4/3     Where is the "no links without personal comment intended to start
        conversation" brigade?  Look at all those links without trollish
        comments attached!  When will the madness end?
        \_ In my case, hanging with my GF, cooking and eating tasty food, and
           generally enjoying life. -dans
           \_ It's great to date a 19 year old isn't it? She's hornier
           \_ It's great to date a 17 year old isn't it? She's hornier
              than the old hags and you don't have to think about marriage,
              kids, minivan, and a downpay for a Bay Area home that you
              can't even afford. Ah, it is so wonderful to date a young
              girl. I remember how life was so carefree when I was dating
              this young girl. Enjoy your life while you can. Write about
              it in your journal. Some day, you may need to read it
              again to remind yourself how life used to be so great.
              Hopefully, that day will never come, but you never know  -bog
              \_ How old is old?  I have many friends in their mid-30s and a
                 a handful in their mid-40s who seem to enjoy their lives very
                 much.  Some have houses, marriages, etc, and still live happy
                 lives. -dans
                 \_ Some have houses, marriages, etc, and are happy *because*
                    of that, not despite that.
                    \_ Yup, I would consider those things to be sources of
                       happiness, the poster I responded to implied that those
                       things caused him stress or disappointment. -dans
                       \_ You don't think making mortgage payments on my
                          4000 sq foot house in the suburbs causes me stress?
                          How about my four hour commute each day? How about
                          the fact that after I am done slaving away for my
                          family, I come home at 9PM to a cold dinner and
                          children in bed? Enjoy it while you can padawan...
                          \_ Why did you buy a house of that size if the
                             mortgage payments cause you such stress?  Why are
                             you working a job that requires a four hour
                             commute (to pay your mortgage?)?  Where you are
                             in life is a combination of the choices you make
                             and dumb luck.  If unlucky breaks or previous bad
                             choices led you to a place in life where you're
                             unhappy, there may be alternatives to hating life
                             and trying to drag the rest of the world down
                             into your hole.  I'm not suggesting you try to
                             smile through the pain and pretend that lame
                             things are anything but.  That said, a serious
                             examination of where you are, the choices that
                             got you there, and where you want to be, often
                             yields options you might not have known about.
                             These options are rarely easy, true change
                             usually isn't, but they offer hope.  You sound
                             pretty bitter.  I hope you find this helpful.
                             -dans
           \_ Sex and food. Just like monkeys.