The Herald: March 2007 Edition

[The Herald]

Well here it is the beautiful month of March. Ha, who am I kidding? I just want May to get here.

Anyways, I'll keep this one short.

First off, images. The cover image is different. It's meant to be that way. The headliners have also been tweaked. This is my attempt at trying to change it up a bit until we get a whole new look whenever SSDv6 comes along. So please let me know any comments, good or bad*, about these.

Secondly, the incident that took place in February's comments...that will not be happening again. Anything of the sorts will be reported to a higher staff member at once. So keep in mind that we'd like to keep the comments thread open this month.

Thirdly, I'd like to welcome Sirius Wolfsbane back onto Herald staff. He left earlier last year due to personal reasons, and now he's back in action with two articles within this very thread.

There is a Member of the Month article this time around, but due to Oliver's tight schedule there is no SSD General News.

So, that's all I have this month. It's thankfully a decent hour at 11:19PM PST, so for me this is getting released on time, in fact early. So enjoy ad go frolic amongst the many, many articles.

*I am not responsible if you get flattened like a pancake

[The Herald]

   This month I looked for someone who has contributed to SSD and has yet to be recognized for doing so. I found that person easily. Submitting almost regularly to the Premades section, winning a few Resource of the month's, and even winning Most Contributing Member makes St. Inky the perfect choice for member of the month. Good job St. Inky and please keep on contributing.




   Once again, SolidSnake Designs would like to wish the following a very happy birthday.

Assassinator	13th
z i f f y	14th
Ethan/space.dork	26th
$©Ø®Þ!@Ω™	27th

   If you have a birthday the month of March, and it is not listed, then you're tough out of luck. You should have posted. Have a great month, everyone!




Abstract Set 11 by White.Knight is a gorgeous set of banners using cool colours. The shapes and textures involved do not contrast each other too much and the render is blended in softly with the clouds and other brushes used.

While the 1px black border is simple, it frames the image well, and the banner itself not calling for anything more complex.

At a good size of 475x125, there is plenty of space for an image or two and some text as well, making it easy to work with and perfect for a forum signature.




This month's LotM decision was hard. With a new influx of talent, probably because the Lit Board rocks and that's where all the cool people are (*wink wink* We win!) the choice was harder and harder to make as the month went on.

It kills me to have to choose one, but [orange]Whitney[/orange]'s Puppet to Master takes the award this month.

Fantastically written, the metaphors leave enough room for interpretation. They aren't shoved down my throat, nor are they so obscure you're left with no idea it's a metaphor. The absolute empathy for the puppet is so fantastically crafted, and the repetition with altered bits and pieces works as absolute genius.

Congratulations, Whitney.

Puppet to Master by [orange]Whitney[/orange]:

Dear Master,

I was hoping that possibly maybe you wouldn’t mind taking me off the shelf today
I’ve been getting somethin’ lonesome up here
But it’s not that I can’t understand that you like your toy penguin more
I can see your whole room from up here, y’know, and she’s very pretty

However, I was really hoping that you wouldn’t mind taking me off the shelf today
It hasn’t been dusted in ages
But it’s not that I can’t understand that you’re too short to reach and your mom is too busy
It’s just that the dust really does no good for my asthma

I really don’t mean to complain, but I’d really like to be taken off the shelf today
Maybe you could show me your baby sister
But I can understand if you wouldn’t want me around her
She might pull out one of my eyes and choke or something

Maybe if you took me off the shelf today, you could fix me up for her
I was hoping you might fix my broken strings soon
My cheeks could use a fresh coating of rosy red
And my hair could use a visit from a comb

Anyways, I was just hoping that possibly maybe you wouldn’t mind taking me off the shelf today
So I’d really like to know sometime soon
Because I’ve really been getting somethin’ lonesome up here
And my asthma is really killing me


Dear Puppet,

If I took you off the shelf today, I wouldn’t have anywhere to put you
I have so many other toys already
Besides, I really love my toy penguin
Isn’t she just so cute?

Even if I did take you off the shelf, it still wouldn’t be dusted
Like you said, I’m too short and my mom just works way too much
Maybe you should lean over and not breathe over the shelf when you start coughing
I’m sure that would work

I really don’t feel like taking you off the shelf for my baby sister
She’d probably just break the rest of your strings
She’s still too little to enjoy anything besides milk and rattles
Besides, she’d probably choke on one of your eyes, too

Even if I did take you off the shelf, you probably wouldn’t be fixed anytime soon
I’d have to buy brand new strings
And a little container of cheap red paint
And my mom probably wouldn’t want me using a comb on an old dusty piece of junk

So I guess I won’t take you off the shelf today
Maybe I’ll take you off sometime tomorrow or something
I hope you don’t mind
Besides, what’s one more day?




   While Jonny's off sorting through some personal matters, I've picked up this article. Riffling through the photos from the last month has been a great way to see them (I've been neglecting the Photography board, 'tis a shame.) There was one photo that stood out quite clearly to me, it was like there was a sign that flashed, "CHOOSE ME!", and well....I did, ha. Fatherhood by Tommy Huynh is my choice. The raw emotion from this photograph captured my attention and I couldn't help but find that in sepia it looks even more beautiful and just adds that extra touch. So congrats Tommy! I'd love to see more shots like this.



"Do you normally stand up while watching Television Artos?"
- Luke

"New Study says Global Warming will be a lot worse and a lot harder to solve.

I think the real problem is Cow flatulence, a UN study said that 50% of the C02 emmisions could be because of Cows ... which is why all these liberal vegans are destroying the earth.

I eat red meat to stop Global Warming."
- Internet/Web/UserX

"Jonny, you're too young to be on the internet."


"Yeah, he looks fit to be a model for huggies."
- Alan & Ovi

"You're still missing the "Most Awesome Member" award.

It makes me sad.

I mean, sure. It was a by-product of that week-long troll, but it was still relevant to everyone after the fact.

So sad.

:<"


"You wouldn't have won, I'd have put your name in the censored words as "No-one special"."
- Artos & Jonny

"They are 100 percent correct. 83 percent of the kids in our school are home schooled and four of them who happen to be in year 10 are now in college. Thats highly uncommon in the us. Let alone for osme one to get in to college after they graduate, if they graduate."


"Tell me, did you take the opportunity to re-read what you just wrote? Here's a synonymous sentence:

"I can't stand oranges! They are so repulsive, I hate even looking at them let alone eating them. Why yesterday I had 25 and I just couldn't stop eating them, cause they were so damn delicious!"

I sure hope those kids who are in your school, who are also in college, and are being home-schooled are chuckling as much as I currently am."
- Epic-:-Century & Virtuoso

"I hate stairs, you have no idea. "


"thats just because it takes your little legs so much effort to jump up them.

"
- elpeef & Nicholas/Combo

"movie was excellent, meal was steak and cheesy potatoes with a whole bottle of wine for me (yes, very slightly drunk >.>) and ice cream for desert "

"It's okay *pats* At least you have a reason for not being able to spell dessert*. "
- Eternity & Kay

"Yeah, he nearly gave himself a BJ before eating his pedigree.


I'm actually going to try most of that, except the pissing on the carpet thing. lol"


"I piss on the carpet when im drunk, whats the difference?"
- Butt & Epic-:-Century

"Guys, the first post was only last page. C'mon, I posted a picture...

As for all requests to make babies, sorry, guys aren't outfitted with the necessary equipment.

A serious design flaw, I may add."
- Artemis

"my pet peeve is people who don't center their forum backgrounds/make them big enough but insist that it looks "fine" on their resolution get a friggin clue, not everyone uses 800x600

and breath "
- Eternity

"***This post was brought to you by SPAM, a brick shaped meat product. Mmmmm SPAM, it's like a party in your mouth, if a party were anything like fake meat in a can.***"
- pandora

"I have a moon for you...... ( Y )




Holy crap! When did I get this immature? That was just my way of saying kiss my lily white, "tinfoil-hoarders"."
- pandora

"Is Artemis nearby?"


"Honey, no other boys. *wags finger*

Actually...

*checks Webworldx's pic again*

...threesome?

"
- AI & Artemis

[The Herald]

Alright, so the month of March has rolled around. You know what theme that brings to famous quotes of the month?

...absolutely none! These quotes are absolutely random- some are serious, others are not.

---

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something."
- Mitch Hedberg

"A wise person does at once what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing, only at different times."
- John Dahlberg, Lord Acton

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is."
- Jan L.A. Van De Snepscheut

"The longer I live, the more keenly I feel that whatever was good enough for our fathers is not good enough for us."
- Oscar Wilde

"Politics is not how you vote, it is how you live. It is not how you choose, but how you think."
- Nancy Fox

"A man is called selfish not for pursuing his own good, but for neglecting the neighbor's."
- Richard Whately

"Men want sex. If men ruled the world, they could get sex anywhere, anytime. Restaurants would give you sex instead of breath mints on the way out. Gas stations would give sex with every fill-up. Banks would give sex to anyone who opened a checking account."
- Scott Adams

"He attacked everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naive incompetence, and it was often difficult to tell which was which."
- Douglas Adams

"If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play."
- John Cleese

"Painting in watercolor is like walking a tight-rope: one musts achieve a perfect balance between what the paint wants to do and what the artist wants to do, or all is lost."
- Mary C. Taylor

"The easiest way for your children to learn about money is for you to not have any."
-Katharine Whitehorn

"If you must keep a journal for purposes of sanity, adopt an illegible hand."
- R. Bryan Love




   Alright, I miss doing this article, so I decided to pick it up this month. Also, thank you St. Inky for helping me with the judgment this month.

Avatar of the Month: AI



I choose this avatar because the colors mix well together, it's nothing too far out there, the focus is fine with the "messiness" of it. I like how neither the faded or the original image of it is centered. Simple border as well.


Signature of the Month: AI



I'm not sure if I like the colors all too well on this, but I liked them enough to choose it. The brushing is good. Good blending on the render, and plus nice choice, Jessica Alba. Yet again a nice simple border. I think it could've used some simple text of "Jessica Alba" or something towards the left, but either way it drew me in.


Good job, AI.

[The Herald]

At the end of every month I will tally the current statistics displayed in the Info Center. Come the end of the month I will again tally the current SSD statistics and the ending balance of each. This is nothing more than a fun little article to keep you up-to-date on exactly how well SSD has improved month to month.

End of January Statistics:
Total Threads: 44,705
Total Posts: 324,024
Total Members: 14,889

End of February Statistics:
Total Threads: 45,205
Total Posts: 328,295
Total Members: 14,976

The Results:
Total Threads: 501
Total Posts: 4,405
Total Members: 90

[The Herald]

This is an article that I hope to emulate in several future issues of The Herald as well. I would like to introduce the SSD crowd to some old school records that should be treated as legend. To be considered old school the album must be at least 10 years old. My first Old School Coolness review is the 1996 American Records release of “Unchained” by Johnny Cash.

The record is produced by none other that Rick Rubin, a legend in his own right. The team of Rubin and Cash doesn’t miss.

“Unchained” is a reminder to us that Johnny Cash is why country music is still tolerated to this day. It is clean in sound, but gritty in content, straightforward country without the obnoxious pop twang so common in today’s country top 40. Johnny’s voice is strong and unique as ever. Only Johnny Cash could effectively sing his own songs. Any other voice would cheapen the always classic lyrics.

The highlight of the album for me is Cash’s cover of Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage”. He manages to top the original, breaking the well-written song into a simpler, steel drivin’ man’s version. It is reminiscent of such legendary older tracks as “Folsom Prison Blues”, raw and honest.

Also notable are the tracks titled “I Never Picked Cotton” and “I’ve Been Everywhere”, suggesting a wandering loner still exists in his old soul.

Lots of fans still mourn Cash’s death. Many musicians admit to his direct influence on their work, for example The Clash, especially Joe Strummer, and Mike Ness of Social Distortion. Henry Rollins all but worships the man. He paved a great road, a road lined with wooden fences and dust. I recommend “Unchained” because it is a testament to Johnny Cash’s lasting and enduring greatness, a late in life release as great an any of his classics, maybe even better.

[The Herald]

Games, the lovely things we all love to play and waste a couple of hours on. Nevermind that we have tons of unfinished homework; killing this boss is much more important! Many hours which can be otherwise used for constructive activities are spent indulging in fantasy worlds where mystical evil lords are hell-bent on taking over the world, or realistic environments where you kill or get killed, etc.

We've all enjoyed playing games, but designing and making one requires determination, lots of patience, and of course, creativity. Designing one that is fun and enjoyable requires even more - hours of brain-storming, test-playing and pulling of hair. Anyone can be a game designer, but can they design something good?

That said, if you're interested in game-designing (or you just want to read this article), continue on!

This article will touch on the basics of designing a Role Playing Game (RPG). There are several important sections to design a RPG.

The Plot
Arguably the most important thing in any RPG, the plot is what will capture the player's attention. You need to thoroughly plan out the plot. What role does the player play in your plot? Is this genre of plot already over-explored? You need to decide on your plot before you go on to other sections of designing a RPG.

Example: One of the best RPGs of all time, in my opinion, is the Final Fantasy series. The plot is classic - the world's in chaos and you're the hero to save the day. Yet it is familiar to many gamers, and appeal to them too. To create a good RPG, the plot is the key.

The Environment and the People
After you've decided on your plot, you need to start working on the environment and the people. The environment should fit into your plot and not be misleading; if your game is a science-fiction one, make sure you don't have cavemen starting fire using two stones in the background! Creating realistic environment and people in your game would add a level of realism into your game, and allow the player to fully indulge in your game.

Example: One game which reflected a rather thoroughly thought out environmental design is Star Wars 2: Jedi Outcast. Yes, its graphics are not exactly fantastic, yet its environment gives a level of realism to the plot. High-tech infrastratures reflect its science-fiction plot. The people are of many different races; it adds to the realism that space travelling is really common in the world.

Storytelling
This is closely related to the environment and people. Despite having a good plot, you need to learn how to communicate the story to your player. This is when the environment and the people play a part. If your plot includes a torn world, one destroyed by an magic master, make sure your environment reflects that! If your plot includes a futuristic world where space travel is common, make sure your people look like that! That is nothing worse than a great story told poorly to the player.

Example: Again, Final Fantasy. In particular, Final Fantasy 8 - The people you meet on the way tell you a little more about the plot, and I find that very effective. If you bomb the player with too much information at once, he might feel frustrated, and never return to your game.

Level design
Again, this is closely related to the plot. The designing of each level must contribute to the plot of the game. Everything that has happened, must be told to the player, one way or another. Thus, level design is very important. Also, each level should not be as easy as, or easier than, the level before. Who would play in a game where it only takes two hours of gameplay to master the whole game?

Example: A very good example would be the classic shoot-them-all game, Counter-Strike. When you just started playing, you know the basics - how to move, shoot, and dodge. As you progress, you learn the characteristics of each gun. Then you learn how to strafe while shooting. Then you learn how to predict where your opponents might come from. And it goes on and on. This is a good example of a good level design, even though they aren't really levels.

Stay tuned for the next issue of Kai's uber crash course on game designing, where I will touch on the other basics of game designing.

[The Herald]

February has ended. The dust has cleared. The blood has stopped flowing. The winner is clear: the lit board!

So, because the photography board won, the winners (the lit people) will all get even more contests. And because the lit board lost, the losers (the photo people) will all get yet another contest, as they need the practice.

The lines have been smudged, the barricade has fallen.

So, both the losers (the lit and photo people) will now work together. That's right! A game of Cat and Mouse to celebrate the companionship of our victors!

See your appropriate board for the rules and info.

Congratulations, lit people. Photo people, you suck.

Congratulations, photo people. Lit people, we suck.

... If you are not entirely clear on who actually won this one, you are in the same boat as the writer.

Good job, all.

[The Herald]

Paper written by Mr. Douglas of MHS, article written by Sirius Wolfsbane

While reading stories across the internet, I've noticed many people are unsure on how to write effective dialogue. The following is a paper I received in my honors language arts class. It covers many of the basics of writing dialogue and provides examples. It may be helpful to many people.

---

WRITING DIALOGUE: HOW TO WRITE CONVERSATION

DIALOGUE is conversation used to further action of plot and to reveal character.

1) When you write dialogue, begin a new paragraph each time the speaker changes.

Notice how each new paragraph clearly indicates who is speaking in the following example taken from A Christmas Carol. Notice also that actions or descriptions of the two characters are sometimes included within the same paragraph in which each one speaks.

   "Bell," said the husband, turning to his wife with a smile. "I saw a friend of yours this afternoon."
   "Who was it?"
   "Guess!"
   "How can I? Tut, don't I know?" she added in the same breath, laughing as he laughed. "Mr. Scrooge."

-- Charles Dickens

2) When you write dialogue, use quotation marks to enclose a person's direct words.

Bill said, "I am almost ready."

a) A one-sentence direct quotation can be placed before or after a speaker tag, and it can also be interrupted by a speaker tag.

In all three cases, quotation marks enclose only the person's exact word.s

Notice in the third sentence in the following examples that two sets of quotation marks are needed because quotation marks enclose only the person's exact words - not the speaker tag.

(Before)   "The game was very suspenfsul," he said.
(After)   He said, "The game was very suspensful."
(Interrupted)   "The game," he said, "was very suspensful."

b) Only one set of quotation marks is needed to enclose any number of sentences unless the quotation is interrupted by a speaker tag.

He said, "The game was very suspensful. We were tied in the last inning. Then Willie hit a home run."

3) Begin each sentence of a direct quotation with a capital letter.

   "Always be sure to think before you speak," Priscilla stated.

   Priscilla stated, "Always be sure to think before you speak." (NOTICE: Here two capital letters are needed: one for the first word of the sentence and one for the first word of the quotation._

   "Always be sure to think," Priscilla stated, "before you speak." (NOTICE: Before does not begin with a capital letter because it is in the middle of the quotation.)

   "Always be sure to think before you speak," Priscilla stated. "That is the best advice I can give you." (NOTICE: That begins with a capital letter because it starts a new sentence.)

4) Use a comma to separate a direct quotation from a speaker tag. Place the comma inside the closing quotation marks.

   "Today's mail is late," she said. (The comma goes inside the closing quotation marks.)

   She said, "Today's mail is late." (The comma follows the speaker tag.)

   "Today's mail," she said, "is late." (Two commas are needed to separate the speaker tag from the parts of an interrupted quotation. The first comma goes inside the closing quotation marks.)

5) Place a period inside the closing quotation marks when the end of the quotation comes at the end of the sentence.

   He said, "I think I'll order lasagna." (The period goes inside the closing quotation marks.)

"I think I'll order lasagna," he said. (The period follows the speaker tag, and a comma separates the quotation from the speaker tag.)

   "I think," he said, "I'll order lasagna." (The period goes inside the closing quotation marks.

If a quotation asks a question or shows a strong feeling, the question mark of exclamation point goes inside the closing quotation marks.

   She asked, "Where did you pick up the apples?"
   "Where did you pick up the apples?" she asked.
   "Where," she asked, "did you pick up the apples?"

   He exclaimed, "I'm thrilled that I've been hired!"
   "I'm thrilled that I've been hired!" he exclaimed.
   "I'm thrilled," he exclaimed, "that I've been hired!"

[The Herald]

Xavier, you're a new, active member at SSD. What originally brought you to SSD?
What brought me to SSD is wanting to be part of an active forum, I was at a good forum but it went downhill.

Ah, well it's nice that you turned up. Now, what are some of your interests?
Well I like playing and watching football or I should I say soccer, I listen to a lot of music, prison break = awesome, graphic design such as creating sigs interests me but I haven't got photoshop at the moment/

Ah, that's excellent, I also play soccer. What got you into designing?
Probably just looking around SSD, also seeing cool Devil may cry sigs made me think it would be good if I could make something like that.

Do you have any favorite artists at SSD?
No, not really.

Many people have an interesting story by their name, how'd your come up with your name?
I don't know if I would call it interesting, I didn't actually come up with it. I was making a team on pro evo 5 and I was looking through the names, I looked in X and saw Xavier and I thought that’s a cool name.

What do you think of SSD's community? Do you see yourself staying around?
I think it's a great community, many members, many active members, from what I've seen so far most people are nice and there aren't many arguments and when there are people deal with the arguments in a good way and don't turn to flaming. If things stay like they are I'll stay around for awhile.

Going back to your original hobbies, do you play on a soccer team?
No, I’m not good enough, I've probably got worse, I haven't practiced as much as I would like to recently.

Ah, that's unfortunate, how long have you been playing for?
I’ve been playing for ages, I don't really play regularly though.

Well, that wraps up our interview. Thanks again for doing this, any final thoughts for the members?
I hope to be a good part of SSD and contribute to the community.

[The Herald]

These are some random facts to boggle the mind, and make you feel just that much smarter when you talk with your friends next. Honestly, who doesn’t feel smarter when they whip out one of these babies to fill in mindless conversation? Enjoy!

-Pearls melt in vinegar.
-It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year’s supply of footballs.
-Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
-The 3 most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola and Budweiser, in that order.
-It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
-Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands.
-Ten percent of the Russian government's income comes from the sale of vodka.
-The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every letter in the alphabet.
-The only 15-letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable".
-Stewardesses' is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
-Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
-A duck's quack doesn't echo and no one knows why.
-The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
-The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the "American Pie." (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.)
-Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history. Spades - King David; Clubs - Alexander the Great; Hearts – Charlemagne; Diamonds- Julius Caesar.
-111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
-An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
-The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.
-The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army for the "General Purpose" vehicle, G.P.
-The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.
-Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
-If you have 3 quarters, 4 dimes and 4 pennies you have $1.19. You have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.
-Only one in 2 billion will live to be 116 or older.
-The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
-Snails can sleep for 3 years without eating.
-Actor Tommy Lee Jones and Al Gore were freshman roommates at Harvard.
-The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
-Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."
-James Doohan, who plays Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott on Star Trek, is missing the entire middle finger of his right hand.

[The Herald]

The story starts with a young and dexterous, Japanese brain surgeon, Dr. Kenzo Tenma. He is very successful in all of his operations and owes his position to his fiancée's father, Dr. Heinemann. The events takes a negative turn as he gets frustrated by the biased policies of the hospital and decides to operate on a small boy (Johan Liebert) with a bullet-wound over a renowned politician. His potential father-in-law, who also happens to be the director of the hospital, doesn't like his decision. He succeeds in saving Johan, but the Mayor takes the one-way ticket to the afterlife. As a result, Tenma's reputation goes down and his fiancée breaks up with him. The situation gets worse as everyone in the way of Tenma's prosperity dies a mysterious death. He enters the zone of Detective Runge's suspicion and everything starts to go wrong for him from that point on.

This is one of the few Animes that can be stacked in the same box as Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist. Follow Tenma, Runge, and Johan's sister, Nina Fortner (aka Anna Liebert) as they reveal the secrets behind this obscure boy known as Johan. The storyline is killing. The graphics and sound effect aren't bad either.

One of the few negative aspects of this Anime is the lack of Action; it's there, but not as "stomach-churning" as you would expect. Flashbacks-although very few-can sometimes get on your nerves. I must warn you that there are some parts in the Anime that are not very suitable for family enjoyment (violence, sexual situations etc). Other than that, it's perfect for anyone with a taste for mystery.

[The Herald]

Brief History

   Saint Patrick's day is the official feast day celebrating the life of Saint Patrick. He's regarded as the patron saint of Ireland and was a missionary originally born in Britain, but captured and brought to Ireland. He lived from 373-493.

   In the United States St. Patrick's Day isn't considered an official holiday. But in the Republic of Ireland it's a national and public holiday. Although it's celebrated widely by millions throughout the states.

Celebrations World-Wide

   This "holiday" is celebrated by Irish descendants world-wide and even a hefty number of those with no Irish flowing in their blood-stream. Many cities celebrate the day with parades. New York city was the first place that one took center stage in on March 17^th, 1766. The cities of Ireland all hold their own seperate festivals and parades on March 17^th.

   The day is also a religious day to some, not just a celebration to the Irish culture. It's a Christian Festival celebrated in the Catholic Church, and if the holiday lands on a Sunday, it's held off until the following Monday. Those with no Irish connections, and the Irish descendants celebrate the day by typically drinking alcoholic beverages (lager dyed green, Irish beer and stout, such as Murphy's, Smithwick's, Harp or Guinness, or Irish whiskey, Irish cider, Irish coffee, or Baileys Irish Cream) and by wearing at least one article of green-colored clothing.

Chicago, Illinois, USA went all out for St. Patrick's
Day in 2005 by dying the Chicago River green.

   There's also a tradition spread amongst many that if you're not wearing green you get pinched. That is not official, just something fun. May also see many Irish descendants wearing shirts, buttons, or with face paint reading, "Kiss me, I'm Irish."

   So, St. Patrick's day is just around the corner. Get out your green colored clothing, green face paint, and whip out some cash to get drunk as you can get. I, myself, being part Irish, love the celebrations that take place and plan to celebrate as I do every year. If you wind up with any funny pictures from the day, please be kind and post them in the Post You Pic thread located in the Chillout.

Information thanks to Wikipedia.org

[The Herald]

March was the first month in the Roman calendar, named after their god of war: Mars. March wasn't how the Roman's referred to this month however, they called it Martius. It is only over time that it has evolved to March.

As there was no fighting during the winter months, the Romans thought March was a time for the resumption of war, so for their soldiers it was the beginning of the year. It was swapped several times with January before the Romans finally settled on it for the first month in their calendar.

Today, March is the third month as we use the Gregorian, not the Roman, calendar and unlike some of the other months, March has always had 31 days, no matter what calendar it was linked to.

When we think of March, we think windy weather, opposed by the equally as frequent mild sunny days. This is because March is the start of the spring months, and so the windy days are the last blusterings of winter before the springs comes. Related to this is the phrase "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." referring to the wind in the first half of the month and the lovely mild days there after.

During March the northern hemisphere comes out of hibernation as it were, with flowers bursting into life and animals awakening from their winter slumber. This is all a part of the coming of spring.

Also interesting to know is that two stones are associated with this month: the bloodstone and the aquamarine. If you were born in March, these stones are said to be your birthstones. Another symbol of this month is the flower violet.

[The Herald]

“Et tu, Brute?” (And you also, Brutus?) - William Shakespeare

Statue of Julius Caesar

The Ides of March is a symbol of ultimate betrayal. In 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by his beloved younger cousin, Brutus, among other traitors and plotters in his employ. The date was the 15th of Martius of the Roman calendar. It is said that a soothsayer, a seer of the future, warned the “Dictator Perpetuus” of an evil plot looming ahead. The 15th of Martius arrived, and Caesar doubted the warning. The assassination plot was a success; Caesar’s last words were, “Et tu, Brute?” Brutus was like a son to Julius Caesar, and his murderous treason was the Dictator’s final worldly moment.

Shakespeare took the already dramatic tale, with its twists and turns, and spun a ghost story. Not only was the title character of the play warned by a soothsayer, but a preternatural spirit also forewarned, “Beware the Ides of March.”

Technically, though, “Ides” were present in all months to mark the halfway point in each. Before Caesar’s death, the Ides of March was an innocent day like all the others. In the centuries since Shakespeare penned “Julius Caesar”, beware the Ides of March has been a symbol of foreboding and betrayal the world over.

On a personal note, my grandfather died on March 15th, 1982. I was only a couple weeks away from being five years old. He was larger than life to me, a tall man who, looking back, reminds me a bit of Johnny Cash and John Wayne. He wanted to teach me the piano and perhaps the guitar when I was older. Our family has felt the loss ever since. I still silently ask for his advice now and then, knowing I will get no answer except for my own. My grandmother still neatly cuts the square representing March 15th out of each year’s calendar.

The Ides of March means loss to me, the end of an era. I sometimes feel cheated and betrayed by my grandfather’s death, but mostly I bow my head and honor his memory when that day comes.

Silly Pap Pap, I love and miss you so much!!!
Richard A. Stoeckle January 31, 1919 ~ March 15, 1982

[The Herald]

What images does a shamrock conjure for you? Lush, rolling green hills? Quaint pubs full of old men who once had red hair and still have red noses, arms slung over each other’s shoulders as they sway to the garbled lyrics of a traditional drinking song? Maybe you think of clever little leprechauns guarding their precious pot ‘o gold, shamrocks springing from their green felt hats. Sometimes House of Pain lyrics pop into my head when I see a shamrock. “Yeah, I’m Irish, but I’m not a Leprechaun. You wanna fight, then step up and we'll get it on...”

Shamrocks are undeniably a symbol of Ireland, but where is it written? Fact is, it isn’t written or official. Clovers, while plentiful in Ireland, are simply an accepted insignia for the proud Irish, a symbol brought from the old country to America, modern day descendants sporting tattoos and T-Shirts to honor their family’s history.

The three-leafed young clover was also used by St. Patrick to demonstrate the Christian Trilogy, hence becoming a welcome part of the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The very rare four-leafed version of the clover is sought by people in need of some good luck. While the typical three-leafed clover sometimes stands for Hope, Love, and Faith, the uncommon fourth leaf represents Luck, of course. I’ve noticed in America, the four-leafed clover is seemingly a more common rendition of the shamrock. Maybe it’s easier to commercialize. That’s my theory, anyway. Looking at the details, I’m not sure how lucky the four-leaf clover really is. It is possibly caused by a recessive gene or mutation at the genetic level, but just as likely a result of pollution, or other environmental causes.

Being of Irish descent myself, I accept the shamrock for what it is: A sweet bit of green that somehow, amazingly, links me to my past.

[The Herald]

Welcome to the first edition of the Herald to host the Mystery Person! You are about to read three different interviews, and each is from a different person. Two of them you know here on SSD, and one of them is a person who has become world-renowned. It’s your job to be a sleuth, and figure out whom each is. If you think you’ve figured it out, trot yourself over the thread designated for guessing, and post! For each one you guess correctly, you get a sleuth point. And those who were interviewed automatically get a sleuth point, so no guessing yourself.

In the next issue, the names of the interviewees will be revealed, and the statistics on the points updated. Come the end of the year, the one with the most sleuth points will be the Master Sleuth of SSD. Quite an honour, and who wouldn’t want to be the first? So start reading, and start unraveling the mystery! You have one month, go!

Current Point Standings:
None Yet

The Interviews:

World-renowned person:
Age (Upon Death): 64
Date of Birth: January 25, 1627
Date of Death: December 30, 1691
Gender: Male
A Few Interesting Facts About Them: His research and personal philosophy clearly has its roots in the alchemical tradition.
Career: He was an Irish natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, inventor, and early gentleman scientist.
Country of Birth: Ireland, in the province of Munster.
Immigration and/or Travel: This guy was only eight and three quarter years old when he was sent to Eton College. He then went abroad with a French tutor after college. Later, nearly two years were passed in Geneva; visiting Italy in 1641, he remained during the winter of that year in Florence, studying the "paradoxes of the great star-gazer" Galileo Galilei. He finally decided to reside in Oxford, England, in 1654.
Major Accomplishments: Noted for his work in physics and chemistry. Helped create the Pneumatical Engine. He also created an important scientific law.

Mystery Person 1:
Age: Nineteen
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Three Words that Describe You: Incisive, efficient, decisive
Staff or Non-staff: Non-staff
Favourite Colour: Orange
Hobbies and Interests: Writing, reading, music
A Few Interesting Facts About Yourself:
What Your Career Is: Writer
Favourite Food: A nice cut of steak served medium-well
A Few Loved Things: Family, friends
A Few Hated Things: Those who would serve to harm those I love
Favourite Movie: Citizen Kane
Favourite Book: Ender's Game
What Country You Live In: America

Mystery Person 2:
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: I'm straight as as a circle...er...board. Ha.
Three Words that Describe You: Determined, Persistent, and Caring.
Staff or Non-staff: Staff
Favourite Colour: Ooh. I'll be difficult here, I have more than one. Could never settle. Baby blue, navy blue, army green, brown, and black.
Hobbies and Interests: Writing, photography, music, basketball.
A Few Interesting Facts About Yourself: I'm the tallest in my immediate family, standing at 5'7". And I'll be the first in my family to go to a four year college/university.
What You Want To Be When You Grow Up/
What Your Career Is: Ahh. I've struggled with that decision so much. Either a Journalist, or a Photographer for weddings, family portraits, that type of thing. Some have suggested Photojournalism and I think I may look into that.
Favourite Food: Chicken
A Few Loved Things: I love music, movies, MOUNTAIN DEW!, apple juice, and even though they can be a pain in the ass, my siblings. *nods*
A Few Hated Things: Oh a few people's names come to mind, but that's just not me to go naming them. I absolutely hate drama, and people that think they know everything.
Favourite Movie: Remember the Titans
Favourite Book: The Girls by Lori Lansen
What Country You Live In: Y'know...that one that's never been heard of, or placed on a map, My World. Hehe, but no, in all seriousness, I live in the United States.

[The Herald]

The bones of lovers found embraced



25 miles south of Verona, the city where Shakespeare set his famous play "Romeo and Juliet," archaeologists found what they find to be one of the oldest stories of doomed love.

The bones, being somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 years old, appear to be a male and a female, who appeared to have died young - their teeth were still in tact.

While it may seem unlikely, people are often referring back to the tragic play of "Romeo and Juliet," stating this pair may trace back to that story.

The article can be found here.

Obama to run in 2008



45-year-old Barak Hussein Obama announced he will be pursuing the 2008 Democratic nomination for president.

If he were elected, he would be the nation's first non-Caucasian president.

....
Obama told the crowd he would tackle problems like poor schools, economic hardships and oil dependence, saying a "failure of leadership" is to blame for not meeting the nation's challenges. He also implored the crowd to demand that there be "universal health care in America by the end of the president's first term."
....

The article can be found here.

Children are the ideal soldiers



There are currently more than 250,000 children soldiers currently fighting in the world today.

Many warlords around the world are kidnapping children from their homes and schools, brainwashing and drugging them, then turning them into the ultimate fighting machine.

The United Nations has generated the number near 250,000. These children, as young as 8-years-old, are used as soldiers, sex slaves, and even human shields.

The following countries were found to be using children as soldiers in the year 2006: Haiti, Colombia, Palestinian territories, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal, India, Somalia, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

The article can be found here.

[The Herald]

---------------------------------------------------------

1. Smosh [Click to view]

Website: www.smosh.com

Category: Comedy

Notable Video(s):
Boxman
Stranded
That Damn Neighbor

---------------------------------------------------------

2. Lasse Gjertsen [Click to view]

Category: Abstract

Notable Video(s):
Amateur
A self portrait
Fotball NM '97

---------------------------------------------------------

3. TrueNuff TV [Click to view]

Category: Comedy

Website: www.truenuff.com

Notable Video(s):
A Moment in Civilization: Sanitation
Office Pirate
I ♥ Windward

---------------------------------------------------------

4. Terra Naomi [Click to view]

Category: Musician

Website: www.terranaomi.com

Notable Video(s):
Original video for "Say It's Possible"
Terra Naomi's NEW Official "Say It's Possible" music video

---------------------------------------------------------

5. DCLugi [Click to view]

Website: www.dclugi.tv

Category: Comedy/Music/Impersonation

Notable Video(s):
She Keeps it all Inside
Plant Psychic | Plant Psychic 2
Kasakhstanis against Borat
Bush takes 5

[The Herald]

Creating and editing in Photoshop requires numerous windows and tools to be set up. It is difficult sometimes to decide what things to keep open and what things to keep closed. To toggle windows, go to the Navigation Bar > Windows. From there, check/uncheck the items you wish to keep or lose, respectively.


Here is a list of the ones to always have open, and a description of their functionality.

Tools Window

The tools window is the most important thing to keep open. Hotkeys are the only alternate way of accessing tools you require, and aren't all that reliable. Position the tools window to the left of your screen. Depending on your Zoom degree, it should be able to squeeze right in. This allows for easy access to the color swatches, as well as all the tools required.


Ruler

This one is not exactly a window, but is still very important. To open the ruler, press Control + R on your keyboard(to remove it, you must use the hide function which by default is Control + H). You will notice two bars to the top of the screen, and to the left. This allows for excellent centering, and measurement when creating precise graphics, such as background, navigational buttons, isometric figures, etc. It is also good when creating patterns, and certain specific measurements are required.

Layers

The all important layers window. This window allows you to have dominant control over all layers. You can move layers around, create new ones, add style effects to layers, reduce opacity, change blending modes, add layer links, delete layers, and depending on your version, edit multiple layers. This can also come with the 'Channels' section which permits you to switch between channels, and toggle colour coordinates.


History

The wonderful feature of 'Undo' introduced to computers is one of the computer's revolutionary features which gives it dominance over past typing programs. But in photoshop, undo is restricted only to a few. So people resort to alternative measures, Control + Alt + Z(Adding an alt, compared to Control + Z which is the traditional undo). This method actually goes into the history of actions performed in the program, and forcefully removes actions. As Photoshop has advanced, it has made things even easier, by allowing you to see your actions in a history panel. In that, you can also remove a whole pack of actions, rather than using Control + Alt + Z over a long period of time. The only problem is that actions are removed from the records when preceded by a certain number of other actions.


If you have those four windows up in your screen, you should be fine. They allow for you to have a neat and clean workspace, and give you the four most important things in design: The ability to take back actions, the ability to sort portions into layers and manage them, the ability to measure precisely actions, and having the tools necessary.


Happy designing!

[The Herald]

In the shift from the old-school grunge era, many artists are slowly moving towards a newer trend - vector art.

Vector is, by definition, the use of pure shapes. It has been transformed into an art, and in the digital field, programs like Adobe Illustrator are supreme. People are transforming classic vector shapes into miraculous abstract art styles. Aesthetically awesome.

Below are a few vector artists, and a description of their styles:

Einion

Einion is a realism vector artist. He takes real stock picture/image, and from scratch replicates them through amazing vectors. He specifically focuses on lighting and angle, which give excellent perspective between different objects within a picture.



Fdlinda

Fdlinda is very similar to enion, but she focuses mainly on pose and depth. If you notice, the mood aspect of all her art is very strong and, "in-your-face." Another good realism artist.



Celsojunior

Celso is an abstract vector artist. He has excellent perspective, with a mixup of all different types of shapes. He focuses mainly on color and potential depth.



So, vector is a new and growing style which is sure to become extremely big, and is a great style to pursue.