391
Everything Else / Re: Run on conversation
« on: February 09, 2005, 04:49:10 AM »
1) Victory without challange is not empty if one can still bask in some glory. Everyone's ego can happily take some empty glory, for a time.
News:
"Magic is what makes fantasy fantastic," someone says, "you can't apply rules to them or else it loses wonder!" I respond, "Sure, but if you want to write them you will certainly want to know how they work." Writing is all about execution, and I find applying some basic laws of physics to magic systems make them more understandable and realistic. Here, I'm going to outline my basic method for developing a magic system.
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392
Books / Re: What are you reading mark II
« on: February 08, 2005, 05:33:18 PM »Quote
I didn't like Mostly Harmless the first time I read it. The second time I loved it though. Good thing I'm a rabid fan.
- The first time I read it, I didn't dislike it, I just found it quite different from thed previous four. It's also a lot more bleak than the others (DNA was going through a bad patch in his life at the time.) The humour is still there, but it's got a slightly different tone. Second time around, I'm really enjoying it because I'm not having any pre-emptive judgements spoilt.
393
Books / Re: What are you reading mark II
« on: February 08, 2005, 06:53:38 AM »
Mostly Harmless, Douglas Adams.
2nd time over.
2nd time over.
394
Everything Else / Re: Run on conversation
« on: February 08, 2005, 06:50:09 AM »
2) Is freedom anything mroe than a state of mind?
395
Rants and Stuff / Re: Angst & Frustrations Galore Mk2.
« on: February 08, 2005, 06:41:45 AM »Quote
...there's something distinctly disturbing about JP I've decided.
Only *just* decided?
396
Everything Else / Re: Run on conversation
« on: February 07, 2005, 07:02:23 AM »
1) Freedom entails knowing oneself and one's restrictions...
397
Everything Else / Re: Run on conversation
« on: February 07, 2005, 06:46:57 AM »
1) As a fish that lives in a tank cannot know of the ocean, how can one puny human being possibly know how many challenges they *haven't* tried? Seems you haven't played in the traffic just for starters...
398
Books / Re: Fell off the wagon
« on: February 07, 2005, 06:42:24 AM »
My two three four book related wishes: (at least, I think there's just two...)
- being able to read some books again for the 1st time
- being able to buy all the books I love in hardcover
- being able to buy all the books I want
- being able to read all the books that are near my bed. I used to do this by ignoring my work. However, I do want to pass the odd exam, so *sighhh*
- being able to read some books again for the 1st time
- being able to buy all the books I love in hardcover
- being able to buy all the books I want
- being able to read all the books that are near my bed. I used to do this by ignoring my work. However, I do want to pass the odd exam, so *sighhh*
399
Everything Else / Re: Run on conversation
« on: February 07, 2005, 06:29:57 AM »
1) So logically, your skills have never been tested. Tut tut...
400
Rants and Stuff / Re: Science Related Jokes
« on: February 07, 2005, 06:16:49 AM »
Kinky science professor jokes...
"Is that a test tube in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"
...ahh, my weird friends.
"Is that a test tube in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"
...ahh, my weird friends.
401
Rants and Stuff / Re: Angst & Frustrations Galore Mk2.
« on: February 07, 2005, 06:11:56 AM »Quote
Please, give both me and yourself a break.
...perhaps he doen't want to...
402
Rants and Stuff / Re: Angst & Frustrations Galore Mk2.
« on: February 06, 2005, 01:59:19 AM »
everything seems to be looking up then. You must have had a nice week... I did notice a distinct lack of you on msn 
Quote
I don't even *want* to speculate about Bones' ass. I mean, seriously, come on guys... spare my brain and mental eye, I don't like being blind.
- hear the guy - Jp, you shall reserve your speculations about my brother's anatomy for elsewhere. I could do with not being emotionally scarred today.
403
Books / Re: Happy Endings
« on: February 05, 2005, 12:21:52 AM »
Happy, happy endings usually annoy me, depending on my mood. Usually I don't like endings in which absolutely everything sorts itself out and so on. I prefer endings that are realistic, as in they involve resolution and/or some triumph of a character, but are not unrealistic. This is probably a direct reflection of my world view (Life's a bitch and then you die, but there's enough good bits to make it worthwhile. Usually...)
An example of this is the ending of The Great Gatsby. There is a definite sort of resolution (which you feel has to happen as the book progresses) but the ending itself is quite sad. Nonetheless, I finished the book deeply satisfied because I thought it was real. I enjoy having my emotions manipulated by a novel, no matter how depressing, because it means good writing. Happy books I soon forget; lit that makesme cry tends to make a real impression.
I think that the same sort of thing applies for children's books, because I don't like the idea of kids only seeing a positive, all-turns-out-well-in-the-end view of life. In fact this can be quite closely connected with religion (life may be hard, but being good = redemption). Being an atheist this sort of simplistic rewards for good behaviour type thing irritates me, including when you find it all the time in books (the good guys always live happily ever after etc.) I'm not saying happy endngs are always bad - happy endings do happen in real life so they are perfectly realistic. What gets to me is when lit is overwhelmingly full of happy endings that either give you a false sense of security about the world (sort of like "it couldn't happen to me") or else make you angry ("Why *isn't* life like that - why *don't* the good guys get rewarded? And what have I done to deserve the bad stuff?")
More ranting on this later.
An example of this is the ending of The Great Gatsby. There is a definite sort of resolution (which you feel has to happen as the book progresses) but the ending itself is quite sad. Nonetheless, I finished the book deeply satisfied because I thought it was real. I enjoy having my emotions manipulated by a novel, no matter how depressing, because it means good writing. Happy books I soon forget; lit that makesme cry tends to make a real impression.
I think that the same sort of thing applies for children's books, because I don't like the idea of kids only seeing a positive, all-turns-out-well-in-the-end view of life. In fact this can be quite closely connected with religion (life may be hard, but being good = redemption). Being an atheist this sort of simplistic rewards for good behaviour type thing irritates me, including when you find it all the time in books (the good guys always live happily ever after etc.) I'm not saying happy endngs are always bad - happy endings do happen in real life so they are perfectly realistic. What gets to me is when lit is overwhelmingly full of happy endings that either give you a false sense of security about the world (sort of like "it couldn't happen to me") or else make you angry ("Why *isn't* life like that - why *don't* the good guys get rewarded? And what have I done to deserve the bad stuff?")
More ranting on this later.
404
Everything Else / Re: Best Quote lately
« on: February 04, 2005, 11:54:08 PM »
A good friend, while doing a Myers-Briggs Personality test:
"I don't want to give it a name, then I'll have to keep it!!"
"I don't want to give it a name, then I'll have to keep it!!"
405
Books / Re: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
« on: February 04, 2005, 08:24:38 PM »Quote
Which raises the question, why do they call it a duckbill platypus,... I mean are there so many other Platypus breeds that the Word Duckbill actually differentiates them from another?
Maybe the name "platypus" was too undescriptive, so they decided to add "duck-billed" just to make it clear. Or maybe someone wrote down a description w/ the name beside it and then got confused. Or...something.