a good amount of energy, especially if the cut or bruise is severe, Kendra has also studied the art of healing using herbs and splints and the knowledge of simple surgery and setting bones. Though since she received the letter her ability to heal has become stronger and once under extreme stress her healing ability manifested as lances of light that struck down some bandits that attacked her when she was gathering herbs in the forest. [B]Biography:[/B] Kendra mother died when she was very young, she was raised in Ashkevron by her father who died shortly before she turned twenty-one. Since then she has been living on her own and continuing her medical studies with the village healer. She also helps the local healer with treating any illnesses or injuries, as Kendra will eventually replace the current healer who is tending the villagers. Although Kendra has no intention of ever using her swords to earn a living, in honor of her father she has continued her practice and takes any opportunity to learn more techniques from other swordsmen. [B]Personality:[/B] Kendra has always been very kind hearted and friendly. Though in spite of her outgoing cheerfulness she is deeply lonely and feels isolated since her father passed away. Many of the villagers have spoken to her with offers of marriage but she has turned them all down as she has yet to meet anyone she felt like she could live with. To her helping those in need comes first. Kendra is also outspoken and says what she thinks even if others do not agree with her views. If it were not for her kindness and healing ability it is likely she would have little to no friends. [B]Appearance: [/B][URL=http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/9728/kendra8cf.jpg][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B][U]Kendra[/U][/B][/COLOR][/URL] is about 5?7? with brown eyes and long blue-black hair that she keeps tied back with a ribbon given to her by her father. Taking advantage of her status as a healer Kendra deliberately dresses in an outrageous fashion, as she prefers short pants to any form of a dress. [B]Character Snippet:[/B] It had been a week since Kendra found the letter sitting on the table inside her cottage. She had heard the folklore about the old woman who before being killed cursed the land. Kendra had always believed it to be just that a legend and nothing more. She still wasn?t even sure if she believed what the letter said. Lost in thought she walked through the village towards the forest to gather the herbs that only grew wild in the forest. Absent mindedly she nodded and replied to the various greetings of the people she passed but her mind was elsewhere and if you had asked her later she would not have remembered who had spoken to her. She couldn?t get the image of the cross bones on the outside of the letter out of her mind. It was a coincidence that her healing powers had become quite a bit stronger since she got the letter, wasn?t it? Still lost in thought she continued through the forest, her feet taking her along a path that she knew so well she could have walked it blindfolded. [I]Why me?[/I] She thought. [I]I?m no warrior or questing hero![/I] Irritated she picked up her pace.[I] It has to be a prank![/I] The more she thought about it the more she became convinced it was a hoax played on her by one of the villagers. Kendra had certainly been teased a lot by the young men over her ability to use the sword. Kendra sighed and began to gather the herbs she had come to collect. She opened her pouch and carefully placed them inside. Once she was done she began to walk back towards the village still lost in thought. ?[B]What have we here?[/B]? A voice said in front of her. Startled Kendra stopped and truly looked at her surroundings. Three men dressed in scruffy green pants, shirts, and boots, and armed with swords were blocking her path. With a start Kendra realized that she had left her swords back at her cottage. [I]Damn![/I] She thought in panic. Kendra had heard about the bandits frequenting the forest, how could she have been so careless! She took a cautious step backwards. Kendra let out a startled scream when she was grabbed from behind by an arm around her throat and waist and lifted off of her feet. Kendra struggled as the bandits joked over what to do with her. Something inside her snapped and she struggled wildly, kicking and screaming and biting anything she could. ?[B]Damn wench![/B]? The bandit holding her exclaimed when she bit his arm. He let go of her and threw her against a near by tree. Before she could recover he backhanded her sending her sprawling to the ground. Stunned Kendra struggled to get up but she couldn?t seem to focus. As they came closer something else inside of her snapped. ?[B]No![/B]? Kendra screamed at the top of her lungs. As if in a daze she saw bright lances of light form in front of her. A split second later they flew like arrows and pierced the hearts of the bandits. As if in slow motion they stood there looking at her in a daze before falling over backwards. For a long moment Kendra couldn?t think, when she was finally able to get up she saw to her amazement that the bandits were dead. [I]Did I do that? [/I]She wondered? [I]Where did the lances of light come from?[/I] She looked around but didn?t see anyone.[I] I must be imagining things[/I]. She thought. Kendra ran as fast as she could back to the village. Only after she had locked herself in her cottage did she sit down and rest. She looked at the letter sitting on the table. Something was different she could feel it. She leaned over putting her elbows on her knees and covered her face with her hands and sighed. Tomorrow she would try to find out more about the letter. Kendra got up and after getting cleaned up she went to bed, though it was a long time before she finally fell asleep. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I think we should have speed cameras, people complain that they are unfair and such but as Raiyuu put it: [quote name='Raiyuu][FONT=Trebuchet MS]Basically, people can complain as much as they like. The fact is, in my eyes, that [b]they shouldn't have been speeding.[/b] Hiding behind ostensibly righteous indignation at their ill-treatment by the government doesn't change the fact that speeders are breaking the law and need to be curbed [b]somehow.[/b'][/FONT][/quote]It?s like a five year old throwing a temper tantrum over being caught breaking the law. The biggest problem with excessive speeding is that people are making the assumption that they will still have the same amount of time to respond to a change in road conditions that they had at say 25 mph vs 5 to 25 mph faster. It just doesn?t work. You not only have less time to respond but it takes even longer to stop and more space to evade a potential accident. In all the time I worked as a Truck Driver I never saw anything that convinced me that speed was not a factor in contributing to accidents. Take the one indifference was responding too. The Semi Truck that went around a dangerous curve too quickly and wrecked. I?ve driven that section of the highway and it was sheer stupidity on their part that they went around it too quickly. Fortunately the explosion killed no one, though if other motorists had not risked their lives and pulled the truck driver free of his truck he would have died. The explosion pretty much destroyed the entire Semi other than a tiny bit of engine, front bumper and a few tires, along with the road and train tracks running along side the road. Although I think the cameras would be useful, especially in area?s where there are public schools, I think the biggest problem is a lack of education when it comes to teaching people to drive. I don?t know how it is in other countries, but the driver?s Ed in the USA is in my opinion severely lacking. Most people don?t even realize what they are not being taught. Myself included until I decided to get a commercial license so I could drive a Semi Truck. There is no comparison between the two. Getting a commercial license is far more intensive and requires you to learn a whole lot more. There?s a lot of information out there related to Semi Trucks and other vehicles that if it was included in the training people got when they get their license, it would help people make better choices when they are out on the road. For example: Semi Trucks use air brakes instead of hydraulic brakes like most cars have. Hydraulic brakes work instantly but air brakes have a slight delay known as brake lag. Basically it takes a moment for the air pressure to build enough to get the brakes working. So at 55 miles an hour that means a Semi Truck will travel an additional 32 feet before the brakes start working. Something to think about when you pull in front of one. So though I am for the speed cameras I think they are just a partial solution to a much bigger problem. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Welcome to OtakuBoards [B] UchihaNinjaGirl[/B], Please be aware that we have a rules page that all members are required to read before posting. These [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"][U][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Rules[/B][/COLOR][/U][/URL] and [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?][U][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]FAQ[/B][/COLOR][/U][/URL] can be found on the left navigation menu and the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=52331][u][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Otaku Lounge Rules[/B][/COLOR][/u][/url] are pinned at the top of the forum. You can also use the underlined links I have just provided. A thread creator?s opening post is what kick starts a discussion, so when creating a thread please be sure you come on to your topic with a decent quality post. Something your opening post does not do. For example you could have explained why the nickname you listed was embarrassing. Also a thread is not the place for general chatting with other members, you can use a service like AIM or the PM system for stuff like that. If you have any questions feel free to pm myself or another member of the staff. ~SunfallE [B]Thread Closed[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Keyblade Wielder: [/B] The thing I like best is the nice sharp contrast between the various shades of blue and black. The font for strength looks nice as well. The thing I don?t care for is the font for the words strength, Revenge and power. It just doesn?t go and it?s very distracting. [B]White:[/B] The thing I like best about your piece is how nicely the back border of stripes goes with the word Broadway. I also like the subtle animation of the leaf as well. What I don?t care for is the choice of font for the other words. They just seem to clash a bit with the piece. Both of you did an excellent job. For this round I vote for[B] White[/B]. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]jigglyness:[/B] First of all I really love the overall messy feel to this piece. Even the very border fits nicely with the messy look. The only problem I see is that I honestly don?t know what I?m suppose to be focusing on. The words Damaged People doesn?t make me think of anything. Still it?s nicely done. [B]r2vq: [/B]I?m in agreement with the others. Your piece is simply amazing. I love the overall dark feeling to it. I love the animation as it leaves the two most important aspects highlighted, which is the device being held and the word lite. Excellent job. Both pieces are beautifully done. Over all I like r2vq?s piece the best so my vote goes to [B]r2vq[/B]. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Personally I?m against joint custody. Coming from parents who got divorced when I was a kid and from having friends in the same situation, it?s a kind of hell to have to go back and forth between parents. Especially when one parent is acting like the other one isn?t a good parent. In your case it?s your ex implying that you are not a good mother where with me it was my wacky mother claiming my father was cruel when he isn?t. Anyway, the principal is the same. Eleven years of experience means absolutely nothing. It?s no guarantee that she?s actually a good mother. Being kid number four meant that when my mom divorced my dad she had been a mother for 17 years already and let me tell you, it was no picnic. We all would have been much better off if my dad had gotten custody instead of her. I can certainly understand why you would be upset, after all his whole argument about custody seems to be based on the idea that eleven years of being a mother somehow makes someone a good parent while implying that you are less capable. Honestly as I?ve already stated, years do not equal parenting ability. Besides as you already said, if they really miss her so much why ignore her? If they really felt that way they would have been trying to communicate with you on a regular basis to see how your daughter is doing. By behaving as if they have done nothing wrong they are also implying that it is you who needs to come to them to get their forgiveness. I could be wrong, but that?s what I get out of what you said. And if that is true, I have no patience for people like that either as they always act like everything is your fault instead of being willing to admit that they made a mistake. Anyway, best of luck with the custody battle. [/COLOR]

[quote name='lea']I wish this thread didnt look like an excuse to get your post count up.[/quote][COLOR=RoyalBlue]Congratulations! Your wish is granted! A warning will now be given that further posts that do not provide more than a simple conclusion to someone?s wish will result in the thread being closed. Lets try to be a little more creative here people. Try to do more than just a sentence or two, if you look back through the thread you will find plenty of examples like this one: [QUOTE=Cygnus X-1][FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=Sienna]Congradulations. You're a ghost. You're big and scary and have a fondness for poessessing unused undergarments. Unfortunatly, you just ****** with the wrong man's underpants. He calls the ghostbusters, and than all of a sudden Bill Murray in a jumpsuit shows up, with Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and that black guy who's name no one ever remembers, in toe. They ghostbust your *** and suck you into that giant washingmachine thingie, and than they neautrialize you. Pwnt.[B] I wish I was Jerry Springer.[/B][/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE]So lets follow it and keep the thread running. I wish that I could do anything I wanted for just one day.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Name:[/B] Samantha Henderson [B]Age: [/B]45 [B]Gender: [/B]Female [B]Place of Origin: [/B]Dallas Texas USA [B]Known History:[/B] During her senior year of High School Samantha met and fell in love with William Henderson a student at the local university. Shortly after Samantha graduated from High School they got married. Samantha worked while William finished getting his degree in computer science. Once William graduated they moved to Salt Lake City Utah where William had been offered a job. In the next five years they had two children, Darren and Bethany. But shortly after Bethany was born William was involved in a fatal car crash that killed him instantly. With help from the state of Utah, Samantha went back to school and eventually got the education necessary in order to teach elementary school children. Since then Samantha has worked hard to provide for her children. Although she was initially disappointed that Darren did not want more than being a construction worker, she is at least pleased that her children are working hard at providing a future for themselves. Now with her two children in college Samantha is considering going back to school again as now that her own children are grown she is finding that she doesn?t really care for teaching. [B]Personality:[/B] Initially Samantha was very outgoing and friendly, but since her husband?s death she?s been more solitary and withdrawn except where her kids are concerned. She?s fiercely protective of her kids and does her best to always be there for them. Her biggest drawback is that given a chance she will just stay home and never go out. Samantha dislikes being in large crowds, which is part of why she wants to quit teaching and do something else. [B]Appearance: [/B]Though she is a good seven inches taller, Samantha looks just like her daughter Bethany. [URL=http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/5710/samantha015gz.jpg][U][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Picture[/B][/COLOR][/U][/URL] Though now that she is older she has cut her hair so it only falls past her shoulders and she?s got a few gray hairs starting to show up. [B]Animal Genes: [/B][URL=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5020/bobcat2gp.jpg] [U][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Bobcat[/B][/COLOR][/U] [/URL] (Felis rufus or Lynx rufus) [B]Hybrid Abilities: [/B] [B]Stalking:[/B] Like the Bobcat she is an excellent hunter and can stalk others with stealth and great patience. Her greatest ability is to get quite close to another person without them realizing that she is there. [B]Climbing:[/B] Although she does not have claws, her nails are far more durable than a human?s and it makes it easier for her to climb up stuff since they do not break easily. Though it?s useless on smooth surfaces where there is nothing to grip. [B]Hearing:[/B] Though not as impressive as a true Bobcat, she has a much better hearing range than regular humans. The drawback to this is she is sensitive to high-pitched noises as ones high enough and loud enough is very painful. [B]OOC:[/B] Aaryanna and Indifference persuaded me to join as another member of the same family. ;)[/COLOR]

[quote name='sakurasuka][size=1][color=gray]I wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow.[/color'][/size][/quote][COLOR=RoyalBlue]Congratulations! You do not have to go to work tomorrow! How is this possible? A giant asteroid slams into the earth leveling not only the city you live in but most of the surrounding area. I wish I could live forever. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Welcome to OtakuBoards [B]earthfire[/B], Please be aware that we have a rules page that all members are required to read before posting. These [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"][U][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Rules[/B][/COLOR][/U][/URL] and [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?][U][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]FAQ[/B][/COLOR][/U][/URL] can be found on the left navigation menu and the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=52331][u][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Otaku Lounge Rules[/B][/COLOR][/u][/url] are pinned at the top of the forum. You can also use the underlined links I have just provided. A thread creator?s opening post is what kick starts a discussion, so when creating a thread please be sure you come on to your topic with a decent quality post. Since your topic is a simple request for a website link I will be closing this thread as it leaves little room for a discussion. OtakuBoards is not a search engine. Google is a better choice when searching for a website. If you still want to ask members for help in finding the website you are interested in. A good place would be to put it in your signature. That way anyone who knows the website can simply send you a pm with the information you are looking for. If you have any questions please feel free to pm myself or another member of the staff. ~SunfallE [B]Thread Closed[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Welcome to OtakuBoards [B]ladydarkness[/B], Please be aware that we have a rules page that all members are required to read before posting. These [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"][U][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Rules[/B][/COLOR][/U][/URL] and [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?][U][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]FAQ[/B][/COLOR][/U][/URL] can be found on the left navigation menu and the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=52331][u][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Otaku Lounge Rules[/B][/COLOR][/u][/url] are pinned at the top of the forum. You can also use the underlined links I have just provided. Also, we have pretty high standards when it comes to the quality of posts (ie: making them well thought out with care given to grammar). A thread creator?s opening post is what kick starts a discussion, so when creating a thread please be sure you come on to your topic with a decent quality post. When you re-read the rules page it will make more sense to you. If you have any questions please feel free to pm myself or another member of the staff. ~SunfallE [B]Thread Closed[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082]Thoughts? I figure there would be a running discussion thread in the staff forum to point out cool things members have posted (sort of the opposite of the infamous "Deal With This Member" Thread), to help with the nomination process. And with the event only being once every three months I wouldn't think it would be too much of an extra workload on the staff.[/color][/QUOTE]If we were to implement this idea I think a thread like that would be perfect. It would be a good way to help keep track of members who would be good candidates to be nominated for the award. Then when the time comes each moderator could pick a member from the list and then nominate them and give examples and reasons as to why they think the member should get the award. Then a thread could be created with the nominations asking the members to vote. [QUOTE=Gavin][SIZE=1']As for having members ultimately decide, well I've already said I disagree with it but really I suppose it's down to whoever chooses how best to implement the system, though as James has said there are other tasks that need to be down before then. By having it as a seasonal Event controlled by the Moderators but effectively decided by the member population you're introducing an unpredictable element into it, by having the Staff decide you're having people who know the forum inside and out making the final and most logical decision. [/SIZE][/quote]Actually I think that having members vote on the final selections is a good idea. Especially if there is an explanation of why the member is being nominated for the award. Kind of similar to how members described why they nominated someone for the nifty fifty. Basically even though moderators would be making note and choosing members to be nominated, in the end I think it would work best if the members make the final decision by voting on who they think should get the award. By having the moderators choose the nominations it would help to eliminate the bias of members only choosing their friends to get the award. Although it?s true that it wouldn?t eliminate all bias I think it's a good start. For myself the people I am best friends with here are moderators. Since staff would not be included it would be fairly easy for me to choose members based on their contributions to the forum instead of whether or not we are friends. [quote name='Shy][size=1'](And of course, current staff members get NOTHING. These awards are for the members.)[/size][/quote]I have no problem with that. I?m perfectly happy with my current title of Moderator of Otaku Lounge [/COLOR] ;)

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Another thing people tend to forget is that Cartoon Network is in it for the money. It?s not so much an issue of being fair but one of making a profit off of the shows they are airing. In the United States, the TV commercial is generally considered the most effective mass-market advertising format, and this is reflected by the high prices TV networks charge for commercial airtime during popular TV events and shows. The annual Super Bowl football game is known as much for its commercial advertisements as for the game itself, and the average cost of a single thirty-second TV spot during this game has reached $2.5 million (as of February 2006). If a show has poor ratings, they can?t charge as much for the commercials so it?s only natural they are going to take the show down, or that they are going to switch what is airing in the time slot to keep people interested in watching that channel. The better the ratings are, the more they can charge for the commercials. Whether or not they finished the series they were airing is irrelevant. Shows are picked based on what will make them the most money. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I don?t have any disagreeable neighbors at the moment, but when I was a kid we had a neighbor across the street who every morning would put their dog out so it could walk across the street and poop in our front yard. I remember my mom tried to ask them to put their dog out into their own fenced back yard, but they just kept doing it anyway, even if my mom or dad were outside in the front yard. Hearing my parents complain about it inspired me to take water guns, the hose and glasses of water and chase the neighbors dog out of the yard by trying to soak it every time it came over to poop in our front yard. I remember how angry the neighbor across the street got when they saw me and anyone else I could get to help chasing their dog with water. It got to be a game, as the neighbor would wait until they thought we weren?t around. I would hide with either my siblings or friends and then charge when the dog started to do its duty on our front lawn. I know the neighbor complained to my mom but she never told me that I had to stop soaking the neighbor?s dog. We did that for a couple of years. Surprisingly the neighbor just kept trying to pick a time when they thought we weren?t home or around. We must have soaked that dog several times a week. And in the summer sometimes we got the dog several times a day. It finally ended when the dog got sick and had to be put down. It wasn?t anything we did but rather a case of being too old to fight off an infection it got. They got another dog, but wisely put it out in their own backyard this time around. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I?ve already talked to you about using the report bad post button if you feel a member is out of line [B]Pixie_rich[/B]. At this point I think this thread is not really going anywhere so I say we put it to rest as it is degenerating into a pointless debate of whether or not Pixie_rich is telling the truth. ~SunfallE [B]Thread Closed[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Just a reminder, posting your goals without bothering to explain a little about why it?s your goal is [I]Spam[/I]. [B]Tical [/B]set a good example with the first post. Please follow it, as I would hate to shut down a perfectly good thread. On Topic: [U]To be happy:[/U] It just seems pointless to have goals if pursing the goal isn?t making me happy on some level. So my goals often change as sometimes I find pursuing something I thought I would enjoy actually turned out to be no fun. Take skiing. I wanted to learn so I made it a goal, but I found that I hated being cold so I no longer care if I learn how to ski well. [U] To publish a novel: [/U]This is one that I am actually working on. I find I enjoy writing out the stories I?ve thought of. Even if I don?t get them published I?ve at least had fun writing them. [U] Visit every national park in the US: [/U]I love visiting national parks. Even if it I never finish this goal I want to at least visit as many as possible.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]The idea of a flu epidemic does scare me. Not that I think it will happen, but because I?ve had the flu before so I know how lethal it really is. Now I know everyone has most likely had the flu at one time, but there is a big difference between the more common flu and the one a flu shot protects you against. The more common flu is nothing compared to the more lethal strains. I can honestly say it was one of the worst infections I?ve ever had. And in spite of being so sick the hospital didn?t want to take me unless there was no choice since it?s very contagious. Fortunately my doctor put me on an antiviral medicine, which took care of it. Anyway, the problem with trying to find a cure is that the flu tends to mutate rapidly. So probably the best course of action would be to work on limiting contact with infected birds when possible and to continue working on securing enough doses to treat the population. [QUOTE=Cygnus X-1][COLOR=Sienna] I'm not really worried for myself, because I have faith that modern medicine and other precautions will keep me safe and secure. However, places like China and Russia, where there is a rediculous amount of overpopulation and poor living conditions, don't have this luxury. If the flu does muatate - and there's no gauranatee that it will - I'm more worried about what will happen to them. Let's say this virus runs rampant in China and India and places like that, causing massive insability and loss of work force, what will happen to the wests economy? The west cannot survive without it's trading partners in these squalid ****-pits and I'm very worried about them. Keep in mind this is also a worst-case-scenario, and there is no gaurantee that it will ever come to fruition - there isn't even a reason to think so. I'm just saying bad things may happen and we can't go about this with complacancy.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]As for it the economy in the west, in the USA a lot of things use to be made here until cooperation?s started buying overseas since it meant they could make greater profit. It would be a mess for a while, but eventually things would recover. I don?t think surviving is an issue; rather we will simply have to do without luxury items like games, computers and other high tech items. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I?ve had plenty of times where I simply didn?t have time for anime. Mostly when I was on the road working as a truck driver, I would take stuff to watch on my laptop, but sometimes I would end up on the road a lot longer I had planned and as a result I would have several weeks where I didn?t watch any anime since I had nothing I wanted to re-watch. I may like anime a lot, but I have lots of other interests. If I found myself unable to watch anime for several weeks, well I would simply take up my other hobbies. I love to read, work on scrapbooks, go hiking, work on sewing projects and spend time with my friends. So not watching anime for a few weeks wouldn't be a challenge. In fact it would be rather easy. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]It depends on the type of filler episodes. The ones that are recaps where they show nothing but clips of previous episodes are downright annoying. It?s like they were just too lazy to animate a new episode. Honestly I?d rather just skip the show for a week instead of watching something like that. But ones where they explore side stories, provided they don?t make an entire season out of it, aren?t too bad. I rather enjoyed the one in D.N.Angel about Wiz. On some level I find it kind of annoying when the anime and manga match exactly. So I prefer series that have at least a few filler side stories. Not enough to really distract from the main storyline, but enough to at least make it a little more diverse. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Congratulations! The Picard vs Kirk argument has been settled. Unfortunately for you a huge number of fans are enraged that you have taken away one of their favorite past times which was arguing over the Picard vs Kirk issue. Needing a new diversion from their mundane lives they are now hunting you down with the intent of inflicting untold bodily harm upon you. You spend a brief amount of time running for your life before they eventually catch you and torture you to death. I wish I lived in a state where it was warm all year long. [/COLOR]

[quote name='sakurasuka][size=1']I know, I know. It's basically retarded for people to ask for advice from people on the internet and all, but maybe you guys can help me see my problem from a differnt perspective.[/size][/quote][COLOR=RoyalBlue]Well seeing that you are looking for a different perspective, it makes sense to use the Internet since it?s a good way to gain access to widely different views. ^_~ So perhaps it?s not quite as retarded as one might think? Hmm? So have you talked with him about your concerns? It seems like it?s at the point of deciding whether or not you want to continue dating. Even if you like him sooner or later the issues you mention are going to be felt either as a positive influence or as a negative one. If nothing else perhaps the two of you could agree to learn a little bit about what the other person likes? You might have something in common that you just haven?t found yet. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I wouldn?t call it horrendous. ^_~ It?s definitely a nice start. The things I see that could be improved is - one the color of the font. Since it is so close to the background it blends in and is difficult to read. The other would be the border between the background and the picture you added. It?s a little harsh and obvious. Perhaps you could remove it closer to Jing?s face and not use anything to make the edge soft. If right along the face line a hard edge might look a little better. ^_^ Also as Keyblade Wielder mentioned a border would give it a nice finish. Oh and Keyblade Wielder, even though it was meant for Phobia, thank for the link on fonts. I?ve been looking for some new fonts that were up for grabs. I?ve looked but so far most of what I found they wanted to charge you for the font. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][QUOTE=Crazy Ace]I'm surprised to see that quite a few people don't know much about HIV. AIDS was a big problem here in the late 80's and early to mid nineties but now the rate od infections here has dropped drastically. From primary school straight throughout grade 12 here we are always being educated and given information on HIV/AIDS. AIds and everything to do with it is basic common knowledge. Pixie are your really sure you have HIV. Who knows, maybe there was some mistake. If you do have it I wish you the best. Why don't you take a vacation down here if you are feeling down. Peace[/QUOTE]Actually infection rates have increased not decreased. Part of the problem is that about one third of those who are infected do not know that they are. As a result even more people are getting infected since they don't know they have HIV yet. Just take a look at this that I found here: [URL=http://www.avert.org/worlstatinfo.htm][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Worldwide epidemic statistics[/B][/COLOR] [/URL] [INDENT][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]During 2005, some 4.9 million people became infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. The year also saw 3.1 million deaths from AIDS - a high global total, despite antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, which reduced AIDS-related deaths among those who received it. Deaths among those already infected will continue to increase for some years even if prevention programmes manage to cut the number of new infections to zero. However, with the HIV-positive population still expanding the annual number of AIDS deaths can be expected to increase for many years, unless more effective provision of ARV medication begins to slow the death rate.[/COLOR] [/INDENT] The biggest problem is lack of education on how serious HIV/AIDS really is. Also there are ways to be infected beyond unprotected sex, mother to child or sharing needles when doing illegal drugs. [B]Contact with an infected person's blood [/B] If sufficient blood from an infected person enters the body of an uninfected person then it can pass on the virus. [B]Use of infected blood products [/B] Many people in the past have been infected with HIV by the use of blood transfusions and blood products which were contaminated with the virus - in hospitals, for example. In much of the world this is no longer a risk, as blood donations are routinely tested. [B]Retribution [/B]makes a good point lets not assume that [B]Pixie_rich[/B] is at fault without truly knowing what happened. And [B]Cygnus X-1[/B] some states, like Utah, do not have sex education in their schools. They teach their kids to just not have sex instead of informing their teenagers of the danger. No education on the dangers of unprotected sex whatsoever. [/COLOR]