DeathKnight

[color=crimson]The Blackheart Gang aren't a band but they produced a neat CGI short film accompanied by music a year ago. It's called [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m5MQMCDOWE][u]"The Tale of How"[/u][/url] and is very.. unique and well done.[/color]

[color=crimson]While trying to stir up the zeitgeist of prior eras could be admirable usually people simply cannot be motivated by speech alone. Myself, for instance. Let's say I was like DB and apathetic a couple of years ago. Over that span of time I have had at least three or four friends, good friends, get deployed to Iraq from San Antonio. Now I doubt I would be at ease when, currently, each time a soldier dies from San Antonio I check to see if it was someone I know. People I went to middle school with, people I worked with. Something is wrong with a situation where I'm having to do that. That would be a good motivator for dissent. Personal little details like that accumulate and can really hone a person's anger more than just an orator although orators can be powerful as well. Democracy is not a fantastic or even good system, it's adequate and the level of civil and political freedom when compared to most authoritarian governments is superb. Unfortunately when the power is given to the people it does become a responsibility to utilize that. Making a difference does not require a dramatic, Hollywood revolution or movement of some sort spreading over the nation and culminating at the gates of the White House. Making a smaller difference is just as good. You don't necessarily need a force a coup to disagree. ;)[/color]

[color=crimson]In your first poem I read that one sentence as "I'm just another you" and I hope that's what you meant, it seemed to fit. It was alright. Kind of hazed.. like it was shooting in the dark towards melancholy things without precise aim. Like, I'm sad. This poem is sad. Are you sad yet? Your second poem is pretty good but, not to sound pretentious, "mulched" kind of broke me away from the poem for a second because it wasn't poetic to me, lol. Then I tried to replace it with words like "shredded" or "minced" and even minced sounded only okay. Maybe there's some kind of other synonym I'm missing. Other than that though it was enjoyable. :) Admittedly I might just be picking at it for no reason so ignore me if you want. Your last one went along in my head kind of like a piece of slam poetry and came off really well. Probably not what you intended but it's meant to be a compliment. No criticism. Hi FH. Welcome to the CAT! "I?m infused debt to you for saving me" - this sentence I couldn't really make sense of in my head. The rest of it was pretty average. You rhyme well enough and it had elements of art within but it just seemed a bit meh. Not too bad, not too good. Also could you put ratings in your work just to follow the Anthology forum guidelines?[/color]

[quote name='Hylian']I'm sorry but you are REALLY mistaken.[/quote] [color=crimson]Partially. When you said that about inflammable I looked it up and forgot about it, lol. Don't be sorry it was my bad. Infamous however, having just looked it to make sure I'm not having amnesia, I was correct about regarding the prefix. :) We can split the wrongness/rightness.[/color]

[color=crimson]Superpredators by Massive Attack- This is a very good trip hop song by a very good trip hop band. It's hard to find though since it was only on a soundtrack and a Japanese edition of one of their CDs, lol. Keep Fishin by Weezer- Not their best song to me but this is a nice little happy-sounding song. :) I prefer Hash Pipe to this. What It's Like by Everlast- I've always admired this songs lyrical content and the emotions behind it. It is thoughtful in it's tone and doesn't really force you to feel this or that, it just beckons you into it. Dam That River by Alice in Chains- Now this is a great song that I know by heart. I'm not sure if it's the best AiC song but it's the one I listen to the most. Dreams (Axwell Remix) by Deep Dish- This is a song I heard on an A State of Trance program and had to get. The vocals are sung beautifully and the beat is just perfectly matched with it. The Devil Went Down to Georgia (cover) by Primus- The music video really has to accompany this song but by itself it's still a really neat song. Crooked Teeth by Death Cab for Cutie- Again, not the best offering by this band but a good enough one. Mellow, easy going and a bit tongue in cheek. We Will Rock You by Queen- Gonna be a big man someday! Wolves by Jesu- Good drone doom. His haunting voice and the constant strumming of the guitar and beat behind him just drive home a sense that you are hearing a spectre. O Fortuna by Carl Orff- I mainly got this because of FF7. I have to admit to that. On it's own though the piece is still stunning and I can see why so many bands do covers or rip offs of it. American Pie by Don McClean- A long, long time ago I can still remember.. how that music used to make me smile. Simple and Clean by Utada Hikaru- The Japanese version is very nice too. I forget what it is called.. it started with an H I think lol. Moya by Godspeed! You Black Emperor- A very fine, moving song. Sometimes I wonder what more haunting vocals/lyrics would do for post-rock but I guess that defeats the purpose of it's ambience. Stars by Hum- A little-loved song from 1995 that is better than most rock since. Four Kicks by the Kings of Leon- Man I love these guys.[/color]

[quote name='Hylian']..they mean the exact same thing.[/quote] [color=crimson]The prefix in- in this usage means not. Infamy is literally not famous but is used to say someone is famous for negative reasons. Inflammable is not flammable. I'm not sure if you are trying to be cute but those two words become antonyms when the prefix in- is given to them.[/color]

[color=crimson]The first one is.. alright. I like the brevity of it but just can't shake this feeling of detachment with the emotions you're giving it. Like it's force fed, lol. The second one sounds like a good song, if that's what you intended. Well defined structure and a flow I can notice for once. Bleak as usual huh? It's too bad it's so personal. Chin up. [b]Walk With Me[/b] [E] I walk the Earth as one among many. Among the people and the animals and the plants aplenty. Significant life all around, I sense the time within all of you so wondrous You toil so; I regret your suffering my child Let me ease it, let me make it splendorous for you Look up to the heavens and see all that I have to offer All that can be yours if you simply try Reach out and touch the ceiling of stars Feel it's texture, acknowledge the feeling of it all Take what you will and care for it so It will grow I promise As you grew, as you all grow it too shall grow into something unforgettable Before you pass on to the next life cherish this jewel so Do not hurt it, do not make false promises to it It does not deserve such pain and suffering as you have felt Just raise this angel tenderly and it will become something new More than just a person, a plant or an animal It will become the future, a bright future for you all My child, you can rest easy now with these thoughts The sun will rise tomorrow and bring a cleansing air with it These things will come to pass and all will be alright for you Just remember to reach out to me And see what I have to offer you [b]Untitled[/b] [PG-LV] A single spark hit a butterfly's wings. The bright, flickering orange spread out from it like a ripple in a pond. It lost altitude quickly and landed next to my boot. The butterfly stumbled in a stupor and fell on it's side. It tapped into willpower, if insects have that, and was back on it's little spindly legs in a second. It circled around and climbed up onto my boot. 'You can't fly anymore.' I thought. 'It's useless.' It tried to climb up my pants leg and fell backwards tumbling to the ground and into a pool of blood. 'Oop my bad.' I leaned forward and retrieved it. I sat it back down next to my boot. The cry of gunfire erupted out a few blocks away. I picked up my assault rifle and checked it over. I sat it in my lap and looked back to the butterfly. It was coated on one side with blood and wasn't moving. "Hey." I said and poked it. "You alive?" It scrambled away from my finger and came to rest a foot away. "Don't be afraid of me." I gestured towards it and called to it like it was a dog. "Come on buddy, come here." No response. "Come on, please. When you were flying around you were very beautiful." I patted the bloody stub that was my right leg. "I can't fly either. We can be pals alright?" Jets screamed overhead and the tall tenement across the street exploded in a blinding flash. I raised my arms to protect my face and felt jagged daggers of shrapnel pierce into me. I gasped at the waves of pain assaulting me. My good leg, my torso and my arms were all alight with pain. I lowered my arms with a grimace. The butterfly was smashed under a piece of stone next to me. "Shit." I picked the rock up and turned it over. Insect guts covered it and I shook my head. "... Shit." A rumble down the street got my attention. The form of a tank appeared from the dust and smoke. I had fought a hundred of those very tanks in the past three months. The crawling landscapes of burning wreckage. There would be pieces of bodies. Legs, arms and a soldier or two who had no lower half any more. I would just barely pull out of the battlefield alive stumbling from hot spot to hot spot in a warrior's haze. Kill this, run here, duck here, don't peak around the corner, throw a grenade, pull back, regroup. It's gun lowered and I looked down into it's black abyss. I patted my side pocket and the dog tags inside shifted against each other. "Guys.. I'm sorry."[/color]

[color=crimson]The Democrats are pushing their luck with such a slim majority. President Bush is notoriously steadfast and I doubt much can be done against it. While it was a noble statement against the War in Iraq I believe that reality needs to set in and that this option of timetables, one that some Republicans are open to, is a good next move and probably should have been their first move. The War in Iraq seems unsalvageable to me. The goals of, say, making the country better or some kind of Iraqi renaissance involving democracy is not on the table at all. This option of surging troops could have been made to work two or three years ago but with the current situation I just don't see how anyone, especially after reading the Iraq Study Group report, could consider that as the definitive path to even a Pyrrhic victory. It's baffling what neoconservatives think and do sometimes. I'm not sure there are good options anymore. Some hard choices will have to be made in the coming year and I think it might be an inevitability that all of them involve further suffering in Iraq as we just.. walk away. If only Iraqis could walk away too, heh. As for what the common voter should or should not do, well. My general advice is that there are diamonds amongst politicians but most of them are just coal. Certain parties agendas change over time as ideologies evolve- for example, Republicans weren't always dominated by neocons. You have to pay attention to these trends as well. Just keep your head straight and stay aware of the issues. Democrats aren't right by default and neither are Republicans. Don't get sucked into that partisan bull. Most advertisements for candidates have more hot air than a blimp. Be independent and spend a bit of time researching on your own. You do matter in the scheme of Democracy. Leaders serve the people as much as people serve the leaders. Don't let them think otherwise.[/color]

[color=crimson]I went to my girlfriend's prom yesterday and it was really enjoyable. Good music, good food, good drink, good times. Must have been at least a hundred people there. I danced with my girlfriend to some rap, some latino music and of course the slow dances. Prior we went to a nice Japanese restaurant where like 17 people showed up in our 'group' and it was just constant laughter, lol. Here's a picture of how I looked but my girlfriend steals the show: [url=http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/1784/img0389uw5.jpg]Pic[/url][/color]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkOrange']But when it comes to something like genocide, the people slaughtering an entire race are perfectly capable of realizing what they are doing. It's not like the annihilation of a race of people only looks bad in hindsight. But I could be misurderstanding your post entirely or something, I'm afraid I get lost in the way you write sometimes.[/COLOR][/quote] [color=crimson]Granted. Some issues can be very black and white while others a bold spectrum of colors. To follow your example though a genocidal action on the part of a regime can spiral out into a regional war not in the plans of the regime which can have a dire effect on thousands more than before. So all things have the potential for complications the more people, governments and otherwise are involved.[/color]

[color=crimson]Well I got some time yesterday to read your guy's stuff. SunFallE, that was an interesting short story. It had a good flow in it- I enjoy stories with a good flow- and the dialogue was believable. You call mine grim, but that was pretty morbid too. I'd be interested in an expanded version but I have mixed feelings. It is the perfect little short story snack and expanding it might ruin that. I guess just go with how you feel, you know? I've read your poetry before DigitalBoy and sometimes it kind of reeks of angst, lol. I'm not sure if you are particularly depressed but I can't really talk since my poetry ends up being an outlet for most of my negative emotions. I'd say I write poetry to vent that stuff out. The result is most of my poems are just very, very black and it's hard to share them without being a bit self concious about their level of negativity. Voice of the Convoluted (Nonentity)- Now I understand what you're trying to say and you use some good descriptive speech. The issue I had is that it was hard to find a kind of timing to it and I'm not sure if you meant for there to be a timing so I read it freely a second time. It's an alright poem. I like your second one more. (Internal Conflict) Rising Action- I like this one! It's short and to the point. Sometimes when I read poems around here it seems like the people were just writing shit to make it longer, lol. Knife's Got A Secret (To Hide)- Compared to the other two this one had a distinct structure to it that was a nice touch. Straight forward too. It lacked a kind of.. hidden motive and that might have been done on purpose.[/color]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy][color=DarkOrange]Wrong and right means nothing to me -- I only care about what effect the state of the world has [b]on my own life[/b'].[/COLOR][/quote] [color=crimson]Yes. Exactly. Human nature usually makes you primarily concerned with yourself and your family- your income, your ability to care for your family, your health, what the government is doing to [b]you[/b] (taxes, health care, etc.). There is a secondary care for situations around the world, especially so if your country is involved, but those situations don't pay the bills, get you to work, help you with your paper and so on. People present the human race as making decisions consciously as a collective with amazingly high foresight. For example, the Industrial Revolution was not intended to destroy the environment and was not even begun universally amongst the human race. It spread from Great Britain and never touched countries such as India or China which lead to many of the tumultuous events in their history. The effects that it has had on our history and environment could not be fathomed at the time. The luck and decisions of a few ultimately cause a series of events that drastically affect situations. Usually how the series of events goes is far beyond anyone's ability to guess. There is no grand orchestration on the whole period, let alone for evil or good means. The things that spread and affect the globe prior to this point in history were ignorant in that they were done with the present in mind. Hindsight is 20/20.[/color]

[color=crimson]Yeah, humanity has always been imperfect. To view that as some horrible condition is missing the unfortunate fact that, well, that is all that there can be on this earth for any living creature or system. The checks and balances within nature are not perfect. They exist because excesses are inevitable. Too much rain, too many plants, too many herbivores, too many carnivores. Human sentience has given it a much more powerful effect on it's surroundings and each other but we are still subject to nature's innate imperfection. Beyond natural reactions to our excesses, humans often put each other in check when things are considered to be out of control. We aren't monsters, lol. I don't see how anyone can easily look at something so diverse and filled with independent creatures as humanity and say "all of us are horrible". It's a deeper, vaster picture than that. The complicated systems of legislation which affects the passage of measures to help the environment, the amount of support needed, the sheer mass of people across the globe you have to make aware of things, the divided nationalistic states that block the way to any sort of global peace. Humans aren't evil creatures. Humans are complicated creatures with complicated systems organizing their economies, their governments, their nations and many other things. To try to challenge global issues takes a great lot of maneuvering and time. And honestly some people in this thread are just kids. Stuff is ****** up! It'll be ****** up! Life really sucks when you purposefully limit your point of view to that. [/color]

[quote name='Jakehammaren']I sure hope that I can be as witty as you one day.[/quote] [color=crimson]All it takes is practice and easily exuberant victims as your target. What's funny is that when you first mentioned Agalloch like a week or more ago I listened and they were really good, lol.[/color] [quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkOrange]We ALL do, cuz [B]DeathKnight [/B'] is just SO smart and cool and ALWAYS right :rolleyes: [/quote][/color] [color=crimson]You should probably leave sarcasm to the people good at it. ;) Metal has a very big following in this forum so I'll address some other genres to clear the air of them. Rap: Aesop Rock- Aesop Rock is one of the bigger 'underground' rap artists that I know of. His lyrics are usually abstract but I wouldn't go so far as to call them philosophical. The level of depth in them borders on it but it is just short of it. In hip hop usually when I read conversations about him people are very divided between love and hate. His purposefully abstract lyrics drive some people nuts. Others go a little too far the other way and make him out to be some kind of modern day messiah. Simply, and hopefully, if you listen to some tracks from him you'll find him to be a fine rapper with interesting lyrics. Looking for something more here is probably missing the point of his music. He's one of my favorite rappers though, lol. Tracks: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWCJvLE-lbw]"None Shall Pass"[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4t3Z4y3Y1w]"Bent Life"[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6BEpiEC7nU]"Abandon All Hope"[/url]. Indie: The Delgados- I've never, EVER understood why more people don't like The Delgados. Actually no one seems to really have heard of them which is even more depressing. I first heard them when watching the Gunslinger Girls anime- the Japanese opening song is "The Light Before We Land" off of their album, Hate. Their musical sound varies from song to song. There are moment of mellow melodies and more aggressive rock pieces. I'd describe the tone of most of their songs as ambivalent- bordering between positive and negative. The band broke up a couple of years ago but I'm still a big fan of their sound. I've always hoped that I could get a few more people to hear them because I know they have a very universally appealing sound. Tracks: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgFAhriVVcc]"Thirteen Gliding Principles"[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v3WCeYArd4]"The Light Before We Land"[/url] TV on the Radio- TV on the Radio is listed as experimental rock but they are not.. so much experimental to me. Granted, their tracks aren't conventional and rarely sound alike but it's not so much cutting edge as it is unique. I suppose some view the two as the same but, eh. Uh, their tracks are rather diffused sound-wise. The only quality I can attach to all of them is a universal trait of 'this is kind of different'. Different and addictive. The band released a new CD recently, Return to Cookie Mountain, which is as acclaimed as their previous efforts. Tracks: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d808dcKhCiY]"Staring At the Sun"[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUB1xSAAADk]"Wolf Like Me"[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73qBnuzrjx0]"Wolf Like Me (live)"[/url]. Blues: Son House- Son House first recorded in the 30s/40s before blues kind of faded out of view. In the 60s/70s when the genre came back into style he was discovered and told of how his early recordings were popular again so he came out of retirement. A very deep, soulful voice and a good mastery of the guitar make him one of my favorite blues musicians. Listening to him is just.. immersive from how good of a singer he is. The emotion behind his voice is very focused and just drowns you in what he's saying. Tracks: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN5vqEyV7g]"Death Letter"[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRiKNS1S3LE]"Levee Camp Blues"[/url] Stevie Ray Vaughan- I really hope I don't have to describe him to you guys. Tracks: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAxLgGVRV64]"Texas Flood"[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GSpbuFSr2o]"Voodoo Child (cover)"[/url].[/color]

[QUOTE=Jakehammaren]I know. I was rolling with the punches :rolleyes: And advertising them does indeed have to do with this thread, seeing as it's about the "Best Music Artist(s) Today", a category under which they most definitely fall. It's no less appropriate than you advertising Pelican.[/QUOTE] [color=crimson]Oh yeah, speaking of. Have you guys heard of [size=4][b]PELICAN[/b][/size] They are this great band you really need to check out ASAP. [url=http://www.myspace.com/pelican]Here's[/url] their myspace. Check out Last Day of Winter! [/color]

[color=crimson]"Well said." The White Prince said and gestured around the table, "Thank you all for inviting the Brotherhood of the Jade Forest here." "The important matters we have to attend to today will be expressed with the upmost cordiality and respect for the Jade Forest." Fai said in a reassuring tone. This diplomacy between the two seemed very procedural. Dr. Xing sipped his cup of tea quietly and observed the two leaders exchange preliminary greetings and expressions of goodwill. He had sat at meetings in the past but today the atmosphere seemed genuinely cordial. A lingering doubt rested in his mind and he rubbed his moustache as he thought. "Now, let our meeting begin." Fai finally said and gestured around the room. "I am sure that there are those among the Brotherhoods' members who are aware of the first matter I would like to discuss. It concerns a street drug that is gaining increasing popularity." Fai clicked a small remote and an image was projected up from the center of the table and hovered in mid air. "These are pictures of the drug that we have confiscated. The two most popular forms of taking the drug are intravenously and in a pill form." The images showed a half dozen purple pills and a fine purple powder. "To discuss the drug in more detail I ask of you to listen to our Dr. Xing. Dr. Xing?" Fai nodded to him. Dr. Xing set down his cup of tea and stood. "Good evening, I am the proprietor and head Doctor of the Sun Heights Clinic. Some of you I have treated within my clinic and others I have had business dealings with." His eyes traced around the room and landed on Dead who he gave a grin to. 'Where is the money' the grin asked. Dead's mouth crept up in return. 'Shit if I know' it replied. Dr. Xing adjusted his rose tinted glasses and gestured to Fai. "I have been asked by Mr. Chou to talk to you all today about this street drug. Dragon's Tongue is the colloquial, street term for it." Flickers of recognition appeared in the eye of several people around the room. Dr. Xing smiled. "Yes, some of you are aware it seems. DT is a very potent psychotropic drug. It's chemical make-up indicates it is a man-made drug. At this time, however, it cannot be traced to a specific creator. In the past when these hybrid and super drugs hit the street there was an inclination to participate in their spread. The difference between those drugs and this one is the unavoidable damage it does with just one dose." The image changed to a list of statistics regarding the mortality rate. It described the disabilities seen so far in the survivors. "This is 100 percent of all of the cases we have encountered so far. Not one of them has escaped even nearly unscathed. Seventy percent of them have died. Thirty have survived with severe disabilities. Psychologically destroyed, mentally destroyed, physically handicapped and sometimes they simply stay in a vegetative state." "This is damage to potential customers for both organizations." Fai interrupted. Dr. Xing eyed him but deferred to his authority. "Damage to our credibility as people whisper in the street that it could be us spreading this drug. Dr. Xing, continue." Dr. Xing bowed and the image on the table turned into a video. "This is security footage from the fighting ring. Notice how out of control the man is, how fast his reflexes are, how inhuman his strength is. This is an induced rage. This rage is the first alarm to the person being under the influence of DT." The image changed to the man in a hospital bed. "After six hours these affects quickly wear off and the damage rampages throughout the brain. Holes simply are being burnt into the white matter of the brain at a rapid pace." A scan of a brain with several prominent gaps in it appeared. "A patient who survives this will be left ruined from it although most feel the merciful touch of death. Now, if you encounter someone in the rage-stage the best you can do is incapacitate them or, if condoned by your bosses, kill them. Mr. Chou." Dr. Xing bowed to him and sat down. "Do any of our attendees have questions?" The White Prince looked at Fai, "I knew about this drug but did not know it was so powerful. What are your estimates about how much it is used on the street?" "It is a minority to older drugs for now but it is becoming increasingly popular for people who fight. Within our ring it is becoming an increasing blight and I can imagine the damage hundreds of thugs in a rage could do." Fai said and looked to Dr. Xing, "Do you have anything to add?" He stood, "Yes Mr. Chou. The drug itself was difficult to invent.. but not to replicate. The potential wide-spread use of this drug is very real and probable without intervention." Dr. Xing sat once more and the White Prince tilted his head to the side. "So who is distributing this within our territories?" Fai looked more serious than usual suddenly. Dr. Xing smiled and took a sip of his tea. "None other than the Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity." Fai said. The room fell quiet.[/color]

[color=crimson]I've seen some poem dumps cropping up and read some short stories that have received little attention. Individual poetry and short story threads seem to attract, well, not too much attention. I'm not sure what causes this but perhaps a remedy is to collect our works here, amongst each other, where most of us probably are interested in reading other works while submitting our own. I'd like for you to submit whatever work you would like here and comment on other people's work. This is not meant to replace any thread you would like to make yourself. Involve yourself and your work as you would like. What makes or breaks the deal is your involvement or lack there of. In the post where you put your work, in the title of your piece I would like for you to put the appropriate rating for your work as you would in a thread. A "short story" that is appropriate for a thread like this would probably be under 5,000 words. There could be exceptions to this rule.. so follow your gut instinct where applicable. Hopefully this idea takes off. :) To start things off I'll give you a short story and a poem of my own- [b]The Crow[/b] [M-LV] Pain shot through his eyeball and coursed down his body. Every jolt, every wave of pain brought him closer and closer to being awake. A heavy fog pressed down upon his mind resisting the siren's song that was bringing him to consciousness. It told him to sleep, to rest, to never wake up. Never wake up, never wake up, never wake up or he would understand. He didn't want to understand it said. You don't want to understand! You don't want to understand! [b]You don't want to understand![/b] In the dream that gripped his mind he heard the sound of fluttering and felt something jump on his chin. A surge of pain shot out from his eye and he shot up screaming. He held his hand over his eye. Wet streams of blood streaked down his cheek. Red twilight shone down upon a mountain of skulls before him that towered up into the heavens. Startled, he scrambled to his feet and lost his balance, tumbling down several dozen feet before coming to a stop. He too was on a mountain of skulls. A crow soared after him and perched itself on his shoulder. His eyeball rested within it's beak. It ate it in one bite and stared unwaveringly. It's bloody feathers glistened in the light sending a shiver down his spine. His instincts told him that this creature was horrible. Unnatural and horrible. The crow tilted his head, "Is it not the nature of things to destroy life?" It hopped forward, took a strand of his black hair within it's beak and gave it a gentle tug. The man was unable to respond as a flurry of thoughts ravaged his mind the loudest of which asked what was going on. What is going on, what is going on, what is going on, what is going on! "I spoke to you." The crow said and tugged once more. "To you, I spoke to you." "I-I'm sorry?" It tugged his hair harder. "I spoke to you, it is polite to respond. Is it not the nature of things to destroy life?" It let go of his hair and hopped down into his lap. "Is it not? I wish to hear an answer." The man was overwhelmed and confused. The unfamiliar, horrifying surroundings; the blood drying on his cheek and the talking crow were too much to handle in the few moments he had been allowed. A sharp crack startled him. From the sky fell skulls onto the mountains around him. Each that landed let out a sharp 'crack!' as bone hit bone. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. "What is going on here?" Crack. "This is a dream." Crack. "Right?" Crack. The crow let out a sharp squawk and thrust it's beak into the man's leg. It twisted around several times and removed it leaving a gaping wound. The man yelped in pain and swatted angrily at the bird. It flapped it's wings and soared up into the air. "Are you?" It asked. "Am I what?" He lowered his hand and peered at the bird. "Are you dreaming or are you awake? If you are awake, well. Only true nightmares happen when you are awake. Anxious moments that tease at the frays of your nerves threatening to prick the thread loose and leave you a heap of wreckage. Those times when the shadows in the world are creeping upon you to prey on your very being, drool dripping down from their jaws as ravenous hunger for your soul overcomes them. You trip into the darkness and fall into the black flames that gnaw into your flesh leaving you violated and sitting alone, a lost mess of a person." "If you are dreaming, you will feel at ease. This is not real. You will wake and return to your existence mentioning these things in passing as being a horrifying affair you will not forget. I remember this one time, you'll say, I had a dream in which all seemed horrendous and a figure sat upon me consuming my flesh until I awakened. The warmth of your family, the hope of a new dawn and time will make the terror gripping your heart right now fade. I will be a ghost, a spectre that will haunt you only momentarily when you recall my stare matching yours." The crow landed on a nearby pile of skulls and pecked at a maggot crawling across it's surface. "More than that, you realized that I was going to kill you and you wonder now as I say this if I take pleasure in the thought of murdering you." It grabbed the maggot and swallowed it whole. "You should hope this is a dream lest I confirm your suspicions." The man checked off the list of things in his head that pointed towards it being a dream. It had to be a dream. The crow sat silently as he thought tilting his head. "This has to be a dream." He said finally. A skull near him chortled loudly mocking his conclusions. Frightened, the man stood up and lost his footing. He tumbled down the mountain, loosening skulls as he went, and came to a rest at the very bottom. He rolled over wearily and an avalanche of loose skulls crashed down on him. The lower half of his body lay trapped. The man stared up into the sky. "I must be dreaming, there is no way that this can be real. These things don't happen. You're right, I will wake up and someday I'll laugh this off as one of the worst nightmares I've had." The crow sailed down and sat upon his chest. "A moment ago you slept fitfully, crying out and muttering in your sleep. I conclude that you might have been dreaming then but right now you are very much awake." Something snapped within his head at that statement- this can't be real and this damn bird can't be real. He grabbed the crow with both of his hands and held it by the neck shaking it violently. An audible 'snap' came out from it. He tossed the limp body aside. The skulls came to life once more and devoured the bird's body whole. The man watched it disappear into their black mouths piece by piece leaving nothing. "Is it not the nature of things to destroy life?" All the mountains of skulls asked in unison. "Are you not, as a man, going to consume the living plants and the beast as sustenance? Are not the beasts going to consume the plants and each other as sustenance? Is it not the nature of things to destroy life?" "I don't know! I don't know! Just let me out of here!" He yelled and pushed against the skulls that held him down. For each one he tossed aside another slid into it's place. The twilight sky clouded over and a droplet of rain hit his cheek. It was followed by several more and then the heavens unleashed a dark curtain of rain. "Why can't I wake up?" He asked. "Tell me goddamn it." He spoke to the skulls trapping him. "Tell me what the hell is going on. Where am I? What is this place?" Water rose up around him at a quicker and quicker pace. His struggles became more and more desperate as the water threatened to overtake his mouth. He took in a deep breath before it washed over him. The gray darkness of the water was his tomb. In the dim light he could make out the dozens of skulls around him. One skull floated listlessly above him. It's mouth opened and the head of the crow sunk from it down. It stopped just above the man's eyes and started to speak. "Is it not the nature of things to destroy life? You fight wars, you grow food, you domesticate animals, you clear and use the land. Do not confuse this statement with negativity, it is necessary to do and yet you take for granted how much life is snuffed out for your comfort." The crows eyes glowed red as it spoke. "Do you consider the affect it has upon that which your trample to be so comfortable?" The pangs in his lungs were overwhelming but he so desperately didn't want to give up. He relented and opened his mouth. Cold water rushed in to replace the old, stale air. It was painful, so painful and cold and he waited to die. He was fine with it, with going out like this for anything was better than being in this place. Just take me, God. Take me. "An imbalance brought on by luxuries pains us all. The excess slaughter, the excess harvest, the excessive population of existences dedicated to survival at any means necessary. You wanted to know where you are and you do not ask what you are or how you are. What are you? How are you? Do you find it curious that not even the cold touch of death is upon you yet? Relief does not overcome you. You want to run from me, hide and cower in fear hoping that you will never find my eyes piercing into your heart. Even death cannot save you from me. You can be crushed, you can be drowned, you can be burned to an ugly husk but only I can release you from this place." It let out a sharp laugh that echoed within the man's skull. "In this realm nothing can reach you and you cannot reach anything. All the angels of heaven could be clamoring to save you and all the demons of hell could be scraping at the edges of your soul but your bleeding, broken flesh belongs to me." The pain continued. Sharp knives drove into his chest a thousand times with each attempted breath. Die. Let me die. Let me die. The crow chuckled. "Ruin. All of this is ruin. The ruined souls. Ruined items. Ruined lives. Ruination is all this is. Each skull an item, a life, an existence inanimate or animate sacrificed by someone or something else. You are surrounded by destruction. For good, for evil, for ideals or for personal gain. By accident or on purpose. This is the crossroads that these souls pass through, their first stop on a long journey. You are lost in the ruin with no map, with no lighthouse, with nothing to guide you out of here.. except for me." The water was dark now and he could not see anything. Not the crows head, not the skulls, not the sky. Was this to be his coffin, trapped here for eternity? Something gave way above him as he asked himself that and he felt himself floating upwards, to the surface. His body refused to move as much as he tried. He felt paralyzed and anxiety surged through his body. Move! He hit the surface and floated silently as the skies above him cleared. Move! All was draped in twilight once more. Move! The crow landed upon his chest and hopped up onto his chin. It looked down upon him and waited. It tilted it's head to the side. Move!! His body would not listen to his fearful command no matter how much he insisted, pleaded and prayed for it to. "Go and observe. Acknowledge things and ponder them. If you do not follow these words I will know and you will find yourself returned to my domain. There will be no doors out. There will be no mercy. I will tear each muscle from you ribbon by ribbon." The crow pecked at his chest several times. "Each drop of your blood I will squeeze from your writhing, screaming body." It lunged forward and ripped out his second eye, leaving him in darkness. He felt pieces of it fall onto his face as the crow ate it. He felt another crow land on him and then another and another until there were half a dozen upon him. He could feel them ripping at his flesh all across his body. He wanted to scream. He tried to scream. He could not. All he could do was sit in his shell as the pain drowned his mind and soul. Darkness fell. A voice called out from the black. "Is it not the nature of things to destroy life?" ~-~ [b]Fishermen[/b] [PG-V] My river ran dry The fishermen escaped I followed them into the mountains Past the fields Beyond the mines Into the city Their defenses are mannequins I fight and claw through them Darkness touches my eyes Blood spills from my veins I fall as a calamity My soul takes flight Put this terracotta soldier in my tomb Dress him in garments Hand him his weapon Grant him a name Give him this order: Keep their hooks away ~-~ The first story I am not sure if I enjoyed writing or not, it was a very raw and grim from my mind. I like reading it. I think it's a pretty okay story actually. The question of the nature of things is actually inspired by a quote from Darwin who wrote: "We behold the face of nature bright with gladness, we often see superabundance of food; we do not see, or we forget, that the birds which are idly singing round us mostly live on insects or seeds, and are thus [b]constantly destroying life[/b]; or we forget how largely these songsters, or their eggs, or their nestlings, are destroyed by birds and beasts of prey; we do not always bear in mind, that though food may be now superabundant, it is not so at all seasons of each recurring year." The flow of it seemed to start to cough and choke in the middle when I went from the crow's rant about dreams but there wasn't an easy way to disengage from his words. His words were really nice and anything after that seemed like a broken, cluttered mess in comparison. I'm not sure if the guy is too much of a pussy either. I've never been in this situation before, I know it's happened to many of us at times, but I imagine facing such an ordeal would turn most gentlemen into significantly weaker-sounding individuals than they might be normally. The poem, well. I don't really know what's up with that either.[/color]

[quote name='Jakehammaren']See, Rifles? That's two for two, man. You better get on it.[/quote] [color=crimson]Nah, I was being sarcastic. Thanks anyway though. In the vein of 'post-metal' there is [b]Pelican[/b]. Pelican has a couple of full length releases out and a new CD is being released in early June. I've mainly listened to a self titled EP of theirs and their last full length album which has the wholly un-original title [b]The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw[/b]. Their musical ability and compositions are simply wonderful. Heavy, soft- even acoustic at times, they are a fine blend of rough metal and post-rock melody. The prior I found on a torrent [tsk] and the latter I purchased. For your listening pleasure, if interested, I have found some live videos on YouTube: March Into the Sea: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL5L5sEtJN0]part 1[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdYtcEJwJ7c]part 2[/url], [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA0ZwOcieYM]part 3[/url].[/color]

[quote name='Sandy']Welcome to reality. Nothing is sacred to humankind, and I don't think anything should be, in any case.[/quote] [color=crimson]He's half right on the "reality" part. Divorce rates are at about 50 percent in a couple of western countries, one of which is the United States. You can find someone you love and marry them, it's not like that guarantees you'll fall apart. Just use some common sense- For example among my peers people rushing into marriage without really giving enough time for the relationship to grow to that level. People wonder why their marriage falls apart when they only knew someone for a year before deciding they can spend decades with them, lol. That's only one facet of why marriages can fall apart. It's very complicated or sometimes it can be as simple as the fact that people change over time. Still, it's not a vow that should be taken as lightly as it is. Romance is not just all fun and games, it can be trying and painful at times.[/color] [quote name='Sandy']I wonder if living in an unhappy marriage causes even more trouble.[/quote] [color=crimson]Yeah, that's what I was thinking. While unhealthy, staying together with someone who has had an affair, is abusive, or you simply aren't compatible with sounds worse than divorce. The tension and stress are very intense on the body, especially if it's over long periods of time. I speak from personal expierence. My parents have a very unhealthy relationship. The level of underlying animosity between them is astonishing. Their arguments are some of the most venomous things I've witnessed. They are older, nearing their seventies, and all the years behind them are full of ammunition for their spars. Stuff about my father's abuse when they were younger, my mother's abuse back, the lack of passion between them, and other things that I really didn't want to know and you don't want to know either. It's just.. horrible to listen to. Caustic, hateful, spiteful. It's astounding how personal and negative they can be about each other. This kind of arguing has been going on pretty much since I can remember. At 12 there was a brief lapse when my father was kicked out of the house by a restraining order and moved in with his own mother. They didn't really reconcile.. it's more like as a matter of convenience. Financial convenience and, really, they have too many health problems to live on their own. Since then it was actually rather peaceful until recently. I don't know if things would have been better if they were apart. All I know is that I feel guilty when I feel negative about what their actions have made me feel over the years. They adopted a psychologically damaged five year old girl in the seventies who, a decade later, would become my biological mother. lol, her birthday gift to a guy she liked was a bag of pot and they smoked it together which cut down their inhibitions. 18 years later it's weird to think I have a bag of pot to thank for being alive. She was not well enough mentally and emotionally to handle being a mother.. or being a person, really. I'm not sure what was wrong with her. Someone messed her up bad in the five years she was with her mother and then going through various foster homes. It's really sad. She was a beautiful woman and I've heard she had a lot of charisma but a few gears in her head were just.. not set right. My parents adopted me and gave me a nice home, nice clothing, nice things. Gave me the chance for a good education. They just gave me the path to a better life. I wish they could get along and that things wouldn't feel so infectiously negative around here. My situation would have been drastically worse if they had not adopted me. Being with my mother or in foster care would have really cut down on the opportunities I have now. I can't save their marriage, only they can. I do know that what they have done for me is something I doubt I can repay them for. It would be great if someone could be the knight in shining armor for their marriage but that's just not the case. All I can do is kind of watch their relationship self destruct now and then. Try to keep my head above the water, focus on college and my situation. Go out with my girl or get out of the house. Just try to avoid the flames, you know? However when I have a wife, god and luck willing, we will not be so damaging to each other and any children we have emotionally and physically.[/color]

[quote name='James][font=arial']I wouldn't put people into intelligence groups, lol.[/font][/quote] [color=crimson]Neither would I since almost everyone around here would more or less be at the same level. No one here is particularly 'stupid' and most of the time, if they seem so, they are far too young for that to be a fair judgment or they are just not knowledgeable in a certain area. A hierarchy of arguing on the other hand..[/color]

[QUOTE=BKstyles][font=tahoma]Guess that makes me [i]your[/i] boss then, eh? That better for tongue-in-cheek? :p[/font][/QUOTE] [color=crimson]Haha, very good. I suppose it would make you my new boss. [/color]

[color=crimson]I've offended someone. :( *sniffle* * Knowing you, while fantastically enticing, is actually rather unnecessary to be tongue-in-cheek. * Please, the words 'arguers' and 'arguing' for some reason are getting jumbled in people's head. I went along with Charles because I think he was being humorous. 'Intelligence', while bearing a passing resemblance to 'arguers' or 'arguing', is not being discussed in this hierarchy beyond "intellectual arguers". The DeathKnight Hierarchy of Arguing© should not be used to gauge intelligence. That would be rude. * BKstyles new arguing boss is 2k7DigitalBoy. Get to work on those rats. * Unless you were being tongue-in-cheek too. If so, bravo and enjoy a promotion. If not, well, consider doing so next time and enjoy killing rats. [/color]

[color=crimson]That's a fine enough premise. I've seen worse premises in major books. I'd like to see a prologue.[/color]

[color=crimson]Gavin reminded me, one problem I get is what I call the "K name syndrome" where I say my name and people interpret it as a wide range of other K-names before deciding I said "Kenneth". I'm not sure if my name is that flexible or if people need to get their hearing checked. Keith and Kevin are the foremost offenders.[/color]

[QUOTE=Charles]So now we're grouping people into hierarchies of intelligence? No want.[/QUOTE] [color=crimson]Could I entice you with a cAttitude level of intelligence?[/color]