Manic Webb

Before I comment on Eminem... [quote name='Inuyasha7271']What is that supposed to mean rap is music they are artists the music is good I grew up listening to rap not the kind out now but the Gangster Rap played back then East Coast and West Coast rappers and stuff.[/quote] Periods, commas, and question marks. Remember them. Embrace them. Use them. [quote name='demented5051']I don't think he is an artist because in my eyes he has no talent.....he is a rapper[/quote] While I respect your opinion, I think Epitome was asking your opinion [i]relative[/i] to rap as a whole, not music as a whole. I think it's a little short-sighted to say rappers have no talent. One has to actually be very articulate (although English skills tend to vary) to be a rapper. Free-style rapping alone takes a keen mind (although education varies). It may not sound good to you at all, but it still requires a degree of talent to be a good rapper, in the same way it takes talent to make any other kind of popular music (blues, country, jazz, rock, ect.) As for Eminem... The man thrives off of contraversy he generates. Everytime his music video gets banned on BET or MTV, the news hits the airwaves, and his record sales go up. So while I think Eminem is entirely capable of writing an entire album that doesn't offend homosexuals, mothers, and famous figures; he's going to keep on doing it, because it keeps him popular. If every song he wrote was like "8 Mile Road," "Lose Yourself," "I Am," and "Stan," nobody would care about him at all. He'd still be talented, but he'd fall back into obscurity as "just some white rapper." It's the songs like "Kill You" and "Criminal" that keep him in the headlines and popular. People either love or hate Eminem, but they still know who he is. And frankly, I think that's all he cares about.

I'm just taking a wild guess, but here's what I think they'd have you do for $300/week, "setting your own schedule"... They're gonna want you to sign up about a handful of people for accounts or plans at this energy company. These people you signed up-- you're going to earn a small fraction of money everytime they pay their energy bills. Then you'll need to recruit about 5 or 6 of your best friends, and get them to do your exact same job. They'll sign up a handful of people for energy plans, earn money each time those clients pay their bills, and you'll earn money everytime your friends (who will be working under you) earn money. All together, this will equal roughly $300/week. In addition to that, you'll have to do some minor filing work at the energy company's office, which will only take you about 1 or 2 hours a week. I got approached by one of these people once, not knowing what it was. I scheduled an interview with him, only to find out he wanted me to do the exact same things I mentioned above. Only difference was I was approached by a phone company. This whole thing is full of dead-ends. I guarantee you, if you call that number, you'll schedule a meeting with some guy in his mid 20s who will flash you with something expensive like keys to a new Lexus or his laptop computer. My friend had this exact same job, only he worked for a knife company. My brother did it too, only he was selling newspapers. It sounds good in writing, and you'll probably get a nice and shiny presentation all about it, but this whole deal isn't for you if you don't think you can coerce perfect strangers into signing an energy plan from a 15 year old kid.

[color=navy][The "Madtv" and "Madtv vs SNL" threads have been merged together.][/color] SNL has its moments, but they're too few and far between. Some cast members just can't seem to stay in character (I'm looking at you, Horatio Sanz), while some have no sense of comedic timing (you know who you are... Will Forte, Seth Meyers). And I won't even bring up how they can't find any good/funny celebrities to host anymore. I only really watch it for Weekend Update, and I'd say Amy is hanging in there as Jimmy's replacement. What the show really needs is a new crop of writers. The current staff seems to be under the impression that their little anecdotes and personal experiences will translate well on stage. Instead, we end up with sketches where two characters are holding a mundane conversation about bellybutton lint for 5 minutes straight. They don't seem to understand that not all conversational humor works in front of a large audience. You may have miraculously said something witty (for once) during dinner last night, but that doesn't mean you should translate the whole experience onto script and coerce Tina Fey & Lorne Michaels into running it. Anyone else find it strange that the funniest thing to happen all season was the Ashlee Simpson incident?

I think I joined a week after Lady Asphy, so I'm about as old a member as she is. I learned about this place when my classmate/homie, Rico Tranzriq, told me he was a moderator. He stopped posting, what, a year ago? I remember wanting to change my user title (remember when you had to post to change it?), and posting like crazy. I think I was all over the Anime forums (all of them, back when they were separated by series), Music Movies TV, and the O-Lounge. Man, I remember the political debates (LeTs taLK AbuT tEh WaR), weekly threads about wicca (I'm Wicca and Christians don't like me), and people complaining about their lovelives. Those topics could still be popular, for all I know-- I haven't been in this forum for about a year. Oh, and the Newbie Lounge! I even remember that crazy campaign to get rid of it. If memory serves, there were about 900 introduction threads by newbies in the O-Lounge the next week. I remember the day James IM'ed me about being a mod. I thought I was getting banned. :rolleyes: My old screen name was Endymion, but I changed it to Manic within a few months of my membership. I don't recognize [i]anyone[/i], these days. Most of the older members changed their screen names on me, and that "former username" line only stays in most signatures for about a week. It's a little sad. 2 and a half years here, and I've yet to join/create an RPG that doesn't die within its first week. Oh well.

Actually, I'm sure you'll get a bunch of comments saying they're music is overrated, and the only reason they're famous is because of their over-hyped sexuality. Also, I'm gonna have to ask you to not use offensive words like "lesbo." You have the right to like whatever artists you like for whatever reason, so I won't rag you on that.

These days, I think Frank Caliendo and Stephanie Weir are the only funny people they have... and with good reason. Every good cast member has left, and they only seem to be hiring lack-luster people who were probably rejected by SNL. Funkenstein was funny the first time, but the joke got old after they kept recurring that sketch. Without Mo Collins, Michael McDonald lost half of his recurring characters-- which is just as well, because Stewart was getting [i]really[/i] tired. Frank Caliendo is really talented, though. He's got a great roster of celebrity impersonations: Madden, Al Pacino, the announcer of Price is Right, ect. And I just like Stephanie Weir's characters, especially that elderly lady who uses common sense where most people don't. Paul Vogt's only good character is Mrs. Gerret from Facts of Life. Danielle Gaither uses the same ghetto personality for every celebrity impersonation. Aries Spears seems to be playing the "straight man" in a lot of sketches, lately. Bobby Lee's Connie Chung was good back when Connie was still on TV. Meyers and Berenholtz just aren't funny. Anyone else isn't worth mentioning. So yeah. Reruns on Comedy Central, it is.

It's an action RPG. You control any character of your choice, while the game's AI controls the other 3 people in your party. You can switch-off which character in your party you have manual control of, with the tap of a button. The controls give you a basic melee attack button, a stronger/slower smash attack button, grab, and (of course) jump. The shoulder buttons allow you to use up to 4 mutant powers, items, and to call on your allies for back-up. To get a real idea of what the gameplay is like, I'd suggest downloading a clip or two from the mutant vault at [url]www.X-MenLegends.com[/url]

Before I start... In risk of using this thread as an advertisement, this parody will soon be available in its full version at [url=http://dmoon.animationhq.net/]D.Moon[/url]. What you are about to read is 1/3 of the parody, in its first draft, with some omitted profanity. Right. So, this is a parody of the premiere episode "Secret Origins" from the animated series [i]Justice League[/i]. My intention is to re-write each episode of the series, making them look as screwed-up as I can. As I said before, this is only 1/3 of the total episode. There are 2 good reasons why this first post will only feature a fraction. 1. The original premiere movie ("Secret Origins") was also 3 episodes long. 2. I'm not finished writing it yet. [size=2][center][b]~~~[/b][/center] [i]01: Abandoned Origins Is this the end for the Superfriends? Yes. Yes it is.[/i] (Hall of Justice, day) [b]Narrator:[/b] Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice... [b]Batman:[/b] According to the bat-computer, we're losing bat-ratings to reruns of Dragonball Z. [b]Wonder Woman:[/b] Suffering Sappho! [b]Robin:[/b] Holy Saiyan Invasion! [b]Aquaman:[/b] We need to place more reruns on Cartoon Network and Boomerang... and fast! [b]Superman:[/b] Quickly! To Atlanta, Georgia! (flies away) [b]Hawkman:[/b] I'm right behind you! (flies away) [b]Black Vulcan:[/b] Don't forget me! (flies away) [b]Samurai:[/b] Me too! (flies away) [b]Flash:[/b] I'll be there in a flash (runs away quickly) [b]Aquaman:[/b] Um... yeah. Wonder Woman, can you give me a ride? I'd swim there, but the next bus to Metropolis Bay won't arrive for another half-hour. [b]Wonder Woman:[/b] (sigh) Fine. I'll give you a ride, [i]again[/i]. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Cartoon Network Studios, day) [b]Ted Turner:[/b] I'd like to give you more timeslots, Superfriends, but the simple fact is your cartoons are older than most people who watch this network. [b]Superman:[/b] But we're losing to Dragonball Z... and fast! [b]Turner:[/b] I can't help you. I've got other networks to look after, you know. That reminds me; I have to talk to TNT and TBS about playing Shawshank Redemption a few more times per month. [b]Zan & Jayna:[/b] What are we supposed to do, then? [b]Ted Turner:[/b] What if we recreate you in a more modern and hard-hitting setting? [b]Apache Chief:[/b] Me suppose that can't be so bad. [b]Wonder Woman:[/b] Set us up... and fast! [b]Bruce Timm:[/b] Leave everything to me! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Mars, 2 years ago. Astronauts discover vast alien caverns under its surface.) [b]Major Carter:[/b] Amazing! Theoretically, this cavern can perserve the lives of hundreds, through a form of suspended animation by neutralizing nutrinos in a temporal flux. [b]Colonel O'Neill:[/b] (confused) Right. Pretend I have no idea what you're talking about, and explain that again. [b]Dr. Jackson:[/b] Uh... I think Carter means they're sleeping. [b]Col. O'Neill:[/b] Oh. [b]Teal'c:[/b] Indeed [b]Dr. Jackson:[/b] (reading a scripture on the walls) Interesting. These are ancient texts used by the Martian natives. Most likely, it serves as some sort of warning. [b]Col. O'Neill:[/b] Can you read it? [b]Dr. Jackson:[/b] As a matter of fact, this text bares an uncanny resemblence to ancient Egyptian hyroglyphs. [b]Col. O'Neill:[/b] So... can you read it? [b]Dr. Jackson:[/b] ...Yeah. It says something about evil, unstoppable aliens who destroy every world they go to, and never to open this front door, lest ye unleash their wrath. [b]Maj. Carter:[/b] They wrote a "do not open" warning [i]inside[/i] the cave? [b]Teal'c:[/b] Indeed. [b]O'Neill:[/b] Well, we're still alive. That's good, right? (A blinding flash of light engulfs them) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Wayne Tech. Laboratories, night. Joker must be in jail this week, because Batman is stalking his own company.) [b]Batman:[/b] (brooding) Interesting... (Four scientists are playing hackysack inside the lab) [b]Scientist 420:[/b] (giggling) After this, I'm so gonna go destroy this lab's satellite! [b]Scientist 54:[/b] Then we should go to an exclusive night club and get drunk! [b]Scientist 69:[/b] Yeah, then I can take advantage of Scientist 54! [b]Scientist 187:[/b] ...and then I'll kill you all! [b]Batman:[/b] (watching from outside and brooding) Those bastards! They're playing hackysack during work hours! Also, they're planning to destroy my property. Come Monday, I'm firing all of them. (looks around) Who am I talking to? (enters building) [b]Scientist 187:[/b] (talking on the phone) Hello? Alien Commander? Yes. Kill them. Kill them all! Hold on, I got a call waiting. (switches calls) Hello? Kill them all! (switches back to first call) Where was I? Oh yes-- kill them! (gets kicked in the head by Batman) [b]Batman:[/b] (brooding) I am the shadow that walks in the night. I am-- (Scientist 69 turns into a transparently white-skinned alien with tentacles for arms) --out of my fricking league. (runs into the shadows) [b]Superman:[/b] (enters) This looks like a job for-- (gets slammed into the ground) --Ow, my catchphrase! (The Scientists destroy the satellite) [b]Batman:[/b] (brooding) Careful, Clark. They have strange alien powers. [b]Superman:[/b] Don't worry. I'm an alien, too. Besides, no physical power can harm me. (is suddenly knocked out by a psychic attack). [b]Batman:[/b] (brooding) Not good. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Metropolis, day. Senator Carter has arranged with the United Nations to destroy all [strike]nukeular[/strike] nuclear weaponry.) [b]Carter:[/b] Without nuclear weapons, our world can finally be safe. And in the event of an alien invasion, we can always count on Superman to save us. [b]Superman:[/b] Yes, I [i]am[/i] practically perfect, aren't I? [b]Man in Crowd:[/b] Does it bother anyone else that Superman just tried to destroy the world last week? Doesn't the threat of alien invasion mean we need weapons of mass destruction more than ever? What if an armada of advanced aliens, similar to those who attacked Superman last night, invade at this very moment? [b]Superman:[/b] What are the chances of that happening? (Suddenly, an armada of advanced aliens, similar to those who attacked Superman last night, invade) [b]Superman:[/b] I'll save the day! (gets smacked around like a wimp) [b]Dude in Crowd:[/b] Whoa! Superman just got smacked around like a little biyotch! (Batman flies in, with his Batwing jet) [b]Batman:[/b] (brooding) Once again, a normal human being has to save Superman's tail. (begins to blast the alien ships and land-vehicles) [b]Superman:[/b] (still lying on the ground like a little wimp) I'm being shown up by a rich boy in an almost phallic bat-shaped jet. My super-ego! (flies back into the battle) Prepare to face the wrath of-- (gets smacked down, once again, like a little biyotch) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Themyscira: an island of nothing but women who, despite having no men around, are perfectly groomed and made over.) [b]Diana:[/b] Mom, I think the world's in danger. [b]Queen Hippolyta:[/b] So? [b]Diana:[/b] So... we're a race of warrior women. Shouldn't we be doing something about it? [b]Hippolyta:[/b] But that's Man's World out there. We have no business among men. [b]Diana:[/b] But wouldn't saving them from utter destruction only prove that women are just as--if not, more capable than they are? [b]Hippolyta:[/b] But the alien ships are shaped like [i]spiders[/i], dear! [b]Diana:[/b] But aren't we all about women providing for--? [b]Hippolyta:[/b] [i]Spiders[/i], Diana! [b]Diana:[/b] For the love of Athena! (walks off) I'm gonna go make make some egg salad. Do we have any relish left? [b]Hippolyta:[/b] No, just whole pickles. We'd open the jars, but there aren't any men around. [b]Diana:[/b] (sighs) If you need me, I'll be venturing into male-dominated territory-- saving what little dignity feminists have left. [b]Hippolyta:[/b] Pick me up something phallic while you're out. It's been a long time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Back in Metropolis) [b]Superman:[/b] Screw this! (flies away) [b]Batman:[/b] (brooding) Well well, look who's flying away from the battle like a little biyotch. (follows him) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Area 51, a few hours later. Batman arrives to see Superman talking to a naked green alien) [b]Batman:[/b] (brooding) Superman... why are you talking to a naked green guy? [b]Naked Alien:[/b] (telepathically) My name is J'onn J'onzz. I am the last Martian. [b]Batman:[/b] Get the (gasp) out! [b]J'onn:[/b] I'm serious. If my appearance frightens you, perhaps I can transform into a form closer to your own. (Suddenly, a pair of dark blue underwear, a dark blue cape, and a pair of backward red suspenders appear on J'onn.) [b]Superman:[/b] That's it? You try to imitate human appearance, so you strap on a big red "X" across your chest and an ugly pair of blue leather hotpants? [b]J'onn:[/b] I wouldn't talk about fashion if I had a lop-sided golden "S" on my chest that barely matches the red and blue theme on the rest of my costume. [b]Batman:[/b] Dude, he totally called you on it. (A small troop of soldiers enter the room) [b]Soldier 54:[/b] Step away from the alien. [b]Soldier 420:[/b] Yeah, he's coming with us. [b]Batman:[/b] (brooding) Wait a minute... aren't you those scientists I fired at the beginning of this episode for wasting manhours? I mean... Bruce Wayne fired you. [b]Superman:[/b] Smooth, Batman. [b]Soldier 187:[/b] Prepare to die, heroes!! TO BE CONTINUED[/size]

Considering I hear "combo!" in my sleep, I would guess I played this game a little [i]too[/i] much. It was a pretty fun game, and the gameplay was addictive. You gotta love thinking your opponents to death as Jean Grey. It was a tad confusing the first time, and some of the puzzles were hard to figure out. I've been playing through for the second time, although very sparingly so it doesn't get too old, too fast. I love the Ultimate X-Men character models, although I've been [spoiler]playing as 70's Phoenix in place of Jean. You can switch costumes at your whimsy once you've beaten the game the first time.[/spoiler] A lot of people seem to be into this game, so I wouldn't be surprised if Activision made a sequel. According to the end of the game, [spoiler]Apocalypse is ready to strike. It could mean a few new playable characters, like Cable or Archangel or Askani/Rachel Summers/Phoenix/Marvel Girl/Whatever she's calling herself these days[/spoiler].

This topic doesn't really provoke a lot of discussion. If you want to talk about a movie you saw recently, I'd suggest posting in a pre-existing thread, or creating one about said movie.

[QUOTE=Transtic Nerve]Or they saw the basically same topic not 5 posts below this one. Perhaps one should look for other posts, you'd be surprised topic maker person: [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=42584[/url][/QUOTE] Thank you, TN. And with that said, [color=navy]Thread Closed[/color]

I don't listen to punk (as I said earlier), so the fact that Good Charlotte and Avril Lavigne call themselves punk doesn't bother me. What upsets me is how Good Charlotte tries to sound rebellious, but fail in my eyes. And Avril is doing something that's already been done before (and it was done better), but she's getting my praise for it. I mean, yeah, I liked "Complicated," but it really feels like they're all trying too hard to say they're not trendy, when they know that's exactly what they are. Not two years ago, everybody was listening to rap. You had people who'd never listened to hip-hop before in their lives praising Eminem. Rap was around [i]long[/i] before Eminem was. I liked the guy, but that got really annoying. Five years ago, it was boybands. It was all about NSync and BSB. The moment each group cited Boys II Men as an influence, B2M's career immediately plummited, and their careers soared. This also bothered me. But they were each trends, and they wore off when each target demographic graduated either high school, or junior high. Even Christina Aguilera was smart enough to know another "Genie In The Bottle" wasn't going to make any sales, so she made "Dirrty" in an attempt to separate herself from that trend. If you miss the old days of punk, just hold out a little longer. This whole trend is gonna die out in the next year or so.

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]Enforcement varies drastically from region to region, not to mention from theater to theater. Some will accept a parent's word--some force the parent to sit and watch the entire movie along with his or her child. Obviously this isn't always feasible, and because there are not (to my knowledge) any set guidelines instructing theater employees on how to back up the ratings, plenty of people don't plan for having to stay with their children. The aforementioned spotty enforcement is a boon to some kids but can be horribly inconvenient for parents, particularly those who didn't think they'd have to stay with their son or daughter during the movie. ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] I was just about to say that. The restrictions placed upon theatres vary depending on which theatre you go to. The MPAA doesn't force the theatres to restrict minors from seeing R-rated movies, the theatres themselves do that. I think it was around my 16th birthday when [i]Shaft[/i] (starring Samuel L. Jackson) came out. Me and a friend went to go see it, and nobody tried to stop us, or even asked us for ID. It was rated R. My local theatre doesn't enforce restrictions, or at least they didn't. That same year, my step-brother and I went to go see [i]Scary Movie[/i] at a different theatre. Again, no problems. I wasn't carded, and nobody stopped me from buying my ticket. Ironically, the only time a movie theatre has stopped me from seeing an R-rated film was when I really was 17, and had no ID. This was probably divine intervention, however, as the movie was [i]Resident Evil[/i]. --EDIT-- Fixed a typo.

Mr. Maul, don't play mod. Just report the post, and someone will handle it. I don't claim to know anything about Punk music. I've heard a little bit of The Ramones, but that's really about it. Anything else, I'm just not sure. I do know, however, that "punk" is supposed to be about rebellion. It's about going against the grain. As I understand it, punk was [i]supposed[/i] to be an alternative to the generic, pre-packaged mess we (the public) were fed during the late 90's and the turn of the century... So why does Good Charlotte remind me of the Backstreet Boys with instruments? I heard "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous," and my head nearly [i]exploded[/i]. The song was just too [strike]moronic[/strike] [strike]ironic[/strike] moronic. It's like in their vein attempt to sound rebellious, they forgot who they were; rich, famous, and unnervingly trendy. And then there's Avril Lavigne. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Alanis Morisette already use the "angst-ridden young female Canadian rocker" image? With the same musical sound? And do it better? Yet somehow Avril gets labeled the "Queen of Punk Rock" and MTV proceeds to kiss [i]her[/i] rear, like she's Eminem. It's a little sickening, really.

If you want to talk about Dragonball Z, I suggest you search for a pre-existing thread in the Anime Lounge, found in our Tokyo 3. Thread Closed.

[quote name='junkobakaiba']I can’t think of one non-anime show that has a plot[/quote] [i]Gargoyles[/i]. You miss one episode of that show, you'll be completely lost for the rest of the series. [quote]or any anime that doesn’t have a plot…[/QUOTE] [i]Tokyo Pig[/i]. That show had no plot, whatsoever. I really hate the "anime has plot" comparisons, because people usually compare American comedies (ie. The Simpsons) to Japanese action/dramas. Comedies almost [i]never[/i] have a continuous story. The episodes of [i]Urusei Yatsura[/i] were so interchangable, you could watch the entire series [u]backward[/u]. I could use that kind of apple-to-orange logic to say the exact opposite... "American shows have better plots than Japanese anime. I mean, [i]Batman: The Animated Series[/i] had a much better story than [i]Hello Kitty[/i]." See how much sense that kind of comparison makes? Moving right along... There are a few things that ride the line between anime and not-anime. Look at the original [i]Transformers[/i]. It's considered anime by many fans. But it was written, produced, originally voiced, and marketed in America. The bulk-work animation was just done in Japan. Then there's Peter Cheung (Aeon Flux, Reign), whom no one can decide whether he creates anime or Western animation. What makes these shows on the wall, while shows like [i]Totally Spies[/i] simply thwack their heads against it?

According to [url=http://www.moviehole.net/news/4206.html]MovieHole[/url], Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) may have signed on as writer/director for X-Men 3. He's currently writing the [i]Astonishing X-Men[/i] books, and is in the middle of directing [i]Serenity[/i]. Not a bad move. I've always liked Whedon's character writing, and he's already a huge X-Men fan (the guy's writing one of the books). My only problem is whether or not Whedon can pull off action. His fight scenes in Buffy and Angel (especially Angel) have always been a little if-y. And with all the money being poured into this franchise, I question if Whedon knows what to do with it. Plus his writing has always been more character-based than story-based, but then that was when he was dealing with television. So really, I'd have to see [i]Serenity[/i] before I can take any guess at what X3 will look like. That is, if this rumor is true.

Sad to admit, I've never seen the original Clerks (or Chasimg Amy, for that matter). I own the animated series DVD, but I've yet to see the actual movie. This upcoming sequel would probably give me a good enough excuse to get off of my rear and rent/buy the first film.

I just saw a commercial for this movie not 5 minutes ago. It looks like a fun satire on the whole zombie movie genre. The majority of the commercial already had me laughing at the concept, but I nearly blew yesterday's milk out my nose when I realized the title was something as goofy as "[i]Shaun[/i] of the Dead." So yeah, I'm looking forward to this movie.

I'd like to remind everyone to explain the reasons certain cartoons made it on your lists. If this thread just turns into a series of short lists, it's getting closed.

Before I begin, let me just say that I do not support the use of illegal drugs. The other day, my grandmother told me to look up information on Relacore. For those of you who haven't seen the commercials, Relacore is a new weight loss product that promises to eliminate cortisol, a chemical the human body produces to store fat. Thus, with the aid of diet and exercise, you'll lose weight faster. If you actually read up on Relacore (and its competitor, Cortislim), you'll find that it's nothing but a mood elevator. Apparently, your body produces cortisol through stress. If you're relaxed, your body produces less cortisol. Like I said, this product is nothing but a $50 bottle of mood elevators. It makes you "happy" or "high." I don't do drugs, but I know a place where I can get a "dime" for less than half the price, and has the same affect as this "weight loss product." My point: From some of the things I've seen, legal drugs sometimes have the same affects as illegal drugs. They're usually just as addictive, cause people to act the same ways, and come with long lists of side-effects. Look at Paxil. In my opinion, such drugs are a way of sidetracking the public from illegal drugs. By addicting people to government-controlled drugs, nobody will consider illegal drugs like marijuana. It's profiting from chemical dependencies. While I think there are many people out there who need such products (well, not so much Relacore-- maybe Paxil and some painkillers), there's a possibility of people taking such products unnecessarily.

[b][center]C. Ashling in [size=3]DreamWalking[/size][/center] Part 1 of 3 "Ash"[/b] [size=1]Professor Ashling walked into his class to see most his students already seated. Some of them standing, most of them talking; they took their respective seats and settled into attentive quietness as soon as Ashling began to unload his briefcase. He knew this would soon create an awkward silence, so decided to break the ice with his new class. "Good morning, class, and welcome to Psychology in Theory. I'm Professor Ashling, but you can just call me 'Prof. Ash' or 'Ash' for short. I don't want you to be afraid of me or anything. I'm not here to intimidate you-- this is 'psych,' not 'psych-out.' " A few of the students chuckled lightly. He knew they would warm up to him in time, and he would do likewise. His class was full-- probably because of rumors that he ran a 'cake' class. He didn't mind the rumors, however. His students usually pass his classes, despite making his final exams deceivingly difficult. In fact, he and Professor Ezra once had their respective students compare exams they had each created, and Ashling's were far more detailed. It was a friendly competition he and Ezra held. They would wonder who could make the more difficult final exam, while still having a higher pass to fail ratio in students. "So, Professor Ash . . . " one of the students raised her hand as if to ask a question. "Yes . . . ?" "Feris," she answered, "Feris Lewis." "You had a question, Feris?" "No, I was just seeing if I really could call you 'Ash.' " An embarrassing smile came across her face as most of the class laughed both at and with her. Ashling laughed as well. "Ms. Lewis," Ashling said jokingly, "I'm afraid that if you're hitting on me to pass my class, it isn't going to work. I do, however, accept large sums of chocolate." This officially had the whole class laughing. After a moment, they all began to settle down so Ashling could speak again. "This is the first day of the semester, and I'm sure you're all getting an obscene amount of work this week from your other classes." The students murmured and nodded in agreement. "Also, I'm sure you all heard that I'm an easy teacher, and that this is going to be a 'cake' course. So before you all pull out your PDAs and start rescheduling your Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings from 'class' to 'sleep' and 'beach,' I want you to know that you will have to be in my class every day. Well, obviously not every day, but you all catch my implied meaning." He then walked to the front of his desk and sat on the corner, facing the class. It was the first time the students had gotten a clear view of him. He was a bit shorter than they had originally thought. He wore slacks and a T-shirt, which reflected his casual attitude toward his job. He adjusted his glasses to get a better look at his students. Something about Graychild University seemed to attract a diverse body of students and staff of teachers. Perhaps it was the nearby beach, or simply the curriculum. This was Conrad Ashling's fourth year teaching psychology, and he wouldn't trade his job at G.U. for anything. Well, maybe for a PhD. [center]~~~[/center] Ashling walked into his apartment. It was late, he was tired, and all he wanted was to be very lazy for the evening. He placed his briefcase on the floor, resting it against the wall by the door. He threw himself onto the sofa, which creaked and rattled from its poor assembly. The lights were already on, so Kelly must have already come home and fallen asleep in the bedroom. Ashling laid across the sofa and turned on the television. The volume was too loud, however, and Kelly soon woke up. "Ash? You get home late?" "Yeah," he responded. "Load of work to get through, if I wanted to be ready for class tomorrow. Excuse my language, but these first few weeks of a semester are a b*tch. A heinous one, at that." Ashling looked over the back of the sofa to see Kelly searching through the refrigerator. He was making himself a sandwich. "You know, Ash, I don't see why you don't just open up a shrink's office." "You know, Kel," Ashling said mockingly, "I don't see why you don't just get a job at a hospital. Could it all be because neither of us are doctors?" "Dude," Kelly took a bite of his sandwich and started to speak as he was chewing, "you've got to lighten up. Your PhD will come through." "Actually, I'm aware my thesis is in review. I'm even thinking positively about it all. My point in that previous statement was that I haven't opened an office because I don't have a PhD yet. Anyway, shouldn't you be asleep?" "There's no talking to you, is there?" Kelly asked as he finished off his sandwich. "Nope," Ashling responded. "A little ironic for a guy whose degree means the exact opposite." "I'm only an a**hole to you because you're my roommate." "Dude, seriously." Kelly turned off the light over the kitchen sink. "Move in with Dana. She, like, needs you. Wants you. She's callin' your name, dude! Ash! Oh, Ash! Oh--!" Before he could finish, a pillow was thrown over the sofa and into his face. "You have a dirty mind, Kel." "So do you!" "Not if I ignore my first few years of college, I don't." "Isn't ignoring your past mentally unhealthy or something?" "Go to bed, Kel." Ashling rested his head on one of the sofa pillows, and put his glasses on the coffee table between himself and the television. Kelly, seeing that the pillow Ashling had just thrown came from the sofa, Kelly picked it up and dropped it on him. "At least turn off the TV before you fall asleep," he concluded while letting out a long yawn. "No dice."[/size]

I remember a series of animated TV specials I used to watch back in the early 90s, each one telling a different fairytale. One of them was the story of the Wolfskin Coat-- a story I have found any information on since. Once, there was a small, wealthy kingdom in some undisclosed region of what we can only assume was Europe. In that kingdom lived the proverbial beautiful princess, who had servants waiting on her at all times. Her father, who loved to spend obscene amounts of money on his only child, bought her three dresses. One shimmered with turquoise, the next with silver, and the final was threaded with gold. All was right in the world. That is, until some nameless bandits did a horseride-by shooting and burned the entire kingdom to the ground. Yep, the entire kingdom. Among the 5 people who survived was the princess. Also, a woodsman in a wolfskin coat who found and protected her. Before the kingdom burned down, however, the princess managed to grab a small amount of food, a ring with the symbol of her royal family, and those three dresses that costed far too much to let burn. That winter, the woodsman died. In order to keep herself from freezing to death, the princess put on the woodsman's wolfskin coat. Eventually, she stumbled upon another nearby kingdom. Rather than tell them she's the princess of a kingdom that no longer exists, she got a job in the palace as a cook. Because of the wolfskin coat she wore in memory of the woodsman who protected her, nobody ever got a good look at her face or paid much attention to her. She was scolded for getting hair in the soup, punished frequently, and forced to live in a cold room in the basement, but she naturally used this experience to learn some humility. Taking on the form of a convenient plot device, the prince of the kingdom needed a wife, but couldn't decide on which noblewoman in the kingdom to marry. His father decided to give him 3 nights to decide-- by throwing a series of balls! The princess in the wolfskin coat decided this would be a good chance to marry rich and sleep on a bed again. She added her name to the ball's guest list, whipped out the golden dress, cleaned herself up, and attended the ball. She danced with the prince, and they naturally fell in love with one another. Unfortunately, it was her shift in the kitchen, and she had to hurry back to her room. She stashed away the golden dress, put the wolfskin coat back on, and went back to work for the night. The next morning, the whole palace was buzzing about a mysterious woman who attended the ball, wearing an obscenely expensive dress. The princess in the wolfskin coat was so distracted, she got hair in the soup. The head cook scolded her accordingly. That night, the princess showed up at the second ball, wearing the silver dress. While once again dancing with the prince, he got a good look at her hand and noted she was wearing a ring that belonged to a royal family. Then her shift in the kitchen came up, and the princess disappeared back into the night, sneaking back into the kitchen. Again, everyone was buzzing about the girl in the obscenely expensive dress the next morning. While cooking the prince's soup, she once again got hair in it and the head cook scolded her. That night, she showed up at the third and final ball, this time intended on telling the prince who she really was. Also, she was wearing the turquoise dress. This time, however, every jealous woman in the kingdom banded together, and kept the princess from reaching the prince. Thus, she didn't get the chance to tell the prince who she really was. The next day, she got hair in the prince's soup again. Being naturally miffed, the prince requested to see the girl who made his soup. When the princess showed up in the wolfskin coat, he noticed her ring with the royal crest, and asked her if she knew anything about the princess he had met at the ball. The princess stripped out of her wolfskin coat, revealing the turquoise dress. The prince had found his princess. Thus, they got married and live happily ever after. Although, because of the humility she learned during her service to another royal family, the princess continued to work in the kitchen in her free time. I remember this story, because it was the only fairytale I don't think anybody else has ever heard. I've been planning on adapting it into a modern-day comedy.

I wasn't happy when I heard news that Bryan Singer switched franchises. While the whole Superman mythos is legendary, I'm not looking forward to his backstory being re-created on film [i]again[/i] within my lifetime. Between the animated series, [i]Smallville[/i], and the movie starring Christopher Reeves (although it was made a few years before I was born), I'm getting a little sick of Superman. Plus the comics aren't that good, anyway. On top of that, the Phoenix Saga of the X-Men was going to be hard enough to bring to the big screen before (because nobody expects to see aliens in the X-films), but not we have to deal with a new creative team. If they get a really bad director for X-Men 3, we could be looking at the [i]Batman Forever[/i] of the X-Men franchise. [quote name='ScirosDarkblade']Oh, and Halle Berry says she's not gonna do any more comic book films unless it's a Catwoman sequel.[/quote] So... she's never going to do a superhero movie ever again? I'm not saying [i]Catwoman[/i] is bad-- actually, that is what I'm saying. It bombed. It bombed atomically. It actually [i]wiped out a large Japanese city[/i] because it was so bad. Check out the attachment.

There's a similar thread already started. Post there... [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=41712[/url] [color=navy]Thread Closed.[/color]