General Discussion and Announcements

Anybody else....

brjedi26 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:19:50 GMT

...notice that there are a number of threads on this section of the forum that seem to be getting rather heated?

Divorce

Mordwyr — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:55:56 GMT

What are your thoughts, opinions, and/or experience regarding divorce?

My mother's on her fourth marriage. She's Protestant, so she thinks she's not living in adultery, even though my father is still alive.

I've been married to Isabelle for 12 years now and will be with her until one of us dies.

I agree with the teachings of the CC that divorce is an abomination and that it is the root of so many spiritual, psychological, and social evils.

Babes!!

Mr Gone — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:35:46 GMT

Boom! The Babes thread is reborn! You know the drill, post up pics of some babes. :)

Danielle Lloyd

Megan Fox

Heidi Montag

READ BEFORE POSTING ISSUES/QUESTIONS - Known Technical Issues and Wants

Flux — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:03:26 GMT

Technical Issues
In Chrome the "refresh after postiing" tick also seems to refresh all graphical content.
Currently the new forums are failing to work in Opera.
The "Release Schedule" link
Disabling outside images
Topics per page setting broken
Word wrap bizarreness
~~Report Abuse broken~~ Fixed

Wants
Page numbers/path on top and bottom
Ignore list feature
Higher signature cap than 256 characters
Spoiler tags
Seperate forum skins
NST(-3:30) time zone
More forums

Locking down the previous thread to get a better handle on the issues still facing us. If you discover something new that is broken, or something that you'd like, please post below and we'll get it on the list.

ITT: Literature of all varieties

c34r34lk1ll3r — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:25:31 GMT

figured i would make a literature thread seeing as we don't have one.

This is obviously for the discussion of books of all kinds (including graphic literature, which is currently some of the best reading you can do)

Does anyone else read Raymond E. Feist books? He just finished writing the graphic adaptation for part of his first series Magician and the name of the graphic adaptation was put out by Marvel under the title Riftwar.

As far as novels go I'm currently reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World which is excellent if you have yet to read it.

Name That Movie: Redux!

Mr Gone — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:29:17 GMT

[Just to make things feel more like home]

We're back with a new forum, and that means we need a new Name That Movie Game!!

The Rules:
1. Someone posts a movie quote.
2. People try to guess the movie.
3. The first person to guess correctly wins the round, and posts the next quote.
4. Repeat.

Ready? I'll start.

The Movie Quote:

Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs...

Hijack this Thread! : Redux

Mr Gone — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:21:10 GMT

Hijack! I'm hijacking this thread in the first post!

Star Wars General Discussion: Episode III

Mr Gone — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:40:27 GMT

We've had Star Wars threads on the forum before, so I wanted to continue the tradition. We'll talk all things Star Wars here!

So, how have you been liking the Clone Wars series?

I'm proud of this kid...

Mr Gone — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:29:34 GMT

Student Braves Controversy, Refuses to Recite Pledge

"Liberty and justice for all?"
Will Phillips doesn't believe that describes America for its gay and lesbian citizens.

Thats an awesome kid!

True or False, The game.

Thyme — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:51:09 GMT

This is a game I came across on a different forum. I thought I'd see how well it would go over here. The Game is similar to "Well, i never..., but much easier for anyone to play.

I'll start out the game by making a claim about "the next poster", the next poster, will then respond with either True or False, followed by there own claim about the new "next poster".

I'll start.

True or False, The next poster thinks that this game is a great addition to the general forum.

Finish this sentence: "You know what I hate?"...

GhostSong — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:26:39 GMT

You know what I hate? Rush Limbaugh.

Yeah, that's right ladies and gentlemen. Let's start the new forums off with a bang :)

I rarely wish death upon people, but when I saw that he and Anne Coulter (Who could have a rant devoted just to her) were speaking at some convention before a mass of true, true morons I just wanted that whole place to cave in. Then catch fire. No survivors. That'd have be delightful.

He's not really a republican. He's a hate monger. He's a performer. He's a demagogue. I hate that he's the voice of the republicans. He over shadows the halfway decent and rational republicans because hes just some big boisterous noise that attracts the attention of ever dim wit who believes that the Democrats are going to turn the US into a tyrannical dictator ship.

Even god hates him. I'm not a religious man but shit, when a man who makes his living with a radio show goes deaf for no apparent reason that is what we call divine irony. It's assholes like that, who aren't helping America but tearing it down. Drawing that bi-partisan line that only serves to satisfy that childish us vs them mentality. He and others like him get some sick pleasure and crafting this asinine rivalry between the reds and blues, like fans of college football.

Rush Limbaugh, and anyone who listens to him (or Anne Coulter) just needs to be tazered in the eye every time they turn on their shows, read their books or wake up in the morning.

Now, to clarify as I did in my first rant in my last thread. I wish a lot for horrible tragedies to befall the subjects of my rants. Its cathartic and amusing for me. But I'll never do it, I'm far to lazy. No ambition whatsoever. So don't think this is some sort of manifesto and call the authorities :)

Friday...

Dyado Vesco — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:10:11 GMT

Just because my pettiness never dies.

Tuesday DVD & Blu-Ray Release

Mr Gone — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:20:10 GMT

[Just to make things feel abit more like home]

Here's the New & Improved Tuesday DVD Release Thread, now with Blu-Ray in the title!! Basically this is just a thread where we discuss new DVD and Blu-Ray releases, post what we bought, and sometimes talk about upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray releases.

So, what will you be buying this Tuesday?

Note: Tuesday had once been dubbed "DVD Tuesday" because the studios liked to release new titles on that day.

What Songs Are You Currently Listening To?

Malkavian — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:50:43 GMT

Simple, post what song you are currently listening to!

Right now, I'm listening to:

Dark Angel by VNV Nation.

Whats the time? Redux!

Mr Gone — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:55:37 GMT

4:55pm

Heading home. I'll post more when I get home.

The Lonely Winds

Mr Gone — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:01:48 GMT

http://www.thelonelywinds.com/library.php

The Lonely Winds is a series of stories written by our own B.I. Flight. Who's read it? If you haven't read it, why not? Also, if you haven't read it, do so...now!

Lots and Lots of Kids

Widdershawns — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:23:00 GMT

Holy Big Family, Batman!!

Go GO GO, Mordwyr and Isabella!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!

(of course, only if you want to, but from how you guys talk about your daughters/family, I can't imagine that you'd want to stop any time soon....plus I'm sure Mord would love a son)

Twilight - New moon

Hivemind — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:58:02 GMT

Okay so my girlfriend dragged me out to see the new Twilight movie last night- Even though I begged not to because the first movie was one horrible. I have to admit- this one was way better than the first(well to be fair it would have to be). I think they really did a great job with the werewolves personality in this movie- very W:TF! Don't miss the point- this is a very chickflick 101 sappy movie where even all the teenyboppers were laughing at the lines they had to say when they were being romantic. but I have to say I have an amount of respect for the series now and will watch the next few movies. I have talked about how bad the first movie was on other posts and what a bad example "Bella" is for the young teen viewers, but in this movie I liked how they handled her- she is still 110% co-dependant but she manages to grow up alot. Also it was cool to see "vampires" and werewolves using there powers and fighting a little-. One of the things I hated about Underworld movies is how they handled vampires in it to where they were just goth people who's power is they could fall from great heights and use guns well. haah.

Hunting for pity

JimB — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:16 GMT

Or maybe it's a cry for help. I don't know. My sense of perspective isn't much lately.

I suffer from Type II Bipolar Disorder. It's like being manic-depressive, except there's no manic part. I just have days where I cut myself and days where I don't. I've been off my meds since August 25, when work canceled my insurance. My symptoms have been coming back.

Today's a bad one. It's hard to even move. I can't think of a way to describe it. I want to say it's like being in quicksand, or being crushed under a localized area of supergravity, but those don't work because they imply an ability to struggle against the phenomenon. The best I can do is to ask you to picture someone with laryngitis opening his mouth to try to force words past his silenced voice box and then realizing he doesn't have anything to say. Another way to put it is that I imagine this is how a ghost feels. I realize those aren't terrifically helpful descriptions.

I'm not weeping today. I'd just as soon not embarrass myself like that, but sooner or later I'm going to. I can feel it creeping up in my chest.

I'm not proud of myself for writing this. I'm aware this sounds like a pathetic plea for attention, and I guess it kind of is. But mostly I just want to try to express how this feels and have someone tell me they understand. I also don't want anyone to know that I'm weak enough to do this, which is why I'm writing it online. People can assume I'm lying, and I'll prefer that if I come out of this.

I want to tell someone how this feels, and I also don't want anyone to ever know I feel like this. No matter which option I pick, I'm betraying one of them. I'm a hypocrite. Normally I'd hate myself for that, but today I don't have any ability to feel strong emotions. I just dislike myself about as intensely as I dislike smokers. I don't like it, but I also don't care enough to do anything about it, or say anything to them, or even spend one whole second thinking about it. The emotional equivalent of an annoyed shrug.

In a couple of days I'm going to be beyond humiliated that I wrote this. I hope I can delete the thread when I feel like it.

I can still think, kind of. That's how I know this one isn't as bad as it could be. When it gets bad, I can't even think. All the voices in my head are stillborn. I don't mean literal, psychotic-person voices. I just mean an ability to formulate words and feelings and intentions, which I express as me talking to myself in my head.

I'm not sure that last thing I said was even technically a sentence, but I can't figure it out right now. Maybe I'll come back to it when I'm less stupid.

I don't really want to get better. I should, but like I said, I can't care about much right now. Getting better takes too much effort, and even if it didn't, I was better for about six years while I was on my meds. Then one thing happened and all that went away. This is the default state of me. I mustn't ever have children.

The downswings are getting longer and closer together. Sooner or later, it will kill me. That's not a statement that I intend to commit suicide, though if it gets bad enough that's statistically pretty likely to happen. I don't mind. Everyone dies of something sooner or later, and everyone has to eat a peck of mud before they die. No point complaining about it.

Yesterday when I went into work, I'd been crying for a few hours. I stopped because I was too dehydrated to keep going. One of my coworkers noticed my eyes were swollen and asked if everything was okay. I said no. She told me I needed a hug, hugged me, and told me that people out there care. Usually people being nice to me makes me feel worse, but yesterday it felt like nothing at all. That's because there may be people who care, but I'm not one of them.

I'm crazy, but I'm not stupid. I recognize that things are getting more dangerous. I just don't care. I'd rather not get in a car wreck today, but, well, shit happens. Life is a rosary strung with little miseries, and the philospher tells them with a smile.

I'm tired of feeling like this. I'm tired of being me. But there really isn't another option. Well, okay, there's one other option, but I'm not willing to go there yet, so. One way or the other, I'll stop feeling like this. Everyone does.

White Wolf suggests the Dark Ambitions thread and the What Lunars SHOULD Have Been Like thread are related to this. The forums fail the Turing test. Take that, forums.

Okay. Enough of this. Time to go to work. I wonder if I'll finish off my shift.

Lets Talk TV

Mr Gone — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:13:15 GMT

So, I thought we needed a thread to talk about some tv shows.

So, who's been watching Dollhouse? I'm really liking it so far.

Anyone watching Terminator this season? I have loved the show, but lasts weeks episode was one of the weakest I have seen. I didn't care for it.

Anyone wathcing Reaper? That re-started this week. Still loving that show!

CCP interview in Gamasutra

Renfield286 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:20:42 GMT

CCP interview in Gamasutra

im not entirely sure how many of you have seen this, but the comment towards the end about white wolf i found quite interesting

It's just an imprint... White Wolf used to have a fairly large staff. It doesn't anymore. It's focusing primarily on the World of Darkness RPG products. It's not doing some of the things it used to do; board games and other card games and things. The focus of the company [CCP] is on making MMOs and our legacy table top business is a legacy business.

im not sure how to take this.

any thoughts/official word of clarification?

Ask Lunatyk

Lunatyk — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:21:51 GMT

I might be a few days late... but it's that time of the year again...

you know the drill...

Ask a vulture

The Vulture — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:40:50 GMT

Re-joining the bandwagon that started years ago on the old WW forum.

Was a main poster back then in the off-topic forum with Gone, Bob, Luth and more. Back in the good old days of having 1k posts in the first two weeks. Now reserving my internet spam with my blog instead of forcing it on people here :P

Sex

Mordwyr — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:58:42 GMT

I hope this thread is ok to post, moderators! I'm not looking for anything graphic, pornographic, or titillating. It's just that in many different threads, the reason I butt heads with other poster is because of our fundamentally different views on the nature and purpose of sex. So, I'd like this to be a philosophical, rather than a biological, discussion.

According to the way I view things, the following issues can be traced to a misunderstanding of sexuality: divorce, abortion, birth control, homosexuality, lust, fornication, masturbation, pornography, artificial fertilization, and adultery.

For me, sex is primarily a two-fold act: unitive and procreative.

Unitive: it is the expression of the completion of the imago dei, the image of God, which is stamped onto the human soul. The man has "half" of it, and the woman has the other "half." (I don't like the word "half" but whatever.) Together, in sexual union, they become the complete image of God, as was intended by our Creator. It is not good for man to be alone; therefore, God created woman. Sex belongs in marriage, because it is a reaffirmation of your marriage vow. It is the act of marriage. Without marriage, the sex act is a lie,for there is no vow to be affirmed.

Procreative: Sex cannot be divorced from the potential for life (thus, if you are barren, it's not a failing in you). If you alter the sex act in such a way to divorce it from its procreative nature, you do violence to the act.

Sex is both of these things, not just one or the other.

Divorce -- an artificial sundering of the united image of God and a breaking of vows.

Abortion -- the ultimate means of making certain that sex and babies stay separate. Sex is for babies, not merely for pleasure. (It is for pleasure, too, mind!)

Birth control -- a separation of the sex act from its intended purpose.

Homosexuality -- non-unitive, non-procreative, for it neither completes the imago dei nor is open to life.

Lust, Fornication -- sex is not merely a physical act, but lust desires sex apart from unity and procreation. It desires the mere physiciality. One who lusts does not desire a woman (or man) but a pleasure for which a woman (or a man) is the necessary apparatus.

Masturbation -- neither unitive nor procreative, and always coupled with lust.

Pornography -- same as lust and masturbation.

Artificial fertilization -- though it is procreative, it is not unitive. The proper creation of life must be within the bounds of the sex act.

Adultery -- all the things that are wrong with lust and adds it to deceit and oath-breaking.

Gay News Thread

Ophidimancer — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:29:30 GMT

I'm a big fan of Dr John Corvino, who goes by the moniker The Gay Moralist, because he's just so sensible and non-dramatic.

John Corvino on the state of the closet.:
When I was a “fag” on the junior high playground, getting punched hurt even when I saw it coming. So too with Maine this past week. Like many, I was dispirited but not surprised when we lost. The rights of minorities (gays especially) generally don’t do well when put to a popular vote. And the opposition’s central message—that gays want to influence schoolchildren—remains as effective as it is sinister.
The message conjures up the image of gays as child molesters—a myth debunked but never fully extinguished.

A slightly less sinister (but still false) version portrays us as anti-family and anti-morality. Still another falsehood is that we’re trying to “recruit.”

Then there’s the underlying truth that sustains the myth as plausible. Yes, of course marriage equality will affect what children are taught in schools, because if same-sex marriage is legal, they will naturally be taught that it’s legal. That it’s an option for consenting adults who want it. That women sometimes fall in love with women, and men with men, and live happily ever after.

We should not shrink from saying these things, but we do. No doubt, the ugliness of the sinister versions—not to mention our opponents’ penchant for quoting us out of context—makes us nervous about discussing the truthful version. And that’s surely one lesson of this loss: the closet is still powerful, and our opponents use it to their advantage.

But we will not go back in the closet again.

We will keep telling our stories. We will keep showing our faces. We will keep getting married, even if—for now—Maine doesn’t legally recognize our relationships. We will not go back in the closet again.

And though we’ve lost this particular battle, we will continue to win the war.

On the same day that Maine voters took away marriage equality, Detroit (where I live) elected an openly gay city council president. This, in a city that’s 84% African-American and where churches exert considerable political influence. The rest of the country hardly noticed, but Detroit defied several stereotypes on Tuesday.

His name is Charles Pugh. A popular newscaster before running for City Council, Pugh was actually endorsed by both the Council of Baptist Pastors and the AME Ministerial Alliance. They knew he was gay and they endorsed him anyway.

One could argue that Pugh was endorsed—and won—because of name recognition. Detroit elects all nine councilmembers-at-large, and the top vote getter automatically becomes council president. It’s a dumb system in several ways, and in the past it has resulted in famous but incompetent councilmembers—Martha Reeves, of Martha and the Vandellas, leaps to mind. (Incidentally, in this year’s primary Reeves was voted out, and in the general election voters overwhelming approved a referendum for council-by-district.)

But even if Pugh’s landslide can be attributed to sheer popularity, it sends an encouraging message about the way the world is changing. Being openly gay is no longer an absolute bar to getting public support. And even those who regularly oppose us will sometimes let other factors trump whatever makes us scary otherwise.

Meanwhile, the more they know us, the less scary we become.

It’s unfair and unfortunate that we need to work harder than our opponents to win. They win by exploiting fear, which is easy to do when you’re in the majority. We win by building relationships—by letting voters know who we really are. That takes time.

So our opponents have a soundbite edge, but we have a long-term advantage. The closet is crumbling.

In the wake of the Maine loss, we will catch our breath and press on. We will continue to live our lives; we will keep speaking our truth. We will stand up in the firm conviction that our love is real, and valuable, and worthy of equal treatment under the law.

Because whatever legal roadblocks they may put in our way, we will never go back in the closet again.