Articles of Emoticon Defense

Seriously guys. Spam doesn't have to include perversion.

Indeed it doesnt, but it makes for interesting conversation

o it does

but limmited.

if he wants you to stop, then stop. Have some respect please.

Thanks Dan.

Sorry mates, but you know I can't be flipping through posts that have that kind of stuff in them.

It's all Deano's fault.. he has an obsession for the obscene

[666th post!!!]

but but but

No but's.

-points at door-

fine :walks out: help me outa the revovling door plz

Just keep walking, you'll find a way

i'm wlaking in a circle help me damit

™

© 2008 Splash All Rights Reserved

The first series tells the story of Ash Ketchum (Known as Satoshi in the Japanese version, he is named after Pokémon's creator, Satoshi Tajiri) and his quest to become a Pokémon Master. However, unlike in the video games, he is given a Pikachu as his first Pokémon under unusual circumstances. Much of the series focuses on the friendship between Ash, Pikachu, and the various Pokémon and Trainers along the way.

The other two series continues to follow the adventures of Ash. However, starting with the Advanced Generation series, he is no longer a main character, but rather a co-star. He shares his starring role with a female protagonist, May. This character travels with Ash, Max, and Brock through whichever region that they are in, and competes in Pokemon Contests, which are set up in a similar manner to Pokemon Gyms (many throughout the region, and ending with a large tournament), although immensely different. However, due to Ash being on the show for much longer, continued emphasis on Ash in advertising (mostly seen outside of Japan), and May's departure at the end of the Advanced Generation series, many assume that this character holds a supporting role, such as the role that characters like Misty and Brock hold. This role was covered by May throughout this series, and was replaced by Dawn in the Diamond and Pearl series.

Throughout the run of the show the subject matter changes. In the original series, the show is more comical and whimsical (light and airy). It uses “goofy” humor (or “cute” humor when it comes to Pikachu, who does wacky things in between important scenes). In the Advanced Generation series as Ash becomes more of a mature and leader-type character, the main course of the show becomes more serious, as it deals with love and death, and its previous comical nature (for the most part) changes into comic relief, attributed mostly to Team Rocket and Brock's love of girls, though the Diamond and Pearl series seems to have returned to using the original comical nature (mostly Ash being the straight man to his Pokémon's antics and Dawn taking the role of the naive beginner).

i'm kicken u in the dick

ahh the memories

they are flooding back now

A Pokémon researcher and was one of Professor Oak’s students. He is authorized by the Pokémon League to give new trainers one of the three Johto starter Pokémon: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. Professor Elm often gets so caught up in his work he forgets to do many things. He also tends to run his mouth off when talking about his work.

amily of Pokémon nurses (all of which are named Joy, like Jenny.) Because of their identical appearance, it is often difficult to tell one Nurse Joy from another, (with the exception of one tanned, muscular Joy in the Orange Islands) except those that live in areas that require unique outfits, such as very warm or cold climates. Brock, however, has no difficulty telling them apart. This is most likely a homage to the games which used the same nurse sprite for each Pokémon Center the player visited. In Pokémon Red and Blue, the nurse sprite is a generic long-haired woman, but later games after that feature a sprite that looks very similar to Nurse Joy. There is one Joy who is not only a nurse, but also an agent of the Pokémon Inspection Agency (responsible for certifying Gyms); she appears in an episode of Pokémon Chronicles and in Episode 042: Showdown! Pokémon Gym!. Also there is a Joy who is a doctor who wears glasses. They also act as Judges at Pokémon Contests and at the Grand Festival. The Japanese name, jōi, is from joi which means “female doctor”. Nurse Joy are usually the owner's of Chansey and Blissey.

or was he

Another of Dawn's rivals. He is an old childhood friend who left home on his journey soon before Dawn. Like Dawn, he chose Piplup as his starter, and has evolved it into Prinplup.

Dawn was on TAW aswell

rofl i watched the whole first series last week XD

Meaning of life
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This article is about the concept of the meaning of life. For other uses, see Meaning of life (disambiguation).

The meaning of life is an elusive concept that has been the subject of much philosophical, scientific and theological speculation.[1][2][3][4]
It is often expressed in various related questions:[5]

* What is the meaning of life?[4][6][7][8][9][10]
* Why are we here?[1][11][12][13][14] What are we here for?[15]
* What is the origin of life?[16]
* What is the nature of life (and of reality itself)?[16][17]
* What is the purpose of, or in, (one's) life?[1][8][17][18][19]
* What is the significance of life?[19]
* What is meaningful or valuable in life?[20]
* What is the value of life?[21]
* What is the reason to live?[22] What are we living for?[15]

Throughout history, scientists and philosophers, theologians and artists, and generally, men and women of every age, race, and culture have discussed and debated many questions in the quest to discover and understand the meaning of life.[5]

Cynic views of the meaning of life

Cynicism is one of the most striking of all the Hellenistic philosophies. It offered people the possibility of happiness and freedom from suffering in an age of uncertainty. Although there was never an official Cynic doctrine, the fundamental principles of Cynicism can be summarised as follows:[30][31]

1. The goal of life is happiness which is to live in agreement with Nature.
2. Happiness depends on being self-sufficient, and a master of mental attitude.
3. Self-sufficiency is achieved by living a life of Virtue.
4. The road to Virtue is to free oneself from any influence such as wealth, fame, or power, which have no value in Nature.
5. Suffering is caused by false judgments of value, which cause negative emotions and a vicious character.

[edit] Cyrenaic views of the meaning of life

Cyrenaicism is a hedonistic school founded by Aristippus of Cyrene. It was one of the earliest Socratic schools, and emphasized one side only of the Socratic teaching. Taking Socrates' assertion that happiness is one of the ends of moral action, Aristippus maintained that pleasure was the supreme good, creating an ultra-hedonistic view. He found bodily gratifications, which he considered more intense, preferable to mental pleasures. They also denied that we should defer immediate gratification for the sake of long-term gain. In these respects they differ from the Epicureans.[32][33]
Bust of Epicurus leaning against his disciple Metrodorus in the Louvre Museum.
Bust of Epicurus leaning against his disciple Metrodorus in the Louvre Museum.

[edit] Epicurean views of the meaning of life

Further information: Hedonism and Epicureanism

Epicurus believed that while the pursuit of pleasure formed the focal point of the philosophy, this was largely directed to the 'static pleasures' of minimizing pain, anxiety and suffering.

When we say...that pleasure is the end and aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasures of sensuality, as we are understood to do by some through ignorance, prejudice or wilful misrepresentation. By pleasure we mean the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul. It is not by an unbroken succession of drinking bouts and of revelry, not by sexual lust, nor the enjoyment of fish and other delicacies of a luxurious table, which produce a pleasant life; it is sober reasoning, searching out the grounds of every choice and avoidance, and banishing those beliefs through which the greatest tumults take possession of the soul.[34]

Epicureanism rejects immortality and mysticism; it believes in the soul, but suggests that the soul is as mortal as the body. Epicurus rejected any possibility of an afterlife, while still contending that one need not fear death:

Death is nothing to us; for that which is dissolved, is without sensation, and that which lacks sensation is nothing to us.[35]

[edit] Stoic views of the meaning of life

Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions; the philosophy holds that becoming a clear and unbiased thinker allows one to understand the universal reason (logos). Stoicism's prime directives are virtue, reason, and natural law. The Stoics did not seek to extinguish emotions, only to avoid emotional troubles by developing clear judgment and inner calm through diligent practice of logic, reflection, and concentration. Stoics believe that to live according to reason and virtue is to live in harmony with the divine order of the universe, which entails the recognition of the common reason and essential value of all people.

The foundation of Stoic ethics is that good lies in the state of the soul itself, and it is exemplified by wisdom and self-control. The meaning of life is to be free of suffering through apatheia (απαθεια) (Greek) understood as being objective or having "clear judgment", rather than simple indifference. Another essential aspect of Stoicism involves improving the individual’s spiritual well-being: "Virtue consists in a will which is in agreement with Nature."[35] This principle also applies to the realm of interpersonal relationships; "to be free from anger, envy, and jealousy".[35]

ahá'í views of the meaning of life
Two Bahá'í symbols in one; a nine-pointed star with the calligraphy of the Greatest Name in the centre
Two Bahá'í symbols in one; a nine-pointed star with the calligraphy of the Greatest Name in the centre

The Bahá'í Faith, founded by Bahá'u'lláh, emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind.[57] According to Bahá'í teachings, religious history has unfolded through a series of God's messengers who brought teachings suited for the capacity of the people at their time, and whose fundamental purpose is the same.

The purpose of human life, say Bahá'ís, is spiritual growth. This is conceived almost as an organic process, like the development of a fetus, and continues after death. Neither a physical Heaven or Hell are present in the Bahá'í Faith. The Bahá'í teachings present "Heaven" and "Hell" to be states of spiritual nearness or remoteness to God, and that life continues in an afterlife through which the soul may progress infinitely through ever-more-exalted spiritual realms, eventually coming to stand before the Presence of God. The Bahá'í faith teaches that this process continues on in the spiritual afterlife, and not through a series of births and re-births as in reincarnation.
[58][59][60]

Bahá'ís believe that while God's essence can never be fully fathomed, he can be understood through his "names and attributes." These are sometimes referred to as gems, and include such qualities as compassion, justice, knowledge, and wisdom. Education (especially of a spiritual nature) reveals the divine gems which God has placed within our souls.[61]

[edit] Dharmic religions and philosophy

[edit] Hindu views of the meaning of life

Hinduism is an extremely diverse religion. Although some tenets of the faith are accepted by most Hindus, scholars have found it difficult to identify any doctrines with universal acceptance among all denominations.[62] Most Hindus believe that the spirit or soul—the true "self" of every person, called the ātman—is eternal.[63] The purusharthas are the canonical four ends or aims of human life.[64][65][66] These goals are, from lowest to highest importance: Kāma (sensual pleasure or love), Artha (wealth), Dharma (righteousness or morality) and Moksha (liberation from the cycle of reincarnation)

According to the monistic/pantheistic theologies of Hinduism (such as the Advaita Vedanta school), the ātman is ultimately indistinct from Brahman, the supreme spirit. Brahman is described as "The One Without a Second;" hence these schools are called "non-dualist."[67] The goal of life according to the Advaita school is to realize that one's atman (soul) is identical to Brahman, the supreme soul.[68] The Upanishads state that whoever becomes fully aware of the ātman as the innermost core of one's own self, realises their identity with Brahman and thereby reaches Moksha (liberation or freedom)[63][69][70] The notion of lila (literally, "play") refers to the idea of the universe as a cosmic game, and meaning as a "play of significance".[71] This "play", manifested in the million-formed inexhaustible richness of beings and events, is what gives us the key to the meaning of life.[72]

Other Hindu schools, such as the dualist Dvaita Vedanta and other bhakti schools, understand Brahman as a Supreme Being who possesses personality. On these conceptions, the ātman is dependent on Brahman, and the meaning of life is to achieve Moksha through love towards God and on God's grace.[69]