I think I am fairly optimistic about immediate issues, but become increasingly pessimistic about anything long-term.

But I am positive that this is awesome: [link]

Per Videogum:

Wait, this paintball tournament in which you compete against your favorite characters from The Wire is real? What happens at the end? You get paint-nailed into an abandoned paint house on the Paint Side of town? This is literally the scariest way to donate to charity that I have ever heard of.

I also think even hinting at naming your kid Lazarus Long is very creepy and asking for trouble.

Seriously.

I'd like to promote my name as a sci fi baby name, thanks.

Especially with a middle name of "Moon".

I also think even hinting at naming your kid Lazarus Long is very creepy and asking for trouble.

Yesssss. But wait, what's the consensus on naming your kid after a character in Stranger In A Strange Land? I need to know.

OMG, Strega, that's so fucking awesome. I would totally go to that!

So I see Zardoz is still not popular.

But wait, what's the consensus on naming your kid after a character in Stranger In A Strange Land? I need to know.

I'm pretty sure Gillian never traveled back in time to have sex with her mom, so your parents are in the clear.

(Me, I'm just annoyed that I didn't get Jessica Atreides' superpowers along with her name.)

"You can choose how you look at things." or "Life can be extemely hard and there is no doubt suffering, but it does not have to defeat or define you." I think the constantly "cheery" people are not really getting the message.

I tend to think people are crappy, but I also tend to believe that things will work themselves out and that lots of people close themselves off from seeing solutions and opportunities, because they are stuck in a rut of complaining and blaming and self sabotage.

msbelle and I appear to be one on this.

I have grown to despise the term 'positive thinking' because it has been so bastardized and become such a lightening rod for less-than-civil debate.

God knows, my experiences have taught me plenty about the negative side of life, but I've never seen the percentage in dwelling in what I don't want. Nor have I understood why keeping an, at least, neutral attitude--if not a totally positive one--pisses other people off so much.

I'm pretty sure Gillian never traveled back in time to have sex with her mom, so your parents are in the clear.

Good point. Man, To Sail Beyond The Sunset is just all sorts of messed up, isn't it?

My boss and I are constantly doing that! What would we do if this elevator started to plummet.

See, I figured just thinking that pretty much guarantees it won't happen. Because that would make me psychic. And I'm not psychic, so if I pictured it happening, can't happen.

Works for plane crashes too.

(On the downside, also appears to work for lottery drawings, so as a strategy it has it's flaws.)