4/17    Just a thought.  Say we select a small percentagle of the population
        (e.g. 100000 people) with representations from all walks of life
        (scientists, engineers, doctors, chefs, plumbers, nannies, ...) except
        bad guys, transport them to a distant earth-like planet with abundant
        natural resources, and take away all man-made objects (machines,
        clothes, books, medicines, all tools, ...)  How long will it take for
	...

4/22    Costco is selling "Bluetooth Capable Premium Digital Hearing Aids" for
        $1999.99 a pair.  My Bluetooth cell phone headset is maybe $30 for one
        ear.  Why does hearing aid cost so much?
        \_ Medical insurance?
        \_ Does $2000-your medical deductible = $30?
           \_ How come insurance companies allow such rip-offs?
	...

2/12    An AIDS/HIV cure via a bone-marrow transplant:
        http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491509,00.html
	...

1/15    Now that Steve Jobs and Patrick Swayze are sick with
        pancreatic cancer, is pancreatic cancer going to become
        a cause celebre and get lots of research funding,
        far beyond what is actually justified by the magnitude
        of the actual problem?
        \_ they have Elton John doing benefits, not Jimmy Buffet.
	...

10/14   I don't understand this whole AIDS walk BS. Instead of saying
        "I'm going to walk X miles, can you donate $1 per mile?" why
        don't they just simplify it and say "Give me whatever $ you got"?
        Why make it so complex? Sheesh
        \_ Because charity events get more people involved in asking for
           money.  Duh.  -tom
	...

4/14    Political correctness over science
        http://csua.org/u/l9y
        \_ I think you have it exactly backwards; the Red Cross' position is
        \_ I think you have it exactly backwards; the FDA's position is
           fear-mongering over science.  -tom
           \_ Oh, classification as high-risk isn't science?
	...

9/20    Independent journalist in Anbar, interesting
        Part 1: http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/001514.html
        Part 2: http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/001517.html
        \_ Anyone who appears on the Wall Street Journal opinion page,
           Front Page Mag AND the National Review I automatically
           dismiss as a fucking idiot.
	...

6/8     GOP loses bid in Senate to eliminate inheritance tax.  Two GOPers
        (Voinovich/Ohio, Chafee/RI) voted against, four Dems voted for.
        BTW, the credit which covers $1 million for gifts and $2 million
        for inheritance is per-person.  So your parents can gift out $2 mill
        to the kids and $4 mill out of the estate, for $6 mill total, or
        $24,000/year to each kid without counting against the gift and an
	...

6/27    God, I really envy the Japs. Why don't we have something like this?
        http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/06/27/bt.japan.bullet.train.ap
        \_ Japan has a much higher population density?
           \_ You can't compare Japan to the US; you should compare to
              California, or the eastern seaboard.  Obviously you can't
              support bullet rail in Wyoming, but California has plenty of
	...

10/21   Mommy, why is Mr. Bush wearing matching pajamas and holding hands with
        that short Chinese man?
        http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/ap/20011020/wl/1003627880china_apec_bush_xvy102.html
        \_ thats cuz hes about to go to bed with the chineses.
                \_ That was Clinton and Gore, pass tense.
                \_ Bush loves China as much as they love him.. very little
	...