Maybe a good first step would be for automakers to make battery packs for cars easy enough to swap out that my grandma could do it. Then all manner of storage and charging options become feasible.

The supermarket down the street sells 20lb tanks of propane, for $20 when you swap tanks. If they could make swapping an empty battery as easy as swapping an empty a tank on my grill, more places would find ways to charge batteries to sell.

This. Hell, the trailer could just haul a big extended battery, too.

"Well, it's not great, but it is a crack in the monoculture-for-fuel mindset."

If you define "monoculture" as "field full of corn" then yes. If you define monoculture as "The cultivation of a single crop in a given area," like, well, the dictionary, then growing several sections of these "energy beets" will be a monoculture as well.

Hopefully something directly from the USDA will suffice:

http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/corn/policy.aspx#.UU9Txb-9LTo

It will be fair! When the state of Arkansas provides me with roads, bridges, police, fire, and social services here in California.

There is no reason I should pay taxes in Arkansas. The people using their services (listed above) should pay for them.

Frozen are easy do do in the microwave. I'm continually amazed at how much my mother-in-law cooks in the microwave. I'm also continually amazed at how often she complains that the food is cold and tasteless.

Except that CAFE standards will require lower weights and more efficient engines, regardless of cost. If that means the cars last for a shorter time, so be it.

Small time display. Full Siri integration. Maybe even no display. "Siri, what time is it?"

I expect one of the popular features will be an analog face.

Personally, I would expect the watch to be an IPhone with no touchscreen, with all interactions through Siri.

Setting aside Bernie Sanders, don't you think that "from each according to his rich 1%-ness, to each according to his 99%-ness" thing we've got going on might make some people a little suspicious?

While contemplating on the truth that things don't always go your way, please also contemplate this: By the time you realize you need to call the police, it's already too late.

As a lone gunman, sure.

If everyone in a neighborhood believes that the swat team is immoral, and perpetrating evil, then they go from "having him surrounded" to being surrounded.

If I had a well that was suddenly flammable, you can bet your sweet ass I'd figure out how to separate the gas from the water, and use BOTH.
Hell, I'd use the gas from the water to power the pump, and the separator. And a generator, and maybe pipe it to my stove and water heater.

When life hands you lemons...

You can't have "to each according to his need" without "From each according to his ability."

You can't have "From each according to his ability" without "we're the government, and if you don't comply, we will force you."

You can't force me without might.

But you think it is right to force me, because you have the might.

Ergo, might-makes-right. QED.

Amtrack has lost millions trying to sell junk food to Americans in a captive audience situation. Government monopoly is not a good business model.