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  • posted a message on Anime!
    Just finished episode 405 of One Piece in the Sabaody Archipelago arc. For those who say the anime drags on I do agree and it did get boring in some parts. I literally had to force myself through the Thriller Bark arc as it was painfully boring to me. However, now that things are getting more interesting in the SA arc, I believe I will keep myself engaged and continue to watch One Piece.

    On a side note, my company will be on holiday shutdown for the next two weeks. Any suggestions on what to watch? I'm looking for something to complement One Piece but something that may not be as long and drawn out. I usually prefer adventure, comedy, and fantasy themed titles that are geared towards a more mature audience.
    Posted in: Television
  • posted a message on Tips for getting through the day
    Quote from 9909 »
    Essentially, "don't eat crap". OK.

    The precise effect of coffee is unresolved, but it is suggested that coffee exacerbates depression or foul moods.


    I'm not saying to drink coffee to counteract depression, but it's a well known fact that coffee is consumed to give a person energy. It was more of a suggestion to remove any unnecessary additives to what you're eating/drinking. More specifically I used to add milk, sugar, and cream to my coffee. This compounded the effects of sugar in addition to the caffeine. I drink one cup in the morning and that's all I need. The rest of the day I snack on things like raw almonds, fruits, and vegetables to keep me going.


    OP did not imply or state any hypovitaminosis D. Nothing is consistent with this.


    Again, it's a well known fact that natural sunlight exposure aids with vitamin D production -- it was not meant to imply that the OP had anything. I'll rephrase to accommodate: "Natural sunlight aids with a body's Vitamin D deficiency and is a great way to elevate a person's mood." Is that satisfactory?
    Posted in: Real-Life Advice
  • posted a message on Female Hall of Famer
    Any player can become a hall of famer in Magic. Being male or female is not a prerequisite for this title. If a player consistently performs well at top level competitive events and is an active member in the community, then they should become eligible for the HoF.

    As far as the Hall of Fame committee goes (if there is one), I doubt there's a requirement to have X number of people from any specific subsection in order to make their HoF well rounded. It should only be based on performance and community participation.
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Realistic Dream Car/Truck
    Current car: Ford Focus 2010 SEL model. Bought it during the "Cash For Clunkers" campaign by trading in my 1995 Lincoln E-Series Towncar my grandmother gave me. It was one of the last of the "box cars" and it was great to drive. Shame I'll never drive it again. Frown

    Dream car: Cadillac Escalade (latest year and best model). I need a roomy, luxurious car with more height and horsepower on the road. Don't get me wrong I like what I have now, but I was spoiled by my grandmother's car. Leather heated seats, wooden lacquered dashboard, spacious seating...:drool:
    Posted in: Talk and Entertainment
  • posted a message on Tips for getting through the day
    I have depression quite often. It's from my weight, my medication, and varies depending on the season. Depression never becomes wholly eliminated, but you can reduce its impact by following some simple rules:

    1) Do routine exercise. You don't have to run a marathon or become a cross-fit buff, but try to do some cardio exercise for 20-30 minutes 2x-3x a week. It will help your brain, body, and mind in tremendous ways. What I do is I take my dogs for a walk 3 times a week for about 30 minutes around the block and through a local school's baseball field. Dogs get exercise, I get exercise, and everybody feels a lot better afterwards.

    2) Eat better foods. Depending on where you live you might change your eating habits throughout the fall and winter seasons. I tend to eat more because of being indoors so much, but I've changed from eating too many heavy foods to eating an abundance of healthy foods. Some foods are better for your mood than others. I prefer to splurge on egg whites, lean meats and fish, fruits and vegetables, beans, and black coffee (no sugar/milk/sweetener added).

    3) Have a conversation with somebody -- even if it's yourself. Talking out something that's on your mind is a healthy way to relieve burden, stress, and other things worrying you.

    4) Get some natural sunlight. Natural sunlight aids with your body's Vitamin D deficiency and is a great way to elevate your mood.

    5) Give yourself some alone time. Being around other people can be stressful. Sometimes you need to be alone and decompress. I do this daily by taking my lunch in my car and driving to a remote parking lot to eat. I read a book, listen to music, close my eyes for a little bit, and just relax. It resets my mood for the remainder of the day.

    Hope this advice helps.
    Posted in: Real-Life Advice
  • posted a message on What to do about getting over an ex?
    Not to dumb down the discussion, but there's a pretty good wikiHow on this topic that I have followed in the past: How to get over a break up.

    I know it's not the most comprehensive guide and there are guides/articles/opinions a dime a dozen on this topic, but it's a good starting point to understanding how to get over something like an ex-partner.

    You mentioned one thing in your post that I can relate to:

    ...but sometimes I find myself missing the comfort and support of having someone there and I'm finding it a bit difficult to cope.


    I felt that way when I broke up with my ex many years ago. To this day I still feel that way just a tiny bit but only when I think back about the good times I had with her. However, I found that she was not the sole source of comfort and support and that you have other resources for that (i.e. friends, family, pets, other romantic interests, etc.) You need to go out and find other things that will comfort you rather than dwelling on what she used to give you. Find your emotional high elsewhere and seize happiness! Nodding the Affirmative
    Posted in: Real-Life Advice
  • posted a message on To Atheists: Do you see value in faith.
    Quote from TomCat26 »
    To the Atheists/agnostics out there, I wanted to ask: Is there value in faith?


    There is for those who wish to invest their beliefs in faith. However, for myself (I'm an atheist who was raised in a reform Jewish family), I do not believe in faith and I find no value in faith for myself.


    I'm talking about:

    -believing in things you cannot prove

    -believing in spite of a lack of evidence

    -believing in thing that you simply because you want to believe(ex. trust)


    It's funny that you bring up the issue of "trust" because I always think of trust as having confidence in something or someone because they have proven they can be depended upon. I've never associated trust with faith. Perhaps there's a connection? I just have a hard time seeing it.


    Do you see value in taking things by faith? Or is this entire paradigm of thought just stupid, childish, nonsensical, and logically erroneous?


    There's value for those who feel they will benefit by having faith in something. I, personally, do not have religious faith in anything. I'm tolerant of others and their beliefs, but firm in my own and do not see any value or benefit from believing in something I do not believe exists or is important in my life.
    Posted in: Religion
  • posted a message on Anime!
    Quote from Jay13x
    I dropped the Manga shortly after the time skip. It's dragged on way too long.


    I'm not there yet, but I do hear the same sentiments from everyone that One Piece drags on for excessively long periods of time with non-canon filler.
    Posted in: Television
  • posted a message on Workplace and Holiday
    A lot of holiday decorations are put up at my job. We have everything from Christmas trees to stockings to lights. I'm Jewish so I don't celebrate Christmas, but I don't mind taking part in the holiday celebration.

    If you feel like celebrating the holidays but don't want to align yourself with any particular religion, then find a generic holiday decoration for this season and put it up. Sometimes it's nice just to put up little things that represent the season but don't affiliate you with any specific religion.

    For me, I put up my StarWars R2-D2 snowglobe (it has a Santa hat with a present in its robot arms) and a little wall light that I hang on my cubicle (around 4" wide and 2" high) that says "Happy Holidays!" Nothing fancy, just joining in because I enjoy the atmopshere this time of year.

    You don't have to join in either but sometimes it's fun just to set aside all the serious business and enjoy the festivities.
    Posted in: Real-Life Advice
  • posted a message on Anime!
    Finally got into the Water 7 saga for One Piece. My faith in the series has been redeemed: canon episodes and finally some interesting action!
    Posted in: Television
  • posted a message on Help; how do I quit my job?
    It sounds like you want to rearrange your schedule after you said you were available to work during the weekends. Before you make a decision, ask your boss if he can adjust your schedule to give you more flex time for your schoolwork. Make sure you have something solid in mind before you propose this decision or else you're going to look foolish.

    If he says he can adjust your schedule to what you want then that's great. If not, then you need to make a decision about what's more important: a gas station job that pays $11/hr and the feelings of your manager, or your education and future.

    Also try to remember one thing when it comes to leaving your job (if you do): be polite, be professional, and don't burn your bridges. You never know what kind of connections your former employer has. They can also be a valuable asset or a tremendous detriment when you seek future employment elsewhere.
    Posted in: Real-Life Advice
  • posted a message on Need suggestions for dealing with mentally ill individual
    All sexual assault is bad but I am concerned he could pull this on a teenage girl. Do I call the police? Do I follow him next time he runs to ensure the police can find him? Can I, as the witness to a sexual assault, actually do anything if the victim elects not to press charges or get involved in a legal battle with a mentally ill person? (these victims are women just going about their day who are certainly creeped out by the guy placing their hands on his crotch but generally just want to put the incident behind them, get home, and carry on with their life after a work day) Do I tell the local police to be on the lookout for the mentally ill man around my bus stop?


    I know from your description your physique sounds rather intimidating, but you should never put yourself in harm’s away when it comes to reporting or witnessing a criminal activity. Unless if you’re a police officer or have greater or equivalent authority then I do not recommend following him if he runs. You never know what a person -- mentally ill or not -- is capable of doing.

    I’m sure there’s a way to report a description of the suspect to the local authorities so they are aware of his activities. Before you call the police, offer the victim your supporting testimony and see if they want to call the police. If they want to report it, then you can give your side of the story. If not, then you did your civil duty and offered to help another person.

    You can’t be Batman but you can be a good citizen.
    Posted in: Real-Life Advice
  • posted a message on How To Resolve This Conflict
    Quote from Cortar
    I lent out a pretty expensive card to a friend (I say 'friend' but more like an acquaintance, we know each other because our playgroup so this is not a factor) to use in his deck a while ago. It used to be 50$ when I lent it out. I bought the card when it was 15$ but I knew it was going up and thats why I bought it.

    Well, rotation was on the horizon and the card went down to 40$ so I asked my friend for it back so I could sell it and still make a profit. He had lost it though so he looked for. A few months later he gave up and offered to pay me for it, its only worth 5$ now.

    How much money should he give me in order for it to be fair to both of us?

    EDIT: Also please include reasons why


    $15.

    You paid $15 for the card, you loaned it to the guy, and now you want the card back. It was worth $15 at the time and that's what you should ask for. If he agrees then you get your $15 back. If not then you lose out on your card and $15.

    Either way it's a lesson learned: don't loan (expensive) cards to people you are not familiar with.
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Learning a New Language
    Quote from Trav_Ragnar »
    Also, after discussing with a professor, he suggested that I begin with German if I am interested in becoming bilingual because it is so similar to the English language. I was glad to hear that because I found German culture and language was much more interesting than Spanish because Germany is where my ancestory originates. Although, I also felt as though Spanish was more applicable in the United States in terms of advancing my compatibility in a workplace and forming new relationships. What do you guys think about that? I would like to eventually learn both, but would prefer to begin with what will best transition me into learning new languages.


    This might be of interest to you: Learning Difficulty for English Speakers (make sure to click the reference link at the bottom of the page for further info).

    In terms of which secondary language is the most compatable in your workplace in the U.S., it really depends on what you're doing and where you're working. Might be good to look into demographic information for where you live. For most jobs I've seen in the U.S. being bilingual in English and Spanish is becoming the gold standard. Is it required? No. Is it desired? Probably. It never hurts to have a second language no matter where you go or what you do, but choosing that second language really depends on what you want to learn and how you plan to use that language. Most businesses and institutions in the U.S. look for what secondary language will be most useful in their field and in their location.

    German and Spanish are nothing alike in my opinion. I've taken Spanish for 8 years and I've seldom read German. Trust me: neither language is going to ease you into one another. You're going to have to learn them from scratch and retain fluency with practice, repetition, immersion, and progression.

    Learning a second language should not be a chore. Make it a hobby. Those who try to learn something out of necessity rather than desire will find themselves short of meeting their expectations.
    Posted in: Real-Life Advice
  • posted a message on Need HDTV suggestions
    I've had luck with both Samsung and LG. I recently sold my 49" Toshiba to my parents which is also a good brand. Every TV I have purchased has been through BestBuy because they have good variety for HD TVs. You don't have to get too crazy with where you go unless if you're a bargain hunter.

    BestBuy's website is efficient for filtering your search to what you want. I plugged in your preferences and came up with a bunch of different results. Go to their website and try looking around.

    Two things to look out for:

    1) Don't pay extra for a 3D-compatable TV. If you don't plan on watching anything with the 3D feature(s) then it isn't worth the extra money. However, if you can get a 3D-compatable TV and it's a better deal than one without that feature then go for it. Just don't feel pressured that you have to buy one unless if that's what you want.

    2) Read customer reviews carefully. You'd be surprised how important they are. I recently bought a Sony sound bar with a wireless subwoofer and it had a 4.5/5 star rating with over 200+ reviews. A couple of the 1 and 2 star ratings were from users who recently had issues with the hardware not scanning the wireless subwoofer (these reviews were within a 1 year period). Unfortunately I had to return mine after a few days since it had the same issue. I returned it and exchanged for a new one. Works like a gem now. I recommend reading carefully what other buyers have said before purchasing a TV.
    Posted in: Geeks Corner
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