Ironbound

When I played competitive seriously, in my heyday (during DPPt OU, and in XY OU) I usually hit top 20 fairly regularly on PS Main. I was a better teambuilder than active battler, though; my teams usually have a little bizarre, underrated or unusual elements in them. Do you enjoy competition?

Happy birthday, @Bazaro, best friend. Wishing you a great year ahead, and success in all your endeavours. Cheers.

No. Are you of a romantic disposition? If so, how do you justify it?

That's not strictly a yes/no question, but definitely a queen bee, in the literal as well as figurative sense. A butterfly is a flitter; it has no ambition, no organisation, no commitment and no strength. It is weak, vacillating, dictated by whim and passion, and can't stick to any one path. It is a short-lived faery with no responsibility and consequently with no significance. It may be pretty to look at for a fleeting moment, but one doesn't take it seriously. Whereas a queen bee is a central power. It is the foundation of the colony, the vital force that commands and sustains the entire hive. It is consistent, committed and long-lived; it has a personality, a strength and above all, a vital responsibility. It may not match the butterfly in vibrance or beauty, but it is potent and does not need any advertising. To me, this choice was not a difficult one to make. I do not accept a life devoid of self-respect. A butterfly commands no respect. Do you prioritize being liked over being respected? Or, put another way, would you rather be liked and not really respected, or be willing to be disliked, but nevertheless respected? In both cases, you may assume that we are talking about public perceptions, and not about how one views oneself.

Nope Micky

Why not also add in every other half-baked stereotype you can think of? Maybe Medicham for the yogi, or Mega Alakazam for the hermit? If only there was a rope Pokemon to represent the Great Rope Trick, or a software professional Pokemon to represent the Indian IT dude, then the collection of Indian stereotypes would be picture perfect.

India: Every fire type, and everything that learns Rain Dance. Also throw in a fair amount of Garbodor and Weezing. Actually now that I think about it, India's biodiversity is enormously vast; at least 80% of all pokemon's creature/concept-origins can probably be found somewhere here. Shame there's no Mango pokemon.

Depends on where it's coming from and in what circumstances, but generally, if it is constructive, and if the views of the critique are substantive, then yes, I'm certainly open to hear it out. If it genuinely comes to light that the specified criticism brings up objectively superior or noteworthy points for consideration, I don't hesitate to adopt them even if they differ significantly from my original thought processes; but as a rule, once I've made up my mind and satisfied myself that all anticipated contingencies and consequences are as predicted or within tolerable ranges of acceptability, unsolicited criticism goes in through one ear and out the other. One can't, after all, bother oneself too much about what other people say. Are you more at ease in a large crowd than by yourself or in small groups? If so, do you like being the centre of attention in such large company, or just one among the many?

Happy birthday, Kam. Wishing you a great year ahead.

Yes, I'm throwing my hat into the ring, as well. I daresay we see a sufficient number of political threads in this place, of varying nature and topic, and to that extent I'm usually content to observe from the sidelines. But polity is a strange thing, underlining the fine difference between ludicrous and ridiculous, amusing and bemusing. Let's call this my take, a South Indian's perspective on geoeconomics/geopolitics. Naturally this sort of thing is my opinion, and any interactions are welcome. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A week is a long time in politics, it is said. While it's true that a lot can change in a short while in day-to-day statecraft, political trends are a lot more permanent, lasting for years and even decades. For instance, the broad trend of liberalization and globalization had taken root in the 1980s, and has been growing more and more ever since. Until now. Globalization seems to be giving way to newly resprung trends of isolationism, protectionism and ultra-nationalism. Which is merely a euphemism for racism. Now, this is nothing new, being itself a trend unabated for centuries; but it has now resurged as a new wave. Donald Trump rode to power on that wave. Britain is struggling to deal with the aftermath of that wave. Nexit and Frexit were narrowly avoided...for now. Italy, another member of the European Union, could go to elections soon. Will there be a Quitaly, I wonder? Granted, France did not go the isolationist route, after all. Holland and Austria are other EU states that opted to stay with a centrist, pro-globalization structure as well. But even as Macron beat back the challenge of Le Pen, one ought to notice that this is the first time that the Eurosceptic (read: racist) Front Nationale made it to the second round of the Presidential elections, taking a third of the vote in Round II to boot. If it wins a significant number of seats in the parliamentary elections in June, the clamour of a Frexit agenda will be stronger still. A general dislike for immigrants and multiethnicity is certainly a common factor across the EU, and a breakup is a distinct possibility. The USA already has a President who wants to restrict immigration and bring back manufacturing. If the EU also turns protectionist, it will break up, and globalization would be dead in the West. Globalization brought many benefits: the coming down of trade barriers, cross-border flows of capital and technology, easy location of industry across cheap labour segments, and even easier immigration or long term residency for skilled talent. Poverty reduction was unprecedented. Taiwan and South Korea became First World economies in a mere generation, while China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand saw rapid growth. Even India, which arrived somewhat later on the global scene, saw strong acceleration. With the ascendancy of Moon Jae-in in Korea and Xi Jinping's new Silk Road project aiming to recreate China's historic association (and dominance) in Asian geoeconomics, and even as the third year of the Modi administration in India draws near, a new agenda of globalization is likely to cement East and South Asia, though who will sit where at the table is still to be seen. The new trends, Eastern or Western, could last an indefinite while. It's anyone's guess if any protectionism will rise in Europe; sentiment favours it, and even centrist governments may be tempted to pander to it, whether the EU stays intact or no. But where does India stand? Well, more protectionism would mean a reduction in cross border foreign direct investment flows, especially in R&D, Pharma and Information Technology industries. India's Gross Domestic Product is closely intertwined with its trade; over half the GDP is solely due to the trade component. Exports would choke and wilt if such protectionism gains ground; the IT and Pharma sectors (which comprise a large chunk of 'invisibles') is already hit hard by the USA raising barriers. Domestic economy is also due to receive a few shocks, at least in the short term, due to the finalisation of the much-vaunted Goods and Services Tax (which, though an improvement from India's current web of archaic, cascading indirect taxes, is still likely to be hamstrung by exemptions and multiple rates thanks to populist pressure...but that's a different issue altogether) and the need for markets to absorb the new rates and tweaks. Despite optimistic statistics and strong macroeconomic estimates, India's economy isn't doing all that well. Job growth has been next to nil, bank credit growth miserable. The Index of Industrial Production has seen a shift in base year and a recomputation in formula to make it paint a rosier picture, but in effect it's stagnant. Capital Formation is the lowest in a decade. There's been some good news, but not enough. The current government made the most of the oil glut of a year or two ago, and sold the idea that their ascendancy immediately resulted in a better economic situation, but coincidence, let alone correlation, can't be treated as on par with causation. We're looking through a tinted lens, making a grey sky appear blue.

Suddenly a random Viri appears! uh, idk, who's alive here... Micky?

Nope. Micky?

Happy birthday, DW. Wishing you a great year ahead.

No, not at all. While I'm wary of the more dangerous kinds, and while I have no sympathy for pests like mosquitoes, I generally like, and am fascinated by, insects as well as most other creatures. In fact, I used to be a terrific prankster as a child, usually with insects. While I was at school, I would insert moths and grasshoppers into my peers' desks, only to have them flutter/hop about madly when the unfortunate victims reached for a book or pencil. And there were times when I would drop a caterpillar or two in front of people, or put a large beetle or mantis in a box and ask people to open it. Now you've reminded me of my early school days. Do you have any particularly fond memories of school? If so, what would they be? EDIT: whoops, Tartar Sauce seems to have sniped me. Well, to answer him: certainly it is wiser to say nothing when nothing can or needs to be said. Now, my question still stands.

The Iron Giant

It's simple: Explosion! Spine?

Nope Spine

Yes, I am an artist. I even have a thread here on Reborn, though it's been gathering dust for a while due to lack of time on my part. Check it out if you're interested: Do you like to ask questions?

No, because in my culture, the dead are cremated, and not buried. But I'd still have one final 'sick burn'. Is a wet dog better than a dry dog?

Happy birthday, DD. Wishing you a great year ahead.

You are correct, sir! Your prize is...absolutely nothing! Huzzah! Micky?

Ah, colourblindness, my old enemy... I'm partially colourblind, having trouble distinguishing between blues, purples and magentas, as well as between some neon hues of maroon and dark olive. So these two might not look the same to me as they would to another. I'd prefer cerulean simply because it's lighter and less intense a blue than azure. Intense colours have their place, like on the petals of a brilliant flower or the wings of a butterfly, but the quieter, more subtle shades are more pleasing to the eye in general. Sky-blue is one of the most serene and understated of the lot, and has its own simple elegance. Do you prefer to dress in quiet colours? Or do you go with very bright or very dark ones? [Not technically a yes/no but whatever]

Do I look like I'd be in a romantic relationship, ever?

Yes. As an accountant and a student of financial management, I strongly advocate that the underpinnings of the taxation system, at least direct and personal taxes (like Income and Property taxes, or whatever equivalent in specific countries) be taught to everyone in high school. The importance of financial awareness and education cannot be stressed enough. [Solves half our problems as well if people in general are not clueless about finance] Also Another person who has sealed their fate. Do you rely on or believe in luck, chance, etc?