I'd say it has a bit more to do with the distrust of big pharma than science per se. It isn't too far to go from "there is more money in treatment than in prevention" to "vaccines are bunk".

Um...yes! I do get a choice for electricity and gas provider at least.

The old monopoly (AEP/Columbia Gas) is in charge of maintaining the physical infrastructure, but I can buy the actual electrons/gas from anyone who wants to provide them. Sounds like exactly what we need in terms of infrastructure. The old monopoly handles the wiring, but anyone can provide services over the wires.

Heh. I made this argument in reply to another of your posts in this thread. Looks like we're on the same page! :-)

I think that is right, actually.

We know that women generally are under-represented in the STEM fields. Is that because women generally are simply less interested in those type of jobs due to genetics or is it because of environmental factors? I think there's a bit of both, but I have a hard time believing it's all nurture and no nature.

We know that women are over-represented in primary school education positions. Its the same thing reversed. I don't think men (on average) want to teach a bunch of 8 year olds, but there's probably some environmental factors there as well (you want to be around a bunch of little girls all day, what are you a pedophile?).

There is only a problem here to the extent that people are choosing not to study a particular field because they feel like they'll be a nerd or pedophile or whatever for choosing that field.

When a football is under-inflated it becomes easier to grip. There is more "give" to the ball. This would help in throwing more accurately and making catching easier. The effect on a ball-carrier fumbling is negligible.

In the NFL (and probably lower levels -- I know when I was in high school it was this way), each team supplies its own balls for when it is on offense. When the other team gains possession, the other team's balls come in play. In fact, one of the reasons this was detected is because the defense intercepted a pass and the player noticed that the ball was under-inflated. He gave the ball to his own equipment manager when he noticed it was not quite right.

I wouldn't bet on it. North Korea wouldn't be able to take us in a conventional war, but they would inflict pretty severe casualties on us and our South Korean allies.

I see what you did there.

And you'd be ran out of town.

In many places in small town america, high school sports (especially football and basketball) are a big entertainment draw. In my hometown of 6,000, it was not unusual to see over 1,000 people at a football game.

I hate to say it, but most people are more interested in winning the state championship than in leading the state in graduation rates.

That's a good point. If the crime you're charged with carries a maximum month sentence, you should be out on bail after the month automatically.

I'm also glad to hear that you've turned your life around. Well done, sir.

Exclusive franchise agreements haven't been allowed since 1992.

Its a natural monopoly. The infrastructure needs to be separate from the services.

I'm lucky. I live in an area where I have about 4 choices for TV/Internet/etc. That's still not enough.

There's your problem. Rogers/Bell shouldn't be ISPs. They should only be concerned with the wires.

AFAICT, it looks like you can't use God scientific evidence of anything. This makes sense because the existence of a creator cannot be empirically determined (can you think of a repeatable experiment that would prove or disprove that there is a creator?). That is unless the creator revealed himself to us, at which point, the study of the creator would be a science.

Totally read "4 terabytes of pornography". I was debating where to make a toast to you or send you a drum of Jergens.

Good for you. I actually agree with your position. We are not the majority.

I will bet one Internet that as soon as a Republican President is put in charge of NSA surveillance those poll numbers will flip overnight. As long as the guy from the other party is doing X, X is bad. When its your bastard doing it, X is suddenly good.