riddler

On day 28 of Bush's presidency, he ordered military strikes against Iraq. American bombs destroyed radar stations near the capital, Baghdad, killing two people, according to the government of Iraq. This was before the full scale invasion that happened later. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

There are plenty of times when we make bad decisions - that doesn't mean that we need all of our decisions made by other people. We enjoy our freedom, and we all do the best we can, and sometimes we fuck up. Personally, I think compared to the majority of people in the world, I make better decisions, on average, and it's paid off for me. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I seem to recall W's first 100 days: 1. Proposed a $1.6 trillion budget to Congress. 2. Bombed Iraq, then proposed a $5 billion increase in military spending. 3. Saved a few thousand dollars eliminating federal aid for contraception (well, it's a start, think of all the new taxpayers we're going to have in 10 years) 4. Stopped a new requirement for coal-burning power plants to reduce emissions (8 days after he said exactly the opposite). Didn't save the government any money, but made huge profits for the power corporations, at the expense of the environment. And Obama is asking for a $100 million cut. Are we sure W wasn't a tax-n-spend democrat, and Obama doesn't listen to Rush? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

My solution to the auto exhaust problem in cities is to get joggers and bikers to closely follow cars. Their lungs will filter the air for us, and there are certainly enough of both groups in the Denver area to get a good start on the program. I've had joggers hit my car because they think they deserve more of the intersection than I've given them, and I've had bikers yell obscenities at me because they think they have the right-of-way when they don't. So I wouldn't feel too bad for either group getting lung cancer. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Well, to reiterate my own stance. I am against wiretapping, whether or not some kangaroo court approves it. I felt that way when Bush decided it was OK to break the law, and I still feel that way. If Obama condones it, then he will get no excuses from me. And for those that support the FISA court, I ask again, how many terrorists have been captured from the tens of thousands of approved wiretaps? And do you think the four that have been rejected would have caught a terrorist? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

People take what they're given. How many electric and hydrogen cars are the big three automakers putting into production? Not everyone lives in California and can easily buy a Tesla or Zap. So why are there a dozen electric car manufacturers in North America that are already putting out production cars? Most employees get unemployement insurance. That is exactly what I had in mind - the same thing as unemployment insurance, but on a larger scale for the huge number of workers that are going to get cut. This keeps the employees on their feet, and the execs can dig into their own savings and go back to school (but most of them probably won't). Sure, if you're one of the few people that is already cranking out production vehicles, then you would qualify. Companies, as I mentioned above, like Zap, who have already demonstrated that they are committed to producing environmentally friendly vehicles. Never said it would be easy. Easy is continuing to do things the way you always have, even if it's wrong. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Nothing, which is why it's perfectly fine to fly over residential housing It would look cooler if they flew in a V. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

My guess is that the Obama administration wants to skirt the courts for the same reason that Bush did. With that kind of track record, it's just a formality, a rubber-stamp. The problem is that it takes too much time - if you ask for a wiretap, you're going to get it, but by the time the court approves it, you're opportunity to eavesdrop is gone. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Grocery boxes. Save some of the boxes that you get that are between 1-2 feet on each side. Keep them in the trunk of your car. When you go to the store, take them inside with you. When you check out, give them to the bagger and say "in here, please". They will not tear or rip, you will save countless bags, they will last a year or more. Good for the environment, and they will not tip over and spill in the car on the way home. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I agree with you that the government needs to abide by the laws, and I believe that's all that Obama promised in his campaign. I disagree with the FISA court - more like a Kangaroo Court: It's obvious that system doesn't work - if there were really 18,757 good reasons for the wiretaps, there should be a few thousand terrorists behind bars right now, correct? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

About the only thing that right-wingers are more guilty of than rank-and-file politics and snap judgements is labelling everyone that disagrees with them. Government eavsedropping is illegal, it was when Bush did it, and it still is. We'll have to see what the real story is, as it emerges, but Obama gets no excuses from me if he supports it. OTOH, I didn't vote for him to stop wire-tapping. I voted for other reasons, and I'm willing to give him time to do them. I'm definitely not going to judge him based on a breaking story - let's hear what he himself has to say about it. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

It works pretty well in the US. We've managed to make it finacially and socially inconvenient to have more than two children, and as a result have a very small population growth. Of course, 500,000 american men have vasectomies each year, paid for mostly by health insurance, and pharmaceutical birth control is inexpensive and very popular here with women. Most of the world's population growth occurs in countries that don't have such easy and affordable access to birth control, either for religious or financial reasons. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I don't think the President or Congress sees that this is a historic opportunity. It's an opportunity to finally kill off the bloated and polluting US auto industry. The auto companies have refused to change, despite everyone's belief that we have to stop burning fossil fuels. 30 years later, only a tiny fraction of vehicles are so "advanced" that they're only burning slightly less fossil fuel. Then they'll roll out a dozen or so "prototypes" of an electric car, that will never be put into production, just to placate everyone that is pushing for more environmental cars. The US automakers will never stop making bad cars. Let them die. I say take half of the bailout money, and provide temporary welfare for the auto workers for a few years. The only justifiable reason for the auto bailout is to keep the employees working. With a few hundred billion, you can give the auto-workers money and guidance to find other jobs (no, it won't be $70/hour, but it will be a reasonable wage). Eventually, they will either find different jobs, or they will regain employment in the New American auto industry. Rules are required job counseling, limited wages, and welfare stops in a few years. Take the other half of the money and give it to a handful of startup companies that pledge to build only electric or hydrogen vehicles. This will be the beginning of the New American auto industry. Rules are no building anything that burns fossil fuels, must meet current auto safety requirements, hire out-of-work autoworkers (no unions allowed), and first production vehicles out in one year (small companies can move this fast). Benefits are substantial tax breaks, in addition to a government handout to get started. Auto manufacturers of other countries will eventually follow the US and do the same. The oil companies will be shocked an awed. They will be forced to move to producing hydrogen fuel, storage and delivery for long-range vehicles. They will be forced to replace gas stations will hydrogen. This will take a few years, and in the meantime, most people will just keep driving their old cars (and continue to use gasoline or diesel). The oil companies will have a few years to adapt. New industries will start putting charging stations in homes and parking lots for the short-range electric vehicles. No government money required here. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Recently seen bumper sticker: "I love America, but I think we should start seeing other countries" Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Probably true. Woody knows that it'll never go to trial - they'll settle prior to that. So he might as well get a verbal jab in at the photographer. The only way to know will be if it goes to trial, and hear what Harrelson actually tells the judge. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Imagine the embarrassment the King felt for not bowing back to Obama. "Do I bow back? I've never really bowed to anyone. Do I even know how to bow? Damn cameras!" Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Some people say Santa Claus is a crock, as well. But he was real. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey. Therefore, we should be able to go to the north pole and find an elf workshop and flying reindeer, correct? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I'm not going to claim I know how the world works. I'm not even going to claim I know how the world economy works. But I don't see how anyone can think that the US will do most or all of the world policing and survive. Speaking of Rome, that is one of the big mistakes they made - militarily and economically spread too thin, it took hundreds of years for their government to unravel, but eventually it did. I'm glad you like Roman history, so do I. I think the US can learn a lot from it, because I think we are making most of the same mistakes they did. As far as what we are doing now, and why, no opinion at this point will make me think that we're not currently choosing the wars that suit us best from an economic standpoint. It's the US economy and our soldiers be damned, and a handful of corporations making a profit. I could point out a few dozen assholes all over the globe that we never touched because no money-grubbing executives were interested. None of that has anything to do with any righteousness about who we are trying to protect, although it's a convenient excuse. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Depends on how fast he's traveling - as he approaches the speed of light, his mass would increase significantly. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I drive a pickup. But I don't talk on cell phones. Does that make me half-assed? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Yes, we thought of those questions when we were 3. The correct answer is he is as heavy as his given mass multiplied by the gravitational quotient at whatever place he is. That is because weight is dependent on gravity, which changes based on location (which is why astronauts are "weightless", but truthfully they have a small amount of weight). If Superman is flying in space, he has very little weight. If he is on Krypton, he weighs less than on Earth - although we do not know the gravitational field of Krypton, we do know that the only time Superman was there was when he was a small baby, therefore he likely weighed less there than as an adult on Earth Now, go ask your son who is faster: Superman or The Flash? Edit - I think just opened a relativistic can of worms here, since both Superman and Flash can travel faster than the speed of light. And we all know that increases one's mass as well as contracting your length and dilating your relative time. Man, this might end up being a long thread Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I bet u nvr flpd bout Twtr Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Technically, the act of swinging, with the intent of hitting another person, whether or not you make contact, constitutes assault, which is also against the law. If you make contact, that constitutes battery. And these days, if you even think about it beforehand, it probably constitutes a violation of the Patriot Act, so don't even think about it. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

10 years ago: "That asshole just cut me off !!!" Today: "That asshole talking on his cellphone just cut me off !!!" Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

All that Twitter stuff is so "five-minutes ago". Everyone who's anyone now uses Flutter. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD