California is not going broke because of businesses not paying; the State brings in about $5000 per man, woman and child (in the top 10 across the nation, per capita). Localities add even more to the revenue stream. It's not a lack of revenue, it's decades of continued excessive spending that has California in continual budget crises.

Wouldn't militant lesbian imply anti-shaving, thus the furry tag is redundant?

James Hansen, noted pro-AGW, ex-NASA researcher disagrees with you. The pause is real. The data we have verifies it. The models do not. Which do we believe - the models or the data?

Actually it was more akin to you taking your car to the mechanic for a squeal coming from the rear passenger side tire, and being told that your driver side front blinker isn't working right.

Here's at least one link about the models not matching reality. When data and models collide, which one should win?

That's because AGW isn't science, it's a religion. Now that we have data conflicting with the theories and models (data that exceeds the limits set by the promoters of the theories and models), the attacks will heighten - and choosing to believe empirical data over the models and theories will be dismissed as ignorant and unenlightened.

Science thrives on questioning and testing - both of which are currently eschewed by the pro-AGW acolytes. It's a religion, not science.

What happens when the authority's theories and models do not match reality, and yet they stand by their theories and models? Does that discredit the authorities, the models, and theories, or do we simply ignore reality and those who ask about the disparity?

When models and theories clash with data, it is the data that wins - every time.

...on the monolith declaring "All your worlds are yours except Europa. Attempt no landing there."

"Oh, and also Enceladus on the next planet over. Thanks!"

No they wouldn't; they only have to show that Costco distributed foods that it should have known were dangerous (at least, that's what the plaintiff's case would be). Costco's providing of food or lack thereof would be immaterial - it would be "Costco/BigEvilCorporation fed us poison!" and that is that.

They don't. If a corporation makes profit, they pay taxes.

Except in this day and age, a jury trial is still a massive gamble for Costco because you may just end up with most jurors out to "stick to the big corporation" because "they can afford it" if someone gets sick. Nothing about the actual law, but what 12 people think is right - and when it comes to corporations, most people think it's right for them to always pay because "they can afford it".

That rock in WA State wasn't stable, and hasn't been for quite a LONG time (at least 100+ years). It's not a good example of stable rock getting wet - it's an example of thick soil and lots of trees (roots breaking up rock) on steep bedrock in very wet conditions - continual slides. Saw it happen an awful lot when hiking in the back country off of Stevens Pass (I was born and raised in Seattle).

What, major slides every 5-10 years, so much that the place is known as Slide Hill?

Mobile cameras like my Contour have a 170 degree field of view - and as a motorcyclist you keep your head on a constant pivot to continually scan what is around you. If there's anything in the front ~220 degrees of me, the camera will pick it up with just my regular, safe left/right scan motion of my head.

As far as the roads and risks go, please talk to your local law enforcement about the rights and responsibilities of cars and motorcycles. You'll find we have to obey the same laws as you, and we have every right to our position in a lane. Yes, there are idiots that pass on the shoulder (illegal), but the VAST majority do not - just like there are idiots that decide to merge into another lane without signalling or head-checking (the former is illegal; the latter is common sense).

I know this is anecdotal, but I'd say 80% of the close-calls I've had whilst riding my motorcycle were caused by folks talking on their phone, completely oblivious to me in the lane next to them. The nice thing about a bike is I can move out of the way quickly and safely, and I also sit as high or higher than 90% of drivers on the road - and can see in to their car really easy to see them texting or talking and look up startled as I honk and swerve... I've even turned in video footage (I have a helmet cam) to drivers who were especially egregious - hard to deny you were texting/talking when there is a good chunk of video proving it.

Distracted driving - of which phones are a major contributor because it is interactive (usually 2 way communication, as compared to the one way of a broadcast radio/satellite/CD source) - is a serious danger. If something is SO IMPORTANT that you have to talk on the phone NOW - then pull over. Thirty seconds won't kill you - but it might kill someone else.