GOM Issue 6

Deadman’s Shadow Tips from the expert!

The Angelic Halo

Users talk about what one of Gaia’s oldest items means to them

Nom Nom Nomables!

Make your own Emperor Penguins!

With the changing of the seasons comes a new year, and with the onset of 2012 –

bright, boundless chances at new opportunities. Yes, that’s right: the goddess Opportunity is upon us once more, whispering warmly in your ear. Will you listen to her always helpful, optimistic advisements? Whether you do or not, know that she is always there watching out over us.

None keep that in mind more so than the down-trotten, and dejected; those who society has labeled as absolutely hopeless – a lost cause. No other will care to make their lives better, and so they must take it upon themselves – as, truly, so must we all – to better their livelihoods. Thus, amongst the piles of rubbish, lying in a corner of the dumpster sitting in the alley nearest 16th & Mod’s Crossing – sat Pete.

Pete had been having a rather rough time of things lately – more so than usual. He was no longer allowed to pay prolonged visits to the shelter, nor any of the local charitable establishments. It wasn’t that Pete caused trouble everywhere he went, nor was he at all disliked.

That wasn’t it at all – he was actually very well liked amongst the roving bands of vagrants and vagabonds that populated the clinics and church pews; the alleys and lobbies of fast food restaurants. Nay, Pete was anything but disliked. The only reason he was no longer accepted into these places was for the sole fact that wherever Pete went - a mass of collected items followed in his wake.

Pete was, for all intents and purposes, considered to be the founder and sole member of the Society for Hoarders without Borders. Be it that warm little stoop on 2nd, or the bathroom at the Save Away grocery store, little piles of trinkets and things unnecessary began to accumulate. After a time, those who cared for him most simply could no longer accommodate Pete’s massive collection of items. Therefore, when the community as a whole took the time to take Pete aside and hold for him an intervention, they said, “Pete, we’re sorry – but we can’t tolerate this anymore.” Ol’ Pete, eating something he’d saved in his beard, looked from his cart full of his affects and collections, to those who truly cared about him, or those who simply wanted his crap hauled away, and he saw the worry in their eyes. It struck him then that it was time his hoarding came to an end.

And so, Pete began to take inventory, and via the use of the computer at the Durem Public Library, one hour a day you could find Pete entering each item up for sale on Gbay, the online auction marketplace. From his most valued items, to lots of similar items, and even

mystery grab bags full of long since expired canned goods & trash – they

all sold. “Just goes to show, ones man’s trash is another man’s treasure,

which is another man’s trash is another man’s auction items..” Pete would

say. Thus, Pete became a well-funded vagabond. He was moving up in the

world. The world was his oyster, and after he ate that oyster – well, he

would sell that shell, and buy another oyster with the profits. “I’ll find a

pearl eventually”, he’d say. Well, eventually, Pete found himself sitting

pretty atop a fairly well sized pearl in the form of a burlap bag full of Gold

– the kind with a big ‘₲’ symbol on it.

One day, Pete was sitting out front of Rina’s Café & Cupcakes, eating a crumpet and sipping his espresso wrapped in a brown paper bag - as was his custom – when who happened to pass but Jimmy the paper jockey for Gaia Online Magazine. Pete called him over, and tipped the boy a few coins in exchange for a magazine issue. He flipped through it and looked at all the pictures; the articles not really keeping his attention. And then he sees it.

“Bring GOM to a newsstand near you, eh? Hmm, how to do that without actually paying full wholesale price? Oh.. I know. I’ll talk to Nicolae. See if he can’t get a shipment off the back of the truck for me. He does owe me for all that swag he got off me.” And so it was, that Pete received a large shipment of GOM issues, and he sold them at discounted rates. Well.. at least until we here at GOM Headquarters found out. Then we put an end to his shipment and recalled the last issue, sticking him with an endless supply of fake issues. “Hmm.. when life gives you lemons..” said Pete.

Credits Gaian items & content copyright of Gaia Interactive Inc. Abstract Swirls brush by Lou012 @ dA Bloody brush by dotacy @ dA Snow brush by Skelator @ dA Snowflake brush by KeepWaiting @ dA Ribbon brush by sylvehr @ dA Unique Borders by green_eyed_butterfly @ dA Clovers brush by digitalkitt3n @ dA Flowers brush by Aless1984 @ dA Arrow brush by myukiori @ dA Parchment Paper Pattern by ericsalvi @ dA Background Stock Image by fotojenny @ dA

Watercolor splatter by tuesdayraindrops @ dA Sunny Beach Stock by StockProject1 A Letter from Florence by TutorialMagazine.com Fireworks Image by Anna Cervova @ publicdom ainpictures.net Fireworks Image from blog.al.com Flowers from valentinesdayflowers.net Tokko Image copyrighted by Kodansha, Manga Entertainment, & Tokyo Pop Minecraft Image copyright of Mojang AB.

r e n n i W t s e t n o C k e t k e T r e Cov VD_X

“this iss sooo cooool omg omg thank you!”

Lucky Winner VD_X participated in our Tektek Contest and had her Halloween designed Tektek drawn for the front cover of the magazine!

w e r C e h T

GOM is always looking for new faces! Click here to see the available positions!

New recruits are marked with one askterisk. Members who will be missed are marked with two asterisks.

Admiral Lord Cochrane Co-Captain/Lead Editor & Journalist

Aileeya Journalist/zOMG! and games specialist

Alkalune Journalist/Editor

Nymph of Spring Co-Captain/Lead Community & Feedback Meia15 Co-Captain/Lead Human Resources/ Journalist/Editor/Artist/Archivist/Forum Mod

bgSkully** Artist

slothiiiey Vice Captain/Lead Digital Graphics/Community & Feedback/Human Resources

Chandaleira** Editor

-Candii_SweetLead Financials/Human Resources/Forum Mod

Chaos Beaver Journalist

turtless** Lead zOMG! and games specialist

cmoverkitty** Editor

Fayrouza Journalist

Shinigami-ANBU Assistant/Artist

Glass of Orange Juice** Journalist

theMeji Digital Graphics

A Glass Passenger Journalist

Gio Gio Star Editor

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Mrs Preinz Artist

Illyncia** Tutorials & Guides

neehole Advertiser /Community & Feedback

Jamie Ranai Artist (Artist of the Front Cover)

Josephine the Harpist Journalist/Editor

Nyx Avalon Journalist/Editor

KisKis Journalist

Robotic Nanners Journalist

Kumi Uchiha** Community & Feedback

Samurai Takeo** Digital Graphics

Siorraidh Digital Graphics

Lewpy Von Cakes Journalist/Editor

Version Five** Forum Mod

The Lonely Donut** Editor

Luni Lulu** Journalist

x - Vintage Aids** Journalist

lXl_Soka_lXl Advertiser

Guest Writer(s)

Tempest Lorelay

Morwen Whiinch Digital Graphics

Mrs Ecstasy** Editor

scullylam

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Introduction .............................................................................................. 2 GOM’s Crew List .................................................................................. 4 & 5 SOPA: Good or Bad? ........................................................................... 8 & 9 How Gaia is Actually Listening ................................................................. 10 School is In ............................................................................................... 11 The Angelic Halo ............................................................................... 12 - 16 Advertisement Page ................................................................................ 17 Black Friday: Overpriced? ........................................................................ 18

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SOPA

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6

Men’s

Fashion

Winterfest ................................ 19 Men’s Fashion ................... 20 - 23 Chatterbox is talking ........ 24 & 25 Have You Noticed? ........... 26 & 27 Deadman’s Shadow ......... 28 & 29 3 Questions ....................... 30 - 35 3 Questions (part2) ........... 36 - 41 Featured .......................... 42 & 43 Contributed ....................... 44 - 50 Advertisement Page ................. 51 Tektek Contest ................. 52 & 53 Tokko Review ................... 54 & 55 Dear Admiral .................... 56 & 57 Nom Nom Nomables ............... 58

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Deadman’s

63

Minecraft

Shadow

Crew Interview ......................... 59 Poems ............................... 60 - 62 Minecraft Review ..................... 63 My GOM Experience ................ 64 An Eventful Year ....................... 65 Advertisement Page ................. 66

irthdays B These GOM readers birthdays are coming up!

Let us know when your birthday comes around~ 12 - shadamyheart 14 - Buru-kun 23 - Our Sextape 25 - slothiiiey 30 - Psychotic Dementia

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“SOPA: Good or Bad?” Meia15 Vice Captain

As most of you are well aware, the United States House of Representatives is currently debating over the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). For those who do not know, this act, if passed, will give the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, the ability seek action against entire websites participating in copyright infringement. The websites targeted could possibly include common favorites such as YouTube, Tumblr, or even Gaia Online.

Vice Captain Meia15 shows off her desk with style!

“My desk is quite disorganized.

It was clean when I decided to stick my laptop here, but it got messy again.

I think I should have cleaned it before I took this.

Oh, and my bamboo plant... his name is Charley.

Brofist for you if you know where I got the name from.”

Remember GOM Readers you too can show off your desk!

There are only two arguments on this case: for and against. Those for SOPA have a good intent: stop pirating copyrighted material. This will make the internet a more law-abiding place, and also possibly promote buying the movies, shows, books, etc. from the companies that supply them and give money to the people that work hard to make that entertainment possible. Good idea, right? Well in order to do that, websites both inside and outside the U.S. will be blacklisted and blocked from access. The government will make even a little bit of infringement a felony and sue those who violate copyrights. One single mother was sued by record companies for $1.9 million for downloading 24 songs.

A lot people think they are going about this in the wrong way, most people naturally being from the internet industry and internet users. Multiple popular websites, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter, wrote a letter to key members of Congress stating that SOPA poses “a serious risk to our industry’s continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as to our nation’s cybersecurity.” Many people also see this as America’s first step to censorship, which is a form of limiting free speech.

Limiting the internet could possibly cripple America’s economy as well, seeing as a lot of businesses have started selling online. But, then again, that could mean good news for local businesses. They wouldn’t have to worry about bigger corporations taking all the customers.

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Another thing to note is that this act will not only affect Americans like most people believe. If enacted, SOPA will allow the government to send in troops and go after non-American citizens hosting copyrighted material from America. For example, America is currently trying to persuade the British government to extradite a 23-year-old student over to America. He was accused of copyright infringement after setting up a website which had links to thousands of films and TV shows, but did not directly host them. LINKS. Even if you do not host the copyrighted material, you can still face charges.

As you can see, there are many arguments for both sides of this issue. I, personally, am against this and want everyone to learn more and spread awareness on this issue. Also, if you wish to share your opinion, feel free to post your thoughts in this thread. There are also many links in the first post where you can read more about this issue.

The desk GOM reader Cygnus the Dark Star wishes he had ;D

Remember to pick up your SOPA item, Gaians!

GOM Crew Member neehole’s desk!

“Tis is actually clean XD But anyways, I have my trusty laptop, my jars of pencils, a little kitty a sewed together, stuff I need for school, and then random stuff : D And yes, thats my t.v. and black wii! My desk is normaly waaaaaaaayyyyyyy dirty but I cleaned it!”

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“How Gaia is actually listening” Lewpy Von Cakes Journalist/Editor

Do my eyes deceive me? Is it really true? Did Gaia HQ listen to our reviews and ACTUALLY work on Alchemy? I know you’re also thinking about this action, but it’s really true. After all the criticizing and the alchemythrashing on the forums, they finally decided that a little bit of tweaking was needed. Of course, it still is not the way we want it, but at least it’s good to hear that Gaia does not ignore all our callings. Majority of you would know what alchemy is and its problems, but there are some who are not as lucky. There are some who may be living under the rocks of ignorance, or some who are thrown away to Timbuktu by the tornado of destruction, all alone in the jungle, without internet or a computer. The people facing these special reasons, or many more I can’t think of, who couldn’t get on Gaia for the past few months will not understand the shenanigans regarding Alchemy. I, myself, couldn’t understand much about it since real life is more important for all and unavoidable. Also, I didn’t really care much about it; for me, Alchemy was just another idea Gaia thought up to “suck” money from Gaians.

Yup, I said it. Guilty as charged. Anyhow, according to my ambiguous knowledge on this subject and discussions with my friends on it, I got to know that it was something about Alchemy not being “user-friendly”. It was made too complicated and needed so many things at once for it to work, which was not acceptable at all.

After a small trip to the store, I got to understand the working of Alchemy. If I were to describe it to you simply, it is a place where you buy formulas for a particular item and convert it into the item you want. Pretty simple, you say? No, sadly it’s not. You first have to be at a particular level assigned to that item to make it work, and to buy the formulas you need money, but you knew that of course, right? But you don’t just need one item; you need a whole lot for it to work.

One day, I discussed Alchemy with a guy who had quite a lot invested in this and greatly understood Alchemy’s pros and cons. According to him, you need much time and effort to make one item. As I said before, you needed to buy a huge number of items for the preparation of one item, meaning huge amounts of moolah to be invested here. For example, he described to me about the making of a level 4 item, “You need to buy 19 different items with 5 copies of high level items to make a level 4 recipe.” Outrageous stuff, I say! Who has that kind of money?! So they eventually cut the requirements for some formulas by up to 80%, which is commendable but needs more work in my opinion.

I did my share of bashing at Alchemy on here and you may think that it is a complete failure, but let’s not forget that it is just a start, and who knows, it may change and achieve much greater objectives. But for now, I don’t see Alchemy being a hit amongst the casual Gaians; I see it more for the use of the Gaian elites. It doesn’t suit people like us, who use Gaia gold as the sole currency and curse on the inflation rate which keeps climbing every day. I see days so horrible, where items as cheap as “kitty slippers” will climb to 60k, but Gaia still ignores these atrocities and doesn’t do anything about that. They’d rather think up of Alchemy which will not benefit the common “Gaian newb” at all, but seeing the response they have shown towards Alchemy, it gives me a sense of relief that they may listen to us regarding the inflation rate climb and work upon it too but it may take years.

In the end, I am going to quote a sentence on Alchemy which my friend greatly said. In his words, “Alchemy is the rich Gaians version of the backyard bargains, offering high class rare items to those with that kind of time and money invested for getting the desired items”. So, sorry Gaia HQ, but you have to do better than Alchemy. Maybe work on the inflation rate for a change? That may make us Gaians really happy, not to mention make this site more popular than it already is. Until next time, this is Lewpy Von Cakes signing off! Cheerio and 10 Good bye.

“School Is In�

Nyx Avalon Journalist

From high school to trade school, classes have started again on Gaia. Students received rare invitations to the illustrious Valfor Academy for magical training. If the students were lucky and wise, they

received great praise from their teachers and were gifted with a token to remember their

time in class by means of various items.

Those unlucky enough to receive an invitation settled into typical classes wearing the

Gaian schools’ revamped school outfits, from the defiant looking youths with their flared

jackets and decorated pants to the model students in prim attire.

I, myself, like that there is now a variety of colors to mix and match, instead of

the typical and bland school outfits. Seen the original school related outfits on Gaia?

Compared to the more subdued colors from the past, the revamped ones now have a vibrant, new color to them, making the older ones pale in comparison.

There are also more shoes to wear that brought a nostalgic throw-back into the decades, with dresses for sock hop sweeties and letterman jackets for greaser jocks.

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Tempest Lorelay Guest Writer

It glitters… it sparkles… it hovers over your head. Oh! The wonder of it! The Angelic Halo has been around since GaiaOnline was founded. Quested for, fought over, and begged for; Many Gaian’s have spent many years dreaming of this rare item to own it and wear it proudly. However, only a few have it today nine years later.

Once called a Donation item; this shiny item helped fund the servers back in 2003. When Gaia was only a few hundred members, they struggled to maintain the price of the servers. They could cost over $20,000 a month at that time. Many members demanded that they wanted to help! The Admins gave in and a few months later, the thank you letter was born.

Fewer than ten active members are still around today that did the first donations for this. A few took the time to answer some questions.

Are you from 2003?

Wizard Random Sempai: “As can easily be seen in my join date in my profile, yes, I joined in 2003.”

Kanaxai: “Yes and no, I had known of Gaia since 2003 from an old friend of mine, but I never bothered to create an account until 2007. This account (Kanaxai) being created in 2008, and the very account I earned my way to an Angelic Halo.”

Legend: I joined Gaia back in the Summer of 2003.

Did you Quest for the Angelic Halo?” eRoTiCa: I’ve had a couple Angelic Halo’s during my Gaia tenure as I exchanged for both of them. I sold one.

The one I currently have I plan on keeping.

B R A I N: To be honest I never really cared about the Angelic Halo, never even thought I would want it because of its insane value and yellow isn’t my color. I think the first big 03 item I wanted was the Devil Tail. Since I wasn’t active, I figure the best way for me to earn gold was long-term investment - so the insane idea of hoarding hundreds of the same items came to my mind (my first insane hoard was 1000+ July 2006 - which contains the Ancient Katana). In just 8-10 months, I manage to get not only the Devil tail but also DJ headphones and Nitemare Minis. This was the result of combining hoarding/exchanging. In late 2007, through the help of close friends and luck - I manage to buy the angelic halo.

Escuro-sama: No, actually. This halo was given to me as a prize. There was a time back in my early days on Gaia that I had tried questing for it but I never got even close enough to half of what I needed so I just decided I’d be better off questing something else.

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“The Angelic Halo” (continued)

What does the Angelic Halo mean to you?

Arwen: It means a lot. It was an item that reminds me every day while I’m on Gaia that in some small way, I’ve helped keep the dreams of these guys alive.

Do you get asked a lot about the Halo? (Good or Bad?) wagnas : Actually it’s reasonably quiet on PMs I get in my inbox. Now and then I get one, and it’s always good news, as in “great wow you have a halo”. I would probably get more messages about it in my profile, but only friends can make posts in there.

Kanaxai : Believe it or not, but half of the time, I am asked about the halo. People, who don’t know me, usually make contact - because of the halo. I get many private messages randomly and when I do go into forums, it’s a constant struggle to deal with the amount of attention and sometimes harassment. Some assuming I don’t own one, only to be proven otherwise.

B R A I N: Oh yes I get asked a lot about the Angelic Halo, at first it was annoying because you get random silly offers for them even though you aren’t selling. Or people will try to become friends with you, but soon they ask if they can borrow my Angelic Halo or donate to them an insane amount (like Angelic Scarf or something).

But as time goes by, you grow immune to it - you learn to turn the annoying messages to something funny and entertaining - that I end up annoying those individuals instead of them annoying me.

Arwen: Yes. I get asked a lot about my Halo. Mostly questions ranging from: How much will it cost for for me to buy it?

Will you give it to me?

Can I trade you these items for the Halo?

When you quit, can you give me your Halo?

All sorts of questions.

If I was going to get rid of my Halo, I would make a Sale of the century thread. But, no I won’t because like I said, it’s something I cherish.

Is it the most prized item in your collection?

Wizard Random Sempai: My blue flame shirt. The first item I started wearing regularly around here. You see, items have largely lost their meaning to me. With all of these rare and exclusive items floating about, it becomes a sea of choice which becomes paralyzing.

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Anonymous Reply: Absolutely. It reminds me of the times when the site was small and they used to have a list of the online users at the bottom of the page--of course, there were usually less than 300 users online at once back then! Most of the friends I made back then have moved on, and haven’t been on Gaia for years now. It used to be that Ling, Lanzer, and L0cke were fairly frequent posters, and you could run into VO, CP, and the artists now and again. I had some great conversations with most of them at one point or another and was sorry when that “small town” aspect of Gaia changed, even though I knew it couldn’t last when the site started growing so much.

Escuro-sama : It’s definitely one of my most prized ones. Right up there with my Mercury’s Moon.

Kanaxai: In my eyes, it’s the culmination of all the effort I invested, I purchased mine this February at the price tag of over 3 Billion gold. Literally priceless in my eyes, the work to obtain one was so strenuous; I doubt I would ever do it again.

Habiel: Offered most of my inventory but I never once looked back.

Some Gaians have decided to undertake the endless quest for this rare item. Some have taken the time out of questing to answer a few questions.

How long have you been questing the Angelic Halo?

Ma Ajmala: I had been questing for about 5 years now I think. It’s been so long I had to check my old quest thread. Lol Angelic Orgasms: Three days after I started this account on May 11th 2010. (I started account May 8th) Jackalust: Probably about 2 - 3 months. And really that time period is only the time in which I have been ‘looking for a seller’. I was worth well over the value of a Halo prior to deciding I wanted one, and in that time period I decided that I did. I don’t really quest any items, I’ve always just bought whatever I see for cheap. The halo is the closest thing I’ve had to a quest since my first exchanging goal.

What made you decide to quest the Angelic Halo?

Angelic Orgasms: I love Angels, and act accordingly, so I wanted to sync both myself and Gaia together to express myself in an Angelic way. Little did I know those Items are expensive, especially the Angelic Halo. So I became a Monthly Auto Cash Subscriber to help assist me buy things and sell for Gold!

Jackalust: A few reasons. Mostly as a self-understood goal. It is sort of the pinnacle of what one might call “Successful Exchanger”. I want it as a reminder to myself that I went above and beyond my own initial expectations, that I started a task with a pretty common amount and rose to a level most people do not get to. It is not for elitism or anything of that sort, it’s a personal goal.

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Do you think that someday you will own this rare item?

Jackalust: Well considering I could easily own one if I offered my entire account worth. It is not that they are worth my entire account; it is just that two other exchangers that I know with halos would take that as an offer.

Since my current offer is approx 200-400mil more than the last two sales I am fairly confident I do not have to sacrifice everything for it. As for someone accepting my current offer, well it seems rather unlikely just because the only people who would consider selling it are exchangers.

Why should fellow Gaians donate to your quest?

Angelic Orgasms: This may sound selfless, but I ask of nothing to assist me in this Quest. Though past efforts were in vain, I can accept that some things are simply out of reach for obvious reasons we all Gaians have come to understand. I believe that the Gold system should be removed; money is the root of all evil. However, should they choose to, as I have done before I’d bless them for helping this Angel’s Dream become a Reality!

Ma Ajmala: I don’t have any particular reason for people to donate to me. My thing is the people who do help me are close friends of mine or people who really want to see me end my quest. I’m not a persuasive person at heart so you can do it if you. It’s up to you to decide.

And if you ever get the Angelic Halo would you sell it? (I’m certain this would be a no, however I wanted to ask) Ma Ajmala: LOLOLOLO NO. But if I did I would want the person to show as much dedication and effort into wanting it as I do.

Angelic Orgasms: If I got the Angelic Halo I couldn’t sell it, reasons being it’s sentimental to me and also part of that Dream Angel Avi that I would cherish as much as I would the cheapest of the Items in that Avatar! If I had it my way, I wish my Angel Avi would be finished, and I had a role on Gaia to randomly hide in the Virtual Worlds, or visit random Forums, witness a Gaian do some type of Deed I would Gift them an Angelic Halo, just one Halo a day, as a sign that Angels watch over Gaia!

Jackalust: No, because if I were to buy it for my current and final offer I would have enough to restart my exchanging adventure (that is part of the reason I will not offer everything). As I explained to one halo owner, I would not sell it simply because I can earn enough for anything worth less than Halo (I have already done that lol), and everything worth more than a halo (3 - 4 items hold this category) is either too risky or cannot be worn.

In June of 2008, Gaia released on the 5th anniversary a chance to win Angelic Halo, the Admin announced they found “In an ancient long loss account…” Along with this every member gets a free item. The wonderful and cheap Wind Halo.

The halo was become an image for Gaia. A symbol that every gaian can have a dream. A reminder of the past; simple but true beginning for Gaia. Maybe one day the questers will get their Halo. They would someday wear it with pride. To say; I did it! I’m apart of Gaia’s History!

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neehole Advertiser

Overpriced?

While The King of Terra and Lady Jane feasted on a meal fit for royalty, they watched as their waiters reveal the dessert. They both realized that these people are nothing but average Gaians of the Gaia community. Later that evening, they paced back and forth wondering what they can do to give back to the community they are so thankful for. “Erika!” said the king. “I have a plan. Why not take some of the most wonderful (and expensive) items and give Gaians a chance to bask in fortune?” Lady Jane was most pleased with this idea, and she threw in a twist of her own. Though they are being kind, they also decided to throw in some idols that represented them too. “Here thee, here thee!” said the messenger boy, “King Terra and Lady Jane has announced that this Friday, La Victore will be having bundle sales!”

The day after Thanksgiving seems of a holiday itself with prices going down. Even in the Gaia community the economy can be tough. But when you say sale, all the Gaians whip around and dive for the items that are soon to be gone! Black Friday of 2011, there was a community wide announcement that the cash shop will be having a special bundle sale. The bundles are Celestial Blue Bundle, Regal Red Bundle, Understated Black Bundle, Cozy Brown Bundle, and Joyful Color Bundle. The bundles contain items that go with the theme of the bundle. The bundle is like a chance, you buy it open it and hope you can get an item that’s worth millions! The new re-colors for these bundles (in order of listing) King Of Terra, Lady Jane’s Lace, The Gravedigger’s Exorcism, Mrs. Butterscotch (née Creampuff), and Shepherdress Pastorale.

If you think the bundles are a good deal, wait, there’s more! Gaia has also decided to reissue rare CL items! Yes, they are taking those really expensive items such as Monochrome Keido and selling it to you for 3000GC! Though to this event there are pros and cons like always.

Some of the good things with the Black Friday reissue items is you have a chance to get crazy expensive items that are usually 8-20 million using Gaia Cash such as, mentioned earlier, the Monochrome Keido. This leads to a less appealing thing though; there might be a limited time offer, but if you haven’t realized these items that are going for 3,000GC and 5,000GC are going for $30 and $50.

Users all over Gaia agree that, yes this is even nice for the users that love to resell for gold, but for us average users this is an outrageous price for items. So, for all of you who are wondering why the reissues are so expensive is, according to tektek.org, 100,000 gold is equivalent to $2.50 (US dollars) So, let’s say you buy a

Monochrome Keido on the marketplace which is usually 4,000,000 gold which comes up to $100 but

the Black Friday event is selling them for $30, so if you look at it from this perspective you are saving

$70. Another reason Gaia has the items that are high priced is because of inflation, which is a rise of item currency causing the initial value of the currency to be less in a whole because you can buy fewer goods with that currency then you could before.

Touching back on what was said, Black Friday 2011 features chance bundles to get a chance at some of the little on the expensive side items and has some re-colors. The reissues that seem overly priced are actually not, and the reason it’s like that because the Gaia economy does not want to go into inflation more than it already has.

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Winterfest KisKis Journalist

With winter right on our doorstep, begging to come in, things tend to take the seasonal theme. Much like that of Enjoy guild’s Winter Fest! With contests, forums, and even a little bit of arty goodness, this seems promising.

Contests always seem to be crucial to the longevity of guilds and forums and The Winter Fest upholds this with the seasonal bump contest! A bump contest, simple enough and who doesn’t like a fair shot to win something? With winnings up to 100,000 gold, you can’t miss this! There is even a random quote contest for all those people who can’t commit to bumping!

In addition, another feature that welcomed me to this ‘Winter Fest’ was the silly little snowball fight thread. As Robotic_Icy said, “What is winter without a good snow ball fight?” Oh how true Icy, oh how true!

One can even gain points to proudly show off how one dominates the field! There may even be trivia to get points with one’s smarts. Icy even mentions the possibility of events and prizes! How exciting!

Another corner of winter fest holds an auction! For those who donate to help fun this little slice of wintry goodness, you get tickets dependent on the value of their donation. “What do I get?” you might ask. Well a Secret Santa present, that’s what! So be sure to contribute and have some fun in Christmas spirit.

Also, who doesn’t like art contests? Well, that’s just another great thing about The Winter Fest. There is a thread within this Winter Fest called “Draw Icy”. Everyone loves art especially Icy! There are prizes for those who give it a shot and are best! Another shot at gold? Count me in!

For the general thought of winter fest, it seems welcoming and looks to guarantee some fun. Though lacking on the amount of threads that may change once more people are assured in. I, for one, am looking forward to the many opportunities to come out with some extra gold in my virtual pockets and hope to meet some new friends in the process!

Sell them to me and make yourself rich!

Aged Gaians 18 and UP Guild

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Men’s Fashion We asked Gaian men to tell us their top 5 items this year!

Chaos Beaver: 1. My Angelic Pendant, tis so smexy and awesome.

2. Nitemare Scarf, there is no questioning why.

3. G Corp Zombie Shirt, tis an awesome and an item few wear.

4. Black Musketeer Hat, my headgear of choice.

5. Chain Wallet, so small yet so stylish. ^_ DRosefang: The most fashionbale man is the one who loves the evoloution trands and theses 5 are the cheapest 1. Green Corallus Egg 2. The Experiment 3. Gro-gain 4. Coocoon 5. Titan’s legacy

Uriel Ledon: I have many favorite items that I like for different reasons, but I’m going to narrow it down to one item in particular. Ironically, it’s an item I don’t own, nor have I come up with any sort of brilliant dream avatar that could use it. The item is Overgrown Ruins, the main form that is a full background. Visually, I find this item stunning. It isn’t just some background that looks good for matching. I actually can’t find any items to match it due to it’s overwhelming level of epic-ness. It’s a beautiful piece of art, as far as I’m concerned. Ancient ruins surround the avatar, along with shadows of the past, reminding us of humans’ faults. However, behind us we see light shining in from the distance, penetrating darkness and invoking an aura of mystery in the tree-dotted horizon. This ancient gateway invokes hundreds of questions: What sort of civilization lived here; what could have destroyed this beauty; do we leave behind these shadows, or take them with us into the bright future? One can see how I had trouble making an avatar that could fit in with such an item without stealing attention from the wonderful surroundings.

Also, 2) Checkmate Void 3) Compass of Seidh 4) Midnight Kei 5) Checkered Remorse

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ManateeMan: 1. Angelic pendant - if only because it represents the hard work of questing to me.

2. A facial scar of some sort (my current fav is Zhivago’s) 3. Kuro’s Induction - you get a weapon and eyes that just say “I’m a boss, deal with it.”

4. Thief of dreams - it can make an outfit with it’s hair giving certain eyes a very determined look.

5. Giacomo - it’s hair will always add a certain flare.

Daft Combobulation: my faves at the moment: 1. Dangerous Denim - I love anything denim. makes the avi look casual and nice.

2. Kuro’s Indiction - who doesn’t like those eyes?

3. Poltergeist Priest Talisman (Pin) - Adds a nice detail to almost all “dressy” type shirts.

4. Lovely Genie Double Silver Earrings - I’ve always worn them ever since I started.

5. Scar of Warrior - useful when the face looks too plain.

Shirotenshi Kuro: 1) Fallen wish: Dragon Spikes hair adds a hint of mystery while at the same time making you look like every anime character since creation.

2) Black Those 70’s pants: I have yet to find a pair of pants that both sag and keep your avatar’s delicates concealed... until I found those pants...

3) Warlock School (any color): Perfect shirt combo that comes with a cape and glasses...worth the buy if you have the money.

4) Romani Glasses: Avatar art...’nuff said.

5) Deejay’s Pants: Seriously, what guy doesn’t want Chun-Li hanging on their shoulder?!

_electric_phoenix_: o.o I say my top 5 are 1. Fallen Wish Any Gen (first thing I bought in gaia, o.o back in like 2006-7) 2. Checkered Nightmare (gotta love that black and white xD) 3. Sad Pig Boy (the shirt is just awesome) 4. Bunnepidemic (everyone can use a bunny xD) 5. Team Ian and Rufus Pennant (because I knew they were gonna win)

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Men’s Fashion(cont.)

Nintendo Freak 32: Man, this really shouldn’t be hard for a dude... but it is...

1) Lyndexer’s Journal: This item is really flexible for me, especially when I’m going for an old- fashioned look. The brown goggles, rifle, and bayonet that come in it are my personal favorites. Truly an item of elegance and manliness.

2) Antique Shop: Most of my outfits are centered around it. It’s good for old-fashioned and elegant looks with a hint of manliness, although it looks great on girls too.

3) Corroded Apocaripped Work Gloves: I just like fingerless gloves. They’re cool looking.

4) Archangel’s Blade: This was the first cash shop item I ever bought. It was the best thing ever to me back then and it made my newbie wardrobe look awesome.

5) Long-Stem Red Rose: I almost always use this as the focal point for my avatar, but for entertainment’s sake, let’s say it’s for the ladies.

Mathew Mii: Bad Moon- This was the first item that I bought with a value higher than 100K thanks to the many crews I went with on Papa Saw runs. Not only that I have a good selection of wolves to chose from, but there are other parts that can be used such as tails, hair styles, paws, claws, and fangs. Because I bought this wonderful item, I gained confidence to pursue for more items similar to this.

Infernal Spirit- An item for anyone going for a truly evil-looking and flaring avatar! It has a nice selection of armor pieces that will look good for aspiring warriors, too. My favorite parts are the tattoo and the loin cloth.

Warrior of the North- Another great item for warriors if you want an avatar that doesn’t look so cheap. I dig every part of this miniature set, especially the loincloth.

White Drome Egg- When I was a kid before getting into Pokemon, I loved dinosaurs. Today, I’m still fascinated by them, especially the feathered ones. Therefore, this item came to my attention. With this item, I can be full or part feathered raptor and ride one! Just hope it doesn’t get hungry...

Lizardman- A must for anyone dressing up as a reptailian creature or a bird. I like the feet to make these kind of avatars possible.

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OrionDeltaOmega: Some of my favorite items are Compass of Seidh, Lumiere Noire, Reve Rouille, Infernal Spirit, and Death Whisper!

Aeri Tyaelaria: -The Ringmaster (doll) -The Ringmaster -The Dark Ringmaster -Ancient Katana -Demon Horns I really want to get the doll like twice and the horns ;D Lol.

TDA_Dashin_Sentient: I would recommend a Cig, a Dashing Gentleman Onyx Tie, a Black Sweetheart Silk Top Hat, Silent Night Ranking Uniform, and Black Magic Boots.

iRoark: Alright... Let’s see...

Chyaku Norisu Scarf is number one. Fremere’s Guard and Grunny come in at second and third.

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“Chatterbox is talking” Fayrouza Journalist

We all have an unspoken love-hate relationship with the infamous Chatterbox of Gaia – Even if you’re a frivolous GDer, like me – Come on, admit it!

So one day, I decided to chance my luck with the people of the Chatterbox. I was way out of my comfort zone – To me, CB is alien territory! I felt like it was my first time at an amusement park! But nevertheless, out of being utterly ridiculous, I asked some chatterers there a few questions about this strange forum, and have come up with a guide for you.

Here are some instructions, please follow them to the letter. Otherwise, you may be eaten by trolls:

1.Don’t even think about being serious. No one takes anything seriously in CB lands.

2. Be ready to read the most intimate details of someone you don’t even know. It’s best to leave your fear and shock outside!

3. Don’t be surprised when you get an anonymous message…

4. Marriage propositions are not taken seriously here, either, so don’t worry about your wedding outfit just yet.

5. Stalkers are real in CB – Online stalking, that is.

Despite my fear of the infamous mosh-pit of random, I did enjoy my stay. Here, being random isn’t looked down on; you can act like a lunatic and there will be no trouble fitting in; you can say whatever you like and you’ll always find followers, no matter what.

On my tour in the Chatterbox I managed to interview a few regulars. They told me about their experiences and thoughts on this maniacal place.

How long have you been in the CB? Lexical Gap Linguist: “About a year or so.”

Lex Bruixes: “I’m not exactly sure because when I first started, I remember posting in the music forum a lot. I would browse CB too, though. Since I started in ’04, I guess I’ve always had some sort of attraction towards the CB. It’s just a bunch of nonsense and kinda laid back.”

Ninjamusicprincess: “Ever since I first started in ’09.”

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How did you become a CB regular?

Lex Bruixes: “I just keep coming and posting regularly. Then I stop for a while, but for some reason I keep coming back!”

Siesta Fiesta: “I became a CB regular the same way as everyone else does: I post a lot. Probably too much, to be honest!”

What attracts you to the CB Forum?

Ninjamusicprincess: “The stupidity and randomness of the people here.”

Les Bruixes: “People’s sense of humor. They just make me laugh. There’s also a whole bunch of really sweet people on here – I love nice people.”

Siesta Fiesta: “I’d have to say that the people in CB attract me the most; once you get past their scaly exterior, they’re actually very nice… for the most part!”

What kinds of topics do you see most?

Siesta Fiesta: “I hate misleading giveaway topics, and there are so many of them! But there are a lot of good topics pretty regularly.”

Ninjamusicprincess: “There are some horrible hacking threads – But sometimes you get free art threads, which are nice.”

Sharing information in the CB Lexical Gap Linguist: “I’m not too worried. But I don’t even go by my real name in real life, so that doesn’t say much.”

Ninjamusicprincess: “It’s the CB. Either you have the guts or you don’t. I guess I’m halfway there…”

Les Bruixes: “I’d rather not let anyone know about personal things unless they are a close CB friend. Very few people know my real name let alone things about my personal life. I know there are CBers who like to post very personal things, but I just can’t.”

I really enjoyed my visit to the CB, and have met some nice people through this little escapade and interview. Who knows, maybe I’ll even come back sometime…

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HAVE YOU NOTICED?!

Previous GOM Magazines were snuck on the magazine counter in Gaia’s 2k11 Halloween Event. Thank you Gaia! *picture supplied by Meia15, GOM’s Vice Captain.

Been to the admin’s pages recently? 33 new housing items were given to users free from the admins through little Diedrich icons! Check out the Granted Items thread by Gaian user Mioure for more information on how to get your own free item grants! *Special thanks to GOM reader GuinAoiichi!

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The first 6 lamps for Gaia’s Christmas Event lamps emphasized the different days in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.

We maybe totally Gaia-geeks, but we thought the intricate effort put into these lamp posts was amazing!

“3 French Hens” MissingIn-Action! :O

Day 1’s “Partridge” looks pretty happy dispite the lamp not being in a “pear tree”

One of the “4 calling birds” steals day 5’s “golden ring”!

Day 6 has the brightest star because that was the day Gaia released the 2k11 Christmas Event!

“6 geese a-laying” GET IT?

Steady progression of decorations

Grab This is a Booty Grab thread with lots of great tanks and contests! Come join the fun!

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Scullylam Guest Writer

Deep within the Deadman’s Pass, lies a secret cavern, full of intrigue and adventure. Dust off those ring boxes and steady your nerves to courageously venture into zOMG!’s latest update, Deadman’s Shadow (DMS).

Within this new area players can test their bravery and resolve to collect Shadow Orbs; curious orbs that allow them to level past the previous limit of 10.0 and up to a new one of 12.0, as players must do battle with the relentless hordes of vampires and werewolves dwelling in the cavernous depths.

DMS hides such mystery that the cave’s entrance was unknown... until now. Within Deadman’s Pass, if you explore the twisted path beyond the stairs and trek to where one would find Stoccie, there is a locked gate. But to add to the curiosity, the Von Helson twins await you at this gate. Why? Why would they be out in this cold, dark area? They tell you that something festers within the cave and only you can help them. These “damsels” in distress may only want your attention, but it is an offer you cannot refuse. Adding to this twist of fate, you realize that you are not allowed passage without a payment of blood. To embark on this new adventure you must find one of two peculiar objects, a Bloodstone Amulet or a Bloodstone Gem. With one of these artifacts in your possession the gate into the abyss swings open allowing you entry. However, without a crew your stay may not be long.

It is unknown where these tokens come from, but so many unanswered questions strike you when you start your quest for one of the items. What are they? What is their purpose? And why are they called “Bloodstone”? All that matters is that they grant you unlimited access to DMS. To find a Bloodstone Amulet or Bloodstone Gem, first search for them in the marketplace. The Amulet is a rarity and will only be found there. The Bloodstone Gem is widely available, it may be purchased with Gaia Cash from the glittering twins of the Cash Shop or from Nicolae, his in-game store. There is no telling if the story evolving around these will come to fruition, but once used for entry, one will bind itself to you. If you cannot obtain either Bloodstone, there is a chance you may enter DMS, but only with a great deal of patience.

Your daily experience on Gaia may not be limited to zOMG!, but a visit to the zOMG! Forum may be worth your time. If you have noticed, there is a community bar above the forum threads listings. This bar, when filled entirely will grant everyone access to DMS for three days slowly draining the bar once again. But, how can you help to gain entrance to Deadman’s Shadow when you do not own a Bloodstone? Simple! There are quite a few ways: First, post in the zOMG! Forum. Second, keep playing zOMG! Third, invite friends and others to check out “zomg.com” and even the game itself. And fourth, purchase needed powerups and zOMG items from the Cash Shop. It does seem as though this may be tricky to complete. You may have told friends about zOMG! or even tweeted about it. But any little thing you can do to help unlock the gate for all is a success to be shared.

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As you ready for your adventure into the unknown, there are some things you may need to know. There is a chance of dazing within DMS. You may be scared and unsure at first as you enter the spacious cave. You hear the music playing, look about, seeing the enemies nearby are vampires and werewolves. Surely if these villains are all that you will come across, you may be able to survive. With a steady crew prepared, you travel deeper into the caverns, searching rooms that have a yellow glow from the torches. It is as if you are in a maze, which you cannot tell how far you have explored. The map system in the PDA is useless and it is a challenge to make sure everyone stays together. Even so, there is a chance of taking a wrong turn, or returning once you came. If you do take the right path, you will go farther into this labyrinth, where the light dancing off the cold rock walls are green and a greater amount of monsters will show their face, at the ready to pounce.

For every twist and turn, you may stumble upon a creature that is so adorable, you will realize at the very last breath or pant, it is a hungry evil monster. This is the case with the Blood Bat. If looks could kill, this vermin will do so within three seconds. Its red body, flapping wings, uber cuteness that sucks you in... This bat wants to daze you as soon as you set foot into the cavern which it slumbers. On top of that, you may encounter countless Big Dog and Night Fright on this journey. Just like the labyrinth of caverns, the monsters in the awaiting darkness change. If your team survives these areas, there are others that will welcome you upon arrival.

But only the mistress of the underworld will be glad to see your smiling face, turn into a frown.

Is there a way to protect one’s self from these enemies and to survive the darkness? There are some things to consider, but also keep in mind all the information that is available in the zOMG! Forum as well. For starters, crowd control rings can improve the duration of your adventure. Duct Tape and Scaredy Cat are the two main ones used at the moment, allowing you to limit the number of foes faced at a given time by suppressing and scaring those you wish to not fight.

Health is your friend and any way to bolster it is a plus. Rings such as Meat and Bandage work for selfhelp and Wish is good for crew use.

Debuffs to reduce the enemy’s attack power are very helpful in your adventure. Rings such as Adrenaline and Knife Sharpen tend to be staples, but even Hunter’s Bow provides a foot speed debuff while allowing enemies to be lured one at a time from long range.

Powerups, may not be needed, but are helpful based on gameplay. The use of powerups will vary from player to player, but the main type you should carry is Revive. This potion is able to bring you back from a dazed state without making the long trek from the Null Chamber. Ghi Amps allow you to boost both your offense and healing powers to 150% of normal, making your attacks all the more potent in a tough jam. Superchargers can provide a quick and often needed health and stamina burst in a pinch.

With this advice, surely the sweet taste of daze will not falter you and your crew as you enjoy your stay in Deadman’s Shadow. Oh, and there is one more thing... However… It is unknown. Lurking in the shadows, there is a mysterious creature. It has not been seen, and for all we know, it could be Marshall playing mind games on everyone. But if you wear the Solar Rays ring, you will be safe from this unknown horror. Be it Diedrich quietly plotting everyone’s demise, the Zurg knowing the end of all Gaia, or especially Marshall, following us, stalking us as the prey that we are... wear this ring for protection. For you will never know what may happen within DMS.

Whether your excursion is long or short, there are great rewards to be found in Deadman’s Shadow.

Be they satisfaction, new loot, epic recipes, a challenge, or an extreme time killer; adventuring in Deadman’s Shadow is not for the faint of heart or the impatient. Good luck and safe journeys!

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3 questions It may be a little out of season, however, we were curious - How do Gaian users plan on spending their Halloween? So we asked users a few weeks before Halloween started with the questions: 1. Halloween is coming up fast! What are your plans for that hallowed evening? Are you going to go out and get some free candy, or party it up with your friends.

2. What’s the scariest thing that has happened to you?

3. What are you most afraid of?

The Masked Defender: 1. I honestly have no clue, I have classes that day, but you can never argue with free candy.

2. My life isn’t all that adventurous, well... Scratch that, now that I think about it. I was hanging out with good family friends one day, me and their son went hiking into the mountain/forest area. I was standing on a ledge debating on leaping across to the rock island thing few feet from me. I took a few steps back and went for a slight jog to jump. Right when I was about to jump, A Buzzard flew upwards out of the gap. It was close enough for me to grab his feathers, but Nothing like seeing a big bird come out of no where. I still leaped across though.

3. This may sound, well little childish, but I am afraid of that doll Chuckie. I know, I know, It’s just a doll in a movie. But when the movie came out, I had a “My Buddy” Doll. My sisters thought it would be a great prank to tape a knife in his hand and set him by my window as I sleep. I woke up, seen the doll, and screamed like a girl as I took off running. Never really got over that fear, but I just tense up and move on when I see him.

ReneeDeLaGee: 1.We don’t celbrate Halloween in Belgium like that, but we particpate in halloween promenades. People set up scary scenes and scare us ^^ 2. Being home alone DX 3. Flies ~ I really hate those freaky bugs

Katyasha_fox: 1. Not much I’m staying home and watching movies.

2. Losing my cat, she died of old age and I was scared, sad, and upset.

3. Frogs don’t ask I just don’t like them.

Odd Cinderella: 1. It’s a school night. So, no. =_=;;; 2. I almost got kissed by my mother’s ex boyfriend...

3. Heights and insects.

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Ubie Boobie: 1. Well, there are a lot of parties I know of the day before, but you’re never too old to go trick or treating! I’m gonna dress up and go rake in some candy!

2. Breaking a bone, it is awful! I cried for like an hour.

3. Being home alone, June Bugs, and the dark (don’t laugh at me)

KupoWrath: 1. I do believe I’m going to get kidnapped and taken to Waco, Texas. I definately won’t be working, just on the off chance a customer came in dressed a zombie. I wouldn’t want to bash someones skull in.

2. Me and my friends decided it would be cool and fun to stay in a cemetery overnight last halloween. I’m not sure if it really happened, or we (and the alcohol) envisioned it there, but we had so many ghost encounters, my friend pissed her pants, and one dissapeared. (We found him the next day, cuddling with a tree.)

3. Zombies. Any Zombies. Anywhere. Just Zombies. Oh.. and Bugs too I guess.

Jackie the Pumpkin: 1. We dont really celebrate halloween in my country so it’s kinda boring here, but me and my sister spice it up with our own Halloween party we have done it EVERY halloween we will do it until we are broke >w< Ps. Halloween is my favorite holiday EVER! 2. When I was kid I almost got hit by snow truck, i had to jump into ditch to avoid it and i got hit by huge chunk of ice and snow it really hurt ;-; 3. It’s funny but I’m really afraid of big trucks, with or without drivers I just cant stand them. What makes it funny is that I also like them because those are so big. It doesnt make sense does it ._.

brewers6655: 1. Well... I hope to trick or treat.. BUT it all depends on when my grandma dies... if she dies right before Halloween I will be at a funeral that day... How funny actually... At a cemetery on Halloween...

2. Living Life day to day alone...

3. Spiders, Christmas Trees, and Ovens.

bethshell: 1. I’ll probably hang out with my friends and I might dress up.

2. The scariest thing that’s happened to me was seeing red glowing eyes in a tree on Halloween night.

3. I am petrified of spiders.

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3 questions(cont)

Nymph of Spring: 1. My 21st birthday is 12 days after Halloween; in fact, I was supposed to be born on Halloween, but I was over-due.. So, I think I will try and party. We’ll see.

2. I would have to say the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me would be having to get stitches.. I fell on glass when I was 8 and sliced part of my leg/bottom and had to get 25-30 stitches.. Hurt like mother goose.

3. Spiders.. No question!

Psychotic Dementia: 1. Halloween still isn’t real big here in Australia (I’m American born N raised), but it has been and always will be my favorite holiday.

I usually stay home and hope for trick-or-treaters dressed in my costume to scare. smilies/icon_wink.gif I think if I keep doing this every year, I’ll finally set a trend in this town.

2. When we were kids, we knew the people that ‘treated’ us.

I remember this one house we went to, the guy was the town dentist. He looked quite ‘mad’ that day. He told us this really scary story about kids that were coming up missing (this was after he treated us). At the end of the story he said we were next and started chasing us.....we were soooo scared. LOL We were still quite shaken after we’d gotten home.....only to find that he gave us a toothbrush and toothpaste for our treats. LOL LOL LOL 3. I guess that would be a toss-up between heights and spiders.

Now days, nothing really scares me much anymore. Not even my horror movies *sighs*

Scrribble: 1. Im gonna be doing a ton this Halloween weekend. First, I’ll be dressed up for work. We’re doing a Halloween Celebration and all the staff is going to be dressed up. Then I’m headed up to Maryland to visit my cousin’s college campus and maybe catch a few Halloween parties up there. Then on Halloween night, I’m trick-or-treating with my baby cousin. C: 2. I was 8 or 9 and my brother made me watch Vampire Hunter D with him. I was already scared of “monsters” and whatnot back then, so it scarred me for life. I still haven’t gone back to watch it to this day. xD 3. Scary movies. o.o; I get very paranoid and cant sleep after seeing one, but all of my friends insist on forcing me to watch them. D:

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sariyah_sitar: 1. I considered dressing up as Sam from Trick’r Treat and go get candy, but I know I’m just going to be stuck giving out candy instead. No one I know is really having a holiday bash, since my best friend is getting married next month or so and we’re all busy helping make it special. I dun like going to parties where I’m on my own.

2. The one most people are probably tired of hearing from me is when I was in 8th grade and a new friend prank-called me pretending she was being kidnapped, by a character I created for a story. She was realistic enough that I was about to call police and didn’t talk to her for a couple weeks afterwards.

Funny enough, we’re still best friends!

3. Probably being vulnerable. I have a Live-and-Let-Live policy that ends where my comfort zone begins. Yeah, likely my biggest fear since I habitually check the locks while I’m home, something my mom jokingly calls my OCD

Meia15: 1. Probably meet up with my friends and party since my birthday is the day after, then go out for a little to trick or treat.

2. Nothing really has happened. Well, not anything to make me scared shitless. One time though, I was at Ocean City with my friend’s family. We were at Assateague beach when it started thunderstorming. We were trying to leave when lightning started to strike. It was hitting the beaches and we almost got struck. So 14 people piled into a truck with 5 seats.

It was scary. xD 3. Crossing hanging bridges of any type. From actual hanging bridges in the forest, to those little rope tunnel things in the McDonalds play area, to the rope bridges in Port Discovery.

The instability and the thought of it braking and me falling scares me, and just the thought of crossing one makes me nervous as hell. ;A;

le c l o u d: 1. This halloween, I’ll probably get a maximum of like, two hours of sleep along with a huge headache from all the pot my friend will be smoking.

2. The scariest thing that has ever happened to me was kind of... paranormal. I was just about to go to sleep, when someone started yelling at me to get out. the voice was a really deep mans voice. So, I just sort of assumed it was my brother. iI slammed open my door to stick out my tongue at him, and all I got was this huge rush of freezing cold air. There were no guys in my house.

3. The thing that most frightens me is possibilities. The insane possibility of zombies scares me a lot. the trickling thought that maybe, just maybe walking down a dark street by myself at two in the morning is a really bad idea. and, that car that just passed? Totally a serial killer.

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3 questions(cont)

Shinigami-ANBU: 1. It depends, I’d love to go some wares with a friend and if not just stay home and give out candy to kids in costumes saying “twick-or-tweat”.

2. Trick or treating by myself to a house and some guy come up behind me with a Jason mask on setting off a chainsaw...

3. Home alone at night ;A;

Qyp: 1. In New Zealand... Halloween isn’t really celebrated with trick or treating... We do have costume parties I suppose. but that is about it.

2. Watching Pitch Black when I was 12-13... Then going outside in the dark and hearing the exact sound those weird alien bat things make... SERIOUSLY. I was like “OMG I AM GOING TO BE SLICED UP!” But nothing happened.

3. Falling over. Seriously... You would think I would have a better fear like “Zombies eating me” or something... but no... falling over or more tripping over scares me... I just imagine breaking my legs and arms... landing weird and having my arm somehow go through my chest...

Dante Alexander 1: 1. I think I may stay home and watch some Halloween stuff on TV. 2. A dog at my house broke his chain and chased my cousins and I. We ran into the bathroom and hid. Looking back, that was actually kinda funny.

3. Flying in airplanes. I don’t know why, but it freaks me out.

Nephthys Angel: 1. One of my friends is having a party the Saturday before it though so I’ll go to that wearing some form of costume I’ll throw together at the last minute, but other than that I doubt I’ll do anything specific.

2. hhh... haha, I’d just finished reading a book called The House on Hackman’s Hill in the dark and was staring up at the ceiling thinking about how scary it was when my cat pressed her cold nose against my hand which was hanging over the side of the bed. It scared the s**t out of me... This was back in the 3rd grade though so I guess its understandable? xD 3. Mm... I’m not fond of heights or spiders (daddy long-legs and the harmless ones don’t bother me but god help me if I see a black widow) But truthfully (and this sounds ridiculous) I’m terrified of driving. The fact that I’m expected to navigate a large hunk of metal/glass at high speeds scares the living hell out of me. I really really hope I get over it though.

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~Yuki~: We have a community Halloween even that I probably will be volunteering for. After that who knows.

I was driving back from town with a friend and a Moose darted from the trees. Lucky I was awake to yell at my friend to stop. We barely missed it, I had hysterical laughter for a couple days after.

I’m not terrified of zombies (I am afraid but not petrified) but heres an example that includes them.

If zombies attacked and their was little hope I’m afraid of that choice between kill myself or be killed. I don’t know how else to explain it :/

Fargomatic: 1. I’ll most likely be handing out candy in my trust old sombrero.

If not, I’ll be a zombie at this thing for school. :3 2. When I was five, I opened a closet and out crawled out the biggest spider I’d ever seen.

3. I am terrified of heights and public speaking.

Uriel Ledon: 1. I’ll be out roaming with my friends in the dark, maybe t-o-t-ing, but more likely just pranking here and there. I think I’ve finally hit the age where trick-or-treating is.... creepy.

2. When I was really little my mom and I went to a movie store to rent some VCR tapes to watch. So I was going to watch my movie in her room while she watched downstairs, but she mixed up the tapes and put in some rated R movie. I didn’t see the movie, but during the previews there was a commercial for some scary movie that I now know was Donnie Darko I think? Anyway, I saw that creepy rabbit in the mirror and was afraid of mirrors for the longest time.

3. Silverfish. Definitely silverfish. Those creepy little bugs are just... unnatural! They crawl around... they’re so fast. They can get on the walls or anywhere. *shivers* I hate those things. In fact I was just about to go to google to search a picture to link to for those of you who don’t know what they are, but as soon as I opened the tab I X’d out of it. O_O I don’t wanna see so many pictures of it all over my screen!!!

Miss Song: 1. I’ll probably go trick-or-treating with my sister. Or, I could be searching for candy with my friends if we decide to.

2. Hm, all I can think of is riding Medusa at Six Flags. The first drop was so long and high it feels like you’re just lying down on the cushion thingy. I was really freaked out.

3. Spiders. Ugh x__x

Kumi Uchiha: 1. Getting some free candy! Sadly here in my city the parties are always full of drama so sometimes someone is bound to get into a fight and get either seriously injured or killed.

2. There was a tornado right behind my house this summer! o.0 That June 1st tornado was random and now our city looks mad bright cuz of all the trees & houses missing!

3. Falling inside a manhole! I wont walk on them because Im paranoid about falling inside them! And also spiders! I freeze up when I see them!

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3 questions(part2) Woops! GOM had a little mix-up and posted 2 sets of 3 Questions forums. Instead of picking one set, we decided - why not put both?

These questions were asked back in the beginning of the year 1. Has 2011 been a good year so far on Gaia for you?

2. What have you been spending most of your time doing so far this year?

3. If you could tell Gaia to do one thing this year, what would it be and why?

Podium: 1. Its been a great year so far.

2. Ive been playing loads of xbox and gaia. Other than that im studying my face off.

3. I would tell them to hire me as an artist. Well, maybe thats not a good one.. I would tell gaia to bring back the Overseer, bigger and better than ever.

No One No Thing King: 1. So far, yes it has. Im looking forward to all the items and events yet to come.

2. RPing. Finally found a couple good, lasting ones to earn gold with.

3. Ease up on the GC items. Its hard tryin to earn GC or even have real money to buy it with for the constant influx of items needed to get them.

Sire Jaculate: 1. Alright I guess :) The MCs have been odd O,o [/been around since MoMo and the UFO] 2. Gaia-wise = Roleplaying, generally being epic win.

Life-wise = I’m in my final year of school, next step - college! so been prepping for that and getting coursework out of the way, revision n shiz... jeegus Hype-wise = NemaCon 2011~ Can’t wait~ 3. Please make more anime-related [/coughcoughhetaliaandonepiececough] cosplay items! we got so many Naruto ones and heck we even have more JJBA ones (not hating on JoJo. JJBA is epic).

Also, every tuesday should involve something revolving around FAJITAAAAAAAAAAAAS! [/shot for JJBATAS ref] also...FIX THE CAR ACHIEVEMENTS.

l ShishkaBerry l: 1. it’s been awesome! the case evolved! i can die happy now!

2. hanging out in Heaven, the best troll free forum on gaia! come check it out!

3. stop making so many blue/white/black/red items for a while! we have a serious shortage of other wonderful colors such as green, orange, yellow, brown, purple, etc. throw a dart at a hex code poster if you have to, just get some more variation in here!

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DehHiddenAngel: 1. I would say yes. Why? Mostly because I have been talking to some really cool friends and a few give me a reason to stay on Gaia and be on so much.

2. Role playing a bunch, but really just hanging out and talking and doing completely random things. ^.^ 3. I would tell them to make more contests for new items. I like looking at other peoples ideas and making my own. We need more stuff in items, and the contests is a good way to get people’s ideas onto Gaia and we can make our own items.

PukeFacedFreak: 1. Yes. I made some new friends and have started to try and expand my thread by hiring an artist! And my thread has been able to hold on to a popular rating!

2. Running my thread as well as bumping in others’. I actually started using my mule a little to chat.

3. Update guilds! Allow sub-forum tabs to turn orange when a new post is made. Sub-forums are extremely underused and I suspect it is partially because of this.

Davidicus Bellefonte: 1. Oh yeah, I’ve been busy, made a lot of new friends. Probably the most active on Gaia I’ve been in 7 years!

2. I’ve been questing! It’s a big quest I started last September.

3. The one thing that has been bothering me, is how the rest of the site improves, and yet guilds are the same as always.

The guilds need a new revamping. I don’t follow any devs and I don’t know if there is a plan to. But that is just my opinion.

Amensu Saje: 1. I strongly believe it has, yes.

2. I’ve become a very well-known Guild Moderator so I’m spending my time Moderating many of the large/popular guilds of Gaia. It’s been amazing. I’ve also been working in my guild, Gaia-zine Publishing, Inc. 3. I’d tell them to have more contests where the users of Gaia can win HUGE amounts of gold, or even a bunch of expensive items. This is for the mere fact that some users have a harder time earning gold than others, and that’s something that I’d really like to help with. My gold comes and goes so fast that I can’t just give people gold or items all the time, but if I were a millionaire on Gaia I’d be sure to give gold and items to people all over Gaia.

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3 questions part2 (cont)

Aranthera: 1. Heck yeah! Best year ever!

2. Not had to do anything cept what I love, PAINTING! And being on Gaia, but mostly painting.

3. To bring back the Easter Bunny for, well Easter and to bring the water balloon fight back this summer! It was the best event that I ever participated in here on Gaia!

shellsmachine: 1. No. The constant turmoil in my “home” forum, Gaia Aquarium, has been wear-ing and weary-ing.

2. Bootygrabbing, of course, and conversing/complaining about the aforementioned constant turmoil in GA. 3. Fix Bootygrab, which encompasses re-opening Phin Phang, repairing the various glitches to which the game seems prone (including the newest one in which players get shut out of games before the games are filled), refreshing the prizes granted from the fish drops, and perhaps stop blaming BG for the runaway inflation. Also make a Giant Stone Coatl item, ideally a plushie with an “I AM” pose. They are my favorite item *ever*, and I truly fear that when PP re-opens they will be as extinct as the dolphins.

Aijoran-hime: 1. Yea~ I’ve gotten a job and I’ve been able to get a lot of things I wanted and I’ve even tried Sushi for the first time!!!

2. When I’m not on Gaia, I’m usually working or trying something new with animation in flash. :3 3. MORE ZOMG!!! :’D I really am getting bored of going through the story with my mule accounts and spamming EB (end boss) and PS (papa saw). I’m also running out of mule accounts. D:

Seirya: 1. It’s actually been pretty good, thanks to people I’ve recently met. After an on-and-off history with Gaia, this year I’ve stuck it out, and I’ve been rewarded.

2. I’d have to say I’m now frequently found in the Exchange, since I’ve decided started 2 separate quests - one for Beastly Roses, and one for Commons. They’re my other primary occupation here.

I’ve also been thinking about reviving my old OC to roleplay with again.

3. Can we PLEASE have a(nother) cosplay-your-avatar competition? I actually have time on my hands now (lack of sewing machine aside), and would love to enter one. Or at least see how Gaia costumes translate into in real life.

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Hewo Kiddy: 1. ch’yeah, my avi art has been selling for 1 mil :) 2. ChatterBox, ChatterBox, ChatterBox. 3. Dear Gaia, pls remove sitting timer in towns, rally, virtual hollywood, ect. I promise not to abuse it again. ;~;

SilverTetsusaiga: 1. For the most part, yes. ^_^ 2. Mostly I have been Role Playing, here on Gaia, beside chatting with my friends and looking for new Role Playing partners. Plus coding profiles for some of my friends. ^_^ However, real life is a bit different. I’m learning to play guitar, so a lot of my offline time is spent practicing guitar or playing video games. ^_^ 3. I would ask Gaia to bring back or have more “Design an item” contests. I like seeing what people come up with for new items.

Also, possibly make it where you could do status posts like what’s on Facebook. I usually run out of space when putting stuff in my status, plus it’d be fun to have it where your friends could comment on your status. ^_^ Of course, that is just my opinion.

Adrienne Kwon: 1. So far yeah, I have been pretty busy moving around trying to get stationary somewhere. I’m pretty hyped up at all the events coming soon and I am always excited about whats new on Gaia: events, bundles, items, zOMG, etc.

2. zOMGing, If anyone hasn’t checked it out yet they definitely need to get involved. They have guilds if you want to play around experienced people, plus, they have the zOMG! (Gaia’s MMO) forum.

3. To make more Asian (not anime I mean real life and celebrity style) styled items and more Design An Item contests where the people vote for an new item coming out. I love getting involved.

demonspit: 1. On Gaia it’s always a fluctuating experience; there’s always going to be the good, the bad, and the ugly, but for the most part it’s been one hell of a ride. Who knows, maybe it shall get better with time.

2. This year is probably one of the most busiest years in my teenage life; College, Work, and Sleep basically take up my time, but i manage to slip into Gaia, just because i tend to draw the ambiance of inspiration out the many artists I’ve subscribed to :) 3. Gaia, please make a bank with interest, or something. i am really trying to get the horns of the demon, but every million i get, somehow find myself too sidetracked and with a cool item in my inventory. While this is okay, it makes the questing page pretty pointless. =___=;;

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3 questions part2 (cont)

-Anon Darkness1. I’ve been working a lot more now that I’m out of school. Its been REALLY stressful and not so good so far.

2. Working a lot and trying to spend more time with family.

3. Dear Gaia, how about having a contest for one of us lower beings in helping make an evolving item with you? (just wishful thinking) ;)

Radio Wiccan: 1. Yes it actually has! I am enjoying every second of high school and still have time for gaia!

2. Mostly Gaia XD I spend a lot of time here because its nice to sit around and just talk to people across the globe and get different points of view. It is also quite nice that Gaia has been adding new features that I find are useful, with the new bar at the bottom I no longer have to bounce between tabs because my FB chat is built right in and I find that very useful (now I never have to leave gaia...all we need is is some kind of twitter function and I will be set for life!)

3. RELEASE MORE REGULAR EVOLVING ITEMS!, the rapid ones just seem lack luster to me and seem to be a bit of a disappointed with the lack of poses and all...I really like how the traditional EIs DID have a scheduled evolutions and how they were abundant in the poses department...I also miss the plot behind the evolving item report, it was always nice to see what new things were happening in the world of Dr. Singh and Timmy....

Neko Jensran: 1. It has been a great year for me on Gaia so far, I believe it will just keep getting better and better.

2. I have been giving random people I see in Rally 10k-20k in Gaia Gold, and chatting with lots of other people.

3. I love Gaia! and I want to be a member of it forever! Also, I still give 10k to random people in random Rally’s.

Le Zephyr: 1. It has been an exceptional year so far. Life on Gaia goes on normally, with day to day happenings in a greater scheme of all things.

2. Chatting in some of the various threads I am a part of, all while figuring out ways to complete my quests and doing some hoarding to increase my capital.

3. I would personally love to see a year-long event that incorporates the main storyline into it, providing new opportunities to get involved with Gaia itself.

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Alltred: 1. On Gaia? Yeah, in the sense that I’ve learned a lot, and made a lot of things through gaia.

2. Musicals, School Band, Band, Makin my fro more awesome, and just chillin out. Maxin.

3. To make more RIGs more.. achievable. And to make things cost less. I hate the feeling of getting to a certain level of GG, like just hitting 100k, and then figuring out, that your not even HALF way there to being able to buy anything you want on the market.

A Mosaic Masterpiece: 1. I have been gone for a couple of weeks without Gaia, and when I returned, there is A LOT of changes on the site, from the trades to the homepage, so I have a lot of catching up to do, but as of now, it has been pretty good so far.

2. I have been ordering short stories, and meeting new friends online.

3. One thing I want Gaia to do this year is to spotlight this glamorous guild, because this guild deserves the spotlight for their hardwork and dedication, especially the Captains of the guild, Spring of Nymph & Admiral Lord Cochrane.

Demona_Darchanjel: 1. This year on Gaia has been ok for me, but with the economy the way it is it has been very difficult to get many of the nice items that have been debuted on Gaia this year.

2. The largest portion of my time this year other than sleep, has been the internet in the form of Facebook and streaming anime.

3. I’d like to see events on Gaia where you can earn new monthly collectibles and evolving or premium items. A good deal of us are having to pinch pennies, and seeing all these wonderful things we can’t afford or raise enough Gaia Gold for is disheartening.

Freckles4d37: 1. You bet! This year I have received some of the items I wanted through gifts, especially the Valentine’s Day event, and by myself.

I’m getting used to the changes they made to the site, and I pretty much like them.

2. My time? What time? Most of this so-called “time” is spent on school work and studying for exams. I can now understand why high school juniors hate the world sometimes. Things are just too competitive! I also spent the majority of my time performing at my school in drama and choir. However, most of this “time” is spent on Gaia or reading manga, or both at the same time.

3. Only one thing? I guess it would be to make the monthly collectibles a little more exciting. This year I have actually been buying quite a few, but I honestly don’t think I’m getting my money’s worth out of some of them. And then if I want to sell them, the market price is way too low and people want to trade for even less. Other than that, more fun events, perhaps?

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PROFILES

AVATARS

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Everybody lives

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Know of a guild, avatar, thread, ect. thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worthy of featuring?

Let us know!

RAWRTEMIS

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PETITIONS

GUILDS

THREADS/ARTSHOPS

CONTRIBUTED A Halloween Paragraph

submitted by GOM reader Aberdevine

I was walking home from school; I had just gotten back from soccer practice. Man did my team stink, sometimes I wondered if they just do this for extra credit.

Anyways I’m off subject let’s get back to the story. I was walking home, as I said and I heard this crinkling noise, footsteps and...It was just Kathryn or Kat as we call her.

“Don’t scare me like that Kat!” I gasped. She laughed. “Sorry, but it’s almost Halloween” “Who’s cares Kat? I hate Halloween.”

“Who’s HATES Halloween?!”

“Me.” We continued to walk down Sunset Lane. I finally got home and Kat said she wanted to stay over. I said sure without even stressing to call my mom. We went inside and got water, I realized I was still wearing my jersey after a while, and being as I am I was lazy to change.

Kat said, “Let’s go to the bathroom.”

“Why?” I responded.

“C’mon! You’ll see.”

So after a while I gave in and she told me a story, a rumour I called it, about Bloody Mary. This is how it goes: If you shut the lights off in the bathroom and say “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary,” she will appear in your mirror as she died in the Titanic. A guy Steven said that’s how his friend died, a bunch of baloney if you asked me. But Kat dared me and as idiotic as I am I never turn down a bet.

So we did it and slowly...we heard a whisper “You’ve have been making a bad decision!” And there she was.

We screamed!!! “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” I turned on the lights quickly and she disappeared. “Uhh, Kat let’s do something else,” I said fearfully, trembling, She nodded.

I don’t think I have ever left the lights off in the bathroom after being scarred.

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Moon Rise

submitted by GOM reader RaveBinx

Photograph

submitted by GOM reader Ezra

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CONTRIBUTED (cont) A Halloween Story

submitted by GOM reader Lowan Raekan

At first I didn’t think anything of it. After all, we’d been friends for quite some time; he wouldn’t hide something if it bothered him too much. But, he hadn’t left his house for over a month and he even refused to answer his phone. I decided to go to his house in person. When I arrived, something felt off; the windows of his house all had their curtains drawn and some even had wooden boards placed on the inside. I made my way to the front door, now more than a little worried. As I made my way through the concrete path, I noticed the unkempt state of the lawn. Tall grasses grew everywhere, along with gnarled weeds strewn near the path.

Their prickled leaves extending out across the pavement, as if to hamper my advance. I arrived at the front door. I pressed the doorbell, but there was no sound. I knocked, the sound echoed throughout the house but then returned to its eerie silence.

After a few moments, I decided to open the door. As my hand reached for the knob, I noticed deep scratch marks in the metal. My hand withdrew. Noticing the window nearest the door, I chose to look through, to check if I could see him within. After all, perhaps he fell asleep inside and simply couldn’t hear me. I peered through a small crack in the boards but I couldn’t see through the intense darkness. Only the faint outlines of furniture could be made out. Bracing my fear, I took hold of the door knob and turned. Too my surprise, it was unlocked. I pushed the door, but it jerked as it opened in. The light from outside poured into the home. Everything appeared normal save for a thin layer of dust on the table and sofa. I took a few steps in, towards the coffee table in the main room. Taking a quick glance at the assorted magazines and remotes placed upon it, I realized something. These were in the same position last time I had been here. They hadn’t been moved in at least a month. My eyes darted up as a cold chill ran down my spine.

I considered calling out for my friend, but a sense of fear and anxiety gripped my throat. Looking for him would be better, I thought to myself, then I could surprise him he’d probably enjoy that; I tried to justify my hesitation. Taking a quick glance around, something caught my eye; several punctures in the wall nearest the stairs. I moved to get a closer look and immediately regretted doing so. The carpet along the stairs had been disturbed, almost torn in several places, adorned with several small red stains. My eyes followed the stains up the stairs. At the top, silhouetted by the faint pale light shining through the drawn window, a figure stood.

Michael? Is that you? I asked my voice nearly cracking. The figure did not reply. C’mon Michael don’t try to fuck with me, I’m not in the mood, I tried again, my demeanor nearly able to mask how simply terrified I was. Still, it did not reply. I stood there in silence, staring at it for several moments. It felt like a small eternity that my eyes locked onto that shadowed face.

The silence broke. Not by speech, but by a simple sound like a faucet hadn’t been completely shut off; the simple drip of liquid upon liquid. The sound came from the figure before me. I noticed a small droplet leave the figures hands and fall to the floor. In that brief moment, against the ghostly light seeping in, I saw the true color of the liquid; a deep scarlet.

My eyes widened, breath shortened. Michael what the hell did you do! I screamed, failing all measures of calm I had attempted. The figure took solemn step down the stairs. The figure’s body came into full view. Its torso was covered in open wounds and scratch, highlighted by the seeping crimson slowly dripping upon the floor. I took a step back, nearly falling. My whole body shook. It took another step down the stairs. I tried to move further away, but no matter how hard I begged, my muscles wouldn’t move. Tears began to swell as my own limbs betrayed me.

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It took another step, and another until the figure’s face emerged into the light. I couldn’t help but hold my hand to my mouth, partially to prevent myself from throwing up. It was Michael alright. His eyes look to have been carved out, brutally, leaving reddened craters. His lips had been torn off, revealing a permanent smile of jagged broken teeth. Blood was flowing from everywhere on his face, but even so there was no mistaking it was Michael. All bodily inhibitions fled and I darted for the open door. He jumped from the stairs with inhuman speed and acrobatics and started after me. I sprinted as fast as I could but twisted figure caught up.

I only had enough time to grab the door before I felt knife-like punctures in my shoulder. It tore into my flesh and severed muscle. I felt the figure begin to pull on the leverage it had gained.

I screamed in agony as my pain receptors lit like fireworks. I looked back and it had its fingers in my shoulder and was puncturing its way to my shoulder blade, all the while baring the sickening hellish grin. I kicked and flailed wildly, but the more I struggled the deeper it went in. I pulled on the door, hoping I could pull myself outside but the things grip tightened. Its strength was too much; I could feel my grip upon the door slipping with even passing moment. In desperation I flung my leg as hard as I could in one final attempt to free myself. I felt a sickening crack as my foot connected to the thing’s lower jaw. In that moment I pulled with all my strength and propelled myself onto the front patio. Momentarily shocked by the success, I laid there, prone against the pavement. All too suddenly I was reminded of the situation. I jumped to my feet and reached to close the door. Before the door could close, the thing lodged its hands in the way, scraping violently at the door. I could feel it opening the door against my strength. I could see its decrepit face as it forced open the door; its soulless bleeding sockets both terrifying and mesmerizing me.

My arms slacked and the ting began to pry the door ever more forcefully. I snapped to my senses and pulled once more, this time closing it against its fingers. There was a crack then the fingers retreated back inside. I closed the door. I darted for my car. I fumbled for my keys, and in so doing, dropped them. As I reached for the keys I quickly looked back. Surprisingly, there was no sign of it. It made to no attempt to follow me.

I quickly grabbed my keys and got in the car. I decided to make one final glance before taking off and it was there, standing in the window, the boards destroyed. It simply stood there and smiled with what remained of its lips. I couldn’t hit the pedal fast enough.

Kakashi

submitted by GOM crew member Meia15

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CONTRIBUTED (cont) Article

submitted by GOM reader Inspirational Discharge

Every year I work at a haunted house for Halloween.

For about three years it was with this company called Las Vegas haunts and since 2008 I moved to working with Freakling Bro’s.

It was my third year working for them and Halloween night was in full swing. The crowds of people were MASSIVE and lines to enter the haunt were stretching out past the sidewalks that surrounded the complex. Needless to say it was a retardedly busy night but we pressed on hard. My co-worker and I were doing our normal routine of rude remarks, ticket eating, and blood spitting when I noticed there was a girl who was strangely timid to approach me.

Granted I’ve had a lot of scared little girls cry and scream and run before but this one was particularly interesting. She had this face of horror stricken fear wiped across as if she was preparing to be put through a slaughter house. She was anxious and, being the method actor I am, took right for her. I paced and snarled and spat and watched her the whole time. More and more she kept looking to her mother for an exit but the parent pushed her forward.

She reached me and I mutilated her tickets with my teeth giving them back in shreds and slobber. The girls eyes welled up and in the tiniest little voice I heard “I had nightmares about you.”

Little did she know our roaming character had his face right behind her and the moment she turned to see the face of a second clown not but an inch from her face she dropped.

BOOM!

The girl literally FAINTED and I laughed so hard I nearly pissed myself. The medic on hand took care of her and for the rest of the night everyone in line who saw the little trick did well to check their backs for a clowny sandwich.

Do you have something you’d like to show off to the Gaian community? Check out our Contributor System!

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A Charm & Zombie Grunny

submitted by GOM crew member neehole

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CONTRIBUTED (cont) Disappearing Poop

submitted by GOM reader IxITheDustKeeperIxI

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Tektek Contest

We asked GOM readers to design a Halloween tektek for this issue’s Tektek Contest. This issue’s winner walked away with not only her tektek drawn on this magazine’s front cover, but also with a big chunk of gold!

Check out the Tektek contest for your own chance to win big!

*Tokko title image belongs to its rightful orignal owners.

Chaos Beaver Journalist

Tokko… Tokko. Hi guys! This is your reviewer speaking and today we will be looking into the exciting world of TOKKO! WOO. Alright, this should be fun; so let us begin. Tokko is an Anime that starts out wonderful but towards the end trips so hard that it leaves a 5 foot deep crater in the earth. With that said, let us get to the meaty parts. Magical beginning, let’s go!

The story of the series is unique and interesting. It starts out as a kind of horror setting but quickly changes to more of an action based series which isn’t a bad thing at all. I find the normal human fairly amusing, even though he is playing nothing but a side-kick role; yeah…The main characters get powers and just show up trying not to be worthless. Apart from that, I can’t deny the importance he has in the story.

If one is to describe the series shortly, Tokko starts out fairly interesting with the characters. The main character, Ranmaru, starts out like any old Joe but is dragged into the story in an interesting and thought provoking way. While appearing to be a dull character at first, he gradually turns out to be a fairly interesting character as the story progresses. The side characters are all amusing and unique in each department. No one character is like another within the story and that is nice, though a lot of them follow a generic template of character’s often seen in Anime.

The action in Tokko is fun and interesting. It flows well and overall is entertaining to watch. That is always a good thing in action anime like this and it isn’t overly insane like other series. The power scaling is also fairly well done without a ridiculous power gap between characters, which is nice to see.

Though, Tokko has a huge flaw to it, a flaw that ruins it in my opinion, and that flaw is the ending. The series sets up this strong base of what is going to happen in the future. In fact the premise of the future is what makes the story so interesting but the ending just seems like it was slapped together at the last moment. Now this is a bit of a spoiler so if you don’t want to hear this just skip to the final paragraph.

The story basically says that a magic box is what is causing all these demons to flow into the world. Well in order to stop it they need to collect pieces of this box to reform the box and shut the gate that is letting all these demons in. Well each person in the group has a piece of the box inside them. This means that towards the end they have to logical kill each other and then themselves in order to seal the gate. An ending in which this occurred would be tragic but in the good sense. It would have been a well done tragic ending that would have inspired thoughts. Yet, the ending is nothing like that. It pretty much comes to the generic evil man appears, Kill evil man, the world is saved, kittens and rainbows… It doesn’t play off like how it was prescribed in the beginning by the given facts or what the information tells us about it, it just happens.

If it wasn’t for the terrible ending I would say Tokko isn’t a bad anime but this ending just knocks it down to below average. Every story needs a good ending. Some people say the ending doesn’t matter but it is what ties everything to together and wrap it all up and Tokko doesn’ t do that. But at least the opening is pretty catchy.

-Chaos Beaver

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Dear Admiral, I have been dating a wonderful guy for a little over a year. We met on Gaia and became good friends, then we started dating. The relationship is now getting to a new level. I am planning on visiting him for the summer. But lately, we have been on the topic of pregnancy. I don’t know if he understands the seriousness of this topic because he wants us to have a child when I come down.

I want to as well, but I don’t know if it would be best if this happened. Especially since both of us are still in college. I love him with all may heart and I want to have his child, just as he loves me with all his heart and wants me to carry his child.

But I don’t know if we should do this. I don’t know, nor does he, if our families will support us having a child while we are both still in school.

I know if it does happen, I am prepared to go to school and take care of the child. But I don’t know if he can juggle raising a child, work (he plans on joining the military if money gets too tight), or if it is even fair for our family to end up spending money becuase of us wanting to get pregnant. ~ Potentially Preggers.

This seems to be a popular topic these days, PP - so I’m glad you’ve written to me on the matter. I’ll start off by saying that no, it isn’t a good idea - and to think otherwise would be fool hardy. You both may love each other deeply and want to spend the rest of your lives together - but you’re young, and in love - an emotional state that puts you in a kind of hypnotism that makes you do the stupidest things for the most ridiculous of reasons. Heck, I once jumped off a hundred twenty five foot cliff to prove my love for a girl - just to lose her and gain a broken leg.

Let’s look at what your future would look like should you decide that you have to have a baby right away: First off, you’d have to drop out of school. I don’t care who you are or how determined a mindset you have.

Statistically speaking, you don’t stand an icicle’s chance in hell when it comes to trying to maintain a new family & your grade point average - especially if you don’t already have the money or living conditions to support not only yourselves, but a living, breathing infant.

Secondly, in order to support a comfortable lifestyle for the three of you, he’d have to currently hold a high paying full time job - and keep it while already having a significant amount of savings. From the sound of things, you two are poor starving college students who have absolutely no idea of what your futures hold, which if you ask me, is not in any way the ideal circumstance when thinking of bringing a new life into the world.

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Moving onto number three, you have to consider your families. Yes, it’s you two versus the world, but when it comes down to crunch time, all you have in this world is yourself and your family. That being said, are they going to support your having had a child out of wedlock? I somehow doubt it. They’d prefer you get married first - which is a horrible idea when still in college. You have your whole lives to get married and settle down.

Why not live life first?

Which brings me to my last point - your futures. Let’s be honest, do you really think you’ve lived all there is to live and have seen all that there is to be seen? Of course not - you’ve only just left the cocoon of teenagism and are entering into the world of adulthood. If you two want to spend the rest of your lives together, why not have lives worth living? When you get out of college, go see the world. Travel, fight for a cause, start a revolution.. whatever it is, go live your lives before creating a new one. Besides, don’t you want to be able to tell your children that you and their father did amazing things with your lives? To have stories and teachings to fill the head of your offspring? I’m going to guess that your answer like everyone else’s - would be ‘yes’.

So, overall - abstain from getting pregnant at the drop of a hat. Besides, it sounds as though you two have never actually met each other outside of the internet. Live a life together to see if things will work out before making such a large commitment. Remember: Youth is impulsive and fleeting - but children last forever. ~ Admiral Lord Cochrane

Need Advice? Check out Dear Admiral for more information!

Electricity- the home of the Eelian, a B/C pet shop.

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“Stuffed Emperor Penguins” Nom-Nom-Nomables

neehole Advertiser

Supplies:

Double Stuff Oreos Dark Chocolate Candy Melts White Chocolate Candy Melts Orange Candy Melts (or some kind of orange candy, such as gumdrops) Wax Paper 2 ziplock quart sized bags.

What to do:

1)Melt Dark Chocolate in a microwave. Stir the chocolate ever 30 seconds until completely melted.

2) Dip Oreos in chocolate and let them cool on a sheet of wax paper.

3) Melt White Chocolate (follow instructions from step 1) and put in a ziplock bag.

4) Cut corners of the bag and draw hearts on the Chocolate-Dipped Oreos.

5) Melt Orange Candy Melts (or cut Gumdrops or replacement candy) and follow step 3.

6) Cut corners of the bag and draw beaks, feet and crown.

7) Dab on Dark Chocolate for eyes. (or use mini chocolate chips!)

The Crown makes the penguins look like Gaia’s Emperor Penguin equip item!

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CREW INTERVIEWS Siorraidh Digital Graphics

CREW MEMBER OF THE ISSUE: NYMPH OF SPRING To begin let’s focus on your Gaian life. Can you recall what made you join this site in the first place?

I joined because I saw my cousins playing. Thought it was interesting and decided to give it a whirl. Back when you’re young, you copy everyone What was the most interesting aspect or activity for you, back then?

Shopping. I had to shop all the time. Until Fishing came out; then that’s all I did. I had friends who joined Gaia just to fish. It was funny.

How has your fashion sense evolved over the years?

I tend to stick with things that I can relate to my username. Back then, I was known as Pookiee so it was more of a cute-soft style. I didn’t know how to layer to save my life, I often wore every item I had (which back then wasnt a lot cause gold was SUPER hard to earn). Now I usually have a mill plus to fudge around with.. and I can dress myself in almost any color.

What is it like working in the magazine? How have things been since the captian and crew changes? Where do you see GOM in the near future?

Co-owning it is hard. Theres a lot more work than one person may think there is... so anyone who thinks Admiral and I just sit and boss people around are totally wrong. I spend hours adjusting things... redoing a lot of topics to bring them up to date, Admiral and I constantly talk about how production is going, where its going and how it can be improved. On the whole; I think since the Captain change happen things are better. No offense to Meji, but Admiral and I are more reliable in our online availability, and hopefully, with the way we’re running the show, GOM will be around for a long time.

Exciting! I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your time!

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Poems Robotic Nanners Journalist

I asked Gaians to write poetry for fun! These are some of the poetry that was submitted to me. Enjoy reading!

The Ledge submitted by Gaian xXxAutumnxLeafxXx Tis not upon this ledge I sit, But upon a stone Upon the ledge, Teetering blindly Between loneliness and the world I once knew Upon this stone, Upon this ledge, I feel of only three inches height.

When truly I am Only small Compared to the fall, But still great Compared to the nonexistant ant Upon this stone, Upon this ledge.

As this stone tips once to far, The ant clings, But I fall Into the darkness, Where the land’s black tears Run. Into a shimmering Engulfment of loneliness I fall, Wondering if my dark prince Will ever come to kiss me awake.

Untitled by Gaian the_ultimate_sekirei They stand there wondering what the hell happened To the world they knew when they were in the rapids The thrill, the adrenaline, their hearts start racing They keep going until they get tired of chasing Their wildest dreams Of fortune and fame Of being able to Treat everybody the same They each have their own ways Of getting to the top But when you live in a world like this You just might as well stop Before you get something You can barely even stand To keep the understanding of Walking hand in hand If you know what’s good for you, you might as well see That you will never be as wealthy, as wealthy as me So we sing to the songs of the damned as we run Into bloody fields of battle Giving all to our love So that they can live in this world Which is so full of hate and They cover it all up with What they think as duct tape But they lose all they are Our innocence is no more When we burn the bloody bodies in this Field full of gore Full of lies Full of hate Full of things we imitate When we go on believing There’s a God who wants us breathing But we’re killing ourselves and leaving everyone else To suffer the fate That we all just really hate So we’ll die.

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DETOX submitted by Gaian XxroseXredxX

A Rap? by Gaian babiesGame I’m the biggest baddest brightest tightest rapper, and the lightest as in whitest nicest guy with intelligent eyes relevant whys, and elegant mind celebrate life, well to hit thighs wet slicked, d**k dripping, for pursed lips fit in size, with no compromise and I tell no lie As no surprise I’m unbelievable attaining only the unachievable it’s unconceivable I’d spit lies or die from a placebo, please see a soul not a vacant hole of gold that breaks the mold, a story to be told luck on a dice roll ******** kills for the rice in the bowl nice to hold a name is the skys of old a true star pluto to mars rules; laws grew all a god tu pas who would of thought a new was fools in love blue odds put on the mud shoes off tools of blood cools nod pools of scrub who’s not you as above true ones

You are the parasite of my life.

An infectious, contagious disease.

A poison in my blood, swimming, multiplying.

A creep on my skin, leaving me tainted.

Injecting your views with a manipulative syringe.

A snake in the grass with hidden intentions.

A wolf in disguise and a true liar.

You’re a master of mayhem who can turn anyone’s life Upside-down in the blink of an eye.

I will rid myself of you, one way or another.

My smiles will be the cure to you.

My laughs will be the antidote to the virus you are.

I will purge my mind of everything about you.

I will detox my life of you and your negative ways.

I will fix all that you’ve destroyed.

My success will be the end of you.

Red As Blood by Gaian Warrior Maiden of Lucifer I sat alone in my domain My tears red as blood He had broken me And he promised never again I walked alone down the path My tears red as blood With a shattered heart Feeling no impulse to live I stood alone on the edge My tears red as blood Death’s sweet call bellowed And I jumped into its sweet sound I’m alone in Hell’s burning flames My tears red as blood All meaning was lost When he shattered my heart

“Teaching you how to make millions since 2004.”

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Poems(cont) To Be A Window (Inspired by Catcher in the Rye) by Gaian Preziosi Lover

Untitled submitted by Gaian xX_Emo_Mk_Xx There’s a sense of hollowness As I look around.

Darkness creeps on my brain And I accept it.

No one to go to Not a soul to trust; An out of body experience is what I feel when I walk the halls.

I see groups of girls and boys, Gathered around, gossiping as friends.

I yearn for the feeling: The feeling of acceptance.

I call for peers, Yet they mock me, and hide their faces.

Loneliness.

I want to be the window pane That hides the children’s fears I want to save them from corruption, And wipe away their tears.

I want to be the catcher The catcher in the rye, If kids never have to see the world They will never have to cry.

A window keeps the bad things out While you stay safe inside But the time you want to open it Is just for you to decide A window cannot stop the time It just keeps going on You never know what you really have Only till it’s gone.

Untitiled by Gaian babiesGame my genes are supreme transfered to my cream i’m a dream as a genome, the ultimate theme as a fee-nom the all mighty to be known every seed will be sown and the earth will be a green zone ladies will be callin me home no cutting trees now looking so sleak glowin i am no weak poet your a freak, show it times are looking bleak hobo s**t your obsolete i’m unique growing watch my free prose poem

Untitiled by Gaian babiesGame with my helix i feel tips real slick that deal big and figure higher steel and iron live for diein rigged for flying me on orion belt on smelt and chicks for guys on d**k arisein

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Minecraft - A Review Robotic Nanners Journalist

Many people have heard of the game “Minecraft”, a construction computer game created by Mojang AB. In the game you take the role of your avatar and you explore a vast world made of blocks. Each block is colored differently, representing resources such as: wood, dirt, coal, stones, and diamonds. The sole purpose if the game is, as the title suggests, to mine these resources and building whatever structure you want.

So while you might be thinking, “Is this game any good?”, you’ll have to take a little visit to the Minecraft website. Once there, you’ll note that about 4 Million people have purchased the game and about 18 Million people have registered with the company’s website. This game is highly popular - all around the world people enjoy playing it. I myself play this game and I got to say – it’s a really good game. You can have friends help you build a ten story high building, or maybe go deep into the earth looking for diamonds while fighting hordes of zombies and decaying skeletons - the possibilities are endless.

The current upgrades have made Minecraft more interesting as well as entertaining. This game is simply an adventure you are your friends are should be willing to have.

Before I forget, did I mention you get to slay a dragon? This game has challenges, one of them being able to defeat the “Enderdragon” which is surrounded by an army of “Enderman”. Do you have Minecraft already? If you do - let’s go slay some dragons and collect diamonds together, my friends.

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My GOM Experience Lewpy Von Cakes Journalist/Editor

Ah… My first day as Gaia Online Magazine Crew. I still remember it very clearly like it was yesterday.

It started as a normal day for me; came home from college, had lunch, and opened Gaia like normal, but that day was not the usual for me. I had received a very special letter from “Jimmy the Newsie” and the jubilation that followed, it was tremendous! The happiness increased ten-fold when the message finally loaded and it confirmed my job as a writer in GOM; ecstasy followed. I remember the first time I saw GOM’s work. It was a spotlight-er and the thought of a magazine just for Gaia really excited me. At once, I visited their guild and read their first magazine. It was ¬¬¬brilliant! From the writing to the graphics, all had such quality that I couldn’t help myself from trying to join their army. At first, I was denied a position. It really made me sad to lose such a prestigious moment and made me jealous of others that got past the “cut”, but this loss also gave me a reason to push myself into improving my grammar and increasing my vocabulary. This progress really helped me in school and on Gaia, and I finally evolved into the person I am. I thank GOM for that. I also want to thank a dear friend, who also played a key role in my evolution. Her name is Sarah, and although she has disappeared, she has left an imprint on my personality by making me a “Grammar Nazi”, as she was one herself.

My first day in GOM was quite exciting, and I met such quality people like Admiral and Nymph. They can be harsh at times, but they’re so helpful and generous once you get to know ‘em. Not to mention, if you’re not slacking on the job, they will give you a pat on the back, otherwise a boot to the “arse” to those who deserve it. For me, they are fine leaders who have given GOM a huge boost after Meji’s disappearance and have made GOM the star that it is today. They’re such adorable characters.

After the captains, the people that have made GOM a comfortable ride for me are Meia15 and Slothiiiey. Meia has been the main character in my GOM experience. She has been so nice and patient with me in my first days here. She has helped me in every step of the way, not to mention the kind of vocabulary she has to share is staggering. She is what I would like to call a “jack of all trades”; she knows not only how to write, but also draws so well and is the reason GOM is as colourful as it seems. The best of all, Meia is like a big sister. She introduced me into the GOM Crew, helped me whenever I needed it, and didn’t even complain (and I know she wanted to, but for some reason refrained, and for that I thank her). I have learned so much from her and hope that I can continue learning from her in the future. Next up, a person well worth mentioning in my experience is Slothykins. Even though I don’t remember her real name (which is a little embarrassing), she has also helped me evolve into this qualified writer I am today. She was the person, who after Meia, took care of me and instructed me through GOM and made GOM “less confusing”[pun intended], for which I thank her so.

There is so much to tell and so many people to thank, but this canvas is too small to describe my experience in this fine institution. I hope this small article makes them understand that they have helped me grow and made me realize this potential I have in the writing business. This article is sort of a “thank you” to the GOM heads and its crew for believing in me and my writing, and being patient with me in my younger days here and throughout this whole experience.

Until next time…. This is Lewpy Von Cakes signing off.

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An Eventful Year Nyx Avalon Journalist/Editor

Like most years, this one has just been chalk full of surprises. Not all surprises were good. This year is mostly marked with natural disasters, bloodshed, hopelessness and uprising. If we talk about natural disasters, mother natures’ horrifying anger first got to Pakistan this year, with the floods that hit the province of Sindh and some areas of Punjab, destroying everything and displacing everybody leaving them homeless, hungry and alone. The world was still coping with that disaster the foul weather hit Japan in March followed which affected that region very badly and stunned us all, followed by an aftershock in April.

Shortly after the Japanese disaster came an American one as we got hit in the south by 137 tornadoes.

The worst hit was Alabama, only to come around again in the next month with flooding and the tornado in Joplin, Missouri and each consecutive month The U.S. has seemed to be hit with some form of disaster which causes displacements of dozens of people and in some cases deaths. These were some of mother natures’ most horrifying handiworks we’ve seen this year. That’s not it, this year wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Middle Eastern uprising and the massacre that followed, not to mention “Occupy Wall-street” and this bit being my favorite too.

How does this relate to Gaia? One might ask for sure. Well, believe it or not; the Gaian family is in fact not confined but dispersed worldwide. This diversity is what makes us a family, what makes us bond together strongly and because of this bond we are emotionally connected. We cannot deny the fact that even though most of us haven’t seen each other; we still call each other as “Best friends” and compare them to our regular friends or even consider them better. This bond that we share is the sole reason; we care so much and want to help out in each and every way that is presented to us, the best example being the aid collected regarding Japans’ earthquake event.

I could go on and on and on about all the events I’ve seen. I’ve seen some good and some bad; mostly bad, actually so I count myself lucky that I didn’t face these horrid events. I know well that it could have been me somewhere facing the tornadoes alone or the earthquakes or the floods, and I to could have been swept away by a tornado or burned to a nice crisp toasty in a wild fire. Then this savvy writer would’ve gone missing and unable to report for duty.

In the end, I would like to thank all those people who helped raise money for Japan, America and Pakistan helping them stand up on their feet again and rise above the occasion. I also would like to show solidarity with those people who have lost some one dear to them or have lost their life’s’ work to these disasters. Let’s all thank for the things we’ve got this year and hope for a bright year ahead.

Cheers!

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