mastin2
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1: Hello, there, Microsoft! Wait...no...that's not right. That's the wrong spelled out version of MS. Now, what was it? Hello, MafiaScum? No! Wrong again, Mastin! That's a website, not a person! So, what's (well, are. Technically, it's two words) the word(s) I'm looking for? Not the company, and not the website...Oh! Right! Now I remember! Hello, Mistress Samak! No...wrong gender. Oops! Well, fourth's time the charm. Hello, Master Samak! :P (I'm joking, of course. MS, naturally, means Master Samak to me. I've been around you long enough that no other word{s} could abbreviate to MS, in my mind.)
Oh dear... that's good to hear, and hello to you too, mastin2!
2: If the above post was, in any way, offensive, leave a random critique in my thread. If it was not, leave two. :P
This isn't a question! Wait... neither was number one! What's going on here?
What if the post was both? XP
3: Sorry. I couldn't resist the temptation. That's just the way I am--I try to tell a joke, and end up somehow invoking the wrath of the mighty MOD POWAZ! (Mod powers, in this case, equals your AK new buttons)
Now, now, I don't think this could invoke my wrath at all—we're all friends here, right? ...right?! ...RIGHT?!?!
And keep in mind that I am not a Moderator. I've only been graced as an ArchKnight. There is quite a difference.
4: Well, normally, I'd c+p the questions from time losh's thread (which were c+p'd from Eukara's thread, which were copied from identical questions in older AK threads. :P), edit them, and post 'em here. Unfortunately, they're getting dull and overused (not to mention, other people are beginning to ask them, where I was once the only one), and I have some serious, semi-philosophical questions that I want answered. (You're going to ruin them with humor, aren't you? :P) Some of mine (such as the famous 'do you hate people repeating themselves' three times) I might ask after I run out of new questions, but mostly, they'll be in another post. (which I'll include your edit color in, since I assume you'll answer at least one of my questions. I'd do it now, but the way I used to do it was with the quote original button. Can't exactly do that, now, can I?) I do apologize if this post manages to double the length of this thread, considering how I will ask fairly long questions. (And I will not blame you if you give brief answers. I'd prefer long answers like many of your above answers, though.)
Okay. (That was a short answer... tee hee!) XD
5: Well, let's start with a little fun: Pacific Timezone for the win! (I seem to recall we're in the same timezone. My memory tells me you're in Oregon. Is my memory evil, or is this true?)
Your memory may still be evil, but it is an accurate statement that I do indeed reside in the Pacific Time Zone—more specifically, in Oregon. Yes.
I recall that you're in Washington....
6: My large question: is it, like, a rule or something for AK's to have custom avatars? Really, I fail to see the point. For example, you used the sneevil gold fever avatar. You know, this one: 
Nobody else did. At least, nobody in any board that I've seen. You were instantly identifiable by your avatar. When I saw it, I instantly knew, "Oh, MS posted." To me, that avatar was your identity. People recognized you for it. With a custom avatar, you might represent yourself better, but...personally, it seems to alienate you from your friends, since it is too different (in my opinion). So why do it? While, eventually, I'd adjust, I'd learn to see you in that avatar, It's just not the same. Don't get me wrong; it's an awesome avatar and I like it, but the difference is...well, drastic. Is it some type of requirement to change it? I still see Eukara as having the Cysero Avatar. Sometimes, I can instantly adjust to an avatar, but when changed...
An example of this is Clyde, who I still see as having a Spike avatar. I can adjust, but once they change it again, I might not adjust to their new one...well, ever. Do I hate the change? Well, not really. Change is almost always good, but...it just makes it feel more different than it should. Let me put it this way: not matter the case, an avatar change, custom or not, changes the appearance of a person. In 95% of cases, we don't know another forumite in person. The only way to see that person is through their avatar. By changing it, someone would be different. While a person changes, their preferences never the same for long, and better avatars are created, I still can't see why a change in avatars is almost instant after an AK'ship, almost always within 24 hours. Does it hold some symbolic meaning, or something? What significance does it have? I suppose this is my real question: Why?
What an interesting point of veiw.... Well, mastin2, no. There is no rule to my knowledge that requires ArchKnights to switch to a custom avatar.
Yes, I had used the Sneevil Gold Fever avatar. Why? Because it was the closest I could get to an Irish/Leprechaun theme. I've nothing against my old avatar; I've just found one that is more to my preferences. I don't really consider myself a Sneevil, and I don't have an overwhelming urge to collect boxes and gold.
And, I don't know, maybe AKs switch to custom avatars because of the IF factor. Perhaps there wasn't anyone who used that particular avatar in the L&L board, but what IF someone did? What would that look like? Who knows?
You'd have to question each and every individual AK in order to find answers, because it's very probable that each AK has their own reasons. I personally am using a custom avatar because it shows more of a Leprechaun side than anything else—and as you'd said, it might represent me better. There are other reasons involved, but they're not needed to be expressed.
To be honest, I don't think it alienates me too much from my friends. I would think my actions, not my representative image, would be the deciding factor in that matter. Yeah, the new avatar could be different, because it is hasn't ever been used before (hence "custom"), but I would hardly assume that changing my avatar would be that drastic.
7: Let's make this one number-related for no other reason other than that this question being question seven (well, to me. I think that if you counted every question up in #6, this would be ~13.), which is, generally, a lucky number. But, let's start with the end question (which I choose to ridiculously bulk up): why? What contributes to luck? Why are certain numbers lucky? As someone who is portrayed as a leprechaun, you'd know this, at least, people think you should. Numbers have been around for thousands of years. Their existence has graced/cursed us for millenia. How come some develop into lucky or unlucky numbers? Can certain events in history contribute to this? Or is it the other way around, with numbers contributing to events? Could it be both? Could number's luck value be determined by religion? Then again, even the founder(s) of the religion must have had some type of inspiration, some type of experience. Somehow, numbers are deemed lucky or unlucky. Is it just because a person says they are, hence they become that way? What is luck? What can it be, besides the definition that some dictionary will give? Is it an unseen force, something that we cannot comprehend that impacts our lives every day? Is it just a figment of our imaginations, made up by millions of factors? We, ourselves, can't create luck. We've tried, but never actually succeeded. On computers, random is not truly random. (I don't remember the exact logic, but I know that's true) In card playing, experts can know exactly how the cards are shuffled; they remove luck. With this as evidence, can we truly know what luck is? Can it truly exist? Is something (like numbers) ever truly 'lucky', or is it not? Why? Why are there so many possibilities?
There are so many possibilies because we make them.
The term "Luck" is, in essence, anything that happens by chance and/or is out of our control. We have no true say in its matters.
If you were to look more into this, via encyclopedias or other resources, it's been said that "Luck" has more or less three categories: Unchangeable, Random, and Unknowing.
- Unchangeable—This is where nothing can be changed to make a different outcome. Commonly, these events have already passed (like being born a certain way or at a certain place), but are considered lucky because of the supposed good fortune that came forth from its happening.
- Random—This is where outcomes can be changed by causes that are brought without specifics or real intentions. Making a successful experiment cause completely by accidental means could be an example here. "Luck" was considered here because it was out of your control, and something happened (be it good or bad).
- Unknowing—This kind of Luck can be seen as changes that are done without the person involved knowing. There is someone else that had "intervened" or acted to make the result what it is. You as the recipient don't know about what had happened and can call this luck—or even Random Luck, if you were blurring the lines a bit. The only way to realize that what had happened was Unknowing Luck is to actually come to "know" what and why it happened, if that makes sense.
It's when you acknowledge these three "factors" that you can perhaps shed a bit more light toward why Luck is affiliated with so many things.
When you spoke of numbers (or even lucky objects), some are considered lucky or unlucky because of its past experiences. History may have made largely known certain terrible events in which specific numbers were involved (for whatever reason) and now are titled "unlucky" by society. Something is only called something when it is both compared to a set norm and found different, and then thus named as such.
Now as to whether or not numbers itself are entwined with the power to cast fortune/misfortune, no one truly knows that. Life has shown many examples of specific numbers being present in situations relating to this, but for all we know they could be merely coincidences. We have no way of affirming them as lucky or unlucky.
One could even venture into religion, as you'd posted. A large religious factor within Luck can fall into the "Unknowing Luck". Some greater power is specifically letting life play out according to their will. They know exactly what they are doing, but we do not. In our "ignorance", we can call these actions both "Luck" and "Divine Intervention", or "Divine Passiveness" or anything that will get my point across. :D
Luck plays its role in all of us, based on what knowledge we have. It can be used to explain the unknown, but it also can have it's own true way and meaning without being a made up reason for things.
8: Umm...sorry 'bout my long questions. It's in my nature to ask a question, repeat it, change it slightly, and then ask again. (I think this could very well be the thing that makes me such a good rambler in most people's eyes. Hitting a character limit on ANY forum is fairly hard to do.) In fact, I think that's part of human nature. I'll go into greater depth in my next question, but I promised to myself that I'd keep this question short. (This is short for me.) Do you mind compact questions? If yes, then I'm truly sorry for cluttering thirty questions into only a few questions. If no...well, then I can rest at ease knowing that I will not have bothered you *too* badly.
If by "compact questions" you mean a large amount of questions packed into one, expressed through multiple sentences in a paragraph, then no. It can sometimes help to get the point accross.
9: Ah, yes...human nature. I could ramble all day about it. I kinda have, but only on certain parts of this vastly untouchable topic. But I won't do that here, since that's be spam. Here, I ask of your opinions on thoughts that no philosopher can ever truly come up with a permanent answer for. Do try and forgive the length of this post, and this particular question which should not be touched. But why do we ask for forgiveness? For what reason are we curious? Can, in our lives, we ever answer all questions? We've gone from "how does fire work and how is it made? Can we make it?" to "how does the universe work? How does the human mind work? Why, when we've got all this science, can't we understand ourselves?"
If you get the point. Why is it like this? For what reason can we never understand some parts of our lives? Why do we change? We certainly don't stay the same for our entire lives. Can these questions ever truly be answered? My previous questions (6,7,8) all bring me, in some way, to think of this topic, the topic of human nature. Why do we, one day, have preconceptions, yet the next, try to learn the truth? It has to be human nature to be curious, to want answers to the infinite number of questions we ask. But why? We can say one thing one moment, contradict it the next, defend the original, and then go back to the latter. What could possibly drive us to question every single detail, yet accept everything at the same time? Why do we hide some emotions that we naturally feel? Why do we hide thoughts, hide memories? Do we really fear harming others that much? Can we really fear being harmed that much as well? Yet, in the same way, we can be extremely open, telling others of our deepest thoughts.
Humans are, at their core, exactly the same as each other. But more so than any other, plants, rocks, animals, whatever, we're unique. We are different from others, no two people identical in every way. It all falls back to human nature. Everything loops back, somehow related and intertwining into a massive web of endless questions. Human nature, our nature, is at the core of it all, with one question dominating them all:----Why?
What you are speaking of is a topic that many don't wish to "touch", as you had pointed out. I'm unsure why you are asking me directly, though. I'd imagine that I am no more advanced or knowing than anyone else.
But a bold answer that popped into my mind when I was reading this was of two things.
The first is, "knowledge", or lack thereof. We, as people, don't fully understand human nature (or anything else... that we don't understand) because we don't know everything. It's both as simple and as complicated as that. If we all knew the knowledge of the Universe (or Multiverse, if you want to think about something else), then we wouldn't need to seek answers. If our brains were functioning at 100% capacity, then things would be different.
But that's the point. There are many things we know not of, and that may pique our curiosity to find the answers to them. We consider curiosity to be a part of human nature becuase the vast majority of humans are, well, curious. I'll continue, but I have to vanish now....
The reason for us changing is becuase it is... the nature of humans to adapt. That's what contributes to our uniqueness. We have the ability to adapt to what life throws at us. It may take us awhile, but we still can. This causes us to be unique from each other, and from anything else. If we did not adapt, then we would die... or things would be different, to say the least. When we think that we aren't so special, and that there's nothing that unique about us, well, we aren't looking hard enough. There is always at least one thing that separates us from each other. As to finding that one thing, the ability to easily find it may vary. But it is these unique things about us that may make us want to ask for forgiveness, or not want to.
You ask why we are like this? How should I know? I'm just an individual within this crowd. I'm no "higher" up this kind of ladder than anyone else I know. We can't always be told exactly why because that's the way things are. Some say that there is a higher power, religious or not, that knows but doesn't directly tell us. Others say that we are here just out of the chance of it all, and human nature is not human nature because it's made up. It's up to you personally to find what answers you can.
10: "You’d be surprised what would happen if there wasn’t a limit" Might this be, in part, due to rogue posts that contain seventy plus questions? (Like a certain post in TL's AK thread) Just out of curiosity. You don't necessarily have to have a limit on questions to have a long post. I think I'm solid proof of this. But, for that matter, why do any people place limits on questions? Do they have a fear that they won't have enough time to answer them otherwise? How could they 'sink so low' as to place a limit of two questions?
Two questions? Hmm... that does seem a bit extreme... but then again, it could very well be justified by the AK. It all depends on who actually posts in their MtAK, and their contents.
11: Oh, and how did these traditions get started? You know, shackles on an AK, who is in a cell of some sort. There are variances, such as a jar with no shackles, shackles with no cell, etc., but overall, it remains the same. People will always ask questions related to this tradition. Back in the day, I was like "what is this shackle talk for?", and I still have that question in my mind. For that matter, where do traditions start? There are many varieties, such as family, national, cultural, etc., but all are traditions. How do they start? Is it just because one person did something for whatever reason, and others liked it? They kept on doing it, passing it through the generations to form a tradition?
Yes. That's a rough way of describing it. Traditions tie from the traditions used by different cultures. Their actions in response to their belief, religion, observance, and others are what made the traditions what they are. Other groups, other cultures might have come by and saw a particular "traditional" event and, sure, they like it—or they like what it stood for—and they decided to integrate it into their "culture". Traditions start by anyone and anything that does something unique pertaining to what they believe (or don't) and it catches on. These actions could include major, world-renowned occurrences, or they could be just simple things.
I personally don't know exactly how "shackles on an AK" got started, but I don't mind. It's kind of why I enjoy holidays a lot. It takes everyone away from the commonness of everyday life to enjoy something different each year—something special, something almost... magical.
12: Well, I must say that I am running a little dry. I had not planned that far ahead, having run out of space to write questions down after #9. The rest are improvised, and not as long as I would wish them to be. With that in mind, I do fear that there is a need for the questions to be terminated as of this point, at least, for the moment. In other words, I've run out of things that match the others, semi-philosophical, long-winded posts. I do hope you'll keep the thread open longer, and won't be one of the many AK's who end their thread after a short week. I have more questions to unleash, just need more time for them. A week isn't nearly enough time for someone like me, especially since I'm the kind of person who only logs on when he deems it necessary, which ends up being 1-3 times a week on average. Well, with that in mind...'til next time, my good friend. Congrats.
That's okay. I had a lot placed on my plate already by what questions you did ask. XD
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be keeping up this for more than two weeks. There are lines are too narrow to be walked upon. And some too think to realize you are walking on them.
Anyway, if you want to, I suppose you can pm me or use other means to ask your questions.
Thank you, mastin2, Mijarna, XP. Yes, 'til our paths cross again....
-Mastin
Master Samak
< Message edited by Master Samak -- 10/23/2008 23:53:57 >
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