I think you're close, but not quite there. I moved to WV my freshman year of high school and graduated in 2006. As far as I could tell, the supplies were fine. I don't think we were hurting for funding (at least not technology funding). Hell, my school (about 1500 students) had three full dedicated computer-classrooms that would typically only have classes in them 2-3 periods of the day with as few as 5-10 kids in each class. I never shared a book. We always had plenty of supplies for science and art classes. However, I think they might underpay their teachers (more so than other places, it would seem). In my four years, I watched three of the best teachers I knew leave for jobs just across state lines where they could make almost twice as much. I know this is anecdotal, likely contains sampling bias, and is a bit off topic. I thought I would share anyway.

Yeah? I live in WV, and I'd like to slap them for misusing the funds...

No, Byrd was good at being on committees and refusing to sign off on anything that he could possibly get built in WV. There is a long list of government facilities that really have NO business being in WV, but they're here. My favorite example is the United States Coast Guard's Operations Systems Center. West Virginia, being land-locked and all, is an obvious choice for a base that supports a sea-faring service. This USCG station is directly adjacent to a massive IRS facility. In Fairmont, WV there is some NASA IV&V stuff as well as some NOAA facilities. Not to mention CJIS (the largest division of the FBI) in Clarksburg. Sugar Grove may be too old to be Byrd's doing, but the rest are relatively recent. I'm sure the list goes on; these are just the one's that I've personally dealt with.

You're not suggesting... Clearly, if that's what was going on, they'd have usernames and boatloads of karma.

If I had points, I'd mod you informative. There's already a precedent. All hope is lost. I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

So that's why the french were dropping concrete bombs on Libyan tanks...

I'm a younger person, and I don't really have a head for business. However, it seems a little silly to me that you would discredit Microsoft's decisions to invest in research and development. Technology is more of a "moving target" than resource harvesting/processing/delivery, and even Exxon-Mobil is putting effort into diversification. What happens to Microsoft if the open movement blows up one day and free/open solutions like Linux, and OpenOffice outstrip Windows and MS Office, and Microsoft doesn't have products like Xbox to fall back on? I would expect them to go the way of the Dodo, man.

I wish I had mod points. I'd mod this interesting. Thanks.

You're convinced they brought it down just as they claim? You may know something that I don't, being that you're formerly of the Air Force, but it sounds kinda like bullshit to me.

That's an incredible modest figure, actually.