Belly buttons... A quick search on answers.com (very handy reference meta-search) turned up this page from "Ask Yahoo," which basically says... we don't know. Seems to be a random thing based on your abdomen muscles or something. A lot of theories floating around, but no definitive answer that they could find.

They do mention, though, that the cord is always clamped and cut several inches away from the baby, and falls off naturally later. (Which only makes sense. Humans and umbilical cords have been around a lot longer than civilization, doctors, and knives.) So it's nothing to do with how the cord is cut. It's just how the skin and muscles form when the baby severs the connection to what's left.

Anyway... Back to the subject at hand... Cool thread, Jenn. I've been keeping a bit of an eye on it, but putting off answering because I suck at answering certain kinds of questions (like "three things you ___"). I guess I'll give it a shot.

1. Name? Paul

2. A nickname people call you on the boards? Does HatMan count?

3. Where do you live? Well, to be utterly mundane and conventional about it... NJ, USA

4. When did you start watching L&C? Season 3, more or less. I watched intermittently before that, but the family had chosen SeaQuest a the show to gather 'round for. It wasn't until I stumbled across FoLCs on Compuserve and Rhen Brink's ficlist (the email list that eventually spawned the Archive) that I became a dedicated fan of the show.

5. Other shows you watch? The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Battlestar Galactica, and Heroes. Giving Bionic Woman a chance, but not sure how long I'll stick with it. Was a huge SG-1 fan, but can't seem to make myself care about Atlantis anymore. Mythbusters is fun when I catch it, and What Not To Wear when I'm in the mood and there's nothing better on (if nothing else, so that I can gape at the hideous clothes the hosts put on to show off their daring, cutting-edge style).

6. Three things you can't live without? Friends, sleep, chocolate

7. Three things you can't live with? ignorance, oak tree pollen, uselessness

8. A fun fact about yourself? I actually do own a beanie copter, like the one in my avatar. It was a gift from my sisters, back when I was in my early teens, and it was the inspiration for HatMan's signature hat. In college, my roommate ran into some people promoting the band Propellerhead, and came back with a free bumper sticker he didn't really want. It promptly went on the hat. For all that, though, I've only worn the thing a handful of times - most notably for the New England FoLc Fest 2000 costume party. I'd packed it to wear to the WAFF karaoke night, but sadly forgot when the day came.

9. Your last vacation? Annual family trip to MA last month. We've been going to the same place for as long as I can remember. Actually, it's the same place my grandparents went on a semi-regular basis when Mom was a kid. It's the one time of year when we know our family - including my sisters, who are now married with children and living in the big city - will be together for more than a couple of hours.

10. Which L&C character are you most like, and why? Clark, I guess. I've always felt a connection to him. Not surprising, since he was devised as an everyman of sorts. But that quiet, easygoing, down-to-earth guy... with an inner need to do whatever he can to help the people around him and make the world a better place... I'd like to think that's me, too. ... Which is why these last few years, needing more help than I'm able to give... Well, that's more than we need to get into in this thread.

When in doubt, think about penguins. It probably won't help, but at least it'll be fun.