some acceptance of derived units might be wise, or do you want speedometers and signs calibrated to m/s? (- not personally opposed to this btw)

Let that be a lesson to everybody who thinks it's cool to wear coffee instead of drinking it!

I've got her convinced that I am listening to her while playing games and watching movies... this could bring down my whole house of cards!

REI justifies the higher prices with their 'membership dividend'... a store credit issued at the end of each fiscal year that returns a percentage of the member's purchases (not including sale items). If you ever step into one of their stores I'm sure you'll hear all about their membership benefits from every salesperson within earshot.

It's like $15 for a lifetime membership... and their flock of green vested employees (all duped into working for chickenfeed in exchange for the ability to order product at cost, that they can never afford because they work for chickenfeed) has been drilled in every possible response to every conceivable reservation a customer might have about purchasing membership.

It's a scary joint... like the mini-WalMart of the outdoor industry. Their website is thorough, and they are data rich (lots of good marketing data comes from all those memberships), so I wouldn't say they were behind the curve... more like they are just really good at capitalizing on suckers.

EVE is by no means 'won' or 'over'... you might do well to familiarize yourself with the changes introduced in the last major past (which, btw, does not require additional funding on top of the monthly fee).

The more complex processes required to take and defend territory have forced BoB onto the defensive (as there is no way they could instantly develop and defend all of the territory they previously laid claim to) and there is a lot of room for other corporations (EVE's version of the guild) and alliances to grab some land.

Their main challenge at this point appears to be support of large scale fleet battles. The new game mechanics call for huge fleet fights in contested regions, and the reality of these fights is a 600+ man lag fest.

If you left because you thought the fight was lost... hop on the forums and take a look at the latest maps... chances are the conquered stations where you left all of your gear are open again for business.

Good luck!