Aaron

Now, I am not talking about the Warren Jeff brand of Fundamentalist Mormons, but more like the Mormons you see on "Sister Wives" on TLC and in the HBO series "Big Love." I know the types of social problems with several polygamist compounds, but there are a lot of modern families that practice Fundamentalist Mormonism and I am curious how they differ from LDS Mormons (besides the obvious multiple wives).

I am 27 and realized I really don't know who I am. I feel like I have lived my life to make others happy or according to strict plans to make my life more meaningful that usually fail (such as conservative religious groups). I went down a career path that made me so unhappy that I was unable to maintain a job. I want to know how to find myself? I am spiritual right now, but not very interested in religion at this time. I have read some Eckhart Tolle books and they been helpful, but are there any other things on spirituality that would help me? How do you find out what type of career path is right for you? How do I discover my talents, my true interests, my physical/sexual needs, and who I truly am when I have been repressing many of these aspects of my life for so long?

I am a strange guy. I am straight and original started out working in nuclear power, but I have a strong interest in getting into fashion design. I think it is because I have a strong interest in building things and have a strong artistic sense (I am self taught in drawing, yet I can draw people nearly flawlessly). Honestly, looking at different art paths, nothing gets me excited more than watching a high fashion show or studying the latest fashion trends. I started watching old episodes in Project Runway and realized that designing the types of clothes these people make gets me super excited. I can tell I have a strong passion for what people make and am not dreaming about the fame or glory (although it would be nice to make it to the top of the industry). However, I do have some things holding me back. I am still studying fashion tends and am not as up-to-date as most people, I am very challenged at choosing the right colors and color combinations, I never used a sewing machine before (only done hand stitching), and I never actually made an outfit in my life. What are some good ways to study fashion (keep in mind that I am not flooded in money)? What are some good projects to help me to make some high quality clothes? What magazines are good to read?

Hey, I need to be moved out of my apartment by the end of November. I currently don't have much money and no job. I just need to get out because my roommate is a major stoner and he is bound to get arrested before the year is out (outstanding court fines for a prior DUI case). I wish my situation was a bit better so I could just kick him out, but irregardless, I do need to get out. Any advice to great a 30 day exit strategy for someone in my situation?

I been having a very strange day today. I been studying spirituality and meditating. In the past, I had one experience where everything felt wonderful and life was very pleasurable (even the feeling of my clothes against my body was unbelievably pleasurable). Today though, when I meditated I had a flash back, but it was to something that occurred long before I was ever born (I believe the year was 1892, but I am not certain yet). After that, life got really REALLY weird. The walls started warping, I was having muscle spasms during my meditation, I felt disoriented and disconnected (very confused), and I heard sounds and various voices from things that were not there. I slept it off a bit. Now, I can feel the ground beneath my feet moving (in the direction of Earth's rotation) and I still feel very disconnected and empty inside. Is this a spiritual awakening or am I just loosing my mind?

I tried transcendental meditation for the first time tonight using a binural beat type of meditation mp3 file. What I experienced was shocking. I definitely reached the deep meditative state, but it was also a horrifying experience. I literally felt my mouth and jaw being squeezed by large amounts of pressure and my mouth being pride wide open. I also stopped breathing and could barely breath except for the occasional shallow breath. I literally felt as though I was dieing! I did this meditation while lying down in my bed. Is this normal? Could I possibly be doing something wrong? Does this experience hold any type of meaning? Please help.

Okay, here is the basic info I have on this bird I have trouble identify:

1) I am in Washington State near Seattle.

2) The bird is very black (like a raven) with blue on its wings.

3) The bird has a black head with a crest sort of like a woodpecker.

4) The bill is long and straight. It is also thick (the bird I saw was carrying a peanut with it).

5) It is very good at grabbing vertical surfaces (like the trunk of a tree).

6) I swear it looks like an over-sized woodpecker, but it doesn't drill into trees so it cannot be a woodpecker.

Anyone have a guess at what I am seeing?

I want to do some missionary work abroad in Russia. I love the Russian language, but I have never found a foreign language program that works for me. I would prefer to study in my own free time with a program that is relatively inexpensive. I am a kinesthetic learner, which from what I understand, makes it difficult to master a new language. Since learning a second language is on my bucket list and since I do want to travel to Russia, are there any people that have mastered a second language that give me tips (preferably someone who master a difficult language for English speakers like Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, or even Russian)?

I bought Rosetta Stone Totale software over a year ago. Since then, my computer died, so I had it replaced with a new one. However, now I cannot activate the software. I bought it over a year ago and paid cash for it. Since I do not have the receipt, the customer "service" won't reactivate my ID for me. Is there anything I can do?

This is what I need translated into Spanish:

The apple is red.

It is John’s apple.

I give John the apple.

We give him the apple.

He gives it to John.

She gives it to him.

I must give it to him.

I want to give it to her.

Thanks for your time.

I need a Russian speaker (preferably native) to translate the following lines into Russian. You may write them out in Russian Crylliac or Latin phonetic equivalent (I do know the Russian alphabet).

The apple is red.

It is John's apple.

I give John the apple.

We give him the apple.

He gives it to John.

She gives it to him.

I must give it to him.

I want to give it to her.

Thanks for your time and it is very much appreciated if you help me out.

Since studying Eastern Orthodoxy, I noticed more and more of these superstitious and ridiculous beliefs practiced by Fundamentalists Christians throughout America. I am wondering if any other Christians feel the same way as I do and know if anything is actually being done about this. They make the rest of us Christians look bad, their ideas are dangerous, and many outsiders think they represent historical Christianity (which I assure you, they don't). Here are some of the dumb ideas I hear on a regular basis:

- The earth is 6,000 years old.

- Evolution is a religion or a forum of atheistic philosophy that tries to disprove the existence of God.

- Israel and the recent wars are a fulfillment of Biblical end time prophecies.

- The Jews will rebuild the temple and usher in the return of Jesus to rapture the Christians to heaven before the 7 year tribulation.

- Calvinism is historical, Biblical Christianity.

- Any new identification chip is always considered the "mark of the beast."

- God's judgement is just like a Roman or 16th century European court room. You sin, you are damned to eternity in hell. However, God wants to forgive you, but is incapable because He is enslaved to his justice court system. Therefore, He had His Son killed in our place so the law could be fulfilled, then He was able to forgive your sins.

- OR, the worst atonement theory, God is extremely angry and hateful of the disgusting human race. He sent Himself to this world to pour His wrath upon Himself in order to finally convince Himself that He might possibly be able to forgive the sins of a select few (the elect Calvinists).

These are just a few things I noticed being taught by Christians that are rather dumb. If you are a Christian, list any others that you consider dumb as well.

I am currently living in Everett, WA living paycheck to paycheck. I honestly want to live somewhere nice and sunny and actually enjoy life. I suffer from seasonal depression so WA is just not ideal for me. I use to be in the Navy and love the sea. Is there any good job opportunities in Panama City? I am particularly interested in commercial fishing and marine type jobs (I will even be happy with painting and repairing boats). Please let me know, thanks.

I have a female Bengal (F5) who is 5 years old. My roommate has a larger short-hair cat that is 10 years old. While, they are not buddies, they do respect each other's space (they have their own, separate eating areas and litter boxes) and it is rare to see them get into a fight. However, we recently got a stray who is much smaller (she is a 2 year old short-hair) that my Bengal cat absolutely terrorizes. Our new cat was so loving and happy, but now she hides in a corner absolutely terrorized. If I let my cat out of my bedroom, she will guard our new cat's food and litter box or sit on the couch and swat at the new cat leaving her to tremble in the corner. It has gotten so bad that the new cat hardly eats and pees on the carpet and furniture. Right now, we got both cats locked in their respective owners bedroom, but I need a plan to keep the cats civil. My roommate's cat tends to let the new cat be, but my cat is the major corporate in terrorizing our new feline friend. Is there a long term plan, special training, or products that I can use to ease the tension and at least get these two cats to be civil and live happily with each other. I know my cat personally does well with other animals and this is the first time I seen her go out of her way to terrorize a cat.

My roommate is a gay man. He only has sexual relations with other men. However, I have noticed that he checks out girls way more frequently then I do and comments a lot on how girls look (both making fun of the less attractive ones and talking about how sexy the more attractive one's are). I don't doubt that he really is gay (as he only seems to make relationships with girls that seem like normal friendships), but sometimes he makes me feel like the gay one because half the time I really just don't care. I know sexual orientation is not static, but why does he do this? Any gay men out there that do the same thing that can explain this to me?

I come from a Mormon background. I later rejected Mormonism because of my research of it. I tried mainstream Christianity for a while and got frustrated with it as well. After reading some books and listening to some podcasts, I really got re-tuned with spirituality and appreciate religion in a different way. I do not take the Bible literally, although I do see wisdom in it (that I believe is divinely inspired). I believe God can be experienced and that several other religions have some validity based on universal spiritual truth. Basically, I see religious text as a cultural myths inspired by spiritual experiences. Here are my beliefs:

1) There is a God, probably a pandeist God.

2) People can have spiritual/mystical experiences with the divine.

3) Religion is a cultural myth to try to convey complex spiritual truths and wisdom.

4) There is an after-life that is effected by how close we are to God and others (the closer, the better and the father, the worse).

5) Jesus was either God incarnate or spiritually close to God and thus reflected what God is.

6) Science is the best way to understand the natural universe.

7) Homosexuality is biological and same-sex couples can have as deep and meaningful of relationships as their heterosexual counterparts.

I know this is a lot, but does anyone one know a religious path for people like me? Any churches? Even if you know some website communities I would like that are Christian or Mormon based with like minded people, please let me know. Thanks for your time.

I am starting to make mix-tapes and calling around to get gigs as a hip-hop DJ. I also work as a mobile DJ where everyone goes by their real name. However, for privacy reasons, I do need a decent Hip -Hop DJ name. My friends called me Danger and sometimes DJ Danger when I bought my first set of turntables and a mixer, but I am afraid that is kind of too close to Danger Mouse. So, I need something different. Any suggestions for picking a DJ name or actual DJ name ideas would be appreciated.

He is a decent enough guy, but he has no boundaries. He comes over whenever he feels like to do drugs and play his music really loud on our sound system. He often brings friends over that I never meant that are usually high. Once he brought over an underage girl. It is starting to piss me off. My roommate and I have tried being polite, ignored him at the door, even made up excuses that we are not home. He once came over and locked my roommate out of the apartment. What should I do?

My friends all like dubstep and I just started listening to it and like it already. I want to get some dubstep music, but I don't want to waste my money on junk. So, what are some good dubstep songs?

I been reading up on the subject and most of the first Presidents held views that Christians would consider unorthodox. Many of them were deists and most did not believe that Jesus was the incarnation of God. Yes, there were several that went to church regularly, but their beliefs were not orthodox in the slightest. Actually, while there was Evangelical Christianity at that time, not one founding father was an Evangelical. So, why do so many Christians get this idea in there head that the founding fathers were making this country a "Christian nation"?