~Various Articles~

Contents:

-001 Internet Spelling - HokiePokie
-002 Gladius: Chapter 3 - TheStrategos
-003 Advert - lissybee
-004 Struggle for Healthcare - Moose17
-005 Marijuana: A freedom or not? - Wetto
-006 A World of Supreme Ignorance Conceived by Deception - CrashAriMP5N2O
-007 Fair Representation - henz_lan
-008 Holiday Traveling Tips - Digs
-009 Valentine's Day on Crunchyroll - Luciel








001 -Internet Spelling

~HokiePokie


“I can feel my brain cells dying.”


So, has anyone wanted to know what’s up with internet spelling? For some reason people like to spell “liek diz” all because it’s become a pretty little trend. They say it shortens the word–some of the times it does. But most of the time, it’s only a few damn letters difference. “Dat” is used as “that”, wow, you saved yourself from typing a letter! Congratulations, you’re a winner at being a total idiot. There’s “u” replacing “you”, but in most cases the “y”, “o” and “u” are on the same row on the keyboard, plus they’re REALLY close neighbors, they’d be practically next door neighbors if it weren’t for the letter “i”, but still it’s not that much of a stress. Anyways I’ve got an image to show you guys.

HINT: This goes for most American keyboards, other countries may have similar or different ones. But even so, we shan’t be lazy, type out the whole word, not that hard.




Pink-Purple Color = “That”, as you can see, “t” is repeated TWICE. And “h” is diagonal from “t” so they’re really not that far apart. After you type in “t” and
“h” you make an amazing stretch to “a”, then you go back home to letter “t” and there you go, you spelled “that”, hooray!


Red= “You”. True “u” is just one letter. And it’s easier to do than “you” but sometimes you need to stop being lazy and type out a whole word. It’s a hard procedure, but it must be done guys! First, you type in the letter “y”, then cross the fiery depths of “u” and swing vines to cross the rainforest of “i” and press the letter “o”. Sadly after all the work it takes to do that, you must travel back to the fiery depths of “u”. But first you must swing the vines of “i”, then you will be able to finish the letter “you”. That’s lots of exercise required there, but it was well worth it!


So, you must be wondering, “liek wut iz wrung wit typin liek diz!?!?!?” To state the obvious, it makes you look like a COMPLETE idiot. It’s just too hard to take a person typing like that any bit seriously. Plus, turns out most of your abilities to actually correctly spell, is hurt by this kind of typing. This may cause you to eventually become an illiterate fool, or you may already be one. “Th… the… dog… could not…. Look for the…… bilogommed? Billoosommed?” “Hank, it’s ‘blossomed’” “Ugh… I knew that….” Plus, it’s really ridiculous to see people saying “u r a idiot”, typing horribly, having bad grammar, and you still insist to call someone an idiot. Most of the time, this way of spelling, isn’t even shortening the words. “Wuz” is used for “was”, but look, same amount of letters. Plus look at that image. All the letters for “was” are so close together, so isn’t using “wuz” making it even harder? So want to spell better than the rest of the internet scum spelling like lazy pigs? There are ways to recover!

HokiePokie suggests that you download FireFox, the newest version that’s out. Why? It has built in spell check! Not grammar check, but good enough! Surf the internet safer than Internet Explorer, and spell better. Trust me, it helps a lot, because eventually after fixing your spelling errors many times, you’ll learn to spell the word you misspelled correctly! You’ll look smarter than the people typing “liek diz” and when an English paper is due, you won’t have to spell check 1,000 words, and it won’t be difficult for you when in a rush since you won’t have to look through the list of words on the spell check list and go “is that the word.. no… it can’t be.. is that it.. no way….” Another suggestion: try your hardest. If you’re just sitting back and spell checking every single thing, it won’t be helping you much, if you don’t try to learn to spell the word correctly. Escape this evil “trend” and learn to spell correctly, and you won’t make yourself look like a complete idiot.


http://www.mediafire.com/?9yexjrmkm21 <-- Downloadable versiion









002- Gladius
Chapter 3: An Iron Will

~TheStrategos


I sat hunched in my seat, the stereotypical stake-out newspaper held in front of me. Beside me, Lily stared vacantly out of the window. Having never had a field partner before, I had been slightly apprehensive, not knowing what to expect. However, for the most part, Lily had sat quietly in the passenger’s seat, staying so still that I could easily pretend she was not there. The only exception to this was when we were leaving the church, when she first got into the car.

As I was starting the car, I heard a small voice, so low that I wasn’t sure I didn’t imagine it. Turning to Lily, I saw only the back of her head. “Did you say something Lily?”

“Gladius,” she said in a near whisper, “What does it mean to be human?”

My eyes went back to the road as I desperately tried to think of an answer suitable for a eight year old child. “I…uh…think Brother John is a better person to ask.”

“I see.” She became quiet, the dull hum of the car suddenly loud in the silence. After a while she continued in her wraithlike voice. “I think…that to be human is to be loved.”

Those were the only words we had exchanged until the present, as we sat outside a run-down apartment complex in a street that no one who wasn’t forced to would live, waiting for our target to appear. Suddenly, I lowered the newspaper, lifting up the camera that had been laying in my lap, focusing it on a large man with a baseball cap pulled down over his face, obscuring it from view. As he disappeared into the building, I threw the camera in the backseat. “That’s the target, let’s go.” Getting out of the car, I started going over the plan. “We want to try and take him alive, so you’ll be strictly backup.” I related to Lily. “Stay out in the hallway unless I need you.” I looked up to see if Lily understood and stopped in shock. As I had been speaking, Lily had been divesting herself of some of her layers of clothing. Now, she stood in the chilly fall day, dressed in a white sleeveless shirt and shorts only slightly longer than bikini bottoms. The hair on her head had been cropped so short that she was almost bald, giving her a slightly boyish look. My attention, however, was grabbed by the tattoo on her left arm, glowing as if it were made of fire. “Lily,” I said, as I involuntarily touched my own arm, “when I activate my powers, it feels as if my arm is on fire.”

Bending down, Lily picked up one of the innumerable cigarette butts that littered the ground. As she placed it against her tattoo, a thin line of smoke rolled off. Suddenly she threw the cigarette away from her. Turning towards me she shrugged. “All of my clothes have to be made from a fire-retardant material.”

Not knowing what to say to that, I started walking towards the apartment building, knowing by the sound of footsteps behind me that Lily was following me. Entering the deserted lobby, I chose the stairs, not wanting to be in an enclosed elevator with Lily. As I exited onto the third floor, my head swiveled back and forth, reading the numbers on the doors as I passed. Finally, I stopped before a door. Even though it was missing two of the three numbers, from the fade pattern on the wall, I knew that the numbers “311” used to hang there. Taking two quick glances down either side of the hallway, I motioned Lily to stay back. Fortunately, this was the kind of neighborhood where World War III could break out and no one would open their doors or even call the cops. Since that was the case, I could afford to sacrifice stealth for speed, and so I backed up as far as I could, launching myself at a run towards the door. At the impact of my flying body, the door crumbled inward. Instinctively, I curled my body, turning my momentum into a roll, ending up crouched on my feet, a sword materialized in either hand.

Suddenly, something from behind me rammed into me, sending me flying across the room, my body painfully smashing against a counter. Pushing the pain away, I looked up, just in time to see what looked like a giant metal robot rushing towards me. Instinctively, I materialized several swords, sending them flying towards the charging man. Sparks flew into the air as each of my swords skidded off the man, none piercing him. The man grabbed at my neck as I brought another sword I had kept in my hand down, attempting to slice off the arm. Instead, my sword jarred to a stop, the suddenness causing me to lose my grip, the sword flying away. Before I could react, the man had grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off the ground. Vaguely, I could hear choking sounds, barely realizing that they were mine.

The man smiled. “So this is the famous Gladius. Looks like your swords aren’t much good against me, do they?” He applied a little more pressure against my throat, causing me to kick widely against air as my arms ineffectively clawed against the vice-grip. “The name’s Steel, remember it, since it’s the name of your killer.” The man continued in a taunting tone. “My power is to turn my body completely into metal, strong enough to resist even the cut of your swords.”

He might have said more, if not for the fact that he was interrupted by Lily jumping on his back, reaching her arms across his neck in a headlock, her own bare arms coming into contact with his exposed neck. Instead of immediately dying, however, her deathly touch seemed to have no affect except to anger Steel, causing him to fling Lily across the room. Her actions, however, had distracted Steel, causing him to loosen his grip enough that I was able to break free using the last of my strength.

I could see Lily, separated from me by Steel, a puzzled look in her eyes. “Run Lily,” I managed to croak out. “He’s completely metal, your touch only works against living things, not metal.” I materialized more swords, sending them at Steel, knowing I could not harm him but trying to distract him enough that Lily could escape. Realizing that Lily was no threat, Steel ignored her, again coming at me. As he got closer, I unleashed a flurry of blows at his head, any of which would have killed a normal person. Each one, however, merely glanced off his metal-encased body with a shower of sparks. Not wanting to get trapped against a wall, I quickly moved left, just as he launched a punch, which I managed to avoid, but in doing so got tripped up against a chair, causing me to the ground. Quickly, I shot my leg out, intending to trip Steel up as well, in order to give me time to recover, but as my leg connected with his, I realized belatedly that my kick would be ineffectual against his iron frame. Before I could recover from my blunder, Steel was on top of me, a fist lashing out, hitting my jaw. Fighting against the approaching unconsciousness, I tried to lash out, but it was hopeless. All of my attacks bounced harmlessly off Steel’s hard outer shell, while his weight on top of me prevented me from escaping.

Sensing the futility, I turned my head, not wanting to see the final, killing blow. Instead, however, I heard a scream, one that was quickly cut off as I felt Steel’s weight slide off of me. Looking up, I saw Steel slumped on the ground, blood running from his eyes. Standing over him was Lily, her fingers stained with blood. From the corners of her eyes, I saw what appeared to be the beginning of tears. Seeing my gaze, Lily quickly turned around. “I figured if he could still see, that must have meant that he hadn’t covered his eyes in metal, so my power would work on him if I could touch him there.”

I slowly got up. “No time for that now. We need to start searching his apartment now, with him dead, that’s the only hope we have for a clue.”

Lily sniffled a little, quickly wiping her hand across her face. “I’ll take the kitchen then.” I nodded, as I watched her walk away.




Advert
~lissybee


You know you want one too! http://www.crunchyroll.com/tshirt




003- Struggle for Healthcare

~ Moose17




Imagine forty million people without any form of health insurance. Illness waits surreptitiously at their doorstep ready to strike at any moment. Unfortunately, this situation is not far from reality. Approximately forty million Americans in the United States at any one given time this year are uninsured. My grandmother was among these people. She privately paid for her insurance when she lived in Montebello, California. However, while relocating to Moreno Valley, California, she missed a payment and her insurance dropped her coverage. My grandmother attempted to become re-insured, but at that point, it would be too late, and her insurance would no longer cover her.

My Grandma first showed symptoms of her condition while visiting my mother. My Grandmother had flu-like symptoms, so my mother took her to see a physician: Dr. Patel. Though Dr. Patel prescribed antibiotics, my Grandmother showed no signs of improvement. After that, my mother took my grandmother to her previous doctor in Montebello. My mother will never forget the first thing Dr. Meiers asked her when she arrived with my grandmother. “Does she have Health insurance?” Because my grandmother no longer had insurance, Dr.Meiers would not help her. Instead he instructed my mother to take her to see nephrologists. Just one day before her appointment, my grandmother had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. When she arrived at the general hospital (she could not go to the community hospital because she didn’t have insurance), the hospital wanted to obtain all of my grandmother’s information in writing before they would even treat her. My mother was furious. She said, “This hospital is more concerned with billing and paperwork than treating my mother” (Actually, she used much more colorful language). When my grandmother finally received treatment, she had a temporary shunt put in her neck and began dialysis treatment. My grandmother was in great need of a permanent shunt, but no doctor would help her because she didn’t have any insurance, and to make matters worse, now that her previous insurance carrier knew of her condition, she was no longer applicable for health insurance. Eventually, after two temporary shunts, a kind doctor performed the relatively uncomplicated operation, never sending a bill. Overall, obtaining the healthcare which my grandmother desperately needed was a far more difficult process than it should have been.

Greater than forty million other Americans are like my grandmother. Many families, though hardworking, may only be momentarily unable to afford health insurance, but illness does not avoid the uninsured. For my grandmother, one missed payment caused a series of tribulations. In the situation that illness strikes, should people who are uninsured be left alone without any aid, only to become more ill, suffer, or, in extreme cases, die? To ameliorate the current crisis of health care, many have looked to a universal healthcare system where government provides healthcare to everyone through taxes. Free health care could significantly affect people’s lives, for many people on fixed, low incomes are not capable of providing their families with healthcare. On the contrary, a shift to a universal single payer healthcare system may not provide the relief that it is intended to. Though Universal healthcare seems like the perfect solution to the United States healthcare problems, in reality it would only magnify those problems. Concerned with aiding the uninsured through a universal healthcare system, often times, many people fail to consider the full extent of how a universal healthcare system would impact America. Universal healthcare would cost too much for too few results, would diminish the quality and availability of healthcare, and could quite possibly cost more lives then it saves. Hence, Universal healthcare is not a feasible solution for the United States of America.

Americans are mesmerized by the idea of a utopias, unanimously health insured nation; however, these lucrative ideals rarely consider the true costs. In fact, numerous theories vary on the cost increase coinciding with a universal healthcare system. Though Karsten G. Siegfried suggest in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology that administrative cuts in a universal healthcare system could reduce cost of insurance by 50 percent, previous healthcare reform proposals show that costs will still significantly increase. As explained by Stephen Gorin and Cynthia Moniz, Senator John Kerry’s healthcare proposal, in the 2004 election, would decrease the uninsured population by 27 million over one decade while increasing costs by $653 billion. On the other hand, President Bush’s proposal would decrease the uninsured population by 2.4 million costing $90 billion over a ten year period. These two proposals are extremely expensive as well as inefficient. Consider Bush’s proposed plan. Yes, many more would have health insurance than are currently insured, but compared to over forty million who lack coverage, greater than 37.6 million would still be without any means of health insurance, even after an exorbitant amount of spending. Moreover, many will not benefit from a universal healthcare program at all. To illustrate, Charles Ballard, utilizing statistical data of the United States economy in 1991, explicates in the National Tax Journal that under a single payer or Canadian style healthcare system and mandate system, those below the poverty level win in all cases, those of the lower middle class are affected more heavily under a mandate system, and those above sixty five years of age lose under both systems. Because people age sixty five and older already receive aid through Medicare, they would pay into a system for insurance that they would have had anyway. Ultimately, an investment of such large proportion should be given serious thought in terms of efficiency.

Another reason why a single payer healthcare system is not a feasible option for America is that, because of impede availability of services, the quality of healthcare will be diminished. For instance, David DeGrazia, a professor of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., elucidates that in order to cut costs, “Canada Limits the number of specialty physicians, allocates the purchase of costly equipment, and restricts expensive procedures such as open-heart surgery to a few major Population centers.” Accordingly, if implemented in the United States, Americans will not receive similar health services in all hospitals but must commute themselves to an area where it is densely populated to receive many services. Having to travel for treatment is absurd to many people who do not have transportation readily available. Moreover, in an emergency, health care options might not be available at a hospital within a reasonable distance. Not to mention that traveling long distances for healthcare treatment is neither efficient, convenient, nor affordable. Hence, universal healthcare will impede readily available healthcare options to the masses.

Not only will the availability of healthcare be restricted, but healthcare itself might be restricted. A physician, David C. MacDonald, argues that there will need to be some sort of rationing or spending cap to implement a cost efficient healthcare plan. MacDonald explains that newly available services might be overused and that the government may exceed its available funds for health care. A person would no longer be able to purchase as much medical care and treatment that he or she deemed necessary, nor would a person be able to seek expert opinion concerning his or her health. Moreover, what happens if health services greatly exceed the governments spending cap? Once again, millions of Americans will be left without any health services. MacDonald also explains that health care restrictions, because of costs, would be similar to those of a Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO). Doctors, treatments, ability to see specialist would be limited. For instance, when I was eleven years old, healthcare options were restricted from me by my HMO. I had begun to notice excessive foot pain which was growing progressively more severe. Even after walking just short distances or standing for lengthy periods of time, I would develop extreme pain. Hence, I went to see my local physician. I explained to my physician my symptoms, and inquired if I should seek the opinion of a specialist. He examined me and confirmed that there was a problem. He said it was probably a “genetic deformity” because of its development at my young age. However, he would not approve me to see a specialist concerning my problem. Instead, he told me, “Buy a comfortable shoe.” Six years of painful walking and three surgeries later, I am finally able to walk with some ease. The ability to chose my healthcare provider and seek a specialist’s opinion has made a severe impact on the quality of my life. I would not have had these options under a single payer system. Thus, a single payer healthcare system would greatly reduce healthcare options, and even treatment itself, and Americans would push for the development of cozier footwear.

A budget crisis, should the government exceed its spending cap, may also restrict healthcare. Canada manifests a possible example of what might occur should the nation be depleted of healthcare funds. According to Dean Foreman, in 1998, 212,990 Canadians had to wait an average of 13.3 weeks for a surgical procedure. MacDonald corroborates explaining that “[in 1998], 23 of 25 hospital emergency rooms in Toronto were closed to patients, regardless of the severity of their illness.” An excessive waiting period of this extremity is outrageous for those who are in urgent need of care and may become progressively ill or even die without immediate treatment. Is the threat of not being able to treat the ill a risk worth taking? In conclusion, those who require treatment, whether insured under the old system or not, may be denied that treatment based upon the government’s ability to pay.

Although there are also many problems with the current healthcare system, some of these problems can be improved as an alternative to completely abandoning the current system and shifting to a universal healthcare system. One problem that America’s health care faces is that valuable information pertaining to free health care options which are available never reach those who need it. Elissa Gifford contends that, because people don’t know about free care options, they are unable to utilize them. Many hospitals currently have reduced rates or even free services for lower income house holds. However, information concerning these options is inconsistent. In a survey conducted by Gifford, none of seven hospitals consistently informed surveyors of available free care. Only one could provide a written policy upon request, and availability of information for non-English speaking Americans was almost non-existent. Poor communication is a reason why many can not utilize free care options that are available. This information is vital for people who could not afford services. As explained by Gary Langer of ABC News, nearly one fourth of the nation put off medical treatment because costs were too high. Had more information about free care been available, many of these people would have been able to obtain the treatment which they needed. Therefore, by improving communication concerning reduced rates and free care, the United States can help people with lower incomes obtain services without having to completely reform its entire healthcare system.

America should assess whether it wants to pour its resources into a healthcare system that instead of performing its intended purpose would do just the opposite. Americans yearn for a single payer universal healthcare system but lose sight of reality. The results of universal healthcare will be far worse than the current United State’s healthcare system. Consider the forty million without health insurance. Then consider the people that would be left in desperation and in need of treatment should America move to a Universal healthcare system. Forty million are without insurance, but forty million are not in need of service. If the United States adopts a single payer system, healthcare services will be much more difficult to obtain for those who are in need of it, and if hospitals shut their doors to the public because of a budget crisis, then people who are in urgent necessity of care will be left to suffer.

As seen in my grandmother’s scenario, there is ample room for improvement concerning the current healthcare system. However, improved communication concerning free care options could provide some relief to patients in my grandmother’s situation, and matters would have only been further complicated for my grandmother under a single payer system. Imagine what might have occurred in my grandmother’s situation. If it weren’t for my mother, my grandmother would have never been able to commute long distances to obtain service. Moreover, when she arrived at the hospital, she might not be guaranteed adequate testing unless deemed absolutely necessary, and she might not be able to make any type of appointment with a specialist, such as a nephrologists. Instead she would receive the most inexpensive possible care for her believed problem

Though my grandmother’s situation was extremely inconvenient, the unavailability of care could have cost my grandmother her life. Many similar situations would occur throughout the United States. Patients everywhere will be told, “That procedure won’t be necessary, or yes, you urgently need open-heart surgery, but this hospital doesn’t offer that service.” The patients will reply, “Where did all the money that I paid in my taxes go?” Who will be the one to tell them that their money went to universal insurance, not universal services? In summation, universal healthcare is the wrong choice for America.

Works Cited
Ballard, Charles L., and John H. Goddeeris. "Financing universal health care in the United States: a general equilibrium analysis of efficiency and distributional effects." National Tax Journal 52.1 (March 1999): 31(1). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Riverside Community College. 08 May 2006 ...
DeGrazia, David. "Why the United States Should Adopt a Single Payer System of Health Care Finance," Health Care. James D. Torr, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, 2000.Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 08 May 2006 ...
Giffords, Elissa D., Linda Wenze, David M. Weiss, Donna Kass, and Rosemarie Guercia. "Increasing access to health care: examination of hospital community benefits and free care programs." Health and Social Work 30.3 (August 2005): 213(8). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Riverside Community College. 10 May 2006
Gorin, Stephen, and Cynthia Moniz. "Will the United States ever have universal health care?(National Health Line)." Health and Social Work 29.4 (Nov 2004): 340(5). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Riverside Community College. 10 May 2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advert
CR-Fan-Subs


Current Projects:
War of In-Laws 2
I Am Sam
Nodame Cantible (w/ SoloFansubs).

Current Vacancies:
We are desperately in need of some timers!
If you're interested then see their account for more details:
CRFanSubs

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





004- Marijuana: A freedom or not?

~Wetto


Drugs drugs drugs. They seem to be every where don't they? In the newspapers, in movies, books, games, everything really. Especially marijuana, one of the most used creative influences in the entertainment world, and one of the most commonly used drugs in America. There are many health reports on both sides of the argument on the legality of marijuana and there are many numbers and facts that could be thrown at anyone who opposes each others views. But you know what? F**k the numbers and f**k the facts! This can't be put into a government report because this is about the individuals who are using marijuana for medical purposes and how they are getting screwed over by the government. Well thats all. If you have any hate mail free feel to send it to me. Also I'm sure you are wondering why this article is so short. Well partially procrastination and also I want to hear you voice your opinion, so go on. Voice your opinion.










005- A World of Supreme Ignorance Conceived by Deception

~CrashAriMP5N2O


I recently received an e-mail from my father, which is a forwarded message about how Filipinos are discriminated by Art Bell. Bell is a prominent talk radio host broadcasting from his home in Nevada and rebroadcast by 400 stations across the United States. The so-called hate letter that discriminated against Filipinos is said to have come from him. It includes some background information on Art Bell, then the quoted hateful letter, and a full-scale analytic reactionary response. At first it seems authentic, an effect mainly made by the “research” done on Art Bell at the beginning and the “civilized” reactionary response in the end. As convincing as it may be, the entire thing was just an elaborate hoax orchestrated by a yet-to-be-identified miscreant from the University of California, San Diego.



The information contained within the letter is divided into three parts, mentioned earlier as the background on Art Bell, his hate letter, and the response. Only the first and third parts are predominantly accurate. Apparently the responsible ones have done their homework outstandingly well. It is the second part that is in question. The hate letter, which was used to frame Art Bell, is just a catalyst to propose a counter-argument to bring about major points about Filipinos such that would try to motion people, not just Filipinos, to recognize the value of their race as well as their contributions to society. The response portion contained a lot of examples to offset the stereotypic and racial attack against Filipinos in the hate letter. These examples include prominent figures, who contributed to science and technology, the nature of domestic workers, as well as immigration. The examples are strikingly factual. However, they were misused and for a cause that is just on the surface, but fake in reality.



As a Filipino, I am appalled at how the entire thing was set up to do more bad, which is to destroy someone’s reputation as well as make fools of those who were blinded by it, than good, which is to appreciate the culture and contributions of the Filipino race, and it was not even good to begin with. Not only did it destroy the reputation of an innocent man, but it spawned misguided hatred, ignorance, intolerance, and deceit. The poor victims are those who fell for such a hoax and blindly condemn the innocent without first performing extensive research on the matter. Simple common sense is even enough to dictate that Art Bell, being a prominent media personality, has no reason whatsoever to destroy his own reputation with a badly written racist message on USENET. The Message ID of the original hate mail clearly indicated the ucsd.edu domain. The host was found to be a public terminal in a library in the University of California San Diego. Most likely that the perpetrator was a student and I wouldn’t be surprised if he or she was a Filipino.

It is a good thing that I have delved deeper into the matter or I would have ended up becoming one of those fools, blinded by hate and controlled by deceit. A little research is man’s best friend and a tool to show the way to the truth. If it wasn’t for that, I would be writing some sort of response to the hate letter instead of clarifying what really happened. It is unfortunate that the fake hate letter was spawned just to create a subject to counter with a just response. The way I saw the entire thing, it is basically saying to the entire world that Filipinos are in your face, a message that suggests a domineering attitude. If that were attributed to Filipinos, even more hate will be spawned and the cycle will never end. This is the nature of a world of supreme ignorance conceived by deception.









006- Fair Representation

~henz_lan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To whom it probably doesn't concern, but soon will,

I am writing to you on behalf of a population and potential electorate which, though untapped is large enough to determine the outcome of many upcoming elections. As a whole we are highly intelligent, some of us devoting our lives to scientific research. In addition our society is highly developed and we are well respected for our devotion to relatives. We enjoy a good laugh, though unfortunately happen to be very ticklish [1]. May I also add that we are relatively closely related to you.

Despite our many positive qualities our relationship with others has been very strained over the years. We have a habit of competing for the same food sources, which has led to our being labelled as "vermin". There is also a high level of discrimination against us concerning diseases which were believed to have originated in our population, just as homosexuals are blamed for HIV. In addition our choice of lifestyle often alienates people, we are forced to live in squalid, secluded dwellings and only venture out into the community at night due to the perils associated with encountering others.

To put it bluntly; we want out! We want proper representation reflecting the role we play in the community, quite often as unpaid refuse collectors. We want protection from people setting their dogs and cats on us. We want to be given the recognition we deserve. We want laws preventing discrimination against us. We want equality. We Want The Vote!

I hope that this letter has enlightened you to our plight and that you will act upon it.

Yours sincerely,

Henz.

On behalf of the genus Rattus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Many thanks to Banksy for the rat and Cheeze for helping come up with the slogan.


[1] http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010728/fob9.asp









007- Holiday Traveling Tips

~Digs


As most of you know, travel can be quite hectic and very stressful; so here are a few tips to get you through.

If you are traveling by car, remember to try and give yourself as much space as you can, especially if you are driving for a long time! Bringing pillows and blankets are nice, but they take up more space then you may think (I know from experience) so if you must bring a pillow or blanket, try and pack thin ones that still meet your level of desired comfort. If you take a nap in the car, please remember not to put your head against the window. I know from experience that sleeping with your head against the window will give you a massive headache when you wake up; this is due to the rattling of the car. Remember to wear your seatbelt at all times, even when you nap! It may be uncomfortable, but better safe than sorry. Packing snacks is good, but I wouldn’t recommend taking snacks that leave a crummy mess. Instead of chips and cookies, try bringing things like apples, cheese, and yogurts; these snacks don’t make much of a mess and they are healthier for you.

Sitting for long periods of time isn’t very helpful. It is proven that if you sit and don’t move for an extended period of time; that your circulation to your legs can be affected in a negative manner. At rest stops and fuel stops, get out of the car and do a few jumping-jacks or running in place. This will get the blood flowing and may help to keep you from feeling groggy or stiff. Sitting with good posture will also keep you from feeling stiff and sore, especially in the neck and lower back. Last of all; be respectful of the other people in the car. It makes the trip a lot more pleasant for everyone if we refrain from yelling and can be flexible.
This will make your Holiday trips much more enjoyable!









008- Valentine's Day on Crunchyroll

~Luciel



Valentine's Day, a time when girls in Japan give chocolates to the guys they like. If the guys accept, they give chocolates back to the girls on White Day in March. But then there's the third option, which is Singles Awareness Day, for all the single people out there who don't have a significant other to cuddle, and drink hot chocolate with for the remaining days of winter. This day, February 14th, will either be celebrated with excitement, as most young teenagers do, and especially if they have their significant other to celebrate with, or for the singles out there who much rather let the day pass by like any other regular day. What does this mean for our Crunchyroll days? Nothing much, except maybe expect higher spam rates in guestbooks, and forums. Higher chance of people sending out chain mails, or just the regular "Happy Valentine's Day" message. For the regular CR user, copy and paste is basic knowledge. Which means everyone knows the CTRL+C and CTRL+V function, which means if it sounds generic enough, it's highly likely they also know it's just another copy and paste message. Creativity goes a long way in CR, and a with a bit of wit and humour, maybe the average CR user can snag a Valentine's date. Either way, it all comes down to this: who has more chocolates?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------