Happy Chinese New Year Everyone !!

[j7wild]

wow, I'm Older than all of you?

[st39.6]

oh I'm a big fan alright. A fan so big it sucks out all the air of the entire Forum and blows.

oh, so thats why I can never breathe when I see those GG threads

[j7wild]

Re: Jax below: oh I'm a big fan alright. A fan so big it sucks out all the air of the entire Forum and blows.

yeah a Fan that sucks all the fun out of this forum!!

[Mithrandir01]

wow, I'm Older than all of you?

I think Oldfart is older

[editman]

I think Oldfart is older

bebbaboo is 59 (apology for stating blatantly in the open Forum).

yeah a Fan that sucks all the fun out of this forum!!

That won't be necessarily: all the high-brow type of fun we experienced prior to Jun 2005 had been flooded out. 'Good' 'job'.

(See attachment below)

Alas, at least in the old days we had style. Now it's as if I'm at KFC - all I can see are breasts and thighs, mingled with the kind of empty remarks pimple-infected teens (and perhaps some people over 35) would make while munching their 3-piece Feed away.

I miss those debates in the good old days where tisoy and carl would argue about compression bitrates or the correct way to do a 3:2 pulldown, or something like that. Those are worthy of the time even just reading.

Kind of reminds me of an old Chinese saying about getting through the New Year: Each Year gets more difficult than the previous.

So, for those who are still hopeful about the Year(s) to come (which is already here): 恭喜發財

oh, so thats why I can never breathe when I see those GG threads

I wish I could be the scapegoat for that but as stated above, I'm only 17 lunatically speaking... I mean counting in lunar years. I'm not OLD enough.

[st39.6]

Alas, at least in the old days we had style. Now it's as if I'm at KFC - all I can see are breasts and thighs, mingled with the kind of empty remarks pimple-infected teens (and perhaps some people over 35) would make while munching their 3-piece Feed away.

I miss those debates in the good old days where tisoy and carl would argue about compression bitrates or the correct way to do a 3:2 pulldown, or something like that. Those are worthy of the time even just reading.

I´ve been thinking about the same few weeks ago, but you know ... u cant stop evolution, can you? Even tho this evolution works in different direction

[editman]

u cant stop evolution, can you? Even tho this evolution works in different direction

I believe the word you're looking for is devolution. Cos I rememeber some academic theories back in uni saying about one of the benefits of the internet, online forum, chatroom and so is finally giving the general public a voice, an affordable channel of publication to finally voice themselves out (since other means of publications - books, audio-visual recording, etc, are expensive to produce and hence had always been reserved for the elites). Sounds utopian, except it turns out that the majority of the geneal public doesn't want to voice out their opinions, share their insights and creativity. They prefer to use the channel to share and view sexy women's pics, or silly low-quality videos for cheap laughs, or a few lines of smiley-studded feedback which don't really say anything at all other than the posters' primal reaction to the pics/videos/other's remarks. Didn't expect that hey, professor? j/k

I'll say this once and for all:

With all the threads being posted here these days, the Forum's probably attracting a crowd not quite what it was intended to. That's sad, being one of those who love the Forum very much, seeing where it could have gone to and the current status being not so. But JPB's probably getting revenue of some sort from the banner ads generated from the hits. Some of you probably get kicks with increasing post counts and points. Seems like everybody wins, except me who's one of the few who bothered to lament about what it could have been, but I'm too busy to scrutinize them all, let alone work myself up over it these days.

Just keep it in mind that no one can have McDonalds, or KFC, or any kind of junk every single day without getting mighty sick, mighty sick of it, or dangerously obese and physically UGLY. True story: I've been fond of Meccas since I was a kid. When I was at uni there was a time I had Meccas almost every day. Until one day, I finally got so sick of it, I turned away from them for a long long time (probably more than a year or so).

It's not like I don't like women or viewing sexy pics of good looking ones for pleasure, but these threads, and the tagged-on silly remarks which are intended to be funny but they're not, gets pretty tiresome after about the 50th one.

Ideally, for every piece of breast you gobble (oggle) you should have 5 times as much of vegies and fruits as well (5 other threads of serious discussions) as a balance diet. It didn't happen. It's not happening. It probably won't. That's too bad.

But who am I to stop anyone turning themselves into ugly fat slops, if you're having so much fun wolfing down them breasts and thighs? So don't yack about me killing all the fun around here - I'm just moderating, making sure it's borderline family-friendly and user-friendly, and occasionally having my share of fun, as in above.

BTW sticking with the subject: the third day of the Chinese New Year is traditionally regarded as a day when people easily fall into fights and arguments (The Day of the Red Dog). Therefore most people stay home on that day insteading of visiting friends, relatives or acquaintances in order to avoid unnecessary brawls... Well, it's only the second day... I guess I'll have to try not to reply tomorrow.

[corfy]

With all the threads being posted here these days, the Forum's probably attracting a crowd not quite what it was intended to. That's sad, being one of those who love the Forum very much, seeing where it could have gone to and the current status being not so. But JPB's probably getting revenue of some sort from the banner ads generated from the hits. Some of you probably get kicks with increasing post counts and points. Seems like everybody wins, except me who's one of the few who bothered to lament about what it could have been, but I'm too busy to scrutinize them all, let alone work myself up over it these days.

I understand what you are saying... to a point. But ultimately, forums like this are what everyone makes it.

I work for a newspaper. We have a daily feature in our paper where the general public sends in comments/complaints/praises/thanks/etc. (A lot of papers do similar things, and they go by a number of names... our paper's mascot is an owl, so we call ours "Hoots 'n Hollers".) There is only room for about 100 words or so per comment, so they are fairly short.

Often, I will hear people in the general public complain about that column. The biggest complaint I hear about it is people saying that it is too negative, and there aren't enough positive things written in it.

I usually counter with, "Well, have you sent in any positive items?" Every single time, I am told "No" (or some variation of that).

If they want to see more positive things in that column, all they would have to do is write a positive item or two and send it in. And if everyone who complains that there aren't enough positive items would send in a positive item, it would very quickly turn into a very positive column. But they would rather sit back and complain about how negative it is rather than doing anything to change it. Or what really gets me is when they send a submission to the column complaining about how negative the column is.

Now, will more positive comments lead to little or no negative comments? No, but it will spread out the negative comments and make it more balanced. And if it keeps up, it is possible that eventually the positives will outnumber the negatives.

So where is all this leading? Simple. If you want to see more intellectual discussions on ML, you should start a few yourself rather than complain about how there aren't any. I did a quick search, and the last thread you started that wasn't about Trailer News or DVD releases and didn't involve someone's death (James Brown, Steve Irwin, etc.) was April 30, 2006, and before that, it jumps back to Oct. 25, 2005. (And for the record, I didn't respond to either of those posts because, for one, like you, I don't get it, either, and the other, I never saw it.)

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with trailer news, DVD releases, or informing people about celebrities that have recently died (far from it, after all, trailer news is what ML is all about), and I certainly don't mean to attack you or anyone else (although I realize it might sound that way, but I really don't mean to attack anyone) but somehow, I don't think those posts fit in with what you are talking about not seeing enough of on the forum.

Just remember, you have as much voice in this forum as anyone.

[st39.6]

You know even tho there´s less of movie and trailer (and similliar stuff) discussions and more of those -nonsense posts bout nothing-, u still cant just not see, that there still is the bright side of forum alive. U can see for example corfy keeping quite often discussions about software alive -along with many other members-, there are still lots of movie news posts -I even think that amount of them and discussion inside has grown-, trailers are still posted often and in flash speed (I myself try my best too keep it up too...), discussions bout TV shows (ok, I´m mostly the only one talking there, just trying to bring attention to it ), lot more of course. Yes, I see myself that amount of posts that are really trying at least discuss a bit is getting freakin smaller and smaller and more often come responses like "wow" or "yeah she´s hot" /do that myself<yes>/ or posts that absolutely make no sense and dont bring anything into the discussion and are typed just to increase points ....
But still people are coming and I dont really think that its only coz of those posts, that keep JPBs ad bars alive (i havent seen those ads in months since I´ve got them blocked, true ....). There are some long and /inteligent/ threads, they are just a bit rare in those times. But I dont see anyone leaving because of it and neither complaining (even tho I already wanted and not once...), its just the way devolution goes /yea, its the word, I just wasnt sure so used "evolution in different direction")

[Oldfart]

BTW sticking with the subject: the third day of the Chinese New Year is traditionally regarded as a day when people easily fall into fights and arguments (The Day of the Red Dog). Therefore most people stay home on that day insteading of visiting friends, relatives or acquaintances in order to avoid unnecessary brawls... Well, it's only the second day... I guess I'll have to try not to reply tomorrow.

The day of the red dog
Oops! Im supposed to be at Pub Quizz Night tonight . Our team usually go to kick figurative a** , but I'm in no shape for a physical brawl! It nearly came to that last Tuesday when a pic was shown which any fool could see was of Bette Davis, but the Quiz Mistress said she had to go by the answer she had in front of her which was.............. Mae West!

Maybe tonight I should make my apologies to the team and stay home or is that just me being a rabbit?

[j7wild]

Happy Chinese New Year, Everyone!!



Chinese New Year in 2008 is February 7th, the Year of the Pig.




2008 is the Year of the Rat which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year starts the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac which recurs every twelfth year.

Like the houses of the zodiac, the animals of Chinese astrology are said to influence your luck during the year.

A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. People born in an Earth Rat are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive. Of course, the entire horoscope must be considered when making any personality assessment.

In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.

If you aren't sure which animal ruled the year that you were born this list will help:

Attention January Babies: Because the Chinese use the Moon Cycle as the basis for their Calendar; their Calendar Year doesn't start until the first week of February. So IF you are born in January, you need to look up the Zodiac Sign for the preceding year: i.e. Born in January 2008, you are not a Rat but the last animal on the Zodiac: the Boar/Pig (2007)!!


Rat : 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
People born in the Year of the Rat are one of the most industrious and hardest working in the zodiac.

Forever busy in pursuit of an ambitious personal goal, at times they may become difficult to work with since they are born perfectionists. Rats must ensure that every "i" is dotted before completing an assigned task. As a result, they are often successful financially, and are good providers for their family and those they cherish most dearly.

Loyal and loving, Rat people inspire loyalty in others who are close to them. They are essentially honest individuals and loath to betray a confidence. However, their quick wit and restlessness can sometimes lead to chattiness, and they can often be relied upon at large social gatherings for a good story or a juicy bit of gossip.

Their energy levels and expert organizational talents are such that it is a rare thing to see a Rat person sitting idly by with nothing to do.

They may even sometimes be viewed as opportunists who cajole others into helping them accomplish a great ambition. In their careers, Rat people can find much success as business leaders or politicians.

Rats are most compatible with : Dragon, Monkey, Ox

Famous people born in the Year of the Rat : Charlotte Bronte, Truman Capote, Catherine I, Prince Charles, Sasha Cohen, Eminem, Peter the Great, Mata Hari, Scarlett Johansson, Wolfgang Mozart, Plato, William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, George Washington


Ox : 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997
Still waters run deep, as anyone who has observed an Ox will tell you.

People born in the Year of the Ox are the supremely self-assured, and as a result are noted for inspiring confidence in others. Generally quiet and patient, they measure their words, and will speak clearly and concisely most often when it matters most.

Born to lead, Ox people can be quite stubborn — but also stubbornly loyal to those they love.

However, when opposed, their fierce tempers are legendary. So always follow this very wise advice : never cross an Ox!

Generally placid and easy-going on the outside, the Ox can be very dogmatic. There are no gray areas evident within their narrow scope of vision, and they often only see things as black or white, good or bad. Therefore, they are never easily persuaded by a clever argument. Possessing an excellent memory, the Ox can often recall verbatim a conversation weeks or months after it has occurred.

Their physical stamina combined with their mental alertness is a distinct advantage when it comes to completing any task at hand. In fact, Oxen can often be seen patiently plodding away ... long after everyone else has dropped from sheer exhaustion!

Ox people are also generally good with their hands, and together with their other attributes are usually successful as doctors or surgeons, construction managers, army generals or business leaders.

Oxen are most compatible with : Rat, Snake, Rooster

Famous people born in the Year of the Ox : Johann Sebastian Bach, Napoleon Bonaparte, Charlie Chaplin, George Clooney, Walt Disney, Anton Dvorak, Clark Gable, Oscar De La Hoya, Richard Nixon, Wayne Rooney, Vincent Van Gogh


Tiger : 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998
One of the most dynamic signs in the Chinese zodiac, Tigers are by turns fascinating, commanding, and exasperating.

They are patient but short-tempered, calm but rebellious, petty but noble, fearsome but affectionate, free spirits but fiercely territorial.

With their many & various personality traits, Tigers are also - not surprisingly - noted for a marked reluctance to make up their minds.

What makes them magnetic and commanding figures is the absolute loyalty and affection they show for those they love. With a natural air of authority, Tigers easily earn the respect and admiration of those who love them in return.

While domesticated Tigers are quite happy among familiar surroundings, they are just as apt to fly off on an adventure at a moment's notice. Unpredictable and emotional, they can become quite fearless when standing up for themselves or others, and often hold definitive views on how to right the wrongs of society.

At work, Tigers show natural leadership ability, but prefer to work alone. They usually excel as business managers, social activists, explorers, or travel writers.

Tigers are most compatible with : Horse, Dragon, Dog

Famous people born in the Year of the Tiger: Emily Bronte, Sheryl Crow,
Tom Cruise, Emily Dickinson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jay Leno, Karl Marx, Marilyn Monroe, Marco Polo, Beatrix Potter, Queen Elizabeth II, Jon Stewart


Rabbit : 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999
Although generally calm, gentle and loving, Rabbit people can be very ambitious and intuitively know how to get ahead in the world.

They are good listeners, kind and sweet by nature, and are therefore often sought out as popular and trusted friends. Generally noted for their physical beauty, Rabbits like to surround themselves with beautiful things. They have a good eye for art, design and fashion, and are usually at the top of anyone's Best Dressed list.

Others may call the Rabbit timid, but those born under this sign rightly view themselves as wise and cautious.

Rabbits are rarely known to make a move or jump into any new situation without first carefully considering all their options. No one is more surprised than Rabbits when they win a poker hand or hit the jackpot at the races, although at times good luck just seems to come their way unbidden.

Rabbits are regarded as the peacemakers in any group. They remain calm in any situation, and are very slow to anger.

In close personal relationships they can be very romantic, but their natural cautiousness prevents them from settling down or committing to any one person right away.

At work, they excel by remaining cool and collected, and can be relied upon for extreme tact in delicate business dealings.

Rabbits are most compatible with : Sheep, Dog, Pig

Famous people born in the Year of the Rabbit: Albert Einstein, Leon Trotsky, Frank Sinatra, Pope Benedict XVI, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, David Beckham, Tiger Woods, Whitney Houston

[corfy]

My wife is a rat, so this is her year!!!!

I'm a wabbit.

According to this, my wife and I aren't as compatible as we could be.

[aarathi]

Happy Chinese new year to all members of this forum. I never heard about this news. Anyway thank you for the informations.