Heaven's Cloud

"Gonzalez has been assigned eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay on what she's learned from the experience." Really? She was assigned eight hours of community service for writing on a desk that could have been cleaned off in 20 seconds? What a load of crap. I hope she writes a paper on who the nice fat settlement she expects to receive from the civil lawsuit she is filing will put her through art school. Every adminsitrator and law officer involved in this should be fired. Talk about wastes of human beings.

[quote name='taperson'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][SIZE="1"][img]http://www.alhaya.co.il/VIRARTICLES/fvpics/65.png[/img] Boyfriend & I are going to see them in concert for our fourmonthiversary, which is coincidentally the day before Valentine's Day.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] All I can think of is that scene in Van Wilder where he is singing "Gwen Used Me For Her Story, Then Married an *** Wipe... and Ran Over My Heart With a Big Metaphorical Truck. Originally performed by Air Supply."

[quote name='Raiha'][font=times new roman][color=darkorchid]...Or she'll slit your throat and steal your wallet and leave you dead and decomposing in an alley somewhere in a bad part of town. Who knows?[/font][/color][/QUOTE] That would really blow...although, I would have a pretty good idea of where we headed early in the relationship.

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I'm going to sit pretty and wait for the boyfriend to cough up the requisite two dozen red roses in a lead crystal vase. If he doesn't, I'm totally leaving him.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] I always thought that flowers were the perfect metaphor for my typical relationship. They start out with so much promise and beauty but three weeks later nothings left but compost. I actually have my first real date with an amazing girl that I recently met on Valentine's Saturday. Despite my cynical few lines above I'm actually pretty optimistic when it comes to new relationships. Even if we don't end up clicking I am sure it will be a blast of a day.

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]Another book I've read recently is Christopher Hitchens' [b]God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything[/b]. Hitchens is a far more aggressive and colourful critic of religion than, say, Richard Dawkins, but he's also really attacking a slightly different point. Although he argues against a personal God, the primary basis of his book really revolves around the question "Is the world better off [i]with[/i] religion?" [/font][/QUOTE] Hitchens' was on NPR not long ago and was a pretty interesting interview. I'll have to check out this book, sounds interesting. I just picked up [b]Beat the Reaper[/b] by Josh Bazell. The first fifty pages are promising. His writing style reminds me of the good aspects of a Chuck Palahniuk novel. I'm hoping that it stays entertaining and unexpected. The last novel I read, [b]Bangkok 8[/b] began with a bang and ended with a whimper. Truly one of the most convoluted and bizarre endings I have ever come across (and not in a good way).

Kindergarten – Watching a space shuttle disintegrate on live television quickly squashes a young boys dream to become an astronaut. First grade – Be careful when hanging upside down from a high object, especially over gravel. If your not it will be extremely painful when the doctor is setting your breaks and pulling out gravel. Second grade – Siblings can be annoying at times but, you are one of the lucky ones, you will never be without someone who understands you. Third grade – Friendship among a group of boys often means that one person is singled out and made fun of. When it is your turn, take the teasing with a grain of salt, soon you’ll have the opportunity to gang up on one of them. Fifth grade – The day after you beat your friend in a fight invite him to your home and resolve whatever the quarrel was (over video games is often best). Sixth grade – Love can be cruel and unrequited. Seventh grade – To quote Stephen King: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus does anybody?” The best (and truest) two sentences Stephen King ever wrote. Eighth grade – Beware of teachers, they often know less than they lead on. Ninth grade – Bigotry is not a characteristic found only in uneducated white people. Tenth grade – If you obsess over one person you will miss out on a dozen more spectacular ones right in front of you. Eleventh grade – Doing stupid things may help make you more popular. If definitely makes you a bigger jack-***. Twelfth grade – It is easier to get stoned than to try and figure out who you really are. College year one – Drunken debauchery may sound like fun but engaging in it long term leaves with no lessons to learn (except of course that lecherous drunks are unlikely to learn anything while they are being lecherous drunks). College year two – While you may resent your parents for screwing you up as a child always remember that they are undoubtedly more concerned about your well-being than you are. College year three - If you have a conscience than try to avoid hurting the ones you care for. It leads to an endless amount of sleepless nights. College year four – Hard work coupled with talent goes a long way. College year five – Allowing a woman to hate you for no reason after a break up is far nobler than gossiping or trying to immediately be their friend. College year six – People think more of you when you are gracious and humble in your success.

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium] I'm still in the middle of [b]The Lost Symbol[/b] by Dan Brown, too. It's not bad, but very formulaic - almost moreso than the previous two novels in the series. Lately I have been thinking of reading [b]Lord of the Flies[/b]. It's one classic novel that I've never read. Has anyone here read this one and if so, what did you think of it?[/font][/QUOTE] With the exception of the wonderful descriptions of Washington DC I detested [b]The Lost Symbol[/b], [spoiler]the end of the book was just too ridiculous and far-fetched, more so than Angles and Demons and The DaVinci Code[/spoiler]. I think you'll like [b]Lord of the Flies[/b] quite a bit. Not so much for the story, which is good, but for the subtext. It is one of those books that you can enjoy for the surface and love because it is incredibly thought provoking. Edit: Oops, forgot to mention what I am reading! I am currently enjoying [b]Bangkok 8[/b]. It is a great murder mystery told from the perspective of a Thai (well, half-Thai) detective. It s definitely a refreshing take on the mystery genre.

I think bread is the unsung hero of a good sandwich. The best fillings are often lacking on plain white, but a good ham and swiss on rye or a roastbeef on a nice brioche really elevates a sandwich.

[quote name='Retribution'][font=Arial] For the record, I'm an unrepentant pirate. 50 GB of music and counting.[/font][/QUOTE] I'm right there with you. I'll also add that I have purchased far more concert tickets and albums since I started downloading then I ever did before hand. I would not have made nearly as many purchases if I hadn't been illegally downloading music. Furthermore, the RIAA has not found a true statistical correlation between music piracy and loss of revenue. Most of their evidence actually points to turns in the economy and the amount of new albums released by major record labels each year as having the greatest effect on their bottom line. That being said, I don't excuse my actions. When I am pirating I am breaking the law and committing theft.

[quote name='AnbuKira13']One of my friends has that he basically said the same thing as far as how the character is and such. Keeps telling me I should try it out. :P So far only bad things I have heard on it were on G4, something about a lot of pointless nudity, and issues with the voice of some filler character you talk to in the game? Eh regardless I'll probably look it up once I get the chance. [/QUOTE] I think that the nudity (or lack of clothing, there isn't true, rampant full frontal nudity) actually plays with the premise of the character. Bayonetta is a witch, she communes with hell and slaughters angels. She is supposed to be the antithesis of all things pure and righteous, so that never really bothered me. There is a problem with some of the voice over work in a few of scenes, but I never over runs a whole scene. The overall plot is lacking a well. That being written, you can put lots of enjoyable hours into this game. It is like DMC4, where each difficulty level takes a significant learning curve and to excel you really have to master the games timing and combos.

I think that the biggest problem is that the entertainment industry decided to base their ad campaigns around the word "piracy" to describe the act of stealing copyrighted material as opposed to using the word "theft". Lets face it, piracy is a glamorous word. It can harken images of swashbuckling the net, liberating booty (all that free, glorious data) from the evil King's Navy (those greedy entertainment executive bastards) while stealing their wenches (mmm wenches). If the entertainment industry used a word like "theft" then I think a lot more people wouldn't attempt to justify their behavior as beneficial or neccassary. Sure, they would still do it, they just wouldn't ask if it was right or not.

[quote name='desertphoenix'][COLOR="DarkRed"][FONT="Garamond"][SIZE="3"] As for [B]Mirror's Edge[/B], I am actually pretty surprised with how much fun I'm having with it. I'm about halfway through, and I'll prob give my final impression later on when I finish.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [B]Mirror's Edge[/b] is an awesome game, I still pull it out every now and again to play the time trials. Sometimes I'll just fly through the game if I am bored. I I picked up [B]Bayonetta[/b] yesterday. So far I enjoy it, but the load times are a little bit of a pain (I read that this is only a problem on the PS3 version, so if you buy it for the 360 you should be kosher). The main character is really fun though, like a hot chick version of Dante from the DMC series. It is taking me a little while to learn to cope with the speed of the game though.

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Calibri] To be fair, PETA has done some bonehead things in the past, and will most likely continue to do so because the organisation is rife with?oops, I about said something politically incorrect, didn't I? :catgirl:?but, really, this shouldn't even be a problem, considering the ad is saying all of "these women don't wear fur", which is about the same as Reebok saying "Michael Jordan wears sneakers". [/FONT][/QUOTE] The ad wouldn't be at all controversial if it didn't carry PETA's logo and brand name. You cannot commercially exploit a person's image or likeness without their consent. If PETA did not include their logo on these ads then there would be no recourse for Michelle Obama because no specific person or organization is benefiting commercially, it is just a simple "news" statement.

We are overreacting. Or rather, lots of people are overreacting. I for one may be underreacting. I don't think that current technology is responsible for some of the TSA security issues. It is the human component that is at fault, and can you really blame the TSA security folks? They have a horribly repetitive, boring job that earns them a fairly low wage. It shouldn't be a shock that they aren't as viglant as they should be. Lets face it, they didn't think that a guy flying into to Detroit in the middle of winter without a coat was suspicious. Do you really think that they'll more observant when it comes to looking at thousands of detailed x-rays a day?

I got sucked in back when the Sci-Fi Network would play anime features on Sunday mornings. So I still have fond memories of watching heavily edited versions of Akira, Demon City Shinjuku, Wicked City, and Ninja Scroll. It wasn't until Sci-Fi showed the first four episodes of Record of Lodoss War, and then stopped showing anime altogther, when I really started seeking it out. I really wanted to find out how that story ended I guess...

Lately I've been listening to The XX. I dig them, they are a pretty solid young pop band and really do a great job exploiting simple sounds and empty space. The band makes great use of both of their singers, I think their voices play off of each other well. I'd recommend their single VCR to anyone and their album XX is worth taking a look at if VCR is to your liking.

I'm working on one, should be done in the next couple of days. I doubt it would interfere with any other posts though. Edit: Sorry, I have tried several times to write a piece for this story but the tale in my head is just not translating to written word correctly. Please, if anyone is waiting on me, go right ahead and post.

I'm all for it as long as there is A) a public option, B) you remove all the "fetus rights" wording in section C342 addendum Q, and C) you give $100,000,000 in early tax credits to Nebraska. Honestly though, I cannot see how any good can come of this. I mean, if you are a good member with interesting posts other members probably already respect you. If not, other members probably either ignore you or write things like FAIL after your posts. Edit: The Good/Evil meter idea is pretty nifty though. I wouldn't mind that.

I don't what the big deal is, I didn't come to a mutual understanding with my other half until I was seventeen or eighteen. Until then it stood up and looked around whenever it felt like it.

This is tough. There are a lot of great animated shows/movies made in places other than Japan. Actually, I would say that the only aspect of Japanese animation that I truly find superior is their ability to stick with story structure and end their shows adequately. Anyway, to answer your question, my favorite animated show right now (favorite show period) is The Venture Brothers. Not only is it a great satire, but it is a tremendously funny show on its own.

Hi. I'm Charlie. I'm not really new, but I haven't been here in so long that I thought I might be new again (kind of like how old basketball shoes come back and seem new) and should reintroduce myself. Anyway, a little bit about me.... Things that I like: cartoons, mini coopers, the color indigo, pretty women, sarcasm, comic books, coffee, beer, warm socks, old memories Things that I dislike: midgets, hummers (the automobiles not the...well never mind), clowns, unicycles, pandas, and old memories Anyway, hello to everyone that I don't know (and, of course, all of you that I do) that keep this place alive and thriving. Thank you for keeping an old memory around for me to come back to.

[quote name='Sara'][font=trebuchet ms]As long as there are blankets, kids will make blanket forts. I wouldn't worry about it too much.[/font][/QUOTE] And if they have boxes they'll make box forts, or hamper forts out of hampers. I was at my friends house over the weekend and his children built an amazing fort out of leaves and fallen branches. Sure, they have a Wii with a million games and tons of crazy controllers, but they know where the fun is really at. As far as children today are concerned, well, in think it is every generation's duty to tell the subsequent generation that they are more spoiled, ruder, and stupider than they were at that age.

[quote name='Sara'][size=1][url=http://www.dorktower.com/2009/12/10/an-open-letter-to-abc-from-my-friend-leon/]ABC's editing down of [i]A Charlie Brown Christmas[/i] to fit more advertisements (link)[/url] was way more offensive than this. [/size][/QUOTE] I agree. I watched on Hulu, and it was edited down on their as well. I was wondering if, in my old age, I had a lapse of Alzheimer's and forgot that I just watched Schroeder play the Jingle Bell variations for Lucy. But nope, it was cut...even from the Hulu broadcast (which makes no sense considering they don't have the time constraint that network television has). The wonderful aspect of the whole debacle is the irony of taking a Christmas special that preaches how commercialism has perverted Christmas and editing it to allow for more commercials. As far as the risque Frosty video goes, it doesn't bother me at all. It isn't like it was broadcast on television or shown in elementary schools, it is on the internet. And, lets be honest, if that is the worst think your eight year old stumbles across on the net you are one lucky SOB.

[quote name='Shy'][size=1] I'm deeply disappointed that [b]Mr. Maul[/b] did not make it to the final list. Although I do not know him very well, he is an awesome dude and deserves all of the recognition he can get. -Shy[/size][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]Well, uhm, maybe you should have nominated him? You did have four nominations left. :rolleyes: Congrats to all the winners.[/color]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]You ever been to Calabash, NC? Talk about seafood....[/FONT][/QUOTE] [color=indigo]Sorry man, I've spent plenty of time on the Eastern Shore and used to live in Wilmington NC (and have travelled upand down the North Carolina coast more than I can rememeber). Seafood on the Eastern Shore is far superior (the tea isn't though). Now, if you venture down to Charelston, South Carolina, their seafood (and restraunt quality period) destroys the Eastern Shore's. [/color]