@TRVTH: "As a proud red state voter, I'm all for wire taps. The US government can check my emails and listen to my phone calls all they want - I have nothing to hide."

What does being a red-stater have to do with supporting wiretaps? My brand of conservatism says the government should stay the hell out of my business.

The inclusion of a Shaftoe would be pretty cool. Or maybe Enoch Root will be kicking it in the monastary.

I am SOOO looking forward to this book. I bet I will finish it within a week of receiving it, at the expense of trivial timesinks like sleep, personal hygiene, eating, etc.

I was absolutely captivated by Black and White. This was the first time I read anything written by Shiner, but it won't be the last.

If customs officers are going to spend their time as RIAA watchdogs, then the RIAA should pay their salaries.

That was an interesting read. I enjoyed it, but I think I am scared of triangles now.

I think I will pop any pimples I get immediately, just in case.

Gimme 5!

Amazing!

I'm guessing they didn't get that katana from qvc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e77oXjFkIs

I don't think it really matters what we do in the U.S. at this point. I think it would require a reduction in greenhouse gases from present levels to save the polar ice cap. In other words, we need to scrub more CO2 from the air than we make. It would kill our economy even trying to balance out domestic greenhouse gas emissions, to say nothing of the amount being churned out by all those coal-burning power plants with zero pollution controls in places such as China.

The best indication that the ice caps are toast is the rapid increase in entrepreneurial interest in arctic oil and shipping across the northwest passage. The environment is going to change. It is going to suck. A lot of people in 3rd world countries are going to die. As a species, we will survive, but the herd is definitely going to thin.