Having just finished re-reading Snow Crash, I was reminded of how much Stephenson would benefit from the services of a good editor. Cryptonomicon was another stellar example of this. He tells great stories, despite getting bogged down in discussions of Sumerian mythology or some other arcane subject.

My friend told me that "imbroglio" was an Italian dish made with shrimp, pasta, cream, and sand.

Do you think I've been hornswaggled?

When you are using one hand to hold a phone to your ear, you have (at most) only one hand on the wheel. Ergo, you are not in control of your car.

Using a headset is inherently safer than driving while holding a phone to your ear.

The very first thought that came to me when I read the part about the one that was carried in a Hummer was "she's obviously doing that just so she can drive in the HOV lanes."

Oh no, is that a copy of Little Brother tucked in the right side of the chair back?

I just donated $20. I hope Sean Tevis is as good as he sounds.

Tht sd, lv hw ths thrd s dvlvng nt "y ht chldrn" vs. "n dn't" pssng cntst.

/n, dn't rlly lv t.

"Your presumption of persistent pestering sounds to be prejudice of the profession and is poposturous given the purported position of the parties paraphrased from the particular piece that was linked to."

Bravo Spoon.

That said, srry t nny th chldrn-r-nvr-wrng crwd, bt the health and safety of the group overrides the sensitivities of a parent and child. Yes, even an autistic one. All we know is the single point of view of the mother - and yet I still think the airline was right to kick them off the flight. Wndr hw mch mr cnvncd w wld b f w knw th whl stry?

And to Mark - yes, I have been asked to tighten my seatbelt by a flight attendant. The story already indicates that the child was squirming out of their seat - this was clearly a situation that warranted seatbelt tightening (at the very least).

I want a comfortable long-range electric car, but if Dyson makes them, I hope they won't be as overpriced as his vacuums.

It's never Lupus.

@ ntns

Thanks for the lecture on imperialism. 'm nt sr my hd s ny dpr n th snd thn yrs s, bt g hd nd blv whtvr y nd t blv.

@ antinous - yes, they are attractive, but your post all but says that if we don't buy expensive clothes ("you get what you pay for"), then we are somehow condoning, if not outright supporting, child slavery.

That, of course, is bullshit. Many companies who claim to have earth & labor friendly practices regularly lie in order to sell more merchandise to people who are easily fooled by the "getting what you pay for" argument.

Sorry, but no sale. You have no idea where and under what conditions the clothes you are wearing right now were produced, regardless of their price, and regardless of what the company's press release tells you. To believe otherwise is to be easily swayed by today's hot new marketing.

@5 - Tom's "non-conformist" spikey hair, chops & goatee, & hacked off bdu's beg to differ.

But I totally agree about the tattoos.

Gorgeous, but I wish there was at least one good photo of the entire bike in full steampunk regalia without the rider on it. The closeups are a tease!

"chitinous vagina" has just become the name of my new band.

Here's a question for the esteemed minds gathered here - someone told me that contrary to popular belief, alcohol does not kill all bacteria and virii. They said that the alcohol's main purpose is to effectively wipe or soak away the bodily oils that harbor these things, not to kill the flora itself. If this is true, why would hand-sanitizers work at all, since you are just sloshing it all around until it dries up?

I searched for more info on this, but most of what I found was unsourced info - anyone know conclusively whether alcohol is the full-spectrum germicide that the hand-sanitizer industry wants us to think it is?

Is there a way to bid online, or did I miss that?

If I see anyone wearing these, I will do my best to control the urge to step on their toes and scuff their precious $750 shoes.