Heaven's Cloud

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet] I didn't have time to stop and I didn't feel like swerving into on coming traffic with my daughter in the car, so I did what any other motorist in my situation would do...I ran over it. Then after I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the feathers flying up in the air and the cars behind me going around it I realized it was dead. So there you have it, I'm a murderer. [/color][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]If that makes you a murderer then I have about a gazillion years of atonement to make up for all those innocent little sperm I killed masturbating and having protected sex.[/color]

[QUOTE=dMage] 1) My stomach. I find it hard to get the motivation to keep through with my ab workout. I usually can go about one week doing about 200 reps of different ab workouts, but after that time, i get bored, or the pain gets really too intense, and I stop. Any pointers on how to get over this obstacle?[/quote] [COLOR=Indigo]The stomach is a tough one, especially if you are a guy (more fatty tissue tends to gravitate to a man?s stomach where as woman tend to get it in their thighs and butt). First off, two hundred is too many. If you are in the gym lifting weights four days a week, then three of those days start your workout with abs. Make sure to do an exercise for your upper abs, your lower abs, your obliques, your transverse abs, and your lower back. If you do the exercises properly (slow up, slow down, no momentum) it should be very hard to complete twenty in a row, no matter your level of fitness. [/color] [QUOTE=dMage] 2) I really want to increase my weight, but keep it controlled. I want my diet to consist of 30% fat, 40% carb, and 40% protein, and to have it at about 3000 to 3500 calories. Any suggestions? [/QUOTE] [COLOR=Indigo]I think that you have put too much thought into your diet, especially if you are trying to gain muscle mass and weight. The most important thing you can do is eat a high protein meal right after you lift. Protein smoothies are great, a little frozen fruit, a little non-fat vanilla yogurt, a little milk and a little protein powder will provide you with plenty of protein and satisfy cravings for sweets. Everyone has a different method that works for them when it comes to lifting, however, I have lifted regularly for well over three years now and the one tip I would share is to not rest while you are in the gym. Multitasking exercises is the best way to lift, that way your body is never at rest and you can work two separate muscle groups to their peak in one training session. [/color]

[QUOTE=Manic] My friend had this exact same job, only he worked for a knife company. [/QUOTE] [color=indigo]I made $8,000 in four months working part time one summer selling those knives (Cutco), heh. I would have kept on doing it too except when I went off to college I lost my lead base. Once you don't have anyone who will buy knives it is hard to sell them. On a side note, I have more professional grade cutlery than I will ever know what to do with.[/color]

[COLOR=Indigo]Some things I'd like to touch on, just for conversaiton's sake. [/COLOR] [list] [*]He doesn't seem too keen on the idea of repealing NCLB (A project that is so flawed it blows my mind.) [COLOR=Indigo] No he doesn't. I would have marked this up as a big strike against Bush and a tally for Kerry except for the fact that Kerry not only supported the bill, but he stated that the only flaw with it was that it was under funded. [/COLOR] [*]We know that Bush isn't going to budge an Ideological inch in the War on Terror (This is fairly clear. He's said we're winning the war, so why change what we're doing?) [COLOR=Indigo]We are winning the war on terror,that is fairly obvious since we haven't been attaked again. We are fighting an uphill battle in the War in Iraq (which is probably what you meant) and I don't think Bush should waiver from his belief in the war. I am not going to get locked into yet another debate on whether or not the war in Iraq was right or wrong, it is too cylical and people tend to only read what they want. My problem with the war is that aspects have been handled poorly, hopefully Bush finally realizes that.[/COLOR] [*]With the Chief Justices resigning, it can be said with fair certainty that Bush is going to appoint Justices that are in line with his Ideological stance on things like Abortion (And we all know what Bush's stance on Abortion is, and we all know who is going to get pissed about that) [COLOR=Indigo]I agree. My biggest fear was that we would have an even more conservative Senate and House than we did yesterday...and we do. Hopefully there will be enough people to sit on the vote if Bush nominates someone that is too conservative.[/COLOR] [*]Bush certainly isn't going to budge on Gay Marriage, so people are going to continue to be unhappy about that. [COLOR=Indigo]No, and that sucks, but Kerry didn't support it either. Obviously neither did the majority of Americans, since nearly all of the "Sanctity of Marriage" laws passed in individual states last night. I do think that is something that will change over time though.[/COLOR] [*]Bush's take on job recovery isn't the best thing around, because...let's face it. Improving high school education isn't going to help the 40-year-old IT programmers who are losing their jobs to overseas programmers who are working for half the salary. [COLOR=Indigo]Bush's economic plans are actually pretty good, as many economic professors will grudgingly admit. The out sourcing of jobs is a big problem, but ninety percent of the jobs that have been out sourced aren't IT jobs, they are manufacturing jobs. Most of the time companies are forced to out source because overhead is too high and Unions refuse to bend their policies. I'll agree with you that Bush is encouraging the outsourcing of jobs by encouraging global trade on a nearly free basis. But, if you go back to the 1920's you will see that free trade always, without fail, encourages more business endeavors and creates more jobs in the long run. Both Bush Sr. and Clinton utilized similar tactics and our economy flourished under them. I could delve into it more but I copied this to my phone to finish and my thumbs are getting sore.[/COLOR] [*]Gas prices since the War started have skyrocketed, and if this trend is accurate, a prolonged conflict in Iraq, and later, whatever other nations are deemed threats and we invade (the likelihood of which seems to be increasing exponentially these days), will further drive prices up, or at the very least, prevent a price drop. [COLOR=Indigo]Probably. Gas prices should be as high as they are if only to encourage car pooling and public transportation, heh. Compared to other countries our gas prices are still astronomically low. America really needs to put even more funding into finding an alternate fuel resource. [/COLOR] [*]Like gas prices, tuition prices have been steadily increasing, and it appears that nothing is being done to assist college students in their finances. The only reason I'm still able to afford school is because my Student Loan magically took care of the entire amount of the tuition increase after McGreevey cut funding. Now, yes, this was McGreevey's fault, and he was acting in response to previous fiscal irresponsibility, but if tuition continues to rise (which it has been, regardless of McGreevey's major snafu), the college student will find his or herself struggling to keep up with the finances of college life. Combine this with the general loss of job opportunities, and you've got the future leaders of America struggling to get a college education. I shouldn't have to say it, but that's not a good idea. [COLOR=Indigo]I agree that college is getting more expensive, especially if you live in the North East. But this really is a state issue, not a federal issue. Take Georgia, for example. If you do well in high school the state makes sure you can go to college, all you have to do is keep up your grades. [/COLOR] [*]With Bush in office for four more years, that means another four years of Michael Moore, and we all know what Moore does: piss people off or lead them around. & [*]There shouldn't have to be a 9/11 for that to happen, though. The solution is simple: everyone needs to cut out the virulent partisan bullsh-t. [COLOR=Indigo]Amen[/COLOR] [/list]

[QUOTE=DeathBug]Well, for those who don't know, President Bush has all but certainly won. He's "over the post" when it comes to the neccessary Electoral College votes, and leads with the popular vote. If the Democrats try to sue, again, it'll be in Ohio. As a Floridian, I'm so frickin' glad we fully went one way. (Bush.) If the democrats really try to sue over such a clear election, which they will, I plan to shoot them. This needs to be over, and lawyering the thing up shouldn't be a tradition. [/QUOTE] [color=indigo]There isn't much of a chance for anyone to sue Ohio successfully. All the polll takers are walking on egg shells here and they are not going to announce a decisive winner until it is mathamatically impossible for Kerry to take the state However, I think that Kerry will make some type of announcement in the next few minutes at least stating at least that if things continue to go as they are Bush will remain President. I am not sure if Kerry will concede or not. By the way, Florida had a difference of 500 or so votes, Ohio has a diffence of about 135,000 votes. We just don't want to jump to conclusions when there are still 175,000 votes to count.[/color]

[QUOTE=Adahn][b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=darkolivegreen]First, I'd like to point out that I just ate a pizza roll that had nothing in it.[/color][/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f][/color][/size][/font][/b][/quote] [color=indigo] Damn Totinos?. [/color] [quote name='Adahn][b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f]Second, I was wondering what everyone does on election day. Did you vote? Will you stay up for the results? Will you party if one thing happens and/or break things if it doesn't? Do you live in the U.S. and not care? Why? Do you live outside the U.S. and care? Why?[/color][/size][/font'][/b][/quote] [color=indigo] I voted, and since I am young and I live in Ohio it was a huge [URL=http://www.myotaku.com/users/heavens_cloud/]debacle[/URL].[/color] [QUOTE=Adahn][b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f][/color][/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f]So many questions. I indeed voted, and there are two things I'm interested in, mainly.[/color][/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f][/color][/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f]1. Who will the president be?[/color][/size][/font][/b][/quote] [color=indigo]I have no clue. It just depends on how many young people go out and vote. If there is a high turn out from young voters Kerry will probably win. If not, Bush will remain president. [/color] [quote name='Adahn][b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f]2. Will there be a constitutional ban on gay marriage?[/color][/size][/font'][/b][/quote] [color=indigo]No, both of these guys are going to allow States to decide the legality of gay marriage. [/color] [size=1][color=#ff6600]Edit: Fixed your link -Lore[/color][/size]

[color=indigo]The Canada to United Sates statistic is slightly misleading (although it helps to put things in perspective) because a) Americans outnumber Canadians ten to one, b) Americans have a much higher population density in urban areas where gun related incidents occur much more frequently, and c) the American statistic includes justifiable homicide by police officers and property owners. Still, even with an evening out of statistics America has an overwhelming amount of gun related deaths compared to Canada (and so many other countries). The problem isn't gun ownership. For years Waco Texas had the highest gun ownership ratio out of anywhere in the US (there were approximatly four guns per legal adult, and one hand gun per legal adult) yet they had virtually no gun related crime until the Branch Dividian fiasco (which in retrospect meant that they still had no gun related crime, heh). There is and always will be a direct correlation between organized crime and gun related homicides in the US. Gangs and gang violence account for the overwhelming majority of gun related homicides and robberies. Therefor, I would say that it isn't the government's fault, it isn't the media's fault, it is a fault of our urban society as a whole. [/color]

[quote name='MaineOtakuNo2']I'm punk and they have been doing punk work lately. .[/quote] [color=indigo] Ah, yes. There is nothing that I like more than a hard day's [b]punk[/b] work... I agree with James, celebities are only adding notoriety to an offensive song when they do what Micheal Jackson does. You think that someone ballsy enough to screw a friend (Paul McCartney) out of their entire lifes work would have a little thicker skin.[/color]

[QUOTE=DeathBug] I want the decision I come to about marriage to be between myself and my Church, others who see marriage as sacred. Therein lies the problem: as long as marriage is a government institution, the opinions of thousands of others weigh in on what should be a private matter between myself, my church and my God. As usual, government interference screws stuff up.[/QUOTE] [color=indigo]I disagree. Your [b]conception[/b] of marriage is ?holy matrimony?, which isn?t what the gay community (as well as so many others) is fighting for. You say that the government interferes with marriage but, for the most part that interference is necessary. Since this countries conception laws have been created that allow spouses (both men and women) legal benefits and power (insurance laws, hospitalization rights, health care coverage, social security compensation, inheritance, ect?) over certain aspects of each others lives. These laws should be applied equally to any two consenting adults that request them, regardless of their sexual orientation. Although I cannot speak for the gay community, I have inferred that they want the government to recognize their marriage, the really could care less if an organized religion validates their marriage. You see, your argument pretty much point blank states that you only recognize marriages related to church and God, however that also means that you don?t recognize marriages between people of other religions because their marriage isn?t affirmed by your God, which is fine. That is your religious principle. The government applies laws to all married people regardless of their religion. Therefore since they recognize marriage between all people religious or non-religious why should they not recognize the marriage of two consenting adults of the same sex? [/color]

[QUOTE=JJRiddler][size=1]Like Deathbug said, it should be called a "union", and that would end the ordeal. Marriage is a religious word and from that perspective it's illegal, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT WAS FOUNDED ON! (Religion and Politics do not mix) You can't look at this like it's some big catastrophe. Gay "unions" are in my opinion fine, because not only am I gay, but becuase I fell like people should be able to share thier expenses and taxes, and not have to sign everything in two names. If anyone deserves union privlages it's them. They put up with so much crap it's not funny. [/size] [color=DarkBlue][size=1]I throw in a cookie on closed by the end of the night.[/color][/size] .[/QUOTE] [color=indigo]Well I am going to differ with you on this because I think you are wrong. Since ?marriages? between a man and a woman are recognized by the government, I think that it is just for ?marriages? to be recognized between to members of the same sex. The government wants to allow gay (and straight) unions but not gay marriages for three reasons. One, and most obvious, taxes. If you are married you receive a tax credit or exemption. In other words, you and your spouse?s taxes aren?t quite as high as two individuals taxes would be. It could be argued that the government doesn?t want to give these same tax credits to homosexuals because they (on average) make fifteen percent more money than the average heterosexual. To be honest, this is as easy problem to solve, don?t offer tax credits to married persons give a larger tax credit to parents. The majority (its in the eighty percentile, I am just not sure of the exact number) of married couples without children have two incomes but usually pay less in bills (per person) a month. Two, language effects the way we think. No matter your religious or spiritual compass, there are quite a bit of religious minded people in the United States. Using a word like ?union? gives this majority a blanket to hide behind (they don?t feel like bigots because they have allowed gay unions but they still feel that the sacred bonds of marriage only apply to them). I think that these people need to remember that the government grants equal rights for people but cannot dictate how marriage is viewed in a religious sense. Three, there is a huge generational difference in the perception of sexual orientation, just like there was in the sixties with the perception of skin color. Most of our parents grew up in a time where homosexuality was more than taboo, and it was kept under wraps. Because they grew up during this time they were insulated from the gay community (mainly because it was almost non-existent) and are unable to relate with that culture. [/color]

[QUOTE=Baron Samedi][size=1]Only Syk attempted to address my question about the benefits of marijuana. Syk referred to the stimulation of creative processes caused by marijuana. In a way thats fair enough, but is it really much of an excuse? In the same manner alcohol or cigarettes can relax you, or 'lighten your load'. And I don't give a flying **** in hell whether or not cigarettes or alcohol do any good. Thats not what this thread is about. I don't really think either of those two items should be as freely available as they are. But, thats not the point. The positive aspects of marijuana are shady at best...I don't see why people grow to be reliant upon outside measures to deal with their own problems. Find some other way. And, if you want to use marijuana, don't introduce other people to it.[/size][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]You don?t weigh the benefits of something before you make it legal, you weigh the consequences. The marketplace is currently saturated with products that, with the exception of enjoyment, offer no benefits (Twinkies, most video games, and reality television to name a few). But partaking in these activities doesn?t directly or indirectly hurt anyone but the partaker. If an object or substance doesn?t present a threat to anyone other than the user than why should the government become involved? I don?t think the government should protect ourselves from ourselves. However, I think that marijuana can directly affect others, simply because it hampers reflex and response time which can deteriorate motor vehicle skills. Unless there is an accurate test that can tell when someone has abused marijuana I don?t think it should be legalized. However, if such a test existed and if the government could enact proper laws to control and tax the substance I would be all for its legalization.[/color]

[color=indigo]I could start quoting aspects of this thread that I disagree with but it would take way to long. Plus, my points aren?t that different from so many of the members that have already posted in this thread. The density of the smoke in one joint is about triple that of a pure tobacco cigarette. Obviously this makes marijuana smoke quite a bit more harmful to the lungs than a pure tobacco cigarette. There are problems with this statistic (yes, it is a factual FDA statistic). One, it would be very difficult (not to mention astronomically expensive) for even the most avid pot smoker to smoke a half ounce of marijuana a day (roughly one quarter the weight of one pack of cigarettes). Two, a single filtered cigarette?s tobacco is laced with dozens of known cancer causing toxins, all of which are absent from most marijuana. In other words it would be hard as hell to develop emphysema of lung cancer from smoking pot. Sure, if you are an avid pot-head you probably aren?t going to be running any marathons, but that is derived more from sitting on the couch all day stoned than it is from lung ailments. It is also factual that there is no scientific evidence of marijuana having any physically addictive properties. Now, that isn?t to say it isn?t habit forming, it is. But so is locking yourself in your bedroom and playing video games for hours on end. If a person derives a sense of enjoyment from something it can become habit forming. While marijuana does can to short term memory loss and slight paranoia it has not been medically linked to cause any other mental ailments when used alone. There has never been a proven case of marijuana being linked to full blown schizophrenia without a hallucinogenic (mushrooms, acid, peyote, opium) involved. I also think that the whole ?gateway? drug aspect of marijuana is blown out of proportion. In my mind it is like stating that sex is a gateway to bestiality. Sure, I would believe that the majority of weirdoes that have sex with animals had sex with people first, but the majority of people that have sex don?t get their jollies humping a turtle. People of a certain mindset are going to experiment with different things, usually that predisposition has everything to do with that person?s environment and very little to do with smoking pot. Despite all of my pro-pot propaganda, I am actually against legalizing the substance for several reasons. First being that corporations would more than likely bastardize the product, much like they did with tobacco. I have a feeling that commercial marijuana would be loaded down with an overabundance of the same carcinogens that cigarettes contain. Second, marijuana grows anywhere and that means that, regardless of corporate involvement in the product, there would always be a huge underground market for it that is entirely un-taxable. Third, there is no definitive way to test for marijuana impairment. Since your motor skills are severely hampered while under the influence of marijuana you have a greater chance to create a vehicular accidents, and I don?t want pot legalized until there can be repercussions for its abuse. [/color]

[QUOTE=Lady Asphyxia][font=Verdana][size=1] [font=Verdana][size=1]Oooh! And remember when that [i]weirdo[/i] Crazy White Boy was just a mod? [img]http://otakuboards.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif[/img] And Juu and Mist's fantastic spar in the candy store? And when Lore was still Cera, and Shy was still a Guy? *laughs* [/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=1]I was one of Liam's sheep, heh. Liamc2 came to Otakuboards, and with him bought Raventorture, The Harlequin, Cloricus, The Unholy Newt, Avaris, and myself, too, heh. I'm sure there were several more, but I can't remember them now. All of them have left, unfortunately, due to pressures of grade 12 and such. They haven't had time to be on the internet and such. So I'm the last one left. *tear* [/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=1]And since we're reminiscing; [b]anyone remember the Newbie Lounge?[/b] And, of course, the heated debate over whether or not it would stay? Oooh, and Otaku Big Brother, both I and II? [/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=1]*sighs* Aahh...memories. I wouldn't leave this place for the world, lol. [/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=1][/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=1][EDIT -- If you want to check out the rest of the versions, the link to that site was [url=http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://otakuboards.com][i]here[/i][/url].][/size][/font][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]...Did that stuff really occur that long ago? Hmmm, I missed out on v2 but, to be honest I really don't find that a terrible amount has changed since version three. Sure, there has been some cosmetic changes, and some of the new features are nifty, but there has always been interesting people and boring people. Newbie spammers still come and go. Unfortunately, there will always an anime that is seemingly worshipped by the younger members (DBZ when I began, Inuyasha now). And there will always be members that contribute worthhile, relevant posts while others will create thousands of threads that all seem to begin with "Does anyone else like..." The cool thing about this board is that it is still around. It seems to continue to expand (for better or worse, that is up to individual preference) exponentially yet small core groups of friends still seem to exist. [/color]

[color=indigo]This is a tough question because my favorite guitar is my Peavey Predator, but that is only because it was the first guitar that I ever owned, the action on it is mediocre at best and the pickups aren?t very good. As far as exceptional guitars go, a few stand out in my mind. My friend has a Martin CEO-4R and it has the most magnificent tone to it. This guitar makes a mediocre finger picker like myself sound good just because it has such a rich balance of sound. As far as acoustic-electric hybrids are concerned I really don?t think you can get much better than the Gibson J-190 EC super fusion. The guitar has the tone of a high end acoustic yet its action is still flexible enough just to grip and rip, it is a really fun guitar. The downside of both of these guitars is that they are expensive, very, very expensive. It is hard to judge electrics because different electric guitars are good for different types of music. I have always been a fan of Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Strats. I find the Les Paul to be a better stock guitar, however, if you throw a nice Texas boomer pickup onto a Strat it just wails and the action is solid everywhere. Both guitars are really nice and they are popular enough to pick up at reasonable prices. [/color]

[color=indigo]My first piece of advice would be to try and find someone that can give you lessons, whether they be private or a beginners group. If not, then I would definitely advise you to go to a book or music store and buy a beginners guide to guitar theory and practice the lessons inside diligently for several months before you start searching for tablature. When I started playing the guitar I was really gun-ho about playing songs, especially solos, right off the bat. Since I am fairly gifted musically I was able to get pretty competent with all different types of two-finger blues variations. Things were good for awhile but as I desired to play more and more complicated pieces with a distinctive sound I realized I couldn't because I was limited by my own technique...well actually lack thereof. One site I will direct you to is [URL=http://www.harmonycentral.com]Harmony Central[/URL] . It is a pretty kick-***** music site and most people there will steer you in the right direction if you insist on learning without the aid of a teacher or a theory book.[/color]

[quote name='Transtic Nerve']Its about time the Redskins win another Superbowl esspecially with Joe Gibbs back in town.[/quote] [color=indigo]Preach it brutha!!...hopefully they got all the turnovers out of their system against the Giants. Skins are going up against the Cowboys this week. I think that we (yes, the proverbial "we") have a chance. The Browns defense rattled Testavarde pretty well last week and I think that if Gibbs and Co. does the same (and holds onto the ball of course) they could get a "V". [/color] Edit...the answer to the above question is the Buffallo Bills...

[color=indigo]?I suppose you are going to chase down that menacing dragon and try to kill it in an attempt to win fame or fortune or the hand of some beautiful woman somewhere,? Avlenn said with more than a little mock sincerity. Falstaff looked into the girl?s eyes; his face was contorted into an expression of disbelief. ?Why the hell would I want to do something stupid like that?? he replied. Avlenn?s hand slowed as she sewed around an intricate design along the hem of the dress. Falstaff was amazed that she could carry a conversation at all why doing such deft and complicated work. ?Well, isn?t that what young men desire? Adventure, romance, danger, intrigue?? said the girl without ever looking up from her sewing. ?That is why all of the other young men seem to have chased after the king?s guards.? ?Really? They chased after the dragon because they crave adventure, romance, danger, and intrigue? I thought I was because they were suicidal. Personally, I have never been interested in adventure, danger, and intrigue and every beautiful woman that I have had a romantic relationship with always ends up running off with on of my mates. No, I think I will steer clear of the dragon. By the way, where is this dragon located right now?? The girl stopped sewing for a moment and pointed to a far off hill in the distance. ?Some where in that direction,? answered Avlenn. ?At least I think it is in that direction, that is where the soldiers were running anyhow.? ?Well then, I think I shall hurry off in the opposite direction. Would you care to come along?? ?Not really,? Avlenn said as she returned to her sewing. Falstaff didn?t feel the least bit put off. He actually preferred being alone; however, he knew that it would be impolite not to ask. ?Well, then, have a nice life,? Falstaff said pleasantly as he walked away from the hill. After walking for ten or so minutes, Falstaff found himself in a wooded area. The friendly trees that shaded him from the hot son now seemed spooky and ominous. The pleasant chirping of sparrows had been replaced by the violent shrieking of cicada. Falstaff couldn?t help but grow a bit nervous. The path twisted and twined, and, even though the woods didn?t grow darker, Falstaff felt increasingly despondent with every step. He wasn?t sure how long he had been trapped in the woods or how far he had walked, but by the time he saw the sunlit opening his brow was saturated with sweat and he was breathing heavily. Falstaff walked into the clearing, relieved to have escaped the woods terrifying grasp. He looked around and his relief vanished. To the west, not 100 meters away, an army gathered, and to the east, not fifty meters away, a gigantic pillar of smoke plumed from the mouth of a very upset dragon.[/color]

[color=indigo]Falstaff opened his eyes cautiously, expecting the violent hues of sunshine to ravage his head and cause his stomach to twist into the shape of a pretzel. He was shocked to discover that the light was not at all abrasive, actually it was quite pleasant. Surprisingly enough his stomach wasn't queasy, his bones didn't ache, and his head felt perfectly normal. Falstaff was remarkably hangover free. He got to his feet and stretched a mighty stretch, rolling his back from side to side. He stared at the pure blue sky and inhaled its sweetness. Around him people were busy setting up tents, competing in contests, and eating the wonderful food that fair vendors were selling. Children played, as children often do, running around in circles. Boys brandished their wooden swords mocking the ferocious heroes of yesteryear while girls laughed and giggled and swirled their ribboned pinwheels. The festive atmosphere filled Falstaff with a sense of hope as he took a drink of water from the canteen that had been laced to his hand. The water was ice cold and refreshing and tasted unusually sweet. When he finished drinking the contents of the canteen Falstaff set it on the ground where he had been sleeping in hopes that the owner would come back and claim it. He had only walked a few paces when he overheard a guard conversing with a stall keeper. Although he didn't hear exactly what the two were saying, Falstaff did catch two words: "Dragon" and "Army". Falstaff immediately turned around and picked up the discarded canteen. He then laced it tightly to his small pack. Falstaff was not a superstitious person but, so far, the canteen had brought him a little luck, and, with Dragons and Armies wandering about, he needed all the luck he could get.[/color]

[COLOR=INDIGO]No one remembered who organized the first caravan crawl, mainly because by the end of the journey all of the participants were incredibly inebriated and could barely manage to walk, but over the years the crawls had become an OAT?s tradition. Eight four horse caravans were each filled with a different grog, wine or liquor. Every few hours the occupants would switch caravans. The trips were generally very merry and fun, although it was not unusual to end the day sick or wake up the following day still drunk. Falstaff McBroomwitch was still drunk, but he was not merry nor was he having much fun. He had never really considered what he would do when he graduated from the University because he never planned to graduate. His future lay before him shrouded in uncertainty and it made Falstaff nervous, he was not used to being nervous. Despite his unease Falstaff did his best to maintain a jovial façade around the rest of the OATs. He laughed and sang and danced, he drank and gambled and played games, he fooled with the horses and flirted with the TEA baggers and drank some more. Falstaff kept a smile on his face because he didn?t want his friends to worry about him. He knew that he would have to leave them for good once he arrived at the fair. Although he knew that the OATs would stand beside him in any situation he couldn?t put his friends in any danger. Falstaff didn?t know what lay ahead, but the prophecy no longer guaranteed his safety. When they arrived at the fair tonight he would quietly sneak away from the rest of the group, he already had written his farewell note to the OATs. Until then, however, he planned on continuing the merriment and trying his very best to distract himself from his misery.[/color] OOC: Sorry, I was on vacation. I am obviously back now :)

[QUOTE=Drix D'Zanth]The only genetic trait that one inherits upon conception that deals with sexual orientation is a penis, vagina, and the ticking time bomb called [i]adolescence[/i]. [/QUOTE] [color=indigo]So I went over to Dr. Bob?s house this morning because I remember that a study was conducted in an attempt to find out whether or not there are any genetic or inherent traits that spark homosexuality. I?d love to say I found an article or some supporting evidence from my favorite Doctor but he just told me that there is nothing that points to homosexuality being a genetic trait. So I?ll concede that point to Drix. However, I still don?t find homosexuality to be the least bit amoral so I will continue to disagree with him on that. I doubt that any amount of debate will change either of our opinions.[/color] [quote] For the last time..bisexuality doesn't make you a slut. Jeez how can you people be so closeminded while claiming to be so open. Life isn't a porn flick people. Like I said if you are attracted to both sexes why limit your possibilities of happiness, its not all about the sex. I don't care if its limiting your dating pool HC, there's more fish in the sea as they say.[/quote] [color=indigo]Perhaps you are so oversensitive that you have become close minded and the people you find to be close minded are really the open minded ones. Or not. Regardless Bisexuals are dirty, slutty individuals and they all probably have some venereal disease or another?probably the kind that makes them immune to humor. [/color]

Track 06: A Silhouette of Doom "Has anyone ever told you resemble John Wayne?" No, thought Iori, but he said "Once or twice" because it wasn't smart to offend Mr. Blaze. "Obviously you don't look like John Wayne, but you have his swagger, your country accent often betrays you, and you look like you don't take shit from anyone. Yeah you could be a Japanese Rooster, you could be a Japanese Duke?" "I want that boat lit up like a Christmas tree in five seconds boys! Five seconds!" "What the Hell are they doing Taki?" "Beats the hell out of me Iori. The only thing I know is that someone is going to be fucked in a few minutes." "What do you mean?" "Well, they could be dead in a few minutes, which would mean they are more or less fucked. Or they could be on the ship in a few minutes, which means we are fucked." "You think they could take the ship." "Nah, but Mr. Blaze will serve us our balls if the wedding is interrupted. Hey, where the fuck are my spot lights!?" Johnny Wayne lightly tapped a slightly crumpled red and white cigarette box against the palm of his hand. He hated the ocean, and, even though Mr. Arai's boat was the size of a small cruise ship, the gentle rocking sea was making him nauseous. Fumbling through his pockets, Johnny located a match and expelled a cigarette from the cardboard package. He flicked the head of the match with his thumb and leaned his cigarette into the dancing flame. "Shit!" cursed Johnny, as he tossed the lit match over the yacht's railing. The match flame had flared up and nearly caught his black cowboy hat on fire. Johnny Wayne hated cowboy hats. He hated them almost as much as he hated the actor John Wayne. His real name was Iori Mimakasa, Johnny Wayne was just the pseudonym Mr. Blaze gave him. Mr. Blaze had a nickname for every gangster he employed; the names were so comical that Johnny was positive that his boss thought himself to be a super criminal mastermind, the real life equivalent of Lex Luthor or Wilson Fisk. Johnny wasn't a full time gangster, he was a software salesman. His friend Taki (aka Mahjong Mikke), a friend from the gymnasium he frequented, got him his part time gig guarding Mr. Blaze. Johnny was large enough and looked "don't fuck with me" enough that he figured working for Mr. Blaze would an easy, safe way to earn a little extra cash. No one, after all, fucked with Mr. Blaze. Several days after Taki approached him, Johnny met with Mr. Blaze to discuss his possible employment in a field slightly more disreputable than sales. After Mr. Blaze repeatedly told Johnny that he reminded him of a Japanese John Wayne they arrived at a mutual business agreement. The following day Taki brought Johnny a six shooter, a holster, and a cowboy hat, and told him that while he was employed by Mr. Blaze he would be known as Johnny Wayne. They both had a good laugh over it. That was more or less how Johnny wound up on Mr. Arai's boat working guard detail for Tomiko's wedding. Although he would have rather spent the evening at a bar with friends, he knew that the money he would make tonight was worth a small sacrifice or two. So he occupied himself by pacing around the boat deck, smoking cigarettes, chatting with other henchmen, and attempting to spin his six-shooter around like a real American cowboy. He had almost got the hang of twirling the gun when a large sail boat appeared out of nowhere. The boat resembled an ancient pirate ship; it was painted lacquer black and had giant pleated sails. The bow was decorated with a huge Noh mask; its mouth was twisted upward in a sickening grin. The old sail boat was on a seemingly inevitable collision course with the yacht, and both Mr. Blaze's and Mr. Arai's henchmen gathered around the where the impact would occur in case anyone attempted to board the yacht. Johnny noticed Taki organizing some men in an attempt to shine spotlights on the ancient ship. The spotlights illuminated an empty deck; the ship was so quiet that it seemed haunted. Something didn't seem quite right. Johnny wondered why anyone one would make such a brazen attempt to attack Mr. Arai's ship. The old boat would obviously be smashed to bits by the mammoth yacht and any people on the ship would easily be shot in half in a hail of machine gun fire. That is when it hit Johnny; the boat had to be a diversion. Acting on pure instinct Johnny ran to the starboard side of the yacht. He arrived alone only to find a man pulling a hatchet from the back of a dead guard. The assassin wore a black wet suit and a mask infinitely more hideous than the Noh decoration on the hull of the sail boat. Johnny Wayne raised the six-shooter and pointed it at the ginning masked assassin but he was unable to pull the trigger. All of a sudden Johnny felt very warm and very, very tired. His throat felt sticky and his mouth was dryer than a desert. Johnny tried to move toward the masked monster but lost his footing and instead spun around until he was leaning on the boat's railing. The woman behind him was smiling a red smile. She held a bloodied dagger up to her pursed lips. "Shhhhhh," she whispered as she pushed Johnny over the railing. Johnny Wayne remained silent as he fell quietly beneath the cold, black sea.

[color=indigo]If you are straight or gay hurrah for you. I think that either condition is a perfectly natural and probably genetic trait. However, you bisexuals need to pick a team and stick with it. I have a hard time fathoming that bisexuality is a inherited trait. I just think that it is a by-product of curiosity and an over active sex drive. I don't really care what a person does in the privacy of their own bedroom unless it directly effects me. Bisexuality effects me because all of you indecisive people are limiting my dating pool. So here is the deal. I want all of you bisexual men to admit to yourself that you are gay, yes that is right be gay and be happy and stop wasting the time of all of those beautiful women that you are making time with. Now, for all you bisexual girls. Stop it. You know that you are only sleeping with other women because the chauvinistic male oppressive media driven world has convinced you that it is sexy. quit dating each other and give me a phone call, I am free on Thursday ;). No, well then at least invite me over for some bi-curious fun, I can be your basis for comparison.... [/color]

[color=indigo]?Congratulations, McBroomwitch! Congratulations! After so many years, to finally pass the APTASS, it must be such a relief, such a relief.? Deacon Bagelsworth grasped Falstaff?s hand and pumped it up and down with nervous excitement. The not so young student looked unusually puzzled. ?Ah-are you certain?? stammered Falstaff. ?I didn?t think I did all that well on the exam.? The Deacon smiled at the boy, it wasn?t a very warm smile. ?I am sure you must be very excited, very excited indeed,? Bagelsworth said, reassuringly. ?After coming so close to passing so many times, you must be relieved to finally be able to leave these dusty old halls behind you.? Falstaff grew quite pale and looked as though he was about to become very ill. ?Are you sure you are sure Deacon? Perhaps the gentleman that graded the test made an error. I don?t think I could live with myself if I knew I graduated without passing the APTASS on my own merit.? ?No, no, no. There is no need to worry about silly nonsense like that. No mistakes were made, I guarantee it. After all, I was the one that graded your exam.? The Deacon placed a fatherly hand on Falstaff?s shoulder. He could feel the young man?s body quiver slightly. ?I understand, I understand. I know how much this must mean to you. It is quite an accomplishment, quite an accomplishment.? ?Yeh-yes sir,? replied the student in a voice as hollow as a wooden leg. ?I am sure ih-it will just teh-take a minute or so to suh-sink in.? He walked away from Bagelsworth trying not to look like a defeated man. Unfortunately, the façade was unmanageable. His shoulders drooped, his skin was pale, and even the smiling corners of his eyes could not hide the nervousness swimming frantically through their dark blue depths. He thought he could escape his fate, or, the very least, prolong the inevitable for another five or six years. Now he had no choice but to face his future head on, and hope that the extra years he spent in school thwarted the fortune teller?s prediction. When he reached the OAT house, a regal building that sat on top a hill directly east of the university, Falstaff was overwhelmed with nostalgia. Memories of past parties and past girlfriends, of past initiations and past farewells, and of past friends and past people stampeded through his mind. He had so many fond memories of the University and so many friends that he would soon have to leave. He opened the door to a great ?Hurrah!? from his fellow OAT?s. Streamers fell and corks form fizzy liquor bottles flew through the air. Friends surrounded him, hugging him and patting him with congratulatory pats. He even received a deep kiss with sinful intentions from a Theta Epsilon Alpha follower (a group of female students crudely referred to as ?baggers?). He was passed around the room nearly as swiftly as alcohol was passed into his hands. It seemed as though every student from the University had come to the celebration, even the potions professor (who never wore clothes because he was afraid they would corrupt the purity of his magic) was there in his full naked glory. During the festivities Falstaff bumped into Charlie, the obvious culprit for all of the surrounding merriment. ?Any excuse for a party, eh Charlie?? The sheepish OAT grinned, ?Yep, any excuse. I thought we should allow these festivities to flow over into the Luthen Fair. We can organize a quick caravan crawl.? Falstaff grinned as the last of his worries faded away. [/color]

[color=indigo]Marcus Bagelsworth, head Deacon of the University for Magical Studies, had a dilemma. That dilemma?s name was Falstaff McBroomwitch. For the past nine years McBroomwitch had been an exemplary student; he had strong academic marks, a good understanding for the majority of magical principles and fundamentals (although he never had any real talent for elemental magic), and he was the most popular social leader at the school since Dickey Bagger founded Theta Epsilon Alpha half a century ago. However, McBroomwitch seemed unable to pass the Advanced Aptitude Test for the Application of Scientific Spells (or APTASS for short). The APTASS determines whether or not a student is proficient enough in the magical arts to graduate from the University and obtain his or her Wizarding License. A student has to score an eighty percent completion or higher on the test in order to pass. However, if a student scores seventy percent or lower they not only fail the test but they also fail out of the University. Those few students that score between a seventy and eighty percent on the exam are allowed to continue their studies at the school in hopes that they will pass the exam at the end of the following year. For the past five years Falstaff McBroomwitch has scored no higher than a seventy-six on the exam and no lower than seventy-three. Since the University was founded eight centuries ago no student has remained a student for as long as McBroomwitch. Deacon Bagelsworth was worried that Falstaff may never graduate. His concern, however, wasn?t for the boy?s future, but, rather, for his own reputation. The school board would not look kindly upon a Deacon that allowed such a promising student slip through the cracks so many times. As he sat in his office staring at Falstaff?s sixth APTASS test (on which he scored a median seventy-five) Bagelsworth made a decision?.[/color]

[color=indigo] [b]Name:[/b] Falstaff McBroomwitch [b]Gender:[/b] It's a booooyyyyyy!!!! [b]Age:[/b] Twenty-four [b]Appearance:[/b] I will post a picture sometime this evening, or maybe as late as tomorrow. [b]Skills:[/b] Besides the uncanny ability to burp and fart at the same time, Falstaff McBroomwitch seems to lack any obvious talents, although he can juggle poorly. [b]Personality:[/b] If you took Kurt Cobain's depression and wrapped it in a blanket of Eddie Vedder's angst, than sprinkled some of Ross Perot's gravity on top you would have created Falstaff's antithesis. Ever the comedian, young Mr. McBroomwitch was as light hearted and carefree as a stereotypical fraternity poster boy. [b]My "Anti" Biography:[/b] [i]I will expand on the background of my character once the RPG is underway...if I make it :p[/i] "Urrrrrrrrrppppppp!" The sound, as startling and loud as a cannon's report, rumbled from a small niche in the University for Magical Studies library. It was immediately followed by roars of laughter from nearby male students and several severe looks from their female counterparts. The object of all this commotion arose from a shadowed corner of the library where four members of the Omega Alpha Theta (or, as they were referred to by the majority of the student body, the OATs) fraternal organization gathered around an oak study table. The OATs were infamous for their wild parties, their obscenely hilarious jokes, and their sub-marginal academic performances. The leader of this motley, jovial, rag-tag organization was none other than Falstaff McBroomwitch, a foul mouthed fun loving young man that enjoyed nothing more than carousing over a pint (or preferably several pints) of ale. Obviously the thunderous burp that piqued the whole librarys curiosity was emitted by this large buffoon. "Geez Falls," said one of the OATs between fits of laughter, "that smelled really awful." "Yeah, what crawled down your throat and died?" commented another crony. "Lads, lads, if I've told you once then I have told you at least once," said Falstaff in slurred secretive tones, "the key to living a long and happy life is to digest at least your body's weight worth of booze everyday." "Yeah, if by long life you mean one maybe two weeks," chided an OAT. "Damn Falls, you know that we have exams tomorrow, I know that you don't care about how well you do in school, but I know I want to graduate at some point in my life." "Charlie," cried Falstaff with mock sincerity, "I am wounded by your remarks. I too hope to graduate fairly soon. At least within the next ten or eleven years. Plus length is all relative, an hour spent studying feels like ten while an hour worth of drinking feels like a few minutes! I would much rather have a happy life that is brief and feels brief than a boring one that is longer than my genitalia!" All of the OATs, including Charlie, roared with laughter, not only at the crude humor, but at Falstaff's remarks on graduating. They knew that their friend would do everything he could to remain a student in good standing at the University. But they also knew that he would try his hardest never to graduate. Falstaff knew, no matter what, that as long as he remained a student at the University no ill could befall him. After all, his prophecy guaranteed it....[/color]