LadyCrimson

I could, and I do use Firedox, but that would mean I'd have to change things back every time I wanted to see a site's 'true' intended configuration. Don't worry, I know I'm lazy. I just keep a pair of sunglasses on my desk.

'Thinking' in games, for me, comes from the ability to be creative within the game, to be not limited to one particular path, design, or solution, within the general 'rules' of the game. Caeasr3, for example. Many ways to successfully design a 'winning' city. Roller Coaster Tycoon, because of designing coasters and park layouts. Strategy games work too, although only if they allow for a lot of variation in gameplay or have something unique about them, such as DungeonKeeper or Majesty. I like puzzles, but I'm not very good at solving them if they're set up like IQ tests...Myst was great, but Riven was too much of a brain-strain without a walkthrough to be fun for me. And if I may add...running an obstacle course 20 times to figure out the right path to avoid being crushed by thumping blocks is not a puzzle to me.

Don't know if someone already posted this oldie, but I like it so I'm posting it. ----------- The Sound of Silence Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again, Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence. In restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestone, 'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence. And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more. People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, People writing songs that voices never share And no one dare Disturb the sound of silence. "Fools" said I, "You do not know Silence like a cancer grows. Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you." But my words like silent raindrops fell, And echoed In the wells of silence And the people bowed and prayed To the neon god they made. And the sign flashed out its warning, In the words that it was forming. And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls And tenement halls." And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.

Arnie's face is beginning to look a bit plastic by now, tho...

White text on dark backgrounds are more visually striking because of the contrast, but they are hard on the eyes for extended reading. On the other side, vast expanses of white/bright space on a glowing monitor screen is also hard on the eyes. Sites that are all white with a few columns of black text (on white) give me headaches. You could leave the background/headers black etc and just let the post backgrounds be lighter.

I most certainly have never felt that not having a date/boyfriend/spouse makes me somehow unsuccessful or something. I'd much rather be alone then with someone just for the sake of being with someone.

I Wrote: Your response: Clearly, you are. Oh...I thought you meant that I was specifcally countering someone else's statement in this particular thread, which is not what I was doing. So yes, if you think I'm making some kind of global statement to that effect, I can understand that perspective. From my point of view tho, that is not what I was doing. It was not an actual accusation that lending books actually should be considered piracy - I already stated that from my social upbringing that I don't think that's the case - it was just a statement that one could view it as a mild form of piracy if one was of a mind, simply because lending a book means the loss of a sale to the people who created/marketed the book. It was a 'food for thought' statement, nothing more. From a company viewpoint, it's likely possible to view ANY action that results in a loss of sale as some kind of theft, if you want to, because they're thinking money/capitalism. All I was saying is where do you draw the line - one copy to a friend is ok, but multiple copies to multiple people (even with no profit to yourself) is not? To some that could be seen as a hypocrisy of some sort...I am NOT saying it definitely is, just that it could be viewed that way. Some people think all art should be freely shared for the cultural benefit of everyone - capitalism, the need for a monetary economic system, and the concept of "paid for my work/I own this" is not conducive to that concept, and thus the debate rages on.

Didn't say anyone was. I'd agree. But if a dozen copies is not ok, should one copy handed out to your bestest friend be not ok? I was making a certain point about social attitudes and lines, not about whether or not you can dupe something, or whether or not anything is actually 'justified' - a point I think you missed.

1) I agree with Di's basic stance that piracy is stealing. If you download a game or an entire music CD etc. and never go out and buy the 'real thing' that's theft. However...I too think there is no real way to stop it. People who are determined to steal/have something without paying for it are going to steal until something in their life changes to alter their attitude - either their financial situation or their mental views. Since the dawn of man, crime (and all it's 'justifications/rationales') has been there, and I believe it'll always be there, because I'm a pessimist about human nature. :D 2) On the other side, because of the way I was socially brought up, I do not neccesarily think it's stealing if you paid for copy of a game or movie etc. and then let someone else borrow it or use it or have it when you're done. You bought it, it's yours, you should have the right to do with it what you want, right? And yet...think about the book industry. People buy them, give them away to friends when they're done, or even sell them to used book stores. Do the book companies get any profit from that? I highly doubt it. Yet it's an acceptable thing to do and is not (socially) considered stealing, even tho it does not give the book publishers any 'new sales' and thus revenue. How much of the 'loss' of book sales are actually more from people 'borrowing' books from friends to read rather than actual pure theft? It's a fine line sometimes between those two things, don't you think? In a very technical sense, IMO, it's all stealing in one fashion or another - it's just where you choose to draw the line & what is socially acceptable. At some point, everyone has 'taken away' from the profit of a company in some fashion, for whatever reasons, whether noble/practical/shameful/evil. It would be nice if piracy were stopped, but sometimes the line gets fuzzy, and the internet/tech capabilities without an alteration in social views keeps stretching the line further out, I think...you have to change the social attitudes about what makes up theft before any change, either way, really occurs. Hand me down clothes, anyone? :D

Some reviewers panned the head 'bad' vampire, but he was part of the movie that I really liked. hehe

Sometimes it's a lack of time and/or presence, or in very busy forums just plain 'didn't notice' (which sometimes goes along with lack of time). It's not always pure laziness. But I do get your point.

I think this person from a year ago said it best for me. Having to make decisions about who you want, or not being able to have who you want because you didn't treat them in a way that earned their trust/favor is a good thing in my book. But admittedly, the way influence was implemented in the actual game wasn't all it could have been. It would have been nice to have it be more gradual in terms of backstory revealed, not the sudden mass info flood+'I wanna be a Jedi now' that you often recieved once a certain inluence was reached.

I don't think I'd use the word sloth, but there could be some truth to that. Happens in any forum sometimes.

Underworld was one of those 'could have been' movies. It had some fun/interesting stuff but it just didn't all gel together to make something great. Crash was excellent.

I came to get info on Kotor2. I continue to come back because I can't sleep.

Compared to some 'official' forums, what's allowed here is already pretty open...I mean, many wouldn't have let that 'hottest actress' thread or similar ones of the past remain for more than an hour, if you know what I mean. (Edit - not saying such threads have a real place here, just saying that the mods here are pretty decent about waiting a bit to see how something develops first). I don't personally have any issues in the topic area - generally seems pretty well balanced for the place & the times to me.

A spam forum. Oh wait... :D Actually, I can't think of anything useful, just stuff like "I don't like forest/olive green."

I bet that river is cold...

Wild kitty was cute...who says domestic cats aren't dangerous? heheh THe other one cat/car one I've seen before. Didn't find it funny then either. It's not offensive (to me) or anything...just not funny.

I have way too many old magazines.

Manlings...hahah!...I'll have to remember that.

Care for a refreshing dip? And the Hoff...thing... is revolting.

Fame - David Bowie