Sam

So I know dogs are mammals and they are part of the Animal Kingdom. So I was thinking but dogs can't talk, so do they have brains? They walk, but only because we're telling them to walk, just like if I told my computer to turn off, it would turn off--doesn't mean that my computer has a brain.

I have a consecutive list of numbers:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I need to add a plus or minus sign in front of each number. The sum must equal zero.

I'm a 17 year old guy in high school. I have a prescription of -7.50 in my left and -6.0 in my right and I expect these numbers to go up after my next eye exam.

I currently have these glasses in my incredibly high prescription:

http://www.framesdirect.com/framesfp/Ted...

and I think buying them was a big mistake. I only use these glasses for reading at night going home right after school. They distort my far distance vision so much. I cannot drive in them, nor wear them in public. They're also very heavy and tend to fall off my face, even after having them adjusted twice.

I've read about high-index lenses and I believe they're the only option. Are they as thin as normal low-prescription lenses, or are they just a little thinner?

And will high index lenses affect the choice of frame I can buy, or can I wear anything? I heard that the higher the prescription, you need smaller frames and frames that aren't so wide across your face.

Will high-index lenses also reduce distortion in my vision? I need to be able to drive in these and look relatively good (I hate how my glasses distort my face, like in this picture: https://sites.google.com/site/palinglass... )

So am I looking at relatively thin lenses, like the lenses made for low prescription, or am I looking at something slightly thinner? What kind of frame do I need to buy, or are my choices limited at all? I'm looking at plastic frames because they're in style right now and they hide the edges better. I desperately need a good pair of glasses to wear everyday because my contact-lens ridden eyes need a break :-)

Note: I will not be using insurance to pay for these so it would be great if I got pricing expectations for these expensive lenses. If I could go under $500 that would be great.

I use my iPad a lot, but it is very slow and laggy. I have been thinking of upgrading to the iPad Air.

I can trade-in my original iPad for $50 or something in the Apple Store.

Should I trade-in my old iPad or should I keep it because its a first-gen product and may be worth something in the future?

I'm applying to a few schools to be a piano performance major and most school's audition requirements are the same: a work by J.S. Bach, a Sonata Allegro movement from a classical sonata, a romantic work, and an impressionist or contemporary work. They also ask for some sight-reading.

I have no problem with the memorization and the repertoire I'm required, but should I be concerned about the sight-reading? What kind of pieces would they ask me to sight-read? And would they want this music to be perfect or would they judge me if I played easier music? I'm good with romantic music but not so much with classical Bach or Sonatas.

What was the meaning of the costume changes (large white dress with white square face, then short blonde lop-sided Poker Face wig with blue suit and skirt, yellow Telephone wig, then long blonde wig with seashell bra)?

I already know about the big blue balls (reference to a Koons artwork) but other than that I know nothing.

What is symbolic about being shot in a pool?

I was re-wiring a light switch and a fan control knob and I accidentally cut a wire too short. This wire comes out the front of the fan dial and goes around to the back, connecting to another wire, thus placing a wire nut impossible.

Can I just link the two ends together, then seal it with electrical tape? Or do I have to buy a new fan dial (which will cost $25, a cost I'm trying to avoid)? Will just the tape be safe enough?

I bought a Belkin Charge + Sync Dock for my iPhone 5 (the one that includes the cable) in February. It was a flimsy, crappy device from the start, but I figured I might as well use it.

Four months have passed and now the lightning port on my iPhone 5 has started to deteriorate. I would only charge my phone with the dock and I wouldn't use the lightning cable that came with my phone or any other cord for that matter. I went on a trip so I took my lightning cable with me and it would only charge at an odd angle. I also noticed the cord wobbled significantly inside the port. This became true with the dock as well. The dock was flimsy and wobbly at the start and now would only charge at a very odd angle too.

Any cord I use barely works, and my phone does not charge at night anymore. I know it is not a problem with my cords, because I tried my friend's cords and they also did not work. I know the dock ruined my port because that was the only thing I charged with for four months.

I know I'll need a replacement iPhone. Will my Apple 1-year limited warranty cover this (I do not have AppleCare)? More importantly, would Belkin let me return the product for a refund or even get me a replacement phone? How should I go about contacting Belkin?

Next year over Winter Break our marching band is going to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida over winter break. Along the way, we will go to Busch Gardens and ride roller coasters on New Year's Eve. I'm pretty much required to go on this trip because I'm the Head Drum Major and I need to conduct at the football game. I have already made up my mind, saved the money, and I will be going on the trip, no questions asked.

Also, the school choir will be going on a trip to Disney World to perform at some high school music festival. This is a specialty group that was audition-only, so the best choir kids in our school will be going. The choir teacher needed a pianist badly, and since I'm the only pianist in my school capable of learning music quickly and sight-reading, he approached me and asked if I wanted to play with the group and go on the trip. I told him I would think about it.

But here's the deal. Our choir isn't the best. They're not horrible, but they're not good either; our band is superior compared to the choir. Also, our music program is very competitive. The bands and choirs hate each other, especially the teachers. If I chose to play for the choir group, it would put me down a little in my band director's eyes, plus I'm head drum major, which wouldn't make any sense to play for a choir group.

Plus, this choir group wants to practice A LOT. The teacher is so preoccupied with the success and control of his groups (which he does not do well), he's scheduling so many rehearsals. I'm talking three times a week in the mornings, and SATURDAY REHEARSALS three times a month until the spring. Our band does not have any morning rehearsals, and we're still superior.

All of my friends are in band. I only have a few friends in choir though, if that makes a difference.

Money is not an issue for me. I have two summer jobs and my mom wanted me to go so bad, she'll pay for half of the Disney cost (around $1500 total). The Outback bowl will only be in the $500-800 range because the school will pay for most of it and I already have the money in place. All that's left is the Disney Trip money, if I choose to go on it.

So I think my real question is, should I go on both trips? I know for a fact the Disney trip will be worth it; we will be spending an entire week on the property in a Disney hotel, so there will be adequate time to roam the parks and water parks. And this will probably be my last time going to Disney World (I have only been once before). But if I miss the trip, I think I'll feel like I'm missing out.

One

Holy

Catholic

Apostolic

The seniors pick our marching shows every year, and now it's our turn.

We usually pick a Grade 3 song (nothing too difficult) with 13-16 sets per song. We need something that's easy to buy, like on creative solutions or JW pepper.

We have played Eye of the Tiger, Beatles, Chicago, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Rhianna and J lo, Mickey, Hey Song, and Apache.

QUICK! I'm too stupid to use Google!!!!!!

The Best Buy in my area is selling an open box (display unit), 15" retina display Macbook Pro, base model, for $1,724.

Should I get it? I don't know what I'll do with my current regular macbook pro. Could I sell it for more than $1000?

My mom wants to put drivewise in my car because we want to save on insurance, and I heard it monitors everything. Does it also monitor if you speed, and if it does, does it penalize you? The max speed limit in Illinois is 65 mph and I can't go that slow on the highway nor do I want to be penalized if I go over the limit.

I can't write with it at all.

I take classes where handwriting is necessary, most importantly a writing class where we have to write 3-4 page essays in 40 minutes.

What do I do? Do I teach myself how to write with my left hand (fortunately I was born left-handed but my mom switched me over when I was very young).