So the colleges that do this don't have consumer power? It's how these textbooks work. Don't you think they would have done it already with the online material at colleges and universities? The educational publishing business is rather unique.

You really think there are no copyright issues with copying stuff back and forth like that? Most online materials that go hand in hand with my textbooks are password protected, and not downloadable. It's not like they are downloading a huge huge txt file.

What about the poor children? Sure, pay for internet at home, but sometimes these families go for some time without electric. Then what? Can't use it, can't charge it. What about risk of mugging? There is a dollar value, you can figure in you have to replace X due to theft, but what about the damage to body, and mind, when that happens? And what about rural areas with shitty connections? The other night a number of students of mine had an assignment due, and we all had to use noodletools, which is fantastic, but online only. Mediacom went out for much of the area, for much of the night. Way too many of us suffered from lack of sleep waiting for the internet to come back on, so we could finish our work. I would have gone to the downtown campus of my school? BUt they use mediacom. Library? Mediacom? Free wireless? Mediacom. Oh, and imagine reading textbooks on a netbook. I'm on one now and I don't relish the thought.

I must be the most powerful person on slashdot.

That seems kind of selfish, making people chase you down like that. Why does the other person have to do the work? What if they are calling to do you a favor or something for you? How awful! And leave a text? I have no way to leave a text for someone. I'd much rather get a voicemail, than a text, and I conduct a lot of my life via voicemail.

LA Times blog ok? http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/04/amazon-deranks-gayfriendly-books-the-twitterverse-notices.html

The robitussin doesn't work for CHILDREN. The referenced articles did not state anything about adults. I've not seen research that said anything to the contrary -- I wouldn't mind it, though.

If it IS vinyl flooring, it isn't from the kid, it's from pregnant mom, I think. Although we didn't have vinyl floors (and because of insurance screw-ups, didn't get my son properly vaccinated well until after he was full blown autistic), I was exposed to a lot of toxins (airborne) during my pregnancy. But the interesting thing is, in retrospect, he had signs of autism almost immediately after birth. Part of autism (which he has to the point where he cannot speak, and most likely will never live independently) can be sensory problems, and his are oral/eating related. He would not breastfeed. He would not take food from a bottle. He could not leave the hospital for two weeks because of this. Even when he got home, formula or breastmilk would pour down his face as much as it would pour into his mouth. I've spoken to other parents who saw signs, small ones, very very early on. Yes, my kid did have a bit of that 'developing ok and then all of a sudden went backwards' stuff, but he was already a bit off, I think. And he still does that today -- over the summer, without school, he lost the ability to communicate completely. It's just that parents seem to notice that first change. So vinyl floors? A bit of a reach. Something happening during pregnancy? A possibility. Toxins? A possibility. But my wood floors didn't 'save' my son.

Good point. I know a number of female lawyers, and I can think of at least two that got pregnant during law school. They still managed to finish, and work afterwards. Medicine (and not just doctors, but nurses, physical therapists, OTs, SLPs, and so on) is very time intensive, too. Nursing clinicals often start before 6am -- VERY hard to do if you have school aged children. But a lot of nursing students are parents. I wonder what fields of law female lawyers are drawn towards -- it might add some insight to the discussion. If it is stuff like public defense, or family law or things like that, does it mean that they are going towards the 'helping fields' just like women who go into education, early childhood, social work, and medicine do? Or are they more random in their law career choices?

I had the ability, I just don't LIKE it. I never thought I'd have children, and I do. My career switch is nursing, which is science intensive, and math intensive. Nursing is a lot more than bringing a tray and sticking a needle in your arm. I suppose in the past I could have been a doctor (too old now). But there is something in me that draws me emotionally to nursing. The hours of school do interfere with child care, and it's been a lot of juggling, including my husband taking off of work for six weeks for a summer course I wanted to take. So you can't really say it is the time, either, since a lot of parents (usually mothers) do a career switch to nursing. A lot of it has to do with how many women are wired. I bet if I had an interest, I'd do great in something tech related. (Had my first computer in the 70s, my dad the engineer taught me basic programming, something I continued through high school.) I just don't have that interest. I like people. I think I'd be a great nurse. The work I've done so far has been very enjoyable. Knowing, too, that there is a shortage does help from the practical side of things. If I did go a different way, would I have job security? I don't know.

Why are MDs fighting against PAs and NPs and midwives? That is another way to lighten the load, and increase access and quality of care to people, but the AMA is NOT friendly to anyone encroaching on their territory, even if the evidence points towards those other titles being competent, and even excelling at what they do. And now they want NPs to get PhDs. Anything to get them out of patient care!