George Aar

The coolest group ever: And the one with one of the creepiest looking lead vocals (second only to maybe Aerosmith). The group is really unique. Only two permanent members, a revolving door of back-up vocals and musicians, and a strange - almost nihilist sort of ethos, born - no doubt - in the surreal, neverland of California. Barry Manilow or Harry Connick Jr. could never reach me, but Steely Dan always could...

Dow hits 8000! How's your 401K? Boy, that 700 BILLION was sure money well-spent, huh?

I would respectfully submit that such "validation" is only persuasive to those already firmly within the ranks of the "believer" contingent. To those of a slightly more skeptical bent, the "evidence" is pretty lame, and, like Monsieur Sudo, I don't find a lot of difference between religions and superstitions. Religions - generally - have been around a long time and have garnered a certain degree of acceptability by simply being familiar. That, and having a belief in them constantly reinforced by family, friends and society in general gives them (religions) a credibility they'd be unable to foster were they required to stand on their own feet...

The droplets are the coolest! They look like intricate sculptures. WAY cool...

God knows where all this is going to end up. I'm not terribly optimistic. What gets lost in all the panic and carnage though, is that this debacle has been brewing - not for years - but for DECADES. I think this is the result of the unbridled embracing of Milton Friedman, Arthur Laffer, "Trickle Down" Reaganomics. The wholesale abandonment of any sort of regulation, knee-jerk reactionary tax cuts as a matter of course- despite what the budget looks like, and an unshakeable faith in the divine ability of laissez-faire "free markets" to resolve any sort of economic issue have all led us down this road. We've sown the wind and now we're reaping the Whirlwind - what else did we expect? Is anybody's plan going to lead us out of this morass anytime soon? I don't think so. My advice is - fasten your seatbelts, the road ahead is going to get REALLY bumpy for the foreseeable future...

OH GAWD! The word "AVAILABLE"! How could I have forgotten that? And of course there's "opportunity" too. GAK! I feel like I've gone back in time ( to a very unpleasant place)...

"alternative" medicine MLM structure grandiose, outlandish - and totally unsupported - claims religion in general (see above) "insider" information

Well, I'm disgusted. You wonder why I'm not such a baseball fan? Just take a look at the Mariner's records. This will be, just by a hair's breadth, their 2nd to worst season ever. Thankfully a freak win this week saved them from this being their worst season ever - and one of the worst in baseball history. I can't understand the management of the team whatsoever. They systematically sold off all their talent and consistently traded good players for bad. When the season started, everybody knew it was a foregone conclusion that the Mariners would be in the toilet (again) by season's end. And here we are. Why do they even field a team that is sooo bad? Why bother? In 32 years of existence, we've had precisely ONE good season. Count 'em. ONE. Maybe I could become a Cubbies fan?

And of course the idea of "renewing one's mind to 'THE WORD'" implies that there's some sort of reliable "WORD" actually in existence. Rather than the cobbled-together, ever changing, hopelessly subjective, completely unverifiable blather that we're told is "The Bible"...

I would also agree that "WayBrain" is a derogatory term. As is "Wayfer", "Wierwillite", "Moony", or "J-W". The problem is, it's not the word itself that's so hurtful. It's the fact that it means you are (or were) a member of a REALLY stupid cult. And that's something the individual is just going to have to learn to deal with. Like it or not, being overly credulous and malleable is NOT a point of pride. Sorry...

I agree completely. A noble, humane act.

I think you're on to something there Senor Socks! The Amish ARE close by! I don't know where the peyote might of come from, but I'd suspect one of the wayward chillens. And, just an aside, who IS it that does the wardrobe? Dear Gawd, every performance I've seen from The Promised Land of the Chosen Few Guardians of the Present Truth has had absolutely atrocious outfits! I mean, I know NOTHING about clothing or costumes, but absurdly baggy, overlarge, horrendously DARK outfits don't seem to be doing much for the overall look - (insert spitting, rolling, gut-wrenching, stifled laughter here). HAAAAAA! Oh, gawd, it's SOOOO bad...

Like a fine wine, it just gets better with age! It's sorta like Michael Jackson meets Pat Boone. I saw it last night and got a good chuckle. This morning it reduced me to tears! I repeat - STOP THAT! (And David, I have no problem recognizing the talent of the people who were in WayProd. It's just the end result that was lame. Sorta like Lawrence Welk. Lots of talented people, but put an anal-retentive, out of touch, authoratarian, SQUARE German in charge of it all, and the ultimate result is going to suck. Sorry, that's how I always viewed it. Just not my kinda music. Remember "High Country Caravan"? I rest my case...)

Oh gawd, this is too rich! HAAAAA! What a farking joke, all of it. Oh gaawd, it hurts to laugh this hard! I agree wholeheartedly - MAKE THEM STOP! (and I thought that WAY PRODUCTIONS was lame when I was still in - YIKES!)

And Donny Fugit DID indeed pass away, several years ago now. And, on an extended note, what do you expect from religion? There's always somebody condemning somebody to hell, excommunicating, disemboweling, torturing, or otherwise making life miserable for those who don't agree with their particular brand of superstition. I'm sorry to say, I think it's just human nature. To look to religion - or "spiritual matters" if you prefer - for some sort of comfort in life is bound to fail eventually, IMNSHO. Sooner or later reality becomes only too evident...

You got it Doc, Your turn...

The harsh reality is that - despite the wonderful vows we take and promises we make - nobody can know where the OTHER person's head and heart is going to be in the future. People can and DO grow apart, grow cold to each other, grow complacent. And despite how much one partner may want to, there's no way to guarantee that the OTHER will remain a willing participant. ONE can't make a successful marriage, though one is more than enough to screw it up, if they really want to. That's why I say, it's a dangerous thing. One party does NOT have total control, and in modern society it seems like the preference is to break up rather than work out, run off rather than confront, abandon rather than compromise. Have some fun by all means, but be careful out there Seth...

Another hint, It's the same lead character as in Hiway29's show

Maybe YOU just haven't the joy of watching your "wonderful" relationship hit the rocks yet? Give it some time, you may get there. Just look at the statistics. Over HALF of all marriages fail in the U.S. And the stats for subsequent ones are even worse. And nobody's even keeping track of how well the ones that last are doing. It's a dangerous game, that's all I'm saying. And to go into it without being frightfully aware of that is a major failing on everyone's part, IMNSHO. Disasterous, mind altering, painful, psychosis-inducing, suicide-promoting, substance-abuse-enabling relationships are COMMONPLACE, dare I say, almost the NORM. Just ask around GS and you'll find HUNDREDS. Personally, I've had two broken engagements and one failed marriage over the last 30 years or so. I don't think that I'm in anyway an exception. Far from it, even my lawyer told me I "fit the profile". In the past we had the good sense to die a lot younger, before we managed to grow apart. Nowadays we live longer, have the resources and lack of social constraints to dissolve unions almost at will. And LOTS of people do. Like I said, it's a dangerous game. Do what you like Seth (I'm sure you will), but watch out for yourself. They all seem perfect at first...

I always screw this up by making it too difficult or obscure, so here's an easy one: " ....I want to file an assault and battery complaint and give you a tip on a kidnapping. Who got beat up? Who else?! I was told that you were very reliable. Reliable...but chicken

Yeah, yer "soul mate" is out there buddy, you bet. Uh, you're welcome to believe in the Easter Bunny too. I guess life wouldn't be complete without giving a love life a whirl. But, be aware of what you're putting on the line. And take a look around. How many really happy, successful couples do you even KNOW of? And how many will still be that way in another 5 or 10 years? I rest my case. Yeah, it's nice to have a loving mate I guess. And maybe life gets a little boring without one. But for shear I'm-gonna-go-and-ducttape-my-head-to-a-railroad-track desolation it takes a woman screwing with your mind. There's simply no other way to get there. So, be aware of what you're risking, and - Be careful out there!

Must be Bret and Bart?

I think maybe the inmates got even flakier after "the Fog years", but, I remember a particular "leader" in WayWorld who was (maybe still is?) a freaking PATHOLOGICAL liar. He would concoct the most absurd stories - always with himself as the starring character - and blather on endlessly. The stories would get so stupid, and such obvious errors would creep into the plots, that eventually you KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was just spinning another yarn. And, what's more, I'm pretty sure HE knew that YOU knew he was B.S.ing, but he'd continue on regardless. I even saw him tell one of his tales at a Limb meeting, in front of God and everybody. What an embarassment. People were coughing nervously and looking at the floor, but he continued on telling his tale. I mean, if you can't even fool glassyeyed Wayfers at a Limb Meeting, your storytelling skills are seriously lacking. But he wasn't discouraged in the least by the response. As near as I know, he's STILL a leader in some half-baked splinter group, and STILL telling his tales, no doubt. There were some seriously maladjusted folks in WayWorld, drawn in like flies to buzz around around the pile of Bollchit...

I think for them, it all depends on them. Who are they really underneath the "bless yous" and the "I'm JUST believing for (whatever)", and the "I JUST know that God can do (whatever)"? I think it'll take them some time to decompress, but how long is entirely dependant on who they really are, why they got involved in a flakey, deceptive, $hitty little cult to begin with, and what realization finally got them to leave. For me, it doesn't seem like it really took all that long. But then, I was never the "sold out dulous", "The Way Corps or DEATH" kinda Wayfer. I always felt uncomfortable doing the Wayfer rituals ("manifestations", leading songs, stringing chairs, and - above all - WITNESSING), so leaving was actually quite a relief for me. That being said, I carried a lot of baggage till I stumbled upon WayDale. Then the catharsis of multiple postings everyday for a few months really did me a world of good. And now, I really don't feel anything about WayWorld. I mean, I still deeply regret ever getting involved with the stupid "MLM for Jesus", just for the utterly wasted years that I'll never get back. But as far as residual WayBrain, I think I pretty well licked that many years ago. There's just none of that groupthink left in me. In fact, I have trouble even remembering what the "company line" was on so many subjects now. Of course, the possibility does exist that that's a symptom of another ill - AGING, but let's not go there, 'kay?

Oh GAWD, Was there ever a more powerful recommendation for euthanasia?