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You wanted 'em, you got 'em! I'm currently working out the details, but I can tell you there will be drawing and writing challenges so be thinking up ideas. One I can tell you about now is the pumpkin carving contest. Take a pic of your carved pumpkin (original designs please, don't use cut outs from catalogs) and turn it in by October 31st at midnight (AZ time). Yep, this contest runs all the way till Halloween, while others will end on the 28th so I can post entries and everyone can see them before the winners are revealed.

There WILL be alternative contests for those who do not celebrate Halloween. If you have a contest, please get the details together and we'll advertise them all on one page so everyone can find something to join. ALSO, if you are willing to draw artwork for winners or even just for anyone who wants something, let me know!

Have fun, play nice, be safe!

- Eve
Drawingnow.com
Moderator

Tags: Halloween Contests

Hello and Welcome to Did You Know #1.

Did you know:

• 1876

First African American to earn a doctorate degree: Edward Alexander Bouchet (Yale College Ph.D., physics; also first African American to graduate from Yale, 1874)

• 1885

First African-American woman to hold a patent: Sarah E. Goode, for the cabinet bed, Chicago, Illinois

• 1901

First African American invited to dine at the White House: Booker T. Washington

Washington in 1901 was the first African-American ever invited to the White House as the guest of President Theodore Roosevelt.

• 1903

First Broadway musical written by African Americans, and the first to star African Americans: In Dahomey

First woman to found and become president of a bank: Maggie L. Walker, St. Luke Penny Savings Bank (since 1930 the Consolidated Bank & Trust Company), Richmond, Virginia

• 1926

First African-American woman to receive a degree (Ph.D.) from Yale University: Otelia Cromwell, who had previously been the first African-American graduate of Smith College.

· 1950

First African-American star of a network television show: Ethel Waters, Beulah

· 1956

First African-American male star of a network television show: Nat King Cole, The Nat King Cole Show

• 1960

First African-American US presidential candidate: Rev. Clennon King, on the Independent Afro-American party

• 1990

First elected African-American governor: Douglas Wilder (Democrat; Virginia)

• 1917

First African-American woman to win a major sports title: Lucy Diggs Slowe, American Tennis Association

• 1956

First African-American Wimbledon tennis champion: Althea Gibson (doubles, with Englishwoman Angela Buxton); also first African American to win a Grand Slam event (French Open).

· 2009

Disney is adding its first African-American princess to the Disney Princess franchise.
"USA Today" reports Princess Tiana is slated to make her big screen debut later this year in the animated musical "The Princess and the Frog."
She will be the first princess introduced by Disney since 1998's Mulan

Tags: Black History Month

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! Listen closely for I have something important to tell you all, concerning concerns that have been brought up recently.

Question: Are there pedophiles (otherwise known as creepy child predators) on the internet?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Even here?

Answer: Maybe.

Question: Why aren't you freaking out?

Answer: Listen carefully. There are and always have been predators. This is why your photos get deleted when you upload them and you have screen names instead of using your real name. Now, you SHOULD NOT freak out and start hatign everone over 18 who joins this site.

Question: Why not?

Answer: First of all, predators are at every age. I grew up in a neighborhood where two grade-school girls kidnapped a little boy and dressed him up like a baby. It almost sounds innocent, but they held someone against that person's will and forced that person to dress andundress as they wanted. There are predators at ALL ages. However, you can't freak out and not trust anyone because that's almost as bad as the Stranger Danger campaign- which actualy increased violence against children.

Question: So... what should we do?

Answer: First of all, you should follow a few basic rules if you're under 18. Here they are: Never give your name to anyone. If you want people to call you something other than your screen name then you should tell them a nickname. Rule number 2: Never EVER give out your phone number. Why? Well, anyone can get your adress from your phone number. Do not post your number ANYWHERE. No name, phone number, adress, or school. If you talk about stores near you, speak only about chain stores.

Let me tell you why. If you post your number somewhere, it can and will be seen by anyone- even invible hackers lurking around. Predators can talk to people and develope a relationship in their head. They'll remember every detail you give them, and even make their own imaginary world where you love them. If you tell them what state you live in you're pretty safe if that is all thy know. But if you tell them your school they may come down and sit in front of it. I do NOT want to scare anyone, but I do want you to understand that there are sick, disgusting, disturbing people around and you need to be safe.

Rule 3, no pictures. Ever. For the same reason as above. If you want to put a picture up, and you must, then only a headshot and use it as your user Icon (otherwise known as your Profile Picture) instead of posting it everywhere on your profile and in your gallery.

Rule 4: Do not meet people you only know online. Trust me. Predators can stalk hundreds of victims at a time so they're fine with spending a few years getting to earn your trust. Even if they show you pictures- which could be of friends' kids, past vitcims, their own family, or just random pics stolen off the internet- even if you call them (though that'd break rule number 1), do not trust them. You can often trust site owners of child-safe sites, but be extremely catious. Child-safe sites will not ask you for personal information such as your name, school, phone number, adress, picture, yadda yadda.

If you win one of my contests I sometimes have physical prized that need to be shipped. I'll ask for an adress, but I do not want your adress. I want you to find any adress where I can send the prize and it can be delivered to you by someone you trust.

Rule 5: If you ever do want to meet someone you met on the internet then you should have an adult with you. And I mean a legal guardian or parent, not older sibling. Do not think that you can just meet in a public place and be safe. Most parents are not going to embarass you while you meet your friends, they've got their own lives after all, and most friends totally understand how parents can be. Never meet someone you met online alone.

That's it. 5 rules. If you're in a chat room and you see somewone break these rules, warn them and if they do not listen then report them. I'd much rather they get banned instead of attacked. I had a friend once who subconciously (meaning she wasn't fully aware of it all the time)had the desire to be a victim. She loved drama ad I'm telling you now that it's 100% not worth it. It's not what you think it'll be like, it's not something you can just brush off, it's not goign to get you treated the way you think it will, it will just hurt you and after a few month you'll have everyone telling you to get over it, though most likely you will be too ashamed to tell anyone. Your entire world will become terrifying and you'll never be able to get close to people the same way again. So be safe!

Statement/question: Yeah, but I'm not afraid!

Answer: Good for you... except the predators are still there and by breaking the rules you're telling them to come here and see who else will break the rules. So you're creating victims.

Annoying question: Why should we listen to you?

Answer: Why should you listen to me? Because some very bad things happened to me while I was growing up. Even when I reached my tween years and thought I was strong enough to never let it happen again. Now as an adult, I've vowed to do everything in my power to make sure that what happened to me never happens to any kid under my protection. When you're on this site, I consider you under my protection as far as this site goes and hopefully you'll take my advice with you to your real life and to other sites.

Be safe, play nice, have fun.

-Eve

Moderator

DrawingNow.com

Tags: Predators Pedobear Child Danger Internet Security Warning Tips Advice

Tags: September 11th 91101

That's right. There is a bill going to congress that will mean all art without a copyright could be taken. It will be considered "Orphaned work," and anyone who wants it can use it for whatever they want.

Againt that? Of course! Sign this. http://www.petitiononline.com/dAvsOW/petition.html

Now, take a breath. If you watermark your art (noticably) and sign it, then it won't be orphaned as easily. Make sure your signature is clear. You may now want to give your full name, so you can use your screen name at this site. Meaning you would sign like made by: Fiery_Nightmare at drawingnow.com

Yes, sign the petition and spread the word, but don't panic too much okay? We know that taking art that you did not make and then using it for anything is wrong unless you contact the artist and get their written permission. Make sure the world knows you are against it, spread the word so people stop thinking it is okay!

Tags: Art Theft

Hello, my name is Eve, i am the moderator here at Drawingnow.com. Just hoping to remind everyone about their gallery. Unless you drew it, please do not post it in your gallery. I have seen people posting pictures in a picture slideshow so people can see their favorite pictures- even to music. That is wonderful and allowed.

By putting something in your gallery, however, you are saying you drew it, and if you did not draw it then that is called Art Theft and it is NOT smiled upon. And definitely not in an artist comunity like this site.

Some picture slideshows are found on: http://www.picturetrail.com/photoFlick/samples/pflicks.shtml

http://www.mylayoutscreator.com/scrollpic.php

http://www.slide.com/

http://www.rockyou.com/

Thank you

Tags: Mod Notice Rule Art Theft

Words to know:
RPG: Stands for Role Playing Game. These are either table top- where you use dice- or post-by-play, also called free-verse. Where you play by posting. No dice.

NPC: Non-Player Character. A character not played by any player in the game. These characters are filler, they aid or inhibit a player character based on the GM's discrimination.

GM, or GameMaster: The game master, storyteller, or Dungeon Master is the ultimate leader in an RPG. Usually, Game Masters do not participate in games as a conflict of interest. Instead, they design the scene, tell you the rules of the game, control NPC characters, make sure everyone follows the rules, relay the plot line, determine if a player's actions are successful or not, and make scenerios.

Host(s): Pretty much the same a Game Master, only Hosts are not fully lording over the game. They are taking an active part too, usually playing the lead hero or villain in order to influence the plot. Hosts still control the rules, but they are more inclined towards making sure everyone has fun and moving the plot along than with calculating stats and deciding the success or failure of each and every action.

Argo: To agro is 1. to pretty much go on an insane killing spree; 2. to kill or attack. This term is usually said by a host, (example,
Host1: It's been two weeks since these players posted anything so I went agro on their group. Host2: They all dead?
Host1: Not even twitching. Think that'll hurt the plot?
Host2: Nah, we'll work it out.)

Mary-Sue: A character that is too 'ultimate.' Called a Mary-Sue or a Larry-Sue, or just a Sue character. These are... well, read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary-sue. To sum it up, a sue character is one who fills out the fantasy of the creator, not the plot. Someone who never loses, laughs in the face of peril, super pumped, "LOOK AT MEEEE!!!" character who everyone wants to Agro sooner or later.

OOC or OCC: Means out of character, or out of character conversation. Players post ((ooc: Dude... that was messed up. lol.)) To say something to another character out of game.

Rules:
ALWAYS listen to the GM or Hosts(s)! No arguing.
Be polite. Everyone wants to have fun here, not just you.
No killing unless it's an NPC- though if you're not supposed to kill that NPC then the GM or Host(s) will make that NPC escape.
No showboating. This is a group effort, cooperate with your teammates and understand that they want their time in the sun too.
No posting for other characters. This means, if you throw a punch at someone, you cannot say that it landed and blew them across the arena. You merely say you threw a punch, aiming for their mid-section, just above the belt.
Keep up. If you can't post very often and slow your team down, then a GM or Host will move your character for you and you have to deal with it. This usually means you haven't posted a single word in- depending how fast the RPG is going- anywhere from three days to a week.
(More to come...)

The basics
Okay, to RP is basically to help write a story. There are no main characters. Good Game Masters and Hosts will give moments in which every player can shine, but over all the idea of an RPG is not to stroke your character's ego, it is to play a game.

Characters who have weaknesses are much more fun to play as if they win or lose is fun to see. There is no GAME OVER so if your character loses you don't re-start, you just adapt. Maybe your character is hurt and so you have to sit out the next mission- but a good GM or host(s) will find something for you to do, perhaps even let you play an NPC while your character recovers.


I'll just show you an example from an RPG site of mine:

Player1. Nikolai had one arm cradling the arcane book of black magic so that it was open, and his other arm was flung out, palm facing his opponent. He stood sideway, like a fencer. It was a stance he had never taken before. Always he was smart enough to be cautious as he had no shield, but the book's power had hold of him.

His eyes, usually half-lidded and bored, were alive and shimmered with some unseen light.

"Poena of nex," he casts, the words of the spell glistening in a brilliant, poisonous green as he said them. Black light shot from the center of his hand and each finger, striking a handful of the gang members before they could even fire their weapons. The remaining thugs looked on in amazement as their friends drop to the ground, writhing in agony and some coughing blood.

Player 2: ((OOC: Hey, he finally attacked someone.))

Player 1: (OCC: Yeah, well, you were beating up all the other NPCs, it was my turn.))

Player 2. ((ooc: Agreed. That book rocks... but I'm gonna have to agro you if you make Nik evil. I like him!))

Jack yanked a pistol out of its holster on his hip as the thugs watched their companions. He snatched for the book.

"Ok, either that's going to scare them all into leaving, or we're gonna get jumped..." he sighed.

Player 1: Nikolai wasn't paying attention as the book was snatched out of his grip, and the evil glow radiating from it ebbed off of him and was silenced. He didn't feel different though, so the part of his mind that wasn't concentrating on the battle was mocking the 'evil, cursed book that claimed its user's soul.' Bah, how stupid. All it was... was power!

Player 2: Jack handed the book to Sara and shook his head. The gangbangers were coming out of their stupor and aimed their weapons. Not one of them had the immediate guts to fire though, afraid of being the first to anger this group.

"Crud," growled Jack, facing off the barrels of four guns.

Player 1. Nikolai smiled.

"Poena of nex!" Though nothing happened this time, beyond a fizzle of black light and purple lightning in his palm. His smile faded. "What?"

Though the lack of death and blood was all the inspiration the thugs need in order to attack.

--

Okay, see? You play off other Players. When Jack reaches for the book, it is up to Player 1 to decide if it's taken or not, but because of the scene, to resist making the character either too evil or too powerful, and because the other character is on the same team, Player 1 lets him have the book. His moment in the spotlight is over, it's Player 2's turn.

It's all balance. For this scene, Jack goes on to agro all the gang members using his skill. So he shone, Nik shone, then it was back to level ground. Another thing to note is the NPC gang members. They're shared. Player 1 kills only a few and doesn't say a number. Player 2 gets the rest, both players play the NPCs.

Here is a link to an article on DA. If you have an account, favorite it, if not then just spread the word. The idea is just to get people informed. Thanks again.

Here it is.

Hello and welcome to another member of the week!

First, a little info. The Member of the Week is to inspire people to be more helpful and courteous... not to spam my message box with demands to be member of the week.

So what's this about? Right now it's just a huzzah, but  soon members of the week will include a prize. ooOOoo. I dunno what yet... Shh!

Anyway! This week's Member is

For the reasons mentioned in the last blog! He is nice, he understands a little thing that some of us call grammar, and wit reaches his keyboard faster than the caplock button and the exclamation point.

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