I caught the reference too. But wasn't it 'passport' she had to make him say?

Just looked at the wiki page and 'air typed' a few sentences based on the diagram. Wow. It's amazing how much is 'right there' for you in home row (of course, I suppose that's the point).

I'm a normal American of Scandinavian descent, and I speak perfect Klingon. I randomly walk up to people in the mall and start speaking it.

Their minds are so blown by how perfect my Klingon is that they pretty much always grab their children and walk away really, really fast.

As much as I liked D (both her character and her dirty hotness), her suicide was one of the more memorable moments of the series for me. That's not to say that your suggestion wouldn't have been equally memorable, of course . . .

Your sig was perfect for this comment.

I never think 'ha, look at the beginner!', just like I never think 'ha, look at the fat lady on the treadmill!'. I think "hey, at least you're here. Good for you."

Just so you know, any guy who is bigger than you isn't thinking about you. He's thinking about the guy bigger than him, and wondering what he thinks of him. Just like you are.

I started lifting just under two years ago. There was some apprehension when I started, and I had the same concerns. But you gain a comfort level just from showing up regularly. It also helps to try and go around the same time of day so you typically see the same group of people. I don't really talk socially to anyone at my gym, but there is a sense of comfort being there with people from 'my shift' that isn't necessarily there when I go at an odd time.

Show up often, mind your business, and be polite. Focus on what you're doing while you're there, and the comfort will come. And in a short time you'll be glad you took the leap.

When it's all said and done, that's a good day.

Yes. This man has no dick.

Haven't see the episode since I was probably 8 (c. 27 years ago), but that line still gives me chills.

". . . shows that Metformin, a cheap and common diabetic medicine . . ."

Sweet! Now they can re-brand it as an expensive and elite cancer medicine after they pull Metformin off the market.

I think in order for this to be interesting you can't have them come up with their own project. You'd have to come up with some sort of engaging scenario with a story behind it. i.e. here's the problem, and you need to solve it. You have x resources at your disposal. How will you make it work? Almost a simulation, I guess.

What's that magic scenario? Beats the hell out of me.

Diabetes would be a bitch. It's one of the reminders that life isn't all that bad. What I got isn't great, but I'll take it. It's a cakewalk compared to so many things.

And a sort of spin on your analogy, just 20 years ago a person could head off to college and, in a sense, do the same. Ditch the past baggage/people/that nickname you hated, and become whomever you wanted. Option to report back in 20 for the reunion.

I wonder how kids today ever break away from their existing circle with facebook and all. I better quit before I sound any older. . .

But I must ask: say you have 2 students, both smart ones who come to work every day and are productive. You suddenly need to cut the number down to one for the next summer. Who do you invite back: the nice one or the asshole? (Assuming equal output, of course. )

Nice doesn't compensate for lack of skill by any means. But when the choice is between the brilliant nice person and the brilliant asshole, nice does come in handy.

I understand your point, and for the most part think you are absolutely correct. But when you disappeared would you also stop eating? If you were diabetic, when you disappeared would you also stop being diabetic?

My point was that by having CD, his options were inherently more limited. He's going to gravitate to places that are 'celiac friendly', if you will.

When I saw in his profile in the mag that he had Celiac Disease (I have it as well), my first thought was well, this just got about 50% easier for the searchers. The dude's gotta eat/buy food. Not that he couldn't make it eating out of a normal supermarket -- just assumed he would stick with what he knew to some extent for his diet.