Ville

Thanks! Great stuff... Also, I finally figured out what these Trump cards are...

Are these still around somewhere? Would be interesting to see...

After your heart stops, your respiration, organs and brain stop functioning within seconds...However, you still have about an hour's time to reverse the process... Heh, sure the body becomes inanimate, but how can you know what happens to the consciousness itself? The fact that you cannot sense it anymore does not mean it could not exist in some form... One of the studies referred to was from The Lancet, though I think you'll find Dr Sam Parnia's video much more interesting...It's a rather extensive lecture on near-death experiences during cardiac arrest, but also explains the AWARE study, which aims to find out more about the validity of NDE's. If you do not have the patience or interest, start at about 35 mins or so... According to Dr. Parnia, this is only one possibility...hence the research. Heh, it's just debate...point and counter-point. Just shows you how deep these issues go...all the way to beliefs about life, death and the nature of existence... Still, you do have a point...not sure if there's any sense in continuing this much longer...after all, it's just about differing attitudes, that's all...

Still, you don't know if everything will be a constant downward spiral, that is just your assumption...Also, if the universe ends, what happens after that? If the universe can appear and disappear...then surely something similar can happen again. Actually, not true...studies conducted by hospitals indicate that even clinically dead people can have lucid near-death or out-of-body experiences. This reinforces the notion that consciousness might not be limited to a functioning brain, but might also exist independently...Similar to the experiences of seasoned meditators, who report being able to remain totally conscious even after their senses have shut down in deep meditation...

You know, this is exactly what I thought when my mind was still entreched in pessimist thinking ruts...that I was just being honest and realistic. However, realism and truthfulness mean acknowledging ALL possibilities, both negative and positive... Well, it's good to hear you're enjoying life. You might see us as sheep, but that's just a different viewpoint...and ok too. For me, there's nothing to lose in trying to change things, no matter how small...all progress is good. Also, I see happiness coming from the inside, not the outside...thus less need to hold onto to things. You mean think, right? ;D Heh, the structure of a conciousness isn't very clear to current science, now is it...making it rather hard to pinpoint what is "possible" after death or not...

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No need for self-torture... You can't really know unless you try...all you can do is change YOURSELF. Others might follow or not, but at least the potential is there...No try, no potential, no results. Yeah, the scale of these issues can be disheartening...However, no need to worry about changing the world at an instant, since that is very unlikely to happen. Change is gradual and will take a long time...but it is a possibility. Different countries are at different stages, but still constantly evolving...One generation affects the next etc, so any potential change can actually be multiplied as the years go by... Still, a contribution is a contribution, no matter where it's done...after all, we all live in the same world. If you really want to change China, go ahead, but there are people there already working on that...just don't expect it to happen instantly. Might as well just work on your own life...nothing more, nothing less. Heh, it's still more enjoyable than wallowing in total indifference and the "we're all doomed"-mindset. And if you're able to change something in your life, even just a little thing, why not rejoice about it? At least you're trying... I agree, I'm not a fan of supplements either...however, weighed against animal slaughter and suffering, it's a compromise I'm willing to make. No need to give up so easily...like Cube said earlier, if we can pull off more sustainable energy sources, who knows what course this planet will take...Even with such "coarse" technology as we currently possess, science and the world have undergone some major revolutions in a very short time... In regard to there being less people suffering...How do you know what happens to all those people / beings who were "saved" from our "doomed" planet? They could be born somewhere else in the universe, and in even worse conditions...

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Well, I don't prefer calling people "cowards" or "pussies", since we all are cowards, just in regard to different things...Also, it can be tricky to differentiate between cowardice and weakness...not all people possess enough strength to tackle their problems head-on, hence such coping mechanisms like cutting yourself... Indeed...

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But what is the ethical value here? The life of animals vs. damaging the environment...can you measure which counts more? In any case, changing your habits is a process, so any improvement is still good...for some it's easier to give up meat, for some to sell their car. Heh, it's true that a vegan diet can be more challenging from a nutritional viewpoint. However, it's no different from a meat eater's diet in the sense that both can be executed well or poorly. Just an issue of personal responsibility, or the lack thereof... Sorry, I didn't understand this...sarcasm? It's not about comparisons, but attitude...Your view on the environment and other beings is reflected in everything you do...so it also affects other people, which in turn affect more and more people. Thus even with little things you have the potential to change yourselves and others, ultimately even on a very large scale...For example, should the UK eventually become a model country for environmental and animal right issues, it would have a much greater potential to influence other countries like China... About the limited lifespan...how do you know that it's all over after you die? I mean, you could be reborn and end up in the very same mess you just declared hopeless I agree, fear and stress are not the answers...Just do what you can. Indeed. In the words of Peppy Hare...Never. Give. Up. ;D

Heh, now that's a pretty pessimistic stance...It's not pointless at all. Interesting to hear about the drug testing...However, your logic here does not add up. I mean if you eat meat and use animal-tested products, you support and create suffering via two means. However, if you renounce meat yet continue with animal-tested products, surely you create LESS suffering than in the previous case. Heh, changing your diet is not just an issue of viewpoint, it does affect your mind and body...possibly enhancing your wellbeing. Also, it's not just an environmental issue, but an ethical one. Basically animals are treated more or less like inanimate objects, farmed like any commodity...Systematically brought to life for one purpose: to kill and eat them. And yet they are like us...having a consciousness, being able to see, hear, taste, smell and feel, with the capacity to experience joy and happiness, yet also pain, fear and suffering...which no sentient being wants to feel. One reason, why we don't farm fellow humans...From a standpoint of compassion, it makes little sense to farm animals for food, if the constant by-product is just pain and suffering...makes even less sense to do it so systematically and in such a large scale...

Well, there's also the ethical side...

Yep...male offspring are killed right off the bat, and chickens at the age of 1,5... In regard to recycling, the setup here is as follows: general waste biowaste paper cardboard metal (a little walk away) glass (a little walk away) bottles and cans (in stores, most are refundable) plastic bags (stores) Some places in Finland have also the category for "energy waste", used in incinerators, but have yet to live in such an area...Kind of stupid how much plastic goes to just general waste. There's also separate collection for electronic waste, but only at specific waste treatment sites...making it unnecessarily arduous to get rid of small stuff like broken cables etc.

Yep, it could be a lot smoother...Also, all the listing gets pretty overwhelming...not sure if I even want to have profile in there. After all, I've been selling my completed games anyway...

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Oh right, sorry about that...

86. Vectorman

Indeed...after all, the only thing you can alter is YOUR life...whether others want to follow your example, that's up to them. Yep, it's a process...and also depends on the circumstances. My cycle went something like this: Home (2000): got interested in vegetarianism, but parents were against it. Ate meat and dairy... Own flat (2005): continued eating meat at school, but didn't buy any myself. Used dairy. Last year (2009): new school with vegan food on offer, so dropped meat, dairy and eggs. Overall, took me about 9 years to go vegetarian...For protein, I just use beans and lentils. Soy is an option as well...You really don't need a huge amount anyway... You might want to find people with similar interests...easy to get motivation, but also tips and advice on cooking and assembling a balanced diet. It's easier than you think, but the start can be a bit daunting...just take it easy and experiment... Yep, eggs and milk do have their share of problems as well...From a physiological viewpoint, it's pretty interesting that cutting dairy products seems to have a bigger impact on people than cutting meat...The skin on my face got a lot better, and overall you'll just feel lighter in regard to both body and mind...

Indeed... Used Messenger quite a bit earlier, though not anymore...realised I was online just idling the whole day, just in case someone wanted to talk to me. Felt so stupid...I mean if people really want to talk to you, they'll always find some way to contact you Currently, I do use the Facebook chat occasionally...Still, I usually just log out unless I have something specific to discuss with somebody.

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Indeed. Actually, I was quite surprised how well Brawl pulled out its threequel status in the end...I mean it's the same friggin concept, with many of the same characters, moves, tunes, stages, items reused for the 3rd time already...and still it had enough new stuff in it to make for an awesome game. Plus Mr. G&W got turned into the sexy, soy-wiener-flinging beast of an air raid machine he currently is... Disappointments? All of these have been discussed in other topics already, so just a short list: Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2: So much praise and great review scores, but neither did it for me...too disjointed level designs, just one obstacle course after another... Zelda Spirit Tracks: Annoyingly stiff and slow overworld movement...also a forgettable cast / story. Super Paper Mario: Too simplistic 3D-landscapes and overall art design...felt like Paper Mario RPG lite, and not in a good way. Played PM2 for the very first time after completing this, and it was a superior game in all regards... Phoenix Wright T&T: Overall, the game was good and the cases tied together pretty nicely...My only gripe was the resolution of the final case, just felt a bit lacking after all the suspense and build-up...

So are you ashamed of that? If so, you can always tell your friends to shut their traps...If they don't, find new friends or just accept your work and be proud of it. I mean at some point, the fact that you DO own the world's biggest Pokemon site will nevertheless come out...If people can't accept that, I don't think they're worth wasting your time on anyway... What about self-confidence? 25 and half years ;D But I'm ok, no hurry...at least I have a clue of what I want from my life...thus I'd also want a partner with similar interests. I know I could settle for a casual relationship, but I'm more interested in finding someone who is truly on the same wavelength as I am...basically, someone with a deep interest in yoga and spiritual growth...

Heh, indeed...plus Rez is likely to get a more accurate diagnosis from a doctor than any of us...or himself.