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The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

Katzaniel

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Everything posted by Katzaniel

  1. ~Tables~ Yui has made it possible for everyone to use tables. Bows thankfully to Yui. I'll try to describe it here. Step 1: Click the button and enter the preferred size. 50% spans half the post, 100% all of it, and so on. See below. Alternately, Enter [table=XX%], where XX is the size you want your table to be. Either way, you'll have to type [/TABLE] when you're done. The entire table will always be between the [TABLE=XX%] and [/TABLE] tags. 100% Table 50% Table You can center it, too, via the usual tags (but not until you've completed the other steps): Centered 80% Table Step 2: To add a row (even just one), type [TR] and [/TR]. That stands for "Table Row". You'll need both of these tags for every row you add. Step 3: To add a column or cell within a row (always try to have the same number of cells in each row, or the look may surprise you), add [TD] and [/TD]. It means "Table Data" and, the same as for the rows, you'll need these tags for each cell in the table. So, a table with one row and four cells would look like this: [table=100%][tr][td]Item A[/td][td]Item B[/td][td]Item C[/td][td]Item D[/td][/tr][/table] Item A Item B Item C Item D I've bolded the data so you can see it more easily, but the bolding is not in the code I showed you. A table with four items, two cells in two rows, could be done with this code: [table=100%][tr][td]Item A[/td][td]Item B[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Item C[/td][td]Item D[/td][/tr][/table] Item A Item B Item C Item D Note: Although it is easier to look at it on two lines, when you're done with the table you should put it into one big line (although it will spill over by itself, be careful that you backspace after every time you pressed enter). If you leave all the "endlines" (as they are often called) in there, the UBB code doesn't know what to do with them - they're not part of the table, because they're between cells, so it puts them above the table and you get a lot of whitespace that you probably don't want.
  2. ~Links~ If you want to make use of links, remember to note the page address when you submit your post, and use that to link. Alternatively, you could Search for your post and right-click on the link, clicking properties and copying the address from there. Either click on the "http://" button above the textbox and follow the instructions, or use the following ubb code: [URL=http://www.yourlink.com]The text to show[/URL] {Addition by Yui-chan: (Katz, feel free to replace with your own version of this information or delete, if you want.) Alternatively, you can use Static URLs: What are they? They are hotlinks that are set to open in the same (non-origin) window rather than each opening in a new window. For example, clicking on static link #1 will open site #1 in its own window. Clicking on static link #2 will replace site #1 with site #2. Re-clicking on static link #1 will replace site #2 with site #1. Ad infinitum for any number of static URLs. Static URLs use the following commands: [staticurl=http://blahblah]Hyperlink text here[/staticurl] [staticurl]http://blahblah[/staticurl] Things to note about static urls: They have all the same error characteristics as normal URL tags, so if you forget to close it, mistype it, whatever... it will show up verbatim in the post, and your link will not work. Also, the static window is not post or thread dependent. If you open up static link #1 from thread A, then click static link #2 from thread B, site #2 will still replace site #1 in the other window. }
  3. I love the images this produces, and more so your interpretation of them. The words are all well-chosen for the right mood, and it reads well; you've the got the reader as putty in your hands. It comes across as very trancelike, and at first we don't know what you're describing but we don't mind. I especially liked "Hypocrisy died years ago in a hostile takeover by reality" and though I'm not sure if I get the ending, I also really enjoyed it, "I follow a mental trail of thirteen paths That leads to the beginning with nothing gained." I know what that's like! Thanks for this, Falcon.
  4. There's no accounting for my easily-distracted brain... I said I'd put up a place for comments and suggestions; here it is. PMs are also welcome.
  5. Finally, the Grand Opening of the Piazza of Portraits is upon us! I recommend you check out the Purpose & Instructions page (even if you did when I first posted it, it's changed a lot). This will save me from having to edit your posts or PM you about what you've done wrong It shouldn't be too hard to stay with the guideline, and it will make it a lot easier for others to peruse your work. Suggestions are still welcome, in fact I'll start a thread just for those once I finish this. Also, I highly recommend that if you plan to post characters there, you do it within two weeks. I can't tell you why, but you'll be the better for it. Thanks for your attention, and I hope to see you there!
  6. I asked for feedback, and now I'm not sure what to say to you all... just thank you, this will satiate that need for some time I hope. Leif: I'm glad. At the time I wrote it, I thought it was one of the best things I'd ever written, and I was devastated that no one commented. Gwaihir: That's good, I guess. It wasn't meant to be tear-wrenching or anything, just to describe an image that's been in my head for some time, and it finally occured to me that I could transform that picture into a story. Ayshela: Well, short stories are a new form for me. Especially thinking what to write about, I think that's the hardest part. Tam: Yes, yes. * rubs hands * I wanted to get into the head of an insane person, and I'm not surprised it came across as disturbing. Do you think I used too much repetition? I was hoping it might fit the mood of the piece. Tanuchan: You'd rank Virtual Reality in the top two? I liked it too, but I was wondering if the nature of it might make some people dislike it, for the content more than the writing. Anyway, in general, I'm very glad to have some better idea which stories were liked and which not. And know that people are reading, even when they don't speak up. Thanks!
  7. If money is one of your primary worries, then starting your own business is only really plausible if is has little/no start-up cost, because if it fails you're screwed even if you didn't quit your other job. As for a well-paying job, perhaps babysitting? Due to your schedule you'd be working with a very small number of people (as far as I can think, only kindergarten kids have 1/2 a day hours) but you'd be paid about mininum wage, per kid or per family or whatever, so you might be able to make enough. You'd probably have to advertise in school newsletters or something. (Or, if you've got some time yet, posters in pre-schools). Or petsitting.. Maybe a restaurant that specializes in breakfasts? Another thing to consider is not raising your income, but lowering expenses. Maybe find another roommate? Or an apartment that includes utilities in its rent? I'm not really sure what your situation is, but $350 US + utilities seems to me like it could be improved upon. Edit: Or be a TA, teach a lab, mark assignments etc for a professor.
  8. I thought Merelas said 14, though I can't remember where. My thought on that was simply not realizing that people often died young there. Of course she'd have seen "distant deaths" but I figured at fourteen she very likely may have never had someone close to her die. "Never seen death" meaning never seeing it in all its gruesomeness, never fully seeing its consequences. I also figured that Amelia would know whether Silence has ever had anyone close by die, and so I made an assumption about it, as it's been mentioned before that we're allowed to make up facts. Unfortunately, as Vahktang points out, this happening at this time period is rather unlikely. Anyway, it's too late...
  9. Ah. Okay, thanks! Nice to meet you, Sir Semi-lagomorph.
  10. "The devil can also mimic the words of the Lord, Silence. You say what you've said because you've heard your mother say it... but is it really what you believe?" "Of course I believe in the word of God," says Silence. "What would persuade me to trust Satan?" Amelia shakes her head in frustration. "Any follower of Christ will tell the truth and say that he follows God, but any follower of Satan will lie and say that he follows God! How are we supposed to know the difference? Goodwife Bones I have known for a long time and I feel that I know her well enough to see a lie. Silence, I do not, but that doesn't mean she's not being truthful. Samantha, can you look into my eyes and claim innocence of this deed?" Edit: To "Goodwife". Anyone know the equivalent of "Mr."?
  11. I enjoyed the story, Leif. Like Tanuchan, I look forward to more. But I'm confused on one point: You call Leif a bunny ("Entering the woods had an almost cooling effect on the bunny."), and he eats carrots, but he also hikes and hums and starts fires. Is he a half-bunny, or what?
  12. The thing I love about this poem is its heartfelt nature, expressed with what comes across as simple words. It grabs your heart without confusing you, without making you stop and wonder about the words or phrases. It's even and the rhythm does not interupt but rather aids the flow of the words. The rhyme seems natural and again, it just helps the flow. It's all perfect to get across the message. Thank you.
  13. ~Titles~ Also, to aid in searching, please add a "~" (tilde) before and after each title. The reason for this is that if there's nothing to distinguish the title "Skills" (for example) from the word "skills" used somewhere in any of your posts, then the search finds more than one result and it's less useful that way. So if every title has the tildes, it's easier all round. To see what I mean, look at the titles I've used in this topic. Note: The bolding is optional. If you do bold it or format it in any way, be careful that the formatting encompasses both the tildes and the title, ie) ~Titles~ not ~Titles~
  14. OOC: Seriously, people, feedback is good! Isn't anyone reading these? Empty Playground Ralph died a year ago today. I still mourn for him, of course, but not like I did. If you had asked me back then if I would ever get over it, I would have told you no. If I could get the words past my constricted throat, that is. Now I miss him every time I look at his side of the bed or his chair at the table, but it's no longer every waking moment. Ralph was half of me, but I'm nearing the end of my life myself. I can't spend the rest of it missing him, not when I know I'll soon be at his side again. So I've come to terms with it a little. Today I'll let myself mourn again, though. Sometimes you just have to let yourself feel it all over again. Not the same as the first time, but worse than yesterday. Today, I'll visit the playground where he died. It takes a little while to sit up from the bed, and I labouriously reach over to my cane. With its help I stand up and move to the hallway. I ponder there for a few moments. Should I stop and eat? No, it's too early for that yet. So I lumber out the door and down the ramp that we had built when Ralph became wheelchair-ridden. The park is only a block or two away, and it isn't long before I arrive. So early on a Sunday, the playground is barren. The swings and slide stand waiting for children, almost crying for the lack of company. A playground is the kind of place that is filled so often it feels lonlier than any other when it's empty. For a while I study the yellow plastic slide and wooden ladder, the rusty nails showing their age. When was it that this slide replaced the other? I couldn't remember any more. I had been playing in this very place nearly every day for years before the new one came. Nevertheless, every structure in this playground evokes strong memories. I sit down on a bench and let myself remember those happy days. I am surprised to see a young lady coming up the hill. She makes her way to the playground, stroller firmly gripped in her delicate hands. She pushes it to the swing set, ignoring me, and begins to gently swing the toddler. The little one, dressed in light purple, smiles and giggles, bubbles escaping her mouth. The mother lifts the bib and laughingly wipes off the spit, then goes back to letting the youngster swing. As I watch, enjoying their obvious joy, they fade away until no one is there. Was I seeing ghosts? Or hallucinating? What was going on? Another youth comes bounding into view, but now I watch warily. She does not look at me either. But what does that prove, and what can I do about it anyway? The girl runs to the slide and climbs up it, sliding down at the halfway point. She squeals with equal frustration and delight, and tries again. After three or four times she, too, fades. A little girl, schoolage, appears on the monkey bars. She crosses a few times one bar at a time, then turns around, gets a determined look on her face, and successfully goes back by twos. The pride on her face is magnificently tangible. She is soon replaced, however, by an older girl, whose expression turns mischievous when a young boy appears from around the tire swing. She goes to him and they begin talking. I watch as the pair grow into teenagers. It's happening faster now, and they run about the park as they grow. When they reach high school age, they pause long enough to kiss, then grow older again as they run from the playground. After only a moment, a young man appears in the sandbox. He buries something, then waits patiently for a woman to walk up the path. He says something and she looks at his strangely, then also begins to dig. Suddenly her face is contorted with pleasure and surprise, and she holds up a ring. She springs into a standing position and embraces him. The couple appears again in various stages of their lives. Pushing a baby around. Teaching their children how to use the tire swing. Rescuing from the sand around the slide the teeth of a particularily adventurous preschooler. Watching proudly as their youngest discovers the trick to doing the monkey bars two at a time. Soon the pair's children have grown but they reappear occasionally without them. Holding hands, they gaze into each other's eyes in many locations around the park, from middle-age to retirement age to elderly. A few times they bring grandchildren. Then I find myself sitting next to the old man and he looks at me. As I discovered long ago in this charade, he is Ralph. This park has replayed for me all the happy moments of my life, from the first time my mother brought me here to the moment I met Ralph, the day he proposed to me, and onward. Ralph died here, but today he only stands and reaches for my hands. I take them. And satisfied with my life as it was, I go to be with him once more.
  15. "Vengeance is in the hands of God, Amelia... but I am human, and I loved Charles. My heart wants this village protected. My heart wants my husband to rest in peace, knowing that we rooted the evil out. I *am* his wife, dear friend... I must also see that we aren't left completely lost without our Reverend." "If you can be strong in this hard time.. with more witches obviously roaming, and your husband, our protector, dead... Then I can help you." Amelia saw Anne looking around at their fellow citizens, and knew that she must be wondering about them. "We know each of them, have always trusted each of them..." Amelia looked around too, eyeing them one by one. "Thomas, my husband, whom I love. I know him well, and he has not the time to practice witchcraft anyway. Allison, whose idea it was last year to raise money for the church with the quilt sale. Samantha, who donates so much out of so little. Mr. James, our Govenor, and Eric, our Usher. Not one of these can be capable of witchcraft. They all have children of their own, must know what Satan could do to them. They all support the church and loved the Reverend." "But there's only one person left," said Anne, looking at Amelia again. "Yes. Silence Whitney. I've trusted her with our kids, but until this is over, I can never trust anyone but myself for that task. Silence is young and naive. She may well have been curious about Satan, have called him. She's the only one who hasn't lived long enough to fully understand the love of God. She's the only one who hasn't seen death in her lifetime, to know and fear it. I fear, Anne, that Silence must have been dabbling in witchcraft."
  16. We all knew it wouldn't be long... Congratulations, and enjoy those titles while you can!
  17. Go ahead and rewrite it if you wish, using that idea. Does anyone want to use the line, "Love is like a toothpick"? By the way, did I say this was really fun?
  18. Well, you wrote for mine (and I enjoyed it immensely!), so I'll give yours a shot. Smells like the colour purple, Tastes like the colour red. Feels more like orange, though; It must be time to go to bed. Smells like the number four, Tastes like the number eight. But feels just like thirteen, Which means it isn't right. Smells like you are happy, Tastes like you're bemused. My fingers tell me you're afraid, So maybe I'm confused.
  19. Heh, this looks fun. I've been bouncing this line around in my head for a while, but I'm not very good at poetry. So, anyone want a shot at "From eternity to here"?
  20. * Leaps to Sal's aid * Go here and click "Other" to see my effort. Like you said, simple. Alternatively, you could just include the mother part of it. * Encourages others to do the same so that Sal has more than one option *
  21. "It didn't begin here," one voice insisted from the crowd. "You began it yourself, Satan-Worshippers!" Amelia Parcel finished speaking and immediately hugged her husband close. "If they don't convict these people now, who will make sure our children are safe?" Her tone was a whisper, now, but a few of the townspeople picked it up and started repeating it. "We have to keep our children safe!" "We have to safeguard this town!" "We can't let the Devil have his way with Salem!" "Kill them now, while we can!" Peter only hung his head.
  22. Don't be Amelia. 'Cause Merelas did assign me a first name, and we wouldn't want two Amelias. Um... why is Eyremon playing a woman? Are you sure he won't mind? As for plans... Vahk: I think we should have two darling little children. A boy and a girl. Nancy, maybe, and Graham? 12 and 8 respectively, I'd say. I'm just pulling this out of nowhere so if you have any other ideas, just post it. Tanuchan and Dragonqueen: We should have a knitting circle or something. Once a week. And maybe we're planning a barbeque or something for the town? We should be "perfect" little wives, until the lynching starts and we turn vicious Celes: Mind if we hire you to look after our kids sometimes?
  23. When do you send out character sketches? When do you send out roles?
  24. Hands Xaious and Ayshela a pair of Steel-Toed Rollerblades each.
  25. Yes. Have you ever actually had space travel in mind? I'm being complete serious here, just so everyone's clear. Edit by Tam: Oh, lookit that, I accidently posted with Katzaniel's account.
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