Allamorph

[FONT=Arial]I can tell you one thing, it won't be anywhere near Red Queen. Heck, though, I'm an allamorph. I'm only half human; I'm skilled with all melee weapons; I'm incredibly agile, fast, strong, and have a high endurance; my demon-form (still haven't found a name for it) makes those kids on [I]Bloody Roar: Primal Fury[/I] look like Care Bears ? what the devil am I hiding for? I'll just hang out with all these other vigilantes here and shred me some zombie flesh. Eat [I]that[/I], Everquest.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Sorry. I?ve been out for a couple of days and seem to have fallen heavily behind in this discussion. *reads all posts* *blinks a few times, bewildered* Okay, so [B]Bláse[/B], I would love to address a couple of the things in your first post, but?well?honestly, I am stymied. What exactly were you sarcasm-ing and what was serious? Please help me out here; I do [I]so[/I] hate it when my eyebrow twitches.[/FONT] [quote name='Chiyasha'] Hmm, I guess now money is to be seen as a demanding thing and people would do anything to get money, good or evil ways. Apart from encouraging fairness in trading (and other legal matters), money encourages people to steal (or to attempt crimes) instead of avoiding people from stealing (or from attempting crimes i.e paid crime act). Maybe money is the bridge to existing possibilities... especially bad possibilities.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Well, my point was that money is simply the catalyst for the evil, one which other items could be substituted for, though not quite as universally, since. As you so adroitly pointed out, money can be used to procure a whole bunch o? crap, for lack of (or in spite of) a better term. That money is a bridge to existing possibilities I will wholeheartedly agree with.[/FONT] [quote name='Chiyasha'] Of course God won't hate people who abuse the use of money because in my opinion, God created humans for them to learn to deal with the situations in order to put life at ease, regardless of beliefs (religious or custom). Praying isn't the only thing to do, we need to work to live and to have a happy life. So then, with the existence of money, it's up to us to use 'em (heh, we know ourselves that we fall easily when it comes to be offered with money. X_x).[/quote] [FONT=Arial]No, He won?t. But then, He doesn?t hate anyone ? He created everyone, after all. What He hates is [I]sin[/I], since He is holy and without it. Unfortunately, that is [I]also[/I] a subject for another discussion, so I shall leave it be. (Jays, I can?t say [I]anything[/I] without opening up more worm cans. Ah, well. So be it.) I would like to address the reason for our creation, but I am unsatisfied with my own argument. It has too many spaces left for questions that would be easier to answer succinctly in one post, rather than having me get muddled over and over again. I agree with everything else you said, though ?need? may not be the [U]absolute[/U] best word to use there. (Oops, I did it again.) We are not [I]required[/I] to do good after salvation, but at the same time it behooves us to. And, not doing so would be , to borrow the words of Cpt. Jack Sparrow, ??unbelievably stupid.? It all depends on whether we wish to reflect our God to the rest of the world or to sully His name. The latter of which, sadly, happens a great deal of the time. Oh, and I am terribly sorry that you might be leaving. [I]Quietis exsisto in vobis, Amicus. [/I] [B]Hanibishi Recca[/B], that was most uncalled for. Even though you made some good points, your initial choice of words was extremely derisive and therefore your statements were tainted. I am disappointed and ashamed. Also, raising the Catholic issue was actually a very understandable question, else I would not have taken time to answer it. As far as those Christians who never take action, that is a demonstration of complacency, which can lead to apathy and slothfulness. Focusing only on the ambitious ones might not have been the best tactic to take. Happy birthday. (^_^)[/FONT] [quote name='The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic] If you're contradictory you're often times also hypocritical. Aren't those words synonymous? ::shrug:: It doesn't matter, it's an irrelovant tangent to this argument, lets not go any further in it.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Yes, you are. No, they aren?t. I agree. Subject dropped as irrelevant.[/FONT] [quote name='The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic] Not exactly sure what a taproot is. Is it like a main root or something? Is it the omega root!? o_o[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [quote name='Allamorph][FONT=Arial']The point of that blithering was to illustrate the whole ?source? point.[/FONT][/quote] [FONT=Arial]A taproot is the root that the rest of the plant grows from. ?Nuff said. As to your outline, I?m going to save that one for a later post because it will exhaust me.[/FONT] [quote name='The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]Thank God. Actually?i?m agnostic?.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Heh. I thought you?d say that.[/FONT] [QUOTE=The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]Yeah, i just objected to you saying absolute. I actually smiled when you said you'd defend it to the death. That's one thing i often enjoy arguing about, the existance of absolutes. Though usually this can turn into a religious debate very quickly...and those never go anywhere. It's always, god exists, no he doesn't....and so forth. So we can argue it or not, i'll let you make the call. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]All right. Still, that?s another ?another thread? issue, but I?d love for us to have at each other. And who says it has to be religious? But of that later. Like I said, why not? Oh, and you start the thread. Since my stance is a one sentence post (meaning it might get locked), you know what it is, [I]and[/I] you already know what arguments to make, you?d be the better choice.[/FONT] [quote name='The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]Hah, i wasn't angry! I even put the little smiley face thingy after i said that! The "^L^". It was sorta like a childish so there, it was meant to be humorous.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Ah. ? Oh. Heh; I thought you were thumbing your nose.[/FONT] [quote name='Darktactic'] Facts can be interpreted in various ways, even altering the fact itself you might argue by changing the nature in which it is perceived. Is the glass half full or half empty? It's just a matter of preference.[/quote] [FONT=Arial] *cough* [quote name='Ace Ventura, Pet Detective']Ree?hee?hee?hee?hee?hee?heeahly?[/quote] Okie dokie. Well, the fact is that half of the glass?s total volume is occupied by water. Full or empty implies connotation, and facts run alongside denotation; how something sounds as opposed to what it means. Yes, facts can be [I]interpreted[/I] in various ways, but that doesn?t change their truth. Say I?m a high school student with a major English paper due in three days. I enter a room in which my mother happens to be sitting and she asks me, [B]?Is your paper done??[/B] I dodgily answer, [B]?It?s taken care of.?[/B] Now, to her that means that yes, the paper is done, since that is the sentence?s actual meaning. However, my interpretation was that, since I had planned to start it the following evening, the [I]issue[/I] wis ?taken care of?, and not the paper itself. My reason for this is that I wished to avoid a tedious lecture on procrastination, which would have been given had I told my mother exactly what was going down. Instead, I put my spin on it, knowing exactly how she?d misinterpret my interpretation. Essentially, I lied. Technically, I told the truth that she didn?t want to hear in the manner she wanted to hear it. I couldn?t change the fact; I only changed her [I]perception[/I] of the fact so that she was ignorant of it. Well, that took less time than expected. Again, too bad Chiyasha?s leaving us. I enjoyed her company. Or his company. :animeshy: Yeah. Umm.....that's a little awkward....[/FONT] -A

[FONT=Arial]Although I am not yet active in the Arena, I would like to be, and I plan to as soon as I am assured of enough free time. Still, I don't believe my opinion would hurt here. [COLOR=DarkRed][B]1. What do you [as a member] want to see most in a RP?[/B][/COLOR] Strong, engaging storylines and possibly even a few good sparring threads. I've actually been following the [I]Pokemon: Legacies[/I] story since it started because I lke the way it's set up, even though I hold the series itself in disdain. [COLOR=DarkRed][B]2. What RP rating do you [as a member] usually play in?[/B][/COLOR] Any, as long as they're good. I tend to look at an RP's title and storyline/setup before I make judgement. S ratings happen in real life, so I won't go out of my way to avoid one unless it will play a major role in the story. I'lll also steer clear of sappy stuff. [COLOR=DarkRed][B]3. Does humorous fun outweigh killing and gore or vice-versa? [Come on... be honest][/B][/COLOR]Neither, as I see it, and neither are necessary to me. I prefer real characters, and if blood and gore happens, it happens. Most of my humor is pretty dry anyway - you know, keep the mood light in the midst of battle and whatnot. [COLOR=DarkRed][B]4. Do you post mainly for RP's whenever you enter the Boards?[/B][/COLOR] As of now, no. But then, I'm not actually involved in any RPs yet. Still, I like to stay active in other discussions, so I'd probably keep it pretty even. Since I'm a poor little n00b, I'm still watching the big shots so I can get a feel for things here. I would love to start getting my feet wet, though; it's just a matter of time, availability, and whether or not I can find someone with experience to check me if I start overstepping myself.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Very well written. First, a few nit-picky things, so I can get them out of the way. You know, the whole 'bad news, then good news' bit? Yeah. And I'll highlight any proofreading (forgive me, please) so you don't have to search for the right paragraph.[/FONT] [QUOTE][I]I looked over to them and caught the sight of a tall lad standing up at the back before I was hit in the eye with something I couldn?t determine. It had felt like a brick in my eye, a cold brick against my face. I heard sizzling on the floor and I opened my unharmed eye and saw a can full of some sort of fizzy crap spilling its contents out on the floor. I look up to the mirror, I see the driver?s dull face acknowledge the can and my now red eye but he doesn?t care. That?s because he?s afraid.[/I][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Tenses. Your wrote predominantly in the present, but there were a few shifts here and there, like in this paragraph. For instance: "I [B]look[/B] over to them and [B]catch[/B] [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] sight of a tall lad standing up at the back [COLOR=Red]just[/COLOR] before I [B]am[/B] hit in the eye with something I [B]can?t[/B] determine. It had felt like a brick in my eye, a cold brick against my face. I [B]hear[/B] sizzling on the floor and I [B]open[/B] my unharmed eye and [B]see[/B] a can full of some sort of fizzy crap spilling its contents out on the floor. I look up to the mirror, I see the driver?s dull face acknowledge the can and my now red eye but he doesn?t care. That?s because he?s afraid." This is not intended to be presumptuous, just friendly. I apologize if what I just did offends you; say the word, and I shan't do it again. Also, I noticed you using semicolons occasionally for flow interrupters. I do the same. Here are some others ? I ranked them in order (at least to me) of pause length: [LIST][*]comma - pause [*]ellipses - long pause [*]dash - thought pause, or a 'track jump', if you will [*]semicolon - thought stop; 'almost a period' [*]period - full stop[/LIST] Those last two I included because I know you know how to use them and it gives you a good reference point to what I mean. Again, I'm not trying to be a jerk, just thorough. Okay, now I can stop being uber-critical. I really liked this passage, especially the way you faded from thought into action. I also liked how you reflected your character's disinterest in people by neglecting to actually identify them, paying more attention to the scenery. I could empathize easily with the character's mood. Although I may not agree with what goes on in his/her mind, he/she seems real, and I think that comes from the touch of Stream of Conciousness present in the narrative. Again, I really like this story, and I look forward to seeing where you take it. See ya. -A P.S.: I participated in a music event a few years ago where students played solos or ensemble pieces to be adjudicated by professional musicians. My solo judge told me something to this effect: "I'm going to pick on you a lot, but it's not because you suck. I'm showing you all the little things you can start thinking about and making better, because I don't have to tell you how to do the big things right anymore. You already know how to do those, so we can move on."[/FONT]

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=#9044ff][font=lucida calligraphy][center]Would you rather be Paris Hilton's dog and unknowingly be in the papers for running off on her so much..] or Be Nicole Ricci and knowingly be in the papers for being too damn skinny?[/center] [/color][/font][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Heh. Nah, let Richie wither away. It'd serve her right. I don't know [I]why[/I], but it would. Anyway, let me be the dog. At least then I'd have the excuse that I don't know what I'm doing. (Oh, wait....) Okay. If there was no possible way for you to fight back or otherwise resist, would you rather be... ...drowned? or ...smothered?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Oh, wow. Looks like I?ve got some catching up to do. First, clarification time. [QUOTE=The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic] You say that money itself is incapable of causing evil, right? Well, how exactly is the love of money any more capable of directly causing an act of actual evil? Is it not the person that actually commits this act of evil? Of course it's the person. Also, i believe the love of money is an abstract concept. Do you understand what i'm getting at? To say the love of money is the root and that money itself is not is a little hypocritical. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Ehh, actually, you mean [U]contradictory[/U]. You seem to know, from your following post, how to demonstrate a hypocrite, but a hypocrite by definition is a person whose [I]actions[/I] are in opposition to their stated beliefs. What I said was not inconsistent from what I believe, it was inconsistent with what [I]you[/I] believe. Love can be one of two things, an abstract concept or an action. Now, I know is seems like I?m contradicting myself again, but please bear with me because I wish to look at both in context. Love as a concept is essentially how we as individuals are able to define a feeling we all share. We could just as easily have called it ?toad?, though admittedly it sounds kind of ludicrous. (I really toad that girl. ^_^ ) In simpler words, the concept is how we know what love actually [I]is[/I]. And yes, concepts are just as incapable of causing evil as are lifeless objects. On that we agree, at least. Love ? the action ? is [I]what[/I] we actually feel towards some object, whether it be siblings, parents, boy/girlfriends, husbands/wives, pets, ourselves, or inanimate objects, and in spite of the fact that said object may not be able to return that love. As a feeling, or dormant action if you will, love can (please note: not does, [B]can[/B]) breed covetousness, lust, greed, anger, despair, and a myriad of other sinful emotions and thoughts. And yes, despair, along with depression (not necessarily hormonal, mind you) are counted as sins. That has an explanation and proof, but they have no place or bearing in this thread. As an outward action, love can beget hoarding, murder, bribery, blackmail ? again, the list can go on. This is what the proverb is referring to. Does that help? Oh, and in regard to your metaphor, there, I think you either misunderstood the original ?root? metaphor or else just decided to twist it to your purposes. I?m a good guy, so I?ll assume the former. The dirt has absolutely nothing to do with the root metaphor; it?s simply the surrounding environment. As for the root itself, you seem to be thinking of [I]any[/I] root, while, taken in context (again with the context), the word ?taproot? would help elucidate a few things. I know that is not what the proverb uses, but the meaning of ?root? there is ?source?, and ?taproot? proffers that image readily. Have you eve tried to get rid of those pesky dandelion weeds (or any weeds ? spearmint, for that matter) in your yard? Actually, I think I [U]will[/U] use spearmint plants here. My mother started growing spearmint plants in our front garden a few summers ago. Interestingly enough, spearmint seems to thrive in our soil; at one count, I totaled over 220 different sprouts, and all in a little under 70 square feet, which is a pretty small area. We attempted to pull them out once, but it didn?t work. What I discovered pulling up the hordes of little things was that there were generally ten to thirteen spearmint shoots on one root, and the root that I?d pulled up had severed somewhere underground. This meant that the parent root, or taproot, was still entrenched down there, capable of producing more plants. Which it did. The point of that blithering was to illustrate the whole ?source? point. The evil ?grows? outward from the ?root?, the (action) love of money. Direction is irrelevant. Up, down, sideways, above ground, in the dirt, it doesn?t matter. The point is that evil originates from the love of money, which is a [I]human[/I] action. True, it is man that makes the choice to love money, but man also possesses the ability to choose otherwise; the evil is rooted in the chosen action.[/FONT] [quote name='The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic] What happiness is truly absolute? Is there any source of happiness that can last forever?[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial][B]Warning! Sermon Ahead.[/B] You know what happiness I am going to tell to you. It sounds trite, it sounds cheesy, it sounds overused, but it?s still true. Absolute happiness, along with contentment, peace, joy, etc., comes from one source. God (aka YHWH, The I Am), and his Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Know Him (Him meaning the Trinity here ? a paradox to us), believe that Christ?s innocent death paid for your sin and accept that payment, and you will know these that I have listed. [B][I][U]Now[/U][/I][/B], with that said, I am not here to force that off on any of you who read this. This is only my statement of the truth. You may disagree, you may condemn me, but I [I][B]will not[/B][/I] interfere with your choice to do so. Believe what you will, find your own answers. That ability was given to you and is yours to exercise, and I have no right to interfere. Okay, the sermon?s over. [quote name='The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic] Eh, i don't like that you say it's the absolute best way. It's really just an opinion, therefore it's not really absolute. It's relative. [/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Maybe so. However, you failed to produce any competing options, so I cannot agree with you, nor can I disagree. Give me something to work with. Or did you just object to my saying ?absolute?? If so, I will defend my statement to the death, for there are such things as absolutes.[/FONT] [quote name='Chiyasha] Yeah, man can be a root of all evil. But, I was thinking about this as well and consider this: I think man created money to encourage fairness in trading (or other legal matters), therefore to [B]avoid stealing[/B'] (and other crimes). ? I came from a family where money is the number 1 basic need ?. I suppose what I learned from my dad has fixed my way of seeing money as a primary need. [/quote] [FONT=Arial]Okay, here I?m going to refer you back to my first post. If man invented money to avoid stealing (and other crimes), then why are we still faced with the existence of stealing (and other crimes? I come from a similar family, but we always kept it in perspective. Money is a method of payment for basic needs. If we didn?t have money, we found another (legal) way to get our needed items.[/FONT] [quote name='Darktactic'] Whether money is evil in itself or not, it seems to me that all things requiring money are negative (money is in war, politics, corrupt people, etc.). Even if there are instances where money isn't necessarily negative, I can't think of any time when it has a positive effect.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Although this sounds stupid, what about household trash cans? What about when I buy clothing for a homeless man? What about when I donate money to help my town?s high school band buy instruments? Don?t be so pessimistic.[/FONT] [quote name='The13thMan][COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic] God gave us free will, but without choice there can be no free will. So if there is only good in the world there can be no choice and no free will. So by giving us free will he also created a choice, that choice was the opposite of good - evil. So we were talking about how money is the root of evil blah blah and i thought of how i thought free will was the actual root of all evil. So there. ^L^[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Oooh, dangerous statement there, buddy. Free will and choice go hand in hand. Without one, we lose the other. Also, as I stated above, free will is [I]not[/I] the root, it only presents the option. (BTW, why the ?So there?? There?s no need for anger here?.) I am terribly sorry that this post goes on like this. I just felt all of these statements deserved to be looked at, and I tend to over-defend rather than not defend enough. This discussion is extremely stimulating, though. I hope it finds a satisfactory conclusion.[/FONT]

[quote name='Katana][color=royalblue][size=1]Essentially, it was the same as this, but in real life in a basement with soda. XD[/size'][/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Oh, wow. I can see interesting possibilities with [I]that[/I] scenario. (But not most interesting. [COLOR=DarkRed]Gavin[/COLOR] might eat me.)[/FONT] [quote name='Katana][color=royalblue][size=1]I was actually one of the few that wanted to keep on playing it, but the others went to go and play Dynasty Warriors...[/size'][/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Heh. That's pretty sad. But then, it's a decent enough game. Except for the fifth one. No one should ever be cursed with that monstrosity of a name, Cao Pi.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Somehow I'm not quite sure you got what we all just essentially repeated to you, bucko. Here, let me clear some things up fo you. (As if my [I]last[/I] post wasn't enough! ^_^ )[/FONT] [quote name='Chiyasha']I can't agree money is root to all evil![/quote] [FONT=Arial]Good. Neither do I. And most of the others who posted her don't agree with that statement either. (I don't think any of them do, actually.) What almsot all of us responded to you with was a correction to that statement: [I][B]love of money[/B][/I] is the root of evil, not money itself. I can't stress enough to you how important that disctinction is. Money is incapable of causing evil, since it possesses no will of its own. The evil - as I stated earlier - is human; we cause the evil, not inanimate objects or abstract concepts.[/FONT] [quote name='Chiyasha']... somehow money is linked to religion.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Uh, no. Money is independent of religion - as I also said earlier, it is only a measure of value. Right and wrong, and thus good and evil, are concepts taught to us by a Higher Power (why [I]that[/I] is important is a rather lengthy discussion itself, and one I shall not post here), but it is [I]evil[/I] that is linked to religion, not money.[/FONT] [quote name='Chiyasha']Consider this:- During the Reformation times, Catholic priests would like peasants to donate money in order to build a new cathedral. Well then, how come the Head of the Church back then were so prosperous that he didn't use some of his money to build it?[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Greed. That's all. Just greed. No one is free from the temptation of sin, not even those in, oh, let's say 'holy' positions. The Catholic Church at this time was very corrupt; church members were allowed to 'pay' for their sins buy purchasing [B][URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indulgences][COLOR=Blue]indulgences (click me)[/COLOR][/URL][/B], but the practice, while well intentioned, was [B][URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abuses_of_Indulgences][COLOR=Blue]abused (click me)[/COLOR][/URL][/B] more often than not. This money generally went straight into the pockets of higher-ranking priests. There was also the issue of power involved, but I feel that somehat irrelevant to the discussion.[/FONT] [quote name='Chiyasha']It's true that money cannot buy 'real' happiness but to me, money CAN! Consider this as well: Do you think money can regulate a certain action from you? For example, when you have sufficient amount of money, you feel happy because you can purchase things that you desired. What do you think?[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Well, if you're content with temporary happiness, then go for it. I'm just saying that there's more out there.[/FONT] [quote name='Chiyasha']Another example can be when, say your secret has been known by person x. The best way is to bribe person x with money, which it's at least the fairest way to end a scandal straightaway. From that, can you say money is still root to all evil? Or else?[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Oh boy. This suggest to me that the secret that Person X is now aware of is a rather dangerous one to yourself. In that case, the [I][B]absolute best[/B][/I] way out of that situation is to resolve the secret so that it no longer plagues you. Mistakes can be dealt with quickly, and people will at least look at you favorably for admitting it openly. Accusations are much more destructive to your image and reputation, and those are extremely hard, if not impossible, to build back. I hope this clarifies some things for you. And again, I'm always open for a good discussion, so if you don't agree with some (or all) of what I've said, please say so, and explain why. -A[/FONT]

[quote name='tachiKC']Would you rather be the QB who threw the game losing interception, or the coach who will have to take all the flak from the media?[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Definitely the quarterback. I hate the press. Well, I really just hate all the pesky in-your-face reporters, but still. Right, then. Would you rather... ...die with fame and fortune? or ...die with honor and peace?[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Ikillion][color=#d2b43b][SIZE=1][FONT=Trebuchet MS] Oh please, you haven't seen morbid until we go into ways of torture =P[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Tahoma]Heh...but wasn't that other stuff psychological torture?[/FONT] [quote name='Ikillion][color=#d2b43b][SIZE=1][FONT=Trebuchet MS]Ah, how ancient history can be so inspiring.[/FONT][/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Tahoma]Amen, brother. Gotta love the Greeks.[/FONT] [QUOTE=Veritas][size=1][color=dimgray]...lets say something goes wrong with you, and you need surgery. Problem being, for whatever reason there is nothing left on the planet to sedate you with. Would you rather A. Have an un-sedated surgery? or B. Live with an uncomfortable pain for the rest of you life? (Just a constant amount, enough that you couldn't forget that there was something wrong, but not too much that you'd be screaming, like a dull headache that wont fade.)[/color][/size][/QUOTE] [FONT=Tahoma]Give me the surgery. Along with all of Ed Elric's willpower, 'cause I'd need it. Speaking of eternity, would you rather spend it watching... ...The Wiggles? or ...Teletubbies?[/FONT]

[quote name='DeadSeraphim']What was stopping you, genius?[/quote] [FONT=Arial]I honestly have no clue. Guess I'm just a lazy twit.[/FONT] [quote name='Sandy']What's up with all the "you must kill somebody or somebody else dies?" questions, anyway? Don't be so morbid, people![/quote] [FONT=Arial]The emotional aspect. And besides, they were all tough choices. I mean, including random people in those kinds of scenarios just wouldn't have the same effect as close family does. (And I'm not talking about the deserted island post. I liked that one.) Moving onwardly,[/FONT] [QUOTE=Gavin][SIZE=1]Would you rather be [b]Struck by lightning ?[/b] Or [b]Set on fire ?[/b] Think about it, as electrocution fries your internal organs.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Struck by lighting. It's faster. So, would you rather... ...eat all your meals for one week at a less-than-praiseworthy school cafeteria? or ...eat nothing but tofu for one week?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Ah, an endgame player. I see. Oh, and trust me, there was plenty of backstabbing going on when I(we) played. Sorry if I sounded like a jerk.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]After I saw your cast list, I started wondering why you only had one detective out there. When I played last, there were two detectives, since when anyone accuses a Mafia hitman for too long they usually end up dead, and once the detective is deep-sixin' it the rest of the townspeople are left at a huge disadvantage. I see why you had the Priest in the mix, but his bonus is iffy at best, so from what I can see the game favors the Mafia just a little bit. Of course, I trust you have a good reason for your setup, and I'm not here to tell you how to run your event. I'm just making an observation.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Heck, why not jump in? [COLOR=DarkRed]Why do you think being the Mafia would be the best?[/COLOR] Deception. You'd need to be quick on your mental 'feet' to keep your identity hidden and keep plenty of ruses in mind to redirect suspicion to the innocent townsfolk, or better yet, the priest. The detective can be dealt with gradually. [COLOR=DarkRed]Why do you think being Townspeople would be the best?[/COLOR] Deductive and intuitive reasoning. This is the part where you get to play Holmes, paying attention to every little detail, looking for fallacies, waiting for the Mafia to make a slip-up in a post. You have to try to anticipate the enemy's ruses and to stay one step ahead, not to mention to be actively looking for the detective (if you aren't It) so you know whose opinion to trust. [COLOR=DarkRed]Have you ever played a version of Mafia before?[/COLOR] Yes, and it was quite stimulating. [COLOR=DarkRed]If so, did you like it?[/COLOR] Very much so; it's kind of fun to mentally stumble around in the dark, looking for information, or to keep the others in the dark, depending on your 'occupation'. Even if I'm dead it's still fun to watch and root for my (former) teammates, even though I can't give any information. Dead men tell no tales.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Okay, I have three things to say here. 1.[quote name='Your Mother']I'd order my wife's death because my daughter couldn't divorce me with alimony charges and take my house and car if her mother died.[/quote] Dude, what the heck?! That has to be one of the most cynical remarks I've ever heard. I mean, I tried to post something that would be emotionally punishing either way you chose, but I can honestly say I never saw that response coming. Wow. 2. [B]Kurayami Oji[/B], that's almost exactly the same thing I said earlier, except you left the next post-er the obvious gender issue open: guys will most likely protect their sister, and girls will almost just as likely protect their brother. But hey, all's fair, so.... 3. Hey, [B]Shinje[/B]. My name is Allamorph. You killed this thread. Prepare to die. Seriously, though, why didn't you post another question? Keep the game going, man. You're bummin' me out here. Unless, of course, someone [I]else[/I] wants to keep this game alive.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Kurayami Oji][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]If you were a cop and you were at a shootout with a criminal, who is your friend,...... Would you rather kill your best friend and save the few hostages?[/SIZE] Or..... Would you rather not kill your best friend and let the hostages die?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]Ergh. This is a rather undesireable situation. It would be very painful to face off against my best friend with innocent lives in the balance. I think the only thing that would allow me to kill my friend would in fact [I]be[/I] the hostages, so.... Sorry, buddy. Bff, but I shoot to kill. Right. So then, you and your family are held hostage by a crazed maniac, who, in a fit of insanity, points a gun at your wife and daughter and tells you to choose who lives. Sacrificing yourself is not an option; if you do not choose, he will kill them both. Would you rather order... ...your wife's death? or ...your daughter's death?[/FONT]

[quote name='PINKSPIDER']i also do not dream in sound.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Sucks for you, man. ---------- I sleep very hard at night, so I don't actually have any dreams - at least, not ones I really remember. When I do dream, however, I usually have three types: self-initiated, controlled (lucid), and really-friggin-wierd. The self-initiated dreams usually happen when I fall asleep while daydreaming. I'll start reacting to events like they're actually happening to me, have a sympathetic spasm, and wake up; it's kind of like sitting on the event horizon on a black hole because the line between realities gets really blurry. Controlled dreams are dreams I remember having had before, while I'm still having them. (Aaghh! Too many 'have's'.) [B]Sora[/B] mentioned 'lucid' dreams, and it's kind of the same thing. Of course, me being me, I usually start to tweak the dream a little bit here and there to see what would happen. It's rather a good deal of fun; people should try it sometime. I had a dream recently that fit into the final category I listed above, and I stayed wigged out about it for two days afterwards. As a small set-up, let me just say that my family went through a large move during my fifth-grade year, which was about eight-and-a-half years ago. This dream was basically set as if the move had never happened, and while I was dreaming I had a totally different set of memories than the ones I have in real life. In fact, when I woke up it took me about a minute to remember who and where I was. What really creeped me out later was the fact that dreams only need three to four seconds to run all the way through, and I had created almost nine years worth of new memories in that amount of time and had myself convinced that they were real. So you can understand why I call it 'really-friggin-wierd'.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]So to add on to what [B]Sara[/B] said, [I]love of money[/I] is the root of all evil. Money itself is neither good nor evil - it is a standard of measurement. Just as inches measure distance and minutes measure time, dollars, pounds, yen, marks, and euros all measure value. [quote name='Chiyasha']We know we need money. Not just for basic needs.[/quote] That's not true. We only need money for essentials such as food, clothing, shelter, and, some might say, utilities, though the last can be viewed as a luxury itself. Since luxuries are (obviously) nonessential items, we do not need money in the same sense. Oh, and this is in no way a sermon saying we should all become Puritans or Amish. I like my luxuries very much, and I would be loathe to part with them. The point, though, is that they are not [I]necessary.[/I] We could live without them, even if the idea is less than pleasant. The only reason we would need money for luxuries is that now, since the abandonment of the barter system, money is the only accepted payment option. I can't walk into Office Max and say, [B]"I want a brand new Dell, and I'll pay you in these here livestock and produce."[/B] It doesn't work anymore. Money is required on order to obtain luxuries, but since we don't really [I]need[/I] the luxuries, we don't need the money. The evil is wholly human. When a person desires money itself, they are essentially looking for happiness. [QUOTE=Chiyasha]...[I]money can bring you happiness[/I]. Money can buy whatever you desired![/QUOTE] Here, the person in question is looking for happiness through material fulfillment. The unfortunate aspect of this line of thinking is that the only way to continue in one's money-bought happiness, one must have a continually renewed supply of money. Once one spends money, it's gone, period, and more must be obtained. This cycle is self-perpetuating, meaning one event leads to another leads to another leads back to the initial event. Or rather, one desires item, must get money for item, spends money, aquires item, desires another item, etc. You get the idea. However, this cycle unchecked can also lead straight to greed. If one is never satisfied with one's possessions (dissatisfaction also involves out of date items, like cars and electronics), one will inevitably be wanting more, and more and more. In order to stay happy, people will begin searching for ways to make more money faster, and some will be unafraid to go through illegal and/or immoral channels to get the money they desire. Thus we now have evil, not caused by money itself, but out of a person's desire for it. [QUOTE]There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing, and one who makes himself poor, and yet has great riches. -Proverbs 13:7[/QUOTE] This verse is basically saying that it's not what or how much you have that makes you happy, but how content you are with what you [I]do[/I] have. It is [I]not[/I] saying to go be a beggar, just that money and possessions don't have that big an impact on true happiness. If you (or anyone, for that matter) have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll answer as best I know how, and if I can't answer then I'll find someone who can.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]This will take some explaining, so bear with me. I'm fairly new on the forum bit, and I dreaded having a username that would mean anything to me taken since I refuse to add numbers after my name. shadow_puppet_2265 seemes a little less than identifying to me. So I fell back on my reliable fiction-in-progress material for inspiration. I've been working on a large series ([B][I]very[/I][/B] large, mind you) for several years now, off and on because I was/am still in school and I had/have a lot of time constraints. During the course of the series' development, I created a new species out of necessity. Basically, the people of this species could shapeshift into one other animal. They exist in one of three forms: human, animal, and, for lack of a better word yet, demon-form. Human is self-explanatory - they look like us, except for a few traits that carry over from their animal form, like hair color and the color and shape of their eyes. Imagine a guy whose hair looks like the markings on a red-tipped hawk, or another with gold cat eyes - it's pretty neat. Also, senses and physical abilities, such as speed, strength, vision, and scenting, are heightened in human form. Animal form is also easy, and the only thing that carries over from the human side is sentience. I haven't yet decided whether or not to include telepathy for communication purposes, but I digress. Demon-form, simply put, is a hybrid state, human in stature and animal in appearance. Hence the name 'demon' given by locals. In demon-form, the [spoiler]Allamorph[/spoiler]s become much larger, by as much as ten inches in height, gain animal-propotionate physical ablilites (e.g. strength, speed), and would pretty much scare the living sh** out of anyone who saw them. The catch is that they can only enter into demon-form during great wars, against seemingly overhelming enemies, or in defense of a fallen close friend. Kind of like a blood rage, or a Limit Break. To bring myself to the point, I had to name these creatures something, and I wanted it to sound somewhat noble, so I began looking up Greek words to put together. I ended up with the words [I]allasso[/I], meaning 'to change', and [I]morfi[/I], meaning 'shape'. Just mix the two together, add 1/2 cup water, and what do you have? I am a shape shifter. I am Allamorph. [I]Selah.[/I][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Oh, man. LEGOs. Wow, it's been a long time since I've played with those. I mean really played - I went home recently and dragged out my tub of miscellaneous blocks and sets, but that doesn't count. All of my old constructs were still there, though, which means my younger siblings haven't been into them. I've taught them well. (^_^) Yeah, I was a space kid myself. Those were my favorite sets: the Explorians, Spyrius, Unitron, Blacktron (which no one seems to remember). That and the original two underwater themes - Aquasharks and Aquanauts. Never got too much into the whole castle/pirate/town bit. Although, I have lusted after those kick-butt police sets. The Adventurers were cool, too, 'cause they had those neat little jewel blocks, and the hero was named Johnny Thunder. How awesome is that? I ask you! (Really. I ask you.) I was also depressed when LEGO started selling out to popular movie titles to make money. Star Wars didn't bother me so much because no one can resist a two-thousand piece Millenium Falcon (forgive me my slight exaggeration). But when I started seeing Harry Potter and Spiderman I was pretty well disgusted. I liked LEGO for its originality and the way it made all those sets out of basically the same pieces, and for sets to have twice as many specialty pieces as normal stuff seemed a little pointless and felt like the company was catering to the kids it produced for instead of encouraging them to create their own stuff. I couldn't build anything with a web-rope except...well...a web-rope, or maybe an odd-looking nunchaku for my giant mecha that I'd made out of the [B][I]real[/I][/B] sets I already owned. Bionicle gave me hope, especially when I got free DC Bionicle comics along with my LEGO Magazine (which they've since stopped sending to me, even though I haven't 'outgrown' them yet). It was a great idea, and I enjoyed both the comic and the sets. When LEGO started putting out their Bionicle movies, they neglected to keep the flow of their comic book going, and even though they started a new series, I lost interest. I haven't seen much of their Exo Force line yet; it sounds like a good ole' LEGO idea taken from somewhere that worked, renamed, redesigned, and (hopefully) rebuildable. I'll check it out. Maybe my descendents will have toys other than the PS3 to play with when they're four. The wooden playgrounds have almost become relics, what with those darn static-shocking plastic deformities replacing them.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Mmmm, good point about Eva. And you're right, of course. But when I compared TB to WF I wasn't saying that their themes were the same, though they are somewhat similar. Towards the end, and underneath the pack motif, Wolf's Rain seemed to focus on hope during and through despair and tragedy, and Kiba's battle (Darcia aside) was one of perseverance and determination. He [I]would[/I] find Paradise, and nothing could stop him. I specifically mentioned Abel Nightroad because he is the main character, and his conflict is the one the series will focus on. (BTW: Yeah, the Pope is essentially a wuss. He's young, inexperienced, and serves primarily as a puppet ruler. Political dominance will be a constant struggle between Francesco's overt and Caterina's subvert tactics.) From what I can sense, Abel's main battle will be against himself - he'll have to come to terms with what his past was and accept the being that he is now, and I can recognize this easily because it's a theme I'm using as well. It's still emotional, but as you said, the themes of the two anime are not the same. Enough of my psychobabble; I'm beginning to sound like an English professor. Sorry - it's a bad habit I have when I get into serious discussions. So, even though I'm gong to sound redundant, I want to give the series more time to develop. I love the artwork and music so far, I just hope all the suspense building (in the sense of "Will they [B]please[/B] explain what is going on?!") will be worth it.[/FONT]

[quote name='Kenshin DX][COLOR=SlateGray']Trinity Blood has really slowed down. Its actually getting quite boring . They are introducing new charcters such as Sword Dancer who was awesome.But really havent progressed the story at all. After last night episode we will be getting our first multiparter which I hope lives up to the first episode and Sword Dancer episodes in terms of action. Im still waiting for all hell to break loose.[/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]I'm not feeling that this series is going to be really big on action. It's selling point seems to be along the same lines as Wolf's Rain, which was an emotionally demanding series, and Ghost in the Shell, which was very mental - a 'thinker', if you will. Trinity Blood feels that way, and also seems to be leaning towards exploring political situations and maneuverings, though [I]that[/I] (I hope) will take a back seat to the psychological aspect. Also, I think it would be easier to view the series not in terms of individual episodes, but as chapters, parts of a greater whole - Wolf's Rain used this same style, I believe. This way, the fact that single episodes do not necessarily resolve satisfactorily, or at all, can be overlooked, and one can expect the climaxes to be fewer and farther between as well as much larger and more dramatic. (Again, I can only hope.) For now, I feel it best just to watch the creators develop the scenario and their characters' personalities as they see fit. Oh, and the fact that Nightroad is a pacifist probably won't lend too well to the breaking loose of all hell.[/FONT]

[quote name='2006DigitalBoy']What makes this show great it that it is ACTUALLY random. It's not anime fangirl random or weird goth kid random, it's genuinely completely and utterly random. [/quote] [FONT=Arial]Essentially, yes. You're absolutely correct. The whole point of the show is to be as utterly ridiculous as possible, and that's what makes it a good show. I don't watch it myself, but I can appreciate the concept, having enjoyed such similar shows as Furi Kuri (FLCL) and Monty Python's Flying Circus. I know very few people who would gripe about having a bass guitar used as a weapon, nor would they complain at their heroes having to cut down the tallest tree in the forest "WIIIIITH! A [I]herring![/I]" Yes, the show may be utterly insipid, but it was designed to be that way, and those that decide they must rail against it either cannot or will not understand.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][adult swim]'s current schedule. Edited again for your scheduling pleasure. For Feb. 3--Mar. 31 11:00 p.m. Futurama 11:30 p.m. Trinity Blood (through Mar.3) / *new anime* (starts Mar. 10) 12:00 a.m. Bleach 12:30 a.m. Eureka 7 1:00 a.m. Samurai Champloo 1:30 a.m. Lupin III All times EST.[/FONT]

Yeah, there are a lot of comparisons being made to other series' charatcers all over the place, Trigun and Hellsing being only two. It's interesting to see Abel likened to both Alucard [I]and[/I] Integra.