Allamorph

[QUOTE=Kurayami Oji][SIZE=1]Would you rather eat your favorite pizza? Or.... Would you rather eat a cheeseburger from anywhere of your choosing? [/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]I'll take the cheseburger. My favorite pizza will stay the same, but there are hundreds of varieties of juicy hamburgers to choose from. Right-o! Would you rather get stuck with reading... ...[I]Moby Dick[/I]? or ...[I]Silas Marner[/I]? If you've never heard of these books before, look them up before answering. It'll be good for you. :D [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][CENTER][B][I]... I Don't Understand.[/B][/I][/CENTER] He walked slowly away from her, every successive step tearing into his heart. He knew it was his only decision, but?. [I]How can I hurt her like this? She loved me, and I threw it in the dirt.[/I] He knew, [I]knew[/I] his path was so destined, but must it cause others such pain? [I]Why me? ...[/I][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Mmm, boy! Gotta love those MREs. :animesmil (not that they serve them in chow hall, but you know what I mean)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Nice. I like it. I do want to see where it's going , though, what with the whole [I]The Chosen[/I] thing and all. A few notes: [COLOR=DarkRed][U]Dialogue[/U][/COLOR] You've got an excellent grasp on the form, which is impressive. So now, since I don't have to worry about the big issues, I'll nit-pick. Try separating thought with italics. It's really common, so the intent should communicate easily. Like this:[/FONT] [QUOTE][FONT=Arial Narrow][I][COLOR=DarkRed]46-22-14,[/COLOR][/I] Arika thought to herself as she twisted and turned the padlock. She ... leaned closer towards the mirror and looked into her bright red eyes. [I][COLOR=DarkRed]Perfect.[/COLOR][/I] [strike]Arika thought to herself.[/strike][/FONT][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Right then. So you get what I mean. You could even add a small dash at the beginning of the thought phrase if you wanted. Oh, and I struck the last bit because you really don't need it. If you use italics, it'll be obvious that Arika's still thinking. Also, you could put Arika's inner self's speeches in italics as well; it's still really Arika' thoughts. The only other thing I have is this:[/FONT] [QUOTE][FONT=Arial Narrow] Ian turned and walked off. "Wait!" Arika called after him. He spun around and faced Arika again. "I have next period with you, wanna walk together?"[/FONT][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]In order to clarify who the last speaker is there, I'd put in a little something in front of that last statement. E.g.:[/FONT] [QUOTE][FONT=Arial]He spun around and faced Arika again[COLOR=DarkRed], who ventured,[/COLOR] "I have next period with you, wanna walk together?"[/FONT][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Something like that. Your choice, of course ? I just made something up there ? I tried to keep Arika's mood intact. I would not presume to rewrite your story for you. Other than that, you're good. At least in [I]my[/I] opinion. [COLOR=DarkRed][U]Effects[/U][/COLOR] This is just the ticking seconds deal-y. I know exactly what you were going for, and here's how I would have done it.[/FONT] [QUOTE][FONT=Arial] [I]40 ... 39 ... 38 .... [/I] The seconds kept ticking away. [I]... 32 ... 31 .... [/I] They'll contine to tick away until the first period bell rings,marking the day that Arika Mayhony will finally talk to him, the most popular boy in her school. [I]... 21 ... 20 .... [/I] Arika looked in front of her and looked at a guy who was about her height, with dark-brown hair and beautiful green eyes. [I]... 8 ... 7 .... [/I] The day that Arika would finally talk to Ian Martivail. [I]... 2 ... 1 ... [B]RING![/B][/I] The school bell rang and echoed throughout the building. Arika stood up immediately....[/FONT][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Again, I'm not telling you how to write your story; this is merely a suggestion. It does emphasize the passage of time, though. Of course, if you wanted it to fly by, that was great. I just felt you were looking for the ticking motion there. Okay, so in order for this not to drag on interminably (I tend to be pithy), I'll stop here. If you'd like any more thoughts, just let me know. -A[/FONT]

[QUOTE=HedonismBot][COLOR=Sienna]Would You Rather... ... eat at McDonalds? or ... sit through the entire Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector movie? (Now THAT is tough!)[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]McDonald's. Their new chicken sandwiches actually aren't half bad. Woud you rather be forced to sit through every last episode of... ...[I]The Simple Life[/I]? or ...[I]House of Carters[/I]?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Sorry I'm jumping in a little late here. I just noticed this topic and had a few thoughts. First, I?d like to take a moment to look at the article [COLOR=DarkRed]ChibiHorsewoman[/COLOR] provided us with and note some of the statements I am uncomfortable with.[/FONT] [QUOTE=10NBC News]It's being called the biggest change to co-ed classrooms in more than 30 years. The Bush administration is giving public schools more latitude to teach boys and girls separately. Some education officials say students learn better in a single-sex environment. The U.S. Department of Education is changing the rules on how it enforces the Title Nine Landmark Anti-Discrimination Law. Starting next month, local schools will have the ability to create same-sex classes, grades, or even entire schools. Single-sex classes have been in session at Our Lady of Mercy High School since 1928. Principal Vilma Goetting has been in the education field for nearly 40 years. She believes the U.S. Department of Education is making a wise decision to give public schools more flexibility. ?I truly believe in the single sex-education, particularly at the middle school and high school level.? Goetting says when it comes to boys and girls, ?They do learn differently and they think differently and they may look at the same thing from a different perspective.? The changes affect elementary and secondary education and would allow schools to separate genders if school leaders believed it offered educational benefits. In all cases, single-sex enrollment would be voluntary. Students and parents we spoke with at Monroe High School are ok with the idea. Ninth grader Israel Headley feels same-sex classes would mean less distraction in the classroom. ?I think it'd be better because you'd have more focus in the classroom like not looking at a lot of females.? Officials at McQuaid Jesuit High School know the benefits of same-sex education. ?When you look at the United States, one of our concerns is what's the best for students? I think we have to be realistic that there are different learning environments that best suit students. Principal Bill Hobbs says there's no doubt, boys and girls learn differently. ?What I want to see is equal opportunities, but in terms of learning styles. Hobbs hopes some public schools will take advantage of the choice now being given by the Department of Education. ?I think we can't be afraid of experimentation in that regard, saying what?s going to be best for the future generations.? The new regulations take effect on November 24th. Not everyone is happy about the decision. Critics say it will create sex discrimination in schools. We spoke with Rochester City School District officials and they said the district will definitely consider single gender classes.[/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]My first bone is that this is not [I]news[/I]. This is an [I]opinion[/I], slanted towards gender-segregated classrooms and worded to give the illusion of impartiality. Note that not one quote the article used offered any sort of counterstatement to gender-segregation. Even though the final paragraph made an effort to address the opposing viewpoint, it was merely cursory; the article had barely mentioned the dissenters ? and failed to clarify [I]who they were[/I] ? before it shifted back to its initial stance:[/FONT] [QUOTE]The new regulations take effect on November 24th. [COLOR=DarkRed][B]Not everyone[/B] is happy about the decision. [B]Critics[/B] say it will create sex discrimination in schools.[/COLOR] We spoke with Rochester City School District officials and they said the district will definitely consider single gender classes.[/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Who is ?not everyone?? Who are these ?critics?? And why aren?t they happy with the decision? That paragraph is not impartial; it is an attempt to appear impartial by saying opposition exists, but the two stances are not presented in an equal light. I?m not even sure what the opposition?s arguments against split-sex education are, so how can I agree or disagree? My beliefs on this particular issue aside, I cannot stand biased news articles. They serve less to inform and more to influence the reader, and that is [I]not[/I] the true function of the news. Additionally, there were several ambiguous statements made throughout the article. I mentioned two above, and more follow:[/FONT] [QUOTE][COLOR=DarkRed]It's[/COLOR] being called the biggest change to co-ed classrooms in more than 30 years?. [COLOR=DarkRed]Some education officials[/COLOR] say students learn better in a single-sex environment?. [COLOR=DarkRed]Officials at McQuaid Jesuit High School[/COLOR] know the benefits of same-sex education. ?When you look at the United States?.?[/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]I point out the article?s beginning, even though it clarifies itself in the following statement, because the sentence is not meant to [I]inform[/I], but to attract attention. The emphasis is on the biggest change in thirty years, not what that change is, and while it does a great job of eliciting an immediate response from the reader, i.e.: ?Ah, progress in action!? or ?Who do these people think they are to challenge a set institution?? blah-blah-blah, etc., it still tells the reader nothing about what they are reacting to. Essentially, it biases the reader before he/she even knows what they?re biased about. The second and third statements offer opinions without clarifying who has them. Admittedly, the third statement is a bit more specific, narrowing the field to McQuaid Jesuit High School, but in neither case is a truly specific source cited. [I]What[/I] ?education officials? say students learn better in a single-sex environment? [I]What[/I] MJHS officials know the benefits of same-sex education? And what [I]are[/I] these ?benefits?? What I see is a classic cop-out in essay writing called Bull-Sh**ing to fill up space. (I should know ? I?ve done it a few times myself.) It?s used when the writer wants to make a particular point but can?t use anything from their sources because none of the statements are definitely in agreement with what he/she wants to say, so they make a generalization and fail to support it adequately. It also reflects a very juvenile newswriter. The other article provided by [COLOR=DarkRed]ChibiHorsewoman[/COLOR] is also much too vague for my liking. Until I am presented with the [I]statistical evidence[/I] these ?researchers? claim to have, and have tested it thoroughly myself (which I know how to do, thankyouverymuch) or have the appropriate processes shown to me, I will remain somewhat skeptical of their ?conclusions?, for I know just how easy it is to manipulate figures, data charts, models, and graphs to suit one?s own purposes. Now, as to the issue itself, I believe that gender segregation in the classroom is a nice idea. Just that, [I]a nice idea[/I]. Like communism, it?s great in theory. Knowing how to apply it properly is a whole ?nother story. I honestly see no problems with the proposed idea. I also see no possible benefits it will definitely have. I do not think that the education solution lies down the path of ?How can we optimize the learning experience in the classroom?? The problem isn?t the teachers or the system, so changing them will not help matters in the long run. The problem is the students. My ?learning experience? (a term at which I snort derisively) was pretty much made by me. I was homeschooled: my parents gave me material to work with, said ?Get it done,? and lo? and behold, I did it. Granted, I learned some things faster than others (I never finished handwriting courses ? I saw them as irrelevant ? and I excelled at mathematics and writing), but when [I]I decided to do something[/I], I got it done. This was most of the time, since I saw no particular reason not to do my work. I entered public school in the sixth grade. As time progressed, I began to notice that I was always at the top of all my classes. I also noticed that there were generally more girls than boys up there in the ?honors-sphere? (^_^), making it very lonely for poor little male me, and I started watching my fellow classmates to see why. What I noticed was this: those that made better grades were those that [I][B]focused[/B][/I]. And the lack of focus in the others, even through my senior year of high school, was [I]not[/I] because there were members of the opposite gender present. It was because my classmates just didn?t want to do the work. They didn?t care. I noticed few guys, if any at all, staring at girls, or vice versa. I also noticed several instances of [I]girls[/I] who just didn?t give a bloody d*mn. I will instantly agree that girls and guys learn differently. I will also agree that girls and guys can let themselves get distracted by the opposite sex, but that generally doesn?t occur heavily until grades 8-10 ? around puberty, but still lacking in mental maturity. However, until the student him/herself actually [I]Wishes To Learn[/I], there will always be cases like this, and no amount of tweaking the system is going to solve them. -A P.S.: Just for the record, the majority of guys like active things, like running, baseball, beating-the-snot-out-of-each-other-for-the-deuce-of-it, etc. This may explain why so many boys have ?trouble concentrating?. They want to be doing something. It?s a mental thing. Sitting in a classroom doing jack-diddly is not the best way to keep their attention, so the teacher needs to demand it. Respect may be earned, but attention is given, regardless of whether one wants to or not.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Kurayami Oji][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Would you rather watch Naruto all day(sub)? Or.... Would you rather watch One Piece all day(dub)?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Eeuuaagh. Another crappy choice. Oh, jays, I can't? OH! Naruto SUB! Oh, that makes things so much easier. Give me Naruto. That way I can create the English voices in my head. *whew!* Would you rather... ...realize you're in class in your underwear and it's not a dream this time? or ...walk in on your college roommate and his/her boyfriend/girlfriend [I]en flagrante[/I]?[/FONT]

[QUOTE=White][COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]Anyway, it's now time for the Court. The [b]first three people[/b] to PM me with their accusation (just a name in the PM will do fine, you can write the actual accusation later) will get theirs in. Once I've recieved the first three names, I'll post here again and the first person that PMed me will post their accusation in the Town. After that, you guys have [b]one day[/b] to add onto their accusation, or defend their accusation and then finally, when I PM the person being accused, they will get a chance to defend themselves. After their post, nobody may post. We will take some time to vote Guilty or Innocent, and if the person accused is found guilty, the town will hang them and go to sleep. :)[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]So then, we are only going to be accusing one person for all of this? In that case, if the priest gets lucky and protects the Mafia's target and if the townspeople votes innocent, it is entirely possible that no one will die in a particular round? Wow. This could get rather interesting. Oh, and [COLOR=DarkRed]T-Man[/COLOR], if you really want to stay alive, it might be a great idea to just lay back for a while. Think of it this way: if you're trying to dig yourself out of a hole, chances are you'll just dig yourself in deeper. Now granted, your bit with [COLOR=DarkRed]MistressRoxie[/COLOR] may have been an admirable ploy, but why not stick to your story? Or why not try to make allies over the PM system? I'm only saying this because I fell dismally left out of the whole circle thing here, and I know none of you well enough to gauge whether or not I can trust you. I would love to stick up for the fall guy, but I can't be sure who that is yet. Right then. Back to my investigation.[/FONT]

[quote name='Aaryanna_Mom']I would hardly sue you, but I would ask just how you cook your turkey and offer some advise. ;) Turkey has always been a pain to properly prepare so that it?s loaded with lots of flavor and nice and juicy. There are some easy tricks that if you haven?t tried them yet, I would highly recommend....[/quote] [FONT=Arial][I]Gracías, señora.[/I] Though I don't actually prepare the bird myself (I consider it somewhat insulting to cook under someone else's roof unless invited), I shall certainly offer your tips to whomever I can. I'm sure they will be proven against my rather...particular pallete. Once again, thank you. -A[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Hmm, boy, you're making me wonder. The more vehemently you defend yourself, the more suspicious you begin to look. Besides, defense isn't exactly necessary until later. You're not first on my list, but you're rapidly climbing. Oh, and in regard to [COLOR=DarkRed]Sakura[/COLOR]'s point: yeah, and she's worth looking at, but we'll know more later. (The opening few moves are the most difficult to read.)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Oh good, people are finally posting. I did wonder.... Everybody got tied up with Thanksgiving, I suppose. Ah, well. :animesigh Right, then. I've had a few thoughts on this, but to share them all would be lengthyand tiresome, so I shall spare you. Still, I do have this: What if this was a random murder? From where [I]I[/I] stand, this could either be the result of inexperienced Mafia or a veteran player wishing to appear like a greenhorn. The former includes too many people, but the latter tends to make one look at [COLOR=DarkRed]Boo[/COLOR], [COLOR=DarkRed]John[/COLOR], [COLOR=DarkRed]Katana[/COLOR], and maybe [COLOR=DarkRed]Sakura[/COLOR]. And myself, naturally, but incriminating myself would not be in my best interests no matter [I]who[/I] I'm playing, so I'll just state [I]that[/I] point for formality's sake and drop it. I lean towards [COLOR=DarkRed]Boo[/COLOR] currently, since he seems to be somewhat vague in his statement(s) above. I still have my eye on [COLOR=DarkRed]Tekkaman[/COLOR] and [COLOR=DarkRed]MistressRoxie[/COLOR], though. And [COLOR=DarkRed]Ikillion[/COLOR], but only because he posts in yellow, hasn't said anything, and generally makes the hair on my wrist crawl.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Kurayami Oji][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Would you rather play Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2? Or.... Would you rather play Dragonball Z: Budokai 3?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]I'd rather burn to death. I'd [I]much[/I] rather burn to death than face such a torturous choice. GAAHHHH!!! Okay, well, since I actually [I]have[/I] to choose, I choose Budokai 3. At least then the content might be better. (I hate you, [/FONT][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Kurayami Oji[/COLOR][/SIZE][FONT=Arial]. I really do.) I'm up again. Would you rather... ...run over an unsuspecting pedestrian on Christmas Eve, killing him/her? or ..be completely forgotten by everyone on Christmas?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Well, seeing as it is now the [I]day after[/I] Thanksgiving, I suppose I will actually post here. Shout out to Procrastination! :animesigh Usually our family journeys back to my father's grand ancestral locale of South Carolina, where we attend a grand feast with those of our blood. In reality, that means a gigantic family potluck. With real sweet tea. And really good vegetables. And I'm a meat lover, so that's saying something. (Oh!, the Carolina green beans!) In recent years, due to random irritating expenses and rising gas prices, we have stayed at home, but we've managed without the massive supply of Southern food. My dad can still cook, and he's teaching me, so we get along okay. I hate turkey. Sue me, but I hate the stuff. It's always terribly dry and lacking in the 'Succulent Falvor' department, which is one of the big reasons we eat in the South. I always have chicken, 'cause I know how to make some tasty stuff there.[/FONT] [QUOTE=HedonismBot][COLOR=Sienna]Pfft... In Canada we celebrated Thankgiving like 2 months ago, that's old news now. I've never liked it anyways, at our house all that ever happens is that the relatives I [i]don't[/i] like come over, don't bring me presants, eat our food and drink our drink, and then go home... It's not a big deal over here. Most people I know don't even realize it's Thanksgiving until they see a few extra turkies popping up in the grocery store... Why is it even celebrated anyway?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Wow. You guys celebrate Thanksgiving up there in Canada? In that case, I would [I]also[/I] like to know why. I always thought Thanksgiving was a U.S.-specific holiday. Oh, wait? [RIGHT]?yeah, Wikipedia just told me.[/RIGHT] Anyway, down here we celebrate it sommat like we do Labor Day, or Memorial Day. Originally, the colonists held a thanksgiving to praise God for their successful harvests in the New World. Logically, thanksgivings were sporadic, and only occured if there [I]was[/I] a successful harvest. Even after it became an annual celebration, there was no set date, so thanksgivings tended to happen at different times for different settlements. President A. Lincoln is to be credited with deeming it a national holiday, decreeing it to be held on the last Thursday of November. Right, then. History class dismissed; remember to read pages 58-65 in the textbook for next time.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Actually, TheO had a poll recently about this exact subject right at the beginning of November. I can't remember any other instances right now that have inspired any similar emotions, so I'll just repost it below.[/FONT] [QUOTE=Allamorph, on Nov. 2nd][FONT=Arial][LIST][*][I]Wolf's Rain[/I] ? the ending theme. "Gravity" is a very sobering song for me. [*][I]s-CRY-ed[/I] ? when Scheris [spoiler]sacrificed herself with Eternal Devote [/spoiler]to save Ryuho. [*][I]FMA[/I] ? the episode in which Winry flashes a lantern out of her upstairs window to bring the Elrics back home. I actually wept.[/LIST][/FONT][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]As to the ending of [I]Cowboy Bebop[/I], I didn't feel sad at all, except when [spoiler]Julia was shot. And even then, I was lauding the John Woo dove homage as I was hurting for Spike[/spoiler]. But I really felt more like I had finished reading a really good book. Sure, Spike [spoiler]dies (or at least that's what we are led to believe) at the end of his fight with Vicious, but his death was noble and proud, not sad. He won. He conquered his past, and I'm sure that just before he collapsed on the steps he felt peace. I would have[/spoiler].[/FONT]

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=#9933ff][font=lucida calligraphy]Just one thing, how the Hell did I get into the wrong shower? Because I only shower at home or at a hotel when I'm on vacation.[/color'][/font][/quote] [FONT=Arial]I kind of feel that that issue is somewhat irrelevent. I just provided a scenario, which happened to include a public bathroom. (Essentially: hey, it could happen.)[/FONT] [QUOTE=Kurayami Oji][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] Would you rather learn how to play the acoustic guitar? Or..... Would you rather learn how to play the electric guitar? [/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Acoustic. I want the technical skills and solid classical background before I branch out into the popular culture. Besides, I can get jazz gigs just as easy with an acoustic as with an electric. Would you rather have... ...a solid black cat with gold eyes? or ...a pure white cat with sapphire eyes? Assume medium-length silky fur in either case. (Aww, kitties...)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Yeah, I was wondering about that.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][CENTER][B][I][U]Hit the road, Jack![/U][/I][/B][/CENTER] [B]Naruto ? [I]Naruto[/I]:[/B] Well, who wants to talk to somebody who says "Believe It!" every other sentence? And he never shuts up. And he talks with his lips open and his teeth closed. O.o [B]Renton Thurston ? [I]Eureka 7[/I]:[/B] He's clueless. Little to no conversational value, especially if all he does is whine about missing Eureka. [B]Ichigo Kurosaki ? [I]Bleach[/I]:[/B] Although he's strong and kinda cool, the dude needs a serious dose of Happy. [B]Monkey D. Luffy ? [I]One Piece[/I]:[/B] Good. Lord. [B]Urizane ? [I]s-CRY-ed[/I]:[/B] He honestly sounds like he's stuck in puberty somewhere and can't get out. That would make me want to kill him, and I really would rather not deal with the ensuing paperwork. [B]Mugen ? [I]Samurai Champloo[/I]:[/B] He's a jerk, plain and simple. [B]Fuu ? [I]Samurai Champloo[/I]:[/B] She's an idiot. She's got no clue. And I hate dumb broads, even the pretty ones. [CENTER][B][I][U]Velcommen![/U][/I][/B][/CENTER] [B]Spike Spiegel ? [I]Cowboy Bebop[/I]:[/B] He's laid back, friendly-ish, sardonic, and kicks butt; what more could you ask for? [B]Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV ? [I]Cowboy Bebop[/I]:[/B] Random Fun! And what an awesome name. [B]Ryuhou ? [I]s-CRY-ed[/I]:[/B] Taciturn, but intelligent and quick on his feet. We'd gel. [B]Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III[/B] *cough* [B]Vash the Stampede ? [I]Trigun[/I]:[/B] A bit of a goof-off, but a good guy, and made of iron when he needs to be. [B]Major Motoko Kusanagi ? [I]GITS[/I]:[/B] Imagine the discussion topics there! (And don't get any ideas, fanboys; she'd probably kick your *** before you even made the suggestion. Yes, I said ***.) [B]Kiba ? [I]Wolf's Rain[/I]:[/B] A good guy. A wolf, but still a good guy. And having a wolf around could be pretty useful.... [B]R. Dorothy ? [I]The Big O[/I]:[/B] The absolute tightest chick ever. She kicks more butt than The Major. And that's saying something. Besides, she's got some interesting questions every now and then. [B][COLOR=DarkRed]Edit:[/COLOR][/B] [B]Norman Burg ? [I]The Big O[/I]:[/B] This guy is more awesome than Bruce Wayne's butler. And he's still a butler. W00T!![/FONT]

[QUOTE=Vicky][SIZE=1]I'm going to have to look out for my tenses when I write in first person from now on now that you mentioned that paragraph, heh. I'll see if I can improve on that for the next part.... And a seperate thank you for the ranked order for commas and whatnot. To be honest, most of my writing was learnt from reading stories because for all of primary school and for the first few years of high school no one bothered to explain anything but commas or fullstops (semi-colons are terrifying! I try to guess where they go) and now that I know what order there in that's going to come in real handy.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Yeah, I get all my writing technique skill from my reading, too. Of course, I'm used to reading Tolkien, Fleming, C.S. Lewis, and Conan Doyle multiple times each, so this kind of stuff just seems to happen naturally. I guess I was just blessed by the gods of syntax. Although, I did have a small tense issue with the latest practice short I made myself do (I am horrible about descriptions) what with keeping a very long flashback in past perfect, to use nerdspeak. It's a little tougher than it seems. But, yeah, that was just my interpretation of the punctuation pauses. I actually just started using dashes; I got a good handle on their usage after our English class read [I]Heart of Darkness[/I]. Terribly tedious novel, but good message and excellent language skills. And, it has "The horror! The horror!" in it, so....[/FONT]

[quote name='DeadSeraphim][size=1][color=indigo][font=arial][i]Infinite hordes of evil.[/i] Let me run that by you again: [u]infinite[/u] hordes of [i]evil[/i]. They don't try, they [i]do[/i]. No shape shifter with an ego complex is going to stop them.[/font][/color'][/size][/quote] [FONT=Arial][I]A large, feral grin spread slowly across the half-panther's face, revealing a set of intimidating white teeth. The cuspids were sharp, slightly curved, and pointed like stakes, extending about a quarter-inch beyond the rest of his dental structure. His gold eyes, eyes he kept even in his human state, narrowed to slits, and his nostrils flared in anticipation. A deep, rumbling growl emanated from his chest and throat. [B]"Bring it on,"[/B] he said quietly.[/I] ----- Infinite hordes of evil, bah. I'd probably break a sweat, though. I think the ego complex comes from a sort of Alucard-like self assurance. I'm not sure. I haven't studied the species enough.[/FONT]

[quote name='Baron Samedi][SIZE=1']Seeing as zombies aren't real, I figure that any sort of contingency plan for such an event is pointless.[/SIZE][/quote] [FONT=Arial]I'm with DeadSeraphim on this one. Way to ruin the fun. Speaking of the devil:[/FONT] [quote name='DeadSeraphim][size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]Until my legions inevitably destroy you in a flurry of blades and blood, of course.[/font][/color'][/size][/quote] [FONT=Arial]They can [I]try[/I]. I'm pretty sure you're going to have to come after me yourself before that'll happen.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Oh, jays! All these veterans around, and now I am nervous. *cowers in corner* Please don't pick on me! I'm only a little otakuite! (^_^) Nah, it'll be a blast playing with the big names. Let's go![/FONT]

[quote name='Baron Samedi][SIZE=1']Fantastic series, but I wasn't referring to it in my comment. More just that people often miss sarcasm, instead opting to take offence at what is often clearly a joke.[/SIZE][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Yep. Even me occasionally, though I use it a good deal as well. Still, sarcasm, sardonicism and irony are a great deal harder to communicate in this setting, so I tend to avoid it. And yes, it is indeed a fantastic series. I just saw the connection and brought it up; that's how I work. One has that tendency after being raised on Holmes.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Kurayami Oji][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Would you rather never see anime again? Or.... Would you rather never read any manga again?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Another toughie. Mmm, let's see. [B][U]Upside.[/U][/B] With manga you have the written aspect, the gorgeous chapter frames, and the texture. With anime you have the action, the (possibility for) good background music, the colors, and the (possibility for) good voice acting and hence emotion. [B][U]Downside[/U][/B] With manga you have the lack of flowing action, lack of color, lack of sound, and the possibility for censorship. With anime you have episode length and [B]4kids[/B]. I'll go with no more anime. Though it pains me, I would much rather hear the characters' voices in my head than listen to some horrendous dub, or a language I can't understand. Would you rather... ...realize you are in the wrong bathroom midway through a nice hot shower, leaving you no way to escape unnoticed? or ...have your towel and clothes stolen midway through a nice hot shower, leaving you only your washcloth? Ahh, the possibilities....[/FONT]

[quote name='Baron Samedi][size=1']Don't worry, people are stupid.[/size][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Wizard's First Rule, if I'm not mistaken. And too often true. An individual person is actually quite intelligent, but people collectively are stupid. (Lemmings, anyone?) The other stuff ? was it sarcasm or otherwise?[/FONT] EDIT: [quote name='Chiyasha'] :animeblus :animestun Ey ey ey! I am not leaving!?! What I was trying to say was I wanna stop discussing about this matter on that day! Ooh... so sorry. :animeswea Anyway, I am a 'she'.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]And [I]I[/I] thought you were leaving the thread. I never thought you might leave the OB. Hooray for Mass Confusion!!! :animesigh [I]Grazie[/I], my dear, I thought you were. I am the walrus ? I mean, a guy.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Jays, from looking at the posts so far, I guess I'm the wierdo who never had a real interest in video/handheld games. I [I]craved[/I] LEGOs. LEGOs, Hot Wheels, books, and board games were primarily what I wanted, but LEGOs most of all. I spent literal hours building random stuff with the sets I had, unless I happened to like a set, in which case I spared it the requisite deconstruction.[/FONT]