Retribution

[SIZE=1]I think alot of the problems would be solved by switching to the hydrogen-cell cars. Unfortunately, this won't be a viable option while most of the world has an oil-reliant economy. It's like post-WWI and WWII. You can't switch the economy from mass producing wartime materials to mass producing peacetime materials. You'd lose too many jobs in the process, and utterly cripple the country. It'll have to be a slow, gradual change if we want to stop the car pollution. Besides, gas is getting depleted quickly, so we're going to have to adapt.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Well, I think that people give robots too much credit with these post-apocalyptic movies and stories and such. As long as we limit robot's intelligents and put clearly defined limits on how freely it can think, you can have it doing everything for all I care. And I'd love to have a robot. I would have intelligent conversations with it, and play with it, and have it help me with my chores. Yeah, I'd be best-buds with a robot![/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][quote name='x kakashi x']First off, in defense of Retri, he said people were divided into groups, he never said it was a good thing. He even put easier in quotes, causing me to stray away from any compliment whatsoever. And what he is saying is true, if people are divided into groups, it takes a lot of the work out of actually getting to know someone. All of their traits and personality pros and cons are predetermind due to the group they've been placed in.[/quote]Amen brother. Amen. *bows and worships kakashi forever* [QUOTE]Stereotypes are not based on facts, they are based on opinions. They weren't created out of thin air, but they are merely how one person percieves another to be. I find it quite ignorant actually, that someone you've never met before feels it necessary to judge you and assume things without even talking to you first. Its impossible to know someone from the way they look, or the clothes they wear. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I think my friends would suck if I chose them based on their wardrobe.[/QUOTE]Well, sometimes a stereotype can be based on a fact, and then rashly applied to everyone else falling under the same catagory. True, it can be, and usually is, based on a misconception or opinion. [QUOTE]Of course there are people who fit these stereotypes, how could there not be? Out of the hundreds of blondes in america, of course a few them are going to be stupid, as with every other hair color. However, some people and/or stereotypes are publicized more then others leading us to believe more then we actually know. Paris Hilton, for example, is one of the stupidest people you'll ever meet, however, she is plastered all over TV and movies because she looks good. This just points out the previously existing stereotype and emphasizes it.[/QUOTE]*bows and worships again* There are people fitting these stereotypes because there is that shred of truth to it. As previously stated -- a fact is taken, distorted sometimes, and widely applied to the rest.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]My dream... To become well-off, to accomodate my extremely lavish tastes in food, houses, cars, and just about everything else. And to experience zero gravity. It's been a dream of mine ever since I was little to go into space, but experiencing zero-g would give a similar effect, even if it's in some uber-tech room.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]It warms my heart that everyone misread my post. I [B]never[/B] said that I support labeling. I thought it was a dead give-away with easy in quotes (Thanks though, Chibi ^_^). I was stating the facts. That's why labels exist. I never said "They [B]should[/B] exist because..." or "I'm [B]glad[/B] they exist because..." I said "They [B]do[/B] because..." And yes, [B]there is truth to every stereotype[/B]. I never said how much, but there is always truth to it. How else would they develop? At some point, a truth may become skewed drastically out of proportion, like "All mexicans carpool" or something ridiculous, but there is some degree of truth to it. People don't wake up one day and decide that "All black people are gangsters." They see a small degree of truth, and then apply it to the whole.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I really like the first one. Alot. It looks nearly perfect, except for the legs and hand. The second one is pretty dang good for on paint. I'm guessing you used a mouse (because a tablet is incompatible with paint... right?), which makes this especially awesome. Everyone's facial proportions are off, and the hair is inaccurate, but a very good job for it all. [B]8.5/10[/B][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I love how you edited your post. ^_^ But you could still make this "messy, and psychadelic" work better. Art should be controlled chaos -- this looks like it's raging out of control. Yes, it's messy on purpose, but Picasso for example, had chaotic work, but it was extremely controlled. My entire point is that this could be alot better, and the general feeling of "looking a mess," whether intentional or not doesn't look good.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Labels make things "easier." Labels group, and organize and give definitive boundaries to thinks that have murky borders most of the time. That's why they exist. Yes, there's truth to every stereotype, which is why they exist. Do you think people fabricated stereotypes out of thin air? They're based on facts.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Thanks, Kit-Kat. I'll try not sucking this time... how's this? [b]Inferno[/b] [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/streetfighter.jpg[/IMG] As a side note, I actually misspelled "Inferno" as "Infernow," until about five seconds ago, when I realized. So... I had to edit the .psd file and then re-host the sucker. Hehe. What an idiot. *hits self* [b]From the Inside[/b] [url]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/ink1.jpg[/url] As [another] side note, I made this thursday night with a broken pen on a piece of printer-paper. I got a lot on my favorite pair of pants [weeps] but I like how it turned out. This is a link because I don't want to resize it to make it fit, nor rip apart OB's borders and stuff.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Forgive me for being so blunt, but it looks a mess. The colors in and of themselves look alright, but when they're all meshed together and overlayed and burned with some image underneath it and a grid effect for good measure, it looks sloppy and uncontrolled. I'd recommend following some sort of pattern in the work (with the hexagons) and keep the colors very close to one another (no purples and blues and oranges all together).[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][quote name='-tiGz-']First is good, i don't particularly like the others. Download some brush sets, and fool around with them.. i'm sure you'll be much happier with the outcome.[/quote] Sieg, this is what you [B]shouldn't[/B] do. By downloading these brushes, you'll look like a hotshot, but really not be good at all. You will have no skill, and have no idea how to create the effects given by the brushes. Develop your skill. I suppose you, tiGz, abuse the brushes and just splash them on your banner to make them look hot. They look like you've done really well on them, but in reality, you may have no idea how to replicate the abstract look.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I think I should give you some crit, as you haven't really gotten much. ^_^ [b]Bandera Uno[/b] is your best, not only because of the stock (which is exceptional), but because of the font and its placement. While I think the texture should be done away with, and the border should be more defined, it's all good. [b]Bandera Dos y Tres[/b] are the same in the respect that I don't like the filter applied to them, and the font looks rather strange and foreign. I hope you make more, and keep it up. *thumbs up* --- Note: [i]Bandera[/i], and [i]Dos, Tres, Y[/i] mean: "Banner, Two, Three, And" respectively. lol[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][b]El Blurred Set[/b] I don't like to much. Sorry for the bluntness. The avatar is probably the best, with its semi-clarity. It could probably be cleaned up to look better, but as it is, it's fine. The banner's fonts don't fit at all. You've used like ... danube and bambino, one for tech, and the other for psychadelic stuff. Finally, the overall blurriness covering up and nearly drowning the stock is a no-go. Try to keep your stock image defined, and if it was your aim to blur it this much, be sure that there's more of the subject than the background. Here, you have another rather large white space. [b]La Infeccion Set[/b] was better. Although the avatars made me squint for the added text, the overall look of them was fine. Try to make the font stand out a bit more somehow. The banner was a winner, save the fact there's just too much space on the right hand side. "Spreading the Infection" could've been closer to the subject. In alot of your banners, I'm noticing this. If it's just your style, then by all means, go ahead (I hope I don't sound ignorant), but if you're unintentionally doing this, try cuddling the text nearer to the rest of teh banner, so you don't have this wasted no-mans-land. If I sounded harsh, it's only because you're my friend. (^_^) I tend to be slightly harsher to those whom I know rather than some random other person. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I love the power of the clouds ... they look like the world might end. The only problem is tha they're a little small -- could you give us the slightly bigger ones? lol. And the yellow-brown contrast I love with the flowers. Good job.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I _< Makes me wanna move over yonder, but the heat -- urg... that's the only aversion to the West.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Yeah, it's been a while since I whipped up some Photoshoppy-goodness. But today, I had inspiration, and you get to see my emotions on a virtual canvas. Check it, comment, and I'm thankful. *bows to audience* [b]Cherry Blossoms[/b] [B]1[/B] [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/cherryblossoms1.jpg[/IMG] [B]2[/B] [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/cherryblossoms2.jpg[/IMG] [B]3[/B][/SIZE] [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/cherryblossoms3.jpg[/IMG]

[SIZE=1]Hmm... [b]Who Am I?[/b], your [b]avatar[/b] is cold, blue, and perhaps lonely feeling. I'm guessing you feel distant from everyone else. Your [b]custom title[/b] shows puzzlement, as if you feel you've forgotten something. Finally, your [b]signature[/b] tells me that you are lost, searching for something deep, I bet. You seem rather philosophical, with your final quote leaving me thinking, but not too hard. ^_^[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Trump had stayed concealed this long -- and it would pay off now. Glancing around from his seat, he saw several people jump up and begin brawling in the middle of the car, some were getting away. Worst of all, his partener was knocked out, so he was going to be solo on this mission. So he did was he was best at -- reclining back in his chair and acting like he was reading the newspaper. In all actuality, he was concentrating as hard as he could muster in the boisterous train, trying to unscrew the bolts that attached the seats in the ground. After another twenty seconds, there were about seventeen bolts skittering across the floor, which soon stopped making noise as they were lifted into the air by an unseen force. One by one, they rocketed towards the crowd of brawlers, the impact of gunshots ripping behind them. A few salarymen were caught in the crossfire, but not too many; it was unavoidable in such cases anyway. Most of the bolts screamed towards their enemy targets, his friend safely out of the way and on the ground.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Lunox][i]Stem cell research, as far as I'm concerned, can only be a positive, possibly finding a way to help out paralyzed people, or curing illnesses previously determined incurable.[/i] [color=darkslateblue] This really sparked my interest. When I first heard about the argument of stem cell research, I agreed to using it. As I said before, my base morals usually tend to be democratic and/or liberal (yes, please note I used 'and/or'). But you're always reading these famous books of 'how far is too far'? [i]Brave New World[/i], being a somewhat decent but usable example. :3[/color][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]I have confidence that we aren't in any danger of going "too far" with stem-cell research. Right now, we're trying to figure out how exactly they work, not mass-producing humans and conditioning them to suit certain jobs. You've got to take the first step to make progress, and in making progress you always come nearer to problems. It's good to look down the road and try to avoid them, but at some point you must march, and not worry so much as if you'll run into the problem as how you'll deal with it once it arises.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I think you [B]can[/B] admire a characteristic of a person, but you can't admire [B]and[/B] dislike a person as a person. If that made any sense. >_> For example, Dante said that they admire Gates' action of making the computer empire, but he doesn't admire who Gates is as a person.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Chaos]A hero and a leader are very similar, if you take it in bare facts. Both are, by definition, charismatic, strong-willed, have the ability to, well, lead, and generally have some fantastic ability to overcome adversity. So what seperates them? A hero has to die to become one.[/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Not necessarily. A hero can live and still be a hero, lol. It doesn't take someone charismatic to be a hero either -- they can be some lump on a log, rather afraid of everything, but takes the plunge and musters the courage when no one else can. They don't need to lead. It's as simple as jumping on top of a grenade when you're in a trench with some of your unit to save the rest of them. It takes courage, and then the action. Some really depressed loser could still become a hero. But a leader much be charismatic, but not necessarily courageous. A leader has other people to be courageous for him or her, but it helps most of the time. For example, Mussolini was a 'good' leader in the respect he could unite his people, but he wasn't very courageous, and got chumped around all day in WWII. A leader has to be able to be heard among the crowd, and take charge.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I think what she meant was "love of your life," as in "you two were meant to be." In this case, I'd pick my dreams. Firstly, you can always find another 'love,' even if they're not as 'perfect' as the first one. Secondly, my dreams are more important than emotions. My dreams are my purpose in life. By dropping my dreams, I'm dropping my purpose, and in effect, losing my purpose in life. I'd never do that just to live happily ever after.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Nationalism... ehh... it's a pretty broad term, and I don't really feel like narrowing down any of my feelings on it, except for too much is bad, and too little is bad. I'm a liberal, but I don't like how you phrased the "There's a shelter two miles from here" in the voting section. I believe that the democrats are actually looking out more for the homeless than the republicans are. Cutting taxes for the top two percentile brackets isn't what you do to help a country's economy. The Patriot Act isn't a very good idea, cutting down our rights for the sake of "stopping terrorism." Stem cell research, as far as I'm concerned, can only be a positive, possibly finding a way to help out paralyzed people, or curing illnesses previously determined incurable. I can't help but think that the Republicans are living in a dream world, where America's funds are plentiful, and war on an unseen "terror" is how we solve problems. I'd be really unhappy with Bush if were trying to screw America over, but just his motives are enough to [I]slightly[/I] redeem his mistakes. [quote name='Godel']Being liberal doesn't mean you're some sort of homeland-hating wussy with no concept of what is and isn't possible to accomplish. It doesn't mean you give a man a fish instead of teaching him to get one himself. It means you are willing to accept change.[/quote]*bows and worships* That was exactly what I was about to say.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I'm a part-time nerd, and part-time neutral. While I'm not always in a set clique, I tend to hang out with the honors students, which mainly consist of white and asian folk, as my own race seems to be too caught up to get to the top.[/rant] Yeah, I'm not a really big nerd -- the fat ones in the AV club with glasses and sweaty and don't talk to girls. I just do well in school, and as a result hang out with those who share my common goals. Some [most, perhaps?] of the asians at my school are really, really cliquey and try to shun outsiders, with a few exceptions. Usually I don't care, but sometimes it bugs me.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Hullo, SoS. I must admit, I don't know too much about art tablets, but I'll try to impart whatever knowledge I have on you. Firstly, using the tablet is a bit of a skill, as you must stroke on the pad, but look up at the screen for results. As you can imagine, this is quite unorthodox, and will give even a praticed artist some grief in the early stages. I have no idea how much they cost, or how large the pads come, but I [I]do[/I] know that they are available in different sizes and such. Yeah, it's pretty hard drawing stuff on the computer with a mouse as well as you could on paper, which is why I wouldn't recommend trying without the use of a tablet. Another viable option would be just to scan (if you have a scanner) in your pictures, and edit them in photoshop. There, I know you can change the levels of contrast to make it look as if you've done say, oh, a pencil sketch in pen. Good luck, and Google may have some background information on tablets.[/SIZE]