Heaven's Cloud

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths. . . . OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!1!11!!1!1one1one :animestun Final Fantasy IV is getting a 3D remake on the Nintendo DS in the same way that FFIII did! I'm stupidly happy about this since FFIV is my favorite in the series and I absolutely love the way they handled the FFIII remake. Even though I already own FFIV Advance I know I'm going to buy this one straight off. N-Sider posted a [url=http://www.n-sider.com/newsview.php?type=story&storyid=2745][u]news article[/u][/url] about it, which contains some screen shots. Like FFIII, they look pretty amazing for the DS. I can't wait for more info.[/color][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]I am right there with you Des. Final Fantasy IV was the first game I got for my Super Nintendo (of course it was FFII then) when I was 12 or 13 (ouch, showing my age) and I immediately fell in love with it. I have FFIII for my DS but i have yet to play it (I bought it at the same time as the Phantom Hourglass) and i may hold off now until after I get four and play through it again. [/color]

[Color=indigo]I usually don?t break posts apart. I don?t think it is fair to the original author because the quotes inevitably lack the content of the whole. However, you mad a few separate points and I find it easier in this instance to just address them one at a time rather than tax my limited transitional skills. I just wanted to state that upfront so I didn?t seem nitpicky. [/color] [quote name='The13thMan'][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic] But the ones that start a family without an addiction and then get one are not necessarily horrible people. I think this because i also think that people make mistakes. There are people out there that start families and start drinking without the intention of becoming an addict and hurting their family. But it does happen. And those people that do not intend to hurt their families through their addiction are not horrible people... stupid naive ones, perhaps, but not horrible. Though, if they continue with their addiction and don't get help, they are horrible. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [Color=indigo]I disagree. Not because what you write is wrong, but because I believe that you are overlooking a crucial aspect in your argument. First, if someone with a family starts abusing harder drugs like heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, etcetera, then they already made a conscious decision to break the law in a felonious manner. That means that instantly they are willing to take a risk that sacrifices the well being of their family. That type of person sounds pretty horrible to me. Second, people don?t become addicted to lesser drugs like alcohol and marijuana by using them a few times sporadically. These types of addictions take time to cultivate, valuable time that would be spent away (at least emotionally so) from their family. A good person wouldn?t risk so much time away from their family just to cultivate a bad habit. There is a classification of drugs that I would not apply the above to, and those are painkillers. I have never personally taken a painkiller but I can understand how a doctor prescribed substance with addictive properties could lead to a crippling addiction through no original fault of the abuser. However, if they recognize the problem and then refuse help I would file them away in the horrible person category. [/color] [quote name='The13thMan'][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]For me, when i judge a person (not blame) on his morals, it comes down to intent. It is the intentions behind the actions and not the actions themselves that matter when it comes to judging upon morals. Someone who means well but still makes bad choices and screw up are not horrible people... just dumb. My point really in starting all this with you is to point this out.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [Color=indigo]A younger me would have agreed with you on this. In retrospect though, I would have only agreed with you because I was the type of person that did some bad things without the intent of hurting anyone. Now that I am older I have come to the realization that the only things that matter are the actions or inactions you take. See, judging by intent allows people to avoid responsibility for their life, therefore often avoiding rational thought. [/color] [quote name='The13thMan'][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]Have you ever heard of drug dealers giving drugs to first timers for free because they know that once is all it takes for a person to get addicted to some drugs? I'm not sure which drugs... i'm thinking crack, but that's besides the point. Do you think those people that accepted the free drugs all knew that it would only take one time for them to become addicts? Have your saturday morning cartoons and elementary school classes ever warned you against those drugs and drug dealers? My point is not everybody out there knows all the facts behind addiction.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [Color=indigo]Actually, yes school and television taught me about all of those things at a very, very young age. Considering D.A.R.E is implemented in 90% of public schools in the U.S. and over 75% of all of our schools, I imagine that the vast majority of folks have learned about these situations. People tend to just ignore what they have learned or decide that the situation does not apply to them. [/color]

[spoiler]My first thought was a simple one, censorship is bad. My second thought was censorship is bad but… …if I had kids I wouldn’t want to turn on Sesame Street only to be shocked by Big Bird rolling a blunt, Elmo beating up the homeless Oscar the Grouch, or Ernie rolling over to have a little late night action with Bert (although, personally I think that would make for great late night television). So I can understand the need for the FCC to regulate broadcast television, especially public television, to some extent because they are public forums of entertainment. I am wary of my own statement though because I think that most arguments supporting censorship begin with “we have to protect our children”, where it should be “you have to protect your children but we will provide you with a little help by making sure that child oriented television remains fee of obscenity, violence, an sex (though, to quote George Carlin “I would rather my child see ****ing then fighting any day of the week). There are very few circumstances where I condone the censorship of art in any form. That being written, I think that in our digital world it is important to understand when one is creating art and when one is partaking in someone else’s artistic endeavors. While the OB allows the users a certain creative and artistic freedoms, the true artistic creation would have to be the forum itself. Since we are just partaking in someone else’s artistic endeavor I have no qualms about following a set of guidelines or rules. When it comes to the Golden Compass I have a hard time not comparing it to the Chronicles of Narnia. After all, both works are children’s novels with underlying faith based tones (one obviously Christian the other Atheistic). Neither should be censored anymore than the Passion of Christ should have been censored. They are works of art that people can choose to or not to view. [/spoiler]

[quote name='Deus ex Machina'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]Okay, so answering the prompt is against the rules? I gave you the truth the whole rtuth and nothing but it. I think I even did better than diong 'your mom' lol. Seriously, I'm taking offense to this post. I say YOU shouldn't be allowed to post anymore lame questionairres in the lounge. Since it doesn't promote discussion, IT'S not necessary nor wanted. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]But this thread is for his research! As a reaper of dragons it is imperative that he only receive answers that either overly evaluate the nature of his questions or obviously poke fun at his questions with juvenile responses (which I am personally a huge fan of). That is what reapers of dragons do…well, other than reap dragons. Anyway, I thought I would answer Dragoonreaper’s (do you also reap dragoons?) questions using both types of responses. Now he’ll have even more data for his research! [b]Now Seriously Folks…[/b] 1. The possible existential answers to this question are mind boggling. However, I think the easy and correct answer is because I will it to exist. 2. The site presents the visitor with a medium to share and discuss thoughts on a variety of topics. In other words, people come here to exchange opinions. 3. A wide variety of people post here. Their one common thread is that they all have access to the internet and (more than likely) have opposable thumbs. 4. While science [b]and[/b] religion cannot answer this question, science [b]or[/b] religion may be able to. I guess it just depends where you put your faith. Since I lean more towards science I would say that the site became this way because a few people work very hard on maintaining its quality. 5. It is the best one I currently visit. 6. I am very narcissistic, so yes, I do have fun when I come here. Or [b]Oops, I farted[/b] 1. Because two nerds made sweet, sweet love and this is what they gave birth to. 2. [quote name='Goodbye, Face'] Your Mom [/quote] 3. People that want to be as cool as me. 4. [quote name='Goodbye, Face'] Your Mom [/quote] 5. Well, the best non-porn related site anyways. 6. Not as much as I do at porn related sites. Hiyo!. Boy, sometimes I amuse myself way too much :bdance:[/color]

[quote name='Clurr'][FONT="Arial"] Vampires are my FAVORITE thing to read about, but I haven't found a lot of books that portray them to my liking. I'd like to find something other than a dumb vampire novel to read, but I have to be specific when it comes to that and I just don't know what else I want to read about. I'd like a book that's well-written, interesting, and unique, but nothing bombastic or ridiculously long like Anne Rice (I cannot pay attention to her books!) or a lot of books written in the 1800s and earlier. [/FONT][/QUOTE] One of the better vampire related books I have read is Vamped by David Sosnowski. It is a humorus novel about a world populated almost entirely by vampires. It is more a chaacter driven story and less a traditional horror story, but it makes for a wonderful light and quick read.

[quote name='The13thMan'][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic] Don't get me wrong, people that let alcohol or any other substance mess up their lives have obviously made huge mistakes, but it's not fair to classify them as horrible people. Addiction is a powerful thing. Worst of all is how suddenly it can appear, without any warning signs. There are people that have genetic predispositions to addiction that don't even know it. Having a few drinks with friends from time to time can quickly lead some people down the road of addiction. It's quite horrible. And it takes an unbelievable amount of willpower to break that addiction. And let's face it, people are weak. So don't be so quick to classify everybody that lets their personal lives get away from them because of addiction a "horrible person." Can you hold the ignorant responsible? I actually don't know how i feel on this, it's not a rhetorical question. I'm asking straight out what you think. I doubt many people that get addicted to any substance really know what they're getting themselves into. And on the same note, do you blame a person for his actions or his intentions? [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]My horse is higher than your horse is, so you are going to have a horrible time trying to kick me off. First, if you reread the part of my post that you quoted you?ll notice that I never once generalized people with addictions as horrible folks. I specifically stated that if you have an addiction (to drugs or alcohol) [b]and start a family[/b] or start a family and then [b]become an addict[/b] you are a horrible person. You can write that these people are just weak willed saps that landed in a bad circumstance, but I think that is a load of bull. If your well being dictates the well being of your sons and/or daughters then it is your responsibility to avoid those vices which lead to addiction. If you don?t, to quote my shameful vice LC, ?you are a sucky person?. Also, if you have made it through elementary school in the United States or have watched a healthy dose of Saturday morning cartoons, you are not ignorant to the ill effects of drugs and alcohol. Therefore, I don?t have to hold the ignorant responsible. Being ignorant implies that they have no knowledge of the ill effects of drugs or alcohol. People that become addicted to a particular drug usually know the risks, they just chose to ignore applying said risks to themselves. That makes them stupid, not ignorant. [/color]

[quote name='Metalcore501']Marijuana, was once a legal drug mainly in the prohabition area of time many many people turned to drugs spacifically marijuana. More and more things started to happen to the people smoking this drug, it turned into the substitute for Alchohal untill they finnaly got rid of it. Gods we learn from our mistakes and you pro-marijuana people should take the hint this drug can destroy not only the people that smoke it but familys of the people too.[/QUOTE] [color=indigo]I like your outlook on the history of marijuana in the U.S.: it is simple and concise. Oh, and it is a gross simplification and misrepresentation of what really occurred. To understand why the United States banned marijuana, which had been a cash crop in the US since its colony days, you have to understand that America’s intolerance of immigrants is nothing new. What do immigrants have to do with the prohibition of marijuana? Just about everything. Pietistic Protestants primarily supported the prohibition (alcohol) movement. We all know that the one thing Protestants hate more than having a good time is Catholics, and they were pouring in from Italy and Ireland during the late 1800’s. It is no surprise that initially the vast majority of people prosecuted under prohibition laws were catholic (oh, and just so blacks don’t feel left out, the KKK was a staunch supporter of prohibition which meant that African Americans also frequently got shafted under the law), it was actually the prohibition movement that led to the rise of the Irish cop. Irish Catholics felt that they were unjustly persecuted by the law and began entering the police force en mass. Anyway, as the enforcement of prohibition winded down, sanctimonious Protestants (and racist people in general) needed a new law to use in order to “righteously” discriminate those different from them. They littered congress and the press with tales and propaganda of wild, horribly exaggerated violent acts committed by [b]immigrants[/b] intoxicated by marijuana. I bold immigrants because if you ever have the chance to read some of the early propaganda it was obviously aimed towards them in a derogatory fashion. So now there was a law that gave the judicial branch (which was more or less entirely Protestant at the time) an excuse to lock up immigrants. One could make the argument that minority populations are still targeted today, considering that blacks and Hispanics make up 58% of all jailed marijuana offenders despite representing only 20% of marijuana smokers (although I would tend to argue socio-economic issues have far more cause in that disparity than racism). I don’t really care whether you support the legalization of marijuana. I do care that you attempt to validate your argument with several untrue points. You have no idea if marijuana use increased during prohibition because no one bothered to really evaluate its consumption until that time. And the idea that “we learn from our mistakes”, more or less insinuating that the US made marijuana legal for rational reasons, is laughable at best. And while I am ranting, I am sick of people using the “but it ruins families” argument. Drugs and alcohol don’t ruin families. Horrible people ruin families. If you are a crack head, a heroin addict, or a drunk and you start a family and you still let that addiction rule your life you are a horrible person. If you have a family and you pick up one of those said addictions you are a horrible person. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?[/color]

[color=indigo]I have been on a bit of a female R&B kick lately. Two newer albums have been making their way into my rotation quite frequently. The first, and by far the better of the two, is [I]100 Days, 100 Nights[/I] by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Think sixties and early seventies soul updated with modern sound quality, insanely talented musicians, and a female vocalist with Aretha like pipes. The other album is [I]As I Am[/I] by Alicia Keys. If you are a fan of Ms. Keys it is yet another solid album, if you don’t like Alicia Keys then this album won’t change your opinion of her. I think she is a pretty solid artist and the beats that underscore her songs are always well composed. In other words, a few of her songs will make you want to get on the dance floor shake your *** (some thing that I do rarely for the benefit of all mankind). [/color]

[color=indigo]Well, I did leave for a while, but it was only because a witch turned me into a newt. I got better. Well, I got back to being me anyway, better is such a subjective word. Honestly though, the OB is a utopia compared to most internet forums. I guess I just came to the realization that if I was going to waste time on the internet, I might as well do it somewhere I like.[/color]

[color=indigo]I asked for an X-Box 360 but I would be surprised if I actually got it. For some reason my family always seems to disregard things that I ask for and, instead, buy me things that I don’t want or need because they “think” I might like them. Really, I have no idea why they ask me what I want. I have a feeling, because I am addicted to the food network and cooking in general, that I will get a lot of stuff for my kitchen. It is sort of cool, but sort of pointless, because I already have everything I need to cook the types of food that I cook. [/color]

[color=indigo]To quote Ed McMahon “You are correct sir!” The great thing about free speech is that one can retaliate to something they disapprove of with free speech. For example, it would be an easy thing to protest outside of a NAMBLA meeting. Even better, one could locate all local members of a NAMBLA organization and print their names and beliefs in a flier, which you then distributed through said community. Because rational people find this stuff disgusting, communities would be quick to ostracize these sickos. [/color]

[color=indigo]The drawing is great, though four fingered characters freak me out.[/color]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]Bouto Arc = Filler, stay away from it HC, 'tis bad stuff, the series starts again proper around episode 110. I'd also use MySpace over Youtube, you won't have to deal with episodes being in parts then. I actually hadn't noticed that about the stare downs being similar to DBZ, but you're right, I can't believe I didn't see it before. That said, I did notice the similar flaring auras any time there's about to be a big fight i.e. Ichigo vs. Kenpachi or Ichigo vs Byakuya.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]Actually, I am up to episode 151 now, so I am well out of the Bounto arc now. Thanks for the MySpace tip though. I think the comparisons can be drawn pretty easily between DBZ and Bleach, at least when it comes to formatting. Ichigo, like Goku, has vast potential, even amongst his peers and has to train to use it. At some point during his adventures he will have to stop and train while his companions fight, a definitive trait of DBZ. Once his training is over he rushes in and saves the day right in the nick of time. Eventually his companions realize that Ichigo has surpassed them so they undergo serious training to keep up. Again, a very DBZ like trait. It actually makes for a nice plot, though it is predictable.[/color]

[color=indigo]I have been watching the subbed episodes of Bleach that litter You Tube. I don?t know why I am so fascinated with the show. Perhaps it is because the series later episode (the Bounto arc and beyond) has a horribly drawn out plot similar to that of DBZ (though the stare downs don?t last nearly as long) where little action seems to occur over the span of three or four episodes. Still, I enjoy the characters and it is a fun, addictive show.[/color]

[color=indigo]I always thought cheating was pretty easy to define. If your significant other is engaging in a physical act with another that is sexual in nature or engages in a physical act that will inevitably lead to a sexual or romantic encounter with another he or she is cheating. In other words, if someone is sleeping around (without their significant others consent) they are cheating. Further more, if they are dating another in hopes of having sexual or even romantic relation with another behind their significant other’s back they are cheating. Intention matters absolutely in the latter situation. That being written, any action taken by the injured party other than severing the relationship is entirely immature. [/color]

[color=indigo]I have an office Christmas party that I have to attend every year. As far as office parties go it is very well done. They have a full bar, a wonderful dinner, and dancing. However, I find them horribly painful. I have to put up with my coworkers for forty or fifty hours a week, forty-nine weeks out of the year. I would prefer that my company just save the money they spend on the party and just give me an extra day off of work that I could use to spend with someone I really care for. This year the party was extremely painful because my quasi-girlfriend ditched the event for work. This means that I didn’t have anyone to leach off of or use as an excuse to break away from conversations. It sucks having to work a room full of couples when you are the only one there going stag.[/color]

[color=indigo]I’ll lie if it benefits me, but it has been my experience that in long run lies always come back to bite you in the rear. Therefore, since lies rarely offer me a long term benefit (despite how appealing their short term benefits seem) I usually don’t tell them. My lies tend to be work related and are usually not made to cover my own failings, but the failings of other aspects of the company I work for. Usually they are made to buy a little time to fix whatever problem that we are faced with at the time. I could even make a valid argument that my lies are somewhat ethical because they tend to benefit my customers in the long run. I also tell white lies to friends and family. Hell, I’ll be damned if I am going to tell a girlfriend that her posterior does indeed look fat in a particular pair of pants.[/color]

[color=indigo]Anyone with an iota of knowledge concerning suicidal depression recognizes that the catalyst (the final push) is typically just the straw that slits the camel’s wrists (hurray for morbidly dark puns). It wasn’t cyber-bullying that killed this girl, it was her own psychological frailty. If cyber-bullying didn’t push her over the edge the catalyst would have probably been rejection by a boy or a remark made by a family member. Don’t get me wrong, it is tragic that the girl didn’t receive comprehensive psychiatric aid before the hole situation went down. But she didn’t, and now everyone should just step back and chalk her death up to a culling of the herd. [/color]

[color=indigo]Ghost in the Shell has to be the quintessential cyberpunk anime, although, just as relative (and as old-school) is Akira. You have probably seen it James, but so few young anime fans have that I thought it might be relative to bring up. It is odd, I think that the cyberpunk motif (along with DBZ) really brought light to the anime genre in America (and the west as a whole) yet it seems to have been replaced by strictly mech or strictly coming-of-age tales. I guess I am just surprised that there aren't more cyberpunk animes being produced (then again, there could be a ton that I am not familiar with, though I would be hesitant to describe a lot of what has been mentioned (many of which are great series) "cyberpunk". Anyway, "Stand Alone Complex" is pretty decent. (edit) missed the previous mention of Akira. [/color]

[color=indigo]I purchased this game right before Thanksgiving and played it religiously over the holiday weekend. It was a blast. Controlling Link with the stylus grows fairly intuitive quickly and the enjoyment of sketching the path for the boomerang and bombchus doesn’t wear thin. I also like how I can mark spots on the map, leaving notes on spots that I need to revisit at a later point. The puzzles are usually pretty easy, however, imprinting the map was maddening. My only real complaint is that the final boss was too easy to defeat…though that seems pretty typical of Zelda games. [/color]

[color=indigo]If I could vote for him I would have voted for James. I clicked on here today (accidentally mind you, I went a little too far down my favorites list) and was not surprised to see that the OB still had quality posts and a ton of new members. This is mostly due to James, his dedication to this place is amazing. Lets face it, most internet communities last a few years at best. I joined this place over six years ago and there are dozens of members that joined way before me that still post here frequently. So thanks James (and Adam), I appreciate you giving me a place to make a few good friends. Now that my love fest is over, you really can’t go wrong with nominating Shy, Tony, Charles, Alex (whatever pseudonym you are posting under now), or Cera-Sara. Death Knight, Nerdsy, Lady A, Desbreko, Shinmaru, and Juu are also good choices. Now I, on the other hand, am casting my real vote for me. Why do I deserve a spot you ask? Well, so far I have only posted once (not counting this post) in 2007, but I could post more. And no one really wants that. [/color]

[color=indigo]Years ago I would have been the first guy to jump on the “lets legalize marijuana” bandwagon, mainly because I didn’t like the government telling me what I could and could not do to my own body. After all, while marijuana can be a detriment to my own health, my using it does not harm anyone else directly (note: anyone that uses the argument “well pot tears families and friends apart” needs to realize that argument implies indirect harm, usually stemming from the hard truth that the party in question is a douche regardless of his habitual drug use). That being written, I no longer think that the United States federal government should legalize marijuana. Not because marijuana is harmful, addictive, or would be grossly mass marketed, processed, and tainted by corporate America, but because the legalization or (made up word alert!!!) illegalization of drugs by the federal government is a vulgar demonstration of their power to regulate interstate commerce. The legalization of drugs should be determined by governing state bodies, for they are far more adept at representing the will of their constituents. See, I’d much rather have a nanny state (yeah James, you know you have missed me stealing your phrases and then horribly bastardizing them) where my voice is one in a few million than a nanny country where my voice is one in hundreds of million.[/color]

Here are a few tidbits of information I picked up while my local government discussed installing both stop light and speed cameras in my county. [quote]A local poll concluded that people would be more cautious while driving through areas monitored by traffic cameras. There has not been a study that proves speed and stop light cameras prevent more traffic violations than law enforcement monitoring alone. The cost of maintenance and subsequent court time incurred by traffic cameras frequently outweighs the revenue they create. Extending the interval of a yellow light three seconds has been proven to greatly reduce the number traffic violations due to running red lights. Despite the vast number of road extensions, road additions, a large population flux, and a vast shift of where people live, no organization has seriously monitored the traffic patterns in my county. This is usually a very typical finding when a legislator introduces the idea of speed and/or traffic cameras to their area. [/quote] I have two big problems with traffic cameras in general. First, I think that installing a speed camera in an area where traffic patterns haven?t been monitored and studied for at least 5 years is foolish. For example, there is a four lane road not far from me that has a set speed limit of 30 miles an hour. The area is not densely populated nor do houses or businesses sit close to the road. So why is the speed limit only 30 miles an hour? Why would my local government allow such a low speed limit in conditions optimal for much swifter driving? Are they just after our hard earned money? No. No one has taken the time to determine whether or not the speed limit is appropriate, when they widened the roads fourteen years ago (expecting an influx of population that never came) the construction workers just moved the signs to the far left or right of the road. My next gripe stems from more of a civil liberties view point. As Americans we have the right to face our accuser in a court of law. How can you face a video camera? What if the time lapse on the camera if off or your car was recorded in error as another? There is no one in court that you can dispute your charge with.

[color=indigo]Psshhh, just saying hello is way lame. To be competitive in today?s flesh market you need pop, you need pizzazz, you need?a catchy intro line. So here is what you need to say, word for word: ?Hello , I?m ; wanna go have funky monkey sex in the faculty bathroom? They have really nice stalls?. Trust me, if you take my advice it?ll be on like Donkey Kong. Not because he?ll take you up on the offer, no, my guess is when you lay that line on him all the color will instantly drain from his face and he?ll have no clue how to respond. It will work because when you realize he doesn?t know how to respond you?ll laugh and say: ?Lighten up, I was just messin? with you. I am ?s sister.? That should be more than enough to give you an ?in? and open up a little dialogue. A few sentences into the conversation, tell him that you have to go but slip him your phone number and tell (not ask) him to call you up tonight. [/color]

[color=indigo]Squishy. ?I shall call him Squishy, and he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy." That would be the greatest name for a weapon ever. Oh yeah, if there was one thing I learned from ?How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days? it was never let a woman name your weapon. I sure as hell know I wouldn?t want my weapon known as ?Princess Sophia??although ?The Warrior Krull? was kind of catchy?[/color]