What do guys really look for in a girl?

3 days 10 hours ago

"I can't speak for other guys, but for myself I would say...

Someone who is sweet, kind, and silly. Someone smart enough to stand outside the crowd and think for herself, and unselfish enough to be thoughtful of others. Someone strong-willed and confident, compassionate and understanding, honest and true. Somebody who has lots of heart.

These days girls (and people in general) are often so shallow and empty seeming, parroting back what pop culture and a sphere of friends convince them they should be... it would be nice to meet somebody who stands outside the mold.

Of course, there also has to be a mutual attraction as well. Bonus points would include being a manga/anime/gamer nerd, though it wouldn't be necessary."
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Extinction

3 weeks 1 day ago

"It is possible that such a type of extinction could occur to humans, as it had long ago to the dinosaurs. Though, I personally wouldn't wish for it.

You are welcome to your opinion of mankind, and in fantasizing its extinction. However, I urge you to think about this issue with more compassion for human life. For your own sake, for the sake of your friends and family, for your future children, and everyone else that is a part of the mankind that you feel deserves extinction. Because, we are ALL a part of mankind. We are all people laughing and crying in our lives, sailing the heights and plumbing the greater despairs, and ultimately doing the best that we can with what we are given. It is very easy to think "mankind deserves extinction", but who do we mean by that? People just like you and me. Little kids on the playground. An old man and his grown son playing chess. Not just mankind, but people.

And consider further this. We are not separate from the planet. We are just as much a part of this planet as the trees, the birds, and the fish in the sea. We are still born, live and die within the constraints of our physical body, depend on the air around us to breathe, the nourishment of the plants and the sun, and when our days feeding upon the Earth end we return our life to it, beginning the cycle anew. Wishing extinction upon us is to wish extinction of a part of the Earth, like wishing extinction upon any other species on the planet that we deem "threatening", like the deers or rabbits that overpopulate and ravage the forest when the natural conditions are just right.

Thinking about setting extinction upon humanity is something of a "quick-fix" way of looking at this issue, and in my opinion somewhat immature. Death is not the answer. It is better to accept responsibility for our existence on Earth, no matter how insurmountably difficult or impossible it may seem, and do our best to curb the problems we cause here, whilst ever seeking what benefits we can add. We should follow the example set by others, those who are already taking steps to lead changes in our lifestyles that minimize the detrimental impact of our existence here, and promote the flourishing of life everywhere. We can do this. I believe in this, that despite the obstacles it is an attainable future."
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afterlife!!!

1 month 1 day ago

"I don't know whether or not there is an afterlife. Noone knows, I suppose, though there are a lot of people who think that one exists without ever having seen or experienced it... I have always believed that, with such a logical determination being accepted given such inconclusive evidence as standard, presumably, I should still believe in Santa Claus, though, I suppose what one believes depends on individual distinctions of what constitutes reasonable and unreasonable given the circumstances.

I do believe, however, that the universe continues to chug along well after the stage called "life" that our summary particles experience has ceased its intricate pattern. Perhaps these same particles will one day feed the earth, soon to be consumed by a plant, that is then eaten by a cow, that is then devoured by a wolf, then gnawed at by a vulture, then whittled at by a worm, then snapped by a fish, to eventually be consumed by a woman, that is pregnant with a child who is consequently fed and formed with these same particles, breathing life once again from the endless cycle."
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Relativism

1 month 1 day ago

"One day, a brilliant artist finished a painting and showed it to a woman passing by.

"That's a lovely boat you've painted there", she said.

"Oh dear... actually, it's a rocket ship", replied the artist. Perturbed, he decided to find out what other people thought about it.

He showed his painting to an old man with fading eyes, who thought it was a picture of a radio.

He then showed his painting to a little child, who from the ground saw what looked like a shooting star.

He then showed his painting to a little dog, who sniffed at it and thought that it was a funny square blanket stapled to wood with funny colors and smells splashed all over.

Discouraged, the painter sat upon a hill looking over a night sky. Without warning a space ship appeared, and out stepped a gangly alien. Surely, the alien must know what this is a painting of!

He showed it to the alien, who cried "Why, it's a Blartusian delicasy!", and summarily gobbled up the painting, easel and all.

"In truth, it was a painting of a rocket ship", sighed the artist, pointing to the alien's ship.

The alien replied, "Rocket ship? You mean my car?"

...And with that, suddenly, the little girl abruptly awoke, wondering why she had such a funny dream where she was a genius painter. She then mysteriously thought to herself "in truth, it was all just a dream", and went back to sleep.

To this topic I would submit, truth is simply another abstraction humans make for themselves, just like languages and mathematics, that helps us to assign labels and convey relation between ideas. Depending on ones' internal filters, biological makeup and life experiences, the truth that exists from an individuals' perspective may vary considerably from person to person. If we are proposing that there is an absolute truth that exists regardless of human perception, we may or may not already be aware of it, though it would be difficult to discern whether our humble senses prove a sufficiently reasonable litmus test for determining what constitutes absolute truth."
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Ethical Dilemma Posed by Video Game

1 month 1 week ago

"

hatesyou

The situation within the context of the game is too far removed from reality to be considered much more than a plot twist. Within a court of law, there's no opportunity for a defense lawyer to directly enter a plea on the defendants behalf and by the ethics of the institution that is the legal bar, a lawyer may not take a case where there is personal involvement.

I agree it's pretty unrealistic, but the setup in the game makes it appear plausible in some respects. In the case of the game, the player is not entering a plea on the defendant's behalf when making this ethical decision, but rather is deciding whether or not to speak up before the verdict is passed. Phoenix has been prolonging/stalling the case for as long as possible in the hopes that the police can find the location of the abducted assistant. If you don't appear to be honestly defending your client then all bets are off and your assistant will be murdered, so despite your inner conscience you have to defend the murderer as long as possible. However all the work you've done so far convinces the court that the evidence is sufficient, and the judge is about to pass his verdict of "Not Guilty". You are given a choice to speak up and declare whether or not you believe your client is "Guilty" or "Not Guilty", to either prevent the passing of the verdict or allow it.

In regards to the ethics of taking such a case, before the case even gets to trial your assistant has been kidnapped, and you are forced to take the case from that point. If you do not take the case, your assistant will be killed."
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Ethical Dilemma Posed by Video Game

1 month 1 week ago

"

AssasinXXX

I can agree with that and think it's the best option.
Saying not guilty i reckon would be the least damaging route you can take.
You're sending an innocent woman to jail this way but making sure another iss not "killed"

This was partly my reasoning when I was deliberating the issue, but let's not forget that by pleading "Not Guilty", in addition to sending an innocent woman to jail you are also allowing a murderous and evil man to go free. This evil man has used/abused honest people and driven them to suicide, contracted an assassin to commit murder, and has had your friend abducted. In setting him free, you are potentially unleashing a monster into the world to abuse/murder/abduct/ruin more lives. As hatesyou said, if double jeopardy weren't an issue then the dilemma dissolves, and under such conditions I would assume the "Not Guilty" plea would be obvious, but the game world makes no such guarantee.

I would like to consider the safety of my assistant, Maya, first. However, would she want to know that an evil man was unleashed into the world to ruin more lives because her life was on the line? In the game, she explicitly states that she would rather die."
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Ethical Dilemma Posed by Video Game

1 month 1 week ago

"I was recently playing the Nintendo DS game "Phoenix Wright: Justice For All", and was posed with a difficult choice in the final case, a striking ethical dilemma for which I wasn't certain what was the right thing to do, and wanted to know your opinions. If anyone is currently playing or intends to play this game, then reading this thread may not be for you. This thread isn't posted under the "Games" section, because the ethical dilemma at the heart of my question isn't specific to games alone, and can be answered by anyone.

In the case, you are forced to defend an evil man whom you know is guilty of murder. At this point in the story his hired assassin has your dear friend and assistant captive, and on his word she will die unless you win a "Not Guilty" verdict for him. However, if you do win the case, he will be declared innocent and go free, while another innocent lady involved in the case will be declared guilty and serve prison time in his stead.

At the most harrowing point of this bizarre clash, you must decide whether to tell the judge and the court whether or not this evil man you are defending is "Guilty" or "Not Guilty". If you say "Guilty", your friend will be killed. If you say "Not Guilty", an evil man will go free and an innocent woman will be imprisoned.

It's a complex issue, given that you are a lawyer and your job/role is to defend your client. However, isn't the intent of the entire process to find the truth and serve justice?

I wasn't certain what to say, but after terrible deliberation I chose to say that my client was "Guilty", even though I knew it would mean the death of my friend. I feel guilty myself, and much conflicted about this choice. What would have been the "Wright" thing to do?"
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Nobel Prizes

1 month 2 weeks ago

"I was a little surprised when I heard about this myself. I live in America, and I think for many of the people I've asked it's been a sort of scratch-the-head situation, and asking, "What exactly has Obama done to deserve a Nobel?".

I like President Obama myself, and am very glad he was elected president. I think he's an intelligent, practical, good-hearted and all-around great man to have as our leader. And it's true, his presidency is definitely historic, given the past travails of our nation. But... I think that isn't so much a triumph of Obama the man, so much as it is a triumph of the times themselves, that we as a people have grown beyond a lot of the horrible past preceding us. I don't mean to diminish any of his efforts thus far, certainly President Obama has done a great deal of footwork to get his initiatives running off the ground, but it's not like he's really done anything spectacular or earth-shatteringly great yet in his administration to speak of. That is to say, his presidency isn't accomplished quite yet, it's still in the running.

And really, most of the media here in the U.S. bandies about the controversy surrounding many of the new changes that President Obama and his administration are attempting to pass (primarily regarding the health care reforms), so more often than not we hear the difficulties that he's facing, along with the controversy, as opposed to anything of particular import that his administration has yet accomplished. I myself haven't really heard of any great triumphs persay, outside of perhaps re-establishing and rebuilding mature communications with many of the nations alienated by the former Bush presidency. Which is wonderful of its own accord, of course, but not beyond the normal scope of a president on the world stage.

I suppose the general view of the Nobel prize is that it awards notable achievements and accomplishments well above and beyond the normal. So for many of us here it's a wonder what singular thing President Obama of his own accord has yet achieved that's worthy of such a designation, something like creating a new food source or negotiating peace between warring nations. Perhaps that's something only the Nobel judges in Sweden know."
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The Key To Happiness

1 month 3 weeks ago

"I recently asked a number of people what they thought was the key to happiness. Some said financial success, others said relationships, even one told me it was eating a pizza and drinking rootbeer with friends after a tough soccer match (I've never done this, but it sounds true). Another friend said he was looking for happiness and didn't know where to find it.

My immediate thoughts were that:
1) Happiness isn't a destination or a far-off goal. Rather, it's a means of travel, an approach to life, something we carry with us (or that can carry us) as we move forward. :D
2) If you're looking for happiness and can't find it, then you've got it all backwards! In reality, happiness is looking for you and will find you soon enough
3) Happiness isn't absolutely dependent on external factors... with some wisdom, deep breaths and the right frame of mind, it can be an internal decision.
4) It can be found for cheap huddled in a blanket, a good book, hot cocoa and cinnamon rolls on a cold day. XP

What is happiness for you, and what do you think is the key to happiness?"
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Why do guys prefer long hair on girls or is this an incorrect generalization?

1 month 4 weeks ago

"I can't speak for the guys I know, but I think short hair on a girl can look very attractive. Though, I don't think it's a style meant for all girls.

Depending on the cut it can look very cute, or even devilishly seductive. It was always my impression, for example, that the turn of the century flapper hairdo carried a sort of noir-ish charm to it. Or even, I found the distinguished French actress Audrey Tatou's short cut in her film "Amelie" to be very charming and captivating. From a more topical perspective, Rei Ayanami from Evangelion has short hair and is practically an idol. There are a plethora of examples where short hair is considered attractive.

Of course, this really depends on what type of a short cut we're talking about. Bald cuts, bowler, or super-short can tend towards looking rather butchy. This can turn away even the most understanding guys (ambiguity, for many men I imagine, is not a very appealing trait).

Though, all things considered it's really a matter of cultural perspective, isn't it? There was even a time in our history when the prevailing perspective was that overweight women were considered particularly effeminate, even desirable, whereas nowadays it's considered to be rather off-putting. That said, it would be very interesting indeed to meet someone capable of standing beyond their life conditioning and perceiving the world on its fundamental merits... as they say, beauty is only skin deep.

On a final note... I believe (from personal experience) that it's probably a lot more convenient for a girl to have a short haircut. I was adventurous once and sported a long hair-style, and can attest to how annoying it can be to keep clean. It can also be aggravating when you're exercising or doing a variety of commonplace activities.

I suppose ultimately it's a matter of taste and convenience."
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What kind of knowledge do you think should be pursued?

1 month 4 weeks ago

"I think that any knowledge that helps us to understand each other and the universe we live in ought to be pursued. That can include most modern fields of study depending on your perspective (medicine, science, psychology, art, literature, etc.). No man is an island, as they say, and all the variety of studies en masse contribute to the greater whole, helping civilization advance and move forward.

Strangely, however, the information I consume on a regular basis doesn't appear to be consequentially related to this lofty & noble pursuit (video gaming and anime news, researching memes or pop cultural references I don't understand). Though to be fair, I do try to keep abreast of world affairs.

I don't know if there is knowledge that should be forbidden... I suppose, should I ever come upon that sort of information and fully come to understand it and its advantages/consequences then maybe I could be a better judge of that. As others have said before, the application of knowledge (what is done with it) is often more important than the knowledge itself. In this regard, I would proffer that certainly there are applications of knowledge that ought to be forbidden."
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Do you agree or against pirating

2 months 5 days ago

"It is wrong to benefit from others hard efforts for free.

I feel that for this reason, many things in the world of humans have gone rotten. The environment. The social/economic system. We take for granted that it's a simple, small thing, that it's just one small download. Collectively, however, it is this same sort of thinking that causes people to litter. And we all see how, collectively, it junks up the planet.

But that is something intrinsically known to the issue. On a broader scale of looking at things we must ask ourselves, is it always wrong to do the wrong thing? It may sound dumb, but that question is not nearly as simple as it seems. If piracy advertises artists or inspires more purchases, is it all that bad? Most of the industry profits from merchandising, but if people haven't seen the series or enjoyed the songs how will they know whether or not they would like to buy related products?

I think it is within that blurry ethical boundary that it becomes something of a judgment call. I suppose piracy is okay so long as it is to the creator's benefit, and not their detriment. I think it is for this reason that some companies are actually moving to stream their anime for free online (such as the One Piece simulcast by Funimation), as they can see new markets for selling their merchandise open up by making the works openly available to enjoy."
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Do girls like anime as much as guys do?

2 months 5 days ago

"I think girls definitely like anime as much as guys... the president of the first anime club I joined was a girl. I don't think they get quite as creepily obsessed about anime as guys sometimes do, but they certainly can be as hyperactively enthusiastic about anime, if not more so. When I was in college I went to visit my old high school to give a drawing lesson at the clubs behest, and found that since I had graduated there were now a large group of girls wearing cat/bunny ears to the meetings. And when I was in college, the anime club there seemed to have a pretty even ratio of guys to girls.

I can certainly attest to their devotion, good gravy the fanfics girls can write sometimes...

... "
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What do you think of people reading manga at the bookstore?

2 months 5 days ago

"

Daidouji72

Luckily I remember the security guard talking to the boy just before I left the bookstore, so I guess that's payback :)

mu-hwahaha!! Awesome. Guards can overlook those sorts of things sometimes. I've seen this happen in bookstores too, sometimes someone will just walk up and rip the plastic off the book cover. That's definitely not a good thing, not only for preserving the book quality or any goodies that may come with the manga, but also because sometimes the books have very graphic or sexual content that younger kids shouldn't be getting their hands on. I really hope that kid got a good talking to.

"
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Internet Addictions

2 months 2 weeks ago

"I can sympathize with the fellow. In my experience I've found that people in our world, for the most part, are not very pleasant creatures. Most are immature, selfish, superficial, shallow, ungrateful and inconsiderate when you dig past their smiling facades. It is very rare that you'll find someone with half an honest and considerate mind, a genuine and wholesome person unfettered by many of the souring idiosyncrasies of society and social life. To most people friendship means finding another person with whom one may "hang out" and "have a fun time with", somebody that you can party or crash with for a good time, or somebody you can rely on for small and superficial favors or requests. Once you dig past the smiling face, however, you usually find weak, small and selfish creatures that are just filling their own gaps with your time. I've met many people throughout my life and have endeavored to make friends with many, and have been regrettably surprised to find so many indulgent personalities lurking behind the scenes. I don't mean to be judgmental, as it usually isn't an intrinsic fault with people so much as a matter of life experience/conditioning and a lack of insight/awareness, but it's awful just how few really listen to, or even have, a conscience. Sometimes it just makes me lose hope for humanity.

Generally speaking, however, I would say that the true friends are the ones you've met in person who actually become interested in you, and stick with you through the rest of your life. But I will caution that even in those relationships there often exists a limit, a boundary that those friends will not find themselves willing to cross, and you may never come to realize this until an important situation arises to test this truth. The true friends will make the gamble to do the right thing, and oftentimes capriciously, and if/whenever that happens they're more like family by that point.

I would point to the novel and film "Battle Royale" as a perfect example of the colored subtleties of human relationships, particularly in that bond we call "friendship". If you found yourself on an island and were forced to kill your classmates in order to ensure your own survival (and they were similarly forced to do the same for their own survival), what would you do? Could you trust your friends to drop their weapons and not kill you to save their own hides, that is, to sacrifice themselves on your behalf?

When I first saw the film, my gut reaction was abhorrence, that I would never, ever think of killing anyone else to save myself, that I would die before I would ever be subjected to the murderous whims of such a game. I asked my own brother, to whom I'm closer than anyone else in the world and love dearly, what he would do in this situation, and after careful and calm consideration he told me that in all honesty he would kill me.

If even your own brother would kill you, what makes you think you can count on a friend?

To be fair, I must note that my brother has since recanted this position, however I must strongly suggest here that authentic trust is a very difficult thing to build.

On the internet, for the most part people heedlessly say whatever they are inclined to with relative impunity... there aren't any pressing moral or social inhibitions preventing one from untoward correspondence... indeed, people on the internet often release their inner selves with indulgent, reckless abandon, evidenced particularly by the mushrooming of blogs and personal spaces, and the spawning of social circles like 4chan. There is in some respects more authenticity to it, comparative to the socially indoctrinated mores and behaviours that often incline an individual to genial conduct under the pressure of the scrutinizing eyes of society. On the net there is a power in anonymity, a certain freedom from the judgment and aspersions often cast in the presence of our fellow humans, and so people are freer to "be themselves". It may be in this that the fellow you are speaking of finds what he considers to be a greater deal of "honesty", in that it often circumvents the social rigmarole obscuring true individual identities (though this isn't always the case).

However, I don't believe that absolutely true friendship can be formed strictly on the internet. There are many more intricacies to actual relationships that words alone simply cannot capture. I have a pet cat that I love as much as family, and there certainly aren't any words involved in our relationship. There is something much deeper in sharing your life and life experiences with someone that goes beyond what words alone would be capable of conveying, and in these very real actions lies the stuff of friendship. In this respect the internet is fundamentally limited in closing the gap between people... there may be camaraderie and understanding found, but there is nothing substantial behind words formed with people you've never met.

I used to be the kind of person myself that was very outgoing and sociable, and I used to interact with many people every day, many of whom I attempted to befriend... but honestly, I've come to be rather weary and disillusioned with the effort, preferring my own solitude and the company of my family (which includes my close friends)."
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BlazBlue

2 months 2 weeks ago

"I was playing this over at a friends house the other day, and I have to say it's really slick and lots of fun. The graphics are absolutely stunning, a visual feast for the eyes, from the smooth character animations to the beautifully rendered 3D backgrounds. It's not quite the same-rocked out style as Guilty Gear, as it appears more subdued and less strange/gaudy than its heady predecessor, but it still has the unique visual branding that made GG so visually impressive and memorable.

The gameplay... is an absolutely rambunctious riot, it's a lot of fun to play and even just to watch, though it was/still is somewhat initially difficult to understand. I was playing random at first and found the gameplay somewhat confusing, as it seemed that the characters controlled radically differently, but slowly began to see that each character has a very different and specific strategy for gameplay, which is pretty neat to see in action.

A lot of the character specific moves center around their particular "Drive", which may be executed using the D button. Using the normal Weak, Medium and Strong attacks in tandem with your drive leads to a lot of interesting gameplay results. For example, for the cat-girl Taokaka the drive allows her to dash across the screen multiple times in any direction, which timed properly can confuse the opponent (for example, you may jump backwards and suddenly jump forwards to attack, or if you do a light jump in the air you can suddenly dash to the ground and dash forwards to combo). For another character Lichi, using the Drive can cause her to release her weapon (a giant bo) and allow it to stay stuck in the ground, and at this point in time her fighting style changes. She can even jump off the stick, or stand on top of it high in the air, or jump onto the stick and flip it away at the enemy, or summon it from wherever it may be on the stage to fly spinning towards her and hit the enemy. Yet another character, a little magician-boy Carl, controls a rather menacing maid-robot companion with his drive, controlling its position and attack from wherever it appears to be standing at a given moment, in addition to his own running around and fighting, which is somewhat akin to the Ice-Climbers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Melee, if you're familiar with that.

My friends and I wound up playing it all night and well into the early morning, if that suggests anything about how fun the game is. The vast differences in the character styles is a neat thing worth exploring, especially in light of the very different combo-connection styles that can result from it, and the strategies that may be implemented between these characters. I've never really been very big into (or very good at) 2d fighters, but BlazBlue definitely has me interested and intrigued with its approachable characters and fun gameplay, and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a next gen 2d fighter."
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Yotsuba&! re-released by Yen Press

2 months 2 weeks ago

"I don't know if anyone here is a fan of Yotsuba, but the English language adaptation in the U.S. is finally continuing with volume 6 onwards, and is being re-released in its entirety by Yen Press. I've been following this charming slice-of-life manga about the eponymous Yotsuba, the four-pigtailed green-haired kid with a refreshing and goofy view of her new home and neighbors in Japan, for a good while now, and am very pleased to see that it's finally continuing release on schedule.

It's kinda strange, as the series has been released and handed over to other companies for publishing a few times already (I think originally ADV Manga was publishing it, then the rights went over to Tokypop, and now they've gone to Yen Press). I've noticed this happen to a few others series I've been collecting (such as Aria), and can only wonder what the cause is... could it be the original Japanese companies are letting the contracts expire with their American counterparts and are moving the publishing over to whichever company they deem the most capable to successfully run the series?

In any case, the new volumes are out, I'm not certain I like some of the modifications in font and paper-types I've seen, but on the whole it's great to be able to continue reading this fun and delightful series. Is anyone else following this series?"
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Are You A Lone Wolf?

2 months 2 weeks ago

"I'm a lone wolf... I even took an online quiz that told me so! hahaha

To be honest, though, I would say that label fits me rather well. I've had a completely different life experience than most people I've met. I've lived and traveled the world over, and have seen the amazing footprints left by human civilization, and likewise, experienced and saw things that don't bear repeating. When I was younger I moved around quite a bit, so I was never able to keep friends for long, and even then, I never felt the need to get close to people. I always felt I couldn't relate with them entirely, as they usually had a comparatively limited life experience.

I also have a unique family history and dynamic. My father and mother completely isolated us from the rest of our family, so we barely know any of our history or relations. In addition to this, my parents previous bad experiences with people in general (my father was in a war, and my mother came from deep poverty) discouraged most interaction outside of our family sphere. I've tried to grow past this life approach in my own ways, believing it to be an immature, unforgiving and hopeless reproach of humanity, but so far I've found my experiences sadly mirror their sentiment: most people, though kind, friendly and smiling on a relatively superficial level, are often at heart selfish, thoughtless little creatures, willing to do horrible things for horrible reasons. You'll find that even the closest friends will betray and disappoint you when it matters most... and as such, it's very difficult to openly find trust in this world.

I'm also a twin! I never tended to relate with people individually, but as the pair of myself and my twin. For most people it's an amusing and entertaining quirk, I suppose, but there are many triumphs and travails to this unique dynamic. Growing up I didn't really need any friends outside the sphere of my family, as there was always a good friend that I could completely relate with and trust right at home. Even now, I don't think there are any people that could understand the complexity of me as well as he does. Being a twin also has a way of enhancing one's thinking and observational awareness, as there are two minds working in constant unison with one another analyzing and understanding the world together, inadvertently making it difficult to level with most ordinary people isolated in singular perspective. In each other we always found a ready companion to spar in a mental chess of philosophies, logics and ethics. Our reasoning abilities were refined by a lifetime of constant intellectual deliberation, which unfortunately can't be said for most people who don't even dare to seriously pick apart and question what they believe.

This is beginning to get drawn out, and yet it's only a fraction of the contributing factors to my unique life perspective. I suppose I could sum it up so: I am an extremely different individual in many respects compared to the average layman, and in finding difficulty relating to most people, who I generally find to be lacking in ethics, logical savvy, and breadth of life experience, I always find myself constantly distanced from them, and thus a lone wolf.
"
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Anime Paper...

2 months 3 weeks ago

"Vixie makes an interesting point that hadn't crossed my mind. There are likely a lot of young users that come to Anime Paper.

I'm not going to tread into the moral ramifications of exposing children to ecchi art, but it does make me wonder... are there are any legal ramifications for exposing children to content with inherent sexual innuendo, featuring nudity sometimes only barely covered by other nudity?

An errant parent/librarian/teacher/adult stumbling upon a child visiting Anime Paper when a huge ecchi scan is plastered on the front page may raise a hissyfit about this."
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Believe in ghosts?

2 months 3 weeks ago

"I don't believe in ghosts myself, though I'm open to the thought that they may exist. Unfortunately I have never experienced them directly or spoken to them, only heard about them through comics and television, or through other people's accounts. As such I have no idea if they actually exist, they are about as real to me as Santa Claus.

My approach to ghosts then, in general, is the same as towards Santa Clause, God, or the past in general... I'll believe it when I see it, though philosophically speaking, I suppose I'd still have one hand on the fence.

Spooky! "
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What do you think of people reading manga at the bookstore?

2 months 3 weeks ago

"

asivoria9

I read them in the store all the time, they cost like 10 bucks a pop and I'm broke. Sure I'd love to buy every book that I read but I just don't have that kind of money. I have complete respect for the author's hard work but you have to take into account people's budgets, reading manga in the store might be the only way for certain people to enjoy this type of media so quit being so critical!

So... you're saying that you respect the author's work, but not enough to pay for it while you enjoy it... for free, because you don't have enough money. With that line of reasoning, I should be able to sneak into movie theatres, or run off from restaurants without paying the bill. Heck, eating out can be cheaper than some manga, so what's the difference?

I have to say that I completely disagree with your opinion. And, no offense intended, I really don't think you understand what true respect is.

I've met poor kids in third world countries working hard to make money for their families. I can only wonder, do you have a job? Do you understand what the true meaning of a hard day's work is? The work that these artists put into their manga, that you are skimming off unconscionably for free? Did you know that many manga artists (like the authors for Prince of Tennis or Oh My Goddess) don't leave their apartments for weeks/months on end, letting their bodies waste away in a virtual file-cabinet in order to focus on perfecting their stories and art, pulling endless all-nighters and sacrificing a normal social life, so that you can enjoy their work? And then, so easily excuse yourself from paying for it?

Honestly, I find your claim that you have complete respect is only half-way true... it offers the esteem, veneration and appreciation for the manga artists work, but not the courtesy, nor the deference to their right to make an honest living for their considerable efforts."
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One Piece

2 months 4 weeks ago

"Oh yes, and on another note, the One Piece Simulcast has been brought back! I forgot to mention it, but Funimation was able to renegotiate with Toei to have the latest episodes of One Piece stream subtitled/uncut straight from Japan on their website again. Just last night episode 415 came on without a hitch on their site, just one hour after the release in Japan. It's a great service, I think it'll be weekly on Saturday nights 9pm CDT, I highly recommend it, it's definitely gonna be a new tradition for me."
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One Piece

2 months 4 weeks ago

"I think that bladgod20 is posting copy/pasted information from a wiki article, in order to increase the number of papers he/she may download. Is that allowed?

Maxi-Ryu, I agree, Zoro is definitely cool. Originally I couldn't see imagine how far he could possibly get with such a bizarre style, but it just keeps getting better and better. I think the Ashura is probably the coolest of his I've seen so far, though I also thought Sanji's Devil's Leg technique was pretty snazzy when it first appeared.

My personal favorite is Luffy, he's got a great attitude about life, and although he acts a lot like a kid it seems that he has one of the truest spirits around. He isn't manly in a gruff football player/jock sort of way, but in an adventurous, legendary, and hearty sense."
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Anime Paper...

2 months 4 weeks ago

"I agree that the amount of H content seems to be increasing, which may very well be a sign of the times. I agree with FourthEspada that there is nothing wrong with this type of art, and if one happens to have a problem with its sometimes distasteful, often objectified portrayal of women then such an individual may simply avoid looking at it.

I would caution, however, that I believe most members appreciate this site primarily for its laudable artistic merit/integrity and its peaceful atmosphere. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with H content or the people who like it, there is a possibility that a great proliferation of such work upon the site may sully the artistic spirit with an undercurrent of debauchery (note, in this sense this means indulgence in sensual pleasures). There is nothing morally wrong with that either (in a certain sense, since we're all human), but I am suggesting that the atmosphere could simply change. It is possible that there may be users who come to frequent and post on this site solely for the purpose of H material, and not for the wallpapers that are the namesake of Anime Paper. It's possible, though I'm uncertain how likely."
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Do you think Robots will take over the world?

2 months 4 weeks ago

"Gvnkwyr, that's a very interesting point that you've brought up, the internal evolution of a robot's thought processes. Given that they would likely think at speeds millions of times faster than we humans are capable, with infinitely omnipresent dynamic access to millions of data pieces/news/history/movies/books/etc., and assuming that their new sentience allows for dynamic modification of their own thought processes, it's a wonder to think how they may progress to an end-state zen-type quality, to what degree and how quickly they may achieve such a state, and the steps involved... I imagine that if they started from a blank-slate human-type emotionally programmed reference, then it would very likely follow the logical pattern you have outlined. It may depend on their own historical and environmental experiences, though it is perhaps possible, that with all the information at their disposal they may come to such conclusions within less than a micro-second of having gained sentience.

I agree, thinking about it I can see how my use of quotes may be misconstrued... My intention was to call into question how we would define these human aspects in an artifical construct as we do in ourselves, not to add a personal incredulity to these aspects ever possibly being attainable by a robot sentience. An inherent difficulty in discussions like these is that though we share a common language, the semantics as we understand them varies considerably from person to person... As such it is possible to derive tone and motivation from what an individual has written that may not have been intended, so I endeavor to be careful in maintaining an objective and distanced approach in my writing. However, I will definitely strive to be more judicious with my application of quotation marks in this regard, thank you for bringing it to my attention.

I apologize for the long-winded writings as well... I just find that writing about and exploring the intricasies of these sorts of issues to be fascinating."
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