Rachmaninoff

I'm sure this isn't anything new, people refusing treatment since they don't have insurance to cover it. Full story can be found here: [URL="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30628634/"][U]Recession forces many to leave ?against medical advice,? doctors say[/U][/URL] The main reason this stuck in my mind is a number of the school districts around here have reduced the hours of all part time teachers so they no longer qualify for medical insurance. So for many of them, starting this fall, they'll have no medical insurance since purchasing a policy separately is more than they can afford. So the claim to not having a means to pay for it, is all to real. I lucked out and this won't happen to me, though I'm at a university which is seperate from the state schools, but still. o_O I understand they need to cut back, but it seems like a really cheap move to do that instead of cutting back on other things. So anyone here affect by this kind of thing? Have you ended up with no insurance or do you know someone who has?

[quote name='Sangome][SIZE="1"']That thing makes me glad I'm a woman.[/SIZE][/quote]And I was just thinking that at least we don't have to worry about shaving our legs or arms for that matter. Though what basement cat was saying... is true. So annoying.

I always associated the term with someone linking you to this: [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI"][U]RickRoll[/U][/URL] instead of what they claimed they were giving you. And that's the harmless version, instead of the one that messes up your browser btw.

I'm not surprised, Beth was saying that Lucia would do the same. =P They can be rather annoying at times since they don't always get why others aren't as curious about everything as they are. Or rather why they don't feel the need to be around others and talk about it. Patrick lets them roam the city since they're usually pretty good about not causing trouble, but I get the feeling that they have gotten into mischief in the past. o_O

Well that's a good thing then. It would be odd to have posts with nothing in them. lol Though I'm sure those that cheat and use a one pixel image the same color as the post... will end up doing just that at some point. =P

Hmmm and here I thought that thing with the Harry Potter broomstick was a hoax. Either way, it's still funnier than hell. lol

Yes I know we've had the what is in your wallet and purse threads so this is pretty similar really. But when I got the family car earlier today so I could go to the store and pick up groceries, I got thinking about this since my brothers tend to be slobs at times. Bottom line, I ended up cleaning out the trash from fast food takeout and the empty water bottles and soda cans that were still in there. I could have left them, but the thing has no AC and now that it's warmer out, that means it makes the car smell funny. Other than that, there's some blankets in the trunk, along with some tools for if it were to break down. Not sure how helpful those would be anyway. Oh and there were candy wrappers in the glove compartment. I guess this means I really need to get my own car. Then I won't need to worry about the others leaving a mess in it. lol Anyway, if you have a car, is it nice and clean or loaded down with junk everywhere? =P

So, other than waiting for Allamorph to post, did we need to get together to discuss where to go after that little bit wraps up? Now that I posted the bit with Patrick and all, I don't have anything else to add. Though perhaps his post getting the others out of certain death, might give me some ideas for advancing the story. So... post. =P

[CENTER][B]Policy of Truth[/B][/CENTER] ?[B]You?re back early.[/B]? Patrick didn?t bother to get up or turn around and look when Terry and Fiero ghosted into their apartment to join him. He wasn?t really looking at anything in particular as he sat and stared out the window at the city. ?[B]They left the city.[/B]? Terry said before settling down on his shoulder. ?[B]So there was nothing to watch anymore.[/B]? ?[B]They?[/B]? ?[B]He means Alex and Adrian.[/B]? Fiero elaborated before settling down on his other shoulder. ?[B]Instead of dodging cars, they got together with Phaidra and left the city. We don?t know where they went.[/B]? He sighed, ?[B]I?m bored.[/B]? Patrick laughed. ?[B]You could have visited the others you know.[/B]? ?[B]Nuh uh.[/B]? Fiero snorted. ?[B]Ruby said they were busy and Isen ignores us.[/B]? ?[B]I thought you liked that chess game that Nathan has.[/B]? Patrick pointed out. ?[B]Weren?t you both going to finally beat him at it?[/B]? ?[B]Uhhh? He?s gone too. So we didn?t bother to stop in.[/B]? Fiero finished. ?[B]So in other words, there was no one for you to pester half to death[/B].? Patrick said with an amused grin. ?[B]Hey! We don?t pester people![/B]? Terry objected angrily. ?[B]Oh shut up,[/B]? Fiero retorted. ?[B]Yes you do.[/B]? ?[B]Do not.[/B]? Terry snapped back instantly. Patrick just said nothing and let them bicker among themselves. They would stop on their own and sure enough, within a few minutes they settled down. He didn?t mind it since their overly social nature made it hard for them to simply stay quiet for long periods of time. It was why they had ended up becoming partners in the first place. Terry and Fiero tended to be mercurial with their curiosity. There was nothing they weren?t interested in and even mindless conversation or simply watching what others were up to was enough to keep them happy. It wasn?t something that just anyone would be comfortable with. Patrick wasn?t anywhere near as social as they were, but he found their quick chatter comforting and therefore, easy to tolerate. Though he wondered if that was because it meant he could let them do the talking at times. They were a lot smarter than people gave them credit for. Their overly chatty nature was a bit misleading in that respect. And that too was part of why he liked being with them. Patrick took a deep breath before letting it out. In a bit, he would need to get ready for another meeting.

[center][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/Felix_Achard.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest%202/Juste_Achard.jpg[/IMG][/center] Juste couldn?t remember the last time he was this exhausted. Not that he could complain when Felix insisted on grabbing their stuff and moving on. He didn?t want to sleep near the metal man they had found either. Sure it was fascinating and he would have loved nothing better than to study it, but it also made him uneasy at the same time with how it watched their every move. Though now, as he followed Felix through the darkened jungle with only a few torches to light their way, he simply wanted to collapse and sleep. He didn?t know how Felix was managing to keep going like he was. Training or not, Felix had to be even more battered and bruised than he was from the fall. Juste stopped for a moment to catch his breath, ignoring how the torch he was holding shook a bit. ?[B]Don?t you think we?re far enough already?[/B]? He leaned against one of the trees to steady his arm. ?[B]I?m going to pass out at this rate.[/B]? ?[B]Just a little further,[/B]? Felix sounded just as tired, if not more so, than he was. ?[B]Then we?ll get some rest.[/B]? With a groan, Juste shoved off the tree to follow Felix who had barely stopped to even talk to him. What was the point in forcing themselves to continue if they collapsed from exhaustion? If the metal man Felix had found managed to get up, unless whatever was powering it ran out, it would find them while they were sleeping. Juste already knew he was far too tired to keep watch, not when it was all he could do to just stay awake. They had been traveling for hours now. He hoped Felix knew where they were going. The valley didn?t seem large enough for one to get lost, but wandering around would make it harder for the others to find them. He jumped a bit when Felix spoke, ?[B]There?s something ahead of us. I think it?s a building of some kind, but it looks odd.[/B]? With a frown, Juste followed as he went to what looked like part of a wall that had collapsed. He couldn?t see completely, but it looked like it ran off into the distance in both directions. Further ahead, he could see what also looked like the remains of other buildings. He ran his hand along part of it, it felt like stone, but it was cool to the touch and too smooth for simple stone. ?[B]Come on,[/B]? Felix motioned with his free hand as he made his way over loose stones and rubble. ?[B]This should do.[/B]? Everywhere the light fell, they could see the remains of what had to have been buildings of some kind. They looked like they could have been homes, but there was nothing inside of them, just more loose stones and rubble. It was too dark to tell if there were remains of anyone living there. Felix made for one of the larger structures and Juste followed him inside. ?[B]Are you sure it?s safe in here?[/B]? Felix just grinned. ?[B]It beats being out in the open.[/B]? ?[B]What should we do for a fire?[/B]? Juste looked around at the empty room and then up at the sky through the large hole in the ceiling. The clouds kept him from seeing any stars, though he couldn?t see the clouds either. ?[B]We don?t need one?[/B]? Felix started to say and then froze when a loud crack was heard. Juste froze as well and then attempted to scramble backwards when he felt the floor shift under his feet. He only managed to take one step before the center gave way, taking them with it. Juste landed hard on his back, the impact knocking the breath out of his lungs. He heard his torch as it hit the floor and for a moment, he thought he was going to pass out as a wave of dizziness washed over him. ?[B]Are you okay?[/B]? ?[B]Yeah, I think so.[/B]? Juste finally manged. He could hear Felix getting up. ?[B]Would you stop finding places for us to fall Juste?[/B]? Felix sounded exasperated. ?[B]It?s not my fault.[/B]? Juste protested weakly, but he could see from the shadows that the center of where the floor gave way, was where he had been standing. He struggled to sit up, reaching for the torch that was still lit. ?[B]You?d better hope that door leads to the surface.[/B]? Felix came over and reached down with his hand to help Juste stand back up. ?[B]Even if you stood on my shoulders, you wouldn?t be able to climb out the way we came in.[/B]? Juste winced and then nodded as Felix let go. It wasn?t like he tried to fall and Felix was the one who had chosen the building in the first place. It had been too dark for them to realize that the floor wasn?t stable. At least the drop hadn?t been too bad. The door opened to what looked like even more pathways going underneath the ruins. It didn?t seem like any city that Juste had ever seen. There were symbols on the walls whenever the path branched into more than one direction and he pulled out his notepad and started taking short notes in case they needed to retrace their steps. They had only taken a few turns when it became apparent that there was some other form of light in the tunnels. It was giving off an odd bluish glow that intensified as they kept going. The tunnels finally lead into a large circular room with all sorts of machinery that Juste had never seen before. There were other tunnels connecting to the room and they both paused upon seeing what was in there. Nestled within the machinery was a large crystal with a symbol etched into its surface. For a moment, sleep was forgotten and Juste let his packs drop to the floor as he walked closer to the crystal to get a better look. ?[B]Don?t go touching it.[/B]? Felix warned. ?[B]I won?t.[/B]? Juste assured him. ?[B]At least, I?ll wait until after we get some sleep.[/B]? ?[B]Exactly,[/B]? Felix answered as he wearily sat down and leaned against the wall. ?[B]I assume that?s what we?re after so once we get some rest, we?ll find a way out and then retrieve it before we hunt for the others.[/B]? Juste just mumbled in response, too busy carefully circling the equipment to get a better look. It was unlike anything he had ever seen or read about. With a sigh, after he had taken notes, he finally joined Felix and sat down.

Just so you all know, I do have the post half written. I just got busy this week with school starting up again. Regardless, I expect to have it finished later tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Then I'll get to see what new mischief Shy has in mind for everyone, because you know he's going to do something. =P [B]EDIT:[/B] And finally up. I didn't bother to write in them sleeping and getting up later to find a way out and take the thing with them. I'm sure Shy will let us know if that caused anything to happen. =P

Lunar Silver Star Story and it's sequel Eternal Blue, were among my all time favorites for ps1. So if they do a decent job on it, even I'd be tempted to finally break down and buy a hand held console. This makes me laugh though, since my current avi and banner come from that series. =P

I finished [B]Portal[/B], and the bonus maps. The turret one was a royal pain in the butt. I'm still playing it some since I've been downloading custom maps to toy with. However, I've mainly moved to a second play through of [B]Tales of the Abyss[/B]. It's a totally different story with double experience and gold. lol

I'm listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZD9nt_wsY0"][U]Symphony 40 in G min[/U][/URL] since it's been a long time since I did. Plus, it was always one of my favorites by him. Though that list of favorites is pretty long. o_O

I just love taking a short nap and waking up to realize that the storm they said we wouldn't get, we did. That and it's nice that it cooled things down to the sixties so it's no longer hot out. Though 80 wasn't all that bad to begin with.

[quote name='Raiha][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]If you ever get desperately bored, go look at the breakdown of your tuition. You may notice that there are little charges for little things in there that you've never heard of or never used. [/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]Don't I know it. Like the one where they charge you an additional $68 per credit hour for any upper division class, making a three hour class cost $204 more than if it wasn't upper division. That doesn't even include the standard set of fees that tends to run to the tune of about $350 a semester. The way we get bashed over the head with fees left and right is absoutely and totally absurd. I'm quite sure Allamorph knows what I'm talking about. I'm glad I only have about a year and a half left. I'm sick of finding new fees and expenses every single year. It gets old.

My last day of High School was a long time ago. o_O I'm more looking forward to my last day of grad school. I'm kind of sick of college. lol Though that also means no more student teaching and I'll have to hunt for a new job so.... you can't win.

Peppered turkey slices, pepper jack cheese, a bit of mayo, lettuce, thinly sliced red onions... all together on either toasted rye or wheat bread. It's good with mustard too. Or switching out the turkey for other stuff like roast beef.

[quote name='Gavin][SIZE="1"']While I wouldn't go so far as to say I've lost some of my faith in humanity, I'm certainly hoping in the future hunting licences will be issued to cull morons like this before they breed to out of control levels. Idiocracy cannot be allowed become a reality.[/SIZE][/quote]Gavin, you do realize that it's way too late, right? It already[I] is [/I]a reality. =P

Why am I not surprised? That's just sad really. She was sleeping around with different boys and desperately lying to save face. And now, it has backfired on her in a major way. I feel even more sorry for the baby really, what a thing to learn about your parents and extended family when you finally grow up. Ugh.

There's a few problems with your thread here [B]xxxscenekidxxx[/B]. For starters, saying you want people who draw like you for constructive criticism, isn't really much of a topic. Also, just pointing them to your portfolio at theOtaku is the same as posting a thread for advertising. That's something we don't allow here. If you want help with a specific artwork that you've done, you can create a thread and post it in our [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=70"][U]Art Studio[/U][/URL] and ask for feedback from members. Just be sure to not blindly point them to your portfolio, like you did here. I'm going to go ahead and close this thread. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a pm. Thanks. [B]Thread Closed[/B]

[quote name='John]It's ridiculous, the **** we put up with from our politicians. If someone at your workplace had, say, stolen some money from the register, and somebody who had witnessed the crime was responding in the same fashion as Pelosi, there wouldn't be people dissecting their words and arguing over whether they were telling the truth or not; they'd fire them on the spot because [I]it's an obvious ****ing lie[/I'].[/quote]Makes you wish we could do that to our politicians. Their behavior would take a sharp turn if they could be held accountable so easily for all the BS they do.

[quote name='Gavin][SIZE="1"']On a side note hearing Aaryanna curse made me go O_o [/SIZE][/quote]That's what I was just thinking. o_O Anyway, I agree with her, it's utter nonsense. I've been living on my own in an apartment for just over five years now while I go to college. To say I don't pay my own way is a complete and total lie. I don't pay property taxes because I don't own anything, but I'm quite sure that my landlord uses the rent money I, and other people pay them, to do just that. Also, we take advantage of city services and municipalities? If you work, you pay taxes, if you buy food, you pay taxes. You pay taxes on the very books and supplies you buy for school. And no landlord has [I]ever[/I] paid for my utilities such as power, electricity, cable, Internet, phone, etc. If something this stupid comes up on the ballot, you can bet that all of us who live here, will be voting against such an absurd attempt to tax people who [I]do[/I] pay their way. Between rent, food and other expenses, I literally pour thousands of dollars back into the community every year. Someone needs to take the jackass that thought of this 'student tax' and put them in a straight jacket. Then they need to stuff them back into the insane asylum that they obviously came from. We don't need more taxes that don't even apply to solve the financial crisis, we need them to cut back on wasteful spending. Like one of the cities here looking into changing the city name and logo so they stand out more. So they'll waste millions of dollars on a perceived image and gleefully tax students while they're at it. :rolleyes:

[quote name='Raiha][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]What if the ship is...MADE OUT OF CRYSTAL!? Yeah. I'm brilliant I know...[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]Doesn't matter if it is. Shy gave me the go ahead on having my group retrieve the artifact. If it was the ship, he would have told me. Especially since Malkav's post was already up when I was given the go ahead. And speaking of that, I've talked to P.J. McKrafty, and since he's going to be rather busy with school the next few weeks, I'll be tackling that post. So I'll work on getting that up asap.

What Aaryanna says is correct, I just have to work out the details with P.J. McKrafty, as in which one of us will actually post that. Once that's done, we'll get it up so we can get things moving. But yeah, the ship is not the artifact. =P