Semjaza

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Hittokiri Zero [/i] [B]LOL it's completly the opposite for me there was a time a while back when I liked western styled comics and what not but when you compare them in terms of storyline and charater development for the most part they all pale in comparison to their japanese counter parts =\. There are very few exceptions but just all in all I prefer manga over western comics, it probably has something to do with the different drawing styles as well =O. [/B][/QUOTE] I think at one point I would have agreed with you... heh. There are still random manga I enjoy, but not all that many. Honestly, I find most manga rather shallow by comparison, but that's me. Obviously there are examples that don't fit that at all -- such as most of Shirow's work. You just have to find comics that suit what you're looking for. Contrary to popular belief, they're not all about invulnerable superheroes with no human qualities.

I'd assume it also consists of putting the letter s on words like anime and ninja for plurals, despite the fact that Japanese doesn't differentiate between the two. It's not ninjas, it's ninja. Just like it's not animes, it's anime. I'd probably throw the people in there who type Japanese words with a US keyboard, thinking that typing "hello" in English means the same thing in Japanese. That makes sense. Anyway, I shall remove myself from this thread heh.

I used to like anime. Of course, it never compared to random people here. I know a decent amount about the larger films and have tried the (mostly awful) series people rave about on here. Over time I just came to realize that most anime sucks... quite badly, at that. There's some large exceptions, which I give respect to since they deserve it. Overall, I just can't say I care anymore. I used to be heavy on manga too, but I've stopped paying attention to that in favor of Western comics. To me, there's just little comparison. In either case, I was never an otaku. I never wanted to be one and I don't know why anyone else would be either. It's obsessive and weird... it's well beyond the simple hobyy and interest stage, at least based on how people currently use it. I think it's safe to say that most Japanese people would find so-called "otaku" pretty laughable.

Cameron didn't bother because he didn't feel the film needed to be made. He thought of it as a cash in, basically. I barely remember Terminator at this point. Terminator 2 I have better memories of and I've always liked it. Cameron really goes all out on his films, especially in terms of the facts used to back up the story. That was a large problem with T3, I thought. That and the film just felt completely unnecessary. The opening is nearly exactly the same and so are a lot of the situations. In terms of story, it accomplishes nearly nothing that you couldn't have come to realize after the second one. I just don't get the point of it. At the same time, I enjoyed it. It's a decent action flick, but it just doesn't compare to the first two on really any level.

Here's mine. It's just a wallpaper of an older Runaways cover with Arsenic/Gert and her raptor.

Well, I have no idea if you're referring to me or not, but I'll have to guess you are since I'm the only one who mentioned shallowness... so I'll just assume you are. I don't recall saying that I never question the things others do. Obviously anyone would question something they find out of the ordinary. I also don't appreciate being told what I do and what I don't by someone who knows nothing about me on any level lol. There's obviously a difference between laughing at someone because they're acting stupid to get a laugh in the first place... and laughing at someone because they have weird hair coloring or a shirt with velcro letters on it. Considering the crap I wear and the things I do to my hair, I have no place to really make fun of anyone else over it lol. Also, being in Chicago, which is a rather large city, you either get used to strange manners and attire or you're simply going to have a problem. It's [i]everywhere[/i]. The simple idea of the fact that people would completely judge another based on those is what is shallow. I might be like "That's a really weird hair style", but it doesn't affect how I treat or get along with the person. For many people, I'd say it does affect how they act towards others... That's what is shallow about it. Not the simple idea of "Oh, that's strange" like you seem to be saying. Many things are great because of their unusual qualities.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is, in my opinion, the only soundtrack that is truly worth purchase. I have very little interest in listening orchestrations and themes on their own, personally. NMBC has a nice mix of both. The Spawn: The Movie soundtrack is surprisingly good too. It's nothing but collaborations between bands you figure wouldn't even be playing together. I enjoy listening to it from time to time.

At this rate, trying to be different is going to become nothing more than conforming anyway. Personally, I just dress and act how I like without any concern over the repurcussions of "coolness" or "fashion" or whatever else. What that might be considered, I don't know or care. If people don't like me, that's fine. If people do, that's fine too. They're rather shallow determinants anyway.

The player itself is universal. It will fit on any GameCube. However, it requires a disc to start... and that is [b]not[/b] universal. That's it though. Any game from any country will run on any Game Boy Player from any country. You'd have no problems.

I dye my hair constantly, so I generally know what brands to stick with and which to avoid... at least in terms of non-standard colors like blue, pink and green. One day I decided to try these "X-Treme" colors by Loreal. They're readily available at places like Target, unlike Punky, Manic Panic, Special FX and so forth. Anyway, I tried this on two seperate ocassions. The first was blue. On the box they showed a kid with natural black with blue streaks. Considering I'm blonde, I figured I'd have no problem. I put it in... and it comes out silver. Now, this wasn't so bad, but it sure as hell wasn't what I expected. It wound up debasing itself into more of an old man gray over time, which wasn't fun. I also tried their orange, which made my hair a gross shade of brown. Needless to say, that wasn't good and I never bought the crap again. That's about the only story I have, as I've never had an issue dying my hair before or after that.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Arcadia [/i] [B][size=1]Yes Tony, it feels very good. I think my mom took a picture of me hugging it, so that says enough right there. I also got a ton of batteries.. but I don't really have anything to use them in. That, and a sewing kit. Yeah, me with a sharp point needle. Great idea.[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] I'd like to see that picture. It sounds amusing heh. I'm not even sure why I got the AAs, myself. I mean, I'm always asking for the things and we never have them... but I didn't get one present that uses them. I'm thinking that my mom doesn't realize that the GBA SP is rechargable heh. Oh well, they'll get used.

It's funny that the real reason why this kid is even around has been mostly glossed over as a small reason (with some exceptions). There really is only one -- he's the brother of Nick Carter, who at the time of Aaron's debut, was probably the most famous and popular member of the Backstreet Boys. He probably still is, although it's hard to judge since BSB has faded away (although I guess they're putting out something soon) and his solo CD did decently, although compared to Justin Timberlake's (which was released around the same time), he was just a drip in the pond. I don't think you need any more proof than that... plus the simple fact that he is signed by Jive. Who else is on Jive? Why, the Backstreet Boys! What a coincidence. So he was able to feed off of that, get some endorsements from his brother and fill the niche that was created by the younger girls who obviously knew they could never get anywhere with the much older, and mostly married, Backstreet Boys. There's a reason why crap like Dream Street appeared. There's a market for it. It has very little to do with his singing ability, I'd say. The kid is riding the coat tails of his brother, and I think most people would do the same in his situation. He's also at an age that younger girls could fawn over the idea that maybe, possibly, in another universe where they were hot and cool that they could be with this kid because he's of a similar age. Like I said before, there's a market for this stuff. Nearly all boy bands and a good deal of pop vocalists are generally label manufactured and this is not any different. Especially when it is clear that he has no talent in any regard... The songs I've heard of his have that odd computer voice wavering style to them. The type that makes people kind of sound like a robot. When that's used, you know the person can't sing for ****. I think a good comparison is a sequel. If people like the original, they're going to try the sequel. A good deal of the bigger fans will force themselves to like the sequel even if it doesn't compare. I think this is more or less the situation here. Aaron is like Nick Jr., so to speak. In any case, I will say that I'm rather annoyed with the fact that this kid already has a Greatest Hits CD, though. I think he's released two albums so far and his only decent sized hit was "I Want Candy", a damn cover. Sure, there were a couple others... "Aaron's Party" and so forth, but he is hardly deserving of a hits compilation. I sadly know someone who listens to this stuff, so that should explain my knowledge on the subject. The last person I'd ever be jealous of is Aaron Carter. I have no ill will towards him though, as he is kind of part of the symbiotic beast that is manufactured boy bands. You don't attack parts of the beast, you go after the heart of it. He isn't the heart. He's not the problem.

I've been looking forward to this movie for quite some time. Last Thursday the commercial claimed it would be out last Friday. Maybe it was in LA and New York, but it sure wasn't here in Chicago. We always get screwed with that. Anyway, I wound up seeing it today instead. I guess you could say I'm a big Tim Burton fan. My three favorite films ever are all directed by him -- Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands and Nightmare Before Christmas. For whatever reason, though, I don't really go nuts to see his new films. I think this is the first thing he has done that I actually saw in the theater. Anyway, without getting too heavily in it... you really should see it. It's definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year. It's also probably one of the most random films I've seen in quite some time. At first you may somewhat wonder where the whole thing is going. I mean, it's obvious what the whole theme is from the start, but the things that are presented to you seem incredibly normal or simply bizarre... and there's little differentiation between the two. That doesn't mean it's hard to follow. It's not at all. It just gives this film a very unique quality. The characters, even the slightly underdeveloped ones, are quite likable. The pacing is nice. The main characters -- the father and son -- are perfect. I have no complaints there at all. The imagery is excellent. There's a lot of situations where the supernatural is present and it's pulled off as well as the completely real life scenes. There's some really great angles and wonderful use of color, like in most Burton movies. At the same time, this seems to tread somewhat new ground from him. It didn't really have anything in it that made me think instantly that "This is a Tim Burton film." It had his qualities, but it seemed as though he almost has evolved... for lack of a better word. Anyway, I really loved it. The four girls I saw it with all liked it as well and I don't think anyone in the theater was really disappointed. There's a lot of funny moments and a lot of touching moments. All in all, I think it has a really nice, warm quality to it. The ending was perfect too. I couldn't ask for a better one. So yeah, go see this.

Work and then die. That about covers it.

Well, this thread certainly won't change that.

I suggest people actually read up on the origin of Christmas before blathering things out. There's like four explanations just in this thread alone. "I remember hearing this on TV... kind of" isn't really a great thing to fall back on lol. In any case, Christmas means little to me. It's no different than any other holiday. We see family, we eat a bunch of food and we try to have a good time. I don't celebrate the religious angle at all.

If you're actually thinking about being legal, all you can really bother with is Paintshop Pro. The newest version of Adobe Photoshop is CS, and it's nearly $800, I believe. Otherwise, there's always Gimp. It's opensource, so it's free. It's not quite as streamlined as those two programs, but you will get used to it. It can pull off pretty much anything the other two will.

I don't even bother. Either I don't do my resolution or I pick one so easy that I'd be doing it anyway. I guess this year, I have to learn how to care about school a bit more. More As would be nice. Bs and random few Cs aren't cutting it.

[list] [*]Misfits Coffin Box Set (4 CDs, booklet and a Fiend Club Pin) [*]Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition DVD Set [*]King of the Hill Season 2 Box DVD Set [*]2 Magic the Gathering Starter Sets (with Magic Online packed in) [*]Old Daredevil and West Coast Avengers Comics [*]Philips CD Clock Radio [*]Red Converse All-Stars [*]Radeon 9600 128 MB Pro [*]Tons of AA Batteries (heh) [*]Gold Game Boy Advance SP (with Mario Advance 4 packed in) [*]Mario & Luigi (GBA game) [*]Disgaea (PS2 game) [*]$20 Best Buy Gift Card [*]Lord of the Rings Ring Wraith figure [*]Activision Anthology (PS2 game) [*]GameCube Controller [*]$100 cash [*]$25 check [/list] I think that's it. I'm happy, as I actually got some things I didn't know about. I really dislike knowing all my gifts in advance, but it happens a lot... otherwise I wind up with 90 things I can't even use (my grandma used to buy me SNES games when I only had a NES, for example). My brothers got lots of cool games and toys, so they'll be fun to mess with. Arcadia, isn't it nice to actually hold something tangible from Muse? :)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Epid3mic [/i] [B]My favorite band right now is Skinny Puppy. I just picked up "Bite" today. I also like Front Line Assembly, Wumpscut, Flesh Field, Apoptygma Berserk, and Front 242. So yeah, I mostly listen to Industrial/EBM/Synthpop. Among the more rock oriented artists I like are Incubus, Linkin Park, Tool, The Vandals, and The Offspring. [/B][/QUOTE] You might want to check out OhGr, if you haven't already. They seem up your alley.

It was at some point. Nintendo owned a sizable portion of Rare. Their contract stated that at a certain point Nintendo would have the option of buying Rare out completely. Nintendo declined and so Rare was for sale. Microsoft wound up buying Nintendo's shares for something like $500 million (which is insane, because Nintendo bought out Retro for only $1 million, I believe). So that isn't even comparable to Sony's stake in Square Enix. They had a minority stake in Square, and that was prior to the Enix merger. It's even less now.

Square never right out promised anything to Nintendo. The video Square created was of FF6 characters in graphics that would be akin to what the N64 could pull off with one of their games. I don't think it even ran on N64 hardware, just SGI stations. In any case, Square was very put off by the Nintendo 64's development kits and medium choice, which was the main problem. Video in particular wasn't even a direct issue at this point. Neither was cash being thrown at interested developers. Yamauchi, then President of Nintendo, allowed them to go their seperate ways. What created the bad blood between the two companies, however, was the fact that Square also convinced Enix to jump ship. Up until that point, Dragon Quest VII was considered a given for the N64 DD system. It never happened and was released on the Playstation much later. Went on to become the best selling title for the system in Japan and it did decently here as well. Anyway, that's that story. I'm thinking some of you are mixed up with rumors and garbage. There wasn't much more to it than that. As for the MS stuff, it's not exactly easy for an American company to buy into Japanese companies for various reasons. Even then, that's assuming they WANT to sell in the first place. You can't buy things that aren't for sale.

I have a few favorite episodes, but I can never remember what they are when this comes up. One I really like, though, is the one where George is intent on getting a nickname. At first he buys a T-Bone steak at lunch, but they give the nickname to someone else. He winds up going crazy at the guy in the hall between breaks, but everyone notices he is jumping around like a monkey... so they decide to name him Koko, after the monkey at the zoo. And so on. I've always really enjoyed that one.

What in the world are you talking about anyway? There are some threads in there that I personally consider a little goofy, but I don't see any that are remotely comparable to the examples you're making up here.

On the way back to my house from Six Corners (a shopping area near my house), you have to go under a viaduct. On the top of this is where the Metra trains go, so it's sadly necessary. Anyway, this is a rather large viaduct. As soon as it ends there is a turn off onto an on-ramp that goes onto the 94 East. The problem is that there is no sign or anything here. People whip out of the tunnel at 30+ MPH, some going straight and some going onto the on-ramp. It's an absolute death trap for pedestrians. You can barely see what's coming out from the viaduct because of the darkness and the columns holding it up. So you have to blindly walk across this really wide on-ramp hoping that no one slams into you, Every single time I wait until I think no one is coming, and every single time someone almost hits me. Let's not pay attention to the fact that they shouldn't be going that fast there anyway or the yield for pedestrians sign or the fact that it's a valid crosswalk. No one cares. I've had countless times where someone almost slams into me and then beeps like [i]I'm[/i] in the wrong. I think that pisses me off more than people almost hitting me. At times I just want to go up to these people and kick their headlights in. Usually I just shout some obscenity at them and go on my way. In addition to this, I spend hours of nearly every day downtown. I don't know how most people's downtowns are, but I'm in Chicago and it's pretty hectic. You'll almost be hit by something a few times a week. I think the biggest one was at State Street. A SUV totally blew the red light. Everyone else was stopped, but this guy plowed right through finally coming to a stop just past the crosswalk. We already had the walk light and if I started across as soon as I usually do (like right when it turns white), I would have went flying. I was really lucky that day. But you know the worst part? The people driving the SUV where [b]laughing[/b] after they did that. [b]******* laughing[/b]. Some other guy went off on them for it, so I didn't bother... but I still cannot imagine that to this day, and I actually saw it with my own eyes.