Charles

[quote name='Daermon_Nashabe']Hopefully his predictions are correct and you think it is likely.[/quote] The cruiserweight prediction isn't likely. WWE has been billing Nunzio as the number one contender for the cruiserweight title. Unless the match takes place on a regular broadcast of SmackDown! and a program between Rey and Chavo is rushed together, I don't see it happening.

I've never ordered a SmackDown! brand pay per view and that's not going to change with Judgement Day. After paying fifty dollars for Wrestlemania XX, I simply don't feel like handing my money over to the WWE and cable company for nothing. The main even push of John Bradshaw Layfield is the worse headlining program since Hardcore Holly's angle with Brock Lesnar (although, to be fair, Bradshaw isn't nearly as terrible as Holly). Pushing a mid carder out of the blue without really establishing him just doesn't cut the mustard. Especially when it's because he chased a bunch of Mexicans away from the border. What racist tripe. If the situation were to be switched and Bradshaw was wrestling Undertaker whilst Booker T was wrestling Guerro, I would probably be inclined to at least consider ordering. The other matches don't fare so well either. Why would I want to see The Undertaker squash Booker T? Or Dupree vs. Cena when I'm not completely convinced he can put on a quality singles match? No thanks, I'll sit this one out.

[size=2]I'm a fan huge TS Elliot's[i]The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,. [/i]so naturally I'm happy to see a spin on his work. Your take on it has somehow managed to take on a more melancholy tone than the original, which was depressing to be sure, but with comedic overtones (such as his balding with age). Here there's a fleeting sense of reconciliation and perhaps redemption we're only able to flirt with for a brief instant due to the short nature of your piece. If you were to truly expand on it and make it your own, I'm sure we could find a bit more of the emotional sensibility so prominent in Elliot's. Perhaps I'll try one of these eventually as well. I just love this piece so much. [/size]

Here are some new scans I saw floating around. They effectively show the intense realism of the engine's facial expressions. The nice touch is that they're subtle and not over exaggerated. The braided hair even looks wonderful. I've also always been fond of the architecture in this game and we get to see a bit more of that here (although a lot of the locales, you've probably seen before in the released media). [url="http://2ch.jpn21.net/Imgboard/01/data/img20040423201529.jpg"]http://2ch.jpn21.net/Imgboard/01/data/img20040423201529.jpg[/url] [url="http://2ch.jpn21.net/Imgboard/01/data/img20040423201554.jpg"]http://2ch.jpn21.net/Imgboard/01/data/img20040423201554.jpg[/url] [url="http://2ch.jpn21.net/Imgboard/01/data/img20040423201612.jpg"]http://2ch.jpn21.net/Imgboard/01/data/img20040423201612.jpg[/url]

Well, Capcom recently announced that Viewtiful Joe 2 for the GameCube has been in development since last summer and will release on GameCube and Playstation 2 this winter. Besides allowing you to play as Silvia from the beginning of the game and talk of co-op play (which Atsushi Inaba said will add a lot of depth in terms of combos), Gamespot reported the following additions: [quote][b]Besides having 40 new types of enemies, the sequel will also span several new environments, including a jungle, underground ruins, ancient Japan, snowy mountains and outer space. Joe's Six Machine will get new transformational powers that will let it turn into a racer, cannon, drill or submarine during different stages of the game. The caped hero will also receive a new VFX power, "Replay," which will let him triple the effect of attacks or power-ups.[/b][/quote]So, there you have it. The original was a blast and the second won't do away with the hardcore difficulty entirely. Thus, I look at this sequel as a nice evolution of one of the best old school games in recent memory. I've attached some scans that show Devil May Cry's Dante (who appears to have mistaken Silvia for Trish?) among other things. The quality isn't wonderful, so I'm not sure if they show the PS2 version of Viewtiful Joe in there too. But, this should give everyone an idea of the things to come until we can get better images. Edit: I couldn't attach them all, so here are links to the others. [url="http://sungame.mods.jp/photos/JOE/JOE_06.jpg"]http://sungame.mods.jp/photos/JOE/JOE_06.jpg[/url] [url="http://sungame.mods.jp/photos/JOE/JOE_01.jpg"]http://sungame.mods.jp/photos/JOE/JOE_01.jpg[/url] [url="http://sungame.mods.jp/photos/JOE/JOE_05.jpg"]http://sungame.mods.jp/photos/JOE/JOE_05.jpg[/url]

[spoiler]I think those of you complaining about the length of the final battle between Beatrix and Bill are misunderstanding a few key points. First and foremost, the encounter was of an entirely different nature than the others. The swordplay, for the most part, was psychological. The rapport of the characters was complicated, fueled by a stilted love, feelings of betrayal, frustration and bitterness. So, just in their wordplay alone, the two were exchanging blows in a sense. The Bride being forced to concede that she didn't believe her new life would have been successful and Bill using their daughter as a playing card are good examples. And, Bill coming to terms with the fact that it wasn't about whether or not Beatrix's newly adopted lifestyle would have been personally self-fulfilling or not considering her nature. His realization that her decision was fueled by something more important, their child, was probably a crushing emotional blow. An obvious fact his own self-centeredness had probably blinded him to. So, I definitely think the emotional intensity of the situation was terrific. Although foreshadowing made the outcome somewhat predictable, I simply loved the verbal salvo. All in all, I can understand why Volume 2's action was more subdued. Remember, this is literally a direct extension of Volume 1--they were intended to be one movie until a very late phase in the production process. You know, so that the movie could have more showings and garner more money. With that in mind, I think it would have been a bit overwhelming if the second half of the movie had been as battle-intensive as the first. As it stands now, the film is fairly balanced.[/spoiler]

I really don't know exactly what this is nor can I find a point to it. You're complaining about an anime to an anonymous audience by writing a letter composed of short stories. So what? You're all over the place here. Do you want the stories to be critiqued? Do you want to talk about the anime? I suggest organizing your ideas in a more presentable and clear form. If you want to write short stories, use the Literature forum. If you want to talk about the anime, discuss it in the appropriate place in Anime Lounge. I admire your attempt to be unique, but this thread has an identity crisis and the barrage of information mashed together doesn?t constitute a legible discussion.

[font=Verdana][size=2]First of all, we aren't Nazis who strictly force members to toil over "really long posts" just for the sake of doing so. Obviously, as long as you're making an effort to put real thought into what you're trying to say in relevance to the discussion, s'all good. Succinct opinions can be just as valuable, if not more so, than hopelessly long-winded ones. We just like our members to elaborate on their opinions--common sense stuff, right? :)[/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=2]Excuse my rudeness darkkikyo--welcome to Otakuboards. I just had to clarify that point. [/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=2]At one time we did have an introduction forum, but we no longer do because, well, we don't permit introduction threads. We find that it's more desirable to learn about our members through their participation in various discussions and the innovative integration of the myOtaku service.[/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=2]Have fun, darkikyo and I look forward to reading your poetry.[/size][/font]

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']There's only two things that will get me to purchase this game (besides watching my friends play it and liking it myself): being able to have Bowser as a full-time party member, or the game getting 9.5/10 or higher reviews from damn near every reviewer out there. I wasn't too thrilled with Paper Mario (character design and the ridiculously easy battle system had a lot to do with it), and I'm not sure how much of a deviation from that this game will turn out to be. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty huge Mario fan, but I care more about visual appeal than most other people, and this game doesn't do it for me.[/quote]It's disappointing that reviews weigh so heavily on a game's value for you. Although they are useful tool for guidance, I'd hardly say I need a bunch of numbers to validate a game's worth for me. I also fall into disagreement with your gripes concerning the character design. Don't get me wrong, it's your opinion and that's fine, but I've always considered the quirky character designs and abundant personality in the drawings a major selling point for this series. Those traits are infinitely more valuable to me than the amount of polygons being thrown around--especially in this genre. But, that's moot considering how I personally find the game's unique design artistically more appealing than a lot of the "technically advanced" stuff out there. Again, just a matter of taste, I suppose. At least your opinion is different.

Well, here are some new Paper Mario screens. You'll notice a new party member here. I'm not sure I love the design for the new character, but she's somewhat unique-looking, I suppose. I also love the facial expressions of the enemies when sustaining damage during battles (and especially the panic stricken look of that yellow creature). g[/img]

That's quite an impressive list you have there Gendou. :) Unfortunately, I just don't see the point of merely listing your belongings and calling it a thread. 'Know what I mean? But, you know, you're free to use the Literature forum if you want to host in-depth discussions on the books you've mentioned. And Anime Lounge would be a terrific spot for you to discuss your movies. Just put the appropriate amount of effort into developing your thoughts and you should be fine. Private message the respective moderators of those forums if you have any questions. They'll be glad to help you.

What's the deal with these "bored" threads? This is the second one I've dealt with tonight. Instead of creating pointless discussions on OtakuBoards you should channel your energy and create clearly thought out, cohesive discussions. Let's be realistic here, you're not going to happen upon a satisfying and enjoyable discussion on here by falling into the habit o fputting up threads with no substance. Challenge yourself a bit. Up the quality value. What I see here is simply myOtaku or AIM fodder, not appropriate content for the forums. Let's keep that distinction in mind from now on.

[QUOTE=Hells Fire][b]How did you learn about sex? If someone told you then who? Did you want to learn?[/b] [b]I feel that today my generation is learning from TV or school about sex. Most peoples families avoid talking about it, and don't enjoy talking about it. My family is different. They encourage the your interest and make you into little sex machine at the young age of 12.[/b] [b]Today my dad took my little sister to the zoo and I already knew what was going to happen. He always arranges with the zoo manager to set up a little viewing in the Spring when the animals will be in heat. Then he lets the animals do the rest, while he holds your eyes open and makes you watch the animals go at it. He enjoys it so much. [/b][/quote]I thought this was strange. Yes, your father's morbid fetish for animal sex was most peculiar, but people have produced stranger material on the Internet. [center][img]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:W_qPzqZSSasJ:eastcoastbilliards.com/chimp.gif[/img][/center] I let it slide. After all, the subtleties of the Discover Channel may not be enough to whet one's appetite for animal porn. Nothing, however, could prepare me for this: [quote][b]My mom has a equally vicious way and no its not the birds and the bees. She will unlock the premium channels and let curiosity take over. The instant I changed to Playboy my mom would know and come down and make you watch hours upon hours with her.[/b][/QUOTE][i]This [/i]is terminally disturbing and would probably have a negative effect on my sexualaity. To address the topic, I first learned about sex in elementary school. They didn't waste any time explaining to us, in vivid detail, the reproduction process. It wasn't freaky monkey sex, but it sufficed. heh Television and peers were both useful tools for learning about sex as well, and helped me avoid any uncomfortable conversations with adult family members.

[center][img]http://www.humorbg.com/Karikaturi/animals/yourself.jpg[/img][/center] [left]You'll always be short as long as the weight of your own insecurities burden you down. The limitations of physical height have nothing to do with how tall you're capable of standing.[/left] [left]There are many things that make us who were are. Height is just one of them. There are a multitude of other characteristics that make you, well, [i]you[/i]. If you spend your life trying to be this or that you'll never do a good job of being yourself. You'll just be a hack.[/left] [left]Look, I know you're an eleven year old kid and a lot of this may not make sense right now, but if you believe in yourself and have confidence, people will notice you for who you already are. You won't need another inch to stand above the crowd. [/left] [left]If you're good at sports--play sports (although I suppose basketball is out of the question for now). If you can sing well, sing. Is art your thing? Become involved with that. You're at that age where you have to find your niche, that's all. The right people will notice you if you want them to.[/left] [left]But, [i]anyway[/i], just in case that sounded like it belonged wrapped inside a lame fortune cookie, I'll give you an immediately satisfying answer: You'll grow more. You still have a ways to go. ReFlux does make a valid point there despite the mild protest. heh[/left]

[QUOTE=Semjaza Azazel] ED sold something like 100,000 copies in the US. [/QUOTE]It sold closer to 300,000, which is still obviously a disappointment. Anyway, your explanation makes sense, although I find it suspect that the company would bail [i]now[/i] as a result of poor sales after releasing only one original game two years ago. :drunk: This is especially true considering they're the only UK based developer to collaborate so closely with Nintendo since Rare. So, I doubt they would have been in much financial trouble heading up some of Nintendo's popular franchises, as the aforementioned company had done. :shrug: As for Factor 5--I wouldn't miss them if I only had a GameCube in my living room. After they dropped the ball with their latest Star Wars title, I'm a bit skeptical of their ability to move forward and release anything noteworthy anytime in the immediate future.

[font=Arial][size=2][quote][b]IGNcube today learned that Canada-based development studio Silicon Knights has ended its second-party status with Nintendo Co. Ltd. The company will effective immediately be allowed to develop software for multiple consoles including Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation platforms. [/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Arial]Though no official reason was given for the decision, IGNcube speculates that the philosophies of the two companies did not mesh. Silicon Knights has always been a very content-driven studio with strong beliefs in the elements of game creation including story, artistry, sound, and technology. [url="http://cube.ign.com/articles/506/506189p1.html#"]Nintendo[/url] has recently downplayed the role of technology in game creation and has been known to de-emphasize story, graphics and sound in favor of classic play mechanics. [/font][/b] [b][font=Arial][size=2]"Silicon Knights and Nintendo have agreed to mutually part ways," Silicon Knights' president Denis Dyack told IGNcube. [/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Arial][size=2]"Nintendo and Silicon Knights have reached an agreement allowing Silicon Knights to pursue its vision of [url="http://cube.ign.com/articles/506/506189p1.html#"]videogame[/url] entertainment with other companies," said a Nintendo of America spokesperson. "Nintendo respects the creative work of Silicon Knights and the parties have left the door open to work on future projects that meet the creative vision of both companies." [/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Arial][size=2]Asked if today's news meant Silicon Knights would not continue to develop for Nintendo platforms, Denis Dyack said: "No it doesn't. It's possible that we may do another game with Nintendo, actually. It just means that we've decided to break our exclusivity with Nintendo." [/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Arial][size=2]Dyack confirmed that Silicon Knights is now fully able to develop for competing consoles as well. [/size][/font][/b] [b][font=Arial][size=2]An official announcement from Nintendo is expected in the coming weeks.[/b][/quote][/size][/font] If this isn't big gaming news, I don't know what is. On one hand, and of important note, the relationship didn't meet a messy break, as we've seen in the past. So, Silicon Knights won?t completely abandon the platform. But, this news is a shame on some level. I associated Silicon Knights with the Rare of the mid-nineties, in that I expected valuable high quality exclusive games from them once they really got rolling. I also exptected their close relationship to yield SK developed Nintendo properties. Not necessarily on the level of a rumored Zelda title from them, but you get the idea. As the article suggests though, their difference in philosophies prevented that. Because Eternal Darkness began as a Nintendo 64 title, and because of the rigid limitations placed on them during the development of Twin Snakes, I don?t think Nintendo was able to benefit from the exclusivity as much as they could have.

[b]I've decided to do one more because I had a sudden idea that I couldn't refuse. I did it in-between classes today and the result isn't too bad. I even like it better than my last although I still may do some more proofreading. [/b] [b]Ah well, bonus points for whoever knows where I got the name "Lucy."[/b] [center][b][u][color=seagreen]From the Archives: Lucy[/color][/u][/b][/center] It?s the middle of July and the day?s reserved peace has been pinched tender. Every other day there?s a parade on the prairie, it?s become customary, almost. So, what could have possibly motivated today?s marathon spectacle? Surely it?s a spectacular adventure only this make-shift entourage could invent. A clammy breath sighs through his patchwork jeans, invigorating the soupy seams and stitched-on insignias of baseball teams. His shirt is missing three buttons, but it?s just as well--he lets it hang free, flapping wildly, like a panicked pair of wings that could lift him up from the sun dappled ground at any given moment. Eventually the shoddy garments swell with the breeze until they expand and take on a rippled buoyancy, as if they?re filled with water. This unlikely beauty is complimented by auburn sun streaks jetting through his blonde mane. His foot feels heavy and tingly, he?d been sitting on it but moments ago. He loses one of his sandals and stumbles across the surrounding hilled landscape faster than his feet should physically allow him. In this infantile footrace, he refuses to pause for even but a moment, for it?s such a desperate time of need. Now he crashes through a series of hay bales; there?s an implosion that leaves the stringy substance flung all over. A feathery congregation of blue jays, somewhat shaken by the whole ordeal, look on disconcertedly before parting too, just for safety?s sake. The boy?s caregiver, an older series model named Lucy, shuffles behind in cautious pursuit with an unencumbered ease unique to the mechanical variety. In her arms, she delicately cradles a trembling ball of fluffy white fur. ?Henry,? she says, ?I can?t keep up with you. Slow down, Henry.? Laughter rocks the foundation of the stressed, wooden farm--an extreme rarity is this rustic dream world. Henry rushes past the farm?s wishing well, where happiness hangs on a rope; his brow furrows with hesitancy. Any hint of indecision floods from his face, along with half a dozen beads of sweat. He unfastens a belt from his waist with fumbling hands and tosses it over his right shoulder. It?s tattered, has an aged look to it. He scrambles back to the well. The sunlight ensnares his silhouette against the well-settled skyline. He whispers, tosses the belt into the pail, lowers it and watches it fade into the nothingness, vanishing like a wisp of smoke into the infinite void of the night. He says, ?C?mon, we?re almost there? and begins a straight sprint over the difficult terrain, his blazing robin-like chest, still puffing, exposed to the intense sun. Rustling of brush can be heard, and the edges of leaves giving way can be seen through the dense brush. As the trees peel back, and a look at this isolated area can be stolen, they enter. Their feet win a decisive victory over the emblazoned-yellow dandelion carpet. Dwarfed butterflies, once mimicking the pastoral arrangement flee in terror. Henry plays ruler, introducing the occupants of his rabbit hutch to their newest roommate. Lucy bends to one knee, extends her arms, and allows a white rabbit, whose leg had been carefully bandaged, to limp forth timidly and enter its new home. ?Careful,? Henry says. Henry says, ?This is going to be the best rabbit farm in the entire world, people from all over will come to see it.? Lucy?s underlying facial anatomy isn?t advanced enough to articulate a smile, so she merely nods in approval. ?Just remember Henry,? she says, ?Rabbits are good, but we need the cows for milk and the chickens for eggs. Everyone has their place.? ?I know, I know,? he says, still gesturing towards the rabbits, a terminal romantic lost in his dreams. Before the boy?s mother passed away and the faint light behind the big windows of her bedroom was extinguished for the final time, in her final hour, the incapacitated woman made sure to invest her life savings into her son?s future. While Lucy couldn?t mimic completely, the nature of human nurture, she could perform the physical labor necessary to maintain the farm. The place was in tatters, but she made it work. She was able to make use of pitchforks and shovels whose thoroughly destroyed handles had been splintered several times over. Lucy was even successful at teaching Henry arithmetic, and how to read; she could even play back recordings of the boy?s mother reciting bed-time stories on especially uncomfortable nights. Thus, they enjoyed a glint of happiness in the wake of the world?s despair, even much more. So everything is peaceful, almost normal. For a while. Then they come. Then so do the troubles of an unhinged society. Someone walks by. Someone with a bald head. The features can?t be thoroughly distinguished, behind the veiled shadows of the leafed drapery. As this uninvited figure continues down the winding path, light slowly filters into his inevitable destination. The increased light, obviously unnecessary at the day?s apex, brings forth the shadow of a torch in the man?s hand, as finally, he nears, and eventually reaches, the threshold of the path. He?s not alone. Florescent blue lighting lines the torched parade of some six men, and casts an eerie glow throughout the enclosed landscape. The only one without a torch peels off his shirt, presses it to his brow and sits down with a steady expressionless gaze . He's wearing perfectly white sneakers, but his socks are stained with filth. ?What are we going to do with it,? another says to no one in particular. ?I don?t know,? another says, ?I don?t know what we?re going to do with it.? The voice comes from the far end of the crowd, it?s low and crackling in the absence of water. Henry and Lucy stand in silence, the boy paralyzed in fear. He is far too bashful to make eye contact, so he scans the crowd. They?re carrying a bondage rack, someone is hung there. ?Got somethin? to drink,? the bald man says, ?Hey boy, I said, you got somethin? to drink anywhere nearby?? ?We?re dry,? Henry says. ?You got nothin??? the bald man says glaring with hawkish eyes. ?Dry,? Henry says. ?Well then,? says the seated man, now rising to his feet, ?We best ought to do what we came to do.? ?All right? another says, and spits. ?What?re you doing with this,? the bald man says, pointing towards Lucy. ?This is Lucy,? Henry says, ?She watches me and the farm.? ?She?? says one of the men, snorting laughter through kidney-shaped nostrils, ?He says it?s a ?she?.? ?He?s dumb? says another, becoming anxious against the scalding heat of the torch and the summer combined. A stone, propelled by the dint of hatred, strikes Lucy?s shoulder. And then her face. The darkest, thickest blood Henry has ever seen, oozes down her face, almost like a syrup. The boy turns his head sharply. ?Stop it!,? he says rushing at the men. ?What the hell are you doing,? the bald man says wrestling the child to the ground. Two barely conscious and extremely nauseous eyes look forward at the cause of all this grief, their pits burning with fiery hatred. As Lucy is being dragged away, her outer skin stained with a thick carmelite substance, blackened with burn marks and peeling away, she says absently, ?Remember to brush your teeth Henry.? ?She?s all I got,? Henry yells, writhing on the ground, ?She?s all I got!? ?Milk the cows before collecting the eggs,? she says as the distance between them grows, as she nears her final destination. ?This isn?t right,? Henry screams, trying to beat his arms, ?Stop it, she?s all I got!? Lucy plays a recording of Henry?s mother. ?I love you, she says, ?I love you? until he?s unable to hear her at all.

[quote name='slaney62']good idea!! :idea:[/quote]What in the world is this crap? I'm sorry, but there won't be any redirection to the rules at this point. I'm going straight for the ban with this one. This should serve as a reminder that our rules are mandatory reading and that one shouldn't show a total disregard for them in the first place. Because, if that effort wasn't there in the first place, I doubt it'll be there after a warning. By that same token, why should I even give them the effort of guiding them along, when they didn't extend any courtesty to us to begin with?

I won't be purchasing this CD, but to be fair, I would pick it up before I ever approached an album from any of the season three [i]Idol [/i] finalists. Most of them can't sing, but unlike Hung, they lack character. And whatever character they do have is divided between boring and obnoxious.

Don't feel too discouraged. This is just a part of life. I don't know how long this relationship lasted becase you provided very little in the way of background information but a drawn-out explanation isn't always necessary. It just sounds to me like she wasn't feeling it anymore and wanted to move on. The dating process can be messy and rarely yields the perfect match instantly. Just take what you've learned from this experience and apply it to future relationships. That's the best you can do here.

[b]I haven't posted a short story in a while, and, to the best of my recollection, I've never based one off an existing property. So, here's what I ended up with. Sorry if it's somewhat boring. No cool illustrations either. =/[/b] [b]I am proud of how I managed to blur the lines between sexes though; there's never a clear distinction made as to whether or not the speaker is male or female (unless I messed up somewhere and don't realize it). [/b] [b]If the relationship to The Matrix material is too subtle or not what you're looking for here, just delete my post and private message me briefly so I don't feel too embarrassed or anything. :blush:[/b] [center][b][u][color=seagreen]P[color=seagreen]u[/color]lling the Plug[/color][/u][/b][/center] The opening curtain had only just been raised, and there I was, approaching the final act. I only knew the morning because you would draw back the curtains and tidy up around me. The early morning rays would filter through the musty panes, and breathe a soft incandescent glow into the otherwise cold linoleum. It was truly the loveliest part of the day. Far superior to the clear navy sky of night. Otherwise, the same picture frames, wallpaper, medicine bottles and cables plugged me into one misery--this life for me. When I said the days ran together like the pain, you said you understood. The ache and I were constantly thrusted into a bitter, meaningless void. I would fall like a stone, and no matter how far down I was pushed, it remained bottomless. Suffering redefined. I was breathless; I didn?t want it. But, at the same time, I didn?t feel comfortable living in the past tense yet, either. You said, Give me your hand. And I did. It looked like it belonged to a child as it disappeared into your palm. I looked into your eyes, those big beautiful eyes, those pulsing, swelling pools of compassion that had swept away so many sleepless nights over the years. There were lots of reasons I gave my hand to you, but to see you cry wasn?t one of them. And God bless you, your eyes were moist, but they never gave way. You stared into those glossy black orbs of mine with firm courage. You were good that way. You never dwelled on your emotions because you didn?t want to make me feel guilty and I didn?t want you to think I wanted you to feel guilty. That was good enough for the both of us. You told me, If I could take your Leukaemia, I would. The stability in your voice was as thick as a curled eyelash. I believed you. I felt a peaceful smile crawl across my face. I heard the notes--and they formed a lullaby. I felt a great sense of uplifting that would sluice the fear away. My eyes shut and I faded off into never-never land. It was a full experience. That?s what made me want it all the more. My slumber chipped away at the day like a pickaxe When I awoke, the last rays of sunlight were slivering across the fertile bluegrass. My deep-set eyes and aquiline nose were unmistakable in the half-opened window?s reflection. In that transparent visage, I saw you. I made myself not miss you. You holding my hand. You shifting in the undersized chair beside my bed. You brushing the back of your hand against my pasty cheek. You tidying up around me. You probing me with questions. You weren?t doing ordinary things. You weren?t feeding the dogs. You weren?t listlessly thumbing through junk mail to find the bills. You weren?t pressing your breasts against a date?s shoulder at the climax of a scary film. You weren?t chatting idly over a cup of coffee. How was it that, when you told me you would take my sickness, I believed you not realizing you already had? A spring chill was in the air, nipping at my toes, carrying with it a subliminal sense of finality. I wondered what you would be doing right now. I plucked a wire from my body, and then another, and then another with undeniable ease. Outside, the steadily-darkening sky was becoming filled with a very heavy, thick-looking substance; a curiosity for anyone who should see it. I ripped more wires from my veins; the surrounding cacophony of mechanical beeping transformed into a long whine. Soon, the sky clouded over with ominous thunderheads. Others surrounded me, screaming frantically, pleading for me to stop, flailing their arms as if to prevent the sky from falling. They screamed, These are what's keeping you alive! My mouth was closed. It wouldn't open. I couldn?t tell them anything. A roll in the heavens preceded a blinding glint across the night sky that seemed to slice it in two. A surge of electricity popped the bulbs above us in a slow motion shower of golden star-shaped sparkles. And suddenly, there I was--struggling in a sludge pond, gasping, bleary-eyed, a helpless infant ready to be crushed or cradled but uncertain of either destiny. Thunder echoed, before another bolt cracked out across hard, dead lands, across jagged rock edges protruding out of the earth. Death--was everywhere. The sludge began to bubble and froth. The gelatin on the outermost edges of the pond thinned into a liquid state, while the center coagulated and steamed like a boiling kettle. The middle began to rise up like the stalk of a strange liquidous/solid hybrid substance. It boiled and frothed still more. The stalk rose some twenty feet out of the pond. Then, it began to take form. Gigantic, tentacle-like legs emerged at the base. Trunk-like arms extended from the sides, dripping a thick ooze back into the originating source, yet the extremities themselves lost nothing in the way of mass. I would be lying if I said I wasn?t afraid. If I said I didn?t wonder what this purgatory had in store for me. Amidst all the confusion, however, when nothing made sense at all, when everything I knew fell apart at the seams for the second time in my short existance, one thing did manage to become perfectly clear: The old cliche was wrong; surely I should have seen my life flash before my eyes. Instead, I pulled from it what was most important; I concentrated on what made it worth living to begin with. I thought of you, baby, dancing on a sunset strip somewhere outlined by a golden glow, a bleeding pink sky permeating your form, and I thought to myself, Whatever this is, whatever happens from this moment on, whatever is left unsaid between us, I?d bear it for you in a heartbeat.

[QUOTE=Petey]In all my years of gaming, I've not once came across a game that featured Diagetic music. Diagetic music is music that is within the subject's environment. An example would be in Pulp Fiction, where Jules and Vincent are listening to the radio. That music is Diagetic. Similarly, in Apocalypse Now, with the dawn raid on Vin Drin Dop and Flight of the Valkyrie blaring out of the helicopter speakers. [/QUOTE]I don't have the time to go in-depth at the moment--but, the Grand Theft Auto games have Diagetic music. Broken Helix for the PSOne even had it in the form of elevator music. Even Max Payne has it in various situations (i.e., an idle radio or television set). So, it's there; it's just not something people notice, I guess.

[quote name='dposse']Mick Foley is the favorite to win. I hope Mick does win, but that will only happen if Evolution stays completly out of the match. I also hope that Edge wins, but it is very unlikely because of the pure power that Kane has. I seriously hope that Chris Jericho kicks Christians butt, and gives Trish a DDT :smirk: . I dont think that Shawn will win, so it will be a contest between HHH and Chris Benoit and I think that Chris will win again.[/quote] I seriously doubt Mick Foley is going to go over Orton; what would be the point? Right now, Mick Foley is scheduled to disappear from WWE television for a few months following this program. He was originally going to leave directly after Wrestlemania but agreed to stay a bit longer. With that in mind, it's obvious who is winning. The Edge match is another obvious one. Edge is in line for a huge push. After Triple H beats Benoit at Backlash (or shortly thereafter), Edge will start a program with Triple H and most likely win the title while Hunter dedicates his time towards his film schedule this summer.

Well, IGN has uploaded high resolution versions of the images I posted. I'll put them up here so everyone can enjoy just how impressive the game [i]really[/i] looks. [img]http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/papermario2_040204_007.jpg[/img] [img]http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/papermario2_040204_002.jpg[/img] [img]http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/papermario2_040204_003.jpg[/img] [img]http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/papermario2_040204_005.jpg[/img] [img]http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/papermario2_040204_006.jpg[/img] [img]http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/papermario2_040204_009.jpg[/img] [img]http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/papermario2_040204_008.jpg[/img]

We've had similar quote threads over the years and I've never liked them. People simply copy and paste without making any contributions towards a dicussion. Having said that, I will allow this thread to continue for now, but bear in mind that those of you posting must [b]discuss [/b]your quotes. You know, like Godelsensei has. If I don't see this happening, I'm going to have some moderating to do.