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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 22:31:55 GMT
Alright... the end of the year has well and truly hit for those of us over at the Herald. With Christmas and the holiday season looming in our midst, we’ve released a bumper issue for you this time around. With this to be most likely our largest release yet, we have plenty of little things within that are bound to give you enjoyment. This time around, we’ve introduced section editors that edit submitted articles within specific categories (hence their name). They get a couple of days after deadline to edit the articles for grammar and punctuation and then submit it to the editors, who compile everything and get the magazine ready for release. A big thank you and congratulations to our section editors – Bobby Hensley, Withheld Beauty, Max and Morgoth! On the subject of congratulations, we welcome ACoolie into the Herald staff. Alas, we’ve reached our last edition for 2005. It’s been a fantastic year since we started up in May – with a successful eight editions now released. Wow. On that happy note, I leave you now. Merry Christmas to you all, and enjoy the holiday season! (I most certainly know that I will. Mwaha. Silvester.)Enjoy the Herald: December 2005 edition. Kari. Herald co-editor
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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 23:11:51 GMT
First of all, I’d like to start off by wishing everyone at SSD a wonderful holiday season. We're hoping to add to the Christmas fun over the coming weeks too, but just like a wrapped present, you will have to wait for more on that. As usual, there have been some staff changes this month. One of the most prominent was the departure of Avtar with Eternity stepping up to help with the load. Avtar is quite special to us at SSD; it is very rare to find people with that level of commitment and such a good nature. For those who’d like a few fun facts: he become a moderator on the 11th of January, 2004 and later promoted to Global Moderator in April 2005. Some of you may be wondering how I remember the date. Sadly, it’s because I got a promotion on the same day. Yes, point and call me names. However, on a serious note, I’d like to wish Avtar all the best with his studies and remind everyone that you’ll see him in March. This then brings me on to Eternity, who will be using her knowledge and experience to ensure the smooth running of the forum and any fun events too. For those who may not know, she was a Global Moderator back in 2004 and has bags of experience, making her perfect for the job. On the moderator spectrum, the Digital Image Duels board has had a revamp with two new moderators. Josh and Assassinator have joined the staff ranks, and we're proud to have them. Both have impressed us with their attitude and activity in that area. Good luck guys. The PHP board has also gone through a transformation. Is is now a more general area for server side discussion. This means the board is open to discussion on PHP as well as on areas such as MySQL, Apache, Perl etc. Other than general board and staff changes, there are quite a few updates on some of the projects around SSD which seem to escape a lot of notice. The Year Book is one of these projects. I’d like to say a big well done to everyone who submitted a biography; we are now working on piecing it all together into one big book kind of thing. It will be in HTML format initially. I highly doubt you will want a hard back book; imagine what your friends would say. The Art Group is working on a much larger release this time around which will be a nice little Christmas gift for you all too. Make sure you drop in some feedback as a reward for these artists' hard work. That concludes this month’s official news, but since you are all still paying attention, I'd just like to make a last announcement. This may be a stab in the dark, but if you have some extra cash this Christmas send it to us at SSD. It will go to a good cause: me. Enjoy this month’s edition. Oliver. Solidsnake Designs Administrator
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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 23:14:39 GMT
For those students who have often wondered what has become of their long-lost primary school friends, the solution has been found in the form of High School Facebook. The Facebook, which can be found at www.facebook.com, is a free online directory used to connect college students with new friends on campus while also providing a way to keep in touch with old high school friends. The site was launched by a Harvard student in February 2004 so that college students could meet others with similar interests and has since expanded to include 1,500 campuses and over 4 million users. The website is hoping to gain even more traffic with the new addition of the high school branch of Facebook. Members of the system go through a quick sign up to enroll in their school’s directory. For college students, this requires nothing more than use of a college email address. The newly added high school section, however, requires an invitation from a current member: either someone who is an alumni from the high school and now enrolled in the college version or a current high school student who has already been invited. This invitation-only access has made enrollment exclusive, but those who are already members can easily be found through the website’s signup page. Once inside, students may create profiles which include their current contact information, interests, relationship status, and even post photos. Members may also interact with other students by leaving messages on other profiles or even joining an online group based on common interests. Given the success of the collegiate edition, Facebook is hoping for a strong success to the high school section of the website. While many college students are enraged at being forced to extend their privileges to high school students, the new addition has so far been received with open arms.
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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 23:31:38 GMT
During my rare visits to Code Support, I've noticed a name that often pops up: Crazy_J. After a quick look through some of the threads, it's easy to see why he has such great success in this board. Greeting those in need with both patience and kindness, he is the perfect member of the month for December- a month dedicated to giving. Not only does he spend time creating codes for others less able, he also helps beginning coders with the basics. A glance into Coders Galore showed that while juggling Support, Crazy_J also manages to work on his own coding projects. Proboards Shop v1.0 is a hefty project Crazy_J has taken on which features the option to add and delete items, edit the money sign and shop icon, and provide Shop support. All of these features will be editable in the admin panel, making it even more friendly to those unfamiliar to coding. Outside of the coding section, Crazy_J can be seen throughout the Chillout board and is always fun to have around. With such great success around the forum, it's no wonder why Crazy_J is this month's Member of the Month. Avatar of the Month:Don't ask- I just found it funny. Avatar of the Month was a really hard choice this time as there were a lot of great avatars entered. This one stuck out to me because it's creative and cute at the same time. It may be silly, but I'm not afraid to admit I laughed a little when I read it. Signature of the Month:Who doesn't like a bit of Jack goodness plastered on their signature? I know I do. With the dark coloring accenting the picture and some smooth, simple text in the middle- the signature is perfect for any craving some Tim Burton this holiday season. Corner Red by Kyoushu Another good month in the photography board, you guys have done it again and posted more than I can comment on (-Yes, I’ll get round to it soon). Took me a while to choose a photo this month as there were a good few photos that I could have chosen from. I finally settled on Corner Red by Kyoushu . Now, I don’t know whether it’s just me…but I really love this photo and I have no idea why!! It’s frustrating because usually I waffle on about what I like about the photo and tiny little things that could be improved…I just can’t do that with this photo, its technically correct in all aspects, but it just has something that pulls it together. I never thought I would get so hung up about a photo of a barn. Please, someone…if you find a reason why I like this, PM me!!! Sorry for the waffle. Well done Kyoushu!Famous Quotes"The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of a child."Ralph Waldo EmersonThings do not change, we change."Henry David Thoreau"The last time I was inside a woman was when I was inside the Statue of Liberty."Woody Allen"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."Abraham Lincoln"If Dracula can't see his reflection in a mirror, how come his hair is always so neatly combed?"Steven Wright"Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without." James C. Dobson"You don't have to suffer to be a poet; adolescence is enough suffering for anyone."John Ciardi"Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive."Mel Brooks"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." Mark Twain"Failure is impossible."Susan B. Anthony"If God wanted us to bend over he'd put diamonds on the floor."Joan Rivers"I don't think anyone should write their autobiography until after they're dead."Samuel Goldwyn"In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk. "Rita Rudner"What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get on before you get on?"George Carlin"When I finally realised I wasn't going to grow up and be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
And I'm not even joking."t0Rn "I'd rather have [Kerry] in office than Hillary."
"Me too. If Hilary is elected, it would be Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton. Proof that Americans just don't learn."Artos & Crazed "Max, you make me sound like a dog.
... that's better than a sheep, I suppose."Kari"Hmmmm...welll since I'm American and America controls Canada, I guess its mine."Crazed"*Pulls his armies back and sends FT a "Sorry I Threatened to Invade Your Country" fruit basket*"Artos"Eggs are quite useful, I'd probably take a big box of those and then maybe hide a banana and a cow in my pockets."
"..trench coat?"Oliver & Mitch"Ahoy, inexperienced usererts. Welcome aboard. With some whipping into shape you might survive this job.
*Does the Yay-I'm-no-longer-the-inexperienced user-mod-anymore-dance* .."Ryan"Stupid Reedy."
"I love you too."lpf xd & Reedy"Have you found out Santa isn't real yet?"
"I killed Santa. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
...And the milk and cookies."
"Well I hope it was tasty!
...and I don't mean the milk and cookies! "t0Rn, Artos, & Withheld Beauty"I tried to kill my brother a bunch of times and he didn't even die. Some people are so inconsiderate...."
"Mabey you should try a different approach at killing him. I had this problem with my mother and I found the following website:
www.totse.com/en/ego/literary_genius/killsant.html"The Baron & reeceboy"I actually enjoy HP, although it is way overhyped. Infact..I'm going to the midnight showing. "
"Joe...
...will you marry me?"Joe & Mitch"I wonder what it is like to be sucked up by a tornado. At least your last few moments of life would be a rollercoaster ride "Quacker" I mean...what photographer usues a camera that takes pictures the quality of a camera-phone. (I won't go further...I could rant for years)"Jonny"Good question. Who knows. Maybe it's the blue name so that means I actually have to do something.
I really don't know what keeps me here."A._Leon"What keeps me here? Ollie's threats."
"Those are actually my threats relayed through Ollie."Mitch & JoshThis month's Movie of the Month is none other than the musical, turned silver screen hit, Rent. The movie is done well, considering that it is being converted from a play. Christopher Columbus did a great job of transfering all the important aspects of the play and adapting them for film. The musical numbers are catchy and well-performed and the actors perform so well, you almost feel like you are in their shoes. However, the movie is not all cheer and happiness. The friends deal with modern day problems such as AIDS, getting mugged and criticism of sexual orientation, and obviously, managing to pay the monthly rent. Also, mentions of drugs and former addicts are evident. However, it shows how the eight friends learn to cope with their struggles and move on, giving the audience a feel of happiness, even through sad times, if that does not sound contradictive. Fans of the musical will be happy - the adapatation onto the silver screen is done successfully. Rent earns a four out of five rating.
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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 23:37:45 GMT
In a rather cunning and devious move, I have decided to combine my editorial this month with an article that was assigned to me: 'Celebrity Dirt Alert.' Weaselly as I am, I have procured a copy of 'Woman's Day,' Australia's semi-coherent weekly glossy magazine which covers a multitude of dubiously sourced celebrity scoops and is edited by someone who is without doubt the most poisonous human being ever to squirt out of somebody's womb. Bypassing the the tempting 'Special Report' on the front cover advertising 'Plastic Surgery Disasters', - including the titillating 'My Boobs Exploded Twice' - I flick reluctantly to the main cover story, titled 'Brad and Ange's Secret Wedding'. I am assuming the semi-literate illegal immigrants employed in the Woman's Day office are referring to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as there is a rather large picture of the pair above the bright orange title. Arriving at the article itself via a Hollywood D-lister's heart-wrenching tale of heroin addiction, I immediately scan through the nauseating text. Apparently, according to a 'close friend' of the couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have decided to get married. Right, so far, so good. It then says George Clooney, the be-dimpled star of ER and...Batman, has given Brad and Angelina the use of his estate to get married on. This is presumably to emphasize how many famous and rich friends Brad Pitt has. That's pretty much all that's in the article. It says some crap about him wanting to make 'his union with the love of his life legal', which was to me the reason people got married anyway, thus rendering the comment completely redundant, just like the rest of the article when it comes down to it. And that, guys, is about as interesting as it gets. Either it's a slow news week or the celebrity world just isn't that interesting. I just can't work out which.
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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 23:41:48 GMT
With the new year approaching and the American football season rapidly drawing to a close, college fans are once again turning their attention towards the post-season. Most of these fans will be upset with what they see, but few will be surprised. With a post-season determined by the Bowl Championship Series, it is considered strange to know who will be contending for the national title. NCAA football has been using a bowl system for around a hundred years. It was ennacted to determine the national champions at the end of the regular season. When fans proved dissatisfied with the outdated system, the BCS was adopted in an effort to enhance the previous structure. Each team is ranked through a computer and its fate determined by standings at the end of the season. While the BCS claims to take all the factors into determination, many of the rankings have often caused fans to do a double-take. For example, at the end of 2004, the computer’s rankings alone declared Oklahoma as far over-ranking USC. It was only after the newspaper polls were taken into account that USC once again reclaimed its rightful number one spot. But was USC actually deserving of the national championship? The BCS simply matches up the number one and number two teams within the FedEx Orange Bowl and lets them battle it out. This system works fine as long as there are only two teams who seem to be deserving of the title. In the 2004 season, both USC and Oklahoma were undefeated, and their schedules were generally accepted as equally difficult. The catch was in that there were three other undefeated teams. Utah, Boise State, and Auburn all shared this prerequisite. Of the three, Auburn also shared the same strength of schedule and yet they were barred from any opportunity of winning the national championship title. Apart from leaving a third undefeated team out of the bowl, there are many examples of bias within the invitation process. Because six of the eight invitations automatically go to the major conference winners, there are only two invitations left for those who do not win their conference championships. In order for this to work, the BCS assumes that each conference is equally strong. When there is a dominating conference, however, they receive the short end of the bargain. The BCS depends on the two “at-large bids” to keep things even. In 2001, one of these invitations went out to Notre Dame for the Fiesta Bowl. It overlooked Virginia Tech, Kansas State, and Oregon. More importantly, it skipped over Nebraska- a team that had previously beaten Notre Dame and, at the end of the season, was three ranks ahead of Notre Dame. Why? Simply because Notre Dame gets better TV ratings. If the bowls' corporate namesakes have not sent the message strongly enough, this choice lets everyone know exactly what was most important to the BCS-- making money. For all that the general population seems to acknowledge the failings of the bowl system, it seems strange that the NCAA continues to use it, especially when it is taken into consideration that every other NCAA sport’s national championship is decided through a playoff system. This would allow the winner to be decided on the field instead of inside a computer. An eight-game playoff would only require the addition of three weeks to the regular season. These extra games would not only determine the national champion in a much more reasonable way, they would also generate quite a bit of revenue and national exposure. With so many pros to this idea, it remains to be seen why the NCAA continues to force the BCS down football fans’ throats. And yet, no matter the amount of growing discontent with each post-season, the BCS continues to remain a determining factor in college football, and all of the fans’ complaints continue to fall of deaf ears. Perhaps it would be different if it was coming from a corporation instead.
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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 23:49:52 GMT
To smoke, or not to smoke? That is the question. Recently, the United Kingdom has been having a debate on smoking. Smoking in the work place, smoking in pubs, smoking in general. The Government, or at least portions of it, wanted a full out ban: no smoking in public places. Other factions were against this, and so only a ‘partial’ ban was installed. Now, the Health Secretary has said that a “full ban could be in place by 2007”, this meaning that people can’t smoke in pubs and clubs, nor at restaurants, or any public place. In fact, the only places they would be allowed to smoke are out side, specific smoking zones, and their own homes. But is this ban a restriction on smokers’ rights, or a protection of the non-smokers’ health? Personally, I think smoking should be illegal in all public places, excluding those that are, as I said above, “smoking zones”, ie. bars, restaurants and such that have applied for a smoking license, and clearly say “WE ARE A SMOKING ZONE: COME HERE AND SMOKE!”. In that instance, nobody has anything to complain about. I don’t accept the argument that it infringes on the rights of the smoker: in this day and age, with the level of scientific knowledge that we have, there is nobody who doesn’t know the harmful effects of smoking. There is simply no excuse in doing so, but if a person is stupid enough to clog their lungs up with tar, they can do it in their own homes, not around other people. Supporters of smoking say that alcohol has far worse effect on people than smoking. This is, in many cases, true, and I make no excuse for ‘binge-drinkers’, but how many recorded cases are there of people becoming passively drunk? Smoking is a foul, foolish habit. It should be stamped out of society. It is a known cause of cancer, it is a known killer, yet millions of people continue to participate in the act of inhaling toxic gases through a stick? Why? Because they think it’s ‘cool’, it’ll make them look ‘tough’. It doesn’t, it just clogs up your body with poisonous rubbish. If smoking is banned, it won’t be cool, it won’t be tough, it’ll be illegal, and perhaps that is the first step in banning this horror from our lives forever.
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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 23:51:28 GMT
During the sign-up process in The Herald an editorial section was introduced. Let me show you part of the description: "You are free to write about whatever topic sparks an interest for you. Anything at all." Upon reading that my only thoughts were, "Hell yeah!" I've decided to write an editorial of my own; the subject: respect in the classroom. It's an ongoing battle for most; teachers constantly demand they be respected. However, have you ever noticed that the teachers demanding respect never give you any? Also, take a look at the teachers that you have given respect to. Ever notice how they gave you respect right away? Well, that's because that is how respect works. Those that want respect from others must earn it. In order to earn respect one must give the other(s) at least a minimal amount themselves. Teachers these days though don't realize that. I have a teacher, she's in her early 20s. She has only taught at one other school for 2 years, so she's relatively new to teaching. She's also young, naive, and unintelligent (honestly, I could teach her class better than she could). I don't say this to insult her. No, I say this to make a point: she demands respect from her students at every possible moment. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but in this case there is. You see, she's nothing by a hypocrite and has never tried to earn our respect. I've been in some detentions with her before. At every detention she talks to me about why I don't respect her. My answer is always the same, "You've done nothing to earn anybody's respect, you contradict yourself when teaching, and you remove the first person you see from class without watching to find out who's responsible for the problem." She always tells me she'll be more consistent next time. Well, she never follows her own promises. On November 21st I was removed from class (for something that was genuinely my fault). That very day I had a detention with her anyways. At that detention she said the same thing as always, "I'll be more consistent when I remove people from class." The next day a student in my class, Travis, was acting up. Travis is a little Freshman, very geeky, sheltered, you name it. The teacher tends to pity him and just turns a deaf ear and blink eye to him when he does something. Well, he was yelling some vulgar crap, arguing with people, and just generally being worse than I ever am. However, go figure, the teacher did nothing. Eventually though she stopped and spoke up... but guess what! She didn't talk to Travis! She spoke to one of the kids that was getting yelled at by him! I was so pissed off by this that I spoke up. "Look at the damn problem right now. You have Travis being worse than Ryan, Sawyer, or myself ever have been. Yet you haven't even so much as warned him! You told me you'd be more consistent with the way you conduct discipline. Well, here's a perfect time to follow your own words. If Ryan, Sawyer, or myself were to do what Travis has been doing we'd be removed from class in an instant. You're a hypocrite and a poor teacher; don't even begin to question why you're not respected. You're seeing the reason right now." Maybe I was a little out of line, but maybe it'll get through to her. Point to this editorial? I am simply amazed at how poorly teachers deal with respect these days. They demand and demand but never earn and give. Something needs to give at some point. And, I daresay, it won't be the students.
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Post by urbancinderella on Nov 30, 2005 23:57:02 GMT
For many liberals, conservative hypocrisy has proven to be a powerful weapon in the “war against conservatives.” Spotting an anti-drug politician hopelessly addicted or a pro-family conservative cheating on his wife is like candy to their political enemies. But do those pointing their fingers live up to their own ideals? This is the question Peter Schweizer seeks to answer in his book Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy. Schweizer, a member of the Hoover Institute, first chose prominent liberals such as Michael Moore, Al Franken, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Barbra Streisand, Ralph Nader and many more. He then explored their commitment to principles like affirmative action, environmental preservation, unionized labor practice, and progressive taxing by examining how they implement these in their personal lives. With enough investigation to impress even avid Sherlock fans, Schweizer uses tax records, court depositions, news reports, personal quotes, financial disclosures, and real estate transactions to compare the lives of these liberal leaders to their highly proclaimed ethics. The findings were clear: many of the most esteemed leaders fail to implement their ethics into their own lives. Readers soon uncover examples like Michael Moore, who commonly denounces companies like Haliburton and Boeing and yet owns thousands of shares of stock in these very companies, even after making a statement in which he claimed to not own a single share. Going further still, Schweizer uncovers that Moore’s “regular guy” pose does not quite match up with his lavish lifestyle and extravagant demands – such as traveling the country in a private jet and demanding five-star hotel treatment. In an effort to preserve this façade, Moore even went so far as to rent a grungy, cheap hotel to entertain reporters in before returning to his own upscale lodgings. The hypocrisy did not end at Moore, however. It continued onto such prominent liberals as Ted Kennedy, who despite introducing dozens of legislation to encourage alternate energy sources, helped to block the Cape Wind Project – which was attempting to provide clean energy for homes on Cape Cod – because the project would be housed in one of the family’s favorite yachting destinations. Schweizer continues to uncover hypocrisy in Ralph Nader, who takes an uncanny interest in speculating on stocks of companies that would be influenced by his activism. Even the Clintons, commonly noted as two of the most dedicated of liberal supporters, fall to Schweizer’s pen. While Bill Clinton’s charity donations are largely inflated in their worth (such as $4 for a pair of his used underwear,) Hillary refused to allow her daughter the right to pierce her ears, while at the same time campaigning to relieve parents of any say in their underage daughter’s right to have an abortion. While Do As I Say (Not As I Do) may achieve great esteem within the conservative population, there is an even deeper idea behind Schweizer’s exposé. Drawing upon examples of well known conservative hypocrisy, such as Rush Limbaugh’s addiction to the very drugs he abhors and the nude photos that surfaced of socially conservative Dr. Laura, Schweizer presents the idea that while conservatives hurt both themselves and their families by their hypocrisy, liberals instead profit from it through means such as avoiding inheritance taxes to secure a larger estate for their children or by simply making a larger amount of money by refusing to allow unionized labor. Presented in a way that keeps readers wondering how the press could fail to report these stories and with a thesis worth thinking on, Do As I Say (Not As I Do) is a great read that should be considered from both sides.
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:03:18 GMT
Ænima – ToolFor those of you who are not familiar with the Tool's work, I’d advise you to pay close attention to this little review. If you’ve heard a few tracks from this album but haven’t bothered to play it since, I'd suggest rethinking your decision. Tool is a metal band. Despite the definition, their music is quite hard to define; it is nothing like you will hear from any other band. Some like to place it in the progressive category, but I really don’t feel it matters a great deal-- it’s more about the quality of the music. Since being released back in 1996, Ænima was, and still is, a groundbreaking piece of art. It consumes almost an hour and twenty minutes of your time, and is worth every second. The album itself is not just a regular album; it is a complete experience: each track leading on smoothly into the next one. My particular advice for this album is to sit back and do nothing else except absorb the music. Listen carefully. There are a lot of hidden meanings within the tracks, which I myself hadn’t actually realised after a long time. See if you can work them out. The album contains a mix of Maynard James Keenan’s soft vocals and very angry and frustrated feelings coupled with beautiful guitar work. Notably the piece that grabbed me the most was Ænema, an attack on the stereotypical LA lifestyle. The opening two tracks Stinkfist and Eulogy, are brilliant; they establish the standard of music that you’re about to encounter, each one having its own very distinct sound. For me, the final track on the album is absolutely perfect. Third Eye opens with extracts from the late comedian Bill Hicks, whom Tool had worked closely with in the past. This piece lures you in with some very soft lyrics and quite distorted sounding guitars at the start ultimately ending in an aggressive and abrupt finale. You are left with the repetition of “Prying open my third eye”. Admittedly, this album is very difficult to get into at first; it may not have an impact on you at first but after many listens, you can’t help but admire how different and creative this compilation is. Most importantly, this CD allowed me to explore further and go as far as changing the kind of music I listen to. Track listing:1. Stinkfist (5:11) 2. Eulogy (8:28) 3. H. (6:07) 4. Useful Idiot (0:38) 5. Forty Six & Two (6:04) 6. Message to Harry Manback (1:53) 7. Hooker With a Penis (4:33) 8. Intermission (0:56) 9. Jimmy (5:24) 10. Die Eier Von Satan 11. Pushit (9:55) 12. Cesaro Summability (1:26) 13. Ænema (6:39) 14. (-)Ions (4:00) 15. Third Eye (13:47) Other recommended songs:Pushit Forty Six & Two Jimmy Other albums by Tool:Opiate Undertow Lateralus Rating:
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:06:41 GMT
Ok...I'll admit it. When Coldplay first appeared they did have a kind of gormless charm about them, much like a semi-retarded puppy or George Bush (obligatory political jibe, check). However, although making fun of Coldplay is not unlike kicking the jelly-brained canine mentioned above, they have become just annoying enough in the five years since that I feel that my considerable talent is not being squandered. Listening to Coldplay is like getting kicked in the balls. It hurts your pride and your self esteem, you feel impotent and ultimately you end up curled into a ball on the ground and moaning in agony. That is not to say, however, that this has always been the case. Let us return, then, to the heady days of the new millennium, when Chris Martin was nothing but a nerdy, earnest man in need of a haircut, and not the urine-stain on modern music that he is today. Coldplay's inaugral effort, Parachutes, was not the shotgun wound to the face that it could have been, - Coldplay, though well known, were not superstars, after all - but it did produce the single 'Yellow', which I'm going to just ignore because even thinking about it makes me want to staple my scrotum to a wall. Second single 'Trouble' was more of the same, but with melancholy and ultimately crap piano taking the place of the jangly guitar chords and grating falsetto of the former. So if Coldplay in 2000 was mildly irritating, their second album, 'A Rush of Blood to the Head' was nothing for me except possibly the album the police would find playing at the scene of my loud and messy suicide. It was Radiohead at their most whiny and self-absorbed - that in itself no mean feat - coupled with some of the most tedious and agonizingly predicatable advertising music I have ever had the extreme misfortune to listen to. And the rest, unfortunately, is history. X+Y is far too nauseating to cover here, so it'll have to wait until another time.
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:07:39 GMT
Release Date: (US) Oct. 25, 2005 Eat your heart out, Soul Calibur fans (or fighting fans in general) for the new installment in the Soul Calibur series, Soul Calibur III: Tales of Souls. If you haven't heard it's out, then go get it now! If you haven't heard about the Soul Calibur series at all, then you have no idea what you're missing out on. Some of you may be able to recall the awesome moves, the awesome characters, the awesome graphics and battle scenes from the previous Soul Calibur... imagine that, but many times better If you just haven't heard about it, and have no idea just how great these graphics really are then... pity on you. Namco went all out on this, and their skills in making some of the best known graphics around show heavily in the third installment. There are more options to play with -- such as the new create-a-character mode. It seems pointless since all you do with these created characters is go on some ridiculous quest, hitting things and getting into fights... but it's necessary if you wish to unlock new features. If you recall from Soul Calibur II the "Webmaster" option, they have something similar to that in the third game. It's shorter though, but your opponents are much harder to fight. There are times where you can choose whether to "go after the stranger" or ignore mentioned stranger and continue on with your own quest, but choose wisely because you can't go back, and it affects who you will be fighting after. Sorry to say, there's no vs mode in this. I'm supposing Namco made up for it with other features such as the Tournament. But what's a fighting game without the vs mode? ...At least the graphics are great. And three new characters are evident in the game, these three I'm guessing most of you heard of without even playing the game yet: Zasalamel with his big scythe, Tira with that circular blade of hers, and Setsuka with her umbrella and short sword. They're fun to play with, but hard to beat. If you like fighting games then do check out Soul Calibur III. The graphics in this are outstanding, and the characters come to life in the entire little movie scenes played (this doesn't have those dreadful endings from Soul Calibur II where all you see are pictures of them). They look realistic; the background looks realistic; the scenery looks realistic. They're positively breathtaking. The graphics are top-notch, so make sure you check them out in Soul Calibur III: Tales of Souls.
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:29:32 GMT
The Holiday Season is always an interesting time for gamers. Last year, the Nintendo DS was released but some people had their doubts. Luckily for Nintendo, their system is going strong and sales are up. With the help of Nintendogs and the new Wifi Connection introduced last month, you can bet Nintendo is satisfied with the advances the DS has made. Now, this holiday season, we have two new systems. The Gameboy Micro and the Xbox 360. Unfortunately for Nintendo, the Xbox 360 has and will overshadow the Micro, causing low sales numbers. However, the Micro may follow the same path of the DS. Who knows - only time will tell. Overall, game sales may be down, but mainly it is because of the market waiting for the next gen consoles. Do not take this as a sign of a weakening industry, though. People are biding their time for next year, so don't be surprised if you see many sales for games due to slow sales. Last month, we all saw the release of the XBox 360. It looks well, but like any new system, it had it's fair share of problems - system Errors, Disc Failures and others to be mentioned. The Xbox 360 may seem like the wonder system, but remember - we still have two more next generation consoles to see. Right now we only have one option, but I wouldn't jump for it. The prices are extremely expensive ($299-$399 just for the system and $60 per game) and Microsoft still needs to work out some kinks. I'm not telling you not to buy it, but your best bet would be to wait, not only for prices to fall down but for the other next gen consoles to be released. There are plenty of new games being released for the 'original three,' so you won't be waiting doing nothing.
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:39:39 GMT
Finding the perfect gift for a gaming fan this time of the year can be a daunting task. Next generation consoles, ESRB ratings, sales and new releases can add up to a headache if you don't know what you're getting yourself into. Just relax and take a look at the following ideas. Our guide is broken down by gaming platform: Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, PC and Handheld. Each handheld item will be labelled specifically by system.
Microsoft Xbox 360 Original Bundle (left) and Core Bundle (right) Up first, we have the Xbox 360. It would be impossible to ignore this choice. This next generation console has two different package choices: The Core Package ($299 ARV) which is a basic, starter bundle or the Original Package ($399 ARV) which contains everything a hardcore Xbox Gamer would ever need. Let it be known though, that this system is not for those with shallow wallets. With games ranging from $50-$60 along with the system setting you back a large 400 dollars, be prepared to dish out the dollars. With over 25 titles already available for the 360, gamers will have a large selection of launch titles to choose from. Some suggested titles are Perfect Dark Zero, Quake 4, and Dead or Alive 4. If you can't or don't want to buy a 360 this holiday season, there still are plenty of great games for the Xbox. Be sure to check out Jade Empire, Half-Life 2, and Ninja Gaiden Black.
Sony Even though the Playstation 3 may not be out now, PS2 owners can still keep busy this holiday season. God of WarDrawing origins from Greek Mythology, God of War is an action packed, PS2 experience. Featuring great gameplay and an impressive graphics engine this game is amazing. Chock full of puzzles, battles, and character customization, you'll be sure to spend hours of quality time with the main character, Kratos, servant of Athena. Resident Evil 4What says Merry Christmas more than psychotic grandmothers wielding chainsaws? Resident Evil 4 is now on the PS2 and retains all the detail it had when on the Gamecube. Definitely a must own for the true gamer, this game will have you coming back for more. Just beware of your grandmothers and their chainsaws this holiday season. Soul Calibur IIIThe sequel to last year's hit surely delivers. Not much needs to be said here - simply a game everybody should check out.
Nintendo Don't worry Nintendo fans - there are still plenty of good games to play while waiting for the Revolution. Fire Emblem: Path of RadianceFans of the strategy war games will be happy with the franchise's debut on the Gamecube. Fans of the franchise will enjoy the classic role playing themes and turn based strategy that is presented along with the new 3D environments. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones:Sequel to the hit Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within, the main character finds himself having to fight his own dark spirit created by his actions in the past in order to reclaim his own life. Dance Dance Revolution - Mario MixYou only live once, right? This games is worth a try, even if you are sceptical of the title. The wacky, addicting dance craze game has adopted Nintendo's 'mascot' and brings elements from the old SNES and NES games onto the Gamecube creating a fun way to reminisce the "good 'ol days."
PC Gaming Call of Duty 2Yes, there are countless numbers of World War 2 games out there, so why is this one so special? If you recall the delights of Call of Duty, then you will immediately feel at home when you pop this game in your computer. The details are realistic and the game play is challenging, keeping you interested in the game. F.E.A.R.Fear delivers an intense horror experience that sucks you in and rivals that of Half Life 2. Definitely one of the better first-person-shooters available, you should check out this game. The MoviesThis wild game allows you to create your own movie studio and it's actors, allowing you to, well, make movies. The gameplay elements are similar to all Tycoon games, but, it seems like this one has a touch of uniqueness deeming it worthy of trying out.
Handhelds Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City StoriesRockstar Games wasted no time in developing a version of GTA for the PSP. And for the sake of their efforts, it pretty much lives up to its expectations. Retaining many aspects of it's console cousin, the PSP version also has a few 'exclusive' modes in it, definitely a must-own for any GTA fan. Take that, Jack Thompson. LuminesDefinately one of the best puzzle games of the year, it's sure to be a game that would grab your interest. As Artos himself said in the July Edition of The Herald, "Lumines isn't for everyone ... however, both hardcore gamers and casual gamers alike will find something to enjoy."SSX On TourCraving a snowy rush on a clear, winter afternoon? SSX On Tour is exactly what you need. Fans of the franchise will have no question about picking this up and neither should you. With engaging gameplay and a PSP exclusive multiplayer mode, you'd be a fool not to try this game out. Nintendo DS [/center] Mario Kart DSAnybody who has played any game in the Mario Kart series will tell you the same thing - the action is absolutely insane. MKDS is no exception. Also, with Nintendo's new WiFi Online Connection, the insanity is now worldwide. Who wouldn't want to send spikey shells at an opponent half way around the world? NintendogsYes, Nintendogs is on the list. Nintendogs is a refreshing and addicting break from the typical games we see today. With three different versions and over 15 different breeds of dogs, everybody can find a pooch of their choice. Sit. Play. Good boy/girl. Castlevania: Dawn of SorrowKonami's Castlevania makes a grand debut on the DS. The classic side-scrolling, exploration adventure similar to that of Metroid games is presented well on the DS. With familiar gameplay, old franchise fans can jump right in. You can expect hours of fun from this game.
Hopefully this guide has pointed you in the right direction and eased any problems that you may have had. Thanks to IGN.com for the images.
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:44:32 GMT
Though most of the members here celebrate Christmas, there are many holidays that have been overlooked over the years. Containing their own unique beliefs and traditions, they well deserve recognition. DivaliFor Hindus in India and Trinidad, Divali is one of the highlights over the winter season. Named "row of lighted lamps", Divali is the Festival of Lights. During this five-day holiday, windows are opened to reveal candles and lamps which serve as greetings for Laksmi, the goddess of wealth. People give each other gifts and have festive meals. On the second day, Hindus worship Kali, the goddess of Strength in an attempt to rid themselves of laziness and evil. The third day marks the lighting of lamps which symbolizes knowledge. On the fourth day, which also falls on the first of the Lunar Year, business accounts are settled and owners open new books. These are celebrated in a ceremony and participants are "encouraged to remove anger, hate, and jealousy from their lives." The final day is focused on the calling of Bali, an ancient Indian king. AdventBeginning the Sunday nearest November 30th, Advent is the period before the Christmas season. It starts with the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle and extends over the following four Sundays. Named after the Latin word for "the coming," Advent is a time of spiritual reflection. This is where the tradition of the wreaths first emerged. In deep winter, people would light candles and place them within circular bundles of evergreen. The evergreen clippings along with the circle symbolized "ongoing life." The candle served as comfort for "the darkest time of the year" while also setting the stage for the coming spring. An advent wreath traditionally contained four candles: three purple and one rose. Purple symbolized hope, peace, and love while also standing for the royalty of Jesus. The rose candle represented joy. Sometimes, a white candle is added to the wreath. It would be lighted on Christmas Day. Also used over the Advent holidays is an advent calendar. A poster built with 24 small doors, it represents the countdown till Christmas. One door is opened each day from December 1st to Christmas Day. HanukkahA holiday devoted to the victories of the ancient Jewish people, this "Festival of Lights" occurs on the 25th day of the Jewish Calendar month of Kislev and continues for eight days. It celebrates a time when the ancient Jews lit the temple light and the ancient oil miraculously lasted for eight days when it only should have been enough for one. A common holiday tradition for Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah. A candlestand with nine branches - eight of the same height to represent the days of Hanukkah and a taller one in the middle to light the others- it is lit each evening with a special blessing. The menorah symbolizes the burning light of the temple and recognizes the miracle over the eight days. Another Hannukah favorite comes in the form of a toy. The dreidal appears commonly throughout Jewish households during the festival. During the time with the Syrians forbid the study of the Torah, Jews were forced to study in secret. They kept a handful of dreidals nearby so that they could claim they were playing instead of studying. The dreidal is inscribed with Hebrew letters which spell out "A great miracle happened there," referring to Isral. The letters also represent Yiddish words that describe how to play the dreidal game. Each player starts with a set amount of candies. He then puts them in a pot. Players take turns spinning the dreidal. The side that stands up tells whether the player does nothing, takes the whole pot, takes half, or adds some of their own store into the pot. The game ends when a single player wins all the tokens. KwanzaaCelebrated from December 26-January 1, Kwanzaa was created to represent the African-American culture. It is not a religious holiday, and not meant to combat Christmas. The name comes from the Swahili phrase meaning "first fruits of the harvest," and was created by Dr. Maulana "Ron" Karenga. It honors seven different principles- one per day. The principles include unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, a sense of purpose, creativity, and faith. Participants gather together for the great feast of karamu on December 31st. They enjoy a large amount of ancient African dishes, including sesame seeds, peanuts, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and hot sauces. The colors also play an important role in Kwanzaa. The main colors are red, black and green, which symbolize the blood shed in the struggle of freedom, the color of the people, and the land of Africa (respectively.) There are also seven symbols that serve as different traditions. The first, "kikombe cha umoja," is the unity cup. Celebrants drink from this cup to honor their ancestors. Before drinking, they each say "harambee," which means "Let's pull together." The second is "kinara," which is a candleholder that holds seven candles. It's said "to symbolize stalks of corn that branch off to form new stalks, much as the human family is created." The third, the mazao, are fruits, nuts, and veggies that represent native Africa. Fourth is the "mishumaa", the seven candles representing the seven principles. One is lit each day. The "mkeka" is the mat the symbols are arranged on. The "vibunzi" is an ear of corn which is placed on the mat. There is one for each child present. And lastly, there is the "zawadi," which are gifts given to children on January 1st. Information taken from infoplease.com
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:48:04 GMT
For Women1. Tote Bags. What girl doesn't enjoy a nice, cute tote? Choose bright colors to spice up everyday activities, or mute colors to celebrate fall. With tons of choices that often go for $20 and under, these are perfect gifts to give the girls this winter. 2. Spa Gift Baskets Every girl dreams of spending an entire week soaking up the spa treatments. But when busy lives can't fit in the trip, this is the next best option. A basket will usually set someone back $10 and include the basics: scented candles, a loofah, body lotion, body spray, shower gel, scented bath beads, and a bar of scented soap. Include a pair of cute bath slippers and you may not see your giftee for a few hours! 3. Perfume What can possibly make a girl feel more sophisticated than a bottle of sweet-smelling fragrance? The price range here varies quite a bit- but as long as it smells nice, clip the price tag off and no one will know you found it on the clearance rack of Wal-Mart (maybe you can pass it off as exotic?) 4. TV Cuddle Blanket A present that'll have her parked in front of the TV for the rest of the Christmas morning, this cuddle blanket is perfect for traveling alone on a plane-trip or doubling up on the sofa with a loved one. Complete with a pocket to keep the TV remote, guide, or even a good ol' book, there's absolutely no reason to leave the couch or the blanket! 5. Oversized Sweaters There's something about winter that makes a girl just want to crawl into a huge, fluffy turtleneck. With so many colors and styles, this is an easy gift that's certain to please. For Men1. Wallets A perfect gift for a girl whom doesn't have a whole lot of money to spend, a wallet will make sure he thinks of you every time he pulls it out. 2. Magazine Subscription Easy to buy, and generally fairly affordable, a magazine subscription will be a gift a man can enjoy every month. Whether it involves sports, business, national geographics, or even looking at beautiful women, there's sure to be a magazine that'll fit the man you're shopping for. 3. Sports Watch No matter the product, the true way to a guy's heart is through lots and lots of buttons. Make him think he has plenty of new toys to play with and he'll be a content little boy playing in the corner. A sports watch is the perfect opportunity to hook him in. With tons and tons of buttons and dials to toy with, it may take him all Christmas day to figure out how to set the time- but he'll still be grateful. 4. Baseball Cap If watches aren't the way to a guy's heart, baseball caps are. The perfect place to cover up bad hair days and advertise his favorite team at the same time, this is sure to score big over Christmas. Make sure you get the right team though! 5. Talking Pedometer With Music Clock For all active guys, this pedometer is heaven. With musical tunes built in that are sure to energize him on his morning workout, it's bound to get him up and going. It also comes with a voice that announces the number of steps taken, as well as the distance traveled. Sporting an alarm, there are enough dials to get his attention and keep it.
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:48:48 GMT
I’ve always grown up with this picture in my head of a round, red fellow that delivers presents on Christmas Eve. This could be in part because I watched the Santa Clause movie one too many times when I was younger. Even as I grew older - and most likely not wiser - and learned that Santa wasn’t real (much to my dismay), I began to become interested in how the rest of the world perceived the legend of the Christmas present-bringer. The NetherlandsIf you live here, you’re probably used to referring to St Nicholas as Sinterklaas (as it’s the Dutch name for St Nicholas). It’s said that Sinterklaas and his sidekick/helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), arrive on a steamboat from Spain two weeks prior to his birthday (December 6th for those of you that don’t know) and they give out candy and presents to the good children. If you see a man wandering the countryside sporting a red mantle, a mitre, a golden crosier and a long, white beard, you’ll know that you’ve found Sinterklaas. Beware, though, if you’ve been bad, you may be taken back to Spain with him. Whoo, free holiday.Belgium and LuxembourgThese two countries have pretty much the same traditions as the Netherlands, but to a lesser extent. The red fellow’s known as Kleeschen to children in Luxembourg and his helper’s called Ho˜seker (Black Peter). Children from Belgium know St Nick as Sint Niklaas. GermanyNow Germans know how to celebrate Christmas, but that’s not what I’m supposed to be talking about here. St Nicholas is known by a wealth of names by Germans – some mere examples are Klaasbuur, Sunnercla, Burklaas, Bullerklaas, and Rauklas. St Nicholas’ helper is most often known as Knecht Ruprecht. St Nicholas still visits in early December, recently he’s started to show up more on Christmas Eve than the traditional 6th. FranceNoel... Noel... Santa in France is called Pere Noel – strangely that reminds me of the Noel song that everyone sings at Christmas. Hark, I love it. Pere Noel has a certain way of dealing the presents to the good and the bad children. He leaves presents for the good ones and disciplines the bad ones... in not such a good way. While he doesn’t leave presents as commonly as before on St Nicholas Day, more often now it occurs on Christmas. While I only explored the faces of Santa around five countries, there are many more out there. I’d suggest heading over to Google and looking up about Christmas history. It really is very interesting. Information sourced from www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/xmas/around/stnicholas.html
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:50:22 GMT
Putting the ‘X’ in X-masThe abbreviation of X-mas for Christmas is not irreligious. The first letter of the word Christ in Greek is chi, which is identical to our X. X-mas was originally an ecclesiastical abbreviation that was used in tables and charts. In the early days of printing, when font sizes were limited and type was set by hand, abbreviations and ditto marks were used liberally. X-mas came into general use from the church! From ‘Ken Collins’ Web Site’Strange Christmas Dinner…A traditional Christmas dinner in early England was the head of a pig prepared with mustard. Where to buy a Christmas TreeAccording to the National Christmas Tree Association, Americans buy 37.1 million real Christmas trees each year; 25 percent of them are from the nation's 5,000 choose-and-cut farms. CardsAn average household in America will mail out 28 Christmas cards each year and see 28 eight cards return in their place. Wait for it…At Christmas, Ukrainians prepare a traditional twelve-course meal. A families youngest child watches through the window for the evening star to appear, a signal that the feast can begin. Candy CanesCandy canes began as straight white sticks of sugar candy used to decorated the Christmas trees. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided have the ends bent to depict a shepherd's crook and he would pass them out to the children to keep them quiet during the services. It wasn't until about the 20th century that candy canes acquired their red stripes. If you’re still hungry after Christmas dinner…Christmas trees are edible. Many parts of pines, spruces, and firs can be eaten. The needles are a good source of vitamin C. Pine nuts, or pine cones, are also a good source of nutrition. (But keep in mind they don't taste so well.)Christmas ShoppingDuring the Christmas buying season, Visa cards alone are used an average of 5,340 times every minute in the United States. And finally, when you’re snug and full, remember…George Washington spent Christmas night, in 1776 crossing the Delaware River in dreadful conditions. Christmas 1777 fared a little better - at Valley Forge, Washington and his men had a miserable Christmas dinner of Fowl cooked in a broth of Turnips, cabbage and potatoes. Thank you to the websites that provided me with this entertaining, and weird, collection of Christmas facts. Merry Christmas to all the members of SSD
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 0:58:27 GMT
Meet the NewbieSubmitted by JonnyThis month I chose something very different from anything I have done before: an interview. I always think that an interview should have a specific purpose, whether it is finding out someone’s views on certain issues or just seeing the real side of a person whom you have never had the chance to talk to. My goal in this interview is to get to know one of our new users. Not only do I say "new users" because of the word filter, but also because not all new people are what most of us would call n.o.o.b.s. My interviewee today has only just signed up. She is older than the majority of the members here, and has already shown her interest in photography. Before I tell you who I chose, I shall tell you why I chose this particular person. I didn't just pick a random person in Arrival/Departures, I tried to find someone different than the usual "inexperienced member," and in that sense I think I succeeded. This person has had many years of adulthood and isn't some spotty 13 year old kid like some of us were when we joined up. She has plenty to offer the board, and I can only hope you will agree join me in welcoming my interviewee, .::Emma::. So, lets get down to basics then
Name? Sara Murray Age? (if you don't mind me asking, always taught it was rude to ask a womans age) Good for your mom, I'm 34 if you must know. Gender? I assume you're female..unless there is something you haven't told me! Female indeed; what gave me away?? I really don't know -strokes chin-...mind you, I don't know many male "Emma's"
Occupation? Legal assistant, Legal secretary...computer tech (coughs) my boss thinks I know everything about computers...I know squat. -laughs-
Your favorite sites to visit? Does Google count? I spend lots of time there, genealogy sites. Genealogy eh? Interesting.I find it most interesting I have never really looked into it I have to say
Right then, lets get down to some of the more juicy/interesting stuff. First, what are your hobbies and interests?Well, there's photography, I have a daughter into ice skating...there's singing; I belong to a Yiddish chorus, I'm not jewish...nor Christian, really...I sing in the episcopal church choir here. Yiddish is the Jewish language, am I right?Yes I have to say, I am not too religious myself, quite a cynic. But I respect others beliefs.Same here, I'm learning Yiddish chanuka songs and practicing the "Hallelujah Chorus" at the same time! Sounds like hard work! I have never been one for learning a new language.I only have to learn it phonetically Still, seems like a tough thing to do.It's not if you love it, I guess...any excuse to sing! Sounds familiar...just with a different subjectHehe -At this point Jonny rushes off to eat food...mmmm...foood-
Hello againHey there! Everything okay?Yep. You? My cold and conjunctivitis just got worseOh no! I'm just now getting over a sinus infection, I hate being sick!!! Funnily enough (even though it really isn't), I had a sinus infection about two weeks back...then, to make things worse, I had an allergic reaction to the medicine!Oh man, that's no good It was fun, I looked like I had sever acne for two days! All over my body as well...That sounds miserable. It wasn't all to bad, I didn't feel particularly bad...and I got time off school...so we all win!Well, that 's a relief Aye
-Jonny starts playing with Yahoo (he's never used it before)-
Arghh. What did I just press?Not sure! Uhhh....Arrghh
-Fish start swimming all over the conversation-Oh my -Screen wipes clean again-
There, thats betterThat was fun -Emma invites Jonny for a game of chess-
I haven't played in years
-Lets get back on track
Want to continue with the interview?Sure What would be your pet peeves?Rudeness, stupidity (ignorance can sometimes be forgiven; stupidity makes me nuts)...bad drivers tick me off too, bad driving contains both rudeness and stupidity. Next question, any juicy details that we can taunt you with?Ummmmm..... no. And unfortunately...that's where this ends. Time differences have worked very much against us in this interview and I have been unable to stay up late enough to speak to Emma (I need my beauty sleep after all).
Sorry for cutting it short, I hope you enjoyed what you have!
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Post by urbancinderella on Dec 1, 2005 1:02:43 GMT
While most who celebrate Christmas are well aware of holiday traditions such as lighted trees, Christmas cards, and caroling, few people are aware of the origins to these traditions. Most of modern-day Christmas traditions are drawn from the Victorian era, but many can be traced back to ancient times with their religious and cultural routes. Lighted Christmas trees, for instance, have a very uncertain background in history. The most commonly credited source is St. Boniface, who is believed to have taught pagans Christianity by using the triangular shape of a fir tree to symbolize the Holy Trinity. Later, Martin Luther is reported to have used a lighted Christmas tree. By attaching lights to an evergreen tree, he attempted to recreate the starlit heaven that looked down on Bethlehem on the first Christmas Eve. Others trace the tradition back even farther, attributing it to the ancient Egyptians as they celebrated the winter solstice. The Egyptians often brought small palms into their homes as a symbol of hope for the oncoming spring. Both the Scandinavians and the Romans were also shown to have paid homage to fir trees during the winter season. Even the ancient Druids saw the evergreens as holy trees. Decorations for the early Christmas trees were very different from the Walmart light sets used today. Most of the ornaments were hand-crafted or edible. Colored pieces of paper, candles, nuts, candies, and fruits were all common ornaments. Christmas cards are another common tradition that has joined the holiday routine. A Victorian creation, the first card was created by Sir Henry Cole, who worked for the British Postal Service. The first design included a scene framed in three panels. The middle was a homely scene with a family brought together at the dinner table while the outside flaps depicted charitable offerings to the poor. It also debuted the familiar phrase “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” Used as the perfect chance for children to display their growth in writing, Christmas cards became a large part of the holiday celebrations. Advent Wreaths have also made their mark on the winter festivities. The Advent Wreath, a Lutheran custom that originated in Eastern Germany, is commonly seen within households during Christmas. Round to symbolize “God’s eternity and mercy,” and made of evergreen to symbolize immortality, the wreath represents all of the ideals of the Advent season. Four candles, three violet to represent penance, sorrow, and expectation and one rose-colored to signify coming joy, create a ring within the wreath. They are lit during the four weeks of Advent. On Christmas Day, they are exchanged with white candles. For most Americans, the Advent Wreath is only lit on Christmas Day and contains white candles only. Through history, traditions have changed and transformed from their original meaning to what modern-day society now recognizes them as. No matter how much they change, however, they will always be a central part of our Christmas spirit.
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