Claire

[FONT="Arial"]I'm sure I've already said this in this thread, but I wish it a was a law that you're not allowed to say someone has no talent just because you don't like them. I will give you people Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus; her voice is grating and I have no idea how people can listen to her music. But the Jonas Brothers actually write and play their own music, and already perform to humongous venues at very young ages (I don't think the oldest is much over 20). It takes skill to be a teenager and in a band as successful as the Jonas Brothers. And I don't even listen to them! It's not my taste. But I do recognize the talent in that band. PS - To offer MY opinion, I really don't understand how someone can complain about how the Jonas Brothers "have no talent," then shower the likes of Fall Out Boy with praise. [/FONT]

[quote name='Lunox'][font=trebuchet ms] I remember when there was a random craze by fans to get Gaspard Ulliel and Bella as some other actress whose name I forget.[/font][/QUOTE] [CENTER][IMG]http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/nilsnectar/gaspardforedward.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Arial"] I made that before the real casting was done, haha. I really thought he'd be the perfect Edward, physically, but honestly now I think Robert Pattinson was the best choice in that department. I don't like how he speaks as Edward, though. I know he has an accent that has has to mask, but I always pictured Edward to speak very very clearly. He seems to mumble a little in the trailer. Bella's fine, physically (I used to find her too attractive to play someone constantly described as "plain," but it's not such a big deal anymore) but I also have a problem with her voice. I may not be remembering this correctly but I'm pretty sure Bella was a bit on the petite side, and Kristen's speaking voice just doesn't strike me as such. I'm over it, though, haha. I'm excited for the movie a whole lot.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]My family went to a neighborhood's luminaries a few Christmas' ago, and along the walk people had little tables full of refreshments. My sister asked a man for a cup of what she thought was punch, took one sip, and made a horrified face. It wasn't punch at all, it was sangria. I believe the experience will prevent her from giving in to peer pressure in the future, haha.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]I don't think I actually "dislike" their music, but I know if I listen to it, I'll be annoyed by it sooner or later. And I definitely don't want to put a smudge on my reputation! (Though I will say that Joe is looking pretty nice).[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]I'm supposed to be reading Hamlet for school now, but I'm putting it off until I go to the stupid beach this weekend. Definitely not looking forward to it; I'm going to be watching one of the movies while I look at the Cliff Notes script. I finished reading [B]Breaking Dawn[/B] (Stephenie Meyer, of course of course) the other day, and it was insane. Definitely not the same insane as Catch-22 or Naked Lunch (so I've heard), but for all the unexpected twists (many of which I predicted, lolz) it was a very surreal thing to read. I'll probably pick up something else for school very soon, or maybe something by Chuck Palahniuk.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]"Enjoy the Silence" by [B]Depeche Mode[/B] is my absolute favorite song to hear on the radio (the only station I listen to is "the best of the eighties and more!") I'm not sure why, but it makes me incredibly happy. It reminds me of rain, which always pleases me, and it's so great to sing along to. There are a few other songs I love to hear on that station, but none of them compare to this.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]This is impossible. There are plenty of CDs my life would be dull without, so there's no way I can honestly limit it to three. I'll try, though. TIE: [B]AFI - The Art of Drowning & Sing the Sorrow[/B] Art of Drowning is, without a doubt, AFI's best pre-major label record. It's the absolute perfect blend of their earlier stuff, plus the darker, richer sound they'd evolve into in a few years. I really wish they could have dwelt on this sound for at least an album more, but what they came up with next is just as amazing, if not better. Sing the Sorrow was the very first AFI album I ever heard, and it got me into them very fast. I have so many favorite tracks from this album, and I know how to play most of them on guitar. There's still a shred of punk influences to be heard, but it's greatly overwhelmed in favor of more intricate instrument parts and melodic vocals. After this pattern of getting successively better with each release, you'd think they'd have surpassed this album by now. However, this is definitely their greatest (major label) release. So far. TIE: [B]Calabrese - 13 Hallowe'ens & The Traveling Vampire Show[/B] These guys are so high up on my list of favorite bands that, if it weren't for AFI, they'd probably be my top. But I can't pick a favorite album (again!) because, of their two, both of them sound exactly the same...in a good way! Too much of a good horror rock band is an awesome thing. I have equal favorites on each album, so it really is impossible to pick/differentiate. And now for something completely different.... [B]Tegan & Sara; "The Con"[/B] This is my most recent musical obsession, and I must say I am very deeply in love with both the music and the women behind it. They are adorable and hilarious, and the music is very catchy and inspiring. In most cases I wish I had written the song first. This is the only album I am 100% on, because of my obsession and that it's currently the only T&S album I could get into. (I have the Business of Art, and I was a bit...disappointed. But anyway!) Let's ignore that I picked more than three, kay? [/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]I read the book and was astonished throughout most of it. [spoiler]Astonished by the sheer absurdity![/spoiler] I mean, I've already written a story about [spoiler]vampires getting pregnant[/spoiler], which probably contributed to my reaction, but I did it as a joke. This book was no joke. Don't get me wrong, I've loved the Twilight series since before it got crazy popular, but this book supplied quite a few laughs (in the wrong places). The Jacob chapter titles were ridiculous, as well. My favorite was [spoiler]"What Do I Look Like? The Wizard of Oz? You Need a Brain? You Need a Heart? Go Ahead. Take Mine. Take Everything I Have."[/spoiler] Basically, with each new chapter, I was thinking "this is worse than Panic at the Disco!" However, I laughed the [I]hardest[/I] when [spoiler]Jacob imprinted on Bella's baby,[/spoiler] because I predicted it would happen about 200 pages before it did. I must be psychic! [spoiler]Bella's vampire chapters[/spoiler] felt really surreal to me, simply because [spoiler]I've been waiting for this to happen since the first page of book one.[/spoiler] It's hard to believe it actually happened, and that it's over now. Sadface. Oh, but I do have to say that I don't like [spoiler]how there was a rapid influx of characters who, for the most part, ended up having no lines or personality or anything. I hate it when there are extra people who just sit around silently and you never see who they are or anything.[/spoiler] It was most likely unavoidable in this case, and I'll get over it. Oh again, I forgot: I have a BIG problem with [spoiler]the name Renesmee. Talk about the worst name ever.[/spoiler][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]This is a play I wrote, obviously based off Star Wars. I'm hoping to produce it at school as a fundraiser for my drama program. For those who may not be familiar with some theatrical terms, here are the ones I've used in the script: [LIST] [*]Enter - to walk on stage. [*]Exit - to walk off. [*]SR - Stage right, seen as the left side of the stage from the audiences' view. [*]SL - Stage left, seen as the right side of the stage from the audiences' view. [*]Cross - to move from one side of the stage to the other. [*]Blackout - all the lights are off, leaving the stage in total darkness. [*]Aside - dialogue spoken to someone not present onstage; i.e. the audience. [*]Offstage - in the wings or backstage; not in the house (audience area). [*]Beat - a pause. [/LIST] [CENTER]---[/CENTER] [I]Fairly recently in a galaxy not too far from this one....[/I] [CENTER][size=3][B]STAR WARS[/B][/size] Episode VII: The Irrelevant Story[/CENTER] 100 years ago, the Galactic Empire was defeated, spreading relief throughout the Universe. Every galaxy far and wide has enjoyed the peaceful century. However, a power hungry organization known as the Red Rising has been waiting in the shadows, conspiring to follow the Empire's space dust and seize control of its own galaxy. Fortunately, it will not go unhindered. A small group of vigilantes are well aware of the Red Rising's plot and are crossing space to challenge them. Though the rebels' minuscule arsenal only consists of weapons vastly inferior to those of their foes, they may have a great force in their favor.... [CENTER]CHARACTERS[/CENTER] [LIST] [*][B]Juno Parhelion[/B] - a determined nineteen year old who found a lightsaber and studied the Jedi Arts in her spare time. The first to realize her best friend, Yelena, was plotting to take over the galaxy. [*][B]Blink Kestrel[/B] - a cocky hobbyist who built and pilots the Vandegraff. [*][B]Ivy Aces[/B] - a short-tempered gambler. [*][B]Yelena Gagarin[/B] - an extremely powerful “woman of enterprise” who longs to control the galaxy and kills anyone who doubts her. Once Juno’s best friend, now a master of the dark side of the Force. She speaks with a Russian accent. [*][B]Admiral Mikhail Magmar[/B] - the squeamish second-in-command of the Red Rising Army. [*][B]Spacecraftman Nikita Gallop[/B] - the only gunner onboard the Natasha spacecraft. [*][B]Starman Vlad[/B] - a soldier in the Red Rising Army. [*][B]Starman Sergei[/B] - same. [/LIST] Scene i [B]Ext. - Outer Space.[/B] [I]The Vandegraff enters SR and “flies” across the stage, hiding the vigilant crew while they set up the scene. Juno Parhelion and Blink Kestrel sit at the dashboard in the cockpit, while Ivy Aces plays freecell in the lounge area behind them.[/I] [B]Int. - VDG.[/B] [B]BLINK[/B]. We’re coming up on the Red Headquarter Planet. Want to land? [B]JUNO[/B]. No, it’s too dangerous. Do you see another ship anywhere? [B]BLINK[/B]. There’s nothing on the radar. [B]JUNO[/B]. Where could they be? [I]An explosion sounds, and they are tossed about. Ivy joins the others.[/I] [B]IVY[/B]. What was that? [B]BLINK[/B]. We’ve been hit! [B]JUNO[/B]. By what?! [B]BLINK[/B]. I don’t know. The radar isn’t picking up another ship. [B]IVY[/B]. Maybe it was an asteroid? [B]BLINK[/B]. I don’t think so, but whatever it is, it’s a good thing I’ve got adamantine armor plates on this thing. [I] The VDG is carried across the stage again, and the crew must quickly clear the set. Then the NATASHA crosses and the RR crew sets up their scene.[/I] [B] Int. - Natasha - Control Room.[/B] [I]Two RR Army members are working at their computers. Yelena Gagarin stands at the window, peering out angrily. Admiral Magmar is overseeing Spacecraftman Gallop, who is operating the laser cannon.[/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. They are still flying. [B]MAGMAR[/B]. It must have been an indirect hit. [B]YELENA[/B]. That’s impossible, our computer has flawless aim. Spacecraftman Gallop must have misjudged their coordinates. [B]GALLOP[/B]. The laser hit it directly in the buttocks, Your Worship! They must have adamantine on that thing! [B]MAGMAR[/B]. That hunk of junk? [B]GALLOP[/B]. Are you sure this is Parhelion’s ship? [I]Magmar and Yelena stare at him; the former with a regretful expression, the latter enraged.[/I] [b]YELENA[/B]. Are you doubting my intuition? [B]GALLOP[/B]. Oh, no, Your Worship, I just find it strange that a middle class rogue would have access to adamantine-- [I]Gallop chokes, clutching at his neck. Yelena is merely staring at him furiously. Magmar turns his head away, unable to watch. Gallop falls to the floor, motionless.[/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. Clean up! [I]Two RR rush over and drag Gallop’s dead body offstage. Yelena takes control of the laser. [/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. Do I have to do everything myself? [I]A laser sound plays, followed by another explosion, followed by the error sound from Legend of Zelda. The crew looks confused at this.[/I] [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Lady Yelena, look! The ship is unharmed! [B]YELENA[/B]. What?! [B]VLAD[/B]. Your worship, our computers show that the spacecraft is covered in high-level adamantine armor. Our lasers will bounce right off. [B]YELENA[/B]. Well, this is very frustrating! [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Should we prepare the ultra laser cannon? [B]YELENA[/B]. No. Admiral Magmar, prepare the gravity net. [B]SERGEI[/B]. You mean the tractor beam? [I]As before, Yelena glares and Sergei appears to be choking. He falls to the floor.[/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. I will have no smart alecs on my ship! You heard me, fire the gravity net! I want the pleasure of crushing Juno Parhelion myself. [I]The Natasha recovers the scene and backs off SR. The VDG returns and backs off SL after the set has been put up.[/I] [B]Int. - VDG.[/B] [I]Blink is fiddling with the computer. Ivy and Juno are watching, concerned.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. Aha! As I thought. We’re under attack. [B]JUNO[/B]. That must be the Red Rising’s mother ship. How can they possibly know who we are? [B]BLINK[/B]. Doesn’t matter, their petty lasers will never even scratch the paint. Norton, activate the Vandegraff’s Namesake Cannon. [I]The robot beeps.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. I’m charging my laser! [I] The error sound plays, and the crew looks around, puzzled.[/I] [B]JUNO[/B]. What was that? [B]BLINK[/B]. It would appear that the laser is broken. [B]IVY[/B]. What a piece of junk! [B]BLINK[/B]. Well, at least it can’t get any worse. [I]The lights flash and there is a loud boom.[/I] [B]IVY[/B]. It’s worse! [B]JUNO[/B]. What’s going on? [B]BLINK[/B]. It seems we’re being dragged towards their ship. [B]JUNO[/B]. Oh, great! [B]IVY[/B]. (to Blink) This is all your fault! [B]Ext. - Outer Space.[/B] [I]The VDG and Natasha both re-enter from their respective sides and fly at each other. The Natasha overtakes the VDG and exits SL. Blackout.[/I] Scene ii [B]Int. - Natasha - Cargo Bay.[/B] [I]The lights come up on the VDG, sitting SL. Juno, Blink, and Ivy slowly exit the ship.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. We’re on board their ship. [B]IVY[/B]. Obviously, but where is everyone? [B]JUNO[/B]. I have a bad feeling about this. [I]Admiral Magmar and the only remaining soldier, Vlad, enter SR, running and shouting, laser guns drawn. Blink and Ivy quickly whip out their own laser guns as Juno hides behind the VDG. [/I] [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Halt! [B]BLINK[/B]. Is this it? [B]IVY[/B]. I was expecting the Red Rising Army to be a little bit…bigger. [B]MAGMAR[/B]. We will not allow you to leave here alive. [B]BLINK[/B]. You and what army? [I]Magmar fires his laser and voices the sound effect himself, but it misses both of them. Blink and Ivy back off SL and are followed by Magmar and Vlad. Juno creeps out from behind the VDG and runs offstage in the opposite direction. Blink and Ivy return.[/I] [B]IVY[/B]. Juno? [B]BLINK[/B]. Where could she be? [I]Magmar and Vlad re-enter. The four of them have a wild west style gun battle, voicing their own sound effects. Blink is hit by one of their “laser” pellets, and he picks it up, amused.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. What is this, Styrofoam? [B]MAGMAR[/B]. [I](to Vlad)[/I] I told you not to buy our guns at the Dollar Store! [I]Ivy blasts Vlad, and he stumbles off SL.[/I] [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Oh no! [B]BLINK[/B]. You’re alone now! What kind of uprising is this? [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Admittedly, a terrible one. [B]IVY[/B]. You got that right. [B]BLINK[/B]. If you surrender yourself now, we won’t hurt you. [B]MAGMAR[/B]. That’s supposed to be my line! [B]BLINK[/B]. Too bad! Come on now, drop your “laser.” [I]Magmar reluctantly does so, then appears before the two of them with his arms up. Blink and Ivy surround him, guns still out.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. Okay then, you’re gonna answer some questions. Is this really the whole Red Rising Army? [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Well, no. I’m only second-in-command. [B]BLINK[/B]. So there’s only one more Red Riser? [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Yes. [B]BLINK[/B]. Oh, wow. [B]MAGMAR[/B]. If you go right down that hallway, the control room is the third door on the left. It has a red flag on it, you can’t miss it. The entry code is 231. [B]BLINK[/B]. Uh, thanks. [I]Ivy suddenly hits Magmar in the back of the head, and he faints.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. Ivy! I told him we weren’t going to hurt him! [B]IVY[/B]. Well, we can't have him coming after us! And you heard him, he’s not even in charge of this whole thing. He’ll be okay. [B]BLINK[/B]. Whatever. C’mon, we’d better go find Juno. [I] They run off SR. Blackout.[/I] Scene iii [B]Int. - Natasha - Control Room.[/B] [I]Yelena sits in her chair, facing away from the audience. Juno enters SL, holding her lightsaber and looking around carefully. Yelena spins to face her.[/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. Hello, Juno. [B]JUNO[/B]. Yelena! [B]YELENA[/B]. Yes. Welcome aboard my ship, Natasha. How do you like it? [B]JUNO[/B]. How could you do this? The galaxy has been at peace for a hundred years. [B]YELENA[/B]. I know, it makes me sick. [B]JUNO[/B]. How did you become so power hungry? [B]YELENA[/B]. I am a woman of enterprise. I see something I want: I take it. And I want the galaxy. [B]JUNO[/B]. I won’t let you. [B]YELENA[/B]. You and what army? [I]Juno ignites her lightsaber, to Yelena’s surprise.[/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. Where did you get that? Oh, never mind. I’ll dispose of you anyway. [I] Yelena jumps down from her platform and ignites her own light saber, and she and Juno fight. Blink and Ivy run on SL.[/I] [B]IVY[/B]. Juno! [I]Yelena throws her arm out and Blink and Ivy fly backwards and disappear offstage.[/I] [B]JUNO[/B]. The Force?! [B]YELENA[/B]. A lot has changed since high school, Juno. [B]JUNO[/B]. You’re right. [I]Juno force-pushes Yelena back a few feet.[/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. So you have been studying the Jedi Arts as well? [I]The two continue fighting, using both their lightsabers and force techniques. Somehow Juno gets the upper hand and force-trips Yelena.[/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. Juno, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me. With our combined strength, we can take over the entire galaxy! [B]JUNO[/B]. I’ll never join you. Even though we used to be best friends, I won’t help you achieve your evil goal. This is the end, Yelena, I’ve got you down. [B]YELENA[/B]. No! No! You will die! [I]She attempts to use Force Lightning, but nothing happens.[/I] [B]YELENA[/B]. Go, Force Lightning! Come on, you stupid thing, work! [B]JUNO[/B]. Stop trying that! We don’t have the budget for those kinds of special effects. [B]YELENA[/B]. Then I’ll just have to beat you the old-fashioned way! [I]Yelena trips Juno and the fight continues, and this time Juno is on the ropes. She falls against a computer and the lights flash.[/I] [B]COMPUTRESS[/B]. Warning. Self-destruct activated. Ship will terminate in three minutes. [B]JUNO[/B]. What kind of idiot installs a self-destruct on their ship?! [B]YELENA[/B]. It seemed like a good idea at the time! Actually, it still seems like a good idea, because I have a special escape pod! Goodbye, Juno, my former best friend. You will soon become space dust! [B]JUNO[/B]. Yelena, no! [I]Yelena exits SR. Juno attempts to follow but the door is shut. Blink and Ivy manage to blast through the door SL and run onstage.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. What kind of idiot installs a self-destruct on their ship?! [B]IVY[/B]. And what kind of idiot activates it?! [B]JUNO[/B]. We don’t have time to ask good questions. We’ve got to get out of here! [B]BLINK[/B]. Hold on, I may be able to de-activate the mechanism. [B]JUNO[/B]. Blink, this isn’t really a good time to tinker with something! [I]Blink ignores her and pulls a walkie talkie unit from his pocket.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. Norton, report to my location immediately. [I]As Blink takes a seat at a computer, his robot flies/rolls from SL and reaches Blink, who puts it at a connection port. [/I] [B]IVY[/B]. Blink, seriously, if we die I will never forgive you. [B]BLINK[/B]. Take a chill pill, Ivy! Norton, access the internal command drive. I need you to disable the self-destruct mechanism. [I]The error sound plays.[/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. What do you mean, “does not compute?” [B]JUNO[/B]. Okay, time to go. [I] She and Ivy run SL but are blocked by Admiral Magmar. [/I] [B]MAGMAR[/B]. What’s going on here? Where’s Lady Yelena? [B]JUNO[/B]. She left in an escape pod. This ship is going to self-destruct. [B]BLINK[/B]. Not if I can help it! Norton, try to hack into the main reactor database. [B]MAGMAR[/B]. That won’t do any good, you have to put in the password. [B]BLINK[/B]. Well, what’s the password? [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Voltorb. [B]BLINK[/B]. That’s the stupidest password I’ve ever heard. [B]MAGMAR[/B]. Hey! I’ll have you know, that is my mother’s maiden name! [I] The computer system plays the success sound from Legend of Zelda.[/I] [B]COMPUTRESS[/B]. Self-destruct de-activated. [B]BLINK[/B]. I told you I could turn it off! [B]IVY[/B]. Only because this guy told you the password! You’re so full of it. [B]BLINK[/B]. Yeah, yeah. [I]Beat.[/I] [B]IVY[/B]. Is that it? It’s all over? [B]JUNO[/B]. I don’t know what else we can do. Yelena’s gone and we don’t have to make an epic escape. [B]MAGMAR[/B]. I wouldn’t say that! [I]He draws his blaster.[/I] [B]MAGMAR[/B]. As second-in-command of the Red Rising Army, I’m taking you all prisoner! [B]IVY[/B]. Give it a rest! [I]She punches the back of his neck and he falls down again, unconscious. [/I] [B]BLINK[/B]. Aw, why’d you have to do that again? We could’ve had a better ending. [I] Vlad enters SL, cheerfully “playing” an instrument as victory music is played. The three good guys look on, slightly bewildered. [/I] [B]VLAD[/B]. You saved me from the clutches of that evil witch! For this, I am eternally grateful! [B]JUNO[/B]. Uh, no problem. [B]VLAD[/B]. Three cheers for Juno Parhelion! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hoory! Hip, hip, hooray! [B]JUNO[/B]. [I](aside)[/I] This would really be more exciting if there were more of them. [B]BLINK[/B]. Hey, I helped too. [I]Ivy, annoyed, knocks out Vlad in the same way as Magmar.[/I] [B]JUNO[/B]. Thanks. [B]IVY[/B]. You’re welcome. Now come on you guys, we have to go get ready for the sequel! [B]BLINK[/B]. What? [B]IVY[/B]. Yelena is still out there somewhere! She’s probably going to try to put together a whole new army and take over the galaxy all over again. [B]JUNO[/B]. You’re right. We have a lot of work to do. I’ll go write the script. Blink, you work on designing sets and choreographing the fights…. [I]They exit.[/I] [CENTER][B]THE END[/B][/CENTER][/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]I read that for the Character Creation system, instead of choosing a job class for your original character, you have to pick which SC character they will mimic in battle. However, you can't base your characters off the Star Wars characters. :( I thought it would be freakin' sweet to be able to make a custom Jedi character. I've already done so in SC3 (except, of course, they're only swordsmasters) with the characters from my Star Wars play. I don't know why I care, though, it's not like I'll be able to get the game. Siiigh.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]I don't really like genres as a whole, or at least my favorite movies are a conglomeration of types or just set themselves apart from the one genre they're in. For instance, one of my top 3 favorite movies is [B]Clue[/B]. In essence it's a comedic murder mystery, but I'm not such a big fan of today's comedies. (Will Ferrell, I'm looking at you). I usually really like Tim Burton's remakes, but as for originals I only care for [B]Beetlejuice[/B], [B]Edward Scissorhands[/B], and [B]Big Fish[/B]. Beetlejuice is actually pretty much my most favorite movie at the moment. I was never interested in [B]Corpse Bride[/B] and I could hardly sit through [B]Nightmare Before Christmas[/B], I was actually bored. I'm in love with psychological/mystery type movies, such as [B]Donnie Darko[/B], [B]The Ring[/B], and [B]The Chumscrubber[/B]. Anything that is best when viewed at 3 AM is great. I'm also a sucker for genuine romance, but really the only movie I've seen that (I believe) fits this category is [B]Titanic[/B]. The historic aspect is also a plus for that one. I like some musicals, but not all. I also like some movies in the "High Fantasy/Comedy/Romance/Adventure genre" that Sara described, like [B]Labyrinth[/B], but I couldn't pay much attention to it's predecessor, [B]The Dark Crystal[/B]. I think I'm just weird.[/FONT]

[quote name='Altorin']Nightwish (And No, Nightwish Without Tarja IS NOT NIGHTWISH!)[/QUOTE] [font=arial]Ehhh, kinda. I haven't been able to get into their new stuff at all. They're coming here (finally!) in September and I really don't think I'll go see them because it won't be the same. But Tarja didn't "make" Nightwish. That statement would be true if Tuomas left the band, but apparently they had a good reason to kick her out. I have a top 5 for once. Shocking. 1. [B]AFI [/B] Forever and always. I've loved them since the seventh grade. They have so much material, each album unique to another, and have spanned several genres over their 17 years. I adore the feeling of unity they express in their music that makes itself especially evident when seeing them live: a huge group of people and I chanted "through our bleeding, we are one" together at the concert, and it was absolutely magical. It feels like one gynormous family. 2. [B]Calabrese[/B] This is an awesome band of brothers who are HEEEAVILY influenced by the Misfits and that whole horror punk/rockabilly mesh. The songs are all about the stuff you'd see in B-movies or the occult, and are incredibly catchy. So much fun. My favorite song of theirs is "Voices of the Dead," followed closely by "Vampires Don't Exist." The rest are all pretty much the same level of awesome. 3. [B]Tegan & Sara[/B] After exposure to them through another message board and one of my friends' myspace bulletins, I spent a day watching their The Con movie on YouTube and fell in love. The music is great, and they're so adorable! I'm on Team Tegan, because I'm in love with all but one of her songs on [I]The Con[/I], she has a rather uncommon name (whereas Sara is just Sara), and she makes it cool to have a lazy eye. Ohhh yeah. I could listen to "The Con" (the song) 337 times or more and not get sick of it. 4. [B]Circa Survive[/B] Kevin (Goodbye, Face) got me into them about a year ago. They're a really nice progressive type group, fronted by the super incredible Anthony Green. His voice is so dreamy. Favorite song is "Act Appalled," then "Living Together," "In the Morning and Amazing," "Oh, Hello," "Meet Me in Montauk," "Mandala," and "Your Friends Are Gone," in no particular order. 5. [B]The Academy Is...[/B] I somehow developed a mad crush on William Beckett and very quickly bought a ticket to see them last October, before I had even heard more than three of their songs. My friend burned me a copy of [I]Santi[/I] a week or so before the show, and I couldn't stop listening to it. I didn't get their first album, [I]Almost Here[/I], until well after the concert, though. They were my number 2 band when I first posted in this thread, but they've been beaten out by my current numbers 2, 3, and 4. So it goes.[/font]

[quote name='CrimsonKnight'][COLOR="Red"]Sorry, desolate person. Just curious,is your little cousin happy. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!?????:cussing:[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [FONT="Arial"] Dude, chill, please. You have a habit of mildly flipping out when anyone disagrees with you. It's just a matter of opinion, so try not to take it so personally. :p Compared to some other of today's cartoons, Spongebob really shines. I'd go so far as to say it's the best cartoon on Nick, if not across Disney and Cartoon Network as well. (Although I haven't watched Cartoon Network very much lately; the last time I did I was bombarded by fart noises and bathroom humor. Not cool, CN). I find it funny and unique; whenever I end up watching it I will definitely laugh. Even my father, who only finds humor in Seinfeld and Mel Brooks movies, has burst into gigglefits watching Spongebob. He would actually sit down and put the TV on Nick to watch it. That was shocking. Oh, and for people who think that cartoons from the 90's are much better than Spongebob...it first aired in 1999.[/FONT]

[quote name='Vicky'][SIZE=1]You're lucky. Fallout Boy sing like nearly every other band like them. If not a like, then they still sound like a cliche. Now, whether that makes them bad or not... *shrugs*[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [FONT="Arial"] Which is everyone on their label, haha. I've heard that sometimes people have a hard time distinguishing between Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco because of the vocals. :rolleyes: It's kinda funny how FOB are supposed to be better than the Jonas Brothers, though. I'd say they have about the same level of talent (probably more in the Jonas Brothers' favor, factoring in age). Honestly I just don't like any of them.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]I loved Soul Calibur 3 so much, especially for the Character Creation system. I'm glad to see it's back for SC4. And the addition of Star Wars characters is very neat; having a lightsaber fight would be freakin' sweet. Too bad I don't have a PS3 or a 360. :[[/FONT]

[quote name='Rurouni922']Plus, I heard recently, they're filming the new movie Whip It, or something like that in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area, so I might get a glimpse of Ellen Page. ;)[/QUOTE] [FONT="Arial"]Ahh! I would melt! You're so lucky. :([/FONT]

[quote name='Shinmaru']Great, now I'M jealous. :| EDIT: I'm also jealous of your great avatar.[/QUOTE] [FONT="Arial"] Haha, I mentioned it to him and he said it was someone else. I told him he was wrong. :P[/FONT]

[font=arial]I'm sure the people who live in California have a ton of celebrity sightings, haha. I live in FL, but I've never seen any famous people here just randomly. Of COURSE I'm going to see rock stars at a concert! I guess you could say the same thing about seeing Paula Deen outside her restaurant in Savannah, GA. Now I really wish I could have met her, because all I watch is Food Network and she has such a wonderful personality. What really bugs me is that they filmed Edward Scissorhands in my very own city! I could have seen Johnny Depp and gained bragging rights for my whole life, if I had only been born then. The other day I remembered that my dad had seen Winona Ryder walking her dog while he was at work, and I felt like I had gotten punched in my stomach. I got so jealous, even though that happened 18 years ago.[/font]

[quote name='Dragon Warrior'][size=1]I'd love to read more stuff like this in the future. I better stop, though, or I'll be giving you endless props for the next hour or so :P[/size][/QUOTE] [FONT="Arial"] :D:D:D:D; Feel free! Hahah. Seriously though, thank you so much for your kind kind words. This is pretty much the only place I can hope to hear anything like that and I'm so happy that I do, occasionally. I'm pretty bad about finishing what I start (there are quite a few stories with these characters that are about a year in the works and have never been touched again) and you'd think hearing encouragement like that would get me motivated...[/FONT]

[quote name='Lunox'][font=trebuchet ms] Gaahhh! [strike]Where do you live?[/strike] (I see you live in Florida...I live in Georgia. *rage*) I'm [i]still[/i] waiting for my AP scores! While most of my friends have called in (those traitors, I will never fall for Collegeboard), my and two of my friends check our mailboxes right when we get up. I just want them to come. ;_;[/font][/QUOTE] [font=arial]Yeah, a lot of my friends called for their scores too. At first I was anxious to do the same, but their scores were less than what we all were expecting so I decided to wait. Of course, once I knew they had also received their scores in the mail I began to obsessively check the mail everyday. I thought they didn't come yesterday, but I somehow overlooked it (I have no clue HOW) and my mom gave it to me this morning. Blehhh. No one I know passed AP US, though.[/font]

[FONT="Arial"]I'm assuming, since mine came in the mail yesterday, that pretty much everyone knows the results of their AP tests. In 10th grade I got a 3 on AP World History, which came as a great shock because of the lack of studying and the complete BS I made up for two out of the threes essays. Needless to say that set my expectations for this year a little higher. I got a 5 on the practice AP Language exam, so I was very confident about the real thing. And it helped greatly that my teacher was amazing beyond words (the same goes for AP World!), and by the end of the year everyone in her class was pretty far ahead of the students in the other AP lang. class. I mean, we watercolor painted the day before the exam. I almost cried tears of joy. Anyway, I got a 4 on the real thing, which is still pretty cool. Unfortunately I didn't pass US History - I only got a 2. I was expecting to get at least a 3 based on my success with World, and that America's history is much easier to remember than that of the entire world's. I didn't study for it at all but still felt confident on the multiple choice and I didn't quite screw up my essays as badly. Oh well.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]It's been a while. I'm pretty happy with how this story turned out. Warning; language, blah blah blah. I'm too lazy to use the [pindent] tag. :/ --- The candles have burned out, but the scent of smoke still lingers in the air. On top of something else…that I really don’t want to think about. And even in the dark I can make out the lanky body of Nils, dead to the world on the bed next to me. Somehow his skin seems to shimmer, as if it was reflecting what little light the moon is giving through the window. The curtains must have fallen off. Oh christ. I can only stare at the ceiling. I don’t want to move. I think I would like to curl up and die, actually. So I lie here for a while, with Nils’ corpse strewn across my bed, his feet dangling comically off the end. I’m pushed up against him so I don’t fall off the edge - my bed is only a twin. What were we thinking? I don’t believe we were. God dammit. Okay, I still don’t want to move but to stay here sounds absolutely disgusting. So I gingerly roll off the bed and I really couldn’t care if I fall on my face, but like a cat I subconsciously land feet first. As soon as I stand my head swirls with dizziness - no doubt my mind overreacting to the situation. My stomach’s down in the depths and might as well be screaming “why why why!” From this new vantage point I can see the bed in the moonlight and SHIT, there’s blood on the sheets. The room runs away from me and I find myself in the hallway, where the air isn’t oppressive. It doesn’t feel like such a sin to inhale. I aim to take the stairs slowly, but my feet slide from the landing and I descend three-by-three. I reach the bottom miraculously, but hardly, upright, and mentally queasy. Why why why. Charlotte is in the kitchen, vigorously stirring something in a giant bowl. I have no idea why but I walk in that direction. The overhead lights sting my eyes after having seen darkness for so long. “Good morning,” she says, sounding a bit confused. I must look really bedraggled. But I can’t think of a response - this is not a good morning/night or whatever. And my mind is stuck on one unwelcome thought that I certainly don’t want to put out there. So I ask a stupid question. “Why are you baking at…what time is it?” My voice sounds absolutely grey. She stops stirring and stares at me with an arched eyebrow. “It’s like 10. Are you okay?” No, I’m not. And I just noticed the taste in the back of my throat, dredging up the memory of…shit, I need to get out of this house. But where would I go? I’ll have this same thought no matter where I am. So I guess it would be better to get out of myself. Though I know nothing will happen, I imagine my insides - soul, essence, whatever - just zooming out of my body and through the walls. Instead, of course, I remain in the excessively bright kitchen. I can almost smell Charlotte’s suspicion rising. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Nils gently descends the staircase - gently, but quickly. There’s hardly any time between the soft sounds of his footsteps and the slamming of the front door. The noise and its frantic implications make me cringe. My head drops into my arms, crossed on the counter. “Did you guys have a huge fight or something?” Or something. “No.” My answer may have been too fast. “I don’t believe you.” I glance up, but not at her. I can’t take her scrutiny. “We really didn’t.” Since I’m getting nowhere I walk away, even though I don’t have any place to go. The bed sheets. They’re white, and not my choice sleeping material. But they were on the bed when I moved in, so whatever. Hooray for bleach. And in the same vein (no pun intended?), hooray for Charlotte and Lucio. But I enter the laundry room and just my luck, their bottle of bleach is nowhere to be found. The detergents and such are all lined up neatly on the shelf, but there’s no bleach. Why why why. It could be in either of their bedrooms for some odd reason - well actually, knowing them it’s perfectly normal - but I don’t want to just barge in there and ransack the place. I glance into the kitchen, where Charlotte is pouring her batter into cupcake tins. Do not ask her. Do not ask her. Do not-- And yet I go back to the kitchen and peek around the corner. This will not end well. “Where’s the bleach?” Her expression is still disbelieving. “Why?” “I’m doing laundry.” “You’ve never used bleach before.” Nothing is painless. I escape to I don’t know where, back to the laundry room I suppose. Maybe the bleach is in there and I just overlooked it. Wouldn’t be the first time. As I pass the front door I hear steps from the other side, and I speed up to avoid running into him. When I reach safety he meekly enters the house. Abnormal. Though his timing couldn’t have been better; Charlotte had followed me out of the kitchen and he became a roadblock for her. I close up the laundry room and of course, there’s the bleach container on the floor next to the washing machine. But the incriminating sheets are upstairs, and to get them would mean to pass both Charlotte and Nils and carry the evidence before their very eyes. I’m trapped. “Why are you wearing Lucio’s pants?” Charlotte says. He thought it was a good idea, last night. It wasn’t embarrassing at the time but I’m much more sensible/conscious now, and jesus christ. Lucio wouldn’t notice otherwise questionable bloodstains on his pajama pants. “Oops?” I turn around, devastated. And there are the bed sheets, sitting in a basket. I suppose Nils brought them down earlier, how thoughtful. Too bad he doesn’t know how to work the washing machine. Anyway, that’s twice now I’ve been lucky. I must have something terrible coming up. I frantically stuff the sheets in the washer and add the bleach et al, fearing that Charlotte will barge in demanding answers. Even though I start the machine and lock away all suspicion causing items, my anxiety remains. I hear neither Charlotte nor Nils outside the laundry room, and she should have come in here by now. Maybe they left? Three blessings would be too much too expect. Regardless, my stomach turns a little when I leave the room and come face to face with an interrogative Charlotte. I decide to play innocent. “Are you following me?” “Yes. Something weird is going on with you and Nils.” Just as I thought. I can’t handle this. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I silently step forward, but she moves in my way. Oh no, no no no. “Yes you do! You’d better tell me, or-” And her eyes lighten up in a definitive shit-hits-fan moment, and she steps back with the force of enlightenment. Blood rushes to my face - not mine, god dammit - and I have never felt such a need to kick down the front door and run. “You guys finally did it, didn’t you?’ The way she describes it is fu-… freaking awful. Like a gnarly clawed hand just squeezes my insides mercilessly. The foreign blood plummets to the very bottom of me and leaves my face freezing cold and feeling colorless. Or maybe seafoam. “Oh my god.” Nils appears on the staircase, his deer-in-the-headlights expression and pallid skin color probably mirroring me perfectly. “What?” I’m out of the house before I realize it, powered by the force of humiliation. I barely notice the front yard streaking past me or the feeling of my feet hitting the ground. I don’t believe I’m in control of myself at the moment. I rocket into the forest and skid to a halt, trying to regain my composure. Or at least what little composure I’ve ever had. But even surrounded by damp trees and the smell of wet dirt, I’m unbearably uncomfortable. With myself. Some amount of time passes, maybe a few minutes or even a couple of seconds. When you’re having an irrational breakdown it’s hard to tell. My heart should be pounding but my chest is still and lifeless. I’m still not used to the emptiness. We joked about it before. I can’t hunt, not people and certainly not animals. Before it didn’t matter I was a vegetarian, and overly sensitive. Still grossly squeamish. I can’t bring myself to run at lightning speeds for fear of colliding with something, even though it won’t hurt. I can’t jump to the tree tops because I’ve always been scared of heights, and even now it’s no different. Other than unhindered immortality, I can’t embrace the perks of being inhuman. And for once I did something completely out of character and despite my better judgment, and even though it wasn’t really sex I feel fu-…freaking dirty. I’m the worst vampire ever. “Amelia?” And yet his uncharacteristically soft, miserably sorry voice manages to be the calming hand on my shoulder. The instant switch from desperate self-loathing to mellow comfort could be enough to send me into convulsions. I whirl about to see him, towering over me with a face screaming of regret and concern. He feels like a completely different person, and somehow at the same time exactly the same. I grimace inwardly for experiencing something so cliché. His eyes avert to the ground as mine reach them. Though icy blue, they’re such puppy dog eyes. He resembles a Bassett hound, minus the drooping old person skin. He appears to be struggling with words. Frankly, it’s heart wrenchingly adorable. “I’m sorry,” he utters. “For what? You didn’t do anything…bad.” “I can tell you’re upset.” This perceptive, concerned Nils is almost disconcerting; he should be running around naked or something. “Yeah…” I’ve never been very open, in any case. But I want to take off this strange, melancholy mask he’s wearing. “Just because of my own stupidity.” “You thought it was stupid?” I’ve never been good at cheering people up, either. “No. You know how I am. You know it’s not your fault.” Honestly, this is one conversation that, if yesterday I was told I’d be having it, I would never ever believe I’d be having. Never; ever: never. In most situations I am entirely ineloquent, so of course I’m completely and totally tongue-tied here. Nils’ silence is doing nothing to help, either. Primarily I want him to be happy again, but I definitely wouldn’t mind feeling better myself. Except I don’t think that will happen without the aid of a time machine or at least some kind of memory cleanser. Vampire “sex” is really nothing like that of other species. It’s a misnomer. Just a name for an intimate act of supposed passion. It still makes me want to puke, and I can’t do that anymore so I just have to live with the mental nausea. This goes right along with my inability to hunt for myself due to squeamishness: vampires in love get their physical thrills by drinking from each other. It sounds stupid, but there’s nothing else we can do. Or that they can do. In my former life I couldn’t even handle kissing. Celibacy was beautiful bliss. Last night was a moment of devil possession, probably. Temporary insanity. Astral projection. I blindly mistook reality for a lucid dream. Sounds like something I would do. Okay, not really. But now I’m thinking back to the very first time I ever saw him: a slow day at the coffee shop where I worked, me pulled aside by Victoria fawning over the sharply dressed rocker looking boy sitting in a dark corner of the building. I never believed in love at first sight but I swear I felt something, and not just the gasping and fluttering heartbeat I fall into when dazzled/star-struck. There was a spark in my stomach. At the time I attributed it to the boiling lava hot chocolate mocha I had barely taken a sip from. But now I know it was something more. I know first impressions are usually wrong. Imagine my surprise when, months later, I see him again with stronger eyes, and he is just a shell of the stylish model he once appeared to be. Though twice as gorgeous as before, he seemed to have the maturity of a pre-pubescent boy. He didn’t/doesn’t know the meaning of tact. Or common sense. He’s more naïve than I am. And still I felt hopelessly in love, and I didn’t understand it one bit. In the present, he’s still staring at the ground morosely. Though wearing a frumpy black hoody and jeans, he seems a lot like the first Nils I saw. Distant, unattainable. Even though I attained him last night. “Listen, Nils, you need to cheer up,” I say, trying to sound as composed as possible. “I’m fine. I’m just a little freaked out, but not because of you. If I had a shred of normalcy in me I would be swooning to the moon right now.” He finally glances up and stares directly into my eyes. The fleeting butterfly wings in the general area of my heart almost make me reconsider that normalcy thing. Though for its brevity and subtlety it won’t make me reconsider that dead thing. “I wish I would have known this would happen,” he sighs. “Then I wouldn’t have done it.” Damn his diction. And if I hadn’t gone on and on about how vampires can’t/don’t have sex, I would be damning my own word choice right then, too. “It’s okay, really. Everything is going to be all right.” In a sickening instant, I realize exactly what is going to happen here. This is turning into a sappy love scene in which someone will confess their undying love for another, and all that cal. This is something I would like to avoid. But Nils remains unconvinced. I may not have that luxury. “Nils, please.” Nope. “I’m not mad at you, or anyone. I could never be mad at you for anything.” I would like to end it there, please. I’ve really never been very open. Still nothing. Is he baiting me? “I love you.” My heart beats. It doesn’t flutter, it’s not empty. It actually, honestly, really and truly beat. It stops my breathing. It knocks me backward, my head swimming. Because he said it, not me. His eyes are pleading and sincere, as if he is afraid I will just laugh it off. How silly. It’s not that I don’t believe it because of his facetious personality. I don’t believe it because I don’t deserve it. And I realize this has become a sappy love scene, exactly. Now you have a disbelieving, self-belittling person in the mix. Exactly. I need to say it back now, I know. And I will really fu-…freaking mean it. I just hope he doesn’t act like me and think I’m lying because he doesn’t deserve it, or that I’m just saying it because he said it first. “I love you, too.” And there’s an instant smile. He doesn’t hesitate or question me, he just accepts it and smiles. Maybe he’s too naïve for his own good. But I’m so relieved. “I’m glad we could clear that up,” he says, absolutely beaming. I’m still dumbstruck. “Yeah…” “We should probably go back inside or Charlotte will think we’re doing it again.” Ew. Why must he say these things. “Okay.” So we go back together, awkwardly. There is no holding of hands, no interlocked arms. I’m utterly bamboozled. It’s as if the past ten minutes didn’t occur at all. As if we were talking about something insignificant and not our own fateful connection. Then again, he is Nils. Who knows what the hell is wrong with him. Before we reach the porch, he faces me. “Are you hungry?” The thought of consuming anything rebirths my mental nausea. “No, are you?” How could he be after last night? And for all I’m complaining about the memory of it I sure do mention it a lot. Jesus. “Yeah. I’m gonna go hunting.” He suddenly closes in and leans over so that his face is level with mine. The breathing stops again. I’m half startled, half scared he’s going to try something. He doesn’t. The smile stretches, and then he’s gone. And I don’t know what to think. So I go inside alone and slightly dazed, and positive I’m going to play 20 questions as soon as Charlotte finds me. She’s still baking, so in reality hardly any time has passed at all. Somehow, that’s discouraging. Because I don’t feel like dealing with her questions, I avoid her smug smile and fall on to the nearest couch and shrink. “Sorry you had such a traumatic experience. Did he taste bad or something?” she says. I have nothing to respond with. Because even though I don’t want to admit it to myself or anyone, he tasted so incredibly…no, I really don’t want to admit it. Maybe in a thousand years I will. Right now I just really really really wish I could puke.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]I really love the Podcast idea, but I'm a bit weary of volunteering to help because I'm somewhat notorious for not finishing what I start. I think if I didn't have much responsibility it wouldn't be too hard for me to stick with it, but that would be lame of me to ask for. I like the idea of interviewing members though, haha. I love talking about myself. :P I'm also keen on the idea of including original music that members have made, since I'm a musician myself. [quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]I'm just not sure how to go about recording Skype conversations - maybe someone can advise us on that?[/font][/QUOTE] Depending on your soundcard, you can record whatever audio your computer is playing using a program such as [U][URL="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/"]Audacity[/URL][/U] using the "Stereo Mix" or "Wave Out Mix" function. I'm not sure if this is the best possible way of doing such thing, but it's the only way I know how to do it. Unfortunately I accidentally destroyed my original soundcard that had this capability, and the one I have now doesn't. (This is the second one I've tried, because the first new one couldn't do it either. Sigh).[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]Tegan & Sara; "The Con." I don't know what brought this about. I've known about them for the longest time, due to exposure from my friends and my other message board. I'd heard this song a few times in the past, and it was just a nice song. Now I can't stop listening to it. Tegan and Sara are just incredibly adorable and funny, which makes me even more in love with them. Zomg.

[FONT="Arial"]Just because you don't like someone's music doesn't mean they have no talent. Stay on topic more, okay?[/FONT]