• Vipus
      • hello Michael Cullum
      • Username: Vipus
      • In response to: "Who are you?" I'm Mike, I guess you could call me an everyman, I'm not the most amazing person in the world, nor the most exciting, but I like to think of myself as a blank canvas.
  • Vipus's latest answers
    • Ignorance Is (Not) Bliss

      • I come from a group of friends that kept hundreds of secrets from one another, this lead to a lot of confrontation and enemies being made. I believe that the truth should always be told, people shouldn't be left in the dark.
        Many people might disagree with me, saying that sometimes the truth needs to be hidden to keep someone happy, but I believe the way someone finds out the truth is the issue, not the truth itself.
        This why I will always be honest when it is required, but honesty requires a skill, sometimes just telling someone the truth will cause more damage, sometimes they need to find out for themselves. This is where the art of sugar-coating comes in, sometimes the best way to tell a harsh truth is by telling it in a toned down format, thereby limiting the shock and hurt.
        I've seen many friendships torn apart because honesty was the last thing on their mind, I'd expect my friends to tell the truth and not leave me in the dark.
        After all, if you can't be truthful with your friends, who can you tell the truth?

        And yes, the truth may hurt sometimes, but I'd like to think that living in ignorance is far worse than living with a lie.

      • answered by Vipus on 12/21/2010
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    • My favorite place to hear music: The 02 Arena

      • Everyone in the UK knows about the 02, it was first opened in 2000 under the title of the 'Millennium Dome' and was meant to symbolise the nation marching into a new age with pride. Its original purpose can only be described as a huge science exhibit. There were countless displays of technology and innovation, such as a huge human body you could enter and explore, or a dome containing controlled examples of the earth’s climate.
        After the year 2000 passed, the Dome fell into disuse, the exhibits were auctioned off, and the place was forgotten. A few years later I heard plans to turn it into a huge arena for music and sport events.

        My next experience of the place wouldn't be until January 2008. A friend and I went to see a Linkin Park concert, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect.
        When I first walked in I was left stunned, the area around the edge of the dome had been turned into what looked like a scene from Blade Runner, huge glowing sculptures moved like space-craft overhead. Countless screens showed everything from concert details to examples of modern art.
        The concert hall itself was little more than a huge concrete room, but that was the Arenas party piece. Its simplistic design meant it could be changed on the fly. In fact, the week following the concert would be spent transforming the hall into a huge motocross arena. This made me think of the Roman Coliseum, which could be a sand pit one day, and could be flooded for navel battles the next.

        Ultimately this is one of my favourite venues. Its ability to capture your imagination makes it one to remember, and I hope to one day return there, because its originality is something that nearly all other venues lack.

      • answered by Vipus on 12/20/2010
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    • Defining the Word Friend

      • I'm not sure I can define "Friends", ask anyone, I'm a rubbish friend. I avoid, I lie, I deceive, I insult, and all manner of bad things. These days its public knowledge that I wish I could ditch a select few friends. So when asked to describe a friend, my view on it is a bit... Off.
        To me the main thing a friend is (Or should be), is different. Not so much that we have no common ground, but to the point where we introduce each other to activities, ideas, and people we wouldn't normally experience. This strikes me as a benefit of friendship and something that’s vital. I guess that’s why I'm so different to so many of friends apart from the thing that brought us together in the first place.
        I would also define a friend as someone who is actually interested in you as a person, someone that would happily listen to what you have to say, and would spend time with you just because they enjoy it. I'm not a big fan of 'Friends of Circumstance' that will only be your friend when they want something off you, have nothing better to do, or simply don't want to sit alone in the classroom.
        Finally a friend is someone that will respect your view, even if they disagree with it. I hate when people try and force me to do things, I'm always open to trying new things, but like everyone, I have my limits. So nothing annoys me more than a friend trying to drag me out, or change my mind, or simply not taking No for an answer.

        As you can guess, I'm not a great friend; I don't tick many of these boxes. But if you’re a true friend, I'll go the distance, I'll watch your back, help you out, and support you when you need it. I once again remember the classic line "Friends come and go, but some are worth holding on to"

      • answered by Vipus on 12/14/2010
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    • My Superhero's Special Power

      • I've spent years rolling this round my head, developing it, changing it, making it better. Some people have heard this story, others haven't. It’s about time I shared it, the tale of White Hood.
        My superpower is the ability to harness power from parallel dimensions and use it to improve on my own abilities, and even conjure up some new ones. Internal powers, such as super strength and speed along with any other abilities that manipulate the body occur invisibly. In other words, I would look completely normal up until and during the use of such strength and speed. This means I could slip into a crowd and look completely normal. Like Superman.
        My other powers though are much more obvious, if I wanted to use an ability that messed with the energy around me, it would appear as a blue flame. I could shoot such fire and use it in close combat. It would also appear around me during flight (Yes, I can fly) and even solidify into blades and other weapons.
        So I could I walk up to someone and look completely normal, and then shock everyone as I punched them across the room. Then I could make a blue flame erupt all around me along with 2 blue blades on either arm, which I could use to subdue attackers. Then shoot fire across the room at ranged targets. The larger the flame, the more powerful the attacks.

        This sounds very complicated to write, simply because it’s been rolling round my head for so long. The reason this character is like this is because these powers offer freedom, to go anywhere, to do anything. To live life to the limits. And who doesn't want that?

      • answered by Vipus on 09/07/2010
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    • What I'd Say to My 16-Year-Old Self

      • When I saw this question, I just had to answer it. Many people would kill for the chance to go back and talk to their previous selves. At this point in my life I'm only 19, so it wouldn't be a massive jump back. But the significance remains.
        It sounds odd, pathetic even. But the concept of girls only started to enter my life at this time, which was around the start of 2007. A life of nerdiness had meant that gaming and the internet always interested me more. On top of this, a 16 year old hyper nerd would repel girls with impressive efficiency.

        The first thing I'd say to my 16 year old self would be "Take a few risks", my old self would sooner hold back and be safe rather than try something outside his comfort zone. This could be talking to a girl (Duh) trying new food, or even going outside into the sun.
        Another thing I'd say would be "Get out of the routine", don't do things that you've been doing day in and day out, and give something new ago, anything. I recently started doing this and it saw me venturing out into the world for what felt like the first time.
        And finally, I'd say "Speak your mind", don't hold things back, always come out and say the stuff that needs to be said. If I had done that at 16, I could have snatched a girlfriend up, saved a dying friendship, and avoided a lot of hardship.

        I'd do my best to tell my 16 year old self to live up to his potential, don't wallow away in the corner, take centre stage for once, and love it.

      • answered by Vipus on 09/06/2010
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