Moderate democrats would not go for it. ZERO republicans voted for the current bill.

Incorrect. The bill passed with exactly ZERO republican votes. Any concessions to the bill were made not to secure republican votes, but to secure moderate and rogue democrat votes. Straw polls showed no support for a public option from the democrats themselves.

As for the rest of your statement I agree 100%. There is no need for insurance companies. Let the Government pay the bill and we'll all pay our "premiums" to the tax man.

Just an honest question: How many other countries are having their filthy laundry aired on Wiki Leaks? So how do we know their hands are any cleaner?

Exactly. Except the phone has ALWAYS been an appliance. Carriers set the rules. Apple has started to change this mainstream, by taking control away from the carrier. Android is only a framework. The carriers are paying for the phone development and locking the Android features down as they see fit. Everyone complains about Apple's control, but I prefer a tech company making these decisions over a service provider.

Yes, you can load a "Google" build on your phone. If you jail break that is. Same as my iPhone.

Unless you are developing a telecommunications app, there is no difference to you as a developer between iOS on the iPhone and iOS on the iPod Touch. Android may win as a phone platform as you say, but developers are not jumping ship to code for Android, they are supporting both platforms. I 100% guarantee the iPhone will not be niche in 5 years. Won't be dominant either.

Apple does not provide iOS development tools for non OS-X computers, correct. Third parties do provide such tools.

This is a pro/con. The great thing about Marketplace is any app can get in. The bad thing about Marketplace is any app can get in. The good thing about App Store is not every app can get in. The bad thing about the App Store is not every app can get in. As a user, I have never been in a situation I could not get functionality I needed from the App Store. As a user that is all I care about.

Everyone has their own definition of basic functionality. I can't recover data from an encrypted OS Hard drive either. If data is important, back it up in multiple locations, same as it has always been. I haven't jail broken my phone, and I have rarely wished for additional functionality.

Again its a pro/con thing and user preference. Customization is great, until you try to walk someone through something and they've customized beyond the point of being able to follow the same steps. Apple is a "whole picture" company. They make decision based on this. User experience drives repeat business.

iPhones are activated in the store. You never have to plug it into a computer. If you have it shipped to your house, you can go to AT&T store and get it activated. No computer needed.

And you have to jail break android in the US to install a non carrier supported ROM. You trust the carriers to never modify android to the point of removing its openness? They already have. Tethering is not available in carrier supported ROMs without paying for it. Same as iOS.

Not relevant. Do you trust that open today means open tomorrow? If the arrangement changes to my disliking, I'll vote with my wallet and feet. As long as the terms are acceptable, I will continue to make the choice based on my desired functionality and usability.

BS. Hardware manufacturers in the cell phone market do NOT compete on price. All the smart phones are priced the same INCLUDING the iPhone. Android may outsell iOS in the future mostly due to user preference. Not of the OS, but of the hardware. There will never be a iOS device with a physical keyboard. The iPhone will continue to be the most popular individual handset. Android will also find a home on quasi smart phones that lack the all the features.

iOS is JUST as open to third party development as Android. iPhone hardware is just as open to hacking as any Android phone bought in the US. The average American is never going to order the unlocked version from overseas. The only thing closed on iOS is App distribution. And, if you really care about that, get a developer licenses and load your own apps manually. Sad fact is, the average user shouldn't have the ability to install anything. Windows and the Internet taught us this.

No one is saying we should have no security. I can put explosives in my rectum and probably get past the current "upgraded" measures. Does that mean we should mandate rectal exams before boarding? They secured the cockpit already. The only risk is 150-300 people dying in an airborne explosion. Maybe a few ground casualties from falling debris. 9-11 cannot happen again. Is this worth the security measures, or is the old method of metal detectors, bomb sniffing dogs and the old pat downs / wands enough? The answer is it is more than enough.

Flying is a privilege. If you feel the old security isn't enough to protect you, YOU drive. Let us fly while still maintaining our dignity.

They were not confiscated at the door of HIS plane. They were confiscated at Airport security. He could have given those weapons to someone on the other side of the checkpoint and then they end up on a public flight. The Airport was definitely in the right.

In my opinion that a lot of leaps of faith. For me 3D doesn't add anything to the experience. Color adds to the experience. Surround sound adds to the experience, but 3-D doesn't. Why? The fact is every movie I've ever seen was in 3D. Not on the screen, but in my brain. It did the work and it did it well. To me, standard movies to 3D movies is like CD to HD-CD, even most audiophiles don't care.

Let's examine it more closely. Surround sound brought you into the audio of the movie. You could hear things behind you, to the side, below or above. With 3D video, you are still looking at a scene. You can't look to the side, look up or down, you can't significantly change the artistic shot of the camera. What you get is a depth perception, that is really already there. It is enhanced, sometime to the point of being distracting.

And this is another reason directors should dislike 3D. Directors are acclaimed by the shot they produce. 3D removes from their shot by providing slightly different angles, or possibly in the future drastically different angles. This is the only value add to 3D in my opinion, providing the ability to pan around a scene and change the angle. This removes the art aspect of the film, and would force reliance on the story. This would also require an insane amount of cameras to shoot.

In closing, full disclosure, I have seen one recent 3D movie. I am not sure if it was post production or not. I left the theater with a headache. The 3D effect was ok, but the backgrounds of the sets were blurry. I attributed this to cameras focusing on the foreground leaving the background slightly out of focus. This provides depth in a 2D setting, but in 3D you should set the focus not the camera. This is ultimately while I do not expect 3D to take off. The directors want artistic control of the shot, and should have it in my opinion. Yet this limitation negates the only benefit 3D has to offer. I'd prefer to watch a good movie in 2D.

It's all relative. If 76% of the curriculum is vital for everyday use, they should fail you if you fail to learn it.

While in theory that "works" it doesn't. Problem is if not every school is not giving credit for D's, a student can transfer and suddenly get credit they lacked. Also when you send the transcript to the college, if they are not on board they will give credit for the D's. By not issuing D's at all, the penalty is consistent and real to the student. I applaud the move working for a school district myself.

It was most certainly not "purely" on revenue. There were many demands Apple had. They ALL played a part in the decision. Remember, Verizon was a very different company back then. Everything was locked tight on Verizon phones. I believe no, or maybe one Palm, Verizon phone had Wifi enabled. Verizon has changed a lot since the iPhone and a big part of that is trying to keep customers from jumping to AT&T.

Apple's Demands

• Phone not available to carrier until after launch
• Apple retains control over OS updates
• No branding (i.e. no Verizon logo on the phone)
• No crapware (i.e. VCast)
• Visual Voicemail
• Revenue sharing
• Unlimited data at "cheaper than previous" pricing