The Herald: April 2008 Edition

[The Herald]

Well, well, well. As I'm sure you've all noticed the April edition is about 2-3 days late. As much as I'd like to say that isn't my fault, it rightfully is mostly. Between work, school and my internet going down for 2-3 days right when I was working on everything, I failed to publish everything on time. Granted a lot of writers had a tough month and were forced to back out of articles. This month isn't as fulfilling, but it's good nonetheless.

Please take the time to read through thoroughly, and if you spot any mistakes, feel free to send me a PM. I honestly probably missed a few here and there. After all, I'm not perfect, no one is.

A big thanks to Gray and Lamaenic for covering a lot of the articles, and Gray for helping with the editing. Also, thanks to Kari/Emma for the cover image help.

Now, I'm off to get ready for work while you guys have fun. Enjoy April's edition, and let's make May's a bigger and better edition.

[The Herald]

This month Avtar has won our MotM award. Avtar has dedicated a lot of time to SSD over the years, and with his recent return, he has shown just what a valuable member of staff he is.

In charge of "Chillout" Avtar is always contributing to topics and posting his own, with a bright and vibrant attitude and never a bad word to say about anyone.

Please congratulate Avtar on a well deserved feature.

<sub>On a sad note, can you ensure that you pm the author of this article should you have a problem with the choice for MotM. The person chosen for this award should not be made to feel inadequate just because *you* feel they were not deserving of it. Remember, the MotM choice did not ask for this and so any issues should be raised with the person who chose them in *private*, not all over the forum.

Thank you</sub>





April. A month full of jokes, pranks, gags, and birthdays? Yes, three of our lovely members celebrate their birth during this month.

* Dalton on the 2^nd
* Pandora on the 5^th
* CarMichael also on the 5^th

Perhaps you have a birthday in April yet it's not mentioned above? Next time be sure to post in the thread located in the Herald board every month. If the thread is missing, please PM me with a notice and I'll get it up right away.

Thanks! And have a wonderful birthday month, you guys.





This month Kai wins photograph of the month with his photo, Against. The colors are vibrant and just look spectacular together. Although there's some excess space at the top, there's still enough of the colors to pull in attention and keep hold of it.

Congratulations, Kai! Your photography is really improving, and it shows tremendously. Keep up the great work.

[The Herald]

V for Virtuoso rocks out as the winning contestant of April's avatar of the month, sporting two furry little creatures from one of the most godforsaken animes ever created: Hamtaro. There's nothing more disturbing than the opening title sequence of the show, as it leaves viewers feeling sparkling, Technicolor rainbows inside of their hearts, inevitably forcing us to retch in disgust of its infinite cute factor.

However, those undeniable facts aside, Virtuoso's avatar makes us forget about Mephistopheles for a second, and instead we are presented with a lovely satirical screencap of Hamtaro standing in shock after Ribon/Bijou had embraced him with the truth about sex. V is also for vagina, you know.

.zevered- aka Aphotic aka Matt aka Kool Kakes R 4 Kids claims the honor of April's signature of the month, representing Davey and Goliath in top digital form. Oh, Davey! Somehow, though, it makes me crave to see a Moral Orel cameo duke it out with Mr. Davey in a gory, crudely animated battle to the bloody death. May the best claymation figure win. May it win well.





PSD 21 by Blanka is a great resource. A full .psd file showing everything he used to make this template concept.

Blanka has set this up so that you can learn not only how he made it, but the processes he went through as the .psd is clearly labeled and separated out into colours and folders.

There are ideas on how to use lighting in your work, different patterns and textures as well as layer styles. Use the layers, swap items around even use what you've learned in your other images. Everything is possible with this type of resource.





It's good to see more and more images being put up around the forum this month. Really, you guys did great! I'd like to congratulate Assassinator on a fabulous win, he raked it in with his first piece he's posted in a while!

Please give it up for his piece, Kvetch.

_{^^Click above for full size image^^}

It was a marvelous piece, that could even qualify as a C4D. I can't find any flaws to critique you on, so kudos to you!!!


Our first runner up is Sniperjrd, with his piece for the SSD Worm, I know no Aphorisms!

This is a great addition to the worm, and is a refreshing uptake on joining! I'd recommend freshening up on the sub text so that it stands out more, but other than that, it is a great piece!


That's the bunch for this month, I hope you agree with these guys!

<sub>On a side note, if you disagree with my choices, don't call me out, please send me a pm and notify me.

This month there was only one runner up. I couldn't find enough winners with signature sizes above 400x400.</sub>

[The Herald]

Had a very nice time looking through the Lit board. Don't normally venture in there. When I read Kai's piece, I was impressed. The writing definitely caught my attention. Excellent intricate detail and the wording flows together very smoothly except for a few minor grammatical errors. Poem tells a great story. I adore this line:

Burning underneath my flesh is the flames of passion

Overall, superb work. You are becoming very talented Kai!

The Painting of Words

The seeds of love, quietly and silently they creep
Into my heart's vault, unlocking without keys
Your presence was the sun rays, your words the water
Took root they did, strong and full of will

Blossoming into the immortal amaranth
Still I hid them away, away from the eyes of the crowd
Uncertainty clouded my judgement and sense
I struggled to find my way through the day

Miss was the word most prominent
In love poems they say
And I can't help but agree
For longing is my only crime

You are the abnormality
The singular faux pas I never came to expect
I arrived and walked through the crossroads of hearts
And now I'm jailed, in this cage of aching

The mind works in mysterious ways
And the heart even more so secretive
You took my heart without my knowing
Now you threw the keys away

Burning underneath my flesh is the flames of passion
Yet I hesitate, not knowing what to expect
I've once ventured into the heart of another
And since returned a defeated soul

The story behind my painting of words
All my untold tales of loss
All the uncertainty of my feelings
All the unknown of the futures






Lamaenic: *sorry couldn't resist xDDD*
Pandora: You know that little voice that tells you "It's a bad idea to post this"? Find yourself one of those little voices. You'll find them in the yellow pages under "Conscience".

[x]

Avtar: I have updates.

Eternity just got in touch with Bill Gates. He said he'll be sending down the Microsoft Web Development team to help with the programming of the forum. Of course, Bill Gates did this as a personal favour, which means it's free of cost for Eternity after she spent so much of her time developing the graphics for Windows Vista. What? You didn't know? Yes, the SSD team was involved in the development of the graphics for Windows Vista. Now you have your answers for why they've been so busy for so long and everything.

But now there's a problem. Steve Jobs has stepped in. He said he'll be willing to help out with the development of Version 6, and give free iPods to the staff of SSD if they let him in and place a tiny text link to Apple.com at the bottom of every page on SSD. So as you can definitely see, Oli and the rest are in a bit of a fix about who to give the project to. Bill Gates counter-attacked saying he'd give everyone free copies of Windows Vista (which the staff got for doing the graphics) but he said he'd give it to the best 25 members of the forum as well.

To add to the controversy, Adobe has expressed interest as well, saying they'll recruit the staff for jobs when they're ready for them. So as you can see, it's difficult, version 6 will take time. They have tons of things to decide.

[x]

Artos: I like you. You will live when the end comes.

[x]

Artos: You must not know who I am or what I do.
Dalton: I'm newer to the program, all I know is you are Lord Artos and are superior to every human being (and some of the chimps) that roam this forum.

[x]

Eternity: Position: Global Moderator, Herald Staff, Art Group
Urban.Cinderella: Not that I mind you sub-consciously making yourself submissive to my eminence, but I'm pretty sure I promoted you recently.

[x]

The Baron: Atheist, I've yet to see any evidence of a God or higher being.
Carson: *ahem*

[x]

Carson: Theres been so much Bandwagon jumping in the punk scene lately that it makes me want to go right wing.

Green day: 'we can't be as eloquent or well informed as Bad Religion, or as angry as Black Flag, but you know we might as well just play our instruments (poorly) and parrot (poorly) what we think is the right message cause most of our target audience is 14 and won't notice anyway.'

[x]

Gray + Obsidian : Can you give me $600?

Sure =)

Please?

Yep!

Why not?

Now I’m not. I already said I would yet you kept questioning me. Sux for you

[x]

Zevered: Sup Brah.
Virtuoso: Up Bra.
deific: u br
Avtar: b - ZOMG PROGRESSION!

Urban.Cinderella: I think she's hitting on you, Nathan. She wants to get in your purple pants.
Or rip them right off your body.
Nathan: I always thought it was strange that Banner's pants were the only piece of clothing that wouldn't get shredded during transformation, but I guess it just takes a special kind of lady to accomplish that feat.

[x]

Obsidian: 2) B*st*rds who keep moaning about global warming. It's normal. We didn't do it. It's a scam.
The Baron: Yeah, those scientists do love a good scam.

[x]

Carson: Why do I never get to do the Ask Me Anything?
How can a believe in a democratic society be justified by the truism that a mob is only as intelligent as its least intelligent member?
The Baron:
Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that a mob is only as intelligent as its most convincing member?

[x]

Virtuoso: wowowowowowowoowowowwo,
did you donate your hair or something? To wherever they donate it? -_- Do they even donate it?
The Baron: The hair will be used to smother cancer patients, thus ending their pain. God bless.

[x]

Ni Hi Lity: Wow.
Just, wow.
I am so ridiculously depressed for the future of America right now.
If this dumb cunt is going for teen usa and wins this shit, America's collective IQ will drop a full 100 points.
I love the iraq such as.
EDIT: But I can't wait to show this to people now... Wooo!
Vintage: and yet you mange with such grace to successfully lower your own IQ by summing America (Americans) up by one girl, least to mention using the C-word ;D

Love to see that biased people do still exist

[x]

Criminal Mastermind: I lived for about half a year without internet. I used it occasionally but not much. I just watched lots of south park, played pro evo 6 and got stoned (all simultaneously) to fill the gap.

[x]

An eye for an eye makes us all blind. -Mahatma Gandhi

If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else. -Yogi Berra

If you are going through hell, keep going. -Winston Churchill

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction. -Albert Einstein

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. -Mark Twain

Speak when you are angry--and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret. -Laurence J Peter

To profit from good advice requires more wisdom than to give it. - John Churton Collins

True friends are the people that are there for you unconditionally. They are the people that never question you and support you no matter what the circumstances are. They are the people worth living for. -Unknown

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing. -Thomas Edison

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. -Unknown

The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase; if you pursue happiness you'll never find it. -C P Snow

Of all noises, I think music is the least disagreeable -Dr Samuel Johnson

SPOILERS . . .

This was a chilling movie. When I saw this motion picture, I was completely spooked. Let me tell you, they don't save any sympathy on censoring blood and gore.

Well, we begin our copper tasting venture with Sweeney (Johnny Depp) departing from a ship in England. He's been exiled for thirteen years and is now returning. He takes up shop above the meat pie seller, Ms. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), and has a rousing chat with her.

We find out why this guy was exiled. Some nutty judge in town (Alan Rickman) takes a liking to his wife and child and decides he wants her. The previously known Benjamin Barker is exiled from Fleet Street, and is never heard from again.

Then Sweeney starts his murderous ascent after killing a rival barber who tries to blackmail him. He decides that his time for revenge has come, and is ready to risk it all to kill anyone who had a hand in his exile . . . . Even apparent friends . . .

I have to say, this movie had some satisfying plot twists, with a demented but appealing ending. The utter Iambic Pentameter that comes with the climax after he kills his wife is just . . . breathtaking.

All in all, I'd give this movie two thumbs up; I don't think I can ever forget Sweeney's face at the end . . . The music in this is just fabulous, and Director Tim Burton creates a realistic environment beyond any other with the stunning special effects and lighting. I highly recommend you see this movie.

[The Herald]

Is it true that you're buying me a new drum stool for my birthday?
-Alan

No. Vicious rumor.

Why does my father smell of elderberries?
-eternity

I dunno; an African swallow told me so.

If I had a pet "iowerj9fnu1305r1398fvfur4" what would you name him/her?
-gray929

I get an image of a polar bear...
so Iofur.

Do you wear cabbage hats?
-Vintage
No, I prefer lettuce.
Cue cheesy drum.

Do you eat your toenails?
-Vintage

No, I take my vitamin supplements instead.

Is it true that pinstripes really don't make you look skinnier?
-Dalton

Yes; it's just what fashion designers tell you so that you'll stop wearing the same pair of dress slacks and invest in a new pair.

Do you remember what kind of rodent me mom was?
-Dalton

Yes; a hamster.
Monty Python. <3

Would you name your child Aaron Aaaaaacklemeyer just so that he would be first in the phone book?
-Knighty

No, I would let you have that honor.
Then I could name my child Aaabeforeknighty'son Aaaaaacklemeyer.

What programs can I use to make good quality animations?
-Obsidian

Imageready and a pencil?

What's your favorite smiley?
-Obsidian

Howdareyouask.

How far is it from sea level to the center of the earth?
-Obsidian

However far the last scientist dug.

Want a soda?
-Avtar

No thanks, I'm watching my carbs.

What would you give me if I sent you a Mars Delight?
-eternity

My soul.
Or something worth a bit more.
Like $5.

When with v7 be released?
-Criminal Mastermind

The next time I'm in edinburgh...
and you're actually there.

At exactly 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time a train leaves its station in California bound for New York. Simultaneously a train from New York pulls out and heads for California. If the train heading for New York travels at an average rate of 100 mph, and the other one moves along at 90 mph, what is the color of the woman's blouse sitting directly behind the conductor?
-Awesome Andrew

If it's from New York, it's white with an obnoxious red heart in the middle.
If it's the one from California, she's not wearing one.

What shows are you currently watching on TV?
-Gray

I actually don't have one in my dorm room... some attempt to focus on schoolwork more... but when I watch things online, I watch House.

Why did my SSD smilie die?
-Knighty

Because your mother is fat.

Are people running out of good questions?
-Lawrie

No; You're just posting less.

Why am I so ridiculously intelligent?
-Lawrie

Something has to make up for those looks.

Why does the new wave of American ska suck compared to original ska?
-Lawrie

Because it's getting popular to the point that people like me have actually heard of ska... which naturally means it's been corrupted.

Why do you get to do the Ask Me Anything?
-Lawrie

I'm prettier.

Why, when you do it, do people evidently don't ask the questions they really would want to?
-Lawrie

... huh?

Has the earth gone crazy?
-Detective Stoner

No, it's just going through menapause. Hot flashes and all.

Why do we have time change if it causes more energy?
-Detective Stoner

To make Americans work out. You know; changing the clocks. It's about the same motion as changing the channel, but it helps.

Are you trusted?
-Detective Stoner

By some people.

What were you doing on a plane during our official chat?
-Gray929

Sitting and enjoying some "gourmet" pretzals.

What is your favorite fruit?
-Jon

Pineapples and bananas.

Why does Knighty think my mother is fat?
-Jon

Because when she goes to a restaurant, she looks at the menu and just says "Yes."
Nyuck.

Isn't this a flagrant abuse of your power, claiming the ask me anything article for yourself?
-Jon

Very, very flagrant.

Why do I never get to do the Ask Me Anything?
-Lawrie

Because no one wants to ask you anything.

How can a believe in a democratic society be justified by the truism that a mob is only as intelligent as its least intelligent member?
-Lawrie

It can't be; so most people actually form republics and fund public education for the right to put "democratic" in front of it.

Top bunk or bottom bunk?
-epic

That sounds sexual.

Bread with crust or without?
-epic

This also sounds sexual.

Make up or no make up?
-epic

I'm not into drag queens.

Heels or trainers?
-epic

If I had to choose, I'd pick a makeup les.

Jeans or skirt/dress?
-epic

Really, once your mind gets into that place, it's hard to get back out.
... which ALSO could be taken dirty.

Contacts or glasses?
-epic

I wear glasses.

Short hair or long hair?
-epic

Short hair guys, long hair girls.

Cute guys or fun guys?
-epic

Fun; looks fade and the "hot guy" personality is a major turn off.

Hang out with Lawrie, or hang out with Stuart?
-epic

When I hang out with one, I tend to run into the other.

Whom ever you just chose, or Sean?
-epic

Never met Sean... could be fun. Break into "gardens" and all that...

Whom ever you just chose, or me?
-epic

Attention whore.

Pub or restaurant?
-epic

Restaurant. Yay food.

Beer or wine?
-epic

Whiskey.

Fried food or baked food?
-epic

Baked.

[The Herald]

April Fool's Day. April Fool's Day. Do any of us really know what this day is truly about? I know I didn’t. This simple lack of knowledge prompted me to do a little research. Boy, was it fun.

How about this? Did you know April Fool’s Day is also often referred to as All Fool’s Day? Bet you didn’t know THAT!

Anyway, the origins of this day really are unknown. Nobody really knows for certain how it came about. It’s often said that this day was used as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons. Other sources have cited that it was created because of the use of a new calendar.

Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University, offers the explanation that the practice of April Fool’s Day began during the time of Constantine. His explanation goes on to say that a group of court jesters and fools told the emperor that they could do a better job at running the empire. Amused, Constantine allowed a jester, Kugel, to run the empire for a day. Kugel created an edit calling for absurdity on this day, and from then, it became a common practice.

April Fool’s Day is observed pretty much everywhere in the Western world. The French have a special name for this day: Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish.

But what do some people do on this day? Oh, there’s so much one can do to another. Fool’s errands, pranks, and trying to get people to do silly things without them realizing it are all common practices. Here’s a list of fun things to pull on people:

• Place some milk in a cardboard container and add some red food coloring. Have some fun with people.
  
• Buy a package of gummy worms and put some holes into an apple or similar fruit. Push the worms through the holes and give them to some friends.
  
• If you live in a place that has a sprayer on the sink, turn the water off, place a rubber band around the handle of the sprayer, and watch as the next unsuspecting person turns the water on.
  
• If you and your family are eating dinner, switch the salt in the salt shaker with sugar. Just hope somebody needs some extra salt on their food.
  
• Place an empty balloon at the end of the tailpipe of a car. When the driver turns the car on, the balloon will pop, sounding like a tire popped!
  

Just don't go and get people mad at you! Have fun and remember, be safe!


Sources:
- www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html
- www.kidzworld.com/article/1939-april-fools-practical-jokes-and-pranks

[The Herald]

To start off, I chose this article because it has a meaning in my life of some sort. No, I’m not an alcoholic. Yes, I do drink every so often. My family’s history with alcoholism is what prompted me to base my Senior Project around it, and take on this article.

April is Alcohol Awareness month.

A common misconception is that most alcohol abuse is involving teenagers. That’s simply not the case. Whereas underage teens do drink, it’s also more common for binge drinking from college students. There are a number of pregnant woman that drink and put their unborn child at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome.

Professionals who go home and have a glass of wine, and even Senior Citizens who drink out of loneliness. Most people around the world turn a blind eye to them because their of age. However, just because someone’s of age, doesn’t make it right for them to abuse alcohol the way they’ve been doing for numerous years now.

One of the toughest acts that any alcoholic has to go through is admitting they need help. A number of individuals don’t, which is what keeps them in the flow of their actions. Those that do step forward, get help, and stay sober; they’re going to live a longer, healthier life.

When you’re going through this month, remember two things. If you choose to drink, do so in moderation, never drive drunk, and try not to overdo it. Also, if you’re an alcoholic, more than likely you know it, you’re just having a hard time asking for help and getting that help in confidentiality.

[The Herald]

National Poetry Month is an enormous celebration of poetry that lasts for a month long, established by the Academy of American Poets. Meant to raise attention to poetry, poets, and even our own poetic heritage, National Poetry Month has fluctuated into the largest literary celebration held worldwide.

_{Facts cited from Poets.org}[/sub][/size]

As said earlier, the Academy of American Poets created this beautiful month-long “holiday”. In April of 1996, the first National Poetry Month was held, and it has been held every April since. This enormous contribution to the literary universe has inspired major world organizations to take part, and many sponsors, publishers, and educational leaders have been eager to help.

April was chosen for National Poetry Month because; The Academy of American Poets wanted a month where schools and students could participate fully in the fun. Since February is Black History and March is Women’s History Month, the Academy decided that April was the best choice. Unfortunately and slightly ironically, April has had its scorn in the past, such as T.S. Eliot’s famous line, “April is the cruelest month.”

There are a variety of goals associated with National Poetry Month, chief of which are:
_{Facts cited from Poets.org}[/sub][/size]

• Highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets
  
• Introduce more Americans to the pleasures of reading poetry
  
• Make poetry a more important part of the school curriculum

[/center]
Other goals ensue, but these are most prevalent and the Academy has no doubts about their success. But one way to ensure success is to throw a good party.

_____________________________________________________

GET YOUR POET ON.

^A girl at Liberty High School reads a poem to her peers^


^A girl at Liberty High School reads a poem to her peers^

^Students sing songs and read their music^


^Bake sales and contests are held during Teen Read Week^

In small town Liberty of South Carolina, Liberty High School celebrates “Teen Read Week”, a sort of prelude to National Poetry month. Snacks and entertainment are given, and students come for the food, but stay for the literature! I had the opportunity to sit down with Liberty High School Media Specialist Mrs. Yvonne Mayo and talk with her about Teen Read week, and how it all goes down.

What do you think is most rewarding about Teen Read Week?

Having students come to the Library, who otherwise might not be interested in the whole "book scene", often they'll hear others talking about books and it will pique an interest in something they might enjoy reading.

How do the students react around this type of literary environment?

At first they are excited about the food, but they find that the Library is a cool place to hang out.

Exactly what do you do during Teen Read Week?

We're promoting the Media Center as a source of entertainment and education, such as holding our "Read a Latte Cafe", with biscuits and baked goods, and coffee drinks, we have the "Poetry Cafe" during lunch, where students can showcase original pieces, we have trivia contests, and this past year we even showed silent comedy movies (Mr. Bean, Three Stooges, etc.) during the day to reinforce the " LoL @ your Library" theme.
___________________________________________________

The Academy does some of the same things, but on a larger scale. Publicity is a major role in National Poetry Month, and they try to get out the message in the best way they can.

To support National Poetry Month, you can do a couple of things:
You could donate money for the cause, or you could attend several events. National Poetry Month events are non-profit and welcome anyone and everyone to attend.

So this month let's try and show our works off, and have a baby boom of poetry in the Literature section!

[The Herald]

Earth Day is the 22nd

What is Earth Day? Earth Day is held in many countries every year on April 22nd. The day is intended to encourage awareness of and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by former senator Gaylord Nelson.

The very first Earth day was held on April 22nd 1970, but the idea for it evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling Mr Nelson that the state of America's environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. In November 1962, he came up with an idea, an idea to put the environmental issue into the political limelight. The plan was to persuade President Kennedy to highlight this issue by going on a national conservation tour. He flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with attorney general Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea and so did the President. The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the start of the idea that ultimately became Earth Day.

Mr. Nelson continued to speak about environmental issues to a variety of audiences in some twenty-five states. All across the country evidence of environmental decline was appearing everywhere, and numerous people noticed except the government. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not. Six years passed before the idea of Earth Day finally occurred to Mr Nelson in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam war demonstrations called "teach-ins," had spread to college campuses throughout the nation. Suddenly, the idea arisen ''why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?.''

At a conference in Seattle in September 1969, Nelson announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and everybody was invited to partake. The wire services carried the story from coast to coast, the response was huge. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a way in which to express its concern about what was happening to the environment, and they did so with fantastic vigour.

Five months before Earth Day, in November 30, 1969, The New York Times carried a lengthy article by Gladwin Hill reporting on the amazing rise of environmental events. It was obvious that Earth Day was headed for a spectacular success. Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at grassroots level. They had neither the time nor the resources to organize twenty million demonstrators, and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. The remarkable thing about Earth Day is it organized itself.

"...on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most
remarkable happenings in the history of democracy..."
-American Heritage Magazine, October 1993

The impact on the nation was tremendous. Environmental organizations blossomed and the membership ranks of established conservation groups grew. The United States image Congress, spurred on by the earlier passage of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, passed the image Clean Air Act amendments and the Clean Water Act revisions. By the end of 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency was created.

Getting involved in Earth Day 2008

Green Apple Festival-
The third annual Green Apple Festival will be held from April 20 to April22 in eight major cities across the U.S. including New York City at Central Park, Chicago at the Lincoln Park Zoo, San Francisco at Golden Gate Park and Washington DC at The National Mall. Approximately half a million people are expected to attend the free public events.

Project Switch-
This project is simple, save energy by switching inefficient incandescent light bulbs to energy saving bulbs such as a compact fluorescent lamp or CFL. Compared to standard incandescent lamps of the same luminous power, CFLs use less energy and have a longer life.

Volunteer Center- The earthdaynetwork is looking for volunteers who are ''concerned about the environment but don’t know how to get involved? Would you like to work with other people who share the same environmental ideals as yourself? Do you want to help increase environmental awareness within your community?'' Volunteer Center

[The Herald]

April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
Bin gar keine Russin, stamm' aus Litauen, echt deutsch.
And when we were children, staying at the arch-duke's,
My cousin's, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightened. He said, Marie,
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went.
In the mountains, there you feel free.
I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter.

What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.

Frisch weht der Wind
Der Heimat zu
Mein Irisch Kind
Wo weilest du?

'You gave me hyacinths first a year ago;
'They called me the hyacinth girl.'
-Yet when we came back, late, from the hyacinth garden,
Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not
Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,
Looking into the heart of light, the silence.
Oed' und leer das Meer.

Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless
Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe,
With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she,
Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor,
(Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!)
Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks,
The lady of situations.
Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel,
And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card,
Which is blank, is something he carries on his back,
Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find
The Hanged Man. Fear death by water.
I see crowds of people, walking round in a ring.
Thank you. If you see dear Mrs. Equitone,
Tell her I bring the horoscope myself:
One must be so careful these days.

Unreal City,
Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many ,
I had not thought death had undone so many.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.
Flowed up the hill and down King William Street,
To where Saint Mary Woolnoth kept the hours
With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.
There I saw one I knew, and stopped him, crying: 'Stetson!
'You who were with me in the ships at Mylae!
'That corpse you planted last year in your garden,
'Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?
'Or has the sudden frost disturbed its bed?
'O keep the Dog far hence, that's friend to men,
'Or with his nails he'll dig it up again!
'You! Hypocrite lecteur!-mon semblable,-mon frere!'

-T.S. Eliot[/center]

In his famous poem "The Wasteland", T.S. Eliot refers to April as the cruelest month. Why is this? Many reasons can be drawn from this statement, but don't we see April as a time of rejoice? The day Jesus rose from the dead was in April, after all. Then there is the promise of spring, everything seems to look up! So why cruel? Would the raging thunderstorms, followed by the beautiful weather, only to be swept away by snow or floods be cause for such an accusation?

From a bystander's point of view, April is a month of great religious significance, while at the same time it holds the great promise of several happy times. But oddly, these times never come. April holds the promise of spring, but does the beauty of spring arrive in April, or does it do justice to the old phrase-

"April showers bring May flowers."

One question that an individual must ask themselves is whether April holds any actual joy at all! One must ponder whether April has had many tragic moments, however. They would not be disappointed.

April 19, 1993 - Waco Tragedy

The 51-day Branch Davidian standoff, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire Arms and Explosives, in Waco, Texas ends in the fiery death of approximately 76 people, including 27 children

April 19, 1995 - Oklahoma City Bombing

The deadly bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, a government building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma took place killing 168 people and injuring over 800 more.

April 20, 1999 - Columbine School Shooting

Two deranged students stalk classmates and teachers killing twelve students and one teacher before killing themselves at the Columbine High School in Colorado.

April 16, 2007 - VA Tech Massacre

Crazed lunatic kills two students in the early hours of the morning and then goes across the campus of VA Tech to kill 30 more students and wound nearly 30 more. Then kills himself.

The month of April is a beast, and it is on a bloody rampage. If this is the price of a resurrected savior, I think we want our money back. So obviously, T.S. Eliot's reference was inaccurate. April isn't the cruelest month, it is the evilest one.

[The Herald]

What is autism? For those of you who don't know, it is a developmental disability that usually appears during the first three years of life. It affects the normal functioning of the brain, and can seriously affect communication skills both verbal and non-verbal. There are also a variety of problems that are associated with this disability other than communication, such as social interactions or even daily activity. These seem simple to you, yet are a daily struggle for people affected with this disability.

Autism has some distinct and defining behaviors, but autistic children are very different indeed. For example, I'd like you to consider SSD's own Dalton. He is autistic, but has an IQ of 169. His eight year old brother is autistic and has regressed to the age of one year of age. These are completely different personalities, but both individuals have autism. So how do you tell if someone is autistic? Though you may not be able if people such as Dalton have this disability, there are still certain characteristics that you can pick up on. So I'll give you a few of those signs.

[/url].[/sub][/size]
[li]Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
[/li][li]Difficulty in expressing needs, using gestures or pointing instead of words
[/li][li]Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
[/li][li]Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
[/li][li]Preference to being alone; aloof manner
[/li][li]Tantrums[/li][/ul][/i]


Asperger's Syndrome
"High-functioning" autism. Individuals with this branch have an extremely significant absense of some of the symptoms; some don't even have language delays. I bring you back to Dalton, who in fact has Asperger's Disorder. To quote the Autism Society of America, To the untrained observer, a child with Asperger's Disorder may just seem like a normal child behaving differently. Individuals with Asperger's Disorder usually want to fit in and have interaction with others; they simply don't know how to do it. They may be socially awkward, not understanding of conventional social rules, or may show lack of empathy. They may have limited eye contact, seem to be unengaged in a conversation, and not understand the use of gestures.

I pieced together an interview with a person who has the disability to give us a better understanding. Guesss who? That's right, Dalton.
____________________________________________________________________
Well, before we start, do you give me permission to use your first and last name in this interview?

Obviously Jamie.


Incidentally, what is your first and last name?

Dalton Matheson
Where do you live?
Liberty, South Carolina


At what age were you diagnosed with Autism?
With Asperger's Disorder?
At age 8.

Could you tell me how you are able to communicate so well with society today, unlike alot of Asperger's individuals?
I am able to communicate as well as I do because of my mothers rigorous social training over the years, My face to face skills with unfamiliar people are still very limited though.

Do you sport many Autistic characteristics?
Like most Autistic people I have intense narrow areas of focus. Mine would come up to Programming and Video games. I am very gifted in both of those things. I beat The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past at 3 years of age. I wrote my first C++ program at 11.

I also have hypersensitivity in my senses of hearing and smell.

And I have severe OCD... Which is common among most people with Asperger's.

Have you ever interacted with other Autistic people?
Well other than my Brother I have only ever met two others in person. I go to school with both of them. One of them is very very similar to me, we get along great.

Tell me what life is like living with your polar opposite, your little brother.
One Word, Interesting.

In what ways would you say that you and [Matthew] are similar, and different?
Matthew and I are both very picky about what we eat, we also do not like loud noises or that evil water that falls from the sky.

As far as we are different. Its a completely different spectrum, he is incapable of speech and is at the mind of a 12 month old.

Do you think it's obvious that you are Autistic?
If you know me very well it is quite obvious. Some perceptive people who meet me for the first time can pick it up though.

Do you think your Autism lets you get away with things in daily life? You have asked me that question relentlessly for years. Sometimes I get to do things other students at school do not get to do, yes. Only because it helps me get through the school day easier and with less stress.



Is there something that you think would be interesting to add about your Autism?
Well I would like to correct a common misconception that people have.
Some of you whom are studious may have read articles in the past by very highly respected Psychologists and Psychiatrists saying people with Asperger's Syndrome are completely incapable of Love and Empathy. In my experience they are wrong.

I and anyone whom I have met with the disorder comprehends love and loves many people. We come to the problem of how to express it. I read that some Aspergers are overly physical affectionate (Im the polar opposite.) and others are very..uhh.. Linguistically affectionate. But nonetheless we understand love.

Empathy is something we lack in a sense. To empathize you have to be able to think abstractly and use "Theory of Mind" which is the key disability of Asperger's. So in a sense we all have a complete lack of empathy. But in one sense I have empathy, It hurts me and breaks my heart to see the people I love hurt in any way. I may not understand their pain but seeing their pain hurts me.

I'd like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I have one last question for you. Do you think that being Autistic will hold you down in life at all? You are quite welcome Jamie, I am sorry I have been so long winded. I do not believe it will hold me down, I have an excellent support system with me and they will help me.
____________________________________________________________________

So we want to try and make April all about Autism Awareness! Saluting those with Autism, take a look at some of the facts below.
As of April 20, 2007, cited www.associatedcontent.com/article/212541/autism_staggering_statistics.html

• Autism is four times more likely to appear in males than females.
  
• Women pass on the Autism gene, not men.
  
• 1 in 166 children are autistic.
  
• 1 in 104 males are autistic.
  
• 67 children are diagnosed daily!
  
• More kids will be diagnosed this year than AIDs, cancer, and diabetes combined!

Let's focus on letting people know about this disability and help doctors treat it faster and more efficiently.

[The Herald]

Emphasis

Emphasis can make a big difference in any paper that you have written. With emphasis we can exert our thoughts directly at the audience, and they can feel the power of our paper and sense the message the story is conveying. But, surprisingly enough, it isn't all about italics. Word choice makes a big impact on emphasis. Take this, as an example.

No Emphasis

So then I saw this big firecracker just laying on the ground. I thought, cool, and I picked it up. I lit it on fire and oohed as it popped in the sky with neat colors. It was cool.


Though it was hard for me to come up with such a bland sentence, some people do it effortlessly. With a little emphasis, this could be a bit more exciting than it already is!

Emphasis!

And then, I saw this huge firecracker on the ground. It was just laying there! Cool! I thought, and picked it up. I lit the fuse, and I couldn't help but gasp as it made its multi-colored ascent into the night sky! It was great!

A little more enthusiastic than one would like, but it gets the point across. Double checking to ensure you have included emphasis in your paper wins any writing contest, and can cross any bridge. Incorporate it into your every day life, and utilize its capabilities with the rest of the world! Tune in next month for some dialogue!

[The Herald]

Around the World

• The most populated city in the world is Shanghai in China.
  
• In Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, it is customary for the streets to be blocked off on Christmas eve so that the people can roller skate to church.
  
• The longest official city name in the world is: Krungthep Mahanakhon Amorn Rattanakosin Mahintara Yudthaya Mahadilok Pohp Noparat Rajathanee Bureerom Udomrajniwes Mahasatarn Amorn Pimarn Avaltarnsatit Sakatattiya Visanukram Prasit. It is the official name of Bangkok, Thailand.
  
• In Chester, England, you can only legally shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow inside the city walls and after midnight.
  
• A building in Belgium was taxed if there was a street light on it...unless a statue of the Virgin Mary were placed above it. Hence, there are no buildings in the city without a statue of the Virgin Mary.
  

Humans

• The human brain is 80% water.
  
• Your right lung takes in more air than your left one does.
  
• Children are more allergic to cockroaches than they are to cats.
  
• The human spinal cord is 45 cm long in men and 43 cm long in women.
  
• If you are right handed you tend to chew on the right hand side of your mouth and if you are left handed you tend to chew on the left hand side of your mouth.
  

Animals

• Goldfish lose their color if they are kept in a dark or with a bad lightning place.
  
• Crocodiles can’t stick out their tongue.
  
• Armadillos are able to contract leprosy.
  
• Crocodiles swallow stones to help them dive deeper.
  
• Koala bears have finger prints that are almost identical to ours.
  

[The Herald]

Name: CarMichael (Carmen)
Age: 21 (22 on April 5th)
Location: NJ, USA
Website/Gallery: N/A

First off, what made you join SSD? Was it knowing you would be able to spend time with me? Or were there other factors?
Well it was definitely because of you Gray, I mean without you in my life I have no use for living! Honestly though I have always browsed SSD and many have talked about its history in the design world so I finally gave in and joined!

How has your stay been so far? Meet anyone? Have a favorite thing about this forum yet?
The Herald has some good articles and is put together very well. I also just like watching the shows in the General Chat board. I have met a few people and have seen a lot of familiar faces such as you, Kay and Eternity. Let's just say I have learned to stay clear of the serious threads because the members here are some good debaters!

Lets get to know you a bit and where you are coming from. What grade/year are you currently in at school, and what are you majoring in?
I graduate in may with a degree is Business Science as a Marketing Major. It's been a long feat going to school full time and working full time. In September I am going for my Masters in Business Administration, wish me luck!

You and your friends have your house to yourself. Would you throw an "open house" party? Or, play it safe.
Anyone that knows me knows that I play it safe, I always have. Sometimes I wish I would risk more but is it really worth it? Sure let's throw a kegger and get drunk but when it's all said and done what have you gained? Nothing, a hangover maybe but you have invaded the trust of your parents or house owner in which I feel is harder to live with. Some things are just not worth it.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Par take in any hobbies?
What free time? I honestly don't get much free time but when I do I like to hang with friends, I go to Church and Bible Study when I can. Going to the Boardwalk during the summer is nice and bowling is also a thing we usually do. My latest hobby is beating Super Smash Bros. with my friend. Some personal hobbies would be web graphics, biking, roller blading and going to the movies.

You seem to be very knowledgeable in the political field, at leas thats what I think. Could politics be a factor in your future? If not, what do you want to be?
Haha, thats funny actually. First, I would never enter politics but I do find them interesting and feel that as a Christian you need to vote and pay attention to your country, because its only your own fault for not putting in your say. When you put your say in and complain then you can, and only then put in your say! I am working at a Front Desk Manager now for a Hotel and would love to own my own Hotel one day. Not a Days-Inn I mean a major Hotel Resort. We'll see what happens, whatever God's will is.

I see you are staff on State of Sound. Great site. What music are you into? Top 5 bands?
First off Slip (admin) is an awesome person and when he asked me to be staff I was ecstatic! The hype for this Forum had caught on and to be a part of that was great! The staff is great, and the site is just overall fun. As for my music? I am into everything except Metal and country! My favorite has to be oldies. There was never a better generation then the 60's and 70's! The Grass Roots, Beatles, Righteous Brothers, and The Beach Boys. Of course I like modern music as well including Akon, Chris Brown, and the alike. Or we could settle in the middle and go for Journey and Michael Jackson. When I say I like almost anything I really do!

What was the last vacation/holiday you embarked on? Where do you want to visit in the future?
Vacation? What is that? haha. Honestly it has been a while I have been on several cruises down to the Bahama's and Mexico. I would love to take an Alaskan cruise to see the nature up their but my ultimate goal in life is to visit Europe and all the old towns and ruins that you here and read about all the time. I want to see old Italy etc.

What other forums do you like to go on?
I will typically hang out at alot of forums but my Major posting is where I staff at and that happens to be State of Sound and ProVisions. I adventure over to webAddict, wRcreations, and some smaller forums such as for a specific game and of course here.

I love food. Don't you? Have a favorite place to eat at?
I have several "favorites" and it honestly depends on my mood! If I want pizza I love Pizza Hut. It's always funny how it tastes better after its a day old but maybe that's just me! Bring on the Breakfast! Ihop is the best for breakfast and if you want Italian I love Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo and Bruchetta!

Do you design/code? How long have you been doing it, and what originally got you into it?
I have designed and coded but not as advanced as some of my fellow peers. I make my own portfolio websites that hold my resume, and job experience and I also while in High School created their websites for them but after High School honestly I just have not had the time to follow my passion. I have done some coding enough to get what I needed done. I am know Wrighty or Dreggie and never want to be, it takes a unique person to do that sort of work and I'm to impatient.

Thanks so much car for taking the time to do this. See you around =D

[The Herald]

One is the loneliest number.
EA the creators of Skate and the Madden NFL series bring you Army of Two . EA has made a few military based games but it seems their passion is in sports. How does this effect Army of Two? That is something you will have to be the judge of, with my help of course.

Graphics and Audio [4/5]
Funny how the PS3 is said to be superior to the 360 yet the game was re-coded to fit the PS3. However the PS3 couldn’t handle the graphics since the console has half the RAM. It’s been said the frames dropped to around 14 FPS on the PS3 with its original coding. So the past three months of the production were spent downgrading the graphics. And sadly it shows. It’s still a nice piece of work but so many areas could have been significantly better. You really notice the downgrade in an area where you are suppose to fill a water bridge to drive your hover craft to a different destination. The water effect was PS2 quality; in a next gen game this high profile is unacceptable.

Game Play [5/5]
Single Player: You are partnered with an AI teammate to complete your “hired hand” duties. It’s been said that the AI in Army of Two is different than any other game because it learns from example. You have the ability to encourage its behavior or to call it a dumbass and let it know it’s been a bad little teammate. Trust me you will have to call it a dumbass quite a bit in the beginning. Once you have trained your pet, and gotten use to the AI commands, he really does help you complete the missions. You are a mercenary, so money is always on your mind. Different aspects of the missions, such as killing a specific enemy or finding a certain piece of enemy intelligence, give you money to spend on new weapons, weapon upgrades, and masks.

Private Multiplayer: This was the reason for the game and it was done beautifully. Your real life teammate is ten times better than any AI machine. Co-op missions are no different than the single player missions, when you’d think they would make it a different experience, but it’s nothing unforgivable. Something I thought was nice is the ability to make money in both single players and play the same mission and make the same money.

Public Multiplayer: You can now join up with a complete stranger and play through the story. Something very different but has great potential for meeting new people.

Versus mode: Versus mode is the death match mode for Army of Two. You join a server with a few other people as well as neutral AI to play in a select level, while you have random objectives throughout the time you play. Objectives range from securing a hostage to blowing up a control panel. Each time you complete an objective, kill an enemy AI, or real player you receive a cash reward.

Replay Value [3/5]
I think there are a lot of games on the market that offer more as to replay value. The only thing I could see to replay this is to beat the game both with the AI and a friend. But if you do it right, you can play the game on the middle difficulty with the AI and unlock the secondary weapons and play the harder difficulty with a friend and unlock the rest of the guns. This would leave very little reason to go back.

I would suggest renting this one. The graphics were toned down because the PS3 ram couldn’t handle it, the game play is mediocre, and the online is not up to par with some of the other high profile games *cough* COD4*cough*. A 5 day rental will easily suffice for the fun factor. Or wait for the game to come down in price.

[The Herald]

    Anyone who has a 360 I'm sure is aware of the Xbox Live Marketplace. Microsoft has recently started to expand it a lot adding loads of new content and downloadables. You can now purchase with your Microsoft Points television shows, movies, game content, Xbox Originals, Arcade games, theme packs, and more. The Marketplace also offers many free items such as game demo's, limited game content, game videos, themes, and more.

First, I will talk about the movies and T.V. shows. Don't get them. It is a waste of your Microsoft points. You will probably only watch the show once or twice then get bored. I know on a few occasions, Microsoft has promotions where they offer free T.V. shows, so just wait for that. There's one every month. I remember for the Andy Milanokis Show a few months ago, they allowed anyone to download the premier free.

Next, themes and game packs. These are neat and all, and I think for some worth purchasing. Although there many free themes to "decorate" your Xbox menu so I'd recommend downloading one of those. They are pretty sweet to look at and are much more appealing than the default theme. Game packs come with pictures and screenshots of games. Sometimes they have exclusive interviews or other video footage.

Downloadable Content was something new that was offered with next generation consoles, and it is something that is increasingly becoming popular. Most of the games that are being released now with online multi-player, offer some kind of downloadable content. The most popular games for downloadable content are Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Halo 3's map pack which is now free also sold very well. I know Rock Band offers weekly content for download in the Marketplace which is one reason it is so popular. Also, take note all of you Call of Duty 4 players such as myself. xD On April 3, the "Variety Map Pack" will be released. It will consist of four maps: Creek, Broadcast, Chinatown and Killhouse and will cost 800 Microsoft Points. ($10) They looks very cool one of them is an indoor one and the setting is like a big office building, so that should be fun to play on. I think it will be the first indoor map for Call of Duty 4. So, make sure you check that out.

Another item in the Xbox Live Marketplace you should check weekly is the Game Demo's that Microsoft offers for free. I always try to demo the games if I can to know whether or not it is worth me spending money on the game. One game I thought I was going to buy for sure, Frontlines: Fuels of War, didn't really live up to my expectations in the demo, so I haven't purchased it. You can also buy Xbox Originals in the Marketplace for 1200 points each. ($15)

The Live Marketplace offers voluminous items and has a lot of potential to grow into a solid "business." I'd check out some of the things I highlighted and see how it works out for you. Live is the future.

[The Herald]

Jaime Meline of Brooklyn is an American hip hop artist and producer, known famously as El-P. As the co-founder of his own Definitive Jux record label, El-P has proven himself to be one of the most skilled producers in underground alternative hip hop of recent years, releasing two critically acclaimed solo studio albums (Fantastic Damage in 2002 and I'll Sleep When You're Dead in 2007), an assortment of compilation and experimental EPs, as well as producing records for multiple other artists on Def Jux, notably including Aesop Rock, Cage and Cannibal Ox.

His most recent work displays an intricate production style, often utilizing the "wall of sound" effect to create an almost claustrophobic atmosphere; layering multiple tracks and samples on top of each other to create an extremely detailed and full mix to back his quick paced vocal execution and metaphorical, science fiction influenced lyrics.

Critically speaking, El-P has introduced hip hop to a generation that normally would've never been interested in the genre, straying from the mainstream of generic pop hits built solely on bland backing tracks and redundant lyrics to create his own brand of dynamic beats and interstellar wordplay that stands far above the rest.

[The Herald]

Pretty. Odd. presents itself right off the bat that it is a near polar opposite of Panic at the Disco's previous effort, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. "We're So Starving" segues directly into the powerful and catchy single "Nine in the Afternoon", both tracks setting the pace for the album and letting the listener know that the band has clearly dusted off their old vinyl LPs from the '60s, as they take a large influence that appears consistently throughout the record. The disco-techno atmosphere that populated their last album has vanished completely, as the guys traded in their synthesizers and heavy hitting production for a larger arrangement of strings, keyboards, horns and other odd instruments you'd not normally hear on a rock record these days.

Described by the band themselves as a "fairy tale for adults", Pretty. Odd. sounds more like a soundtrack to a fantasy musical, as song structures are presented in numerous different genres, whether it be a modern approach to vintage Beatles hits or an upbeat folk rock shakedown. The change is immense, and it indefinitely shows the musician side of Panic at the Disco that many artists never dare attempt for fear of backlash of the general populace. It takes balls to put out a record like this, but the end result is an album that will be looked back upon in the future as a huge milestone for the band and music in general.

[The Herald]

Name: Smangii
Age: 17
Interests: art, music, track/running
Website/Gallery: www.smangii.com

Q: Lets talk about your forum first, Slightly Insane. I remember at the time it came out, it was one of the few forums with rounded edges and borders on the skin. Now, that style is very popular. When creating your skins, how do you come of with original, innovative ideas?

A: It usually just comes out of luck, really. I try to do ideas that have never been done before so it brings some sort of surprise to all types of interests.

Q: True or False. The skin of a forum means everything.

A: False. The community is everything.

Q: You are a pretty sexy guy. I'd even go as far as saying you could have gone into male modeling. Why did you choose to choose designing as a hobby?

A: Why thank you! I'm flattered, haha. Its just something I've been into since a kid. I've done logo designs for school projects and such. When I bought my first program, it really got me started.

Q: Did anyone or anything influence that decision?[/b]

A: Well my uncle is a good painter, and my dad encourages me a lot. So do my friends, they all inspire me to get creative.

Q: What weaknesses do you have at designing, and what are you doing to strengthen them?

A: I'm actually really bad at time management, and organization. =p I never label my layers, and absoultely hate deadlines. As far as certain styles go, my most "weak" style would be that metal or tech type of interface. I tried it once, and never again.

Q: Any interfaces on any website/forum you particularly like? What component(s) on the skin made it catch your attention?

A: Currently, I am liking more and more of light, simplistic templates, ( or they can be dark ) but they have to have some sort of design element, whether that be a banner or unique background. Complicated designs and flash websites are neat, but they are sort of whored out, as with that web 2.0 and metal/tech interfaces.

Q: What "trend" I guess you could say annoys you about designs? Is it something like renders always being in the middle of sigs? Or, the generic skin looks of a rectangle banner, rectangle head/base, rectangle menu buttons, ect.? What?

A: Eh designs don't particularly annoy me, because everyone has a style they like. Some suggestions I am making more often now are borders on signatures, and using serif or sans serif fonts instead of these exaggerated fancy fonts that are too hard to read at small sizes.

Q: Whats your Tool of Trade? Why? Have you tried any other programs? Thoughts on those?

A: Paint Shop Pro all the way! Yes that's right folks, I do NOT use Photoshop! I hate it when ps'ers talk down about this program, because it really is an awesome tool for beginners and professionals alike. But, I do strongly believe its the designER that determines the outcome, not the program its made in.

Q: Every consider learning the art of coding?

A: yeah I have, even managed to create some codes for proboards, just didn't really appeal as much to me as designing did. I was sick of following rules.

Q: How do you think you have gotten this far? By that I mean to an outstanding designer on Proboards?

A: Patience, and a LOT of practice. I think any designer can be successful as long as they're focused and have an audience. Especially if its something you love

Q: Anything interesting coming up in your life? Wanna tell us? =D

A: Interesting? Well actually I'm currently in Florida, typing on my brand new iPod Touch =P I told you I'd get this to you asap, so I'm using whatever Internet connection I can get to type this.

Q: Thanks dude. Last words? (Before I kill you!) hehe

A: Haha thanks for the opportunity!

[The Herald]

Vector art is created in the digital medium and can be re-sized without loss of detail. For those of you who are confused by even that explanation, I shall refer to deviantArts apt description of this type of art.

Vector art consists of creating paths and points in a program such as Illustrator, Freehand, Corel Draw, and Flash. These programs keep track of the relationships between these points and paths. Every time the image is scaled, the paths are regenerated: this creates images that are infinitely scalable without degradation.

There are specific programs that cater for those who wish to create vector art, Adobe’s “Illustrator” and Corel’s “Draw” are great examples of programs that specifically appeal to people who wish to create vector art such as sketches, cartoons and life-like portraits.

For the purpose of this article I shall be discussing three such programs, Adobe’s “Illustrator”, “Photoshop” and “Flash”. The reason I focus on these three is that I have experience using them and for me to comment on other vector based programs without having tested and used them would create a biased review. I will also only mention tools with which I am familiar, again because I cannot comment on something I have not used.

While you may be aware that Flash is an animation program, you may not have known that everything you create in Flash is vector. From circles to squiggles to gradients, any of the tools you use in this program create vector images.

As the program is mainly for creating animations, the layout of the program may confuse at first, with icons, buttons and windows all over the place. If you’re going to use this program for vector art I would advise reducing the amount of icons etcetera that are on the screen and just keep it to the tools pallet and the document you are working on.

Now, let’s take a look at the tools you can use in Flash, starting with the basic line tool. The line tool does exactly what you would think, is simple to use and with a click and drag manoeuvre produces nice straight lines and holding down shift makes those lines at 45 degree angles.

The pencil tool is another useful device, allowing you to draw any line that you wish with precision. It can even smooth your lines (smooth mode) so that they curve elegantly instead of being jittery, make them straight (straighten mode) if you wish for a more square line or it can leave your line be (ink mode) and let you judge what is the best for the line.

The brush tool is slightly more complex in its extras. It has the same smooth/straighten features as the pencil tool, but it also has several paint modes that determine how it treats the “paint” underneath your latest stroke: you can paint normally, where your latest stroke will be seen on top of the others; you can paint so that your strokes fill an entire area (similar to the paint bucket tool); the next option allows you to paint strokes behind that which you have already laid down; and paint selection allows you to keep all your strokes within an area that you have already selected; paint inside is similar to the previous option in that it paints inside any lines you have already set down. You can also change the size and shape of the brush which can be great for those larger areas.

The paint bucket tool allows you to not only fill in shapes and large areas in your work but it can also close gaps for you. For example, if you have drawn a hexagon using the line tool but have not joined up all the lines perfectly, the paint bucket tool can skip over these gaps if you give it the go ahead to do so. It can fill small, medium and large spaces or even ignore the gaps altogether.

The ink bottle tool is similar to the paint bucket tool however it fills the outer line of any line or shape, kind of like adding a stroke. Also, it does not jump gaps and only works on shapes and lines, not blank areas.

The text tool as the name suggests, allows the addition of vectored text. You can choose the font, change the size, space the characters out or move them closer together, make the text subscript or superscript, bold and italicise the text and change its alignment.

The pen tool allows you to draw curved lines by a click and drag process. This is probably the tool most vector artists are most familiar with.

The oval tool allows you to draw ovals and circles of any shape and size. And the rectangle tool allows you to do the same but with rectangles.

With most of the tools you can customise the stroke colour and styles (dotted, slashed, straight etc) and the fill colours which also include a few gradients.

There are a few problems that I have noticed with Flash. While it has many useful tools each with diverse extras to customise in order to get the look you want, there are some features that you really need in order to create vector art. For example, a good alternative selection of shapes would be a nice feature for those who have trouble making shapes from lines and curves. The rest of Flash is fine for vector artwork and you can produce very effective work in this program if it is the only one you have access to.

Illustrator is one of those programs that specifically cater for this type of art. Every tool that is has creates vector shapes and lines, even the warp tool can move these lines and shapes without rasterising them. In every way it is a very versatile program (albeit RAM hungry with all those calculations it has to perform to warp shapes).

The delete and add anchor point tools help you to remove and add extra anchor points^* to adjust the shape of your lines. This is great if you want to remove one pesky anchor point or add another in the middle of your line and not have to re-draw it.

The text tool has four settings, the type tool, the area type tool, the type on a path tool and the vertical type tool. The type tool allows you to type how you would normally, the bounding box⁺ will extend it automatically and new lines can be entered by pressing return. The area type tool allows you to type a box whose width will not expand but the height will, a new line will begin if you reach the edge of the bounding box. The type on a path tool will let you draw a line or any shape and write text upon it, very useful if you want to write on a curve or around a circle. The vertical type tool is similar to the type tool but it allows you to write vertically.

There are various tools in Illustrator that you can use to make different shapes. These tools being the line segment tool, the rectangle tool, the rounded rectangle tool, the ellipse tool, the polygon tool, the star tool and the flare tool. They all make shapes of varying size and the shapes they make are show in the name of the tool (lines segment tool makes lines, flare tool creates flares etc).

Both the paintbrush tool and the pencil tool let you draw paths where you wish, anchor points are assigned automatically by illustrator, so these tools are great if you have trouble with working out what effect you’re clicking and dragging with the pen tool is going to have on your paths.

Illustrator is awash with tools for creating vector art and there are quite a few more than those I have mentioned and being that the program is devoted to creating vector artwork all the tools are very useful for manipulating paths. The only problem I can see is that it’s far too daunting for those new to vector art. I know quite a few people, including myself, that were put off but the huge array of tools and features that Illustrator has, and almost quit using it altogether.

Despite what some people may think, Photoshop also has vector capability, albeit with less functionality than the other two programs I have discussed. It has a few useful tools which can produce vector pieces and a less confusing layout than with Flash. (In both programs you can adjust the layout but when first started up, both Illustrator and Photoshop have fewer menus and sidebars cluttering the screen, you can then choose to add to them instead of having to take away like with Flash)

The pen tool, as mentioned previously, allows you to draw precise curves via a click and drag manoeuvre. However, its sub-tool, the free form pen tool, allows you to draw curves wherever you wish. Both these tools allow you to either draw paths on their own, or have these paths fill in to form shapes and filled areas.

The text tool, like with Illustrator, has four settings, however, only two of which are vector. The default which allows you to type horizontally and the vertical type tool which does exactly what you would think – types vertically, both horizontal and vertical type mask tools make a selection of the text you are writing instead of creating vectorised text. If a box is dragged out before typing, it allows you to type in the box whose width will not expand but height will. Also, there is an icon in the top menu bar of Photoshop which allows you to distort the text in many ways such as fish eye, arc, flag etc.

Photoshop also has tools which can produce various shapes of differing sizes. The rectangle tool, ellipse tool, polygon tool, rounded rectangle tool and the line tool lets you draw these shapes in different sizes as well as change some aspects such as the number of sides with the polygon tool and how rounded the corners are with the rounded rectangle tool. The custom shapes tool is really beneficial as it allows you to use more complicated shapes in your work. You can download other people’s shapes and add them to this directory, or make your own and save them there to use at another time.

Photoshop has few problems considering it is not entirely devoted to vector graphics. Its tools are all very useful and you can apply layer styles to the shapes to improve them yet further.

As far as price goes, Flash CS3 is worth $699 US dollars (around £350 English pounds), and Illustrator CS3 is worth $599 US dollars (around £300 English pounds). Pretty expensive pieces of equipment, but cheap compared to the cost of Photoshop (CS3 extended), which is worth around $999 US dollars (approximately £500 English pounds). Now, while Photoshop and Image Ready (the animation program which comes with older versions CS2 and below) can do pretty much anything you want as their tools and plugins are versatile enough to cope with whatever you throw at it, this is a costly piece of kit. And if it’s purely vector capability you are looking for, it is definitely not worth the money. Flash, while its primary reason for existence is web-animation, it does have a vector capability, which is great but sadly, put up against the equally priced Illustrator which solely caters for vector artwork, it doesn’t stand a chance.

To be honest, despite its complexity and frankly intimidating amount of tools and features, I would recommend Illustrator to anyone who is serious about using vector in their work. True, it is probably not the best program for the beginner, as I have already mentioned its amount of tools is daunting to say the least and there is a pretty steep learning curve, but if you’re going to pay this amount of money for a program, you need to think about what a program can do. If you do get better with vector, surely you would want a program capable of getting you that bit farther than having something that is going to limit you and having to fork out another $300 for another program. And it isn’t just artwork that these programs can be used for, in the professional world, building advertisements in vector format is very useful as these illustrations can be increased in size without even thinking about quality degradation.

So, having discussed the three programs and the various tools that I am familiar with what have we learned? Certainly what each program and its tools are capable of, but not just that, we also discovered what uses they serve and how easy the programs are to pick up. Figuring that all important cost into things gives you a good idea of what is appropriate to your needs as well.

I hope this helps you. Deciding what program to get is always a tough decision, and even if you were not deciding on a program to buy, I hope the descriptions of some of the tools helps you use the programs more easily.

<sup>* Anchor points are the small squares that appear when you draw a line or shape in illustrator. Moving these anchor points adjust your line/shape.
+ The bounding box is a rectangular box around an item, like a shape or a block of text. It has the same height as the tallest part of the object and the same width as the widest part.</sup>[/i]

Note: Prices are correct as of March 9^th.