Exactly this. If, when driving an "almost-automated" car, I need to be in a state of constant readiness to take control, then what is the actual advantage to having the car almost-automated? The physical effort involved with driving is pretty light, it's the mental effort that's tiring. So I'm not saving myself any effort. If anything, it could be more effort, because not only am I having to monitor events around the car, I'm also having to react to what my own car does by itself.

The only reasons for using "almost automated" would be;

- You suck at driving and the computer does a better job.
- You're physically disabled in a way that makes driving arduous/impossible.

No. It means the 60% of the list are suspected of having terrorist ties.

You have confused the value of what they do with the difficulty of what they do. Or maybe you think your personal opinion of both should be the measure used by all?

Fact is that a lot of people will pay to see what they do. Who else should be getting a significant share of that money?

Whether what they do is difficult, or requires a great deal of skill, isn't the point. If people will pay to see someone pick their nose, then that someone picking their nose has a value.

Whether you personally value their work is of no relevance to anyone but yourself. More than enough people are of the opposing view.

Sorry, you are going to have to explain how "the rest of the world" buying a branded, 100% genuine, drug for a fraction of the US price drives up the price in the US. You also might give an example where patents are being ignored in those same markets.

Here's a recent example of a man being charged $3,766 for Zovirax cold sore cream in hospital. The same product could be bought in Walmart for $181.66 . UK price $7.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140728/GJNEWS_01/140729484

Drug prices in the US are entirely down to the insane US health system.

Anyone can create a Facebook account with any name. They do not have to have unique names, or be unique in any other way. So there is no need to spell a name slightly differently to set up a fake account. Nor does setting up an account with your name stop anyone else creating another account with your name.

Are they not doing this already in CSI? I'm sure I saw them enhance an office security video of a post-it note, reflected off a monitor screen, magnified a couple of times, and there they had it; complete dialog in stereo, with accompanying analysis of voice stress so they knew who was lying. Isn't science wonderful?

I hate psychics (it's just an example). I didn't decide to hate psychics, it just naturally happened. However, if I ever decided to become a psychic assaulter, could I use the same defence?

It must be wonderful though, to have so much trust in your Government not to abuse the privileges granted them.

Or are Singaporeans all naive idealists getting taken for a ride?

But is it a good social change? Or don't we care? Is making writing something people can only ever afford to do part-time going to result in better books?

Is the author the best person to decide who would be the best illustrator, proof-reader, typesetter etc for their book? Their skill is in writing, what do they know anything about these things?

So perhaps the writer needs someone who does know, someone who does it for a living and can advise and source the best for their book. Maybe this person can work on a percentage of sales, ensuring that everyone gets paid and profits accordingly from a successful book. What do we call them.. ? How about "Publisher"?

Hang on, haven't we come full circle here?

Amazon is a middleman. They aren't removing middlemen, all they are doing is pushing other middlemen out of the picture to establish a monopoly for themselves.

The problem there is not in the choice, but that of an adult allowing it to be made by a child.

Your post has caused me emotional distress to the tune of $2m. Well, so my lawyer tells me. See you in court.

You appear have no-one driving your grammar and punctuation. Consequently, when I read your post all the words ended up in a massive pile-up at the end. I'm taking you to court for being at fail.

Congratulations, you have just created a false dichotomy.

Having access to a computer does not prevent the reading of "actual" books, and not having access to a computer does not guarantee the reading of "actual" books.