ParanoiA

You are white. And I will fight for my right to call you what you are. It would be stupid to try to explain to a police officer "yes sir, I saw the man that raped that lady. I can't tell you his race because it would be racist to refer to his obvious skin color, and I have no idea where he's from to say it all PC like. Good luck catching him..." Try to live in the real world rather than inundating yourself with overblown drama. You're white. So am I. Get over it. Gee, that's nice for parties and such. But it's not pragmatic to get to know every tom dick and harry on the street just so I can reference their attributes for some practical purpose. Yes we exist in a complicated world. Which is why I we should reference each other with pragmatic terms. White and Black are such terms.

Cool, thanks Snail! I'll try that tonight. This could open up some serious possibilities...

At least this is a consumer/market solution, rather than crying to the government for more laws and stripping away freedoms. I forgot to add that in my last post. About the only good thing I can say about all of this.

You could start a thread on that subject alone. The celebration of success and achievement is overshadowed by the belief that such prosperity is off the backs and plight of others. It's as if the country is in this doom and gloom mode where we cannot be proud of ourselves in any capacity. Is it too much conflict? Thanksgiving is twisted up with the reality that we dominated and took this land from its inhabitants. Christmas is twisted up with the repulsion of religion and war. It's like we have intellectually beaten ourselves into a corner. This is why I don't dwell on history and assign blame to the present day heirs. It's unhealthy and decays the vigor of a prosperous society.

Whatever you do, reject anything to do with ProTools. That's an exclusive software/hardware base. You have to have their hardware to use the software. Somehow they've managed to dupe and swindle most studios into using this platform. Whereas Cakewalk, Cubase and others are more universal in their approach. You can use virtually any soundcard with the software so all of your parts are competitively priced and developed. That's interesting Snail, we have the same setup. I use a mackie mixer into my Delta as well. Although, I don't have a good FX solution yet. I've been using Cakewalk fx and my cheapo digitech pedal.

Got to love the hypocrisy of the conservative right. I know, it's religious right - but high brow conservatives are all about it too. And I have yet to hear any mainstream conservatives speak out against their hypocritical brethren. I've actually heard conservative talk show types promote the sensorship of all violent video games. Seems freedom is just fine, as long as you practice it their way. I'll bet they wouldn't have a problem with it if you were killing homosexuals, gamblers, drug users...you know, the kinds of people jesus surrounded himself with and tried to save while hypochristians kick them out of the church. That's why I always say...WTFWJD...what the f#$K would jesus do?

Good point. That would leave a 300 dollar guitar investment, rather than just 200. Although, consider that these amps are 20 dollar throw away things, so it's not like it's really making an impression on the price. Plus, can you cart your computer around if you want to jam at a friend's house or something?

And this, I contend, is a no win scenario for us. In fact, I've been dancing around this in several posts on other threads as well. We are americans. We will be rejected and fought to no end. I don't believe there is a way to be the "ethical" hero that tries to spare the innocent while surgically killing the insurgency, and NOT create the mess we're dealing with now. I'm listening and reading, but I've not heard an idea yet that would solve this problem. And yes, even if a democrat was president... And this "no planning" commentary is short sighted. Does anyone in here really believe, that the chain of tens if not hundreds of leaders, military advisers, generals and personnel involved in prosecuting war for America didn't think of it? Please. Don't be so naive. That's ridiculous. I can't stand democrats, but not even I am so blind in political distaste to suggest such elementary thought. They may have collectively miscalculated or underestimated some things, although I still believe there is no way to accurately calculate such things. It's like playing defense in football - are they going to run or pass? If you play the run, then everyone says you're stupid and didn't plan for the pass. You may well have considered the pass and calculated they would run. That's an honest miscalculation. It doesn't mean you never planned for it, or considered it. Look, I have no love for GWB. He's an idiot. And I'll never forgive going against the UN for this invasion of Iraq - resuming the 1991 war. I was against it then, and I'm against it now. But that doesn't mean the good people behind the scenes and behind the headlines are also that stupid.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-ISJ20-Jumpstart-Pack?sku=512497 Check that one out. The reviews sound good and I think it's a good looking guitar as well. The main features are the skinnier neck design, making it a little more reasonable for us shorter fingered people to fret and get good spread for chords. It's a fixed bridge, so it will be easy to change strings and no nightmares with floating bridge tuning problems. It doesn't show the amp in the picture, but the description says it comes with one. I think it's similar to the one I got with my electric acoustic - it's decent. Keep in mind, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. I totally understand spending minimal money on a guitar as a beginner. Just remember that anything in the price range you're looking for, is going to be the cheapest of everything - and it might even be made in China. But hey, that's fine when you're just starting out. I started out on a 50 dollar epiphone from a pawn shop and it worked just fine for discovering how to play guitar. A year later I bought a sweet Ibanez for 5 or 6 hundred bucks and it felt like a dream. Good luck!

I wanted to share my idea, but I'm still tossing it about and arranging things - in short, the moral part of the story deals with religion's ideas about what's going on and then science's ideas about what's going on - only to realize that both are way off track. I've been brainstorming this big ball of stuff for about a year now, trying to hone a unique idea. So far, I'm considering the idea that our universe - as best understood by us 3 dimensional inferior beings - can be thought of as the neurological system of a multi-dimensional being. We are merely thoughts - and when we die, we are forgotten thoughts. God is not with us or around us or above us, we are in god - at least so to speak - what we might call god. Nature manifests itself in mathmatics and seems to suggest some kind of intelligence because we are the result of such. An intelligence that is physiologically impossible for us to grasp. Would be akin to trying to get a dog to understand Calculus - the hardware just isn't there to process such concepts. And with our limited 4 dimensional existence, we really can't suppose much further than that. I have quite an elaborate brainstorm of ideas and storyline already - even though I'm trying not to. I'm a strong believer in getting the setting straight and finalized - for the most part - before developing plots and storyline, in order to be consistent. Anyway, I was wondering if this idea has been done before, or if anyone knows of any work this might resemble.

Plan all you want, it won't change a thing. How is planning going to help you? What exactly does that mean? They're still going to car bomb you to death. They're still going to get aid from every Islamic terror organization in the region. They're still going to pick your soldiers off. We've had 4 years of this crap and haven't found a way to stop it. That's time enough to plan, re-plan, scrap that plan, plan something else..replan..scrap that plan...blah blah blah. You're kidding yourself, drunk with hatred.

Gee, that's funny, Gilded, I was just told by the media that I and my countrymen are not merry and cheerful at all so take your cheer and shove it up a reindeer's ass...I'll get my merry from mary wanna...

Actually, it's just been awhile and I'm not clear on what ground we've covered and what we haven't. sorry. Well, yes. This would be similar to asking: Do you ascribe the 5 year old that developed into you, as always being you? A different me sure...a developed me...but me all the same. Actually, it's indescribable for me at the moment. This has happened to me before. Something just isn't right and the conclusion just seems so obvious, yet I can't figure out how to conciously make sense of it and articulate it. There is a significant point between defining what is a "being" for simple reference's sake and defining what is a "being" for morality's sake. I don't know why this is glaring at me, but it seems silly not to think of a blastocyst as a being. Downright absurd. Ok, so what is a blastocyst? And don't say a blob of cells, because that's all any of us are.

See, this is why I take issue with you. In-group / out-group association is not based on race - it can be based on race, but not limited to that. So if I make a series of in-group or out-group decisions and preferences and one of those is a black / white grouping, I'm not making a decision of worth or value - but rather of preferential grouping based on comfort, empathy, familiarity. Where as a racist decision is based on value or worth, superiority versus inferiority. There's a difference there. In this split second decison, you're not making a racist decision you're making a in-group/out-group decision. You may be right that technically that's discrimination based on race, but that's a disingenuous conclusion that deserves a more accurate description. I hope you're not serious. How do I know you're a European/American? If I see you on the street, you could be an australian-american. There's plenty of countries you could be from - but no matter what, you're white. It's just pragmatic. I've noticed "black" isn't a non-PC term really anymore. I wonder if it's for similar reasons. There are white people in Africa, so if they came to america then wouldn't they be african-americans?

What a gas... Since none of us know what the hell we're talking about, yet we're going to play like we are insightful and worthy to comment on military strategy, I might as well throw my two cents in. Iraq should have been handled with a neutron bomb. Any aggression or insurgency to be answered with more neutron bombs. Sounds cruel, but I would rather make one blunt point than pointless routine killing for months and years on end. Get it over with. Yeah I know...stupid. After reading the comments on this thread, it's obvious to me there is no way to handle Iraq successfully. I can't believe anyone would criticize GWB after reading this thread. There isn't a single idea offered that possesses a lick of more sense than anything GWB did.

This is a hoax. You have obviously used science to support scientific evidence. Anyone can see through that. No air on the moon? yeah right. We have dust here on earth and we know how it works and everybody knows moon dust will work the same way. Dust is dust..duh!! Parallel shadows and distortions? Just more proven scientific mumbo jumbo. And what's this BS about air and light distribution? You can't even see air so how's light supposed to reflect? And I'm not even gonna' start on the atmosphere bit. You scientists just think everything has to be supported by fact. That's your weakness. By the way, we're not buying that bit about a piece of foam knocking panels off of columbia, causing it to explode on re-entry. Those astronauts knew something they shouldn't and were silenced. You expect us to believe that a piece of foam - which we all know weighs next to nothing - can do that kind of damage? Get real. After all of the shuttle launches over the years - not a single piece of foam caused damage. What are the odds of that? Same as the odds on the moon landing excuses. Now...about this "round world" bit...

Dak- Sounds to me like you're equating natural in-group / out-group psychology with racism or some other kind of -ism. When we are fighting our instinctual in/out group programming we are doing a noble thing - and we are fighting nature in the process. The same nature that is responsible for ours and every other animal's existence on this earth. From sucking your mother's nipple after a few hours of existence to giving you the adrenaline you need to fight off an attacker. So, if white people choose the white baby or black people choose the black baby, I see it as pre-programmed default wiring. We simply didn't have the time and strength to overcome our natural tendencies. Similar to your take, except that I give more credit to humans than you do. I don't see it as racist in the least. It wasn't a concious decision to be racist or unfair. Everytime someone does something that isn't racist, they had to overcome pre-existing wiring deep in the fundamental architecture of the brain. Our lack of need for such in/out group programming is a recent development and will take a long, long time to evolve out of us, particularly since there is still a need for some in/out group behavior. I guess I just don't see it as pessimistic as you do. I'm amazed we aren't more violent and segragated.

Let me ask some questions of you all: Exactly how much development has to be realized before you consider it a being? How do you know the blastocyst doesn't perceive or experience? Why is an infant a being, when it hasn't developed fully, yet a blastocyst is not? The attributes you all appear to require seem arbitrary and chosen out of intuition. How does your intuition help with understanding the constancy of light? How does that same intuition justified when dealing with quantum physics? Our intuition has led us astray before, but once you get over the initial conceptual hurdle it becomes easier to visualize and understand. I feel the same way about when we become human beings at a microscopic size.

I posted this definition before...so here it is again human being  1. any individual of the genus Homo, esp. a member of the species Homo sapiens. 2. a person, esp. as distinguished from other animals or as representing the human species: living conditions not fit for human beings; a very generous human being. From dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/human%20being By that definition, a blastocyst fits. It is an individual of the genus homo; a member of the species homo sapien. I'm sorry it doesn't have hair yet. A 10 year old doesn't have pubic hair either. I'm sorry the blastocyst does not have a brain yet. A 10 year old doesn't have a fully developed brain either. Neuronic activity will skyrocket in their teens. I'm sorry the blastocyst can't reproduce yet. A 10 year old girl also can't reproduce yet - or most of them anyway. There is a short list of things not developed yet in things you call human beings - that doesn't mean they are NOT beings. The difference is, they have the "appearance" of the essentials that we foolishly require in order to empathize and intuitively relate to it. It seems obvious to me, a blastocyst is a human being under development - and very quick development. In just 9 months, actually less, it will develop all of the attributes you seem to feel it has to in order to be a "being". They are all beings. I don't get the insistance on more or less being-hood. You are either a being or not. Now, you may be an insignificant being in my opinion. I don't think a bonobo is a more significant being than a human - but they're both beings.

Well, I believe we could restore stability to Iraq if we didn't discriminate between innocent and guilty, sweeping mass deaths and slaughter fests, torture and kidnappings...etc. That's a no brainer. Our approach, although demonized politically, is far more ethical and moral than anything Saddam did - which also works against us since the insurgency knows our responses will always be surgical rather than mass bombing and gassing. So, I think we'd do our own thug gang routine before we'd bring Saddam back to do it.

Well, keep in mind, I don't believe we are in the position where we should have to live down anything that happened 900 years ago. I'm just saying it's our best bet to solve the problem. The middle east is just using their victim status to their gain. I don't agree with it, and I don't believe anyone on this earth is guilty for anything that happened before their lifetimes. It's childish and flat out wrong to carry the attitude that we deserve any of these terror attacks. I don't agree that we are a bully. I agree they perceive us as a bully, and perception is reality as far as they are concerned. What I see is a country, America, who has never really dealt with terrorism, trying to deal with other countries who have dealt with terrorism to the point they have grown tolerant - they have adapted to this as part of their way of life. So, the Americans come into this going all out, intense and determined only to be shocked by the surrounding countries' foot dragging and tolerant approach to all of this. America is not accepting that approach - right or wrong. They are not going to allow the opinions of the "terror tolerant" world dictate how they fight it. They are collectively disgusted and dismayed at how the rest of world accepts terrorism, or at least how they appear not to want to fight it with the same intensity and resolve. But, like I said, it doesn't matter that I believe we are right to destroy their country or defeat them militarily. It doesn't matter because it won't work. We need to be pragmatic and do what will work - I believe changing their hearts and minds is the way to make it work. Not because I believe we are obligated to atone for anything. Just wanted to make that clear...

That is a perfect beginner guitar, as long as you don't have short, fat fingers. I mean, you can still play it and all, but it's just that much more difficult to learn and stick with.

Ok, a couple of things to consider: 1) Do you have short fat fingers or skinny long fingers? If you have shorter fatter fingers (like mine), Ibanez is probably your animal - maybe Jackson but they're kind of expensive, so I'd stick with Ibanez - very reasonably priced. They're necks are skinnier, slimmer, easier to fret than fatter necks. If you have longer fingers, then Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone - all good guitars. Fender is the standard typically for bluesy rock, light gain - more of a 70's sound, the fat neck and heavier body contribute a more robust tone. Ibanez, ESP, Jackson are also good guitars and are more geared around heavier rock, metal - high gain pickups try to make up for the lighter weight and less overall tone. I'm more of a metal / acoustics kind of player and I love the modern tone of these guitars. 2) Whammy bar or Tremelo? Whammy bars are full range tremelos really and typically require a floating bridge design. These are fun for dive bombs and 80's guitar solo's but changing strings and tuning are huge pains in the ass. If you have no interest in "whammy bars" (pedals do this now anyway, and better - with zero tuning issues) then stick with a "fixed" bridge design. This is the mistake I made. With a floating bridge, you can't tune your guitar up or down to match a song you're trying to learn. With a fixed bridge, you can tune up and down and all around. Sounds backwards, but think about it and it will make sense. Tremelo is the original. It's not a full range string stretch, just a mild bend used for a vibrato effect and other subtle things. Of course, this is available in virtually all effects pedals nowadays, so it's not entirely necessary unless you just want to learn the technique. Personally, I don't use it, but many players do. The short skinney is...for a new player I'd recommend a fixed bridge Ibanez that's manufactured in Japan. Anything made in China is junk and should NOT be purchased. I'm serious. The guitar store next to my house had stacks of these Chinese made guitars and the guy told me that literally half of them didn't work right out of the box. Some guitar manufacturers have some of their line made in China, so always ask! That's all I can think of for now. Be sure and let us know what you decided on.

Well, America yeah. America was formed by people who ran away from that mentality about religion. America wasn't around in 1096. Everyone west of their direction deserves to be abused for that? I get your point, really I do. I know the middle east has legitimate security concerns, but if the middle east were a person it would be a child. I don't mean this as derogatory and political as it sounds. Think about it. They basically kick and scream, break things and bite people till they get their way. I would rather see us approach this from a parental angle, rather than from a stubborn sibling perspective. War isn't going to fix this. Someone in this forum said that you can't defeat an idea. I would change that to - you can only defeat an idea with an idea. We need to convince their hearts and minds. Understanding their perspective is useful for that purpose - you certainly have that right in my mind.