Anyone remember the Movie "When Harry Met Sally" ??? Specifically, the cafeteria scene where Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm ?? Several of us did that to the TSA Goons on our most recent flight. One guy even offered a tip for getting felt up "so well". . . . Needless to say, the TSA goons were more than a little discomfitted, and the people in line behind each of us were basically LMFAO. . . . Laughter IS the best weapon against officious busybodies. . .

And if they wanted me to add those skills to my job description, I would. For an additional price, of course (which may or may not be in dollars...)

Agreed. I faced this several years ago: the company I worked for had a similar policy. But when I signed on, I negotiated a standing exemption for my songs and my fiction: when posed reasonably ( and a few previous samples of each provided), they had no problem exempting them. After all, they were paying me to engineer and implement systems, not write lyrics or short stories. . .

You need to look a little harder at the science spinoffs. Better electronics, better medicine and medical sensors, improved weather reporting and prediction, orbital imaging for finding previously undiscovered natural resources, improved materials. . . . And that was all of thirty seconds review of stuff I personally know about the spinoffs. It's not ALL Tang. . . (Grin)

I'd invest. Hell, that was the plan of an organization ~10 or so years ago: they were giving presentations at SF Cons. (Cannot remember their name: something Greek mythology-related as I recall. . .) They expected their booster and lander, etc, would be FESTOONED with supporter logos. The model seems to work for NASCAR. . .

Well, the point being, it would incentivize politics to stop running such utter douchenozzles as candidates. . .

. . .after which, someone will discover a conspiracy where someone is handing out rigged coins for voter coin flips.

My solution: EVERY ballot has a "none of the above" choice. If NOTA gets more than a given percentage (say, 20-30%), ALL the candidates lose, and new candidates would have to run. . .

. . . . of the origin of the word "politics". "poli-" being the Greek root, meaning "many". And "ticks", small blood-sucking vermin. Just once, could the politicians argue over something substantive ??????

Actually. that's incorrect. For 2004 (the year whose data I see in a convenient bar graph....), the top 10% pays ~68% of all taxes, but earns ~44% of all income. The top 5% pays 57% for 38% of the income, and the dreaded 1% pays 37% of the taxes for 19% of all the income. Even at the top 25%, in toto, are paying 85% of the taxes, for 66% of the total income. Oddly enough, the lowest 50% of earners earn 13% of the total income, but pay merely 3% of the taxes. Sounds like someone isn't paying their "fair share", and it's not "the rich". . .

Are you sure of that? Last century's "magic" or "psychic powers" are now straightforward engineering. Flight, for example, does NOT require a ring or potion or carpet:it requires an aircraft. What we used to call "clairvoyance" or "remote viewing".... is now Video. Assuming we survive as a species, the maintenance of consciousness, memory, and personality outside of the original biological platform should a standard exercise, likely within a century. If you listen to Ray Kurzweil, anywhere from 17 to 33 years off...