gabrielsknife

No problem! Always happy to help.

Forgiveness is a major issue, both in the Japanese religion(s) and in their personal philosophies. I haven't done a very though examination of the topic, but from what I can gather through my own observations is that it's centralized around the Japanese code of honor. Not attaining forgiveness is a slight against the other person's (the villain's) honor. Not attaining forgiveness for a misdeed would be in direct conflict with several tenets of Bushidou, including but not limited to: honor, benevolence, and courtesy. Another way of thinking of it would be "I will remember the wrong you've done unto me". This sort of vendetta-like thinking follows through families and can (if one believes such things) possibly risk one's entrance into Heaven. Depending on the era, it could also involve a vassal's lord into the issue, for the one who is slighted would have full right to seek reparations from (the villain's lord). Wars have been fought over the issue of forgiveness (among other things, of course.) I hope that helps somewhat.

Now, I've not read the Fountainhead, but I have read Anthem. I was rather young when I read it too (middle school); when I finished it, my home-room teacher began reading "The Giver" (a tame, children's book that ended up freaking me out *because* of the similar theme it shared with "Anthem".) I had a copy of Atlas Shrugged, but I was too lazy to read it. Ayn Rand is a bit of a handful, in terms of...well, everything! Theme, rationale, etc. Anthem blew my young mind up, scattered the pieces on the floor, then put a blindfold around my eyes and said "pick up the pieces". I haven't read another Rand book since. Now, that's not to say she's a bad writer. I think many people should read her works! If nothing else, to gain the glimpse of another person's perspective. But my frontal lobe seizes up when I come near one of her books. Good writer, deep thinker, I'm just still trying to digest the first book ten years later. (I believe there was a Simpson's spoof of the Fountainhead. This is just about all I personally know about Fountainhead: uniformity is bad, but we're going to take all the creative people away to show how much worse the world can get. Or, am I confusing this for Atlas Shrugged?)

Wow, what a loaded question. Everyone has their own opinion in regards to sex in writing. How much is too much? When does a "sex scene" overload the story? Is it really necessary to have one at all? I've written quite a few sex scenes in my writing career. I started off with "curtain drops", then gradually made my way to full blown erotic scenes. It all depended with what I was comfortable with at the time. When I started, I wasn't comfortable with sex. Curious and interested about it, sure, but not brave enough or knowledgeable to describe the...ahem, ins-and-outs of the act. When I became comfortable with what I was writing, I became brave enough to explore the hidden aspect of the sex scene. I think, once you're comfortable with it as a person, then you could begin to explore it as a writer if that's what you want. There's nothing worse then trying to force yourself to write what you don't want to write. It reflects back on you and could tarnish what you have worked so hard on. That said, not all stories need sex. Sure, it's a pretty/fun/attention-getting icing, but you don't need it to top everything. The sex could get in the way of the main plotline and make your cake-story loose its flavor. The sex-icing could overwhelm the natural flavors of the story and make it more sexually driven then you meant it to be. Or, the sex-icing could be just what you need to make your story-cake go from ordinarily to eye-catching and brilliant. In the end, it's you as the writer who needs to make this choice. If you didn't like writing sex in the past, then those lingering feelings might tarnish what you wish to right now. If you're not confident or if you just plain don't like it, don't do it! Curtain-drop, and let your reader imagine everything . No shame in making your readers stretch their brains lol. Don't force yourself and don't think that all good stories require sex to make them good or whatever. You just listen to your characters; they're who really matter, imho .

Creepy? I dunno. I have kinda a hard time with facial expressions. Like, I have to concentrate to make them. Most of the time, when I'm just sitting around and thinking, I have this hard/angry expression on my face. Once, when a professor was looking over my shoulder at something I was doodling, he said I glared at him when I thought I was giving a shocked expression. My pops will often say 'you look like you lost your best friend' when I'm just real deep in thought. I also have eczema, so I have to scratch my skin a lot. Back, chest, arms and head; makes me fidget if I don't ;_;. Sucks, but there's not much I can do about it.

Kittens are so cute, but puppies are too. I can't stand little yappy dogs, though; I'm an akita/doberman/*big dog* kinda guy. I root for both, because I love petting both . ....I hear both taste great with shrimp sauce lol!

Mmmn, non-fiction's going to be hard, as I rarely read any. But in terms of fiction: Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin - If you've never read it, you're missing out! Great description of characters, setting, plot; medieval-style setting, only without heavy magic. Every chapter is taken from a single character's perspective, and it's interesting to see who comes up. Dragons Dawn series by Anne McCafrey - I like the beginning books more then her later ones, because they dealt with colonization and genetics; actually building the dragons, not just impressing and moving on. Dolphins of Pern was cool too. I jumped around a lot on her novels, so I never did get the whole linear story. And the harpers annoyed me. Dune by Frank Herbert - One of the few books I can put down for weeks/months at a time, then pick it back up and remember everything. Good story, setting, plot; I just need to sit down and *finish* the damn thing before the pages dry up lol. Foreigner series by CJ Cherryh - An awesome series where the humans are the invaders. This one helped me shape my own sci-fi settings; it's a combo of space opera (with the politics and character development) as well as hard science fiction (due to the technology descript.s and such.) Worth the read, as are the other books that follow. In fact, if you like sci-fi, CJ Cherryh needs to be on your bookshelf lol . Some other good hits are: American Gods by Neil Gaiman Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman Animal Farm by George Orwell Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Blade Runner (or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) by Phillip K. Dick Watership Down by Richard Adams There are others, certainly, but those are the ones I could think of off the top of my head.

Talents? Well, I doodle, and I take photos sometimes. Here's a doodle And here's a photo I can do some cool tattoo designs too; here, let me show you . Other then that, I write . I think I'm a better writer though. I used to play flue, but I quit. I just lost the drive to make music. So, I sing off-key to monster ballads and Japanese punk-rock songs, while I cook . Somehow, as if by magic, I can delve into an empty pantry and whip up a pretty decent dinner for three people.

It depends. If it's the angry sort of stress, then I turn on the PS2 and play a little Soul Calibur. Bash some virtual heads around, snarl really loud if I loose a round or something. It helps me to calm down after a few bouts. If it's the upset/depressing stress, I try to sleep it off. Or I'll divert my attentions on a book or writing. When I was upset and had a pet, I'd usually try to pet them to help cheer me up. Animals are good for that; no matter what's happened to me, my pets usually have the ability to make me feel better.

Well, since the crazy '70s people who put the tiny bathtub/shower in my old house had to be so bloody small, I have to shower no matter what. But, if I had the opportunity to bathe, I would. It's so much more relaxing and I don't mind laying around in my own dirty water lol. Add a little music, that certain some one, and it could be the best time of your life .

I'm the person you wish never discovered this poll! (total lolz) I'm a rather dominant transgender with dreams of topping. And one day my dreams will be realized, hens why I voted for male/top. And that whole thing on "closet bottoms" is total bs. Of the guys I know, they say it depends on the partner. One I know says point blank that he'll top, but can play either side if he's in the mood and depending on the partner. And I gotta agree with him. It would all depend on how I felt at that moment. It's always good to be flexible .

Check ebay! They've got great deals on awesome computers. I got my $500+ iBook G4 lappy for $200 flat ($20 shipping.) What is this person gonna be doing with their laptop, because that can really mean everything. If they're an artist, or have a lot of artsy needs, go with a mac. If you're going to do business things or be using word processor a lot, go with a PC. In terms of OS, Mac is much more stable then Windows 7, Vista or XP. Toshiba is a good, durable laptop. I'm personally iffy about HP or Compaqs; I've got an old Win 98 Compaq tower-tank and it's never let me down, but it's a dinosaur. I've also had custom PCs, and while they're good, you have to have a computer expert on call the *moment* anything happens or needs to be replaced. Unless, of course, *you* built your custom lol. All in all, go bargan hunting. Online shopping offers you the best deals. If I'm understanding you right, you said the budget was $1 thousand plus? If you get a PC, don't forget all the software you'll need. Virus scanners, windows os disks, Office/Word/Works and the like; you'll have to do the same with a mac too. There are some free programs you can download, like GUMP instead of Photoshop or Bean/Open Office instead of Word. Oh! Here's some good specs for you! 512 or higher ram, 52X CD Rom OR 8/12X DVD (I think there are 12s now, not sure on that one) - nothing under 20 gigs! If you do any serious downloading, you'll have to start rationing memory and that sucks! >.< I had to do that for my custom at 24 gig. Ung, *shudder*. Also, don't forget screen size. 12 is rather small, but good for something you wanna hold on your lap. 14/15 is good for tabletop. In my opinion, anything bigger then 15, you might as well get a tower/tv screen lol . I hope some of that helped. I had to go something similar when I got my little lappy. I used to be pure Windows, but now I try to point people towards Macs. Secure OS and *no* viruses; you do get a freeze ever now and then, but only because I'm seriously overclocking my ram >.<. I hope you find what you're looking for .

Now I feel bad! I don't really do much in the way of sports. I have no interest in them anymore nor any outlets to play. I'm rather introverted in that respect. However, I do a lot of walking, yard work and house repairs for my folks. Walking is the only way I can get to the internet (I have no internet at my house, so I walk to the library and steal theirs lol.) When I was younger, I wasn't privileged enough to join a team. My dad was working hard, trying to put food on the table and couldn't afford any additional expenses (like gear and such.) I'd wanted to play soccer or join a dojo, but it didn't happen. I was a home-body then, and I'm something of a home-body now. Just put my lappy on my lap and give me my headphones and I'm happy .

Oh man, classic movies. "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" - fave John Wayne movie and classic western. I practically grew up on spaghetti westerns, and that one just stands out the most. "Paint your Wagon" because it's the only musical that (to me anyway) didn't feel like a musical. The last three Star Wars because they were awesome; freaking Darth Vader, man. Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country helped me step into the sci-fi genre. As did "Apollo 13"; I love that movie so much *sniffles* and the anniversary was last week. I dunno if Erin Brocovich would be considered a "classic", but it's a damn good film either way you slice it. "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Last Samurai" were good, but again, I dunno if they're classics really. Um...those are the only ones I can think of off hand. I've seen so many movies, it's hard to pick favorites lol .

Yes, we geeks do have odd heroes lol. Harry Houdini - Escape artist, and debunked many false psychics Nicholas Tesla - Fought an invention war with Thomas Eddison. Many of his patents and inventions are *still* being kept under restriction. Oscar Wilde - Because I'm an English nerd. All brave men in their own right, who wore no uniforms but put their own dents in history .