Do you know about mitochondria?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve

Mitochondria are strange, in that they have their own DNA, which is not related to or affected by the host cell (yours). They are only passed on by the mother. Men cannot pass their mitochondria. MtDNA can be traced back to "Mitochondrial Eve", the farthest and oldest possible trace--the mother of the mother of the mother of the mothers.
Indeed, that begs the question. If mitochondria is ONLY passed down through mothers, if ONLY women can pass it and ONLY daughters can pass it forward... where did it come from in the first place?
The only conclusion is it came from a woman or was passed to a woman.
In Christian thought, that would make God a woman.

Please do some research into ancient religions that predate Christianity. You will find an amazing number of parallels between the Christian myths and original ancient ones. In a huge percentage of these religions, the main creator God was female. After all, as you pointed out, males do not give life. The female body is sacred, even animals understand this, so it is worshipped.

Do not feel confused about feeling the presence of a Great Mother. She has never been forgotten even through thousands of years--we still call her Mother Nature in a culture that has begun to worship male power.

The second point I'd like to make is, the Bible was composed in several ancient Middle Eastern societies during a time of very very strong male rule, where women were (and still are) very repressed. Their societies were ones of war, fighting for their lives in an inhospitable desert with enemies on all sides. They were not peaceful or tolerant peoples, and their Bible reflects it. Women had NO POWER. They were struck from the myths and replaced with male gods that the people could respect and believe in. It made the difference between Christianity being a minor cult (and a carbon copy of Mesopotamian and Egyptian myths), to being a large religion accepted by a number of converts. Nobody would believe in a female God or a gentle Mother when all around them is war, fear, starvation. They wanted a God of War and Power, and that's what they got.

Look to many religions to find the truth--Buddhism states, "like many facets of a diamond, all religions contain one face of the truth, but by staring only at one part we cannot see the blinding beauty of the entire Truth".

Wicca is completely about personal power. That power can come from anywhere you trust. Many Wiccans draw that power from the eternity of the earth, but you could feel powerful because of beauty, a dream, the sight of something amazing, or the desire to be someone powerful. Wicca will never let you down. It is a tool, one that can help you grow and change and lose your fear. People will become attracted to you--not because you magically become beautiful, but because you lose your fear of death or pain or loneliness and you walk with your head high.

Talk to as many Wiccans as you can, ask them serious questions, join discussion forums and listen while they discuss. Talk to adult Wiccans as much as possible. Ask them how it was in the beginning. I just marked my 10-year anniversary as a Pagan and I am so incredibly glad I found it. It got me through the hardest years of my life and I feel so inspired and loved because of it.

Magic is not a fake trick, magic is using your own unbendable will to create effects in the energy fields that make up everything. Thought is an energy, it uses electricity in the brain. It is measurable and visible. If that thought is focused into will, that measurable force can affect the energy around it, or far away. It's "magic", but it isn't imaginary. Animals can communicate and feel things humans have long forgotten--when humans do it we call them "psychic". It's the same thing. There's nothing mysterious about it. :)
Listen to the answers at the bottom of this page, they are very honestly written and helpful. Good luck. If you are brave enough to take the plunge, you'll find it very rewarding.

The delicate balance of Buddhism, and why you must carefully reconcile many teachings and not just pick & choose, is that you can:
1. ignore all emotions and be purely happy from within, not being affected by outside events
or, 2. be sensitive and compassionate to others and try to alleviate suffering by feeling and responding to it.

I have always followed the second belief, because only someone who is very well trained, who is very wise, or who is enlightened, could be purely happy from their own Knowledgeable Truth and be unaffected by suffering while still curing suffering. I'm not a monk, I'm just a layman. I would rather be sensitive to others and feel a human connection in their joy and sadness.

You worry about the words of others hurting you. The actuality is, it's their intent to cause harm, and the betrayal that is hurting you. When you don't have enough money to take care of your obligations, you feel powerless and fearful. The Buddha, unlike christ, taught that money and wealth is a Virtue. With money, people can help others and give donations to the temples. You aren't wrong to want or need it.

With the law of attraction, you may find it is at strange angles with basic Buddhism, which overall states we are reliant upon karma, we must try to escape samsara. I believe the "law of attraction" talks about just waiting for the things you need to come to you by wanting it, because the universe loves you and wants to feed you. That's a very gentle and self-serving principle, but studying Buddhism you must know that gaining wealth and prosperity without doing good acts and earning it is impossible. Living gently, being generous to others, being peaceful even to our enemies, practicing patience, avoiding the company of fools and dangerous people--all these lead to prosperity and good opportunities arise when they are followed.

I've been studying Buddhism for about 3 years now and my life has made some really major changes, all for the good. I'm sure if you are persistent you'll also find the happiness and peace of mind you're looking for.

Bad words were invented to give anger and frustration an outlet. The emotions that fuel them are negative (generally). The reaction you feel when you say them is your own brain's reaction to feeling a negative emotion and then expressing it. Even if you didn't use a 'bad word' in particular, but said all sorts of cruel and violent things without saying "a bad word", you would feel the same way. That law (God's Law) was invented to help people understand their emotions and try to keep anger from hurting themselves and others. By saying it's "against God", it helps people cut it off before they start. Removing the angry feeling leads to more peace in the community.

Depending on what browser you're using (I'm on Firefox to describe this), go to Tools, then Clear Private Data. It will give you many checked boxes. Choose "Browsing History", "Cache", "Cookies" and maybe "Saved Passwords" unless you wanna keep those. Tell it to clear that data and you ought to be home free.

If he feels adjusted and is otherwise friendly, doesn't glare or run from you or stare angrily at you when you come home (all signs that a cat is angry with living adjustments and feels passive-aggressive), then it could be a medical problem. Considering his age, it's probably not kidney failure. Keeping him in at night is good. I'd suggest taking him to the vet to rule out physical discomfort. You're doing everything else right, I think.

You know they say "three's a crowd". Someone almost always feels left out. If you all hang out in a group there's no way to hide this sort of thing. You need to tell him.
Secondly, the way the chips fell, you're with your BF and not this guy. He's cool and fun and friendly, so you enjoy being around him, but you're not interested in a romantic partnership with him. That's just how it is. It's none of his business who you're with.

A big mistake so many people make is assuming the Other Guy has some kind of claim just because he likes you. He doesn't. You are your own singular, independent person and if you didn't choose him, that should be the end of the deal for him. If he reacts badly, his jealousy is out of control and you should consider how much time you really wanna spend with this guy.

It's not your job to pander to or take care of his feelings or his relationship status. Don't apologize for being with your BF! Tell him and then stick by it.. say it gently but unimportantly like "By the way, ____ and I are dating now and we wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else."

You're doing very well to take your time like that. You don't want to have sex til you're 16, which is extremely reasonable and smart of you. You've been going out for a week but have known each other longer, also good. That age is really difficult to keep all your priorities and obligations straight but you seem to be on an even keel.
I would wait six months before you tell your parents, if possible. Go places with him if you can, in groups, or meet at school. Parents are often resistant to their daughters dating, especially if they're young. They don't want to think about their "baby girl" as a sexually aware being. They want to hold on to the illusion of childhood as long as possible. To that end, it's up to you to protect yourself and know when you're mentally strong enough to be independent.

I think you're doing well as it is. At your age it's hard for girls to decide things about sex, but waiting til you're 16 is great. I'm sure he's really attracted to you because 16 year old boys are very very excitable and sexually awake.

I'm also impressed with your desire to be honest with your mum. I hope she realizes what a rare and amazing urge that is... personally I was terrified to tell my mother anything because I didn't trust her. If you wait six months and get a handle on the situation, you can sit her down and say calmly, "mum, there's a boy I like, and he likes me too, and we are interested in spending time together but I have made a strong decision not to have sex for a long time. It's a personal choice that I have made on my own." If she's a good mum she ought to really respect you for that.

Good luck and I hope the two of you do well together.

Your boyfriend's friend might be closer to him than you, and could have heard something in confidence that he's passing on to you. That's certainly what you're worried about.
If you are not feeling any of these vibes from your boyfriend, carefully examine his behavior in retrospect. How was he when you first got together? Shy? Happy? Smiling? Energetic? Helpful? Now think about how he's been lately. If there's a huge difference (for example, if he's now withdrawn, quiet, avoiding you, full of excuses, seems unwilling, etc.), then the friend is probably right.
It's a shame when a boyfriend isn't close enough to admit feelings to his girl, but it happens. If that friend is trusted, he could be right.
Don't break up with him in a finalized way, but put the option out there gently, saying something like "I was wondering if it's time that we separate or see other people". If he seems relieved or interested, you can break up without hurting too many feelings, I hope.
Don't tell him that his friend broke confidence and told you. That won't help matters.

Handle everything with grace and don't lose your temper. It's all right to be sad, but don't go off the deep end. You will gain respect from people depending on how well you handle the situation.

I'm not speaking for Christians, because I am not one. They have plenty of people to speak for them. I'm speaking for ancient, original religions, the ones that were around before Jewish cults became popular and borrowed a huge percentage of their rites and stories from preexisting religion.

He likes you. Boys at this age don't waste their time with girls they don't like!
If he's a gentleman, be a lady. Get him a simple gift or make him some cookies. Involve him in CONVERSATION--talk about politics, religion, world issues, art, etc. Not only is it fascinating to see what other people thing, it will let him know that you're not just some airhead girl who likes his looks. Show him that you're worth the effort!
Talk to him about his drawing and do research about it. I am an artist as well, and when someone shows interest in my drawings it's a VERY high compliment, because it's what I put real effort into.

It's not too late to give him your phone number. Just hand it to him and say, "I'd like you to call me some time if you're not too busy. Can I have yours too?" Keep it smooth. ;)

v.s. f/22

This is one of the big, big reasons that I had to escape from the south (South Carolina, to be exact. I now live in Japan). Remember a few things, in addition to all the good advice people down there gave you:
She's young, and hasn't had a chance to think for herself yet. She's likely still repeating what she's been told, with the utter conviction of someone who really believes there's an army (of parents, God, etc.) at their back. As you've found out, as you get older you start to back off and look at things differently.

She might want to reconsider herself too, because last time I checked, there's a lot more involved in getting into "heaven" than eating Communion and being a hateful, mindless freak the other 6 days of the week.

DO NOT give in to her venom, let other people sway you, or become too depressed! Your views are peaceful and compassionate. That's a serious accomplishment at that age. You are ahead of the curve so dig in your heels as best you can. It's really really difficult to do so, but try to keep your composure. There is a lot of suffering in the world. If YOU are content with where you stand with God, Life, Fate, etc., then please just do what you can to ignore these people. You can never win in an argument involving the Bible, because it will ALWAYS become distilled down to "Well you're WRONG because I believe it because I have Faith because that's what I believe!" And that's a completely irrational and illogical argument.

My truly best advice is to talk to other people who have sympathetic beliefs on the internet, join some discussion groups, and use it to buoy you during these difficult times.

v.s. f/22

The most ancient religions were run by priestesses, worshipping female deities, because the earth is a womb from which all life comes. Men have no spiritual connection to God, because God is female. Therefore only women should be pastors.

God does not predetermine your fate--YOU do, by your actions in life, and then your choices in death. You choose the next life that will be of the most education for you. As you are in death, you have a great sense of clear vision and the desire to better yourself and become free from the cycles of life and death. You choose a new life that will give you the opportunity to move upward.

When you are incarnate once again, however, you make any choices you wish, because you no longer have the clarity of vision. You are clouded by desires of your body and your human mind. But deep inside you might remember what you wanted to do, and that is the feeling of Fate that we have. You are free to not do as you planned, just like you have the choice to NOT do homework. But when your life is over you reap the punishment and the reward of your own doing.

First go to Wal-mart, if you've got one in your area, and check whether they've got a bin of DVD's 2 for $11. Then take an older friend, adult friend, or a parent that you trust (doesn't have to be one of your own) and ask them what movies are especially good, funny, etc. Trust them. If they tell you to get "Blazing Saddles" and "Mystery Men", DO IT. There are some classic movies out there that every generation loves, no matter how old they are!

If that doesn't flow, and your friends have no hobbies (drawing, soccer, Japanese culture, aquariums, musicals, etc.) then give them something everyone uses, such as a wallet, nail polish, hair accessories, fancy patterned shoelaces, etc. One year my roommate and I got each other several boxes of our favorite cereals.

If they do have a hobby then they're easy to shop for.

So if I'm counting right, you had sex several times in 2 days, about 3 days ago.
Depending on where the pain is, several things could have happened.
If you were a virgin and/or experienced pain when he entered you the first time, you could still have an ache where your hymen was stretched or torn, or simply have some pain from stretching the vaginal walls past where they are used to. This pain can last for a little while (no more than a week) and would be felt down low, and feel like a scratch or a tear.

If the pain is up higher (deeper), it's likely that you had sex too rough or too often and bruised your cervix. I am very familiar with this kind of pain.
-_-;
That pain will be felt when you sit suddenly, and feel like a sharp poke deep inside, or like a sudden cramp that makes you go "oh dear god".
It is literally just a bruise, and the best thing you can do is walk gently and take it really easy for about five days. It's common to bruise the cervix if you're doing it too rough and hitting "the back wall" as it were.
If that's the case (and I'm guilty of having this problem a LOT with my last boyfriend), just give yourself a break and be gentler next time. Additionally I should mention that lots of bruising on the cervix can be a cause of cervical cancer later on.
If you don't feel better after another five days of no sex, then you might have some other problem which I can't think of because I'm no doctor. ^^ In that case I'd be a little worried. Most likely you're fine, just over exuberant.

In every state I've researched you have to be 18 before they'll touch you with a needle, and must have parental consent. If you're 21 you can get one on your own. I also strongly recommend you NOT pick a tattoo off the wall, because they are ugly, mass-produced and who wants to have the same tattoo as everyone else?
It is also a good idea to do a lot of research before you get this done.

Anime is a really difficult thing, despite its simple appearance, because it is using extremely well-taught artists' talent and simplifying it with style. I'm talking about excellent artists such as Hayao Miyazaki and the artists of CLAMP.

The books that "teach" how to draw anime are a load of worthless crap. They show you how to draw circles and ovals, and then how to add big armor and long hair and all the useless surface designs that look like anime. However, the talent of drawing is a very deep-running river and is the basis of all good anime.

The way I started (I am a senior Illustration major, about to get my degree in May) was by watching anime--simple childrens' anime such as Miyazaki films (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro) and Pokemon. Most people just copy drawings over and over. I admit I did this too. Almost everyone does. XD But you'll be doing this for a few years, usually three or four.

At this point you have a choice. You can learn to copy drawings, maybe even learn to copy someone else's style pretty convincingly by practicing the way someone draws hair, eyes, breasts, dragons, etc. You will get a lot of compliments and have lots of stuff to hang on your walls. But at some point you will find yourself at a crossroads and wonder "Am I happy here, or do I want to make something more? Do I want to make my own designs, use what I've learned, do something else?"

Many people are happy just ripping off other artists (look at http://www.deviantart.com sometime), and you can stay there forever. But if you decide you want to branch out and really create something that looks different, cool, and proper, you'll have to break into actual art. Anime is a surface thing, I can't stress this enough. it looks flashy and cool and because of that, the very solid visual arts background is often overlooked. I love anime. I watch it all the time, my background is there. But I also have four years of an art degree that has taught me figure drawing, composing a space, painting, graphic design, and all sorts of other intense things that have made my illustration my own.

If you've made it this far through my long answer, then that's great. XD I don't want to intimidate you--art can be a good hobby, but for some people (like me) I wanted something more. However, picking up anime idly as a hobby is like saying 'cars' is a hobby. There's a whole extreme, obsessed world for it and you can be as deep or shallow as you want.

If you find you want to be more artistic than just surface design, the one and only best piece of advice I can give you (I wish they had told me) is to pick up a Figure Drawing book and sketchbook ASAP. Do it today, do it now. Start drawing exactly as it tells you, from the skeleton, and the blocks. Nothing else will give you the knowledge and training to draw really beautiful, in-depth human figures. You have to know the bones & muscles to make it look alive, and nobody wants to do that (I watched people drop out of my figure drawing class left and right). But that's my best piece of advice if you're going the artistic track. It's very rewarding! Just enjoy yourself and draw every day, and you'll start making breakthroughs.

Hi there,

I do still recommend Punky Professional. Their official website is here:
http://www.punky.com/punkypro.html
It seems that you have to call or email them to place an order. The tubes of semipermanent color I remember buying were between $8 and $12 USD.


However, I have since started using a brand called Special Effects which is carried by Hot Topic stores. Special Effects can be found at their official website:
http://www.specialeffectsusa.com/

Click "contact" to place an order with them by telephone.

If you'd rather buy it through the Hot Topic stores, they have a huge and reliable online store at http://www.hottopic.com . You can search for "Hair dye" in the search window, and click on "Special effects" when it comes up. Their prices are $14.99 per bottle which is rather expensive. However, the dye is very concentrated and I've found a little goes a long way! I use about two to three tablespoons of dye when coloring my hair (it's about chin-length). You can water it down a little to stretch it further, or apply it like a thick paste to get extremely bright color. It's best to bleach your hair first--the dye seems to last absolutely forever. I have used a variety of pinks and reds by Special Effects.
You may know that pink and red are the first hair colors to fade and wash away, but Special Effects is doing something very good, because I can't get the stuff to leave. It's awesome.

But I must caution you to put down newspaper in your dyeing area, or do it somewhere you won't ruin the countertops and sinks. My pink dye left a spot on the stainless steel bathroom faucet and it took a LONG time to scrub it off. This stuff will dye anything it touches! It's amazing!

So overall, your best bet is to buy it through the Hot Topic website. If you can't do it there, try eBay maybe?

It's very difficult, sometimes, to live with someone who comes from another world. I have a friend whose family is very rich. I have another friend whose family is extremely poor. The lucky thing is, we all go to college together and we're all in the same boat (for the most part).

The key to getting along with someone whose financial means are very different from yours, is to meet on neutral ground. It's the only fair thing to do. She may be flaunting her wealth on purpose, either to feel powerful over you (which is very nasty of her) or she may have been taught to act that way by a parent. In any case, it's very gauche of her to show off and make you feel inadequate. If she was a very good friend and cared about how you feel, she would be generous and sensitive to your feelings.

If you really feel she's a friend worth keeping, try, as I said, meeting her on neutral ground. Invite her to an event of your choice, either something free (like a picnic in a park, or swimming or watching old movies at your house) or something you know you can afford (like a movie, maybe, or going to the arcade?). You may have to take the upper hand. If she's too thickheaded to realize that she's putting you in an impossible spot by throwing her money around, you might just have to tell her straight up: "It's not possible for me to spend money like you do, and it's no fun to watch you do it. I'm going somewhere else. Call me when we can do something TOGETHER."

If she doesn't get the hint, I'd suggest you start hanging out with people whose lives don't revolve around cash. There are tons of people who'd like to just have a good time.

People have been coming to me for advice so long, I might as well do this all in one spot. I watch a lot of unfathomable Japanese TV and drink a lot of coffee. I'm a freshly-hatched Illustration major, formerly trapped & dying in the American South, now busily teaching phrases to all of Nagoya Japan. I'm always on the lookout for more video games and sushi.
I have lots of interesting pets. Wanna see my beetle?

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