[flamesabers]

You're right, I didn't answer the question. Sorry about that.

No, I didn't see the movie AI.

As far as appearances go, there's not a particular person I have picked out. I'm more for admiring than envying if that makes sense. If I could alter my appearance, I would probably go for something like this:

   

[GoneGirl]

Oh, yes! Feminine, but not overly so. Much like your avatar, too.

CK

[SarahSchilling]

Rose McGowan or Aubrey Plaza(pissed off chick from Parks and Rec).

Like that's ever going to happen. I don't even have the cash for conventional surgery, much less body jacking celebrities. This thread is slightly depressing, even without Monica's post.

Anyways, as for altering memories...no thanks. That's going to change who you are. All experiences, especially the bad ones, are what make people who they are mentally for the most part, imo. If I'm not going to remain me, that kind of defeats the purpose.

And Monica, no one is responding to you because you sound pretty hopeless. I agree that the world is fucked, but that's what humanity, on the whole, has let it become. We all share the blame, but trying to take it all on yourself is self destructive. Try to seperate yourself from pop culture, cable television, and politics altogether and just live for yourself. Telling yourself you don't want to live because of events that are largely outside of your control is bordering on insanity ;p

I've been there myself. Then again, what do I know? Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[GoneGirl]

Rose McGowan or Aubrey Plaza(pissed off chick from Parks and Rec).

Anyways, as for altering memories...no thanks. That's going to change who you are. All experiences, especially the bad ones, are what make people who they are mentally for the most part, imo. If I'm not going to remain me, that kind of defeats the purpose.

Sarah, take a look at this:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10...0834135678

Some memories are better forgotten.

I have a terrible memory. I have to watch a movie twice to remember that I ever saw it LOL.

CK

[flamesabers]

Oh, yes! Feminine, but not overly so. Much like your avatar, too.

CK

Thank you!

That's exactly what I was aiming for. It's a good match I think for my androgynous gender identity. Heck, I'll use it for my avatar from now on.

This thread is slightly depressing, even without Monica's post.

I agree. Even though it can be nice to dream, I think it can make things worse when you're focusing on what you don't have versus enjoying what you have or can reasonably attain.

Anyways, as for altering memories...no thanks. That's going to change who you are. All experiences, especially the bad ones, are what make people who they are mentally for the most part, imo. If I'm not going to remain me, that kind of defeats the purpose

I also agree with you on this. For better or for worse, I think it's preferable to remember my experiences and learn from my mistakes than trying to blot out anything I don't like. I see it as being similar to being able to feel physical pain. It's never fun to be in pain, but it's a vital method our bodies use to alert us when something is wrong. Without pain, we would probably be unaware of injuries and illnesses our bodies have sustained and thereby never seek appropriate treatment to remedy such conditions.

[myboobs]

Put me down for dolly patron

[sfem]

When I do spend time fantasizing about how my life might different if magic were real, I usually envision eliminating greed, or getting rid of hunger or cancer. I suppose eliminating greed would probably solve the other two and several other biggies, but whatever. Somehow changing bodies doesn't make my big hit list of what I would do with my 3 wishes. Of course, the older I get the more I would just be happy with a set of paintball guns hidden in my vehicle body panels to anonymously mark the vehicles of road jerks I encounter. Maybe I just don't dream big enough anymore.

[MonikaT]

And Monica, no one is responding to you because you sound pretty hopeless. I agree that the world is fucked, but that's what humanity, on the whole, has let it become. We all share the blame, but trying to take it all on yourself is self destructive. Try to seperate yourself from pop culture, cable television, and politics altogether and just live for yourself. Telling yourself you don't want to live because of events that are largely outside of your control is bordering on insanity ;p

I've been there myself. Then again, what do I know? Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

I didn't expect responses to my post, nor was I trying to depress folks. I was merely trying to explain my position. However, your advice to disconnect and live for myself is essentially the exact thing that causes me so much anger and frustration because everyone seems to have thrown their hands up in disgust which is why things are as bad as they are. If only I could be more like George Carlin and see myself as an observer standing outside it all watching as everything disintegrates and laughing about it all the way.

[SarahSchilling]

I didn't expect responses to my post, nor was I trying to depress folks. I was merely trying to explain my position. However, your advice to disconnect and live for myself is essentially the exact thing that causes me so much anger and frustration because everyone seems to have thrown their hands up in disgust which is why things are as bad as they are. If only I could be more like George Carlin and see myself as an observer standing outside it all watching as everything disintegrates and laughing about it all the way.

I realize you weren't, I just felt bad for ya. The Carlin perspective is most likely the only one that will allow you to be happy now that you realize how futile civilization has become as multi-national corporations increasingly run everything.

Myself, I don't even see myself as a member of society anymore. Only way to stay sane.Empathy gets in the way sometimes, but honestly, most people don't deserve it lol...

I also realize that the detachment from other human beings is part of the design to kill all sense of community in the populace, but it's either allow the link to be severed, or live in severe depression.

Once again, I feel I'm better off being comedic with my posts.

[PattiJT]

Interesting report on that link to the WSJ. And disturbing, to some, I imagine. Speaking for myself, it would be a cold, cold day in hell before I ever consciously gave anyone permission to jab wires into my gray matter. Might make a good movie plot, but I'll keep my humanity, thank you. Things like this always seem to lead to progressively more widespread applications "for the benefit of mankind". Really?

Sometimes, we should take the time to think about whether that's the real goal. Medical science and equipment to treat diseases, repair defects, heal injuries, that's great. Innocent little "procedures" like this could be the first, (and easily sold to the general public) steps to something much more along the lines of re-programming. Anyone standing in line for that? Humans are not much more than an upper class animal, and can be conditioned to accept almost anything, perform almost any task, or have their behaviors changed. We are quite malleable, and even our fears can be eliminated or overridden with the proper "non-invasive" approach.

If this process were to indeed be perfected, what happens when they run out of people with phobias, or "bad memories" that are deemed necessary to treat? (Incidentally, who are the designated "gods" that make the decisions as to who receives these treatments?) Do we then round up all the rednecks, and remove the "redneck" from them? If they one day came to this website and offered, (or ordered) us to "fix" our little "deviances", how many would volunteer? Remembering, of course, that there is no such thing as "perfection" in the medical sciences, and that far less than 100% is an "acceptable risk". To them.

I am no religious zealot, others here know that. And I am no doomer-and-gloomer. I'm just not totally in agreement with the path that some (to me) misguided people want to put humanity on. I would think that we could find much more productive and beneficial things for some of these people to devote themselves to.

On a lighter note, this being a DIY site, with people here self-medicating, people here working to design DIY Noogleberries, finding simpler and cheaper ways to remove hair, etc., I hope I don't hear about someone who read that article, and decides to do some cheap mind altering by asking the local policeman to "tase me bro, but be sure you hit me in the head!" ??