Then wouldn't franchise fees get reduced? It strikes me as a short term problem. Even if prices doubled, it ultimately becomes a minor increase in a person expenditure.

I'd imagine $15 is just to be conservative. Raising the minimum wage always seem to be difficult to do politically.

Everyone. Deserves. A. Living. Wage. There is no reasonable alternative.

As wages exceed the cost of living, people start saving, paying for conveniences, and paying for services. If your income doubles, you are less likely to shop at Wal-Mart because now you can afford better products.

Two things: 1. Vocation training, in my experience, is used to refer to low skill jobs. 2. We do use automation to reduce the demand of many of those jobs. We have software to reduce the need for enigeers and accountants, there is that new computer based on Watson that searches case law reducing the need fro assisstantns, and we are starting to self diagnostic devices that lowers the demand for medical professionals.

Better than the alternative.

We should really have a Hypospray Xprize. A cheap small jet injector would be amazing.

You're probably correct about the wand, but I don't believe McCoy ever used a tricorder. If memory serves, he placed patients under a device with the Gian monitor.

I believe the tricorder is a TNG thing, especially since it seemed to composed of three parts.

I'm not condemning you, but one could argue that that is unenlightened self-interest. If everyone has to push someone down to move up, then everyone is pushed down.

Earth 2 was Lost, just a decade over and in space. It also had good pacing, and the central conflict was resolved in the end. If it had lasted 7 seasons it would've covered a ridiculous amount of ground.

I can't tell if you are being sarcastic. I remember watching the first episode some time ago(kinda sorta watched it when it aired) and I remember it being way better than it should have been for the time and network.

What? No Earth 2?

The most lucrative industries are often the ones with the lowest barriers to entry, like entertainment and sports.

Why would you wait tables for 8 hours a day, when you could have 8 people wait tables for 1 hour a day? If there are still restaurants, then there is still a need for waiters, but if there is no need to exploit people, then I'd image jobs would align to a more human-friendly pattern. After all, plenty of people would wait tables a few hours a week if it meant a few great meals that week. We will always need to work, just how and at what will change.

Since when is it pay monthly. My understanding is that it may require PS+ which isn't the same thing.