Sir Harrington-Wimbleworth-Smith

I'm a classical pianist, but I really enjoy playing jazz and keyboard stuff as well. For jazz/blues music, all I know is the blues scale. It's served me well, but there are only so many ways one can arrange six notes...

My piano teacher told me that modal scales (lydian, mixolydian, etc) are used in jazz. It makes sense, because I often hear notes in jazz piano solos that aren't in the blues scale, and nearly every jazz pianist I listen to seems to use the same kind of notes. I know the theory behind modal scales, but when I go to apply them in a simple jazz song, it just sounds weird. Is there some kind of special technique I should be using? Do I need to practice fooling around with them more in order to find my own sound? Do I need to hitchhike down to the Deep South to learn in the birthplace of the blues? (I hope not, because that's a long way from Canada.) Thank you.

I'm not Mormon, and I don't believe that their version of salvation is entirely true. However, I admire the fact that they spread what they believe to be the way to Heaven through door-to-door ministry. They know that people are annoyed by them, and yet they don't give up trying to save our souls. I mean, they don't benefit directly from anyone being converted; they honestly think that they're doing our eternal souls a favour and so they knowingly endure persecution for it. Doesn't that kind of bravery evoke admiration?

I'm considering buying a used one for around $850. I know that they were originally made for surf music, and that's not really what I want, but I've heard that they're solid guitars that play well. In addition, I love the dual-tone feature- there's just so much you can do with them. If I get it, I plan to invest in a decent tube amp and a few pedals (probably distortion, blues overdrive, and a wah).

My question is this- could the pedals and amp help me get more of a rock/blues sound out of the guitar?

when that idea presupposes that there is no God? I mean, I've listened to/read many philosophical and religious discussions over the past few years, and what strikes me is that nearly everyone goes about these discussion with the preconceived notion that there is no true religion, and that any religion is only as valuable as the moral control it holds over its followers. Why?

Nearly everyone thinks that, since there are so many versions of God, it's better to ignore them all. I recognize one possibility is that there is no God and all religious people are deluded, but why is the possibility of a real God, one with a will and a plan (such as YAHWEH), ruled out from the very beginning?

Here's an example. Many people today are in favor of gay marriage. They say that is doesn't hurt anyone, so its okay. They also say that the only reason anyone goes against it is because their religion tells them so, and that consequently, religious people are closed-minded and bigoted. In my opinion, homosexuality is only wrong because I know that it separates people from God. Of course, its nearly impossible to get someone who doesn't believe in God to understand that I'm actually trying to help people who are gay by telling them that what they're doing is wrong- however, since most people assume from the outset that there is no God, they ignore my reasoning and call me a hater. (As an aside, the really hateful thing for a Christian to do would be to not tell a sinner that they can have forgiveness and to repent to avoid eternal damnation...)

People are so preoccupied with being tolerant and accepting everyone's beliefs to know which religion, if any, is really true. Have we stopped trying to find God for the sake of appeasing others? As C. S. Lewis said, Christianity is of no importance (if false) or of infinite importance (if true). The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.

Anyways, ranting aside: why have people abandoned the idea of trying to earnestly seek God in order to try and accommodate all beliefs, no matter whether they're false or true? (By the way, it would be very nice if you didn't say something like "bcuz there is no "god" you imbecile". There's enough trashing on these forums- if it's not too much to ask, I'd like some decent answers. If you don't think there is a God, then tell me why.)

C. S. Lewis said that "...Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." I'm inclined to agree with him. If Christianity is false, then it is a waste of time, energy, attention, and resources. If it is true, however, then it is the only way to God, and is the only thing that really matters. So what's with people saying that it's ok for some, but not for others?

"My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don’t really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don’t believe in God and they can prove He doesn't exist, and there are some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter, and honestly I don’t care." -Donald Miller

What do you think? Is the entire evolution/creation, theism/atheism debate simply a way for some people to feel superior? Any thoughts, comments, questions are welcome.

I've seen quite a few posts on here (both questions and answers) indicating that most people think that the Bible is hopelessly outdated when it comes to scientific truths. As a Christian, I know that the Bible is inspired by God, and that any scientific untruths would be due to something like a mistranslation from the original language to English, a word that was misspelled, etc.

Imagine my surprise when I read people's posts saying that the Bible says that pi=3, bats are birds, and rabbits chew cud! I knew this couldn't be right, so I did some research. As I expected, I found very logical explanations for each of those three assertions, and many more.

Here's my challenge- since so many people think that the Bible is scientifically inaccurate, I want to see your reasons why. Please include as much detail as possible (references to the Biblical passage would be nice). The only thing I don't want to see is the whole creation/non creation thing- there are still a bunch of theories floating around as to where the Earth came from, and I'm kind of sick of them all. Anything else that you can come up with/find on the internet/see in your crystal ball is fine.

I'll give the best answer to whoever comes up with what I deem to be the best, most thorough list of Biblical scientific untruths. In the answer feedback, I will do what I can to explain them.

This is partially to see just what non-Christians think about the Bible, and partially so I can clear up some misconceptions that I've seen on Y/A about the Bible. Good luck, and I look forward to seeing what you can come up with.

Alright, I know that this has nothing to do with religion and spirituality (although some people do treat Apple as a deity...), but I was getting nothing in the Computer section of Y/A despite asking twice. I figured, hey, there are some smart people in R/S, and they like answering questions.

So here's the deal: My laptop has 3 GB RAM and 250 GB HDD (got it for around $600). It came with Vista, but I upgraded to 7. At the time, I just wanted a laptop to type up school assignments, go on the Internet, and do a bit of music recording with Sonar LE. It's an ok laptop, but although our home internet system is fine, my laptop can't access it sometimes, and I'm getting tired of having to reboot to get on the Internet. Also, the mousepad is tiny and unreliable, so I have to use my USB mouse all the time. These aren't huge problems, but they do get rather annoying after a while.

Anyways, our school has a few iMacs in the music room, and I was playing around with them the other day- I was absolutely floored. The interface is so smooth and easy to use, everything loads consistantly- it's just a gorgeous computer. I played around with GarageBand, and I had written, recorded, and mixed a song in an hour that would've taken me three times that long with Sonar.

Long story short, I went to Apple.ca to check out some of their laptops, and I was most impressed with the MacBook Pro. It has great battery life, a stunning display, a versatile mousepad, can run Windows, and (most importantly) has a great recording software (GarageBand) built right in. The only thing is, they ain't cheap- a 13 inch MacBook Pro with 4 GB RAM and 250 GB HDD (refurbished) would put me out $1300. Like most teens, I'm poor, but I have a decent job, and I think I could afford it if I cut back on my other spendings for a while.

Has anybody made the switch from PC to Mac, and if so, what do you think? Is it worth using most of my savings to get a better laptop? How long would a good Mac last me? How easy is it to switch from PC to Mac?

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

My laptop has 3 GB RAM and 250 GB HDD (got it for around $600). It came with Vista, but I upgraded to 7. At the time, I just wanted a laptop to type up school assignments, go on the Internet, and do a bit of music recording with Sonar LE. It's an ok laptop, but although our home internet system is fine, my laptop can't access it sometimes, and I'm getting tired of having to reboot to get on the Internet. Also, the mousepad is tiny and unreliable, so I have to use my USB mouse all the time. These aren't huge problems, but they do get rather annoying after a while.

Anyways, our school has a few iMacs in the music room, and I was playing around with them the other day- I was absolutely floored. The interface is so smooth and easy to use, everything loads consistantly- it's just a gorgeous computer. I played around with GarageBand, and I had written, recorded, and mixed a song in an hour that would've taken me three times that long with Sonar.

Long story short, I went to Apple.ca to check out some of their laptops, and I was most impressed with the MacBook Pro. It has great battery life, a stunning display, a versatile mousepad, can run Windows, and (most importantly) has a great recording software built right in. The only thing is, they ain't cheap- a 13 inch MacBook Pro (refurbished) would put me out $1300. Like most teens, I'm poor, but I have a decent job, and I think I could afford it if I cut back on my other spendings for a while.

Has anybody made the switch from PC to Mac, and if so, what do you think? Is it worth using most of my savings to get a better laptop? How long would a good Mac last me? How easy is it to switch from PC to Mac?

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

My laptop has 3 GB RAM and 250 GB HDD (got it for around $600). It came with Vista, but I upgraded to 7. At the time, I just wanted a laptop to type up school assignments, go on the Internet, and do a bit of music recording with Sonar LE. It's an ok laptop, but although our home internet system is fine, my laptop can't access it sometimes, and I'm getting tired of having to reboot to get on the Internet. Also, the mousepad is tiny and unreliable, so I have to use my USB mouse all the time. These aren't huge problems, but they do get rather annoying after a while.

Anyways, our school has a few iMacs in the music room, and I was playing around with them the other day- I was absolutely floored. The interface is so smooth and easy to use, everything loads consistantly- it's just a gorgeous computer. I played around with GarageBand, and I had written, recorded, and mixed a song in an hour that would've taken me three times that long with Sonar.

Long story short, I went to Apple.ca to check out some of their laptops, and I was most impressed with the MacBook Pro. It has great battery life, a stunning display, a versatile mousepad, can run Windows, and (most importantly) has a great recording software built right in. The only thing is, they ain't cheap- a 13 inch MacBook Pro (refurbished) would put me out $1300. Like most teens, I'm poor, but I have a decent job, and I think I could afford it if I cut back on my other spendings for a while.

Has anybody made the switch from PC to Mac, and if so, what do you think? Is it worth using most of my savings to get a better laptop? How long would a good Mac last me? How easy is it to switch from PC to Mac?

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

...then why is He so darned interfering with our lives? If I understand them correctly, atheists believe that God is an idea invented by people to explain the things that go wrong and to give us hope. if that's the case, then why did they include the whole "morality" idea?

I mean, if I invented God, I sure wouldn't make Him the kind of guy that wants me to give up my "do whatever I want" ways to follow Him. I'd make Him more of a Pantheist God; kind of a blind force that I can tap into to realize my potential. Instead, the main idea of God is that He is a God with emotions; a loving, caring, punishing God who cares about what we do, wants us to do right, punished us for wrongs, and wants us to live for Him rather than continue with our own selfish lifestyles. Where did that come from?

I know that lots of people say that the Big Bang was the cause of the universe, but how could a singularity have come into existence from nothing? It just doesn't make sense to me. In my opinion, creation is the most logical idea for the origin of the universe, but I'd like to hear if there are any other credible theories. Please, no bashing; I just want to know if there are any theories besides creation that can account for something coming from nothing. Thanks :)