Thanks for the reply. My take: The Mist is an exploration of existential nihilism--the creeping fear that comes with the knowledge that we probably live in an uncaring universe without meaning or order (such is the basis of much of the work of H.P. Lovecraft, btw). This fear becomes salient to the people in the market when the Mist and it's horrors descend on them. They struggle in vain to make sense of the situation--"What is this mist? "Does it go on forever?" "How could a loving god in a just universe inflict something so terrible upon us?", etc. They don't really want to know the answers because they sense the truth, and it scares the hell out of them. Some people in the market, like those in ancient times who had similar fears about the uncontrollable and destructive natural forces around them, resort to human sacrifice as a means of "appeasing the gods"--a vain attempt to restore some measure of the order they'd known before (a false comfort is better than none at all, or so goes the reasoning). Others, like those who escape in the jeep decide that perhaps it's better to stare the void in the face and take their chances. I'll grant you that their ultimate fate seemed pointless and cruel, but that's exactly it. The point was there is no point. The ending served to underscore the horror of knowing that there's no one "up there" looking out for us, which is why I felt that it was perfect for the movie. Just my two cents anyway.

I'm rather curious, what exactly did you not like about "The Mist"? I felt the ending was appropriate and well in line with other standouts of the horror genre. It featured strong performances by some very good actors--something that many horror fans will tell you is not as common as one might like. The screenplay, penned by none other than Frank Darabont ("The Green Mile", "Shawshank Redemption", "The Walking Dead") had depth and subtext, and the creatures were (in my humble opinion) genuinely strange and creepy. So while you may not have cared for the movie, I feel that to characterize it as "terrible" is neither fair nor accurate.

"If you don't like your job, quit".

Gosh, it's so obvious in retrospect, why didn't I think of that? Oh wait, because it's grossly irresponsible to those who depend on your income for survival and not all conducive to remaining financially solvent, or in possession of a place to live.

What a load of crap.

While I'll not discount the possibility that "conscientiousness" probably does play a small role in extending one's lifespan, I'm sure it has much more to do with simply having the right genes, such as the FOXO3a gene that has been found in a majority of centenarians across a variety of ethnic groups around the world. Those in possession of the gene can probably be as conscientious(or not) as they please and live to 100 anyway.

Winners all. I do slightly disagree with the inclusion of Bad Religion's "My Computer", as it's really more about the sometimes shallow and dehumanizing aspects of connecting with people online vs. in person than it is an earnest love song to a computer. Nevertheless, I do appreciate it's geeky overtones.