Nightingale

Has he discovered that peanut butter sandwiches fit perfectly in VCRs yet?

Squiers are heavier because they are made with a denser wood. The denser wood emphasizes the mid to bass frequencies, while the lighter wood of the fender emphasizes the higher frequencies. You can compensate for the difference with pickups and other technology, though. Squiers generally have a traditional three position pickup selector, while newer strats have a five way selector, giving you easy access to the in between positions that can be difficult to obtain on a three way selector. The original squiers from 20-25 years ago are great instruments, but since then, the quality has declined, and squiers have a reputation for being inconsistent. Apparently, the foreign instruments are not subjected to the extremely strict quality control of the fullerton instruments. They're heavier, have lower quality electronics, hardware, and wood. The fit and finish is usually not as good as a strat, and you have to be careful to check to make sure they don't have quality issues such as knots in the wood, warped necks, and crackly jacks. The strats also have better pickups, electronics, tuners, nuts, bridges, tremolo systems, frets, wood and build quality than the squiers built today. Also, very important: Fenders have a lifetime warranty. Squiers have a one year warranty. If you can afford it, spend the money for an american made fender strat.

Fear of someone/something different. Same reason that gypsies/Roma are still persecuted and are only now beginning to gain acceptance. People fear what they do not understand, and they do not want to understand what they fear.

Thanks. When I used to teach self defense seminars, we'd spend the first hour or so talking about how to avoid trouble in the first place, and talking about intuition is a big part of that. Usually if you're scared, you're scared for a reason, whether or not that reason is immediately recognizable to your logical mind. Great - Now I'm all paranoid that Kris is going to get me. Sigh... That attitude from men is one of the reasons why many women don't learn self defense.

If you're worried about the Diebold machines (and you should be!) request an absentee ballot. That way, there is a paper trail of your vote.

According to your user profile, you weren't registered here a year ago.

Well put.

It seems like the biggest cause for debate here is where personal freedom ends and security or government enforced morality begins. People who draw the line in different places are going to disagree. It's easy to respectfully disagree with someone who has the ability to articulate why they've made the decision they have made. It's very difficult to respectfully disagree with someone who is unable to explain their reasoning, is just parroting the party line, or just plain doesn't try to offer any kind of explanation at all. In a situation like that, you're left with a few options: attack the person because they haven't given you an issue to go after, ignore the fact that they haven't offered an explanation and offer yours anyway, or roll your eyes and figure it's best to leave them alone until they decide they want a meaningful conversation or have acquired an ability to think for themselves.

Parents do differentiate between children. Growing up, I was constantly getting in trouble for things I didn't do, and for things my brother did do because "you should've been watching him." Nevermind that my parents were home, I was doing homework, and there was no reason for me to be watching him. What I figured out later, is that my parents thought I was a problem kid because I questioned them, so they felt like they needed to keep an eye on me constantly. If they wanted me to do something, I wanted to know why. From my perspective, I wasn't being disobedient, as I had every intention of doing what they told me; I just wanted to understand the reasons behind the commands. My brother just smiled and did what he was told. What my parents didn't pick up on then, and understand now, is that I like to think for myself. When someone tells me something, I take it under advisement, and, if I decide it's the best course of action, then I'll go with it. My brother doesn't think. He takes what he's told at face value and doesn't consider the perspective of the speaker. What served him well as a child has not worked out so well as an adult. What got me in a ton of trouble as a kid has given me the ability to direct my life, consider my choices, and be pretty successful in what I've decided to do. My parents were really expecting the opposite, because in their generation, good kids obey, bad kids mouth off. The younger child in a family usually gets more breaks, more coddling, and more fussing over. The older child is usually left to deal with things on their own more often, which leads to the stereotype of responsible older children and spoilt younger ones. Parents like to fuss over their baby. In the situation you gave, chances are that the younger kid, since he hasn't faced any consequences, will repeat his mistakes. The older kid now has to rely on himself, and, hopefully, because he can't rely on mom and dad to bail him out anymore, will get his life together, because he's now learned that there are consequences for his actions.

Thanks. When I used to teach self defense seminars, we'd spend the first hour or so talking about how to avoid trouble in the first place, and talking about intuition is a big part of that. Usually if you're scared, you're scared for a reason, whether or not that reason is immediately recognizable to your logical mind.

The tipping custom ensures better service, that people aren't just going through the motions. Yes, people work hard to get an education to beccome good at what they do to earn money. Being a food server is not an easy job, and it can be difficult to do it well, especially on a busy night. The servers are only paid a couple bucks an hour, below minimum wage, because here it is our custom to reward people for doing a good job for food service. They work hard and do well, they make more money. It's a very capitalistic way of doing things.

I tip at the local starbucks, and the restaurant that I get take-out from twice a week. The people at starbucks know me and will start making my drink when I walk in, so it's ready for me by the time I get to the cash register, which is really nice. I always order the same thing, and because they try to have it ready for me early, I'll usually try to tip them a buck or so. I'll tip the people at Papa Hassan's restaurant (lebanese food...yum!) two bucks when I pick up my order (a little more than 10%), because I eat there all the time. They're a sit down restaurant with a take-out window and some chairs next to the window. They'll give me my drink when I order, and while I'm waiting, they'll come outside and ask if I want more iced tea while they're cooking my food. I've never seen them do that for someone else, but most of their customers are students from the university across the street, and students usually aren't good tippers and don't tip for take-out at all. So, I guess that I tip at places where I'm a regular and and get great service. I don't usually tip at a starbucks that isn't my usual starbucks, or at fast food places. I tip well at a sit down place unless they do something annoying like let my drink stay empty for five or ten minutes when we're the only people in the restaurant.

I googled it. I found WAY more information than I was looking for.

I like solar powered lightbulbs. No argument from me there. I am wondering why I'm the only one named, though... Everyone else gets initials. Not complaining, just curious.

I believe intuition is information that our subconscious is recognizing and assimilating, but that it's too subtle for the conscious mind to put together. You're combining little signals and details you're picking up, and your subconscious is telling you to be cautious because of them. It's got nothing to do with being psychic, and everything to do with assimilating current details and comparing them with past experiences. Everyone I know who's been attacked by a stranger, including myself, had that little prickle on the back of your neck that tells you something is wrong. They, and I, rationalized it and ignored it. That is not a mistake that will be repeated. If I get that feeling again, I run and get myself away from the place and the situation. Worst case, I look a little silly. Best case, I've saved my life.

yes you are confused. the UN recognized that BOTH nations have a claim to this land and divided between them. it wasn't "their" land. and if you claim it was "their" land, please back it up with some facts. I wasn't claiming the land was theirs. The poster above me did, which was what was confusing, because I'd thought the UN decision had been based on both groups having some kind of claim. From what I remember, while there was a population of Jews in the area at the time (1948?) the Jewish claim was based on ancient history, while the Palestinian claim was based on current presence.

Ok... Now I'm confused. The UN told the Palestinians that they were taking half their land and expected them to be happy about it? I don't see how they expected any reaction other than the one they got.

Some happy stories from my family: My mom's parents were married young, had six children, and raised them well. My grandfather died 26 years ago, but his presence is very much felt. My grandmother never remarried and still wears her wedding ring, and there's pictures of the two of them all over the house. From what my mother tells me, my grandparents got in some major fights, but always worked it out, probably mostly by sheer determination. They were both strong and willful people, but directed that strength and willpower into preserving their relationship rather than destroying it. My grandmother still gets misty-eyed sometimes when she talks about him, and she makes sure that all her grandkids know all about Grandpa Bob, even though I'm the only one who actually got to meet him. There are lots of little things that will bring back a memory for her, and we'll see that wistful smile and know she's thinking about him. A few years back, at Thanksgiving, my uncle and I were at the piano. He was playing and I was singing. He'd dug up one of my Irish songbooks and picked a tune fairly randomly. When we'd finished, my grandmother had tears in her eyes and said "I wish your grandfather could hear you. That was his favorite song." I still can't sing The Patriot Game without thinking about Grandpa. My dad's parents are about to celebrate their 60th anniversary. They got married when my grandpa got home from WWII, and were sweethearts before that. They had two children and lived in New York City, where my grandfather worked in insurance. He was transferred to the west coast, and they settled in Pasadena. At some point, my grandmother lost a baby very late term, which was devastating, but in my family, it's our tradition that during rough times, you put aside your differences and lend a shoulder. Their relationship emerged stronger than ever. They've been through many medical problems in the last decade, from knee replacements to pneumonia, but I don't think it's ever occurred to them to do anything other than support each other through sickness and health. My dad got a scholarship to Notre Dame, but turned it down because he'd just met my mom, and he knew he wanted to be with her. He went to Loyola University because he knew my mom would be going to Marymount College, and that the schools would be merging in two years. My mom was just entering her senior year of college when they got married, and my dad had just graduated. He got a new job a week before their wedding, and very timidly had to ask for two days off for a honeymoon. They drove up to Santa Barbara and stayed at the best hotel they could afford, which wasn't much. My parents really wanted kids, and found out that it was unlikely for them to conceive without medical intervention, so, instead of letting fertility issues cause them problems, they immediately applied for adoption, and adopted me three days before christmas, 1978. I am still slightly ticked off at whoever stuck a giant bow on my head, put me under the christmas tree and took my picture. Two years later, they adopted my brother, a few weeks after christmas, so he wasn't subjected to such a humiliating photo op. My mom had worked as a med tech, but gave up her job when they got me. She started working again as a teacher when my brother entered pre-school. Family has always been their number one priority. Everything else is second. My dad's not the easiest guy to get along with, and he's got a hard time expressing his feelings, but my mom's learned to read his unspoken language and knows that when he does something like taking her car out and filling the gas tank and changing the oil so she doesn't have to worry, he's telling her he loves her. He likes to take care of her, and my brother and I, as a way to tell us how much he cares, and my mom accepts that with grace and understands that he's telling her the best way he knows how. My mom did get pregnant when I was 14, a complete surprise. Unfortunately, she also lost the baby late term, at 8 months. Stuff like that can tear families apart. It was the first time I've ever seen my dad cry, but instead of turning away from each other and the family, they turned towards each other and offered support and kindness even though they were both devastated, and every so often, they'll visit the baby's grave together. They've been married almost 38 years now. They never hid their arguments from us kids; they wanted us to know that marriage has ups and downs, and that's normal. My parents have a very strong relationship, and it's because they both have a very strong work ethic when it comes to the relationship.

People forget that a relationship takes work. It takes work from both sides, and compromise from both sides. If both people are putting in an equal amount of work, the relationship's got a good chance of success, or at the very least, a parting on good terms and a realization that, although each side gave their best, sometimes things just don't work out. Sometimes life goals are incompatible, but hopefully this has been discussed before the marriage, although goals do sometimes change. It's a lot less emotionally damaging and draining when you know that each of you has tried, but it just didn't work. When I've seen friends divorce, it's because of a few things, but it usually seems to be that somebody's decided they don't want to work at the relationship anymore. It seems that the marriage was unequal, with one partner always giving and the other never compromising, and the first partner gets fed up or the second partner gets bored. Also, I think a lot of people divorce too soon, walking away from relationships that they could've saved, had both sides made the effort. When a divorce happens, it should really be a last resort and an acknowledgement that, while you've done your very best and given it your all, that things just won't work. I think marriage counseling is very, very important in the process, because it can rebuild broken communication, or build communication and understanding that was never there to begin with. Best case, you save the relationship. Worst case, you learn how to make the separation as painless as possible and not put your kids in the middle of your mess. Sometimes, you've just married the wrong person, or something's happened (death of a child, for example) that rips a family apart instead of making it stronger. Sometimes divorce is really unavoidable, but sometimes divorce is from a lack of effort or lack of respect for the relationship, sometimes the party who is trying and is respecting the relationship gets sick of trying, sometimes the party who isn't trying decides that they want their freedom. A lot of those divorces could probably be avoided, but one or both parties are hurt, angry, and resentful, and don't want to put in the effort, for whatever reason. Relationships are a matter of individual choice, and so is marriage. I don't really care about the divorce rate and "preserving families" and all that crap. Ultimately, you've got to make the decision that's right for you and right for your family, and try your hardest to keep your children out of your mess and do what's best for them, whether you choose to stay together or not.

Gizmo!

ah. got it. =) my bank doesn't show a pending status. it's either cleared or not on the screen. course, I never write checks (online banking only), so it's a non-issue.

Dumb question... If the check hasn't cleared, how'd you find out about it?

At thanksgiving dinner a few years back, we had five catholics, three christians, two mormons, two homosexual agnostics, three pagans and an athiest. Nobody had any issues at all, and we even talked politics. We actually had some laughs over the odd mix. The key was that everyone was able to respect everyone else and their right to make their own choices, even if they may not agree with those choices. I think that's the key to different religious groups getting along. I have absoltely no problem with the christians that are happy to live their lives and let me live mine. However, I do have a problem with the christians, such as the christian coalition and focus on the family, that believe that everyone must live their life according to that group's moral code. Like you said, not all christians agree with the stuff on my list. However, those groups represent that they speak for christians as a whole, and that is wrong. I don't find the concept of christianity threatening at all. I do, however, feel threatened by groups that wish to demand that I live my life according to their own narrow interpretation of that book, especially when there's so much disagreement about what the book actually means. I feel even more threatened when these groups attempt to make their interpretations into law. As Americans, we have (or are supposed to have) a lot of freedom to make our own choices. With that freedom comes the responsibility to make the right choices for ourselves. There are choices the government should make for us (don't murder) and choices we should make for ourselves (whether to watch porn at primetime or smoke pot). I cringe every time I see a law curtailing activities that harm nobody but the people willingly involving themselves. The job of the government should be to protect our lives and property from other people, not to protect us from ourselves.

Many illegal alien arrests do get deported, but after trial, not before. I've spent the last few months working in a prosecutor's office. We charge them, arraign them, if they plead guilty, they serve their jail time and are then deported. If they plead not guilty, they go through the trial process, if found guilty, serve their sentence, and are then deported (if found not guilty, I'm not sure, but they're probably still deported). I've never seen a case where someone's been charged but deported before trial. I'm sure it may happen, but I've never seen it.

I'm curious about this. How does my (or stevorino's) faith in Christ have real, tangible effects on your everyday life? (I sure hope you're not going to say that conservatives'-- who seem to be confused with Christians by liberals-- desire for stuff like the definition of marriage to remain unchanged, or wanting to ban the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, is interfering with your life.) The list I posted was straight from websites such as the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family, both of which claim to be christian, yes?