:DAlright, Kevin, way to go on Regular of the Week. I think that deck randomly winning with Worship won't repeat itself, and I bet you'll still Top 8. Also, I'm sad to hear that you're thinking about quitting Legacy! Legacy is the best format: You only pick up a few certain cards each set, many awesome decks are established, you don't play mox or antimox (in style), and there's so much room to innovate. I suppose people are drawn to their standard due to prizes, more people involved, etc. but I can't stand the HUGE drop in power level. Maybe it's just because I've played Magic going on 12 years. Anyway, I hope you'll keep up with Legacy from time to time and hopefully play me on MWS! Congratulations again.:)
Hehe, I'm a Johnny/spike really. I love my Johnny cards, but I try to make them as good as possible, and I have no quams about picking up and adapting a net deck if it's something that I love. I'm wierd like that. Like, right now I'm working on whats essentially a project X combo deck, only it's also a mini sliver deck featuring 4 sinue sliver, 4 gemhide sliver and several key silver bullet slivers. I'm also a huge Vothros because the art is so very important to me. I'm the type of player that struggles to make all Rebecca Guay or all D. Alexander Gregory decks. Hehe.
Quote from Kraj, regarding blue/black control »
It's looking that way, which makes me happy because aggro has been running rampant and the one combo deck is still stupidly powerful. I find Dralnu to be a really, really annoying and boring build, though. I'd like to see U/B control get stronger simply for the ability to have other playable options than a damn Teferi engine.
Quote from Hunter »
Yeah, U/B is gettin strong nowadays. Even Guillame Wafo-Tapa's Winning Block Constructed(Grand Prix Yokohama) U/B control is very nuts. My friend also build and playtested it and even if it was just a BC deck it crushed many t2 decks we have played against today. Geez, mystical teachings, Teferi, Tendrils of Corruption+Urborg nearly killed almost all decks in the metagame that we had. Its strong I tell ya..
I'm glad I'm not the only one seeing it. I really do need to get over myself and just get some Damnations. I think that the new black demon, the one with delve, could help to encourage people to continue playing :symu::symb: control while being less reliant on the Teferi/Teachings/Dranlu engine.
Quote from Kraj »
And I just gotta say... one thing I forgot to account for when evaluating my desire to write an article is.... the people who respond to it. Very frustrating...
I plan to respond to it, I just haven't gathered myself for it yet. Don't worry.
Quote from Cecilia »
The only cards i see on there that probably won't be reprinted is probably Sea Drake and Vampiric Tutor i hope i am wrong though. Sea drake is like worth 40 bucks a card now so i doubt they will reprint that unless wizards wants to get a bunch of people mad lol. I wouldnt mind having a playset of those though. Also since vampiric tutor is restricted in vintage i dont think they will reprint that card in type 2 although you never know since they reprinted something almost just like it which is infernal tutor. So i think all of your choices seem fairly reasonable in my opinion. I'd say they should definetly reprint Gifts of ungiven hehehe.
Thanks for your feedback! Yeah, I must admit that my desire to see the drake reprinted is a greedy one. Still though, I don't think it's power leve is too high for standard since we lack the lands. I also compair it to Underworld Dreams, because it was a pretty expensive card before it was reprinted. Vampiric tutor is a stretch, but the way I see it, a tutor of this caliber is only as strong as the enviroment is. Without horribly degenerate combos, it's just a good card (think of how it was used in pre-rotation extended rock.) The reason I hope it's in there, is for extended primarily.
I'm glad someone else loves Gifts Ungiven as much as I do.
Well, I'm going to go start cooking. I'm making grilled salmon, asparagus and a light, simple angel hair pasta with a garlic and olive oil sauce.
Congrats on ROW both of you! Kevin and his muse and guiding spirit Ceci
Have you ever been to any of the east coast Duel for duals? One of my former playtesting chaps Matt Mancinelli recently took 2nd place there winning one of each dual land.
EDIT: Playing Mantle Affinity in a Solidarity- and Goblins- heavy format.
Thanks snoop! No unfortunetly i havent all of the legacy tournaments ive been to are on the west coast unfortunetly. I want to go to a east coast tournament sometime though maybe ill go with coffee-finement if they decide to ban flash. Thats a pretty impressive showing for you playtesting partner as well.
@shah: Yeah i definetly agree with you on the vampiric tutor concept though it is indeed as powerful as the format is. Yeah i really like gifts alot its one of my most favorite blue cards ever printed and of course i love fact or fiction too i think i have like 5 or 6 of them or something.
@shink: Yeah i probably will withdraw from legacy by the end of this year oh well at least i had a pretty good run in legacy. I even mentioned this before the upcoming hulk flash too lol. Well ill be ready for another random worship deck if it does appear again since the next times ill be consulting my sideboard for krosan grips. Also thanks for the support in the standard tournament!
I think that the new black demon, the one with delve, could help to encourage people to continue playing :symu::symb: control while being less reliant on the Teferi/Teachings/Dranlu engine.
Personally I plan to do that very thing when FS becomes legal. I'm working on a deck that uses Tombstalker with draw cards like Magus of the Bazaar and Compulsive Research to fill the graveyard and find the 'Stalker fast. So far, I can consistenly have a 'Stalker by turn 4 or 5 but the deck needs to be more flexible.
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Of course leaving is not required... I accept your apology and am just glad that you understand why I was a bit offended....
Congrats on RotW to Cecelia!
i'm feeling the crunch of time... and last night was Ryan's and my 1 year and 6 month anniversary.... He was feeling the absolute best about me that he has felt in a while... I feel like an idiot for not accepting what he was saying... for some reason I felt like he wasn't appreciating me, when he actually was..... Its a little aggravating because I'm looking back on last night and wishing I had embraced the amazing feeling he was emanating... for some reason I was too on guard to accept it for what it was... I'm a little (ok more than a little) pissed off at myself for not appreciating that, and for keeping us awake on a day when we needed the most sleep...
That sounds like such an awesome dish...and I love both Salmon and Asparagus.
Hehe, if you play your cards right (Or if I play my cards right ;))
It turned out really well. The salmon was just lightly spiced and I seared it on the grill so it was loaded with goodness. I don't know if anyone else blanches and then grills asparagus, but it's good stuff. The pasta wasn't that great though. It would have been better with some white wine in it, but I only have 5 bottles right now, and didn't want to cork one for my little dinner for one. hehe. But yeah, asparagus is probably my favorite veggie, and that's saying something.
Speaking of food. They have been working on my kitchen! It may even be done in a week.
I love asparagus off the grill. Usually (since i dont have a grill) I steam them just enough to bring the green out and heat them up. Nothing worse than soggy asparagus, its an art in of itself cooking it right.
Ack! Help, I'm bogged down in angry Robert Jordan fans!
I think I'm just going to abandon the debate. For anyone who is interested, here is the thread in the other forum. You don't have to be registered to view it.
I realize that it seems like a very "Mamelon-typical" thing to go on about, but I have a gaming-oriented reason for my point. Though to be honest, I probably would never have brought it up if it weren't about the Wheel of Time, and something I've wanted to point out about that world setting for a loooong time.
Quote from SnoopDoggAtog »
I would tend to agree that gender goes a fair amount deeper than maternal imprinting behaviors in the first six months of life. For instance, gender identity differences tend to run in families, indicating a genetic/structural/organic cause and also supporting the notion that the brain of the transgender person is neither one gender or the other, but something in between but variably closer to one than the other.
Good point. For instance, in my family there is a trans kid (me), a gay kid (Photon), a straight kid (my younger brother Adam), and my younger sister has voiced a degree of pronounced cross-gender identification at many points (though it's unclear if she really has gender dysphoria).
Another thing to consider is the probability that if it were determined strongly by how the baby was treated during infancy, trans kids would probably be much more common. True, gender-specific treatment of babies is very common, but you'd think atypical or just more lax or equal means of raising babies would happen oftly enough to appear in enough cases to outnumber the cases of trans children.
As for transgender brains being different from cisgender brains, that makes a lot of sense to me. That may account for the fact that many trans people, even those who strongly identity as male or female, describe themselves as having a good deal of androgyny.
There's a notion that trans people are generally more intelligent and mature more quickly than cisgender people, that the same is true of gay people to an extent, and that these brain differences are among the primary causes for that. Frankly, I'm skeptical of such a notion. I can attest that I've known plenty of prematurely wise and very gifted cisgender people, and there are surely more than a few trans people that are just as immature as most people or of average aptitudes.
This is different from yet another observation that people with autism and Asperger's syndrome tend to have a distinct kind of gender role dysphoria that is sometimes, but not always, found in conjunction with true gender identity mismatch. Many of these individuals have cisgender identity and heteronormative orientation but have significant social problems relating to the way their disability affects gender-specific social and behavioral rules. For instance, many Asperger's girls are tomboys not because they are transgendered, but because they "fit in" better with males who are less intuitive about the feminine social role and their transgression of it. This includes gender-neutral things like emotional multitasking and integrative perception as well as the expected difficulties with social role modeling within gender. I know of two different women who had or probably had an autistic-spectrum disorder, who went on to declare themselves transmen not because they sincerely identified as male, but because, as one put it, "were tired of people always looking askance at me because I did a horrible job of being a woman". Her brash, plain-spoken, competition-loving and rough-talking demeanor is much more at home in a male body and it has turned her life around. Whereas before "she" was chronically unemployed and very lonely, he is now senior sales manager for a value-added phone company and has many buddies; it has almost erased any sign that he was initially Asperger's and fired from many positions for being "unusual in manner and entirely untrustworthy". The other was a goalie and just decided she needed to be "he" to really enjoy the full experience of hockey which was his life's obsession.
I think this is a very valuable insight. It seems that a lot of people who have androgynous or just atypical personalities can come to terms with this and be accepted nonetheless. Women who are gruff or competitive and men who are gentle-mannered and sensitive may be off-putting to some, and may receive criticisms, but I'd guess that many people can deal with that and still firmly identity as cisgender.
However, as you rightly point out, sometimes people simply will not accept you as such, and that can be a big deal. The autism example is a very good one. That is something that just isn't going to change. And surely enough, autistic women or those with Asperger's can behave in a very masculine way. If those people are fine with living as a male and identifying as such to become more comfortable and accepted as who they are, such as the two you describe, I see no reason why they shouldn't go for it.
I think there tends to be a bit of a presumption, even among the trans community, that only "genuinely" trans people should be permitted to transition. That a utilitarian motive for approaching gender reassignment will always end badly. Now, I do cede that people can come to regret such a transition if they end up undertaking it as a means to some ends. Sometimes even "genuine" trans people come to regret it. But I think your examples show that this certainly is not universal. There are times when a person really just seems to adapt better to living as the other sex than that which they were assigned at birth. There's nothing wrong with that, by any means.
At the bottom of these both are probably any number of complex neurodevelopmental processes that are at once stubbornly heritable but also exquisitely sensitive to environmental changes and maternal hormones. I hope the person(s) who unravel these mysteries get more than just a Nobel Prize because it will hopefully put to rest the idea that gender identity and even orientation are writ in stone, or in the Bible; or that they are a conscious choice to be changed at will or at gunpoint.
Very well said, and I agree. Perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions a bit, but I'd hope that it would also help ease the diviseness, prejudice, and rigidity with which gender and gender roles are treated in most societies.
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All that I yearn for, for richer or poorer, is to be the light that you see. All that I yearn for, for richer or poorer, is to be the peace that you feel. All that I yearn for, for richer or poorer, is to fill your heart on my own.
But the rainbow is an image of hope for many reasons, as it is a brilliant sight coming out of oftimes dismal weather.
Ack! Help, I'm bogged down in angry Robert Jordan fans!
I think I'm just going to abandon the debate. For anyone who is interested, here is the thread in the other forum. You don't have to be registered to view it.
I realize that it seems like a very "Mamelon-typical" thing to go on about, but I have a gaming-oriented reason for my point. Though to be honest, I probably would never have brought it up if it weren't about the Wheel of Time, and something I've wanted to point out about that world setting for a loooong time.
Good point. For instance, in my family there is a trans kid (me), a gay kid (Photon), a straight kid (my younger brother Adam), and my younger sister has voiced a degree of pronounced cross-gender identification at many points (though it's unclear if she really has gender dysphoria).
Another thing to consider is the probability that if it were determined strongly by how the baby was treated during infancy, trans kids would probably be much more common. True, gender-specific treatment of babies is very common, but you'd think atypical or just more lax or equal means of raising babies would happen oftly enough to appear in enough cases to outnumber the cases of trans children.
As for transgender brains being different from cisgender brains, that makes a lot of sense to me. That may account for the fact that many trans people, even those who strongly identity as male or female, describe themselves as having a good deal of androgyny.
There's a notion that trans people are generally more intelligent and mature more quickly than cisgender people, that the same is true of gay people to an extent, and that these brain differences are among the primary causes for that. Frankly, I'm skeptical of such a notion. I can attest that I've known plenty of prematurely wise and very gifted cisgender people, and there are surely more than a few trans people that are just as immature as most people or of average aptitudes.
I think this is a very valuable insight. It seems that a lot of people who have androgynous or just atypical personalities can come to terms with this and be accepted nonetheless. Women who are gruff or competitive and men who are gentle-mannered and sensitive may be off-putting to some, and may receive criticisms, but I'd guess that many people can deal with that and still firmly identity as cisgender.
However, as you rightly point out, sometimes people simply will not accept you as such, and that can be a big deal. The autism example is a very good one. That is something that just isn't going to change. And surely enough, autistic women or those with Asperger's can behave in a very masculine way. If those people are fine with living as a male and identifying as such to become more comfortable and accepted as who they are, such as the two you describe, I see no reason why they shouldn't go for it.
I think there tends to be a bit of a presumption, even among the trans community, that only "genuinely" trans people should be permitted to transition. That a utilitarian motive for approaching gender reassignment will always end badly. Now, I do cede that people can come to regret such a transition if they end up undertaking it as a means to some ends. Sometimes even "genuine" trans people come to regret it. But I think your examples show that this certainly is not universal. There are times when a person really just seems to adapt better to living as the other sex than that which they were assigned at birth. There's nothing wrong with that, by any means.
Very well said, and I agree. Perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions a bit, but I'd hope that it would also help ease the diviseness, prejudice, and rigidity with which gender and gender roles are treated in most societies.
aww so your sister is also transgender as well mamelon? I hope she is handling it well like you but ill always pray for you and the people you care about the most. Has your day went well too mamelon? My day has been good. Talk to you sometime soon mamelon! *Hugs*
Well i just wanted to drop in and say hello to you all. Ill be posting in awhile later tonight. See you all soon though. I also hope everyone has had a great day or night too. *hugs and blows kisses to everyone*
Love,
Cecilia
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I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006. Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team. Also known as kevinliu2333. Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
Mamelon; another thing I've noticed about gender. So many people believe that sexuality and gender identification are raised into a person. Additionally, they also believe a gay or transgendered individual must have been raised 'wrong', as if somehow a child who is gay or transgendered is a mistake by nature.
As I have stated before, my parents made no strong attempts at making me be a man. I grew up to be a masculine person, and I m in no way a woman. However, I still possess traits that are atypical of a 'man'. I am sensitive, I appreciate art, and I am somewhat emotional. Still, this does not make me less of a man, this makes me a well rounded person.
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Banner and avatar by me.
Official Character Sheet Shredder of DAMNIT
DAMNIT: I should never have to shred my own character sheet in frustration.
ts good to see you back hunter and talk to you all later im going to eat breakfast then head out to work. See you all when i get back tonight. *hugs and blows kisses to everyone* Take care everyone.
Thanks Kev, goodluck still on the MGA. Im kinda havi a hard time gettin all those goblins, especially the warchief and siege gang commander.
Ack! Help, I'm bogged down in angry Robert Jordan fans!
I think I'm just going to abandon the debate. For anyone who is interested, here is the thread in the other forum. You don't have to be registered to view it.
I realize that it seems like a very "Mamelon-typical" thing to go on about, but I have a gaming-oriented reason for my point. Though to be honest, I probably would never have brought it up if it weren't about the Wheel of Time, and something I've wanted to point out about that world setting for a loooong time.
I looked at it. I would chime in if I had read the WOT series. As far as I'm concerned, the argument went south fast when that one guy questioned the invention a good drow (by opening Pandoras box). Such unwavering opinions, especially when they are wrong! ;), do not warrant my attention.
Not to sound overly mean, but they look like unimaginative fanboys. *shrug* I wouldn't expect much, you know?
All that tom foolery... acting as if Pandora's box wasn't opened in the first place!
Hello folks. I'm back from a day's worth of hiatus. I felt I needed to take a short break from the place for a while to let off some stress, since this is a hectic time for me. Anyhoo.
I see I got to be in the soap! Awesome. The "Stuffy Doll" reference wears thin, but eh, I'll live with it. Top notch comedy, as usual. Also, congrats to Cecilia on RotW.
Regarding my trip to Blennerhassett Island on Sunday - I brought back some pictures. It was truly a wonderful day. I'm more glad than I can say that I called off work to be with my family that day. It's easily one of the best decisions I've made in the past few months. I truly enjoyed it, and managed to forget about all the stress in my life and just be at peace, boating down the Ohio River and enjoying the natural wonder of the island.
The Trip to Blennerhassett - Part 1
So, to begin, let's start off with some background: The island was the former home of a one Mr. Blennerhassett, who was a conspirator along with Aaron Burr in his attempted revolution in the 1800's. The island itself is about two miles long, and is located on a section of the Ohio river near Parkersburg, WV. The mansion of Mr. Blennerhassett burned down 13 years after it was constructed, but was later rebuilt, and has now been restored and opened to the public for tourism. The island itself was a major tourist spot back in the very early 1900's - there were carnivals, a bowling alley, boxing ring, a baseball diamond on which the Cincinnati Reds played, and many other attractions. In short, it was one of the biggest party centers in the Ohio valley. An unusually large flood in the 1910's wiped out the park, however, and the owner chose to close up shop rather than rebuild. Now, the island is mostly covered in trees and a few museum and caretaker buildings, and a wagon trail that covers approximately half of the island's length.
The tourist center in Parkersburg offers a tour package that includes a trip by boat to the island, which is the only way it is accessible. The town of Parkersburg also houses a museum dedicated to the history of the island, as well as the boating dock from which the tourism boats leave. We stopped by the museum first, to pick up tickets.
I can't really describe the feeling of boating down the Ohio, the day being absolutely gorgeous, with a slight breeze and a giant paddlewheel spraying mist at the back, sunlight gleaming brightly off the water, other than to say it was truly amazing. Just an absolutely brilliant day, and once we got to island, the wildlife and vegetation were just as superb.
The grove of Black Walnut trees and the flora and fauna on the island were, as I said, just as enjoyable, if not moreso, than the boat ride. The grove of Black Walnuts in particular was amazing, and there were several very old and large trees on the island that had vines interwoven with the trunk and which had grown in odd or esoteric ways. The were very interesting to look at. The island had a thriving population of geese, the flock of which we saw happened to have several cute little goslings with them. As you can see from the above pictures, a raccoon also made an appearance, digging for eatables in one of the several public trash cans. There were also a couple of pairs of very pretty horses harnessed in front of some wagons for the wagon rides that were offered around the island.
We decided to take the horse and wagon ride around the island, since we hadn't done that before. We had visited the inside of the mansion on our last trip here, which was some years ago. More pictures, and the conclusion of the story will follow. First, though, I need to put up the AotW for this week.
Also, this is my 2000th post. I'm glad to have it occur in the Coffeehouse, and in a post that has some real meaning for me. You guys keep me coming back to this place, and I know I'd never have gotten to this milestone if I didn't enjoy the conversation here so much. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you for letting me share a little bit of myself, and for doing the same for everyone in turn. *misty-eyed*
Wow, it sounds like you had a ton of fun, Mr. Stuff. The scenery in those pictures looks absolutely immaculate.
Also, congratulations on your 2,000th post. Honestly, it should be us thanking you, for sharing your time with us, and being a constant source of joy for all of us to draw from. Thank you for choosing to spend your hours amongst all of us.
In the immortal words of the Markus brothers (from VHD): "It's ZOMBIE TIME!" Well, in this case, replace zombies with demons, but you get the idea.
Shindou Ranmaru is feeling pretty confident. He's just graduated onto the TOKKI police force, and he likes his new job. However, recently there has been a string of serial murders going around in which the victims are all torn to pieces. During an investigation of the lastest victim's crime scene, unfortunately, things take a bad turn for Ranmaru. Zombies - or rather, people possessed by the white "Human Face Bugs" - appear, and begin tearing the police force limb from limb, literally. Luckily, a few people dressed in black leather and wielding swords come to the rescue. They are TOKKO, a secret division of the police dedicated to wiping out this supernatural menace, and Ranmaru's fate soon becomes entertwined with these warriors in black.
TOKKO, to me, is what Blood + should have been. It is concise (13 eps). It has loads and loads of awesome zombie and demon slaying action. It has blood by the bucketful. It also has toplessness in a few scenes, and a female member of TOKKO who likes to wear an open black leather jacket and pants, with nothing beneath. Hellsing it's not - but that doesn't stop it from being fairly awesome in it's own right. If you're looking for a good demon-slaying romp of a time with lots of in-your-face action, a bit of mystery, and a bit of skin, TOKKO won't disappoint. Give it a look if supernatural and/or slayer shows are your type of thing.
@mr. stuff: well im glad you had alot of fun on your vacation. All of those are really nice pictures on your trip by the way.
Oh darn i missed my 4th cookie post in a row its all good though. Im glad someone else got it besides me. Also congrats on your 2,000th post thats a pretty impressive milestone.
I actually had a rough day at work pushing shopping carts inside from outside at 96 degree weather isnt easy at all. Plus its going to get even tougher as soon as june hits las vegas can get up to 110 degrees during midday.
Thanks again, Kev. Take it easy after that day at work.
And so, continuing where I left off:
As I said, we decided to take the horse and wagon ride around the island. The horses were brown stallions, very pretty. The guide was very knowledgeable about the island and its history, and explained several landmarks as we went along. The scenery on the island, whether forested groves or fields of grass, was magnificent throughout. Towards the end, the guide let the horses gallop a bit, and the wind actually blew my hat off. Thank goodness the person behind me caught it!
After about 20 minutes we arrived back at the starting point, and had about half an hour to spend before the boat arrived to take us home. I spent this time just walking around the island taking pictures. I encountered a flock of Canadian geese that had the most adorable little goslings with them, which was quite nice. I managed to get a picture of them too. Not long after that, the boat arrived to take us back to the dock in Parkersburg.
The day wasn't quite over after that, though - We got dinner at a nice restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, where I had some excellent grilled shrimp skewers. Ahh, the memories. I don't think there's one thing about this day I would change.
With that, I think I'll turn in for the night. I'll check in again sometime later tomorrow. Thanks everyone, for listening, and good night.
Thanks again, Kev. Take it easy after that day at work.
And so, continuing where I left off:
As I said, we decided to take the horse and wagon ride around the island. The horses were brown mustangs, very pretty. The guide was very knowledgeable about the island and its history, and explained several landmarks as we went along. The scenery on the island, whether forested groves or fields of grass, was magnificent throughout. Towards the end, the guide let the horses gallop a bit, and the wind actually blew my hat off. Thank goodness the person behind me caught it!
After about 20 minutes we arrived back at the starting point, and had about half an hour to spend before the boat arrived to take us home. I spent this time just walking around the island taking pictures. I encountered a flock of Canadian geese that had the most adorable little goslings with them, which was quite nice. I managed to get a picture of them too. Not long after that, the boat arrived to take us back to the dock in Parkersburg.
The day wasn't quite over after that, though - We got dinner at a nice restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, where I had some excellent grilled shrimp skewers. Ahh, the memories. I don't think there's one thing about this day I would change.
With that, I think I'll turn in for the night. I'll check in again sometime later tomorrow. Thanks everyone, for listening, and good night.
Your welcome mr. stuff and i have this saturday off which is really good so im probably going to do laundry and sleep in for awhile.
Sounds like a perfect day and the places that you go to are absolutely beautiful all of the scenery reminds me of the good old days when i lived in washington state when i was growing up.
Have a great night Mr. stuff and you take it easy as well!
Well i am going to go for the night. Ill talk to you all tommorrow though and ill be on aol and msn messenger if anyone wants to talk to me for the night. Anyhow have a great night or day everyone! See you all tommorrow. *hugs and blows kisses*
Love,
Cecilia
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I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006. Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team. Also known as kevinliu2333. Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
Also, congratulations on your 2,000th post. Honestly, it should be us thanking you, for sharing your time with us, and being a constant source of joy for all of us to draw from. Thank you for choosing to spend your hours amongst all of us.
I echo this sentiment completely. Par example, you definitely don't have to share this trip with us at all as I assume it took a little bit of work to set up all the pictures but I'm glad to see it all. Don't think I'd go there but definitely interesting when you describe the trip. Definitely a beautiful island tho and the picture of the goslings was pretty awesomely cute.
Oh, and I understand the lack of words when it comes to the boat ride - only in a more extreme way. Sometimes words can't describe what its like to do something or see something. I don't think I've mentioned it but about 7 or 8 years ago I went white water rafting on something like a class 2 or 3 (don't remember the exact number). Loved it. Oh and did I mention that I can't swim. Wanna go again but I think I'd be pushing my luck on that.
As for me, I've been kinda bored here lately. Not much to really do mixed with crappy weather (read: cold rain) and its been a borefest. There'd be more but there's not much to tell. I did, however, grab myself some Delays for 7 bucks a playset recently as well as got myself a free Zippo lighter in the mail. I don't smoke but I'm still gonna keep it. It's not like those things are cheap after all.
Mr. Stuff, that was downright awesome. I really loved those pictures. I could use a bit of that gorgeous serenity after a stressful day with screaming kids. I'll just cut out that tangent I went on about the south and my time in the army...WV isn't the South. That island looks like a beautiful, peaceful place, and could easily be the setting for anyone's 'best day ever.' I'm glad you shared that with us, now to dream about lazing under a tree there with a good book.:)
Again, I'm at college, so I can't stop. I'm on a roll with my French work (got the speaking exam on Monday :sweat:). Anyhoo, just thought I'd say hi.
How are you all?
'Fox.
Hey shadowfox its good to see you and goodluck on your college exams im sure you will be fine.
Well i just wanted to stop by and say good morning before i take off for work in like a half an hour or so i have a 7 hour shift today so its going to be a long day oh well ill get through it. Ill see you all soon and have a great day or night everyone! *hugs and blows kisses to everyone*
Love,
Cecilia
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I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006. Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team. Also known as kevinliu2333. Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
I'm just setting here listening to Nick Drake, sipping some coffee, and getting ready for the day. The contractors are busy in the kitchen again!
@Mr Stuff - You're vacation sounds wonderfull. It seems like *just the breath of fresh air you needed, and I'm glad you had the experience. I remember when I was on a boat in the straight of gibraltar, and it was just the most amazing feeling. At one point, I could look from side to side and see both europe and africa. Congrats on your 2000th post as well.
Thanks for the AOTW. I see we still disagree on Blood+, because I think the slowness is what gives it the breath and magic it needs, but to each his own. I'm not sure if TOKKO is up my alley, but thanks for the review all the same. I would watch it if it came on tv, but I don't think I would go and buy it either.
RON PAUL
R[ƎVO˩]UTION
The Philosophy of Liberty
Hehe, I'm a Johnny/spike really. I love my Johnny cards, but I try to make them as good as possible, and I have no quams about picking up and adapting a net deck if it's something that I love. I'm wierd like that. Like, right now I'm working on whats essentially a project X combo deck, only it's also a mini sliver deck featuring 4 sinue sliver, 4 gemhide sliver and several key silver bullet slivers. I'm also a huge Vothros because the art is so very important to me. I'm the type of player that struggles to make all Rebecca Guay or all D. Alexander Gregory decks. Hehe.
I'm glad I'm not the only one seeing it. I really do need to get over myself and just get some Damnations. I think that the new black demon, the one with delve, could help to encourage people to continue playing :symu::symb: control while being less reliant on the Teferi/Teachings/Dranlu engine.
I plan to respond to it, I just haven't gathered myself for it yet. Don't worry.
Thanks for your feedback! Yeah, I must admit that my desire to see the drake reprinted is a greedy one. Still though, I don't think it's power leve is too high for standard since we lack the lands. I also compair it to Underworld Dreams, because it was a pretty expensive card before it was reprinted. Vampiric tutor is a stretch, but the way I see it, a tutor of this caliber is only as strong as the enviroment is. Without horribly degenerate combos, it's just a good card (think of how it was used in pre-rotation extended rock.) The reason I hope it's in there, is for extended primarily.
I'm glad someone else loves Gifts Ungiven as much as I do.
Well, I'm going to go start cooking. I'm making grilled salmon, asparagus and a light, simple angel hair pasta with a garlic and olive oil sauce.
Thanks snoop! No unfortunetly i havent all of the legacy tournaments ive been to are on the west coast unfortunetly. I want to go to a east coast tournament sometime though maybe ill go with coffee-finement if they decide to ban flash. Thats a pretty impressive showing for you playtesting partner as well.
@shah: Yeah i definetly agree with you on the vampiric tutor concept though it is indeed as powerful as the format is. Yeah i really like gifts alot its one of my most favorite blue cards ever printed and of course i love fact or fiction too i think i have like 5 or 6 of them or something.
@shink: Yeah i probably will withdraw from legacy by the end of this year oh well at least i had a pretty good run in legacy. I even mentioned this before the upcoming hulk flash too lol. Well ill be ready for another random worship deck if it does appear again since the next times ill be consulting my sideboard for krosan grips. Also thanks for the support in the standard tournament!
Love,
Cecilia
I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006.
Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team.
Also known as kevinliu2333.
Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
Personally I plan to do that very thing when FS becomes legal. I'm working on a deck that uses Tombstalker with draw cards like Magus of the Bazaar and Compulsive Research to fill the graveyard and find the 'Stalker fast. So far, I can consistenly have a 'Stalker by turn 4 or 5 but the deck needs to be more flexible.
Current New Favorite Person™: Mallory Archer
She knows why.
Congrats on RotW to Cecelia!
i'm feeling the crunch of time... and last night was Ryan's and my 1 year and 6 month anniversary.... He was feeling the absolute best about me that he has felt in a while... I feel like an idiot for not accepting what he was saying... for some reason I felt like he wasn't appreciating me, when he actually was..... Its a little aggravating because I'm looking back on last night and wishing I had embraced the amazing feeling he was emanating... for some reason I was too on guard to accept it for what it was... I'm a little (ok more than a little) pissed off at myself for not appreciating that, and for keeping us awake on a day when we needed the most sleep...
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Can I have your babies?:love:
That sounds like such an awesome dish...and I love both Salmon and Asparagus.
Hehe, if you play your cards right (Or if I play my cards right ;))
It turned out really well. The salmon was just lightly spiced and I seared it on the grill so it was loaded with goodness. I don't know if anyone else blanches and then grills asparagus, but it's good stuff. The pasta wasn't that great though. It would have been better with some white wine in it, but I only have 5 bottles right now, and didn't want to cork one for my little dinner for one. hehe. But yeah, asparagus is probably my favorite veggie, and that's saying something.
Speaking of food. They have been working on my kitchen! It may even be done in a week.
I think I'm just going to abandon the debate. For anyone who is interested, here is the thread in the other forum. You don't have to be registered to view it.
I realize that it seems like a very "Mamelon-typical" thing to go on about, but I have a gaming-oriented reason for my point. Though to be honest, I probably would never have brought it up if it weren't about the Wheel of Time, and something I've wanted to point out about that world setting for a loooong time.
Good point. For instance, in my family there is a trans kid (me), a gay kid (Photon), a straight kid (my younger brother Adam), and my younger sister has voiced a degree of pronounced cross-gender identification at many points (though it's unclear if she really has gender dysphoria).
Another thing to consider is the probability that if it were determined strongly by how the baby was treated during infancy, trans kids would probably be much more common. True, gender-specific treatment of babies is very common, but you'd think atypical or just more lax or equal means of raising babies would happen oftly enough to appear in enough cases to outnumber the cases of trans children.
As for transgender brains being different from cisgender brains, that makes a lot of sense to me. That may account for the fact that many trans people, even those who strongly identity as male or female, describe themselves as having a good deal of androgyny.
There's a notion that trans people are generally more intelligent and mature more quickly than cisgender people, that the same is true of gay people to an extent, and that these brain differences are among the primary causes for that. Frankly, I'm skeptical of such a notion. I can attest that I've known plenty of prematurely wise and very gifted cisgender people, and there are surely more than a few trans people that are just as immature as most people or of average aptitudes.
I think this is a very valuable insight. It seems that a lot of people who have androgynous or just atypical personalities can come to terms with this and be accepted nonetheless. Women who are gruff or competitive and men who are gentle-mannered and sensitive may be off-putting to some, and may receive criticisms, but I'd guess that many people can deal with that and still firmly identity as cisgender.
However, as you rightly point out, sometimes people simply will not accept you as such, and that can be a big deal. The autism example is a very good one. That is something that just isn't going to change. And surely enough, autistic women or those with Asperger's can behave in a very masculine way. If those people are fine with living as a male and identifying as such to become more comfortable and accepted as who they are, such as the two you describe, I see no reason why they shouldn't go for it.
I think there tends to be a bit of a presumption, even among the trans community, that only "genuinely" trans people should be permitted to transition. That a utilitarian motive for approaching gender reassignment will always end badly. Now, I do cede that people can come to regret such a transition if they end up undertaking it as a means to some ends. Sometimes even "genuine" trans people come to regret it. But I think your examples show that this certainly is not universal. There are times when a person really just seems to adapt better to living as the other sex than that which they were assigned at birth. There's nothing wrong with that, by any means.
Very well said, and I agree. Perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions a bit, but I'd hope that it would also help ease the diviseness, prejudice, and rigidity with which gender and gender roles are treated in most societies.
All that I yearn for, for richer or poorer, is to be the peace that you feel.
All that I yearn for, for richer or poorer, is to fill your heart on my own.
Gaymers | Magic Coffeehouse | Little Jar of Mamelon | Natural 20
aww so your sister is also transgender as well mamelon? I hope she is handling it well like you but ill always pray for you and the people you care about the most. Has your day went well too mamelon? My day has been good. Talk to you sometime soon mamelon! *Hugs*
Well i just wanted to drop in and say hello to you all. Ill be posting in awhile later tonight. See you all soon though. I also hope everyone has had a great day or night too. *hugs and blows kisses to everyone*
Love,
Cecilia
I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006.
Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team.
Also known as kevinliu2333.
Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
As I have stated before, my parents made no strong attempts at making me be a man. I grew up to be a masculine person, and I m in no way a woman. However, I still possess traits that are atypical of a 'man'. I am sensitive, I appreciate art, and I am somewhat emotional. Still, this does not make me less of a man, this makes me a well rounded person.
Thanks Kev, goodluck still on the MGA. Im kinda havi a hard time gettin all those goblins, especially the warchief and siege gang commander.
I do too. Its just that I dont have a fortune for those, having some power cards is enough to buy you a car..^_^
I think Kraj wont like it. Only Kraj calls me Margo and I think its illegal. Its in the comprehensive rules too.
???? I think your havin Arguas' one?
Well Goodmornin to everyone!^_^ Ill be playing NFS carbon again today.
*Currently Listenin to: weird al yankovic - white and nerdy*
Monogreen 2007 | Jund Aggro MTGO 2013
I mean after this one is done. More welfare for me...score!!!!
I likely wont be on tomorrow since its my day off and i have no electricity at home (see my earlier post, also quoted in [VOGUE])
I looked at it. I would chime in if I had read the WOT series. As far as I'm concerned, the argument went south fast when that one guy questioned the invention a good drow (by opening Pandoras box). Such unwavering opinions, especially when they are wrong! ;), do not warrant my attention.
Not to sound overly mean, but they look like unimaginative fanboys. *shrug* I wouldn't expect much, you know?
All that tom foolery... acting as if Pandora's box wasn't opened in the first place!
I see I got to be in the soap! Awesome. The "Stuffy Doll" reference wears thin, but eh, I'll live with it. Top notch comedy, as usual. Also, congrats to Cecilia on RotW.
Regarding my trip to Blennerhassett Island on Sunday - I brought back some pictures. It was truly a wonderful day. I'm more glad than I can say that I called off work to be with my family that day. It's easily one of the best decisions I've made in the past few months. I truly enjoyed it, and managed to forget about all the stress in my life and just be at peace, boating down the Ohio River and enjoying the natural wonder of the island.
The Trip to Blennerhassett - Part 1
So, to begin, let's start off with some background: The island was the former home of a one Mr. Blennerhassett, who was a conspirator along with Aaron Burr in his attempted revolution in the 1800's. The island itself is about two miles long, and is located on a section of the Ohio river near Parkersburg, WV. The mansion of Mr. Blennerhassett burned down 13 years after it was constructed, but was later rebuilt, and has now been restored and opened to the public for tourism. The island itself was a major tourist spot back in the very early 1900's - there were carnivals, a bowling alley, boxing ring, a baseball diamond on which the Cincinnati Reds played, and many other attractions. In short, it was one of the biggest party centers in the Ohio valley. An unusually large flood in the 1910's wiped out the park, however, and the owner chose to close up shop rather than rebuild. Now, the island is mostly covered in trees and a few museum and caretaker buildings, and a wagon trail that covers approximately half of the island's length.
The tourist center in Parkersburg offers a tour package that includes a trip by boat to the island, which is the only way it is accessible. The town of Parkersburg also houses a museum dedicated to the history of the island, as well as the boating dock from which the tourism boats leave. We stopped by the museum first, to pick up tickets.
I can't really describe the feeling of boating down the Ohio, the day being absolutely gorgeous, with a slight breeze and a giant paddlewheel spraying mist at the back, sunlight gleaming brightly off the water, other than to say it was truly amazing. Just an absolutely brilliant day, and once we got to island, the wildlife and vegetation were just as superb.
The grove of Black Walnut trees and the flora and fauna on the island were, as I said, just as enjoyable, if not moreso, than the boat ride. The grove of Black Walnuts in particular was amazing, and there were several very old and large trees on the island that had vines interwoven with the trunk and which had grown in odd or esoteric ways. The were very interesting to look at. The island had a thriving population of geese, the flock of which we saw happened to have several cute little goslings with them. As you can see from the above pictures, a raccoon also made an appearance, digging for eatables in one of the several public trash cans. There were also a couple of pairs of very pretty horses harnessed in front of some wagons for the wagon rides that were offered around the island.
We decided to take the horse and wagon ride around the island, since we hadn't done that before. We had visited the inside of the mansion on our last trip here, which was some years ago. More pictures, and the conclusion of the story will follow. First, though, I need to put up the AotW for this week.
Also, this is my 2000th post. I'm glad to have it occur in the Coffeehouse, and in a post that has some real meaning for me. You guys keep me coming back to this place, and I know I'd never have gotten to this milestone if I didn't enjoy the conversation here so much. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you for letting me share a little bit of myself, and for doing the same for everyone in turn. *misty-eyed*
Also, congratulations on your 2,000th post. Honestly, it should be us thanking you, for sharing your time with us, and being a constant source of joy for all of us to draw from. Thank you for choosing to spend your hours amongst all of us.
Well folks, it's late by one day again, but here it is...
ANIME OF THE WEEK
Series: TOKKO
Episodes: 13
Genre: Action - Horror
In the immortal words of the Markus brothers (from VHD): "It's ZOMBIE TIME!" Well, in this case, replace zombies with demons, but you get the idea.
Shindou Ranmaru is feeling pretty confident. He's just graduated onto the TOKKI police force, and he likes his new job. However, recently there has been a string of serial murders going around in which the victims are all torn to pieces. During an investigation of the lastest victim's crime scene, unfortunately, things take a bad turn for Ranmaru. Zombies - or rather, people possessed by the white "Human Face Bugs" - appear, and begin tearing the police force limb from limb, literally. Luckily, a few people dressed in black leather and wielding swords come to the rescue. They are TOKKO, a secret division of the police dedicated to wiping out this supernatural menace, and Ranmaru's fate soon becomes entertwined with these warriors in black.
TOKKO, to me, is what Blood + should have been. It is concise (13 eps). It has loads and loads of awesome zombie and demon slaying action. It has blood by the bucketful. It also has toplessness in a few scenes, and a female member of TOKKO who likes to wear an open black leather jacket and pants, with nothing beneath. Hellsing it's not - but that doesn't stop it from being fairly awesome in it's own right. If you're looking for a good demon-slaying romp of a time with lots of in-your-face action, a bit of mystery, and a bit of skin, TOKKO won't disappoint. Give it a look if supernatural and/or slayer shows are your type of thing.
Youtube it:
TOKKO Opening
Oh darn i missed my 4th cookie post in a row its all good though. Im glad someone else got it besides me. Also congrats on your 2,000th post thats a pretty impressive milestone.
I actually had a rough day at work pushing shopping carts inside from outside at 96 degree weather isnt easy at all. Plus its going to get even tougher as soon as june hits las vegas can get up to 110 degrees during midday.
See you all soon! *hugs and blows kisses*
Love
Cecilia
I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006.
Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team.
Also known as kevinliu2333.
Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
And so, continuing where I left off:
As I said, we decided to take the horse and wagon ride around the island. The horses were brown stallions, very pretty. The guide was very knowledgeable about the island and its history, and explained several landmarks as we went along. The scenery on the island, whether forested groves or fields of grass, was magnificent throughout. Towards the end, the guide let the horses gallop a bit, and the wind actually blew my hat off. Thank goodness the person behind me caught it!
After about 20 minutes we arrived back at the starting point, and had about half an hour to spend before the boat arrived to take us home. I spent this time just walking around the island taking pictures. I encountered a flock of Canadian geese that had the most adorable little goslings with them, which was quite nice. I managed to get a picture of them too. Not long after that, the boat arrived to take us back to the dock in Parkersburg.
With that, I think I'll turn in for the night. I'll check in again sometime later tomorrow. Thanks everyone, for listening, and good night.
Your welcome mr. stuff and i have this saturday off which is really good so im probably going to do laundry and sleep in for awhile.
Sounds like a perfect day and the places that you go to are absolutely beautiful all of the scenery reminds me of the good old days when i lived in washington state when i was growing up.
Have a great night Mr. stuff and you take it easy as well!
Well i am going to go for the night. Ill talk to you all tommorrow though and ill be on aol and msn messenger if anyone wants to talk to me for the night. Anyhow have a great night or day everyone! See you all tommorrow. *hugs and blows kisses*
Love,
Cecilia
I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006.
Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team.
Also known as kevinliu2333.
Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
I echo this sentiment completely. Par example, you definitely don't have to share this trip with us at all as I assume it took a little bit of work to set up all the pictures but I'm glad to see it all. Don't think I'd go there but definitely interesting when you describe the trip. Definitely a beautiful island tho and the picture of the goslings was pretty awesomely cute.
Oh, and I understand the lack of words when it comes to the boat ride - only in a more extreme way. Sometimes words can't describe what its like to do something or see something. I don't think I've mentioned it but about 7 or 8 years ago I went white water rafting on something like a class 2 or 3 (don't remember the exact number). Loved it. Oh and did I mention that I can't swim. Wanna go again but I think I'd be pushing my luck on that.
As for me, I've been kinda bored here lately. Not much to really do mixed with crappy weather (read: cold rain) and its been a borefest. There'd be more but there's not much to tell. I did, however, grab myself some Delays for 7 bucks a playset recently as well as got myself a free Zippo lighter in the mail. I don't smoke but I'm still gonna keep it. It's not like those things are cheap after all.
RON PAUL
R[ƎVO˩]UTION
The Philosophy of Liberty
Hey shadowfox its good to see you and goodluck on your college exams im sure you will be fine.
Well i just wanted to stop by and say good morning before i take off for work in like a half an hour or so i have a 7 hour shift today so its going to be a long day oh well ill get through it. Ill see you all soon and have a great day or night everyone! *hugs and blows kisses to everyone*
Love,
Cecilia
I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006.
Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team.
Also known as kevinliu2333.
Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
I'm just setting here listening to Nick Drake, sipping some coffee, and getting ready for the day. The contractors are busy in the kitchen again!
@Mr Stuff - You're vacation sounds wonderfull. It seems like *just the breath of fresh air you needed, and I'm glad you had the experience. I remember when I was on a boat in the straight of gibraltar, and it was just the most amazing feeling. At one point, I could look from side to side and see both europe and africa. Congrats on your 2000th post as well.
Thanks for the AOTW. I see we still disagree on Blood+, because I think the slowness is what gives it the breath and magic it needs, but to each his own. I'm not sure if TOKKO is up my alley, but thanks for the review all the same. I would watch it if it came on tv, but I don't think I would go and buy it either.