Don't worry, FTC. CIA has you covered.

procrastinate - to put off until tomorrow perendinate - to put off until the day after tomorrow I'm sure you'll know what to do with this knowledge.

The purpose of gun (and any weapon) ownership, carrying, and use is indeed about crime prevention. However, it is not so much about defending oneself from an anonymous thug as it is about defending oneself from the criminals collectively known as The Government. Since power corrupts, the framers of the U.S. Constitution tried to distribute the power as widely as reasonably achievable - everyone has the right to be armed (gun, hatchet, knife, whatever) until you have proven yourself a felon, every one of us has the right of redress for harm, everyone has the right of free speech (now, not just at voting time), we all have the right to pursue acquisition of property, etc.

In an effort to be of most intellectual value to my employer, I start the day with an Ambien. Then I'm really productive the last two hours of the day.

Relatively speaking, there is not much to see outside of 400-700 nm. There is a lot more to hear outside of 20Hz - 20kHz. The question is if you want to hear it. If you are dedicated to maximizing your pasty-white-nerd cred, you don't really need either sense expanded. If you head out into nature, increased range of sound will serve you better. I would like to hear a waterfall or crashing waves with wider range, for example. - Clearly higher acuity of any sense would be useful in more situations. - As for sense of direction or lie detecting, those are more a function of paying attention to detail. Anyone can develop those if it means that much to them. I'm not convinced that I would like detecting every lie.

OK, for all of you who don't use hands, then how do you pick your nose?

That's cool.

From the article: Both the student and his parents were "very cooperative" with authorities, Luque said. He said fire officials also went to the student's home and checked the garage to make sure items there were neither harmful nor explosive. "There was nothing hazardous at the house," Luque said. The student will not be prosecuted, but authorities were recommending that he and his parents get counseling, the spokesman said. The student violated school policies, but there was no criminal intent, Luque said. "There will be no (criminal) charges whatsoever," Luque said. Police and fire officials also will not seek to recover costs associated with responding to the incident, the spokesman said. Luque said both the student and his parents were extremely upset. "He was very shaken by the whole situation, as were his parents," Luque said. from some other article: Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure. Ratified 12/15/1791. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

"The education system isn't flawed"
Yes it is. At least from my POV. Some other slasher beat me to the punch - See http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/ for a history of where we went wrong. The Prussian government designed the education system we use to prevent the proletariat from revolting (double entendre intended). If you take the POV of the American elite/aristocrats, then our education system is working perfectly well.
"As I learned in school, the first thing you do with a class is level their knowledge." - a young friend of mine with a BA in secondary education (name withheld to protect the young and ignorant)

The word you're looking for is kakistocracy. http://www.answers.com/topic/kakistocracy

The nail that sticks out will get hit. (deru kugi wa utareru) - Japanese proverb