And in return for our respect of not wishing to reciprocate to society they should create their own writing implements, parchment, and language rather than scamming off the work of others!

Far more likely "They had to program the computer using text and logic statements? What a wild west"

That's because the US gives out medals for everything! The guys I used to drink with from the Aussie army would always joke about how useless US medals are, successfully fire a weapon? Medal! Shoot yourself in the foot? Double Medal!

I know the feeling, used to live in a city apartment myself, similar numbers. The good news is that 802.11ad, operating at 60ghz, is expected in 2014.

and help from accidents like iron rods going through someone's head and surviving Phineas Gage

Modern humans have existed for around 50-200 thousand years depending on how specific you wish to get. Human civilization is around 15 thousand years. My personal favourite statistic is the estimated 7% of all humans that have ever existed are alive today!

Are you sure you're not the one drinking the Koolaid? I don't pay anywhere near 20% of my income for health care and having chronic depression means I don't go broke every time I have an episode. I haven't worked since Feb and just coming out of a deep episode and yet here I am not having to turn over my life savings in order to survive. If I tried to do that in the states I'd probably be homeless and without any care. So, was it worth living in a country for "free" healthcare at your quote of "$9,000"? Absolutely!

Instead of saying how low AU is ranked what about a comparison? I've yet to find a ranking showing AU is worse off than the US in healthcare.

It wasn't that long ago that I used to envy the US infrastructure here in Australia, amazing how fast things can turn around. We now have access to AU $100 plans with 1TB/month at 100/40 Mbps speeds, it's things like this and our free health care that have our citizens up in arms over how our government continues to meddle in our lives!!

Exactly! I've had a hard time finding any real details beyond hyperbole. So many people are screaming guilty and scum, but I can't find many specific details to conclude anything. Can anyone enlighten?

There's no need to worry about too many kids! 1st world countries are already below the sustainable birthrate, you get a basic living wage for people and we'll have trouble getting people to have children!

In Australia we also have unsustainable pressure from our 2 supermarket overlords driving down diary farmers to at-cost or loss prices. Our milk is at $1 a litre now, you pay more for bottled water! Are the rest of the world's supermarkets pushing down milk prices? I wonder if the cookie industry will take notice and capitalize on this free flowing milk...

Meh I've felt for the last year that MS and Windows are on the way out. Windows 8 was there attempt to get people used to Metro and attempt some relevance in the touch space. The desktop is dead and MS know that, the new market is in the touch devices and using task-based UIs over file-based ones. My house mate is anxiously awaiting his new Nokia phone, and believes MS can manage to capture 30% so we have a good conversation about their new actions most days.

With Android expecting to hit 90% market share next year I believe their only chance is to get on the augmented reality bandwagon and hope Apple don't have something in development yet. With rumours that the next Xbox will have an AR addon it's quite possible they are doing this.

Of course I did, the fact they thought someone who never programmed could pick it up within a week really highlights how incompetent they were.

We in Australia are doing something about it with a carbon tax, hopefully our ways will spread to other countries! We even have a global emissions trading scheme about to start where a company can use green power in other countries and get accredited for it, which should also help push for global change.