NigaiAmaiYume

This is a strange request, but hopefully someone here in Xisto can help me get started at least. In an episode for Vampyre Hymn (one of my series), the characters end up having to hunt vampires in a mental institution (Don't ask. LOL). This has several consequences because of the world set up in VH, what with some people being able to alter small segments of reality, and then ALTERING some of those people's preception of reality - but that stuff I've already worked out. My problem is I want to portray the actual institute, employees, and general patients both accurately and respectfully. This is not "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" - this is a hospital dedicated to helping good people deal with serious mental problems that have made it difficult to impossible to function in society. Being how this particular episode will be set in the mid 90s, I'm also not entirely certain WHERE to start looking for specifics. Can anyone direct me to research, descriptions, or other background I can use to improve my portrayal? Story specifics: - Time: Mid to late 90s. I haven't worked out the exact year yet, but this decade is necessary for other story reasons. - Place: Anywhere in the United States. I haven't picked a specific state or area yet, so if someone finds me a lot of information about a specific region, I can just set the episode there. - Institute: Treats middle to upper class patients, generally self-admitted or by family members. Range of disorders treated should inclulde schizophrenia, although ideally many different mental disorders should be represented by the patients. Thanks in advance for any help anyone is able to give! ^-^ And appologies for anyone that now thinks ~I~ need to be admitted to such a hospital. ^-^

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The library I've been using to get on-line has been closed until January. Managed to squeeze in this one just long enough to let you guys know I'm planning on being back January 2 when the University comes back to life.Oh, and thanks for Most Creative, I guess... o_O NOONE else was nominated????

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/h?v=lv4Potdpjhw Not much to look at, but the idea itself is hilarious, and the directions it takes more so. Rick McCallum, Producer: "When you're making a movie on the scale of Lord of the Rings, the first step is to take is keep as untrue to the original novels as possible."

One vote for rvalkass. Call me old fashioned, but I like the scroll and seal. I like Pleno's for the userbar feel, for those that like something smaller.... Could that be made available for those that prefer it, as well? I know everyone likes TeeCee's, and it is definitely crisp, but it just doesn't "speak" to me. I guess I'm just not into the 60's diner feel. Won't be too disappointed when it wins, though. ^-^ The text on Mich's is too hard to read, being the same color as the seal and with drop shadow on only one side. The trophy is a little hard to look at for the resolution, as well, losing even more points. The border's also too busy. Sorry, Mich. I DO like the star burst seal you used, though.

*giggles at everyone complaining about the text*I'm a writer - for me, the render is SUPPOSED to be secondary to the quote! ^-^Sure, no one else likes that, but it's my sig, so my rules. :)Thanks, Avalon, for the text upgrade... How do you do that? Just a feature in Photoshop I don't have in my poor GIMP 2? LOLI've got a few more ideas of what to do with it before it's done (including *gasp!* brushwork! LOL), but I'll work on those when I'm not so tired.

The sig in my signature block was done by Truefusion, as said therein. ^-^ No brushwork involved in this sig... The background is a bit of the wing, stretched, blurred, then sharpened, with a VERY light lens flair to lightned up the area behind the text. And GIMP won't let me make the font bold. I've tried stroking, it just looks... Bizzare. Don't know what GIMP's doing.... If anyone can make the text READABLE, feel free to mess with these... Text: I promised to be good... I never said I would play nice. NigaiAmaiYume

Well, I fell in love with the purple fairy render from over here, so I thought I'd see what I could do with it. Being how it's my second sig, I figured there would be no competition with Bkag's for hotchick2121. ^-^ Version 0.8: I need to figure out how to make the text easier to read - I love the font (Dobkin, downloadable from various sites), but it's not easy to work with. LOL Let alone in GIMP, which is what I'm working with. It also needs a border - I'll add that last. Just getting this up now in the hopes someone will be able to help me balance my text, since Shout lost to Football. ^-^

Interesting... Is that a render, or did you make the flower-thing yourself?Cons:- Bit big for sig standards in my opinion.- The flair in the middle is an interesting effect, but it obscures a lot of detail that can ALMOST be seen, making that area a little hard to look at.- Nice effect with the text. Unfortunately, placing it in such a light corner makes it hard to read. Perhaps darkening the text to improve contrast?Pros:- Color balance is pretty good. The pinks contrast nicely with the blue background, and the flower-thing itself is well shaded and colored.- LOVe the little liney-circle things, and in good balance. Maybe have them match the established lines of the flower more, though? Add a bit of flow?- Like the background, with that textured feel and the gradual fade. The touch of cloud brushes are also a nice touch.

Well, I've been working at Tim Hortons (Canadian Coffee Chain) for 15 months now. Graveyard shift, which involves me being alone (Except the baker) from 12pm until 5am, and responsible for doing all the front cleaning (Sweeping, mopping, plus a few other chores they can't/DON'T do during the day), AND serve customers all by myself.The job is minimum wage, which in Ontario is $7.85 an hour, plus night premium, which is $0.85 an hour.I FINALLY got my 12 month review a few weeks ago (Which is one of the problems...), which involved a pay raise. I don't remember what "average" would be considered (I think you get a 75 if you do everything "to expectations"), but I got an 85% review on the numbered scale.I now get *drumroll* $8.85 an hour for doing the work of pretty much a person and a half (TWO people if you count the NORMAL Tim Hortons teenie worker...) for 8 hours a night, 5 nights a week.In a job that is super-understaffed, moves you around without asking (I did an afternoon shift two weeks ago, just found it on my schedule and had to work out how to change my sleep so I didn't hurt myself), and is 90% staffed by people that JUST DON'T CARE.I'm a Type A perfectionist, by the way, that is actually CONCERNED about the happiness, wellbeing, and health of my customers, when not super-stressed and interupted from cleaning.After finding out all my hard work at trying to keep the place running was worth 20 cents an hour (AND that I would have NOTHING saved up with all my labor with which to pay for school next semester, putting me even FURTHER behind on graduating...), I realize I NEED to get somewhere else. Especially since a few of my customers keep recommending other jobs that are willing to pay better for people willing to work graveyard.Right now, I need this. I need the money, I'm just overstressed from the job, and overall sick of feeling bitter at everything.The problem is, I'm scared. (Oh, and I feel like I'm abandoning the managers when they need all the help they can get, but the bitterness is helping there...) So scared, that I'm currently looking at my resume on the computer, trying to convince myself to update it and print it off so I can drop it off at the first place recommended to me (Which promises to pay $10-$12 starting, with an increase to $15 or so in three months). I haven't even worked up to GOING there yet.Why? Lots of reasons. Low self-esteem, although I'm working on that. Fear of a new situations, which plays on my Clinical Depression and makes it hard for me to deal with stress. Stress is also added by the fact this new job would be night cleaning at a meat production plant, a TOTALLY new setting for me, and one you'd think would have HIGH sanitation standards. And I just plain don't know what will be expected of me: I work best when I know the hows and whys, so either totally structured by them or TOTALLY up to me.But I've got a TON of cleaning experiences in other settings (Hotel as well as Timmies), and honestly ENJOY making a place clean and organized, as well as a SUPER attention to detail. (One of my flaws: I spend too much time on things, making sure they're up to MY standards). I've even worked in a factory before, doing Quality Control for DuPont two summers.I guess right now I just need reassurances that I'm doing the right thing. That MY health and MY needs are more important that loyalty to a place that refuses to treat me well. That I DO have the strength to start over again in a job that honestly can't be any more stressful than making sandwiches to drunks that walk in off the street at four in the morning when I'm an hour behind on getting the store ready for the morning.Wish me luck!

The effect with the Triforce is VERY good, and the render "sits" well in the sig - not terribly blended, but it makes it "pop" a touch with goes with the rest of the effects.Not sure I like the balance of everything, however; too much empty space on the right. Maybe moving the render over a touch?I agree with icemarle, the text could be better. Too thin, and the font doesn't suit the rest of the theme.I DO like that line under it, though. ^-^ How'd you do that?

See topic description. http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ If I had not seen other Japanese commercials in some of my club's fan subs, I would NOT believe this. o_O

Reminds me of the War of 1812.As I understand it, the Americans invaded (what would be) Canada, stayed a weekend, got drunk, got bored, and went home. ^-~Canada's secret of defense: Hospitality and being dull.Of course, that wouldn't work now. NOW, we have all the best comedians.On second thought, maybe we should go strengthen that border....

I like the idea of a streamlined Hide feature, especially for signatures. A good way to have information made available if people are interested, but cutting down on the space for everyone else.But, knowing me, I cringe in horror at what I'd think "necessary" to be in there....Do graphics load while "hidden", or do they only load when shown?