So, like, I'm this guy. And like, I do stuff...
Chemist, musician, artist, programmer, coach, husband, dad, uncle, etc.
So yeah.
Advice-wise? There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
Website: Not My Site!
E-mail: sporkopolis2001@yahoo.com
Gender: Male
Occupation: Chemist
Age: 32
Member Since: October 16, 2003
Answers: 1249
Last Update: June 1, 2006
Visitors: 133920
Main Categories:
Music
Spirituality
Families
View All
Favorite Columnists
karenR
storageanddisposal
jbdreamer
chaos
MaxwellsSilverHammer
xXxpinky615xXx
FernGully
advice~gurl
Notso
queenbee
Draak
more...
|
| |
does any 1 know some tips for starting out on playing oboe? i dont want anything stupid like well you have to get a reed and a swab.... i take a class at school im not stupid....thanx
(link)
|
Oboe is hard.
I've not done much with the double-reed instruments because they are very sensitive on technique. They just didn't fit me, so to speak.
The best advice I can offer is to be patient. I assume you're being taught about making your own reeds, trimming them, caring for the reeds, etc... oboe reeds tend to be very picky and need to be taken care of or you'll sounds like shit. I can break in a saxophone reed in a few minutes... oboe reeds seem to need hours.
Breath control is also a big deal - tiny reeds requires just the right force of air in a very controlled manner. You can't just wail away with all your lung power - it'll choke or squeal in ways that are both amazing and painful to hear.
I think someone on here has played double reed instruments - a bassoonist, but I can't remember who it was. If I recall this, I'll see if I can't make sure they read this question.
|
|
do guys have something against redheads..im jw? (link)
|
Do guys have something against redheads?!?!?!
Maybe the stupid ones?
Personally, I really, REALLY dislike fake redheads - especially those with obviously fake or litterally red hair. Bleh.
Natural redheads and strawberry blondes tend to fall in the cute to hot range...
...or at least that's my bias...
|
|
ok i was hanging out with my friends when i felt something weird on the inner part of my lip. like a pimplish kind of thing? my one friend insisted it was herpes and said at one point everyone gets herpes. im like what? is this true? i thought herpes was like a perminant thing. (link)
| |
most all the cold sores and cankre sores are caused by a herpes virus. In this case it is a herpes simplex. Chicken pox is also a herpes virus. There are many different herpes and related viruses - but not all of them are the sexually transmitted kind. Herpes viruses are essentially permanent, though. Your body can suppress them, but it is nearly impossible to get rid of them.
|
|
what are the strings for the guitar tuned to on a piano? like the first is an a (i know it's not but what is it?) and what are the rest? and also i lost my last pick so what can i use thats around the house as a temporary pick??? thanks! (link)
|
generally, you tune them E A D G B E, biggest string to thinnest string. There are many variants you can tune to, though. You use the E below middle C on the piano for the lowest string.
Use a coin as a temporary pick, though honestly, I just use my fingers mostly - I don't like picks all that much. You can also take an old AOL CD and cut it into triangles for picks.
|
|
okay, i know this is pretty weird, but i read on this health site that if you take your height from when you were 2, and double it.. it`s your adult height. does anyone know if this is a true fact and if anyone has their height from when they were two and you are fully grown .. can you let me know =] thankss!! (link)
| |
I would say that it is crap. Your height from age 2? I know someone who was just over 2 feet tall at the age of two. Now that person is well over 6 foot. There are a lot of factors that will determine one's adult height - from genetic to nutritional to environmental effects. To declare that your height from age 2 is half your adult height is weak and based on poor assumptions. Doctors can, however, look at the spaces between growth plates on your bones when young and approximate what your final adult height will likely be.
|
|
umm where can you buy a ouija board..?!? and how much are they?! (link)
|
go to any store that sells games like Toys-R-Us. It'll probably run about $20. It is made by Milton Bradley.
Here's a link to it: http://www.hasbro.com/games/pl/page.viewproduct/product_id.9470/dn/default.cfm
|
|
i write lyrics to songs and i write poetry and stuff a lot but i don't know where i can show it off without it getting stolen from me. do any of you know where i can display my poems/songs to where people won't take them and say they are thiers? (link)
|
If you're really worried about people stealing your lyrics, then don't post them anywhere. Yeah, you can claim copyright and do everything possible to protect your creation, but anyone can still steal them.
You have to decide - is it better to get your ideas out there, or is it better to protect what you've created at all costs?
|
well first i am 14/f, and anyone makes fun of my question in anyway, i will report you and get you banned. and well people who are willing to help, please help i need help ASAP. my problem is this. i am crushing on a gay guy. i just met him and he first denied that he was, but today he told me and my friend that he is gay. but he is fits so perfect for my dream prince. he likes stuff i like, and such. not to mention he is sooo hot.
so please, is there anyway i can turn him straight? i know it will be really hard and i can't help it because its like hormon, but i have heard of few stories that it can happen. but i dont know how, and please dont say give up, because i know most of you will try to do that but i already know that , but i have to try at least!! so please please help me.
i rate 5 if it helps even a little. (link)
|
First off, reporting people doesn't mean that they'll get banned, and including such a statement like that just seems silly. You don't have the authority to ban people.
Nextly, your "dream prince" is a gay man? That seems odd. I would assume that a girl would want a straight guy... (yes, I'm trying to be funny... laugh or I'll kill you).
Really, you can't "turn someone straight". Without trying to spark any debates on the nature of sexuality and sexual orientation, let's just say that being gay really isn't something you just wake up and decide "hey, I'll be gay from now on!". Much the same most gays don't wake up and think, "You know what, those straight people have got it made. I think I'll join them!"
Crush on the guy all you want. Be friends with him. Love him to death. Just don't expect the same sort of love in return.
|
|
See I want to learn how to play the bass.... that is not my problem my problem is I dont know what is the best bass to get when you are first starting off.... And I need to find a cheap one.... if you can give me a link to as site I will be very greatful..... I also always rate 5's (link)
|
Read my column and click on the music section. I've answered this many times.
In summary: you have a conflict - you want a cheap bass, but you want a good bass. More likely, you want a decently priced bass that doesn't suck. You can get a really cheap bass, and it'll sound like ass. You can get a horribly expensive bass and never be able to take advantage of it.
Fender Squires are very entry-level. Some are very poorly made. Some are OK. It really depends.
Ibanez has a decent selection of student-level models. I have an Ibanez 5-string bass and am very happy with it (it is, however, NOT a sudent model).
Most importantly, pick a guitar that feels good in your hands. Don't pick one based on brand name, don't pick one based on how pretty it is. You need to pick up basses and play them in stores and find what neck and body design feel right to you as you play them.
Also, realize that a good amp can make a shitty bass sound good. And a bad amp can make a great bass sound like shit.
While a lot of people will link you to Musicians Friend (otherwise known as Musician's Fiend) - realize that they will rip you off just as badly as any chain can. Yeah, they have some good deals, and they also have some horrible deals. They'll also try to hype up shitty equipment because they need it to sell.
I am more in favor of finding a local music/guitar shop. For one, you can actually pick up the guitars and play them. Secondly, you can go to them if you need repairs, advice, etc... you can't get that from a website.
|
|
do ouija boards really tell the truth or do ppl just make it up? (link)
| |
being that it is a game made by Milton Bradley, a subsidiary of Hasboro, the same company who brings you Transformers and Pokemon... well...
|
|
i have a 2 month old daughter she has had diareeah, vomitting, and a fever not lower than 101 for 12 days the er says its just a virus and to keep her on a fever reducer but they dont seem to be working and now her vomit is curtled and thick. any suggestions will help?? thanks (link)
|
101 for 12 days? 2 month old...
first off, no one here is a pediatrician. You probably need to see one.
Nextly, what fever reducer are you using? If Tylenol/acetaminophen/paracetemol (did I hit every name it seems to go by yet?) then perhaps you should find out from a doctor what dose of ibuprofen to try.
2 months old... what are you feeding the child? It is possible that your daughter has a milk allergy on top of things and needs a soy-based formula to keep food in.
Also, look into using pedialyte (DO NOT USE GATORADE) to replenish electrolytes while she is vomiting and having diharea.
I find it worrysome that you went to an ER, but not a regular pediatrician... do you not have a regular care provider? Admittedly it isn't always feasible with insurance issues, but I would recommend it for the sake of getting conistent care for your child.
|
i have been writing songs for a while now. I only really actually wrote like 3 songs but its ok. What i need help on is i cant ever seem to make up my own rythmn. I would like the music from other songs and just fill in different words. I cant seem to "make" my own music. I tried to make up my own music but i just cant. Can someone please help!
thanks alot!!!! (link)
|
is it just the rhythm you are having difficulty with, or did you mean the entire melody?
Writing lyrics, for many, is really just writing poetry of a confined style.
Composing songs is a bit more complex, as you have melody, harmony, song structures, lyrics (when applicable), and arrangement. It is admittedly not always easy, but then agian, you don't always have to have every part explicitly spelled out in advance.
As for learning to write melodies - practice makes perfect. Hum to yourself, whistle random things, create your own litle musical phrases and explore them, experiment with them and see where it all leads you.
If you find yourself simply lifting melodies from other songs using the words you came up with - change your words so they no longer fit that melody/rhythmic pattern... that way, you'll be forced to change things, perhaps even significantly until you end up with a new melody of your own.
Sit down at a piano/keyboard and just putz around. Play slop. Play shit. Bang on the keys, play them in random orders and just mess around until you hear something you like. Seriously. To learn to compose, you have to build a musical vocabulary, you need to be able to hear things in your head and develop those ideas - use other songs for inspiration, but copying outright will never gain you anything.
|
My mothers' doctor tells me anti-depressants (SSRI's like prozac) will reduced the effectiveness of the birth control pill. I'm not sure I can trust him, as he is very sexually conservative and doesn't beleive unmarried people should have sex. He always seems to be trying to scare me out of having sex. (I rather not go to him anymore, but there are very very few family doctors where I live.)
I know the normal issues and chances with the pill, but I can't seem to find any reasources online that deal with this specifically. Does anyone have any idea or personal experience?
(20/f) (link)
|
speaking strictly from a chemistry mind-set, that doesn't seem right.
SSRI's can screw up sexual fulfillment - keep you from enjoying sex basically. But that's because they mess with serotonin levels. Birth control is about hormones... serotonin is a neurotransmitter... they do not act on similar pathways for the most part.
If you have real questions, don't ask your doctor - honestly most doctors really don't know much about drugs... you want to talk to a pharmacist - they deal with drugs and drug interactions. That is your expert - people seem to forget that a PharmD is equivalent to having a PhD or an MD. It is a doctorate level degree.
|
im 19 yrs old, college sophomore, i met my ex "james" when i was a senior in high school. strangley enough my friend "pat" put my pic up on hot or not and "james" saw it and clicked meet me. come to find out he went to my high school and graduated a few years ahead of me. his brother was also one of my high school friends.
he was in the army when i met him, (this was in december of my high school year) he had been over seas for 2 years. we talked online and on the phone to eachother every chance we got and he came down on leave for his brothes grad party which i was invited to because his brother and i were friends.
we started hanging out and eventually dating. i broke up with him before i left for college because i didnt want to worry about having a bf and his school and mine were 2 hours apart. he told me he loved me but i broke up with him reguardless
he now has a gf "kerry". he started dating her 2 months after we broke up. apparently he used to date her before he left for iraq. they have been dating ever since.
well the reason i am writing is because after him and i broke it off we still continuted to talk and even hang out on occasion. he has been cheating on "kerry" with me for the past month and 1/2. i KNOW he is not the cheating type we went to high school together and i have known him for 3 1/2 years please help
"james" tells me that he is probably going back overseas to fight in october. he told me that i should get over him because he isnt sure when or if he is going to come back. and i deserve a guy who is going to be there for me(he is sched for 2 years over there. i dont know what i should do. i know he still cares deeply for me but i dont know if he is still with "kerry" because he loves her or if its not the right time to break up with her or if he is going to break it off when he goes, if he loves me still i just dont know what to think. i need someone to look at the situation from another stand point and give me some advice, i am at a total loss. (link)
| |
I think to be fair to both of you, you should continue you friendship with him, but nothing beyond that. Seems that you might be a bit unsettled yet, and he is clearly unsettled. His situation with Kerry is unfair to both you and her, as it seems the truth of his relationship on both ends it at least partly veiled. It just seems, from what you've indicated here, that you would just be setting yourself up for various bad situations by pursuing anything more serious with him.
|
|
does anyone sing here? know any songs to practice for a beginner? im near mezzo-soprano. (link)
|
"near" mezzo-soprano? On the high or low side?
I've never sang in a "formal" sense - singing just sort of got thrust on me because no one else would in the band I was in. Then it was just something I did in the car for many years until recently we tried playing in a band-like situation again.
Really, as far as particular songs? Pick anything that you have interest in singing and seems to fit your range decently - no need to go after something that's an octave too high unless you feel like taking it all down an octave.
Anyway, there's about a billion songs out there to choose from - perhaps pick a genre, like showtunes, folk, classic rock, modern pop, death metal, jazz, etc... and just try a few things. No harm in trying, and especially no harm in listening.
|
|
my dad has never told me he's loved me until last week when we were on the phone. I said it first, but i am glad he said it back. it is awkward to say it again. My question is...is it normal for dads not to say he loves his daughtor and should i keep on saying i love him when i see him or talk to him on the phone? (link)
|
Sometimes telling someone you love dearly that you love them can be incredibly awkward for any number of strange and complex psychological reasons.
When your kids are little, it seems so easy to tell them that you love them all the time, and they'll tell you the same in return... but as we all get older, we do things to create distance between ourselves, to try to attain our independence form our parents - and whether intentional or not, it can create emotional rifts that are sometimes hard to understand and heal.
So what am I trying to say? Umm...
By all means, tell your dad you love him. Let him know that he is important to you and that you appreciate having him in your life. I mean, if he finally said the words to you, take it as a good sign and use it to build upon.
|
|
when ever i download the sims2, and i put the thrid disc in, it freezes there, my freind kammi (hi kamz!) said she doesnt know, i have the sims2 doewnloaded on a diff computer, but im not allowed on it, because i got my own, and its my sisters and she doesnt want me to delete the families and stuff like that! can you tell me why its freezing? (it freezes at exactally 49%) (link)
|
I assume you've checked to make sure you have enough disk space, yes?
Could it be that the 3rd disc is corrupt? It happens - a CD gets burned at the factory and just contains bad data.
It could also be that at 49% - it is trying to install a component that is conflicting with something already installed on your computer. You can try shutting down all background tasks and install again to see if that gets you any further.
|
I'm a 34 DD, 5'4 and size 1 in pants. I'm petite but ...
If i diet (healthy) and start to lose weight, will i begin to lose weight in my boobs? They're not "fat girl" boobs, it's genetics. I really wish i was just smaller .. so i figured losing weight could be a good idea. Do you think it would work?
Does anyone know anything else i could do to make them smaller? (link)
|
Excessively large breasts on a small frame can lead to back problems later in life. If your breasts continue to get larger, you might consider breast reduction surgery... I mean, ist might seem totally out there to mention it, but I know of several girls and women who have had it done... one started experiencing lower back pains by age 16.
Sure, you can try diet & exercise, but unless you're going to do some serious workout routines and build massive muscle, I doubt you're going to have much impact on your breasts.
Like always, if you're really bothered and/or concerned about this, talk to your doctor.
|
I was on my second peroid, and it happeed like at the 26th of june. What happens if you still have your period then its agust? does that mean that that was your period for august?? im really confused by this.
Also, the second night it was over, islept and in the morning i found alot of blood on my pj's. and then it suddently stopped an hour later is that normal? ive also sen that my dischare has been yellowish brown.. is that a sign for anything?
(link)
|
The notion that you should get one period a month is not really correct. The "average" number of menstrual cycles a year I don't think is even 12... it is probably closer to 10-11. I know some who get only 8 a year.
Spotting can be caused by any number of things, and can be signs of a slightly more irregular cycle, which can be caused by stress, change in diet, etc.
If you're really worried about it, talk to your doctor.
|
Hey, you answered a question about the book in the bible Revelations about how each reflects the times during which it was written. Like Nero for revelations, and general dark times during David. I was wondering if you are a historian of some sorts? And if you had any more information of this nature about other texts or books in the bible? I think it's fascinating, I'm glad you mentioned it, and I've now incorporated your last quote into my own theories of life, the universe, and everything. "Is the world ending? Only if we let it."
Thanks.
Nevaeh
P.S. Have you read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? (link)
|
hmm... the Revelations thing was something I picked up from a Bible historian at the University of Dayton, and it was repeated again by the former director of religious education at our church. I wish I had more specifics to offer you, or in-depth knowledge on it, but my area of history is Medieval, and that's more a hobby than anything. My wife's degree is in history (amongst other things) so between the two of us, we tend to collect various bits of knowledge of history.
I'm really a fan of Joseph Campbell, who wrote The Power of Myth - he covers a lot of ground, both religious, philosophical, and in litterature/film. Fascinating things. I also really enjoy the Native American religion/mythology/folklore... especially where you see symbolic overlap with things from other religions.
I read the first 3 books of Hitchhiker's a few years back in one night. Completed the others by the end of the week. I would really re-read them one of these days.
|
|