Allamorph

[quote name='Sandy']Do you realize that by aiming at each other, you'll allow me, Darren or Allamorph to actually win this thing? ;P[/quote] [FONT=Arial]What do you mean, [I]"actually"[/I]???[/FONT]

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082]I suggest you guys make use of the [aname] and [alink] tags for easy navigation between headings. ([url=http://www.otakuboards.com/misc.php?do=bbcode#alink][u]Click here to see how to use them.[/u][/url']) I made them mainly for use in stickies like the thread directories but they'd work great for this as well.[/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Son of a gun! Thanks for reminding me about the code tags. That's make things easier to transfer from my Word formats. I can't stand having to double-enter everything, especially when I'm using location effects. (Like in my Veridan sketches; formatting was a royal . . . well, rhymes with [I]itch[/I].) And, yeah, that was what I was asking about, layout-wise.[/FONT]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkRed']Why do you think allamorph owns it?![/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Because no one is perfect. [quote name='Rachmaninoff']You mean the movie with Alec Baldwin?[/quote] The very one. (Hee hee....)[/FONT]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']Destiny Bond? o_O Am I the only one here who has never seen Pokemon or played it for that matter? Seriously, until I heard the song due to the Titans using it in one of the challenges in the Survivor RPG I had never heard it either.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Consider yourself fortunate. I was dragged in kicking and screaming (because I was stuck in Fire Emblem and had nothing else to do), and now I cannot escape. Live free while you still can. Ooh, a mirror hall. This gives me ideas.... :demon: Anyone ever seen [I][U]The Shadow[/U][/I]? [/FONT]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkRed']^-^ Yay! I was interested in seeing how you would incorporate it into the game - very nice. [/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]You know, the entire time I was posting I couldn't get this out of my head: [QUOTE][FONT=Arial][I]Mary Winters used DESTINY BOND! Mary is trying to take its opponent with it![/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] It's true. I, too, have been infected by Pokémon.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][center][B][U]Group 2[/U][/B][/center] [align=justify][indent]Abruptly, Delita?s body froze, mid-pirouette. Etamet started to speak, but she ? it ? shushed him, relaxing down into what looked suspiciously to Etamet like a fighter?s stance. She ? it ? stayed that way, eyes closed, as if listening for something or to something; he tried to do the same, but apparently whatever had caught her ? its ? attention was beyond the range of his ears. Her eyes snapped open, and she grinned devilishly. [B]?Come!?[/B] A challenge! The being was rushing straight at him; she meant to kill him here! Her words of survival echoed in his ear, and he brought his arms up in a close defense. He didn?t expect her to bypass it so easily. He also didn?t expect her to carry him off. It was a second before he realized what had happened. Delita?s body had ducked under his guard and hoisted him ? [I]him![/I] ? all six-foot four, two hundred sixty five pounds of his dark, muscled frame ? onto her back in a shoulder-carry, then shot out one of the rooms? doors, as if he weighed nothing at all. She ? it ? held him securely in place as she zigzagged through room after room after barren, white, identical room. She could turn on a grain of sand, her speed was incredible, and there was apparently no limit to her stamina; her breathing remained unnaturally normal, as if she were simply standing still. And just when Etamet was beginning to wonder if his ride actually knew where it was headed, they stopped. [B]?Well!?[/B] the being was saying to someone in front of her ? or it. [B]?I trust you both are fine??[/B][/indent] [center]-------------------[/center] [center][B][U]Group 1[/U][/B][/center] [indent][B]?We need to keep moving.?[/B] Julian didn?t argue with the head-hunter. He?d seen Brittany taken, and to see her again, and alive no less, gave him a fresh burst of much-needed hope. They could get out of this; he was sure of it! Her eyes still bothered him a little, but he assumed the change was due to whatever she had been forced through. The image of Eliana Cedes?s doomed, plummeting body flashed before him, and he knew whatever she had been through, it had to have been even worse than his ordeals. Oromis led them through another door that connected the previous room to a small foyer, which had room for the five of them and a little movement room to spare. The door at the other end didn?t open when Oromis approached it, and the door they had come through quickly hissed shut, immovable as well. [B]?Well,?[/B] Lucia stumbled apprehensively, [B]?what do we do now??[/B] As if in answer, a panel slid open beside Mary, and a hand-scanner emerged.[/indent] [center]-------------------[/center] [center][B][U]Group 2[/U][/B][/center] [indent]Satasha looked behind him, startled. [B]?You?re okay!?[/B] he said excitedly. His tail swished, punctuating the sentiment. Surprisingly, he was beginning to get used to this new body. [I]?If only it had been male,[/I] he lamented to himself. [B]?Yes,?[/B] Delita answered. [B]?I confess, I am quite surprised to find you both so close to the exit.?[/B] [B]?Really? Then we?re not far??[/B] [B]?No.?[/B] Delita smirked. [B]?It was all a matter of finding the right sequence.?[/B] [B]?May I get down now??[/B] Etamet cut in. Delita looked surprised. [B]?Oh, of course! I?m terribly sorry; I completely forgot you were still up there.? [/B] She set him down and motioned them to follow. [B]?Unless I am quite mistaken,?[/B] the being went on, continuing to look straight ahead, [B]?seven lefts, six rights, and nine straights, followed in a precise order, means that the way out is this door.?[/B] [B]?But the door is black,?[/B] objected Etamet. [B]?We?re supposed to find the white door.?[/B] [B]?Yes; they?re all black from the inside. It?s what?s on the outside that counts.?[/B] Delita?s head cocked to one side. [B]?Hmm. Quite paradoxical, if I do say so myself. We are always told the other way around, from the moment we are born. But then, this place does have different rules?.?[/B] The door hissed open at their approach, revealing a small anteroom. The door at the other end, a white one, refused to open for them, and the black door closed behind them. A hand-scanner emerged from one of the walls. [B]?Interesting,?[/B] said Delita?s body. [B]?Apparently, we are to place our hand there before we continue. I wonder why? I have not seen this function before.?[/B] She turned to the warrior. [B]?Would you be so kind??[/B] Etamet obediently placed his palm on the outline provided. A band of green light ran up and down the face of the pad.[/indent] [center]-------------------[/center] [center][B][U]Group 1[/U][/B][/center] [indent]Before Julian could make a move, Mary had placed her hand on the outline, and a band of green light had run back and forth under it. Abruptly, she jerked her hand away, protesting. [B]?It shocked me!?[/B] she complained. A screen appeared on the wall. On it was displayed one of the faces she?d seen in the first room: a large, serious-looking black man. Only this time, he was looking back.[/indent] [center]-------------------[/center] [center][B][U]Group 2[/U][/B][/center] [indent]Etamet snatched his hand away from the device. The pain was not unbearable ? in fact it was far from it ? but it was completely unexpected, and the warrior glared ferociously at the scanner for using such a cowardly, spiteful tactic. He looked up when the screen appeared, though. It displayed a young girl?s face. She was obviously as shocked as he was?[/indent] [FONT=Freefrm721 Blk Bt]No pun intended. Oh, sorry.[/FONT] [indent]?and even more at seeing him before her as he was now seeing her before him.[/indent][/align][/FONT][COLOR=DarkRed][B]Thank you for your cooperation. Subjects? fates have been bound. You may proceed.[/B][/COLOR] [FONT=Arial][align=justify][indent]?Well,? said the Eternal Onlooker, ?this is interesting?.?[/indent][/align] [center]---------------------------------[/center][/FONT] [center][IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/MetalSonic700/maryyx3.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/MetalSonic700/fatecardpanopticon.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/MetalSonic700/67994583zy1.jpg[/IMG][/center] [COLOR=DarkRed][U]Name:[/U] Fate Card [U]Effect:[/U] This card binds the fate of the two target characters together. If one of the characters is not killed by within two (2) Death cards of this card's usage, both characters will die. [U]Note:[/U] Any Death card played by the Host ([COLOR=DarkOrange]2007DigitalBoy[/COLOR]), does not count towards the required two.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=SunfallE][COLOR=goldenrod]*[B]POKE[/B]* *[B]skips away laughing gleefully[/B]*[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]This is the part where I start chasing you. [B][U]Edit:[/U][/B] Post Six of Ten submitted. Card played. How's about [I]them[/I] apples?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Post in progress. [quote name='Rachmaninoff]All joking aside I want to see more cards played! And yes I'm being selfish, I want to see others before I play mine. [[SIZE=1]pouts[/SIZE']][/quote] Actually, I'm having trouble deciding how I want to play mine. I have three ideas floating in my head: one is a bit soap-opera-esque (yay for hyphens), one would be rather enlightening, and one would be a little despicable. Hopefully I'll decide before I finish posting....[/FONT]

[quote name='Revelation][size=1][color=#8B008B]Anywho, as for the set up of the newspaper, Mom already set it up. It's quite nice actually but I'm not sure if it's the final set up.[/size'][/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Oh, the sticky deal? So then, all of the articles in the newsletter will be contained in one post, separated by subheadings? I'm just trying to get a feel for how this will look on the screen, and whether readers will be able to easily jump from heading to heading if they don't wish to read, say, Creative Works, or if they want to go in a different order. It may be cart before the horse, I know, but....[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I'm coming. I've had a lot on my mind lately, and I can't just throw things up anymore, though I wish otherwise. I haven't abandoned the game, though; and I know you're teasing, [COLOR=DarkRed]SunfallE[/COLOR]. I tease right back. Oh, and: [quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkRed'] :animeangr *finds the dictionary page with the word 'host', eats it, shits it out, and burns the turd* I'll be in the pity corner being patient if you need me XD[/COLOR][/quote] Buck up, boy. :animesmil [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][QUOTE=Charles]Listen Aaryanna_Mom, I have lost no credability; there is simply no way that I am wading through Allamorph's ridiculous post. Allamorph has to learn to be concise with his points; [U]there is no reason why I should have to wade through an essay-length response in order to read and respond to his key points.[/U] I simply do not have the time to read a very long post from someone who is not a very good poster to begin with; it would be torture. Perhaps if he quotes himself and bolds the key points, I'll give him a try. [center]* * *[/center] I don't want to beat this one point to death or seem too hostile here, but after reading this, I thought that my mind had played tricks on me and that maybe my memory was making me exaggerate the length of his post. But, upon re-reading it, I just do not know where you are coming from. I have a BA in English; I have written plenty of essays. Allamorph's post took up five pages in Microsoft Works, single-spaced, without the quotes, with a size ten font. If I converted his post to the typical MLA format, it would probably be about ten pages. [U]My entire point (and everyone seems to be missing it) is that it should not take that many words to argue this idea.[/U][/QUOTE] You, my friend, are suffering from an interesting affliction. You will not see the trees before you because you are wasting your time looking at both the forest and the acorns on its floor. You feel you can dismiss me because of my length and the amount of my words, but with both of these [I][U]excuses[/U][/I] you reveal your immaturity. If you had [I]bothered[/I] to read even the first "page", you would realize that my points are indeed very concise, because they are counterpoints to your own. There were twenty individual points, each one nullifying an argument you yourself had presented before it. The longest two were the discussion of whether or not you have the 'right' to hentai here (you do not) and the discussion of whether or not small banners are unfairly artistically restrictive (they are not). Be a good boy, and take your medicine. Otherwise, this discussion is over, and your points lay as fallen, destroyed. [center]------------------[/center] [quote name='Papa Smurf']Spare us, the mad king's guerillas, your mind-drivel haze. Cry not for your weaknesses. Proclaim nothing but that you came here--entered this arena--believing yourselves to be gods. You were given the task of arguing nothing more than keeping the status quo...and you failed more miserably than the beast has ever seen in his years of travel. The arena was unfair? The grounds were favored to us? We, the mad king's army, gave you absurdities? Bah! Silence yourselves before your petty rationalizations echo 'round these boards, for even with the maniacal and absurd, you CTUs failed...and you will suffer the consequences.[/quote] Begone, foul demon! You hold no sway here, and your ravings are as meaningless as the one who gave you spawn. Your master is afraid to face his own destruction, and so you are shackled, though you cannot see your own chains. Begone!, and defile this place no more.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Since I missed out on some of the middle of this thread, has there been any discussion yet as to the setup/layout of the newspaper? How is it going to be put together? I'd prefer to list some ideas I had, but I don't think mine are actually functional, so....[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][U]OoC[/U] (if there is such a thing in this thread): I'm switching to first person. Third person is getting aggravating. :p [center]-----------------------[/center] [B]"How sure can we be that we've truly gained ourself an ally in this terrorist prisoner?"[/B] I barely thought about my reply. [B]"We can't."[/B] I blinked, surprised at the harshness of my own voice. [B]"I'm sorry,"[/B] I said with a sigh, turning around to lean against the table. [B]"I didn't intend to sound so callous. I think that shot I took at bin Ladin took a bit more out of me than I thought it would."[/B] Throne didn't appear to mind. [B]"Don't worry about it,"[/B] he said. I stirred my coffee and grinned appreciatively. About all I did was grin, I realized. I never smiled, never beamed, never smirked or sneered. I had a thousand variations of the grin, but it was still a grin. I was the Cheshire Incarnate. I wondered if that was a good thing.... [B]"It's true, though,"[/B] I continued, reaching into the cabinet above me for a pack of my dark chocolate powder. [B]"We can't ever be certain he's truly with us now. At one time, he was a terrorist, despite his level of commitment or involvement. But,"[/B] I added, after pouring the powder and a bit of hot water into my cup, [B]"that doesn't mean we have to think about it all the time."[/B] Beside me, Throne stayed silent, just listening to me think aloud. I was grateful; I needed the opportunity to unwind, and it wasn't looking as if I'd be able to throw Keiko Matsui into my sound system anytime soon. I didn't speak either, waiting until I'd finished stirring to go on. [B]"Like I said, Sachiel?"[/B] [B]"Sanguinius,"[/B] interrupted Throne. [B]"?Sanguinius; really?"[/B] Throne nodded. [B]"Oh. Thank you. "Sanguinius was a terrorist, and I can't forget that. Whether or not I want to is irrelevant. I can't. I'm not built that way. But neither do see a point in holding his former affiliations against him. It's petty and trivial, and serves no purpose. He's on my team now, and unless he betrays us, I'll treat him the same way I'd treat you or Gurt or Webster. "Enough of that, though,"[/B] I said, feeling a little self-conscious. [B]"How goes it with you? What are you looking to do here?"[/B][/FONT]

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082']You think you've found their fatal weakness, but you are mistaken. The nads you seek to destroy are merely a physical manifestation of the power of the Super Nads. Their immaterial souls live on eternally, unaffected by anything mere mortals could conjure in this world. Strike them down and they shall become more powerful than you can ever imagine, their wrath awakened. They will return harder, better, faster, stronger than before to crush the fool who dared stand against them.[/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]What?! You have Hydra-nads?[/FONT]

[quote name='Revelation][size=1][color=#8B008B]If it's alright with you and Allamorph, I can also help with editing. That's if Allamorph wouldn't mind me helping. =][/size'][/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]What, are you kidding? Yes, yes; heck yes. I'm not sure I could handle all the stuff that'd get thrown at me and still manage to cope with college. Please, join me. :animeswea I suppose we'd just work out the split as we go. [/FONT]

[quote name='Charles']Allamorph, I would argue with your post but there is no way I am wading through all of that. If you need to type that much to prove your point, you are obviously making stuff up.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Are you afraid, then, of seeing each and every one of your previous arguments so easily destroyed? Then you doubly discredit yourself, and you have lost already. Until you rebut my attacks, you cannot be taken seriously. If you wish this to progress beyond the current immaturity that you and yours seem to have a penchant for, [U]answer[/U] [U]my[/U] [U]challenge[/U].[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]If you need one/are looking for one, I'd be more than willing to be an editor. I love working with words, and this would be absolutely great.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][quote name='James][font=arial][color=olive]The Anti-Terrorist Unit is failing miserably at the moment; I don't think you guys are going to win this round.[/color'][/font][/quote] That is because currently the CTU is actually catering to the hentai-ists on their own ground instead of forcing them to fight on ours. We are losing because we are being drawn into issue traps instead of fighting fallacies of logic. Charles, I attack you directly. First, hentai. [quote name='Charles']It's not pornography--it's cartoon art that is shared freely in Japan.[/quote] By definition, it [I]is[/I] pornography. Proof given by Nerdsy in Post #16. As for your alternate definition: a rose by any other name, boy. Still a rose. [QUOTE][I]Come now, Shy. Is stereotyping really necessary?[/I][/QUOTE] Stereotyping is unavoidable. Whether it is necessary is therefore irrelevant. As much as I wish to the contrary, there will always be stereotypes because there will always be multiple persons who are the basis for said stereotypes and are thereby uniformly predictable. E.g.: a "cheerleader" stereotype exists not because someone arbitrarily decided what the epitome of a cheerleader was, but because a large amount of cheerleaders were found to act in an identical manner. In a relevant example, the "fangirl" stereotype emerged through the same process. [QUOTE][I]I think that ordinary people can enjoy this form of art. It could be said that any message board is capable of attracting deviants, but we all know that the moderating staff is capable of dealing with that issue.[/I][/QUOTE] To the former: [indent]That statement is true. However, it is a statement based on a possibility. The issue is not "can ordinary people enjoy hentai?". It is not even "will ordinary people enjoy hentai?", though that argument comes close alongside. The issue is "will the addition/availability of hentai serve to keep the forum's reputation [U]respectable[/U]?", and the answer is a solid No. I shall return to this point several times.[/indent] To the latter: [indent]The moderators purpose when dealing with deviants is to curtail them, no? How, then, will they do so when the means to the deviants' end is provided for them? A hentai forum cannot be moderated because moderation implies a standard to adhere to, and if a forum should not place restrictions on the inclusion of hentai, what would it serve to put restrictions on the material that would appear there? Is it not contradictory to impose standards on a forum designed around self-gratification? Degenerating even further, if we the Forum cannot place restrictions on the content of a particular board, how then shall we presume to censor the boards that the Forum also sponsors? By your logic, we should eventually remove all restrictions on content material and cry [I]"Do as you will!"[/I] across the boards, the result of which would be nothing short of utter chaos. From there, who are we to place standards on post quality? Such "outdated" practices then would be anathema to the Forum's policy, or rather the lack thereof. If we cannot presume to control one area, how then can we control any area? Answer.[/indent] [QUOTE][I]I do not think that we should live in fear of predators and deviants; they are all over the place on the Internet and we cannot restrict features just because they may be "out there." But, we can always keep an eye on things and deal with them if need be.[/I][/QUOTE] Indeed? By that logic, we should not live in fear of neighborhood burglars, larcenists, and murderers; they are all over the world, and we cannot restrict access to our homes just because they may be "out there". But we can always keep an eye on things and deal with them if need be. I laud you. [QUOTE][I]I mean, by the same token, myOtaku could be a window for sexual predators to contact children, couldn't it?[/I][/QUOTE] To borrow a parental idiom that is usually taken along with the rolling of eyes, if myOtaku jumped off a cliff, would you have the OB follow? We are not the same site, and this discussion is not about what other sites are doing. It is about what we are doing. Stay relevant. [QUOTE][I]I am sure that not only does the desire for this genre exist on OtakuBoards, it would probably be a healthy diversion for many of our members. At least they could relieve tension by lusting after fictional cartoons instead of stalking real ones on the Internet.[/I][/QUOTE] And what, pray tell, is healthy about redirecting lust from the [I]possibility[/I] of fantasy to the [I]assurance[/I] of fantasy? In either case, the member in question is encouraged not to leave Dreamland and make meaningful relationships on their own, but instead are encouraged to wallow in self-gratification and relationships of their own fabrication that will never be. Neither one is by any stretch of the imagination "healthy". [QUOTE][I]Furthermore, if you do not want to see the hentai, then it's not for you. Do not visit that area of the forums. Who are you to tell me that I cannot fap while browsing OtakuBoards?[/I][/QUOTE] To the first and second statements: [indent]You contradict yourself. You ask that restrictions be removed, yet you wish to impose restrictions on those opposed to your viewpoint? You also fail to notice a vital point in your admonitions. We do not wish to see the hentai here. We also do not wish to [I]provide ourselves the opportunity to see the hentai here and break with our own self-imposed limits.[/I] We already decline to visit those areas here, by making them nonexistent. You presume to tell us how to restrict ourselves?[/indent] To the third statement: [indent]Are you incapable, then, of running two different windows at the same time? Or do your hands/organs not function unless an erotic image is in front of your eyes? I will take it for granted that you will not be replying and "fapping" at the same time, since the reply window would deprive you of your desired visual input. If the above is untrue, then I say that you are already quite capable of "fapping" while browsing the OB, and so your argument is moot.[/indent] [QUOTE][I]So wait. I am just a little lost here. You do not believe that a facet of anime belongs on OtakuBoards? Perhaps you need to reconsider exactly what an Otaku is.[/I][/QUOTE] Perhaps. Let us see what you throw our way. [QUOTE][I][QUOTE=dictionary.com]Main Entry: otaku Part of Speech: n Definition: an avid collector or enthusiast, esp. one who is obsessed anime, video games, or computer and rarely leaves home Etymology: Japanese 'house'[/QUOTE] The word "Otaku" directly refers to a group of people [B]so depraved[/B] that they do not wander out of the domicile.[/I][/QUOTE] So then you [U]willingly[/U] call yourself depraved? Ah. Then let me show you something. [QUOTE=Dictionary.com][FONT=Arial][B]ob·scene[/B] (əb-sin') [U]?adjective[/U] [indent]1. offensive to morality or decency; indecent; [B][U]depraved[/U][/B]: obscene language. [U]2. causing uncontrolled sexual desire.[/U] 3. abominable; disgusting; repulsive.[/indent] [Origin: 1585?95; < L obscénus, obscaenus][/FONT][/QUOTE] Now from one of your allies: [quote name='Copycatalyst']Also, there is no "obscenity" in our sexuality, or the barbarity of our natures that is present in it.[/quote] Obscenity is defined as depravity. You admit that you are depraved in your sexual desires. Therefore, your sexuality is obscene by its inherent and self-admitted depraved nature. If you wish to fight for the same cause, at least agree with each other. [QUOTE][I]To suggest that OtakuBoards should not allow these people to browse sexually themed materials is depriving many of them their rights as Otakus--their rights to ogle over well-endowed anime illustrations engaging in artistic sexual activity. We may as well stop Pizza Hut from serving pizza because pizza is too "fatty."[/I][/QUOTE] You misuse the term "right". John Locke defined this for us: humans have inherent rights to life, liberty, and property. You are alive, and your life is your own to do as you see fit; you are not deprived of life by the exclusion of hentai. You are free to own your own property, just as others own the OB; you cannot explicitly own any portion of the OB; you are not deprived of property by the exclusion of hentai, because you never had it, and your possession of it would deprive others of their rights to own the OB. This leaves only liberty for discussion. And since we are so [I]very[/I] fond of definitions these days: [QUOTE=Dictionary.com][FONT=Arial]lib·er·ty (lɪb'-ər-ti) [U]?noun[/U], [U]plural[/U]: -ties. 1. freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control. 2. freedom from external or foreign rule; independence. 3. freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice. 4. freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint: The prisoner soon regained his liberty. 5. permission granted to a sailor, esp. in the navy, to go ashore. 6. freedom or right to frequent or use a place: The visitors were given the liberty of the city. 7. unwarranted or impertinent freedom in action or speech, or a form or instance of it: to take liberties. 8. a female figure personifying freedom from despotism.[/FONT][/QUOTE] I will address each of these sub-headings individually. The idiom was omitted because it is irrelevant. If you wish to discuss it, prove me otherwise. [list=1][*]The administration of the OB has not created a hentai forum for a reason; there is no presence of arbitrary government/control. I fail to see the need for disproving the despotic clause; you must prove it first. [*]See nonlist below [*]See nonlist below [*]You are not bound to the OB. You are free to roam wherever on the internet you so desire. [*]The OB is not a ship, and this sub-heading is irrelevant. [*]You are free to use the OB whenever you wish. [*]This is similar to the purpose of the idiom. This is also what you and your compatriots are doing in this thread. :) [*]You are not a gigantic copper statue, and this sub-heading is irrelevant.[/list] As has been shown, so far you are not denied liberty under six of the eight parts to liberty's definition. Points #2 and #3 are inherently tied together, and I will discuss them now. The freedom from control and freedom from external government are almost exactly the same; the only difference lies in that [I]self[/I]-control only fits under point #3, and since you obviously care naught for that subject, we will abandon its discussion. Government is perpetually locked in a struggle between freedom and order. The greatest freedom occurs when there is no external government, and the most effective government exists when there is absolutely no freedom. For a government to be successful in both governing and appeasing [I][U]all[/U][/I] its constituents, it must constantly balance itself between the two poles. Your claim that the administration of OtakuBoards is unfair to you and yours is all well and good, and may even be true; however, the fact remains that the administration must make a decision based on [U][I]all[/I][/U] its constituents, and unfortunately some party will always be denied their liberty is some way as the administration maintains order, [I]as per its job[/I]. Also, it is much more difficult to overturn a preexisting statute than it is simply to create a new rule. In this case, the OB is preestablished as a family-geared forum, and the addition of a hentai forum would overturn that decision. If you are deprived of liberty, of [U]right[/U], at all, it is in this manner, and since such deprivation was bound to occur to someone, that someone seems to be you. I am sorry, but it is as unavoidable as a stereotype. The issue of banning Pizza Hut from serving pizza is ridiculous. If one were to call Pizza Hut and order a large pizza with grass, cocaine, and/or cockroaches as toppings, the Pizza Hut representative on the other end would most likely say [I]"I'm sorry, but we don't serve those toppings."[/I] Your argument translated to this situation would be [I]"But your advertisement says I can order a pizza with any topping I want! I want grass, cocaine, and cockroaches!"[/I] Their response: [I]"I'm sorry, but [U]we don't serve those toppings here.[/U]"[/I] It is the same thing here. You argue that, since hentai is a flavor of anime, it should be included in general uncensored discussion, and even have its own forum. I'm sorry, but we don't serve that flavor here. [QUOTE][I]Well, it is natural for children to be curious. That is not saying that I am condoning the distribution of pornography to minors. However, they are going to uncover it (no pun intended) regardless, if they are so inclined. If we offer an age restriction, we are upholding our end of the legal issue here.[/I][/QUOTE] Granted, children are indeed curious. However, this fact does not [I]ipso de facto[/I] make it acceptable to provide them an easy method of satisfying their curiosity. It is also the parents' (or parent's, or legal guardian's/guardians') responsibility to direct and control their child's curiosity. It is inherent in their role as parent. (Or legal guardian; I shall cease making this clarification for the sake of redundancy, but it is still recognized.) However, it is irrational to assume that a parent will be lurking over the shoulder of their child the entire time that the child is online. The parent can choose to block sites, but since the OB is reputed to be family-friendly, they will likely allow it, especially if either the child or the parent has an interest in anime. The parent is thereby [U][I]placing their trust[/I][/U] in the OB administration to uphold their reputation. If the OB provides a hentai forum, regardless of the restrictions or [I]offered warnings[/I] (*cough*) in place, that reputation would be ruined, and we would also lose a desirable member base and the opportunity to help shape that member and introduce them to the joy of anime. [QUOTE][I]I was an admin before and you are not convincing me; I doubt you will convince the others. I am calling for free love on OtakuBoards; how is that unreasonable?[/I][/QUOTE] You are not convinced because you do not wish to be convinced. If you did, this thread would quickly see you change your stance. Whether or not you are/were staff is irrelevant. Thank you, Boo, for pointing out that this is not [I]specifically[/I], nor [I]solely[/I], an anime forum. Second, banners. [QUOTE][I]The banners we use right now are currently sickly small. A huge size increase would surely attract more members because big banners send a message of big fun.[/I][/QUOTE] I would like you to explain what you define as "sickly small". I would also wonder what would be the results of a survey about what attracted members to this site. Oh, wait. We've already got one handy. How nice. [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=57210&page=1][B][U]Why are you here on Otakuboards?[/U][/B][/URL] The actual reasons start being posted at #23 (skip #24) and continue on from there. Following is a list compiled from the responses. [list][*]People - 16 [*]General Topics/Conversation - 12 [*]Anime - 12 [*]Boredom - 8 [*]RP forum - 8 [*]Artwork[size=1]*[/size] (creating/sharing/critiquing) - 4 [*]Friend - 3 [*]Happenstance (aka search engine) - 3 [*]Rules/Guidelines - 2 [*]Creative Writing - 2[/list] [size=1]* There were no mention of banners specifically with this reason; though it can be successfully argued that banners fall under the Artwork category, the reason itself was uniformly along the lines of the three concepts mentioned in the parentheses.[/size] Granted, this was not truly a random survey; it was technically an observational study. However, since those who replied to the thread came from across the spectrum of the OB's members, I would hazard that an independent survey would turn up similar results, and that Banners as a specific attraction would be minimal, if nonexistent. [QUOTE][I]I do not think they would. If we are talking about basic large image with a requirement still placed on the memory of the image, we could still get away with allowing the increase without sacrificing speed. Furthermore, members have the option of disabling signatures if they do not wish to view them. So, if someone is behind-the-times enough to be using 56k, they should have no problem sacrificing signatures in favor of speed. Basically, the options allow them to decide what is practical or not. We should not have to suffer because someone has a slow connection speed.[/I][/QUOTE] By the same token, if there are members whose only access to the internet ? and thus OtakuBoards ? is through a 56k or dial-up connection, they should not have to "suffer" because of banners that cause slower load time on those connections. Also, what if the members in question still want to be able to view other members' banners? Answer. [QUOTE][I]I visit many forums that allow big banners and none of them load slowly; keep in mind that these are far more active forums. So, I doubt that OtakuBoards would be affected too much.[/I][/QUOTE] And what is your connection type, I wonder? I doubt it is either dial-up or 56k. [QUOTE][I]And the current image restrictions are hardly a nice balance. I would go as far as to say that they are anemic.[/I][/QUOTE] Again, clarify. Your opinion is unsubstantiated, and therefore cannot be agreed with nor disagreed with, rendering it irrelevant. Most of your associates are arguing that the current banner limits are restrictive of their artistic and creative capabilities. I pose this to you: what is creativity without restriction? If you were to tell me, [I]"Write a short story."[/I], I would quite honestly respond with a simple [I]"What The Hell!!?"[/I], because of the sheer monstrosity of the task. I would then go about [I][U]setting limitations for myself[/U][/I] so that I could actually write a short story without being completely overwhelmed. A quick glance into the art forum shows even more restrictions: [list][*][B]The Graphic Worm:[/B] Each successive entry is confined by [U][I]both[/I][/U] the size of the [I]initial[/I] entry and the extreme right side of the [I]preceding[/I] entry. In order for the Worm to function, the left of the added entry [U]must[/U] flow from the preceding entry; deviations occur at the artist's discretion [U][I]mid-piece[/I][/U], unless the previous artist has provided the means to alter immediately at the connection. [*][B]Banner/art Requests:[/B] The sub-forum sticky states specifically that one should provide images for the artist(s) to work with per request, since they are taking the time to fabricate a banner for the requester. Is this yet another unfair limitation? Or should the artist be free/be forced to create from scratch, which is, though more free, arguably more difficult on the muse and intensive on the researching; and then must the artist abide by the possibly [I]unfair[/I] verdict of the requester, who is not obligated to use the banner that they have poured themselves into? [*][B]Sub-forum Games:[/B] Like it or not, all of these threads mandate some form of restriction; otherwise, they would quickly degenerate into chaos and and possible flamewars.[/list] If we are to abolish size restrictions, why not abolish all restrictions? Or is size the only important aspect? Should an artist be free to throw up life-size masterpieces? Or should they be allowed to demonstrate their creativity by communicating a given theme within a set boundary? Isn't the latter just as skillful? There's a reason why we don't call them 'landscapes'. So far, all of your arguments are reminiscent of a child arguing with its parent(s) about why it can't have a cookie right before dinner. "Why should we have to suffer?" = "Why are you being so mean to me?" "We can have it on other forums!" = "I can have them over at Johnny's house!" "We have the 'right' to!" = "I can do what I want!" "Who are you to tell me that I can't fap while browsing the Boards?" = [right]= "You aren't the boss of me!"[/right] And finally, the all too obvious: [center][size=7]"That's Not Fair!"[/size][/center] Guess what? Life's not fair. It happens. [center]-----------------[/center] One last thing before I go: Copycatalyst, I would reply to your arguments as well, but your purpose is not actually to advance your position. Your purpose is to hide the holes in your own arguments in the clouded realm of the pith. I could play you at your own game, but I prefer not to sink to that level of pettishness. As a dear mentor of mine once told me: [QUOTE][FONT=Arial][I]What is the purpose of utilizing a morpheme of elephantine proportions when a synonymous diminutive construction will adequately suffice?[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] Ironic, no? Translation: speak clearly, or not at all. Until such time as you deign to emerge from behind your safety wall of verbosity, your arguments will fall on deaf ears.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Shades glanced back to the exasperated-looking prisoner. [B]"Eh?"[/B] he asked. [B]"Oh, the amulet? No, nothing for you to worry about. It's almost halfway kind of an inside joke. Besides, I deal with the more mental and psychological aspects of torture, and thankfully we haven't been reduced to that yet."[/B] At that moment, Webster came flying down the corridor, two new recruits in tow (literally; they were all but dragging behind him), uttered three terse, almost unintelligible speeches, snapped two precise salutes, and retreated. Shades would have continued, but he could no longer recall what he might have been about to say. His mouth opened dumbly and remained that way for a second. He blinked. Twice. [B]"Umm . . . [indent]. . .what just happened?"[/indent][/B][/FONT]

[quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=goldenrod']It's truly a great thing to see.[/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Yes, it is. Truly great indeed.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][B]"Actually,"[/B] Shades preempted, sliding out of a nearby shadow, as was his wont, [B]"there is. I could take you myself, but then you know we have to keep you under constant supervision."[/B] He leaned towards Sachiel, placing a tad more emphasis on the words to follow. [B]"You do realize what that means, [I]right?[/I]"[/B] Shades let their prisoner mull on the thought for a moment, and turned his attention to Mother. [B]"Incidentally, you wouldn't still happen to have that amulet I gave you during Survivor, would you? You know: the one for the paddle?"[/B] [B]"You mean the Amulet of Pain?"[/B] she said after brief thought. [B]"Why, yes, I have it right here."[/B] [B]"Goody."[/B] Shades eyebrows went up, and he smiled. [B]"You might want to warn Charles...."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial](previous post struck) I would talk a bit about what I had in mind, but I am tired and must sleep now (curse the graveyard shift!). I'll do my best to come back later with more info, but suffice to say that Faust is arranging a hijacking in place of the bomb. I apologize for delaying for so bloody long. Please don't hurt me. :( [B]Edit:[/B] Right. To the details. At the moment, Faust is in the process of confirming the whereabouts of Sondra, who so far has only been mentioned in one post ? her owner's ? and has pretty much gone unnoticed by all players. He intends Sondra to be the instrument of the hijacking; I was actually counting on her already being hidden on board the train, but that part of the post was unfortunately erased. Still, Sondra's been to date quite unobtrusive (through no fault of [COLOR=DarkRed]Nefertimon[/COLOR]'s), so her stowawayage can be easily arranged. Once Drigg has left the station, Faust will "bump into" her and provide her with the necessary equipment (while seeming at the same time to not really be providing anything ? trust me, it'll work) and then do his little disappearing act. Because the Augustine on board the train are by no means stupid, Faust will also engage them, while rummaging through another car in a Yoda-esque manner. Sondra should (I hope) be able to cope with whatever grunts she might run into on her own, but in order for the hijack to be convincing, Faust must draw the attention of Virgil's entire posse. Hence my desire for small-talk betwixt myself and those involved. Finally, Faust and Deacon will once again cross paths, and we shall see if the bomb is, in fact, blown after all. I would rather have come clean sooner, but I wasn't aware that [COLOR=DarkRed]Nefertimon[/COLOR] only logged on once a week. I only wanted to get some things clear with her first, but since that seems to be dragging things out, I'll move onward. And hey, if it doesn't work out, Sondra can always end up conveniently dead. [I]*looks sideways at Nefertimon*[/I] But I'd rather it didn't. :animesmil [/FONT]

[SIZE=1][indent][align=justify]Faust watched Deacon leave out of the corner of his left eye, one eyebrow raised, a bemused smirk on his face. The boy was becoming more confident and cocksure with every passing decade. His motives remained the same, though, despite his obvious (to Faust) attempts to cover them with the whole nonconformist bit. Faust sighed and turned to the tracks below him, the only evidence of society this side of the city for several miles; London lay some distance to his left, and to the right, at the tracks’ end, was the Sellafield plant, if one followed them long enough. The problem was, the boy was becoming quite dense as well. In their brief, less than amiable (on Deacon’s part) exchange, Faust had all but spelled his wish that the von Lorentzen abandon his scheme, and the boy had caught none of it. It was rather depressing, and Faust couldn’t help but wonder if there were any left who truly desired to think, and observe, and ask and answer seven questions of theirself at the same time. The feeling passed, though. Faust was not prone to be perpetually pessimistic. It wasn’t that he really wanted to stop the boy; rather, he’d prefer to let the events unfold as they would. If dear old Sebastian wanted to send precious cargo to Buckingham, send it he should. If Deacon wished so for an ambush, then an ambush he would have, and Faust saw little reason to interfere. It was really more the method in which the ambush had been planned that bothered the vampiric sage. He had caught a glimpse of the parcel the boy had affixed to the track’s undercarriage, but he felt the need to confirm his suspicions, and so he tossed himself easily into the air, landing upside-down in the center of the tracks, balanced by his hands. His lime blazer falling haphazardly about his ears, he lowered himself to eye level with the base of the track, his cane now resting crossways on the soles of his shoes, which were aimed like flagstaffs at the sky. It was a most comical sight, and had there been anyone around to see, they at least would have been forced to choke in amusement. It most certainly wasn’t elaborate, Faust decided about the bomb now in his vision, but it was definitely designed to be extremely concussive. The tracks were going to be badly damaged, to say nothing of the unfortunate cars, or their occupants. Faust sighed again, noting absently that sighing felt quite different when one was standing on one’s head, most likely because inhaling was a little more strenuous. With a small effort he righted himself, retrieving his cane smoothly from the air and strolling back up the hill. No, the explosion wouldn’t do. It was far too messy, and the ensuing damage was certain to have the media swarming all over the place, like maggots on a dead carcass. And if there was one thing Faust despised, it was the media—as if his pet analogy for them wasn’t indicator enough. None of them were ever interested in facts or truth, only spin and ratings and how best to present an issue so as to cover the most popular side without completely alienating the opposition, which was admittedly…still spin and ratings. Like as not they’d stick their noses where they didn’t belong, and, sadly, the easiest and most satisfying method of dealing with them (that was, shooting them, though not initially in a fatal manner) was unfortunately out of the question, and the situation would only deteriorate from there. Faust stood at the knoll’s summit for a few moments, lost in thought, his face turned toward the east, away from the sun, which had by now passed meridian. The problem now was how to derail the explosion, as it were (Faust’s mouth twitched), without disrupting the ambush. But the only way to do that would be to…. The events of his previous night’s jaunt returned to him, and his thoughts clicked into place. It would be tricky, of course, but that would be half the fun, and if all went well he’d get some personal satisfaction out of the incident. It was just a matter of playing one’s cards at the right time, and Faust was certain he could at least do that. He pulled out his pocketwatch and glanced at it. He had plenty of time; Drigg wouldn’t leave for several hours yet; enough time to get a few pieces into place. With a click, he snapped the time piece shut and thrust it back into his trousers, then took off for the city. There was also time for a midday snack….[/align][/indent][/SIZE]

[FONT=Arial][I]?Nice one,[/I] Shades thought to himself, hand over his face. [I]?Way to insult your commander. Good goin', Einstein.[/I] He sighed and headed outside. A glance to his HUD readout told him that six bombs had already been located and disarmed ? two apiece to Ploppy, Mother, and Webster. He felt a small surge of pride and relief at his team's quickness, but that still left four bombs out in the open, happily ensconced and ready to blow, and his relief was short-lived. [B]"Time to get crackin'."[/B] He activated Surveillance Mode and sprang to the forum rooftops, racing from thread to thread and feeling very much like Major Kusanagi. Except that he wasn't female. Whether or not he was hot was irrelevant. After a fruitless couple of hours, he began to realize just how daunting a task his search was. He had scanned numerous threads, sometimes meriting them a second cursory glance, but had encountered nothing. He was in the process of considering a change in tactics when he spotted a suspicious-looking suitcase. If it had been closed, he might have spent longer looking at it. If it hadn't had it's charges on display for the world to see, he might have actually approached it. Since it was, however, glaringly obvious, he didn't bother. Instead, he tapped his earpiece as he sped by. [B]"G.A., Shades. I need a bomb disposal unit to the [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=57208][COLOR=DarkGreen][U]Chronicles of the Dark Blade[/U][/COLOR][/URL] ASAP. Will report in at any further sightings. Over and out."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Before the Grape Ape could shoot down the latest attempted witticism of the terrorist in front of him, his earpiece crackled to life. [I]G.A., Shades. We have a foothold scenario near the prisoner's cell. The threat level is low, but it could potentially escalate to dangerous levels of lunacy. I am in position and have line of sight. Orders, sir ? wait, strike that. Intruders are away. Shall I attempt to locate?[/I][/FONT]