Issue #4, October 2004
This month has to be the biggest one we've had so far!! Tons of great articles and hopefully a great read for everyone. Thanks to all those who participated and for those who want to have a go, just get in touch!
Thanks everyone.
-Bouchie
Book Review
Horoscopes
Items & Lotto
New Members
Pain is an Illusion
Psychology
Religion/Spirituality
Spotlight
Sports
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Book Review, by Worker Bee
Wow... Its October already. I can hardly believe it. It seems like it was just a few days ago that I wrote that review on The Third Chimpanzee. Then again, maybe that's because I procrastinated on that so greatly that I didn’t get it done till the last minute. I’m doing that with this one too.
Anyways, I’m trying to cover a diverse set of genre’s in these reviews. The first one was on Sarah, by Orson Scott Card, and that was biblical fiction. Then last month was on The Third Chimpanzee, by Jared Diamond. That was non fiction, a mix between philosophy, theory, psychology, and well, I don’t know what. This month, I’m doing a review of a book by Nancy Farmer... The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm. This book is Science Fiction, in the sense that it takes place in the future, and has some characters with supernatural abilities. However, like all good science fiction (from my subjective view of what makes good science fiction) the book is more about emotions... And what could happen if societies were to develop in certain ways.
First for the basic plot of the book. 3 children of a wealthy and influential couple are kidnapped. These children have very little idea of how to survive in the “real world” - they’ve basically lived in their house their entire life, as it isn’t very safe to go out of it. Yet, these children learn how to grow and thrive in their new environments. The reader, through the experiences of the children, are shown many different cultures, all that exist simultaneously side by side. The culture of the poor that all live together in an area that's little more than a dump heap, where they mine for valuable goods. Aristocrats that turn a blind eye to everything happening around them, pretending that nothing evil is in the world. Gangs that kidnap children, both to hold for ransom - and to sell to the wealthy who want, but do not have, children of their own. In the midst of all these things that seem timeless in human society, there is a small recluse of people that have decided to turn back time. Not go through a time machine per say, but rather, recreate an environment of several hundred years before, and live its culture exactly. With no contact at all with the outside world.
Then, of course, are the three detectives that were hired to find the children. It is these detectives that give the book the name. The EAR has a superb sense of hearing, the EYE has a superb sense of sight. And the ARM has a superb sense for feelings, a level of empathy that at times approaches telepathy.
The prose of the book is simple, nothing brilliant or high class, but the content is such that it is well worth the read. I first read the book long ago, perhaps while in elementary school. But I still read it on occasion, simply because one can get a new view of it every time, because every time you know more about life.
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Horoscopes
Libra (September 23 - October 22) - A great month for entrepreneurial efforts, such as inventing a new device called "outline skates." The basic concept is you put them on and roll off in a direction you don't want to.
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) - A fun trick to pull on your local cable company: see if you can illegally tap into their line and get free HBO! They love this kind of free-spirited prank, trust me.
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) - Go to your local police station and paint huge smiley faces on the windows of all the police cruisers. They'll appreciate such a warm sentiment.
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) - Your morning will start off with a huge plate of mouth-watering bacon. Do not be alarmed by the chest pains which develop around mid-afternoon.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) - Might be a wise month to get really germ-phobic. Carry a can of Lysol with you and use a clean rag to grab door handles.
Pisces (February 19 - March 20) - Make plans this month to take a long journey to another country. At the last minute, cancel.
Aries (March 21 - April 19) - You must learn to let go. Unless, of course, you are hanging off a cliff by a branch, like Sarge in the old "Beetle Bailey" comic strip.
Taurus (April 20 - May 20) - Call up various doctors this month and see if you can find out why one hand writes really well but the other hand isn't worth a crap.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20) - Find a bunch of avid bird-watchers. Make up a bird name, like the "yellow-breasted singsong dove-tailed water finch." Tell them it's very rare and worth a million dollars.
Cancer (June 21 - July 22) - Wonder aloud whether the band R.E.M. picked that name because they make everyone fall asleep.
Leo (July 23 - August 22) - Dreams this month will be soft and fluffy, but only if you spend each day gorging on Sno-Balls, the pink coconut snack cakes.
Virgo (August 23 - September 22) - This month is the kind of month where you might want to make a pitcher of sun tea, drink it all in one sitting, then refuse to allow yourself to urinate for two hours. It will build character.
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Items & Lotto, by Ghost5-0
First of all I’d like to apologize to Psycho_Disturbed for flaming him in my article last month. But this month I decided that I would do a poll with questions regarding, well, Items & Lotto. Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Question 1) What do you think of having money on this site?
A) Love It=83% B) Like It=17% C) Dislike It=0% D) Hate It=0%
Question 2) What lottery do you like best?
A) Icon Lotto=8% B) Money Lotto=50% C) Like Them Both=8% D) Don’t Play Lotto=33%
Question 3) How many icons do you have?
A) 1-10=41% B) 11-20=17% C) 21-30=25$ D) 31-40=17% E) 41+=0%
Question 4) How much money do you have?
A) 1-50%=25% B) 51-100$=33% C) 101-200$=0% D) 201-500$=8% E) 501+=25%
Question 5) How many series do you have?
A) 0-2=55% B) 3-4=27% C) 5-6=18% D) 7+=0%
Question 6) What new icon or lotto feature are you most excited about?
A)The ability to trade money or icons without going through the classifieds=31% B) The ability to make money through a job=38% C) The government=15% D) The ability to make your own board=15% E= None of the above=0%
Question 7) Personally who do you think is the best salesman on the site?
Answer(s) Receiving the most votes were Psycho_Disturbed and ConfuciousSay. Also receiving votes were T0Y, Coach Z, and Ghost5-0
Question 8) Personally who do you think is the nicest at giving out loans on the site?
Answer(s) Receiving an overwhelming victory was Psycho_Disturbed also receiving votes were T0Y and Coach Z.
Question 9) What do you like more?
A) Post Signature=58% B) Auto-Sign In=0% C) Don’t Like Either of Them=42%
Question 10) Are you a Premium Member?
A) Yes=72% B) No=28% C) Thinking about it=0%
Question 11) What is your favorite icon on the site?
Answer(s) Every person surveyed chose the icon that they use. The most notable were T0Y’s Ariel and Four Degreez’s Fighter Plane.
Question 12) If you could have anything that has do with icons, items, money, or lotto on the site, what would it be?
Answer(s) One member wanted members to focus less on item’s and lotto. One member wanted the restocking of stores more rapid. And Four Degreez just wanted Hot Volcanic Rock.
Question 13) If you could have a new series, what icons would it contain, how many would there be of each icon, and how much would it pay out?
My favorite were Psycho_Disturbed’s whose series was a Redneck series which consisted of 3 Fishing Boats, 4 Ice Chests, 3 Pickup Trailers, 3 Trailer Homes, 5 Shotguns, and 4 cans of beer. Or have 100 cans of beer available and you have to collect a 6 pack or a 12 pack. This series would pay 14$ a week. My other favorite was Domino’s Harry Potter series. It would include 3 Harry Potters, 6 Ron Weasleys, 5 Hermoine Grangers, 5 Professor Snapes, and 5 Dumbledores. This would pay out 15$ a week.
Question 14) If you could have any series on the site which one would it be?
Answer(s) Three people wanted the series that only Four Degreez can collect with the fighter plane, and two people wanted Greyscale Series 2.
Question 15) Do you like Ye Old Ink Blot?
A) Yes=81% B) No=0% C) I Don’t Read it=19%
-Ghost5-0
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New Members Spotlight
We have an influx of new members now on 4th Kingdom. There are a few outstanding "Newbies" that the Blot would like to commend for their positive contribution to the community of 4K:
nibor
nibor has fit right in with such zany topics as Shaving chest hair, favorite writer Douglas Adams, addiction to scratch-offs, and cows with port holes.
Trissy
Trissy has sparked the Debates board with topics such as Patriotism and thought provoking responses in topics of Religion as a crutch for the weak.
goodluckcharm
goodluckcharm also sparked the Debates board with a topic of Religion and a response to "What’s the worst thing possible to do to someone?"
Arien Potter
Arien really brought life to this site with his riddles and thought provoking topics like "What makes a person?" and " What’s the worst thing possible to do to someone?",
Eutychia
Eutychia brought oddity to the site with a very odd topic of "Worms have no ears but how they survive?"
Disposable Hero
DH seems like an old timer on here already but he really has brought a lot of entertainment to this community with interesting topics like "Does age determine love?", "Suicide", "Why are cuss words the first to come to mind.", and his poems on the Poetry board.
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Pain is an Illusion - A Short Story, by Red Maiden
“All this pain is an illusion”? I threw my Tool CD on the floor. Maynard Keenan obviously wasn’t in enough pain to know that that theory was a load of shit. Love, heart ache, emotional distress, can be overcome with a bottle of whiskey and a good lay, but the minute I saw the results of my brain scan, I knew all the sex and booze in the world couldn’t fix it. That was real pain.
“Anne, would you please hand me my pills?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so. Now get up, it’s a beautiful day!”
“You can see me Anne; I can’t go out, not like this, everyone will laugh at me. Look at my skin for God’s sake! It hangs off me in flaps!”
“It’s no excuse to live the rest of your life as a hermit”
She was right, I was a recluse; I’d sit around and wait for the grim reaper to come and claim his next victim. Days would crawl by, and my pain would increase. I’d given up eating long ago, and I’d given up on the mercy of God way before that. Anyone who was reduced to my pathetic state would do the same.
My nurse, Anne, always told me “James! Life is short! Embrace it!” Yes, life is short, but what is there to embrace? Love? A future? I would embrace her…if I could. She was the only person who talked to me. I’d tried talking to others, but no one knew what to say. It was as if they couldn’t look at me without seeing death - and what could you possibly say to death?
So each day I would ask Anne for my pills, and each day she’d refuse. I’m glad she did today though, it is a nice day. The bright sun makes the fields look so luscious and green.
“Anne, can you take me outside?” I could see a faint, smug look of triumph appear on her face. Pride made me want to wipe it off, but I liked it when she smiled.
She wheeled me out to the shade of an oak tree. “You know, my parents planted this tree when I was born? How ironic that it turned out so strong and tall, and here I am bent over a wheel chair and weak.”
“My parents always told me that we’re all in control of our destinies.” I couldn’t help but snort when she said this. Then I felt bad, I didn’t want her to think I was laughing at her. She was quiet after that though, and I realised, all of a sudden that I’m not the only one who suffered, she suffered too, but in silence. I don’t know how, but from that moment on, I made up my mind to try and show her that I could be strong too.
When she went home at the end of her shift, I looked at my mirror. What stared back at me was a guy who looked about forty five, very skinny, and whose eyes looked dead. I looked like a monster. I wasn’t always so ugly. I remember Anne telling me that I am now because I “have an ugly attitude” and I have “issues to sort out”. I’d suspected whiskey couldn’t help me for the long term, and seeing as I hadn’t been able to get a lay for years, I Decided to see a counsellor.
Dr Huesek told me that I suffered from depression. Well no shit, I could have told myself that, but a suit with a gold pen thought it was a diagnosis worth charging the earth for. Anyway, he told me to start a “positive thinking” jar. For every negative thought I entertained, I’d have to put in one dollar in the jar. For every positive thought, I get to take one dollar out. As if that wasn’t enough, he told me I have to do at least 2 hours of community service per week. He thought it would keep me busy, help me meet people, and get my mind off my problems.
* * *
I hated admitting I was wrong.
I’d been doing a lot more than the required amount of weekly community service. It wasn’t my choice, the sick children I worked with demand a lot of time and care, but I did like it, and I didn’t feel as sick as I did before. Anne said “It’s all an illusion”, she gloated a lot those days. Ha-ha.
I felt a lot healthier too. All this work had given me a huge appetite. Unfortunately that meant I put on a lot of weight and my old clothes no longer fit me. If I could get out of my wheel chair then I could work off the kilos, but, like everything, I knew that would take time and a lot of patience.
Sometimes I’d think about those mornings when I used to wake up and ask Anne to help me kill myself. I wanted to try and make up for the distress I must have caused her, but I doubted, as I put another dollar in the jar, that I could ever show her how much I appreciate her. Maybe I could buy her some flowers, or take her out to dinner.
The jar was still relatively full, even with my new activities; I couldn’t help but think about my impending doom. I still had my moods, and I still had the days where I couldn’t get out of bed. Anne was always there for me; sometimes I almost told her that I’d been doing it all for her. I was afraid though, I didn’t want to scare her off.
Dr Huesek wanted me to tell her. He said I couldn’t have a satisfying death until I’d made peace with all my issues. I wanted to wait until the right time though. I had this dream where I’d walk to her, drop down on one knee and ask her to be my wife. She’d be so surprised; she’d know she’d been my inspiration. I took one dollar out of the jar, and smiled.
* * *
I visited my neurosurgeon for a scan, and he found the tumour had spread. He told me I had six months to live. I didn’t want to tell Anne, although I reckon she knew. We didn’t talk about it, I didn’t want to hurt her, and she didn’t want to hurt me. It meant we were at an impasse.
The jar became full again. I decided not to propose to Anne. I could only give her six months, assuming she’d say yes.
* * *
Sitting in Dr Huesek’s office, I felt unusually uncomfortable. I wanted to go home.
“I’m talking to you James!”
“Oh, I’m sorry…”
“I was asking you why your jar is full.”
“You know why doc, stop asking stupid questions, you’re wasting my money.”
“No, you tell me. What’s happened with Anne?”
“What makes you think something’s happened with Anne?”
“Now who’s asking the “stupid” questions?”
“Humph”
“You know what I think James? I think you want her to hate you.”
“I have to go, I’m not feeling well.”
“You’ll be hurting her more by turning your back on her you know?”
“I said I have to go!”
“Then go! But don’t forget too quickly how much she’s sacrificed for you. Don’t determine her feelings for you, let her decide.”
I left in a hurry, I couldn’t hear anymore. I stormed home, picked up my jar and smashed it against my mirror. A little voice told me I was being stupid, and that I was above all this. Eventually, I drowned that little voice with a bottle of whiskey and cried myself to sleep.
I called my mum the next morning and told her what the doctor had said. I was surprised she didn’t burst into tears. I guessed in the time that I was changing, so was she. She came over, cleaned my room, threw out my booze and changed my sheets. She then gave me a bath, dressed and shaved me. She made lunch, and while we were eating, I told her everything I’d been doing, how I felt about Anne, and how I felt about everything in general. It was her that made me go back and work with the children.
I had five months left of my life, and a lot of work to do; I was still in a wheel chair.
* * *
At the doctor’s surgery, I fidgeted in nervousness. What if he said I couldn’t walk? I heard him call my name, and mum wheeled me into his office and sat down.
“James, what can I do for you?”
“I want to walk doc.”
“It’s going to be hard work; you haven’t walked for 3 years.”
“I know; I have to walk though.”
“OK, here’s a referral letter, go see Dr Domani.” Upon leaving the surgery, I still felt nervous. I knew this was a big step for me- no pun intended. I hoped it worked.
This time in Dr Domani’s surgery, I fidgeted again. I heard a door open, and a kind-looking, middle-aged woman walked out. She smiled and asked me to come in.
* * *
I slowly started to gain control over my body, and learned to walk, if you can call it that. Four months later, and after a lot of pain and frustration, I could manage a dignified hobble. My mum was so proud, and the children were so shocked when I walked to greet them. Anne cried; she didn’t know about my visits to Dr Domani.
That day felt so perfect. I came home and Anne rushed to help me with my chair, but it wasn’t there. She looked confused for a moment, but that look changed to bewilderment. I grinned at her as I dropped unsteadily to one knee. I could see the tears run down her pink cheeks. I reached up and wiped them away, as I took her hand in mine.
“Anne?”
“Yes, James?”
“You have always supported me; you’ve inspired me to become what I am now. I love you more than anything and want to be your support too. Will you be my wife?” My heart, pounding, felt like it was inconveniently wedged within my throat. My stomach was in knots as I looked up at her soft brown eyes.
“James?”
“Yes?”
“I quit.”
“Oh…”
“And yes.”
“Huh?”
“Yes I will be your wife!”
“Huh? You do know I haven’t much ti-“
“James!” she said sharply “YES”.
I stood shakily and hugged her. In that moment I saw all of my pain and hard work had been worth while. When the doctors told me there was no cure for my brain tumour, I believed them. What they failed to tell me about, though, was the love of others. Instead of considering premature death as the only option, I was able to enjoy the love of a mother, a wife, and the community.
Tradition had always claimed that a man knows when he’s about to die, and as I hold the woman I love, I can feel my time is near; everything is in order, all loose ends, tied. So, with a smile on my face and peace in my heart, I kissed my wife and closed my eyes forever.
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Psychology, by Temujin
Artisans are those with the letters SP. They are a large group, making up approximately 40-45% of the population. Artisans are people who like to have fun, live on impulse and in the here and now. You could describe them as hedonists.
Guardians are SJs. They make up a similar proportion of the population as Artisans. They are traditionalists, those who safeguard society. A noteable trait is to be very law-abiding, and they tend to be social and involved with family.
Idealists are NFs. They are a super small group, comprising roughly 6% of the general population. Idealists are, um, idealists. Think of Gandhi for an instant arch-Idealist. They tend to be excellent friends, who are always authentic and interested in humanities and the 'human' side of things.
Rationals are NJs. They are about the same size as Idealists as regards population makeup. Rationals are essentially deep-thinking logical people, who become close to a very few people. They are high-achievers, but not the most social of groups.
Now for a 4K:real world comparison. Remember, I had 16 people taking part, so every single reply makes up about 6% of the stats here.
Artisans 25%:44%
Guardians 44%:44%
Idealists 19%:6%
Rationals 12%:6%
However, one of the Idealist results was highly contentious. That individual could be a Guardian or a Rational.
Some more results also:
Extroverts 3
Introverts 13
Sadly I don't have stats on how these breakdown in the general population, but presumably they're roughly equal.
So, the 4K population is heavily introverted, mostly traditionalist with a weaker than average hedonistic group and more prevalent minor groups.
You can also go to http://typetango.com/ to see which celebrities match up with you.
Those who took part will hopefully have their personal results, and more detailed information, by the time they read this.
I considered putting in more information about the 4 groups than the brief amount I included, but the book is hundreds of pages long, and my job is to write concise articles, not copy out books.
However, if anyone (those who took part) want even more info than I post to them, just ask. There's stuff about mating (no diagrams alas), parenting and eladership styles, as well as self-image, values, interests etc.
I hope you all enjoyed this article, and hopefully something similar will occur again sometime later on.
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Religion / Spirituality, by Rquethe
The "Fruit of the Spirit"
I've never done something quite like this. Realizing that the majority of the Kingdom is not Christian, I wasn't sure what topic would be best to cover. I have recently been privy to a group of sermons on this subject and I would like to just share a brief overview of the fruit of the Spirit. In succeeding issues, perhaps I will focus more on each of the individual characteristics.
Thoughts/criticisms/comments, etc. can be made to me in private message or on the Religion/Spirituality board and are certainly welcome. It is my utmost desire that this lesson be of sound teaching and faithful to the Word of God. I feel awkward about this because I fear that in my infancy as a Christian I may accidentally lead astray those looking for Truth. So please be like the Bereans in the book of Acts and check the things which I have said to see if they are true. Read thru the passage, and at the end, I'll have some discussion questions. If someone would like, they can post their answers on the Religion/Spirituality board.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Gal 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Gal 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
For fuller context of what Paul is writing about, I'd encourage you to read the whole of Galatians, or more specifically verses 16-24 of the fifth chapter. But basically Paul is writing about the sorts of characteristics that should be made manifest in a Christian. I will go into each one more specifically in the next issues, but I just wanted to introduce the passage now to create familiarity with it.
Discussion Questions:
1) What does each of these characteristics mean to you?
2) When you encounter somebody who professes to be a Christian, do they manifest these traits in the actions and words that they do? Or are they at least trying to the best of their ability?
3) Verse 24 says that we have "crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." What do you think this means within the context of the fruit of the Spirit?
4) Any other questions you thought of while reading this passage? Please share them so that we may all learn from them!
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Spotlight on Psycho_Disturbed, with Shyla
S) Hello and welcome to Sitting with Shyla. I'd like to introduce our member spotlighted for this issue, Mr. Psycho Disturbed. How're you doing P.D.?
P.D.) Just fine. How about you?
S) Enough about me! What's your a/s/l please?
P.D.) 21/single male/ Shriver Louisiana
S) Tell me a bit about 4thKingdom. Likes and Dislikes?
P.D.) I like the money feature and the fact that we can buy and sell icons. Plus I love the wonderful people that I can chat with from all over the country an even in other countries.
S) Who is someone from 4k with whom you feel most in touch with?
P.D.) I really can relate to T0Y because she's a lot like me in the moral sense. Rquethe is really good to
S) Tell me a little about yourself. What do you for fun? What angers you or saddens you?
P.D.) I’m pretty boring. What I like to do mainly is computer stuff while listening to music. What gets me upset is when I hear about people doing stupid things and getting hurt in some way. Makes me wonder what the world’s coming to.
S) What do you want to accomplish in your life?
P.D.) I’m not really sure. I never have been. What I want to do right now is find a job and a girl and I figure I'll take the rest as it comes
S) That's a great outlook! What is something that helps you get through the hard times in life?
P.D.) Chatting with people on 4k. Their really helpful with giving out advice
S) And do you have any quote that you live your life by?
P.D.) "There's always a price to pay for doing the right thing but there's an even higher price for doing the wrong thing"
S) That's a really good one
P.D.) Thanks
S) Is there anything else about yourself that you'd like to share with our readers, P.D.?
P.D.) I’m not really sure what they like to know about but they can always feel free to ask me anything
S) Awesome and thank you for your time!
P.D.) Thanks you for having me
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9/11 and Baseball, by GMOW
Recently; I watched a movie made by HBO called "Nine Innings from Ground Zero". The movie was about the events before and after 9/11 in the city of New York. Many post 9/11 movies featured stories of those who have lost family and friends in this tragedy. This movie decided to take a different view of these families. "Nine Innings" focused more on how these families recovered from despair and how they chose to live another day. The one thing millions of people of New York had in common was the love of their New York Yankees. In 2001; the New York Yankees had became America's team.
The Yankees have always been the most loved and hated team in baseball. After Sept. 11; the love-hate relationship took a vast turn. People across the nation knew the fans of New York dedication and love for their Yankees. The Yankees have a special role of being the representatives of the city. As the Yankees travelled city to city after 9/11; the boos of the once unfriendly away stadiums became cheers. Many fans across the nation felt sick about the Yankees current three consecutive World Series victories. Suddenly; it just seemed right for New York to win a fourth. The Yankees did make the World Series that year. They were out hit, out pitched and out score; yet the Yankees came within 2 outs of winning their 4th world series in a row. Between each baseball game; New Yorkers went back to reality. The movie takes a look at what happened after the game was over. How fast their minds can wonder from everyday problems in a few hours. What happened when they had to pass the WTC on their way home. Why nothing made them happy except for talking about the Yankees.
Various families and stories are told throughout this movie.
Something as trivial as sports played a major role in these New Yorkers lives. This movie is about the 9/11 tragedy recovery though baseball. To understand why 9/11 families became united through the Yankees, a baseball tale must be told. The three hours at a ball game made all the different in the world for these people. The visits by players to the families were priceless. The movie replays various times in the week.
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