As a matter of fact, the study itself seems to provide a positive result that, ironically, authors have used to discredit similar studies :)

That said, from personal experience (as someone who lost 60 lbs by making changes to my diet) chocolate does have beneficial effect on weight loss, in that at a very least consuming smaller amounts of chocolate (in terms of calories) satisfies craving for sweets better than consuming much larger (in terms of calories) amount of other sweet foods (such as pastries). Just this benefit alone is sufficient to recommend (prudent) use of chocolate in a calorie-controlled diet.

As far as "bitter chocolate tasting bad" - well, tastes differ and some people find caviar or foie gras to be disgusting, but by an large they are smart enough to keep those opinions out of research papers. Me - I'll take my 90% dark any day (but don't shy away from milk chocolate, as long as it's not Hershey's anyway)

Where is "I am a karma whore" (and I will post anything as long as it has a chance of being modded +5, although sometimes I get the crowd mood wrong and then I get modded -1, "Troll" ) option?

There technology behind these intercepts is not particularly complex, so I don't think there is a significant need to explain "how it works". The fact that they are trying to "share" information that is already quite clear to all interested parties, suggests that this is a PR effort for the public, rather than an attempt to modify law enforcement practices in earnest.

For US residents this approximately equals to asking "when did you move into your current home" (except for those lucky ones who have both cable AND a decent offering from a phone company, they have *two* options). Where I live now, there is only cable FWIW.

This is yet another reason not to give Facebook your phone number (or any other real/valuable personal information)
Also, not sure about other people, but for callers who didn't make their name private I see the name on my iPhone (not that it matters).

Actually it was a pure guess, based on obvious statement. But now that you asked - I can. Here is the relevant quote about a "dr" who started the accusation:

"Miller, whose employer, the Hoover Institution, is often described as a âoeRepublican-leaningâ or âoeconservativeâ think tank, has interests of his own. A molecular biologist by training, Miller spent 15 years at the FDA before his fellowship at Hoover; throughout both jobs, he has been a consistent and ardent promoter of genetically engineered foods (or GMOs â" the âoeOâ standing for âoeorganismâ).

And in his advocacy, Miller is positively prolific. A quick web search reveals dozens upon dozens of articles and opinion columns touting the benefits of GMOs to consumers, developing economies and agribusiness â" and a seemingly equal number attacking those that warn about the possible risks of what are sometimes called âoeFrankenfoods.â

Miller was a leading voice in opposition to Californiaâ(TM)s Prop. 37, the 2012 ballot initiative seeking clear labeling of products containing GMOs, and, in the 1990s, was an equally prominent voice in a tobacco industry-backed campaign to discredit the science linking cigarette use and cancer."

Link: http://america.aljazeera.com/blogs/scrutineer/2015/4/17/doctors-behind-anti-oz-letter-have-own-conflicts-of-interest.html

Quackery they could tolerate. But how dare he question the nutritious yummy GMOs whose manufacturers are pumping millions of dollars into endowments for those other Columbia University medical faculty. While he's enriching himself, those poor souls may lose out on lucrative $$$. Can't have that.
(That's not to say dr. Oz is not a quack - he certainly is a snake oil salesman, but these guys have an agenda that's as clear as day)

I submitted code to several major (and minor) projects over the years. You may still be using something I've touched. But I don't do this any longer - there is not enough time and paid projects could be just as much fun (all the while paying for food and shelter)

I like to move it, move it!

Seriously, I would assume that NSA at least has a "mole" in the order processing/accounting/shipping dept. at Cisco. Unless Cisco pays a lot more than market to these rank-and-file employees or gives them benefits unheard of elsewhere, they aren't particularly hard to get to cooperate, I would guess.

None on this list.
- Batteries - they get old,don't hold charge and even explode (I had an old macbook battery explode, or, rather - spontaneously "blow up" in size about 3-4 times, although it fortunately didn't leak)
- Wifi cards - reception gets wonky, and there is not much you can do about that (as they are now part of the motherboard and not easily replaceable)

"Homeopathy" is a strange beast - it is a way for other people to put thousands of different compounds under one umbrella. The only thing uniting these compounds is that they have been derived from plants or animal matter (or otherwise from "nature") without significant manufacturing / chemical processes.

As soon as a "homeopathic" compound is proven effective - it becomes traditional medicine, of course (so it is no longer counted to homeopathy credit).
Vitamins, for example, are homeopathic compounds (because they occur in nature), yet their effects are fairly well studied.
Here are a few links at random:
Vitamin D: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/929.html#Effectiveness
Valerian Root: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerian_%28herb%29 (check extensive list of references at the bottom)
Probiotics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic (Feel free to follow all links to more descriptions and research articles)
I could go on, but there isn't much point. If it is known to "work" - medical industry considers it standard treatment, and does not credit homeopathy with the use of given compound. Selection bias is even more powerful than placebos :)

For now the big 3 credit reporting agencies can't even make a decent snapshot of what I *am* now, never mind any past history.

I am constantly surprised by incorrect addresses, wrong phones, misspelled names and other such junk (mostly because data entry clerks elsewhere can't be bothered to enter data right, or poorly designed "business systems" don't handle it properly).

My driver license from one state was not properly canceled, when I moved and obtained license in another - so for a while, unknowingly, I had two parallel driver licenses and separate records (even though presumably states share that information).

The only place where information about me seems to resemble anything like reality is my own linkedin profile, and that's because I care to keep it correct.

That's not to say there isn't a ton of information on each and every one of us, and the amount keeps growing. However, most of that information is of poor quality, and not organized - something I wouldn't expect to change anytime soon. The only danger I see is that new generation is conditioned to maintain their own timeline and do the information-cleaning job for the big corporations and government for free. So, let's wait and see, shall we.