Aaryanna_Mom

[CENTER][IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Natalia sighed inwardly and moved back over to re-join the others that she had first started with. Gael?s slight tendency to talk to her as if she was stupid was rather irritating. The longer she was near her, the more she found her presence irritating. She didn?t really want to talk to the new comers either, especially the ones who were reporters. It wasn?t that difficult to realize that they were in a lot of trouble. However, she had a nagging feeling that if anyone on the Von Braun actually knew about what was going on, it couldn?t be more than a handful of people if that. Secrets, especially ones as volatile as something like this, were better kept under wraps if those given access to the information were strictly regulated to as few as possible. The fact that even the theory?s that Zahir was talking about was rarely talked about was proof of that it was a closely guarded secret. She ignored the rest of the group that was semi following along as they made for where the escape pods were according to the map of the facility that Viktor had out in his hands. He paused when they came to a set of doors that were closed. ?[B]I don?t think we?ll be able to force these ones open.[/B]? He tucked the pamphlet into his inner jacket pocket. ?[B]It would be easier to simply use the air vents instead of tiring ourselves out opening all of the doors.[/B]? ?[B]I don't know if I can do that again.[/B]" Zahir looked a bit sick at the thought. "[B]Don't worry,[/B]" Katelyn grasped his left shoulder in a comforting manner. "[B]We'll help you if you need it.[/B]" Zahir looked at her for a long moment and then nodded. "[B]Right, lets get this grate off,[/B]" Natalia moved to pull it off only to halt when the others beat her to it. "[B]I'll go first since I have this thing here,[/B]" She hefted the large flashlight and crawled in before anyone could object. A moment later and she could hear the others following suit. She tuned out most if the chatter since she was focusing on keeping her bearings straight so they would come out where the escape pods were located instead of somewhere else. To her relief the power outage had not affected the internal grates by sealing any sections off. That would have been a serious setback if they had been unable to get to the actual pods. Then once she finally found what looked like an opening into where the pods were she fought the grate only to nearly fall out on her face when it gave way suddenly. [I] I'm getting tired of this,[/I] she thought as she regained her balance and climbed out. Viktor was next and then the two of them started helping the others by offering a hand of support when they were ready to crawl out. Zahir looked a little pale but no worse for the wear this time around. She smiled reassuringly at him before turning her attention and the light to the area they were now in.

It sounds like you're really sad about your own youth slipping away. You're noticing things in your friend that didn't use to occur, like the makeup and such. It's perfectly normal to feel a little uncomfortable or even sad about change. It's just part of growing up and like my daughter said, look at yourself and you'll find that you've changed too. I'd recommend finding the things you liked about it, like how you enjoyed seeing your friend again. Just as there are sad things about it, there are fun positive things too. ^_~

Goodness, kids advising another kid on how to approach parenthood. For starters I?ll outright say it, ignore Odin M Yggdrasi?s advice completely, about the only good thing they told you was about making sure your kid gets sex education and that?s it. I assure you, I?m not overlooking the marriage bit, I?ll get to that in a moment here. Now it?s been said, but aid is there for a reason so don?t overlook a possible resource that can help you take care of your family. It?s also been said, but the idea that pregnancy means no working for the mother is absolutely absurd. Let the doctor determine that hun. He or she will let you know if your girlfriend needs to not work while she?s expecting. I?ve had both types of pregnancies, one where it was recommended that I not work and others were it was considered fine. Don?t pass up the chance to let family members help out; I assure you most of us love babysitting our grandkids. That kind of family support is healthy and kids love to be spoiled by grandma or grandpa. Now I?m going to go against the grain slightly here and tell you that having a kid doesn?t mean instant marriage. If you and her care about each other in that manner then definitely consider it. But if you do not, don?t put the poor kid through that kind of hell. If the parents do nothing but fight, that?s harder on a kid than having parents who aren?t married. And finally, if you are looking at abortion, consider the adoption stance first; as Sabrina pointed out there are a lot of couples out there who can?t have kids who would be thrilled to have the chance to adopt. Abortion really should be the very last thing you consider unless there are health issues.

I'd have to think about this, but I can think of one immediately. I'm not sure how many people know who Alan Ashton is. For those who don't he's the co-creator of WordPerfect. I know him for the simple reason that he worked at Brigham Young University, so he knew my ex husband who also teaches.

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]See this is where I get to kill myself laughing because I have the books.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]As do I since they were required for school when I was taking college classes in music. My health kept me from finishing and getting my degree, but I still learned to play quite a few pieces from those books. I don't take the time to fully learn them anymore, but my sight reading is more than up to the task to play any of them at any given time. And having just read about them, I think I'll listen to my own copies of Bach's The Well-tempered Clavier. Aaryanna has a thing for Nightwish and though I do think the music they make is well crafted, it's a bit too loud for my tastes. I need something quiet to listen to.

I don't have smoothie's very often but when I do I like this paticular recipe. STRAWBERRY-BLACKBERRY SMOOTHY 6-8 strawberries (fresh or frozen) 6-8 blackberries (fresh or frozen) 8 ice cubes 2 1/2 cups lowfat or non-fat milk 1 scoop whey powder Rinse and cut tops of strawberries, and rinse blackberries. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and enjoy. Perfect for dieting, or leave out whey powder and add ice cream for a delicious smoothy drink. Makes about 3-5 cups.

Usually when I have tea, it's a form of iced tea that I grew up on. It's made with orange pekoe. I have to really watch my sugar intake though so I don't have it anywhere as often as I use to, which is a shame, it's good stuff.

I usually have some form of hot cereal. It's either oatmeal, cream of wheat or if cold then something like grapenuts or shredded wheat with slices of bananas mixed in. Some times I fix other stuff like eggs and toast or sausage. However, that is only occasionally. Oh and I always have either milk or a bit of juice with it.

[quote name='Nerdsy'][color=deeppink]Well, there [I]was[/I] this one time I spun around a circle real fast for a whole minute. The room was totally spinning and it was so [I]awesome,[/I] I about passed out.[/color][/QUOTE]I remember doing that as a child. We'd spin in circles until we were so dizzy that we fell over on the grass in the back yard. I remember thinking it was the funniest thing, at least until I became a teenager. Now as for under the influence, I was a boring child and adult so I don't have any stories to tell. My older brother however did some really stupid stuff from basic alcohol and illegal drugs. I'm not going to say what, you kids don't need me giving you ideas. Anyway, ironically (after several really stupid incidents) he turned around and decided to clean up and go into law enforcement. He then spent his life working as a sheriff until he retired.

[center][img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/img] [img]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/img][/center] ?[B]It?s a pity we didn?t learn more.[/B]? Natalia said as she moved to open the door leading out of the storage room. Viktor didn?t give her the chance as he opened the door for all of them. ?[B]Maybe the computers are still on,[/B]? Zahir didn?t sound too encouraging. ?[B]I imagine they probably closed any files that we shouldn?t be looking at though.[/B]? Katelyn was already at the door leading back to the computer room, opening it a crack to see if anyone was there. She turned back to the others who were waiting expectantly. ?[B]I think they must be finished since the door to this area is also closed.[/B]? Viktor looked at his watch again. ?[B]There?s still enough time to take a quick peek at the computers to see if we can learn more about the Helix Program. We?ve come this far so we may as well take another look.[/B]? ?[B]I suppose so[/B],? Natalia opened up the door, hurrying through to go and look at the terminal she had been checking before they had needed to hide. She still wasn?t convinced that there was any credibility to Zahir?s theories and the thought that the government would have lied over something so silly only made her feel irritated. Natalia hadn?t been working in management as long as she had without developing the ability to mask how she felt to a certain degree. She kept her movements sure and even to avoid betraying too much of her skepticism, after all it wouldn?t hurt to look. Zahir seemed to sense her irritation anyway, ?[B]Perhaps we should just head back?[/B]? Natalia smiled reassuringly at him as she took a seat, ?[B]No harm in taking another look, I may find the idea that we could have been lied to absurd. But it doesn?t mean I?m unwilling to find out. I?d rather know the truth, even if it turns out to be unpleasant.[/B]? The three gathered around her as she tried to pull up the file that had been there before. This time all they got was a prompt asking for their user ID and password. ?[B]It looks like you were right Zahir,[/B]? Viktor frowned slightly. ?[B]They did lock down the access.[/B]? He looked around at the other computers, ?[B]Why don?t we split up and see if one of them was missed?[/B]? The others nodded and each of them started checking each computer terminal that was operational. It didn?t take them long before they all gathered back to the one Natalia had first tried to look at. Katelyn was shaking her head as she approached the three who were expressing their inability to get back into the system. ?[B]No luck huh?[/B]? Natalia asked her once she was close enough. ?[B]No.[/B]? ?[B]We may as well head back then,[/B]? Natalia sighed a bit and then grinned. ?[B]Well at least that was more fun that a boring tour of the place![/B]? The group chuckled as they headed for the door leaving the computer room. Their pleased expressions prominent when Katelyn tried the door only to find it locked. With a frown she tried it again. ?[B]That can?t be right.[/B]? She started hunting for a means to unlock it, but the emergency touch pad to the side did not respond when she pressed the panel to open the door. ?[B]What?s wrong?[/B]? Viktor asked. ?[B]The door is locked and it?s not responding to my requests for it to open.[/B]?

[QUOTE][FONT=Arial]Amusing? Well, I [I]suppose[/I]...in the sense that watching a sizzling ant writhe under the light from my magnifying glass could be considered amusing. So we'll all laugh and cringe and have a grand ole' time together, but keep in mind that interrogation is srius bizniss, and so I plan on being quite....ehh, [I]thorough[/I] about it. [/FONT][/QUOTE]I still say you'll be amusing to watch in action, even if you intend to be [I]thorough[/I] about it young man. Anyway... This is what I get for not paying attention but... what's with all the speculation on how long Jared will last? You silly kids! Declaring how soon Jared will break and all that. You make it sound like it's some contest to see who guesses correctly! o_O

?[B]What?s our current status Lt. Commander?[/B]? Tarika Zaidin looked up from where she was sitting at one of the computer stations on the bridge of the[I] Liberator[/I]. Since Greydon Kreid had managed to make off with the Transcendence and Commander Landers, the crew had been working around the clock to replace personnel as well as finish up the repairs. She halted the system checks for security that she was running and turned to answer Commander Spencer?s question. ?[B]The repairs are nearly complete sir. All that?s left is to finish running all the system checks.[/B]? ?[B]What?s the current estimate for completion?[/B]? ?[B]Approximately ten hours sir. Fifteen if you include the time frame for the remaining replacement crew to arrive from sector nine.[/B]? She hesitated briefly and then tacked on a bit more. ?[B]Two days if you include the rest of the security checks for the new personnel as well.[/B]? Tarika gave him a long hard look. She had already given her recommendations to William but she didn?t know if they would actually be followed or not. After all, even with the incident surround Commander Landers they were still in the unfortunate position of not having nearly enough crew who that was completely cleared. Spencer just gave her a smile meant to reassure her. ?[B]Don?t worry Lt. Commander; unless something comes up we?ll be staying put until the checks are complete.[/B]? He stood up. ?[B]I?ll be in the conference room should you need me.[/B]? She watched him until the doors leading into the side conference just off the main bridge closed behind Commander Spencer. Tarika ignored the curious stares from the other personnel on the bridge as she turned back to running the system checks for the security programs. After the damage caused by the explosives that Greydon Kreid had set off, it had been necessary to completely rebuild part of the system for the[I] Liberator[/I]. Tarika was sure that she was not the only one to wonder just what they were going to do next. They had managed to get sectors three and four to join the New Alliance but it seemed so hopeless at times. She was sure that William understood just how serious a blow it was to lose Commander Landers. It was more than what knowledge he had or his ability to command. It was the way he instilled a level of trust in those serving under his command without even realizing that he was doing so. People believed in him, in his ability to take a situation that was hopeless and fix it. She had come across it time and time again among the crew. The sentiment and trust that the crew had that Landers would do everything possible to save as many lives as possible. She herself had seen it in sector four when one of the Representatives tried to have him assassinated. The way he had made sure no unnecessary retaliation against anyone who was innocent had been taken. Perhaps it was because she was so use to seeing the hard edge of military commanders who didn?t care about the people, but she had never seen anyone who was as kindhearted as he was resolute. Tarika shook her head at the direction her thoughts were going in and pulled her mind back to the task at hand. She did have one last thought before she threw herself completely into finishing her task, and that was that she finally understood why Landers had been made a Commander at such a young age.

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [/center] For the first time since she had accepted the assignment to work on the Von Braun, Natalia was enjoying herself. How long had it been since she had any sort of time away from others? Even as a little girl she had always been surrounded by other people, constantly reminded of her duty to be responsible and dutiful. Her family was not as well off as others were but still more than enough to have a comfortable living in one of the richer areas of the former US. She had been raised and educated to better serve her family?s interests. Natalia had instead taken the first opportunity to leave the cold and socially barren town to work in management for one of the many Caesars Palace Casino?s throughout the country. Her attention to detail and reliable nature had resulted in her rising quickly in management and before long she was managing one of their more successful establishments. The cold and distant nature of the people around her did not bother her, not like it had where she had been raised. That thin layer of pretending to care had irritated her to no end back home. But to receive such treatment from strangers had mattered little to her. Natalia had few friends and other than the occasional relationship she had never settled down. She had wondered if that was part of why she was selected since sending an individual would be a lot easier than sending a family on the trip. At first, coming on board the Von Braun for her was merely another day at work; the surroundings though a bit more lavish still the same as back home. Now as she and Zahir made their way to where the Botanical Labs were located she felt like a little girl sneaking off to explore. Based on the excited look on Zahir?s face it was clear he felt the same. ?[B]Even if the staff is currently being rotated, it does seem a bit odd that no one would be at the communications tower.[/B]? Zahir observed as they made their way towards the Botanical labs. ?[B]Not necessarily,[/B]? Natalia explained further when Zahir looked puzzled. ?[B]It?s not at all unusual for something like that to be completely automated and controlled from the security center at most Casinos. I imagine that for a place like this being automated would be required to keep the need for staff at a minimum.[/B]? ?[B]Ah, of course, more automation means less people that they have to pay.[/B]? Natalia nodded, ?[B]That?s always a prime concern among management, to look for ways to do things via automation and cut back on operating costs.[/B]? ?[B]Before long everything will be automated.[/B]? Zahir joked though he looked a bit uneasy at the idea. But then Natalia couldn?t blame him, everyone found the concept of being replaced by a machine upsetting. ?[B]I doubt it; take your job for instance. They?ve already tried using something similar to the holographic program on the Von Braun for one of the most advance casinos.[/B]? Zahir looked surprised. ?[B]It was a dismal failure, the customers positively hated it and within a year they removed the technology and went back to having real bartenders.[/B]? She smiled. ?[B]Admittedly the system here seems to be a lot more advanced, but there are some things where the personal touch is more effective.[/B]? ?[B]I see.[/B]? Natalia dropped the subject in favor of enjoying the expansive view of what could only be some of the gardens meant to sustain life at the outpost. The two of them just stood there in silence on the walkway overlooking the massive internal chamber. ?[B]This is so much nicer than that artificial imagery on the Von Braun. It was pretty enough but nothing beats the fresh air from the real thing.[/B]? Natalia sighed contentedly. ?[B]Do you think they know what?s going on?[/B]? Natalia looked to where Zahir was pointing. There were two people walking among what appeared to be tables for an area where the crew of the outpost could gather for meals. ?[B]Why don?t we find out?[/B]? Natalia smiled. ?[B]They look like passengers from the Von Braun though.[/B]? ?[B]Why do you say that?[/B]? Zahir inquired as they started heading down the stairs to the lower area. ?[B]I would be very surprised if anyone on the outpost could afford the clothing the young man is wearing. It?s very expensive.[/B]?

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]The issue is how the politicians present themselves, how the media represents/misrepresents them and how large groups of people are swayed not by legitimate policy debate but by starry-eyed, quasi-religious rhetoric.[/font][/QUOTE]I don't doubt that people are swayed by [I]starry-eyed quasi-religious rhetoric[/I] as you put it James. And I can understand the concern or feel that people shouldn't allow themselves to be swayed by such things. I can at least assure you that many of us do at least try to understand the issues and make our choices based on that instead of [I]"fluff"[/I] as it were. I find this year's election rather ironic in that for the first time in decades I'm more likely to vote Democratic instead of for the Republican candidate. I certainly didn't get that view from listening to the media. I know I'm not the only one to outright ignore most of that in favor of trying to learn what their stances on policy really are. The media here on some level, by anyone truly wanting to know what's going on, is simply ignored. It can't be helped that people are willing to take speeches at face value instead of taking the time to learn more.

[CENTER][B]It?s not fair[/B][/CENTER] He wanted to cry to protest, for surely others had done far worse.   True justice knows better. What your neighbor has done doesn?t matter. He finally broke as they took him away. His protests that he had done nothing wrong were empty and hollow. It was only a little thing.   He paid the bitter price.

You're welcome Sabrina and congratulations are definitely in order Allamorph. You've done an excellent job with every single poem you've written.:catgirl:

What an interesting development.[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]And I have me a new toy to play with. Sorry about not telling any of you, but we like our surprises. Ta.[/FONT][/QUOTE]That is positively [I]dreadful[/I], you know that right? And yet I can't help but laugh at it. I'm quite sure Jared would not be amused over being considered a toy. lol[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial][I]*whistles happily*[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE]Oh dear... I'm torn between cringing and outright laughing. Having you playing "Head of Intelligence/Black Ops" even if it's only to deal with Jared is going to be amusing me thinks. Definitely amusing. :catgirl:

[CENTER][IMG]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Natalia couldn?t quite keep the grim look of amusement from her face. Space hotel aside, people were behaving like they always did at a party. Poking their nose into places they didn?t belong, having too much to drink, and hitting on every pretty woman in sight. It was no different than if she had still been on the ground managing the massive Casino where she had been working. Once things were under sway instead of staying out on the main floor she had opted to retreat to the main security room for the Casino, not to watch what was going on as others would see to that, but to pay attention to the broadcast of the ship taking off. She kept expecting to feel it, how she could not was beyond her. Seeing the massive floating city for lack of a better word should have been a clue but other than a possible hint of vibration, something that could have come from the loud music, she simply couldn?t. And yet the broadcast being beamed into the ship as well as around the world clearly showed the massive ship slowly rising and then picking up speed until it was gone. At that point the broadcast had switched to a mixture of events and information for the Von Braun as well as shots of Earth as it was being left behind. Natalia just frowned slightly before taking her leave. Unlike many of the others, she had been onboard for days to oversee the rest of the final preparations for the Casino. Her return to the main floor where the party was showed everything to be running smoothly for the moment, and for the briefest moment Natalia considered getting something to drink before she changed her mind and did not. Dressed in her smart simple black flowing work dress with her hair done up like always, she didn?t make it to the entrance without being hit on several times. She politely declined each offer for a drink and to dance before she nodded to the security at the door and left, breathing a sigh of relief that until the next day she was done. Natalia glanced at the simulated night sky of the Von Braun in irritation, disliking the illusion that she was still on Earth. She had accepted the job but even now, part of her wished that she had not. There was no turning back now; she couldn?t leave even if she wanted to. She paused for a moment to take several deep breaths before deciding to head to some of the other establishments to look for one that wasn?t quite so busy. She had felt a bit smothered in Caesars? Palace; something that she knew was more from wishing she wasn?t there. It took her a while of walking around what was known as the Andronov Dome level D-1, until she finally found a few out of the way restaurants that weren?t as busy since people were beginning to filter back to their rooms while those more interested in partying were hanging out in the more crowded areas. Another moment to snag a table that was as deserted as she was going to get and she was set. Once she had something to eat, then she could decide if she wanted to bother to explore the ship more or simply head back to her quarters.

[CENTER][B]Fallen love[/B] I love you with all of my heart Though fate would tear us apart Like a soft whisper of endless night Stolen from by those with no sight We cry and protest that we must part Why would one ever take part In rending those who are smart With soulless eyes that give fright I love you No truer words will my voice impart Though it pains me to need a fresh start If only I could soar and take flight I would not have to face this blight It pains me for love to break apart I love you[/CENTER]

[B]Passenger Name:[/B] Natalia A Evangel [B]Age:[/B] 37 [B]Identification:[/B] [IMG]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG] [B]Occupation & Background:[/B] Natalia is the executive manager of the onboard Casino: Caesars Palace, one of the few major Casinos’s to have survived the financial devastation brought on by the great disaster. Unlike most of their locations Earth side, the establishment for the Von Braun is geared exclusively to the more wealthy players. In addition to gambling, entertainment in the form of music and dancing along with fine dining is one of the luxuries offered to the passengers. Ironically, Natalia herself had no interest in going on the Von Braun, but was instead selected by upper management for the position. It is likely she was chosen for her no nonsense style of work and strict adherence to policy and procedure. Many of her co-workers were forced to settle for positions beneath their current jobs in order to be a part of the historic first voyage. In spite of the obvious bitterness between her and some of the other members in upper management for the trip on the Von Braun, Natalia accepted the job since her alternative would have been to return to her home town and manage the Casino there. Since her choice of career left her estranged from her family, she opted to go on the Von Braun instead. In her opinion, the only good thing about the trip was negotiating with her superiors to receive separate quarters in the nicer second class section of the ship. Natalia has no desire to spend the trip being forced to share quarters with those who resent her position.

[quote name='Gavin;813023][SIZE="1"]Just OOC, does anyone else feel it doesn't fit ? If most people think so, I don't really mind removing it.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]I'll admit that I do find it startling, but I wouldn't go so far as to remove it. I got the impression that surprising is what you were aiming for, so in that respect it fits.[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"']Heh, careful now Police Chief, just because the King happens to be making things more democratic doesn't mean you New Czenoble peasants have the right to go tell the nobility what to do, if we feel like solving thing with violence rather than words, in the name of personal honour, it's our choice. Seriously though, does Alexander have the power to change laws as well as enforce them ? Sounds like he's trying to step outside his powers there. ^_~[/SIZE][/quote]I'd be careful there... one of those nobility, Catherine to be exact. Would actually support a motion to do away with such a law. She might have stood by while it happened, but in the same way she seized the opportunity to create a job for Dame Anna. She'd seize the opportunity to help do away with a custom that she sees as being barbaric. ;)

Daniel stared at the picture of his mother in the tiny old fashioned locket for a while before he finally tucked it back under his uniform and leaned back against the wall of the cell he was now in. Other than to make sure he had no hand held computers or weapons, Greydon Kreid had not bothered to relieve him of any personal possessions. He was certain that once they got to wherever he was taking him to, that would change soon enough. All it meant was that Kreid would not be the one to conduct his interrogation, if he had been going to do so, he would not have left it with him. It was likely that Kreid?s mission had been infiltration, disruption and capture only. Ironically there was one positive thing about the entire mess and even the grimness of the situation couldn?t stop him from smiling slightly at it. With Jared Scorer having been captured and delivered to William in sector nine, at least he wouldn?t have to worry about having him as an interrogator again. Not that it really mattered in the long run, between the drugs, torture and the fact that they held his daughter Celestia; in the end they would get what they wanted. Daniel held no illusions or thoughts that it would be otherwise. This time, there was no one in a position to do anything to extract him from the mess he was now in. With a sigh he pushed off from the wall and went to make use of the tiny facilities the cell was equipped with. Now that whatever Kreid had used to drug him with had worn off, he was eager to clean up the blood that had soaked his hair and the left side of his uniform. It didn?t take him very long and once he was done, he left the wet jacket hanging in the tiny shower to dry out. In spite of what had happened he found himself oddly tired, something that was most likely a side effect of the paralyzing agent that had been used on him. Instead of trying to sleep, Daniel just sat down on the tiny bed and leaned up against the wall, lost in thought. [CENTER]-------------------------[/CENTER] Tarika Zaidin had finished preparing a report detailing the damage to the Liberator as well as a list of those who had been killed by the explosives that Greydon Kreid had set off. It was to be frank a bit shocking even for her. It was true that she had recommended he be shifted elsewhere, but she had not believed that he was an undercover agent for the Empire. A part of her felt responsible for what had happened as if it were her fault, even though she knew it was not. For now she would be taking over as the new head of security for the [I]Liberator[/I] as repairs were made to the ship and members of the crew replaced. Commander Landers second in command, Spencer had been promoted to take his place for the time being. They were fortunate that though the damage was pretty severe, it was also much easier to fix than the issue with damaged crystals had been. So long as the Imperial fleet did not show up in the next couple of weeks they would be able to restore the [I]Liberator[/I] to full operational status. If only she had been able to stop Kreid, that part was the hardest for her to accept. That she had ended up being useless, in spite of realizing immediately that something was wrong and moving to stun both of them without hesitation. If the Commander had not struggled against Kreid forcing his shot to go astray, he would have killed her. Zaidin sighed a bit to herself as she sent the report to both Commander Spencer and to William in sector nine.

[quote name='Retribution'][font=Arial]To be frank, I'm not sure when you got the go-ahead to pontificate on the nature of online forum, and I'm offended that you're prepared to call me (and rather, not my argument) foolish. My intention was never to troll, and if confronting the logic of one's argument (and rhetorical fallacies) constitutes trolling, perhaps this entire thread should stop now. I'm not looking to spark unnecessary controversy, and I'm not arbitrarily trying to start a fight. I apologize if you view my posting as such.[/font][/QUOTE]I'll accept responsiblity for not wording that correctly, the stances/points being brought up are what I considered foolish, not you directly. I could have explained that a lot better instead of snipping at you. [quote name='Retribution'][font=Arial]No, the fact that affirmative action has never been [i]necessary[/i]. And the fact that the mention of affirmative action is a [i]total non sequitur[/i] and irrelevant mention when discussing gay marriage and life partnership clauses. Honestly, it was a snarky interjection, commenting on both the nature of affirmative action and gay marriage, and I'll be damned if I give him a free pass on it. Feel free to write Morpheus off entirely, but his question concerning the alleged 'necessity' of affirmative action [i]was valid[/i]. I can certainly explain why AA is not necessary, but that would further derail the thread. I can kindly discuss this with all parties interested via PM, however. Or, if you really want me to, I can also post it here.[/font][/QUOTE]Snarky or not, it is relevant in that discrimination exists unless we do something about it. Gays getting married legally is only the first step, much like doing away with segregation was. If it ever becomes legal, I imagine we'll end up having issues with people subtly trying to mess it up much like the issues AA was meant to address. Unless I'm mistaken, Allamorph was making a snarky poke at the stupidity inherent in people that results in organizations like that being formed in an attempt to stop discrimination instead of a non sequitur interjection. I'm surprised no one seems to see that. Because I've been around long enough to know that once it becomes legal, that's most likely what will happen. Anyway... This bit by Rach goes into why I think a statement that AA is not necessary is short sighted and fails to see it in the context of more than just a decade or two ago:[QUOTE]Kind of like the AA bit, sure you can look at it today and think it's unnecessary, but it doesn't change the fact that even with racial segregation (which was highly discriminatory) being ended, that kind of stupidity of not letting someone into work or school based on race or other factors was a big problem. It isn't the best solution, but saying it wasn't necessary is a bit hasty in my opinion. [/QUOTE]If you want to argue that today it is outdated, I would agree. But in the context of it looking back to when segregation was ended and such, to say it wasn't necessary implies that there wasn't a problem to begin with. Also:[QUOTE]The biggest difference here is that gays don't even have the right to be married yet (at least not for most of the US) so the discrimination is a bigger issue and more than just a stance that some view it as a problem. Some viewed open discrimination for jobs and education as a non-problem because it didn't affect them directly. But that didn't change the fact that it [I]was[/I] a problem.[/QUOTE]That's the whole point of the right for gay marriage being fought for. If they could legally get married, we wouldn't have a problem. And since this thread has gotten way off of the intended start, I think I'll end it here.

[quote name='Sabrina'][FONT="Tahoma"][B]EDIT:[/B] The final thread is up! Sorry for the slight delay. Here is the thread in question for the remaining three contestants. [thread=59056][U]Aaryanna_Mom vs. Indi vs. Allamorph[/U][/thread][/FONT][/QUOTE]Thank you again for giving me that extra week since this past week was a complete disaster. I haven't even been online since last Saturday. Anyway, should be fun to see what you two come up with for the final poem.

Gay marriage and a religion thread, all in the week that I'm gone... there should be some sort of OB rule against that. :animesigh I really don't have the patience to go very far into this, other than to point out that Jeremiah's answers are fairly close to my own. Except for the bit on evil, I tend to lean more towards what Indi was talking about instead of free will. Or rather a combination of the two is more what I see. If you stop and think about it... if there was no evil, there would be no concept of right and wrong. Just as there is light, there is shadow. Free will can be tied into our ability to make that choice, but evil in a much broader sense is far more than just what one would consider morally right or wrong. Anyway, that's about all I'm interested in covering right now.