Carson Beckett/Paul McGillion Thunk Thread

[iolanda]

But she's not Carson.
And if I had to make a decision...
you know?

I have no problem liking two people, so I don't need to decide. But I am not THAT Carson fan.

[Luciana]

I have no problem liking two people, so I don't need to decide. But I am not THAT Carson fan.

I also don't have problems liking two people.
And as it seems I don't have to make a decision.


What "THAT" Fan are you?

Maybe Rodney!
*staring at your icon*

100! *yay*

[iolanda]

I also don't have problems liking two people.
And as it seems I don't have to make a decision.


What "THAT" Fan are you?

Maybe Rodney!
*staring at your icon*

100! *yay*

I like especially David Hewlett and McKay, but I also like Michael Shanks (only 5 weeks until FedCon in Bonn *yeah*) and David Nykl.
Its a little funny here because I like Carson but I am a little distanced towards Paul McGillion.

[Luciana]

Okay.

It's nice to see you here...

[Haliyah]

Hmmm, good point.

Spoiler:

I don't know....there is obviously a vast difference between looking like you *want* to kill someone and actually doing it. If he felt he had any choice at all, he probably would not kill. I don't see him walking into Koyla's den and opening fire out of sheer rage. But I can't help but think he would kill Koyla if it were the one way to save his friend.

Spoiler:

.:But would he, knowing that killing Kolya would make him less of a man by his own judgement, knowing his friends would see a part of him that would be uneasily forgotten? Would he sacrifice his humanity by saving a life which he values over another human being's, which, to a doctor, is equally valuable? What is more important: Kolya's life or his own humanity? Would he be able to continue his work as a doctor after the fact, knowing he had taken life where he previously had saved it?

I would! I would! I need practice xD.

Well, german isn't that bad. Try danish - that' really difficult - or chinese. Well I think I stuck to the roman languages

.:Yay! I'll look into it, then...

.:Um. I think I'll stick to German...and then Hungarian. As for the "Chinese..." Mandarin or Cantonese? : P

Haliyah...

It's "Willkommen im Forumsthread"
Our englishteacher said, learning english is easier than learning german.
Try finnish. : D

<snip>

.:Ah, thank you for the correction! Now: why "im" and not "aufs," aside from the obvious incorrectness?

Beautiful sig, Fainne!

Haliyah, if you do start up that site I'd be glad to contribute what few wallpapers I come up with : ) A place for avatars might be nice too.

.:YAY! Yes, there'll definitely be an avatar section, too.

Our Staragte Project ist a great Community...
but not as Carson addicted as we are!

Haliyah please start up that page.
I'd love to support you! ; )

.:Wow, more interest than I thought there'd be... O_O

<snip>

would be nice though if Paul would come to Fedcon, Bonn isn't the end of the world from here. (we live very close to the german border).

<snip>

.:He IS. : P FedConUSA. xD

Just popping into the thread before I have to leave for work. I like the idea about a site devoted to Stargate Desktop art. I know I have tried to find some before with no luck.
Here is a banner I made the other night. It's not that great but it is a start.

I wanting to make one and use a quote for The Beatle's song Across the Universe.

.:WAAAAAAYYYYY more interest than I thought. O_o;

.:Wow. : D *flails with glee*


.:Hey, nice. : )

I know it. I've never been there, but I know where Emmen is. Meppen as well. : D
I live pretty close to the Netherlands...near Aachen.


Here's another WP for you:



---

miss_kaylee I love your work.
I really like those simple things.

.:You're good with the wallpapers. Keep 'em rolling in! Post them at the FedCon 2008 thread if you want them displayed during Paul's panels!

I don't remember if I dopped this off the other day and sorry if I did. : o
Kindred2

Spoiler:

I'm so glad he's back. I loved him in Kindred 2.

Wonderful art in here.

.:*plays AC/DC in her head* I LOVE that look on his face SO. SO. MUCH. LIKEOMG.

<snip>

Of courese

Spoiler:

if you need an excuse: yes, it's a good one

.:xD

Languages:

Spoiler:

I'd like to speak many different languages. But it's not so easy for me to learn them. I'm more a mathematics/numbers-person (hey, Shep and I are even : D). It may be that English is an easier language than some other ones. But there are some points I'm still doing wrong.

<snip>

Honestly? The reason why I'm here and not in a German forum: I like this one more. Some things are different.

<snip>

.:Re: Languages:

Spoiler:

It's only hard for me because I don't have a very good memory for spoken words. If I read the word, and then someone says it, I'll remember it and what it means. I'm a very visual learner. Except when it comes to music.

.:I'd be perfectly willing to help you with anything you need! I seem to be teaching the entire floor at work to speak English anyway...why not just expand to the internet, lol!

.:Hmmm...people too aggressive, eh?

thank you^^

everytime I see him with a beard I wanna shave him...*lol* does that sound weird? *putting out the shaving foam* Who is with me?

.:O_O; NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo!!! Don't shave my Carson!!! T3h stubble is t3h smexeh.

[/COLOR]
And if I bring my air mattress I'm game for the floor too!! : p I'll be PMing you guys shortly about quotes for the room and whatnot : )

Well, you got your ticket a few days after I did so I think we're both in! *crosses fingers just in case*

<snip>

.:DUDE!!! Let's TOTALLY camp out! We can make a sheet-tent!

.:Ooooh, I really hope so! I wonder how drunk Paul'll get this time, lol? xD

What type of tickets is eveyone ordering? I really need to order mine this week but I have never been to a con before and really would love to hang out with eveyone that is going. I already got the ok from work to go.

<snip>

.:I splurged and got the Gold. ^_^ I have a feeling I'd be exceptionally upset if I didn't get to go to the parties.

oh, no, no, no, no, no, ..........i sooooooooo don't want ask where that last photo is from, i don't want to think. (paces around the room: "don't think, don't think, don't think" melts down and runs to the garage to go sit in the freezer

" You know what you are doing there to me lass???"

.:Hee. It's from See Grace Fly. You should order it. It's rather good.

Ach I knew I shouldn't have stumbled in here without seeing things, now all the snips I've heard come together and actually turned into a SPOILER. AHHHH. : D : D : D

From what I've seen, the hair is noteworthy... but I admit that I'm so far behind in episodes, due to apathy, so I doubt I'll ever make it to Kindred to cap it. : o

"Turncoat!" the thread cries.
Caz has to admit... "Yes well there are shows that don't jerk you around, like Supernatural...and then there were other hair do's on other shows..."

Eh, well it was fun being here, while I was a fangirl. : ) Thanks for the memories and so forth. : D

.:Hah, it's a Caz. xD Well put, m'dear. We still love you, even through your traitorous ways. > : D

[PJumper42]

new interview with Paul:

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/A...LORI+LITTLETON

I would love to listen to Paul's voiceover work...with a voice like his I would buy anything he's selling.

[Luciana]

.:Ah, thank you for the correction! Now: why "im" and not "aufs," aside from the obvious incorrectness?

I can't exactly explain it.
It's just "im"...

like "into" in english you know?

.:You're good with the wallpapers. Keep 'em rolling in! Post them at the FedCon 2008 thread if you want them displayed during Paul's panels!

Should I?
Didn't think about it.
Should rather post the "Why we need Carson" WP.
Remember? My debuts gift!

EDIT: I did it!

[idlewild202]

.:WAAAAAAYYYYY more interest than I thought. O_o;

Lol, count me in too!

.:DUDE!!! Let's TOTALLY camp out! We can make a sheet-tent!

.:Ooooh, I really hope so! I wonder how drunk Paul'll get this time, lol? xD

HAHA!! YES!! Oh that would be so much fun! ...LOL, just had the funniest thought... the cleaning lady is going to come in during the day and wonder who the heck is using the room

A drunk Paul? mmmmMMMm... *evil grin*


... *sigh* No more stargate still Summer... Friday evening is going to be very lonely tomorrow night!

[Reiko]

Perfect sense. I agree with you completely about the Michael experiment, that's kind of what I was getting at when talking about Carson letting his sense of compassion get in the way of a "colder" medical ethics view. Ethics would tell him not to do it - but seeing as he believed he was freeing the wraith from an unnatural and unpleasant state, he acted more on his sense of compassion rather than stepping away and saying, "wait, this is wrong." He didn't expect Micheal to be angry, or to feel violated at being made something he was not.
<...>
The desensition of violence is a tricky topic. I almost wonder if part of our affininty for violence is the *need* to keep ourselves desensitized. Violence is a very real part of the world, and if we can morph it, or at least our thoughts of it, into entertainment, perhaps it helps us cope with and deminish the horror of the real thing.
<...>
I sooooooo agree with you about the "shock" getting old. Wash's death, anyone? That wasn't brilliant writing, that was a cheap trick to play on emotions and try to make the audience feel more suspense during the final sequences of the movie. (Sorry - Firefly reference).
<...>
Acts of violence - whether they be killing a main character, using torture, the tragic death of an innocent, whatever - are an easy way to create tension in a story. But only so long as we care. And after killing beloved characters etc. becomes so commonplace it's a trend, it's no longer shocking. It's hard for it to be a valid story device and becomes irritating, boring, sickening, and predictable.

I think that is a very interesting part of Carson's character. He has the huge sense of compassion and the biggest heart and that often contradicts the medical research aspect. It's like warm and cold. When faced with certain situation, he's going to have to choose between the mind and the heart, and there may be no middle road. I think he struggles a lot with this while in Pegasus, given the strange situations they encounter, and sometimes his heart pulls him in the wrong direction (or the right one).

Very true. I think people may take comfort in desensitization as it keeps our mindsets away from the atrocities in the real world. You see and hear about violence every day; while it may have been shocking, the hightened presence of violence in the media seems to filter out those inner feelings of complete fear. We live in a dangerous world but not many people hide away in their homes in fear of dying. So, in short, I think desensitization also quells fear.

I agree, Wash's death felt unnecessarily stuck into the movie. And it happened so quickly. I for one felt more suspense when everyone inside began to get shot up. So, why raise the stakes when the stakes are already high enough?

This is why the prospect of a new trend on SGA to "shake things up" is so disturbing. I think it was really unnecessary in "Sunday" to do what they did - really, even though I knew what was going to happen, I felt with the explosions the stakes were high enough. Did they really have to kill someone to accomplish it? No. It was all the more worse that after Carson went boom - oh, next day! There was no need for it to happen as the story was going to end anyway. It was what it was - "shock value".

Spoilers for TLM

Spoiler:

I haven't seen this episode, but it's all about killing the main characters then pushing a reset button and saying "Ha - none of it ever happened." It's cheap, uncalled for, and getting old.

What it comes down to for me is that I would rather watch a beautifully told story that triggers genuine emotion and entertains me than be shocked. I don't want tp be shocked, I want to be entertained. And this comes back to Carson, because he is one of those beautifully told characters who inspires genuine feeling and love.

Carson is as far away from the "shock value" style of writing as you get. He's genuine and caring and funny and intelligent. Instead of appealing to our emotions by bludgeoning them, he appeals to them with warmth.

One of my favorite Carson moments is when he's talking to the Genii "hostage" in Atlantis - that scene caught me right in the heart because Carson was so deeply - caring isn't even the right word. He cut through the human tensions of that situation with such incredible kindness, and bafflement that she would be in such a position. That was a scene with incredible emotional power, no violence, no shock value, no cheap theatrics needed.

Carson brought such a humanity to Atlantis without violence or negativity that is rare to see in entertainment these days. He manages to charm the audience and captivate us without the use of explosions or angst. (Yes there was explosion and their was angst, but not of the dark woe-is-me kind of Shakespearean angst.) I also happen to love the Genii "hostage" scene. It was simply an amazing character moment.

I love this character. No, really. I don't just love him. I love him

new interview with Paul:

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/A...LORI+LITTLETON

Thanks for that link, meezergater! I feel a bit reassured (oddly) that he didn't want a whole season. Of course, it doesn't say if he was asked but knowing that is was his choice to only do five makes me happy inside rather than the producers and their decisions. (You all know how I feel about their decisions.)

Wow, very deep conversation on violence, ethics, and television deaths. Not sure if I'll be coherent, but my random thoughts:

Spoiler:

I definitely would love to see Atlantis devote more time to debating the ethics of the decisions they make. I know they want to convey it's a darker world and hard decisions have to be made, but Battlestar Galactica does the same thing and they take a lot of time to agonize over the decisions. (It's my dad's favorite thing about the show, since he used to be an ethics officer for the Air Force.) I just love angst, psychological, character-focused drama over explosive action/adventure, and the Stargates do tend toward the latter. I fell for Atlantis more than SG-1 because it felt like they got into their characters' heads and hearts a bit more, something they're not doing quite as much lately, though there are still moments.

<snip for length>

At this point, I am so sick of character deaths in television (and some books) it has no meaning anymore and just pisses me off. Around the same time "Sunday" aired, Lost killed off my favorite character (surprise, surprise), the Star Wars expanded universe novels (which have turned quite bloody these last few years) killed off one of my favorite characters, and only months before Battlestar Galactica killed off (but brought back too) one of my favorite characters. So I'm completely burnt out on it and don't even see the point of most of those deaths. There is by far more to drama than blood and death. You keep raising the stakes until you've painted yourself into a corner where even death isn't enough to stun the audience, so where do you go? In my opinion, the far more interesting moments are emotional. There's plenty of drama that can be created in much more subtle ways that rely on the personalities of the characters, the bonds formed between them, simple things. Yes, these require consistent viewership and intense story-arching, and these usually spell the death of TV shows these days, but I really don't think that's too much to ask for story-telling. You should not have to pull stunts to lure in enough viewers to help you survive the season. And as the audience grows more jaded, the shows have to push the bar higher and do even stranger and crazier things.

Of course, then the sweet, quiet, and gentle moments and characters start to stand out again and are a refreshing, interesting change. Beckett's a prime example. As much as I loved him in Kindred

Spoiler:

defending Teyla against Michael, looking all impressive and brave in his righteous anger

, I really hope they let him work out his issues and bring him back to that emotional center in season 5 that gives him the moral perspective to question the others now that Weir isn't around to do so. (Have I mentioned how much I miss her and her stubborn diplomatic priorities, despite the mistakes in judgement she made too?)

I do think the increase in violence reflects society as it is now. I can't speak for other countries, but Americans, at some basic level, are cynical, bitter, and jaded right now. And yes, right now we're very used to being bombarded with war rhetoric and us-vs.-the enemy kinds of ideas. Optimism and hope for finding the good in everyone isn't exactly at the forefront of most Americans' minds right now, unfortunately. Heck, we've needed frakkin' movies lately to remind us exactly why torture is wrong! We're desensitized. So it isn't surprising to see the military of SGA taking on the whatever-it-takes perspective. And, put in their shoes, seeing my people killed and, frankly, eaten, my home threatened, I would want to put up a fight too, eliminate the threat. It's the natural defensive response. That's where the civilians come in, I think. You keep multiple points of view and opinions coming so no one group makes every decision, and no one can act too suddenly or emotionally. It's the idea behind separation of powers in government (not that that's worked all that well in the US recently).

I don't write it off as, "this is just sci-fi, after all". Sci-fi is a powerful tool to play out issues of our times in a socially-acceptable scenario. We can handle difficult issues there that are too touchy in "the real world". And dark sci-fi can be very strong. Look at BSG, Farscape, Deep Space Nine in its strongest years, Babylon 5. If it's played right and the allegories made correctly and subtly, it can open up a great dialogue. Light sci-fi has its place too. Look what original series Star Trek did, giving an air of hope for a better future. I'm not sure which is best right now, which the world needs more, but if Atlantis can find a way to blend both elements into a realistic, yet inspiring middle ground, I think that will reach the most people and touch on the issues in the right way.

My 2 cents (or 2 dollars, looking back at the length now. )

And can I just say how awesome you guys are that we're having this conversation mixed in with talks of bathing a hot actor?

LOL. Yes, it was long but it was packed with good stuff SETI. I agree with what you said about finding the "middle road" - I thought SGA did it fantastically in the first three years. I don't want a happy world of fluff, but I most definately don't want be dark and angsty all the time either.

"In the newest Stargate Magazine there's a section of an Interview with Martin Gero about Keller and Beckett. He said "Everyone's going to be a Keller fan, regardless of your thoughts on Beckett"

That's what I hate - them insisted we will like or be a fan of something. Because everything the new TPTB like and insist that I willlike I seem to detest Ragardless of my thoughts on Beckett, I am not a Keller fan. (Though I love Jewel other places ... hate her SGA character!)

I would love to listen to Paul's voiceover work...with a voice like his I would buy anything he's selling.

I can see some of you posted here a while back:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0uGCDTOFiw0
Carson on crack

[JennyJ]

Currently, I am using:


I might go back to this one:

LOL the second one

[miss_kaylee]

I have no problem liking two people, so I don't need to decide.

Nor do I. I like Mitchell and Jonas. As long as they are decent characters, then they are alright by me.

"In the newest Stargate Magazine there's a section of an Interview with Martin Gero about Keller and Beckett. He said "Everyone's going to be a Keller fan, regardless of your thoughts on Beckett"

I have the same view as Reiko on it. Don't tell me who to like or dislike. I am not a lemming. Let me make my own personal choice. I gave Keller a chance. Her replacing Carson does not effect my view on the character at all. The way she is written drives me crazy. It like the writers want us to just love her. If she was written a lot different, then I would give her a chance. I think if they writers wanted to write her like she is now, they should have made her a soldier in the Air Force like Lt. Ford not a doctor. Also by giving her more screen time and story than same of the regulars didn't help my view. Don't get me started on the shipping issue. If she had natural chemistry with anyone, that fine and I could understand the ship. It just looks like they throw her with random lead male just to prop her so viewers can like her. I think a real ship would be an interesting plot to the show but the ship can not over take the show either. To me, BSG is a good show but sometimes the shipness of the show gets on my nerves. I want to see a storyline not the same old ship over and over again.

[Fainne]

.:Um. I think I'll stick to German...and then Hungarian. As for the "Chinese..." Mandarin or Cantonese? : P

both xD

.:Ah, thank you for the correction! Now: why "im" and not "aufs," aside from the obvious incorrectness?

that's quite difficulte for I have the same problems in enlish^^. "Aufs" is predominantly used when you talk about spacial things. Like sitting on a chair (or at? see, I've got the same problems xD). It would take too long to explain when to take "im". But let me just say that everything dealing with the internet (forums, homepages, surfing) you use "im/in" for. For example: Ich surfe im Internet. Das Forum ist im internet. Ich suche etwas im internet. I hope this helped you a bit and wasn't too confusing^^

.:O_O; NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo!!! Don't shave my Carson!!! T3h stubble is t3h smexeh.

I just wanna do it once... it'll grow again *-*

.:Ooooh, I really hope so! I wonder how drunk Paul'll get this time, lol? xD

Then you shave him? *rofl*

[Haliyah]

I think that's the great difference between native speakers and learners of the English Language.

Spoiler:

I think as a learner you have to put more effort into mastering a certain language but on the other hand you have a much more rational approach to that language and understand certain things on a different level than what navtive speakers do. No offence, but for me as someone who has learned English for almost twenty years now, it's completely beyond me how one can mix up "than" and "then" or "rise" and "raise"; but still that's something I see ALOT of native speakers don't get it straight. Not because they are stupid but it's just not as obvious for them as it is for me. It's the old dilemma of natural versus analytical approach to a language.

.:Um.

Spoiler:

.:No, I think they really are stupid, actually. Or very lazy. Or exceedingly ignorant. But, really: I used to see people hand in assignments in high school...high school!...and they don't spellcheck, capitalize the first letters of sentences or proper nouns, and use run-ons constantly. And you know what? They don't know they're incorrect. And then they wonder why they got a 40% grade. To me, it's completely inexcusable to mangle your own language in such a preventable way. No one knows how to spell anymore. I even see incorrect grammar in official and professionally written documents. And no, I'm not trying to insult anyone. If you have some kind of learning disability, then that's acceptable. If English isn't your first language, that's also acceptable. But seriously. A native speaker using chatspeak like it's actually correct? That just makes you look thoroughly retarded, and makes me want to kill you.

.:I'm a wee bit of a grammar Nazi...

<snip>

Oh come on!!! Am I the only one here who thinks shaving a guy is sexy?

.:...That shaving his face is sexy? Probably. That shaving other parts is sexy? I'd agree with you. ;P

*heartily appalled with self*

I clicked the spoiler cuts! Dang it!!! I suddenly realised that my withdrawal symptoms never went away!!! *bursts into tears and hugs thread*

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e1...eunion20-1.jpg

^ proof that I am here to stay

*vows to cap Kindred*

.:LUCKY!!! *clings to tarantula and perverts children's rhymes* > : D

.:We love you, Caz, dear. *hugs back* We'll never let you leave, you realize that, right? The thread doesn't have quite the same feel without you.

What??? You really want to.. I mean... *runs panically through the room* - Ok.. IF by some miracle Paul will be on a con and we too... I want to be that one who shaves him... not talking, just shaving... I would be so nervous that I wouldn't be able to talk english *ohjejejejeee* -OMG what did I do? *blush* http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...ilies/weee.gif

.:O_O OHMYGOD THAT IS THE MOST AMAZING IDEA EVAR. Oh, if only...

.:LET'S GET HIM DRUNK AND molestSHAVE HIM AT FEDCON!!! : D

Cool, I can massage his hair. I almost said something else but it would have sounded too gutter.

.:There's no such thing as "too gutter" when you're IN The Gutter! ;D *splashes happily*

<snip>

We are definitely five Germans on board right now, six if we give leelakin, who doesn't post here any longer, honorary membership for extraordinary efforts in this thread.

.:Why doesn't she post here anymore? :'(

"Luke, I'm your father!" LOL

<snip>

.:*SNORT*

Remember about a year ago when we did 20 pages in one night. You freaked out then, LOL. Good times

.:LOL - that was my debut!

LOL!! Well, I figure hotel's aim to please their guests, so why not a happy little campfire!! I'll bring the marshmallows! Lets make some s'mores

.:Mmmm...s'mores...reminds me of when I was in Girl Guides...bannock bread was another yummy one...

<snip>

20 pages a night? HOLY COW!! I think I discovered this thread slightly after that!

.:Long after, lol!

Sooo.... happy OT news!

Spoiler:

Ya'll remember me telling you about my truck being broke down? I can't remember all exactly I told ya, but long story short (and to refresh your memory) we had to put a new engine in it. Today it got done, so they dropped it off at my house... I guess their place is a bit muddy because I was greeted by one very VERY dirty little truck!
http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com.../5/truck3b.jpg

I was not about to let that sit in my driveway, so 2 hours and lots of elbow grease later I give you a very shinny and sparkling clean pickup truck!

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com.../5/truck1b.jpg

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com...6/5/truck2.jpg

There was SO much mud... wow, there was mud caked up in places that I never even know you could GET mud in... I must say that my jeans and sweatshirt are rather muddy now!

But, I am one happy camper, I have my truck back and I don't have to drive my dad's dinky little car anymore! HORRAY! http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b4...lies/Wheee.gif

.:What a pretty truck! I love the colour. I adore trucks. I want a baby one, a Ford Explorer Sport Trac. =3

<snip>

You are right! I think those people don't like watching "peacemakers" because this is boring to them. I don't know why, maybe it is because most of them who watch it never knew war. They think it is exiting to fight.

.:I'd like to take a moment, as a North American, to provide a possible reason for this.

Spoiler:

.:Well, actually, there're a few. I'd say that the relevant parts start perhaps as far back as America's civil war era. History has shown that war, specifically the winning of, has been unnaturally glorified in our culture. It became especially intense during the World Wars; specifically the second. The recruitment ads made it all seem like some grand adventure: travel, see the world, meet new people, kill some Krauts (pardon me, please), come home to your family with some medals and a huge hazard bonus. Of course, that wasn't the case at all, but that was the propaganda, and the propaganda is what the public saw. Soldier's letters were heavily censored. When the soldiers came home, beaten, and knowing they'd been lied to, they were hailed as heroes. Most of them were, but from that point onward it became the good thing to do, to go and fight for your country. Death and despair became a thing to reach for. Save the world from the Nazis and the Reds, huzzah.

.:Now, North America is in a rather unique position when it comes to the vast majority of wars. Only two "real" wars have been fought here: the American Civil War, and the War of 1812. The rest of them weren't fought on OUR soil, they were fought on YOUR soil, and there're a helluva lot of "the rest of them." That automatically distances the North American people by a whole ocean. They don't see the pocked, broken buildings of London or the thick ash falling around Auschwitz. They just hear about how well "our side" is doing against "their side." It becomes a game. People bet on whether or not we're going to win the next skirmish, not thinking that they're really betting on people's lives.

.:Europeans are used to warring with each other. For you guys, it's very real, and a very real threat. For us, it's too far away to matter, so it's not a big deal for us. As far as we're concerned, the Second World War ended on D-Day, or on April 20th, when Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide together, and that was it, really. I have a feeling that it's still reverberating strongly even now for you guys. A lot of the countries annexed by Hitler and then Stalin were still Communist or Socialist until relatively recently. A lot of your older buildings, (the ones that are left) which haven't had their facades replaced probably still carry the scars of gunfire and shrapnel. Many of Hitler's death camps, like Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, still stand, as monuments to the suffering people endured there and as places of education.

.:Since this is becoming a trifle long-winded, I'll Reader's Digest it: Violence and suffering like that isn't really real for North Americans because it always happens on some other shore, in some other land, to some other people. It doesn't affect us. Sad, isn't it?

Exciting indeed, but they seem to forget that keeping the peace is actually much more challenging than fighting and trying to destroy the other one.

.:Yes, Canadians have noticed...the Canadian Peacekeeper corp usually ends up having to clean up America's messes...

I know I know ... they don't appreciate what they already have. A life in peace.

<snip>

.:I feel the need to apologize on behalf of my other cold North American homies. For military families like mine, we get it. Most others...don't, and can't.

I can't exactly explain it.
It's just "im"...

like "into" in english you know?

.:Perhaps someone else wishes to take a stab at it?

Should I?
Didn't think about it.
Should rather post the "Why we need Carson" WP.
Remember? My debuts gift!

EDIT: I did it!

.:YAY!!!

Lol, count me in too!

HAHA!! YES!! Oh that would be so much fun! ...LOL, just had the funniest thought... the cleaning lady is going to come in during the day and wonder who the heck is using the room

A drunk Paul? mmmmMMMm... *evil grin*


... *sigh* No more stargate still Summer... Friday evening is going to be very lonely tomorrow night!

.:I love sheet-tents. >w<

.:Hah! She or he will think we're quite loco.

.:Ooooh, yes, wouldn't it be lovely? We could steal him... O:

.:Nuh-uh! Just come on here and talk to us!

[Haliyah]

both xD

that's quite difficulte for I have the same problems in enlish^^. "Aufs" is predominantly used when you talk about spacial things. Like sitting on a chair (or at? see, I've got the same problems xD). It would take too long to explain when to take "im". But let me just say that everything dealing with the internet (forums, homepages, surfing) you use "im/in" for. For example: Ich surfe im Internet. Das Forum ist im internet. Ich suche etwas im internet. I hope this helped you a bit and wasn't too confusing^^

.:No, you're right; it's "on." You sit on the chair at the table.

.:Actually, yes, it does make sense. Thank you! German sentence structure confuses me, mostly because if you translate things directly, they sound very strange and usually don't make any sense until you switch some words around. Now, I don't know why that's the rule, but it is, so it doesn't really matter, now does it?

I just wanna do it once... it'll grow again *-*

.:But...it's so pwetty! D:

Then you shave him? *rofl*

.:I had...other plans...

.

[Fainne]

.:O_O OHMYGOD THAT IS THE MOST AMAZING IDEA EVAR. Oh, if only...

.:LET'S GET HIM DRUNK AND molestSHAVE HIM AT FEDCON!!! : D

Poor poor Paul...

.:I'd like to take a moment, as a North American, to provide a possible reason for this.

Spoiler:

.:Well, actually, there're a few. I'd say that the relevant parts start perhaps as far back as America's civil war era. History has shown that war, specifically the winning of, has been unnaturally glorified in our culture. It became especially intense during the World Wars; specifically the second. The recruitment ads made it all seem like some grand adventure: travel, see the world, meet new people, kill some Krauts (pardon me, please), come home to your family with some medals and a huge hazard bonus. Of course, that wasn't the case at all, but that was the propaganda, and the propaganda is what the public saw. Soldier's letters were heavily censored. When the soldiers came home, beaten, and knowing they'd been lied to, they were hailed as heroes. Most of them were, but from that point onward it became the good thing to do, to go and fight for your country. Death and despair became a thing to reach for. Save the world from the Nazis and the Reds, huzzah.

.:Now, North America is in a rather unique position when it comes to the vast majority of wars. Only two "real" wars have been fought here: the American Civil War, and the War of 1812. The rest of them weren't fought on OUR soil, they were fought on YOUR soil, and there're a helluva lot of "the rest of them." That automatically distances the North American people by a whole ocean. They don't see the pocked, broken buildings of London or the thick ash falling around Auschwitz. They just hear about how well "our side" is doing against "their side." It becomes a game. People bet on whether or not we're going to win the next skirmish, not thinking that they're really betting on people's lives.

.:Europeans are used to warring with each other. For you guys, it's very real, and a very real threat. For us, it's too far away to matter, so it's not a big deal for us. As far as we're concerned, the Second World War ended on D-Day, or on April 20th, when Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide together, and that was it, really. I have a feeling that it's still reverberating strongly even now for you guys. A lot of the countries annexed by Hitler and then Stalin were still Communist or Socialist until relatively recently. A lot of your older buildings, (the ones that are left) which haven't had their facades replaced probably still carry the scars of gunfire and shrapnel. Many of Hitler's death camps, like Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, still stand, as monuments to the suffering people endured there and as places of education.

.:Since this is becoming a trifle long-winded, I'll Reader's Digest it: Violence and suffering like that isn't really real for North Americans because it always happens on some other shore, in some other land, to some other people. It doesn't affect us. Sad, isn't it?

Spoiler:

Yes - it's really sad. I mean I don't wish you had war over there but I wish that the american politics would stop glorifying war.

.

.:Yes, Canadians have noticed...the Canadian Peacekeeper corp usually ends up having to clean up America's messes...

Yes.. europeans do the same

.:I feel the need to apologize on behalf of my other cold North American homies. For military families like mine, we get it. Most others...don't, and can't.

Yep.. glad there is still hope^^

.:No, you're right; it's "on." You sit on the chair at the table

thanks^^

Actually, yes, it does make sense. Thank you! German sentence structure confuses me, mostly because if you translate things directly, they sound very strange and usually don't make any sense until you switch some words around. Now, I don't know why that's the rule, but it is, so it doesn't really matter, now does it?

Yep.. dito xD

But...it's so pwetty! D:

I know.. but.. but...