"If you don't believe in Physics, buildings fall down, millions die. Don't believe in evolution, nothing changes. Really, why do people care? Evolution and Creationism doesn't matter."

Um...antibiotics? Genetically engineered food and the problem of unindentedgene transfer? Bird flu?** I wouldn't want someone who doesn't believe in the concepts of evolution* working on these issues...evolution is the one of the organizing frameworks for biology, ecology, environmental science and medicine. And, frankly, those are pretty important too.

Besides which, depending on the particular brand of creationism, geology and astronomy become battle grounds as well. (Though I have to admit I can't think of any way that in not believing in the most currently accepted views of universe creation ((big bang or whatever it is at the moment)) could impact anything that vital.)

*Yes I know that the mechanization of natural selection (gene theory) came later and that some creationists separate macroscale evolution from microscale changes (never mind that the only difference is time scale)

**Also, viruses status as a living organism is contested, but the process of mutation and gradual adaptation to new/changing conditions is an awful lot like natural selection.

"Washington State just came out with a law banning messaging while driving..."

I can't believe people need a law to tell them this. And people wonder why I don't like to drive. *grumbles*

I thought the alternating extensions was to make it easier to sit and read on them. (It's like they know me. :)

As for the dirt and whatnot...like I dust my books now. As someone who doesn't keep books that she can't write in, dog ear pages, and generally treat them like tools and not sacred items of worship, this would be fantastic!

(Not that there's anything wrong with keeping books in such a fashion. You probably want books like that in a glass fronted case anyway.)

while I haven't been to the mall in Syracuse (well, I took the silly three stop train there, but that was for class) I know that the reason that persons under 18 aren't allowed in the Gallaria (one of the large malls near Buffalo NY) without parent supervision is because of shoplifting. *shrugs* They claim shoplifting went down after they did that. I haven't seen any real numbers though.

"looks like the snake ate Tweety-- bulge in the middle."

Hah! Cool. *always gets bogged in the minutia*

Is it sad that my first thought was why the snake is in the birdcage? Never mind the gritty, weary and creepy over/under tones (oh, that's his prosthetic leg!), I want to know why you would keep a snake in a cage that wouldn't hold him.

Poor pissed off looking corn snake.

"Eh! I nice well thought out reason but invalid. I have to disagree with the editor."

If you haven't seen the idea, then how can it be plagiarism? I was always under the impression there had to be intent to be called stealing. Though it'd be hard to prove, I suppose.

It's no good to me unless I can write and highlight and copy the pictures (for presentations and what not, properly cited of course) them. I spend a crazy amount on books and would totally love if I could buy a pdf of books and read them on a laptop. But if I can't mark them up (and give them away/sell them if I think they're crap or not something I'm interested in)then they'll never see my money.

If it doesn't have all of the features of the real thing, I'm not going to bother.

"...that hate-filled, anti-religious tract. It's garbage like that..."

Did you, perhaps, look at what it was created in response to? I think it works in it's context.

And, well...I have more respect for anything that can laugh at itself.