Research suggests you are not tall and slightly curvy, then. Didn't you RTFH?

Right, but the actual human toll, the suffering it will cause because Africa is so poor, is that suddenly made alright since tourists have one less deadly disease to worry about?

That's "have to be a man in a suitcase or...."
As a resident Police fanatic I can say unequivocally that they have no song called "living in a box." Wow, I can't believe I'm the snooty, uptight dork who feels So Lonely on this issue...
My apologies, but the Voices Inside My Head felt a deep-seated need to make things "right"

What can I say? Truth Hits Everybody.

Bingo.

We (g-friend and I) got involved with a guild that had a whole set of people like this. Very nice at first, great fun, but within a couple months the social cracks started to show badly. Eventually we basically stopped playing WoW. It was just too stressful dealing with crazy social BS, people drinking themselves silly every night, unemployment, constant complaining, and bad moods... just depressing and futile, while we're actually building careers and have a fun, healthy relationship.

And how about all the alternatives that will be needed immediately, like mass transit that's marginally useful? Is that going to magically appear too?
It's not that this couldn't be done, given the political will, it's that the alternatives are completely missing from the equation.

Even in LARGE cities with a DESPERATE need for mass transit, political gridlock is stopping widespread adoption.
Granted, eventually gas will get to 5 or 6+ dollars a gallon and people will start hanging politicians if they don't do something, but by then it's too late! Big projects take years to complete...

Is it so wrong for a man to do the shipping report?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emh75AYxnzk

Neil Armstrong: Some people dream of riches, some of fame, some of power. Neil, I don't know what you dreamed but it inspired too many people for you to leave us so soon. I only wish I could be half the man you were, may you rest in peace among the heavens you connected us with.

While looking at the prospect of moving to Seattle, I've read repeatedly read that the city is in political gridlock and seems totally unable to get any meaningful long term infrastructure additions put in place despite wide support for them. It seems to me this is the case in many cities out there, but can anyone say what it's like in their city?
I suspect that the first ones to finally get something useful done (rather than just repaving a few highways) will be the ones to reap a lot of growth when this recession finally begins to fade away.

I have a girlfriend at Duke in their Physician Assistant program, and they require their students to read up on other healthcare systems.

One of the glaring differences in cost is how much the doctors and assistants make, pure and simple. In our system they have to make a TON of money to pay off exorbitant medical school debt. In other countries this is all paid for or is relatively cheap.

There are other factors, as mentioned elsewhere here, but salary is one that I have not seen put forth

This whole discussion really rings true with me. I'm glad for a lot of what people are posting.

After 7 years of work at a pay scale that is far below what my job should pay, holding the expectation that I will inherit my family business, I am about to get the biggest shaft most could ever expect: I get nothing. Not a farthing. After helping grow his business, bring up his health, revenue, and standard of living at my expense, I was laughed at when I finally asked formally about details for taking over the business that my own father owns.

My girlfriend has been telling me for years to get an agreement in writing or to leave, she feels like she's dealing with someone in a physically abusive relationship, but I've had it pounded into me that "if I just work a little harder I can get there." It's all too evident now that I'm working for one of the maniacs outlined in an above post: A person who wants a 12 hour day every day, 7 days a week, and even that isn't good enough. Someone with huge spreadsheets, who justifies his own existence and is an abysmal manager, and the saddest part is that it's my dad, who apparently has no qualms with shafting the hell out of his own son for a gain.

Why do I say all this?

I've thought for years that I just needed a "better work ethic", to work much longer hours, to work harder. I've had it beaten into me that I am a total failure no matter what and that no one will take me as an employee. Someone above mentioned this is the new America, work them to the bone so they'll never leave? Well, drive their self esteem into the ground and they won't leave either, and make them think they should work 16 hour days so they feel guilty when they simply can't.

I'm looking for other opportunities where I can put a positive, energetic, and detailed work ethic to the grindstone and really have a career that I feel great about. I love what I do and am actually quite good at it to hear other people (boss notwithstanding) talk, but this thread nudged me to give what I needed: If you're stuck in a situation like this, if you're being ground into the dust and feel helpless, as though you SHOULD be working this much all the time then do yourself a favor and don't be like me, wasting precious years of your life in pursuit of the impossible task of getting the approval or respect of management who can't respect themselves or their work.

Thanks Slashdot : )

No.

So two of my uncles are alcoholics.

They are both INSANELY intelligent, awith families they care for, and they both contribute and contributed a LOT to society both on and off the sauce.

What's to say they would ever have cleaned up their act and done good things had they not had prior bad experiences? One uncle is both alcoholic and predisposed to violence. He is now one of the most rational, calm, funny guys I've met. Now, they also hire him to be an attack dog at work for quality control (don't get on his bad side) but he uses his skills for something effective, rather than lashing out now.

If he'd been born a "docile" baby instead, he'd be just another mook without the hindisight of experience. He probably wouldn't be so competitive and wouldn't have gone into the Navy SEALS, and never would have gotten his career going through that.

I'm telling you, bad traits can have good side effects. Bad experiences are what teach us things, and they can also drive us to accomplish a lot in our lives. While I am an advocate of screening out obvious diseases, other traits probably need to (and I'm sure will) be tested out first.

Further, I'd say that we'll have to do this testing on people, which is something it will be very interesting to see in how medical ethics is applied. I'm sure we'll start hearing in 20-30 years how people were never told they were "modified" by the industry as test subjects were never told, but monitored carefully over time so Big Pharma could make Big Bucks.

Take out some u' them lib'rul muh-skeeters that t'aint thinkin' natshrul, raht?

I'm sure Chicago would be the exception. King Rahm would find a way to make transportation as difficult and costly as possible, even with flying cars.

Totally off topic, but it's nice to see our 'burb mentioned once in a while :-)