Richard Roark

I would love to get Satellite Radio due to the fact that the FCC doesn't have control over this yet. Yet it is only a matter of time before they Lobby and get control over this new technology.

Like I said I prefer watching these in Japanese or the original language anyway. Yet Anime is expansive and so sometimes I am forced to watch it on TV where you don't have the option of watching it in original language. I was just joking in many ways but I understand the difficulties of the translating. Of course another area that better voice talent is needed is in Video Games now. I have had many game now that would be enjoyable if it wasn't for the horrific voice work on the games. Like the one I am playing now a few of the characters don't sound like they are emoting anything and are just reading the script with out any idea of what type of emotion could be going into the game. I wish i could play these in Japanese as well sometimes and read the subtitles. Japanese is also a langauge I want to learn eventually. I think it is very beautiful.

Ah Americo, could you go a head and try explaining that last post of yours to me in Grammatical sentence structure. I didn't quite get it.

Thanks Tom for the good response and I am happy you enjoyed it. To tell you honestly this isn't the actual Atheist Grace that I originally envisioned. I just can't remember the original way I wanted to do it. It is rather frustrating when this happens as a writer. Your laying in bed thinking and the words just begin to flow off your tongue and your like, i'll write it down tomorrow for surely I'll remember the way I had it then. Unfortunately it does't work that way.

All to true, but still i think it is rather a waste just to let the body wither way for days upon days.

Actually it is merciless figuring they are letting her starve. I think the proper way would be to inject her with something so she doesn't have to waste away for days.

Welcome to the Forum, I to was happy to find this place when I came across it. I hope you enjoy your time here.

In honor of this glorious holiday I must say my grace. An Atheist’s Grace I give thanks to those Who have really provided The food sitting here On this bountiful day With a table full of good Friends and Family I give thanks the to farmers Who toil day and night Over the fields and crops While tending the live stock They are the men who Have dug into the earth Giving us the constant birth Of the food that nourishes us I give thanks to the truckers Who spend long days and nights Away from their families Driving in their Rigs On the long highways That stretch across this nation Making sure that the crops Get delivered on time To the markets of purchase I give thanks to the inventors Who with out their brilliant minds None of this would be possible The machinery that allows the farmer To plant several fields of various crops To harvest them in the same fashion Who invented the combustion engine That drives the force that brings the food Which is now sitting here on this table Warm and hearty from an oven and stove That a man invented This is who I give my thanks to Not some grand Ghost Sitting in the sky.

Sometimes the only way people will learn is by getting burned by the fire. The Fallacy of Experience at work again.

LOL You know what I have been atheist for so long that I don't give that much thought about the time of year. Just had some speghetti with meat sauce.

True in the song One the person is concious, but not able to do anything about it, having no arms or legs, or sight or hearing, no smell or taste. In many ways it is the same issue this person wants to die because he is unable to live life. Where as with Terry the opposite is true, she has all of her senses there, but her mind is unable to understand the stimuli being sent, since the central part of brain is gone.

I am happy you enjoyed To Reason Americo, though I am unsure why it makes you want to have a big steak

In honor of Terry Shiavo :places Metallica Injustice For All into CD player and Cranks up the song One: This issue about Terry Shiavo boils down to one important fact. What is the value of life and where does one place it? Is the value of life in the simple fact of mere existence? Or Is there more to life then just mere existence? I think the answer is obvious to anybody who is rational.

Which is basically what I said wasn't it?

In Men's Health recently they had an interview with Tim McCraw had this to say and I think this is the point Tom is trying to make. Also from a personal experience my childhood friend's sister had a kid when she was 16. She wanted to give the child up for adoption when she had it and as such the doctors took the baby away right after she gave birth. Yet, her mother wanted her to keep the child and she did. Over the course of years, the grandmother to this child has been there one minute and not there the next. The mother herself is a herione addict and is not a part of the child's life. The father of the child is a thug and has been in and out of prison for most of the child's life. My friend has been the one constant the child has had for most of his life. My friend would take the child but he is not stable enough in life himself to take over. The child last year was in and out of three different schools. How is this child going to be stable. This is the point Tom is trying to make and until you see it in reality and be a part of a young child's life being screwed up and see what is happening to him...This is the point Tom is trying to make and I agree with him %100. Anyway, thankfully his grandmother has taking over custody again and this time it seems to be something more stable, but I won't hold my breath.

Time for Another poem, This is one is sorta loosely based off of a John Keats poem entitled To Autumn. I of course have chosen another subject for the the poem. To Reason 1 A guiding light to those who know Bringing both desire and peace Warming those who choose to follow Opening wide the doors of release Filling followers with wanton desire Broadening the distant orange sky Rebirthing the spirit in Phoenix’s fire Giving off the most euphoric high 2 The touch of you is an orgasmic pleasure Far greater than any lover’s kiss No worth is found in secular treasure Nor will rubies and diamonds be amiss So I embrace you my fellow lover Being as one in this delicate dance Never again will I ever be in cower With you as my divine guidance 3 Proudly do we reach the bright end Happiness and all its designs are gaily met Reaching this esteeming quality many pretend Giving up virtuous goals previously set All because they lost you lover No longer willing to fight but sacrifice Fleeting minds that are lost becoming a sewer Leaving themselves to the chance of rolling dice 4 Lo! Lover! I have not lost you though You are still here in my lustful soul You bring me the seed I must sow To reach the glorious end in Control So we may sit back with seductive grin For we are the reality masters of Life And together, we will always win And be considered husband and wife Keith Engel February 11th 2001

That would be an intersting class to take and wouldn't mind looking into it. Yet, could you possibly teach a voice over class about how not to ruin a good Anime or Asian movie with crappy voice over work. I prefer watching these in Japanese or Original language regardless, but why does the voice over work have to be so god awful. I think I understand with Anime that since it is Animation that many may view this as a cartoon and as such treat as something for children to watch and not serious work.

While listening to the radio this morning, WXDX in Pittsburgh, the host of the show, who is an Atheist, was talking about how in certain states of the south an IMAX presentation about volcanoes won't be shown because of it having a link to evolution. This link is in a miro organism found in volcanoes that are found in humans, or something like that. The reason they won't show it is due to Creationism and I can only assume not wanting to hurt the "sensibilities" of these people

I am working on my own list even as we speak, thanks to the suggestion of Tom and his lovely wife. They have been an imense help in realizing many different aspects about a healthy relationship and why I have had problems in the past with my pursuit of a relationship. All or nothing is the mindset one needs to have when pursuing a relationship.

Wizard's First Rule at work in reality. For those who don't know Wizard's First Rule it is posted below. People are stupid…People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it’s true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People’s heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it is all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet are confident they can, and so are all the more easier to fool.

Here is an essay/introduction that I wrote for poetry and my poems. I wrote this for a small self published book, by self published I mean from my printer, that I have done on my own that includes most of my poems and a short testament story about my "conversion" over to Objectivism from Catholicism. I ask people not to be to critical of my grammar in this as I am working continously to improve my grammar. I hope you enjoy. Poetry is the iron used to pump the muscle of the mind, the brain. At least this is how I view poetry. In both the reading and the writing of poetry it forces the mind to work and the individual to think. This is the primary reason I write poetry, it forces me to exercise my mind getting me to think. Does this mean that I am a Poet. No, I have and always will refer to myself as a writer. By this I mean that I am a person who is uses words to express my ideas on paper. Poetry is just a means to this end though. I find poetry both fun and exciting, both hard and rewarding. Also a poem allows me to write a complicated piece that expresses several ideas in a short space and it allows me to achieve this goal rather quickly as well. I do desire and wish to write longer and more complicated work. Yet, these longer and more complicated pieces of work require time, hard work and most important much more thought put into each piece. Poetry in away is just the build up and the exercise my mind and my writing needs before I begin to go into larger endeavors. Now it could be said that I just don’t want to do the work required for my other projects. This could be farther from the truth. You, the reader, will understand once you read the poems and the short story at the end of this small collection that the ideas I am expressing are very complex. In time, I hope I will have the required time needed to translate many of the ideas you find in the poetry and the story at the end into more complicated fiction and non-fiction works. I am always preparing for when those days come. Anyway, I wish you happy reading and enjoy the poems. Keith Engel

If you are interested in reading work by Berton Braley, you can go to http://cordair.com/apotheosis/index.htm then click on available poetry. There you can click on the poems you want. There are many good poems available for the reading pleasure. Another word about Braley's Poetry even though in his biography on the official website devoted to him doesn't say whether or not he was influenced by Objectivism, after reading some of his works one can beging wondering if he was. He is also a straight forward poet in his use of the written word.

I am happy you can relate to the poem. This is my greatest of hopes, people being able to relate to my writing and my poetry. If you notice I don't try to hide behind flowery words and what not in my poetry. What you see is what you get. I hope you friends enjoy the poem as well and can also relate. I will check out the Poet you mention. Also, I am not sure, but have you ever checked out the work of Berton Braley, truly phenomenal, it is unfortunate that his poetry isn't taught in school.

I have learned from Tom that this isn't important. True in many cases it is difficult to find somebody in your said area, but should this stop you for trying to find somebody you want to be with and know that you will be 100% happy with her and she with you. To this I say no, there are many ways to find other Objectivist that live elsewhere. If a romantic relationship starts up with one not in my area so be it and if she is the one, then a decision will have to made about what to do about this when that time comes. Yet, to give up completely because one "isn't in your area" is to say the least irrational.

Well thirty looks and no replies. Oh well No More is dealing with my conversion over to Objectivism and what it felt like becoming an Objectivist. Since I haven't gotten a response with No More, then another Poem is due. Wishing Goodnight…Remembering…Dreams To many I want to wish a very goodnight Never worry about that constant dreadful fright That comes with the long dark cold night For with the dawn there comes new light A day is born and with it comes the fight The chance to sit and make yesterdays wrongs right For there is never a loss, hope is always in sight Because the beating of the heart is might With the breath of life filling the lungs tight Don’t ever sit by and watch with simple delight By not truly partaking in this wonderful dance You do have a shot and a magical chance Of going a head and fulfilling that dream Never let go of that shining beam Because once you do that is when life ends And the rest of life just really depends Do you become a simple lowly pawn? Like a game of chess played on the lawn Being directed to by a master hand Nothing more than a slave to a command Or do you wish to have the sway Using your sweet sounding lies of wordplay To rule over those and having the power Making those below you cringe and cower Being able to answer every question with I do! Yet slave all the same in everything you pursue For those below you they are your master For with out them your life is a disaster Yet, this dark dank and gloomy destiny Isn’t necessarily a permanent consistency If you only sit back and remember this The past is dead, and the future is bliss It is like a true and honest lover’s kiss So I wish everybody a good night Never give up a dream and the fight