Mnemolth

I've tried really hard to not make this post, but alas, enough is enough. The following may offend some people, so if you're easily offended don't read on. For those of you who didn't understand my initial post, and that's, from what I gather most of you, here's a breakdown. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mnemolth [/i] [B]In a word - gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. ;) But a [i]real[/i] man wouldn't pluck his eyebrows, he'd let them grow wild. He certainly wouldn't wax any part of his body. So what if his back is hairer than a gorilla, back hair is sexy. Just ask any girl! :D [/B][/QUOTE] "In a word - gay". That's short and sweet to grab your attention. It also captures a sentiment many here share but will not express publicly. It a stereotype. And its followed immediately by "Not that there's anything wrong with that", which of course is a homage to Sienfield. And what does it mean? It means people are hypocrites. Nobody wants to say they subscribe to any stereotypical viewpoints, everyone wants to pretend we're all so rational and reasonable people, but in reality that's all just bull. We all pretend we don't have a problem with gay people, but in the same statement, we're make it a point to stress that we're not gay. You can see the same thing happening in this thread (no doubt people will start making other excuses once they read this post). People say there's nothing wrong with doing all those things but they STRESS, and strongly so, that THEY don't do it. Trying to have their cake and eat it too. :rolleyes: And just in case you didn't get it was done with tongue firmly in cheek, I even put a ;) to be obvious. And I didn't stop there. I went on to say "But a [i]real[/i] man wouldn't pluck his eyebrows, he'd let them grow wild. He certainly wouldn't wax any part of his body. So what if his back is hairer than a gorilla, back hair is sexy. Just ask any girl!". The first line shows the stupidity, in my opinion, of the macho ethos. And if you didn't get that, you should have got the last two lines. And if you had got them you would have understood that the whole post was mocking itself. Its a universal well known fact that back hair is one of the biggest turn-offs for girls. Generally speaking, girls don't like a mass of body hair on their man. There is a substantial minority who do, but only sparingly, and we're talking here about the chest. VERY FEW GIRLS, IF ANY AT ALL, like their guys to be wearing a rug on their backs! So as soon as I said that back hair is sexy, that was a dead giveaway. And even if that didn't sink in, my last line, "Just ask ANY girl", should have made it as plain as daylight. See? Once I explain a post, once I've dissected it and analysed it to death, it takes ALL the fun out of the post. THAT's why I don't want to do it. THAT's why I didn't want to explain myself. I would have thought someone sooner or later would have got it and said something, but apparently not. I am of course human and I make mistakes, yet, here's a hint - and you can take it as condescendingly as you like, I don't particularly care - if I make a post, especially a short one, that seems moronic, then there's a good chance you're missing something.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Pressure [/i] [B][color=purple][size=1]Well to myself.. I am a blight on the Earth.. A plague if you will.. Selfish, Hypocritical, Lazy, Stupid, Slow, Ugly, Irritating, Disregarding, and Disrespectful plague....[/color][/size] [/B][/QUOTE] Oh stop that, you're turning me on! ;)

Okay, remember, you asked for it so deck yourself out in your heavest armor. ;) The first line is very important. It should capture the imagination and peak the interest of the reader. Your first line was good, but the use of te word 'lurking' was inappropriate, and this kinda colours the rest of the piece. One does not 'lurk' in plain view. Another verb would be better. You can try "weaving" or "pacing" or even "bouncing" if you want a slightly humourous take. For example, you might use "Mr. Williams begins [b]pacing[/b] through the rows of desks, stopping now and then to pass out graded assignments". "This fills me with a sense of relief" should be enhanced by a metaphor or simile. This is an important part of the piece so a little more description would not go astray, something akin to "This fills me with a sense of relief, my fix of ordinariness for the day". Also "Full of frustration I open and slide in the two papers". Open what? And "slide" doesn't really convey a sense of frustration does it? You might say something like, "Full of frustration I snap open my folder and toss in the two papers." But its still a good piece. Its just that I could have been better. Also you should know I'm probably not the easiest of markers. :) What you did well was capturing that teenage sense of inadequacy and universal disorientation, that uneasy uncertain twilight of childhood.

How like a wayward child, at once insightful and idiotic. :D B PS: A more detailed critique may be forthcoming if required, but I get the feeling you understand what I mean. ;)

It must be nice to believe in God. To know that there is someone out there that understands and loves you. To know that there will be a day of judgement and that justice will be served. To know that your transgressions can be forgiven, regardless of their gravity. To know that your life has meaning and purpose. To know that you are not alone. It must be nice. Like a sexy wet dream on a hot summer night. To quote a phrase I'm sure most of you will be familiar with, "Unfortunately no one can be told what the Matrix is".

In a word - gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. ;) But a [i]real[/i] man wouldn't pluck his eyebrows, he'd let them grow wild. He certainly wouldn't wax any part of his body. So what if his back is hairer than a gorilla, back hair is sexy. Just ask any girl! :D

The interesting thing about a thread like this is not what people say, its what they do not say. :D

I was going to make my own thread in the Music/Movies forum about The Animatrix, because I really feel it belong there, alongside The Matrix discussion, but alas, Sem has already made one here. Its a shame no one is talking about it now though. I've seen the full Animatrix with all the 9 pieces, and, to quote Neo, "Whoa". The animatrix was conceived essentially as a marketing ploy to wet the appetites of the fans for the upcoming Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions. But it has done that and more. It is an amazingly piece of anime in itself, worthy of a standalone collection. All the pieces are well conceived and executed. No doubt people will have their favourites, depending on what they like, the styles and characterisations. But all 9 (well actually 8 cos the Second Renaissance was actually split into two parts) shorts were well conceived, produced and executed. If you're a fan of anime, and in particular, sci-fi anime, then you can do a lot worse than have this in your collection. An understanding of the Matrix is, I believe, helpful for full appreciation, but not essential. The colors are vibrant, the stories are short and sweet, sad and provocative, the characterisations complex and intricate, and the styles of animation vary greatly from one piece to the other. But all are done with daring and verve. The most captivating piece for me was Mahiro Maeda's absolutely stunning Second Renaissance two-parter. The layouts were impossibly gorgeous, the colors spring out, the pace and flow flawless, and the documentary nature well suited for the purpose. The Final Flight of the Osiris was all done in 3D. Very slick and beautiful, but alas, I'm not a fan of 3D animation that tries to capture reality. Its produced by Square, so if you've seen Final Fantasy: Spirits, you'll get the idea. I don't think its as good as Spirits, but the first scene in the dojo is very well done, and sexy as hell. I could go on, but really all of them were good. I normally don't like 'dirty' animation. I like my frames to be clean cut, lines clear, not smudges and blurry lines, but even this 'realism' style in the last piece, 'A Kid's Story', was handled well. As a sidenote, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss actually do some of the voice acting in reprising their roles. And the music kicks major ***. I could go on and on. But heck, just go buy the DVD. You won't regret it. And if you do, you can always send it to me. :) [EDIT]Oh yes, and I found that the 9 pieces actually worked quite well together. Each are separate but each added a different texture to the world of the Matrix. SO if you've only seen one piece, and didn't much care for it, I suggest you see a few more. Also, a word of warning, the production value is quite high, so downloading poor samples is not a good indication of the actual product.[/EDIT]

[spoiler]What the hell was with that hedonistic dance scene?? Man, it was filmed like some kinda orgy. Felt kinda out of place. Overall I think it was a pretty good follow up. Of course its not as good as the original, but then few sequels are. I find that in these sort of films the best bits are the setting up of the characters and the storyline. And obviously that was already done in the original. Still, its a heap better than Ep1 for Star Wars. Gah!![/spoiler] Go see it, you know you want to. ;)

Here's my 2 cents worth. :) Warning: don't read this if you're sensitive to criticism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Its a little too pretentious for my liking. Its stops and starts and jumps a bit all over the place. Sometimes you write something and you're not sure what it says but you like how it sounds. So you keep it and hope that it makes sense. Or you try to impose some artificial meaning to it. Sometimes you get lucky and get away with it. This is not one of those times. C. PS: If anyone would prefer I didn't comment on their piece please say so in your post and I won't interfere. I understand perfectly. Rest assured I won't be offended. :D

Very good Ravenstorture! :D Although I find that comment about an hour's long kiss rather dubious...especially if there's no pawing, dribbling and moaning involved. ;) There can be an hour of kissing, sure, but an hour's long kiss? Heheh. I'll believe it when I see it! :laugh:

With respect to the argument about lust. I happen to think lust is a good thing. :) Purely from a psychological and a sociological perspective, I think the danger more often than not comes from the repression of our primal desires and not the expression of those desires. Lust is not an 'evil' thing. Its just a thing. As long as we control our desires we're in no danger of hurting or harming anyone. The trouble with repression is that its not about control. Its about denial. And to deny one's humanity is a terribly dangerous thing to do. So Playboy is fine. That's not to say that we can go overboard and indulge in many of the hardcore stuff out there. Remember, we have to control our desires and not let our desires control us. A lot of that stuff is probably not OK. But its up to each person and how they use the material. If you're using it as a substitute for 'something else' (love, affection, anger, frustration, blah blah), then that's a bad sign. If you find yourself looking at it constantly, then that's another bad sign. Addiction is always bad. The problem with repression, denial and guilt is that its not healthy. Its all negative. It throws the baby out with the bath water. It asks us to do the impossible, and then punishes us for not achieving it. Acknowledging our desires, embracing them and understanding them seems to me a better course to follow. Its positive and sets boundaries we can abide by. We feel good and we can do it. As for the other stuff, [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Deus Ex Machina [/i] [B]I didn't ever mean to say "this is what you have to do" but "this is what the Bible says" whether or not you want to follow it is up to you...[/B][/QUOTE] Heheh. :D This is the essence of the problem as I see it. The premise here is that the Bible only says one thing. This is a very common misconception. It does not. At least not to a common reading of it. In fact, if the Bible were a textbook and you were asked to write an essay about the messages contained therein, many people will come up with many different answers. We color the Bible by our own misconceptions and prejudices, or to put it another way, the Bible means different things to different people. Now, some of you will already start shaking your heads at this point and say with adamant conviction that this is untrue, that only those who have departed from the path laid out to us by The Bible have misconstrued it, and twisted it for their own disingenuous purposes. Perhaps. But how do you know the path [i]you[/i] follow is not a false one? You don't. Not unless you can claim to be divine and know 'the truth' by way of some personal 'revelation'. Most of us are not so blessed. Most of us follow one interpretation or another, handed down by one who we believe is so blessed. If you're a Mormon, then that person is likely to be Joseph Smith, if you're a Catholic, that's the Pope, and so on. People have waged war and died for their interpretations of the Bible. So before anyone starts saying the Bible says this or that, they might want to bear this in mind. Another thing they might want to do is read the freaking thing from cover to cover. And not just one version but several versions (I'm not directing this at anyone, I'm directing it at [i]everyone[/i]! :D).

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DarK DeatH [/i] [B]OK, I think that both these guys are awesome actors, but which of them do you think is the coolest? I myself can't decide, since I've seen awesome Jackie Chan movies, and also awesome Jet Li movies... lol... But, anyways, Li makes some more serious movies, while Jackie makes more funny movies, so, yeah, what do yall think? [/B][/QUOTE] Jackie Chan and Jet Li are awesome actors?? Heheh. I think you're using the word 'acting' in a very loose sense. Unless of course, you're speaking of their movies in their native languages. Even then, there has only been a handful of movies in which they have displayed their acting prowess. No, rather these are action movie stars, much like Van Damme, Stallone, and Arnie. In terms of their martial arts abilities, both are very good exponents. These guys are the 'real' deal. Not in the sense that they can take on a whole gang of bikers in a dark alley or anything, but more in the sense that these guys actually know their craft. They know what they're doing. They're not some lame-assed actors who've only built-up and done some basic training in 6 months for a movie shoot. Whose better? Its hard to say. Because they both have very different styles. Jackie is more of a clown. But don't let that fool you. What he does takes skill and nerve. It isn't done in flash of editing. Especially his older movies. He's getting on a bit now, and since he's been in Hollywood they've put on a bit of SFX. Jet Li used to be a gymnast. Or at least he was a student in the Beijing school. No small feat I can assure you. I prefer Jet Li mainly cos I like my martial arts with a bit of attitude, that small but crucial edge of 'cool'. But if I were going on a date, Jackie's my man. Non-offensive silliness is the go. ;)

Awww....poor widdle penguin feels weft out.... Awww shucks...how cute.... Heheh. Sorry cloricus, but you were just asking for it dude. :D

DOK; Its just something that [i]must[/i] be in the story. So the poem can be something from a book, it can be a song sung by your character or someone else, it might even be in the form of a flashback, a childhood lullaby or something. Its not something your character has to write, but it is [i]is[/i] something [i]you[/i] have to write! :) And if anyone wants to know what has happened so far, perhaps they can go to the [url]www.roleplayingwriting.tk[/url] website, and skip through the Chronicles page (yes I've updated it for Round 4, with all the spelling mistakes and grammatical errors). That's what its there for, along with other tidbits. LA: Spite you? Hell no. I just wanna have a thing for Mitch is all. ;) Besides, I really wanna see what Harlequin can come up with. I haven't see any poetry from Mr. Davidson so far. :D

[b][color=red]STOP! Please read the following before you do ANYTHING in this thread!![/color][/b] [b]Interlude[/b] There are just a few very simple rules to ensure everything runs smoothly. Please abide by them. Good luck everyone! :) [i]For non-players:[/i] 1. If you are not one of the registered players, DO NOT post here. Period. If you wish to make a comment, laud praise or offer some criticism, please do so at the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19444][color=blue][/color]RPW General Thread[/url]. 2. In an ideal world, I would ask that you read each story by each player BEFORE voting in the poll. But I understand this is not an ideal world so I would strongly you read at least a few stories before making you decision and to NEVER vote for someone before you have read their story! Please extend the players, who have spent time and effort in crafting their submissions, this small courtesy. ;) 3. Vote for the person whose story you like the most. You have until [b][i]midnight, Monday, 26th May, AEST time, ie GMT +10:00 hrs[/b][/i]. Thanks for dropping by. Everyone at RPW appreciates your support. :D [i]For the players:[/i] Round 5 is now open for submissions. Its a very creative round. LOts of possibilities. [b][i]The deadline is midnight, Monday, 19th May, AEST time, ie GMT +10:00 hrs. This will be STRICTLY enforced.[/i][/b] The Objectives for Round 5, if you did not check the RPW website and know already, is [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/Stories/objectives.html][color=blue]here[/color][/url]. Read it carefully. If you have questions or queries, post them in the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19444][color=blue]RPW General Thread[/color][/url]. It may be other players are also unsure. If you're a little shy, or if its personal, email or PM me. I have taken the time to write up some tips for playing RPW. Read the [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/faq.html][color=blue]FAQ[/color][/url]. Please, PLEASE, ask questions. Even if its just to confirm some things. Don't write 1000 words of brilliant prose only to have it scraped cos it didn't fit with the Objectives or were outside the rules. I really hate having to send submission back to have players edit them. Chances are players will often be too disappointed to make the necessary changes or do not have enough time. In any case, that just robs us of a submission and we need every single one. Can I once again request that ALL players, but especially the newer ones, please read the Chronicles page on the [url=http://www.roleplayingwriting.tk]RPW website[/url] to ENSURE CONTINUITY in the submissions. Your submissions MUST make sense and are in line with ALL previous submissions. Thanks.

Let me first apologise for the delay. I've really had a long week. Anyways, congratulations go out to Harlequin, who has won for the second time in a row! Quite an achievment. Let's see if he can make it for lucky number three, eh? ;) The voting breakdown is as follows: Harlequin - 4 votes (Harlequin, Sara, Mitch, Juu) Sara - 2 votes (LA, Harlequin) Mitch - 2 votes (Shyguy, DOK) LA - 3 votes (Harlequin, Sara, LA) As for the Popularity Poll, well Mitch won that one. I know it says its a tie, but it wasn't when the poll was initially closed (see above posts for the story). So here are the results of RPW 4: Mitch: 2 + 5 + 2 = 9XPs DOK: 0 + 2 = 2XPs Harlequin: 23 + 10 + 1 = 34XPs Sara: 14 + 1 = 15XPs LA: 13 + 1 = 14XPs Good grief people, Harlequin is slaughtering you guys!! Come on, Flynn, finish the job! ;) Harlequin has jumped a rank and now is a Yarn Spinner, and has the power to 'harm NPCs'. Everyone else remains the same. Note: Voting remains the same, Harlequin has 3 votes, Sara and LA has 2, and everyone else is on 1 (Mitch is one XP from getting 2 votes though). Please check the RPW website!! Any questions and comments, just bug me in the General Thread. :) RPW 5 should already be up when you read this.

Its inevitable that a thread on pornography would end up being a debate about the Bible. As if Christianity was the only religion in the world. And as if religion was humanity's only source of morality and ethics. The point I would make about the Bible is that it is a written text, and as such, its meaning is entirely up to interpretation. Why? Because English, unlike say a mathematical language, is often ambiguous and inexact. To understand the Bible, you need to make sense of it. And that can only be done through interpretation. And as for the idea that we are saved by the simple act of accepting forgiveness, I find that rather unsatisfactory. Does that mean I can rape and pillage and murder, and commit all manner of vices repeatedly, and that I need not concern myself, for I shall ascend to Heaven, and be in God's grace, as long as I ask for forgiveness on my death bed?? That doesn't make any sense to me. It seems suspiciously similar to the 'Indulgences' handed out by Pope Leo X that Martin Luther was just a tad bit unhappy with. As a personal opinion, I happen to think that a man is defined by his beliefs as expressed through his actions. As for the notion that that which is pornographic is that which is intended to arouse whereas art pertains to and is intended for more 'cerebral' concerns, I find that just a little bit silly. There are plenty of pieces of what is considered 'art' that is erotic, and intended to be so. There is no such thing as 'porn' [i]per se[/i]. One man's garbage is another man's treasure. One man's art is another man's porn. The point is that pornography is not a static, ageless definition. It changes from culture to culture, and even from time to time within the same culture. So Playboy, to most people in Western liberal democracies today, is not considered porn. But travel back a hundred or so years into the Victorian era, and you'll have a very diferrent reaction from people. Pornography is a fluid concept. It is dependent upon what is socially acceptable. It has no meaning by itself.

Guys, I'm really sorry about the delay in the release of RPW 5, I've just been real busy. I'll try to get it out ASAP. Prob by this weekend. We'll see.

This is good work. Probably one of the better pieces I've read from you Mitch. :) The topic is a little disturbing tho. I'm not sure. You may have bitten off more than you can chew. And that may have some impact on the integrity of the story. But its a good try. And experimentation is always to be encouraged. :) The start is good. The ending doesn't quite have the requisite sting to it. You might try dropping the last couple of lines and just end with 'blur'. The use of images was, on the whole, good. You haven't over-indulged with the decriptions as much. You are still a tad too self-conscious but its an improvement. B+ Good try.

In the dark A candle flame And all the night is vanquished. It begins well and it ends well. All round good piece. Well constructed. It is short, like many of your pieces, and that concerns me a little. Just a little mind you, not a great deal. ;) But it does seem to me that you should be more ambitious. You should have confidence in your voice. Try to do something more complicated, or different or more involved. Be adventurous. Leave the cave and explore the surrounding hills. Don't worry. The cave will always be there. You won't get lost. :D B+

Actually I love The Muppets, and I'd be be honoured to be a Muppet. Of course that's just me and we all know I'm weird like that. :D Mitch; Harley? Harley means big strong motorbike riding hippie, or old man in mid-life crises. And it describes Flynn perfectly. Except he's not big or strong or a hippie. Nor old. And I don't think he's in a mid-life crises but I can't really be sure about that. ;) And who thought of the word 'gomen'? Well its Japanese. So I don't think anyone 'thought' it up. But actually my Japanese friends tell me that 'gomen' doesn't actually make sense being used by itself. Apparently you have to use it within a phrase. *shrugs* I wouldn't know. Not a Japanese language major. [EDIT]Damn Mitch, you beat me to the punch![/EDIT]

Heheh. Isn't Flynn's last name Davidson? ;)

Hmm...its a little big dude. At 1/4 MB, aren't you a little concerned it would annoy those on dial-ups? Its strange, I saw the same thing with Charles banner. His was actually bigger. At some messageboards its actually considered rude to use big banners (in data size) cos of the load times involved for some people. It doesn't seem to bother anyone here tho. Hmm...I wonder why. *shrugs* Just a random thought brought to you by the fruitloops king. :D

For picture :- [img]http://falkor.anu.edu.au/~ely/haiku/haiku1.jpg[/img] Imaku Entry #1 wins. A butterfly posed, Colorfully suspended in Sweet serenity. Tag, you're it. Pick a pic. Here are useful links for Haiku writing: [url=http://www.millikin.edu/haiku/aha/harr.html#response]This is a rather harsh and rigid set of rules, but some of them can be helpful, just don't feel compelled to follow every single one as if it was carved in stone.[/url] [url=http://www.haikuhut.com/Haiku%20Definition.htm]Great place to start to read about Haiku. Contains lots of fascinating and helpful resource links[/url] [url=http://www.haikai.info/articles/swede.definition.html]An awesome overview of the English Haiku form. Must read for the devoted.[/url]