Ben

Whenever I try to do Basic Brawl or Team Brawl with anybody other than friends, like, when I just enter a queue for Brawling, I never get any matches going. I'll wait five minutes, and there will still be no opponents. Pounding Sandbag is amusing for a bit, but it's getting old fast. :p Is this normal? Does anybody else get ridiculous wait times also? Or is there something that makes this happen such as slow connection speed?

Terribly sorry, everyone! I've had work and school back to back every day this week and didn't have a moment to get online. >_< How embarrassing....to be disqualified even before writing a poem. -.-

Note to the community: Just got Brawl. :D Don't know my friend code yet, though, and haven't tried online play yet. Still battling my way through the Subspace Emissary. I'll be sure to comment plenty in this thread on my progress (or lack thereof) and let you all know when I figure out my online play situation. :p

[QUOTE]What is your opinion on military service? Would you ever serve in your military? What's your opinion on the military?[/QUOTE] I'm all for military service, as a means of protecting our own country and our allies' countries. I'm not a big fan of pre-emptive strikes against other nations except where the threat is open and obvious. I'd serve in my military, but solely for the educational and monetary benefits. Military service doesn't really appeal to me in any other way. I don't have an especially strong sense of patriotism (ethnocentrism maybe, but not patriotism) to make me believe that it's a worthwhile thing to do, but the thought of free education and pay while I'm learning is very appealing. My parents have three children in college at the moment (me being the 3rd) another in a private high school, and a 5th child with special needs. That's a lot of money to be shelling out. Obviously, we three oldest work to help pay for school, but it's still difficult to make ends meet. I have no desire to kill anybody, either. I'd very much prefer a job such as the one Zen has: necessary, but not combat-related. Maybe if I were to get an assignment like that, my girlfriend wouldn't be so dead-set against ANY thoughts of me joining the military. :p

I'll participate also. =) No guarantees on anything spectacular, though. :p

This next poem doesn't have a title as of yet, and it's a very. [I]very[/I] rough draft. I'm not even sure what I was thinking with the placement of some of the lines and stuff. :p As before, feel free to comment and criticize and...whatever else you want to do. But above all, please post something! =D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The curl of your lips With your hands on your hips. I can't understand Just why you can't see It's perfect. It lights up your face. Features fall into place. To display all the best Featured above your chest It's perfect. When you smile it's a sign That things are just fine It's what I like to see It's what I want you to be No others compare When I see it I stare I don't even realize Until I see your eyes staring back at me. You look and say "What?" I say "Nothing" but What I mean is "Wow" 'Cause when you smile you look perfect.

[CENTER]Marionette Full of evil Swinging your hammer Energetic and proud Puppetmon[/CENTER]

I don't mind the input at all! In fact, I appreciate it! ^__^ I think they're great suggestions, and I will definitely consider them. You're completely right about "or around," it really doesn't need to be there, and it does flow nicer without it. I'm [I]not[/I] as comfortable getting rid of "on," though, in the second part. I agree that it seems superfluous, but I don't think it would read as well rhythmically. "The river may grow smaller It may float up from the ground. But rest assured, with some time, It will rain back down." It just seems like it's too short at the end. The other three lines have 7 syllables, and with "on" the last is 6, but without it's only 5. I'm not huge on counting syllables and meter and stuff, but the 6 just sounds better than the 5 to me. Maybe I could use another word there instead, or rephrase it a bit... I also agree that "toe" was VERY awkward there. I [I]wanted[/I] "toes," but as you noticed, it makes the last line awkward. And I'd like to change the last line to sync up better with "toes," but I'm not sure your suggestion is the way to do it..."just" seems too sharp a sound to put in there. What do you think of "It seems your lover glows?" in place of that line? As for the last suggestion you made, I think "for you" fits just fine. In the fourth and final verses, there are references to multiple fires, and I think the "for you" makes it clearer what fire exactly the speaker is talking about. Hmmm...actually, I think a few other adjustments would make dropping the "for you" work without sacrificing understanding. I could just get rid of the references to multiple fires. :p I'ma go edit the post with the revisions. Thanks a LOT for the input! :D

I'm kind of curious too, to see how Shino will handle an opponent like that. Maybe he has some new kind of bugs, or some sort of new technique that will force Tobi into tangibility. Regardless of how he does it, I'm sure it will be a fine read. Shino plans his moves very carefully and very well in advance. Like Shikamaru, he can find many unanticipated ways to defeat opponents. He's also one of my favorite characters, so I'm hoping to see some fireworks, and not a signed death warrant. :p

Tomorrow I'll probably sleep in and go to the 11:00 Mass (I normally go at 8:30, to have more time to do stuff during the day) with my family. Afterwards, family and friends will stick around to attend my nephew's Baptism, which will take place after the Mass. After that, we'll all head to my grandparents' house for a reception that will probably last most of the rest of the day. :p My girlfriend isn't Catholic, so she won't be around for the Mass or the Baptism, but she'll be coming over for the reception afterwards to spend time with me. ^__^

Over the past few months I've written a few poems. Most of them are written for, or to, my girlfriend, or about love in general. They're really sappy, for the most part, so if you're into that sort of thing, enjoy. If not, feel free to mock me without measure. :p I'm only going to post a couple at a time, so as not to create too gigantic a post, but also so I can get feedback on each as I post them. And by all means, please leave feedback, positive or constructive. I'm always glad to receive help. :animeswea [B]Water[/B] Our love is like a river, Peaceful and deep Though it winds and it eddies, To a course it keeps. No matter the obstacle, No matter the foil, We make it through, Our love still unspoiled. Rivers change as they flow, They widen and shrink, Grow deeper, get shallow, Love's like that, I think. As time goes on, Like the river love flows. Though things may change, On and on it still goes. The river may grow smaller It may float up from the ground. But rest assured, with some time, It will rain back on down. (Yes, the first line is paraphrased from N'sync's [I]God Must Have Spent A Little More Time on You[/I]. So sue me. Or...um...don't. >_>") I'm not as pleased with this next one. It seems inconsistent. Like some of it is pure cheesiness and some of it is trying to be an actual poem. [B]Fire[/B] Love is like a fire, It can comfort, it can burn. Provide warmth for the heart, Or make you writhe and yearn. Love can make you warm, Right down to your toes, It fills you up with joy; It seems your lover glows. But fire also burns, As love can scar the heart. It's like something in your chest, An ever-flaming dart. To find the fire that's right, To find the love that's true, You need to find a person, Who's comfortable with you. If you're too hot for them, Or they're too cool for you, Things may not work out. Be sure to think it through! The fire of love is tricky, Sort of like the weather. But if you find the fire, You'll treasure it forever.

"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished."

I went to see this movie twice in theaters, once with my cousin, and another time with my girlfriend. Then I went and downloaded the soundtrack on my Ruckus player and listened to it a few dozen times. Needless to say, I enjoyed the movie. :p I had seen trailers online long before it actually came out, and each one made me want to see the movie more and more. I'd only heard the briefest of comments about the play before seeing the trailer, but a number of things drew me to the movie: [LIST] [*]Johnny Depp [*]Tim Burton [*]Musical [*]Dark themes [/LIST] I find myself singing "A Little Priest" to myself when I'm at work, and I feel a surge of delight inside whenever I hear the lyrics about the actor arriving overdone. :D

I'm in the midst of several different animes right now. I've [strike]downloaded[/strike] obtained in a perfectly legal manner 20-something episodes of Code Geass and Escaflowne, both of which I enjoyed thoroughly. I've watched a few more of each on youtube, but I'd like to have them in my possession for continued viewing later on. I'm also watching Naruto Shippuden when it updates, but my feelings on it are kind of here and there. I think it's better watched one episode after another, as scenes sometimes have a tendency to drag on. :p With Code Geass and Escaflowne, though, each episode has its own merits; it's not just building up towards a big finish down the line.

My friend bought me the [URL="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31TmYsNLqzL._AA280_.jpg"]head-eating cap[/URL] that Naruto wears when he sleeps. ^_^ I was surprised to find that it was actually quite fuzzy and comfortable. I'd expected it to be itchy. :p