The animal-cloning that dairy breeders are talking about is much
different than the "cloning" process we've heard about in
laboratory-mice and such things which are really DNA-extracted and
DNA-implanted experiments.

The "cow-cloning" is just a mechanized form of what we already do now
with selective-breeding, and artificial-insemination. In otherwords,
we're going to milk the bull of all his potential, and replicate and
inseminate using that same bull's genes. Not much beyond current ways.

So, I'm ok with this. NOT ok with
DNA-extraction/insertion/embryo-manipulation.

...oh yeah forgot to add: and its not that expensive. Last time I flew
it was about $350 round trip. Not bad!

I've been there a couple times. If you guys are serious, I'm probbaly up
for it! Serious.

I dont especially care for the Beatles. I like U2 on just a few songs.
Still, I'd have to say, musically the Beatles are more talented.

Thats just asking for all kinds of hurt and embarassment that goes
really deep. I'd avoid it!

Shhhhh we're hunting wabbits!

Depression stems from anger. If a person who is in a
long-term-relationship [years] is depressed/angry, there is a reasonably
good chance that something is dysfuncutional in the relationship.

Maybe one is realizing they're not fully self-realized. Maybe one feels
put-upon by the other. Maybe one feels un-appreciated. Maybe one feels
they're not being heard.

There's no magic "professional counselor" to magically cure it. There
are no drugs to magically cure it. Sure a good counselor will help you
recognize the core issue, but they wont "fix" them. The core issues will
still need resolution by your own efforts. Same with the medications,
they can help alleviate some of the intensity, but, only as a stepping
stone to fixing the core issues.

If your partner is "depressed" and you really want to help, you really
need to be willing to hear and change things about yourself. Including
the possibility of letting them go.

When I was in Pakistan, an older muslim guy spent alot of effort trying
to teach me Islam and get me to convert. He was telling me all about
Islam, and at one point I asked with big round kid-eyes "Is it really
true, that you can have FOUR wives?"

He smiled, rubbed his beard, and thoughtfully replied "Yes, a man can
have four wives. But, the wise man has only one".

I generally dont like peanuts, but, peanut-butter is one of those "gotta
have it" things once it gets on your mind. And, if you like the peanut
flavoring, you'll love Thai food. They're nuts with it.

Cheaper degree is a wiser way to go. The LAST thing you want to do is be
looking for a job when you have a $15,000 debt growing faster than your
pay raises.

Someone else suggested transferring classes to a university. There are
two things to know about that - first, not all credits will transfer
(not suprising, in the end, college is a business), and secondly, you'll
will have NO admissions trouble! You wont have to go through the vetting
process that college freshmen have to deal with. This can be a huge
advantage if your highschool grades are "lackluster" as mine were. After
2 years of community college, I was admitted effortlessly into Rutgers.

Best movie: "Cinema Paradisio". End of story

Just watched (last night actually) an older movie that somehow seemed
really scary and more appropriate given the "War on Terror" - Brazil. If
you havnt seen it, its peculiar.

um does my collection of atari 7800 & 5200 games count? or is that so
antique that it qualifies as "Detachment Issues" ?

I bought alot of items via eBay. Found items that just cant be found
anywhere else - and easy to find at that! I've had a few sour deals.
Maybe 4 out of the 200+ auctions I've won.

The last one was especially nasty. Bought a new dig-camera, price was
good. But, when the auction was done, the seller said that I had to use
his *special* checkout process - which was stated in elusive terms in
the auction. Anyway, the "special" process required calling into their
"service center" - in the end it was a REALLY HIGH pressure sales pitch
to buy "batteries, insurance, memory-cards" etc. Way more "high
pressure" than the usual.

I refused to buy the camera, and it dragged on for 2 weeks. In the end
they dropped it, realizing they simply weren't going to get the money.
Later, I discovered that they were an infamous local Camera shop that
changes its name every few months and does this as "standard operating
procedure"

Ok, here's how totally geek I've become:

When I went to thailand I made sure I brought a spare laptop battery, a
spare windows-XP install CD, power adapters, and a wi-fi card. Made sure
to rip 4 or 5 DVDs and got the special power cord for in-flight power.

At the airport, me & my buddy walked around looking for an open
wifi-spot. We checked our email, checked the Drudge Report, and played
video games while waiting. We were happy geeks.

During take-off, we realized that we didnt have a specific driver - so
we linked up the laptop with the cell phone, via Bluetooth to download
the driver quickly.

Of course each morning was the same dumbazz routine I do here: wake up,
get the coffee and web-browser going to make sure the world was still
really there. Upload pictures to family...

Oddly, there were far more open wifi spots & internet cafes in china
airports and thailand than in NYC. Go figure.

If I didnt touch my PC for a week, I would be:

1. Unemployed (software engineering)
2. Out of touch - I dont have a TV or a Radio
3. Out of touch with no email
4. Getting to bed at a proper hour.
5. Looking for a date in a bar, laundry-mat or supermarket

-Mike

My "words to live by":

Mean what you say, and say what you mean.

Good news, you're not in a 'rut'. You'd have to be male, and be a deer
for that - a "rut" is when the male deers are responding to the female's
heat. So, you should feel better already.

You're stuck in the groove of purposeless-ness, lacking inspiration and
direction, and not knowing what to do about it. Same here. I wish I had
some real advice for you.

Try to get regular sleep patterns. Try to be mindful of what you eat and
its effect on your mood/alertness (caffine, and sugar make a big
difference). Force yourself into routines - sign up for classes, or
volunteer programs - something/anything to 'force' yourself into a
regular routine of interacting with other ppl.

Ignore that nagging desire to withdraw from being around ppl, even when
that nagging turns to a loud screaming "I wanna get the he11 outta here"
sensation.

I think that forcing yourself into interaction is the key. It seems to
be helpful for me. I'm also terribly shy, and lost in a sea of 'what the
he11 am I gonna do now?" feeling. Struggle through it, give yourself
acheivable goals - from simple to complex. Pursue them. Give yourself
some focus.

They get smelly once they get soggy. Leaves a helluva stain in the
couch.

How about giving "Porcupine Tree" a spin - "Voyage 34" is a fun CD. Get
a taste with "Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape", "Moonloop" and "Lazarus".

Ozric Tentacles are also a fun one to discover.

I've found these two bands using the program "LastFM" - its really
sweet. You type in names of bands that you like, and it will stream
audio of bands that are roughly similar - both "famous" and
"un-discovered". Its free of course.

You can also get these two bands' MP3s on bitTorrent. <wink>

Like Neeping pointed out, most of this stuff is just someone's idea of a
joke - to perpetuate on kind-hearted well-intentioned people.

A good place to look up chain-mail like this is www.Snopes.com