see subject.

Having one of the most successful authors of the late 20th, early 21st century as a spouse probably doesn't hurt either. Unless he's really really large, in which case having Neil as a husband could hurt. Wouldn't know really.

Back in the day... a bully problem could be solved simply by beating the crap out of the bully. Today... the kid who fights back gets expelled and his/her parents get sued.

H.L. Mencken proposed that the correct solution is to try such individuals to see if their behavior was appropriate. The jury would be able to
'acquit with honor' the individual if it was justified. Our current system says that every such action is prohibited because only the State has the right to act in such ways. That kind of thinking has brought us to the present state. It's chronological ethnocentrism to conclude that or present state is the best possible state.

The most significant difference between Fedora and Ubuntu here is that in Fedora, the only time you're likely to see a release name is on a Slashdot article, and then if you look at /etc/issue*. Everybody else calls it Fedora 17. In Ubuntuland everybody calls the release by at least the noun part of the release name. For Fedora, its terribly inconsequential, and I say that as the guy who named Fedora 12.

If your mother only uses her computer for Facebook and Turbotax but draws 100W while idle, then your mother needs building advice. Nudge her into moving to Ivy Bridge Core i3 (and use the integrated graphics; don't add graphics card) when they come out in a couple months.

(Actually if that's all she does, maybe even an Atom or Bobcat system will be enough, but in 2012 I don't recommend going that way.)

This makes as much sense as Facebook announcing they're going to build a PC.

Actually, when you put it that way, as strange as it seems, it sounds less insane. The phone market is already twisted beyond belief; many people buy their handheld PCs from their ISPs. Why not buy phones from an advertising middleman .. or from a cement mixing company or from a haberdasher or from religious iconography and spell component shop? Those are some bizarre and senseless ideas, I'll admit, yet they are no more bizarre than the status quo! Phones are a fucked-up market which can't possibly get worse.

Explain to me again how barter is a superior system...

If you use money, your transaction cost increases by about 60% due to taxation. Money ought to be superior.

The IRS taxes barter income too.

Yes, but they can't track it. It's gotten to the point where it's most cost effective to earn a lower income and DYI it in many aspects than to have reportable income and pay third parties for their labor. This isn't how a flourishing economy operates.

The fundamental problem is institutional discrimination is deeply entrenched in our society. Segregation was happening naturally on its own. The government had to intervene on some level. Affirmative action is a way to give minorities and women the opportunity to succeed and show the prevailing stereotypes are incorrect. In acts as an anti-segregation force. Increasing diversity in the workforce and in higher education is similar to anti-discriminating education. If you see and interact with people who are different than you but perform at the same level; you are compelled to rethink whatever stereotypes you might hold.