James

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shift [/i] [B]They pissed me off before I said anything... [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#808080]Now [i]that's[/i] how a true professional acts. :rolleyes: Shift, [i]you're[/i] the one who "slung the mud" in the first place. If your criticism had been legitimate, nobody would have jumped on you. Even if you hadn't been the first to start the problem, there is no excuse to start a silly argument with people.[/color]

[color=#808080]I think the issue is pretty simple. Straight males like the idea of two women because it's a kind of threesome situation (even though two lesbians couldn't care less about a guy, which makes that idea moot anyway). The males who think two lesbians are hot yet can't tolerate male/male relationships are actually [i]not[/i] more tolerant of lesbians. They are simply attracted to them. That's the only difference. If those two lesbians wanted to adopt a child or get married, they'd be viewed with the same horror and prejudice that a male/male couple would. The fundamental prejudices are always the same. I view the current situation with gays as a mirror of the 1960's with blacks. Gays are just starting to gain rights and tolerance in the world; but there are many who are prejudice against gays because they don't understand (and thus are afraid) of a sexuality that isn't their own. It's no different from racial discrimination. In the 50's and 60's, racists used religion and other points of reference to justify their prejudice. Over time, that became clearly unacceptable. The same will inevitably happen with homosexuality, as society continues to develop and become more educated with each generation. Prejudice of homosexuality (like racism) is based upon ignorance. All prejudice is based upon ignorance. If you're ignorant of someone else (either their race, sexuality, religion, culture etc), then you're more likely to be suspicious and less tolerant. So the whole concept of lesbians being more accepted than gays is really a misnoma. There is no greater level of acceptance -- it's just that the sexual overtones of such relationships interest straight males...and therefore that tends to overshadow the very real prejudice that does exist. Generally speaking, I think it's quite obvious that nobody should be hated or excluded based upon their natural genetics. If you're born black/white/asian/hispanic, gay/straight/bi, it shouldn't matter. But it [i]does[/i] matter to those who are ignorant. And it will always matter until education (and thus social standards) improve. Anyway, that's my summary on the situation. [/color]

[color=#808080]The problem, Hittokiri, is that you are often highly blunt and rude when making your observations. That's not what effective criticism should be about. Of course you can talk about the negatives, but I think it's important to encourage someone rather than to belittle them. You don't need to explain your form of posting to me; I understand your criticisms because I [i]do[/i] read them. I'm just saying that it's not the [i]content[/i] of what you're saying, it's the way you phrase your criticism. If you can improve that aspect of your posts, then I think nobody will ever have a problem with you at all.[/color]

[color=#808080]I think it's important to be a little more gracious in these forums. That goes specifically to Shift and Hittokiri. Hittokiri, you're really kind of getting your own medicine here; your attitude is much the same as Shift's. It's annoying and occasionally offensive. I urge you both to take a lesson in humility and to practice more gracious behavior in this particular forum.[/color]

[color=#808080]Adding text links wouldn't suit the style of the site. I don't think it's going to hurt to have the banner stored in your computer's cache.[/color]

[color=#808080]Most people have pics turned on. And our site is picture-based in terms of navigation. So, at the moment at least, we don't plan to offer any alternatives (such as browsing additions for the blind and such). Right now we have more than enough on our collective plates and I feel that adding slightly less necessary features would not be feasable at this point. Having said that, images should not be too much of an issue. If you have this site cookied and such, all the site's images (buttons/banner etc) should cache and be stored on your computer. Therefore, they won't load over and over again when you visit. Then, you can turn signatures off in your profile so that you don't have to see all of those other images. If you turn the sig feature off, you should find that the boards load a lot more quickly and take up less memory.[/color]

[color=#808080]As always, we encourage people to host images on their own host if possible. If you have many images to show, it's much better for you to use a host other than OtakuBoards.com.[/color]

[color=#808080]Didn't you say that Sin was easier to defeat than Yunalesca? I know they are different...but if I can defeat Yunalesca without much trouble, do you think I have a chance against Sin? lol[/color]

[color=#808080]I don't have Anima or any legendary weapons that I know of... :help:[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by GinnyLyn [/i] [B][color=royal blue] *looks at James' avie* :twitch:[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#808080]Hehe, isn't she interesting? I spoke a little bit about that on my new blog (well, indirectly I guess). I thought it was something interesting to talk about. Anyway...I don't know if I'm powerful or what. I mean, Auron is my strongest character. He has about 4,600 health. My other characters are around 2,800 to 3,500 in health. That doesn't see like a lot though; I want to get them all to 9,999 or whatever the maximum is.[/color]

[color=#808080]I've gotten two chain letters so far in my life. I got them both years ago. I didn't send them. Sending a piece of paper in the mail isn't going to change your luck. [spoiler]Unless you get hit by a postal truck or something.[/spoiler][/color]

[color=#808080]Hm...well, I'm not so much worried about lvl 4 key spheres. I've gotten a few more recently and I think I have enough for what I want to do. But in terms of sphere levels...they don't seem to go up enough at Omega Ruins. The first time I went there, I actually did run around a bit near the save point. And in doing so, I fought maybe 12-15 battles. But ultimately, I wasn't getting the kind of level ups that you're talking about in your post. I tried again and now I'm still getting the same result. I haven't fought as many monsters though...so it might be possible that I'm not going deep enough into the ruins or something. I don't know. That's the only thing I can think; maybe I'm not fighting the right monsters.[/color]

[color=#808080]Indeed. ^_^ Now you know what I mean. lol[/color]

[color=#808080]I think the key thing is to address the reasons why people become homeless in the first place. And for those who are homeless...let's face it, they're not going to be getting most jobs if they're dirty and have no address. I think Governments need to invest more money on things like homeless shelters. Shelters need to be more numerous...and they shouldn't simply be a place for people to eat and sleep; they should provide incentives and job counselling for the homeless. I think we should be giving the homeless a sense of pride and enthusiasm for employment, which they may not otherwise have. Forcing them to work isn't necessarily going to achieve that. They have to [i]want[/i] to work to be able to stay in a paid employment situation for any substantial period of time. Therefore, as I said, let's expand the concept of homeless shelters and make them more of an employment resource as well as a basic care resource.[/color]

[color=#808080]Does anyone have a response for my last question up there? Hehe, some of those who have already completed the game may have more ideas about how I can find more difficult battles to level up more quickly.[/color]

[color=#808080]We don't all end up where we'd like to be, unfortunately. Sometimes the only way to achieve your dream is to take a big gamble -- which can sometimes end in heartache. What you have done is nothing out of the ordinary. You've chosen something that makes sense to you at the time. What you must remember is that you are only young. You can spend some time building up experience where you are and then you can take that gamble and follow more of a dream-like path. ^_^ I've done a lot of things (careerwise) that I never thought I'd do. But it has only added to my experience overall. It hasn't deterred me from following my dreams at all. ^_^ I'm sure you'll be okay.[/color]

[color=#808080]Um, Tidus_Auroch...I didn't really understand most of that. Maybe you should edit it. Who are you responding to in that post?[/color]

[color=#808080]This is terrible news. My advice would be that you should maybe wait until everything is sorted out with the divorce. Wait until things are finalized and give yourself some time to get your life back together and get back on your feet. If this were me...I don't know if it'd be worth going out with someone whilst the divorce is ongoing. I mean, I wouldn't be totally free of everything and it might be one of those situations where I'm with someone for the comfort and it may not really last. So, it depends what you want. My recommendation is to wait a bit longer until things in your life are more stable...and then there's plenty of room for someone else in your life. But ultimately, you have to do what you think is right. If you meet someone tomorrow who you adore and who treats you well...then you should be with that person, regardless of your situation. Just do what [i]you[/i] think is right, Lady M. ^_^ I hope things get better for you soon. [/color]

[color=#808080]SSJ5 Vegeta, first thing's first; knock off the language. Don't use "*" to get past the swearing filter (which you [i]are[/i] doing; the "f" and the "g" should be censored). Regardless of your personal problems, you need to treat others with a little more respect on this board. Frankly, I don't think anyone can be blamed for misunderstanding you. Your first post (and your subsequent post) were both quite hard for me to interpret. I can't tell whether you've had sex with your girlfriend and you both agreed not to tell...or you haven't had sex with her and she is saying you have. I suspect the former, but I don't want to assume anything if it's not true. In any case, if I were to assume the former...then your girlfriend has certainly breached your trust, especially if you have made an agreement with her. If my partner ever spoke about our sex life to someone else (especially if she was going around talking about really personal specifics), I'd be very hurt and offended. Trust is one of the most important parts of the relationship. I recommend that you speak to her about this directly. Don't tell us; tell her. Explain your feelings. Too many people get huffy about stuff and go off and sulk...without actually explaining their concerns with their partner. That is what you must do now -- make your position very clear to her. If she has lied about you and broken the trust that you share, you should make it clear that you won't stand for that. She either has to pull her head in and quit telling personal secrets, or you'll end the relationship. Ultimately, no choice like this is easy. But sometimes it's necessary to retain your personal dignity. If she's going to lie about you [i]despite[/i] your agreement, then she must not care about you as much as you care for her. It's as simple as that, really. I hope you can rise above the gossip and deal with her directly. That's the best way to approach the situation.[/color]

[color=#808080]Well, I've just defeated [spoiler]Yunalesca[/spoiler]. You're right, Ginny...it's a tough battle. Definitely the toughest I've done so far. Funny thing is, I sort of expected that it'd take me forever and I'd have to try over and over again. But I only needed one try. Still, it was tough. There were a couple of times where I held on by the skin of my teeth. Mostly though, I didn't find it to be [i]too[/i] challenging. The biggest problem I had was the fact that my physical and magical attacks (if you ignore Aeons) just weren't powerful enough. Even attacks of 1,000 - 3,000 damage are pretty low, when you consider how much health that boss has overall. So, it was a lengthy battle. I'm glad that it's over though. If Sin isn't as hard as this latest boss...then I'm glad. ~_^ Oh, I also want to add something about Omega Ruins. I've been there before. Tasis, didn't you say that each enemy at Omega Ruins awards you with at least one sphere? That doesn't seem to be the case. I still have to fight multiple battles to even achieve [i]one[/i] sphere for the grid. Is there [i]anywhere[/i] that I can go to level up more quickly?[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by liamc2 [/i] [B] Also I'd like to say that this argument is worse than a pair of testosterone filled drunks fighting over an empty seat while vacant ones surround them. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#808080]What a shame. A debate such as this, which could have been based on well-researched arguments has now turned into this. It saddens me that some of you were not able to let this thread continue on its proper course. Some of you throw your hat into the ring and make a few quick comments without actually making a full investment in the debate. If you're going to post in a debate like this, at least give others enough respect and don't throw around personal insults and pointless rhetoric. Approach a debate like this as you would an essay; do a litle research and try to make well-informed discussion. Perhaps I'm asking too much. Though I like to think that mature debates [i]can[/i] be had on OtakuBoards, that simply might not be the case. I had hoped that everyone had grown up a little over time, but maybe I'm overestimating those of you who hijacked the discussion and caused its closure. I don't need to take any action, other than supporting what Elite did here. And I don't think I need to; those of you who have torn down this thread have done so in public view. I don't need to say anything; you've already hurt yourselves more than enough.[/color]

[color=#808080]I just hope that Yuna is less stiff in this game -- especially with her speech! Blegh, that annoyed me to no end in FFX. Based on those pictures, I can imagine the scene having great animation. But to do that bit successfully, it's going to rely on having a good song (in other words, not one of the sappy Japanese numbers from Shenmue lol). Plus...I wish they would stop changing how characters look. Do you notice the subtle differences between Yuna's face there and how she looks in FFX? They've given her more sharp features...it is just kinda weird. I don't think she looks [i]bad[/i] now. But at least keep some continuity there. lol[/color]

[color=#808080]Err...I didn't understand a word of that, Hiei. I recommend taking some more time with your posts in future, to improve post quality. ^_^[/color]

[color=#808080]I'll lay it down for you guys. ^_^ Moderators are selected based upon: 1) The need for new Moderators (we won't select someone if we don't need staff). 2) Post quality and attitude (people who relate well with others and have great post quality are prime candidates). 3) Rule following (people who follow the rules and take care to be accurate with 'em are the kind of people who make great Mods). 4) Online availability (if you're only online once a week, you're not what we're looking for). And there you have it, in a nutshell.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by cloricus [/i] [B][color=teal] There are several things you left out regarding laws, sanctions and benefits to the US.[/color][/b][/quote] [color=#808080]Such as? Once again, you're not providing specific examples. Tell me why it is more beneficial for the United States to go to war, rather than to drop the sanctions against Iraq. It's all very well to say "it's about oil". But people who make those arguments are frequently unable to explain [i]why[/i]. Furthermore, those same people often have a great deal of trouble explaining the relevant sanctions and resolutions in relation to Iraq.[/color][quote][b][color=teal] And 2) If you don't believe that the media would "restrict" some things, by means I don't agree with DuoMax saying all media, then you really have no idea what you are talking about. It is well documented and is accepted that the media is bias and any thing you do see can and most likely is from "someone?s" point of view. To the point were it is now part of school assignments to find the bias. So yes, they lie.[/quote][/b][/color] [color=#808080]Did I say that the media contains no bias? No. Read my comments again, please. I pointed out to DuoMax that just because one local station didn't cover one local peace march, that doesn't provide [i]any[/i] indication or logic to suggest that the rest of the media in general is pro-Government and is ignoring the peace movement. If you watch CNN, you will find that the channel is [i]quite[/i] anti-war biased. In addition, there is a difference between bias and lying. You need to remember that. A bias is not necessarily a lie, it's simply a frame through which information is presented. [/color][quote][b][color=teal] Gokents 60% of my country is against action against Iraq (40% of that will accept war with UN backing, I am one of those people ? ie, if we [b]have[/b] to go to war, I?d rather it with UN backing for Australia?s safety. I don?t want the war at all but yeah.), this is not just one poll these figures are on nearly ever poll taken so far. [/quote][/b][/color] [color=#808080]Recent polls indicate that around 60%+ of our citizens would support war if the United Nations authorized it. I myself would be far less supportive of war without United Nations approval. However, the United Nations needs to read its own resolution (1441). The French and Germans are spinning things to the point where they are missing the point of the original resolution that they [i]agreed[/i] to. Few people who argue about "more time" for inspectors understand 1441. I'm not saying that as a matter of being pro-war (because I'm not necessarily pro-war), I'm saying it as a matter of international law. The politics of the situation are another story, of course.[/color][quote][b][color=teal] Yet our priminister is still backing bush. Now this is interesting, because that means he knows some thing we don't eg he is lying to the Australian public, this is why the upper house passed a no-confidence vote on him. Effectively this means nothing except they formally told him he's doing some thing wrong. He is still continuing? (Reason I say he's lying, 60% of Australia. Not good for next election, so why would he risk it in less he knows some thing we don't.)[/quote][/b][/color] [color=#808080]Of course he's lying. That suits your conspiracy theorist views, doesn't it? I'm sure that the Prime Minister has probably committed our forces to action in Iraq. But you must also remember that it's quite possible that he doesn't know if he will or won't support action against Iraq. Remember; you need to have a certain amount of military resources in place well before you strike. It's prudent to position those forces before a second UN resolution, [i]just in case[/i] they are required. If they aren't required, they can return home. If we had not deployed any forces by now, then that would be an undeniable rejection of war under [i]any[/i] circumstance. Due to the time involved with deployment, it's necessary to deploy forces now if we are leaving the option of force open. So there [i]is[/i] a legitimate reasoning to this. It's unfair to attack the Prime Minister before a UN vote on the subject; if he wants to leave the question of support open (without committing), he [i]does[/i] need to pre-deploy forces to the area. This is a matter of simple logistics. If we don't get the UN vote, then it's quite possible that half or more of our forces will become a part of normal rotation (meaning that many will return). Let's try to keep things in perspective; Labor has absolutely played politics on this issue. I'm very disappointed with Simon Crean -- and I consider him to be the worst Labor leader in years. He's far too partisan on nearly every issue, to the point where his comments are extremely devisive and uncalled for.[/color][quote][b][color=teal] Also China for some odd reason has being bringing up capitalists and adding them to the "Party" to increase the countries wealth, most believe this is part of a long change over from their current system. So good on them.[/quote][/b][/color] [color=#808080]I don't really know how that is relevant...but yes, you're right. China is slowly moving toward democracy all the time. That's definitely a good thing for all involved.[/color][quote][b][color=teal] James North Korea is America's fault, just like the Cuba missile crisis. America cut NK's power supply and gave them an excuse to start their reactors. Therefore any result of that I don't believe Australia should be involved in and bad luck America, you?re bad.[/quote][/b][/color] [color=#808080]Ah yes, that's wonderful. A very predictable comment coming from you, Cloricus. First and foremost, you neglect to mention [i]why[/i] the United States cut North Korea's power supply. The USA cut support [i]after[/i] they discovered that North Korea had been in the process of systematically violating the 1994 international non-proliferation agreements. I thought you'd ignore that. The USA didn't create this situation; North Korea did. North Korea had [i]agreed[/i] to cease its nuclear development program. This agreement had been reached [i]without war[/i] (which, by your standards, should be absolutely wonderful). And now North Korea has been found to have broken that deal. Gee, imagine if the US had attacked North Korea for that! I'm sure you'd be arguing against that, wouldn't you? And yet, by the same token, you're blaming the United States for North Korea's proliferation. By your standards, even if the United States practices peaceful diplomacy, they can't win. And by your judgement, they'll [i]never[/i] win. Now, the USA is attempting to avoid war with North Korea and is trying to establish direct talks to ensure that the country gets back on track with its original promises. I suppose you will find fault in this non-violent approach, too? Yep, all America's fault. [/color][quote][b][color=teal] I feel sorry for Taiwan, I have a friend from there and its meant to be a lot worse than the snippets that get on the news.[/quote][/b][/color] [color=#808080]I feel sorry for them too. I really hope that China uses its better judgement and sees the benefit in partnering with Taiwan, rather than dominating that island.[/color][quote][b][color=teal] Also on a joking note ? America when you use your secretary of state to address the UN, do not make him try and link al-quada to Iraq when he doesn?t want to, and if you do make sure they aren?t the al-quada groups that have being trying to knock off saddam for the last 20 years? The was so funny. (Really al-quada has nothing to do with Iraq and Iraq wants nothing to do with them. Saying they do is just outright lying, and it really cheapened the American argument.) [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#808080]I see. And I suppose you're getting your "intelligence" from the Greenpeace website or something? Come on, Cloricus. You are constantly skeptical of Government in just about every situation. Where is the evidence that Al-Qaeda has been trying to knock off Saddam? That's news to me. Furthermore, I'd point out to you that Saddam Hussein has been actively supporting Palestinean terror groups (who unfortunately set back the crucial Palestinean independence movement by years with each bomb attack). There [i]is[/i] evidence of at least a loose connection between Al-Qaeda individuals and the Iraqi Government. I'm not saying that such links are conclusive, but the presence of links is far more likely than not. When you consider Saddam's provocation of violence in the Middle East via various terror groups, I think that it's a stretch to simply dismiss the Al-Qaeda connection altogether. It's okay to have a healthy skepticism on the matter, but I don't think it's useful to follow the traditional "If America says there's a link, then there can't possibly be" route.[/color]