If we are only teens right now, I cannot imagine what is in store for us when we enter our college years...

Finally! I now might be competitive in COD: MW2!

I've been reading the WSJ front to back for my job every day for a time period that extends well before and after the buyout. I'm a bit confused on how both of you think that the paper has really changed that much over these two years. The only noticable difference is the right skewed bias in the opinion section but other than that the reporting has remained as objective as it ever was (specifically in the section that matters most: Money & Investing). The DJ fought very hard to make sure credibility wouldn't be tainted by NewsCorp during the transition. Murdoch understands market efficency though, wants to make money, and knows investors wouldn't tolerate financial reporting that was anything BUT objective.

Yeah the guy is a greedy SOB, there's no denying that; and yes, FOX news is ABSOLUTELY bias, but no moreso than CNN. Just because a person might agree with CNN doens't make trash they spew out any less credible than Fox's.

Yes, the WSJ, a purely factless and biased media outlet... Just because the guy owns FOX doesn't mean all his organizations are biased, get your facts straight then try again.

Nice to see an internet executive like this recognize that there is "no free lunch." As much as you hear people bemoan a pay for content system, the fact is journalists require salaries, expenses, etc. The pay per story idea of .01 per story that gets auto deducted or has greater advertising capabilities is great. Yeah, free stuff is great, but what news can you get for free if the journalists aren't around any longer...

Anyone can just look at East Germany for how well welfare state's work out! A true bastion of corporate enterprise and success!

I'm rather confused, but isn't California calling the national deficit a bit of the pot calling the kettle black. Then you say you'd take Oregon over Texas; look at the figures, Texas is basically sucking away huge part of that California economy you seem to think so highly of... I guess California would need more messanger bikers and Chefs if it seceded!

The previous administration screwed up royally with regards to overspending; however, that doesn't mean you don't try your best to correct the problem going forward. Maintaining the status quo when it comes to things like excessive spending don't usually work out well, just ask someone who foreclosed on their house this past year.

But what about the youth and their desire to be overpaid and work in a hip workplace!? Ohh god think of the youth!

I would say this is more like buying a family sedan and saying that you don't want the engine they provide. Essentailly your saying, I have my own engine I'm going to use, just ship me the shell with everything else.
The only part I agree with is the part in this specific contract where it say's if you want it, they will refund you the value. Other than that people need to stop complaning they can't get a large manufacturer's PC without paying for windows. The BUYER has the choice whether they want to buy a product or not, just as the seller has the right to decide whether they want to sell you a computer with an OS or not. Don't complain when you go to Ford demanding a car without an engine and expecting them to bow down to your needs, there's always kit cars.

Additionally, most competent people realize that there isn't really much a "black market" for IP. Most companies won't touch other companies IP with a 100 foot pole understanding that if they get caught all the work they have done is null and void.

Look at the woman who tried to sell the Coke recipe to Pepsi. Pepsi didn't just not buy the formula, they turned her in to the police. This isn't the 1800's anymore where you can just steal peoples things willy-nilly and pass it off as your own.

This reminds me of a conversation I overheard at the gym last night. A guy told a girl he was climbing with, "So I was at a friends house and I told one of the people there I went to MIT; the person responded 'I dont't even know how to talk to you.'"

That was the end of the conversation, his acceptance that he was so smart that normal people couldn't talk to him. Although I am by no means advocating that all scientific people are like this (I have many friends who aren't); the acceptance of this stereotype within the scientific community may be part of the underlying issue you mentioned.

Yes, but in the case of the Nazis, they individual soldiers were acting as judge and executioner (i.e. physically shooting the person). Here the cops are not judge and do not execute the sentence. The cops wouldn not be morally wrong in this situation, the judge who puts through the order to have the kid actually put in jail for 10 yaers is.

I don't know about you, but I am typically not intimidated by the average Segway rider. My natural instinct is to figure out a way to make them fall over, typically I think of Segway riders as being weak/lazy.

Smug is definetly the right word though.