Touchstone

[FONT=Georgia]That's so hard to decide, but these are the lyrics that truly affect me most: [COLOR=Indigo][align=center]When will you realize it doesn't pay To be smarter than teachers, smarter than most boys? So shut your mouth, start kicking the football Bang on the teeth, you're off for a week boy[/align][/COLOR] Yeah, that's from Belle and Sebastian's song Lord Anthony. For some reason it always makes me cry, reminds me of that bitter, sad feeling. [COLOR=Indigo][align=center]And if I show you my dark side Will you still hold me tonight? And if I open my heart to you Show you my weak side What will you do?[/align][/COLOR] From Pink Floyd's song The Final Cut. That is probably the most depressing album ever made. It's kinda sad all my favorite lyrics make me teary-eyed :animesigh [/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia]I really don't care all that much; those stores just don't appeal to me that much. Abercrombie and Fitch annoy me though because I think they're hiring practises are very discriminatory-they hire attractive vapid kids who look like models. They have huge pictures of models all over the store. It just feels so empty and meaningless. I always get depressed when I'm in there, like the fall of civilization is among us. But that's a bit exaggerating. I also agree that those stores are way over-priced. A cotton tee for twenty dollars? No thanks, I got a killer jacket at JC Penny for fourteen! I really don't like spending money on clothes when I could get better things, like books or music or notebooks (which is probably why all my clothes are so old). I'd just rather not bother. Anywho, let's see who's going to rant on preps next! (I'm not a prep, I'm a Sam. I just find all these group things odd :animestun )[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia]Perhaps this is a strange question, but I've been thinking about it off and on for a long time lately. Each generation ascends into adulthood and inherits the problems of the elderly. Perhaps they fix them, perhaps not. Perhaps they lead us headfirst into another Vietnam, or another Cold War. And what if our generation is incompetent, amoral, and our country shrivels into another fallen empire of the world? These are things I worry about. I worry that we won't find an energy system to replace oil, or find one equally as bad. I worry that our planet will die and my children will receive our mistakes. I know I exaggerate and distort the fears of the future in my mind, but we have to start changing now before we become the ones who make [i]others[/i] change. So, how about you? What do you think your generation will do?[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia]I think this argument is getting pointless! So let me sum it up here: [list=1] [*]Pearl Harbor was a big budget trivial Hollywood movie masquerading as something with substance. [*]Pearl Harbor and the use of the atomic bomb were tragic events of WWII. [*]These two points have no correlation whatsoever! [/list] Okay, I think I'm done.[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia]As others have said, I wouldn't deal with her problems by yourself. That won't help her get better, because you're not sure how to even do that. Cutting yourself is not a light thing; when you cut yourself you are basically saying that your body, your self does not matter, and that you need help. And suicide really isn't funny; that is totally irresponsible of her to do that. I would find out if that was serious or not. If there is a counselor at school you trust or some other adult qualified to handle this I would tell them. What she's doing isn't healthy for herself or you, and it would be best if she got the help she needed and you got some rest from worrying. One guy isn't worth wasting her life over. I hope I was helpful :animesigh Oh, and I wouldn't suggest a mental institution, only if you are [i]absolutely sure[/i] it is good. A lot of these places for minors just lump everyone together, and you really don't get the help you need from qualified people. It's mainly just a place where adults can make sure you don't do drugs or hurt yourself. Anyways, I hope she starts feeling better :animedepr [/FONT]

[QUOTE=The13thMan][FONT=Century Gothic] [COLOR=DarkOrange]Over-patriotic exagerated garbage??? What gives you the right to say that? Did you experience the attack on Pearl Harbor first hand? Did anybody you love die when the japanese attacked??? I think it's absolutely ridiculous to have such a strongly negative opinion on a MOVIE. Movies are meant to entertain. Good thing we live in America and we can express our own opinions, eh? Later. [/COLOR] [/FONT][/QUOTE] [FONT=Georgia]I think you're taking that a bit too personally. He was just saying it was a bad movie, which I have to agree it was. The acting wasn't that good, the plot dragged on for hours, and got really boring by the end. It failed to entertain. And thinking about Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and 9/11 still make me cry. I can just distinguish between reality and crappy fiction.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Ziggy Stardust][COLOR=Sienna]I don't get it... Are you saying you won't be able to cry and feel for the victims in the Twin Towers until they make some soppy movie about it? Are you saying you actually cried during [i]Pearl Harbour[/i], the most notorious piece of over-patriotic exagerated garbage ever made into a feature-length movie? Your post is confuzzling.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Georgia]I second that; could you be more clear? This reads more like a journal entry than a forum post. [/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia]Well, my character isn't evil, but he's certainly bad *** ;) It would have to be Jin from Samurai Champloo. He's like a calm lake, and you're not quite sure what going on under the surface; all you can see is your own reflection. Then when you least expect it he'll kick your *** without so much as a change in expression! :cool: [/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia]:animenose I think I just had the reply knocked out of me! I have noticed that in a lot of anime, manga, and videogame circles people have been confusing the traditional four elements and adding their own lists to them, and then these become accepted. In truth, the theory of the four elements was first created in ancient Greece by natural philosophers, who said that Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind made up all of the universe in varying amounts, coexisting with each other in a balance. We all know that's wrong now, but with no means for scientific experimentation it's still impressive. As for me, my favorite element is Hydrogen. It is the most individualistic element of the periodic table; it stands alone as an oddity (well, there's Helium...but that doesn't count!). It's sad when you can relate yourself to an element, I think! Anyways, I think I'll go take off my prof. glasses and drink more coffee.[/FONT]

I think your banners are awesome! The graphics and backgrounds you use are great, and I like the set up for the captions. Continue on, my friend ;)

[FONT=Georgia]There's been some very intersting answers and debates in this thread. We'll never truly know the answer for why we are here; we can only know the answer for why [i]our self[/i] is here. I used to search for the meaning of all existance, and I came back the other side bruised and jaded and nihilistic. Is there any point in anything if everything is meaningless? But the quest is not outside yourself, it is in yourself. You make your own meaning as to why you are here, and it is [i]that[/i] that fullfills you. Nothing else. I am on the search for myself, because I have yet to explore the depths of the things I wish to forget. And only after I overcome them will I truly realize who I am, and truly be able to see the real person in others. To relate, to exist, to be a person in this world. Are we anything if we drift endlessly? To connect with the universe is as simple as shaking a hand. [SIZE=1][i]Says Touchstone in the wee hours of the morning...[/i][/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Georgia]Ah, I think the new topic of discussion should be [b][u]What do men want?[/b][/u]. Here are my own speculations: [list] [*]To be understood [*]To have control (not necessarily negative!) [/list] And that's about all I understand about what men want in a relationship. Thankfully I just have to worry about my own sex...but actually that's still complicated. Very complicated. Let's just say relationships are complicated.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Shadow Blade][size=1][color=slategray] A gospel by Mary? That's gotta be a gimmick. I don't think [b]any[/b] women were able to write because it was against ancient laws, right? If they did were they stoned? [/color][/size][/quote] She didn't write it, others did long after she had died. Most of it is probably fictitious or legend, but it still would be interesting. The Gospels about Jesus were also all written decades or even centuries after he died. Most of the Bible is written by others after events happened. This is where taking the Bible literally becomes impossible ;)

Yeah, I heard about that too on the news. It was interesting, and would certainly be fun to read from a scholarly standpoint, but again there are lots of other gospels that are even more bizarre from factions that split off. Like one believed that there were [i]two[/i] Gods (I also heard that on the news...). There's also a gospel of Mary (obviously not written by her, nor was this was this one by Judas), which is more interesting in my opinion. She never gets her damn say through the whole gospels of the Bible!

[FONT=Georgia]Alright, I'm trying to think of an [b]official[/b] confession-something I've never ever told anyone before. Which is kind of difficult because I end up blabbing everything to my mother, the only person I really trust :animesigh I guess my confession is that I'm not ambitious. Because I'm intelligent and competent people think I want to go far in the world, become a best-selling novelist and live a rich life. I don't-it makes my stomach turn. I want a small life, with a spouse and kids and working at a liberal arts school as a creative writing professor. I want to write, but I don't care if I get much money from it. I don't need or want prestige, and some people just don't' understand this. My life is lived within my soul, not in any external materialism. Anyways, enough of my rant; who's next? :animeswea [/FONT]

I was first introduced to Terentino through my sister, who immediately became obsessed with his films after watching Pulp Fiction uncut on IFC. Since then, I've watched that four times, and Resevoir Dogs, my favorite, ten times or more. What I find so unique about his movies are the music choices-you can tell it's music he loves, and he implements them in such a cool way. Like in the beginning of Pulp Fiction when during the opening credits the music changed like you were switching a radio dial, or in Resevoir Dogs when the always listened to the same DJ. And the style of them-it's his own. They're out of sequence in such a way that they build a web that you just love to look at. For a while my sister and I argued about what happened to Mr. Pink, who's our favorite, so one day during the last few seconds she turned the volume full and heard [spoiler]Mr. Pink unable to start his car, and the police screaming at him to freeze.[/spoiler] Another cool Terentino detail :cool:

[QUOTE=Leon Fury]scenario: Leon meets girl Leon becomes friend with girl over time Leon notices he has feelings for this girl Leon asks the girl[not once, not twice, not thrice, but five times] to go out with him, and gets shot down all five times. Leon wants to talk to the girl, but Leon, stops mid sentence and tells her: nevermind. Leon begins to worry about her. What should he do? thank you for your time.[/QUOTE] Alright, Leon I shall supplant some Touchstone advice ;). First off, I have a few questions; how long were you friends with this girl before you started asking her out? As a girl, I would like to be good friends with someone for a fair amount of time before they asked me out, to be sure they liked me for me and not just my looks or something like that. Next, five times is way too many times to ask a girl. How long was the space between these? I would feel like you were stalking me or something! And how come you didn't talk to her? Maybe if you tell her how you feel, make yourself a little vulnerable, she might see your point of view and either accept your invitations or tell you why she won't. Hope I was helpful, and good luck! :animesmil

[QUOTE=shinji172]Thank you for the supportive info posted so far. Also,Touchstone, thanks for the book info. I will have to look into that. And thanks for sharing your experience (its encouraging). I guess i should elaborate more. My main concern is that i dont want my friends to start thinking im attracted to them. I know this may seem farfetched but its stuck in my mind. I should also mention that i go to an all boys catholic college. In other words, im worried that they will accidently spread the word around the school that im gay and that the wrong type of people (e.g. extreme christians, homophobes) will find out. Yes they may seem farfetched but they are concern's non the less.[/QUOTE] I went to an all girl's Catholic school last year, and that was my main concern too. I could tell it was on my friend's mind that I might be attracted to her, so in a rare moment of candor I confessed that I liked another girl in our art class. So that pretty much dispelled her worries, I think. I did make sure to tell people whom I knew I could trust not to spread a bunch of gossip around, so really only a handful of people knew in the school. I didn't want everyone hounding me with questions and become the token gay person at the school. You always hear these horror stories about kids coming out, but I think times are changing. Most people don't care and say they also have gay friends, or that they knew all along and they're fine with it. I found I really worried too much. So I hope you have some good experiences:)

[QUOTE=Ziggy Stardust][FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=Sienna]Wear a shirt saying 'Brokeback Mountain rules!' You're friends will draw their own conclusions. Seriously though, the worst possible thing you can do is wait. Because once you start to wait it's going to build and build and build until it's one gigantic mess that consumes you and ruins your life. Best thing you can do is simply walk up to your friends, muster all the confidence you can, act natural, and say 'Hey there guys. Did I tell you I'm gay? Well, I am.' or something to that effect. Hopefyully they don't lynch you or anything, and your friends are idiots and it doesn't change anything.[/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE] :laugh: That's a good idea; I made the mistake of taking things way too seriously. I had grown up having a gay grandfather STILL being married to my grandmother, and all of this was surrounded by secrets and rumors, so I was determined to launch myself into the world as some super lesbian activist or something. Yeah, I've lightened up a lot now. Sort of. :catgirl: It is true that waiting is never a good idea; I waited a year, and it made me really depressed, making my life suffer as a result. I think the best thing you can do is keep a sense of humor about it. I've heard of other people using t-shirts or rainbow pride gear to come out. I like the shirt "Let's get something straight, I'm not." I think friends will eventually have to ask you, and it'll be on your own terms.

[FONT=Georgia]I recently came out about...wow, almost a year ago now, and making the decision to come out to my friends was the hardest I had to make. I knew I had this sense of guilt of deceiving from them something huge and important I was going through, but being in a Catholic school at the time I was scared of how everyone would react. So, this being me, I turned to my most trusted source of information; books. I researched and came across one book called [url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060951044/sr=8-4/qid=1145058677/ref=sr_1_4/103-4274494-3384625?%5Fencoding=UTF8]Free Your Mind[/url]. I went and ordered a copy from my local bookstore, and it was one of the best decisions I made. I read it all in a week, and learned so much. It really was that book and the support of my family that gave me the courage to come out to my friends, which was really hard to do. But once they got used to it, it wasn't much of an issue any more. I felt I really had to tell them though, because I was getting sick of the lie; pretending to like guys, not saying what I truly felt, being fake. Now I don't have to do that anymore. And the more I came out the more easier it go; it's amazing how many people I wanted to tell. And I never got a bad reaction from anyone, which I was really thankful about. I hope that was helpful :animeswea Good luck![/FONT]

[QUOTE=Corey][size=1]Ok... How can you possibly contrast rehabilitation to seized library records? Please explain...[/size] [size=1]Contradiction? It would seem so, Watson.[/size][/QUOTE] Hmm...how [i]did[/i] I get there? I wasn't born with a logical linear thought process, much to my own detriment! I think I was trying to show the distinction between government regulations and government abuses of power. Which can be a fine line. [QUOTE=Maneki Neko][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkOrchid]I think, even if it is for someone's own good, or for the good of society, it is wrong to force anyone to do anything. Forcing someone to do something is a violation of their personal freedom. I realize that the government forces people to do things, like go to jail or go back to their own country, etc. Some of those things are good and some are bad. How often in your everyday life are you forced to do something? You may say that you are forced to do things at work or at school, but they are asking something of you and you are choosing to do those things. I don't know if forcing us to do some things is good, it may be. It's like when mom made you eat you broccoli so that you could grow up strong. Did mom actually force it down your throat, or did you eat it? (Or just throw it under the table for the dog?) What if you were allergic to it? The idea was good, the outcome bad. You still chose what to do with that broccoli. I think anytime something is forced upon someone, the outcome is bad, because [B]no one[/B] should be forced in to something. Might've gone on a small tangent maybe... :D [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE] That's a good point; it's very hard to force me to do something, and if I do do it it's because I've chosen to. We ultimately choose from the array of stimulus coming at us in this world. Whether it's good or bad for us is a different matter.

[QUOTE=The Boss][color=darkgreen][size=1] So, basically, her message was that of anti-communism/totalitarianism/fascism. My views are basically the same as hers, I guess. No body should be forced into any line of work, regardless of how good it may be for the society as a whole. If it means the lost of individuality, then I'm against.[/color][/size][/QUOTE] I agree with her also, although some people go a bit far with it. There's actually an Ayn Rand institute based around her fiction and philosophical works. I think that's a weirdly obsessive, and she would probably think it strange. Although it would be awesome if there was a Thomas Hobbes institute :D . She really brilliantly showed her philosophy I think in [i]The Fountainhead[/i]. One of the main characters is pressured into becoming an architect because his designs are mediocre enough to make him widely successful, yet he secretly loved to paint. When his career ultimately failed he tried to paint again, but he had lost the talent he once had. No one put the pressure on him except himself and his greed. I think more often than not it's also ourselves who destroy who we are. I think that's just as sad as a dictatorship forcing you to extinguish yourself.

[quote name='Lunox][color=dimgray]Did anyone here see the episode where [spoiler]this guy made up a fake story about loving cows?[/spoiler'] Oh god. I was watching it with my friend, and we nearly peed our pants. [/color][/quote] I remember that, it was hillarious! As House said, something would have to be pretty bad [spoiler]if you would rather say you made love to a cow[/spoiler]. The real reason however was quite less disturbing than the one he presented House with :animeblus Did anyone else see last night's episode? Poor Wilson is all I will say!

[FONT=Georgia]Oh, I love Ayn Rand. Have you also read The Fountain Head? Even though it was about six hundreds pages I couldn't put it down and ended up reading it in two weeks. Her characters and ideas are fascinating. I personally don't think the government should regulate people to do things unless it's for their benefit. Forcing an alcoholic to go to rehab is a good thing, to wear our seat belts, to not speed, to educate our kids, all these are good. It's things like forcing librarians to give up records of books checked out that make me mad. We should have the freedom to believe what we want and to fill our heads with what we want. It should only be stopped if we hurt people. That's what it comes down to for me. Yet seems to be a precarious thing to protect our privacy and civil liberties (the wiretapping scandal, the patriot act). I wonder why that is. [/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia]Wow...okay, that guy sounds frightening. I've been made fun of for my taste, but no one'ss actually wanted to physically beat the crap out of me. I hope he gets what he deserves. Me, I do get really passionate about my music. I write a lot of lyrics in my spare time and constantly compose songs in my head, so what I listen to is important to me. I seriously find it hard to like someone who doesn't like The Beatles, sad but true :animeblus Anyways, my obsession got me a reputation as the it girl of obscure music tastes. People would come up and quiz me on if I knew this band...attention creeps me out. Alright, if I don't stop rambling I'll start dithering about Momus. It seems like every time I go into a store, they play bad music. EVERYWHERE! I mean, you can't even turn on a radio without listening to crap! Even on indie rock stations they suck! And I get rabid if 'eighties pop is played...I swear, that stuff has corrupted a nation with it's mass marketed industry of cool (I watch Almost Famous too much). And I can't BELIEVE people like pop and generic rock! IT MAKES ME PUKE!:sick: They're destroying everything I love about it, turning into **** that all sounds the same! CAPITILISM HAS DESTROYED ROCK 'N' ROLL!:angry2: Um...yeah...completely disregard that last paragraph :animeblus Anyways, uh...looks like Belle and Sebastian are getting the recognition they deserve with their latest album, right? :wigout:[/FONT]