eine kleine nukedmusik

I've played Strat and super Strat style guitars (25.5 neck, XJ frets) for 20 years. I recently bought a Les Paul copy (24.75 scale neck Jumbo/Medium frets) and I am floored. Further research shows me thatthis is a standard... you either have a Les Paul neck (Les Paul copies, SG copies, Explorer copies) or a strat neck (everything else) and your playing style will gravitate naturally toward one or the other. Starting as a metal player (and since branching to everything else) I've always been recommended strat-style guitars (THIS is for metal). With the advent of the internet, I am realizing how totally untrue this paradigm is... people play what they like, regardless of musical style. The more I play this guitar, the more I realize I've been playing the wrong guitars for 20 years! To this day, I have to tell people I am a blues or jazz guitarist to have them recommend a 24.75-necked guitar. I and many others have no trouble shredding or jamming on the J/M frets. So you don't get the full 24 frets. You can bend that last full step, if you absolutely need to.

So WHY does this dichotomy still exist? And even further, why does no one tell you that this prejudice exists? Since the electric guitar comes in only two basic setups, how come no one ever explains this? If I were trying to help a novice (as anyone would want to) this is the first part of guitar selection I explain. It makes people's who learning process easier. Since developing your personal preferences is always a 'find what you like and stick with it' kind of thing, how come no one ever brings this aspect of guitar selection up? I feel like I just reached the 24th rank of Freemasonry or something by learning this very basic aspect of guitar construction after 20 years of living with the instrument.

They are NEVER original (ooo! Sexy princess/cheerleader/devil/kitty cat) and always make the girl in question look like a Hooter's waitress in training (NOT classy, NOT sexy).

I mean, really. Worst part is when it is some little girl. How very, very sad. It reminds me of those moms who go to the mall with their 9-year old wearing 'juicy' shorts. SICKO!

I tried one out the other day in my local store and was quite impressed. The I looked at the price (300 bucks) and wondered what I was missing.

All the reviews I've found for this thing say the same thing... AMAZING guitar for the money.

Most of my guitars have been Ibanez guitars, but I'm not really a brand guy. I play a pretty wide range of music, and this guitar's ability to adapt well, sound-wise, also impressed me.

I was looking for a less-than 1K$ guitar, but wasn't expecting a 300-dollar, mass-produced guitar to wow me like this.

Can anyone tell me if I'm missing something here, or did Ibanez really overshoot the value on this mass-job? Just looking for other opinions, as sometimes, my initial enthusiasm can steer me wrong.

http://www.ibanez.com/eg/guitar.aspx?m=A%E2%80%A6

And yes, I'm buying local, not online.

PS: Incredibly sweet, 24.75 neck.

I have a Logitech speaker set up that, when I up the volume, gives me a great deal of 'Mexican Radio.' Similarly, I have a Marshall guitar amp that, when use the boost channel, gives me Mexican Radio so bad that it is almost as loud as the instrument between silences.

Both are great pieces of equipment that I am very happy with except that I enjoy NPR in the car, not when I am listening to or playing other music! How can I shield these items from electronic interference?

Neither piece of equipment picks up cell phone signals.

I remember there was one in particular... something to do with lifting a chair against a wall... some deal that women could do it, but men could not. I don't remember the particulars of this exercise, does anyone else?

You know those stickers European cars are supposed to have that indicate the home country of the car/driver? In my area (USA Florida), I keep seeing them on the backs of cars, but they say 'IRB.' I was a little blown away. It turns out, the locals who have these stickers live in Indian Rocks Beach! Whose bright idea was this? Every time I see one of these cars, I can only think "Irish Republican Brotherhood.' Did anybody think this out when they started their little area promotional campaign? Who could miss this? You're trying to start a little publicity/unity campaign among area suburbanites, and you choose initials like IRB? For years (until I finally found out) I was thinking these people were advertising membership or sympathy with the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

Well shes walking through the clouds

With a circus mind that's running round

Butterflies and zebras

And moonbeams and fairy tales

That's all she ever thinks about

Riding with the wind.

When I'm sad, she comes to me

With a thousand smiles, she gives to me free

It's alright she says it's alright

Take anything you want from me

Anything.

Sound like anybody you know?

Let's give a Christmas shout-out to all those Little Wings out there.

I've read an issue of the Sandman series, and have seen his movie Stardust. I keep hearing the guy is a GREAT writer, but with my experience, I find that his imagery is lovely, but his stories and characters seem to be cobbled together from 2-dimensional cliches. You can encapsulate any of them in a single sentence, typically beginning with 'classic example of,' or 'whimsical inclusion.'

I tend to really not like fantasy because I find that far too many fantasy writers fit this bill, in my mind. I don't like comics for the same reason. What passes for a storyline or 'character development' in comics is, to me, very very extemely lame. Simplistic characters and basic' cliche plots too run-of-the-mill and 2D to even be believed. I mean, Dorothy Gale (Oz) has more internal complexity. To me, comic or fantasy mechanics tend to really only work for folks who are exclusively fans of that genre.

Objective Gaiman fans: given my impression so far, is it worthwhile for me to pursue him at all?

I have 2 people in my contacts that are self-identified Christians (I believe Protestant). They will freely tell you so, but aren't very highly evangelical. Their answers are typically incredibly fair and balanced, and they seem to have a great handle on their own morality, and tend to be open and fair minded in their opinions on all things. They don't talk down to non-Christians, are always pleasant and polite, and seem legitimately happy and at-peace with themselves and the world.

In my mind (not that my opinion is all-important to anyone other than me) they are great examples of Christian values, and represent their faith pretty darn well.

So why are so many Christians NOT like that? I'm pretty sure that this was one of the messages that Christ taught, to be peaceful, regard others with compassion, and not be a snooty jerk to people. (ok I made that last part up). In these times when Christians are under so much criticism for being foolish, pugnacious, prejudiced, judgmental people, wouldn't it be wiser to be MORE like Christ, to be a BETTER example? If one portrays Christians negatively, doesn't that HURT the evangelical directive of Jesus? One of the reasons he was so successful (aside from the whole Son of God deal) was that he was a strong example of this kind of person that everyone could see (and I suppose the miracles helped too). While most people aren't turning water into wine, people who are such balanced, positive examples of their faith show us all what faith is supposed to be about. Faith is supposed to bring you PEACE and JOY, not excuse you to ostracize others. Wouldn't better examples bring more people under the arm of Christ?

I'm not Christian myself, but respect the faiths of others, ESPECIALLY when it seems to bring them peace, joy, and help them to be fair minded, compassionate, thinking people. I think other people would be interested in what God has to say if so many people weren't so crappy about it.

I apologize, but I am disallowing direct email correspondence because I would like to keep debate on this PUBLIC, and don't want to get evangelical hate-mail or get preached at by holier-than-thous. I am comfortable and happy in my own faiths, and ask this question to promote thought and promote religious folk who seem to have really learned something about life from their ideology.

I have trouble accepting gifts. Always have. My family is under strict instructions not to buy me anything for my birthdays, Christmas, etc. I just have problems accepting gifts. Sure, I'm glad to get them, but I also feel bad. Well, recently I met this lady who is really great. For a brief span, she was giving me lots of great presents. Which was great, but also makes me feel a bit bad. Once, she even blew her month of phone minutes on ONE CALL with me! And she's great, she really is, but I'm just a bit uncomfortable with all the gifts.

So, I tell her, gently (I thought) to maybe lighten up on the presents. I'm sold, you know? She doesn't need to convince me. Well, that started trouble. Turns out, I'm the guy that 'throws cold water' whenever she gets particularly expressive or emotional, and I tend to 'emotionally reject' her on a regular basis. Now, I'm not really a talk about your feelings kind of guy, but it really depresses me to hurt her feelings like that. She says I'm self centered sometimes (these times), but what can I say? Often, upon receiving her gifts, I'm just floored, and don't know what to say. Certainly 'thank you,' but beyond that? She often just blows me out of the water and leaves me at a loss. That sucks because she's really great, but I'm increasingly feeling like I'm just not up to the task rewarding her properly for all this attention. I get the "I don't deserve this' vibe more and more.

When I've tried to talk about it, it gets ugly fast because she gets hurt, then sarcastic, and falls into what I can see is like an automatic response. Then I get frustrated and everything goes left, and ends with her blaming herself for being too emotional, or 'too much' or something, and I feel like an utter crudball for hurting her feelings at all. I feel increasingly like hiding my feelings and just responding with canned pleasantries, because I seem to always communicate in exactly the wrong way. Of course (joke here) I've always felt you have to be careful what you say to women, because you never know what is going to be offensive, but I'm feeling increasingly stifled and unable to communicate at all because I don't want to hurt or offend her (she really is great) but I am starting to feel that mounting insecurity where I start keeping my head lower and lower, and talk less and less, because I just want things to go smoothly. I know that is a bad road to go down, but I'm really at a loss.

So, I've always been a very artistic person. But somewhere, I've lost that loving feeling.

Physical arts: I was a kungfu teacher once. I loved the artistry of the movement. Sure, being tough was cool, too, but the poetry and internal/external movement of the body was what I loved. I'm a good dancer. I still train, but it's just working out. My heart isn't there.

I've revisited visual arts, mostly pencil subjects. I'm still good. I'm good with three dimensional art, sculpture, modeling, etc., also.

I'm a good designer, interior or otherwise. Gardening, bonsai, landscaping, you name it.

But there's no love. No fulfillment. I've come back to all these artistic subjects and pursuits, because I suspect this might be one of the 'somethings' I'm missing right now. I don't care about projects or subjects or routines... it's all workmanlike, but my skills are all still there. I don't use these skills in my profession (administration), but I have plenty of time to pursue them.

I personally believe that, more or less, a woman can accomplish anything a man can. It would seem this is a norm among Koreans, also. Would it be safe to assume that among most 'modern industrial nations' that women's equality is the rule, not the exception? Certainly, all kinds of biased thinking occurs in some amount everywhere, but, as a rule, it is safe to assume that in most places a woman can accomplish what a man can, right?

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28868

Read before you flame, please.

Robotech (classic Japanese image license transfer and story hacking!)

And, of course, the one anime they all follow: AKIRA!

That was the first one with 'real' movement. C'mon!

My room is done in a red, almost burgundy color. Accents are a brighter red with black, silver, and gold trimming. But I have a fantastic painting (framed in matching red and black) of my favorite park in Europe. The problem is that the painting is in autumn colors, with a good deal of brown, and it seems to 'disappear' on the wall. It looks really drab in an otherwise fantastically themed room, and doesn't do the decor or the painting justice, but I love the painting, and want to keep it in the room. Thoughts? Suggestions? The room is themed Japanese, so the painting (though the site is from Europe) still works as a nature piece, just the colors aren't working. HELP!

The suede jackets with fox fur trim. Lovely sweaters. Ankle length wool coats. Square toe boots. The hair shines more than ever. Skin glows from the cool air. I dunno, every winter I'm stunned at how newly beautiful women become. Anyone else?

AND vegetarians, could we have beef? Or would we have to squash it?

I read that sucker at least once a year!

There are a few countries that I would love to live in, I can speak the language(s) but I don't want to sacrifice my big, fat American paycheck. So I figured an embassy or consulate-type job would be perfect. Work for America, at an American wage, in a foreign country. Obviously, my mental picture of the reality of this kind of situation is horribly uninformed. I'm talking Eastern Europe, preferably the Baltic. What kind of positions could I get and what kind of experience and education would I need? How would I apply?

Thank you in advance!

Seriously, this is so out of hand. Sports players making millions upon millions of dollars, and end up on drugs, in jail, whatever. Meanwhile, the person who's job is to be responsible for your child and their education makes just enough not to qualify for food stamps.