I know I've said it somewhere before, but my brother and his wife look enough alike to be mistaken for siblings (moreso than their actual siblings.) And their kid looks startlingly like them in their baby pictures, even as their baby pictures don't look nearly as alike.

Police battle looters after beer train crashes

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Hundreds of looters battled police all weekend at the site of a beer train wreck in violence that left one woman dead, South African police said on Monday as they kept a heavy guard on the remaining alcohol.

The train carrying 180,000 crates of beer from South African Breweries derailed on Friday night near Waterval Boven, 124 miles east of Johannesburg, Superintendent Izak van Zyl said.

By Saturday morning, police were battling up to 200 people from the nearby township trying to make off with crates of beer.

Theodosia, are you around? If you are, could you please check your e-mail or jump on AIM?

But then you're keeping people down! Shouldn't upgrades be possible?

It's about more than looks, but I do think one person in a couple shouldn't be "better" than the other one, overall. And I, personally, don't want to be with someone who is significantly dumber or less funny than I am (or whatever), so I figure it's best that we're the same level of attractiveness. Not that we look alike.

I do think one person in a couple shouldn't be "better" than the other one, overall

For internal assessment of "better" or external?

Me, I figure if you can get together you should be together as long as you can healthily stay together. Everything else is distraction, and relationships are hard enough as they are.

I'd hate to think I shouldn't date someone intensely bright or funny or not athletic, for instance. I mean, what with my current hit rate, if I start putting more restrictions on paper, I'll be aloner for longer.

I'd hate to think I shouldn't date someone intensely bright or funny or not athletic

I'm sure it compensates in other ways. Not that I'm familiar with that or anything.

I'm totalling everything together. So maybe one person is funnier and the other is more athletic, or one is better looking but the other makes more money, or whatever, but it all works out in the end.

Allyson, if your phone does Bluetooth, you need this.

I'm sure it compensates in other ways.

At which point the definition of "better" starts to crumble and fall apart.

Unless you're using a spreadsheet or Crystal Reports.

I guess I don't believe that many people are "better" than me (and if they are, I probably don't know them well enough).

I also don't believe I'm "better" than that many people. I'm better at some things, and bettered at others. I dislike some people, disrespect some people, or are bored by them, but it doesn't make me "better".

Hey, I didn't say it was a perfect theory.