It gets even more complex. You do need to raise prices on fossil fuels. But, if you're part of the Business As Usual (BAU) crowd, you need to do so in a manner that doesn't tank the economy (even more so than the economy has tanked, in part because of rising fuel prices). You definitely want the frog not to think it's being boiled.

So, instead of a measured plan that says we need to eventually get off a fossil fuel based economy say, over a couple of decades, we look for short term bright spots (natural gas) and declare the emergency is over, and BAU proceeds hell bent for it's own destruction.

Those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.

Implementation. Nasty little technical details. Like waste management. Like cost overruns. Like bad siting decisions. Like incredible up front costs.

The feds have been trying to get industry to start up nucs. They have billions in loan guarantees and other support packages. But it still takes so much up front money to get a nuc plant on line that the industry is passing. You can actually build out solar / wind for less.

For fission power to actually do something in the US, you have to do two things - figure out a long term waste storage system and make smaller, modular reactors that have some sensible price point. The former is basically a political football, the latter an engineering problem that seems to be mostly solved.

We have met the enemy and he is us.

As opposed to keeping little projects like the F-35, SeaWolf, various carrier proposals and that giant money sink that is the Pentagon going?

This stuff isn't even a rounding error on the Pentagon's budget. Yes, we need a strong military and yes, we are not getting the best bang for the buck here. Plenty of room for real budget savings so we can do things like do R&D on solar.

Nope, you're wrong. Germany has a large lignite / brown coal industry that actually is thriving because something has to pick up where the newly decommissioned nukes are going leave off.

But without mosquitoes and maple syrup.

Yes, I bought about 150 of them once for about $60. Gave them to friends, still have a bunch left. They're Chinese but seem to have the same capacity / quality as the branded versions. Bought them from Mouser or Digi-Key, I think...

I'll bet I can beat you at Shuffleboard.

Pretty much this. We've just spent countless electrons arguing about something completely pointless.

I'm just totally surprised and upset with all of you.

I think you might have nailed it here.

Porn.

Now, that's the ultimate definition of "personal". We all agree that pretty much anything that is Turing Complete is a computer. The personal part seems to be the point of contention. If you can view porn, it's personal.

Rule 34.

I'm glad we've solved this little problem.

Your User ID is showing.

Ask your nurse for a calendar.

I sleep with my iPad at night. That's pretty personal.

You can have your klunky towers and desktops!

Nonsense. My jailbroke(en ??) iPad does more, much more than my first "personal computer" - a Morrow MicroDecision running CP/M. The developer's license is a bit of a non-sequitor. Computers have required specific development software / hardware bits for ages.

I'm a PC!

Mr. Ballmer, this really comes across as sour grapes, don't you think?