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 .

Sigh. One Stanley Cup win, and the Cains can't get it together for a number two. Oh well. One day! *still waves the Cains flag*

I'm such a bad, yo-yo hockey fan >.< Are the Carolina Cains in the running this year? 'Cause if they are, ya'll are going down! *waves his little Cains flag* (Bet ya'll can't guess where I'm from lol!)

Having both been in a few relationships, and watched friends of mine enter them, I can say without a doubt that they can change people. But not just romantic relationships! Friendships can change someone just as much as any romance. When I was just entering high school, I was an introvert to the extreme. I'd just left a very painful, abusive environment in my middle school and was as gun shy as could be. I thought the next person to step up to me was either going to pick on me or steal my bookbag. But, on the first day in high school, I met someone that managed to calm me down and pry me out of my little shell. In college, I helped bring another person out of her rut. Together, we built up a whole network of friends; I've watched them all change and grow and fall to the wayside of life. But, it's romantic relationships that teach you a little bit more about people, about your self, and about the nature of people. In my case, my last relationship taught me more about myself then I ever thought possible. The guy was an introvert and about as skinny as a rail. He'd had some problems and I had problems and together we had "problem parties" on the couch. With him, I was playful and "bouncy"; I was a right clingy bitch at times too. But, with him, I was also trying to hide who I really was, and that brought out the worst in me. Now, I'm not so bouncy, I'm not so clingy and I talk too much. *shrug* But, I know who I am thanks to him. So, it was a trade off in many ways. I have the experience now to look for the kind of guy that's good for me, while hopefully holding on to my own morals/values/sense of self. So yes, any kind of relationship can change a person. Not just romantic .

I feel rather ignorant, as I've never heard of Nifty before. I'm fairly familiar with places like Fiction Press and Fanfiction.net, but I've never posted anything in either place. When I felt comfortable enough to post my stuff, I did it in the fairly safe seclusion of Live Journal. Yes, there are a whole lot more "blogs" and "teen drama journals" on LJ, but it's also a pretty great place to get direct responses on the pieces I release. Now, the word-limit on posts suck, but that's nothing new. But, as I glean the responses of other posters, who've experience with this beast called Nifty, I feel the need to say something. One of the oldest saying I've every had the joy to hear is "lay down with dogs and wake up with fleas." Now, I'm not bashing Nifty, but I'm just saying that you wanna watch were you're putting your fiction-babies to sleep. If you don't find the right venue for your works, then people could pass them by or (worst of all) dismiss them all together. You want people to read your works? Find the audience that fits the work. And, if people want to comment, then they'll comment. It's not about the reviews or the replies, it's the fact that people are taking time out of their day to read the work you produce. And, besides, there's nothing wrong with cross-posting a good story on different sites. You get the benefit of a wider audience if you've posted to sites A, B, and C instead of locking your works on site A alone. Not everyone frequents Nifty or Fiction Press or what have you .

Ooooh, a fellow Carolinian ...at least, I'm pretty sure how that's spelled lol. Either way, hello person I dunno who lives in the same state as me . Be my friend (total lolz)!

Aw, babe, you can't be like that. Don't just delete your hard work because you're not getting the reviews. Not only are you denying several thousand more people from reading your works, you're dooming yourself. I wish more folk would comment on the things they read or see, but that's just how folk are. Some are just lazy, or so hungry to read that they're moving on from one piece to another like flies at a bodyfarm. Others are just shy little lurkers who have no idea what to tell the authors they read. You can only say "I liked this! Write more!" in so many different ways. Then there are the folk who are scared of us writers. They think the writer's gonna try to talk their ear off or demand more "constructive criticism", or try to bite their head off through the monitor. >.< Sad to say, but they do. Instead of just shoving it all away, try finding more outlets for your work! There are many different e-zines or publishers just starved for good writing. And if you can show, proof positive, that you got a thousand or more readers with *one* story, you'll have some good offers! As a writer myself, I totally understand your pain about the lack of comments. It's only after I lured readers, through e-zines, that I received my first helping of comments. I love every single one of them, but I work hard for every single last one of them. And you have to too. Nothing in life is ever easy; you have to work to take in every breath and every step. Seriously, don't give up. Don't delete; advertise! You'll see a change, once you get your name out there, I promise!

In my very humble opinion, it sounds like your lady friend is trying to say something. I don't know what, but you might wanna keep an eye on that. I'm getting some serious negative vibes about that and those are no good. You really can't judge a person's weight on something as small as "thighs touching." You've got to put so many other factors on the line. I was told, if you wrap your thumb and index finger around your wrist and they *don't* touch, then you're big-boned. Not *fat*, just that you have a large frame. If they do touch, then you've got a slender frame. Then, there's the body-fat index, and height vs. weight and so many other charts, numbers and crap to determine if you're the right weight for your body. Hon, I've been fat. And yeah, it sucked to look down and have to suck in my gut to see my feet. But I never let it get to me. That's the ticket there. If you are *truly* comfortable with your weight, then you don't think about it. You don't compare yourself to other folk and you don't shove your ideals on other folk. Same goes for skinny...er, "slender" folk. You either work on keeping yourself trim, or your body does it naturally through the magic of metabolism. There are other factors in there, I'm sure - but! What is most important about all of this is "are you happy with yourself." Nothing else matters. I think that all these labels are meaningless. People label everything; foods, animals, machines. This is good for you, but this thing we thought was good we discovered can kill you. In the 20s - 50s, smoking was considered healthy for you! Now, not so much. In Medieval times, being portly was a symbol of wealth; now, women are being praised for being a size 0. Makes some people feel good. Makes others feel bad. It happens. You just keep doing what you're doing to maintain the body you want to wear. Don't mind all these stereotypes and labels! Individuality is the shit, baby! :king:

*cue prude alarm* Oh, no. No, no, no. No kind, no how, no way! *Shudders* I'm sorry, but I need my characters to have family trees that *fork*, not share the same branches. ....>.>.........<.<...........um......but I might have some....uh....hints of...too much brotherly love in one story. Uh, *runs away screaming* It's not my fault!! Andysha is just too sexy for his own good! (But, seriously, I don't dig the incest thing. Props to those of you who can. It's not my bag. )

No, babe, you didn't come off as a hater. You're good on that The debate over promiscuity is an ancient one. It is my belief (because I don't really feel like doing any hard research at the moment) that, in "olden times", peoples frowned upon promiscuity because it became difficult to tell who's blood line came from where. If Peasant Woman A mates with Peasant Man B, C, and D collectively, then Peasant Baby E's linage is in question. Who does Baby E inherit from? Who's responsible for the baby's care? And so on. Now, not to say that promiscuity is new to our age. Oh, we had to learn it from somewhere, right? At present, experts speculate whether our evolutionary ancestors were monogamous or not. In the animal kingdom, monogamy has it's ups and downs. While it works for species like wolves and ravens, it does not work for horses, leopards and so on. While, yes, humans are "evolved beings", we still have our wants, desires and instincts. It's well known that, if a man ain't getting what he wants at home, he'll probably try to find it somewhere else. That being said, this road isn't for everyone. Some people who "sleep around" are hungry for something. That moment's worth of passion, the excitement, the thrill; think of it from their perspective. Some of these people are too busy to hunt down a "commitment man/woman". They're willing to look past Mr./Ms. Right for Mr/Ms Right Now, at least for the time being. Other "thrill seekers" don't know what they want. When all pistons are firing and the mood is right, you'd be surprised just how easy it is for instinct and desire to gang up on a guy's self-control! Now, to you, this might be wrong. And it's okay if it is. That's your choice and it'll lead you down your own road. Maybe, the more people you meet, your thoughts will change. Time and Experience are the greatest of teachers I've ever known. Just remember not to judge others for their personal choices and you'll be good . As for the story you mentioned, why don't you go off to something else for a bit? If the topic bothers you, then no amount of good writing or clever character development is going to change that. I'm sure there's a whole load of stories out there, just as exciting and intense as the one you're reading, that are just begging to be read! :king:

Ooooh! This one's a toughie! There are very few mythic creatures I *don't* like. But I am quite frankly astonished I didn't see any Japanese beings represented here! Where's the Kitsune? Tengu? ;_; You gaijin disappoint me! (total lolz there; don't beat me, please! I'll be a good boy!) Any-who, I gotta root most for the werewolves there. I've got more werewolf stories/pictures then anything else. But centaurs come in a close second. ....No like-y the leeches....no, not at all. Um...as for the more animalistic mythics, I rooted for phoenixes because I like them a little more then dragons or unicorns. Though naga/snake critters are my 1b choice. I love those tails <3 and the forked tongues. I'm such a herpo-tile sometimes lol.