Lazzy the Spazzy

Yeah I was wondering about that. But this is great. Very well written, the plot seems straightforward but of course this is only a glimpse of it. Kudos and more. EDIT: Also, I noticed a similarity to the descriptions of the Titanic in the first part of the story.

One time when I was six or seven, I couldn't find a pencil. I looked everywhere for it, and because it made sense to my elementary school mind, I left the house alone to see if I somehow dropped it on the roads outside. It was in my hand the entire time.

Legitimate source? I hear this tossed around everywhere but have yet to see a major study after 2000 that backs it up. I would like statistics if you don't mind. Here and here. Note that while my overall impression of the site is that it is objective, this particular article (first link) may be a bit biased in the women's favor. The second link, however, is pretty much just statistics and has links to graphs and charts and the like on the inset box. This site also has no message boards as far as I know so I don't think I'm breaking any rules with respect to linking. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Well, yeah. People do do that. it's called affirmative action. And that's not... really a good example. That's like comparing the German invasion of Poland to the Union invasion of the South during the American Civil War. Try a 4.0 and a 3.8, respectively. Affirmative action is something that only some colleges/schools/companies use from what I understand, so I chose to go by the ethnically objective standards that was more widespread, for a more "accurate" representation (as accurate as a generalization in a hypothetical situation can be). And 4.0 vs. 3.8 is more realistic (I considered 4.0 vs. 3.0), but in this case I wanted to make the example as extreme as possible to illustrate the difference between justice and fairness.

Recent events in the RPG forum have brought to mind a debate about ethics that we've been having not just in my AP Lang class but also my Government class as well. I've decided to share my views on justice and fairness, and what I believe they are. Women today, despite supposedly being on "equal ground" as men, still don't get the same wages as men do. I won't bother you with statistics. Some women's rights activists demand exactly equal treatment as men do, in not just jobs but all aspects of life. Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, Peter Singer, addressed this issue in one of his works (Animal Liberation, 1975), arguing that equal treatment was unreasonable when it came to women and men. He gave this as an example: "Women may want the right to abortion, but if we're going for everyone to have equal rights regardless of gender, shouldn't men have the right to abortion as well? But this is physically impossible, therefore no matter how we try to stretch laws toward gender equality, men and women will never have equal rights". Mr Singer goes on to qualify that it shouldn't be equal treatment that is the basis in determining fairness, but equal consideration. Onto my main point. Justice and fairness have pretty much the same meanings today. People use them interchangeably. But the terms are different in my opinion -- the question is, how? What is the difference between justice and fairness? If a student has a 4.0 GPA, participates in several extracurricular activities, and actively works for a cause he or she believes in, then the fact that this student gets in instead of another with, say, a 1.0 GPA and doesn't have any activities or causes, is just. Under the rules that the admissions staff has agreed to go by, and making an objective decision based on the information presented, their choice of the 4.0 student over the 1.0 student is an example of a just decision. But they haven't considered the possibility that perhaps the second student has mediocre grades because his family is poor, and he has to work to support his single mother and his seven siblings. Perhaps he chose to put family before academics, and suffered as a result, as well as not having time for activities. Maybe he believes strongly in a cause but does not have the money or the ability to support it. Did the admissions officers consider the two students' different backgrounds? Did they make their decision considering the fact that the 4.0 student came from a rich family, had a good high school education, and had a community that supported her? Did they make their decision considering the fact that the 1.0 student lacked all these things? Is that fair? No. The admissions officers' decision was just, but unfair. Practicality aside (it's impossible, after all, to consider everything in a decision), I've just illustrated the difference between justice and fairness. Justice is equal treatment: everyone who breaks x law is given y punishment. Fairness is equal consideration: two people may not be treated the same, but the treatments are dealt out with equal consideration of their circumstances or identity. Something that may be just may not always be fair, and something that may be fair may not always be just. Sometimes justice and fairness coincide, and when that happens that's cause for celebration. But most of the time they don't, and at times these two concepts may even oppose each other. This question of 'justice vs. fairness' can be the cause of many moral or ethical dilemmas, and people in charge may often run into such problems.

Yeah, a creative use of Iron could pretty much match Magnetism if you think about it (ToI lifting their metal body parts to fly, but that might cause a bit of discomfort...). And I had the force field idea a while back too. But same, Magnetism seems so much cooler now. >=D

You've all heard of the term "___ wins the internetz". I'm usually against using such cliches because overusing these memes tends to downplay the awesomeness of real accomplishments. However, in this case I believe our resident Compulsive Name Changer, Rabid (or My name is a sentence. now) has indeed won the internetz. Congratulations. Link to post: Quoted post below (spoiler'd to save space): » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

"I have also seen Black Six."

Nice one, EW.

It's nice to finally have confirmation from Greg himself on the differences between Iron and Magnetism. Maybe this will set to rest some of the "Magnetism is useless" accusations. Farshtey Feed excerpt: Original OGD post: Quite a bit. For example, a Toa of Magnetism could use his power to allow himself to fly. A Toa of Iron cannot. A Toa of Magnetism can form a magnetic force barrier around himself that can repel physical attack, yet he can see through it and still move. A Toa of Iron could form a metal wall around himself to do the same thing, but he can't see through it, can't move with it up, and it can be melted. Etc., etc. Magnetism affects metal, but it is way different than a power of metal. Interesting. What sorts of things can raw magnetic force be used for, besides making barriers? Can it be shot as an energy blast? Sure. A Toa of Magnetism would even be able to control your blood flow, since there is iron in your blood. Though it does bring up the question of whether MU beings even have blood. Unless that was a real life example and not meant to be taken literally.

I had the same idea and took a screenshot. Had no idea others were doing the same though... And I know right? It's the different font I tell you.

GG, looks like that work paid off. =D

You're in, Neelh. It already is, Toa Spirit. My bad for forgetting to put the link on this entry.

Sweeett. I guarantee you'll like the program, the broadcasts are nice. You can even listen to the first episode if you have the time. Have fun on [the rest of] your trip! EDIT: Since the Naruto RPG has been closed, I've changed its option to the BZPRPG.

For this month I picked topics I was involved in and wanted to advertise, but sure, you can submit stuff. I may or may not use it for next month's game though. Out of curiosity, which link did you pick? =]

I'm starting a new blog project. Each month I'll post nine links to topics/stories/blogs that I highly recommend. Included with that will be a "game" of sorts (where the name of this entry comes from). First, I'll introduce the nine topics, and then the rules of the game below. 1 - Renowned Outstanding BZP Citizen, Master Artist and Writer, and overall Nice Person Lady Kopaka is now offering commissions. If you're feeling like having one of your story characters or RPG characters or a random something put onto paper and professionally drawn, mosey on over to her blog for more details. 2 - The Short Stories Critics Club is desperately in need of new critics to help review stories. If you're up to being an official story reviewer, go and sign up and help out this dwindling club. 3 - Bionicle stories not for you? That's okay, because the sister guild to the SS Critics Club, the Completely Off Topic Stories Guild, deals with stories set in non-Bionicle worlds and eras. You'll be sure to find some stories that are more to your liking there. 4 - Don't want to take up a job you may not be able to handle? How about just reading one story for now? OBZPC and former COT RPG Judge Robo Devil is embarking on a huge task to chronicle the classic tale Les Miserables...in a Bionicle setting. Check out this amazingly awesome epic. 5 - Don't like reading? That's okay, because this topic won't require a large attention span. BZPower members are currently voting for what they think should be the primary color for the element of Gravity. That's right, this'll be made canon. If you think your vote can still make a difference, go over to the poll and take the second or two to state your opinion. 6 - Speaking of voting, there's another contest currently going on, and this one is canon too! Vote for a bird entry you think should be made a canon Bara Magna species in the IDBM #3 forum! 7 - Just want to play? RPGs are next, specifically the BZPRPG. A long-running RPG that's seen the entire Bionicle legacy through, the big guy could nevertheless use some fresh RPers to spice the playing field up. 8 - The Star Wars RPG is a shrinking RPG, with only a few active players keeping the fire burning. We fans kept the Star Wars legacy alive for twenty years in between trilogies, we can keep this RPG alive no problem! 9 - Is RPing too tough for you? That's okay, because with the RPG Radio Live you can just listen to people discussing RPGs! Check in when they broadcast their next episode and show your support! Now you may have found a link or two that's already caught your interest, but if you can't decide or don't care enough to visit all of them, here's the game. Below you'll see a TicTacToe grid that's been filled in. Each "X" or "O" has a link to one of the above topics. Click on one of the grids, and they'll take you to a random topic. The rules of the game, however, dictate that you must give the topic you've randomly chosen, a look over. Skim it, participate or subscribe to it if you're interested enough. My hope is that this will encourage interaction among BZPower members and increase awareness on what other members are doing. Who knows, maybe you'll make a new friend. So wave your mouse over a square and click! =3

Hehe, nice save Rising Moon. =P I'm all caught up with giving points to everyone for stories and reviews. Kudos to Akai Hana no Tenshi for being especially productive with reviewing other people's stories.

Hopefully by the time you read this comment it'll be tomorrow and you'll be done with your project, because you should be cramming last minute work. =P Seriously though, take Rocky's and Spink's (and EW's o_O) advice. Shout, then take a deep breath, and just relax. Once tomorrow rolls along, it'll be more or less out of your hands. Just go with the flow.

It was Rising Moon's vote, but your comments are noted. They make for some good arguments both ways so this might help people decide. EDIT: Looking forward to this story of yours. =]

2/17/10 Story Fit Exercise For an explanation of what the Story Fit is, please go here. Each week I'll post an exercise. This is the entry for the exercise of the week of February 17 - February 16. --- We're into our second month now! Yay! And to celebrate, this week's exercise is to include a celebration in your story. This can be the focus of your story or a prop/background, or just a device to propel your plot. Write away! Note: Yes, I know it's just been Valentine's Day, but I figure it would be redundant what with people already writing romance-themed stories and Tifosi 92 already hosting a romance-themed story event. If you're up to writing a second story this week, feel free to mosey on over to his blog entry and pay some respects to him for his permanent leave from BZPower while you're at it. =[ --- There is no word limit or any other constraints -- the only requirement is that the story contain this theme. Once you write your story, post here with a link to it. Extra points will also be awarded to those members who review other Story Fit members' stories. This will not only give you practice with writing but also reviewing, as well as promote an exchange of ideas and styles within the BZP Writers Community. Happy writing! Note: As of now, there is no deadline by which you must turn in your story. This is an issue that is currently being discussed: see bottommost section and respond with your opinion. --- Each week we vote for the Writer of the Week, based on the popularity of the stories submitted during that week. Whoever gets the most votes wins the award. Without further ado, I present this week's Writer of the Week: Rising Moon, for his Monologue Short Story, Soulsnare! Below is a list of stories that have been submitted within the past week. Look over them, read through them if you want, then vote for your favorite story (send a PM with your vote to me). At the end of this week, I will count up the votes and give the Writer of the Week award [of 2/10/10 - 2/16/10] to the writer who gets the most votes. This week is a special one. Since Akai is the only one who submitted an entry this week, I've also thrown in ~Monday~'s slightly tardy entry, the conflict-themed Fate. Last Week's Stories 1) Vaii Daha by Akai Hana no Tenshi 2) Fate by ~Monday~ Vote away! --- So, it's pretty much been decided that we'll have one task a week, but there's still one issue to discuss: whether or not to have a deadline, and if so, whether to have it one week, two weeks, or other. So far we have one vote for a two week deadline.

My bad. I was off on a camping trip but figured since I would be back today people could handle the wait.

My thoughts on the experience: 1) Raccoons > Bears 2) Instant Mac and Cheese still tastes good without milk and butter. 3) Old people not only can hike, but are better at it than a group of seventeen year olds. 4) Some rangers are chill, some aren't. 5) Sociology and Economics texts make for some great fuel. 6) GPS > Woman for directions. But the extra two hours of getting lost in the mountains was nice I guess. Beautiful scenery.

Egos are like rabid dogs. You pity them but you have to put them down.

Kyle is my idol. I <3 his beard.