And Godwin says you are wrong. If it is appropriate to make the comparison, then it is appropriate. He does not believe that a comparison should never be made. Neither do I and never have. Your position is horribly dogmatic and is akin to people who believe goto statements in programming should never be used no matter what. This is in fact complete bunk.

Execution is not a deterrent because they take place behind walls and virtually no one sees them. Out of sight, out of mind. If they are going to execute people, then do it in the public square in a way that shocks people (hanging, guillotine, etc). Couple that with executing prosecutors and cops who through malice or complete incompetence cause an innocent person to be executed. Like as not, the latter will reduce to an absolute minimum the former. And when an execution does happen, people will be shown the consequences if they murder in no uncertain terms.

If you don't do it in public, then don't execute people. Without being a real deterrent it serves no purpose and is more merciful than keeping them in a cage (but for fuck's sake, stop giving them TVs and other shit that makes the time go fast).

So is your argument why homosexuals are still thrown in jail for being homosexuals in Europe and North America?

Freon is a noble gas. It will not react easily if at all (I haven't looked at the properties of freon but I know it is used in refrigeration at least in part because it is basically inert... however I know if you really force the issue you can get xenon to react with fluorine). Therefore it cannot be toxic. You could however die if enough freon leaked into a room and it displaced the oxygen. But you would smother (lack of oxygen) not be poisoned.

And by being maintainable, it should also extend, ahem, to extensible.

Given that the anti-reform assholes are yelling that patent reform is no longer necessary (because of the court decisions) it should be very apparent that reform is more necessary than ever. i.e. They wouldn't be saying it isn't needed if it won't make a difference.

What I'm worried about is if it can pick up low enough magnetic fields that someone using them next to me could pick up my thoughts! Then they would hear my inner monologue. Whoaaa man! That IS scary.

Agree.

What about x-rays and gamma rays?

A significantly higher proportion of teens who smoke pot will go on to develop schizophrenia than those who don't. It is not a benign drug. You wouldn't get high if it was.

I know several programmers who don't believe in evolution. I can extrapolate from that (even conservatively) ...

You can't pick and choose data points to establish a trend.

US states with tougher gun laws have less relative crime than even neighbouring states with weak gun laws. The parent poster is obviously an NRA type who has drank too much of the Koo-aid.