But the point, at least for me (sorry, grawk, if not your point) is that the true beauty in living is getting to have all of it, the gut-wrenching depths and heights giving definition to each other and shading everything in between. I sure don't go looking for pain, emotional or otherwse, but when it happens, I welcome it as any other friend.
Reks, big congrats on the job, and Dan, sorry, again, about Loki.
Reks, there's a real interesting book around by a Portugese neuroscientist, basically connecting brain science with Spinoza, and separating the feeling mind from the emotional mind. I think you'd like it. I'll get back with you later when I'm not on my phone.
As for today, I got to one airport at 4:30 am, got on a plane, hung around another airport, got on another plane, and am now stuck waiting in a steamy parking garage for someone to help me with my very dead battery...ugh. Since cables won't work on my car, this might prove to be a royal pain...double ugh.