>> ^brycewi19:

>> ^dingens:
There's a short story by Arthur C. Clarke on that subject, called "Take a deep breath".

Now you're talking my language. Me and A-Clark (that's my little nickname for him) go way back. Like 5th-grade back. My hero.


Ummm... you ARE aware of why people think he moved to Sri Lanka, aren't you?

>> ^dingens:

There's a short story by Arthur C. Clarke on that subject, called "Take a deep breath".


Now you're talking my language. Me and A-Clark (that's my little nickname for him) go way back. Like 5th-grade back. My hero.

There's a short story by Arthur C. Clarke on that subject, called "Take a deep breath".

>> ^KnivesOut:

You negative fuckers oughta take a deep breath and move on. Hating things isn't healthy.
No, but it is fun.

You negative fuckers oughta take a deep breath and move on. Hating things isn't healthy.

I was hoping he would expand on #2, skills for folks. He had the basics right. Your first five skills are based on your weapon (or weapons) of choice with duel wielders getting their first 2 skills based on their primary weapon and last 3 weapon skills based on their secondary. Thieves get their 5th based on the combination of their weapons.

You might say that this limits class variety, even if there are a heck of a lot of weapon options in the game. *Deep Breath*.. Axe, Dagger, Mace, Pistol, Scepter, Sword, Focus, Shield, Torch, Warhorn, Greatsword, Hammer, Longbow, Rifle, Showbow, Staff.

However this is not the end of your weapon customization because you also have perks that you can use to alter your weapon skills. So a Warrior who uses sword/shield will have the same 5 weapon skills but do to individual choices in how they customize them those skills might do very different things. The last 5 skills is based on both class and race and there will be plenty to choose from. The first is a heal (every class has one), the next three are class/race based skills that are not directly damage oriented but are cc or buffing (thus why there is no trinity in this one) and the last is a long cooldown alpha attack based on your class and race of choice. Combined with as I said, there being a lot of them to choose from and that you can alter them (and the 5 weapon based skills) with further customization as you advance through the game, this is going to make absolutely sure that when you meet another player of your class it isn't all but guaranteed that they have the exact same setup as you do.

Also there are other things that are going to make GW2 stand out that weren't in this list. A personalized storyline based on choices you make at character creation (see the choices we know about here: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Biography). As you play your story you'll make decisions that change the world around you in your 'hub' area (IE the changes affect your own storyline areas, not the major game world simply because some of those choices can mean the end of major characters in the game or the destruction of a village and you cant have people do that individually without having to reset those changes.

Last... no quests! Your personal story will be fairly similar to quests but much more story oriented. But the vast majority of the gameplay is quest free!

*deep breath*

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

-cut, futurama style-

OK, you know what, Be a Parent some time.
Ignorance is what makes people hate screaming kids.

There was a point when the sound of screaming kids scratched down my back like nails on a chalkboard.
But you know what fixed that, Having my own kids. Whether by chemical or by experience, my attitude changed drastically as I understood the nature of a child.

The only ones "Sighing a Thank-you" are either not parents - or were emotionally challenged, detached parents.

I'm not going to go into all the details of my children growing up but, now when I hear a child scream/cry, I smile, not just because I've been there, but because I understand and I feel for them. I make a point - every time - of flashing the parent a warm smile - so they know it's OK, don't panic, kids do that, they will grow out of it when dealt with calmly, and most of all so that the parents don't feel alone in their plight.

If every parent could step back, take a deep breath and block everything out, then engage the child again in a calming way, the world would be much different. The fact is, we all have emotions, sometimes they get away from us. It's up to the rest of us to help out, not support the wrong reactions from the parents.

>> ^cito:

yea this is tame compared to most I see in rl here.
I've seen kids acting out in grocery store get snatched up and spanked with their mother's shoe in middle of aisle, and everyone else sighs a THANK YOU for it after the hellion finally calms down.
corporal punishment is a good thing, and I support it 100%, now constantly yelling and time outs and screaming doesn't work and never will. That's why a good paddling or belt to the bum will solve an unruly child.

@xxovercastxx fair enough, but i'm not going to.

He says "progress implies that what came before wasn't crazy" - that is obviously a false statement.

From that, his assessment of people using the word progress must also be wrong. I don't think these things are disputable........it's very *deep breath* black and white!

Thanks for the story! When/if it gets to be my time I hope they have little nanobots to do it (maybe not that probable) or that my crying and begging will somehow move the doctor enough to sedate me for the procedure ahahahaha. I seriously don't know if I could take the pain and discomfort.

In reply to this comment by kronosposeidon:
In fairness, cystoscopy is a lot better than it used to be. The first time I had one was in 1988. They didn't use any anesthesia, and they probed all the way through my right ureter (the long tube connecting the kidney to the bladder), right up to the entrance of the kidney. I could feel the probe moving around in my back. When I got back to my place after the appointment my roommates thought I should go back to the doctor because I looked so pale.

The next time I had one was just two years ago. It still sucked, but at least they used some anesthesia (it only numbs the urethra), and they didn't go past the bladder. Still no picnic, but much less traumatic than the first time.

In both cases, the first piss you take afterwards burns like you would NOT believe. Now with a prostate exam, you only experience discomfort while it's in progress. No burning, just some pressure pain. It's quite uncomfortable...sort of like someone stuck a finger up your ass. But when it's over, so is the discomfort. Hemorrhoids are more painful, really, and that pain doesn't go away quickly.

Don't mean to spook you, but I figure it's better to know these things ahead of time, so you can mentally prepare yourself. Deep breathing has always helped me, in virtually all pain situations.

In reply to this comment by chtierna:
Yeah, the prostate exam doesn't look so scary but I would lose my mind if I needed to do a cystoscopy or any surgery down there. I would just run until I died.

In reply to this comment by kronosposeidon:
Prostate exams are unpleasant, but not as bad as some people would like you to believe. I'd rather have 50 prostate exams than one cystoscopy. (Yes, I've had both procedures, and more than once for both of them.) Besides, what's worse: A finger up the ass, or dying from prostate cancer?

In fairness, cystoscopy is a lot better than it used to be. The first time I had one was in 1988. They didn't use any anesthesia, and they probed all the way through my right ureter (the long tube connecting the kidney to the bladder), right up to the entrance of the kidney. I could feel the probe moving around in my back. When I got back to my place after the appointment my roommates thought I should go back to the doctor because I looked so pale.

The next time I had one was just two years ago. It still sucked, but at least they used some anesthesia (it only numbs the urethra), and they didn't go past the bladder. Still no picnic, but much less traumatic than the first time.

In both cases, the first piss you take afterwards burns like you would NOT believe. Now with a prostate exam, you only experience discomfort while it's in progress. No burning, just some pressure pain. It's quite uncomfortable...sort of like someone stuck a finger up your ass. But when it's over, so is the discomfort. Hemorrhoids are more painful, really, and that pain doesn't go away quickly.

Don't mean to spook you, but I figure it's better to know these things ahead of time, so you can mentally prepare yourself. Also, deep breathing has always helped me, in virtually all pain situations.

In reply to this comment by chtierna:
Yeah, the prostate exam doesn't look so scary but I would lose my mind if I needed to do a cystoscopy or any surgery down there. I would just run until I died.

In reply to this comment by kronosposeidon:
Prostate exams are unpleasant, but not as bad as some people would like you to believe. I'd rather have 50 prostate exams than one cystoscopy. (Yes, I've had both procedures, and more than once for both of them.) Besides, what's worse: A finger up the ass, or dying from prostate cancer?

>> ^GenjiKilpatrick:

>> ^Tymbrwulf:
Majority of the women I know would only watch movies as entertainment occasionally and don't really call themselves "movie buffs." If you think there is an untapped "movie buff" in the female world you would think the movie industry would attempt to tap into it? (Chick flicks?)


Wow.. are you trollin' Tymbie? Or just thick?
Cause if you can't find the faults in that statement. I think you should immediately take some critical thinking classes.
Have you ever wondered why most women you know don't consider themselves "movie buffs"?
Female 1: "Hey the new Comic Book/Action/Eddie Murphy Comedy movie is out."
Female 2: "Fuck yes! I've been dyin' to see gratuitous explosions/shoot-outs/prosthetic fat all year!!"
And then, like some marketing executive from the 60s, you have gall to suggest that female movie enthusiasts truly crave to be spoon fed stereotypical bastardized depictions of themselves in films.
~~ written by @<a rel="nofollow" href="http://videosift.com/member/BoneyD" title="member since July 7th, 2006" class="profilelink">BoneyD - A lot of chick flicks would fail the Bechdel Test as well, btw...
Like real world women all are desperate love-obsessed delicate lilies that: need to reunite with their sisters and babble about romanticism. Or find a rich man so they can stop whoring themselves. Or reunite with their "mature" party slut friends and babble about sex.
I bet female movie goers find those films ultra empowering! =D
And on top of all that - deep breath - "chicks flicks" don't even begin to scratch even the bottom of any list or review of the most popular movies.
So what have we learned?
- Realistically relatable females aren't depicted in mainstream media.
- The niche genre for females depicts them as clueless whiny emo kids hoping some stronger, usually male, character saves them from their shitty situation/themselves.
- You find that's perfectly normal and don't see an reason why younger females shouldn't be raised to expect the same.


I agree in a number of ways with you regarding the way women are depicted in a majority of modern movies. However, the part that I think there are two big factors here that are being overlooked by you and by women who argue for more "realistic and substantive" roles for women in movies. First and foremost in my opinion at least is the fact that making movies is all about making money (again looking to the majority here, indie films are somewhat of an exception to this but then I think you'd agree that they are also largely an exception to this Bechdel Test). Since it's about making money, the unfortunate truth is that the majority of the target market for films these days is men, and what most of them want is the same mindless, formulaic story over and over again. If making films was primarily about telling a good, detailed and deeply thought provoking story, I think things would be very different. This just doesn't sell on a large scale and you'd have one hell of a time convincing the film studios of the world to begin shooting films for the artistic appeal and forget about the financial aspect.

On a bit of a side note to your point below,

"Like real world women all are desperate love-obsessed delicate lilies that: need to reunite with their sisters and babble about romanticism. Or find a rich man so they can stop whoring themselves. Or reunite with their "mature" party slut friends and babble about sex."

I agree that this is a very unrealistic depiction of real women. I would also contend that real men don't drive cars off ramps onto moving boats, or shoot anything that moves, or smoothly sweep any attractive woman off their feet with a few suave words. That is however, the image of men in the movies and I'd wager that it's not only the male population of moviegoers that enjoys seeing men depicted that way. And that's why it continues to sell...

My advice is... stick to indies.

>> ^Tymbrwulf:
Majority of the women I know would only watch movies as entertainment occasionally and don't really call themselves "movie buffs." If you think there is an untapped "movie buff" in the female world you would think the movie industry would attempt to tap into it? (Chick flicks?)



Wow.. are you trollin' Tymbie? Or just thick?
Cause if you can't find the faults in that statement. I think you should immediately take some critical thinking classes.

Have you ever wondered why most women you know don't consider themselves "movie buffs"?

Female 1: "Hey the new Comic Book/Action/Eddie Murphy Comedy movie is out."
Female 2: "Fuck yes! I've been dyin' to see gratuitous explosions/shoot-outs/prosthetic fat all year!!"

And then, like some marketing executive from the 60s, you have gall to suggest that female movie enthusiasts truly crave to be spoon fed stereotypical bastardized depictions of themselves in films.

~~ written by @BoneyD - A lot of chick flicks would fail the Bechdel Test as well, btw...

Like real world women all are desperate love-obsessed delicate lilies that: need to reunite with their sisters and babble about romanticism. Or find a rich man so they can stop whoring themselves. Or reunite with their "mature" party slut friends and babble about sex.

I bet female movie goers find those films ultra empowering! =D

And on top of all that - deep breath - "chicks flicks" don't even begin to scratch even the bottom of any list or review of the most popular movies.

So what have we learned?

- Realistically relatable females aren't depicted in mainstream media.

- The niche genre for females depicts them as clueless whiny emo kids hoping some stronger, usually male, character saves them from their shitty situation/themselves.

- You find that's perfectly normal and don't see an reason why younger females shouldn't be raised to expect the same.

>> ^quantumushroom:

If there's such a thing as "Internet Little Guy Syndrome", blah blah blah

HAHAHAHAHhhahahhhaHAHAh *deep breath* haahahahahahahaha

Your saying the OTHER GUY has internet little guy syndrome? The other guy? AHahahahahhhhahahhaaaaaaahahaha. Funniest troll ever.

>> ^demon_ix:
You do realize that in between breathing in fresh air, you're breathing in smoke, tar and nicotine?
I'm sorry, but that argument seemed too silly for me to ignore <IMG class=smiley src="http://static1.videosift.com/cdm/emoticon/wink.gif">
>> ^Samaelsmith:
It's also a good excuse to go outside and get some fresh air


Yeah, my girlfriend thinks I'm crazy too. There is a certain quality to outside air, whether it's ions or whatever, that is different than inside air. Even on a busy downtown street on a smoggy day there is a "freshness" to the air that indoors doesn't have. And I must emphasize that "fresh" air has absolutely nothing to do with "clean" air.

Even though I've been a non-smoker for long enough that my sense of smell has come back and I can more truly enjoy fresh air, I still miss sitting out on the porch and breathing in the cool night air. I know I could still do that but without a cigarette, I can't relax because my mind is constantly thinking that I shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing, I should go inside and do something.

Also, when I would go outside and take a deep breath of good clean air, my mind would think "Mmmm, delicious, a smoke would make it even better." Even I think that's ridiculous, but that's how it was.