"Tests aren't failures as long as you learn from them. ..." But if each iteration of test/ education costs something like 10% of your GNP...you can't afford to fail often. N Korea is bankrupt in every sense of the word...

I do a lot of my reading while I travel and while I have not bought any porn on my Kindle, I like the idea that I can read a Michael Savage, or Michael Moore book without advertising my politics. As a guy, there are books I automatically pass over in a book store because a pink cover markets them to women, and it would not do to have 'Skinny Bitches' fall out of my briefcase in a meeting. With an e-book, that shaming factor goes away. To me, the privacy and compact size make them worthwhile.

One time driving home for the holidays, I got stuck on a 350 mile drive in basically bumper-to-bumper traffic for 300 miles. I averaged maybe 25 MPH. This trip usually required 1.25 tanks of fuel in my 4 speed manual Tercel (at about 65MPH). When I got back - I still had well over 1/4 tank which was amazing considering there were long periods of stop-n-go. I was coasting with my foot off the gas quite a bit which would explain some of it. Driving 30 MPH on the highway is not practical - but it was an interesting case study in hypermiling.