TikiPrincess

Since I'm currently running on Photoshop 5.5 (yes, antiquated I know, but it's all I have at the moment) and I'm not sure when I'll get around to updating to something else, I was hoping someone could make me a sig that I use while I practice making my own. Size: any size will do Theme: any Render: Sure, go for it! Render Theme: As you can see from my avatar thing, I like tiki stuff and pinstriping, so if you can incorporate the two, that would be great. If not, then just something tiki. Color: greens and browns preferably, but anything will do Text: Yes. Tiki/TikiPrincess and Not-Evil Other effects: any Sorry to be so vague, but I'll be happy with whatever I get. I sincerely appreciate your time and effort. Thanks so much, and have fun! Edit: After spending more time considering my sig, I thought of some things that would make it more representative of me. I would like it to have a naturalistic approach, so maybe a greenish background that has a rainforest feel to it, a splash of grey for some rocks, and maybe some tribal designs. You can check search for tribal tattoos for some examples. Thanks again!

I agree with this one as the basis for any relationship. You cannot love someone without trusting them. When doubt enters your mind, you begin to question everything that a person says or does. Keeping the lines of communication open is important to establishing and maintaining trust in a relationship. It's important to discuss your fears and emotions and be open to those of your significant other. I'm going to say something that I'm sure will upset some people, but communication isn't the same thing as being honest. Honesty is great in a relationship, but there are times that honesty can be hurtful as well. I prefer tact to honesty. Yes, there are definitely things that you need to be honest about especially something like cheating. Anyways, the "policy of truth," as depeche mode puts it, can be hurtful, so really think about what you're going to say and how you say it. As for the fighting, I've had little success with screaming matches. I find that if I can have a rational discussion, the other person is more open to listening to what I have to say and more willing to compromise and make real change. What's worked for me is to write two letters. In the first one I get all my emotions out, let all my anger, hurt, and pain flow out of me and onto the paper. When I've emptied it all out and can think rationally again, I write a new letter that usually has all of the same points, but written in a non-threatening and tactful way. Instead of saying "I hate you because you never have time for me anymore!," you can say "I know that you are busy with school and studying, but I feel like we aren't spending as much time together and I miss your company." Then offer ways that you would be willing to compromise and ask for his opinion. From your post, I gather that you are just entering college and you're in your late teens or early twenties. I know that you've probably heard this before, but college is a really experimental time for people. You're finally away from your parents and you have the freedom to try and do things that you never could before. You may find that the person you were with is no longer the same person you are with now. In fact, you may not be the same person that he remembers because you have grown and changed. Sometimes we grow in different directions. It happens and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Some couples can grow apart together, like two trees entwined near the roots but growing in different directions. Others must split to survive and maintain their true identity and integrity.

Even though I grew up with an Atari (yes, I'm that old, but I was only like 3 or so when my parents bought it) and my brother had an NES, my first console was the PlayStation and the game that kept me up all night for weeks on end was Final Fantasy VII. I would sometimes go to school without having slept at all. For me, an avid book reader, it was like being the main character in a book, experiencing the plot unfold around me.It's been over 10 years since then, and no other RPG has lived up to that experience for me, but the RPG is still my game of choice. Ever since the advent of the MMORPG, though, I feel that this genre has taken a different turn. Games like the Morrowind series have a very massive world, but a loose storyline with literally hundreds of sidequests. Others, like Fable, have a much more direct storyline, but still allow you to wander around a bit. But I haven't emotionally invested in those characters like I did in FFVII. I literally cried for days when Aeris died. (Don't laugh)I've played WoW, FF Online, and other MMORPG's and enjoyed them, but sometimes I just want to be anti-social and get lost in the world of a traditional RPG. But after being disappointed, yet again, by the latest installment of the Final Fantasy series, I'm wondering if the days of the traditional single-player RPG are numbered.

My absolute favorite movie of all time it The Princess Bride. It's one of those movies that remains timeless for me, no matter how old I get. I think I love it because it's kinda my view on life: I'm cynical and believe that the worst is going to happen, but there's this tiny grain of optimism that persists and you just know that everything will be fine despite the fact that LIFE IS NOT FAIR. You just have to accept that and keep hoping and waiting for the good things that are worth living for. Other than that, I pretty much love movies in general, so it's hard to list them all, but I'll just jot down some persistent classics that I love. - anything by Hayao Miyazaki, but especially Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (Spirited Away), with Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) as my second favorite from him - Akira Kurosawa's Shinchinin no samurai (Seven Samurai) - Pixar movies with a toss up among Bug's Life, Finding Nemo, and Monster's Inc, but they seem to be deteriorating in quality since the merge with Disney - Disney classics are pretty good and they had that burst of creative renaissance, but they've just been disappointing the last decade or so. - In the epics category, I'd have to say The 300, Last Samurai, and Braveheart in that order. The 300 was just spectacular to watch because of the art design and costuming... and all those hot bods. But it also had a great plot. - Trilogies would be LOTR and the original, pre-digitized Star Wars. - Anything Monty Python - Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, honestly anything that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright do together is sexy to me And now for the random list of uncategorized stuff: Goonies, Usual Suspects, Mirror Mask, Batman Begins, The Illusionist (much better than The Prestige, I thought), The Green Mile, and Shawshank Redemption

Repeat after me: The crockpot is my friend. Slow cookers are great things because it's as if you cooked all day and stuff doesn't get all dried out because the food bastes itself. You can set it on high and cook it for 4-6 hours or set it on low and let it cook for 8-10 hours. Certain spices like cloves tend to get too strong of a flavor if left in too long, and herbs tend to lose their flavor, so add them about 1-2 hours before your timer says it's done. Simmer up some frozen meatballs or "homemade" spaghetti sauce in the crockpot and cook up the noodles in a 10 minutes for spaghetti and meatballs. Master_bacarra's adobo recipe can be used in a crockpot as well, and I think adobo always tastes better the next day. Just be sure to put the spices like the bay leaves in later, like the last hour or so of cooking. Pot Roast that makes its own gravy This one's great because you can use the roast beef for sandwiches and other things, so I always get a roast that's feeds double the amount of people eating. I usually estimate a 1/2 lb per serving, so if I'm feeding 4 people, I'd get a 3-4 lb chuck roast. You can brown it up on the stove top, but I never do and it still comes out great. Grab a packet of dry onion soup mix and rub that all over your meat. Dump in 2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup or french onion soup. I like the mushrooms, but my hubby is not a fan, so I use french onion soup instead. Pour in 1/2 cup of red wine. Don't worry about serving it to kids, the alcohol cooks out, and it gives a richer flavor. Pour in 1/2 cup of beef stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set it and forget it! This is just a base recipe. I've added potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and more mushrooms, just add them halfway through the cooking process. I'll add more later

Okay, I know I can't be the only one here who remembers a time before the PC strategy game. In fact, I still like getting together with my friends for a little Diplomacy and trying to take over the world with my Banana People in Nuclear War. So does anyone else want to admit that they played Risk as a board game?

I have this really icky scar on my arm from an accident that I want to have reduced one of these days when I can afford it. It's just red and bubbly since I guess I'm prone to keloids or something, so it looks really bad. If I go to my 25th class reunion, I'll probably get a little lipo done before hand because I'm vain and shallow like that, and I'm too lazy to keep my body looking as good as it does now. j/kHonestly, I'm happy with the way I am, but it's taken a long time to get here. Yeah, I could lose a couple pounds here and there and I wouldn't mind having some cleavage, but my features define me as the person I am. I do want to get my scar reduced because it really does look icky, but it's no big deal if I don't do it.FYI - some people consider getting your teeth whitened just as vain as getting botox.

Having been through the process, I know that I would never want to do it again, but I remain pro-choice. I grew up Catholic, so I've always been told that sex is bad, but you can't use any contraceptives if you do have sex because as Monty Python sings, "Every sperm is sacred." Abortion is definitely a sin within the Church, and you can't do anything to prevent conception, like getting your tubes tied or a vasectomy. My cousin recently visited from the Philippines where Catholic beliefs are imbedded in the culture and social mores. (read as mo*rays - meaning social standards and norms) It is against the law to have an abortion, the pill is only found on the black market, and condoms are not readily available. The birth rate is high, economic resources are low, and many people have a daily struggle just to put food on the table. My cousin could list at least 5 people she personally knows who had gotten married due to an unplanned pregnancy within as many years. Most of these "get married before the baby pops out" weddings have ended up in divorce, which is hard on a child no matter how agreeable and friendly the divorce ends. My aunt was shamefully driven out of my grandma's house because she got pregnant by a married man, and divorce was just as uncommon as abortions in those days. I was young and naive and thought that it could never happen to me because I was on the pill and we did things safely. I went through the process because the father said that he wouldn't be there to support me and I would have to go it on my own. I wasn't ready for that responsibility. Yes, it was selfish, and I've had to live with that decision and bear the burden of the Catholic guilt that persists in haunting me despite the fact that I no longer practice Catholicism. Is my life better because I didn't have a child? Yes and no. I've had opportunities and lived a life that I wouldn't have been able to do with a child, but I've also missed out on the joy of seeing my child grow up and all the pain and depression of coming to terms with my decision. Not a day goes by that I don't think of what my life would have been like. But I would not begrudge another person the ability to make that choice. I would much rather see a girl getting an abortion than having her baby at the prom and trying to flush it down the toilet or marrying an abusive man or leaving the baby home alone while she goes out partying because she's not ready to be an adult. This is a completely sexist thing to say. 1)Understand that it takes TWO people to make a baby, and girls are sometimes forced by men into situations where they become pregnant. 2)There are tons of children in foster care that have yet to be placed in a home because the process is so lengthy and difficult. It's a good thing that the process is so hard because it makes it more difficult for people like pedophiles and abusive people to become parents, but it also means that less children get adopted because less people are approved to be parents. Even though the foster care system is better than an orphanage, it's still horribly detrimental to the children in the system. 3)Some of the women who have abortions are thinking of their child's future and what kind of life that child will have to live if she brings it to term. Yeah, there are a lot of women who do it simply because they're not done growing up and still want to party, but that doesn't mean that we should take away the right of women who are making a consciencious decision to have an abortion.

Nice job. The first one is pretty clean, nice lines and stuff. The second one just looks better because you've rendered a pre-existing image. You're right about it being dark, though. I think Bluepwnage uses the same one in his sig. It's from Prince of Persia, right?

Sometimes the process of dying is painful, but sometimes it's quick. I think it's just hard on those of us who are left behind because we feel the loss of that person's presence. Truly, we've never had proof of someone coming back and complaining about being dead. When I read the topic title, I thought you meant like some sort of "Garden of Eden" or Shangrila thing on earth, not the idea of heaven or an afterlife. If paradise exists in the afterlife, then there have to be many paradises since the idea of paradise is not the same to everyone. Besides, I simply can't get my mind around the concept of existing forever either as corporeal or conscious spiritual presence. I would much rather just cease to exist, body, mind, and spirit. Send my soul back to gaia or whatever. Eternity just seems rather tedious. I think I'd get bored. I'm quite happy living in this world until my body dies. Then I hope for nothingness.

If Harry were to sacrifice himself for the good of others, then no one would be able to write another Harry Potter book starring Harry Potter. Rowling is protecting her creative integrity. As she's stated a number of times, this is the final Harry Potter, there won't be any others, so it can't be bastardized like so many other sequals written by someone other than the creator. (i.e. Gone with the Wind's poorly written follow-up Scarlett)When you read closely, the signs are there. Can Harry really have a normal life after all that he's been through? Besides, there is no Harry Potter without Voldemort. Every hero needs a counterpart, whether that foil is embodied in another person or within himself. Who would Harry's archnemesis be if he survives Voldemort's death?

sigh... I wish I had cable, that sounds really interesting SM. Unfortunately, it's not a luxury that I'm willing to pay for and I can't hack into anyone else's around here without someone noticing. I guess I can ask someone to TiVo it for me. Seriously though, I was just trying to be a little poetic when I talked about the blood rising. Obviously our blood will continue to flow as normal in spite of the lunar cycles. More like a form of expression, like "He could feel his blood rising as she continued to babble on nonsensically." If I may rephrase, then, do you think there's a possibility that the moon could trigger some hormone in our bodies that would cause people to act or think differently? A woman's cycle is regulated by two different hormones. For simplicity's sake, we'll just say that one is an estrogen and one is a testoterone. (Yes, women have both and so do men.) If that cycle coincides with the lunar cycle, can it be theorized that the moon has some influence over those hormones? sheepdog mentioned a higher rate of traffic accidents during the full moon, so could that be linked to a higher level of testosterone in men, causing them to act more aggressively than normal?

So we're pretty sure that the whole werewolf thing isn't real, but does the moon influence us in other more subtle ways? The words "lunacy" and "lunatic" are derived from the Latin word for moon, "luna." It was believed that people who acted strangely were under the influence of the moon. In the olden days, women's cycles were set to the rise and fall of the moon. In fact women's cycles are 28 days as is the lunar month rather than the Roman calendar months.Here's my postulation:We know that the moon does have influence over tides and water since waves are higher during a full moon. Since our bodies are mostly made of water, can the moon have the same type of influence over us. Are we more likely to act strange? Does our blood rise in our bodies like the tides in the ocean?What do you think?Please read my new postulation and theory of the moon's influence.

Believe it or not, adrenaline is a hormone that's produced by your adrenal glands and gives you a rush or a feeling of elation. Some people call it the "fight or flight" instict, the rush of energy and burst of strength that you get from situations of perceived danger. There are drugs out there try to simulate or trigger the release of this hormone to give you that feeling, like speed and other uppers. Though it's naturally produced in the body, some people get addicted because they want to have that feeling again. The problem is that the more you do things, like sky diving or base jumping, and survive, your perception of the danger involved decreases. These activities become "safe" in your mind, so your body doesn't release the same amount of adrenaline that it did before. So you try something more dangerous and more daring. And then that becomes "safe." So you're constantly searching for the next thrill which your mind has to perceive as more dangerous than the last thrill. To be honest, drugs are only poor imitations of the real thing, and it's a slower, more painful death unless you OD. Being an adrenaline junkie by doing extreme sports is a lot more exciting. You might end up slightly injured, a paraplegic, even dead, but you could also live a long and happy life.

Hmmm.... you could always cheat and get some lipo done. Or cheat slower by getting a gastric bypass or a stomach staple, but these procedures are reserved for people who are really overweight. For the rest of us, it's all about diet and exercise.Instead of eating 2-3 big meals a day, you should eat 4-5 smaller meals that include lots of fruits and vegetables. This helps you "train" your metabolism to work harder. Your metabolism regulates your calories, so if you eat less often, then it will try to conserve more calories by turning it into fat. That's why starving yourself might make you drop some weight at the beginning, but then it kinda plateaus. If you eat every 3-4 hours, your metabolism learns that more fuel is coming, so it turns it into glucose, which your body uses as fuel to give you energy.Now that you've got all this fuel, you need to use it. You should exercise at least 30 minutes every day. It doesn't have to be all at once, you can do little spurts here and there. 10 minutes of walking 3 times a day or something like that. If you don't use up your fuel, your body decides to store it so if you need it later, you've got some energy to use. It does this by changing your glucose into fat. So you see, you need both diet and exercise to lose weight and stay healthy.

To me, a comment like this makes me think that there's underlying racial tones. I read that as, "I just don't find other races to be as attractive as my own." That's so superficial! Physical beauty is only one aspect of a person, and there are beautiful and ugly people in every race. But maybe you just haven't been very exposed to people of other races, so you don't see the variety of faces and features that I do since I live in Southern California, which is as racially diverse as you can get. And American media doesn't really help, although they are getting better. I mean, there's Halle Berry, Gabrielle Union, and Angela Bassett as examples of absolutely gorgeous black women. Eva Mendez, Rosario Dawson, and Selma Hayak are beautiful women of Hispanic descent. Ziyi Zhang and Li Gong from Memoirs of a Geisha and Parminder Nagra and Nelly Furtado are very different but all are beautiful examples of Asian women. (yes, India is considered Asia) And that's only a few, and only the women! Guys are just as gorgeous. I'm not a fan of Denzel, but Taye Diggs gets me hot. I have never even considered limiting myself to people of my own race. Actually, every time I tried dating someone my own race, I got too freaked out because they always reminded me of my brother or my cousin and it just got weird. This comment just makes me sad. Our lives are enriched when we discover and embrace the differences that make each culture unique. I'm a Filipina and my husband is white, and we were both born and raised in America. I love my family and I love my in-laws. We live about 5 - 10 min away from both of them and we see them both at least once a week. I've cooked Filipino meals for his family and they've invited my family over for barbeques. My in-laws are always eager and interested to learn about my family's customs and traditions. Yeah, okay, they didn't eat balot or durian, but neither do I. And we included traditional Filipino elements in our wedding ceremony. Perhaps it would be harder if my parents disliked my husband based on his personality, but I would take offense if they disliked him because of racism. I would have made a stand against it because racism is wrong no matter how you look at it. Luckily, my parents have been open and accepting of my choices and chose to dislike my boyfriends on the basis of their personalities and manners.

That's why it's important to let her know up front just how interested you are in her. I've had friends who have left their boyfriend or girlfriend simply on the chance that another person wanted to go out with them, only to be left hanging after a one night stand. So be honest about how far you want the relationship to go. Is it just a fling or something more? Whether Tsunami is looking for something serious or not, the decision is still hers (the girl he's pursuing) to make. Only she knows how she feels about these two. I believe that you can't really make someone do something that they don't want to, unless held at gunpoint or something like that. But I have to admit, I despise homewreckers, so if you're just looking to have a little fun, there are plenty of single people out there who aren't in a committed relationship. perfectly Edited for clarity

I have to admit that Ocean's 12 was pretty disappointing, so I wasn't very interested in seeing 13. From what I've been told, though, this one has the same feel as the first, which makes me happy. I really enjoyed the first movie, which was even better than the original.

I think Tsunami means "try"sexual as in "try anything twice." Perhaps, as master_bacarra suggests, you aren't really serious about either possibility, just having some fun. You're young, at least on your profile, so there's no harm in dating and flirting. But if the girl is in a relationship and you have no intention of getting into a serious relationship with her, then let her know up front that this is the case. That way she can make the decision of whether pursuing a relationship with you is worth leaving her boyfriend. I have to admit that I flirt a lot at work, but I'm completely committed to my husband. Most people know that, so it's not too much of a problem, but I have to watch myself with the newbies sometimes. She may be the same way, so you could be waiting in vain.

As a teacher who hangs out with other teachers, I can tell you:YES, WE ARE NORMAL PEOPLE.We drink, swear, smoke, play video games, have sex, play sports, and have lives just like the rest of you. But to maintain control in the classroom, we have to keep a certain amount of personal distance. And if you're in the US, you can't really fraternize with your students because there's always the fear of being accused just because a student gets a bad grade or something like that.My friend used to have a hangover every Wednesday because we would all get together for dinner Tuesday night. Then he finally raised his alcohol tolerance level and we switched dinner to Thursday night. Teaching on Friday is much less taxing because you know that the students aren't really paying any attention, so you plan something fun.

As was stated before, no one ever seems happy with their body and women are especially susceptible to this. I'm sure if you asked a supermodel how she feels about her body, she could point out 10 things that she doesn't like. My friend went from a flat chest to a DD in junior high almost overnight it seems, and they actually kept growing. She had to wear two or three bras for pep squad practice and eventually dropped out because it was difficult and tiring. For awhile I envied her since I can barely fill a B, but I realized that she has as hard of a time as I do. Guys (and girls!) will be jerks, call you names, and harrass you. You don't have to take it, but you do have to learn to deal with it and not let it get to you. Just try to love yourself as a person, body and soul.

Whether the policy is "morally" wrong or right is really inconsequential. The fact of the matter is that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. The US Constitution guarantees equal rights and protection to all persons no matter the race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Any other public office would be sued for discrimination, including the police and fire departments. In fact, this policy has been declared unconstitutional by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. However, it really doesn't make a difference because the military is run from the Pentagon and out of the jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit. I'm sure they granted it so that the lawsuit wouldn't go on to the Supreme Court, which would declare it unconstitutional and it would have to be enforced everywhere.

The game is just a different concept, the way Final Fantasy Tactics was. I have to admit that the repetitive gameplay is a bit of a drawback, but I'm guessing that they were marketing this game towards younger kids since it is on Nintendo GameCube (sorry fans, but Nintendo does have a reputation for being the most kid friendly console). I think that kids around 6 or 7 would enjoy this because they familiarize themselves with the gameplay, battle style, and dungeon maps very easily. I think that the game has a GameBoy companion that allowed you to do more stuff and level up quicker. Anyways, I wish Square Enix would stop labeling everything Final Fantasy or Chrono Something. The only thing that seems to tie the Final Fantasy series together are the chocobos. That tie used to be their concept and impressive style, the idea that you could expect a level of excellence in every aspect of each Final Fantasy game; however, the gameplay seems to have suffered because of the attention to the "stunning" graphics and cut scenes. The storylines are much looser and the gameplay has become much more linear instead of the wide world that was available in FF7. Sure, that game was four discs long, but I remember spending hours playing that third disc, after you had opened up everything, but before you went to defeat Sephiroth. There was just so much to do and so many places to go. The only game that's come relatively close was FFX-2 (otherwise known as Sidequest the game!), which was shorter and lacked a good central storyline, or the most recent FF game, FFXII, which lacked the expansive world and plethora of side quests and things to do.