Learning to operate under pressure? Why not let everyone be a hockey goalie, not only do you get pressure and scrutiny but when you make a mistake a siren blares and a red light goes on. Did I mention all the people that cheer, or boo? Oh, and don't forget the handshake with the winning team at the end of the game!

The flu vaccine provides a reduction in risk of about 60% according to the CDC across the population. So, considering a variety of factors you can still get the flu, being vaccinated does not insure that you won't get the flu. Vaccination can reduce the number of hosts but not prevent the spread unless it is 100% effective early. .

Maybe your school should of called it something like Java with WatJava and WatJive.

Yes, the changes will probably benefit the politicians though not anyone else. Sort of like how politicians aren't affected by the do not call list.

Bookmark manager works on my Mac version 5.0.335.0 dev, so it's coming to a Chrome near you soon I would guess.

FWIW, I'm a GSM RF Engineer. Two issues with your post:

In the US, phones are limited to 1 W max for 1900 MHz (aka PCS) transmission, and 2 W for 850 MHz.

The interference you hear on your speakers isn't due to the amount of power being transmited, but it's actually caused by the modulation of the signals being transmitted. That modulation occurs at 217 Hz....which is audible.

First of all, it is possible to secure an OS.

How do you secure an OS upon which any end user can run arbitrary code ?

It's never happened historically that the general population, upon the creation of a new communications technology... suddenly started making morally superior decisions.

Has there ever been a communications technology remotely comparable in terms of scale and (relative) freedom to the internet?

I did not know I could play Game Cube games on the Wii. Now that I do know I can "borrow" some of my younger brothers GC games while he's away at university. Thanks.
Be aware that you need a gamecube controller to play gamecube games on the wii.

"But I also don't think just living on a cup of rice a week would be a target goal for a decent standard of living, either."

I never said that, but being from Africa, and traveling extensively in the third world, I can tell you that for the price of a large Big Mac meal, you can feed an entire family well for a week. The price of a single wide screen TV will feed that same family for a year. The price difference between an SUV and a smaller, cheaper, more practical vehicle will feed, clothe and provide sanitation for a village.

If the whole first world gave up unnecessary excess in their car purchases alone, the savings could bring Africa's poorest up to a reasonable standard of living which, at the moment, is light years beyond their reach.

To further illustrate this point, the food that the US throws in the bin (that is, the food scraps off your plate) has enough caloric value (according to the WHO average need per person) to feed all of Africa.

This tends to correlate with children being a net economic liability in non-agrarian societies, but an economic benefit in agrarian ones: more hands to work the fields, hence the ability to work a bigger field.

The trouble starts when there aren't enough fields to be worked.

It takes a while for a society in transition from agrarian to industrial to realize that children are a net liability, a luxury actually.

Depends how you do it, most board games don't require you to have both precision and wide view at the same time. But, until this sort of thing comes way under the $100 mark I can't imagine it catching on for that purpose. Sure it might be a nice added value, but definitely not a perfect board game platform.

That Obama is practically a COMMUNIST, I tell you!

Oh Commander Keen is okay, but I was hoping to hear about Captain Comic III being available soon.