James

[color=royalblue]The thing is, although posts don't count in the Newbie Lounge, let's look at the forum's history. If you flip back to its first page (its earliest page), you'll definitely notice that it was less "crazy". Crazy White Boy brings up some important points with regard to this forum; though the posts don't count, it is a forum that must still abide by the rules of the site. Also, think about what this forum has become. All this talk of members needing to "vent" is ridiculous. If they want to vent, why not do it somewhere else? OtakuBoards is not for "venting". As CWB accurately pointed out, Otaku Lounge is a pretty laid back place. Of course I don't expect people to always be sophisticated and witty (many people who post there are [i]not[/i]), but by the same token, I do expect people to avoid spamming. We originally rejected the idea of a "spam forum". But what would you call Newbie Lounge? You can put any pleasant spin on it that you like, but it's essentially become our "Spam Forum". For the most part, I've been able to tolerate this forum. So whilst I might argue against its existence (and while I do see many problems with it that contradict the rest of the site), I'm somewhat happy to put up with it. Having said that, this forum has become exactly what I [i]did not[/i] intend. A Spam Forum. What I would really like members to do, is to come up with new ideas. What can we replace Newbie Lounge with? I know there is a way to balance our rules with something fun. I mean, hell...this entire board IS fun. Otherwise why would you post here? I mean, it annoys me when people say "members have to vent and let their hair down". If discussing plushies in Otaku Lounge isn't "letting your hair down", then I don't know what is. [/color]

[i]Proteus lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The events of the last day had been very different for him. Now it seemed like a blur. What was that voice? And perhaps more importantly, why did he feel so jaded? Reverb, despite being a rookie, had taken to his role like a duck to water. He just fit like a glove at Hunter HQ. But increasingly, Proteus felt like an outsider. He didn't know why. Suddenly and without warning, the door to Proteus' room slid open. In walked Dr. Karman with two droids. Proteus sat up immediately.[/i] [b]Proteus:[/b] What is it? [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] Relax, Proteus. [i]Dr. Karman sat down on the end of Proteus' bed. The two droids stood next to her patiently.[/i] [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] You broke out of isolation, you know. It's my responsibility to check up on your health. ;) [b]Proteus:[/b] .... [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] I know you don't think I care, but I do. Besides, I have a job to do...I have responsibilities here. [b]Proteus:[/b] Sometimes you forget that I'm not "just a robot". I have thoughts and feelings just as you do. [i]Dr. Karman nodded.[/i] [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] I know. At least let me give you a final injection. It'll help your internal systems to repair broken nerves more quickly. [i]Proteus reluctantly put his arm out for the doctor. She produced a small needle, which contained a bright pink fluid. Proteus watched the fluid move down the needle, into the neuro-net inside his arm... And then he began to feel drowsy. He wasn't sure what happened next. He swore he thought the droids picked him up and carried him out of the room...with Dr. Karman trailing close behind. But he couldn't remember...he was too tired...[/i] ---- Dr. Karman will sneak out of the building with Proteus...so please, nobody notice it happenin' ;) Hehe...I'll explain more in my next post.

[color=royalblue]Delete the post rather than engage in a debate? What's the point of posting in a debate thread if you're not going to debate? ;) Anyway...if this thread does infact stay on topic without straying into "big bad America" or something that isn't really directly related...it will have to be closed. If a proper debate can be conducted, then that's fine.[/color]

[color=royalblue]Okay, Mnemolth...you're all over the place there. And you're dead wrong. The Newbie Lounge is [i]not[/i] a place to "let our hair down". The implication is that post quality is somehow less important there than everywhere else. Secondly, who says that the general consensus amongst users is that we have to be "doom and gloom" or "serious"? Just look at some of the topics in Otaku Lounge. Sure, many of them discuss serious issues. But many also discuss lighthearted issues as well. And that's the point. It's exactly why I don't allow too many political threads in that forum, because sometimes members do need a break from that stuff. And therein lies the beauty of choice -- you can simply choose not to participate in the threads that don't interest you. I don't know where the whole "needing to be serious" perception comes from. Crazy White Boy likes to participate in light hearted topics as much as anyone, from what I can tell. Does that mean we need to get all-out dumb in our posts? Of course not. You can keep something non-spammy and coherent, while also discussing a light hearted subject. I mean, just look at my most recent thread in Otaku Lounge. I wouldn't exactly call it a serious political thread. lol Also, yes we do advocate tolerance here. But how on earth do you manage to fit that within a spammy forum mould? We tolerate people's differences, their personal opinions, background etc... But that doesn't mean we tolerate spam. Our belief in tolerance does not extend to post quality.[/color]

[color=royalblue]Two issues here. First, shipped PS2s is no indication of sold PS2s. Microsoft actually quotes its shipped numbers, indicating that sales are lower than MS reports. On the other hand, Nintendo only accounts for units that have been sold from retailers. Second, out of the entire PS2 userbase, the software penetration is very low. Several million PS2 users don't even play games -- they bought the machine for its DVD movie functionality. And there are figures that actually suggest that the average PS2 owner only buys games fairly rarely; meaning that DVD movies are still the top selling software for the machine. So yeah, the figures are a bit misleading in some respects. But if you understand the breakdowns and look at the software penetration, you get a better idea of how profitable Sony is with PS2 overall.[/color]

[color=royalblue]lil_android...please clean up your post. Try not to talk in one long, continuous sentence. It's really annoying. As for the SMB movie...it was cool. It certainly had nothing to do with the video games generally...but it was a cool movie in its own right. Sure, the story was corny...but it had some good music and some pretty funky moments. :)[/color]

[color=royalblue]Why do you have to turn everything into a dumb anti-American rant? Biological weapons on their own people? Please. You're sounding like a nutty conspiracy theorist when you say that. You can't compare Iraq to America. There is [i]no[/i] comparison. Secondly, you are forgetting decades of history. America has never once been a conquering force. You know the key thing with America that people forget? When America administered Japan after WWII, it GAVE BACK the country to its people. Do you think Iraq would do the same thing? I have a deep respect for the USA, in terms of how it has ended these wars in the past. The USA did the same thing with Germany and most of Europe. It didn't say there as an occupying force. It secured the area and then gave the nation back to its people. Japan would not be the second most powerful economy if it weren't for the USA's efforts. And just look at Japan's society now -- Japan is Australia's closest trade partner, whereas in WWII, Japan was trying to invade us. Big difference, largely thanks to the United States. And what the hell are you talking about when you refer to weapons inspectors in the United States? Unlike Iraq, the USA documents all of its biological and nuclear arsenal. Not only that, but the USA has destroyed much of its own biological and nuclear arsenal over the last few years. It may not be perfect, but hell...don't ever compare Iraq to the USA. That's just wrong. Let's focus on the debate over Iraq and avoid turning every post into a "let's flame America" situation. [/color]

[color=royalblue]Exactly. I've been planning a major update to OtakuBoards.com for a while now. In place of the "Play" button, would be a "My Otaku" button. It would link to a seperate webpage, that would include rules, news updates, announcements, community stuff, FAQs...lots and lots of stuff. But perhaps this would be better suited to a locked forum. I mean, that way it's all right there. Easy to access.[/color]

[color=royalblue]I don't see how that makes sense. If you soak a chicken bone in soda, the bubbles are directly affecting it. If you [i]drink[/i] soda, it's not coming in contact with your bones at all...it's going straight down your digestive path to your stomach. That's a moot point.[/color]

[color=royalblue]I have an idea...kind of like what you mentioned. ;) What if we created a forum called "My Otaku". A forum where you can't post. Instead, there are threads with all sorts of useful information. So, the first might be a welcome...the second might be our rules...the third might be a really in-depth FAQ on vB tags and stuff. And we may have a thread all about RPing...and all about sparring, etc A kind of archive of useful information at people's fingertips. [/color]

[color=royalblue]I think the jury is still out on caffine. Some studies have pointed to negative aspects...whilst others have pointed to possible positive effects. I think in reality it's somewhere in the middle. Caffine probably has bad aspects to it, but I'm sure it also has positive aspects.[/color]

[color=royalblue]Well, what do we know? We know that Iraq has messed with weapons inspectors in the past (they've told us as much). We know that Iraq still posesses scud missiles (both medium and long range). We know that Iraq currently posesses upwards of 20,000 litres of VX and/or Sarin. And finally, perhaps most importantly...we know that Iraq's leader is an absolute psychopathic killer. You know that in Baghdad there is a statue of two arms coming out of the ground with swords criss-crossed...and at the foot of the statue on either side, there are helmets of vanquished enemies scattered everywhere. The arms were modeled after Saddam himself. How nutty is that? To sum up my point of view; I won't be sorry to see Saddam go. Nor will the Iraqi people. Nor will the Middle East as a whole. I am concerned about what happens afterwards though. What plan exists for post-Saddam Iraq? Will the INC step in to form a democratic Parliament? Or will the USA occupy the nation for the next five to ten years while it gets back on its feet? (ala Japan, post WWII). I'm not really worried either way...but I do feel that it's better to put a solution out there beforehand, to reassure everyone. Having said all of that, North Korea is a much bigger threat right now. Fourth largest military in the world...extremely long range missles that can reach the other side of the world...and a highly active nuclear development program (probably much more active than Iraq's program). As an Australian, that worries me more. North Korea tested a ballistic missile in 1998, which nearly hit Japan...and Japan is in my neighbourhood. It could have continued on and hit just about any country here. Very worrying.[/color]

[color=royalblue]That's an interesting point. Some intro threads were VERY good...most now are crap. Seriously. But here lies the dilemma for me. On the one hand, this forum goes against just about everything we've established for OtakuBoards. On the other, it's incredibly popular (just look at the post count). In the back of my mind, I almost let it stay there to kind of draw spam away from other, more important forums. lol Perhaps if I remove that forum I can compensate members by adding something else in its place. Maybe we should open the floor for suggestions on what should be put in its place. The forum idea can be anything...as long as it's not a Newbie Lounge. lol[/color]

[color=royalblue]I must say that I agree with you, CWB. I dislike the Newbie Lounge forum. It was honestly only put there because so many people were posting introduction threads. However, on any of the boards I visit, Introduction threads are considered pointless. What do they always consist of? "Blah blah blah, I'm new, hello" and then the typical responses you indicated. Realistically, it's better for people to just start posting like normal. And perhaps if they're new, someone will add something like "Hey, you're new...welcome" in a response post. I agree that the Newbie Lounge does facilitate spam. It does indicate that spam is okay. If more people support removing it...I will do so.[/color]

[color=royalblue]Yes...and make sure to include reasons [i]why[/i] they are your favourite. ;) Afterall, favourites topics like this are generally spam. So let's make some effort! [/color]

[color=royalblue]This belongs in suggestions. :) I'll move it there in a moment. For images, you need to edit your signature. Go into your profile and simply use the [IMG] tags to add an image. You just type [IMG] put the URL here [ /IMG]. Simple as that :)[/color]

[color=royalblue]It's how I imagine you too, Deus. You [i]have[/i] become rather...holy? o_O Er, not that it's a bad thing...it's just a noticeable change. ^_^;;[/color]

[color=royalblue]MK, I can comprehend you. I'm just telling you to post with better English and more care. Your last post was full of poor spelling, no capital letters and little in the way of punctuation. Your most recent post is better though -- that's what I want you to keep up. ;)[/color]

[color=royalblue]MK, can you please clean up your post quality a little bit? It seems to be slipping and getting a bit more rushed lately. Thanks :)[/color]

[color=royalblue]Hm, I usually picture people as their avatars. Sometimes they will say something that makes me picture them a certain way, though. I picture Weh (Break) as a tall bird with golden feathers and a little leather pouch on his side. (He is a chocobo afterall). I picture Adam as somewhat like Captain planet...but with a big Otaku logo on his clothes. o_O Who else...hmm...I think of Lady Katana as a beautiful elven woman (mainly due to her great posts in my LoZ RPG). Insane stuff...[/color]

[color=royalblue]Hm, part of the reason I created this thread was to ask if anyone had seen the Japanese versions of this movie. As I said, Ring O was played here recently, but I missed it. :( From what I hear, the Japanese version is even better.[/color]

[color=royalblue]Hm, those don't appear to be on the first page though. At least on my settings they aren't. o_O;;[/color]

[color=royalblue]Since there don't appear to be any threads about this movie yet...I thought I'd start one. First and foremost, I haven't seen The Ring yet. It isn't on at my local cinema...I think it'll be coming out this week in Australia. Nonetheless, I'm intrigued by it. I first heard about it in a chatroom with some friends...who all saw it and swore by it. They loved it. I've also read three film reviews of this movie...two of them were negative (two stars out of five) and one was extremely positive (four and a half stars). It seems that the American version's plot is a bit loose...whilst the actual "scary" aspect is very good. Cinematography is also apparently very good. If you haven't seen it, I'll explain what it's about. The Ring essentially revolves around an enchanged video tape. It is totally unmarked and appears to have nothing on it. But when you press "play", you see a series of nightmarish and disturbing images in black and white. At the end of the tape, you see a ring. Moments later, you receive a phone call. On the other end is a child who whispers "Seven Days". The watcher of the tape has only seven days until they die. There are a few interesting aspects to this concept. First and foremost, it must be noted that the American movie is based on a Japanese movie called [i]Ringu[/i] which is, in turn, based on a horror novel. The movie (and its successors, including Ringu 2 and Ringo-O: Birthday) are amongst the highest grossing movies EVER in Japan. One of the core ideas behind the movie is the question of the "forbidden fruit". If you watch the tape, you [i]will[/i] die. But if you don't watch it, you will wonder what is on it. You will be curious about the images contained within... The idea is, of course, that as dangerous as the tape is...as horrible as its contents are, it is human desire to explore the taboo. To touch the forbidden. And of course, your curiosity is "rewarded" in the most horrible way possible. Uniquely, the original creator of the Japanese film said that the seven day idea came about in order to make the concept more scary. You see...if you died right away, that'd be kind of pointless and painless. Instead, you receive a chilling phone message that gives you seven days to live. During that seven day period, things are not what they seem...and you have to live with the knowledge that at the end of the week, you will die. In the Japanese version, the tape is enchanted with a curse...and the images relate to memories and nightmares from a character known as "Sadako". The tape is Sadako's revenge for his/her death (I'm not sure if it's a male or female). In the American version, two girls in a cabin find the tape. One of them watches it...her friend doesn't. Her friend witnesses her death one week later. The death was so horrible that the friend is committed to an insane asylum for the rest of her life -- unable to be healed. The aunt of the "murdered" girl is a reporter who decides to investigate. She doesn't believe the urban legend -- and subsequently watches the tape. Sure enough, she receives the chilling phone call moments later. So, it becomes a race for her life. She has a week to unravel the mystery behind the tape. During this time...her young son watches the tape too. Obviously, she is extremely worried about this. However, her son begins drawing images at school that are directly from the tape. He also delivers other worldly messages. Clearly, he is the key to the mystery surrounding the tape's nightmarish contents. What I'd like to know is for those who've seen the movie...what did you think? And has anyone seen the Japanese versions? Ring-O was played recently on TV here...but I missed it. It looked pretty cool. Oh and...no spoilers please. ;) If anyone wants to learn more, I recommend visiting [url]http://www.dreamworks.com/thering[/url] for more info. The movie notes are really worth reading. :) Here's an image from the American version (I believe it is the friend of the girl who died...):[/color] [img]http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/2a460f93626cd4678625624c007f2b46/a2054d2ac1116dc288256c5000818188/ReviewBody/0.EDA?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif[/img]

[color=royalblue]It's really simple. If someone tries to mug you with a gun, you have a hell of a lot less chance of getting away than if they have a knife. I always hear this dumbass argument that "people will still use other weapons". Of course they will. But why encourage more deadly weapons to exist? As mentioned, Australia is a great example. We have very tight gun laws...and new sets of laws are going to make them even tighter. And that's a good thing. It's why we have among the lost per-capita violent crime rate on Earth. People don't need to carry guns. If you do, then you have much more serious problems to consider. Anyway, we've already had no less than two threads related to these sniper shootings. I think we need to give the topic a rest for a while. [/color]

[color=royalblue]Ahh! Finally...I did a sketch of Proteus. It's only a concept, mind you...but it'll do for now. I finally got my damn scanner to work again. ^_^ [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=298146[/IMG] As you can see, it's a bit rushed and blah...but you get the idea. ^_^ [/color]