Yup. My parents were academics and got in when there was less competition. They presume everybody who is smart would have it so easy. They still do as they badger me to do a PhD and I try to explain that a MSCD or a SCJD or ScrumMaster certification would boost my career more (already have a MSc in CS in a field where only Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo! work which are no near any of my family).

At the age of 12? Most definitely, I already felt like I was "missing out of everything" and "the odd one out" just because my parents were immigrants and for many years afterwards. I think it was only after bouncing back from the depression that claimed my early 20 that I felt able to do things differently.

Isn't the first $2 the easiest and the last $2 the hardest? Won't that just lead to lots of tech demos and no products?

Actually, it's more like misrepresentation of credentials, to which free speech doesn't apply. There are countries where calling yourself a engineer has legal consequences.

Next, I'll start calling myself a doctor (as in "code doctor") or surgeon ("code surgeon"). ;)

The question becomes how long will it take for the culture to shift when it has long become accustomed to underbidding.

Really?!!? Because when I was 12 years old every teacher I had told me that university was magical faerie dust that sprinkled on your education guaranteed middle-class jobs and income (no mention of which discipline you study mattering). The same people we were always supposed to listen to and obey. The same ones that taught us to read and do math. So is it our fault really if after over a decade in their system listening to that mantra we fell for it? Frankly, I think society has to own up to its part in the brainwashing and hype that went on there and the resulting debt and useless degrees. PS- does not apply to me, I got a STEM degree paid for by my parents and now have a soulless cubicle job making mad bank and a boring joyless life.

So what? Neither is a system where blacks and women can vote. In fact, the founding father tacitly agreed to continue slavery in the south. So why should we care what they wanted? They gave us the means to change laws so we can.

You might want to consider HeroScape. It is similar in nature and available from WalMart, Toys'R'Us, and Amazon. I've been looking into using it for our D&D campaign.

Vanity is not the same thing as stupidity. Thing about how much has been acomplished by arrogant people just trying to prove themselves

In today's society nothing draws crowds like glamour. So, get some researchers rediculously overpaid, have them hit the clubs in Bentleys sippin' Cristal. What is popular is what will lead people to live the way they want to live. Currently, that is through finance and investment banking. But, if you could make being a researcher more glamourous and fun (in terms of the lifestyle it would afford) then people would flock to it. After all, how do you make something popular when it leads to a decade of post-secondary and then publish-or-perish with a possibility of stability with tenure AFTER moving around englessly from post-doc to post-doc.

This is just another thanks for sharing, it was very eye-opening, and good luck comment.

Except that you are wrong. If either party breaks a bone or needs stitches or any kind of substantial treatment it becomes aggravated assault. You can consent to something that would otherwise be assault, but not to aggravated assault. You can't have a dual and not be charged as a murderer. If you could then the reasoning would be that assisted suicide is legal. I'm not saying its right, just that is how it is.