after playing the old game Conflict: Middle East Political Simulator

Thank you for mentioning the old DOS Conflict. I spent many an enjoyable hour playing that game. Only now in hindsight do I realize how nice it was to have a fun yet challenging game that wasn't a cliche side-scroller, RPG, or FPS.

It's kind of funny... often when I played Conflict, I'd try to nuke somebody and still win the game... never succeeded. Perhaps that was the game designer's subtle way of saying the nuclear option is a no-win scenario?

Anyway, this new Endgame Syria bears a striking resemblance to Conflict, almost to the point of being a rip-off -- Conflict had newspaper headlines too, influenced directly by your political and military in-game decisions. But if Endgame Syria raises awareness of the Middle East's issues, I guess I can forgive the author.

no need to derail yet another thread with it.

You must be new here.

MTB ... is not that bad if you've got ... slick tyres

Agreed -- that's what I use. And you can air up those slick tires to rock-hard pressures for even less rolling resistance, while still retaining some degree of ride quality thanks to the suspension.

I don't think so. I'm an RF electronics engineer,

So, how about SWR? The antennas (and connectors) on consumer Wifi APs are probably the bottom of the barrel as far as quality goes, so IMHO it's plausible that excessive SWR is slowly frying the RF final stage transistors.

It's the devil you know vs. the devil you don't.

That's the situation I was in a couple years ago. Got an offer from a startup-type place at a significant pay increase from my current stable job. After much hemming and hawing, I finally decided to take it... however when I went to give notice, my old employer volunteered a counteroffer... so I stayed, and got the best of both worlds.

To the OP, you might just tell your current boss that you're thinking about leaving and see what he says. His answer, either way, will help you decide what to do.

Tried one. Useless. You'd also come back to a dead car battery, they draw a lot of current.

is, IMO, a nicer device to boot.

Huh, it never even occurred to me to evaluate a device's startup sequence when considering a purchase.

Becoming HIV positive is adding about $20k a year in medical bills for the rest of your life.

Becoming HIV positive is also a choice a man makes for himself (unprotected sex). Infant circumcision, isn't.

$313 is a small price to pay to not have one's privates butchered.

AS an FYI: Mormons also believe women are 2nd class citizens.

Who, these Mormons?

Try being a sixth grade girl with D-cups then get back to me.

This isn't the first time I've heard reports of negative social feedback from early large breasts. I'm not disputing your experience, but I don't get it. I thought men were obsessed with the-larger-the-better breasts, hence the popularity of padded bras and implants. Is it the girls that tease the ones who develop large/early? You'd think the guys would all want to be your best friend (maybe that's exactly the unwanted attention you refer to).

I can tell you, though, that not all early/large girls find it a liability. I remember one in my high school that used them to get guys to do her schoolwork for her.

- The government put the cables in a long time ago, sometimes during periods where certain products were scarce (usually because of war) and thus sub-par elements were used (aluminum or steel)

Aluminum isn't sub-par for electrical distribution, it's standard. The special aluminum alloy that's used is durable yet lightweight. And it sure ain't cheap (just go look at feeder wire prices)!

Increases in demand, decreases in classic resistive demands

Except for tankless water heaters, per-user electric demand has actually gone down in recent decades. Energy star appliances, EER improvements in A/C, compact fluorescent and LED lighting... the only thing that's increased is the number of electric users.

- Most of the heaviest things (motors, airco) in homes still run on 110V even though 220V has been available in most homes

Er, no. Only window air conditioners are 120V -- whole-house A/C is 240V, as are electric dryers and electric ranges/stoves/ovens. Not many motors in a residence except for low-wattage fans that 240V would be overkill for anyway.

but most homes haven't been wired correctly for 220V

What? Strict residential wiring codes have been in place for decades, what specifically is incorrect about them?

a pump circulated water that dripped through the shavings while a 10 horsepower motor sucked air through the shavings and into the house

10 HP = 7.5 kilowatts, which is about double what a whole-house air conditioner would use. Google suggests swamp coolers are usually equipped with up to 1 HP motors.

Agreed, The Inner Light is one of my favorites as well.

I also nominate Darmok and the "There are four lights" episodes.

The one where Vader hacks off his son's hand with a laser sword.

Followed by the one where Han Solo watches a witch doctor pull the beating heart out of a kid's chest.