FolkRockFan

Yeah, but some of us would rather tear off our own arms and beat ourselves to death with 'em than run anywhere, for any reason. So the Archos might be good for somebody like me. My MP3 player is usually in my backpack, so size and weight aren't huge issues for me. :)But I don't care about screen size because I don't want to watch videos. I would buy one of these MP3 players because of the huge storage capacity - all for my music.

I don't think that it's ever too early to at least start thinking about retirement. What steps you take depend on your income (if any), budget, future plans, et cetera.Right now I don't have a retirement plan in progress. I barely have savings. But when I finish college and actually work full-time, I'm going to go ahead and start planning for retirement. No matter what career I ultimately end up with, I want the option of being able to retire before I'm too old and decrepit to do the things that I really want to do (traveling, for example). Besides: if some unforeseen thing happens, like a permanent disability, I like the idea of not having to rely entirely on Social Security to help me survive.

The U.S. is (allegedly) a capitalist country. If some consumers actually *want* to spend 80, 100, even 120 bucks filling up their SUVs, then that's their business.Personally, I don't want another SUV. The last time I had one, gas prices were much lower (about two bucks a gallon, if I recall correctly). I might love the way that they handle. I might really adore the way that some SUVs look (I drool over the H2 even though I cringe at the same time because I think of the gas bill). But I make my choices based on what I'm able, and willing, to pay. :)I do, however, need a pickup. The roads out here aren't paved and are full of potholes, jagged rocks, et cetera. Cars do not last long, so ground clearance and durability drive me to look for a vehicle that will actually meet my needs. It's just a good thing that I've always been a truck type of person *grins*I would not, however, turn down the opportunity to own a hybrid pickup, or some other type of truck that somehow gets very good gas mileage

When I was a teenager, I put a Hot Pocket into the microwave to heat. No big deal - it's really, really easy to heat a Hot Pocket...or it should be, anyway.I walked past the microwave about one minute later to see the food IN FLAMES.To this day, nearly a decade later, I still can't figure out how that happened. There wasn't anything in the microwave but the Hot Pocket and a paper plate. I've never had any problems since then, though, so I guess it was just a fluke.Or maybe I'm the world's worst cook.

Yep - she's leaving in...I want to say June. She can't leave fast enough, IMO. She's annoying on all fronts, really. It's just too bad that she can't *reasonably* discuss subjects. If she could debate, discuss or argue like an adult - as in: she listens as well as speaks and gives others the same courtesies that she expects - I wouldn't have any problem with her whatsoever even though I disagree with a lot of her opinions.

Flash drives can be our best friends sometimes I'm glad that your problem is fixed - though it stinks that you had to wipe your drive.

Depending on how deep you scraped yourself up, it should be fine in a few days or so. You might want to *gently* clean the scrape (pat it with water - don't rub it or use a washcloth or anything like that) and pat it dry...then apply some antibiotic ointment. You can also put gauze over the area for a few days - a good idea if you use any topical medicines on it. That way, the medicines will work better - and you won't have to worry about smearing them on your clothes, bed sheets, et cetera.

I had a system go down in flames once because I *thought* that I had installed the antivirus...but, um, didn't, apparently. It was Mom's computer, so she and I shared the responsibility for that one. And we learned to always, always make sure that the antivirus is updated and running :)And a Mac can get a virus too. In fact: it's actually happened before. So it's no longer valid to claim that "Macs don't get viruses." EVERY computer user should install and maintain an antivirus...because it's cheaper and a lot less painful than what can happen if we don't

I have chronic infections, so I can't donate blood. If I ever get those cleared up...and if I go more than six months without getting a new tat...I'll be good to go. I'm type A+, so it's not like my blood is in high demand or anything...but still.Some religions forbid blood donation. One group - I want to say Jehovah's Witnesses - believe that sin is in our blood. So...no donating or receiving blood.As for organ donation: when I'm dead, I'm not going to need my body anymore. Let somebody else have whatever can be salvaged and reused.

Having blood drawn doesn't bother me too much. Well...once it did. When I was taking my Army physical, every station (hearing test, bloodwork, et cetera) was little more than an assembly line. The inside of my elbow was one giant, solid bruise for the next four or five days. My father, though, tells me that the blood gases draw hurts like crazy. I'm just going to trust him on that one and hope that I never have to have it done

I can't swim (can't even float - not enough body fat or something), so no. No surfing for me. I avoid large bodies of water...no matter how much fun the activity in question appears to be.

I'd shave my head if I were going bald. A lot cheaper and less painful than paying somebody to wound my scalp.

I was a vegetarian for a couple of years because the taste and smell of meat - any kind of meat - made me nauseous. It wasn't because I cared about the animals - I didn't. My body just went through a phase of reacting badly to meat. But that passed and I resumed eating meat. Pork in particular. Yes, pigs are filthy animals. Yes, it's disgusting to think about. But wow...it tastes so good.We all have to make our own decisions. If you (generalization) don't like the idea of animals being slaughtered for your food, then don't eat them. But please don't try to shove your ideas down my throat. I'm not trying to force-feed anybody a burger, so...yeah.

The suckiest part is that the victims will have to pay all sorts of money - and fill out tons of paperwork - to try and clear their names. Even though the evidence of identity theft is there, they still have to go through the red tape.It really frustrates me when victims have to go through so much stuff - when they've already been through enough, what with having their identities stolen and all.

The easiest way to figure out how to apply to a specific university (your number-one school, in other words), visit the Web site. There's probably an entire section devoted to applications/admissions. You'll find out how much it will cost to apply, what degree and certification programs that school offers, how many campuses there are in your area, the tuition and fees rate schedule, et cetera.That's easiest because every university has its own way of doing things. At my school, I applied online and used my credit card to pay the $35 application fee. At the school I attended before that (a community college), I had to turn in a printed application (but no app. fees).As for writing papers: some universities don't require you to write an admissions essay. Mine doesn't, but I wrote one anyway because I wanted to make sure that my application caught somebody's attention. If you're still in high school, your guidance counselor can help you find out where to go for writing help. Or maybe one of the English teachers can take a few minutes to proofread one of your papers and offer a few suggestions. Somebody out there will help you, so keep looking around and asking

What's really sad is when the rags (tabloids) run photos of celebrities caught without makeup. It bothers me because most of the photos are taken of celebrities who are on their way to grab a loaf of bread or something. It's not like the rags are taking pics of bare-faced women who are on their way to the Oscars or something like that. Who cares what the celebrity is or isn't wearing on her days off? She's a human being just like the rest of us. Sometimes she does not need or want makeup. It's not a big deal.Society puts far too much emphasis on outer beauty. A little makeup is fine. It can enhance features and make women feel pretty. But we're obsessed with looking perfect. It's so stupid and shallow, but society is only getting worse about it.

Auto Trader might have what you're looking for. You can also try eBay Motors or Car Max. With those sites, you might find a car that's a long drive away from you. Or you could find something that's currently hiding in a neighbor's garage. You never know, so it's worth trying.Good luck to you on finding your dream car.

These laptops will definitely make the philanthropists of the world feel good about themselves.I just don't see the point, myself. The concept of the super-affordable laptop is great. I love the idea. But honestly? Some of these third-world countries are having *huge* problems that no amount of technology will solve. When more than half the population is dying of deadly diseases...when the rebels and the government are too hard to tell apart because they all love to get together and massacre dissenters...well...I don't see how a laptop is going to make a difference.Some of the kids will benefit, I'm sure. I'm not saying that this is an *entirely* bad idea. It just seems, IMO, to be more about patting oneself on the back than about actually trying to help.

The guy's admirable for wanting to go. He didn't try to worm his way out of his commitment or anything like that.But still. It's a huge security risk to send a highly-recognizable, super-important guy into the middle of a war zone. Especially when the enemy refuses to just shoot you dead (opting instead to take people captive and, after several rounds of torture, behead them on camera).I'm sure that Prince Harry can still serve in the military - just not on the front line (or whatever passes for a front line in the urban war zone environment).

Actually, the phone line is not always required. My dish doesn't use one (don't even have a land line in the house anymore, actually).It's expensive considering that the connection is at the low end of the high-speed spectrum. We pay about 60 bucks per month for that connection, but we're fortunate to have signed the contract during a sweet deal - unlimited bandwidth for the duration of the contract. Otherwise, we'd be paying more every month in charges because we have two computers and somebody is almost always on the Internet (seven people live here).However: this beats the snot out of dialup, which is the only other option available to us right now. We live in the middle of nowhere. Our telephone lines are still party lines, they're so old. We can't get cable TV service, either, because the lines just don't come out this far - and probably won't for quite some time.So: Satellite Internet isn't the best deal out there. If you have another choice, I would recommend finding some other high-speed connection. The others are cheaper and, in many cases, more reliable.

Change the Amendments?Um. No. The founding fathers wrote those Amendments to ensure that the people - that would be the individual citizen, a.k.a. me - have basic rights. They had to write these because America had just escaped from an overbearing government: they were terrified that giving the new, American government too much authority/leeway/power/control/what-have-you would end badly. And they would be right on that.Take away one Amendment - one guaranteed right - and the government will take away another. Do you want to retain your right to petition the government? Do you want to vote? Do you want your freedom of speech? Do you want the right to not incriminate yourself on the witness stand? Besides: just because the founding fathers did not necessarily predict the rare incident of a crazed idiot shooting up a college does not mean that they did not intend for individual citizens to retain the right to self-defense. Whether the threat is an evil government (foreign or domestic - whatever), enemies in a war or a puke-eating waste who shows up in a mall around Christmastime with a Glock, the point remains that we have the right to protect and defend ourselves.The police cannot protect every one of us 24/7. It's not their job anyway. They're "law enforcement" not "crime prevention." Until or unless I have an armed, trained LEO shadowing me 24/7, 365 days a week, I'm retaining my right to protect myself.

Three words:Spoils of war.Regardless of who starts what, the victor claims the land, resources, et cetera.So: if Mexico wants to annex U.S. territory, they can start a war with us. That's pretty much the only way to attempt to reclaim what was lost. Or to grab what was never theirs in the first place.We would stomp the snot out of them (our military rocks hardcore, after all) and perhaps even grab some of Mexico's current land. I wouldn't necessarily want any of their territory (we have enough as it is, I believe), but it would teach them not to whine and cry about losing fair and square hundreds of years ago.

I'm all for reconstructive plastic surgery. If you (generalization) are disfigured for whatever reason (birth defect, dog attack, car wreck, whatever), then by all means take advantage of modern medicine's offerings.But the whole "I'm having myself nipped, sucked and tucked because I'm not perfect" thing...I don't understand or support it at all. There's something wrong with a society that encourages - or, in some circles, *expects* - families to give their daughters plastic surgery for their Sweet Sixteens.

Actually: the LOVE OF money is the root of evil.Many people who are madly in love with The Almighty Dollar will do almost anything to acquire more. Not all rich people are like this, of course. I don't intend to generalize or stereotype. But many of the people who are obsessed with making more money will walk all over other people, commit crimes, et cetera, just for another handful of green stuff (or zeroes and ones on a computer screen, as is so often the case in our high-tech age).

When pre-rolled cigs go stale, just toss the unopened packs/cartons into the freezer. There's no need to throw them away just because they're stale. Leave the cigs in there for a few days or so. They'll be a little cold, but should also have more moisture than before.Sometimes my loose-leaf tobacco (I roll my own sometimes) goes stale on me because I don't zip up the bag all the way. When that happens, I just toss a small slice of apple, or a couple of chunks of carrot, into the bag. The tobacco absorbs the moisture and is as good as new.Just make sure that, if you try the latter, you don't let the fruit/veggies come into direct contact with pre-rolled cigs. That can mess up the paper and...well..yuck.