Welcome Class, to Room 666...Again

[The Spawn]

I don't know, at this point I'm all out of stuff.

[X-Chick]

That's a first.

[The Spawn]

Not really, I'm just holding back.

[X-Chick]

Why would you want to do that?

[The Spawn]

Time.

[X-Chick]

Elaborate.

[The Spawn]

Tease.

[X-Chick]

I don't have a choice.

[X-Chick]

Another awesome Evan's Blue song:

Hello, I'm your martyr, will you be my gangster
can you feel my trigger hand, moving further down your back
when you hide, hide inside that body
but just remember that when I touch you
the more you shake, the more you give away

wait, another minute here, time will kill us after all
now can you feel its second hand wrapped around your neck
so fall into my eyes and fall into my lies
but don’t you forget
the more you turn away, the more I want you to stay

They're darker than I realized.

[The Spawn]

...

[X-Chick]

Its kind of creepy, isn't it?

[X-Chick]

"Over"

You better crawl on your knees
The next time you say that you love me
Fall on your knees, because this time I won't be so kind
Can't you see that this is life and life is killing me
Is it yours? is it mine?
Our sky fell down tonight, to wash away our pain

Tell me, over and over and over and over and over again
It never was time for us, it never was time to let me in
Show me, over and over and over and over and over again
It never was time for us, it never was time to let me in

You better see how evil you can be
When you see my evil smile
It's the one that you'll remember when I am not so kind
Can't you see that this is death and death is saving me
I say burn all your bridges while you still have control of the flame
I know it's hard but you...

[The Spawn]

Snaps fingers.

[X-Chick]

Huh?

[The Spawn]

Poetry.

[X-Chick]

Are we just typing random words now?

[The Spawn]

We or me?

[X-Chick]

Either/or

[The Spawn]

No clue, signing off.

[X-Chick]

Great, thanks.

[Abaddon]

How's your protocol?

[X-Chick]

Can't you seen that we were in the middle of something? :cmad:

[Abaddon]

It seemed more like you were at the end of something.:o

[X-Chick]

No, I would've rekindled it. :cmad:

[Abaddon]

Whatever gets you through the night.:heart:

I liked your rainy avatar better, shweetums.

[X-Chick]

I don't care what you like. :cmad:

And say what you want, you have no idea. :o

[Abaddon]

If Spawn didn't like it, you'd have changed it.:whatever:

:hyper:

[X-Chick]

I don't really give a damn what anyone likes.

The stupid rainy one took a while to make and then I decided I'd use that one that took like 2 seconds to make, but whatever. I'll use the other one later.

[Abaddon]

X-Chick, looking back on the past 10 years, how much have you changed and would you say it's for the better or for the worse?

[X-Chick]

I've changed a lot for the better. I've grown up a lot, made up for a lot of stupid choices, I got away from my father, learned more about life and the world. Granted, I made a lot of stupid choices during those ten years, but where I am now is far better than where I was.

[Abaddon]

But as an individual would you say you're the same person? Or that some things about you are fundamental and could not/can't be changed? And do you think some of the choices and mistakes you made were because of who you are at the core and not necessarily(ugh, I hate having to check whether I spelled this ****ing word right.:cmad::down) because of your level of maturity or limited life experience?

[X-Chick]

Well, I was only 10 years old 10 years ago. So who I was as a person wasn't really known to me then. It's something that developed in those ten years. But to try and answer some of your questions, most of the mistakes I made were because I was just a stupid kid, not because of who I was. And I would say that with the stuff that matters I am still the same person. Now I am just more mature and a little less rough around the edges. My values and morals have grown, as well as some of my views, but those things are based more on experience and what you're taught rather than who you are.

[Abaddon]

mm...ok.

[Kritish]

Astrology, in its traditional form, is a type of divination based on the theory that the positions and movements of celestial bodies (stars, planets, sun, and moon) at the time of birth profoundly influence a person's life. In its psychological form, astrology is a type of New Age therapy used for self-understanding and personality analysis (astrotherapy). In both forms, it is a manifestation of magical thinking.

Ivan Kelly, who has written many articles critical of astrology, thinks that astrology

has no relevance to understanding ourselves, or our place in the cosmos. Modern advocates of astrology cannot account for the underlying basis of astrological associations with terrestrial affairs, have no plausible explanation for its claims, and have not contributed anything of cognitive value to any field of the social sciences.

Even so, astrology is believed by millions of people and it has survived for thousands of years. The ancient Chaldeans and Assyrians engaged in astrological divination some 3,000 years ago. By 450 B.C.E. the Babylonians had developed the 12-sign zodiac, but it was the Greeks--from the time of Alexander the Great to their conquest by the Romans--who provided most of the fundamental elements of modern astrology. The spread of astrological practice was checked by the rise of Christianity, which emphasized divine intervention and free will. During the Renaissance, astrology regained popularity, in part due to rekindled interest in science and astronomy. Christian theologians, however, warred against astrology, and in 1585 Pope Sixtus V condemned it. At the same time, the work of Kepler and others undermined astrology’s tenets. Its popularity and longevity are, of course, irrelevant to the truth of astrology in any of its forms.

The most popular form of traditional Western astrology is sun sign astrology, the kind found in the horoscopes of many daily newspapers. A horoscope is an astrological forecast. The term is also used to describe a map of the zodiac at the time of one’s birth. The zodiac is divided into twelve zones of the sky, each named after the constellation that originally fell within its zone (Taurus, Leo, etc.). The apparent paths of the sun, the moon, and the major planets all fall within the zodiac. Because of the precession of the equinoxes, the equinox and solstice points have each moved westward about 30 degrees in the last 2,000 years. Thus, the zodiacal constellations named in ancient times no longer correspond to the segments of the zodiac represented by their signs. In short, had you been born at the same time on the same day of the year 2,000 years ago, you would have been born under a different sign.

In fact, there should be 13 signs, not 12.

Precession of the equinox is caused by the fact that the axis of the earth's rotation (which causes day and night) and the axis of the earth's revolution around the sun (which marks the passage of each year) are not parallel. They are 23 l/2 degrees away from lining up; that is, the earth's axis of rotation is tilted. This tilt also causes our seasons, a fact that Ptolemy did understand but that many people do not understand even today. Ptolemy understood that the rotation axis of the earth was slowly precessing, or moving in a circle, with an angular radius of 23 1/2 degrees with a period of around 26,000 years. He deduced this from comparisons of data taken by the ancient Sumerians 2,000 years before his time. He did not understand what was pushing the precession, but he did understand the motion. We now realize that the sun is rotating with a period of around 30 days and that this causes the sun to bulge at the equator, which causes a torque to be exerted on the top like motion of the earth's day and night cycle. There is also a small 18.6-year variation caused by the moon's orbit around the earth, and the moon also has a small effect on precession; however, the sun's equatorial bulge is the main cause of the precession of the equinox, which is why your sign listed in the newspaper, by Sidney Omar for instance, in most cases is removed by one sign from the modern, actual position of the sun at your birth.

The modern signs as listed here are further complicated when their boundaries are those of the current constellations. A neater way of dividing the signs would be to divide the ecliptic into 30-degree slices, as Ptolemy did, but to keep the slices centered on the star patterns. This would make the time interval for the signs more nearly 30 days each and eliminate the [13th] sign of Ophiuchus, but your modern sign would still differ by one sign from the tradition designations.*

Traditional Western astrology may be divided into tropical and sidereal. (Astrologers in non-Western traditions use different systems.) The tropical, or solar, year is measured relative to the sun and is the time between successive vernal equinoxes (365 days, 5 hr, 48 min, 46 sec of mean solar time). The sidereal year is the time required for the earth to complete an orbit of the sun relative to the stars (365 days, 6 hr, 9 min, 9.5 sec of mean solar time). The sidereal year is longer than the tropical year because of the precession of the equinoxes, i.e., the slow westward shift of the equinoctial points along the plane of the ecliptic at a rate of 50.27 seconds of arc per year, resulting from precession of the earth’s axis of rotation.

Sidereal astrology uses the actual constellation in which the sun is located at the moment of birth as its basis; tropical astrology uses a 30-degree sector of the zodiac as its basis. Tropical astrology is the most popular form and it assigns its readings based on the time of the year, while generally ignoring the positions of the sun and constellations relative to each other. Sidereal astrology is used by a minority of astrologers and bases its readings on the constellations near the sun at the time of birth.

According to some astrologers, the data support the hypothesis that there is a causal connection between heavenly bodies and human events. Appeals are made to significant correlations between astrological signs and such things as athleticism. However, even a statistically significant correlation between x and y is not a sufficient condition for reasonable belief in a causal connection, much less for the belief that x causes y. Correlation does not prove causality; nevertheless, it is extremely attractive to defenders of astrology. For example: “Among 3,458 soldiers, Jupiter is to be found 703 times, either rising or culminating when they were born. Chance predicts this should be 572. The odds here: one million to one” (Gauquelin 1975). Let’s assume that the statistical data show significant correlations between various planets rising, falling, and culminating, and various character traits. It would be more surprising if of all the billions and billions of celestial motions conceivable, there weren’t a great many that could be significantly correlated with dozens of events or individual personality traits.

Defenders of astrology are fond of noting that ‘the length of a woman’s menstrual cycle corresponds to the phases of the moon’ and ‘the gravitational fields of the sun and moon are strong enough to cause the rising and falling of tides on Earth.’ If the moon can affect the tides, then surely the moon can affect a person. But what is the analog to the tides in a person? We are reminded that humans begin life in an amniotic sea and the human body is 70 percent water. If oysters open and close their shells in accordance with the tides, which flow in accordance with the electromagnetic and gravitational forces of the sun and moon, and humans are full of water, then isn’t it obvious that the moon must influence humans as well? It may be obvious to some, but the evidence for these lunar effects is lacking.

Astrologers emphasize the importance of the positions of the sun, moon, planets, etc., at the time of birth. However, the birthing process isn’t instantaneous. There is no single moment that a person is born. The fact that some official somewhere writes down a time of birth is irrelevant. Do they pick the moment the water breaks? The moment the first dilation occurs? When the first hair or toenail peeks through? When the last toenail or hair passes the last millimeter of the vagina? When the umbilical cord is cut? When the first breath is taken? Or does birth occur at the moment a physician or nurse looks at a clock to note the time of birth?

Why are the initial conditions more important than all subsequent conditions for one’s personality and traits? Why is the moment of birth chosen as the significant moment rather than the moment of conception? Why aren’t other initial conditions such as one’s mother’s health, the delivery place conditions, forceps, bright lights, dim room, back seat of a car, etc., more important than whether Mars is ascending, descending, culminating, or fulminating? Why isn’t the planet Earth—the closest large object to us in our solar system--considered a major influence on who we are and what we become? Other than the sun and the moon and an occasional passing comet or asteroid, most planetary objects are so distant from us that any influences they might have on anything on our planet are likely to be wiped out by the influences of other things here on earth.

No one would claim that in order to grasp the effect of the moon on the tides or potatoes one must understand initial conditions of the Singularity before the Big Bang, or the positions of the stars and planets at the time the potato was harvested. If you want to know what tomorrow’s low tide will be you do not need to know where the moon was when the first ocean or river was formed, or whether the ocean came first and then the moon, or vice-versa. Initial conditions are less important than present conditions to understanding current effects on rivers and vegetables. If this is true for the tides and plants, why wouldn’t it be true for people?

Finally, there are those who defend astrology by pointing out how accurate professional horoscopes are. Astrology “works,” it is said, but what does that mean? Basically, to say astrology works means that there are a lot of satisfied customers and one can shoehorn any event to fit a chart. It does not mean that astrology is accurate in predicting human behavior or events to a degree significantly greater than mere chance. There are many satisfied customers who believe that their horoscope accurately describes them and that their astrologer has given them good advice. Such evidence does not prove astrology so much as it demonstrates the Forer effect, and confirmation bias. Good astrologers give good advice, but that does not validate astrology. There have been several studies that have shown that people will use selective thinking to make any chart they are given fit their preconceived notions about themselves and their charts. Many of the claims made about signs and personalities are vague and would fit many people under many different signs. Even professional astrologers, most of whom have nothing but disdain for sun sign astrology, can’t pick out a correct horoscope reading at better than a chance rate. Yet, astrology continues to maintain its popularity, despite the fact that there is scarcely a shred of scientific evidence in its favor. Even the former First Lady of the United States, Nancy Reagan, and her husband, Ronald, consulted an astrologer while he was the leader of the free world, demonstrating once again that astrologers have more influence than the stars do.

[X-Chick]

Do you know what the human body goes through when you have sex? Pupils dilate, arteries constrict, core temperature rises, heart races, blood pressure skyrockets, respiration becomes rapid and shallow, the brain fires bursts of electrical impulses from nowhere to nowhere, and secretions spit out of every gland, and the muscles tense and spasm like you're lifting three times your body weight. It's violent. It's ugly. And it's messy. But its incredibly fun.

[The Spawn]

Great read Krit.

[X-Chick]

The Allais effect is a claimed anomalous precession of the plane of oscillation of a pendulum during a solar eclipse. It has been speculated to be unexplained by standard physical models of gravitation, but recent mainstream physics publications tend rather to posit conventional explanations for the reported observations.

The effect was first reported in 1954 by Maurice Allais, a French economist who went on to win the Nobel Prize in Economics. He reported another observation of the effect during a 1959 solar eclipse.

Prof. Allais's explanation for this and other anomalies is that space evinces certain anisotropic characteristics, which he ascribes to the existence of an aether; he has elaborated these theories in his 1997 book "Anisotropie de l'Espace".

The most recent published observation of a possibly related anomalous gravitational effect (claimed variation of terrestrial gravitation as measured by a sensitive gravimeter) was by Wang et al. in 2000, for an experiment carried out in 1997 in a remote region of China during a total solar eclipse. In response to criticisms, the same authors later (2002 and 2003) published papers maintaining that their observations could not be explained by conventional phenomena such as temperature and pressure change caused by the eclipse, and that, although tilting of the ground due to temperature changes could, in the extreme, have been responsible, that hypothesis was unlikely. Further observations which the same team performed in 2001 and 2002 during solar eclipses in Zambia and Australia appear to have yielded evidence of similar anomalies.

Another anomalous effect during a solar eclipse, an increase in the period of a torsion pendulum, was reported by Saxl and Allen in 1970, but subsequent attempts to replicate this experiment (under different eclipse geometries and with much smaller pendulum bobs) failed to observe any effect (Kuusela, 1991; Jun, 1991). Jeverdan in Romania claimed to have observed anomalous pendulum behavior during a solar eclipse in 1961 (Jeverdan, 1981) - decrease of the period by about 1 part in 2000 - the so-called "Jeverdan effect", but his report was not published in a mainstream English-language scientific journal.

A recent published article on the topic in a mainstream scientific journal (Flandern, 2003) concludes that there have been "no unambiguous detections [of an Allais effect] within the past 30 years when consciousness of the importance of [experimental] controls was more widespread." This paper also suggests a mechanism that might cause slight gravitational variations during an eclipse (high speed high-altitude winds for which there is no observational evidence), but admits that "the gravitation anomaly discussed here is about a factor of 100,000 too small to explain the Allais excess pendulum precession... during eclipses".

A review article by Chris Duif, which surveys the field of gravitational anomalies in general, concludes that the question remains open, and that such investigations should be pursued, in view of their relatively inexpensive nature and the enormous implications if genuine anomalies are actually confirmed.

Exotic explanations for Allais and related effects have not gained significant traction among mainstream scientists.

[The Spawn]

Meh.

[X-Chick]

What the hell is your problem? :huh:

[X-Chick]

We haven't done literature in a while.


O, what a noble mind is here o’erthrown!
The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword;
The expectancy and rose of the fair state,
The glass of fashion and the mould of form,
The observ’d of all observers, quite, quite down!
And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
That suck’d the honey of his music vows,
Now see that noble and most sovereign reason,
Like sweet bells jangled out of tune and harsh;
That unmatch’d form and feature of blown youth
Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me,
To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!


Be ashamed of yourselves if you don't know what this is from.

[The Spawn]

Uh...

[The Spawn]

Uh...

[Abaddon]

Oedipus?:huh:


anyway, Spawn what is the deal with your current protocol?

[X-Chick]

That's it. I've had enough of all of you.

[Abaddon]

Pfft, Shakespeare. Of course it was ****ing Shakespeare. It just seemed too obvious. And who the **** reads Shakespeare for fun anyway? A crazy person that's who.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A doppelgänger or fetch is the ghostly double of a living person, a sinister form of bilocation.

In the vernacular, "Doppelgänger" has come to refer to any double or look-alike of a person—most commonly an "evil twin".

The word is also used to describe the sensation of having glimpsed oneself in peripheral vision, in a position where there is no chance that it could have been a reflection.

They are generally regarded as harbingers of bad luck. In some traditions, a doppelgänger seen by a person's friends or relatives portends illness or danger, while seeing one's own doppelgänger is an omen of death. In Norse mythology, a vardøgr is a ghostly double who precedes a living person and is seen performing their actions in advance.

Spelling

The word "doppelgänger" is a loanword from German, in which language it is written (as with any German noun) with an initial capital letter: Doppelgänger. The word derives from Doppel ("double") and Gänger ("goer").

In English, the word is conventionally uncapitalized ("doppelgänger"). It is also common to drop the German diacritic, umlaut, from the letter "ä," writing "doppelganger," although in German the correct spelling without the umlaut would actually be "Doppelgaenger."

Folklore

The doppelgängers of folklore cast no shadow, and have no reflection in a mirror or in water. They are supposed to provide advice to the person they shadow, but this advice can be misleading or malicious. They can also, in rare instances, plant ideas in their victim's mind or appear before friends and relatives, causing confusion. In many cases once someone has viewed his own doppelgänger he is doomed to be haunted by images of his ghostly counterpart.

Other folklore says that when a person's doppelgänger is seen, the person him/herself will die shortly. It is considered unwise to try to communicate with a doppelgänger.

Famous reports

* Emilie Sagée was a 19th-century schoolteacher whose doppelgänger's public appearances were recorded by Robert Dale Owen after having been reported to him by Julie von Güldenstubbe[1]. (The story is described in more detail below.)
* Guy de Maupassant recorded his own doppelgänger experiences in his story, Lui (The light continent).
* It is sometimes claimed that Percy Bysshe Shelley, English atheist and poet, met his doppelgänger, an event presaging his own death. Shelley, however, met this "doppelgänger" in a dream[2], not in real life.
* John Donne, the English metaphysical poet, is also said to have met his wife's doppelgänger in 1612 while staying at Amiens, on the same night as the stillbirth of his daughter. Again, this may a garbled account of a dream.[citations needed]
* Abraham Lincoln told his wife that, soon after he was elected president, he saw two faces of himself in a mirror, one deathly pale. His wife believed this to mean that he would be elected to a second term but would not survive it (Sandburg, 195).
* Rosalyn Greene claims that the doppelgänger phenomenon, via bilocation, is responsible for reports of werewolves and other shapeshifters (Greene, 87).

Emilie Sagée

Robert Dale Owen was responsible for writing down the singular case of Emilie Sagée. He was told this anecdote by Julie von Güldenstubbe, a Latvian aristocrat. Von Güldenstubbe reported that in the year 1845–46, at the age of 13, she witnessed, along with audiences of between 13 and 42 children, her 32-year-old French teacher Sagée bilocate, in broad daylight, inside her school (Pensionat von Neuwelcke). The actions of Sagée's doppelgänger included:

* Mimicking writing and eating, but with nothing in its hands.
* Moving independently of Sagée, and remaining motionless while she moved.
* Appearing to be in full health at a time when Sagée was badly ill.

Apparently also, the doppelgänger exerted resistance to the touch, but was non-physical (one[3] girl passed through the doppelgänger's body).

Scientific investigations

Left temporoparietal junction

In September 2006 it was reported in Nature [4] that Shahar Arzy and colleagues of the University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland, had unexpectedly reproduced an effect strongly reminiscent of the doppelgänger phenomenon via the electrical stimulation of a patient's brain. They applied focal electrical stimulation to a patient's left temporoparietal junction while she lay flat on a bed. The patient immediately felt the presence of another person in her "extrapersonal space". Other than epilepsy, for which the patient was being treated, she was psychologically fit.

The other person was described as young, of indeterminate sex, silent, motionless, and with a body posture identical to her own. The other person was located exactly behind her, almost touching and therefore within the bed that the patient was lying on.

A second electrical stimulation was applied with slightly more intensity, while the patient was sitting up with her arms folded. This time the patient felt the presence of a "man" who had his arms wrapped around her. She described the sensation as highly unpleasant and electrical stimulation was stopped.

Finally, when the patient was seated, electrical stimulation was applied while the patient was asked to perform language test with a set of flash cards. On this occasion the patient reported the presence of a sitting person, displaced behind her and to the right. She said that the presence was attempting to interfere with the test: "He wants to take the card; he doesn’t want me to read." Again, the effect was disturbing and electrical stimulation was ceased.

Similar effects were found for different positions and postures when electrical stimulation exceeded 10mA, at the left temporoparietal junction.

Arzy and his colleagues suggest that the left temporoparietal junction of the brain evokes the sensation of self image—body location, position, posture etc. When the left temporoparietal junction is disturbed, the sensation of self-attribution is broken and may be replaced by the sensation of a foreign presence or copy of oneself displaced nearby. This copy mirrors the real person's body posture, location and position. Arzy and his colleagues suggest that the phenomenon they created is seen in certain mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, particularly when accompanied by paranoia, delusions of persecution and of alien control. Nevertheless, the effects reported are highly reminiscent of the doppelgänger phenomenon. Accordingly, some reports of doppelgängers may well be due to failure of the left temporoparietal junction.

See Monothematic delusion for a detailed description of various psychological problems including the Syndrome of subjective doubles, which may be related to the doppelgänger. See also Out-of-body experience for the related work of Olof Blanke.

Fiction

True doppelgängers are rare in fiction. However, doubles of various kinds appear in a variety of fictional works. In its simplest incarnation, mistaken identity is a classic trope used in literature, from Twelfth Night to A Tale of Two Cities. In these cases, the characters look similar for perfectly normal reasons, such as being siblings or simple coincidence.

Some mythology offer more mystic explanations, where the double is created as a kind of curse or otherwise through magic. These doppelgängers are typically, but not always, evil in some way. The double will often impersonate the victim and go about ruining them, for instance through committing crimes or insulting the victim's friends. Sometimes, the double even tries to kill the original. Some works of fantasy include shapeshifters, as either talented individuals or as a separate race, who can mimic any person.

Another variant, usually seen in science fiction, involves clones. While genetic cloning in actual science may create a genetically identical new being (that will not have the memories and experiences of the original), some futuristic variants in fiction clone living beings in their entirety, albeit sometimes with modified memories and motives.

The idea of doppelgängers is also seen in fiction involving time travel and parallel universes. In this case, the doppelgänger really "is" the doubled person, but from a different timeline or different version of the universe.

Probably the best fictional example of a sinister double is in Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, a story about the respectable and morally upright Dr Henry Jekyll whose dark and evil side is released, with the aid of a drug, in the malevolent form of Mr Edward Hyde. The story represents a wonderful compendium of fin-de-siècle phobias and celebrations: the scientific progress characteristic of the epoch is represented through the character of Jekyll, while the cultural degeneration equally as characteristic is represented through the character of Hyde.

In a 2000 episode of the now-defunct WB television comedy "The Jamie Foxx Show", Jamie King briefly ends a romantic relationship with his co-worker Francesca "Fancy" Monroe, played by Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon. He proceeds to date another woman with (presumably) similar physicial features, named Nancy (played by Golden Brooks). In the episode, Jamie and Nancy run into Fancy's friend Sheila, played by Sherri Shepherd, at a nightclub. Sheila is heavily intoxicated and briefly mistakes Nancy for Fancy. But when she realizes it's a different woman, she's very unnerved by the uncanny resemblance and believes her to be a sinister version of her good friend. She blurts out "...you one o' dem Doppelgangers!" and staggers out of the lounge.

In the video game, "Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door," the character Doopliss transforms Mario into a Doppleganger of his self, thus stealing Mario's body, name, and abilities. Only after discovering Doopliss's true name and fighting him once again does Mario get his body back, but no letter "p" is in the "input a guess" area. Mario must find the p in a chest in a secret room located in Creepy Steeple. Doopliss also makes many attempts to harm Mario physically, but at one point in the game, neither can damage the other. Doopliss also attempts to destory Mario's reputation.

[X-Chick]

Yes, I'm the weird one because I know some Hamlet. It's so much more intelligent to talk about ghosts. Moron. :whatever:

[The Spawn]

What do you mean by your question Abaddon?

[X-Chick]

A foodborne illness, also foodborne disease, is any illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated food. Although foodborne illness is commonly called food poisoning, this is often a misnomer. True food poisoning occurs when a person ingests a contaminating chemical or a natural toxin. Most cases of foodborne illness are actually food infection, caused by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, prions or parasites.[1] Such contamination usually arises from improper handling, preparation, or food storage. Good hygiene practices before, during, and after food preparation can reduce the chances of contracting an illness. The action of monitoring food to ensure that it will not cause foodborne illness is known as food safety. Foodborne disease can also be caused by a large variety of toxins that affect the environment.

:csad:

[Abaddon]

Who's talking about intelligence?:huh:

And when did dopplegangers become ghosts?:huh:




I mean everything by my question, Spawn. But for better clarity, the discussion that started on page 68 (http://www.superherohype.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96587&page=68&highlight=protocol)

and I am keeping in mind that it may have not been with "you":o

[X-Chick]

Me.

The very definition of "doppleganger" the ghostly double of a living person, adapted from German Doppelgänger (look-alike). The word comes from doppel meaning "double" and gänger translated as "goer". The term has, in the vernacular, come to refer to any double of a person, most commonly in reference to a so-called evil twin, or to bilocation. Alternatively, the word is used to describe a phenomenon where you catch your own image out of the corner of your eye. While they aren't technically ghosts, in most uses of the word, they aren't human either. More like a shadowy opposite of yourself.

Did you read every page of this thread or something? And you're stupid to keep in mind it may not have been "him." It's always been "him." :o

[Abaddon]

I know that. It's why "him" is in quotations.:whatever:

ghostly, meaning ghost-like. Just like being b**tchy doesn't necessarily indicate a person is a b**ch. Although.....:o


And there's lots of good conversations in this thread. Maybe if you took the time, you'd notice.:heart:

[X-Chick]

While they aren't technically ghosts, in most uses of the word, they aren't human either. More like a shadowy opposite of yourself.



ghostly, meaning ghost-like. Just like being b**tchy doesn't necessarily indicate a person is a b**ch. Although.....:o


Read next time, jackass. They're widely considered to be a ghost or spirit of a living person. Not "ghost" in the textbook definition of "ghost" but in appearances.

And I don't have time to read through over 100 pages of thread. I was there for a lot of it anyway. :o

[Abaddon]

Read next time, jackass. They're widely considered to be a ghost or spirit of a living person. Not "ghost" in the textbook definition of "ghost" but in appearances.

Not "ghost" in the textbook definition, but ghostly. But thanks for making the effort to rephrase what I just said, counselor.:whatever:

And I don't have time to read through over 100 pages of thread. I was there for a lot of it anyway. :o

And I'm sure you remember all of it.:word:

[X-Chick]

You're just being stupid and taking it how you want to and I don't feel like teaching a kid anything right now. I have stuffs to do or something.

I remember all the good stuff. :o

[Abaddon]

Nah, you're just being stubborn and combative because you think I want to usurp your place as teacher's pet. It's too late for you to save face, so by all means go...do "stuff":o:)

[X-Chick]

I can't be teacher's pet because I'm a goddamn teacher too. I post just as much **** as anyone else. You're the one who is so desperate for his attention. I don't have to be because I already have it. :o


I wish I could. :csad:

[Abaddon]

Oh please. You've been desperate for Spawn to acknowledge you as an equal from the get-go. You've got it bad.:o

[X-Chick]

You don't know everything.

[Abaddon]

I know enough.

[X-Chick]

Not about the subject you speak of.

[Abaddon]

Alright then, teach me.:o

[X-Chick]

You only see half of what really goes on with us. The Hype bit is all for show, not for real. Well, I would say like 80% of here is pretty fake. I will admit however, even though most people know this, Spawn is totally my Hype crush, since apparently everyone has one.

[Abaddon]

You like that he challenges you.

[X-Chick]

Yep, I can honestly say he's one of two guys I've actually had to put half an effort into getting some attention. The other, of course, is my fiance.

[Abaddon]

lol, you give them power over you.

[X-Chick]

Yeah, its hot.


Anyway, to back to serious stuffs.......

Come up with something serious...

[Master Chief]

Getting dominated is the rocks Aba, sing me dancing queen! :huh:

Anyway, is it like summer in Hell but winter in Heaven?

[X-Chick]

Getting dominated is the rocks Aba, sing me dancing queen! :huh:

Anyway, is it like summer in Hell but winter in Heaven?

Yeah, its fun. :up:

No, its probably like Spring in Heaven and hell in Hell, theoretically anyway. :o

[Abaddon]

See that girl...somethingsomethingsomething...she is the dancing queen!:huh:


Domination might be sexy is bed, but not in a relationship.:o

[X-Chick]

See that girl...somethingsomethingsomething...she is the dancing queen!:huh:


Domination might be sexy is bed, but not in a relationship.:o

Agreed. Everything in a relationship has to be 50-50...or at least 60-40.

[Master Chief]

You're the best Aba. :yay: And coolness, spring is nice. But it has to be like, sunny day spring, not rainy day spring. :csad: As for relationship domination... I dunno, I wouldn't mind being financially dominated in a relationship. :dry:

[X-Chick]

Its fun, except when its all like, "no, you can't buy another pair of shoes. you bought some last week." :csad:

[Master Chief]

That's sounds soooo mean. But you're lucky 'cause you can cry and stuff and win. :csad:

[X-Chick]

Crying doesn't always work. He can tell when I'm faking it. :csad:

[Master Chief]

Holy jeebz, I thought there was only an awesome side to people knowing you too well. :dry:

[X-Chick]

No, not always. But mostly, yeah, its cool. Or something.

[X-Chick]

In ancient Egyptian mythology and in myths derived from it, the phoenix or phoenix is a mythical sacred firebird. Said to live for 500 or 1461 years (depending on the source), the phoenix is a bird with beautiful gold and red plumage. At the end of its life-cycle the phoenix builds itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises. The new phoenix embalms the ashes of the old phoenix in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis ("the city of the sun" in Greek). The bird was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible — a symbol of fire and divinity.

Although descriptions (and life-span) vary, the phoenix (Bennu bird) became popular in early Christian art, literature and Christian symbolism, as a symbol of Christ, and further, represented the resurrection, immortality, and the life-after-death of Jesus Christ.

Originally, the phoenix was identified by the Egyptians as a stork or heron-like bird called a benu, known from the Book of the Dead and other Egyptian texts as one of the sacred symbols of worship at Heliopolis, closely associated with the rising sun and the Egyptian sun-god Ra.

Phoenix (also known as Garuda in sanskrit) is the mystical firebird which is considered as chariot of Hindu God Vishnu. Its reference can be found in Hindu epic Ramayana.

The Greeks adapted the word bennu (and also took over its further Egyptian meaning of date palm tree), and identified it with their own word phoenix φοινιξ, meaning the color purple-red or crimson (cf. Phoenicia). They and the Romans subsequently pictured the bird more like a peacock or an eagle. According to the Greeks the phoenix lived in Arabia next to a well. At dawn, it bathed in the water of the well, and the Greek sun-god Apollo stopped his chariot (the sun) in order to listen to its song.

One inspiration that has been suggested for the Egyptian phoenix is a specific bird species of East Africa. This bird nests on salt flats that are too hot for its eggs or chicks to survive; it builds a mound several inches tall and large enough to support its egg, which it lays in that marginally cooler location. The convection currents around these mounds resembles the turbulence of a flame.

Another suggested inspiration for the mythical phoenix bird, and various other mythical birds that are closely associated with the sun, is the total eclipse of the sun. During some total solar eclipses the sun's corona displays a distinctly bird-like form that almost certainly inspired the winged sun disk symbols of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

In Russian folklore, the phoenix appears as the Zhar-Ptitsa (Жар-Птица), or firebird, subject of the famous 1910 ballet score by Igor Stravinsky. The phoenix was featured in the flags of Alexander Ypsilantis and of many other captains during the Greek Revolution, symbolizing Greece's rebirth, and was chosen by John Capodistria as the first Coat of Arms of the Greek State (1828-1832). In addition, the first modern Greek currency bore the name of phoenix. Despite being replaced by a royal Coat of Arms, it remained a popular symbol, and was used again in the 1930s by the Second Hellenic Republic. However, its use by the military junta of 1967-1974 made it extremely unpopular, and it has almost disappeared from use after 1974, with the notable exception of the Order of the Phoenix.

[The Spawn]

Elaborate even furthur.

[X-Chick]

Stop ignoring me. :cmad:

[The Spawn]

...

[X-Chick]

............


I win.

[The Spawn]

Not really.

You used more effort.

[X-Chick]

Not really.

It doesn't take much effort.

[The Spawn]

I never said it took a lot...

[The Spawn]

I never said it took a lot...

[X-Chick]

:heart:

[The Spawn]

I guess.

[X-Chick]

You guess I win. Fantastic.

[Darren Daring]

You forgive him so easily:(

[X-Chick]

You forgive him so easily:(

Probably because I have to so often.

[The Spawn]

What?

[X-Chick]

I have to go to work. :csad: And take a shower.


Not in that order, though. :o

[The Spawn]

Take lots of pictures.








































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































I'm curious as to what the work place looks like.

[X-Chick]

http://www.signetgroupplc.com/477

[The Spawn]

I haven't been able to load up images all day.

[X-Chick]

that's terrible

[The Spawn]

So, whatever you posted is gonna have to wait.

[X-Chick]

It was just a picture of the store I work at. Not the exact one, but they all look pretty much the same. :o

[The Spawn]

That's awkward...

[X-Chick]

What is?

[Abaddon]

Now I'm curious why Spawn is avoiding my question.

[X-Chick]

Now I'm curious why Spawn is avoiding my question.

He didn't.

Elaborate even furthur.

He just has no idea what you're talking about.

[Abaddon]

I don't want to elaborate because I'm afraid it'll limit the amount of information he'll give.:o

[Master Chief]

That's like. Backwards. :dry:

[X-Chick]

Well, if you don't, he won't answer at all. So choose.

[The Spawn]

Wow.

[X-Chick]

this thread is getting dumber every day.

[Abaddon]

Describe to me your protocol. Has it changed any?

[The Spawn]

Lets have a real discussion...lets talk about children...do you think they're born good or evil?

[X-Chick]

neutral

[The Spawn]

WTF is your ****ing problem?

[X-Chick]

huh? :huh:

[The Spawn]

What do you think Abaddon means by his question?

[X-Chick]

i have no idea. he doesn't make any sense.

[The Spawn]

If his goal was to make sure I didn't limit the amount of answer I would give in my answer, it should have been assumed that I was gonna be vague to begin with.

[X-Chick]

you're being weird.

and i don't actually care about abaddon or anything relating to him.

[The Spawn]

Thats not nice to say...its also random.

[X-Chick]

i'm a random person.

[The Spawn]

So I've noticed...especially when its that time of the month.

[X-Chick]

i don't think i've ever talked to you when it was.

[The Spawn]

So when you freaked out on me online just now, that was you?

[X-Chick]

yeah and i was really just joking, but you got all stupid about it. but whatever, i dont really care.

[The Spawn]

I know you don't.

You don't care about anything.

[X-Chick]

that's not true. in fact, i think its the other way around.

[X-Chick]

and with this post, i now have the second highest post count in this thread. how pathetic.

[The Spawn]

You keep proving my point...what is up with the attitude lately?

[BRUTAL]

Are you two married?

[The Spawn]

No.

[X-Chick]

no, i'm engaged to someone else.

what attitude?

[The Spawn]

The...pissy one.

[X-Chick]

i don't have one. you're imagining things.

[Abaddon]

She's stressed about getting married but she's probably afraid to admit it. And yes dear, there is one.:o


Also I did assume you'd be vague.

[X-Chick]

no, i'm stressing about the damned wedding, but not the marriage itself. i'd rather just elope but whatever. and no, there isn't one, i guess it's rather hard to tell in text, but again, whatever.

[The Spawn]

The Royal Library of Alexandria was once the largest in the world. It is usually assumed to have been founded at the beginning of the 3rd century BC during the reign of Ptolemy II of Egypt after his father had set up the temple of the Muses, the Musaeum (whence we get "Museum"). The initial organization is attributed to Demetrius Phalereus, and is estimated to have stored at its peak 400,000 to 700,000 parchment scrolls. The library's destruction remains a mystery. A new library was inaugurated in 2003, near the site of the old library.

One story holds that the Library was seeded with Aristotle's own private collection, through one of his students, Demetrius Phalereus. Another concerns how its collection grew so large. By decree of Ptolemy III of Egypt, all visitors to the city were required to surrender all books and scrolls in their possession; these writings were then swiftly copied by official scribes. The originals were put into the Library, and the copies were delivered to the previous owners. While encroaching on the rights of the traveler or merchant, it also helped to create a reservoir of books in the relatively new city.

The Library's contents were likely distributed over several buildings, with the main library either located directly attached to or close to the oldest building, the Museum, and a daughter library in the younger Serapeum, also a temple dedicated to the god Serapis. Carlton Welch provides the following description of the main library based on the existing historical records:


A covered marble colonnade connected the Museum with an adjacent stately building, also in white marble and stone, architecturally harmonious, indeed forming an integral part of the vast pile, dedicated to learning by the wisdom of the first Ptolemy in following the advice and genius of Demetrios of Phaleron. This was the famous Library of Alexandria, the "Mother" library of the Museum, the Alexandriana, truly the foremost wonder of the ancient world. Here in ten great Halls, whose ample walls were lined with spacious armaria, numbered and titled, were housed the myriad manuscripts containing the wisdom, knowledge, and information, accumulated by the genius of the Hellenic peoples. Each of the ten Halls was assigned to a separate department of learning embracing the assumed ten divisions of Hellenic knowledge as may have been found in the Catalogue of Callimachus of Greek Literature in the Alexandrian Library, the farfamed Pinakes. The Halls were used by the scholars for general research, although there were smaller separate rooms for individuals or groups engaged in special studies.
In 2004 a Polish-Egyptian team claimed to have discovered part of the library while excavating in the Bruchion region. The archaeologists claimed to have found thirteen "lecture halls", each with a central podium. Zahi Hawass, president of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities said that all together, the rooms uncovered so far could have seated 5000 students.

[The Spawn]

Destruction of the Great Library

One of the reasons so little is known about the Library is that it was lost centuries after its creation. All that is left of many of the volumes are tantalizing titles that hint at all the history lost from the building's destruction. Few events in ancient history are as controversial as the destruction of the Library, as the historical record is both contradictory and incomplete. Not surprisingly, the Great Library became a symbol for knowledge itself, and its destruction was attributed to those who were portrayed as ignorant barbarians, often for purely political reasons.

Much of the debate rests on a different understanding of what constituted the actual Library. Large parts of the Library were likely decentralized, so it is appropriate also to speak of the "Alexandrian libraries".

Both the Serapeum, a temple and daughter library, and the Museum itself existed until about AD 400. Only if one believes the Museum to be distinct from the Great Library, an event of destruction prior to that point becomes plausible.

One account of such an event of destruction concerns Julius Caesar. During his invasion of Alexandria in 47*48 BC, Caesar set the enemy fleet in the harbor on fire. Some historians believe that this fire spread into the city and destroyed the entire library. While this interpretation is now a minority view, it is based on several ancient sources, all of which were written at least about 150 years after the destruction supposedly took place. Edward Parsons has analyzed the Caesar theory in his book The Alexandrian Library and summarizes the sources as follows:

A final summary is interesting: of the 16 writers, ten -- Caesar himself, the author of the Alexandrian War, Cicero, Strabo, Livy (as far as we know), Lucan, Florus, Suetonius, Appian, and even Athenaeus -- apparently knew nothing of the burning of the Museum, of the Library, or of Books during Caesar's visit to Egypt; and six tell of the incident as follows:


1. Seneca (AD 49), the first writer to mention it (and that nearly 100 years after the alleged event), definitely says that 40,000 books were burned.
2. Plutarch (c. 117) says that the fire destroyed the great Library.

3. Aulus Gellius (123 - 169) says that during the "sack" of Alexandria 700,000 volumes were all burned.

4. Dio Cassius (155 - 235) says that storehouses containing grain and books were burned, and that these books were of great number and excellence.

5. Ammianus Marcellinus (390) says that in the "sack" of the city 70,000 volumes were burned.6. Orosius (c. 415), the last writer, singularly confirms Seneca as to number and the thing destroyed: 40,000 books.

Of all the sources, Plutarch is the only one to refer explicitly to the destruction of the Library. Plutarch was also the first writer to refer to Caesar by name. Ammianus Marcellinus' account seems to be directly based on Aulus Gellius because the wording is almost the same.

The majority of ancient historians, even those strongly politically opposed to Caesar, give no account of the alleged massive disaster. Cecile Orru argued in "Antike Bibliotheken" (2002, edited by Wolfgang Höpfner) that Caesar could not have destroyed the Library because it was located in the royal quarter of the city, where Caesar's troops were fortified after the fire (which would not have been possible if the fire had spread to that location).

Furthermore, the Library was a very large stone building and the scrolls were stored away in armaria (and some of them put in capsules), so it is hard to see how a fire in the harbor could have affected a significant part of its contents. Lastly, modern archaeological finds have confirmed an extensive ancient water supply network which covered the major parts of the city, including, of course, the royal quarter.

The destruction of the library is attributed by some historians to a period of civil war in the late 3rd century AD -- but we know that the Museum, which was adjacent to the library, survived until the 4th century. There are also allegations dating to medieval times that claim that Caliph Omar, during an invasion in the 7th century, ordered the Library to be destroyed, but these claims are generally regarded as a Christian attack on Muslims, and include many indications of fabrication, such as the claim that the contents of the Library took six months to burn in Alexandria's public baths. The legend of Caliph Omar's destruction of the library provides the classical example of a dilemma: Omar is reported to have said that if the books of the library did not contain the teachings of the Qur'an, they were useless and should be destroyed; if the books did contain the teachings of the Qur'an, they were superfluous and should be destroyed.

Evidence for the existence of the Library after Caesar

As noted above, it is generally accepted that the Museum of Alexandria existed until c. AD 400, and if the Museum and the Library are considered to be largely identical or attached to one another, earlier accounts of destruction could only concern a small number of books stored elsewhere. This is consistent with the number given by Seneca, much smaller than the overall volume of books in the Library. So under this interpretation it is plausible that, for example, books stored in a warehouse near the harbor were accidentally destroyed by Caesar, and that larger numbers cited in some works have to be considered unreliable -- misinterpretations by the medieval monks who preserved these works through the Middle Ages, or deliberate forgeries.

Even if one considers the Museum and the Library to be very much separate, there is considerable evidence that the Library continued to exist after the alleged destruction. Plutarch, who claimed the Great Library was destroyed (150 years after the alleged incident), in Life of Antony describes the later transfer of the second largest library to Alexandria by Mark Antony as a gift to Cleopatra. He quotes Calvisius as claiming "that [Mark Antony] had given her the library of Pergamus, containing two hundred thousand distinct volumes", although he himself finds Calvisius' claims hard to believe. In "Einführung in die Überlieferungsgeschichte" (1994, p. 39), Egert Pöhlmann cites further expansions of the Alexandrian libraries by Caesar Augustus (in the year AD 12) and Claudius (AD 41-54). Even if the most extreme allegations against Caesar were true, this raises the question of what happened to these volumes.

The continued existence of the Library is also supported by an ancient inscription found in the early 20th century, dedicated to Tiberius Claudius Balbillus of Rome (d. AD 56). As noted in the "Handbuch der Bibliothekswissenschaft" (Georg Leyh, Wiesbaden 1955):


"We have to understand the office which Ti. Claudius Balbillus held [...], which included the title 'supra Museum et ab Alexandrina bibliotheca', to have combined the direction of the Museum with that of the united libraries, as an academy."
Athenaeus (c. AD 200) wrote in detail in the Deipnosophistai about the wealth of Ptolemy II (309-246 BC) and the type and number of his ships. When it came to the Library and Museum, he wrote: "Why should I now have to point to the books, the establishment of libraries and the collection in the Museum, when this is in every man's memory?" Given the context of his statement, and the fact that the Museum still existed at the time, it is clear that Athenaeus cannot have referred to any event of destruction -- he considered both facilities to be so famous that it was not necessary for him to describe them in detail. We must therefore conclude that at least some of the Alexandrian libraries were still in operation at the time.

Destruction of the pagan temples by Theophilus

In the late 4th century, persecution of pagans by Christians had reached new levels of intensity. Temples and statues were destroyed throughout the Roman Empire, pagan rituals forbidden under punishment of death, and libraries closed. In 391, Emperor Theodosius ordered the destruction of all pagan temples, and Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria complied with this request. Socrates Scholasticus provides the following account of the destruction of the temples in Alexandria:


"Demolition of the Idolatrous Temples at Alexandria, and the Consequent Conflict between the Pagans and Christians. At the solicitation of Theophilus bishop of Alexandria the emperor issued an order at this time for the demolition of the heathen temples in that city; commanding also that it should be put in execution under the direction of Theophilus. Seizing this opportunity, Theophilus exerted himself to the utmost to expose the pagan mysteries to contempt.
"And to begin with, he caused the Mithreum to be cleaned out, and exhibited to public view the tokens of its bloody mysteries. Then he destroyed the Serapeum, and the bloody rites of the Mithreum he publicly caricatured; the Serapeum also he showed full of extravagant superstitions, and he had the phalli of Priapus carried through the midst of the forum.

"Thus this disturbance having been terminated, the governor of Alexandria, and the commander-in-chief of the troops in Egypt, assisted Theophilus in demolishing the heathen temples. These were therefore razed to the ground, and the images of their gods molten into pots and other convenient utensils for the use of the Alexandrian church; for the emperor had instructed Theophilus to distribute them for the relief of the poor.

"All the images were accordingly broken to pieces, except one statue of the god before mentioned, which Theophilus preserved and set up in a public place; 'Lest,' said he, 'at a future time the heathens should deny that they had ever worshiped such gods.'"

[The Spawn]

The Serapeum housed part of the Library, but it is not known how many books were contained in it at the time of destruction. Notably, Paulus Orosius admitted in his History against the pagans:


"Today there exist in temples book chests which we ourselves have seen, and, when these temples were plundered, these, we are told, were emptied by our own men in our time, which, indeed, is a true statement."
Some books may have been stolen, therefore, but any books that existed in the Serapeum at the time would have been destroyed when it was razed to the ground.

As for the Museum, Mostafa El-Abbadi writes in Life and Fate of the ancient Library of Alexandria (Paris 1992):


"The Mouseion, being at the same time a 'shrine of the Muses', enjoyed a degree of sanctity as long as other pagan temples remained unmolested. Synesius of Cyrene, who studied under Hypatia at the end of the fourth century, saw the Mouseion and described the images of the philosophers in it. We have no later reference to its existence in the fifth century. As Theon, the distinguished mathematician and father of Hypatia, herself a renowned scholar, was the last recorded scholar-member (c. 380), it is likely that the Mouseion did not long survive the promulgation of Theodosius' decree in 391 to destroy all pagan temples in the City."
Conclusions

There is a growing consensus among historians that the Library of Alexandria likely suffered from several destructive events, but that the destruction of Alexandria's pagan temples in the late 4th century was probably the most severe and final one. The evidence for that destruction is the most definitive and secure. Caesar's invasion may well have led to the loss of some 40,000-70,000 scrolls in a warehouse adjacent to the port (as Luciano Canfora argues, they were likely copies produced by the Library intended for export), but it is unlikely to have affected the Library or Museum, given that there is ample evidence that both existed later.

Civil wars, decreasing investments in maintenance and acquisition of new scrolls and generally declining interest in non-religious pursuits likely contributed to a reduction in the body of material available in the Library, especially in the fourth century. The Serapeum was certainly destroyed by Theophilus in 391, and the Museum and Library may have fallen victim to the same campaign.

If indeed a Christian mob was responsible for the destruction of the Library, the question remains why Plutarch casually referred to the destruction of "the great library" by Caesar in his Life of Caesar. As noted in the Wikipedia article on Plutarch, Plutarch was patronized by influential Romans, including important Senators, to whom some of Plutarch's writings were dedicated. Such patrons would likely have appreciated laying the blame on the relatively populist Julius Caesar. It is also important to note that most surviving ancient works, including Plutarch, were copied throughout the Middle Ages by Christian monks. During this copying process, errors have sometimes been made, and some have argued that deliberate forgery is not out of the question, especially for politically sensitive issues. Other explanations are certainly possible, and the fate of the Library will continue to be the subject of much heated historical debate.

Other libraries of the ancient world


The libraries of Ugarit, ca 1200 BC, include diplomatic archives, literary works and the earliest privately-owned libraries yet recovered.

The library of King Ashurbanipal, in Nineveh‹ Considered to be "the first systematically collected library", it was rediscovered in the 19th century. While the library had been destroyed, many fragments of the ancient cuneiform tables survived, and have been reconstructed. Large portions of the Epic of Gilgamesh were among the many finds.

The Villa of the Papyri, in Herculaneum‹ One of the largest private libraries of the early Roman Empire. Thought to have been destroyed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Rediscovered in 1752, the contents of the library were found to have been carbonized. Using modern techniques, the scrolls are currently being meticulously unrolled, and the writing deciphered.

At Pergamum the Attalid kings formed the second best Hellenistic library after Alexandria, founded in emulation of the Ptolemies. When the Ptolemies stopped exporting papyrus, partly because of competitors and partly because of shortages, the Pergamenes invented a new substance to use in codices, called pergamum or parchment after the city. This was made of fine calfskin, a predecessor of vellum and paper.

Caesarea Palaestina had a great early Christian library. Through Origen and the scholarly priest Pamphilus, the theological school of Caesarea won a reputation for having the most extensive ecclesiastical library of the time, containing more than 30,000 manuscripts: Gregory, Basil the Great, Jerome and others came to study there.

[The Spawn]

The Historical Masamune
The historical Masamune's familiar name is Goro Nyudo. Masamune is probably the best known Japanese swordsmith of all time, as well as a well-known philosopher.

Masamune is believed to have worked in Sagami Province during the last part of the Kamakura Era (1288 - 1328), and it is thought that he was trained by swordsmiths from Bizen and Yamashiro provinces, such as Kunitsuna and Kunimitsu.

The first famous swordsmith active in Kamakura, Sagami province was Shintogo Kunimitsu. It is claimed (in Kanchiinbon Meizukushi) that he was a grandson of a swordsmith of the Taima school in Yamato province. It is generally accepted that Kunimitsu had two pupils, Yukimitsu and Masamune. The earliest among Kunimitsu's works are those reliably dated to1293 and the latest dated 1324. Judging from the dates of Kunimitsu's works, Masamune was active from the end of Kamakura to the very early years of the Nanbokucho period.


The Soshu School
Masamune is credited with creating the Soshu tradition of swordmaking during his career. Masamune's adopted son, Sadamune succeeded him as master of the Soshu tradition.

In addition, legend has it that there were "10 Disciples of Masamune," or ten swordsmiths that continued working in Masamune's Soshu tradition of sword making, and that several already well-known swordsmiths also came to study with Masamune. The Masamune Jittetsu, as these smiths were called, worked in their own tradition as well as studying the techniques of Masamune.

Regardless of whether or not this is a historical fact, the swordsmiths working at the end of the Kamakura to the Nanbokucho periods produced works with the surface texture featuring nie, a distinguishing feature of the Masamune style.


The Beauty of Nie
Nie are areas of bright crystalline structure in the hamon (temper-line) or ji (the blade surface between the ridgeline of the blade and the hamon), resulting from the interaction of the steel during the quenching process. Masamune's style is often referred to as "the beauty of nie," putting his blades in distinct contrast with Bizen blades.

Masamune's school of swordmaking is also often characterized by the soft, flowing hamon visible on his blades.






A proper polish is required for the activities in the hamon to be well visualized. (An active hamon is normally the mark of a better quality blade.)


Documented Swords
Masamune created many superb swords, and all of his surviving blades are considered national treasures. Seeing his signature on a sword is extremely rare, and there are just a few swords authenticated as his work. This body of work includes a few unsigned swords attributed to him. Their splendid craftsmanship has led to the high praise of Masamune as a master swordsmith. "Fudo Masamune," "Kyogoku Masamune," and "Daikoku Masamune" are accepted examples of his genuine works.

Masamune's works are the most frequently cited among the swords listed in the Kyoho Meibutsu Cho, a catalogue of "excellent swords" in the collections of daimyos edited during the Kyoho era by Hon-ami.


Today, the name Masamune has become synonymous with "an excellent sword," and this no doubt explains the final choice of Masamune as the maker of the famous Highlander sword.

[X-Chick]

What forms of martial arts do you do?

[The Spawn]

My subscription list is so messed up...but to answer your question, I know a couple, I haven't done any for a while.

[X-Chick]

So fix it.

Which is your favorite?

[Buttman]

So fix it.

Which is your favorite?
..Jedi.

[X-Chick]

Jedi isn't any type of martial art, moron.

[Darren Daring]

Yeah, It's a religion:cmad:

[The Spawn]

Favorite?

TKD.

[The Spawn]

I can't fix it, vBulletin sucks.

[X-Chick]

I figured as much. It's my favorite, too.

[The Spawn]

How'd you figure as much?

[X-Chick]

Seems like you.

[The Spawn]

Could you elaborate?

[X-Chick]

Not really. :huh:

[The Spawn]

Tease.

[X-Chick]

I love it.

[The Spawn]

I'm sure you do...what else do you love?

[X-Chick]

My car.

[The Spawn]

Which is a what?

[The Spawn]

How to French Kiss


You have seen it done often in the movies and probably on the street in darkened corners. The French kiss is a timeless and passionate gesture of romantic affection. Whether you live in Paris, France or Paris, Texas, you can learn how to kiss like the French do without an embarrassing faux pas!



Steps

Freshen your breath. You never want to have bad breath when you are about to kiss someone, whether the kiss is a French kiss or not. Because your mouth will be open in a French kiss, fresh breath is especially important. Practice good dental hygiene. Carry mints with you if you think there is even so much as a hint of a chance you might kiss. Avoid foods that leave an unpleasant aftertaste or residue, particularly garlic, onions, milk, and corn.
Moisten your lips. Dry lips do not move well together, but you do not want them to be dripping wet either. Just a light brush of your tongue over your lips will be sufficient to moisten them. A little bit of lip balm can help, too, but be warned, lipstick can be awfully messy so blot before you kiss.

Angle your head. If your mouths meet dead-on, your noses will get in the way, and you will not be able to kiss deeply or smoothly. To avoid this, tilt your head slightly to one side. Make sure you do not both tilt your heads to the same side.

Close your eyes. As you approach for the kiss, look into your partner's eyes, but, once you are close to theirs, close your eyes. It can be a bit of a turnoff to be kissing and going cross-eyed .

Start with a gentle and soft closed-mouth kiss. The French kiss is an open-mouth kiss, but do not lunge in with your lips agape like you're going to eat them; instead, open your lips very slowly. If you were learning to speak French, you would probably start with the basics, vocabulary and grammar, before trying to write poetry. Well, the French kiss is like the poetry of kissing, and before you can be good at it, you have to master the closed-mouth kiss. Even after you have added French kissing to your romantic repertoire, it is usually better to start a kiss with closed lips.

Go Dutch on the decision to French. Kissing should be a shared decision. You need to have permission to French kiss someone, but when your lips are locked with your theirs you may not want to stop and ask, "Hey, this is great, but can I put my tongue in your mouth?" Open your lips slowly and just a little during the kiss so that one of your lips is sandwiched between theirs and one of theirs is between yours. As you are locking and re-locking lips, brush your tongue against your partner's lips ever so slightly. This should make it clear that you want to French kiss. If your partner's tongue does not respond in like fashion or if they pull away, you will have to save the French kiss for another time when you are both ready.

Explore with your tongue. If you and your partner seem to be enjoying the open-mouth kiss, slowly try to open your mouth a little bit more and gently push your tongue a little farther into their mouth. The tongue is very sensitive, and the mere act of touching your partner's tongue with your own will be very pleasant and stimulating for each of you. Do not stick your tongue too far into the mouth, as this can be a big turn-off. Instead, just gently and playfully touch tongues.

Mix it up. Kisses are like snowflakes: no two are exactly the same. Once you finally feel comfortable French kissing someone, it is tempting to try to do the same thing every time. Add variety. Sometimes kiss deeper, for example, and other times pay more attention to the lips than the tongue. Hold the kiss longer or shorter and explore the art of kissing. When something feels good for each of you, do not abandon it for the sake of variety.

Read Body Language. Everybody kisses a little differently, and each person enjoys different things in a kiss - there is no "right" way to kiss. What separates good kissers from bad is an ability to read a partner's body language and be responsive to their partner. Of course if your partner pulls away or seems uncomfortable at any time, understand that you have to slow it down. Listen for cues that tell how much your partner is enjoying a particular kissing maneuver. If you hear a sigh or moan, or they begin kissing you back with increased intensity, realize that they are responding with fervor.

Develop your style. Good French kissing, like good kissing of any kind, requires practice. You will get better as you do it more. In addition, the more practice you have with one person, the more comfortable you will feel kissing them and developing a style that suits both of you.



Tips

Breathe! Forgetting to breathe is probably the most common French kissing error. Do not hold your breath--everybody needs to breathe, and it is a lot more awkward when you have to pull away gasping for air than if you're breathing normally. Breathe through your nose, and try to keep a normal rhythm. As you and your partner grow comfortable with the kiss, you can try breathing through your mouth a little: sharing breaths as well can be romantic (but not everybody likes it).

Teeth are a sensitive subject. You definitely do not want to bump teeth with each other. It is not only awkward, but can hurt as well. It might inevitably happen at times, so do not worry when it does. You may want to try rubbing the backs or fronts of the teeth of the other person with your tongue. This can create a ticklish feeling that might enhance your kiss. Not everyone enjoys having someones tongue rubbing on their teeth, and many do not like to touch teeth with their tongue.

Not everybody likes to be kissed the same way, so while your former partner might have enjoyed one method of kissing, your new love might not. You need to learn to read signals and adapt to a style that's comfortable for each each of you. This works in reverse, too. Just because someone doesn't kiss you like you are used to does not mean they are a bad kisser. As long as you are not uncomfortable with the kiss, try to be open-minded, as you just might like the new style.

Be an active partner. If someone is French kissing you and you want them to do so, do not just sit there but get into the kiss. Reciprocate their actions, and alternate taking the lead on the movements of your tongues and lips. If you are uncomfortable with any part of the kiss, do not be afraid to pull away or gently close your lips. This will give your your partner the hint.
There are no rules for how long you should hold a kiss. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, break the kiss; otherwise, just enjoy it until one or both of you slowly pull apart, usually together. It is extremely romantic to lightly suck your partner's upper or bottom lip as you part. You might find yourselves returning to kissing, after each of you takes a breath.

Use your hands. Your hands are important to kissing, and you should use them to make the kiss more romantic. Gently hold your partner's face with your hands on their cheeks and their neck, or wrap your arms around your partner in an embrace. The most important thing about using your hands is that you respect your partner's boundaries. Play with their ears or run your fingers through their hair, as this is very stimulating. The second most important thing (much less important than the first) is that your hands should do something. Don't just let them hang at your sides; it will seem like you're not into the kiss, and you'll look like an ape.

Talk about it. A lot of people have difficulty talking about intimacy, but open communication is important to all parts of a relationship. If you really like the way your partner kisses you, let them know. If you don't like something, also let your partner know that, but approach it delicately and compliment them at the same time on something they did that you liked. Even if the kiss goes all wrong, it can still be an intimate affair if you can both laugh about it together!



Warnings

When you use your tongue to nudge your partner's lips, don't press hard, and don't keep trying if they do not want to open their lips. Do not force a person into a French kiss as your partner will resent you if you do.
Offer your partner a breath mint, and take one yourself before kissing. This ensures that you won't be recoiling from your date nor they from you.
To some people a hard tongue is a turn-off. Keep tongue and lips soft and supple...think of the pressure used to lick a soft servie ice cream cone, no probing with a stiff tongue unless the other enjoys it. use variations too to mix it up. Now go practice!

You can still French kiss if one or both of you has braces, but you should be careful to prevent the braces from touching each other. Also avoid touching the braces with your tongue (you could cut your tongue).
Excessive saliva can build up during a French kiss, and that can interfere with the romantic moment. Swallow periodically without breaking the kiss. If you have trouble doing that, do not be afraid to pull away for a moment.
If you ever feel uncomfortable or do not want to move forward with any move your partner is attempting, pull away and let your partner know that you want to stop. Be firm. It's OK to say no.

[X-Chick]

A Mazda6 She is so awesome. :heart:

Did you get that from a kid's sex ed book or something? :huh:

[The Spawn]

No.

[Movies205]

Spawn you still trading personalities with people? :confused:

[The Spawn]

I already answered that question above your post.

[Movies205]

Spawn when I see you I think of the Exalted... And I miss the good ol'days :(

[The Spawn]

Now there's a new, skanky, more disrespectful Hype...but the majority is a bunch of kids, and society runs by the majority.

[The Spawn]

Kojiki, Records of Ancient Matters Yamato-Takeru Slays the Kumaso Brothers


It happened one day that Emperor Keiko received news that the Kumaso tribe of Tsukushi had again risen in revolt. The Heavenly Sovereign, trusting the courage and ferocity of his son, called in the noble Oh-usu, a lad of sixteen, and commanded him thus: "In the West there are two Kumaso warriors. They are rebellious and insolent men. Take them!" With this command he sent him off. Then the boy, the noble Oh-usu, went to his aunt, the noble Yamato-hime, and she gave him her shirt and her skirt to wear. He then hid a saber in his bosom and went forth.

When he reached the house of the Kumaso braves he noticed that it was encircled by three rows of warriors. They had just outfitted a nearby cave as their headquarters, and were noisily getting food ready for a housewarming feast. So prince Oh-usu strolled through the neighborhood, waiting for the festivities to start. Then when the day of the feast arrived he combed down the hair gathered in a boyish knot at the top of his head, and put on his aunt's shirt and dress. Looking now a lot like a young girl he mixed with the concubines and went inside the cave.

When the two Kumaso braves, the elder brother and the younger brother, set eyes on him they were delighted. They invited him to sit between them and enjoyed him tremendously. When the drinking had reached its sweetest hour the noble Oh-usu drew the saber from his bosom, grabbed the elder Kumaso by the collar of his garment and thrust his saber through his chest and out the back. Terrified at this sight the younger brave ran for his life. Noble Oh-usu ran after him and, reaching him at the bottom of the steps to the cave attacked him from behind and thrust the saber up his rear end. Then the Kumaso brave spoke, saying: "Do not move the sword, I, your humble servant, have something to say." The noble Oh-usu, holding him down on the ground, gave him respite. The Kumaso brave spoke again, and asked, "Who are you, noble youth?" "I am the noble child of Oho-tarashi-hiko-Oshiro-wake, the Emperor of Heaven who, dwelling in the palace of Hishiro at Makimuku rules the land of the Eight Great Islands; and my name is King Yamato-oh-guna. Hearing that you two, the Kumaso braves, were insubordinate and disrespectful he sent me here with the command to take and slay you."

Then the Kumaso brave said, "That must be true. There are no persons in the West as brave and strong as we two. Yet in the Land of Great Yamato there is a man braver than we two, indeed so. Therefore I offer you a noble name. From this time forward it is right that you be honored as the noble child Yamato-takeru." As soon as he had finished saying this the prince ripped him up like a ripe musk melon, and slew him. From that time on he was honored by being called by the noble name of Yamato-takeru. When he was returning up to the capital after doing this, he subdued and pacified every single one of the Deities of the mountains and of the Deities of the rivers and likewise the Deities of the Strait of Shimonoseki, and then went up to the capital

[X-Chick]

Sleep apnea is a common disorder that can be very serious. In sleep apnea, your breathing stops or gets very shallow while you are sleeping. Each pause in breathing typically lasts 10 to 20 seconds or more. These pauses can occur 20 to 30 times or more an hour.

The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. During sleep, enough air cannot flow into your lungs through your mouth and nose even though you try to breathe. When this happens, the amount of oxygen in your blood may drop. Normal breaths then start again with a loud snort or choking sound.

When your sleep is upset throughout the night, you can be very sleepy during the day. With sleep apnea, your sleep is not restful because:

* These brief episodes of increased airway resistance (and breathing pauses) occur many times.
* You may have many brief drops in the oxygen levels in your blood.
* You move out of deep sleep and into light sleep several times during the night, resulting in poor sleep quality.

People with sleep apnea often have loud snoring. However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Some people with sleep apnea don’t know they snore.

* Sleep apnea happens more often in people who are overweight, but even thin people can have it.
* Most people don’t know they have sleep apnea. They don’t know that they are having problems breathing while they are sleeping.
* A family member and/or bed partner may notice the signs of sleep apnea first.

Untreated sleep apnea can increase the chance of having high blood pressure and even a heart attack or stroke. Untreated sleep apnea can also increase the risk of diabetes and the risk for work-related accidents and driving accidents.

[X-Chick]

Causes

Sleep apnea happens when enough air cannot move into your lungs while you are sleeping. When you are awake, and normally during sleep, your throat muscles keep your throat open and air flows into your lungs. In obstructive sleep apnea, however, the throat briefly collapses, causing pauses in your breathing. With pauses in breathing, the oxygen level in your blood may drop. This happens if the following conditions occur:

* Your throat muscles and tongue relax more than is normal.
* Your tonsils and adenoids are large.
* You are overweight. The extra soft tissue in your throat makes it harder to keep the throat area open.
* The shape of your head and neck (bony structure) results in somewhat smaller airway size in the mouth and throat area.

With the throat frequently fully or partly blocked during sleep, enough air cannot flow into your lungs, even though your efforts to breathe continue. Your breathing may become hard and noisy and may even stop for short periods of time (apneas).

Central apnea is a rare type of sleep apnea that happens when the area of your brain that controls your breathing doesn’t send the correct signals to the breathing muscles. Then there is no effort to breathe at all for brief periods. Snoring does not typically occur in central apnea.

[X-Chick]

Signs and Symptoms

The most common signs of sleep apnea are:

* Loud snoring
* Choking or gasping during sleep
* Fighting sleepiness during the day (even at work or while driving)

Your family members may notice the symptoms before you do. Otherwise, you will likely not be aware that you have problems breathing while you are asleep.

Others signs of sleep apnea may include:

* Morning headaches
* Memory or learning problems
* Feeling irritable
* Not being able to concentrate on your work
* Mood swings or personality changes; perhaps feeling depressed
* Dry throat when you wake up
* Frequent urination at night

[The Spawn]

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice,
as told by Apollonius of Rhodes, Virgil and Ovid
(and retold by Edith Hamilton in Mythology)
Orpheus: "On his mother's side he was more than mortal. He was the son of one of the Muses and a Tracian prince. His mother gave him the gift of music and Thrace where he grew up fostered it. The Thracians were the most musical of the peoples of Greece. But Orpheus had no rival there or anywhere except the gods alone. There was no limit to his power when he played and sang. No one and nothing could resist him.

In the deep still woods upon the Thracian mountains
Orpheus with his singing lyre led the trees,
Led the wild beasts of the wilderness.
Everything animate and inanimate followed him. He moved the rocks on the hillside and turned the courses of the rivers....
When he first met and how he wooed the maiden he loved, Euridice, we are not told, but it is clear that no maiden he wanted could have resisted the power of his song. They were married, but their joy was brief. Directly after the wedding, as the bride walked in a meadow with her bridesmaids, a viper stung her and she died. Orpheus' grief was overwhelming. He could not endure it. He determined to go down to the world of death and try to bring Eurydice back. He said to himself,

With my song
I will charm Demeter's daughter,
I will charm the Lord of the Dead,
Moving their hearts with my melody.
I will bear her away from Hades.
He dared more than any other man ever dared for his love. He took the fearsome journey to the underworld. There he struck his lyre, and at the sound all that vast multitude were charmed to stillness....
O Gods who rule the dark and silent world,
To you all born of a woman needs must come.
All lovely things at last go down to you.
You are the debtor who is always paid.
A little while we tarry up on earth.
Then we are yours forever and forever.
But I seek one who came to you too soon.
The bud was plucked before the flower bloomed.
I tried to bear my loss. I could not bear it.
Love was too strong a god, O King, you know
If that old tale men tell is true, how once
The flowers saw the rape of Proserpine,
Then weave again for sweet Eurydice
Life's pattern that was taken from the loom
Too quick. See, I ask a little thing,
Only that you will lend, not give, her to me.
She shall be yours when her years' span is full.
No one under the spell of his voice could refuse him anything. He
Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek,
and made Hell grant what Love did seek.
They summoned Eurydice and gave her to him, but upon one condition: that he would not look back at her as she followed him, until they had reached the upper world. So the two passed through the great doors of Hades to the path which would take them out of the darkness, climbing up and up. He knew that she must be just behind him, but he longed unutterably to give one glance to make sure. But now they were almost there, the blackness was turning gray; now he had stepped out joyfully into the daylight. Then he turned to her. It was too soon; she was still in the cavern. He saw her in the dim light, and he held out his arms to clasp her; but on the instant she was gone. She had slipped back into the darkness. All he heard was one faint word, "Farewell."
Desperately he tried to rush after her and follow her down, but he was not allowed. The gods would not consent to his entering the world of the dead a second time, while he was still alive. He was forced to return to the earth alone, in utter desolation. Then he forsook the company of men. He wandered through the wild solitudes of Thrace, comfortless except for his lyre, playing, always playing, and the rocks and the rivers and the trees heard him gladly, his only companions. But at last a band of Maenads [women] came upon him....They slew the gentle musician, tearing him limb from limb, borne along past the river's mouth on to the Lesbian shore; nor had it suffered any change from the sea when the Muses found it and buried it in the sanctuary of the island. His limbs they gathered and placed in a tomb at the foot of Mount Olympus, and there to this day the nightingales sing more sweetly than anywhere else. "

[X-Chick]

Neat.

[The Spawn]

Cerberus

Born: ?
Birthplace: Ancient Greece
Best Known As: Mythical guardian of Hades

In Greek myth Cerberus was a horrific dog who stood watch at the gates of Hades, the world of the dead. Cerberus had three heads (some accounts gave him many more) and was so vicious that he was feared even by the gods. Cerberus is most famous for his role as one of the 12 labors of Hercules, the strong man who ventured to Hades and wrestled Cerberus into submission. Cerberus also appears in the story of Orpheus, who lulled the dog to sleep with music on his way into Hades to search for his lover Eurydice.

[X-Chick]

I want a pet cereberus. :csad:

[The Spawn]

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, often shortened to Porsche AG, or just Porsche, is a German sports car manufacturer, founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche, the engineer who also created the first Volkswagen. The company is located in Zuffenhausen, a city district of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg.

In a May 2006 survey, Porsche was awarded first place as the most prestigious automobile brand by Luxury Institute, New York; it questioned more than 500 households with a gross annual income of at least US $200,000 and a net worth of at least US $750,000. The current Porsche lineup includes sports cars from the Boxster roadster to their most famous product, the 911. The Cayman is a hard top car similar to the Boxster in a slightly higher price range. The Cayenne is Porsche's mid-size luxury SUV. The Carrera GT supercar was recently phased out in May 2006. Future plans include a high performance luxury saloon/sedan, the Panamera. Porsche was the first to use a variable geometry turbocharger in a gasoline powered production automobile.

Porsche was awarded the 2006 J.D. Power and Associates award for highest Nameplate Initial Quality Study (IQS) of automobile brands.

As a company, Porsche is known for weathering changing market conditions with great financial stability, while retaining most production in Germany during an age when most other German car manufacturers have moved at least partly to Eastern Europe or overseas.[citation needed] The headquarters and main factory are still at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, but the Cayenne (and formerly the Carrera GT) is produced at Leipzig, in former East Germany. Most Boxster and Cayman production is outsourced to Valmet Automotive in Finland. The company has been highly successful in recent times, and indeed claims to be the most profitable car company in the world (in terms of profit margin per unit sold; its absolute profits would be dwarfed by Toyota).

Porsche has for many years offered consultancy services to various other car manufacturers. Studebaker, SEAT, Daewoo, Subaru and Yugo have consulted Porsche on engineering for their cars or engines. Porsche also helped Harley-Davidson design their new engine in their newer V-Rod motorcycle.


In racing, Porsche's main rival has traditionally been Ferrari, though traditionally their production vehicles appeal to quite different personalities, if similar demographics. Commercially, Ferrari sells far fewer cars at much higher prices than Porsche (for example, there are no Ferraris under US $100,000, while most Porsches are priced below that figure). Porsche's rivalry with Ferrari is primarily because of both companies' storied racing heritage and the fact that some of their vehicles are of comparable performance, not because of direct competition between some models.

Porsche's traditional rivals for the daily-driver marketplace are its fellow German automakers Mercedes-Benz and BMW, who compete more directly with Porsche (example, the Boxster competes directly with the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes-Benz SLK). Ferrari, on the other hand, competes more directly with firms such as Lamborghini and Aston Martin (companies Porsche only competes partially with). Porsche also competes with Lotus, Jaguar, and Maserati.

[X-Chick]

Thanks. :o

[The Spawn]

ZEUS (zoose or zyoose; Roman name Jupiter) was the supreme god of the Olympians. He was the father of the heroes Perseus and Heracles, the latter of whom once wrestled him to a draw.
Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. When he was born, his father Cronus intended to swallow him as he had all of Zeus's siblings: Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera. But Rhea hid the newborn in a cave on Mount Dicte in Crete. (To this day, the guides at the "cave of Zeus" use their flashlights to cast shadow puppets in the cave, creating images of baby Zeus from the myth.)

When he had grown up, Zeus caused Cronus to vomit up his sisters and brothers, and these gods joined him in fighting to wrest control of the universe from the Titans and Cronus, their king. Having vanquished his father and the other Titans, Zeus imprisoned most of them in the underworld of Tartarus.

Then he and his brothers Poseidon and Hades divided up creation. Poseidon received the sea as his domain, Hades got the Underworld and Zeus took the sky. Zeus also was accorded supreme authority on earth and on Mount Olympus.

[The Spawn]

APHRODITE (a-fro-DYE-tee; Roman name Venus) was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was also a protectress of sailors.
The poet Hesiod said that Aphrodite was born from sea-foam. Homer, on the other hand, said that she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione.

When the Trojan prince Paris was asked to judge which of three Olympian goddesses was the most beautiful, he chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. The latter two had hoped to bribe him with power and victory in battle, but Aphrodite offered the love of the most beautiful woman in the world.

This was Helen of Sparta, who became infamous as Helen of Troy when Paris subsequently eloped with her. In the ensuing Trojan War, Hera and Athena were implacable enemies of Troy while Aphrodite was loyal to Paris and the Trojans.


IN HOMER
In his epic of the Trojan War, Homer tells how Aphrodite intervened in battle to save her son Aeneas, a Trojan ally. The Greek hero Diomedes, who had been on the verge of killing Aeneas, attacked the goddess herself, wounding her on the wrist with his spear and causing the ichor to flow. (Ichor is what immortals have in the place of blood.)

Aphrodite promptly dropped Aeneas, who was rescued by Apollo, another Olympian sponsor of the Trojans. In pain she sought out her brother Ares, the god of war who stood nearby admiring the carnage, and borrowed his chariot so that she might fly up to Olympus. There she goes crying to her mother Dione, who soothes her and cures her wound. Her father Zeus tells her to leave war to the likes of Ares and Athena, while devoting herself to the business of marriage.

Elsewhere in Homer's Iliad , Aphrodite saves Paris when he is about to be killed in single combat by Menelaus. The goddess wraps him in a mist and spirits him away, setting him down in his own bedroom in Troy. She then appears to Helen in the guise of an elderly handmaiden and tells her that Paris is waiting for her.

Helen recognizes the goddess in disguise and asks if she is being led once more to ruin. For Aphrodite had bewitched her into leaving her husband Menelaus to run off with Paris. She dares to suggest that Aphrodite go to Paris herself.

Suddenly furious, the goddess warns Helen not to go too far, lest she be abandoned to the hatred of Greeks and Trojans alike. "I'll hate you," says the mercurial goddess, "as much as I love you now."

Even though Zeus's queen Hera and Aphrodite are on different sides in the Trojan War, the goddess of love loans Hera her magical girdle in order to distract Zeus from the fray. This garment has the property of causing men (and gods) to fall hopelessly in love with whoever is wearing it.

Homer calls Aphrodite "the Cyprian", and many of her attributes may have come from Asia via Cyprus (and Cythera) in Mycenaean times. These almost certainly mixed with a preexisting Hellenic or Aegean goddess. The ancient Greeks themselves felt that Aphrodite was both Greek and foreign.


JASON
Aphrodite involved herself on other occasions in the affairs of mortal heroes. When Jason asked permission of the king of Colchis to remove the Golden Fleece from the grove in which it hung, the king was clearly unwilling. So the goddess Hera, who sponsored Jason's quest, asked her fellow-Olympian Aphrodite to intervene. The love goddess made the king's daughter Medea fall in love with Jason, and Medea proved instrumental in Jason's success.


AENEAS
Another time, Zeus punished Aphrodite for beguiling her fellow gods into inappropriate romances. He caused her to become infatuated with the mortal Anchises. That's how she came to be the mother of Aeneas. She protected this hero during the Trojan War and its aftermath, when Aeneas quested to Italy and became the mythological founder of a line of Roman emperors.

A minor Italic goddess named Venus became identified with Aphrodite, and that's how she got her Roman name. It is as Venus that she appears in the Aeneiad , the poet Virgil's epic of the founding of Rome.

And on still another occasion,


HEPHAESTUS
The love goddess was married to the homely craftsman-god Hephaestus. She was unfaithful to him with Ares, and Homer relates in the Odyssey how Hephaestus had his revenge.


IN ART
Elsewhere in classical art she has no distinctive attributes other than her beauty. Flowers and vegetation motifs suggest her connection to fertility.

Aphrodite was associated with the dove. Another of her sacred birds was the goose, on which she is seen to ride in a vase painting from antiquity.

Hesiod's reference to Aphrodite's having been born from the sea inspired the Renaissance artist Botticelli's famous painting of the goddess on a giant scallop shell. Equally if not better known is the Venus de Milo, a statue which lost its arms in ancient times.


WAR GODDESS?
The ancient travel writer Pausanias describes a number of statues of Aphrodite dressed for battle, many of them in Sparta. Given the manner in which the militaristic Spartans raised their girls, it is not surprising that they conceived of a female goddess in military attire. She also would have donned armaments to defend cities, such as Corinth, who adopted her as their patroness. This is not to say that she was a war goddess, although some have seen her as such and find significance in her pairing with the war god Ares in mythology and worship.

The two most recent editions of "The Oxford Classical Dictionary" are at variance over this aspect of the goddess. The 1970 edition sees her as a goddess of war and traces this to her Oriental roots. It is true that she has resemblances to Astarte, who is a goddess of war as well as fertility.

The 1996 edition of "The Oxford Classical Dictionary", on the other hand, offers several counterarguments. It sees her being paired with Ares, for instance, not because they are similarly warlike but precisely because love and war are opposites.

In any case, Aphrodite's primary function was to preside over reproduction, since this was essential for the survival of the community.

[X-Chick]

You must be on a Greek mythology kick right now. :o

[The Spawn]

Keeps me busy.

[X-Chick]

I thought you were always busy?

[The Spawn]

Define "busy"

[X-Chick]

Why? You just said it like 10 minutes ago.

[The Spawn]

Personal preference

[X-Chick]

What?

[The Spawn]

Nuttin.

[X-Chick]

:heart:

[Assassin32]

If I were to export and download an Adobe PDF copy of some document, would I then be able to save it on my jump drive?

[The Spawn]

Yes.

[JStorm]

Moonhead exists: A documentary. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100260/)

[X-Chick]

That has what to do with what? :huh:

[The Spawn]

Between him and me...and anyone else who follows a lot of threads.

[X-Chick]

Ever heard of PMs? :o

[The Spawn]

You still don't get it.

I hate that smiley.

[X-Chick]

I love it. It's so cute.:o

[The Spawn]

And obnoxious.

[X-Chick]

How is it obnoxious? Its supposed to be embarrassed. :huh: :o

[The Spawn]

I always saw it as: "I'm the ****"

[X-Chick]

Well, you're just weird.

[The Spawn]

Am I?

[X-Chick]

Obviously.

[The Spawn]

My apologies.

[Abaddon]

Project MKULTRA (also known as MK-ULTRA) was the code name for a CIA mind-control research program that began in the 1950s.[1][2] There is much published evidence that the project involved not only the use of drugs to manipulate persons, but also the use of electronic signals to alter brain functioning.[3]

It was first brought to wide public attention by the U.S. Congress (in the form of the Church Committee) and a presidential commission (known as the Rockefeller Commission) (see Revelation below) and also to the U.S. Senate.

On the Senate floor in 1977, Senator Ted Kennedy said:

The Deputy Director of the CIA revealed that over thirty universities and institutions were involved in an 'extensive testing and experimentation' program which included covert drug tests on unwitting citizens 'at all social levels, high and low, native Americans and foreign.' Several of these tests involved the administration of LSD to 'unwitting subjects in social situations.' At least one death, that of Dr. Olson, resulted from these activities. The Agency itself acknowledged that these tests made little scientific sense. The agents doing the monitoring were not qualified scientific observers.

Origins

Headed by Dr. Sidney Gottlieb, MKULTRA was started on the order of CIA director Allen Dulles on April 13, 1953[5], largely in response to alleged Soviet, Chinese, and North Korean use of mind-control techniques on U.S. prisoners of war in Korea.[6] The CIA wanted to use similar methods on their own captives. The CIA was also interested in being able to manipulate foreign leaders with such techniques,[7] and would later invent several schemes to drug Fidel Castro.

In 1964, the project was renamed MKSEARCH. The project attempted to produce a perfect truth drug for use in interrogating suspected Soviet spies during the Cold War, and generally to explore any other possibilities of mind control.

Because most of the MKULTRA records were deliberately destroyed in 1973 by order of the Director at that time, the disgraced Richard Helms, it is impossible to have a complete understanding of the more than 150 individually funded research projects sponsored by MKULTRA and related CIA programs.[8]
Dr. Sidney Gottlieb approved of an MKULTRA subproject on LSD in this June 9, 1953 letter.
Dr. Sidney Gottlieb approved of an MKULTRA subproject on LSD in this June 9, 1953 letter.

Experiments were often conducted without the subjects' knowledge or consent

Aims

These studies weren't conducted merely to satisfy the CIA's scientific curiosity -- the Agency was looking for weapons that would give the United States the upper hand in the mind wars. Toward that objective, the Agency poured millions of dollars into studies probing literally dozens of methods of influencing and controlling the mind. One 1955 MKULTRA document gives an indication of the size and range of the effort; the memo refers to the study of an assortment of mind-altering substances which would:

* "promote illogical thinking and impulsiveness to the point where the recipient would be discredited in public"
* "increase the efficiency of mentation and perception"
* "prevent or counteract the intoxicating effect of alcohol"
* "promote the intoxicating effect of alcohol"
* "produce the signs and symptoms of recognized diseases in a reversible way so that they may be used for malingering, etc."
* "render the indication of hypnosis easier or otherwise enhance its usefulness"
* "enhance the ability of individuals to withstand privation, torture and coercion during interrogation and so-called 'brainwashing'"
* "produce amnesia for events preceding and during their use"
* "produc[e] shock and confusion over extended periods of time and capable of surreptitious use"
* "produce physical disablement such as paralysis of the legs, acute anemia, etc."
* "produce 'pure' euphoria with no subsequent let-down"
* "alter personality structure in such a way that the tendency of the recipient to become dependent upon another person is enhanced"
* "cause mental confusion of such a type that the individual under its influence will find it difficult to maintain a fabrication under questioning"
* "lower the ambition and general working efficiency of men when administered in undetectable amounts"
* "promote weakness or distortion of the eyesight or hearing faculties, preferably without permanent effects"

Few of MKULTRA's objectives were realized, but the very conduct of these experiments caused many critics of the CIA to argue that successful or not, CIA scientists shouldn't pry at the doors of perception.

Experiments

Central Intelligence Agency documents suggest that the agency considered and explored uses of radiation for the purpose of mind control as part of MKULTRA.[1] Other early efforts focused on LSD, which appears to have formed the majority of research as time went on. Experiments included administering the drug to CIA employees, military personnel, doctors, other government agents, prostitutes, mentally ill patients, and members of the general public in order to study their reactions, usually without the subject's knowledge.

Efforts to "recruit" subjects were often illegal even discounting the fact that drugs were being administered (though actual use of LSD, for example, was legal in the United States until 1967). In Operation Midnight Climax, the CIA set up several brothels to obtain a selection of men who would be too embarrassed to talk about the events. The brothels were equipped with one-way mirrors and the "sessions" were taped for later viewing.

Some subjects' participation was consensual, and in these cases, the subjects appeared to be singled out for even more horrific experiments. In one case, a selection of volunteers were given LSD for 77 days straight.

LSD was eventually dismissed by the researchers as too unpredictable in its effects.[2] Although useful information was sometimes obtained through questioning subjects on LSD, not uncommonly the most marked effect would be the subject's absolute and utter certainty that they were able to withstand any form of interrogation attempt, even physical torture.

Another technique was connecting a barbiturate IV into one arm and an amphetamine IV into the other. The barbiturates were released into the subject first, and as soon as the subject began to fall asleep, the amphetamines were released. The subject would begin babbling incoherently at this point, and it was sometimes possible to ask questions and get useful answers. This treatment was discarded as it often resulted in the death of the patient from physical side effects of the drug combination, thus making further interrogation impossible. Other experiments involved heroin, mescaline, psilocybin, scopolamine, marijuana, alcohol, and sodium pentothal.

There is no evidence that the CIA (or anyone else) has actually succeeded in controlling a person's actions through the "mind control" techniques that are known to have been attempted in the MKULTRA projects. The file destruction undertaken at the order of CIA Director Richard Helms in 1973 makes a full investigation of claims impossible.

Canadian experiments

The experiments were even exported to Canada when the CIA recruited Albany, New York doctor D. Ewen Cameron, author of the psychic driving concept which the CIA found particularly interesting. In it he described his theory on correcting schizophrenia, which consisted of erasing existing memories and rebuilding the psyche completely. He commuted to Montreal every week to work at the Allan Memorial Institute and was paid 69,000 dollars from 1957 to 1964 to carry out MKULTRA experiments there. The CIA appears to have given him the potentially deadly experiments to carry out since they would be used on non-U.S. citizens.

In addition to LSD, Cameron also experimented with various paralytic drugs as well as electroconvulsive therapy at thirty to forty times the normal power. His "driving" experiments consisted of putting subjects into drug-induced coma for weeks at a time (up to three months in one case) while playing tape loops of noise or simple repetitive statements. His experiments were typically carried out on patients who had entered the institute for minor problems such as anxiety disorders and postpartum depression, many of whom suffered permanently from his actions.

It was during this era that Cameron became known worldwide as the first chairman of the World Psychiatric Association as well as president of the American and Canadian psychiatric associations. Cameron had also been a member of the Nuremberg medical tribunal only a decade earlier.

[The Spawn]

Like Prometheus?

[X-Chick]

Prometheus is awesome. Not as awesome as Hermes but more awesome than Aphrodite.

[The Spawn]

How about Aphrodite?

[X-Chick]

She's just a boring whore.

[The Spawn]

"Whore" is kinda strong ain't it?

[X-Chick]

Not the least bit.

[The Spawn]

It seems exaggerated.

[X-Chick]

You seem exaggerated. :cmad:

[Abaddon]

All she did was cheat on her husband a few times.:o

[The Spawn]

Abaddon, the smiley at the end of your sentence,what does it mean?

[X-Chick]

It means he felt like using a smiley but all the other ones either didn't fit or were too gay. :o

[The Spawn]

...

[The Spawn]

Thank you Abaddon.

[Abaddon]

Well there's that, and it takes some of the edge off the post so we can all be clear that I'm not being too serious.:o

[The Spawn]

Whoops.

[X-Chick]

Right. That's mostly why I use it, too. And also because its cute.

[Abaddon]

hahaha, I've never seen you post anything like "whoops" before.

[The Spawn]

That's because I'm the third Spawn.

[X-Chick]

You're so retarded.

[X-Chick]

"Anger and agony
Are better than misery
Trust me I've got a plan
When the lights go off you will understand

Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all."

Discuss. :o

[The Spawn]

The video was good.

[X-Chick]

I haven't seen it yet.

I don't get how agony is better than misery? Aren't they synonyms?

[Abaddon]

Agony is extreme pain. Misery is extreme unhappiness.

I have no idea what song that is.:huh:

[X-Chick]

Agony (Greek αγωνία, agonía "the suffering, the struggle") is unbearable suffering. Misery is a feeling of great unhappiness and/or pain.

And it's "Pain" by Three Days Grace

[The Spawn]

You just answered your own question toots.

[X-Chick]

But they still mean basically the same thing.

[The Spawn]

Oh yeah, true.

[X-Chick]

Either way, I still like the song.

[The Spawn]

It's a good song.

[Abaddon]

So how many "Spawns" have there been?

[The Spawn 2.0]

Two. That one and myself.

[X-Chick]

Wow. I don't think I can handle two of them. One is more than enough.

[The Spawn]

Wow..."2.0"

I'm not even gonna ask who you are...I'm not even going to try and figure it out.

I'm just surprised this is the first time it's happened.

[X-Chick]

Its probably you trying to get attention.

[Abaddon]

He posted in the Lounge, so I doubt it.

[X-Chick]

That hardly points to his innocence. He could be doing it to throw people like you off.

[Abaddon]

That's what he'd like you to think he'd do, but it probably wouldn't occur to him. He likes to make like he's more clever than he really is.:o

[X-Chick]

Nah, he's pretty clever, in a sense. Mostly he just tries to piss me off to mask the fact that he might not be as clever or mysterious as he appears to be.

[Abaddon]

I like him better when he's not caught up in being mysterious.

[X-Chick]

Me too.

[The Spawn]

...I'm standing right here people.

[X-Chick]

...well, you weren't then.

[Abaddon]

well join the convo, stranger.http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r224/Big_Bad_Don/Smileys/11307th_inlove.gif

[X-Chick]

Haha, nice. :up:

He tries so hard to be a hard-ass, but he's really a kitten. :heart:

[Abaddon]

how old is he?

[X-Chick]

He still won't tell me. The most I know is his name and location. But I'd wager he's close to my age, maybe a couple year difference.

[Abaddon]

Yeah I was thinking mid to late 20s, but it can pretty hard to guess ages at hype. Everyone here is a kid in some way.:csad:

[X-Chick]

I'd say 20-25. And yeah that's true. I seem to believe everyone here is like 16-30 and I get really shocked when I find out someone is older than that.

[The Spawn]

...

By now you've realized that I sit back and watch the conversations.

And if you think I'm a kitten, I'll have to stop being so nice to you.

[X-Chick]

Nah, like you said, I know you watch, I just wanted to see your reaction.

[The Spawn]

Ok.