THE RAPTOR SPEAKS

That's all I can stand, I can't stands no more.

Fri, 16 May 2008 20:05:35 GMT

I've been holding this back, for fear of insulting people on my friends list. Please know that this is NOT directed at ANY of you. You're all intelligent and capable of forming sound decisions. You therefore do not fall into the category below.

However. It says something* about Hillary Clinton that her strongest base of supporters are "uneducated" white people. If you haven't seen this clip from The Daily Show, you need to go watch it. Interviews with West Virginia voters about why they support Hillary over Barack:

"I guess because he is another race. It.. I'm sortof scared of the other race cuz we have so much conflict with 'um."

"He's a muslim, you know, and that has a lot to do with it."

"I don't like the Hussein thing. I've had enough of Hussein."

As funny as the clip is, it perfectly illustrates the point. And I don't want whomever these people would vote for, to run the country. Seriously. These people aren't just uneducated, they're ignorant. They're stupid. If anyone would not vote for someone because of their race, or their middle name, or their RELIGION**.. No really, I don't want their candidate running this country.

* That "something" being that they're not voting FOR Hillary because she's a better candidate, they're voting AGAINST Barack because they're racist ignoramuses.

** I understand the idea of common morality. You want someone that you know shares your views on some important subjects. But of course, most of the major religions have quite a few of the same morals, so rejecting someone based on religion because of "moral differences" is a lie. Rejecting someone based on religion is just another kind of racism. "You're not like me so I don't like you." Just more ignorance. (Not to mention the fact that, oh, HE IS CHRISTIAN. Do we need to put a billboard on the moon?)

Dorkiness abounds!

Fri, 16 May 2008 18:02:44 GMT

A virtual Raptor Cookie to anyone who can figure out what this means/what it's for:

Cold fish get irritated just like people. Probably they're very vicious.

Only a certain group of people on my friends list would have any reason to understand it. Bonus cookies if you also figure out this statement, which is related to the first one, but comes from about 15 years ago, and is not limited to a specific group on my friends list:

All cats make pies horribly horribly sweet.)

Oh, the beemanity!

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:56:18 GMT

The United States is absurd. The fact that gay marriage is even an issue? Absurd. Think of how ridiculous we think it is to ban interracial couples from getting married. Of course they can get married, there's no reason to disallow it. Fifty years from now people are going to look back and think of our country as being terribly backwards and ignorant. For instance, take the line from this article: "With a stroke of a pen Thursday, the Republican-dominated court swept away decades of tradition and said there was no legally justifiable reason why the state should withhold the institution of marriage because of a couple's sexual orientation." - Republican dominated! Even some republicans get it! Thank goodness the California Supreme Court is basing its decisions on what is legally justifiable and not on outdated religious standards! Of course it's not just gay marriage. It's a "War on Drugs" (which costs taxpayer money) that has caused more drugs to enter this country, caused more people to sit in jail (which costs taxpayer money), caused people to invent new and more terrible kinds of drugs that do more harm, and generally been a bad idea the whole time. Prohibition has never worked in the history of any country. You can't ban something to make it go away. Regulation works most of the time, and actually generates revenue through taxation. Oh, and let's not forget the War on Terror that has created more terrorists than it has eliminated, making us more hated and less safe than ever before. And during which our government has lied to us, stolen from us and infringed on every right they can manage. Or how about the fact that American car companies are complaining that California has dared to ask them to get their emissions standards up to China's present day standards by 2011. ... There are so many issues in this country that are absolutely absurd, I can't believe they even have to be discussed.

Honestly I'm not in a bad mood and will make a separate post later. I just read the above-linked article and I'm angry that there are groups still fighting to ban same-sex marriage. Ignorant people!

Wait, I have more rants: Have you all heard this story? The MySpace suicide: Teen A is a 13 year old girl who is friends with Teen B. They stop being friends. Teen B's mom then has her employees create a fake MySpace account, pretending to be a 16 year old boy. They start a relationship with Teen A to try to get information, whatever. Employee decides she doesn't want to do it anymore, despite the mom's demands, and so breaks up with Teen A very cruelly. Tells her that the world would be better off without her. So Teen A hangs herself. ... Seriously, a 49 year old woman doesn't know any better? And her employees? I hope they all grow consciences and feel awful.

And apparently horses in puerto rico who lose the race are killed. *SCOFF*!! Do I even need to explain why this disgusts me?!

And finally, I find this photo (and the next one) haunting. I got chills. How horrifying.

Have a great day! ^_^

Fri, 16 May 2008 11:28:50 GMT

Happy birthday tabard and memoryanddream!!

Things you gotta see

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:52:50 GMT

First, a video of Bill O'Reilly throwing a tantrum - look quick, all copies of this are being pulled off the web.

An article about how our government is defying the constitution

Vice president Cheney says the US economy is the envy of the world - totally out of touch

Police break into a man's house without a warrant, rip out his catheter - and it's the wrong house.

Ingsoc in action

Tasers don't kill - or at least, you're not allowed to say they do.

Random

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:37:42 GMT

Lots of stuff to post, so I will try to keep it short!

I only managed to get two half-way decent screenshots of the three of Liz's dings I was present for. During the third ding I was eating concrete. For the two that I did capture, I hit the printscreen button eleven and six times, respectively, and these were still the best I got. Lamesauce.

I actually finished this on Friday, but I was waiting on Laridian to give me the okay to post it. But he still hasn't emailed me back and I wanted to post it anyway. This took me about 24 hours over the course of two months. I am sorry that it took me so long. I learned a lot from this image. Mainly that I am awful at perspective, but also that you can't draw a bunch of people on separate sheets of paper and then integrate them to look like they're interacting. I should have drawn the whole scene first. Now I know. By the way, the background is a paint-over I did of a screenshot in game. That alone took over 6 hours. Actually I think it's probably the best part of the image. :P

Politics: Master finally figured out why Hillary is hanging in the race even though she knows she can't win, and many people want her to drop out so we can unite the party. She was already $10 million in debt before she loaned another $11 million to her campaign. She has to try to make up that money in donations before the convention, otherwise she's out that money. I think this is very indicative of her style of politics. "The plan isn't working, I maybe shouldn't have even done this in the first place, let's throw more money at it!" sounds like Bush and the Iraq war. Do we really want another president who doesn't know when to cut and run? Obama has tons of money. HE is the person I want running this country. The one who got more small donations than any other candidate in history. The one who is running his campaign within its budget.

Personal: I know this means I might be a fuddy-duddy when I get old, but there are certain words that I will not use in certain ways. For instance, "blog" and "google" are nouns. I will not use them as verbs. Ever. I would rather say ten words than use those words as verbs. Also, "pimp" is not an adjective and "pimpin" is not a noun. Ever.

Okay, I am slammed at work so I need to go now, but you've been updated. :)

Which way does she turn for you?

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:35:53 GMT

Spinning
If you see this lady turning in clockwise, You are using your right brain. If you see it the other way, you are using left brain. Some people do see both ways, but most people see it only one way. See if you can make her go one way and then the other by shifting the brain's current. BOTH DIRECTIONS CAN BE SEEN! Experimentation has shown that the two different sides, or hemispheres, of the brain are responsible for different manners of thinking. The following list illustrates the differences between left-brain and right-brain thinking: Left Brain- Logical, Sequential, Rational, Analytical, Objective, Looks at parts. Right brain- Random, Intuitive, Holistic, Synthesizing, Subjective, Looks at wholes. Most individuals have a distinct preference for one of these styles of thinking. Some, however, are more whole-brained and equally adept at both modes. In general, schools tend to favor left-brain modes of thinking, while downplaying the right-brain ones. Left-brain scholastic subjects focus on logical thinking, analysis, and accuracy. Right-brained subjects, on the other hand, focus on aesthetics, feeling, and creativity.

I am mostly center-brained (according to the brain tests I've taken). I can get her to turn either direction. She turns clockwise by default for me (right brain, the artistic side) but I can easily make her spin counter-clockwise by doing something logical, like trying to memorize the attributes of either side of the brain. I even had two open at once, tiled so they were next to each other, and I got them spinning in opposite directions a few times. Pretty cool!

Personality Test

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:48:03 GMT

Stolen from eldarath

My Personality


Neuroticism	8
Extraversion	31
Openness to Experience	84
Agreeableness	82
Conscientiousness	76

You are a calm person who is considered almost fearless by some, however you often resist any cravings or urges that you have, but sometimes you give in. You lead a leisurely and relaxed life. You would prefer to sit back and smell the roses than indulge in high energy activities. Familiar routines are good, but sometimes you like to spice up your life with a bit of adventure or activity. You dislike confrontations and are perfectly willing to compromise or to deny your own needs in order to get along with others, however you will help others if they are in need. If people ask for too much of your time you feel that they are imposing on you. You have a strong sense of duty and obligation, and feel a moral obligation to do the right thing.

Take a Personality Test now or view the full Personality Report.

Neuroticism
Overall Score 8
Anxiety 8
Anger 13
Depression 13
Self-Consciousness 14
Immoderation 43
Vulnerability 25

You are a calm person who is considered almost fearless by some. You rarely get angry and it takes a lot to make you angry. You very rarely feel depressed and are usually in a good frame of mind. You do not feel nervous in social situations, and have a good impression of what others think of you. You often resist any cravings or urges that you have, but sometimes you give in. You are poised, confident, and clear-thinking when stressed.

Extraversion
Overall Score 31
Friendliness 69
Gregariousness 59
Assertiveness 28
Activity Level 6
Excitement-Seeking 15
Cheerfulness 50

You genuinely like other people and openly demonstrate positive feelings toward others. You make friends quickly and it is easy for you to form close, intimate relationships. You like crowds but sometimes feel overwhelmed by them. Sometimes you feel like you need some privacy and time for yourself. You tend not to talk much and prefer to let others control the activities of groups. You lead a leisurely and relaxed life. You would prefer to sit back and smell the roses than indulge in high energy activities. You get overwhelmed by too much noise and commotion and do not like thrill-seeking activities. You have a generally cheerful disposition.

Openness to Experience
Overall Score 84
Imagination 64
Artistic Interests 71
Emotionality 82
Adventurousness 62
Intellect 77
Liberalism 79

You are a moderately imaginative person who enjoys a good balance between the real world and fantasy. You love beauty, both in art and in nature. Sometimes you become easily involved and absorbed in artistic and natural events. You have good access to and awareness of your own feelings. Familiar routines are good, but sometimes you like to spice up your life with a bit of adventure or activity. As a person who is open-minded to new and unusual ideas, you love to play with and think about ideas. You also like to debate intellectual issues and often enjoy riddles, puzzles and brain teasers. Often you exhibit a readiness to challenge authority, convention, and traditional values. Sometimes you feel a certain degree of hostility toward rules and perhaps even enjoy ambiguity.

Agreeableness
Overall Score 82
Trust 67
Morality 83
Altruism 53
Cooperation 90
Modesty 70
Sympathy 56

You naturally assume that most people are fair, honest, and have good intentions. You see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank and sincere. People find it relatively easy to relate to you. You will help others if they are in need. If people ask for too much of your time you feel that they are imposing on you. You dislike confrontations and are perfectly willing to compromise or to deny your own needs in order to get along with others. You do not like to claim that you are better than other people, and generally shy from talking yourself up. You are mostly a compassionate person, however you prefer to make objective judgments when possible.

Conscientiousness
Overall Score 76
Self-Efficacy 50
Orderliness 82
Dutifulness 84
Achievement-Striving 26
Self-Discipline 76
Cautiousness 75

You are moderately confident that you can achieve the goals you set yourself. You are well-organized and like to live according to routines and schedules. Often you will keep lists and make plans. You have a strong sense of duty and obligation, and feel a moral obligation to do the right thing. You are content to get by with a minimal amount of work, and might be seen by others as lazy. You have strong will-power and are able to overcome your reluctance to begin tasks. You are able to stay on track despite distractions. You take your time when making decisions and will deliberate on all the possible consequences and alternatives.

Yep, that's about it. :)

What Kind Of Thinker Are You?

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:35:32 GMT

Stolen from jackolantern

Your Thinking is Abstract and Random

You are flexible, adaptable, and creative.

There's many ways that you can learn - and you're up for any of them.

You relate well to other people, and you do well working in groups.

You can help people communicate together and work with each other's strengths.

You don't work well with people who are competitive or adversarial.

You prefer to work toward a common goal... not toward conflicting goals.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

I was kindof worried, because on the 4th question there were two answers that fit. So I tried it both ways and the answer was the same both times. Which makes me feel better about the results, because they do fit me very well. :)

Ding! An epiphany!

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:05:59 GMT

This makes me feel a whole lot better about this.

Before anyone says anything:
- I am not digging for compliments, I know I am "attractive" (though I also realize that not everyone thinks so, duh).
- I know some of these shots are "mugshots" - angles that no one should have photos taken from, with tussled hair and weird expressions
- I am not passing judgement on any of these women. At all. Period. I am not making any comments about how these women look, good or bad, or my opinion of their appearance.

What I AM saying - is that these are normal people. I know, DUH. And yes, I already knew that. And yes, I'd already seen the video at the bottom of the pictures (Dove Evolution). I know, I knew, etc. But sometimes it's easy to forget. We're bombarded with images of perfection (or what is "supposed" to be perfection, I'm not starting any debates about that subject) and it's easy to look in the mirror and say "But I could never look like that." So I saved a composite of these photos. Every time I feel a twinge of disappointment about what I see in the mirror, or how I look in a photo, I'm going to go look at that image.

** I am disabling comments to this entry. I'm not trying to start a discussion or a debate, I just wanted to share. **

MMOs: Why is WoW the king?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:53:29 GMT

Attention MMO players!

I'd love to hear your input: Why is World of Warcraft the king of MMOs? (Meaning, why does WoW have 8million+ subscribers, and other MMOs are lucky to get 200k?) I'd also love to hear what MMOs you play, which you like and don't, and why.

I started playing City because the costume creator sucked me in. I had no intention of playing the game, I just liked making costumes. But, like so many others, then I started playing the game and loved it. City was my first MMO, and is still the only one I've ever really played. I've played a little bit of Guild Wars, EQ2 and WoW.

My main reason for liking City and not other MMOs is the setting. When I want fantasy, I play Baldur's Gate (and all related games, like NWN and IWD). I've done fantasy. I love Baldur's Gate. It's paid for. I can play it over and over. Why pay monthly to play fantasy? City is different.

I don't like other games' costume creators. They're not customizable enough. And even if they were, it doesn't matter, because the moment you put on armor your character looks like everyone else who wears that armor. BORING! At least in BG, NWN and IWD I'm the only person in the game, yanno, so I don't look like a few hundred thousand (or million) other people. I love how unique you can look in City.

I also love the user interface. Granted, it's probably due to being used to it.. but the UIs from other games just absolutely baffle me. So do the controls. So does the targeting system. So does the combat system. Obviously I could get used to it, but they felt so unnatural to me that when I was trying the games out, I was nothing but frustrated.

I've also heard horror stories of the penalties associated with character death in these games. Trek across the spirit world for two hours and hope no one steals your hard earned loot? O_o No thank you! Seriously, how sucky is that?! And no travel powers? Excuse me? You have to WALK everywhere, until you get insanely high level and get a mount? Again, no thanks!! I'd rather spend my time playing the game, rather than just getting from one point to another!

I also love that City lets me totally avoid PvP. I hate PvP. I don't want to fight other people, I want to fight the computer. The computer isn't vindictive, its feelings aren't hurt if I beat it, and it's basically programmed to be beat-able. If I can't beat the computer, I'm doing something wrong, and need to change tactics. If I can't beat another player, it's totally possible that I do not have the ability to beat that player. Also very frustrating. I mean, there's some minor griefing in City (kill steal!) but it's a lot easier to avoid than in other games.

I also love how involved the developers of City are with our community. They listen to what we think. They actually listen to our feedback and make changes to the game. For those who don't play, a very good example:

When the game first came out, you could not change your costume once you created your character. Later, in either issue 1 or 2, they put tailors into the game (the stores are called Icon in heroes, and Facemaker in villains). Everyone went and hung out in Icon and fiddled for hours with their costumes. Since so many people were in one spot, people started doing silly things. They'd drop an ice patch on the floor, turn on steamy mist, and put out targeting drones. With a shiny floor, misty air and laser lights, we were all like "DANCE FLOOR!" ... so we asked for a dance club. And the devs gave us one. It sucked, so we asked them to change it. So they did. It still sucked so we asked again. Now it's awesome. People go and hang out in Pocket D and role play. It's a really cool place to go. And it was totally a player-created idea. I mean.. the devs have characters and come in the game and interact with us. How many games do this on the level that the City devs do? I just think it's freaking awesome.

So yeah, I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks!

2007 In Review

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:25:52 GMT

Well here we go again.

At the beginning of the year I declared that 2007 would be "my year". I was born on 1/27, and I turned 27 this year, and it was 2007, I felt that all had to be a coincidence that I could claim as luck, that it would be "the year" for me to get everything going in the right direction.

I started working at Fortress on Halloween of 2006, but I was still employed by a temp agency. In March or May (?) of 2007, Fortress actually hired me. So that was one thing that went the way it was supposed to - I am officially employed by a company I love to work for. My bosses are wonderful, my coworkers are wonderful, the job itself is wonderful. I am very fortunate to have this job, and I appreciate it every day.

I went on two major vacations in 2007. I went on my dad's "retirement" cruise in January. It was the first time that both my mom's side of the family and my dad's side of the family were in the same room. The cruise was a lot of fun as always (I love Royal Caribbean). And of course I am grateful to have such a wonderful relationship with my family, especially my parents, but also my mom's brother James, his wife Jeanne, and my cousin Brandon, and also my dad's brother George and his wife Hope. This is the family I am closest to, emotionally, and those relationships have remained strong.

I went to Europe for my first time in March. I went snow skiing for my first time, and it was in the French Alps. And I was there with my Master, with whom I am incredibly happy. The trip in and of itself was one of the most amazing things I've ever done.. as a Floridian I'd only ever seen snow a couple of times. The fact that I had no fear of skiing (once I got there and saw that there weren't actually any trees to slam into) and that I picked it up so quickly and did so well, I'm very proud of myself. And spending ten days in the company of my Master, while not something either of us wants to do on a highly regular basis, was a nice vacation from reality.

But not everything in 2007 went according to plan.

My dad still hasn't retired. The whole retirement thing was dependent on my parents selling their house. They were going to move up to South Carolina. But the housing market has crashed and despite an absolutely ridiculously low price, no one is even coming to look at their house. So my dad is still working. He turned 68 this year. This has put a lot of stress on both my parents, and it sucks. We're trying to look for the reason, the "bigger picture". It's true that I've had some hardships this year that I would have had a harder time handling if my parents were so far away.

I didn't reach many of my goals for 2007. One of those goals was to get my A-Plus certification. It was never something I felt my job was dependent upon, but as time wore on I got more and more sick of studying for this exam. If it were an exam about computers and how to repair them, I would have enjoyed the process and passed the test with flying colors. However since A-Plus involves learning about computer equipment that only NASA still uses, my frustration eventually lead me to put the books aside and stop studying.

I did get Spirit and White Sapphire to level 50. That was actually an important goal for me. White Sapphire was the first character I ever created in City of Heroes, and Spirit was my first villain. I felt they both deserved to be 50, and I felt like I needed to get them there this year. And I did. I have several more toons I'm enjoying, and I am looking forward to spending 2008 running them through the levels.

Unfortunately, one of the events in 2007 that affected me the most is the legacy that my ex-husband has left me. He decided to stop making payments on the car, motorcycle, and the credit card that I had let him use. I tried working with my creditors, but they insisted that there was no motivation for them to work with me, since until that point I had paid every bill on time and my credit score was very high. I talked to a lawyer who basically had little more luck with them than I had, though she had poor customer service skills and I won't be seeing her again. The end result is that early in 2008 I will be declaring bankruptcy. In January I will start looking for a new lawyer. Most of my bills have already been sent to collections agencies, and I had to change my phone number for all the calls I was getting. The remaining creditors are sending me letters, of course NOW they want to work with me. Well, too late now folks. I had to ruin my credit score for you to take this seriously, I'm not giving YOU your money so you end up ahead. If you had worked with me I would have paid for the next 30 years, I would have paid back every cent, even with the interest. But since I had to ruin my credit score.. well, now no one wins.

The upside to this is, of course, I haven't been making payments on most of my debt. I continue to make my mortgage payment, and I continue to make payments on my car (which is on my parents' credit card). I still pay my water and power bills, I still have a phone and internet access. But ceasing payment on my credit cards and "Aaron's" stuff, means I haven't eben floundering quite so much as I was earlier this year. I'm somehow able to buy food and put gas in my car, and I'm not in a constant state of panic regarding my bank account anymore. I'm not looking forward to declaring bankruptcy, but I am very much looking forward to closing that particular chapter of my life.

I started exercising this year. It was going well and then I stopped, the biggest problem being boredom. Frankly it's just god-awful boring to walk around my neighborhood for an hour at 5am. But Master gave me his recumbent bike, which I've recently moved to a position in front of my computer. I have been able to exercise while playing City, and the weight is very obviously falling off. When I started tracking my calories I entered my weight as 119. That was a guess, as I do not have a scale, but that represents about the heaviest I've been (except for when I was in basic training, of course, at which point I was 128.5 pounds of very hard muscle). My doctor's office visits have been putting me at 117 and 115. I weighed myself last night, and if Master's scale is correct, I weigh 111 lbs. That's what I consistently weighed in high school. While I'm not really interested in losing weight, and am more interested in fitting back into the pants I bought a mere three years ago, it's good to know my efforts have been having the desired effect.

I'm not setting any goals for 2008. All I want in 2008 is to be calm and happy. I want to continue working for Fortress, and I want that to continue to be as pleasant an experience as it has been. I want to keep playing City of Heroes. I want to keep up my new healthy lifestyle, exercising and tracking my calories. I want my car to continue to perform as well as it has. And most important, I want my family relationships to remain strong, and I want to remain under my Master's ownership. That's all. Though, if we're going to be making New Year's Wishes, winning the lotto and the Bucs having a great season are up there.

I'll be watching 2007 go out and 2008 come in doing many of the things I hope to continue doing in 2008. I am spending time with my Master. We finished the year with great sex, we'll start the next one with more. We'll be watching football, and I may even allow myself to get a little intoxicated (depending on how many calories I have to spare this evening, of course ;)

Strange but true..

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:26:14 GMT

Or, ten things you never knew about The Raptor, and never thought to ask.

1. My muse is named Noah. Yes, my muse is male. He was my first tattoo, though the tattoo didn't start out as my muse. When I was in basic training my friend wrote to me and doodled a little baby godzilla in the margin. I asked her to redraw him with wings, so I could get a tattoo. When people started seeing the tattoo they asked if that was my guardian angel. "Sure." I said. So he became my guardian angel. Now he's my muse too. Noah is a multi-tasker.

2. I absolutely cannot internally tell myself what day of the week it is, until I've asked myself "What day is it?". Literally, even if I know what day it is, even if I established what day it is not two minutes prior, if my mind drifts to another subject and I need to know what day it is, I MUST ask myself "What day is it?" before I can answer "It's wednesday, so I have to do blah and blah." If someone else asks me, I can just tell them, because the question has been asked. But the question absolutely must precede the answer every time.

3. I brush my teeth in the kitchen sink. There is no sink in my bathroom, which is in the garage. My bathroom is about 36 inches wide and contains a very small shower (which is about 36 inches by about 32-34 inches), and a toilet. (There is an inside bathroom with a sink, obviously, but that's for guests/roommates/whatever. The garage bathroom is MINE.)

4. I am very good at modifying my behavior based on experience. Ergo, I rarely make the same mistake twice. I also rarely make a mistake if I watch someone else make it. However...

5. There are some things I just cannot remember. For a while I couldn't remember that Master's birthday is on 8/25, NOT 8/28. You see, we met on 5/25, so my brain kept saying "five twenty five, eight twenty eight". But it's not 8/28, it's 8/25. Obviously I remember now, but it took me almost two years. There are other little pieces of information that my brain absolutely refuses to commit to memory.

6. I used to think the best of people, and trust them, even if I didn't know them. If they did something that others saw as wrong, I would generally come up with some kind of justification which could explain their behavior as innocent and victimized by circumstance. Ever since my relationship with my now-ex-husband, I tend to think the worst of people, suspect anyone I don't know, and assume nefarious motives for any suspicious behavior.

7. The only makeup I wear is eyeliner and lip gloss. I may, on VERY rare occasions, if I want to "get dressed up" - I may wear eye shadow as well. I used to wear more makeup, but I have problem skin. Makeup that claims to not bother problem skin doesn't work very well as makeup (coverup that doesn't coverup, and so on), and all makeup tends to come off.. under my nails, onto my napkin, onto Master's shirt. Any makeup that "doesn't come off" can't be good for your skin, especially problem skin, so I refuse to use it.

8. I am much happier when sitting if my feet are at the same altitude/level as my butt. Thus, I put my feet up on anything that is available.

9. I dedicate Thursday nights to playing City of Heroes, since that's the night my friend Ping has off from work. I dedicate Friday nights to visiting my parents, so my mom and I can drink and stay up until the wee hours of the morning.

10. I hate shopping. Specifically, the shoes and clothes shopping that women are supposed to adore. It's hard to find anything I like, and when I do find something I like it's even harder to find it in my size, and even if I find it in my size it probably won't fit right or look good on me, and then there's the investment of money and time. I like having nice clothes, I just hate going to get them.

What D&D Character Are You?

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:11:03 GMT

What D&D Character are you? I Am A: True Neutral Human Druid/Ranger (2nd/2nd Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-15

Dexterity-16

Constitution-12

Intelligence-16

Wisdom-14

Charisma-14

Alignment:
True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment because it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Primary Class:
Druids gain power not by ruling nature but by being at one with it. They hate the unnatural, including aberrations or undead, and destroy them where possible. Druids receive divine spells from nature, not the gods, and can gain an array of powers as they gain experience, including the ability to take the shapes of animals. The weapons and armor of a druid are restricted by their traditional oaths, not simply training. A druid's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that they can cast.

Secondary Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus</a></b> (e-mail)

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

Detailed Results:

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (22)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (23)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (18)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (23)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (24)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXXX (6)

Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Chaos --- XXXXXX (6)

Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Evil ---- (0)

Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Elf ------ XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Gnome ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Halfling - XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXX (8)
Half-Orc - XX (2)

Class:
Barbarian - (-6)
Bard ------ (0)
Cleric ---- (-4)
Druid ----- XXXXXX (6)
Fighter --- (0)
Monk ------ (-23)
Paladin --- (-21)
Ranger ---- XXXXXX (6)
Rogue ----- (-4)
Sorcerer -- (0)
Wizard ---- XXXX (4)

WikiBand

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:27:08 GMT

Okay, this one is TOO FUN. Stolen from xany, but it seems to be popular.

Go to the Wikipedia home page in your preferred language and click "random article." That is your band's name. Click "random article" again. That is your album name. Click "random article" 15 more times. Those are the tracks on your album.

Band Name: Kevin McCloud
Album Name: Omodhos

Track Listing:
1. Jean Marais
2. The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference
3. Oskar Luts
4. Castle Pines, Colorado
5. Siege of Lucknow
6. Habibullah Khan Khattak
7. Sachsenring (disambiguation)
8. Minister of Defence (New Zealand)
9. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8
10. Union of Knives (<- this actually is a band! A Scottish one at that!)
11. League of the Ten Jurisdictions
12. Halawa Hurricanes
13. A Wrinkle in Time
14. Lee Bontecou
15. Star Bright

Okay, it didn't start out too strong but I was laughing harder and harder towards the end! And just for chips and jiggles, The ParagonWiki Remix!

Band Name: Tarantula Badge
Album Name: Clockwork Immobilizer MkII

Track Listing:
1. Clive Loveking
2. Altsheimer's (<- BWAHAHAHAHA!)
3. Manticore's Bow
4. Infernal's Axe
5. Plant Control
6. OOC
7. Air Pirate Badge
8. Far Strike: Damage/Recharge
9. Entropic Chaos
10. Soulbound Allegiance: Damage (Superior)
11. Mana Seal
12. Positron's Blast
13. Gladiator
14. Edict of the Master: Damage/Endurance
15. Statesman's Task Force

Now maybe I'm biased but I think the ParagonWiki version is a whole lot cooler! xD

Image Meme

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:26:14 GMT

Stolen from cstuck:

Go to Google Images, search for and post an image off the first page for each answer.

1. The age you will be on your next birthday:

2. A place you'd like to travel:

3. Your favourite place:

4. Your favourite object:

5. Your favourite food:

6. Your favourite animal:

7. Your favourite colour:

8. The town in which you were born:

9. The town in which you live:

10. The name of a past pet:

11. The first name of a past love:

12. Your nickname/screenname:

13. Your first name:

14. Your middle name:

15. Your last name:

and
(couldnt pick just one!)

16. A bad habit of yours:

17.Your first job:

18. Your grandmother's name:

Raptor Who?

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:49:34 GMT

Stolen from slai

Your Score: The Fourth Doctor

You scored 30% intelligence, 37% compassion, 35% sense of humor, and 31% weirdness!

Where you're concerned, priority one is having fun. You're not as absent-minded as you look, but you are pretty irresponsible. You would never, say, allow one of your companions to die in a space freighter explosion, but you might let him THINK he's about to die just before you go in and save him. (You know: for shits 'n' giggles.) Your turn-ons include yo-yo mastery, Harry Potter enthusiasts, jellied confections, and strong wine. Your turn-offs include imbeciles, falling rocks, quarries, and radio antennas. Chances are, you're a dog person.

Link: The Which Doctor Who Are You? Test written by TottersLane on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Besides the "irresponsible" part, I'd say this is pretty accurate. LOL!! (Oh, and I wouldn't allow my companion to think they're about to die. And if I were trapped in a cell with my companion and about to be sacrificed to some god-thing, I'd get them to let my companion go and then go talk to the god-thing, because he might be a nice bloke and knowledge is power. But those were two separate answers. :P)

Jobs Meme

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:42:52 GMT

Wow, this one is spreading over my friends list like wildfire!

1. Go to Career Cruising
2. Put in Username: nycareers and Password: landmark
3. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions.
4. Post the top ten results

1. Environmental Consultant - Actually yes, I could see myself doing this. But for whom?
2. Taxidermist - Um, yeah I suppose?
3. Website Designer - I enjoy the concept, but never want to do this for other people.
4. Computer Trainer - I could do that.
5. Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator - If my art were of higher caliber, sure.
6. Desktop Publisher - I'm not exactly sure what this is, but okay?
7. Pharmacist - No thanks
8. Cartographer - I love maps!
9. Fashion Designer - I kinda suck at creating new outfits out of my head.
10. Anthropologist - I could do this!
11. Multimedia Developer - Meeeeehhh, I kind of lump this in with website designer.
12. Personal Financial Planner - I probably could, but wouldn't want to
13. Costume Designer - See #9
14. Set Designer - Maybe?
15. Conservator - Could do
16. Paleontologist - You know this is what I wanted to be for YEARS, right?
17. Hydrologist / Hydrogeologist - I suppose?
18. Microbiologist - I'm seeing a lot of science stuff here, go figure! :D
19. Agronomist - Perhaps?
20. Marine Biologist - Yes please!
21. Veterinarian - I think this would be too emotionally draining.
22. Pharmacologist - Not really, thank you
23. Professor - Sure! (Though I'd prefer to teach middle school)
24. Landscape Architect - I could do this
25. Zoologist - YES PLEASE
26. Genetic Counselor - What?
27. Sport Psychology Consultant - LOL, could do
28. Foreign Language Instructor - Definitely could do!
29. Print Journalist - Sure?
30. Communications Specialist - Okay..
31. ESL Teacher - Probably could
32. GIS Specialist - Maybe?
33. Market Research Analyst - I can BEND statistics to my WILL bwahahaha!
34. Writer - If only I could find the stick-to-it-ivness..
35. Critic - Everyone is one of these
36. Computer Animator - Not enough skill
37. Graphic Designer - See #36
38. Artist - See above
39. Humanitarian Aid Worker - Well, maybe
40. Translator - This is what I was going to be doing for the Army ;)

Teh Religionz

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:49:51 GMT

I will remain calm. I will not throw objects at the computer, which just deleted an essay of an entry that I was nearly done writing. The way of Taoism. Buddhism. Breathe in, breathe out. Okay, here we go again.

If an alien landed on earth and asked you to sum up each of the world's major religions in just a couple of sentences (each), could you do it? I think Islam, Christianity and Judaism are the easiest. Not only counting the fact that Christianity and Islam are the first and second largest religions, respectively, but in the end they have a fairly simple, unifying concept.

Christianity: God created everything. He gave us Jesus, his son, as the ultimate sacrifice, as payment for our sins.

Judaism: God created everything. Jesus was a prophet.

Islam: God created everything. Muhammad was a prophet.

See? Easy. Now, I admit that my ability to explain Christianity (and by extension, Judaism and Islam) might come in large part from the fact that I'm American, which really just means that I'm a displaced European, and we all know that Europeans invented Christianity. (I know, I know, but I'm running with the "simple" theme here, remember?) I also admit that these three religions are far more complex and involved, and have divisions and rules and whatnot, but if you've only got a couple of sentences to wrap it up, that pretty much does it. But there are four other "Major World Religions" that are so completely intertwined that even after spending an hour on Google and Wikipedia, I'm still not sure I can really peel them apart.

Hinduism: The first religion (of the ones I've listed so far), which apparently doesn't have a single defining ANYTHING that ties all sects together

Buddhism: Evolved from Hinduism, and basically deals with Karma and Enlightenment, and says that you should meditate, eat good food and be good to other people.

Confucianism: (If I've read correctly) evolved from Buddhism, isn't really a religion but more a way of life, and says that you should learn, eat good food, improve the body, and be good to other people.

Taoism: Deals with chi or energy, and generally improving yourself and being good to other people.

That's if I've interpreted all the data I've found correctly, and that's such a gross over-simplification that I don't even know if I'm doing them justice. I mean, for those of us who are very familiar with Christianity, there's an ENORMOUS difference between a Catholic and a Mormon, and I don't know if someone from outside this vantage point would understand the subtle differences, but I could really sum up even those differences in just a few sentences. The Asian religions seem so completely complicated and intertwined that they might as well all be denominations of the same religion. Sure they all have their own gods (or none, in the case of Confucianism) but! The Catholics "worship" The Virgin Mary and the Saints, which most other Christians will tell you is the epitome of sacrilegious behavior. With all the diversity among Christians, there's still an underlying concept that defines the whole shebang. And, again I may be missing major points from the Asian religions, but it seems like they don't really conflict with each other. You could be one and still be another and another. For instance, you certainly can NOT be both a Christian and a Jew (Is "jew" a bad word? Is it automatically derogatory?) and you really really cannot also be Muslim.

And then of course we have my favorite: Paganism. Paganism being the easiest, I suppose, because "It's not a religion, it just means the worshiping of more than one god." At least, when you're talking about Paganism being a religion and not its ancient, original meaning of "redneck". The Greek Pantheon, which was heavily borrowed from to create the Roman pantheon.. the Egyptian pantheon, the Norse pantheon, ... am I missing any other major pantheons? I'll feel stupid if I am. All of those even have an underlying theme - that is, the gods are pretty much like people, with all the same faults and virtues, they're just a lot more powerful. And then there's Wicca, which is just kindof a nature religion, without a specific pantheon. Paganism is the epitome of "A whole buncha crap thrown together and made magical" .. while the only thread I can string through the Asian religions (with perhaps the exception of Hinduism) is "A whole buncha crap thrown together and not made magical, but not really scientific either".

SO, any input that anyone has on anything in here is much appreciated. I don't really know where I'm going with this. Summaries or common themes that I'm missing would be appreciated. And all kinds of discussion are welcome, as long as you follow this rule: This is not a discussion on what you believe to be "true" or "right" - this is a discussion on the definitions and concepts that make up specific religions.

And, YAY! I just realized I can use my Goddess userpic for this entry! I haven't had a reason to use it before! ^_^ (This entry is currently temporary, but if we get a really good discussion going, I'll make it perma.)

Dr. Who Poll

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:54:11 GMT

I haven't posted in a while, I've been distracted. I'm chatting in the relative safety of Sonia's thread on Gaia, and having fun playing with my avatar. It turns out a monthly-item I bought back in 2004, which I didn't really like very much, is now worth nearly 750,000 gold, so I sold it. I used part of the gold to buy a bunch of newer items that I like very much, so now I'm having fun dressing up my avatar with COOL stuff, instead of boring stuff. I even made a little avatar pic for nonagoddess which she has uploaded as her default LJ pic.

She also wanted to post a Dr. Who poll, but since she has a basic account she can't, so I said I'd do it for her. So here it is!

** Please keep in mind we're still watching the third season of David Tennant in the U.S. right now, if something could potentially be spoiled, please don't spoil it! (Specifically whether or not The Master actually comes back).

** I'm sorry I didn't include all of the companions as choices, but there are 35 of them! So just write in your favorites.

View Poll: NonaGoddess's Dr Who Poll

Teh Happies!

Fri, 25 May 2007 13:00:22 GMT

Two years ago today I went to the Green Iguana in Tampa. I was still working midnights, so I could only hang out for a few hours, and then had to head into work. Mel, my soon-to-be-ex-husband's new fiancee, introduced me to a man who has changed my life.

It was a Wednesday. He bought me about six Stoli-O and Redbulls (at $10 each). I did a handstand for him, right there at the outside bar, to prove to him that I really have no shame. I banged my shins on the railing as I came back down. We talked about Quantum Mechanics. He pinned me to my car.

Now I wear a collar, and last night we were still talking about Quantum Mechanics. <3

Worldview & Webview

Wed, 23 May 2007 14:14:05 GMT

As defined by dictionary dot com: world•view (wûrld'vyōō') n. In both senses also called Weltanschauung(1).
- The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.
- A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group.

Master defined it as "the reality a person lives in". We create our own realities, both in the literal sense (everything you do has consequences for your future) and in the figurative sense (perception is reality). I think both are equally important in defining your reality.

Wikipedia has some interesting things to say about worldviews, namely that our language(2) and various other things can affect our perception of the world. I got to thinking about it this morning because a person's worldview can be so totally different than someone else's... it's so dependant on how you were raised, where you've been and what you've taken the time to learn. Several years ago I worked with someone who had never left the limits of the city of Clearwater, in her whole life, and she was at least 30. Talk about a narrow world view.

But what about webview? I think a person's worldview and webview are probably pretty similar, since the things that affect your worldview are going to also affect your webview and the things that affect your webview will also affect your worldview. But no one has ever talked about webview before. It's a concept that came to me this morning. There are many people who surf the internet all over the place, view sites, read news, and generally have very intimate knowledge of how to get around on the web, but have never "socialized" online before. They've never chatted in chatrooms, never posted on forums, never participated in blogs. And then there are people who do nothing but socialize online, either through myspace or deviantart or what have you. Generally people who socialize online also have an intimate knowledge of how to surf the web, after all I'm sure they all visit each other's sites/pages/profiles, share art and so on. But some of the people who choose to socialize online never really use the web for anything else, like news or research. And of course, among each category there are people who use every avenue at their disposal to do what they do, such as the person who visits several different travel sites to plan a vacation (Hi Mom!) or the people who chat on several different forums that span a range of interests, and then there are people who stick to one or a few very similar sites, and have a really narrow webview.

As an example, someone who has only ever socialized on sites like Neopets, Gaia, and Myspace is going to have a certain standard of communication that is affected by those environments, that is, lean toward an uneducated/immature(3) method of communication. These sites are geared toward teeny-boppers and teens, after all. Then there are some communities within those sites, and then other areas of communication (such as news blogs, political blogs, dedicated chatrooms, etc.) in which the method of communication will generally tend to be more mature and informed. Of course, there are exceptions in both cases, and you're always going to be able to find at least one asshat in every corner of the web, but you know what I mean.

So now we have all kinds of combinations. There are people with narrow worldviews but expanded webviews, and perhaps an expanded webview can help expand the worldview as well. If you read world news online, you're going to be more informed and it will probably change your worldview too. There are people with expanded worldviews and narrow webviews. And then everything in between.

I think the concepts of worldview and webview are very important when dealing with other people. Priorities will be different, perception will be different, and opinions will be different. A conversation between a narrow-viewed person and an expanded-view person would be very frustrating to both parties involved. The "Narrow Person" would be wondering why the other person can't just see things their way, and the "Expanded Person" would place less value on the opinion of someone who, in the mind of the "Expanded Person", has their head up their ass. If you know many things about many things, how can you have an intelligent conversation with someone who has never experienced what you're talking about? And if you've only experienced a few things, how can you put things in the same perspective as someone who has been all over the place? It's literally like you're from two different planets, because if your worldview/webview affects your reality, those realities can be so different as to be incompatible.

This whole concept has enormous ramifications for our personal relationships. If your worldview is wholly different than someone else, you're probably not going to get along. In fact, I think you're definitely not going to get along. It seems to me (please, someone correct me if I'm off base here) that people with narrow world/webviews tend to live in a self-centric reality. Because they've never experienced anything else, everything really is all about them. And here's the thing: I've known people with self-centric realities who have traveled the world, and still managed to keep an exceptionally narrow worldview.(4) So I think it also takes an open mind, a willingness to incorporate as many things into your perception as possible.

Personally, I look at life as a vast ocean, and we're all floating on it. Some of us row with determined strokes toward some goal on the horizon, some people float around with their eyes on the sky and their feet dangling in the water. Sometimes currents take us somewhere, and sometimes we control our own destiny. But I think the wider your worldview, the more you try to incorporate in it, the more you can see on the ocean of life. You'll know where the currents are, and where they lead, you'll know how to better control your movement through that ocean and those currents, and you'll be able to identify where other people are and how to communicate with them.

1. Anyone who speaks german, how do you pronounce "Weltanschauung"? Wikipedia has a pronunciation guide, but "ˈvɛlt.anˌʃaʊ.ʊŋ]" doesn't come off as easier to pronounce to me. I'm guessing "VELT-en-schoong" but I'm totally guessing there. :P

2. I knew this, I just hadn't put much thought into it until people started referencing 1984 in various conversations about language.

3. I am not by any means insinuating that uneducated or immature are degrading in any way, a teenager by definition is generally going to be less educated and less mature than an adult. It's just a matter of life experience.

4. In my experience these people have all been very, very right-winged republicans.

I don't really have a solid point that I'm trying to make, this is just what's been running through my mind all morning. Thoughts and feedback are very welcome!

un OG

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:14:49 GMT

This kind of stuff confuses me as much as it angers me. I know it's been going around for awhile but it shouldn't be old news until it stops. (and a list of unrelated links)