There is probably an easy answer, but how do other editors know a persons sex, gender, or orientation? I've never been asked that when editing anything on Wikipedia.

JeffOwl, I appreciated your post, no matter what Cmdln Daco says.*

*Disclaimer: Due to my age (and user ID,) to me 2012 feels like two weeks ago.

The article does not explain why it would be difficult as a practical matter to ensure that payments do not get routed through other states. Can anyone clarify what they mean by this? What exactly would need to be done, and how difficult would it be?

I for one thank our beleaguered editors. I caught the article at 6:08 CST. The sky outside is clear, and the wind yesterday swept all the snow off my west-facing porch. I dunno if the other nine will be as lucky!

When I took the bar exam I had to use pen and paper, and we LIKED it that way!

Honestly though, I think there comes a point when if you want to test a person solely based on what they're able to keep in their head, you'll have to exclude most technology.

You are not alone, my four-digit friend.

The summary leaves out several very important limits on this new law:

1. It does not apply to business that don't sell directly in interstate commerce. (This is narrower than the usual "affecting commerce" language Congress likes to use.) So your local lawn-care service for example may be exempt.

2. It only applies to businesses that use "form" contracts.

3. It only applies to those "form" contracts if the customer does not have a meaningful opportunity to negotiate.

I think you're right. The SCOTUS in United States v. Lopez ( see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... ) ruled that Congress cannot constitutionally regulate who can walk into a school zone carrying while a gun, because this is not interstate - commercial activity. It seems likely the same reasoning would apply to walking into or out of a school zone at all. But who's going to challenge the constitutionality of this kind of law?

Soil is mostly organic material. Dirt is mostly minerals.

I think you have those two words defined exactly backwards.

Also crops are still regularly rotated between soybeans, alfalfa, and corn even among farmers who sell corn for ethanol production.

Beyond that, I suppose you're technically correct. Heaven knows most of us would benefit from eating a little less food.

If you're right, perhaps you could persuade the people who disagree with you by talking to them and using reason. But if you start the discussion by insulting them or the number of brain cells they have, do you really expect to get anywhere?

South Dakota State University, an accredited, division 1 school, has an average annual cost of $13,214.50, which INCLUDES housing and food.

Actually, if you do have evidence, don't bother citing it.

In my own meandering experience, it seems to be a waste of one's time to try and argue with anyone who:

1. Starts their comments by throwing profanity at you,
2. Makes assumptions about your affiliation with a specific political group,
3. Calls you deranged, or
4. Apparently thinks they're your teacher or college professor, such that they can place expectations and demands on you regarding the nature of any response you post.

Don't feed the troll.

Some problems with this approach:

1. "Oh please. If this kind of "freedom" is important to you, then have you also sworn off commercial aviation, gotten a pilot's license, and purchased a Learjet" This assumes one can afford a Learjet. Lots of people can afford a truck, even if they only use it a few times per year. Most people cannot afford a Learjet. Most people, however, are willing to spend some extra money for some extra freedom and time savings.

2. "That's the whole reason we have places that rent cars, trucks, tow/hauling equipment, industrial equipment, etc" So if one plans a weekend trip to the state park, one should spend half of that time driving 100 miles to the nearest rental business, renting a truck, drive it 100 miles back home, picking up the camper, and then driving 50 miles to the park so he can enjoy the 1/2 of his weekend that remains?

3. "An even better solution is not dragging a crappy hotel room around on wheels, and simply renting a permanently-built hotel room at a hotel." Hotels are not generally built in the remote parts of the wilderness where people like to take campers. One could find a hotel nearby, but then half the weekend is lost in transit.

I think the problem all comes down to time. If I have a camper and a truck, I can spend more of my precious weekend actually relaxing in the woods, and less time filing out rental agreements.

This is a neat idea, but it would suffer from a lack of geographic unity.

How exactly will an Internet-based political party handle issues like where to build the school in my neighborhood, how high the bridges should be, or what the penalty should be for selling small quantities of marijuana? Wouldn't joining such a party actually harm my ability to influence the laws that actually affect me on a daily basis?

Also, why is it every new political party seems to charge right for the presidency? Why not state legislatures or even Congress first?