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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 4:36:53 GMT
Welcome to the August edition of the Herald. As you can see, it's every bit as full as the last edition- something we're all very proud of! After going through many different problems and setbacks, you'll find the production is still up to par, and for that, I'd like to thank Bryanic, Pandora, Kari, and Tonya. Without the help of the four of you, this edition would be extremely late. Thank you so much; you have all done an absolutely amazing job, and for that reason, I'd like to dedicate the entire edition to the four of you. Enjoy, kids. Sorry it's a bit late.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 4:44:58 GMT
This month's member is one that makes up for the lack of color in his name by placing the entire spectrum in his avatar. That's right- none other than our resident Harry Potter fanatic, Chantry. You may have noticed Chantry first in the Harry Potter thread, debating over some of the more popular speculations, but you're sure to find his posts scattered throughout the rest of the forum as well. Though Chantry seems perfectly at home amongst the threads in Chillout, he is also an active member within Critique- utilizing both constructive criticism and blind encouragement for our community's artists. Though both contributions to the community are notable, what first caught my eye was his activity within the coding boards. Always willing to supply a helping hand, Chantry has been one of the few constants within this dying category. It's always refreshing to see an experienced member content to give some of his times to help new members learn the basics of coding. It is for all of these reasons (and many more) that I chose to bestow this month's Member of the Month on Chantry. Congratulations! Another month without our wondrous website The sheer amount of tutorials, downloads, news articles and comments is keeping back the release. I am, therefore, going to give you a few previews of what is to come. First up, we have quite a few new categories going into the database, one of which being stock photography. These images can be used in your skin making, general art work or even in signatures. Our first preview gives you a sneak peak at what we have to kick off this new category. Second, we have one of the awesome new ProBoards templates that you'll find when the new website is released, followed by a preview of the content from one of our other new categories in the application section. Finally, a quick look at one of the new tutorials we have for you. This month's LotM contains things I fear...typos, errors and erratic line breaks, OH MY! That's because this piece flew from the writer's fingers, spur of the moment. Capturing thoughts and emotions as soon as they surface isn't always easy, and the result isn't always this good. Go Fly Girl's A Poem-like thing with no consistency. is this month's winner. She took a basic theme, Good vs. Evil, and made it relevant to us in her own way. I'm not trying to encourage typos, make no mistake about that. I cringe slightly to post an unedited work, but I am confident in my choice. It is the meaning and method behind this work that makes this poem the winner. Great job! A Poem-like thing with no consistencyGo Fly Girl/*BlueImpulsive*/I watch their faces, Jeering and laughing at me As they spread lies about me Stealing from me all I know I watch their faces As they push me in To this dark abyss.... Nothing, nothing. I see the light fade before me, As I sink deeper... Falling into the endless abyss No where to turn, no where to go Falling, falling. No where to run, no where to hide My imposing wings can't seem too keep me aloft. I can't escape. The pressure is to great, falling Faster, faster. My wings snap and hang limply my sides... My beautiful wings... Why did they push me into here... Why is there no more light... What have I ever done to you? Why can't I fly in that sky anymore, With all of them. They're the ones with lost innocence... I was just waiting here, Still in all my own innocence Still keeping to what's right Knowing the difference between right and wrong, Apart from them. So why are they now killing me. Killing me for no reason I close my eyes as I'm falling, Faster, faster Twisting and turning, Now, I have no perception of up and down, Left and right, slow and fast I look up one last time, and see one last flicker of light, But its not the same, It's a different light More bright, more vivid than before... I reach out my hand weakly, pushing aside my Broken, limp wings. One last perception before I am Knocked senseless... And. I cry. We all know this kid as the Photoboy, but this may be the first time I've actually featured one of his photos as the Photograph Of The Month. When one of his newest submissions, Effronte popped up in my devWATCH, I just knew I had seen the Photo of the Month. I've always been a sucker for portraits, and Jonny has pulled off this portrait perfectly. This proves that a good photographer can handle 'capturing' even something as energetic as a little boy, if he has the patience. Congratulations dear. The phrase "We can rebuild her, we have the technology" keeps running through my head accompanied by the clippity-clop of wooden clogs.The Baron, in response to a thread describing a girl's accident in which she had her feet severed by an amusement park rideHonestly, the way those two are behaving....I think the blues should take over before it's too late.JonnyThe working environment - THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IS, PARDON MY LANGUAGE YOUR LADYSHIP, CRAP! I MEAN, WE DON'T GET THE POSH SOFAS OF THE HEAD OFFICE, NOR THE SEXY BAR DANCERS OF THE MOD INN!Kai, when addressing why he thought the Herald staff should get more benefitsWE HAVE POSH SOFAS IN HEAD OFFICE!?!!? Why was I not informed!
...they make me sit on the floor
(I'll go into Mod Inn for a pole dance then...)JonnyDork.
... I know you are, but what am I?
-runs from Pandy-Oliver, then urban.cinderella...I am Maggypoo.MattThat wasn't even a question you silly little bugger.
Why does Pandora get away with her flagrant abuses of power?
Because Pandora is cooler than you.
Now shut up; you're making my thread messy. Bryanic, then urban.cinderella1. Which is better in your opinion, the SVD or Mosin Nagant? Please feel free to discuss in-depth both positives and negatives for each, basing your opinions on any and all aspects: looks, feel, sound, etc. Your answer does not have to be limited to the above mentioned features, however, they are mere examples as to what some of the defining characteristics are for both of these items. Please do not state the obvious and choose one over the other simply because one (I assume with your vast military knowledge and interest you know which I am referring to) is the successor to the other. I would also like it if you tried to avoid limiting your answer to the object itself, but rather exrepss your opinions on all aspects of these devices. The 7.62 Russian would be a good place to start, perhaps discussing how you feel such ammunition has influenced modern and past conflicts.
2. CAN I SEE YOUR TITS?Alan, in response to Ask Me AnythingMe being mean is a sign of affection. Now sod off.PandoraThey are people just like everyone else. Are you telling me you've never looked at stray pairs of panties in other people's homes? AwesomeAndrew, on cable guys
You're totally a cable guy.NicholasMoral indignation is jealousy with a halo.H. G. WellsA mind that has been stretched will never return to its original dimension.Albert EinsteinThings aren't as happy as they used to be down here at the unemployment office. Joblessness is no longer just for philosophy majors. Useful people are starting to feel the pinch.Kent BrockmanDo good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.Alexander PopeAlways end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the name will carry.Bill CosbyI'm not saying the wife's ugly, but last christmas she stood under the mistle toe waiting for someone to kiss and she was still there at lent. In fact she went to see that film the Elephant Man and the audience thought she was making a personal appearance.Les DawsonWhy don't you write books that people can read?Nora Joyce, to her husband JamesA secretary ran into the bosses office and said "Can I use your dictaphone?" He says, "no, use your finger like everybody elseBernard ManningI once got sacked for laughing ... mind you, I was driving a hearse at the time.Bernard ManningAlcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.Frank SinatraIt's simple. PG means the hero gets the girl. 15 means that the villain gets the girl and 18 means everybody gets the girl.Michael Douglas, on the movie rating systemPlastic surgeons are always making mountains out of molehills.Dolly Parton... when you are waiting for the bus and someone asks, "Has the bus come yet?". If the bus came, why would I be standing here?Billy ConnolyFrom the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.Groucho MarxIf you've got Mystique as your girlfriend the fun you could have in bed - I've just imagined X-Men 3 might open with me in bed with Patrick Stewart.Sir Ian McKellenI'm just looking for that moment to drop my Jedi knickers and pull out my real light saber.Ewan McGregorIt's interesting to speculate how it developed that in two of the most anti-feminist institutions, the church and the law court, the men are wearing the dresses.Flo KennedyI was the first woman to burn my bra - it took the fire department four days to put it out.Dolly PartonFor this month’s movie I’m going to do a quick piece on possibly the greatest movie of all time, Evil Dead 2. I cannot stress this enough. Sometimes I wake in the night in tears about just how good a movie this is. A cult B-movie from back when B-movies were good, Evil Dead 2 was directed by Sam Rami – of Spiderman fame – as well as Bruce Campbell – who you may very well have seen in the Old Spice adverts, in a particularly dashing smoking jacket. Okay, okay, here’s how it goes…Our hero Ash – played by Bruce Campbell, god among men, to perfection – goes up to this little log cabin way up in the woods with his girlfriend for some ‘alone time’. Now when he gets there everything is just fine, until he plays recorded passages from the Necronomicon, and hears the previous owner’s account of his wives possession by demonic entities, "I know now that my wife has become host to a Kandarian demon. I fear that the only way to stop those possessed by the spirits of the book is through the act of... bodily dismemberment. ". By playing the recording of the passages he summons the demons back into the world of the living, and it just gets fucking weirder and weirder from there on in. Packed with guns and gut-wrenching emotion, Evil Dead is the story of a man battling adversity, discrimination and demons in a quasi modernistic setting - with a backdrop of social alienation. I recommend this movie for all occasions; when you are making up with your father after 20 years of separation, when you need to tell that special someone that you care, when your marriage has run flat after 30 years in the missionary, or evenwhen you are finally up to 'that' stage in your relationship with a girl and you need something to set the mood. Don’t let this cult film slip you by just because you didn’t have a friend cool enough to show it to you. First of all- great job everyone who submitted! I'm beyond happy with the number of submissions this month; it made it very hard to choose. Avatar of the MonthZilla's entry finally won me over in the end; I love the simple pixel avatar of Optimus Prime. With the new movie just out, this is a perfect blast to the past. Signature of the MonthI love the composition of this sig. I've always been a sucker for good text, and Tao definitely proves that he's concentrating on his typography in this signature. Love it! I'd also like to mention two other sigs that made it hard to choose- I can't decide whether I like this sig because of its composition or simply because I've just recently been introduced to the amazing man that is Kratos and cannot deny that an image simply picturing him is awesome. Work on the text, though... it seems a little awkward just shoved off to the side. I like this image overall, but I think it'd be better as a fullscale image instead of a signature. It's also a bit of a whored type of image, which cost some points in originality. BUT, overall, you did an awesome job of carrying it out and I'm in love with how vibrant the colors are.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 4:52:09 GMT
Hello there and welcome to August’s summary of the latest and upcoming events here on SSD. We have a few things here for you this time around, so sit down and buckle yourselves in for a rough ride. I promise you I won’t take too much of your precious time so you can sit back and read the rest of the wonderful articles that are a part of the Herald. Staff ChangesJuly has been a very eventful month in terms of bringing new life into the staff team. As I mentioned in last month’s article, there were going to be a lot of new additions to the team. So, wanna know who they are? I’m sure you do! In fact, I know you want to know and just to put you out of your misery, I’m going to tell you. Everyone give a big warm welcome to the following people below. I’m sure they’ll do a fantastic job in their time as staff. Pandora – Barbie joins the team of global moderators. Whilst also sporting a very dashing blue italicised name, she is able to use her moderation tools in any area of the forum. More importantly, she will continue her fabulous efforts in the Literature board, along with contributing to our development and updating the main website. Jon Utah – This wonderful dude steps into the role of Battles Moderator! Jon has been a familiar face in this area by creating many battles and kindly voting on others’ battles too. As of the moment, I can vouch for the fact that he has been very diligent in carrying out his responsibilities. Gray929 and Mukei – Two bearers of artistic and forum advice now share the job of managing Critique. Constructive feedback is valuable to everyone. There are always people out there with different thoughts and ideas about what they get from your artwork and you may take your own ideas from these thoughts. These new recruits just happen to do that rather well. Knighty – We welcome long-serving member, Knighty to the team as SOTW moderator. We received a number of applications of high standards for this position, making it another tough choice. Congratulations to Knighty! I’m pleased to announce that there were no staff departures this month. Re-vamped Website Launch Over the past two and a half months, myself, Eternity and Pandora have been putting together a brand new website. As you will see, the design is fairly simple but it is easy to navigate. I will present to you a breakdown of what has changed and how everything has been improved. Firstly, for those interested, we now use a Content Management System called Drupal. Click www.drupal.org to find out more. [/b] [li]Our overall site presentation has become much cleaner, simpler and easier for you to use. [/li][li]We are much wider, which allows us to make the content areas more spacious. [/li][li]Our new website functions in all major browsers [/li][li]The font size of headings increased, so you can find what you’re looking for quickly and effortlessly. [/li][li]If you’re an affiliate, we’ve made it easier for you to be seen. If you want to affiliate, we’ve provided clear advice on how to do so. Tutorials[/li][li]Our collection of tutorials has been imported and freshened up. [/li][li]Explore the PHP tutorials, these highlight the samples of PHP code in pretty colours. This will make it easier for you to learn. [/li][li]You may add your own tutorials via the website or the forum [/li][li]Our tutorial editor supports UBBC code, which is the same formatting as the forums here. [/li][li]Each tutorial is categorised by ability. [/li][li]A site search engine has been added to allow you to search for a tutorial quickly. Resources (Free Forum Templates, Brushes, Banners etc) [/li][li]There are large previews of each item, so you know exactly what you are downloading. [/li][li]A site search engine has been added to allow you to search our collection of resources. Other Content[/li][li]Our image gallery is now running on a new piece of software and fully integrated, so that it shares the same look and feel as the website. [/li][li]We have plans to allow certain battles to have their work displayed in our galleries. [/li][li]Three thumbnails are displayed at random from our latest gallery additions. [/li][li]Full editions of the Herald will become available. [/li][li]You can now bookmark any tutorials or articles to digg.com/, look out for the yellow and blue button. [/li][/ul]
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 4:53:12 GMT
SSD would like to wish the following people a very happy birthday! - Tj, who would be 19 on August 12th.
- kpSm tOink..! c",), who would be 17 on August 14th.
- SilverWings, who would be 18 on August 24th.
Have a great birthday, birthday boys and girls! For the rest of you whose birthday is in August, but not mentioned here in this entry- I hope you remember to post in our birthday thread next year but Happy Birthday as well!
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 4:53:40 GMT
Note: All of the article excerpts found in this page were based on the information provided in the article.Fifth person arrested linked to terror attack at Glasgow AirportImage courtesy of cnn.comGLASGOW, Scotland - Shortly after Britain raised its terror level to "critical," a level indicating an attack is imminent, a fifth person was arrested in connection to the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport. The attack, which consisted of two car bombs filled with fuel, gas canisters, and nails, caused five slight injuries and damaged the airport's entrance. Click here to read the entire article. After missing for five days, woman laid to restImage courtesy of cnn.comAKRON, Ohio - Jessie Davis, who was missing for 5 days before her body was found, was buried on the 1st of July in a private funeral. Davis's body was found in a park after thousands of volunteers banded together to search the area. Davis was at the time pregnant with an unborn child, named Chloe. Her boyfriend, Canton police officer Bobby Cutts Jr, has been charged with the murder of Davis and her unborn child. Click here to read the entire article. Temperatures on the rise!Image courtesy of cnn.comBOISE, Idaho - Temperatures across the western United States, as well as the rest of the country, are on the rise. Boise had temperatures near 107, while places like Phoenix and Baker, California had temperatures between 115 and 130 degrees. Note from the writer: If you live in an area that currently is setting record highs (whether you live in the United States or other locations), please remember to keep safe during peak heat times (11am-4pm). Click here to read the entire article. Running of the Bulls starts off with a bangImage courtesy of cnn.comPAMPLONA, Spain - The Running of the Bulls started Saturday, already injuring nine people. Seven of these people were not seriously injured. One man was gored in the buttocks and another injured in the shoulder. This year, the festival began with six bulls from Dolores Aguirre. The lightest of them weighed in at 1,212 pounds and the heaviest at 1,356 pounds. Click here to read the entire article. Lady Bird Johnson passed at 94Image courtesy of cnn.comAUSTIN, Texas - Lady Bird Johnson, First Lady during the 1960s, died at the age of 94. She was the widow of former President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who died in 1973. Apart from being a first lady, she started the National Wildflower Research Center in 1982, which was later renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. She was born in 1912. Click here to read the entire article.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 4:54:42 GMT
August was originally the 6th month in the Roman calendar, at that time it was called Sextilis. It was later renamed in honour of the emperor Augustus Caesar due to several very fortunate events in his life occurring in that month. Today, using the Gregorian calendar, August is the 8th month. This month has never had the same amount of days since its creation, having 30 at the start, before changing to 29 and finally 31 - about the same time that it was renamed to August. In the Northern hemisphere, we are now half way through the summer months - with this being one of, if not the hottest based on average temperatures. In the Southern hemisphere August brings hope too, signaling that winter is nearly at an end. If you were born in August, your birth stone would be the sardonyx or the peridot, and the flowers for this month are the poppy and the gladiolus.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 4:59:06 GMT
To Amsterdam? For songs and smiles - and to take the air in a different climate. Possibly for cheap booze, legal mind bending substances and also of course, the elusive promise of Good Fun. Certainly one of a plethora of post high school experiences – the Rite De Passage perhaps?. We touched down at Shipol, a huge fucker of an airport - but pleasant in its own way, and were met by a small seedy man who claimed to be our lift – as well as the manager of agency that owned the flat we were renting. He led us into an old people-carrier, dented along the sides, with seats that appeared to have had sustained vicious assault - presumably when the previous passengers had been brutally slaughtered behind a Portocabin, near some woods, where no one could hear the screams. The seat belts didn’t work, so I gave up then and there, made my peace with whatever god would still have me, and prayed that my death at the hands of whatever goons our driver had hired would be quick. But we survived to step out onto a swelteringly hot outer city street; complete with a tramline - upon which occasionally a slowly clanking tram would roll past - as well as fleets of bicycles whirring past at different speeds as babies and bags bounced on their backs, and packs of children roaming the streets - running or skipping or playing or lagging behind. It took sometime for Stuart to do just whatever exactly he did in The Agency’s office – I suspected the worst - so I spent sometime deciding which city Amsterdam reminded me of - but finally gave up as the only good cities I’ve been to are Edinburgh and Paris, and it reminded me in its own way of both…Though that observation has some merit, I suppose. It was like Paris in mood; hot, but not rushed, with a fine view to catering for the tourist who craves atmosphere, but also like Paris in layout; twisting avenues and alleyways, crammed with life and noise, spidering their way across the city. Like Edinburgh…perhaps because there was, under the strange newness, a familiarity of home - but maybe not everyone would see it that way. Stuart finished whatever business the man from The Agency had for him and we piled back into the van. Perhaps now they have secured their money, I thought, they will shoot us. We arrived. The flat was fancy for its price, I did worry perhaps that it was too fancy for us, but those worries were soon soothed by rats in the kitchen and dark suspicion that the previous occupant had been a sledgehammer wielding maniac who had decided to remodel the bathroom at various points between gibbering. But enough preamble, lets move to the meat of This Story, it’s throbbing, beating heart - Amsterdam itself. The city thrums to the rhythm of the tramlines as the constant buzz, crackle and hum of the electricity leaping from tram wire to tram wire flows through Dam square, through the districts, out over the canals and wraps the people in the essence of the city - because the city is always moving. There is always action for those prepared to find it. But in the day time the city betrays a softer side; cannabis cafes and chess bars make for a casual and near sophisticated way to pass the time, the markets and stalls hidden through back streets open up onto crowded plazas, Buddhist temples tucked away down side alleys hide tiny Asian women - far removed from crowded daily life - indoors where you can’t even hear the street, little pubs and bars fill nearly every avenue - which splinter off from the main thoroughfares indeterminably. At night huge black drug dealers, dreadlocked or bald, leather jacketed and gleaming, stalk solitary through the crowds and streets, hanging around the canals and bridges – every so often regrouping in threes or fours to discuss the night’s takings. We had been warned about the dealers prior to coming to Amsterdam - by a guy Stuart knew from his work. He told us never to accept a handshake or to allow them to place anything in your hand, as they would often slip a bag of some substance in with the handshake – usually dog worming powder or something equally dubious – and demand payment, and you’d be lucky to escape a kicking if you refused. However the dealers who sidled up to us offering E – probably cut with bird shit – and coke – definitely cut with bird shit – weren’t very hard to get rid of, and pleasant enough in a way that only made you want to tear your skin off - so rest easy, as it was probably just Stuart’s mate trying to put the shits up him. But every so often you would see drunken, or just naïve, club goers accept – or even seek out – the drugs peddled by these men - who were in fact, at best, dishwasher detergent salesmen – and the dealers would swarm like huge vultures around the poor, poor fools to haggle and barter and pitch and peddle. On the subject of the dealers: one night when we were walking down a street in the direction of the red light district, drunk and off his face, one shirtless dealer ambled and stumbled across the street shouting and screaming his extreme distaste for the white man in a language I didn’t understand, “The white man is ----, the white man can suck my -----“. I laughed and we walked around him; what would the streets of any good city be without characters? The people who defined them? Defined them with willful arrogance, reckless disorder and a taste for hard drugs. However as we walked on I looked back to see him facing down a huge group of angry white Europeans - fascist rejects of east Berlin? or just wealthy urbanites looking for a fight? ...Who knows? I didn’t see who went for whom first, but I did see the black guy launch himself at one of them, and get decked. When I looked around again the group of Europeans had disappeared and the dealer was laid out and being attended to by some of his fellow dealers. Ugly Street Life, or Street Theatre? But yes, now, the Highlight Of Amsterdam - the highlight seemingly of anyone’s impression of just exactly what Amsterdam is – the Red Light District. Underwhelming and overwhelming, ugly and sick, hilarious and entertaining. The most crowded area of the city; each square foot heaving with men and women who alike slow or stop to stare at the prostitutes... Lit up from all around the prostitutes stand or sit at the windows looking down onto the canals, trapped - like birds in little glass cages – they would rap on the glass as you passed, making your skin crawl, smiling and grinning and leering at whoever would look round. Prostitutes; sick and old in the eyes, waifish little Asian girls and gargantuan black ladies with huge drooping breasts larger than their heads, young and fresh women by night, old and tired women by day, punters crowding round the little clear plastic doors - “How much for?” he gestured at himself and his friend and she just smiled back, opening the door and crooking her finger. Zender would walk down the streets blowing kisses at whichever prostitutes looked at him, and counted the number that blew kisses back, while Stuart compared prostitutes to people we knew from home – wondering childishly, gleefully, how best to tell them. The sexshops; impressive in size of collection and repulsive in content Shithouse? Fett? The porno theatres, “Yes yes yes, come in sirs oh yes you are looking sharp today, a special price, just for you, only a little, just a little, to see beautiful girls, beautiful girls”. The canals reflecting moonlight and swelling when it rained, wrecking poorly tied boats as the water level falls - leaving the boats dangling and slowly filling with water. But the final verdict - after scenes of ugly despair, excellent Fun and the other various strange delights offered by a city defined by tourists with the munchies - was offered by Stuart on our very last night - as we sauntered home at 4 am and we saw our 4th or 5th car crash of that night, “Amsterdam isn’t so much a town as a car crash enthusiast’s club”, but it is important to remember that it is not an exclusive club - it has thrown its doors open to a wealth of womb-beaten, skin-popping misfits of various shapes and sizes - and us, of course. For the sake of making this self indulgent monologue an article, I shall now crudely insert a moral and a point; ‘I can only recommend travel above anything else as a method of expanding horizons, you certainly may think you understand, at least, a tiny portion of life, but really once you fuck off outside the country - that’s all a wanker’s dream…’
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 4:59:50 GMT
When some people oppose one belief, why do they then cling stubbornly to the opposite extreme? How can people rationally argue that one gender is better than the other? That one race is superior to all others? That religion is like ‘Highlander’, “There can be only one”? Who can deny that, from tragedy, new hope is born? Want to know an ancient Chinese secret? Opposites need each other. When the scales are balanced, all is right with the world. What is white without black? Young without old? Masculine without feminine? Ethereal heaven without substantial earth? Eradicate one, and surely you’ve destroyed the other. Yin-Yang is not a purely unique concept. The ancient Greeks approached the subject of opposites in balance as well. Aristotle called balance between opposites “Virtue”. Virtue was balance and moderation, and ultimately happiness. For example, Patience would be the balance and moderation between ignoring a problem and approaching the problem in rushed frustration. Trust is the healthy middle ground between paranoia and gullibility. With so much room for human error, the pendulum will probably swing wide for a long time to come. Wars will be waged, greed will motivate, and extremists will try to mold the world into their own rigid vision - all 'virtue' lost. Others will try to be entirely altruistic and give every ounce of strength they have to help third world families, leaving no strength for themselves. There is a middle road. Moderation is vital to achieving balance. The pendulum will swing, but the hands of the clock will only move forward if the pendulum is balanced. A stand-still will stop the gears. On the hopeful side of things, a wildly swinging pendulum will eventually be made to follow the rules of nature. It is a gradual yet consistent process, reminding us that there are greater forces at work, greater than petty greed, and greater even than genocide and other evil manifestations of imbalance. I would love to see balance achieved in my lifetime, enlightened contentedness within human reach. I’ve seen hints of it. I’ve been teased by glimpses of what balance could mean to this world. My efforts to achieve that balance include medium paced steps down the middle of the road laid out before me. Steady are my feet on the path today. I hope I can say the same tomorrow.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:00:36 GMT
Love...let me just say this right now... I hate love. I mean, get this: you fall hopelessly in love, and you feel it is the real thing. Heart skips a beat at the sound of their voice and you long to hear them say 'I love you,', you smile when their name is mentioned. Oh and how, how could I forget that warm fuzzy feeling in your stomach when they hold you close? Sad...such a sad thing, this love. I mean chances are that when they say 'I love you' and don't even mean it. They are just cheating on you when you aren't looking. Yeah, they went off to college...and chances are pretty damn good they are doing drugs and sleeping with someone else. Chances are it's with some girl they do drugs with. Oh, and no, they don't even tell you, but you leave for some other reason in the end, and a few months later you get this phone call, and no number shows up, but you answer it anyway...okay first off? DON"T ANSWER IT!! Now if you did, hang up, hang up now. Too late? You heard their sweet voice, pleading with you to talk to them. So you unblock them on msn. Okay, reblock them now. Go ahead and hit that block button. You need to, right now. Decided not to? Decided to 'talk' to this person as they beg and plead for another chance, confessing that they cheated on you, and you didn't even know it... But they want forgiveness and a new start. So what do you do? RUN!!!!!!! Run to the hills. Run the other way...I know your heart says 'forgive them'. You love this person so much you just want to let it all go... but, just say no and block them. Didn't listen again? And now you find yourself with this person you love, but can't please, and they are making you miserable...Don't say I didn't try to warn you. You left for some reason, chances are they haven't changed...so leave them in the past. The drugs aren't gone, they will cheat again, and will beg to be forgiven... I am telling you, block them now and be done with it all. Leave them in the past. Oh? Did you get engaged after all my warnings? Idiot... Listen closely, LOVE DOES NOT EXIST!! Okay, poll time. Who thinks I am serious? *counts hands* Only a few of you...that is sad... Who thinks I have had my heart ripped out recently? *counts hands* Quite a few of you. Who thinks I did this as a joke? *counts hands* Psh! Okay, so it really it is a mixture of it all. I love, very deeply and truly. My heart was ripped out. And, yes, it is kind of a joke. Really though, think this through. You love right? What makes you love? What makes up this love you have for another? Lust, desire, companionship, need? I tell you this to spare some of you. Build a friendship first, a strong friendship, get to know them and their habits. Do they seem like they have anger problems? Maybe a little crazy? Into drugs? Drinks? Think about these things... And then fall in love with someone other than that person for whom the answer is 'yes' to all those questions - and maybe more. Saves your heart a lot of ache. <3 Silver Wings
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:04:53 GMT
You've probably heard of it before - "I just fell in love". You meet someone, and suddenly, poof! Cupid appears, and shoots an arrow through your heart. Then you fall madly in love with this person which you may not even know. That is love as an emotion. Is this feeble, impulsive emotion enough to sustain a relationship? Want to know what I think? No.In my opinion, a relationship based purely on emotional love is unstable - and feeble. Emotions form and fizzle out easily. When the euphoria of the initial breathtaking love subsides, what remains? Put it another way: A wet plastic strip will stick to a marble tile. But when the plastic strip dries, it falls off. Emotional love is like the damp - it will dry up- the only question is when. Unfortunately, this is what many die-hard romantics would never agree with, or accept. "True love does not dry up! True love is eternal!" Really? Eternal emotional love? Any candle inevitably burns out one day. Falling in love with someone requires nothing of you. That's why they say you "fall" in love. It's accidental; you didn't know it would happen. But loving someone requires everything of you. You fall in love with someone, but you choose to continue loving him, or her. It is that decision you need to make. Going into a relationship isn't as easy as just dating, having fun, kissing, having sex. While perhaps your model for love is one of lust, a relationship requires much more attention than most people think - and give. A relationship with no emotional love is dull and boring, while a relationship purely based on emotional love is one doomed to fall. As Pandora has said in her article...there must be a balance. So to all you couples out there, good luck with your relationship! And for the rest of you, remember- there is always someone out there.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:10:42 GMT
Animal Facts- Camels have three eye lids
- Roadrunners can sprint 15 miles per hour.
- A crocodile can't move its tongue and cannot chew.
Its digestive juices are so strong that it can digest a steel nail.
- The world's first dog show was held in Britain in 1859.
- Some turtles and tortoises, including the Eastern box turtle, can live for more than a century.
- Just one cow gives off enough harmful methane gas in a single day to fill around 400 liter bottles.
- Zebras can't see the color orange.
Miscellaneous- Americans use enough toilet paper in one day to wrap around the world nine times.
- Try to say the alphabet without moving your lips or your tongue. Every letter will sound exactly the same.
- One out of every 144 people in America has the last name of Smith.
- The largest number of words on a single postage stamp is 746 (from the country of Greece, year: 1954)
- Worldwide there are 1,006.7 men for every 1,000 women.
- According to some scientists in England, seventy percent of the dust in your house is discarded skin cells. (I demand you go dust...NOW!--<3 Silver)
- Two out of three couples stay together through ten years of marriage. Less than half make it through 25 years together.
Odd Laws:Around the World- Switzerland--It is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 P.M.
- Sweden-While prostitution is legal, it is illegal to use the services of a prostitute.
- South Korea-Traffic police are required to report all bribes that they receive from motorists.
- Singapore-It is illegal to pee in an elevator.
- United Kingdom-All English males over the age 14 are to carry out 2 or so hours of longbow practice a week supervised by the local clergy.
- Untied Kingdom-It is illegal to be drunk on Licensed Premises (in a pub or bar).
- Mexico-Clergymen may not wear their religious garb in public.
Odd Laws: United States- Alabama-Incestuous marriages are legal.
- Michigan-Any person over the age of 12 may have a license for a handgun as long as he/she has not been convicted of a felony.
- Georgia-While Georgia operates its own lottery, it "protects" its citizens by making it illegal to promote a private lottery.
- Pennsylvania-You may not catch a fish with your hands.
- Minnesota-All bathtubs must have feet.
- North Dakota-Beer and pretzels can't be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant.
- Louisiana-It is a $500 fine to instruct a pizza delivery man to deliver a pizza to your friend without them knowing.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:16:13 GMT
Welcome to the first edition of Ask Me Anything, a brand new article that gives you, the readers, the perfect chance to ask me any question that can pop into your mind. I'm loving the submissions so far- and can only say that I'm sorry I couldn't possibly answer every question in this round. I have, however, kept all the leftovers for coming additions, so keep tuned! What's the biggest turn on for girls?- Nick Lambourghinis. Seriously? I'd say glory. Something that makes a guy stand out from the rest. It doesn't apply only to rockstars or movie stars (though they certainly don't seem to run short on girls)- it can apply to your everyday joe schmo as well. The point is that there is something special a girl can see and be attracted to. Whether it's the fact that the guy can play an amazing guitar solo, or just that he is the best in the class at biology... it's something that makes a guy worth "catching"... and is definitely a turn on. What was your first forum you belonged to and first forum you were an admin at? - Gray929 The first forum I belonged to was some Buffy fanboard a school friend of mine visited often. I barely knew anything about Buffy - compared to these girls who could identify any of the episodes, with numbers and official titles- but I liked the atmosphere and the idea of having a community, so I created my own for writers, Scribbles n Such, which is also the first I admin'd at. It's really the only one other than SSD that I was every extremely active at. Why do you want us to ask you questions? - Exile_ Why did you ask me questions? Why is the color orange named after a fruit? - Exile_ Orange derives from Sanskrit nāraṅgaḥ "orange tree", with borrowings through Persian nārang, Arabic
nāranj, Spanish naranja, Late Latin arangia, Italian arancia or arancio, and Old French orenge, in chronological order. If the question is more to the effect of why the color is named after the fruit instead of the other way around, I'd venture to guess that man once again built a concept on a concrete item; built the luxury that is an adjective on something that was important in daily life like a food. Where do you live? - Exile_ somewhere only we know.keane Why do you have a negative post count? - Aussie Because positive post counts are overrated... and I was tired of how important some people seemed to think they were. Besides, working towards 0 is fun. It was amusing being an administrator with 0 posts. Why can't I get a negative post count? - Kai Because you ain't can't speak no proper grammar. Why is SSD called Solidsnake Designs, and not Solidserpent Designs? (Pfft, I already know, but it would educate the newer members.) - Kai Why couldn't you ask the question without interjecting that you were an older member? But, for the record- it is named after some dorky videogame, I am told. Why are you called urban.cinderella? Why not rural.cinderella? - Kai If we were being accurate, I'd be suburban.cinderella, haha. I liked the sound in the word urban, but I really meant it more towards... modern cinderella, which just doesn't have the same ring to it. What do you want for breakfast, Jonny UC - Ryan I don't eat breakfast, but I do expect flowers. Why does Oliver have a monkey fetish? - Ryan It reminds him of his previous girlfriends (and is subsequently the reason he went gay.) What really happened to Maggiepoo? - Ryan She was removed from Oliver's bedchamber and set free to live her life flinging the finest of Maggie poo at monkey friends before dying a perfectly natural death. She has since been buried with what we believe to be Oliver's other monkey rejects. Are zebras black with white stripes or white with black stripes? - Ryan Neither; you're colorblind. What does UC prefer on her toast/crumpets/english muffins: Jelly, Cream Cheese, Butter, or Marmalade? - Ryan Ummmmm... cream cheese jelly of course. When is V6 coming?When MTV goes a night without playing Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend. Seriously? Hopefully soon. Until then, we're bringing you enough community updates that you should be able to resist the lack of new eyecandy and enjoy the fact that the stuff we're focusing on ensures that you enjoy your visit to SSD more- in a constructive way instead of just coloring the forum with a new trendwhore design. Would you rather our on/off buttons be shiny and new or you have a new type of duel? Coke or pepsi? - LPF I live 30 minutes from the World of Coke and have taken at least 5 field trips to it. Duh. Why are you (UC) such a dork face? - Bobby I'm not. Easy mistake. Why is my fiancee planning our wedding when it's not for another year? - Bobby You didn't buy her a calendar? Why is it whenever I get a day off the weather sucks? - Bobby God is mocking you. Why can't Budweiser be cheaper? - Bobby Local stores know that your demand curve is very inelastic. Why is 75% of the normal matter in the universe missing? - Assassinator Ask Dawkins. No, but really... is it missing? Or is this again just another concept we don't understand and yet refuse to admit in order to save face? How many hours should we get of sleep a night? - Assassinator I heard somewhere it was 10 for teenagers? Never kept up with that; 6 is good for me. But really, doesn't it change for people- depending on your REM cycle? What's the perfect murder weapon? - Assassinator Kindness. Or the candlestick, in the library, utilized by Professor Plum. Where do I safely get funds to run away and tour the world? - Assassinator 1. Get a doctor to tell TV crews you have terminal cancer of the most painful kind. 2. List your address. 3. Tell people it's your dying wish to see the world. 4. Wait for sympathy letters (and funds) to start filtering in. 5. Repeat Steps 1-3 with varying illnesses. 6. Invest in a good travel agent & lawyer. If your mission is to not accept this mission, do you accept the mission? - TJ No. Will your next word be no? - TJ No, but my answer to the last question was. If you aim to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Assassinator Became the posterboy for welfare? Successfully become a user of myspace? Become one of Bill Clinton's interns? But really- you've failed at whatever you were aiming to fail. You've succeeded at failing at something else. Why won't you add me on MSN? - EpicCentury My mother says I can't play with you. Can I come visit you? - Epic Century Are you keane? Why is luke such a perv? - Epic Century He's feeling unfulfilled and hasn't stumbled across Oliver while his webcam is working. Why is it when I buy a pair of really nice sunglasses they either get broke or lost but when I am given a pair of sunglasses I can't seem to get rid of them? - Epic Century God has a sense of humor. Is the mind essentially non-physical? - Knighty Congratulations; you have the first question that actually made me pause and think for longer than 30 seconds. To be completely serious, I believe it's above physical and non-physical. The mind can be expressed in physical terms if you think a mind is a set of nerves and reactions within a brain... but if you mean it as the word is usually interpreted, there is much more than a physical being- there is a bit of soul mixed in, with rationality beyond the kind of sense perception that prevents us from placing our hands on hot stoves more than once. Does the universe need explanation in terms of a Supreme Intelligence? - Knighty To be picky on wording, neither the Universe nor any Supreme Intelligence needs explanation. To answer the question I think you mean to ask... it comes down to whether you think the world came into being by a coincidental boom... or if you think someone/something put it together. I think the entire forum knows my answer. -coughs- How do I know what I know? - Knighty That's so little material... I'm sure you were able to memorize it quite easily. How do I know that I exist? - Knighty Cogito ergo sum How many licks does it take to get the center of a totsie-roll pop? - Knighty 5. Then you bite it and bam, right in the center. All right, that's it for this time. All of the rest should be answered next month!
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:17:14 GMT
Bad news is abundant in sports. I really struggled to find something enlivening. First, we have the endless Barry Bonds saga. Each day it seems to get worse and worse. The longer we have to wait for him to pass Hank Aaron, the more trouble will arise. People arguing whether Bud Selig should show his face if Barry does hit that home run ball. The MLB even went so far as creating a poll to see whether the fans wanted Selig to be at the game. Honestly, I think that’s pathetic. Listen now, the man hasn’t been found guilty for anything having to do with enhancements. People can speculate all they want, as far as we know, he is playing baseball at the same physical level as everyone else. And now this is coming from a Barry hater at that. I don’t like him. Do I think he took steroids? Sure, but I can’t prove it. So, it’s not fair for me to harass the guy if it hasn’t been proven. I just want him to hit the home runs and then everyone can move on. Then of course you have the horrendous Michael Vick phenomenon. What can I say? This guy is in some serious trouble. People are saying 'Well, he wasn’t there during the dogfights etc'. Even if that’s true, he is still responsible because its his house and is thus guilty. I highly doubt, however, that he knew nothing of this. He sponsored the group Bad News Kennelz. There were dog graves in his yard. There was dog fighting equipment in his basement. I won’t even describe some of the paraphernalia, because it is so horrific. He was also recently indicted. The police, or FBI for that matter, never indict someone unless they are sure they have sufficient evidence for at least one of the counts. Vick was also told not to go to training camp with his team. That man is a wreck, let me tell you. Third, you have the monumental case of that referee for the NBA, Tim Donaghy. He was supposedly betting on games he refereed as late as last year. I think this is the most catastrophic story of all. If he is found guilty, the sport will take a big blow. Even more so, if he names others who were involved in this betting scheme, then I don’t think the NBA will ever recover. This guy is a sick loser and is destroying the integrity of the NBA. If the games aren’t being judged fairly, then whose gonna wanna watch them? I’d keep an eye on this story, because it can get real dirty. Plus, I was very surprised to read that the Astana team that had been favored to win, had to quit the Tour de France because one of their members, Alexandre Vinokourov, failed a drug test. Sad world. Finally, I’d like to dedicate this article, if thats appropriate, to a man named Mike Coolbaugh who died recently. He was the hitting coach for a minor league baseball team and was about to retire too. Only reason he stayed in uniform was because his children loved seeing him in it. Not to mention a third child which was due soon. This story struck me. During one game, he was coaching first base and a foul ball hit him smack in the head. He died on the way to the hospital. God bless him! This truly was a tragedy. The only good story I managed to find was about the Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester. He was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, and last week made his first MLB start since that catastrophic news. His family were in the stands, and it was a brilliant night. Plus, he got the win. When I saw that story, it made my heart happy. I was so glad to see a positive news story. The one thing I am mad about is that those ridiculous articles above are considered so much more important than this story - that everyone is forgetting about Lester and his amazing comeback. America, myself included, needs a big reality check if its sports 'news' is just going to be crammed with misery.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:21:11 GMT
The month of August is the eighth month of the twelve from the Gregorian Calendar. It was originally named Sextilis in Latin. This month has played host to a series of important events ever since recorded history began... Listed Events:- August 9, 1965 - Singapore separates from the Federation of Malaysia and becomes independent
- August 14, 1947 - Pakistan becomes independent
- August 15, 1945 - Korea becomes an independent country
- August 15, 1947 - India becomes an independent country
- August 19, 1945 - Vietnam's August Revolution succeeded
- August 25, 1825 - Uruguay becomes independent from Brazil
- August 31, 1957 - Malaysia becomes an independent country
Daily EventsThe events in this list are taken from Historical People and Events for Augustp. The website displays many different events for different August days.August 1 Colorado was admitted to the Union, 1876 (38th)
August 2 President Warren G. Harding died in San Francisco, California, 1923
August 3 The first telephone conversation in which voices were bounced off the moon was accomplished by U.S. scientists, 1960.
August 4 The United States purchased the Virgin Islands, 1916
August 5 The first Atlantic cable was completed, 1858
August 6 The first major allotment of public land for education was made by the city of Newport, Rhode Island. Income from the tract was to be used to educate the poor children of the town, 1640
August 7 United States troops landed on Guadalcanal during WWII, 1942
August 8 The surrender of the colony of New York was demanded by a Dutch force of 23 ships and 1600 troops anchored of Sandy Hook. They retained possession of the colony until February 9, 1674 when the English regained control, 1673.
August 9 President Richard M. Nixon resigned as a result of his involvement in the burglary of the Democratic party headquarters at the Watergate office complex, 1974
August 10 The first commercial electric streetcar in America and the world was placed into operation in Baltimore. It ran from Oak Street to Roland Avenue to 40th Street.
August 11 Lincoln's Proclamation of National Fast Day, 1861
August 12 The United States Postal system became independent, 1970
August 13 The coin operated telephone was patented, 1889
August 14 First Lady Sarah Polk died at her home "Polk Place" in Nashville, Tennessee, 1891
August 15 Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island of Corsica, 1769
August 16 The first cable message was sent across the Atlantic Ocean from Queen Victoria of England to United States President James Buchanan, 1858
August 17 The Woodstock Music Fair ended, 1969
August 18 The Copyright law was created by Congress, 1856.
August 19 Caesar Augustus died, A.D. 14
August 20 The United States Marines landed in Beirut, 1982
August 21 Hawaii was admitted to the Union, 1959 (50th)
August 22 The world's first nuclear-powered ship, the Savannah, made its maiden voyage from Yorktown, Virginia to Savannah, Georgia, 1962.
August 23 President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna of Mexico warned the United States that any attempt to annex Texas would be considered an act of war against Mexico, 1843.
August 24 Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in volcanic ash, killing 20,000, A.D. 79
August 25 Ann Rutledge, died at the age of 22 in Illinois, 1835
August 26 The AFL-CIO endorsed Senator John F. Kennedy for president, 1960.
August 27 The first play to be performed in the North American Colonies was Ye Bare and Ye Cubb. This play was written by Philip Alexander Bruce, and took place at Acomac, Virginia, 1665.
August 28 The last day of the Roman Empire, 476.
August 29 The Beatles concluded their fourth American tour with their last public concert at Candlestick Park , San Francisco, 1966
August 30 Cleopatra, the seventh and most famous queen of ancient Egypt committed suicide, 30 B.C.
August 31 Thomas A. Edison received a patent for his Kinetoscope, 1887. Extended Events:Many famous Irish battles took place in August:The Second Battle of Athenry took place on August 10 1316. Felim mac Aedh Ua Conchobair wished to become Supreme King of Connacht and to expel the Normans.
The Battle of the Yellow Ford, near the river Blackwater in Armagh, Ulster, Ireland in the year 1598. This battle was fought during the Nine Years War. The battle was fought between the Gaelic native Irish army under Aodh Mór Ó Néill and Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill, and an English expeditionary force under Henry Bagenal.
The Battle of Curlew Pass was fought during campaign of the Earl of Essex in the Nine Years war, on August 15, 1599. Today, the Curfew Pass battlefield is overlooked by a sculpture by Maurice Harron called "The Gaelic Chieftain".
Sources:
Events in August The Second Battle of Athenry The Battle of the Yellow Ford Battle of Curlew Pass
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:24:21 GMT
During presidential campaign years, debates are not a rare occurrence. Throughout the years leading up to an election, debates between candidates are but one of the many ways we can learn more about each candidates' policies and their opinions on critical and recurring issues such as war, universal health care, civil rights, and Social Security, to name a few. Ironically, the average citizen has little ability to voice their questions and concerns to the candidates about the issues that matter most to them. For years, candidates have been answering (or avoiding, for that matter) many of the same questions - which are generic and broad at best and are often recycled over multiple presidential elections. However, that era has come to an end. Just last month, CNN and YouTube teamed up in an unprecedented effort to bring the questions from the real people who have real concerns and issues. July 23, 2007 saw a change in how candidates are held to respond to certain issues. The users of YouTube brought up points that often candidates would rather play mum about or answer vaguely - in an attempt to look good no matter how their answer is analyzed. This new ability to submit questions that might not be as common as the others which are typically asked, brings a new sense of getting the truth from the candidates. While aforementioned topics may be the big hitters, there are cases where candidates might have the same stance and the difference can only be seen when real life issues such as gay marriage, the draft, and world issues - such as the crisis in Darfur - are presented. Some memorable questions presented to the candidates include: "Whenever I read an editorial about one of you, the author never fails to mention the issue of race or gender, respectively. Either one is not authentically black enough, or the other is not satisfactorily feminine. How will you address these critics and their charges if one or both of you should end up on the Democratic ticket in '08?" - Directed to Senators Obama and Clinton."Senator Obama, the laws banning interracial marriage in the United States were ruled unconstitutional in 1967. What is the difference between a ban on interracial marriage and a ban on gay marriage?" - Directed to Sen. Obama"This question is to Senator Hillary Clinton. The Arab states and Muslim nations view their women as being second-class citizens. If you're president of the United States, how do you feel that you would even be taken seriously by these states in any kind of talks, negotiations, or any other diplomatic relations? I feel that it's a legitimate question.""Senator Edwards said his opposition to gay marriage is influenced by his Southern Baptist background. Most Americans agree it was wrong and unconstitutional to use religion to justify slavery, segregation, and denying women the right to vote. So why is it still acceptable to use religion to deny gay Americans their full and equal rights?""My question for all the candidates: How do we pull out now? And the follow-up, are we watching the same blankin' war? I certainly wasn't a big fan of the invasion/liberation. It sickens me to hear about soldiers wounded and getting killed daily, not to mention innocent Iraqis, but how do we pull out now? The government's shaky; bombs daily. Don't you think if we pulled out now that would open it up for Iran and Syria, God knows who -- Russia -- how do we pull out now? And isn't it our responsibility to get these people up on their feet? I mean, do you leave a newborn baby to take care of himself? How do we pull out now? - Directed to all candidates.Change has not come without criticism however. Members of YouTube's community and other online outlets have voiced their opinion that the questions being asked were still being limited as only a select few were to be chosen for the debate by an internal team from CNN. Other criticisms from the public also include the lack of questions aimed in response to a candidate's response and a lack of fairness in that the majority of the questions would likely be geared towards the more popular candidates. Political analysts have also expressed dislike of the newer format, expressing concerns about the relevance of certain questions to the upcoming election (read: questions about "smaller" issues). One of the candidates, Senator Mike Gravel, disliked the fact that the leading Democratic candidates received the majority of the questions. Come September, the Republican Party will host a CNN-YouTube debate of their own. While this new series of debates may be young and subject to a fair amount of criticism, it is impossible to ignore the possibilities that have been opened up for future debates - and how they have the potential to alter the way presidential hopefuls duke it out in the years to come.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:40:02 GMT
I purposely scanned in my own old, worn and tattered copy of Terry Brooks’ “The Sword of Shannara”. It just goes to show how often I’ve devoured this book - perhaps 7 or 8 times, I think. Plus the fact that it was my brother’s copy, from when he was much, much younger, accounts for some of the wear and tear. In 1977, Terry Brooks published his first novel in the epic fantasy series that spans many generations in a realm all its own. There are now 16 books about the world of Shannara, including all the different trilogies and unique series, all highlighting the centuries old magical history of the family Shannara, and their most trusted friends and allies. The series explores dark magic, intelligent races other than Man, monsters, mutations, Druids, spells, talismans, philosophies, characters that grow, fall from grace, achieve the impossible, risk their lives, save the world and teach future generations. “The Sword of Shannara” is where it started, and will forever be my favorite of the series, if only for nostalgic reasons. As in lots of fantasy epics, someone very young and woefully unprepared is given a hefty task of dire importance that will eventually save a lot of lives - and perhaps the whole world. The primary thing that holds certain books in this genre apart from the crowd of formula novels is good writing and “The Sword of Shannara” has that in abundance. Brooks has often been compared to J. R. R. Tolkien. Some think he may have been a little too influenced by Tolkien, but I find his stories are richly layered and have a unique rhythm all on their own. The reader is invited to follow the protagonist and his companions, and is handsomely rewarded for their interest with detailed encounters with daunting villains, teased by hints of what is to come, and satisfied with an intense and worthy ending. Our hero is a teen-aged boy named Shea Ohmsford. A tall, imposing looking man in a dark robe warns him of the danger he is soon to face. After living a youth of honest work in the home of the loving family that adopted him, this dangerous stranger and his bone-chilling warnings are the last thing Shea expects or needs. However, a type of demon called a Shadowen arrives in his town in the night, sniffing for his blood. Shea and his brother Flick flee to the highlands in hopes of convincing their cousin to join them in a search for the talisman that will be necessary if Shea is to defeat the great evil plotting to achieve eternal life - and omnipotence. That talisman is a sword, and its power is pure, unbiased truth. The time has come for Shea to find out who he really is. This is a world that will frighten you into despair, then give you hope on the very next page. Beautifully illustrated by the Brothers Hildebrandt, it is impossible not to have a clear and vivid vision of the world Brooks has created. The best part about the series is knowing there are more than a dozen other books once you have whetted your appetite for the world’s stories. Rumor has it that J. K. Rowling is done with Harry Potter’s tale, but when you're finished absorbing the ending to his saga, “The Sword of Shannara” will be waiting to suck you in to yet another place beyond our own limited reality I grew up with “Shannara”, the same way most of you grew up with Harry Potter, so I felt it only appropriate to share this find with you. “The Sword of Shannara” has earned five out of five stars. “To Barbie, With Magic. Terry Brooks” He was actually flattered by the sorry state of my copy of his book. He knew that meant it was well read.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:48:09 GMT
Before I begin this article, heres a quick run down of the characters and races which feature in the series. Races:- Terrans-Humans
- Ctarl-Ctarl-A cat-like race
- Silgrians-Bird-like
- Corbanites-Frog-like
- Sith-An insectoid race
- Saurians- A bio-engineered race of reptiles
- Tenrei Aliens- Small, furry, rabbit-like
Characters:- Gene Starwind- Is the main character of the series. He developed a fear of space flight and hatred for pirates when he and his father were attacked by pirates and his father was killed.
- Jim Hawking- Every hero needs a sidekick, and Jim is Gene's. He is the resident computer hacker for this group of characters - and also the mechanic. Whenever there is a problem, Jim is there to fix it.
- Melfina- Not much is really known about Melfina other than that she is a bio-android created by Professor Gwen Khan - using knowledge the Professor didn't fully understand.
- Aisha Clanclan- She joins the trio after she is demoted. Aisha blames them for her demotion and this forges the bond that draws her to join them. She is also in search of the Galactic Leyline in order to to gain her position with the 'Ctarl-Ctarl', back.
- Suzuka- Suzuka is known as the Twilight Assassin, she only kills when the sun is setting. She saves Melfina, and decides to join the crew of Outlaw Star in pursuit of the Kei Pirates.
Outlaw Star appeared on Cartoon Network's Toonami in 2001 - where I saw it for the first time. This wonderful series follows Gene and Jim as they become well known Outlaws. Within the first few episodes, several other characters get pulled in to the mix. The duo becomes a trio as Melfina joins them and they gain a ship known as 'Outlaw Star'. Throughout the series the two other characters mentioned above join the crew of the Outlaw Star. The plot revolves around Melfina and her mission - which Gene and Jim decide to help with. Towards the end, they reveal their own personal quest for the 'Galactic Leyline' - which is rumored to be a fantastic, yet mysterious, treasure. Whether they find this 'treasure' or not...Well watch it and find out. Everything in this series only makes you want more, I guarantee you will be hooked. So take the time and watch a few episodes, it won't be time wasted.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:48:57 GMT
Alright, so this month it really isn't about a certain band, or album, but rather one of the better compilation discs that I have picked up. I've actually had this CD for quite a while, and I have just started listening to it again. It has a handful of some really good bands, and one of my favorites. Cool cover art... eh? The title of the CD is "Punkzilla: The Compilation". It was released by Nitro Records in 2002 with a barrage of legit punk and pop-punk bands on its list of artists. It features AFI, The Damned, Bodyjar, The Vandals, Rufio, Offspring, T.S.O.L, Stavesacre, Ensign, Guttermouth, Divit, Original SInners, Son of Sam and The Turbo AC's. Now a few of these bands meet my standards in today's scene, but most of these tracks make me miss the old Warped Tour. Unlike today, when its dropped almost anything punk rock and skater about it. I think almost every single one of these bands have been on the Warped Tour at one time or another, or are still on it, but it doesn't make a difference, these tracks all kick a lot of ass. All around, all of these songs have a really nice sound. It is by far one of the better punk compilation discs that I've picked up, because it doesn't have lame fillers like Hellcat has on Give em the Boot, their ongoing series of compilations that's at, like, 7 now? But I won't get too off track with Give em the Boot, I will stick to Nitro's comp. One of my favorite bands is also featured on this album with two songs, and that is The Damned. I'm not going to run around praising how great they are, because it would take away from the rest of this CD, which is great. Along side The Damned, AFI has its handful of tracks, bringing out a little more rock than punk during the time they made the transition from punk to more new wave/ scene music. They are one of those bands, like Green Day, that went from "I'm punk and I don't give a fuck," to something more corporate and "meaningful" as they say. So I have stopped following them, but they had some of their better hits here. The Vandals are another band along that side that made a more pop move, but still are crazy and I like it, they definitely have some fun songs in here with great punk beats and definitely fulfill the name of the album, "Punkzilla". Other bands that have great tracks I feel are Bodyjar, Rufio and Guttermouth. And this may be on behalf of when Dave Mirra was new, I played way too much of it. I think that everyone of those bands were on the Dave Mirra soundtrack, but that music usually gets me going, and I'm someone who is difficult to get going by listening to music. If anything, check out a few of these artists other individual albums, most of them all have a huge inventory of music as most have been around since punk first started. Overall, "Punkzilla" is one of my most listened to compilation discs and has a spot in my heart forever, even-though its one of the tackiest album titles there is. So hopefully someone else can step up and enjoy some good ol' punk and pop punk at its finest.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:49:37 GMT
I’m not quite sure what I was expecting when I picked up this one, but I was intrigued certainly. My first impression of her went a little something like this. “Great voice, I can’t wait to get this CD and learn all the words.” You see, I was excited to add an entire new album of songs to my list of practice songs. I’m a singer, and I’m always looking for new and fun albums to stretch my vocals to. Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” definitely has the potential to be one of those albums. The opening track, titled “Rehab”, has a great beat and an addictive chorus. The follow-up song, Winehouse’s single, “You Know I’m No Good”, is even better. Songs also of note are “Some Unholy War” and “He Can Only Hold Her”. This album is sultry and a worthy homage to the soul singers of the sixties. I could easily see this as the soundtrack to a sequel of Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown” - if he ever chose to make one. However, I must admit, there are a few sections that drag a bit, and even a song or two that grated on my nerves - for example “Me and Mr. Jones” seemed to be moving in slow motion. Overall, I have a very favorable impression of this album, and I plan on listening to it again soon. Maybe I won’t shout it from any rooftops, but I do recommend “Back to Black”. Amy Winehouse: Back to Black has earned 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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Post by The Herald on Aug 2, 2007 5:50:11 GMT
Every summer, bands from all over the country load up their buses and embark on an epic journey called The Warped Tour. Kids empty their pockets to fuel the fire for these punk rock demi-gods. This traveling circus is supposed to embody everything that is punk rock and combine all of the best punk bands into one tour. This traveling circus is supposed the bring the underground above. This traveling circus fails miserably. NOW SPONSORED BY AT&T... corporate, I think so. As much as I would like to sit here and deny the fact, the punk rock style has become trendy and trite. Little 13 year-old girls are dyeing their hair funny colors, uploading their favorite Fallout Boy CD onto their iPods and calling themselves punk. The Warped Tour founder, Kevin Lyman, decided that he could capitalize on this growing trend and create a roaring river of cash that would flow directly into his pocket. All he had to do was convince Vans to slap their already popularized brand name on it and Big Kev would have a product. Something you'd expect for U2 or the Stones. The punk rock counter culture was started to steer away from ideals like this. Corporate sponsors have no place in punk rock. The bands that play on the Warped Tour and consider themselves a punk rock band should know better than this, especially all the bands that view themselves as "anti-corporate" bands. I don't see a bigger hypocrisy than preaching against "corporate whores," yet supporting Vans, Clear Channel and their beloved Warped Tour. Vans and the Warped Tour have turned punk into an industry instead of the underground art form that it once was. The biggest problem with the Warped Tour is that it's killing local music scenes across the country. Before the Warped Tour, all of these bands would go out on separate tours with two or three supporting bands. There are about 20 of these bands on the Warped Tour every year. If this still happened, there would be 20 different tours going on through different venues at any give time during the summer. Thats 20 different shows that the kids would be able to see in the summer and would help little local clubs stay alive. Plus this way, without the Warped Tour, the kids would get to see all the different smaller bands that are supporting the headliners on tour, which would expose the smaller bands to more people and help them on their future tours. Hes' got the hair, he must be punk. The Warped Tour also gives local bands small glimpses of hope to play at their festival and get great exposure for their band. Every year, they host an online battle of the bands where they post their mp3's and a profile about the band. Users sign up and vote for their favorite band a million times, hoping that they will get to play at the Warped Tour in their area. The thing that isn't mentioned on the website is that once these band get on the Warped Tour, they are put on a small stage in the corner of the fairground with between 10 and 20 people listening to them, while much larger bands play in-front of thousands just 100 yards away at the same time. Local bands probably get more exposure at their small local shows than at the Warped Tour, no matter how good they are. Similar to the Battle of the Bands, the Warped Tour also features something they call a "BBQ Band." This is a little more prestigious than winning the battle of the bands, but not much more. A BBQ band is a smaller band that is "allowed" to play the entire tour as long as they agree to cook food for the bands and crew members every night after the shows. For some reason, trekking across the country in a small van getting paid almost nothing, playing in-front of maybe 50 people (who probably don't care too much about your band) and cooking food for 100 people doesn't really appeal to me. This music scene started out as the antithesis of generic lovey-dovey radio songs and giant coliseum shows. Now, to the masses, punk rock is being viewed as just that. Yesteryear's boy bands have traded in their frosty hair for colored hair and claiming that they are "punk rock." The Warped Tour is to blame.
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