Sara

[FONT=Trebuchet MS]I took both the ACT and the SAT (As well as a number of other acronyms) in high school. What I've always really liked about standardised tests is that they [i]are[/i] standard. As such (in my experience), you can't really study for them. Sure, you can brush up on your geometry before the ACT or reiew some word lists before the SAT, but it's not at all like a "real" test where you have to know facts and dates. (And here I'm referring to college entrance/prep exams like the ones listed above.) So in that respect, I didn't mind taking them. I don't know how much they "prove" that you know, really. More than anything, I think they tell whether or not you're good at taking tests. Incidently, the SAT recently added a new writing section, and the ACT has an optional writing section as well. And for those unfamiliar with the two tests: The ACT has four sections. Reading comprehension (you read a passage, answer questions about it, read another passage, and questions about it...), grammar (You are asked to correct, through multiple choice options, any errors in a short passage of writing), math stuff (covers through about late geometry/early trig class; know your triangles and trig functions), and science reasoning (you look at graphs and answer questions about them). All four are multiple choice. You don't need a calculator, but it helps for number crunching, especially if you're slow with math (like me.) The maximum score on the ACT is 36. I don't know how the optional writing section affects the scoring. I don't know as much about the SAT. I only took it (and the PSAT) once. (I've taken ACT-like tests at the end of every school year since I was very young, so I'm very familiar with that format.) It's pretty much divided into two sections: Math and Verbal. You can score up to 800 on each section, bringing the maximum total score to 1600. I think, with the new writing section, the score is taken out of 2400, but I could be wrong. Most of the SAT is multiple choice, but there's a math section where you have to fill in the blank with answers of your own. [/FONT]

[quote name='Retribution][size=1']I think that when people say there's not a single thing they'd want to change, they're either not thinking hard enough, or lying. But that's just an opinion. Yes, they make you who you are today, but your life might be better than it is now if you could change the past.[/size][/quote][font=trebuchet ms]I think you're wrong. There are things you can think about, and perhaps regret or wish that they had gone differently...but when you speak of really [b]wanting to change[/b] something, I get the impression that, given the chance, you actually [i]would[/i] go back and change it. There are a lot of things that, if I had known more about myself, my limits, my goals, I would have done differently. But I learned these things about myself through what I [i]did[/i] do. Sure, sometimes it seems that it would be nice to bypass the learning and just have the knowledge, heh, but that isn't what I want. If I were given the option to go back in time, or alter my past, would I do it? There are several points in time I wouldn't mind erasing--a couple embarrassing moments at family events, a few instances where it would really have been in my best interests to speak up instead of remain quiet and passive. But would I do it? I don't think I would. You can tell me that my life could be 'better,' and perhaps you're right. But, by and large, I'm very happy with my life as it is. Even some of the things I wish the most (they generally involve someone who wanted to out out with me, and my being to surprised/awkward/embarrassed to deal with things the way I should have) had gone differently have affected my friends and I in small ways. I think I wouldn't want to erase that. It's what growing up is, really. You cope with all the embarrassing, frustrating, and sad moments of your life, until you can look back on them without wanting to change them. All that being said in defense of others, there are two things from my pre-high school years (I don't think high school is far enough into my past for me to look at it with anything approaching objectivity) that I still wish I could change. In eighth grade, I made a cassette tape of myself talking about the memories I had of grade school, and I gave it to one of the girls in my class. If I could do things differently, I would keep the cassette. First, because I didn't make a copy of it, and I would like to be able to listen to what I said then. Second, because as the years went on I grew to loathe that girl, and I still cringe at the thought that she has a tape of me being so emotional. Yes, I'm embarrassed. :p The other thing I would change goes back much further. When I was eight years old, my good friend Joe was diagnosed with leukemia. I started next year at a new school and never saw him after the last day of second grade. If I could change things, I would have kept in touch with him. So those are my two things. Of course, if I were actually reliving things, I'm sure I would do many things differently. I would join drama my freshman year in high school instead of my sophomore year. I would be more assertive when starting to hang out with my friends. I would take high school much less seriously. These aren't things I wish I could change, but things I probably would change, if I were to do things over. Does that make sense? But from the present, looking back, those are two things I wish I could change.[/font]

[font=trebuchet ms]I always enjoy the "official" pranks that some publications and websites pull. My favorite this year was, by far, Google Gulp. [url=http://www.google.com/googlegulp/index.html]Click here, and enjoy. :)[/url] I especially appreciated their privacy policy bit and the FAQ. This was a gem: "At any rate, you should be aware that by popping the seal on the twist-off Gulp cap, you send a wireless signal to Google's servers indicating your irrevocable acceptance of the Google Gulp Terms and Conditions, which do include the possibility, however remote, of hideous genetic mutation resulting from your consumption of this product. We're pretty sure you won't die, though."[/font]

[quote name='NinjaJedi007']someone brought this up before, but i always wondered what if you love someone but they dont exactly feel the same way about you?[/quote][FONT=Trebuchet MS]It's a little awkward for a while, but you both live. :) I am curious about what happened that makes you think that "loving someone is wrong." [/font]

[quote name='Dagger'] I use dashes almost as often as Emily Dickinson[/quote][font=trebuchet ms]Fan of the dash I may be, but I maintain that such a thing is humanly impossible. Thank goodness. I get a kick out of the semi-colon, if only for a Dilbert comic I remember reading once: The company has made a keyboard that, strangely enough, is missing the letter "q." This is obviously a problem, and they are trying to figure out how to solve such a dilemma. Wally's suggestion? "Let's get rid of the semi-colon; no one uses that, anyway." I laughed a [i]lot[/i]. In general, I tend to write in a sort of "middle ground." My formal writing leans toward casual, and my casual writing seems a little stiff--at least, to me. But, hey. [/font]

[quote name='AzureWolf][COLOR=blue']....I highly recommend the Rosetta Stone. .[/COLOR][/quote][FONT=Trebuchet MS]The first time I read your post, I missed the first part. I'm sitting here thinking, "Azure...that seems a [i]tad[/i] out of date." [/font]

[font=trebuchet ms]Check in the [b]Anime[/b] Lounge. This part of the boards is for non-anime discussion. ^_~[/font]

[QUOTE=RanmaFreak]I think of myself mostly as Shadow. I have a very dark, depressed personality. I also shay mostly in the shadows of life, watching things change and doing nothing about it. I also sometimes think back and realise how bad my life was so far and go into anime to get my mind off certain things. I think my secondary Element would be Fire. I'm a partial Pyro and love destruction and for some strange reason, whenever i take a quiz on what Mythical beast I am, I always end up with Pheonix.....creepy?[/QUOTE][FONT=Trebuchet MS]I'd like to believe you're making fun of me, but I can't be sure. :p If you are, that was a first-rate jest, love.[/font]

[quote name='Morpheus']That's major...not. [/quote][FONT=Trebuchet MS]Harry's just being silly, love. It's Holland that's stereotypically associated with wooden clogs, anyway. :) But I must agree that as a culture, we've got a morbid fascination with all things bad.[/font]

[font=trebuchet ms]I'm surprised by the number of people listing Water as the element they identify with. I was honeslty expecting to see a lot of "Shadow, like the darkness of my soul," and "Fire! I'm a pyro! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" posts.[/font]

[quote name='Minako']On March 12th, a man shot 8 people at a church meeting, including himself. As I read articles from my local newspaper online, they are STILL writing about it. Especially the day after, the whole site was about the "Bloodbath of Brookfield." (They've been claiming that the "church" that was attacked was a cult...I read some of their beliefs today... :animedepr )[/quote][FONT=Trebuchet MS]But you have to admit that such a thing hasn't happened in our area before. At least, not to my knowledge. People are/were [i]upset[/i]. It's not supposed to happen. Meh. I actually don't know much about the incident, except that it happened. I heard about it shortly after I got home for Spring Break, and managed to avoid the news the rest of the week.[/font]

[quote name='Miryoku']lol ur funny. well i guess it takes a certain kindof person to do what i wanna do.I don't think most people could handle it. I'm certain i could, it's what i want to do, and it's not an impossibility, it could happen. It just makes so much more sense to produce most of what you need yourself and to live whare you want, away from every one.[/quote][FONT=Trebuchet MS]And I guess I respect that. I am saying though, that such a life isn't for me. I've no desire to be a hermit. :) And I don't think I, or most people, would be able to. That you believe you could bear it in this day and age is admirable, though. [/font]

[font=trebuchet ms]*mumbles something about an 'underwater ally'* No, I don't believe such things are real. I am, however, happy to suspend my doubt for the sake of a good story. :)[/font]

[quote name='dd protector']The fact thats your willing to give up so much is aminable but not true. I could understnad how a few very deticated people could do this but could you as a person honestly give up everything. And i mean everything becuase you would have to to start a new society.[/quote][FONT=Trebuchet MS]I don't think it's even so much a matter of being willing to give things up, but actually being able to. See my earlier point: Even with all the willingness in the world, I wouldn't last a month without some level of prepackaged food. Granted, we are talking about a situation where there is a level of trade going on. Someone else could make food, and I could....geez, I don't know, mend fences or something. Not that I really know how to do that, either. :p[/font]

[quote name='Miryoku']i understand but were not talking about a country, were not even talking about a city, it's just a small colony of people maybe a dozen families at the most. Look through out the history of the western U.S. especialy in Utah, the early settlers had no money, they made or grew what they needed and what they could'nt produce them selves they joined up with the community and built co-ops where the town would produce them[/quote][FONT=Trebuchet MS]I just don't think it's feasible. With very commited, talented people, perhaps. But think about the other aspects of pioneer life. Or even just farmers today--it's not exactly easy. A few dozen families, okay. But would a few dozen families be able to provide everything you need? How much [i]do[/i] you need? Think about it. Being raised in the 1990's, would you really be able to give up so much? We're talking convenience here, yes, but it's [i]necessary[/i] convenience. In the not-too-distant past, perhaps, microwaves and frozen food was merely a convenience, and one could do without them. But do you have any idea how to feed yourself without the use of them? Sure, I can make dinner for my family--but unless I'm very daring and have a [i]lot[/i] of extra time, I don't even look at a recipe book. I grab a box of hamburger helper from the pantry and a hunk of frozen meat from the freezer. Maybe I heat up some canned soup, or get some tortillas, vegetables, and cheese from the fridge and make quesadillas. The most old-fashioned things I can do involve potatoes--baked, mashed, hashbrowned. All you really need for those is some butter and salt. But anything else? I'd be clueless. I can't even make pizza without using pizza sauce from a jar. Am I an anomaly here? [b]Edit[/b]: [quote name='Box Hoy']I don't know how many of you have read the book "The Giver" but they're utopia seems to work very efficeintly. So combine that with the village and they're you have it. [/quote] Did you honestly just call the society represented in [u]The Giver[/u] a [i]utopia[/i]? [b]Re-Edit[/b]: For those of you interested in this idea and a good book, check out [u]Running Out of TIme[/u] by Margaret Peterson Haddix. It's a "young adult" novel that involves a town that was removed from current culture and set in the 1840's (as, of all things, a tourist attraction.) The people in the book actually live and work as though it were a hundred-fifty-odd years ago. The adults know it's a sham, of course, but the children (who were born and raised there) have no idea.[/font]

[font=trebuchet ms]Why not? I believe people can only vote once on any piece of artwork, anyway. So I guess I don't at all see the harm in allowing people to say "hey, I like this," even if it is their own image. If it were possible to vote many times over and boost your own rating by a substantial amount, I would see the problem with that, but last time I checked the fanart site (which admittedly was [i]quite[/i] some time ago) that was not the case.[/font]

[QUOTE=Siren] EDIT: Very nice apology, James, and I do agree that the apology was warranted, but I think the fact that Chabi attributed that to me is testament to just how scattered and unfocused her replies have become.[/QUOTE][font=trebuchet ms]Or perhaps it's because [i]you[/i] are normally the one making snide remarks to her, and James has been quite civil. [color=#ff6600][b]Everyone[/b] in this thread: I realise there is frustration on all sides of the issue (or perhaps, in Elfpirate's case, merely amusement), but I am going to ask only once that everyone makes an effort to behave politely. Alex, I'm looking at you. [/color] As for Chabi's arguements, particularly the [b]X, therefor X[/b] ones: as someone who also is familiar and places some amount of faith in a Holy Scripture, I can't fault her for what she is saying. It doesn't hold water in a scientific arguement, perhaps, but the basis of faith to believe something is true because it says so. The Bible also states its truth: [i]All Scripture is God-Breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.[/i] I don't know the reference offhand, but there you go. It's in there, and I'll be happy to look it up if someone takes issue with it. Has it been changed and altered throughout the centuries? Certainly. Alex is right, nothing is immune to the limiting aspects of translation. Particularly when talking about the theological, nothing is exact. Even when talking about the concrete, translations can be...interesting. And even in languages as closely related as English and German. The German word for turtle is [i]die Schildkröte[/i]. Literally translated, we have a "shield toad." Clearly, a turtle is neither a shield nor a toad. ;) The word for airplane is [i]Flugzeug[/i], "flying thing." There are obviously [i]many[/i] flying things in the German-speaking world that are not also airplanes. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the stories found in collections of the Grimms' tales. Some of them are told very beautifully. But there's really no comparison to the actual [i]German[/i] version. If you have the choice between reading the tales in German and English, [i]read them in German.[/i] If you can read Goethe in German, why read him in English? Even (or [i]especially[/i]) in such well-known works, there's simply no way to compare the two languages and say that the translation comes anywhere close to the original. I understand that this point was brought up previously, and Chabi pointed out that this is the reason to learn the original language and read the Quran in that, but I felt the need to reiterate. (As a linguistics and German student, this is really the only input I can bring to the discussion.)[/font]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][center][u][b][size=4]Azure's Still Trying to Get Me To Give Him A Definite Conclusion About The Crows, Which I Don't Have[/size][/b][/u][/center] [QUOTE=AzureWolf][COLOR=blue]If only Godel's Sakura avi was a smiley, I'd use it here... -_- So, let me see if I'm getting this straight: there's a symbolic relationship between the Haibane and the crows, but you don't believe that's the main purpose for the crows being in Haibane Renmei?[/COLOR][/QUOTE]...ahem. I'm just observing things, Azure! Chill out, buddy! I said that the crows (at least, [spoiler]Rakka's[/spoiler] crow) obviously play a role [i]in the plot[/i], as well as whatever symbolism they may have. [center][u][b][size=4]Cute Stuff![/size][/b][/u][/center] I have that wallpaper. I just about died laughing when I first saw it. ^_^ I actually want to make more--I've played around with iPod wallpapers in the past. A couple of the less awful looking ones are up on theOtaku. And the flash movie is adorable. The kitties twitching their ears together toward the end... Say it with me: AWWWWWWW! (Although I also need to point of that just as I began to watch it, the Twilight Zone thing came up on iTunes, and it was very creepy :p)[/font]

Originally posted March 9, 2005. [quote=Lore]Ever since the switch around Valentine's Day, I've been having problems accessing the sites on theOtaku's network. It varies, but I don't think there's been one time in the last two/three weeks that I've been able to reach every part of the network. Right now, for example, theOtaku.com and most of the subdomain.theOtaku.com sites are unavailable. (Exception: fanart.theotaku.com.) I can access OtakuBoards and the myOtaku.com backroom page (but not the individual sites.) Sometimes I can access myO but not OB, or greetings but not reviews. It isn't just this computer. I get the same problem in the lab downstairs, and a friend of mine admitted she couldn't reach the sites either (she lives in the next town over.) We're both on University internet access, I don't know if that helps.[/quote] [b]Edit[/b]: And as an aside, when I took my laptop home for spring break, everything worked like a charm. Now that I'm back in Minneapolis, it's back to being ornery. Is there anything someone can do about this?

[QUOTE=MistressRoxie][color=#9933ff]Say that I only sell dry erase markers and that's how I make my living. You, miryoku, only sell bowls and dd protector only sells pillows. And I want a bowl, so I trade with you. Ok, cool. But then I decide I want a pillow. So I try and trade with dd protector, but they don't want any dry erase markers - but a battery. So now I have to find someone who's willing to trade a dry erase marker for a battery, and then trade the battery for the pillow. It's a lot of work![/color][/QUOTE][font=trebuchet ms]No kidding! I used to have computer game like this. It was one of those darn 'educational' things, called (wait for it!) [spoiler]Stocktopus[/spoiler]. And yes, it involved a large, purple octopus. Insanely frustrating game. I can't imagine having to do it in real life. (Actually, I can, I just dislike the thought.) I mean, there's no reason why you can't just trade/barter between friends, but on a commercial level it's simply not feasible.[/font]

[quote name='elfpirate][b']I wouldn't worry about it having any meaning but for visual reference to something repelling..[/b][/quote][font=trebuchet ms]Going on from Elfpirate's point: It takes a good deal of time/effort to firmly establish the extent of an 'evil' in any story. What's the motivation? Who's in charge? What's going on? Why? Are they winning? Do the good guys have a chance? The Nazis of WWII are already very well known--the examples you cite are proof of that, heh. But aside from actual historical fiction (where the reason is obvious), using or emulating the Nazis for the "bad guy" makes perfect sense. You save a lot of time if the reader/watcher already knows who the bad guys are and how bad they are. There are definite feelings, events--even, in a weird sense, a certain [i]ambience[/i]--associated with the Nazi party, uniform, etc. Utilising that for a story just makes narrative sense.[/font]

[QUOTE=AzureWolf][COLOR=blue][size=3][center][B][U]Crows[/b][/u][/center][/size] I never really linked the Haibane with the crows in such a way, but that was quite clever. But here's the clincher: [SPOILER]are you saying/thinking that the Haibane may be more crow than human[/SPOILER], if you know what I mean? That is, assuming all the Haibane were Reki-ish in that they [SPOILER]committed suicide[/SPOILER], is their state of being a punishment (or almost a fall from grace)?[/QUOTE][font=trebuchet ms]I'm not really saying anything of the sort. :) Sometimes, Azure, I just draw parallels without conclusions. Heh. I just think it's an interesting situation. Certainly the crows can be said to represent the Haibane in some ways (although I might not go too much further with that). They may be symbolic, but they obviously also have a role to play in the story. That is, they aren't [i]purely[/i] symbolic, so it's reasonable to assume that any symbolism they do have is not 'finished' or definitive. I'm really interested now in watching the rest of Lain, as well. I think I remember seeing crows in the opening, or the first episode... are they there throughout the show? Oh, and the titles were really fun. [/font]

[quote name='Dagger']On the one hand it would be sort of amusing to talk about how some of the more far-out characters (Goku is a good example in this case) would act/react when if they were plunked down into an everyday situation and forced to obey the ordinary laws governing physics, hair and so forth.[/quote][b]On that note, my kid brother (who isn't really such a 'kid' anymore... le sigh) had hair a while back that looked [i]just[/i] like Kaiba's (from YGO!) I nearly fell over. (He'd just taken a shower, and his hair seperated into little anime-esque sections.) It was the right length, the right color, the right style, and looked just strange enough to merit being called 'anime hair.' Not that Kaiba's hairstyle is exactly off the wall, or anything, but the resemblence was striking. :)[/b]

[size=1][b][color=#ff6600]Welcome to OtakuBoards, Zorrioh. It's a fun little poem. :) Normally a "Hello, I'm here" thread would be closed. Sepiroth, though he was slightly out of line (and, I might add, in error) when he said this thread would be closed, wasn't far off. We do ask that new members simply begin posting, rather than announcing their presence (as that doesn't offer much in the way of discussion, you know? "Hi, I'm new!" "Hi." "Hi." "Hi." "Hi." ...You get it. ;)) However, I've moved this thread to the Anthology forum--poetry, writings, and discussions about books go there. (I've also given your thread a [u]rating[/u]. We require that alll threads containing original written content contain a rating in the title--you can see more details on that, what the ratings are etc., in the sticky at the top of the Anthology page.) Again, welcome to OtakuBoards. Hope you enjoy your stay now that you're here! [/size]And Sepiroth, don't play mod. Please. It makes my job more difficult.[/color] [size=1]As for the poem itself, like I said, it's very fun. It's always neat and amusing to see things written about the theOtaku/OtakuBoards community. There are a couple things I would change if I were to write it. First (and maybe, most important, to me) would be the use of punctuation. Your use of ".." and "..." in most lines makes the poem much more hesitant, and I think that hurts it--it would do really well as a goofy, silly, [u]confident[/u] poem. I would just remove the dots. If you really feel like you need some oomph, or perhaps just feel a need for punctuation at the end of each line (which isn't necessary), I would suggest using dashes. ([i]Particularly[/i] in the last line, which right now sounds almost sappy.) [quote=Zorrioh]How could I fail in noticing these forums? While filling myOtaku with "oh"s and "um"s? How could it be That I could not see Such a place to reminisce! Such a place of pure bliss! What was I thinking? Perhaps I was freaking [i]Been registered for so long-- Not posting like a ding-dong--[/i] But now I shall start! For this place--has great heart![/quote] (I threw in a couple exclamation points, too.) The other things are really secondary to the use of punctuation. The bit I italicized sounds a little weak. You lose the subject of the sentence in the line [i]Been registered for so long[/i], and while it's obvious that the subject is an understood 'I,' I think it would be much stronger if you shifted it just a little bit. Drop the "for," and add the subject at the beginning. [i]I've been registered so long.[/i] The Ding-Dong line is also a bit weird, but it kinda fits with the goofy mood of the rest of the poem, so I'll leave it alone. I would also change the "Perhaps I was freaking" line. It sounds weird, and doesn't really make sense in that context. :) Heh, anyway. I'm sure you weren't expecting to have this critiqued, so just take it as you will. Again, welcome to OB.[/size][/b]

[quote name='Japan][COLOR=Navy']You'll get better with time. I've seen plenty of new members here that turn from a poor quality poster to a very high quality one. [/COLOR][/quote][color=indigo]It isn't that new members necessarily have "low quality" posts, but OB [i]is[/i] stricter than most boards, and it take a bit to get into the swing of things, I think. But, yeah. Welcome aboard. Hope you stick around. :)[/color]