James

[color=#808080]Also, I might use this thread to show my latest avatar/banner combo. Yes, as you can see, I'm a big A.I. fan. ~_^ Both are pretty simple. I'm not sure if I'm totally happy with the avatar's animation...but eh. I can always fix it later. ^_^ By the way, if anyone knows a LOT about A.I., PM me. I have something to ask about it.[/color]

[color=#808080]If you've seen Minority Report, you might remember the newspaper that the guy is reading on the train. You know, he's reading it and it says "News Flash" or whatever on the main page...and it's all animated. That technology is actually possible. I was watching a TV show which talked about future technology. They had a segment on this new type of paper. I forget what it's called, but it's like a very thin plastic. And it contains billions of little transistors or something (I can't remember what it was exactly). But basically, it was like a sheet of paper where the picture on the paper could animate by a few frames. The creators say that this could be expanded a lot in the future and made very cheap -- you could have newspapers where the pictures are animated, yet the paper isn't much thicker (and is still biodegradable). Even more amazing, is that it is possible that this paper could actually connect remotely to the Internet (or some kind of communication beacon) and download the latest information. So basically, watch Minority Report...where Anderton is on the train and the guy's newspaper shows Anderton's picture. That technology is already being worked on right now.[/color]

[color=#808080]Well, I'm a big Japanese car nut. Japan makes some awesome cars, but my favourite would have to be the R34 GT-R. What an absolutely amazing machine! It's nickname is "Godzilla" in Japan (and no wonder!). Skylines are great cars. In fact, they used to be built in both Japan and Australia (as a local car, they participated in racing events here too). And the 200SX (only available in Japan and Australia) is an insanely cool car -- I wish I could afford one. Other than that...there's the whole host of Australian muscle cars that are always great. HSV and Ford Performance Vehicles, specifically. I might grab some pics and put 'em up here if nobody's already done so.[/color]

[color=#808080]I haven't put up anything in a while...so I thought I'd give it a go. [center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/azuresealogo.jpg[/img][/center] This is the logo for an upcoming RPG that I'm planning to start. It's pretty basic. In fact, I'd say it's one of the quickest jobs I've ever done. But I kinda like it. I'm not so sure about the edges...I did them by hand. But eh, I didn't want to focus more time on the logo rather than the story itself. ~_^ The character isn't designed by me -- but she is a character in the RPG. I'm thinking of even making wallpapers for each character if the RPG is successful. ^_^[/color]

[color=#808080]Wow, very impressive stuff CL. Your proportions are really good -- I think you have a natural talent for drawing! I'd love to see more of your work. ^_^[/color]

[color=#808080]I really feel that the whole idea of "mainstreaming anime" even being an issue is a bit silly. Really, who cares? Is it going to make much of a difference in the longterm? No, not really. "Mainstream" animes like DBZ and Pokemon have been around for years...and will continue to exist, no matter how popular anime becomes overall. If anything, hardcore anime followers should encourage anime to become more widely accepted. For one thing, it would make more anime available at lower prices. That's a good thing. For another, it would encourage the development of more "niche" animes -- when you have a very large/growing market, it doesn't mean that everything becomes a DBZ clone by default. If anything, it would provide encouragement for more niche anime to be shipped worldwide. This is common business sense -- regardless of the product (whether video game or anime). And frankly, the situation is pretty crap at the moment anyway. Animes like DBZ and Pokemon (arguable the worst that anime has to offer overall) are the most popular in the marketplace. Would you have the anime market decrease rather than increase? And what would the consequence of that be? Surely, if you saw a decrease, you'd see animes like DBZ and Pokemon become [i]more[/i] prevalent -- and thus, you'd see a far lower number of companies producing more niche series. So in this case, I think bigger is definitely better. As the demand and market overall icrease, you'll see a greater willingness for companies to produce more niche titles. And you'll definitely see more high quality anime hitting your shores. The more you restrain the market and make it some elitist, self-absorbed pursuit...the more you alienate companies who want to make profitable animes within the United States and other countries.[/color]

[color=#808080]I don't think that theory is necessarily true. Australian actors and directors have never had any real bias against them in terms of competing with Americans. And quite often, you'll be surprised to know just how many American movies have Australian directors and/or cast. It's very interesting. I don't think there was a national bias against New Zealanders. Rather, I think that LotR was just up against some hefty competition. In retrospect, I think that LotR was visually very good...but I really don't think it deserved best picture. It wasn't the strongest movie. But certainly, I think it deserved more consideration -- at least a nomination would have been appropriate.[/color]

[color=#808080]I think the overpopulation thing is one of the biggest misnomas. In Australia and Japan for example, a massive percentage of the population will be over 60 within the next 20 years. If you put aside the financial problems that come with that...you also have to remember that we'll enter a point where we'll have a dramatically smaller population. Families aren't having as many children these days (some are having none at all) and as a result, we will actually end up with a far smaller population at some point over the next 50-100 years.[/color] [i]Originally posted by Crimson Spider:[/i] [quote][b]It describes the horrors of man that may meet us possibly in the next 50 years or so. So man kind is screwed. [/b][/quote] [color=#808080]I am so, [b]so[/b] sick of this ridiculous "Earth is going to hell in a handbasket" attitude. It's the most annoying, baseless train of thought that I've seen. I find it amazing that people can sit back and tell me how horrible the world is and how horrible it's becoming. I disagree with that point of view, because I think that the fundamental development of mankind over the last century has proven otherwise. When it comes to pollution for instance, you'll find that most of our technologies are far cleaner than they were even ten years ago. Once again, I'll point to studies that indicate that the hole in the ozone layer is repairing itself -- thanks in no small part to changes in man's technology. Let's face it, we're a technologically driven species. That is what makes us different from most other creatures on the planet (at least if you exclude primates that use basic tools and such). And yes, I do think that our technology has been primarily responsible for hurting the environment over many decades. However, there are a few things to take note of. The first is the whole population explosion misnoma; populations will most likely shrink by a large extent over the next 100 years. And that isn't through harm to the environment; it's largely through our own lifestyle choices. In addition, our technology is improving on a consistent basis. Even traditional internal combustion engines of cars have increased their fuel efficiency (and cleanliness of emissions) dramatically over the last decade. And this situation is improving, as new standards are introduced every few years (with all new cars being required to meet such standards). Cars are important to note because they produce something like two thirds of our greenhouse gases. So improvements in automotive technology are really helping -- and will continue to do so. I would also suggest that, contrary to what the religious right would have you believe, society isn't in a state of moral decline. It seems to me that as society becomes more enlightened about various issues (disease, drugs, sex, etc), there is also a sense that moral values are being eroded. And yet, if you look back in history...the "good old days", when such awareness was not present, I think you'll find that there were some very unique problems. The idea that we lived in a perfect world during the 50s/60s is laughable to me. Sure, we didn't get a lot of "in your face" sex/violence and such. On the other hand, issues of tolerance and dealing with ills like drugs and rape were essentially non-existant. I mean, really...I could probably sit here and write out some kind of massive thesis on this. But I don't have the time for it. Basically though, I think some within human society are struggling to wind the clock backwards, in an attempt to set things right. But in doing so, I feel that we are impeding what we can become -- and certainly, in doing so, we are damaging what we already have. Technology -- the core of our day to day existence -- is always improving. We are always developing new materials that are biodegradable, cheap and accessible to everyone (regardless of socioeconomic status). The same can be said not just about technology like cars/transport, but also about food and medicine. I mean, our own genetic research is allowing us to understand our own biology a whole lot more -- and that leads to the ability to genetically modify food and other organic elements to further our own development and to sustain health around the world. It is my hope that [i]most[/i] people have a positive outlook. And I think it's clear that most of the developments over human history have been positive. Compare where we are now to the dark ages and think ahead another 500 years. I don't see the future as a bleak world of corruption and darkness. I see the future as a world of social equity for all, evidence based politics (as opposed to ideologically based politics), awareness of social issues and the abillity to honestly deal with them (sex, disease, drugs) and an increased integration with our own environment (making technology that not only doesn't harm the environment, but that also encourages environmental development).[/color]

[color=#808080]I hope you understand that OtakuBoards is not here for the express purpose of hosting. If you posted your banner on here, then you [i]are[/i] submitting it to review and comment. So, you are effectively asking for a discussion about it. I just want to make that clear; people shouldn't think that they can just create a pointless, non-discussion thread purely for hosting.[/color]

[color=#808080]I must say, I find a lot of that difficult to understand (in the overall context). But I did pick up on the fact that you said you don't see why music should have that cultural separation. I think there are a lot of reasons why different genres are spawned in different parts of the world. I mean, music isn't just simply a case of what people like to listen to. Music really [i]does[/i] come from culture. It's born from society -- and any music, from any period of history, will reflect that. Either through the actual musical score, the lyrics or the overall feel. I like Australia in terms of music because I tend to find that musical taste isn't as rigid here as it is in the United States. In Australia, I find that there is a much greater "mainstream" appreciation for music that might be considered unconventional in other places. Having said that, I think Japan, Europe and Australia all have one thing in common. Basically, I think there is a very strong (perhaps in-built) ability to embrace musical innovation on a mainstream level. I don't see this in America. Of course, America itself produces a [i]lot[/i] of innovative musical groups and artists. And there are many, many underground scenes and "unconventional" areas within the United States, in terms of music and musical genres. But on a strictly mainstream level, things are very monotone. It doesn't matter whether you're listening to Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera; they sound the same and if they weren't there, someone else would be filling their shoes. It's very monotone and very flat. There is little room for experimentation and variance -- and "individuality" is only accepted if it as seen as logical (in other words, less clothing and more makeup). And more often than not, truly individual music is seen as "weird" or "unconventional". Anyway, I think that this is a kind of discussion that will go on forever. There will [i]always[/i] be "the masses". And there will always be those who strive as hard as they can to break the mould. So where does that leave me? Somewhere in between, I think. Whatever I do, I'm not out there to portray any sort of image. And for that reason, I don't have a very specific image of myself. I don't know if that makes sense. But basically, I don't see myself as a particular kind of person -- because I'm never trying to exemplify a certain train of thinking or way of life. So perhaps that excludes me from the mainstream by default; I don't know. Generally, I think there is one important rule when it comes to music; [b]have an open mind and allow for variation[/b]. That can be easier said than done. No matter WHAT your music taste...I think it's important to recognize the artistry in all music (even Christina's music). Sure, SHE might not have a creative bone in her body. But what about the person who wrote her songs? In every case, there's always some kind of creativity going on. And we have to respect that. At the same time, we all do have personal taste. Music is more personal than literature and art, I think. Music can really reach to the core of a person in a very direct and deliberate way. Sometimes, a particular piece of music might move me to cry...and it might have no effect on someone else, you know? So when people argue over what music is better, it annoys me; no piece of music is [i]really[/i] better than another. It's all 100% subjective. We may debate about the creativity or talent involved, for sure. But at the end, we always have to respect what other people feel about a particular piece of music -- whether the music is seen as creative, unique, individual or not...it doesn't matter. We can't help having an emotional reaction to music, even if it [i]is[/i] something that Britney Spears churns out.[/color]

[color=#808080]Parts of my family have served in the ADF, but not for a while. Someone on my mother's side (I cannot remember his name X_X) served with the British forces during WWII. He fought and died in Gallipolli. And yes, he's a hero. The Republican Guard...I don't know if I'd call them heroes. Especially when some of them dress as civilians and obviously do not hold themselves to an honorable standard. I think a hero (in war) is someone who fights with honor and who defends justice and freedom. If you're defending a violent and oppressive dictatorship (AND you're essentially "cheating" by going outside rules of engagement), I wouldn't call you a hero. But that's just me. Some people think Osama is a hero; so I suppose the term is subjective. If you don't think that soldiers in Iraq are heroes for what they're doing (choosing to risk their lives to serve their nation and the cause of freedom), then I think you may find it hard to use the term "hero" in [i]any[/i] circumstance.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Kazuma K. [/i] [B Now you can go ahead and ban me. Because any board that wont ban someone in an argument because they're a "legend" there is messed up , unless you can give me a clear reason for my banishment, other then me calling him a n00b, in which case, why wasn't he banned as he insulted me in each on of his post, while still being wrong. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#808080]Okay, I'll give you a reason. Regardless of who is right or wrong in this particular "debate", there is [i]no[/i] reason to begin insulting people. And I think it's pretty clear that you were the first to begin insulting people as soon as they tried to have a discussion with you. On OtakuBoards, that is a direct violation of the rules. And being the "informed" person you are, I'm [i]sure[/i] you've read them. Perhaps not. In any case, don't think that you're being unfairly treated. Anyone who wants to launch insults will be dealt with -- whether they are popular/unpopular/male/female etc...[/color]

[color=#808080]Yes, this is indeed insane. o_O I'm not even sure whether or not to award points or what...so uh...you get a gold star. ...I think. o_O;[/color]

[color=#808080]The key thing is that we don't want to be too complex. OBBII was very popular and it worked because it was a weird diversion from reality. But by all means, we can have multiple kinds of events. Charles is now in charge of handling all OB events, so I trust that things are being planned at the moment. But yes, as has been said, it does take quite a long time to plan and operate events. It can be very time consuming. As for prizes...unfortunately, there are factors that can limit that. I mean, right now we are changing advertisement sponsors and are thus earning no revenue. As a result, it's much more difficult to issue a physical prize or something. It costs money. So, we'll do it [i]if we can[/i], but we cannot make any promises for obvious reasons.[/color]

[color=#808080]ALL "chain stories" should be kept in the fan fiction area. There are no exceptions to this rule (unless you're talking about an RPG, for example).[/color]

[color=#808080]Basically, it doesn't matter. Today is a clear example that Saddam has lost power in Iraq. Hopefully he's dead. If not, hopefully we capture him. The people of Iraq are happy (and thus I think the position of some of us on the boards have been totally vindicated by today's events), and now begins the process of rebuilding. I don't want to sound flippant, but you know...that's another chapter of history that is coming to a close. It's a good day for peace I think. Anyway, all of that aside...I think that this thread is really pretty redundant. If someone wants to start a dicussion about post-war Iraq (the liberation and such), I did originally mention that I'd allow it. But let's stick to one thread on that subject. And let's try to make it a bit more useful than a simple "is Saddam/Osama dead?" kind of thing.[/color]

[color=#808080]Mnemolth, I understand your reasoning for creating this topic. And with that said, I don't want to sound harsh or unreasonable. But there are two points to be made here, I think. Firstly, Deus' summary of evolution is something I wholeheartedly agree with. Most people who reference the term "evolution theory" and so on are mostly doing so from a perspective of ignorance. And, as past threads on this subject have demonstrated, it can be hard to have a reasoned discussion when so few are really educated on the subject. Further still, I tend to find that all sorts of other issues get intermingled with the raw discussion -- which may or may not have its own merits, depending on your take -- and so, that can become cumbersome and drive the thread into the ground. I believe that Deus' explanation was quite comprehensive and understandable. And I also feel that your own interpretation is quite valid and reasonable. But, as much as I [i]hate[/i] to admit it (because it is one of the biggest downfalls of this board), people [i]will[/i] start to interject with unrelated tripe. And more often than not, as I said above, it really hurts the conversation. So at this point I'd make a suggestion. I strongly recommend that this discussion continue; but perhaps via PM with Deus. It seems to me that this discussion is primarily a back-and-forth situation between you guys. I understand that you might want to get the view of others here...but I think it's reasonable to reference other evolution threads on OB. The reason I say that is because, if you can wade through the emotional, non-related rhetoric, you [i]will[/i] find that some people have put forward quite colourful and varied views in terms of specifics of evolution. And quite a few of these discussions have been very interesting. And so, with that said, I do feel that this is something we've covered before (and recently), even though it's probably been done in a disjointed and clumsy fashion. I realize that some of you really do like to have some serious discussion and debate. But Mnemolth, you yourself have complained in the past that OB is "too serious" and that I'm possibly wrong for fostering such an atmosphere. I don't believe that I deliberately encourage seriousness or whatever; these are just the threads people make. I don't control that. The unfortunate thing though, is that with many of these threads, civil discussions can be few and far between. When they happen, they're usually good. But I'm not convinced that the boards are really ready to see these threads on a regular basis. Anyway, that's really diverging a bit. Basically, I think it'd be most appropriate for you and Deus to discuss this topic between yourselves. I understand that you may disagree with my decision to close the thread and I sincerely hope that I've provided enough of an explanation. If you need further clarification or wish to discuss it with me, you should always feel free to PM me. I'm happy to discuss my decision making, especially on threads like this. But ultimately, I feel that closing this thread is the right thing to do. I apologize if that annoys anyone, but I'd really like to [i]try[/i] and get some more variation in discussion. Or at the very least, not discuss evolution in detail for another few months -- as with any other subject. I don't expect everyone to know when we last discussed something, of course, but I guess that's why I'm here...for a frame of reference or something.[/color]

[color=#808080]I'm sorry, but we don't allow these threads at OtakuBoards. Obviously, you haven't read our rules. So I'll take this opportunity to remind [i]everyone[/i] that reading our rules is incredibly important if you want to avoid breaking 'em. I hope that you will now actually go and read them, so that you have an idea of what we do and don't allow.[/color]

[color=#808080]Well, I've just gotten Metroid Prime (it came out a short time ago in PAL territories). And what can I say...I'm having trouble writing an N-Sider PAL review because I'm finding it very difficult to avoid overstating the game's brilliance. I can tell you one thing; I haven't been this impressed with a video game since Super Mario 64. And yes, that does include the time when I first played Ocarina of Time. When you consider that I'm a massive Zelda fan and that OoT was the first 3D Zelda game (and was virtually flawless), you get a sense of my feelings about MP. This one game justifies Retro Studios to an insane degree. This one game also makes me [i]totally[/i] comfortable with Retro Studios "taking Rare's place", as it were. This one game is better than anything Rare have ever done (and better than half the stuff NCL itself has done). And I have zero hesitation in saying that. So yeah, what else can I say? lol I think Metroid Prime is now my new favourite game of all time. And if that stance doesn't hold until well after I've finished the game, then I think it will most likely be within my top three for a long time to come.[/color]

[color=#808080]Ahh, I didn't notice this thread before. I wrote a very extensive review for this game at N-Sider. If you want, you can read the full thing here: [url]http://www.n-sider.com/index_content.php?page=reviews/sadvance2.htm[/url] It's probably the most extensive review I've written for N-S. The reason is because I am very impressed with Sonic Adventure 2. It's a [i]lot[/i] better than the first game (and the first was pretty darn good). There are a few major benefits to SA2. For one thing, it feels like you're running twice as fast; SA2 is seriously a very fast game. Also, as I said in the review...you don't get things unfairly popping up to stop you from running (like enemies or oddly placed spikes). The levels are designed to encourage high speed. And the bosses are all quite unique and interesting. That's probably the most basic summary I can give. The review explains it in more detail. ^_^[/color]

[color=#808080]Ah yes, well, considering what you have...you've done pretty well. Especially considering that you can't use layers.[/color]

[color=#808080]I don't think that's such a good idea. You might confuse a few people. ~_^[/color]

[color=#808080]Yeah, Sage is basically correct. We're dealing with many banned members at any one time. We really can't afford to sit down and talk about who was where and when. I'm sorry that this occurred, but our staff were only following the rules and doing their job. I recommend that Wantinabe tries another board; there are plenty of anime-related boards out there. ^_^[/color]

[color=#808080]That's true. There are a lot of member-created forums around; one of those would probably have been a kind of replacement. Or I might have gone and done something independently. Who knows.[/color]

[color=#808080]Yeah, I had forgotten about that. You're right, Justin. In reality the whole thing only lasted a couple of hours. But it's quite interesting to look back on it; it was pretty memorable. In a way though, I look back on it very fondly because at that time there was a big outburst of support for the boards. And when we got v3 going a few days later, I was amazed at how excited people were and how happy they were. It was nice to have that support. I expect it would be pretty emotional if OB had to shut down forever at some point.[/color]