You really have no idea what a symbiotic relationship is. "Helpless without a specific entity" is quite different from "needing assistance." The point is that a fetus is NOT its own entity until it can survive outside of its mother. After that, it's no longer symbiotic. Though babies are certainly quite helpless, the care need not come from a specific person.

Furthermore, where the fuck do you derive "crippled persons should be sacrificed" from "fetuses are not their own entity?" These are two completely different and unrelated statements. You're right that the first one makes no sense. You're wrong that this has anything to do with the abortion debate.

Incidentally, if a crippled person WANTED to be "sacrificed," I believe he should be given the same options -- and counseling -- as a potential mother seeking abortion. I think it's fucking COLD that we force the crippled to burden their families and insurers if they don't want to be. It's why I have a "living will" saying KILL my ass.

I agree completely. But i want to add that Slashdot is going to hell. The past 2 Ask Slashdots have been about stupid ISP issues and really arent news.

"Scratching" the platters is a non-issue. Most of the time they are made of polished Al and the magnetic element on them is pretty tough. What you have to worry about is everything from dust to finger prints. A single particle of dust in the path of the head is like a tree infront of a car.

Actually, That's incorrect -- the current standard for federal regulation of free speech, set by the courts in Brandenberg vs. Ohio, states, "speech must not only be advocacy to incite imminent lawless action, but also there must be a likelihood that such action will occur."


Therefore, the mere advocacy of violent overthrow (a la the communist party, which advocates a violent revolution against the capitalist government) is not illegal -- it is the advocacy with the intent to incite imminent lawless action. Nor is "Damnit, that guy should be shot for being so stupid" unprotected -- because there isn't a likelihood that a reasonable person will actually follow the instructions.