As an Australian citizen, let me just say this:

Fuck me dead!

> Where's the gene for that?

Good question. I don't actually know, but I CAN tell you that there IS a test for the Arsehole-parent gene. It's not 100% accurate, but if a parent sends their kid's DNA sample to the lab mentioned in the article...chances are they've got it!

> Why is healthcare such a rip-off?

Because you are American.

Before anybody jumps up and yells at me that other health systems have their own problems and/or their success/efficacy is greatly inflated, let me agree with you that all those other health systems are generally crappy too.

It's just that your health system is so fucked that it makes everyone else's crappy to mediocre systems look luxurious* by comparison.

* in the Monty Python sense.

> When you've accepted that offer, you've already asked to be part of the system

My MIT diploma? I threw it on the ground!

"...and the last one seems to be constantly farting"

Code Complete is the only programming book I read (almost) cover to cover after I was already working as a developer. Truly the bible of programming (as opposed to the bible of X programming language). As a largely self-taught programmer (does 1st year Fortran and Pascal count as a CS education?) it neatly captured most of the lessons I had painfully learnt over a 10 year period. Once I read it, I thought "why the hell isn't this force-fed to every CS student?".

Apart from that, K&R's C book was one I kept going back to as I was only an occasional C programmer. Lean but information dense.

Wikileaks is currently "primarily focused" on its continued existence. What with DDB effectively shutting them down, governments all over after them, their financial lifelines cut off and staff harassed. They have barely had time to fart let alone continue their mission. Nevertheless, even with the cablegate archives, its clear that its not all about embarrassing the US if you bother to read some of the cables. A lot of other governments get their share of embarrassment. Just this morning I read of a cable referencing the "embarrassing" case of 180 chinese immigrant children in Sweden who have gone "missing" - probably into the human trafficking industry. Nothing to do with the US see?

But why rely on facts when they just get in the way of a world view that processes everything through a "you're either with us or agin' us" filter.

It's pretty cool boobs, when you can boobs just think of boobs anything and it gets boobs directly input boobs.
I think I'll beer go have a beer lie down.

Boobs for now.

I find it difficult to fathom why people think geoengineering is feasible.
In terms of cost, effort, technical know-how and potential risk, there seems to be a clear hierarchy of options:
1. Conservation/efficiency - do more with less
2. Alternative sources - biofuels, algae, solar, thermal storage etc
3. Geo-engineering - deal with the consequences of failing on 1 and 2
4. Colonize another planet - !!!

If people can't be convinced to make even the smallest dent in their lifestyle to support the costs of doing 1 and 2, what on earth makes anyone think taxpayers will be willing to fund the true cost of 3 (or 4)?

Talk about jumping the shark.