McGrath - I still worry about the Americans... :-)

Ah, Pied Piper, you don't even begin to grasp the implications of reincarnation.... :-)

You make a common mistake of Earth-centred thinking in imagining that this is the only place in the Universe on which to reincarnate. A ridiculous notion! It's the same sort of mistake as an Easter Islander 1,000 years ago saying "But where would we reincarnate if this island sank?" Well, that's insular thinking, isn't it? There are probably a few million or even a few billion possible habitable worlds on which to pursue your destiny...and an infinite amount of time in which to do it.

The complete annihilation of this planet would not gum up the works one bit, I assure you.

Now...the Shatner Solution to the giant asteroid: It will first be necessary to hypnotize William Shatner into believing that he really IS Admiral James T. Kirk. If that can be done, noooooo problemo! He will get rid of that asteroid.

If not, forget it. I have just finished reading Shatner's book "Get A Life" (a surprisingly great, an absolutely terrific book, I might add...and I'm dead serious about that)...and he makes it abundantly plain that he is NOT starship captain material! He is terrified of flying and useless at handling high tech equipment (like computers or cell phones). He likes being earthbound at all times, if possible. He goes for pickup trucks, horses, spaghetti, and other very ordinary stuff like that.

Shatner will never rescue this planet from an asteroid.

But Kirk definitely would.

So...we gotta find a topnotch hypnotist if the World is to be saved. We've got 17 years and counting...and Bill's getting old too, so I suggest we get moving on it.

- LH