Sara

[quote name='I, Colossus']NO FREE SPEECH. COULD BE MISUSED![/QUOTE][font=helvetica]Wow, uh, I don't think that's the same thing.[/font]

[quote name='CaNz']i never really got into building forts... i was so lazy i just put my blanket over a four legged table..[/QUOTE][font=helvetica]That counts as a fort.[/font]

[quote name='Petie'][COLOR=Blue]I guess that can be the next question. Should it be set so you can see who said what about you or should the comments be kept anonymous?[/COLOR][/QUOTE][font=helvetica]Oh. Hm. I'd say leave it anonymous.[/font]

[quote name='chibi-master']You know how they say if you have a dream more than once, it's sure to come true? Yeah...[/QUOTE][font=helvetica]I have never heard anyone say that.[/font]

[quote name='InsaneHangry'][FONT=Arial Black]My roommate is not an otaku,and is quite frankly tired of me trying to decorate the dorm with tons of anime posters and such.[/FONT][/QUOTE][font=helvetica]Wow. That must be really difficult for you.[/font]

[font=helvetica][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thief_%281996_novel%29]Megan Whalen Turner (wikipedia link)[/url]makes me happy to be reading again. She currently has three books that feature "the Queen's Thief." They're full of politics and adventure and clever, flawed characters that make me grin with anticipation and delight. I read the third one, then the first one, and have finally laid my paws on the second. I've read them completely, tumbled-up-and-down out of order, but they're lovely and inviting and easy to follow, and I am super excited for the next one to come out in 2010.[/font]

[quote name='Fourth World']Hello. I've been a previous member of this site, but it was ages ago (or five years, minimum). I remembered this place and figured I'd try it out again. Who knows, maybe I'll stay this time.[/QUOTE][font=helvetica]Who were you?[/font]

[quote name='Fourth World']Seriously though, you're just getting older and noticing stuff. We were brats too, we just don't remember it.[/QUOTE][font=helvetica]Well, I [i]personally[/i] wasn't, but other people my age were, so yeah.[/font]

[quote name='Sara'][font=helvetica]I don't have a tree right now, and I want to see some pictures! Maybe I will make one out of paper.[/font][/QUOTE][center][IMG]http://imgur.com/PjfDN.jpg[/IMG][/center] [font=helvetica]So last night I drew a tree and had my roommates help decorate it. (It's a little lopsided . . . I was originally going to cut it out and make it more balanced, but I didn't want to trim off any of the ornaments, so lopsided it stays.)[/font]

[quote name='John'][IMG]http://www.crowndozen.com/main/archives/iron_giant.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE][font=helvetica]This movie [i]still[/i] gives me the shivers, makes me laugh, and gets me teary-eyed. What a great film.[/font]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Calibri]It amuses me how this until-so-recently-humorous thread has turned into a haven for petty squabbling because one or two people can't allow themselves to possibly lose a little face.[/FONT][/QUOTE][center][url=http://xkcd.com/386/][img]http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png[/img][/url][/center]

[quote name='Boo'][font=Lucida Fax]I was hoping that would happen. :([/font][/QUOTE][font=helvetica]I don't have a tree right now, and I want to see some pictures! Maybe I will make one out of paper.[/font]

[font=helvetica]=[ I was in the middle of writing a sign-up for this! Oh well.[/font]

[quote name='CaNz']using urban dictionary should automaticly disqualify that point valid or not. plus the post above made total sense...Boo called Sara an elitist pig right after calling Sara a speciesist (i am pretty sure that means hateing other species but go ahead and check your urban dictionary... should be fun ^_^) [COLOR=black]"[/COLOR] [/QUOTE][font=helvetica]UD lacks the level of self-moderation that wikipedia has, but they are both user-generated informational databases, and they are both useful at times. If you have the critical reasoning skills to recognise inside jokes and the common sense to stay away from entries involving violence, sex, or violent sex, it can be a good resource. I wouldn't cite it in an academic paper or anything, but it can help you to get your bearings when you come across a phrase with which you're not familiar. Also, I agree with Nerdsy's assessment of John's reaction.[/font]

[quote name='Ace'][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]This moment of heartbreaking brought to you by Disney, the Happiest Place on Earth. Gosh that slogan seems pretty pessimistic sometimes.[/FONT][/QUOTE][font=helvetica]To be fair, "Disney" isn't really a place, and that slogan doesn't refer to the company as a whole.[/font]

[quote name='Xyandar']I personally think its good for moderators to be able to have control of this rep system but not people. I can see people posting all over the place with little one liners and getting their friends to rep them or something. [/QUOTE][font=helvetica]Look, I've been there, and this is the truth: mods are as cliquey as anyone else. If we do this, it should be open for anyone to participate Anything else would take away from the fun of it. [quote name='John]And as long as it is, why does it just have to be a "this person rules/sucks" meter? We could easily change it to a system where there's fun times on both ends of the spectrum, such as an RPG-esque "good/evil" meter. [ . . . '] Hell, you could conceivably base entire OB events off of a uniquely-themed reputation system.[/quote] I think this is a really neat idea.[/font]

[font=helvetica]People should post pictures of their trees.[/font]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE=1]The Basterds themselves were the weakest part of the film, and as the title characters I do hold them overall as the focal point around which the rest of the plot revolved. Pitt's Aldo did absolutely nothing beyond disgust me, if I was supposed to cheer boorishly for the Nazi's having their own inhuman tactics turned against them then I'm afraid it didn't happen. Aldo had none of Landa's charm or panache to make him a likeable character for me, merely the leader of a bunch of gore-obsessed Jewish-American soccer hooligans out to have a laugh and take back some trophies. I was actually rather hoping Landa would kill him in the end.[/SIZE][/QUOTE][font=helvetica]The title [i]does[/i] call them "inglorious." I'm not sure what else you were expecting from them.[/font]

[font=helvetica][center][IMG]http://imgur.com/Xv0wE.jpg[/IMG] [/center] It's just so [i]pretty[/i]. Plus, the [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIwtXkdWQ0o]opening (youtube link!)[/url] contains scenes taken from a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunt_of_the_Unicorn]medieval tapestry (wikipedia link!)[/url], which is hardcore awesome. Also, the music is super dramatic.[/font]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Calibri]If it were used, how many members here would a) be proactive about it or b) pay attention to it. For instance, who cares about post counts, aside from the "holy jeez you have been here a while" deal.[/FONT][/QUOTE][font=helvetica]That really depends on how it is incorporated into the site. I think a small link in the postbit would both be subtle enough not to annoy, and visible enough that people would take advantage of it. It could also give people a personal incentive to post more. A lot of people like having small goals to celebrate (I used to change my signature every 500 or 1,000 posts, for example). It would give newer members a chance to feel like they were "on the radar" in a sense that they simply can't achieve with post counts. (Like you alluded to, of the top 50 posters on this site, only half a dozen registered after 2003.)[/font]

[size=1]You guys are all way too neutral. Come on, someone take a stand! I say let's do it.[/size]

[size=1][url=http://www.dorktower.com/2009/12/10/an-open-letter-to-abc-from-my-friend-leon/]ABC's editing down of [i]A Charlie Brown Christmas[/i] to fit more advertisements (link)[/url] was way more offensive than this. So, I mean, as far as Christmas Special outrage goes, this isn't even the worst thing this season. [/size]

[size=1][b]For the time being, participation in the main thread is by invitation only. There is no sign up. Those who have been invited to post know who they are.[/b] [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=60858]Intersections [Main Thread][/url] We start with Carol. A few people are mentioned, indirectly, in her story. Pick any person mentioned (a customer at her unspecified job, someone at the bus stop, a person at the coffeeshop she's going to), and write a little bit about them. At some point, that person's story should intersect with Carol's. It can be at the beginning, middle, or end of your post?that doesn't matter. What matters is that in some way, the two stories meet. That's what this project is about. There are two guidelines for each post: [list] [*][b]The person you write about must have been mentioned (explicitly or otherwise) in a previous post.[/b] [b]Example[/b]: If a post about "John" mentions that he accidentally spilled the coffee of a girl named "Sally," you may write about Sally. (You could also write about the person who had to mop the floor afterward.) [*][b]Your post must contain a reference to the person/interaction in said previous post.[/b] [b]Example[/b]: If you are writing about Sally, she should at some point have her coffee spilled by John. It can be as explicit as a post entirely about the coffee incident, or as subtle as an offhand mention that she needs to do laundry tonight because her blouse has latte all over it.[/list] [b]Additionally[/b]: Since it is likely that this story will progress in a non-linear fashion, it may be useful to provide a link to the post with which you are intersecting. Something like: [quote name='Template][size=1][b][New character][/b] intersects with [url=http://otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=846542&postcount=1][b]Carol[/b][/url'][/size][/quote] There are no other rules, and there is no posting order. Feel free to jump in whenever you would like. You can branch off of any character mentioned (or implied) in any post. It may get a little confusing at first, but I think, with time, we'll be able to find a focus for our little web of stories.[/size]

[size=1][b]For the time being, participation in this thread is by invitation only. There is no sign up. Those who have been invited to post know who they are.[/b] [center]~~~[b]Carol[/b]~~~[/center] It's almost Christmas, but I don't feel festive. Mid-December now, and we've still not seen snow. The air is cold, but dry; the sky overcast, but without a hint of white. Stores and coffeeshops pipe Christmas music, but the cheer feels forced. Wreaths and garlands hang limply from doorframes. Holiday lights blink balefully... Maybe it's just me. I'm heading back to my apartment after a day at work?not a particularly long day, or a particularly difficult day, but a work day just the same . . . and a strange work day, at that. Several customers wished me a "Merry Christmas" this afternoon, and I was taken aback. It's not Christmas yet. My job has nothing to do with Christmas. The lobby isn't even [i]decorated[/i] for Christmas. To be honest, this afternoon at work, Christmas was the last thing on my mind. But it's clear that other people are thinking about it?and sharing those thoughts with others, even!?so I feel like a bit of a Scrooge. And now, as I walk to my bus stop, I'm thinking about it as well. The bus stop is on the southern end of a big plaza downtown, and it's been decorated for weeks. The trees are draped with string lights and guarded by giant wooden soldiers. Walking from one end of the block to the other is a bit like running the Nutcracker Gauntlet. I enjoy Christmas quite a bit?in theory. I'm not [i]bitter[/i] about the approach of the holidays. I'm just. . . not excited about it yet. This is my first year living by myself, and I think that has a lot to do with it. It isn't as though I'll be alone on the big day?I'm going home to see my family, after all?but I think there's a certain excitement that comes from living with other people. I don't have a Christmas tree in my apartment, for example, and it's my first December without one. There's a reason for it, of course: I'm going to be gone the entire week of Christmas and New Year's, so why bother spending thirty dollars on a dying plant? In theory, it makes sense. In practice, it means that when I'm home by myself, I occasionally forget it's December. It's not something I can forget when I'm outside the apartment, however. We were hit early, and hard, by the cold this fall. . . which means that we've had several weeks to adapt to the weather. By this point, everyone is used to piling on the layers before leaving the house. Even when I'm at work (and the place is well-heated), the bundled shapes of the customers as they enter the lobby remind me how cold it is outside. There are a handful of people at the bus stop right now, all bundled in layer after layer and looking more like pudgy caricatures than real humans. One man is smoking a cigarette, but you can hardly tell the smoke from the warm breath of the people around him. It's kind of a cute scene, in a frozen, Norman Rockwell kind of way. I still need to send out Christmas cards. I meant to go to a coffeeshop yesterday and start writing them, but yesterday was Sunday. And the coffeeshop I go to?though I like it very much?is always full of college students working on papers, [i]especially[/i] on Sunday nights. They take up all the table space with their laptops and textbooks, and I find myself kind of resenting them for it (even though it wasn't so long ago that I did the same thing). Resentment seems like a bad frame of mind in which to write Christmas notes. Maybe I'll go there today. Buy a pot of tea and curl up in a corner. Try to think of something Christmassy to write on this pile of cards I have. The bus finally rounds the corner, and the people at the bus stop shift in the cold and begin to fumble, mitten-handed, for their wallets. It's almost dark now?the sun sets so early these days?and the lights of the bus brighten the face of each person as he boards. The driver grunts a hello as someone wishes her a Merry Christmas. I wonder how many times she has heard that today. As I step on the bus, I turn to take one last look at the plaza behind me. For the first time since April, there are flakes in the air.[/size]

[font=trebuchet ms]Xyander, this forum doesn't get a lot of traffic, but this is a fun idea. You might get more interest in your project if you put a link to this thread in your signature. Also, your signature image is only showing up as a link, not as an image. [img]http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6568/xyandarbannerjq0.jpg[/img][/font]