According to the Greek labor minister, 75% of Greeks retire before age 61. Pensions comprise 17% of Greece's GDP.

“In the public sector, 7.91% of pensioners retire between the ages of 26 and 50, 23.64% between 51 and 55, and 43.53% between 56 and 61. In IKA, 4.44% of pensioners retire between the ages of 26 and 50, 12.83% retire between 51 and 55, and 58.61% retire between 56 and 61. Meanwhile, in the so-called healthy funds, 91.6% of people retire before the national retirement age limit,” [labor minister] Vroutsis said.

Maybe the taxes would be more reasonable if people didn't expect to retire at 30 or whatever the hell it is, on the government teat.

The Greek PM has clearly said that a no vote mean no to the austerity but under no circumstances will they accept an exit from the single currency.

Uh, what do you mean, "accept"? What makes you think they'll have a choice?

Greece will stay in Europe and the euro but start the process of fixing the euro so that it works for the piigs too.

And what do you think that would look like? How was one currency ever supposed to work for both the PIIGs and Germany/France at the same time, without the latter constantly having to carry the former along?

Higher education doesn't have to be about making money, but government and taxpayers paying for higher education ought to be. If you want to blow your rich daddy's money on a medieval basketweaving degree, that's fine. But the point of government-funded education ought to be to increase the tax base with higher-paying jobs, to pay back the money spent on the education. Why should you be entitled to a non-productive fluff degree at my tax expense?

Success at university is meaningless and worthless? I think there a few engineers, doctors, lawyers, educators, etc. who would disagree with you.

In statistics, that is *not* what correlation means. Two phenomena can have a high degree of correlation without either one having a causative effect on the other.

The SAT doesn't exist to gauge one's future success in life. It exists to determine eligibility for college admission. The kind of people who can do well on the SAT are the kind of people who can learn they stuff they'll be taught in college, presumably - which does not, for better or worse, generally include social skills.

Electric cars still use the roads, true, but they pollute less and this should be rewarded. Why not a gas tax and a per-mile tax, balanced to each produce about the same amount of revenue?

You mean the kids aren't using AOL accounts ironically these days?

But the existing law is total BS as well. Define "insult" in a way that can be objectively enforced, and that isn't a slippery slope toward the town government finding excuses to fine the whole town, every day. What if I claim to find the phrase "good morning" to be offensive? Can I fine you $100?

Which is it? I can see the issue with making threats against people, whether they be public officials or ordinary citizens. But insulting? Why is it not my right to say "Mayor So-and-So is a poopyhead", whether online or right to his face?

...Terrorist attack that highlights issues of freedom vs. tyranny, leads to legislation that highlights issues of freedom vs. tyranny. Cue Alanis Morissette...

What's affordable? IIRC mine costs me like $20 a month, and that includes twice-yearly checkups and cleanings and X-rays, plus any work I need done e.g. fillings etc. (except oral surgery which would go under my medical insurance). Doesn't include orthodontia though.

People plant there because one of the most important ingredients in farming is not water, or nutrients (not that those aren't also very important), but sunlight. And California has lots and lots of it.