Mnemolth

If we shouldn't be judged on our looks, why is it okay for punks, and skaters, goths, etc to cast a dismissive eye at some guy in their three-piece suit? :) The blade cuts both ways. Reminds me of my "clown paradox"...*smirks in that patronising way only he can carry*

Whoa... finally a lively debate in RPW!! :) This is gonna be one of my longer posts because I have to do a few things and I don't want to double post. So bear with me, since some of the things I have to say are pretty important. One, let's all calm down and take a step back shall we? Hostilities between oursleves does no one any good. RPW is a collaborative effort. We all need each other for this to work. Two, I must apologise to you Juu if I've offended you by my harsh words. You must try to understand the situation from my perspective. I'm trying to do something here Juu beyond the normal RPG. I'm trying to build something worthwhile, something all of us can look back on with a sense of satisfaction. I hope you would have noticed that RPW is like no other RPG, at least certainly none that I can see in this forum. In some respects, its a writing workshop. A place for those who have a penchant for writing to gather, to discuss, to be challenged and to show off their respective skills. A fellowship of writers that not only compete against one another, but review one another's work and help each other out. A collection greater than the sum of its parts. Three, it is an ambitious goal, yet one I feel well worth pursuing. I had hoped the OB community would have given RPW more support. Alas, that is not the case. However, we still have a chance to make this work. You guys should get to know one another better, discuss and talk more about the objectives and ideas and what not. You can use the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19444]RPW - General Thread[/url] cos that's what it was made for, but by PM, ICQ or AIM Chats or anything else is fine. Four, my disappointments are on several levels, not just the lack of submissions, but that kinda summed it all up. There's the fact that, basically, no one uses the General Thread anymore, or contact me to ask me about stuff. There is no sign of any 'life'. My vision for RPW is that it is an [i]collaborative and interactive[/i] process. You feed off each other. As writers do in the 'real' world do. RPW should be 'alive', with comments on objectives, submissions, etc. It should be a living and breathing organism, not an inanimate object consigned to some dungeon to be released into the daylight once a few weeks. Five, I know I ask a lot from you. But this should not come as any great surprise. If you look at the recruitment thread or even at the RPW website, its obvious this thing requires a certain level of focus. Honestly, I can tell you right now, if you were to average out around the hr/wk time in my proposal (based on the average submission taking 2 or 3 hrs) I would be happy. But I'm not sure that is happening at the moment. Six, ultimately, James is right. Its all about the passion. Writers should be passionate. About the life around them and their craft. But, respectfully, I'd have to disagree about the influence or compulsion. I know I nag you guys to get your submissions in, but I really should not have to. All of you should already feel obliged to turn in something. Its a duty that you owe each other. You are all here voluntarily. You have taken upon yourself certain responsibilities, and it should be expected that you live up to them. And at the end of the day, am I really asking for all [i]that[/i] much? An average of an hour a week is roughly equivalent to 4 hrs a month. Think about that. Four hrs a month. It doesn't add up to all that much really. And so if you can't spare that degree of time, then I can only surmise that RPW is some very very small thing to you, so very small that you can't even see it, and so have no respect for it. And that's a shame. I personally believe that compulsion [i]can[/i] be a good thing. Sometimes if we were completely and utterly left to our devices, if nothing was expected of us, if we were free to do any and everything we want, or not to do them, then we would get nowhere. I know from my own experience that there has been many a time when I did not want to write something, an essay, a story, a poem, but I was compelled to do so by a sense of obligation (ie due dates for assignments, a poem I promised for a birthday, etc). And yet, once I got started, I greatly enjoyed the experience, and the result was both satisfying and rewarding. So feel compelled, feel obligated, feel a sense of duty to your fellow writers in this project. And turn something in. Seven, its hard to believe sometimes, but I [i]do[/i] know what I'm doing. :) There are reasons the rules are as they are, there are reasons why I've chosen this particular bunch of people. I [i]am[/i] up to something. You all are different people from different backgrounds with differing writing styles. That's why I've brought you here together. To share and learn from one another. Not to castigate, denounce or flatter but to [i]share[/i]. Share yourself so that we can all learn from your knowledge and experience about the craft and the art of writing. If, in the process, we happen to see a small part of yur soul, do not be afraid. Because every good writer leaves a part of themselves in their work. So keep your ego in check, keep your mind open, and keep the ink flowing. Eight, I will continue with RPW, regardless of whether I start another project or not. There are seven of you. The number is small enough for everyone to be involved, and large enough to be varied. I hope you read this and take it to heart. It is, in a sense, my vision statement for RPW. Other RPGs are easier to play, perhaps more fun to do, but this experience is unique. Enjoy it and cherish it, or like everything else that is forgotten, it will wither and die. [b]Round 3[/b] Mitch (Shyguy, Mitch, Harlequinn, LA) Harlequinn (Sara(2), Juuthena, LA) So guess what?? Its yet [i]another[/i] tie! :) Once again its up to me to rule. Can I just say I really hate it when you guys do this to me? :bawl: [i]Mitch[/i]: Your story clearly shows you've put some work into it. The descriptions are quite good. But you need to work on the rhythm of your prose. It doesn't flow as it should, which can annoy the the reader quite a bit. And you over-describe. Too many adverbs and adjectives. Try to keep it simple. Or if you're going to have a long description, punch it with a short sentence afterwards. And somethings are just wrong, for example, "Through this all Jice could just barely partake the luminescent moon glimmering slight in the backdrop of the imbued sky." "Just" and "barely", choose one, you can't have both. But as a first submission, it is encouraging. [i]Harlequinn[/i]: Your prose is well structured, you demonstrate a good grasp of English and your ability to tell a story is well founded. There are problems with your style though. I know you like to keep the reader at a distance, much like people IRL I suppose, but just like IRL, if you keep the reader too far away, you'll just end up losing them. And you really don't want to do that. You might debate this point, saying that writing is about individuality and so indulgences are to be encouraged, not discounted. But writing is also about discipline. So you should curb your indulgences. Don't lose your style, but [i]do[/i] try to lose the excess. Another more salient point in respect of RPW specifically is the interaction with the other players. Understand that this is a story with an ensemble cast, not a story with a star and a group of supporting actors. But otherwise, it was a very good submission. Fearful and frightening. A touch of the macabre. (What was with those question marks tho? I must be stupid in my old age but I didn't get them.) My decision goes to Harlequinn. This was very hard to do, and I despise you all for making me do it! :p Sorry Mitch, just trying to be fair. I would much rather you won the round. For one thing you didn't try to take partial control over the next round like Harlequinn did with that cliffhanger ending. *smiles and winks at Flynn*... really... you should stick to protocol dude. ;) For another, if you'd won, you, Harlequinn, Sara and LA would be sitting on Scribe status and with 2 votes. It would have made things very interesting indeed. But as it is Harlequinn wins the Round (10XPs) and the popularity poll as well (5XPs with only 1 vote! Let that be a lesson to all of you! :D) and gets a massive 17XP increase to outstrip everyone, skip the Scribe level altogether and leap frog to Anecdotist, and now holds 3 mighty votes!! :p But in my opinion, for what its worth, it was better written. So congratulations Harlequinn! :) Harlequinn: 6 + 17XPs = 23XPs Mitch: 2XPs. Round 4 objectives will be released before the weekend, and the website updated accordingly. PS: Mitch, having read your last post, I know how important writing is to you. But this is not so with every writer. You have to respect their position, just as you want them to respect your position. So calm down okay? :D I understand how people can sometimes not make a submission. But to get two entries from a player list of seven? Especially in a critical round like this one? I hope all of you can understand why I might feel somewhat let down. I'm not asking people to devote huge chunks of their time to RPW. I would just like them to make available 1 or 2 hours a week for it. I don't really think its all that much of a burden. I bear no grudges and I lay no blame. I just wish for more.

Well I tried demmit!! I built a whole freaking website and everything....not my fault people on this Board don't seem to be appreciative. :p I swear that really bugs me no end. Why is it that 'kids', and by that I mean mid-teenagers or thereabouts, on anime Boards, have such a low tolerance level for effort? I mean come on. If you ever want to do something you gotta put some backbone into it. And if you want to build a community, you need to lead an example. *sighs* I hope that doesn't come across as agism. I guess I'm just pissed that this thing is dying (or dead), that's all. I do have another, perhaps more palatable idea for OB, but I dunno whether I'll get that going now. I'm somewhat concerned about the administration of this Board, and also the appetite of its members for anything more substantial than little glib comments in posts. Vote, and tell me what you think. :)

Round 3 is now closed. Remember LA and Sara both have two votes each. Enjoy! :D

This is okay [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Transtic Nerve [/i] [B]My thoughts precisely. ... you are the precise reason I absolutely LOATHE anyone under the age of 16. [/B][/QUOTE] ...but my comment was out-of-line. :rolleyes: I have no feud with you TN. If you behave, so will I. Just because you're a Mod should not mean you can ignore all the rules. As I have said before, no one reigns you in, and that is more of a worry than anything I might or might not say.

First filters don't work. Smokers can easily compensate by changing their behaviours. Ever seen a smoker covering the holes with his fingertips? or puffing constantly on the cig? Second, smoking is bad for you. Whether its weed or a cig, it doesn't matter. Now there are going to be endless arguments about which is worse and so on, but I think, especially in the last decade or so, significant long term and large sample studies have provided a strong and convincing correlation between weed smokers and depression and reduced capacity for mental agility. Whether cig are or are not more harmful than weed is really a moot point since both don't do you any favours. But lots of things in life don't do you favours. It doesn't mean we avoid them all. It just means we have to be careful. So I'm not gonna preach from some lame-assed pulpit about the evils of this or that. I'll just say be careful, think before you do anything. And I'm also not gonna say its okay to be by yourself. If you're not comfortable with it (and few are, some just try to convince themselves they are), then its [i]not[/i] OK. Unlike some others, I actually remember what it was like to be 13, and how important it is to feel you belong, to be a part of a group, to have a sense of identity, to have some [i]fun[/i] ffs! Just remember the cost. Sometimes the price of entry is just too high, in which case I think you should back off. But its different for everyone, so its really up to you. As for who is a 'loser' or not, well, you want to do dumb things while you're young. Stupid, silly, foolish things that you would never do as an adult. You certainly don't want to end up a frustrated and bitter old man like TN, now do you? ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sara [/i] [B][URL=http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/index.html]What do you all think about this?[/URL] [/B][/QUOTE] Now now Sara, don't you go getting all political on me. You should know better than to ruin your Casper image like that. Leave this kinda stuff to those of us who have already lost our minds and our souls to the cause - like me and Gokents. ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Lady Macaiodh [/i] [B][COLOR=darkblue]What, that expression not used anymore? You know, no drinking, smoking, pre-marital sex... I mean, it's a personal choice, but I hate the ones who go around preaching at me. I went out with one of those types once & it was a really bad idea. He was always bossing me around.[/COLOR] [/B][/QUOTE] Oh I'm sure its being used. I'm just not clued up I guess. ;) I suppose I should say something about the topic before the sky falls in on me...:D Ideal partner eh? Hmm...well I'm not picky... She should be tall enough to worship, 5'9" to 6'. She should have long flowing red hair, a blaze of glory, a signature of her consuming passion that burns within. An endless fire that burns for life and love. Her skin shall be as virgin snow, soft, supple and sublime. Her eyes are sparkling emeralds, untamed gems as bright and fierce and independent as she is. She shall have the compassion of a Mother Theresa, the spiritual enlightment of St Aquinas or Thomas Moore, the genius of Einstein, the wit of Oscar Wilde, the imagination of HG Wells, the poetry of Shelley, and the soulful yearnings of Slyvia Plath or Virginia Wolfe. All in all, my equal in every sense of the word. :D

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Queen Asuka [/i] [B][color=hotpink][size=1]As a Senior about to graduate in two and a half months, college is one big thing that has definately been on my mind. I applied to three colleges: University of Georgia, Mercer University, and Wesleyan College. I got accepted at all three. Now here's the hard part: Mercer and Wesleyan are located in my hometown. My parents REALLY want me to go to Mercer. But what they SHOULD understand but they don't is that ever since I've been thinking about college, I've had my heart set on UGA! My mom keeps telling me she doesn't want me to leave home and she wants me to stay home and go to college. I REALLY am ready to get out of the house. It's not like I'm going to be that far away, just a 3 to 4 hour drive. Another argument of mine is that I will be the FIRST person in my family to EVER go to college. Neither of my parent's even graduated from high school. Shouldn't I have the choice to go where I want since this is such a big accomplishment? What do you guys think?[/color][/size] [/B][/QUOTE] Ultimately, at the end of the day, it [i]is[/i] your choice. But it may be nice to see it from your parents' point of view. There may be many reasons why your parents would like for you to go to Mercer. The best way to convince your parents, and yourself, may be to ease their minds about their concerns. Lots of bad things happen at college. And it is not uncommon for people, even bright clever people, to stuff up. Its a very distracting place; spiritually, emotionally and academically. You may think you're a big girl, but college is a bigger place. Maybe your parents just don't want to lose you. Just something to think about. :D

Fairly well done and executed. :) The story itself is well-rounded and complete. It is a well-constructed and structured piece of prose. The beginning and the end mesh well together. A little too contrived perhaps, but it doesn't feel that way, and that's a testimony to your storytelling skills little one. ;) There are a few problems with it. All of them are mistakes often made by beginners. I don't really want to point them out so much because, in all fairness, I don't want to disrupt your search for your voice. And the awareness grows not from arriving at the destination but from being on the journey. I would just say, try not to try too hard. If you know what I mean...;) There is no need to show off, just try to express yourself as best you can. Use the devices and turns of phrase you've caught from various places, but do try to make them your own, and not just take something and put it down somewhere it doesn't quite belong. Are you in 9th or 10 grade? I've forgotten. Me bad...:D For 9th grade, a A- For 10th grade, a B+ Hmm...sorry...I'm not a very good sycophant..;) But hey, that's a pretty good report anyways! :p

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Lady Macaiodh [/i] [B][color=darkblue]11)[i]Judgmental[/i] straight-edger (regular straight-edgers are fine) [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] What the heck is a straight-edger? And just saying 'you' doesn't count! ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Lady Asphyxia [/i] [B][color=darkred]Like, oh my god, I hate those two faced posers! [Heh...first thing that came to mind, I just had to type it] I don't mind them at all. I mean, honestly, as if most of us aren't 'posers' in some way shape or form. Pretending to like the sweater our mum gave us for Christmas or something...[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] What you talking about Lewis?? I actually liked the sweater my mum gave me! ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Soulstone [/i] [B]I was just looking at the forums that are currently in play, and I realized there isn't any kind of 'serious' discussion forums about. I was just wondering if it is debatable or not to have on around? I like to have a good old rant now and then, as many would. So, in short, could you add this forum to the Otaku boards for members who like to discuss there problems or the world around them? [/B][/QUOTE] Looks like someone's been to Animenation? ;) As everyone else has said, you can post debates in the Lounge. Some of them can get quite serious.

Interesting... I agree with Lady M. I don't think there is really any point in lying to the person that asked you to lie to them for their sake. It doesn't seem to make any sense to me. Here's my own little example. Kinda different but around the same theme. [i]This example is assuming I'm a girl[/i], but boys can just as easily switch positions with a few small modifications. Imagine your best friend is getting married, and on the eve of the wedding you find out that the groom has had an affair with another woman during their time together, although this was a while back and it is all over now, but your best friend did not know about any of this. Now, further imagine your friend is the kind of person who does NOT want to know these things and reacts VERY badly when these things are revealed. She wants her wedding to go flawlessly and you KNOW that if you tell her, it would break her heart, she would be forced to cancel the wedding, and in all likelihood never speak to you again. Although you were only a messenger, you know that you will be the bearer of such horrible news that you will forever be marked by it, and your relationship with your best friend cannot survive, or if it does, it can never be the same. On the other hand, if she were to find this out after getting hitched, she may be angry with you for a while, but she would know why you did what you did and its highly likely you guys can patch things up. Finally imagine that you know the groom well. That it was a bad mistake, and that he is ashamed of it, and he pleas to you to not tell your best friend, and he promises nothing like that will ever happen again. AND YOU BELIEVE HIM. What would you do? Tell your best friend and probably lose the closest relationship in your life? Or realise that in this case, the truth will do more damage than a lie? The premise of this example is whether to tell the truth when you have nothing to gain and everything to lose, or to tell a lie where you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Okay, here's something to ponder on. Its kinda tricky, and you do need to think about it carefully, and there are some [i]very[/i] adult themes. So you have been warned. You do require an open mind, and an ability to step into another person's shoes. A broad frame of mind based on rationality and principles rather than pure emotion. What is the criteria by which we accept love (and here I speak of the romantic sensual kind)? If we believe that love itself is sufficient, and as long as there is love, then everything is okay, my question is where does that stop? And why? In terms of bestiality, why would that not be okay? Its clear that if a person forces themselves on an animal, then its not a mutual act. But what if there is no clear sign that the action is coerced? How can you tell what the animal is feeling or thinking? One argument would be that people are different from animals, that they are endowed with a 'soul' (for the religious) or some special cognitive ability (for the atheists) that separates them from beasts. It is this unique characteristic of human beings that allows them to love, so animals, no matter how intelligent or affectionate, cannot surmount this barrier. The other obvious relationship to consider is incest. If we assume that both people are capable of consent, ie there are no power imbalances and they are both adults, then why would such a relationship be forbidden? Take the situation of a brother and sister born and separated a birth, and each does not know of the existence of the other. By coincidence they find each other and fall in love. They then find out they are siblings. Why would that kind of love not be accepted? Be careful here, because if this is accepted, the principle, by extension can also apply to brother to brother, sister to sister, father to daughter, mother to son, etc. The bestiality rationale doesn't apply here because they are both humans. If the sole basis of the acceptance of a relationship is the existence of love, then there should be no difference between incest, or gay or straight people. Its all love. There is no reason, on principle, that you would reject this kind of love. There are of course practical problems. In the real world many of these relationship are fraught with power imbalances, between father and daughter, mother and son, etc. There are also genetic reasons why close relatives should not breed. But, provided there are no power imbalances, and as for the genetic question, if you accept gay people you have already dismissed the genetic abnormality rationale because gay people cannot have kids by themselves anyway. So what I'm trying to say here is simple. If you accept gay love based on the criterion of love alone, then you must accept incestuous love. And frankly, I don't think many on this Board could honestly do that. So why make a special exemption for gay people? :D

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Lady Asphyxia [/i] [B][color=darkred]*groans and dies* Boy, do I know the rigour of routine. It's death. Even on an 11 day timetable, I'm still sick of it. To make it wose, 5 days I go Maths then Chem, or Chem then Maths. It's wouldn't be that bad, if Maths weren't so boring! I, however, feel sorry for the borders. Their entire day is planned.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Bah! Maths is glorious you infidels! :) And I've always liked routine. There's always something new. ;)

*glances at Piro and then at Justin* And there, ladies and gentlemen, is the eseence of your problem... Where there is only contempt there can be no understanding, on either side.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Transtic Nerve [/i] [B]When you're under 18, and especially in a public High School, thats certainly never the case. Thats why they have dress codes many places. The fact is, if she was under 18, she doesn't have any right to free speech. She's not an adult, she can't vote, she is still basically proporty of her parents, and proporty has no rights. I mean, sure you get the basic human rights and other live, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness rights, but nothing else. Kids have the right to a trial. I dunno if the Miranda rights apply to children or not.... they have the right to a lawyer. They have the right to exercize the 5th amendment if they do so please in a court of law, hell thats about the only place they have rights. But then again, thats pretty much the last place you want to be. The supreme court has ruled, as stated in one of those ridiculously long posts no one readys anyway, that School and Military have certain aspects to them that where you might have rights in real life that don't apply. Which is why if you have a car on HS grounds, they can search it for NO reason what so ever. They can do it for kicks and giggles, but if you were out on the road, they can't do that, legally at least. Same with the way you dress and the way you speak. They have been given complete control over you at school. Which is exactly why it's perfectly legal and right for them to send that girl home... whether morals have anything to do withit is not the case. They had their own right to do it and they did. [/B][/QUOTE] It'd be nice if people with strong opinions would take the time to actually be informed and know what the hell they're on about... :rolleyes:

Someone is gonna go to jail for this, so the blame game will have to be played out. As for the pepper spray, that was just a stupid move by the security guards. As I understand it, there was a fight of some sort, the security guards came to settle it, only the spray dispersed in the air, drifted about the room, people started getting sick, and everyone panicked due to the terrorists alerts and thought it might be some chemical attack.

Congratulations!! :D I pretty much agree with everything Delian said. I'd just like to add in response to Vampire Ed that, if I were in your shoes, I personally wouldn't take this as a reason to reconcile with my husband. But then I'm not you, so yeah...I'd say be cautious. Best wishes whatever. :)

I responded to a post by Lady Macaiodh when she said something and ended with muttering to herself in the Homosexuality thread. I replied something akin to "You know, of course, that talking to oneself is the first sign of insanity", with a smiley, or something like that. I can't see it now. I'm not going to argue about the virtues or appropriateness of my response (if anyone's noticed I've stopped doing that for a while now). My suggestion is this, if my post is going to be edited or deleted, can I please be informed, preferrably by clearing the entire post and editing it with some thing simple like "This is inappropriate" or whatever, and with the name of mod/admin that took the action. If you really must wipe away the existence of the post altogether, as if it never happened, then can the mod/admin that took that action please PM me. This is the second time I've made a thread like this on this forum. I'm not sure where the other one is but it was several months ago. If this happens a third time I don't think I'll be making any more posts on the issue. Either its a technical problem that people cannot fix, or an administrative policy people refuse to change. In any case, it'd be pointless of me to repeat myself. :D Cheers. :)

Okay folks, I'm not sure where you people get this idea that once you're in the school environment all your rights go out the window. That's completely bogus. And anyone that tells you that doesn't know the law. Of course, here I speak of the law, and I say nothing of the practical consequences, both emotional and financial of launching an appeal through the courts. It has long been held, since [URL=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/comm/free_speech/tinker.html]Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)[/URL], that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." [i]Tinker[/i] was a case where three students were suspended for wearing black armbands to protest the Government's policy in Vietnam. They appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, which struck down the School Board policy as unconstitutional, violating the students' rights of free speech. The court concluded that student expression is protected unless it could be shown that a particular behavior would "substantially interfere with the work of the school or impinge upon the rights of other students." It is true that since [i]Tinker[/i] there as been a tendency to reduce the rights of students and expand the discretion of school authorities. But this fundamental principle still stands. So don't let anyone give you any crap about it being otherwise. The Supreme Court have ruled that schools can restrict offensive or obscene speech, [URL=http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/firstamendment/bethel.html]Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser[/URL]. But calling Bush an "International Terrorist" is not lewd or obscene speech. It may be offensive to some students, but is not generally offensive, such as swear words. The Supreme Court have also ruled that school officials may regulate school-sponsored activities related to the curriculum if the regulation is "reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns", see: [URL=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/comm/free_speech/hazelwood.html]Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier[/URL]. In this case, the court held that school authorities wre within their rights to censor articles written by students for an official school newspaper about pregnancy and the impact of divorce on teenagers. Why? Because the school newspaper is not an 'open forum', it is not a place for public expression. *glances at Shyguy*...heheh... The facilities are only available to a specific segment of the school community, and the production of the newspaper is part of the educational curriculum of the Journalism course. In other words, the facilities of the newspaper are not reserved for communicative purposes but for educational ones, so school authorities have the right to determine what goes in and what is left out. There is a recent case where the 5th Circuit Appeals Court has held their consitutionality of school uniforms, [i]Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board[/i] (sorry I couldn't find an UNEDITED version of the decision, but I'm sure its around if you look hard enough, plus its not a Supreme Court decision as the three above are). But as the decision by the court itself conceded, school uniforms are a special case, and do not neatly fall with the three categories of [i]Tinker[/i] (political speech), [i]Bethel[/i] (obscene speech) or [i]Hazelwood[/i] (speech within school-sponsored activities). The court did make a point of saying "Words printed on clothing qualify as pure speech and are protected under the First Amendment". So, do I think the girls should be able to wear her t-shirt? Damn right I do. Do I think its legal? Absolutely. The only way the school can get away with it is if they can [i]demonstrate[/i] that the t-shirt creates so much disruption that it "substantially interfere[s] with the work of the school". I can see how they might be able to make such an argument, but it won't be easy. Especially if they have no written school codes on this particular issue to back them up, and especially since I can already see the political backlash if this were taken to the courts. So yeah, if the girl's parents/guardians wanted to make an issue of it, I'm sure they can, and they will be on firm ground. And can we finally put to rest all this nonsense about students having no rights? They are restricted but they do exist and are protected by the Consitution. Not convinced? Here's a couple of primers (though my suggestion is always to go directly to the source and read the actual law cases). [url]http://www.asbj.com/2001/07/0701schoollaw.html[/url] [url]http://eric.uoregon.edu/publications/policy_reports/dress_codes/caselaw.html[/url]

[b][color=red]STOP! Please read the following before you do ANYTHING in this thread!![/color][/b] [b]One shall fall...[/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, 10th March, 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 3 is now open for submissions. Its a BIG Round. Be sure to start thinking about straight away. [b][i]The deadline is midnight, Friday, 7th March, AEST time, ie GMT +10:00 hrs. This will be STRICTLY enforced.[/i][/b] The Objectives for Round 3, 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 3000 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.

Gee CWB, you don't make my life any easier do you? ;) Votes for Round 2 are now closed. I apologise for the tardiness of my response. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer before I give out the results, update the website and release Round 3 objectives. I've just moved and need to unpack and do a heap of other things. :) Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long. ;) [EDIT] This was a good Round with most players making a submission and voting. Keep it up folks. :) [b]Voting for Round 2 was as follows:[/b] Lady Asphyxia - 3 votes (Juuthena, LA, Sara) Shyguy - 3 votes (Shyguy, Harlequin, Sara) Harlequin - 1 votes (CWB) Its a tie!! Hmm... I'm not sure I've mentioned it before, and if I've said something to the contrary on the RPW website then I apologise (I don't think so but it is a rule change made during Round 1 so I can't be sure), but for the sake of the flow of the game, in the event of a tie, I decide. Personally, I like LA's submission better than Shy's story. Mainly because Shy is..erm... writing much like a chronicler of events rather than a teller of tales (check out RPW and see the irony). Perhaps its because of his journalistic background, though my bet would be he probably didn't spend sufficient time on the submission. In any case, I didn't particularly like the characterisation of the advisor for either story. She seemed...hmm... not infused with the requisite exotic allure nor the sublime cryptic self-assuredness. [b]XPs gained for Round 2:[/b] Harlequin wins the Popularity category with 3 votes. - 1 XP for on time submission, 5 for Popularity = Total= 6 XPs Sara - 2 XPs ShyGuy - 1 XP (satisfying objectives) LA - 1 XP (satisfying objectives), 10 XPs Round 2 winner = Total = 11 XPs Juuthena - 1 XP (satisfying objectives) Don't like one or more of my decisions? Have your say in the General Thread. And PLEASE check your email. On with Round 3 and more mayhem! :D [/EDIT]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Lady Macaiodh [/i] [B][color=darkblue]Once, when I was drunk, I tripped over the cat & knocked over the table with the TV & DVD player on it. Everything crashed to the floor. I tried to catch myself on the door frame but missed & busted a hole in the wall with my head. The TV & DVD player weren't broken, though, thank God. [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] ...on the other hand, one cannot say the same about your head... ;)