Wrong as rain, Zeke.

An acquaintance of mine, who has a past relationship with smoking the meth and the cocaine, has given everything up except cigarettes and whiskey.

He would love to give up the cigs, and live as long as possible, healthily enough to enjoy the whiskey.

Harder to Get.

Neither luck nor the law will likely often be ever in your favor.

If you're carrying substantial cash back from Vegas: a) Good for you! Most of us do not, hence the billion dollar casinos and the million dollar light bills keeping that outfit lit up at night. b) If you have enough currency on you to make a civil servant drool, do not smoke skunk weed in the car. With a tail light out. And cocaine sequestered in the spare.

I remember laughing at my girlfriend who was yelling at the television during the soaps attempting to warn a female character of some impending treachery. And then, during a random episode of Cops, I heard my mouth say (loudly), "You sir, are an example of someone who should find a vocation in a career other than crime. Forethought and caution are not your forte." Dumbass.

Sigh! It's like the somewhat competent repairman who refuses to read the instructions, as that would somehow indicate a sign of ineptitude.

How in the World could you expect the focking manufacturer might know something you don't about their product?

Obviously, this train's driver was confident he could overrule the engineers, architects, and the laws of motion.

Perhaps it's a better story if we never figure out who Satoshi was.

He's out of the Bitcoin loop now, so it matters less and less as time passes...

unless you're a taxing entity that wants a cut of his Bit-income.

Encourage the cleverest of the endemic miscreants to pursue career paths that are ever in our favor,

or don't act surprised when we accommodate our needs from the foreign hordes.

Imagine that!

In what an enlightened kleptocracy we would live in if our Congressional pork were squandered

on space exploration and science!

Bonus round: concrete is used here on earth for radiation shielding.

Calcium (a cement precursor) is present on the moon, and IIRC, one of the Mars Rover's missions was to locate calcium on the Red Planet.

Once shelter can be established, subsurface mining will uncover other useful raw materials.

Brotherfucker.

Whether deserved justice or consummate punishment for the purpose of discouraging the offending act's own repetition, know that the happy times in your life are over.

Happy Days, even in a prison you will never leave, are off the menu for you, kind sir.

it is unlikely I had picked an honest one.

But, better than even money?

This will not encourage the creation of an honest cell phone provider that football stadiums are frequently named after.

I remember thinking "this is a freakishly crazy business model" when I could play any song I wished, completely and utterly gratis, whenever I wanted.

Suddenly, I own a focking paid for library of signature party mix.

Best con of all? I'm not even sure how they got me, so I think they can do it again.

You can, indeed, care for someone by letting them fail, and some people do need to hit rock bottom to recover. The most difficult folks to be hard on are the ones you care the most about. In the spirit of Mother's Day, it is only fair to mention the current trend with child-rearing that allocates more importance to being the child's friend over performing the often thankless duties of parenting... it's an easier job mind you, but in the end, you really haven't done the child any favors.

But. There are some really gifted, dedicated, fuckups who will never quit engaging in self-destructive behavior no matter how low they go. Keeping a man entirely out of the gutter is not always possible, and in these ridiculous times, all a caring fellow can do is to hold his head up for a clean breath of air every so often.

Retirement age mother still behaving like an entitled child? Chances are, the good ship Rehabilitation has sailed some time ago. If a son cares enough to modestly ameliorate his Mom's destructive lifestyle, it is his own cross to bear.

Tough story... I'll bet you wish you could sometimes become a different, less caring person.

We are all human, to varying degrees, which means in this case that we neither make nor had perfect parents. Despite even benevolent motive, we all fall short on some occasion(s).

My sister and I have a saying about our relationship. Even with many years of separation, we remain close because we were damaged by the same two people.

Moves abroad outside the North American

are trendy, a great time to be hating America if you will.

The NSA, after all, is undoubtedly helpless against the formidable Guinness consumers.

You can legislate the new auto deliveries be ultra-low emission.

You can even take older cars from our rich and poor alike, with minimal legislative effort, that will never pass modern emission standards.

You will not or never legislate away inbred stupidity. With a grain of salt, know that Bubba 'prolly used the light bill money to buy the diesel to smoke your Prius.

Yes sir...

I can remember shopping my State vehicle inspection around until I could find someone kind enough to accept my fifty dollar bill for a sticker.