mrchrist: I'm actually running into this problem (free software development vs. employment as a programmer) as a result of a rewritten NDA that everyone at work was given. It's got some of the standard stuff -- you can't take work that you do that the company elsewhere being the pertinent one. I wondered what would happen if we release(as planned) our web application framework under the GPL/Artistic license. Would everyone be able to work on it except me? The clause is written for proprietary "stuff", whether that's software or oil-finding hardware or whatever, and I wouldn't expect the lawyer who drew it up to know about open source. So people are looking into it, and the NDA is as yet unsigned...
skvidal: I highly recommend getting a cat, particularly from your local shelter. Cats are very low maintenance, and generally sleep when you're not around. (They also sleep when you are around.) They can be wonderful companions, and my experience has been that once I got a cat and lived with one for a period of time, I could't imagine not living with one ever again.
(Originally posted elsewhere)