Mourning? I think the situation works out that as M approaches N, the amount of partying increases, and if M happens to equal N then a national holiday is created.

The mission is not worthwhile. It is the most phenominal waste of money in the name of science in human history. Its extravagant cost starves America's space program in its return to the moon. Worse it, the program aids Russia, enemy of the world. Deorbit ISS today!

It's fun. It's obnoxious. It's memorable. I like it.

The America haters on this forum can't stand the perpetual air supremacy over our enemies Russia and China due to weapons like the F-35. They would be happy to see America use obsolete weapons to give those losers a chance.

Another pointless activity, right up there with studying the mating habits fo shrimp in zero G. ISS is a phenomenal waste of money. Russia is a criminal state. End the damn program and lets get back to the moon with SLS and lay claim to it before the Chinese do.

It is better for the environment to recycle steel rather than produce it from ore. Will nothing satisfy you environmental wackos?

Note that $500 is about 300 pounds - right in line with the story. And smaller cities in Zhejiang typically are 20-30% less than the Shanghai area. I know in Suzhou my factories tend to pay around 2500 RMB for a 1-2 year experienced worker, with performance bonuses adding up to 1000 RMB on top of that.

Really? I think you don't know China, nor do you do any business there. Zhejiang has the highest minimum wage, and it peaks in Ningbo at 1550 RMB per month (this information is out of date a bit, but pretty close to current conditions). That's 160 pounds sterling. Given that only inexperienced/brand new workers will earn minimum wage, the range of 200 to 300 pounds sterling is completely understandable and expected (that's about 2000 to 3000 RMB per month).

Additionally, new sales staff/office trainees in places like Shanghai run about 3500 RMB per month (low-level white collar) and a fresh acoustical engineering grad from the University of Nanjing (top Chinese school) in the top 10% of his class earns 4500 RMB (about 450 pounds sterling) per month. A very experienced (8 year) office manager with excellent English skills and 5 years experience working for Western companies earns 8000 RMB per month. How do I know? I just returned 4 days ago from Shanghai, where I signed contracts for all those positions.

Factory workers in China in the East rarely start at more than minimum wage. 1500 to 2000 RMB is a very good starting wage, and line bosses/leads may earn double that amount. Well below your 5000 RMB per month minimum salary.

Kim had the motive. If it is war he wants it is war he gets. We'll give worse than we get.

Wow! What an obscure and moronic piece of software. Checking the link was a few minutes of my life I can never get back.

I have the attention span of a housefly. I had heard and already forgotten about two of them.

(I know, but whenever I see 'black and white' in a ST context, I reflexively go to Frank Gorshin.)

Historically, that is correct, but the term is still in use, and its meaning has shifted. To whit (sp?):

"B movie noun
: a movie that costs little money to make and that is usually not considered to be very good"

C'mon, it's just as likely that he's too fat to bend down that far if he drops the soap.

Wait, are you asking for a grim and gritty reboot of "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"?