Charles

I'm going to address this point by point at this very late hour. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Luminaire [/i] [B]Most of you probably don't know me, but I have been around the boards for awhile. I must ask now: What is going on here? Members fighting members? Admins of one board fighting another? Offensive graphics? Though the thread is now gone, someone had posted a graphic that was offensive to the work of another member on OB. Now people are running around with graphics similar and worse than that one. I bet that the person who this is all meant to offend would never admit that he is hurt. He poured his soul into what he did. Yes, he said some rude comments, but look back at what some of you said to him. Didn't we all do something wrong here? Some or most of you probably have no idea what or who I am talking about, but some of you do. Why can't we all just get along?[/b][/quote] First of all, there are no administrators "fighting" one another. Like James and most of the staff and membership that is informed about this situation, I'm sick of this nonsense. This is a matter of others fueling a fire that I would like to put out; one that doesn't even really exist. It's easy to romanticize and blow such a small situation out of proportion. And whether anyone chooses to believe this or not--that's up to them--it's this gossip that perpetuates these situations. I created a thread containing an avatar that contained little more than initials. There was no libel towards [i]anyone.[/i] I clearly expressed the principle that if anyone became offended the thread would be closed. And not only was it closed--but I apologized profusely and I deleted it. And here we are still talking about it a day later and I'm not the one creating a thread about it. You are. Kevin approached me about the situation and I told him that there was no malicious intent behind it. I even went as far as to explain to him that I would create an avatar for him promoting AE Boards. He expressed interest in the proposal and that was that. Let's get this straight. [i]You[/i] are one of the individuals that began pasting your conversation with him into a chat. [i]You[/i] began to spread the gossip and inflame the situation by prodding him about it. I have no personal quarrel with Kevin. It is [i]he[/i] that posts inflammatory messages on his board claiming that he detests our administration. He is the one that proposes ideas such as banning any member from OtakuBoards who registers at his site because they're "dimwitted." Yet, they're the same peope Does this seem mature to you? HikaruIchijyo19: :-\ bah HikaruIchijyo19: your just another one of those OB-ers HikaruIchijyo19: *does the hex sign* Or this: HikaruIchijyo19: after all you did leave your admin position on aeb and take that ob one rather quickly HikaruIchijyo19: if I were another person I would think differently. How do you think those comments make me feel? But, I've never brought personal issues here until now. I have no desire to air my personal laundry. Kevin has though. He did it with that flash movie that flamed one of our members. Did he not? So, let's make this perfectly clear. I'm not the one refusing to get along here. I was friends with Kevin for a very long time and helped him a good deal with his site. If he wants to overreact and stamp his feet over a thumbnail image--then what can I say? You certainly won't see me visiting his site and posting threads either here nor there. I don't want to be writing about this right now, quite frankly. I don't bring personal issues up and I can't do much more to resolve the situation. The thread is gone and so is the avatar. [quote][b]I have seen arguments in topics that should not even be argued in. Though i hate to have to say this, if you have to argue, take it somewhere else. And, that doesn't mean banners and avatars can be used to offend another member because banners and avatars are a part of the boards.[/b][/quote] Exactly! I agree with you. Take it elsewhere. I'm not complaining over Kevin's avatar. There would have been no more discussion of this had a thread not been created. No more threads like this will even be tolerated. The issue is stupid. These are [i]message boards.[/i] If Kevin doesn't like OtakuBoards I'm going to say this right now. Dude, stop being so insecure. It was a thumbnail image. You're acting like a baby. If James and I can sit back and let you rip us a new butthole in front of your membership, and you can't take a simple image on an anime message board--then go get some air. There are no conspiracies. We don't give a crap whether you come here and post or not or whether you agree with how we do things. You have your opinions and I'm not even going to dispute them. I could argue about how you run your site right now--but I won't because it's [i]your[/i] site. If you have a problem with me, we can settle it off the boards. Not through anyone else. Not on here. It's that simple. [quote][b]In the past week, I have seen something I never would even wish to happen to the person I hate most. I met someone who had closed off their emotions to the world. This person has no bit of forgiveness left. No care for who he hurts. No care for himself. And, you wanna know why I think he closed off? Because he was hurt one too many times. He tried to forgive, but ended up betrayed again. So he has decided to push everyone who cared and still care for him away. He has isolated his emotions and himself, he stopped caring about what others said about him, and, the part some of you are angry about with him, he hurt others by pushing them away. I don't think some of us realize how badly we hurt one another by even the smallest comment.[/b][/quote] This is a bit melodramatic. I don't mean to sound insensitive but come on. Who are you talking to here? I've known Kevin for a year and I know him better than a lot of people. I was there to console him over and over again. But, enough is enough. What does this have to do with anything here? Someone can only play the victim for so long before it gets old. His human condition doesn't give him the right to walk all over others on a constant basis. I've seen him insult people like Roxie over and over again, and I try to be there as a friend--and then [i]she[/i] and yourself stir the pot further. I think that if anything, it's people like you guys that make the situation worse than it actually is by stretching it out of proportion. Think about it. If you hadn't created this thread--would this still be ongoing? Exactly. [quote][b]I guess the point I wanted to make is that I am saddened by the little feuds going on around here. Some of them have caused more damage than anyone would think. Some people can't tell just how much damage, but others can. And, it is a sad day when you will meet some who is emotionally shutdown. They either don't realize that they are like robots or don't care.[/b][/quote] This is more of the same. If you don't agree with this conflict, then stop trying to create it. You're free to help Kevin iron out his issues if you want to take up the challenge. That's your business. I'm not going to criticize you. Let's not be mistaken about what is going on here though. You're coming here and trying to chastise us, and in doing so, this issue has grown even [i]stronger[/i]. My thread certainly didn't have this sort of discussion in it. We didn't discuss the intricacies of the parties involved. [quote][b]I hope my message has made some of you consider your past actions. If you have anything to say or anything you want to add to what I have written, just post. Even flames against what I have said are accepted.[color] [/B][/QUOTE] And how does this make any sense? Flames are accepted. [i]Oh yeah,[/i] this is certainly resolving the situation. We'd rather just ignore AE Boards at this point and leave it at that. To be quite honest, I'm more upset with Roxie and you, Lumi than I am Kevin. Peace out. I'm done with you.

Basically, OtakuBoards holds unique events that generally try to promote community involvement in some way. We try to appeal to everyone by promoting games or competitions that touch upon a variety of interests. This may include a fun RPG like OB Big Brother, awards, and even art competitions. The event in question, Otaku Idol, is a writing competition for people who take writing seriously. We selected members from our community based on their entry submissions. Following the selection process, we've presented them with unique challenges--a fairy tale and a poem, thus far. Each round presents a new task and the member with the "weakest" entry is voted off. The voting process changes from round to round and is explained within the threads. Although you may not join Otaku Idol at this point, you're free to cast your vote and critique the submissions once the voting thread has been made created. Furthermore, everyone is eligible to apply for a guest judge position by private messaging Heaven's Cloud. I hope that clears up any confusion. ^^

I purchased both the GBA and the GBA SP upon launch. Well, technically, the GBA was a graduation present--so [i]I[/i] didn't actually buy it. I rarely played my GBA once the initial excitement faded. I couldn't carry it in my pocket because the screen would get pocket lint on it, and it was a hassle cramming the light peripheral, system, and games into my pocket. Thus, because I was deterred from actually taking it anywhere with me, it defeated the purpose of owning a portable system. I [i]did[/i] play it at home on occasion, but I was far from comfortable with it. My light was blue, so the picture not only suffered from glare, but was tinted in a perpetual blue haze as well. If I wanted to avoid that, I would either have to go outside, or try to catch the light indoors the best I could and hold that position. Suffice to say, my GBA found a permanent position on the shelf and did a dandy job collecting dust too. Purchasing the GBA on the other hand, was probably one of the best decisions I've made. It's become my favorite system--period. Especially during semester. I'm not [i]quite[/i] as embarrassed to play it in front of people, the screen doesn't constantly become smudged or scratched, and I can [i]see[/i] my games. The flip up screen that everyone is talking about definitely lives up to the hype. Most of my games look ten times better because of the flip up/backlight combination. It's far easier to enjoy titles when you aren't straining to see 'em. Plus, the flip up makes it more I also save a lot of money on batteries with the SP. So, if you think about it, it's well worth the price in the long run. My only problem with the system is that Nintendo still only put one speaker on the thing. It's not such a big deal, but it would have been appreciated.

Quite simply put, I try not to think about what lies after death. I just try to enjoy life while it lasts. It's true that we all wonder throughout our lives what awaits us in the afterlife--or if there even [i]is[/i] an afterlife. But, I don't want to drive myself crazy thinking about such things because there are no real answers. I do shudder at the thought of becoming old and dying, though. It seems that old people are looked down upon and viewed as unimportant. The society that many of us live in is driven on youthfulness and good looks. So, by becoming old, I feel as though I'm experiencing a passage into secondary citizenship. And I hate the thought of not knowing whether my next day will be my last. But, then I remember, you don't have to be old to die. I realize that [i]anyone[/i] could die at any moment--age doesn't matter. Yet, if we go through life pondering the complexities of the great beyond and let the unknown eat at us, are we ever living life to its fullest in the first place? As to answer the thread's question more clearly--I believe that there's [i]something[/i] on "the other side." I don't believe that it's just lights out. I won't bother thinking about it any further until the time comes. For some reason, I have a feeling that if I just enjoy life and do what I want to do, then I'll be satisfied with myself and content with the life I've lived. Dying won't be such a big deal at that point.

The funniest films I've seen are [i]Happy Gilmore, There's Something About Mary,[/i] and [i]Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.[/i] [i]Happy Gilmore[/i] is probably the most enjoyable Adam Sandler movie that I've seen as far as comedy goes. Although I'm a fan of his films, it's obvious that most borrow concepts from [i]Happy[/i]Gilmore[/i]. Meaning, Sander mostly plays the part of an aggressive sociopath that occupies underdog status, only to somehow win over his dream girl and fulfill his dreams in the end. [i]There's Something About Mary[/i] just caught me off guard. I'm not a fan of Ben Stiller or Cameron Diaz but the film had so many classic moments that I couldn't help but to be thoroughly fond of it. It was fun. The hair gel, "cleanin' your pipes" bit, running ear muffs joke, drugged dog scene, and the zipper scene were particularly memorable. [i]Jay and Silent Bob[/i] was hilarious. The characters were extremely likable and Will Ferrell is always enjoyable to watch. Kevin Smith just pointed a camera at him and let him run wild in this one. Most of the film relies on gags, but what's there is thoroughly well done. Especially if you've seen [i]Dogma, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, or Clerks[/i]. The star power was impressive, as well. Everyone just had fun in front of the camera, so I had fun watching it.

I don't mind either way, honestly. It's possible to contribute to the community in a positive way as normal member. By creating fun threads or providing interesting insight, it's possible to enrich the boards as a whole. In fact, the tight community of OtakuBoards is one of its strongest advantages over many other forums. The rich (and well plotted) history here is proof of that. Each person contributes in their own way. One member may make creative RPGs while another may provide valuable opinions in Otaku Lounge. You don't need to be a staff member to be a valuable asset to the site. As a staff member you've been provided with other avenues to give back to the boards. It's volunteer work that doesn't pay in currency, but it's rewarding in many ways. You're able to interpret rules and provide guidance for confused members. And, when you see a trouble maker purposely disrupting the flow of things, you're actually able to [i]do[/i] something about it in a place that you enjoy visiting. You're able to help the boards preserve a level of quality through filtering out lackluster discussion and providing insight to prevent it from happening again. Moderating takes a bit of patience and it's a mask that can often disguise you for who you really are. You're exposing yourself to "yes men" and those who would criticize you just for the sake of doing so. Although you're technically supposed to be a role model, you can be placed on an unfair pedestal at times and the expectations placed in front of you are impossibly high. Some people forget that our staff are young people and not machines or something above human. Yet, you do meet excellent people and great friends through what you do, so that more than balances it out. Overall it's worthwhile. It takes patience, but I've never regretted making the jump. I have just as fun now as I did when I was a normal member--because really, I [i]am[/i] a normal member (I'm not above the rules)--just with increased responsibility and commitment.

I personally find it a bit tricky to answer this question because I'm on the fence. On one hand, I'm fairly mature when the situation calls for it, but on the other I'm relatively goofy and childish on almost any other occasion. So, in a sense, I suppose you could say that I'm mature if you judge me by Semjaza's reasoning. Perhaps maturity can be put to use on a broader scale than in regard to a certain sort of behavior though. Overall, I'd like to think that maturity is a state of mind. It's when you know when to draw the line and be a standup kind of person. I wouldn't necessarily call someone mature because they use lofty language or put on a serious demeanor on around others. One's life attitudes, manners, tolerance, the way they treat others, and the degree of compassion they demonstrate are but a few proof positive ways of measuring maturity. In that way, I think that many people are mature. It doesn't necessarily matter if you act like a twelve year old or not. Who's to say how a twelve year old should act anyway? lol Maturity shouldn't be tacked onto a number of years. That's not an efficient measuring stick in my book. For instance, one might assume that experienced politicians are mature because age implies wisdom. But when you hear these guys say ridiculous things--like when they compare homosexuality to incest, you have to wonder if they're really as mature as kids who start tolerance clubs in school. Or you can look at racist adults, or adults who refuse to be upstanding parents--even if they are upstanding [i]citizens[/i] who pay their taxes and eat with their elbows off the table--and ask yourself if they're really more mature than a younger person who acts silly around their friends. My point is that it's the ability to be understanding, righteous and demonstrate the qualities that I've listed above that makes an individual mature--even if they act silly instead of "proper" more often than not. The fact that most members here can be understanding at times and silly on other occasions is a great trait and the reason that many of you are mistaken as older people. It's a common stereotype that younger people are harsh and not accepting of diversity. But, I don't see a lot of that kind of attitude here. It's more of the positive attributes I've described. :finally stops rambling:

I'd have to say that I do believe in ghosts or apparitions to some extent. I don't necessarily believe some of the more "exotic" ghosts stories, so to speak, but I won't dismiss the possibility of unexplainable visions [i]completely[/i]. When my brother and I were younger, we were upstairs in our room watching television in the dark when I suddenly saw an image that I won't bother describing, fly towards us and suddenly disappear. Of course, I assumed that I was just seeing things and shook it off. But immediately thereafter, my brother stared at me wide-eyed and asked "Did you just see that?" And he described what I had seen perfectly. We then proceeded to run downstairs hollering and waving our arms trying to describe it. Needless to say, no one knew what the heck we were talking about and they didn't believe us. >.> Such a thing has never happened again. Regardless, I still think about it sometimes and wonder if there was exactly some kind of meaning in what we saw; perhaps it was a sign. Then again, it could be a huge coincidence--we could have [i]both[/i] hallucinated because of staring at the television in the dark. Who knows? Oh, and there was that time I climbed out of the shower to see the initials "OA" on the clouded mirror, but nothing much came of that either. I'll never believe in ghosts sliming people with protoplasm, or possessing people. Yet, it is the bees knees to know that there are instances when unexplainable events [i]can[/i] occur and leave you wondering.

My weekends consist of work, [i]work[/i], and more work. It's sad, really. lol I work twelve hour days, so there's really not much else to do. Occasionally I'll go to the movies on a Friday night and catch a late showing. But, that always proves to be a mistake because it eats up my precious hours for potential sleep and I'm a mess the next day. So, that's my weekend in a nutshell. I suppose it'll be one of the more boring posts in this thread. But, somebody's gotta bring home the bacon. I'm really too old to have things just handed to me anymore.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Randleman [/i] [B]I don't see where this is going but ok.[/B][/QUOTE] Good point, Randleman. Welcome to OtakuBoards, Char. This is certainly a unique topic, but I don't see much room for an actual [i]discussion[/i] here. The idea of having members list their various sets of key chains is fairly pointless. Y'know? I'm glad to see that you've integrated a certain degree of creativity in your posting. I dig that. So I don't want to sound too harsh here. In the future, just try to think of where a thread can actually go, and whether it's worthwhile to create or not.

My longest car trip ran about twelve hours; I had a good time considering. It gave me a chance to take in some great scenery. There were long stretches of farmland that I wouldn't normally get to see. Rolling hills, crops, cattle--it was all very nice. I kinda welcomed the serenity. Plus, it gave me a chance to spend time with my family and catch up on certain things. I liked stopping at the rest stops and buying the overpriced food and just talking instead of actually eating it. The car trip was probably what I looked forward to the most, actually. It really gave me time to just sit back, listen to the radio and get lost in my thoughts when talking got old.

I don't really see much of a point for this thread. If members actually want others to know where they're located, they're free to include that information in their profile.

I understand that you were only trying to help, but it's encouraged that you don't private message other members regarding warnings or anything of that nature. We actually [i]discourage[/i] "playing mod," because it's unnecessary for our membership to enforce the rules, and it's generally easier and less confusing if explanations come from one official source. Zeh is correct, here. It's always best to report members who misbehave to the appropriate moderator--who happens to be Chaos in this case, and allow them to handle the situation. Anyway, I've handled the issue at hand.

Their IP numbers indicate that they're the same exact person, which is why I told him [i]his[/i] SuperMaxSonic account has been banned.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Pegasis [/i] [B]This is my version of your story: And an angel came to the Lord and asked: "Are these people evil?" And the great and powerful Lord said, "No, it is just a game. Some people need to get a damn life." In other words, **** you. [/B][/QUOTE] This is the second time I've seen you flame someone. Your total disregard for the rules has inspired me to write a story about you. Pegasis came to OtakuBoards. He either didn't read the rules or simply didn't care about them. That's when a magical beast known as Charles used his magical powers to ban Pegasis. You can't say I didn't give everyone a happy ending. [b]Edit:[/b] I've also banned your SuperMaxSonic account. Cheers.

I know how to speak various kinds of slang, be it ghetto or white boy. I grew up in a very mixed environment, so I couldn't help but to pick up a few things going through school. That's why it's easy for me to participate in the rap threads and such. I don't actually speak much slang off of the Internet unless I'm goofing around. So, I mainly use it for humor's sake. For some reason, I just don't think slang sounds right coming out of my mouth. I would probably get beaten up in certain circles for even trying. It would be taken as an insult.

Welcome to Otaku Idol, round two. During the previous round, the judges unanimously voted off Na?dou and the public agreed as she occupied the lower tier in popular votes. Before I proceed into the next round?s event I would like to thank her for participating in the Otaku Idol competition. We appreciate your hard work. I would also like to apologize for the delay between round one and round two. Heaven's Clouds' computer passed away a couple weeks ago and he has only been able to venture onto the boards during work hours. The second round will be a bit more difficult than the last, although there will be less writing involved. The task for this round is to create a poem using the theme ?apocalypse?. The word ?apocalypse,? obviously does not have to be mentioned in the poem, however the poem should reflect some aspect of the end of the world. The deadline for this round is June 30. Before this thread is closed, Heaven's Cloud will post the names of [b]three[/b] contestants that the judges feel should be eliminated from the competition. From that point on, the round will be executed much like last round. This thread will be closed and the judges will post their opinions and choose one competitor whom they think should be eliminated, and the public will vote in the poll and provide critiques, if they wish. Good Luck. There will be a guest judge for this round. That person will be revealed during the voting phase.

I would say that Nintendo's desire to stick with a cartridge-based format to compete with the 32 bit consoles was quite a big mistake (although I did favor the N64 to the Saturn). On one hand, I liked the lack of load times, and the sturdier games (some of my PSX games got scratched badly even though I treated them with care). Plus, the actual N64 unit was far more reliable than the PSX. My Playstation would skip during cinematics and such. And, who could fault Nintendo for being hesitant to jump into CD-based media? Piracy rates were much higher. Nintendo's done a darn good job to this day combating that with the GC mini discs. But, in the end, the cons outweighed the pros as far as Nintendo is concerned. Despite the fact that the N64 was technically superior hardware in certain respects, the advantages meant little in the long run because developers favored the CD-based hardware; it was easy to make games for, plain and simple. It's true that the PSX played host to leagues and leagues of horrible titles due to the cheap manufacturing costs and the developer friendliness, but on the other hand it offered more creative freedom and shorter development cycles--which attracted valuable third party support. Who could forget Square jumping ship to Sony do to some of these reasons? That was "the big one." Cinematic titles such as the Final Fantasy series and Konami's Metal Gear Solid wouldn't be possible for a reasonable price and development cycle on Nintendo's side of the fence. So, I think that is a big mistake that Nintendo is still recovering from today. They're slowly regaining third party support, but they've lost a lot of ground to Sony as far as the console business is concerned. I'm left wondering if their hesitance to jump into the online foray will be a mistake or a wise decision. I suppose that only time will tell.

I used to play this game religiously. I beat both Mike Tyson's Punch out, and Mr. Dream's Punch out (which is no big deal, considering they're identical to one another, save for a different looking boss). I became so good, that I could go through the game without being touched, almost. Sadly, I never really got into Super Punch Out. It was a fantastic game, but I didn't own a Super Nintendo. lol The only character that gave me a bit of trouble in the original was Bald Bull because of his charging attack. Once I got the timing down on that, I cruised through the rest of the game. My favorite character is probably King Hippo because I have fond memories of him on the Captain N cartoon.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Harry [/i] [B]If you feel the need to see long winded posts of mine that could be summed up in a whole sentence then alright. Also my comments aren't ignorant in this thread. Unless she (I'm assuming it's a she) is going to harvard, colleges won't care if she's in the top 7% or 6%. Maybe if she was in the top 5% but that would take a lot more than a summer school course. [/B][/QUOTE] I'm speaking in general, here. My comments didn't stem from this thread, alone. As far as this thread is concerned, I'm mainly referring to the "you're greedy, and you get what you deserve" comment (although your second post is incorrect as well). I don't see any value in some of these brief, negative responses; they're unwarranted, immature criticism. The member's post made them sound ambitious and concerned--not greedy. Of course, that's all a matter of opinion, but my concern here is that you have a bad habit of not following up with any insight whatsoever or adding to the discussion in a positive way.

Ah, be careful when overloading yourself, because you become burned out in the long run. Pacing yourself is important, I think. But, I'm assuming that you're taking subjects that you're actually interested in taking, as opposed to placeholders. It's always important to mix your schedule up with subjects that you enjoy and ones that you have no experience with, but are interested in taking nonetheless. That way, you can get your feet wet, so to speak, and expand your horizons. So, if you're not feeling challenged, you might want to spice up your course selections a bit. Either way, couldn't you drop the more intensive schedule if you begin to struggle? Usually, there's a cutoff date involved--and I don't think it will affect your GPA if you realize that you're in over your head and revert back to the seven period day. In the long run, experimenting with this schedule might be beneficial to you, if there's a safety net involved. By actually trying it, you'll know if it was the right choice. I would encourage you to test into more difficult classes--but judging by your dedication, I'd say that you're already involved in advanced placement. If not, that's probably the route for you. In the end, I wouldn't say that it was a [i]mistake[/i] putting one more class under your belt. Just remember that during the selection period, colleges favor applicants who excel at a certain activity or craft--such as art, sports, etc, etc. So, you might want to explore extracurricular activities or clubs (if you don't already). Putting together big projects such as a school play, or tutoring those who are falling behind might be the positive challenges you're looking for. I'm sorry for going on like that, but I'm really trying to cover every base here. Edit: And Harry, I've noticed a lot of one liners coming from your way lately. I know that it's not necessarily outside of your style, to post borderline nasty messages but please put more effort into your posts if you're going to post at all, instead of chiming in with brief, ignorant jabs. Posting useful insight for a change would be welcomed.

I really enjoy this game; it's much like its predecessor, but the major flaws that really annoyed me have disappeared for the most part. The cheap computer A.I. really put a damper the challenge mode last time around. No matter how well I played, my opponents would always catch up. So, I was glad to see that ironed out (though the difficulty is a little [i]too[/i] easy now). Plus, the second level gamebreakers add a bit more incentive to pull off tricks. And, the new tricks aren't only there for variety's purpose--move like "Off the Heezay" are useful and easy to pull off in practice. The presentation is extremely nice too; it's just a shame that the soundtrack isn't more expansive. What's in there is great--but there's not enough, I'm afraid.

The most emotional movies I can actually remember offhand are [i]American History X, Field of Dreams,[/i] and [i]Patch Adams.[/i] [spoiler][i]American History X[/i] features, to this day, some of the most memorable scenes I've ever witnessed in a film--period. It's simply beautiful when the two brothers stare at their bedroom wall, covered in racial, Nazi rhetoric and begin taking the posters down together after the older brother explains the revelation he had while in prison. Following that scene, the older brother, played by Edward Norton, takes a shower. When he gets out, he stares in the mirror--and it's almost a reflection of what he used to be. His body is covered in horrible tattoos. And, as he stares into the mirror, he places one hand on his chest to cover up the Nazi Swastika. The cinematography is, in a word, incredible. It's almost indescribable--the slow motion, the way the water drips from his face. See it. [i]Field of Dreams[/i] featured a few touching scenes. I can immediately recall Moonlight Graham exiting the field and transforming into Doc Graham. Also, I found the scene where the main character plays catch with his dead father to be generally emotional. [i]Patch Adams[/i] contained a good mix of humor and emotion. Who could forget when Adams granted that woman her wish, and provided for her, a pool of noodles? lol And it was heartbreaking when his girlfriend was murdered.[/spoiler] Overall, I'd say those are most tear jerking films I remember. But, [i]A.I., We Were Soldiers,[/i] and [i]A Walk to Remember[/i] were heart wrenching in their own right.

I disagree with the idea that premarital sex is "gross" or "disgusting." These are very childish, inexperienced sentiments. As I see it, the issue isn't even controversial in this day and age--at least not to the degree it was--oh, say a decade ago, even. There aren't as many negative moral implications surrounding it. In fact, the number of unmarried couples living together before marriage continues to [i]increase[/i]. And, you know, practically speaking, I can understand that. What if a couple doesn't want to incur the obligation to support or share property with one another? What if they want to avoid the expense of divorce if the relationship fails? I'm sure there are a number of reasons. So, I don't see a problem with premarital sex if it's between two consenting adults (i.e., late teens +) as long as they use protection. Obviously children shouldn't be having sex. I don't believe they're ready to take on that sort of responsibility or the possible consequences involved. But, no matter how loose society does become with sex, the negative stigma is still firmly attached to females. As one of my professors pointed out in a lecture, there are no negative labels for males that enjoy "free sex." I mean, men actually brag about how many times they've scored in restrooms, locker rooms, etc. But, I'm sure that we could rattle off the negative social stigmas attached to women who behave the same way. So, I think that's the modern day issue. Premarital sex is a common part of life now. Especially for individuals that don't even have the right to marry--such as homosexuals. Those who disagree, probably do so for religious reasons--or because they're simply too young to understand.

He soon fell asleep after beginning to watch the tapes of his old films. He was awakened by the ringing of his doorbell. Upon hearing it, he dove below the coffee table in front of the couch. ?Just take whatever you want outside,? he said while covering his head with a gold plate he had gotten in Zurich once as a souvenir. ?There's nothing of value in here!? The doorbell rang again. Assassins were awfully persistent, Cage thought. They were polite at least. Your common sloppy contracted killer would bust in through the windows and jump on your head or sting you with a speed dash. This one was courteous, and probably alone, so Cage went to answer the door, holding a frying pan behind his back he retrieved from the kitchen for protection. He crept up to the door, and the bell rang a third time. He opened the door, and hurled the frying pan towards the person on the other side before he even had a chance to see who it was. Trish had been in the area ever since she was ousted from the [i]Devil May Cry[/i] cast in favor of Lucia. She was 24 now, and was selling insurance door-to-door to make ends meet as she tried to find a job for herself within the video game industry. Not many jobs needed a blonde who couldn't play volleyball, so here she was at this oh-so-swank mansion outside of Utica. She was very good at selling insurance actually. It wasn't like the product was very good, just a moderately good life insurance plan. Her main device to sell insurance were her looks. Many the customer was had by a bat of her eyelashes or soft fingering of her lips as she watched the person look over the information packet she had along with her. She had rang the doorbell of this place three times, even though it looked deserted. She turned to go back to her car, parked at the foot of the stairs, when she heard the door open behind her, and turned her head just in time to not see the frying pan hurtling over her head. Johnny Cage let out an ?eep!? as the pan barely missed her head and crashed into the fountain across the drive from his house, cracking the brass of the bottom water bowl. The nymphs at the top that spouted water were unharmed. She turned around to greet Cage, and he nervously shook her hand, expecting her to kill him any moment now that he had shown belligerence. ?Hello there, Mr...? she looked at a clipboard. ?Cage, Mr. Cage. I?m here today to ask you how your loved ones will be provided for when you've left this world.? Hmm, this was a new approach. At least the people didn't hide their mission objective anymore. They assumed victory already if this broad was here trying to sell him insurance. ?I don?t know, I don?t really have any loved ones.? ?None at all?? she asked, tilting her head down and looking up at him with penetrating pity-filled eyes while adjusting her black plastic angular glasses. Just a ruse, Cage thought. Trying to lure him into her trap with her feminine wiles. It wouldn't work! Besides, he had been dead once already and that hadn't stopped him from coming back! ?Nope, none. Now, if you?ll excuse me, I?m trying to avoid being killed.? ?I beg your pardon? Someone's trying to kill you? Who?? ?All of you! The whole blasted planet!? ?I?m not trying to kill you.? ?But you know of their plot, yes?? ?What plot?? Hmm, she must be out of the loop, and also in danger! ?Quickly! Inside!? He grabbed Trish by the arm and yanked her inside, slamming the door behind them and locking it quickly. She quickly wrestled herself from his grasp and tried to become part of the anteroom hallway wall to get away from this madman. [center][color=blue][b][i]Meanwhile[/i][/b][/color][/center] The Mushroom Kingdom was a colorful place. The sky, stretching behind perfectly rounded hilltops, was a brilliant blue, and the clouds smiled joyfully. Fields of fiery red flowers danced to and fro in time with looping whimsical music that seemed to emanate from the planet itself. Miles of golden plains mirrored the sun's brilliant glow. The 16 bit festival had attracted the most popular of characters and even those who had only enjoyed fifteen minutes of fame, such as Aero the Acrobat. It was one of the only sanctuaries left undisturbed by the aftermath of war. All of the mushroom people were busying themselves with their usual chores. Everything was good. All was peaceful despite the lingering presence of war in other lands. One of these mushroom people was weeding his bomb garden when a strange looking fellow approached. He was too tall to be one of the mushroom people and he didn't look very happy. [color=blue]"Well, hello there, my name is Bip"[/color] the small mushroom man said, brushing his hands against his vest so that he may shake hands with this new acquaintance. [color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said. [color=blue]"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Stars. What brings you to the Mushroom Kingdom."[/color] [color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said. [color=blue]"Yes, I agree it is a very nice day. Are you going to the festival?"[/color] Bip said. [color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said. There was a slight awkward pause, but Bip smiled at his obviously shy new friend and tried to continue the conversation. [color=blue]"I see that you're not from around here. You'll love the Mushroom Kingdom. The Princess and Mario are so nice,"[/color] Bip said [color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said, somewhat agitated. [color=blue]"What's that you have in your hand?"[/color] Bip said. [color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said, presenting Bip with the slip of paper. [color=blue]Oh yes, this is Mario. He's the guy I was telling you about. He shacks up with the Princess even though they're not married. They live in the castle," [/color] Bip said. [color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said, stepping over Bip, flattening him like a pancake. [color=blue][size=1]"Have a nice day,"[/size][/color] Bip said.