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Eh, I clean out my system when I feel like it. I like keeping my material nice and organized anyway, so if I go scouting to see what I could get rid of, and if a lot of its all in the same folder, its ease to get rid of.

This is for me one of those shows I hadn't thought of in years, but I remember seeing it as a kid, and thinking how cool it was. Megabyte's voice actor was awesome- it gave him that sense of dominion and control he wanted to install (no pun intended) on Mainframe.

Its the blame game that always gets me so disenfranchised with US government because of how public officials aren't willing to work together- Obama has had a lot to deal with on this sort of thing. Sometimes, it seems that the people in Washington turn off their ears.

One thing I can recommend is 'let it lay' for periods. That is, if you find its hard to write on something, go do something else- even if its writing on another piece of unrelated material for a time (say, half an hour or so)- then come back to the problematic piece. It also helps to give a project a break every now an then on a long term basis; for example, if you've been working on a particular project for say three weeks, take a few days to work on another project- give yourself and the 'main' project some breathing room.

Another thing I cam recommend is to take advantage of writing the same scene in different ways- different perspectives, tonal changes, etc. Sometimes, even a few changes can dramatically improve a scene.

The War of the Worlds (1953)- its both the war machine, and the Martian especially, that scared me as a kid.

At 4/19/13 12:03 PM, Seasons wrote:

:I'm usually thinking about writing before I go to bed

Same here- I find that thinking about writing helps me get to sleep a lot better/quickly. Sometimes, I even come up with content, which I have to make note of before I lose thought of it.

Just a little curious here... has anyone had a dream where, within the context of the dream's events, you had come up with an idea for a piece of writing- prose, fiction, etc- but the instant you wake up in reality, you cannot remember a darn thing, or very little, for that dream idea you had? I've just recently had this experience, and wanted to know if anyone else had a similar event happen to them.

Man, that explosion scared the heck out of me out of me when it went off, even as I was expecting it. I hope that nothing more tragic happens there.

Well, wonder what's going to happen now to Cleveland and Co.

Congrats to all of the winners!

At 4/16/13 03:44 PM, aviewaskewed wrote: I'm not seeing how it's dangerous really to anybody other then the politician who might be using insider trading honestly. My reading is that it's confined to the stock market and stock purchasing. This is definitely a blow to Obama's promises towards government transparency. Plus, all these things are still PUBLIC RECORD anyway as the article pointed out. So if somebody was interested in compromising all these things they warn of, it can still be done anyway. This just seems like the government once again doing something that will harm the public trust in them.

Camarohusky is right in that its in the reporting, but I also agree in the transparency- but not to where it endangers government works. There needs to be a fair balance for that.

Congrats to the winners- you did good.

I can definitely understand it from a security stand point to not have their information be in the general public because it could be used to someone else's advantage.

At 4/15/13 07:04 PM, Ceratisa wrote: I get really sick of the political mud slinging that immediately follows these events in the social media nowadays.

I agree with you on political mud slinging- on any level.

I've got a Samsung SyncMaster P2350 (23" at 1920x1080) that works just fine- I'd say check your graphics card (if you have one) or your on-board motherboard graphics (Your system should have something to check that) and make sure in either case that the graphics software up to date. Out of date software can be a potential source of your problem on this issue. Hopefully a software update should help you out a lot.

Who's had bacon for breakfast recently? I have.

I'd have to say my favorite time period of the day is the late afternoon into the evening- from about 4 pm to about 9 pm. Always felt it was the best part of the day.

Title: How Firm a Foundation
Series: Safehold
Author: David Weber
Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-0765321541
Publication Date: 2011

Novel Plot Brief: Charis continues its technological advances with the preparations for the introduction of steam engines; its military is ordered to make a few select strikes on the mainland. The Group of Four continues its dominion; the Grand Inquisitor prepares his own secret plans. Empress Sharleyan travels to the former League of Corisande to dispense Crown's Justice, as a few internal threats are dealt with. The Grand Inquisitor Clyntahn, after 'dealing' with Charisian captives, launches his first secret operation, killing important Charisian leaders, as well as innocent bystanders. There are growing tensions and fears within the Republic of Siddarmark, which then split in civil war with Clyntahn's second secret operation. Meanwhile, Earl Coris and the surviving members of the House of Daykyn flee to Charis through the help of Merlin Athwares and a small group of the ICN personnel .

Review: A good point that Weber builds on is that of internal strife for a particular group or set of individuals. A good group set is the Group of Four. Grand Inquisitor Clyntahn, for example, is being engulfed with more of his own, preverted view of how the Church of God Awaiting should be. Magwair, the Church's military CO, falls into a similar, but not quite as dramatic, viewpoint. Treasurer General Duchairn, however, has more or less come to realize how much excess the church has become involved in, and is now trying to make up for lost time, a self-induced redemption. Chancellor Trynair falls between Ducharin and Magwair. It is the fragment of Ducharin to one side, Magwair and Clyntahn to another and Trynair in the middle, that allows an amount of strife between the leaders of the Church. There isn't a total lack of cohesiveness, as Duchairn vows not to actively oppose Clyntahn, but will do what he can through his own attempts at redemption through aiding the poor that he should have been doing.

Internal individual strife can be found in the character of Irys Daykyn. For the last few novels, she has been internally certain the the Charisian Empire has killed her father and the eldest of her brothers. However, she has had increasing doubts about it; it is more acurate to say she feels a bit uneasy about it, as she knows, in a certain way, that she and her younger brother can be used as pawns. She has to deal with what she can in terms of stayign strong, but her fierce internal struggle has begun to change and when Earl Coris reveals he has strong suggestive evidence that it was Clyntahn that ordered her father's murder, she has a bit of internal strife as to her feelings. However, she is soon enough convinced when Merlin Athrawes and a group of ICN seamen, led by Emperor Cayleb's adoptive son Hektor Aplyn-Ahrmahk, she comes to see with greater light the truth that she had once believed is false.

Another aspect Weber presents is that of defiance. In example, there are two people show defiance toward the same person, Zhaspahr Clyntahn, and those two would be Duchiarn and ICN Admiral Manthyr. While Duchairn does not actively defy Clyntahn- that is to say he will not go toe to toe on any issue, he still subverts Clyntahn by more 'passive' means; these are primarily helping the poor survive the harsh winters in the Church of God Awaiting's 'capital city' of Zion. He also makes sure than the needed hospitals, soup kitchens, etc, get what they need to help the less fortunate. In this way, Duchairn is keeping himself distanced from Clyntahn and keeps from havign to endure the brunt of his wrath, but outwardly supporting Clyntahn to help keep some degree of cohesion going for the Church as a whole.

Another who displays defiance towards Clyntahn is Admiral Gwylym Manthyr, Imperial Charisian Navy. He and some of his squadron were captured by Earl Thirsk in A Mighty Fortress, but was handed over to the Inquisition, and eventually brought ot Zion, to be executed for 'heresy and treason against God.' However, it is not just merely the fact that Admiral Manthyr defies Clyntahn by defending his home country against Clyntahn's obsession with Charis' destruction: it takes a personal turn. Right before Manthyr is executed, he is asked by Clyntahn to speak any last words. Speaking not just for himself or his captured (and already deceased) crews but for all of Charis, he spits directly into Clyntahn's face. Manthyr's defiance is one of saying 'You have violated my country for material that have not peacefully explained, shed the blood of innocent people for your own gain, and so with that, I will not acknowledge your power.' Manthyr takes a personal stand against Clyntahn, to show that he is a responsible and truthful person, compared to Clyntian's bigotry and self-centered nature.

Next up after this is Midst Toil and Tribulation.

At 4/11/13 02:45 PM, fuzzum111 wrote: Larry is the same as Super mario bros Z. It's a dead project and episode 3 will never come out.

Dude made a great first episode, got a ton of popularity, made a second episode, coupled with a few games. Dude has likely gotten bored of flash animation and given up the project, he's just to much of a pussy to deny his fans with a official journal/statement telling them it's dead and the larry series will not be continued.

It's going the same way that SMBZ went, with fans still clamoring for it, and eventually he'll have to say something. It's been -how- many YEARS from Larry episode 2? A shitty little flash game doesn't constitute keeping the project alive, it's not like there lengthy, in-depth RPG style games either.

With due respect, have you been paying attention to anything Jazza's been posting on his profile, Facebook, Youtube etc? He's currently working on a large project, an indie game called Ortus- Ortus on Facebook- with friends at his indie company, Elvidian Entertainment. Ortus and other projects- such as his Youtube Channel, Draw with Jazza- are taking up a lot of his time lately. Jazza has said that once he manages to get Ortus released, that he is intent on continuing to produce Larry episodes.

At 4/11/13 02:43 PM, Cyberdevil wrote: But they did get daily awards as well! :) The weekly awards are an additional list posted every Wednesday. The Pac-man animation got first place, here's the P-Bot post for that day: http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1337092

Well, truth be told, I saw it not long after it had passed judgement, and hadn't payed much attention to it until I saw P-bot's post for 4/09.

At 4/11/13 03:37 AM, Cyberdevil wrote: That's the top ten weekly submissions list you're looking at. They did get awards on the days they were submitted. ;)

Oh, I know. It's just that I thought they would have gotten to be amongst the ultimate picks on for this particular day- especially RicePriate's Pac-man. He does some of my favorite flashes.

Gee, I thought Dovahbear 3 and Don't Touch Pac-man would have made the hottest list. Oh, well, can't have everything- at least they made it in the top ten runner up list.

While I cannot actually recommend any sort of software, I would really can say that you have a very reasonable good start on an ideas sorting system. But I'd still try to find the ideas and concepts that are relevant/compatible with each other, link them together and use that as a significant base on which to build and expand upon. If somethings aren't working, explore them differently- or, if that fails to satisfy and its being agonizing- scrap the parts that don't work.

I realize its not much help, but any little bit counts.

I remember seeing Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as a kid, as well as MSB (Magic School Bus), Reading Rainbow, etc- but Mister Rogers was always there, with something intresting.

As to the topic, my thoughts are that its okay; I was raised to have an open mind, so I don't find the subject of an interracial relation unusual; I think having a a relationship with someone of a different ethnicity can be a very good thing, because it can open one's eyes to a different culture from your own, which would then allow someone to grow intellectually and in understanding. I've known a few people in these sorts of relationships, and the people in these relationships are good people.

At 4/8/13 04:57 AM, Pugberto wrote: Do you believe my experiences are unique to the nature of the interracial relationship?

I'd say probably not. It stands to reason that there are other couples who have gone through a similar experience to yours.

I'm currently reading How Firm a Foundation, fifth book in the Safehold Series by David Weber.

Definitely hard to read in the blocky paragraph style- does have some hope if you break it up and see what you can edit. Right now its really meh.

Title: A Mighty Fortress
Series: Safehold
Author: David Weber
Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-0765315052
Publication Date: 2010

Novel Plot Brief: Things are picking up pace on Safehold; Cayleb and Sharleyan Ahrmahk have the birth of their first child, Crown Princess Alahnah. In the Empire's new component of Corisande, there is some anti-Charisian resentment in the capital, owing the conquest of the country and the assassination of Prince Hektor Daykyn- the new Regency Council decides to let the steam blow off. The 'Group of Four,' meanwhile, has gotten Holy War against Charis declared, and they meet with the Earl of Coris to discuss the future of Prince Daivyn Daykyn, the heir-in-exile to the Corisandeian throne. The 'Group of Four' also revise their navel strategy to build galleons, not galleys. On the Charisian navel front, raids are ordered to prohibit the advancement of the Church of God Awaiting's plan, but these efforts are hampered some by the Earl of Thirsk's own operations. The Charisians working directly against Thirsk manage to survive, but are captured; they however are more fortunate than the Circle, the Church's internal reformist element. The Grand Inquisitor orders them purged, but Ahnzhelyk Phonda, owner of a discreet brothel near the CGA Temple in Zion and a member of the Circle, takes the families of a number of the Circle's leaders out of Zion by mostly her own means, yet with the help of Merlin under a different alias. In Corisande, the capital resistance has been torn apart by now, and the leadership of some of the lands in northern Corisande, coming together as the 'Northern Conspiracy,' are also sequestered. Finally, the Navy of God and the Imperial Charisian Navy have a massive engagement where the former seriously outnumbers the latter, but the ICN decisively defeats the NOG with the new exploding shells they've developed giving the advantage they need.

Review: In this Safehold installment, Weber shows several more of his strong writing style/capabilities. First of these that are apparent is that even the good guys make mistakes, such as when Merlin get fooled by the Church of God Awaiting's navel strategy. Using his technology, Merlin and the Charisian leaderships thinks it learns of the initial mass gathering of the Navy of God's fleet components. However, the Zion's leadership has a slightly different plan, allowing the Charisians to jump the gun on what they think Zion's plan was, militarily, which has their fleet meeting in a slightly different way; the Charisians try to make up for it, but it still costs the lives of Charisians, including the ICN's commander, High Admiral Lock Island.

Another element Weber employs is the fact of secrecy. Ahnzhelyk Phonda, the brothel owner in Zion, has a number of businesses besides her most apparent. The businesses she own are mostly legit, but a number of them are more of grey business in nature, which is a key part of her operations and strategy should she need to pull out. Her system allows her to make the needed pull out with over two hundred people who are family of the Circle's members to safer areas. Phonda also has a tremendous amount of money she has secretly stowed in an emergency system. She keeps her business and money cleverly manged, so that she can erase her tracks when needed, which does occur.

A great element that Weber uses is the fact of a small group using what it has against is enemies, especially if those enemies outnumber it. In the Battle of the Gulf of Tarot, a small fleet of the ICN finds itself in this situation, and uses a 'new' technology of exploding shells at its disposable, even though a., it's severally outnumber by the NoG, and b., it lacks the supplies of exploding shells that would be desired by its commanders. However, High Admiral Lock Island and Admiral Rock Point use what shells they have in a counter-trap against the Navy of God's plan to overrun the ICN. It does cost the ICN significantly, but it allows them to defeat the NoG, and even capture a number of NoG surviving ships.

Weber of course lays the foundations for the series to continue: next up is How Firm a Foundation.

At 3/27/13 10:46 PM, CresIsis wrote: Sure, my profile says I joined last year but I've been a lurker for much longer than that.

I lurked here for a few years here as well before joining- wanted to comment on videos and communicate with some of my favorite NG artists, as well as be a member of the community.

This song's really stuck in my head:
Don't You Forget About Me
Heard this song in The Breakfast Club during high school; still think the song's groovy.