the archives
dusted off in read-only
dusted off in read-only
Welcome to [i:z82cr2ym]The Prince of Nothing[/i:z82cr2ym] Forums. Please take the time to introduce yourself to the rest of the others here. Simply press "New Topic" in this forum, put your Username in the Subject, and tell us a little about yourself (Basically, please just start a new thread). You will be able to edit this "mini-bio" at any time. Thanks! view post
Victoria Strauss wrote this review on [i:2mkqt86y]The Darkness That Comes Before[/i:2mkqt86y]: [url:2mkqt86y]http://www.sff.net/people/victoriastrauss/ReviewDarknessthatcomes.html[/url:2mkqt86y] view post
Rob H. Bedford writes this: [url:10nkybpv]http://www.sffworld.com/authors/b/bakker_scott/sffreviews/darknesscomesbefore.html[/url:10nkybpv] view post
The site is now open! Yay! view post
This is an essay by Bakker called "Why Fantasy and Why Now?" http://www.sffworld.com/authors/b/bakke ... hynow.html view post
Welcome to the Q & A forum! Soon after this site was started, I received an e-mail from R. Scott Bakker saying that he was willing to come in and answer some questions that we all may have. Now, I don't know of many authors that are willing to do this, and I know that [b:48am07gp][i:48am07gp]I[/i:48am07gp][/b:48am07gp] am very greatful. So ask your questions here. view post
This is where I will list all the [b:2g2yf4il]FACTS [/b:2g2yf4il]that I have on the [i:2g2yf4il]Warrior Prophet[/i:2g2yf4il]. view post
I voted "other" because, well, I created this site 
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The site is currently under construction; we are re-designing the color scheme and icons etc... So any odd color things are just us! Continue posting as normal. Also, we are re-doing all the icons, so that is why they look so tacky! view post
Does it have it's own grammar then, different tenses? Would it be more comparable to a latin based language, or something more like English? or is it all it's own? Also, does it have it's English letter representation? Like does "Cu'jara Cinmoi" mean somting in Keneic? view post
Alright, this has been eating at my mind for a while. In the "Languages" thread, you said that Cu'jara Cinmoi was a Nonman king. I am still confused as to the difference between Men and Nonmen. Could you shed some light on this issue? view post
Thanks for the re-cap, it helped a lot! I understand perfectly that you don't want to reveal anything too soon. It is the one flaw with this process. Please feel free at anytime to give us a nice RAFO (Read and find out). After all, we're just glad that you stop by. view post
[i:pssf4wtq]The Darkness that Comes Beofre[/i:pssf4wtq] will be released: In the US: June 1 In the UK: March 1 view post
[i:2y7ahiug]The Warrior Prophet[/i:2y7ahiug] will be released: In Canada: April 21 In the UK: November 1 In the US: June 1, 2005 view post
Welcome Mith! Glad that you could come to our site! We are ever eager for new members. I know I am not the author, (Rest assured, he does stop by here almost everday) but if you don't mind, I will answer the questions that I know. I recently asked Scott as to the release of the Warrior Prophet. He was suprised when he learned that the date had changed on the Penguin website, and he assured me that he would get to the bottom of this hopefully by tomorrow. As to the title of the third book, I beleive that [i:2ylt2jk9]The Thousandfold Thought,[/i:2ylt2jk9] is at the top of the title list. Again, welcome to the site and I would encourage you to go and introduce yourself in the "Welcome" forum! view post
Are you going to be doing any touring for the WP release? how bout the US or UK release of TDTCB. If so, is there any chance we could convince you to come to Washington? view post
This is a really hard question. They are all so well written, but I would have to say Esmenet is my favorite character. I've always had a soft spot for the "Unfortunate" characters. There is something about them that justifies everything that they do, because the have had such a horrible life. view post
I too have the feeling that Kellhus isn't the person we think he is. He's a little too callus and manipulative to be the archtypical "good guy". But who knows what purpose he will serve in the end. view post
We've made it to 100 posts! That's the first milestone! Congrats all! [img:24xkg03x]http://www.xpphotoalbum.com/data/500/4183100posts.jpg?5122[/img:24xkg03x] view post
I just received information from Scott saying that May 20 looks like the release date. Slightly better then June, eh? view post
May 20 is what the Author knows, hopefully it's right. 
I would say May 20 is most likely the most accurate.
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Done. view post
Hey everbody, we're on Google!! We come in number nine after a search of The Darkness That Comes Before, one above Scott's site... view post
I [i:353fx6us]think[/i:353fx6us] it's the one on amazon.co.uk, but I may be wrong view post
Wow view post
I must admit that this is all a new concept to me. You've mentioned things off-handedly that I've never even considered. I've never considered science as an "unraveling character". Personally I am agnostic. It doesn’t make sense that there is nothing out there, but I just haven’t figured out what it is yet. It seems to me that if God really did want all of us to believe him and join his True Church (Whatever it may be) the skies would open and a loud, thundering voice would say "HELLO, HERE I AM". I was raised LDS (Latter-Day Saint AKA Mormon), but many of the beliefs that were given to me were contradictory and just seemed wrong. Anyway, I love reading all this new information on a subject I've never carefully considered, and I encourage you to get all of your "writing need" out right here on the board. It's fascinating. view post
I want to learn more about the Magic of the land. Also, the whole Kellhus is something I want to see! view post
Except for the fact that the Human brain is more developed then most other animals (except primates, dolphins etc.) So from an evolutionary stand point, it makes perfect sense. The human brain is capable of choice, we are able to overcome our most natural instincts. We are able to think about and change the world we live in. Most other animals cannot to the extent we can. I feel that it is the fact that we have the consequences of our decisions that put us where we are. An ant doesn't feel the consequences of it's decision to build the mound here or there, but we as humans (and the higher animals) do. This to me is what proves that evolution is true, because you can look at the different parts of the Human brain and see all past brains. view post
Then how can you argue right and wrong? If we have no choice, and everything is "a very complex cause-effect reaction system" then how can anything be wrong? Why should I be blamed if I choose to kill someone? It wasn't my choice. I had to do it, my neurons made me! That is the hole in the argument, in my opinion. How can there be moral codes? How can a person be expected to do something, when they have no control? view post
I recently started [i:nnxfpezn]Gardens of the Moon[/i:nnxfpezn] by Stephen Erikson, and I"m about 150 pages into it. My question is whether this is the first book (I saw no book order when I bought them) and if it is, do things get more explained (ie magic, the Deck of Dragons etc.)? I would appreciate it if this remained a NON-SPOILER thread. view post
yes thats perfect. view post
Ah, but it's our right [b:12cfm052]NOT[/b:12cfm052] to vote. view post
Ah, but don't try to guilt-trip us into it when we make the choice to abstaine. view post
I am working on building a world for a story idea. But I have no idea where to start. Does anyone have a good suggestion for creating maps? Is it best to hand draw them or is there a cartography program that works? What about the laws of geography. Any suggestions would be great! view post
I thought it would be nice to have a place for members to lett other members know what they are reading and what they think of it. Let's try and keep this spoiler-free. I am about 250 pages into [i:3pgmfm7v]Gardens of the Moon[/i:3pgmfm7v] by Steven Erikson and I am loving it. A must-read (although I'm sure that most on here have read this already). I like the fact that (so far) he hasn't sat down and explained anything, that you have to learn about the world. view post
I have some stuff going, but I can never think of a good title. *sigh* of course I can never get past the first ten pages... view post
I thought that I would start this out by putting one of my poems that I have written recently on here. It dosen't have a title, and it is written in the pantoum style. view post
I suggest reading Hobb from beginning to end. It's the only way that everything will make sense. A lot of people skip Liveship, and I think that is a really bad idea. They may not seem it, but they are key to the story. Read Farsser Trilogy, Liveship Traders, then Tawneyman. view post
Read it. Liked it. Want to read more. It was good, I'm interested in seeing where it goes. view post
This weekend Scott Bakker will be attending the Ad Astra convention at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Toronto. He will be doing some panals and reading some of [i:1onid0rw]The Warrior Prophet[/i:1onid0rw], he will also be signing. If you have time or are in the area, stop by. view post
Sovin and I live in Central Washington, Seattle's just a hop over the pass. view post
Yeah, I'm about 300 pages into Memories of Ice. I ripped through GOTM and Deadhouse Gates. So far I love them, their really easy to read but not simple (if that makes ANY sense). I'm loving all the characters! view post
I thought it would be nice to open another subject for debate. A few questions: 1. What is truth? Is there such a thing as absolute truth, or are things only "true" because a majority of the intellectual society (scholars, scientists, etc.) claim it as right? 2. What constitutes a lie? I would be tempted to say "something that is false, misleading". But as mentioned in the other thread, perceptions of experiences are different for each person that experiences them. Two people can experience something, and in describing it to others, have different stories, and neither of them be what really happened? Are they both telling the truth? Also, the idea of "half-truths" (i.e., Robert Jordan's Aes Sedai's "truths"), that for all intensive purposes are true, but can be very misleading. view post
stole with permission, big difference 
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I guess I'm going to have to go and look at Cook and Kearney, I've been hearing about them more and more lately. Where should I start? view post
I do not believe that fantasy is an escape for the weak. I do think that fantasy is a place for people to go who are tired of the world we live in. I look around me and I see a bunch of amoral, selfish, indignant people who have no concern besides the money they make, the people they sleep with, and their social standing. While there are people like this in fantasy worlds, on a whole society still upholds the basic, chivalrous acts of King Arthur and the Round Table. I ready fantasy because it appeals to me, not because I can escape from the world I live in (escape connotates fear of [to me at least]), but to experience the world the way I think it should be. I think that fantasy significantly affected the way that I turned out as a person. view post
Charming view post
Doctor (Evil) view post
Poison view post
(of the) Moon view post
I've noticed that several of our members have been having trouble with timing out when they write longer posts. Unfortunately, this board automatically signs you off after five minutes of inactivity. Thus when you write a long post, and post it, it thinks you are a guest. My recommendation would be to copy your post and reload to make sure that you are signed in. Or, simply copy and paste your writing into another post and I will delete the one as guest. Thank you view post
Well then, Happy Day! view post
Quite honestly I am in favor of the death penalty, but let me say this first: I do not think that "special laws" should apply because it was a police officer that was killed. Don't get me wrong, I have a great respect for law enforcement, but I don't feel that we can change the rules for them. I agree with the fact that our judicial system needs a major overhaul. There are many major failings, one of which is the overcrowding of our jails and prisons. Not to mention the conditions that the prisoners live in. Many live in better conditions then they did when they were free. I feel that the death penalty is necessary in this case because there simply isn't enough room or money to house all these criminals. There needs to be some way to reduce the numbers of said criminals and rehabilitation works only in some cases. I do believe that there are crimes that deserve death; the killing of an innocent for one, and mass murder for another. Both these crimes are very detrimental to society, and thus should be punished harshly. I don’t believe that the death penalty should be used for revenge or anything like that, but to remove a threat from society, one that can, if left unchecked, threaten to destroy society as a whole. As to the question “can we put a price on life?” I think that some ways we can, and do. The worth of your life is decided when you look at what said person has given to society as a whole. One who simply leeches of society, I feel, is worth less then someone who contributes a great deal. Since we are such social creatures, and put a great weight on the community, I feel it is valid to judge someone based on what they contribute. view post
[quote:1s709ebz]There is nothing that special about any human life. [/quote:1s709ebz] This is something that I would argue with. Depending on what a person contributes to society as a whole, dictates their worth. When someone, (say a scientist, artist, along those lines) gives something to society (the community, the world) it makes them worth more then the person who simply leeches from society. view post
I think that is a fantastic idea! I hope more people do as well. view post
(and) Everything view post
I haven't. But I've never read any Forgotten Realms view post
I have never done drugs (including cigs, and alcohol except for one glass of champaign) yet I am in favor of drug legalization. I believe that if drugs were legalized, we would be able to control them better then we do now. People wouldn't be buying pot laced with god knows what not to mention the extra revenue that would be attained by taxes. I think there is a social stigma against drugs that everyone who uses them are bad people. I think this is wrong and legalization would help fix that. view post
This is mostly about Chorae and ranged weapons. Do archers that hold trinkets transfer that power to their projectiles? view post
(the) world view post
SPOILER But in TWP, it talks about Chorae Crossbowman and the Scarlet Spires falling to Chorae holding archers. Why wouldn't the Spires just put up wards against projectiles (I assume that's possible)? view post
*Checks* Male view post
as of now, I'm listening to The Producers view post
Kellhus is convinced that what comes after cannot determine what comes before, therefore he cannot be the Harbinger. I think that the Prophsey that an Anasurimbor would return at the end of the world came BEFORE Kellhus and that the Apocalypse came AFTER Kellhus, therefore he can be the Harbringer. Because what comes after can't (and didn't) determine what comes before. Note: this was after a long discussion with Sovin, so I hope it makes sense. view post
diarrhea view post
The Circumfix, how is the man standing? I really like it, by the way. view post
It is, Sovin can be a little slow sometimes. *Wink* view post
The small gravel path seemed to stretch on forever, as it always did. Norman Bales slowly trudged along this path, as he did every Sunday. He passed the small pond with the ducks and the old oak tree. He noticed that someone had carved something in the tree. He stopped and peered at it, apparently someone named Lisa was a whore. He sadly shook his head and continued on down the path. He soon came to the bench. He stopped and stared at it. He remembered sitting there with her, when they would come to visit her parents. They would sit and talk about stupid things. They seemed stupid at the time anyway. Now Norman wished he could remember just one of those conversations. He knew he had laughed; Claire had always been witty, even when visiting her parents. He sat down, trying as hard as he might to remember. He closed his eyes, and heard laughter. It seemed to be hers; a light jingle like a tiny bell. He remembered her smile, and how she always complained that her front teeth were too big. And her eyes, those marvelous green eyes, with the left slightly higher on her face then her right. He would tease her mercilessly about that. She would laugh and say at least her face didn’t look like the backside of a horse. Norman smiled to himself, remembering. He stood up and contained his journey. He came to the spot where they had laid in the grass and talked. He remembered those talks, how she had said that she was going to leave him; that she couldn’t stay with him. She didn’t know when I would be, but it made him cry every time. She had said it before they got married, that she would leave him someday. Like a fool, he had believed that he could keep her here, that she wouldn’t leave because of him. He was wrong. Falling to his knees in the grass, Norman wept. He put his forehead to the ground smelling the grass. The smell flooded him with memories, all of them memories of her. He fell to his side and closed his eyes, savouring the memories. Water on his face woke him. He opened his eyes to darkness and sprinklers. He had fallen asleep there on the grass, for about three hours it seemed. Norman stood up and began back down the path. The small gravel path seemed to end too soon, as it always did. At the gate, Norman turned and looked back up the path. Then he stepped out and resumed his life knowing he would be back next Sunday. view post
Okay, we are going to offer up ideas for next weeks scene. You can give one of your own ideas and second (third etc.) one other. On Friday (hopefully) We'll vote. My idea: A performer on stage at a small club. view post
I enjoyed this a lot. It was well written and I thought that it was very interesting to read. I'm not very good at talking about other's work, so I'll just give you my general impressions. I thought the descriptions in the first paragraph were really good. But the second and third were lacking in detail. I thought the internal dialog was good, but I would have liked to see more physical description of what he was seeing. Description of a scene can say a lot about what a character is feeling, without saying it outright. There are some paragraphs that I feel could have been expanded on. "The priest only nodded. He knew there was something else Gabe wished to say. " is one of them. It felt like it wanted to go somewhere but it didn't. I have to get going; I'll try to add more later. Good Job. view post
Hello, and welcome to the "Other Literature” forum! This forum has been created by request and is a place for us to discuss authors and books spanning all genres. I've moved two of the threads from General Discussion, and I encourage you all to participate in this forum. view post
Sovin and I agreed that once we got over one hundred members we would look for another moderator. We are opening this up to all members, however remember that we will take into account how long you've been with us, number of posts, and how many different categories you post in. I would like to invite all who are interested in the position to PM me (Wil) with a couple paragraphs why you think you would be a good moderator for our site. Thank you and I'm looking forward to your applications. view post
Time to vote view post
Down to two! view post
Two people breaking into a house. Submissions due on Sunday the 25th view post
I plan on getting a degree in Psychology then moving on to Medical School and becoming a Psychiatrist specializing in Young Adults. view post
I have thought long and hard on an issue similer to this (especally when questioning my own fait, I was raised Mormon). Without evil, good could simply not exist. There has to be some balance or we could not regognized evil. It's like if the sun never set and hadn't since the beginning of time. "night" would not exsits, so there would be no reason for the concept of "day". As for why God dosen't destroy evil, I think that if he did, he could no longer be loving, caring, and benevolent because those words would no longer hold any meaning, because that is all there is. I hope this makes sense. view post
Just something that hit me the other night when thinking about this. It may not contribute much to the conversation but it's a quote that when I heard, I liked a lot. "God exists, my friend. He just doesn’t give a damn." view post
irritable view post
pity view post
Time to vote! view post
Extended one week! Due the 1st! view post
woman view post
Why's that, Grantaire? I read Da Vinci Code, and I liked it a lot, but not really for the writing. I thiught that the things that it talked about were very interesting about the sacred feminine and all that. Because of that I bought some other books on the subject, I was not, however impressed by Brown's writing, seemed a little dry and I hate the end-of-chapter cliffhangers all the time. I would deffinately suggest it for anyone to read, becasue it's so interesting. view post
Welcome Orion Feel free to post your story in the "member written works" section. I would love to read it. However, you may want to post it as an attachment, prolly as a .doc file. Then people who want to read it can download it. view post
Gym view post
snort view post
Ward (we'll go with your's Edge.) view post
when you're posting a post look in the "attachment Posting control panal" right above the preview and submit buttons, Click the add an attachment button, browse for the file, then hit add attachment. view post
snow view post
Back to the topic I absoultly love the Harry Potter series. Don't really know why, just good, easy, fun reads.
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Car Keys + Toilet = trouble. I did that when I was little. view post
Oh, I beleive you! I take my sister, she's only 23... view post
I thought it would be fun to collect quotes that we either come up with or hear. Ane we can talk about them too. This is from The Big Bounce: God is only an imaginary friend for grown-ups view post
shudder view post
I believe that Sovin and I will be gone for the next week or so. view post
lust view post
it aired last saturday. Sabre finals. It was good. view post
Zeus view post
mate view post
hard view post
bird view post
(and) Dragons view post
Texas, suprise, suprise. view post
bat view post
Unless the Consult found a way to free the Mandate from their Nightmares view post
Congradulations to Grantaire, the Three-Seas newest Moderator! view post
dramatic, I like it. view post
But I think a Mandate Schoolman would consider it if it meant a release from the dreams. Especially if his heart was no longer towards the cause anymore, and he felt that it was futile. A promise of freedom can be a very powerful thing, view post
NP, GRRM is like that, all the time. Those books made me the maddest, happiest, saddest of enny that I have ever read. Keep at em, I think they may grow on you. view post
Tenor view post
Gran, give me a plan of the book club: Forums, subforums, planning on book choice etc. and I'll discuss it with Sovin. view post
white view post
I was impressed simply because it was interesting information that I had not heard about presented in a simple form. The best way to teach (in my opinion) things that are difficult is through fiction. view post
Talon (Erikson forever!) view post
New Zeland (wink wink) view post
Eye view post
Stone view post
Raven view post
cut view post
done view post
hiss view post
roommate (first few days at college, awkward) view post
mob view post
wsijuklk, view post
compleatly view post
groan view post
confused (I wan't to know) view post
I am listening to Beethoven Piano Sonatas view post
dance view post
you can visit his web page by clicking on his name at the very bottom of every web page at the Three Seas view post
Gray's view post
This has been moved to the TTT section because it didn't hold a question for the author. view post
The reason I moved this is because of the length and nature of the post. Since it was fairly long, and speculative as opposed to questioning I felt it would be received better in a discussion forum, and not the Q&A. Sorry if I have any offence. view post
A little more discussion, a little less tearing please and thank you. view post
chick view post
There are some who don't see it that way. Just trying to keep the board friendly for everybody. view post
sit view post
four view post
you're in portland? I am too. view post
I say if you're willing to pay the 80 or so dollars risking that you won't get 3, 4, or 5, then do it. If you're not willing to take the risk, don't. I only took 1 AP test and got a four, but it was calculus. Also take into consideration that some schools don't accept AP credit. view post
smart view post
bowl view post
I'm reading Theogony today and Works and Days for wednesday both by Hesiod and then onto Herodotus' [i:2rcsl7vn]The Histories[/i:2rcsl7vn] view post
Ark view post
madness view post
fleas view post
blonde view post
I really enjoyed [i:3uz3cx9f]The Histories[/i:3uz3cx9f]. Even though I didn't read all of them, just select parts. I do agree that it reminds me of PoN, but at the same time so different. God I'm tired. Fall break! Hurrah! view post
I am pretty much a die hard liberal. I believe that the social issues are the ones that will shape what our country is over the years. People won't look back on us and say "wow, their budget wasn't so great", they'll look back and say "The made a whole group of people Second Class". Social concerns are most important. Even if we got rid of parties, I don't think it would change much. America is so centered around Democrat and Republican that we could never escape from it. The terms would never disappear and we would just have "Independent Conservative/Republican" or "Independent Liberal/Democrat". That's my two cents on the issue. view post
I think this makes a lot of sense. Very interesting. view post
to be fair, the Haliburton issue has been in the news since the invasion of Iraq. I deffinately think we need more horses view post
Democrat: In favor of a bigger federal government, (federal government running big programs like social security, etc). Also usually Pro-choice, pro civil rights, anti-death penalty, more liberal on the social issues. Republican: In favor of a small federal government and having more control by the States. In favor of privatizing social security, (I think). Tend to be conservative on social issues, anti-abortion, marriage between man and a woman, etc. if anyone else has anything to add, please feel free. view post
I feel there is a difference between moral beliefs and religious beliefs. I do not thank that all Republicans are necessarily religious. I do not think that it follows that if you are conservative on social issues it means that you are combining church and state. There are secular arguments for every debate. [quote:967618gn] Neo cons seem to say and do two different things[/quote:967618gn] To be fair, so do many Democrats. I think it is a politician thing. social security:A government program that provides economic assistance to persons faced with unemployment, disability, or agedness, financed by assessment of employers and employees. view post
[quote="Cu'jara Cinmoi":2sj9sez7] I am glad that he won, insofar as it will force conservatives to reap what they have sown, both domestically and internationally... ... is giving the conservatives all the rope they want, then let them hang themselves... [/quote:2sj9sez7] The problem with this way of thinking is that all of the Liberals will get screwed in the end. Yeah, it will be nice if Bush chokes on his own filth, but at what expense? I do not want my right to marry or my friend's right to have an abortion to vanish so America can "learn its lesson". view post
[quote:3k7gtadu]The socially conservative Southern dems have been "frightened" by topics such as legalizing abortion and gay marriage - so scared they ran right into the conservatives' waiting arms. However, most California republicans tend to be open-minded on the same issues. [/quote:3k7gtadu] My personal opinion (this is just my opinion, and it is true of the entire country and not just these areas) this issue is this: in the South and Mid-West there are generally more smaller, rural, farming communities. In such communities, there is less diversity, and these communities tend to be more "neo-religious" in that going to church has become a family past time. In addition, in farming/ranching communities, less importance is placed on higher education because it is the children's job to come and run the family farm. It has been show that the more educated a person is, the more open they are to people of different backgrounds (people of different cultural heritage, different sexuality, etc.). In a time when LGBTQ rights are coming to the front as are abortion issues, it is harder to integrate these issues into a standard belief system (Christianity in all of its forms) then things in the past have been integrated. I believe this is why Dems have little sway in the South and Mid-West. It is also why the West Coast Dems have done so well. While the above is true for much of Washington and Oregon (I don't know about California) the lager cities, Seattle, Portland, LA, SF, etc. have large enough populations that they can pretty much dictate the policies for the entire state. In larger cities, you are more likely to have a more diverse population and higher education becomes much more important. [DISCLAIMER: I am in no way saying that Dems are more educated then Reps, I am merely commenting on an educational trend that has been studied, I happen to know some very, very, very intelligent Republicans and some incredibly stupid Democrats] [quote:3k7gtadu] And, that would NOT be a bad thing for politics in the U.S. - we need more parties than just the Dems and the Republicans. [/quote:3k7gtadu] I completely agree with this, and always have. The problem is that it would be nearly impossible to split two major political parties into many small ones. [quote:3k7gtadu] A whole different issue to me is the sticky morass of America's relationship to the world at large (e.g. international relations) where our president has an incredibly broad mandate and Congress is unlikely to seize back some form of control any time soon. The average American spends too little time thinking about our relation with the rest of the world. Why is that when we are the last "super power"? Are we the world's police-man (a role that's primed for abuse)? Are we crusaders bringing the light of democracy to the oppressed masses? How do we balance national safety against the masses of dead (and why the hell is it always the brown people we bomb?????) and amount of damage done in Iraq and Afghanistan? Was it worth it? [/quote:3k7gtadu] I don't think I'm even going to try and get into our international politics shit-hole. view post
I feel that as long as ignorance remains, it will be impossible to solve social issues. I do not however, believe that if everybody gets a college degree all hatred and racism. Education is a component of a much larger solution. view post
H, the problem I see with your argument is that you are separating culture and education. I believe that education is part of culture. I believe that culture is not stagnant, but fluid. Yes, in western society, the president is placed above the bag boy. However, what I think many of us fail to see is what will happen if all of a sudden, all the bag boys, the people who make cars, who drive the trucks to stock our grocery stores, disappeared? Anarchy. The President may have more "value" but I believe it is the working class who are the most important to the function of our society. It seems from your statement, H, that you believe that people will believe what they were taught from childhood, and that the parent's belief system propagates itself down the line. I would ask you this: do you believe exactly what your parents do? I can tell you that I do not. My education has changed the way that I think and what I believe in. I certainly do not believe what a majority of the people that were influential to me growing up believe in. I am pro-gay rights, and pro-choice. My parents are not. The "culture" in which I was brought up does not believe in these things. Education has shown me things that I would never experience if I had not gone to college. view post
I have a limited amount of time, so I will respond shortly. Culture and people are entwined. You cannot have culture without people and you cannot have culture without people. Culture does not make people, and people do not make culture, they are dependent on each other to exist. One cannot exist without the other. Just because "information is readily available" does not mean that someone is educated on a subject. Yes, there is a lot of information available on the mating habits of weevils, but I have no education on the subject. I feel it is wrong to say that education has little effect on social change because a "look, the literature is there and nothing's changing" argument. It takes people to learn the information and process it to cause social change. I will add more later when I have time. view post
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Just a note first. I moved your thread here, the "Welcomes" thread is just for introducing yourself. No worries. Back on topic. I would never read the thrid book before the first. If the author wanted us to read the third book first, it would be the first book, not the thrid. [i:3g8k1c34]Darkness[/i:3g8k1c34] is the first book in the series and I beleive that you should start with it. Just remember, "All good things come to those who wait." Welcome to our forum! view post
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[quote="Echoex":10mn4tax] Marriage laws are in place to protect more than just gender. Opponents argue that -- once the current definition of marriage is changed -- it leaves room for the entire definition of marriage to erode to nothingness.[/quote:10mn4tax] I know that you are playing devil's advocate, but the above argument is a "slippery slope" argument and is considered an illegitimate use of the "if-then" operator. I do not think it is fair to say that allowing homosexuals to marry will cause the meaning of marriage to erode into nothingness just like I do not think that letting women vote will erode the definition of voting. To take another's argument and taking it to the complete extreme is not fair and I think its dirty debating. Just my two cents. view post
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I found this article today. I thought it would be interesting to show you guys and ask what you think. [url:kw6rh5l2]http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2004-02-15-1.html[/url:kw6rh5l2] view post
To be fair, in the McDonalds case, the store in question was keeping the coffee at above regulation temperature so they did not have to make more. Not to mention their containers are for shit. (I do not believe that it was appropriate for her to sue the company, she did put it between her legs after all) I'm confused, what were you suprised I wasn't gun-shy of? view post
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I apologize if you thought I was being agressive, I in no way ment to. This is a sensitive subject for me, as a Gay Male American. I can get a little defensive because I feel like it is my rights that are being denied. I also cannot stand the "slippery-slope" argument because it applies to almost all situations and you can use it in any way you want to get the resutls you want. view post
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A woman I knew once said it like this: The purpose of life is to learn how to be a good person. Everytime you die, you come back and you try a little more. So the people who are mean and do awful things are on their first go-around, but the people who are loving and thoughtful have been around a few times. Once we've made it through the final time, we move on, to where I don't know. I like this theory, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. view post
Hey guys, this may seem weird, but I really can't make up my mind. I am getting something pierced soon, but I can't decide what it will be. I have it down to a second piercing in my right lobe, an industrial in my right ear, or my tongue. I currently have both lobes pierced and two helixes in my left ear. Thanks folks! PS, for those who arn't familer with industrials. here is a pic (this is not me): [img:o87qxu3s]http://uploads.three-seas.com/Wil/xmb_industrial02%20%282%29.JPG[/img:o87qxu3s] view post
I am equally willing to do any of these piercings, plus I am willing to take suggestions. view post
I don't????
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Lion (king) view post
My entire iTunes on shuffle. It's fun. Try it. view post
Well it's a good thing that I am just one big, FLAMINGLY GAY, sissy then, isn't it? You're ignorant, grow up. view post
Well, I do really love piercings. The reason I polled was because I couldn't decide between the three. This form will not be the deciding factor, nor will the opinions of the other people that I have asked. But it doesn't hurt to ask the crowd. Piercing for me isn't about culture or what's in. It's about figuring out who I am as a person. It's a way to explore myself, my limits. All my piercings have stories and meaning. They help remind me where I'm from, and why I left there. They don't define me, but they are part of the image of myself that I choose to show the people around me. view post
It's a needle, not a stake
And yes, in a way it does. It's part of my expression, of my Self. The Self is a hard thing to find, and most arn't able to discover it in their lifetimes. Piercing helps me do that.
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Yes, all the power, to me ! 
Mwhahahahahahahahahaha **cough cough splutter**
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Turning on the TV and seeing the president (no matter what party) saying that would make me even more ashamed to be an American. It's true that there are many things that we as a country need to work on, but isolating countries that didn't support us in a horrible decision (invasion of Iraq with out UN Support) is not going to help us fix those problems. The problem as I see it is that we need to start thinking like we belong to a world government instead of thinking like we own the world. We are a part of something bigger, not the big boy himself, and to think otherwise is why everybody (rightfully) hates us. view post
I agree with Harrol, my heart and prayers go out to the people of London and surrounding areas. This is a tragedy. view post
Harrol, about your first post. What does that have to do with us not being part of a world government? I feel that we as a country need to realize that we are part of the world, not the rulers of it. view post
You make a good point. However, I'm not saying that we need to give up our national government in favor of a world government. I think that America needs to do what it feels is best for America (with in reason, of course). But I also think that on an international level, we need to start acting like we give a shit about the countries around us. I agree that the members of the Security Council should be elected by their respective countries (I have limited knowledge on the subject). I feel that our representative(s) should be directly elected by the American people and not appointed by any official. I feel this would help close the accountability gap. I'm not saying that it will be perfect, but then no government is. The point is that we need to start working towards a common goal of world peace and learn that our actions and decisions directly affect our global neighbors. view post
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