SunfallE

Well this is going to be interesting. It?s going to be hard to pick only one. Both pictures are excellent! [B]Sun[/B]: What I like best about your picture is how it shows materialism as something that distracts from real life. The picture, words and colors really go together quite well. I do feel that the actual picture itself is a bit too washed out and could just a tiny bit more color as it kind of distracts a bit from the relaxed feel of the overall piece. Also the words are a tiny bit blurred adding to the washed out effect. I do love the soft border and the bubbles in the lower right hand corner. You definitely did an excellent job in creating this. [B]Ozymandius[/B]: What I like best about your picture is that it is so obviously representing materialism. The mixture of cash, coins, ring and a receipt really go well together. I also love the border that you have around the edges it really looks nice. The picture of the two-dollar bill is blurred just a tiny bit and I don?t care for the placement of the words over the coins. I really like the saying though as it implies that materialism is a waste as in the end you can?t take it with you when you die. You definitely did a good job in representing materialism. This one is a difficult choice, as I really like both pictures. In the end I am going to go with [B]Ozymandius[/B] as I think it?s put together a little bit better than the other one.

Most of the relationships I?ve had have kind of ended in the although we still like each other we just didn?t ever really fall in love so to speak. It was more like two good friends having fun. Some of them I?m still good friends with. I have had to tell a few that I no longer wanted to date them and I hated doing it. The worst was one who got jealous anytime I talked to another guy and he would get upset if I had a job that paid more than what he got. But what drove me up the wall is he would call every single night and want to talk for hours. It may sound sweet that he wanted to talk all the time, but I was also attending college and working. I had to do homework and he never understood that I couldn?t spend hours everyday talking on the phone with him. So I finally had to break it up, as he was kind of obsessive about wanting to be with me all the time. I had another one who once we started seeing each other more regularly started telling me what I was going to be doing with my life once we were married. Not only had he never asked me to marry him, but also he was telling me what classes I would take at school what job I would have and pretty much everything I would do, even what type of clothes I would be wearing. After a couple weeks of him attempting to make all my decisions for me I broke up with him. So that?s my story, though I don?t feel upset over it. If anything I?m kind of relieved as it felt suffocating being around them.

Well I could attempt to give you advice, but most of my problems have been quite different than yours so I?m not sure if the advice would match. ^_~ Plus I?m not that good at being wise either. I am sorry to hear that you are having a difficult time though. I?ve never been married, but I remember all to well just how crazy my life was when my parents got divorced; It really was quite a stressful and emotionally painful experience. I do hope that you take the idea of suicide and throw it out the window so to speak. Not only would your daughter miss you but we would miss your perky and wacky threads here at OtakuBoards. ^_~ I hope starting the thread helped you a little bit as I know for me that when I am feeling down being able to talk about it with others always makes me feel a bit better. Anyway, hang in there okay? *hug* (I know that isn?t much in the way of advise, but I really do wish for things to get better for you)

A) Which aspect of OtakuBoards do you find to be the most negative/confusing? Well I would say the members who respond to posts only to be rude, childish, or just to be the martyr or victim. And I?m not talking about just newer members either. Fortunately the moderators step in and usually put an end to it fairly quickly. ^_^ B) What is your favorite aspect of OtakuBoards? Well to answer that one properly I might just have to start another thread. ^_~ I really like how it doesn?t matter whether or not you are new. I got the same friendly treatment on day one that I get today. The one thing I hated about other boards is that quite often they had their own little group of friends so to speak and quite often-new comers were pretty much ignored. Or the even more stupid response of we don?t associate with people who aren?t teenagers. As if you had to be a teenager to like anime. *duh* Also, I was quite impressed with the well thought out responses I got to the first thread I ever created here. It really is much more enjoyable to be part of a community that puts emphasis on post quality. It makes the discussions and conversations that much more enjoyable. I also really like how there is far more to it than just anime, like the art sections, and the otaku lounge for different topics and the area for stories and poetry. ^_^ I could go on but that pretty much sums of the basics of my favorite aspects.

[QUOTE=kenshinsbabe][SIZE=2][FONT=Georgia]This was sparked by my friend. She has this crush and is too afraid to ask him to go to a dance with her. Trivial, I know. I've given her endless amounts of advice on how to go about doing it, and got her all pumped up. The next day comes, and she chickens out. Her whole life, she's been doing that. She reminds me of the cowardly lion. "I'm not brave enough to do this," or "I'm too scared to do that". What is it about fear that makes us so ready to give up? I realize that I could be going a bit hard on her, but what's the point of living if you're just going to hide from things all your life? I'm not saying that I'm fearless, but I'm pretty damn close. Until two years ago, I was so fearful of everything. Then I decided that I wasn't going to be scared of life. Ever since then, I've experience a wide array of emotions that I don't even believe. So why are fearful people so fearful? What are they afraid of? Am I just being an *** and making a big deal over nothing?[/FONT][/SIZE][/QUOTE] I guess it depends upon the situation, as what may scare one person wouldn?t even intimidate the next person. I don?t think her fear of asking the person out is trivial as some people are really frightened over being rejected. Some people are afraid and like you finally reach the point where they decide to accept it by doing things that scare them anyway, and for some reason others never get to that point. If your friend has never experienced being rejected or truly hurt then maybe she has low-self esteem and just needs some help from a professional to sort it out. As for why people are fearful, can?t really say. I know for myself I?ve always been of the opinion that I refuse to be a victim and cower over things. I?ve actually been in some pretty scary situations and I wasn?t totally scared. I was actually able to make rational decisions and not panic. I know it?s not that simple, I just know that for whatever reason it works for me.

I too think that the Lunar series is one of the best anime games ever made. I really like playing both Lunar 2 Eternal Blue and Lunar: Silver Star Story as the characters in both are very entertaining. I also loved the anime cut scenes they made for them as they really do bring the characters to life. The game play may be an older SNES style but the character personalities and the anime cut scenes more than make up for it. I also thought Tales of Symphonia was one of the better anime games produced. The real time battle system, interaction between characters and interesting side quests give the series a depth that others seem to lack. The only thing I felt was lack was that there were so few anime cut scenes made for it. In that respect it was a tiny bit disappointing. But it is still one of my favorites anyway.

I noticed that we don't have a category for DNAngel avatars, so here's my attempt. ^_^ Hopefully at least six of them are good enough. :animeswea [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/888/dnangel012sn.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Dark [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1630/dnangel028vv.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Daisuke [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/5724/dnangel034lr.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Dark [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2077/dnangel046im.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Satoshi [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/3179/dnangel057jc.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Towa [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2231/dnangel065pi.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Mio [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/4986/dnangel074tc.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Risa [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/3564/dnangel086fc.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Riku [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/3672/dnangel097da.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Tltle: Krad [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/7639/dnangel100km.jpg[/IMG] Category: DNAngel Title: Krad

[QUOTE=Sage]But... I haven't singled out USA. I've given examples of my own country, Finland, and I've blamed ALL the wealthy, "civilized" nations for ignoring the troubled, poorer countries. As for why I'm basing my opinions on the media, it's because that is the only way I know of America. I haven't visited USA, I don't know people from there in real life, I have no ties to there. But I'm not actually attacking USA here, I'm trying to point out that there is so much suffering around us that it's selfish for "the richest country in the world" to expect that the world will annually mourn with it for it's relevantly small loss. Okay, I admit that I've been rude and blunt with my wording, but you can't know how hard it is for me as a foreigner to try to speak my opinions with a language that's not my native! So please don't cling onto every word I say but try to understand what I mean with them... :/[/QUOTE] I admit, I too was getting the impression that you had a grudge against America. But if your native language isn?t English then it does explain why you seem much harsher than perhaps you intended. It must seem strange to post your thoughts in a language that does not match what you grew up with. Moving on? I would recommend ignoring a lot of what the media says, as it doesn?t really give a true representation of how we feel or what America is truly like. The media is influenced by the people who are in power and quite often ignores how we really think. The media will always report stories based on what their sponsors want, as they are the ones who pay them. I know perfectly well that what we see on the news is censored. That aside, I agree with indifference as I too never expected anyone to mourn with us here in the USA. It?s a nice thought, but I do not expect it of others. It certainly was not my idea to have a national day of mourning. And it would be more fitting if it were for all people who have died due to such a tragedy regardless of what country it happened in. I also agree that the more powerful nations could probably do a lot more to assist others. But unfortunately that is unlikely to happen any time soon. I and many other Americans may want this but, we do not have the power to make such a thing happen. It can be quite frustrating to watch the leaders in power as they make decisions you do not agree with. Especially when it is leaders that you did not vote for. Anyway, I too will disagree on one small point as I agree with indifference that no loss is small as even one life lost is unacceptable. Numbers are irrelevant in this respect. Long before 9/11 happened I lost someone dear to me so I can understand just how painful it was for those who lost loved ones. Telling them that their loss is small because others have lost more lives in a single event is in my opinion disrespectful and unnecessary. Besides I think James said it well when he said no one was forcing you to have a silent moment. I know that I for one will not be offended if you do not. ^_^

[quote name='Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed]This is exactly what I predicted... Right now, the gas is 1.34/lieter (aproximatly 6$ gallon) but it's been weeks since the disaster. Oil is back under full swing, but still the prices remain high. The Oil companies [I]will[/I'] eventually reduce the price; but when? The gas prices skyrocketed up, but the Oil Companies are going to squeez every penny out of us by dropping the price cent by cent over the next few months. This is seriously bad for the worlds econemy - I know people who cant even go to work because it costs too much, the trucking industry will suffer... the Oil Companies may cause this disaster to be MUCH worse than it is now... This certainly is terrible, isn't it...[/COLOR][/quote] I don?t know what the trucking industry is like in Canada, but I work for the trucking industry here in America and it isn?t really making a big difference yet. In the long run it will be consumers who suffer for the increase in price, as there are two solutions that will end up being implemented if the price of diesel fuel does not come down. The first possibility is that the price of goods will increase to offset the increase in transportation fees. Or the time it takes to deliver things will increase as slowing down means better mileage. It may not make much difference to slow down in a car but for a Semi-Truck it makes a huge difference. The company I work for limits our speed to 65 miles per hour. All you have to do is slow down to 60 miles per hour and the increase in mileage ends up saving from $8,000 to $12,00 a year in fuel for a single truck. If you have over 18,000 trucks in your fleet that?s a lot of money to be saved by slowing down only 5 miles per hour. So in the long run the ones who are going to be hurt the most are regular people.

Well first off I don?t think anime will ever really die. I agree with [COLOR=DarkOrange][B]Aaryanna[/B][/COLOR] in that it will just change as time goes on. However if for some bizarre reason it really did die then I would start creating my own even if it was only a story I could write. I?m sure if I looked around I could find fellow members who could draw and so forth and before long we could bring it back if we really wanted to. We would start with creating manga and go from there. It?s kind of hard to kill off something that has so many fans as either they will demand it continue, which does work as millions of fans objected to star trek being ended and as a result it ended up airing an additional 25+ years, and if our demands weren?t met then we would probably band together to re-create it ourselves.

[IMG]http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5877/moonsun8ne.jpg[/IMG] Words: True love never lives happily ever after... True love never ends. Colors: Pastels

[QUOTE=indifference]It is not the date that is so important. It is the lives of those who were lost that matters. It is easy to think that just because someone didn?t mention 9/11 or the date of some other tragedy that they have forgotten when in fact it may be on their minds quite a bit. Grieving over a lost loved one is not limited to only the day that they died. In many ways the pain never ends. But as time passes it begins to soften just a bit. You still miss them but you no longer think about it endlessly. Just because a huge display was not made over the event does not mean that people no longer care. I may not think about it on the anniversary of the day it happened, but I could hardly forget such an event.[/QUOTE] I agree, the date isn?t what really matters. I didn?t think about 9/11 yesterday but that doesn?t mean I forgot about all the people who died. I still remember what I was doing when I found out about it. It was my day off from work and I was playing a computer game when my father told me about a plane crashing into the building. I thought he was kidding since my dad likes to joke about things. Unfortunately he was not joking this time. I hardly think that a public display over lost loved ones is a true indicator of whether or not people actually care. I don?t think that such displays of concern have to be on the specific date either. I say that as I lost my brother to a tragic accident over 10 years ago. It has been long enough that although I know the month he died I no longer remember the exact date and time. It doesn?t stop me from caring or missing him. [QUOTE=Sage]Sorry if I sounded blunt, but I was really trying to make the same point as you, Jamesy and shadowofdeath13. However, I can't help to feel a bit ticked by the arguably American way of blowing things out of proportion. When 9/11 occurred, we heard about if for months and months in the media, and the consequences are still visible. The headlines blared "World Grieves" and "World-wide Sorrow", and all the countries sent consolences to the States. The fact that the number "9/11" has become a "thing" reveals something! There have been many incidents for example in Indonesia where terrorist bombings have killed many more people, but we (referring to us western "civilized" countries) don't know the dates, we don't hear sobby stories from there, we haven't send any massive amounts of aid there, we haven't even thought about it! Why? Because they don't have the capacity to make it big news. USA has, and it has used it to it's own advantage - quite ruthlessly, I might add. The whole "you're either with us or against us"-mentality is something extremely wrong, and it all boils down to the events in 9/11. [I]Of course [/I] it is an important date to the Americans, [I]of course [/I] they have the right to mourn, but why does America (in general) keep rubbing it in other countries faces after four years?! To comment on James's question if Helsinki (the capital of Finland) was to face something like 9/11... Of course we in this country would be devastated, but I frankly don't believe other countries would think about it much - we aren't a part of NATO, there are only 5 million people living here, we are located to the northernmost corner of Europe... I just don't think others would care. We wouldn't certainly get our own, world-wide date of mourning![/QUOTE] Sage, please don?t be ticked at American?s for how the event was handled. So many of us have absolutely no say in how the media is run or in what the government chooses to do. I found the endless media reports and endless stuff dragging the event out quite annoying as well. Also you are incorrect in stating that America has not helped other countries in need. We have an organization called USAID that is devoted to assisting many things including disasters that strike other countries. If you are curious you can go here, [URL=http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/countries/][COLOR=DarkRed][B]USAID[/B][/COLOR][/URL] as they have posted what countries have received help for the past few years. For example over $80 million was contributed to assist those affected by the massive Tsunami that occurred in Asia back in December of 2004. Keep in mind that this does not include the American Red Cross or the various religions here that also send aid as well.

I have a question. I was reading several threads in the Otaku lounge when suddenly when I tried to go from one thread to another several of them just vanished. I can think of at least three that I was reading: Favorite and least favorite animal Past lives Random questions Is it just me who can no longer access these threads? Or did they disappear for everyone else too? Or did they get removed? I've never run across this problem before so I would really like to know what happened. Thanks! ^_^

[QUOTE=Attimus331]Oh....right....drinking binges aren't bad at all.....and neither are the drunk drivers, right? Sure, those things aren't going to be avoided, i'm not trying to say that. I'm simply saying that a, straight out of mom and dad's house, 18 year old is less responsible than a 21 year old that has had a little more experience. [/QUOTE] I hope you aren't serious, as I see absolutely nothing good about a drunk driver. It?s absolute stupidity and irresponsibility at it?s finest to be driving when you are drunk. I have already lost one family member to a drunk driver, and I don?t want to lose another. I realize that some mature quicker than others do, but I?m all for the 21-year-old law and sometimes I think it should be even higher. Or perhaps the penalty for driving drunk should be more severe. After all the idiot who killed my brother is still out behind the wheel, and who knows when he will kill again by being irresponsible. 18 years may be the standard in other countries or even some of the states, but I seriously don't think it's old enough for someone to be considered an adult.

[QUOTE=elfpirate][b][font=Comic Sans MS]I'm not sure if it's appropriate to vent here about this, but I still have not heard from my close friend of ten years, who's flat was about 3 blocks from the river in New Orleans. The lack of certainty for his well-being is nearly unbearable, as I listen to the reports of corpses floating everywhere, and the lack of fresh water for those who have managed to survive thus far. I am, however, relieved that my brother returned from living with my friend in New Orleans just a few weeks ago, or I would be in quite a state (aka-sedated and drooling on the floor of my padded cell)...but the relief that my brother is safe does not negate my concern for my friend in the slightest. My thoughts and my hope are with him...and with all the victims (and their families) of this devistating storm. Again, I apologise if this was not the right place to vent my concerns. [/font][/b][/QUOTE] I sincerely hope your friend is all right and I wish the same for others who have friends and family missing since the Hurricane hit. I was just down in that area last week so it seems kind of unreal to imagine that so much damage has occured. As for the rising gas prices, I'm not surprised as the oil companies always seem to take any chance to raise the prices. I remember it quite well as I was driving back to Utah from Reno NV and I got a message from the company I work for telling me to stop and fill the truck as gas was going to go up at midnight. It's hard to believe that there really is a need to raise prices when so many of the oil companies are making record breaking profits the past few years. :animeangr But compared to the losses of those who have lost their homes and loved ones, I guess it doesn't really matter.

It's kind of hard to have security for a graveyard unless you plan on making everyone who enters show ID. It's really quite sad that people steal from graves. My brother died quite a while ago and from time to time the flowers and wreaths we put there are stolen. I remember that one time my dad got a nice evergreen christmas one and had it put on a stand. It was nicely made and the evergreen ones last for a good month. It cost about 60 dollars for the wreath and yet in less than 24 hours someone stole it. I'm sure it was quite pretty on the door of the person's home, and I'm equally sure that none of their neighbors knew that they stole it from my family. We still leave things, but sadly, we no longer spend as much as it's disgusting that others are too cheap to go and buy their own wreath or flowers.

[QUOTE=indifference]I have yet another question regarding wallpapers. In the past few weeks I have noticed that a lot of wallpapers are misplaced and in the wrong category. Yet when you go to report this fact there is not a choice for reporting a wallpaper in the wrong category. Is there another way to report wallpapers that are misplaced? Or should I not worry about such mistakes? I have seen quite a few of them and I think it would be a good idea to be able to report them as it would help improve our wallpaper section by fixing such errors. At least that is what I think. Also I have noticed several wallpapers that are a crossover of an anime and a video game. The ones in question have been placed in the anime section and I was wondering if such submissions belong in crossover anime. Or do we need a hub for anime crossed over with video games? Either way I would appreciate clarification on this matter. Till later. indifference[/QUOTE] I too have noticed a lot of wallpapers that are misplaced. Personally I think the addition of being able to choose wrong category when reporting a wallpaper would greatly help reduce mistakes in the wallpaper sections if we could help by reporting them to the moderators. I can easily think of at least 10 that I know of that are in the wrong category. I also had wondered about the anime crossed with a video game as I've seen a few of them too. Should they be put in crossover anime? Or since we don't have a hub for it should we not submit that type of wallpaper at all as it kind of defeats the purpose of having a hub if you add things to it that do not belong there. Anyway, I'd love some clarification on this issue too. Thanks ^_^

I would have a hard time choosing, as there are so many fun and interesting people here. ^_^ I can think of a few right off that I would choose. Panda ? She?s just so sweet and lovable, I can?t imagine OtakuBoards without her so I?d definitely want her there. Ozymandius Jones - I just love reading her posts and how she signs guest books, she has such an awesome sense of humor. Elfpirate ? She?s quite the character as well and would definitely shake things up to keep us from getting bored. Pumkin ? Hehe! I would pick you for similar reasons. ^_^ Mariskah ? As one of my best friends in real life as well I can?t imagine not having her along, she?s got a diabolical demented sense of humor. I?ve been with her on vacation before and we always have tons of fun. indifference ? She may be new but she?s obviously quite interesting and I think she would make a nice addition, as she?s quite straightforward. As for the seventh, I can?t possible choose as there are so many others I think would be fun to have around. I guess I would have to put all their names in a hat and then randomly pick one. ^_^ EDIT: Sorry about that Ozymandius Jones, I meant to say she and ended up saying he! LOL ^_~

[QUOTE=Xy GGu]FOOLS! I pay $200 all year on public transportation! I never needed the use for a car and everything I need to get to is within 2 miles. Of course I'll sacrifice [B]my right[/B] to spend thousands of dollars a year on private transportation and take that extra 15 to 45 minutes a day. Besides. Getting up earlier to get to work and finding ways to plan your day better builds character (and fattens your wallet a little every day).[/QUOTE] It's really easy to depend on public transportation if there happens to be some. But many areas have none. The areas without public transportation here in America far outweight the few that actually do have it. If I depended on public transportation I wouldn't be able to work as there is nothing from the town I live in to get me to my job. I may be a truck driver but when I am off for a few days the truck stays at work, I don't get to drive it home. I can't say I blame them as Semi trucks only get around 7 miles to the gallon. That may sound bad but when you consider that they can haul 80,000 pounds that's far better gas milage than any car or truck I know of. Now if they would only finish putting in the light rail here in Utah, I could forgo the car and ride it to work instead. ^_^

Gas prices certainly are annoying. It's ironic that I got a smaller car this time around as it took $25 to fill the huge tank of my older car. Now with a smaller tank I still spend around $25 to fill it! I actually drive a Semi Truck so I only fill my car about once a month as I rarely drive my regular car. As the price of diesel fuel is over 3 dollars a gallon in some states I'm glad that the company I work for pays for it instead of me. It's quite expensive to fill the tank of a Semi. >_< Makes me glad I'm not an owner/operator as the increase in diesel fuel would be very frustrating.

[QUOTE=userdan]Oh, i don't mean THEY'RE retarded, i mean that RULE is retarded. Also, my post quality is low, because i am using internet for quite a while, and have already figured out that your post quality doesn't matter, and whoever doesn't like the way you type..well...too bad.:P Anyway, my original siggy is 450X150, which is about the universal siggy standart...Either that, or 350X150, just go to a site like game renders, and you'll see that almost every sig is this size. Also, i find it extremely hard to make a sig 500X100... A banner, yes. A sig, No.[/QUOTE] I agree with indifference that just because you do not like the current rule it doesn?t make it or the person who created it stupid. I do not recall there ever being a ?universal? rule that states signatures have to be bigger or have more posted to be acceptable. Besides if it really is so difficult to make one at the correct size, it would be a good challenge to learn how to make one would it not? Perhaps post quality does not matter to you but I assure you there are plenty of people who find poor posting a distinct annoyance. If we really wanted such poor posting quality then many of us would not be members here at OtakuBoards. Also Imi?s suggestion of creating a thread in the Studio to show off the signatures you have made is a good way to share what you have created. If the rules and posting quality required here really bother you that much then as you put it there are many forums out there.

I agree with indifference, very creative. It would be interesting if at one point children who are not born yet can on some level feel things. Great job on writing this poem. ^_^

[QUOTE=vegeta rocker]Let me just first say, i think cyber sex is really juvenile and stupid. But i was just wondering if you considered this cheating. I know some people who admit to doing it but they are in relationships. I think it is wrong, i would feel horribly guilty having phone sex with another guy who wasn't my boyfriend. So why is this any diffrent? Opinions Please.[/QUOTE] Well I wouldn't say that it's stupid or juvenile, but I definately don't think it's all that great. I would consider it cheating as even though you are not actually physically doing it with another person, the whole concept is that you are doing it with someone other than say your current partner or your spouse. The attitude that it's just cyber sex doesn't change the fact that it's with someone else. And that to me is just the same as if you really did do it physically with another person. As indifference said, the big difference is that there is no risk of getting transmitted diseases.

[QUOTE=duStAnDteArS]Lately life seems to be dragging on for me, and there is no excitement in anything(not even anime or books). i have been depressed alot, i have all the sighs of it( accept drug abuse and suicide and such). . I still need to know how to get over this, how do i live again. its continuely off and on, i guess i'm just tired of my life and i'm looking for inspiration to keep fighting. Does anyone know what i am saying? if you have ever felt this, i hope you can connect. i just need some advice on what to do, tell me if you have any ideas...i need inspiration, inspire me! what inspires us to write, to draw , to live?.... writing ,dreams, and courage used to be my life...a life i'm longing for...[/QUOTE] My suggestion would be to try something different, like a new hobby or even take a short trip to somewhere you haven't been to in a while. You could even pick up a hobby that you use to enjoy but haven't done in a while. The trick is to set aside a time and actually do something. If you wait until you feel like doing something different you'll stay stuck. If the first few things you try don't help then keep looking. Sometimes it take time to find things you really enjoy doing. I have around 20 different hobbies so I always have one to switch to when my current one is starting to bore me. It works well since by the time I get tired of my current hobby I'm not tired of my past one anymore.

I?m sorry to hear about your brother indifference. >_< My brother was run off the road by a drunk driver. As a result the injuries he sustained put him in a coma. Two of the other people in the car with him died instantly. My brother never recovered from the coma and ended up dying three and a half months later due to complications. I?ll never forget the day he died or when they put him in one of those black bags and took his body away. It was one of my worst days ever; when we found out he had been in an accident and the day he actually died. I?m glad to hear that the guy who killed your brother is behind bars.