Rachmaninoff

By the way [B]TheDumbening[/B], I deleted your post. Please go back and read the instructions in the first post on how to actually play this game instead of inserting a random picture that had nothing to do with it. Thanks. And since I'm here... Indi sent me this link that she got from Allamorph. It fits Sabrina perfectly so I'm posting it. [CENTER][B]Sabrina[/B] [IMG]http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/funny-pictures-kitten-is-not-ready-for-bed-yet.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

This one reminds me of Gavin since he's such a Star Wars fan. [CENTER][B]Gavin[/B] [IMG]http://rayannecarr.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/funny-pictures-cat-pidgeons-star-wars.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

My first reaction to this post of yours when I read it was this picture that you used in a thread a while ago: [CENTER][IMG]http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2593/whutpd0.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] My next was... why not both? =P However, I'm thinking that I want to know the secrets that lie beneath the resort more since you can always poke Sabrina for posting about the other group again. Though I suppose the same could be said about me... only I posted last so I'm kind of stuck unless I edit and add more.

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]I don't expect you to sugarcoat things, but you're the Moderator for Anthology - it would be a good idea not to use the term "elitists" when referring to Members within your own forum. Seriously, we should be encouraging constructive criticism and participation rather than discouraging it.[/font][/QUOTE]I have to agree. For shame Allamorph, you should have been politically correct and simply said they weren't interested in reading other member's stories. Whether or not it's true is irrelevant. =P I do agree that the biggest issue is people don't have the time or interest to read and really critique someone's work. It doesn't help if what they post is the type of story you're not really interested in. If you take that into consideration, then even though I'd just do the delete and copy/paste deal. I'd just give the double posting bit a try and see what happens.

[quote name='vegeta rocker']They have seen what it would be like to have something better, those that have are now political prisoners.[/QUOTE]And quite a few of them were not put in jail. You said it yourself, many of them were deported out of the country. The way I see it now is that we disagree on the topic so don't you think we should give it a rest? You're not going to change my opinion and I don't expect you to change yours either.

This would be great to use when closing a thread where an argument got out of hand. But you guys have been[I] way [/I]too agreeable so I'll stuff it in here instead. =P Not that I'm complaining mind you. >_> [CENTER][IMG]http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/funny-pictures-mom-lion-yells-at-offspring.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[quote name='Indi'][COLOR="Indigo"]I'm not really into swimming, but once it became apparent that Michael Phelps was gunning for eight gold medals and doing a good job of it, I started following that progress. It's just been fun to watch that unfold. I've sort of watched other events, but that's the only area I've really kept up with.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]I've enjoyed watching that too. Unfortunately, other than that I didn't really get into the Olympics this time around. The schedule for when they've been broadcasting it here have been when I've had other things going on. Still seeing him get that eighth medal was sweet.

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]It looks like a movie made to make money off of a movie made to make money. I see nothing of value in this flick, less than I saw in the first Scorpion King.[/FONT][/QUOTE]Gotta love those pointless flicks they toss out in the hopes of making some more money. Never mind the fact that if they made something decent... they'd probably make a lot more of what they were after, money. I don't intend to see it since like Gavin pointed out, the trailer was less than inspiring.

[quote name='Indi'][COLOR="Indigo"]Well I wouldn't say that I could do it in my sleep, but I've played [B]Diablo II[/B] enough that the first level of difficulty is like a cakewalk. Once you've played on Nightmare and Hell... that first level is so easy that you just fly through it in no time. [/COLOR][/QUOTE]Same here, it's so absurdly easy that it's kind of amusing actually. Especially dealing with the major bosses, they just die so quickly that it doesn't seem real. Another game I can just about play in my sleep is [B]Ocarina of Time[/B]. It's the sort of game that once you know what to do, it can just fly by rather quickly. [B]Majora's Mask[/B] falls in that description too. There are a few spots that are tricky, but again, once you figure out the tactic, it's pretty easy to beat.

I like [B]SaiyanPrincessX[/B]'s banner. The colors and textures just come together really well. Even though the Joker figured dominantly in the movie, I like the total absence of him in the banner. I also like the play on the word Knight with the text in the description. So I vote for [B]SaiyanPrincessX[/B].

Actually when I think of Allamorph... this is what I see. >_> [CENTER][B]Allamorph[/B] [IMG]http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/funny-pictures-basement-cat-clw.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] When you look at Aaryanna's profile picture... I see this as her. [CENTER][B]Aaryanna[/B] [IMG]http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/funny-pictures-kitten-is-your-pocket-protector.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[quote name='vegeta rocker']You don't have to SEARCH for a reason to be upset...I mean China has deported it's own people who have been protesting the Olympics since 07. I am by no means saying my country is perfect (I'm American) but if your own country is protesting it than thats really pretty sad. Stephen Spielberg also pulled his support because of China's involvement with the Genocide in Darfur. Protesters even hung a large banner protesting the Olympics on the Great Wall of China; of course they were quickly and quietly deported.[/QUOTE]You left out part of what I said by the way: [quote]I get tired of that mentality of searching for a reason to be upset. [B]Not that it isn't [U]appropriate[/U] at times[/B][/quote]I still hold with the reasoning that people look for a reason to be upset. It's like a mental filter of only seeing the negative instead of [I]also[/I] seeing the positive in a situation. By allowing China to host the games it's forcing another layer of transparency on them around the world. It's also letting their citizens see what it can be like to be part of something better than what they currently have. I've said it before in this thread, other countries with horrible cases of cruelty have been allowed to host so I see no reason to deny China for similar reasons. I also don't subscribe to the [I]if your own country is protesting it must be sad[/I] deal either. In China's case, yes their protest is valid, but at the same time, that doesn't necessarily mean they shouldn't host the games.

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]Haha, yeah, I understood his meaning. :catgirl: What I meant was, he had no real point and was being dogmatic for the sake of argument, rather than making an attempt to actually debate the subject. Whether 60% or 20% of people are talking about the politics, the fact remains that a large number of people are discussing that subject. And, moreover, it has once again become dominant in this thread. Therefore, there is sufficient interest in the topic. Getting into specific numbers and ratios is splitting hairs to the point where it becomes purely argumentative and doesn't have much bearing on the topic itself. [/font][/QUOTE]I didn't see it that way, I saw it as him explaining why he saw no value in the discussion or rather one of the reason's why he saw no value. I don't see it as dogmatic if someone points out exactly why they think a topic is silly. That is just their opinion after all. By changing the focus in that manner, it became more prevalent in the thread where before it was not. That's pretty common in local politics when it comes to debating a decision or considering a topic for discussion, if there isn't enough consensus then the request for it to be considered is dismissed. This isn't that kind of deal, but I can see the logic behind not wishing to go in depth over something that we don't consider an issue. Or the logic of looking at the numbers to measure interest.

[CENTER][B]Dance of the Living Dead[/B][/CENTER] Though it was different this time, it still felt odd to be deliberately splitting up. All sorts of what ifs were running through Alex?s mind as he followed close behind Nathan who was getting directions from Lucia.[I] What if one of the vampires knew magic like the Count had? What if??[/I] He crushed that line of thinking and focused on what he could sense instead. There was little to be gained by worrying over things he could not change. He needed to trust what Nathan had said about them having an advantage on account of knowing more about what they were getting into. Alex didn?t really care for dealing with the humans as well and yet at the same time, if Nathan and Chris thought it was necessary, then it would be better to trust their advice and sort it out later. Something about them had felt off and he wondered if that was a result of them having been fed upon. Alex just dealt with any human they encountered and kept his mouth shut. He made a mental note to ask Nathan about it when they were done dealing with the vampires though. ?[B]There are four of them in the room where the passage leading to the lower caverns is located. I?ll contact you again once you?ve dealt with them.[/B]? Alex was surprised to realize that an image of Lucia or rather transmission of her was on the little screen. He hadn?t realized that the devices were capable of that kind of communication. [I]Interesting. [/I] ?[B]Right.[/B]? Nathan responded shortly before turning the screen off and then tucking the little device into his clothing. Alex didn?t need Nathan or anyone to say anything; he could already tell that the four waiting in the room were vampires. He looked to Nathan who was standing at ease. ?[B]Just follow my lead.[/B]? Nathan said with a grin before heading for the door at the end of the hallway. Alex nodded and followed along as Nathan actually opened the door and strode into the room as if he was expected. He seemed to be ignoring the vampires lounging on the dual sofas of what appeared to be a study as he made for the next door. [I]What the hell? [/I]It was a tossup as to who was the most surprised by his actions, Alex or the four vampires who cursed as they scrambled to their feet and moved to block their path. Alex tensed and stopped, his hands coming up in a defensive posture. The first vampire started to say something but was interrupted when Nathan spoke up. It was clear to Alex that Nathan?s unperturbed stance was confusing the vampires. Alex knew what they were supposed to be doing and even he was confused.[I] What is he doing?[/I] Nathan stopped and looked directly at the closest vampire as if seeing him for the first time. ?[B]Oh? Hi there. Nice night isn?t it?[/B]? Before any of them could respond to that odd statement Nathan?s right hand suddenly shot forward with blinding speed into the throat of the closest vampire, tearing right through it. For one horrified moment everyone just stared at one another as Nathan pulled his hand free and the vampire collapsed in a heap on the floor. A howl of rage erupted from the remaining three as they rushed Nathan. He sidestepped to the right as he pulled free his scythe to block the blows of the closest two. The third vampire rushed through the spot where Nathan had just been to attack Alex instead. Alex braced himself for it and then blocked the swing heading for his chest. The vampire?s fist slammed into his left arm and then pulled back a bit as he swung with his other arm to hit up higher. Alex caught his left wrist instead. He stepped backwards pulling sharply before letting go, causing the vampire to stumble a bit. Before the vampire could recover he stepped forward, bringing his left arm up to drive his elbow into the vampire?s throat. He reeled backwards, clutching at his throat as he coughed. Out of the corner of his eye Alex could see Nathan dealing with the other two vampires. One was picking himself up off the floor while the other had an odd expression on his face as Alex saw Nathan literally gut the one standing by bringing his scythe up in a wicked arch that ripped him open from the navel up. Alex tuned out the scream of pain that ended in a gurgle as Nathan then ran a tiny concentrated burst of the purifying flames into the vampire?s chest where the soul sac was probably located. A second later the vampire collapsed. Alex delivered several more blows with his fists to the one he was fighting, sending the vampire reeling even more. He moved to follow up with a kick to send the vampire flying but missed when the guy managed to barely dodge it and instead land a blow on his right side that caused him stumble a bit. He didn?t get to see how Nathan dealt with the third vampire; he was too busy fighting the one he was dealing with. A moment later and he got the opening he needed to end the fight. The vampire launched a punch that was just a tad too hard. Alex slipped under it and brought his hands up to slam them into the vampire?s chest. At the same time he focused his energy like Nathan had taught him. Sending it forward to burn a hole straight through the vampire?s chest. Alex pulled free as the vampire staggered back a step before falling to the floor. The aura that he had become accustomed to sensing, that sense of having cheated death faded. He knew even as he turned to see what Nathan was doing that the fight was over. He hadn?t thought about it before, but now he could see a use for being able to sense vampires better. There would be no mistake about knowing if you had dealt with them, or if someone you were working with had done so. Nathan was already opening up the door that lead to a set of stairs heading down beneath the resort. He had a half grin of amusement on his face as he looked briefly to make sure Alex was following along before he started down the stairs.

[quote name='Nerdsy'][color=deeppink]It's been seven and a half years and I [i]still[/i] come here.[/color][/QUOTE]If this was a contest... I'd say you just won. =P Anyway, probably my biggest quirk is that I have to practice when I get up in the morning. If I don't, it just throws my entire day out of whack. I've tried taking a day off but it just bugs me all day long that I didn't practice. It's good in the sense that it's gotten me through school, but at the same time, whenever I'm sick... I feel like I'm going crazy if I can't do stuff. The other thing I tend to do is be very organized. I like having all my cd's and everything nicely in order. It's just so much easier to find a disk when it's where it should be. At the same time... I don't care if the rest of the place outside my things is a bit messy, just my own shelves and room have to be in order.

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]Yeah, this makes sense. Some of your earlier comments gave an entirely different implication though - and I felt that was worth addressing. But on this point, we definitely agree. :catgirl:[/font][/QUOTE]That's why I clarified what I meant. It's too easy to misread or not understand what I mean, especially when I could have been clearer to begin with. [quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]Asking the question "Should China have been made host of the 2008 Olympics?" is not a silly question. It's a fair question and it's one that [i]someone[/i] should probably be asking. Just because an event is in progress doesn't mean people can't question the motivations or lead up to the choice itself. A topic doesn't suddenly become untouchable simply because the event itself is passing, lol.[/font][/QUOTE]I don't think anyone is actually saying that. More that we're saying the choice was made and we're fine with it. People can object and move that such a thing never happen again. I'm just not going to agree with it since I had no real issues with a place like China being allowed to host the games.[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]That isn't even worth debating - what is "confounding variables" supposed to mean? lol[/font][/QUOTE]I wasn't the one who brought this up, but it's pretty simple or I think it is. He was referring to the math or percentage of people actually discussing the original topic. There were posts that had nothing to do with the OP's question. So therefore...the variables (in this case the number of replies) don't accurately reflect the interest in the topic at hand. So though you may have 40 replies, perhaps only 50% of them even discuss the actual topic. So at a glance it looks like a lot of people are interested, but you get in and read the thread only to find that there is stuff that is unrelated to the topic. So saying, it's getting attention because the thread has "this" many replies isn't a true picture. He just summed it up in only a few words by putting it like that. Though even if there were only two people discussing it, that's important enough right there. A topic doesn't have to have a lot of responses by different members to be interesting. After all, people love to lurk and read without taking the time to actually comment.

[quote name='Hisamtsu;819653]:animesigh Ok look just try and forget about what happened in Beijing and try to be happy that we won some of the compitions.[/QUOTE]Don't worry about it Hisamtsu, we enjoy having drawn out discussions here. At least I think we do. ;) Anyway...[QUOTE=Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]If the thread topic is China's government and its flaws, then the title should not merely be The Olympics, but perhaps The Olympics: Why China Should Not Have Hosted. Also, I view the practicality of debating China's right to host at this point in time as very low. If we already have four finalist cities for the games eight years from now, and the current games are already ongoing, is there really a point in raising a stink? Shouldn't that have been done back in 2000, when it might have done something?[/FONT][/QUOTE]Or perhaps the question should be just how does one decide when a country [I]shouldn't[/I] be allowed to host. Or like in the case of Germany... when do you stop looking at past horrors when making decisions on who should be able to. Or how current events tie in. I think that one is more tricky since locations are decided years in advance. Also, like you've said here Allamorph, it's kind of a moot point when it comes to China. The decision was made quite some time ago. So wouldn't a better objection be one of stricter rules as to what's allowed in regards to the hosting country? My understanding is that other than to apply, China had no say whatsoever in who was chosen. It was done by a process of voting after they went through all the steps necessary to be considered. Plus a quick look at the IOC web site shows: [INDENT]The host city is elected by a majority of those voting, and each active member has one vote. Members who are nationals of the countries which have a candidate city taking part in the election must refrain from voting for as long as their city is in contention.[/INDENT] And yes I know all about bribery issues when it comes to that sort of thing. >_> Anyway, where do we draw the line? After all, what happened in Germany was pretty horrible and yet they still hosted the games.

[quote name='Lunar'][COLOR="Navy"]Rach, Wal-Mart is awesome! Thrift stores rule! Yup, I've realized I'm cheap, the horror of it all................:animedepr. I don't mean to pry, but drizzt, it's "there" not "their." still working on my correcting people, forgive me.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]Meh? All I'm saying is look around. I often take advantage of clearance sales since even places that charge a little more are affordable when that happens. I just find the best price for what I want and that includes more than shopping at Wal-Mart.

Instead of quoting and replying to everything James I?ll just say that Sabrina explained it best. I think the Olympics are not the best platform for addressing the very real concerns that China faces. I see it as protesting about say a parking law on a person?s driveway instead of going to the government that makes the law. I?m not trying to trivialize or dismiss the concerns, I just think that protesting the Olympics isn?t the best avenue for it. A lot of good comes from something like the Olympics so I think denying it over those type of problems is not a course of action that will make a real difference. I see it the other way, it's something that can be good for the country. So yes I see it as silly, since I think it's the wrong place to protest, not that the protest or actual problem is silly, make sense? There is a time and a place for protests and in my opinion, the Olympics is not the place for it.

[quote name='James;819601][font=franklin gothic medium]As much as I think it's fair to just talk about this event in terms of the sport, I do find it kind of strange to call the controversy a "silly fuss".[/font][/QUOTE]Understandable, I find it strange that people are getting upset in the first place, mainly because we dealt with the scandal of bribery when the Olympics were here in Utah. So I find it silly in the sense that the Olympics are meant to be an event that all countries can be a part of. What's the point in having it if you punish all citizens of a country because their government has hang ups? [QUOTE=James'][font=franklin gothic medium]It just kind of reminds me how comfortable most of us are where we live. You know, because we can easily afford to dismiss the horrors of the world when it suits us. I suppose we could always just say "well, every country has had some bad blood in its history" (as if it's all totally comparative anyway) and be done with it. I mean, that's mostly what [i]does[/i] happen I guess. It's sort of sad.[/font][/QUOTE]That sounds like your saying that since I'm not taking the protest seriously, I'm just dismissing the horrors in the world... say what? Since when did not being bothered by the Olympics being hosted in China equal I find their past history acceptable? Am I suppose to always hold a grudge against China? Personally I think people are so hung up on the atrocities that have happened over there to realize that by allowing them to host the Olympics there, they're extending that "olive branch" as it were. Opening the place up to quite a bit of scrutiny. It's also a big step for them to allow so much about them to be aired around the world. [quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]It's also sort of funny that everyone is ignoring the political component even though vegeta rocker's entire premise for this thread revolved around the politics of awarding the games to China. So we've actually diverted from the thread's original purpose anyway. But, I digress (and threads are allowed to as well!) :catgirl:[/font][/QUOTE]Ignoring it? No, we just don't agree that it's as big of a tragedy as some people think it is. Malkav said it best, it's common history to ignore the problems of the host country. Not permanently since I'm not likely to ever forget what happened in Germany. But I think it would be wrong to keep holding that over someone's head. Otherwise all that bribery here would have sent the Olympics elsewhere, yeah that makes sense, punish everyone for the actions of a few.

Here's a fun one... I know Raiha will probably laugh at it the most. =P [IMG]http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/9564/laserscopewy7.jpg[/IMG]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I mean Jesus why can't people just joke around anymore? Does everyone have to subscribe to this self victimizing, whiney, I'M OFFENDED nonsense?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]It's like the new mantra these days... no matter what it is... you must find some reason to be upset or offended! OMG! It's in China! They're so bad! [/sarcasm] I get tired of that mentality of searching for a reason to be upset. Not that it isn't appropriate at times, but nine times out of ten, it's just someone getting worked up for no good reason.

Looks like someone was too busy freaking out a bit to even see how the other two fought. =P But hey, I can understand... writing action scenes can be kind of a pain to do. Believe me I know. >_> So focusing only on your own character's part works. Anyway, toasted vampire... nice. Heh. So that makes me next... I have been working on a post but I've never done hand to hand combat writing before so it's giving me a little trouble. I'll try to get it up later tonight or tomorrow though. Oh and before I forget... [SIZE="1"][I]*pokes Sabrina for actually using a swearword in her post*[/I][/SIZE]

[quote name='Korey][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"']*Ignores the politicial talk about China*[/FONT][/quote]It's [B]political[/B] by the way. =P Anyway, I'm going to do the same, ignore all the silly fuss over what country it's in. Seriously, that would be like the pot calling the kettle black since no one is free of shady things that have happened in their country. I've simply been enjoying what few events I've had time to watch. I know so far some of the swimming events have been my favorites. That and some of the gymnastics. I'll probably watch some more tonight. It just depends on whether or not it's a repeat or not since they've been doing that.

That sounds more like being in an abusive relationship that isn't worth the trouble than love MaskedRider. It also sounds like... "I'm a doormat, come step on me again, you missed a spot." Seriously, if you really think that's love... Then in my opinion, you've got a lot to learn since that isn't it. Not by a long shot. There's another word for it, but it eludes me at the moment, well other than I know love isn't it.