Landfills fill up quickly and use up otherwise useful land...

Not always. Here in Southern California, landfills often start out as canyons or other places that can't be effectively used. When they're full, they're covered with topsoil and allowed to sit until everything is stable, then they're re-purposed as parks, golf courses or some other recreational facility. Of course, not everyplace has that option.

True. Do you know how accurate those methods are, and how that was measured? (This isn't an attempt to discredit your point; I'm just curious.)

Nobody in their right mind is saying that it wasn't cooler 200 years ago; there are enough accounts of both the Thames and Hudson rivers routinely freezing over back then, even if you completely ignore temperature readings. However, thermometers back then were nowhere near as accurate as they are now, and the idea of using those records to get a global temperature that's accurate to .1 degree Celsius from measurements that were, at best, accurate to half a degree is just plain ludicrous.

I don't have any FOF, but I'm retired and even when I was working, I never had a job that required that kind of travel. The last time I flew was back in 2010, to a convention on The Other Coast and back. I honestly don't remember if I had any jet lag in either direction, but when I was going east, it was an overnight flight, which may have helped because I manged to sleep, off and on.

If you're going to write an article about weapons that never made it into production, you really should mention the XF-85 Goblin, a parasite fighter intended to be carried by the B-36 bomber. The Goblin had a combat endurance of only 30 minutes and no landing gear; it was carried in the bomb bay of a specially converted bomber and "landed" by hooking up to a trapeze.

It doesn't have to. Enough of the data will need occasional updating that you'll probably be sending a new copy every two or three years.

Put all of your files on a CD/DVD and mail it to them, with an explanation of what the files are. That way, the data's off-line until they need it and safe unless somebody breaks in who knows what to look for. And, if your friend's good at hiding things, it may still be safe. (As an example, put the disc in a DVD or Blu-ray case behind another one with a movie on it.)

I'm retired. Usually, when there's a work-related poll, there's no option that fits me because there's that built-in assumption that the responder has a job. This time, the last option fits me exactly. It just goes to show that Slashdot gets it right once in a while, if only by chance.

You DO know that they fly, don't you?

I have one, and only one thing to say in reply: WHOOSH!

Yes, but there's still one problem: if you bring back the passenger pigeon in some sort of wildlife preserve and they outgrow their food supply, how are you going to get the flock out of there?

I don't think coffee snobs would like the coffee you mention.

Personally, I lump coffee snob in with audiophules. The only difference is that instead of claiming to hear differences that don't show up on an oscilloscope, they're claiming to taste differences that food chemists can't detect.

Is Cafe Gevalia Espresso Roast good enough quality for you? It's the only blend I ever use. And, of course, "black and bitter" is just an old expression to describe coffee straight from the pot with nothing added.

Considering how much it would cost to develop such a machine for such a small niche market, this is probably the most cost-effective solution.

Personally, I prefer mine with cream and sugar because I find that for me it enhances the flavor. In fact, I add raw sugar to the half and half for my morning espresso before foaming it so that even the foam is sweetened. If you like yours "black and bitter," have at it, but don't expect me to join you.

I'm not even talking about international travel. If I go to a convention and need to search, I want to look for things near the convention hotel; when I house sit for a friend in LA (I live in Ventura County.) I want to search for things near his home. And, when I get home, I want my desktop still set to search for things near where I live. For me, changing my settings for every single computer I have simply because I've changed it for one is Doing The Wrong Thing.