James

[color=royalblue]Does your brother actually use OtakuBoards? I mean, if he's never been here...then he'd never know you said anything about his sexuality. It's wrong to talk about people's sexuality without their permission, granted, and it's very big of you to apologize publicly like this on the boards. But yeah...if he doesn't use our boards...and if nobody here knows him personally, I guess I just don't see why it's an issue. But maybe I'm mistaken. :)[/color]

[size=1]What is this continual mention of a river? lol...they were moving along the east coast of Terraforma heading north...and they were heading toward the Norther Continent...this isn't really how it was supposed to happen, oh well...[/size] [i]Karu lit a torch and held it out infront of him. The hallway beyond wasn't a mere cave. The walls were decorated with ancient engravings and artwork and in the distance, Karu and the others could see what looked like stone columns.[/i] Karu: This can't be a natural formation... Chole: Yeah, it looks like some sort of secret entrance to something. Sephiroth: The Ancients... Karu & Chole: Who?! Sephiroth: Nevermind. As we continue...if this place is what I think it is, I won't need to explain anything at all. [i]The three continued walking down the cold, dark tunnel. It curved and twisted deeper underground. And then, fairly abruptly, it began to rise again. Eventually, everyone stepped out onto a large plateau, overlooking the water. There were old, broken down columns all over the place, but the huge fountains that littered the grounds of the structure were still operational. Just as they turned around to continue exploring, a woman walked up behind them. She was wearing white robes with a weird symbol on the chest. It looked somewhat like a golden eye. She had long, dark hair which nearly touched the ground behind her. The strange woman held out her hand...[/i] Woman: Welcome. Chole: Who are you? Woman: My name is Saron...what brings you to our temple? Chole: Temple?! Saron: Ahh, obviously you stumbled upon this place by mistake...let me show you around and explain to you where you are... [i]Saron beckoned for them to follow her, as she began walking along the great plateau towards to giant double doors at the other end...[/i]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by () [/i] [B] ....:eek: WHATS WRONG WITH YAOI?????ITS FOR [B]MMMMMAAAAAATTTTTUUUUUUURRRRREEEEEEEE[/B] PEOPLE!!!ITS EROTIC FOR GODS SAKE!!!:eek: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]Erm, I presume that with Yaoi, as with anything, there are different degrees of it. I've never come across any "pornographic" Yaoi in my life. So yeah, it's like with any kind of artwork. You can have a painting of a naked woman...or you can have a painting of two people having sex. So there are different degrees of any kind of artwork. Same with anime...there's Dragonball (kid's anime) and on the other end, there's 8 Man After etc (more gore and sex than you can shake a stick at).[/color]

[color=royalblue]Yeah sure...I make lists all the time. Here's one I wrote up a few weeks ago:[/color] [size=1][b]James' To Do List:[/b] 1) Visit OtakuBoards 2) Read PMs 3) Deal with Complaints 4) Fix a Staff Problem 5) Fix Another Staff Problem 6) Ban SSJGoten for the 100000000000th Time 7) Tell Sephiroth to be Patient About the Yaoi Section 8) Visit OtakuBoards 9) Answer the Same Question for the 132311100th Time 10) Tell Adam to Stop Being So Lazy [/size] [color=royalblue]There you have it...;)[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Nerdsy [/i] [B] [COLOR=deeppink]What about when somebody labels themselves, like I do? Does that show the same signs of insecurity? [/COLOR] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]Nah, you can call yourself whatever you want. lol But labeling other people is pretty pathetic, I mean...people feel safe if they can identify each other with a standardized term...but it doesn't work in practice, because everyone is different (even those who seem to fit into a cliche). The only person I might care to label would be SSJGoten. I'd label him an idiot.[/color]

[color=royalblue]I believe we've had this topic before. -_- The only thing I'll say is that I am sick of these stupid labels...poser, prep, etc etc etc... It's such stupid rubbish. I often find that people who use such labels are insecure of themselves moreso than the people they're labeling. I hate being pigeon-holed -- and that's all labeling does. As for the music...I'm into a bit of everything. My favourite kind of music would be electronic (drum 'n' bass, techno, electronica, trance etc etc), then neo-classical (hybrid and vanessa mae are good examples of neo-classical), then rock/heavy (Marilyn Manson and Rammstein are my favourites in this area...as well as a bit of Korn...but please don't try to put Linkin Park in this category, as they are nothing but Backstreet Boys with guitars)...and yeah, that's about all. lol I like a little R&B now and then...but I hate country music a lot...and I don't tend to listen to pop music all that much, but sometimes I'll hear a song that I"ll like.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by stardust [/i] [B]hehehe!I made the school spelling bee!didn't miss a single word on the try out!My next goal is cheerleading,darn,I'll never make it,anyways,wish me luck! [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]Stardust...can you [b]please[/b] use spaces in between your words? I mean, when you use commas? I believe BabyGirl picked you up on that before...it's nothing major, but it does get rather frustrating (and sometimes difficult to understand).[/color]

[i]Karu sat down next to Sephiroth. He hadn't seen what had happened for himself, but Chole had told him all about it when he'd woken up. Sephiroth was still sitting there, staring out over the ocean. His hair was still red...[/i] Karu: Sephiroth? Sephiroth: Yeah...? Karu: What are we going to do now? Sephiroth: I don't know, Karu. That serpent was trying to stop us heading north...so there must be something special there... Karu: I heard rumors of a North Continent...but I always thought they were fairy tales. Sephiroth: Well, in any case, I'm sure we'll find out. I think we should keep heading north...that is...if you're ready for more fighting. It's sure to become more dangerous as we move north. Karu: Yeah...I understand. I have nothing to lose...my parents are gone...I'll do anything to find them. Sephiroth: Okay, Karu. We'll keep going north then... [i]Sephiroth stood up and removed his trench coat. He dived straight into the ocean to clean himself off. A few minutes later, he crawled back up onto the boat, his long, white hair all thick from the water...[/i]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sephiroth [/i] [B] I saw that one coming a mile away, lol.... a world where james finally adds that yaoi section to otakuboards I've been wanting, lmao.... [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]Heheh...feel free to add your personal yaoi artwork to the Art/Graphic Design forum! lol. I'm sure many of us will be looking forward to your Sephiroth/Cloud imagery. lol[/color] :blush: :drunk: :eek:

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crazy White Boy [/i] [B] Based on what I was taught and in what I believe, I feel that if you eliminate the lower class, what you're basically left with is an upper and lower class; the elite and the norm. If there were only two classes it would remind me of the days of English lords and surfs. I know it wouldn't be quite as archaic in practice, but I have a feeling that social mobility might be damaged with only two classes. After all, it didn't work back then... [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]We have moved past the point in society where we would have such differences between class though. If you were to remove the lower class, you would invariably be looking at an increase in living standards across the board. By removing the lower class, you effectively put everyone on a smiliar footing, in terms of the basic living standards they receive. So I don't think social mobility will be damaged at all -- if anything, I think that the removal of a lower class would significantly push society forward. It would mean that we would not physically need such expansive welfare system and we could focus on the betterment of existing society rather than trying to drag along the floundering lower class behind us. It may not have worked back then -- but today isn't back then. We are in a more enlightened world and culture. And I don't think that you can apply old-world principals to today's society. The fact is, a lower class can theoretically be removed. And doing so would be a good thing. But having said that, there is still the question of those people who would choose not to work and who would basically choose not to participate (many for ideological reasons). So there are still hurdles, even if a theoretical situation can be put into practice.[/color]

[color=royalblue]Ahh yes. Back when we had 1000000 Administrators... *sigh* Forever Omnipotent...I'll never forget. :)[/color]

[i]As the sun began to set, the water around the boat again became unstable. The boat rocked from side to side, its old wooden frame creaking with the movement. Sephiroth and Chole both opened their eyes at the same time. Chole looked at Sephiroth and was about to say he was sorry about what had happened, but he held his tongue. Nothing could possibly make Sephiroth feel any better right now. Sephiroth stood up and unsheathed his sword again. The water was moving...and something was up ahead of them. A large, blue, scaly hump slowly rose out of the water only a few metres ahead of the boat. Chole watched in terror as the giant serpent's head emerged from the water. It continued to rise...twenty metres...thirty metres...fifty metres...it was as tall as some of the tallest skyscrapers in all of Solhara. The giant sea-serpent shook its head and the large flaps on the side of his head fanned out. They were brilliantly colorful -- but Chole didn't have time to notice the colors. He was too busy staring into the menacing eyes of the beast. It looked down at Sephiroth and began to speak... [/i]Serpent: Ahh. So you're finally here. I was expecting as much... Sephiroth: .... Serpent: Hahahah. Still angry about Jasmine, eh? Sephiroth: ...What?! Serpent: Yes, unfortunate, that...tsk tsk, killing your own lover with your own sword...how terrible of you... Sephiroth: You know very well that I had no control over my actions...it's this sword... Serpent: Yeah...you can blame the sword all you want. The sword is only a reflection of your inner desires. Obviously you didn't care too much for Jasmine... Sephiroth: [b][i]How dare you say that![/b][/i] Serpent: No need to get nasty with me...Jasmine was dead weight anyway. She only held you back... Sephiroth: [b][i]Take that back this instant! Take it back or you'll feel pain like you've never experienced before![/b][/i] Serpent: You see? Hahah...all you want to do is kill me! That's your only solution! Well, in any case, I'm here to ensure that you don't pass. I have orders, you see... Chole: Orders? Serpent: Yes, orders! You're not to go north from here...that little thing with Jasmine was designed to point you back south. Sephiroth: [i][b]You made me kill her just because you want to protect your stupid territory?[/i][/b] Serpent: Of course. She was a pointless individual anyway...who cares if she's dead? [i]It was too much for Sephiroth. He had to take out his rage... He summoned all his strength...and pushed off the deck of the boat with his feet. He jumped up high into the air...higher than the serpent itself. Chole watched in amazement as Sephiroth dissappeared into the clouds. The serpent looked somewhat surprised and looked around frantically. The area of sky directly above the serpent's head turned a brilliant red color. And in an instant, Chole saw Sephiroth dive down from the clouds, holding his glowing red sword tightly in his fists. He drove the sword directly into the top of the serpent's head. Rivers of crimson blood flowed down the snake's face and body. Sephiroth stood on the creature's head and continued driving the sword into its face. Over and over again...he didn't stop. He was surrounded by red light. Chole was amazed. He'd never seen Sephiroth unleash such tremendous power before... Before too long, Sephiroth jumped down from the snake onto the boat. He stood and watched the great creature sway back and forth...its enormous eyes rolled back in its huge head. Eventually, it toppled back into the ocean from where it came... [/i] Sephiroth: I don't know who your master is...but they will pay a very dear price for what they've done...

[i]Chole continued to explore the coastline with his eyes...his glasses zoomed in as he combed the area for any signs of life. As he looked out over the water, he noticed something strange. The fish in the water weren't moving. They were dead, it seemed. Chole removed his glasses for a moment and rubbed his eyes.[/i] Chole: The fish...are they dead? Sephiroth: I think so... Karu: What could have killed all the fish? Sephiroth: Who knows... [i]Chole put his glasses back on and continued combing the landscape. All of a sudden, the boat began to rock back and forth in the water. The water around them was becoming unstable. Chole removed his glasses again and looked all around them -- he couldn't see what was making the water move. Jasmine held onto Sephiroth, who held her in his arms. She may have been a warrior, but he was glad that she was seeking comfort from him. Karu crawled toward the front of the boat and looked out over the water. He froze.[/i] Karu: Uhh...g-guys? T-here's...s-something here... [i]Karu fainted.[/i] Chole: Hey! Karu!!! Wake up!! [i]Chole ran over to Karu and shook him. But it was no use -- he was out cold. He carefully lifted up Karu and took him down into the passenger compartment of the boat. He lay Karu on the bed and covered him with a blanket.[/i] Chole: Please be okay, Karu... [i]When Chole came back up onto the deck, he saw Jasmine and Sephiroth on their knees, their hands over their ears...their eyes closed tightly.[/i] Chole: What the hell is going on?! Sephiroth?! Jasmine..?! [i]Neither Sephiroth nor Jasmine replied. But after a few brief moments, Sephiroth stood up and unsheathed his sword. He turned to face Jasmine. She looked up at him, her eyes full of terror. She couldn't scream or move...her terror enveloped her entire being. Sephiroth's sword was glowing bright red, something it had never done before. Chole called out to Sephiroth, but it was in vain...Sephiroth wasn't listening to anyone or anything around him. And yet Chole could hear him muttering under his breath... "I can't do it, I can't do it...don't make me do it. Please, I'll do anything. Don't make me to do it...for God's sake, please don't make me do it..." Sephiroth raised the sword high into the air. Jasmine looked up in horror at Sephiroth, who's eyes were staring at her...coldly and without emotion. Jasmine reached out toward Sephiroth...everything became blurred...the ocean's colors changed with each blink of the eye...and the sky grew dark... Chole began to feel light headed...his vision blurred and his ears were blocked. He could see Jasmine screaming...but he could only hear whispers in the air... "But I love you...why are you doing this?! Why?! Please don't...please...I love you..." Chole reached out to stop Sephiroth...but it was too late...in a flurry of still, black and white moments...of clouds of red feathers and distant screams and hellish noises...the great sword was brought down on her... His vision cleared. The feathers were gone...the sky was blue once more and the ocean was peaceful. Laying infront of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She lay there, a lock of her dark hair covering her face. It was such a perfect scene, but it wasn't right somehow. As his eyes looked down...he saw it. He saw that her dress was stained a very dark shade of crimson...and that the wooden deck of the boat upon which she lay was covered in the dark substance. He fell to his knees. He looked at his sword. It, like the decking of the boat, was covered with dark crimson. His white hair had turned red and was sticking to his trenchcoat. He lurched forward and vomited heavily. He looked around him and saw his friend, Chole...standing there...white faced...staring thoughtlessly into the horizon beyond. Tears welled in his eyes for the first time in years. He looked down upon his love...laying so peacefully on the deck of the boat. He lifted her up and kissed her cheek softly. "Goodbye my love..." He cast her into the blue ocean and watched as she dissappeared into the waiting arms of the dark abyss below. Sephiroth held his face in his hands. He couldn't even cry -- he could only shake violently. His stomach hurt...his head hurt...even his fingers hurt. What had he done? ...but it wasn't his fault! It was his sword...the sword to which his life had been directly connected. He stood up and took his sword in his two hands. And then he plunged the sword deeply into his own chest. He closed his eyes and pushed hard...trying so hard to take his own life. But he couldn't. His body didn't even feel the pain -- the sword continued glowing. It kept him alive. It refused to let him die. Sephiroth collapsed on the deck of the boat that afternoon. The shock of what had occurred was too great for him to bear. He lay there, unconscious. In his dark and tormented dreams...he could hear a distant voice... "How dare you think you can have peace. Look at what you are...look at what you've done. You don't deserve to die...you will live with your pain whether you like it or not. You know nothing...the end is near..."[/i] [size=1]Sorry if that's a bit err..."deep" for some of you lol...but I have an idea in mind...and as the story progresses, all will be revealed. If this post was too much, Seph...then it can be removed. It's really your choice as to whether or not you want to continue the story in this way (since Jasmine was your character). :)[/size]

[color=royalblue]For those of you who do not like our new design, please remember that when entering your profile and going to "edit options", you can select a [i]different[/i] style. You can choose either "Default" (the new style) or "4.0", which is basically the exact same as V3 but with the new buttons and such added. We have included this option in an effort to please as many people as possible. I hope everyone is enjoying OB4 so far. :)[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by MattOGS [/i] [B]I apologise for my rude and immature actions agents your well being. Even for my standards that was pretty low. I have trying to say this for a while, but it has been proved a challenge, due to the fact I was block for absolutely nothing. The reason I don?t come here anymore is because the level of hatred and disrespect is way beyond my normal standards. This board is completely out of control (That?s enough said in itself). You restrict pointless rules and regulations. Do any of you pay the server fees? No.... It?s just cost more money to Adam because he pays for the bandwidth. If you pay $400/Month, your basically have unlimited bandwidth, so I see no reason to spam in the form of one word posts at all. As long as it doesn?t get to out of hand you?ll be fine. Just one more thing before I go. Adam?s hosting plans are a total rip. I can get twice as much the same price. nuff said. Im just saving you all from a bad business decision. I hope to talk to you soon on IM James. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]Hahah. Deepest apologies? Don't be such a moron. You're only here to cause trouble as usual. This board isn't out of control -- it's people like you who make it seem that way. We don't restrict anything -- there are many more sites out there who are far more restrictive than us. We simply put in place rules which will help to improve the quality of the site. If you had your way, there would be no rules at all and 90% of the forums would be filled with crap. Also, you contradict yourself by saying that the forums are out of control while also too restrictive. Doesn't make much sense. Furthermore, to demonstrate how much of an idiot you are...I'm not even going to comment on your very questionable bandwith statistics/comments, but I will say one thing: you may get the same deal for half the price...but does your site get upwards of 20,000 hits a day? Didn't think so. People aren't just paying for the server etc, they're paying for the prestige of being tied to the O3Online network. If you had at least half a brain, you'd figure that one out. All you do by coming on here and talking like this is make yourself look like even more of a jacka-ss. That's all you achieve. Nothing more. So everyone here is quite free to read this post and make up their own minds -- but I gurantee you, you're not annoying me or anyone else...you're just providing us with light entertainment. We love laughing at your constant and unwavering stupidity.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by *GaLxY-GiRl* [/i] [B][size=1]Discrepancies... 1.) The layout's just plain... ugly. What can I say? 2.) Too many graphic buttons. My computer is a piece of crap, and yes.... graphic over-kill slows down the browser. My burden alone? I seriously doubt it. Don't worry about me, I don't come here that often... but for those who do, keep their POS comp.'s in mind. They're your [i]beloved[/i] members, after all..... are they not? 3.) Whatever happened to the banner contest? Not that I'm offended personally, because my banner wasn't that great... but didn't James claim that he was going to use a number of the member's banner creations? I must have had a sleeper in my eye, when I read that.... Just my little opinions... and don't flame them... flaming is so ugly.[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=royalblue]I'll be happy to respond. :) 1) I realized that this design would be a huge departure from Version 3. And I also knew that many would either love it or hate it. Luckily, about 80% are pleased with it. Which I'm happy about. But really, the colors aren't why you come here, are they? 2) The buttons are technically no bigger in size or memory than the previous buttons. They do look bigger, but that is due to their shape. They actually fit within the same graphic dimensions as the original button files -- so they shouldn't be a problem. 3) Yes we did have that competition -- for V3. Not for V4. With V4, we had a very specific idea of how we wanted the site to look. However, with the new Art/Graphic Design forum, members can still show their artwork publicly. So all is not lost. :)[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sephiroth [/i] [B] and this is aimed at who? [/B][/QUOTE] [size=1]At everyone. :) Especially those who think they're going down a river, when infact they're moving eastward along the northern coastline. :rolleyes: :D :drunk: :nervous: [/size]

[size=1]Please note, this map displays the route that they are following. The orange line represents their page (notice that they pass near the secret Northern Continent on their way). They start southwest at Squeaky Cove and end up North East at the Castle of the Four Goddesses. Remember to use this map when talking about the environment in the RPG ;)[/size]

[color=royalblue]I've had a great day so far. I even wrote a long love letter which I submitted to loveletters.com to be judged and put online (though I don't know if it was good enough for that). But yeah, it's been a very nice day so far. :)[/color]

Please remember, this is [b]not[/b] a games forum. I know that you're talking about poetry, but word games/story games/RPGs are to be played in Games/RPGs. Just need to be very clear on that from the beginning. :)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crazy White Boy [/i] [B] There will always be homeless people in the world. If there was no lower class, then there wouldn't be a middle class. American government actually wants homeless people in America, as there is always the need for a lower class. Further crippling the homeless are tenement housing. The government actually funds landlords to run barely livible buildings with hardly a window or plumbing, tax free. It's all social isolation; sectioning off the less desirables. How do you think these buildings get passed for inspection? Someon's pockets are getting lined. Companies will also purchase run down houses just waiting for the right organization to purchase the land. This leaves people homeless, with nowhere to go. It's sad really. A group of citizens once defied the government, fixed the houses, and moved people in, only to watch government board them up again. Heck, they just did the blood thirsty corporate sharks a favor by fixing them up. [/B][/QUOTE] I don't agree with the idea that if there were no lower class, there'd be no middle class. That just doesn't make sense. I also don't think that Government [i]wants[/i] homeless people -- but in most circumstances, Governments simply throw up their hands because they don't know how to deal with the issue of homelessness. If homeless people weren't around, the economy would be more stable and there would be much less crime and drug use. So it is in Government's interest to make positive changes in this area. However, as I've said, most Governments wash their hands of the issue because they just don't know how to deal with the core problems. Either that, or they are just unwilling to spend the required amounts of money. But it's certainly a fixable problem and one that Government all over the world should be working harder on.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BabyGirl [/i] [B][color=deeppink] ::glares at James and Adam...smacks them both:: James, I'm assuming this is YOUR doing...but I guess I should never underestimate that ever-elusive Adam :shifty: Oh well...I hit you both anyway :p[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=darkblue]Yeah I admit, it was my doing. lol Due to the fact that I've basically been running the boards since V3, Adam gave me free reign in terms of design. So what you see is my doing -- although Adam was kind enough to actually put the buttons up for me. Still, OB4 wouldn't be possible without the suggestions from senior staff etc...so it's a team effort. :) But yeah, the quote was my doing ;) hehe.[/color]

[i]Chole, Karu and Sephiroth climbed onto the boat (which was more like a log raft with an engine than a boat), while Jasmine went back into the hut to pack some food for the group. Karu sat at the front and took his shoes off. He sat them beside him and dangled his feet in the water. The sea was calm and the soft breeze was refreshing and cool on his face and hair. Sephiroth decided to spread out his various daggers and other small weapons for polishing. And Chole continued to read his magazine. Eventually, Jasmine returned. Sephiroth started up the engine and the boat slowly began to lurch forward.[/i] Jasmine: How are we going to get there? Sephiroth: We're going north...and then east...'till we get there. We'll follow the shoreline. Jasmine: Are there any other towns further north? Sephiroth: There's another small village some 100 miles north...it should take us about a week or so to get there. Karu: Ahh, no problem...I'm going to enjoy the relaxation...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SuperSayian [/i] [B] ~~ 1) I say stay out of other countries' buisiness; Let them deal with their own problems. 2) Let the US deal with it's own problems. 3) Stop spending usless funds on things like space travel, work on lowering the poverty level, and raising minimum wage. Those are my basics... Disagree/Agree? No/Yes? I can't care... [/B][/QUOTE] 1) I don't think that's a very constructive attitude toward world affairs. Socities around the world are becoming more and more intertwined (particularly with globalization) and therefore, I think it's unacceptable for richer nations to "ignore" the needs of people from poorer countries. As I said, not every country is able to deal with its problems, especially if it is lacking an fundamental structure to do so. 2) The USA has plenty of money to deal with its own problems, but it's okay for other countries (who have better welfare systems or whatnot) to use their experience in the field to provide advice. 3) I really disagree with that one. It's important to spend money in all of those areas -- but it has to be done properly. Especially with regard to social services. It's not necessarily the amount of money, it's how that money is spent.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Heaven's Cloud [/i] [B][color=indigo] Unfortunately, providing for the less fortunate people in the US is not as easy as it should be. Frequently, welfare money doesn't get where it needs too. Food stamps are traded for drugs, peoples social security checks are stolen or used by greedy friends or family members. And for those that do get the money many times it is just misspent due to a lack of responsibility. The US welfare system is a faultless system in theory. It gives money to those who are going through trying times and are out of work, yet will return to te job market, or to those who are disabled and can't return to the job market. Because of the abuse of this system the money has thinned out and is being mismanaged. There are also a lot of people that have too much pride to ask for help from the government. All of these factors are taken into account by politicians everyday, however, there have been no solutions that do no require a huge revamping of the US economic structure.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] I agree with you, and I would say that the US welfare system is famous the world over for being pretty shabby. But in some ways, it proves that welfare systems can work if designed properly. Australia has the most successful welfare network out of any country on Earth -- and sure, there are still homeless people and what not, but the proportion of those people per head of population is far lower than most other developed nations. It's really a question of Governments having the strength to actually make fundamental changes to the system...or perhaps, overcoming laziness to make changes.