Mnemolth

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shyguy [/i] [B][size=1]I don't believe in god, I [i]can't[/i] believe in god. At least not the Christian/Catholic/Whatever/etc. "God". Doing so would give into the belief that I am going to suffer eternal punishment, regardless of what kind of person I am, because of a lifestyle choice. [/size] [/B][/QUOTE] I'm not sure what you mean by 'lifestyle choice'. No one that I personally know who are gay have ever considered their sexuality as a 'lifestyle choice'. That's something usually framed by others to describe them. As for the incompatibility of Christianity and homosexuality, I'd say this. There are those that continue to be gay and remain Christian. I assume it would not be easy. And how they are able to manage it I'm not sure. But maybe you can ask them? ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Ravenstorture [/i] [B][color=darkgreen][font=gothic] And if anyone can get to Brisbane, PM me and I'll meet you there. I'm only an hour and a half away. So is everyone else....[/font][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Careful now... you know you shouldn't tease me like that... ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Rain [/i] [B][color=blue][size=1]Umm, no. I just meant you must be delusional if you want to be a Newbie. You know, everyone else wants to move up the ranks, and you want to go back to being a newbie. Bah, just ignore me ^_^[/size][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Heheheh. Well I guess some people swim against the tide because they want to prove a point. Me, I wanna go back to being a Newbie for a very simple and selfish reason. People tend to think of Newbies as ignorant little kids. And there are few moments more satisfying than knowing you are being underestimated. :D

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their interest in this project. Its good to know that people are not put off by the need for some effort in an RPG. :D For those who are intrigued by this game, it is not too late to express your interest by posting your details; name, character name, email and location (on the net). You do not have to go to all the creative effort of making a character, you just have to come up with a name. Please do so as soon as possible. It would make my job easier to have a wider group of people to choose from than a narrow one. Obviously this means anyone can edit their post of their character, as long as it is before the 6 Jan 2003. This is the date that the list of players accepted for this game will be finalised. However, I would like to inform you all that I will be making a preliminary list on Fri 3 Jan, and you will be emailed. If you DO receive an email of acceptance, PLEASE make sure your character is ready for play by Mon 6 Jan. This means modifying/expanding on any bio details (remember other people need to write about your character so you should at least give them SOME idea, even if that is just that the character is mysterious and no one knows anything about him/her). It also means posting a pic of your character, and it must be less than 50k. One thing that people may or may not have understood is that the setting for this game is given in the [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/settings.html]Settings[/url] page. Click on the Current Settings and NPCs link. The Objectives for Round 1 are also provided on the same page, along with sample stories from a previous game I ran in 2001. Since the players have not been decided yet, perhaps it is too early to start thinking about writing the submission. Nevertheless, it would be constructive to have a look and familarise yourself with the setting. In this way you may find you may want or need to modify your character. As always, if you have a question, post it, PM it or email it to me. Finally, I would like to say a few words about the game and my position in it. I am the guide, I create the rules and I run the game. As such, its my responsibility to ensure the objectives are fun, interesting and challenging. If there are any deadlocks in the voting, its part of my job to break them. This means I cannot participate in the game. You are the players. This game is made for you. Its success or failure is dependant upon your creativity and enthusiasm. It requires work, quite a lot of work. It also requires goodwill to one another, to help each other out, to give praise where applause is warranted and dish out constructive criticisms when that is necessary. It also means being able to take criticisms (even if you are not going to buy it). This is, in a sense, a fellowship of writers. You are here to learn, to have fun, and to improve your craft. Keep an open mind and a generous heart.

Hmm...why delusional? Are you suggesting that I post like a Newbie? Cos if you are, I'm not sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment. ;)

Bah! I miss my Newbie title. :bawl: And I'm not kidding either! :p Now if there was only a way to reverse time...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sara [/i] [B][size=1]Actually, I was furious when I first heard they were going to do the movies. I was terrifed they were going to mess everything up. [/size] [/B][/QUOTE] Well actually two of my close friends thought they did. And these girls ain't Middle-Earth nut-jobs either. They don't go around speaking Elvish or anything. On the other hand they are lit major graduates....and one of them has a Masters...:blush: Personally, I thought the adaptation to film was pretty good. I preferred the first one over the second tho.

Hi folks, here's my Christmas present to OtakuBoards! :) Are you a serious Role-Player with a penchant for writing? Or a budding author with an interest in Role-Playing? Then this is built for you. A concept game to enliven the imagination and develop your storytelling skills. This is a revolutionary RPG unlike any you have participated in before. To find out more, visit the [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/index.html]Role-Playing Writing[/url] website. As you can see, this game is not for the frivolous or those faint-of-heart. Please look over the site carefully before continuing. If you are still interested then you should read the [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/faq.html]FAQ[/url]. After looking at the [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/faq.html]FAQ[/url], if you would like to register and reserve your spot in this game, you should, AT MINIMUM, provide the following information: Your name - Your real name (preferred) or online name Your character name - It is recommended that you create your character when registering but if you are in a rush, and don't have time, then just the name will do. Your email address - One that you check regularly please!! Location - as in the best place to find you, AIM, ICQ, etc (OTHER than OtakuBoards, but if OtakuBoards is the only place to get you, then you can put that in here). If you feel uncomfortable posting any of the above information publicly, please PM me. Selection criteria will be based on your ability to write and your enthusiasm/commitment to the game. There are 4 places made available for those to whom I have sent a personal invitation. There are 2 places for everyone else. This game does require people to write, and regularly, so I'm not expecting too many expressions of interests. However, the number of places are flexible, up to a maximum of 8, if there is sufficient demand. Player lists, with characters, will be finalised by Monday, 6th of Jan 2003.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by The Harlequin [/i] [B][font=gothic][color=crimson]Now, this is going to offend some people, and if you are one of those people, at least be comforted by the knowledge I haven't started going out of my way to offend you yet. I'm a nihilist, and an eremophile. So really, I don't care either way. The government can do what it likes, as long as it leaves me alone. America can attack Iraq for all I care, they can attack Australia for all I care. Doesn't bother me one way or another. Men created monsters over the millenia, and were afraid of the dark, because if they didn't creature beings to be evil and monsterous for them, they'd have to accept that they personified evil as well as good. Most people use their phantoms to do this. There are people however, who go the other way, and accept the darkness within them. These are the people who like to invade other countries, and discriminate against minorities, and manipulate the masses to their own ends. These are people who can be anything from Hitler, to Bush. Or myself really. I'm just too introverted to direct anything feelings I have outwards. 49th time...[/font][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Now, this may offend you, and if you are offended, at least be comforted by the knowledge I haven't started going out of my way to offend you yet. ;) Your statement is a cop out, and I'll bet you know that. :D No man is an island, esp. not one who lives [i]in[/i] society and enjoys its comforts and security. Not caring is simply not an option.

Well it is from a book, though from that series of books, and not from that century, and in fact, not even originally from that language. ;)

It would be interesting to see if anyone has any idea about where my name comes from, excluding those I've told! ;) And contrary to popular belief I did not one day decide to come up with an impossible name to spell or pronounce. :D

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by The Harlequin [/i] [B][font=gothic][color=crimson]In my experience, school councillors are god damn idiots. All of them. Hell, when I was 9, the year my mother had cancer, I went through 5 of them. Know why they left? They couldn't take dealing with me anymore. I got that in writing, delivered to my father, along with the recommendation, "seek professional help". Now that is god damn ridiculous. I admit, I broke one's nose... he was going on about how God had decided it was best for my mother to die... he was asking for it. But really, these people are meant to be professional help. Or what are they there for? Damn it, it drives me crazy. The one at my current high school isn't that bad... she thinks I'm really in touch with my "dark side"...[/font][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] You do realise of course that school counsellors are not exactly, er...how can I put this....'professional'? ;) I mean there are training courses to become counsellors but many of these courses are pretty short and do not require you to have any formal qualifications, such as a degree with a major in psychology. In fact, as far as I understand it, in the Wonderful Land of Oz, you can become a school counsellor simply by having taken [i]some[/i] psychology courses at university (along with the teaching degree). This often means just first year. Which doesn't really amount to much. They are still better equipped than your average school teacher, but they are by no means 'professional'. However, some school counsellors do have better qualifications than others. I am merely speaking in general terms. As a side note dude, you're probably one of the reasons bright young people shy away from the teaching profession. Imagine having to put up with brats like yourself all day, every day. Imagine having to deal with the same problems from the same type of kids every year. Imagine not being able to wring their little necks no matter what the provocation. Or even to cuss them out. And on top of all of that, imagine the pitiful salary. Ahhh ...teachers. Often romanticized in film and literature, but rarely ever appreciated in real life. :D Of course having said all that, can I just add that many teachers plain suck. At least these days anyway. Since the pay is low, the smart ones rarely end up in the classrooms. Which leads to the question, if the children are our future, why would we accept anything less than the best to teach them?

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#507AAC]Nobody should feel that they'll get in trouble for bringing up a complaint or something.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Well there are other reason for not making a fuss. You get tired. Your voice gets hoarse. And soon enough you realise you no longer care anymore. This isn't another harangue against the 'establishment'. Just a comment to explain to the few that may be wondering why I've not posted as much, either here, or in the Lounge. This also has a flow on effect on my posts in the Fan Fiction/Poetry section. Hmm.... time to get back to my hole.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Rain [/i] [B][color=blue][size=1]Pfft, knowing my luck, you'll totally bypass Perth...[/size][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Nah. That only applies to international touring bands. ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Transtic Nerve [/i] [B]Err right... looks really stupid. Just like those ridiculous movies about cheerleading. What a waste of film. Thats why these type of movies will never win an oscar, they just suck. [/B][/QUOTE] Dude, get off your high horse and walk with the serfs! :D Obviously you haven't seen Bring It On, or if you have you probably didn't get it. Otherwise you wouldn't be going around dissing ALL cheerleading movies. Its like saying none of the surfing movies have any merit. There's plenty of crap out there sure, but then there's stuff like Blue Crush. Its no masterpiece of cinema but it is engaging, energetic and positive. Not a complete contrivance of candy floss as it may at first appear to be.

What do you think of school counsellors? Have you ever used one? Do you ever unload on them? Or do you think they will just spill the beans to your teachers and parents? Do you think they are part of the 'school system'? Or do you consider them separate and independent from the school?? Do you think they help? Have they helped you? I would start except that when I was at school, at my school anyway, we didn't have one. :D

Actually, maths is probably [b]the[/b] most useful subject you will do in school. I know people hate hearing this, and God knows, I've been in enough 'discussions' with apathetic maths students, but really folks, learning to count is kinda essential to modern life. ;) Everything that you do, whether you're going into business, whether you're balancing your bank books, doing your taxes, or just trying to divide up a dinner bill, you need maths. If you plan on doing something even vaguely technical in the future, maths will play a vital role, from engineering to economics, you can't live without it. And if you plan to do any kind of serious coding, you can forget it if you can't do your maths. Half of first year computing at university level is practically all maths. But I suppose everyone knows this already, despite all the b*tching. :D And I agree with Elite. Maths tutoring works. Of course there's only so much a maths tutor can do, the rest is really up to the student. If the kid is not prepared to put in the hard yards, its difficult to make the kind of difference that parents expect.

Rules are necessary because its essential for policy to be written down so that people can reference it if need be. But REFERENCE is the key word. Many people don't read the rules. It would be interesting to see how many of the current active members have actually read through the rules before that started posting. And of those that read the rules many don't read them carefully enough, or forget them before they even reach the end. So I don't think your problem will be alleviated with some 'quiz' or test to verify that future members have actually read the rules. And at the end of the day, really, you don't even need to know the rules, you just need to apply a little common courtesy and sense. That's why most of the rules on Boards are very similar to one another. Stay on topic, no repeat posts, no single word posts, no advertising, etc. There are some variations of course but they are basically the same. If you want to tighten things a little bit there are a couple of things you can do. One, is to keep the rules as short as possible and to the point. When there are too many rules, or the rules are too long, people will skip them, or miss a lot cos they're skimming. The other is, if you have 'specific' forums like Battle Arena or Adventure Arena, then it pays to put up special rules about these forums. And put them IN the forums. The most common thing is to sticky them and lock the thread. Even if these rules are in the General Rules that you see before you sign up, put them in the forums anyway. You might think its redundant, its not. People have a tendency to pay attention to the sticky threads leading forums. These two strategies won't solve all your problems, but they should help. Product is distributed as is, no warranty is provided. :D

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Final Flash [/i] [B]-___________-;; He means he wants a Raincheck for the fact that he made a wrong vote earlier. Even though he's a [b]Moderator[/b] and could [b]easily edit[/b] the poll. :P [/B][/QUOTE] Er... you're pulling my leg right? ;) You DO realise I was trying to be ironic, right? I get the strange feeling that many people don't understand half the things I say half the time on this Board. *melodramatic* Tell me it isn't so, tell me it isn't so! :D Rain: Infinity is a pretty large number you know. In fact its the biggest number around. I mean I guess you could have infinity times infinity but that would just be infinity. So you see, I have mathematically proved that you being any craz[b][i]ier[/b][/i] is simply not possible. :D

Well?? What's your verdict Rain? :) Btw how many anime features have you seen?

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mitch [/i] [B][color=red] *Still wants a rain-check* :p[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Dude, I don't think Rain's in this thing. Though if she were she certainly has my vote. :D

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sara [/i] [B][size=1]James. [strike]Mnemolth[/strike] Mnemolth. [/size] [/B][/QUOTE] Bah! Any sane person by now would realise that James and my name should never, under ANY circumstances, be in the same page let alone the same line, and next to each other to boot! For shame... :D So now I have no choice but to conclude that you are certifiably insane. See? You don't need to go to college to get a piece of paper to hang on your wall. ;) And why is there a strikethrough over my name? Just what are you insinuating by that? ;)

I once bought a friend a book entitled 'The Wit and Wisdom of [his name]'. Of course it was a 'blank' book. :D

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mztik_Gohan10 [/i] [B]I celebrate Ramadan.It's a Muslim holiday wher you fast for 30 days. What you do is wake up before sunrise.Eat as much as you want.Then you don't eat for another 12-24 hours.It shows us how poor people live. [/B][/QUOTE] Well I'm not a Muslim, but I thought the fasting was meant to purify the soul. And the fasting is for daylight only. So the time of fasting depends on where you are in the world. In some places during Ramadan fasting each day can be longer than other places. You can only eat before sunrise and after sunset, which means it is usually less than 12 hrs. Not trying to be a smart-a**, just trying to clear some things up. :D

Well, this IS the season to be merry. So naturally many people are sad. Psychologists and counsellors love to tell its this disorder or another, but really, its just living. Xmas and New Year is a time to be spent with love ones, friends and family. Well, what if you don't have any friends? What if you don't like your family? See the problem? That's all it is. What many people don't understand is that families fight. Its no big deal, unless you make it a big deal. We get on each other's nerves. That's to be expected. It doesn't mean we don't love each other, or that, to phrase another shrink term, we're 'dysfunctional'. But yes, the festive season does bring out yearning for love and affection, for belonging, and for many in this world today, and for many on these Boards, things are not as well as we feel they should be. So naturally some of us are bound to be hurting a little bit more than usual around this time of year. The season reminds us of what we want and what we do not have. Of course it should also remind us of who we are, and celebrate what we do have. But unfortunately, we tend to miss that bit. :D