It's easy to have a defeatist attitude when you're an old fart. He sits back and continues with his old habits because he figures changing now won't do any good. Well, no, if you're 88 and you start recycling and cut back on your flights, you're not going to make much difference. But you're also not setting a very good example for the younger people who COULD make a difference.

I guess it's easier to treat the planet like a giant trashcan if you figure you'll be dead and gone in a few years.

I didn't think that was possible. I'd heard that you couldn't just hold onto someone and then open your chute because the forces would rip the falling person out of your arms (or break your arms).

Oh, well.

Very cool. They look almost photorealistic now. Amazing what improving the skintone alone will do!

I guess he didn't watch the exposee on pet food that I did. *shudder*

There's a new housing development being built not far from here, right underneath the overhead lines. I wonder how many potential home-buyers would reconsider after seeing this?

Was there supposed to be a difference between California and Seattle? They both sounded pretty much the same to me. And they sounded like me... but I'm Canadian. :P

I can understand separating the sexes for some classes. I had single-sex gym class in high school, and that's probably an okay idea (after all, in the "real world" you don't have men competing against women in athletic competitions, do you?). It took a lot of the pressure off, not having to worry about keeping up with guys who were physically faster and stronger. In every other class, though, it seemed that having both sexes worked just fine. There were lots of successful guys; not really any widespread problems of "failure to launch". If anything, this whole issue is probably more of a commentary on today's teaching or today's students, rather than single-sex or co-ed education.

Never mind. Just looked it up. They are kidnapping women. But it's because of their "missing" women. So I was half right.

I doubt China has to kidnap women. Unless their female infanticide trend has worked TOO well...

I get annoyed whenever I hear about people like this. They're so focused on forcing people to accept them that they don't accept that there are autistic people who DON'T want to be autistic and who DO feel trapped. Look at another recent case, that of Carly, a teenager who also uses a computer (unassisted) to communicate.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20080217/favaro_carly_080217/20080217/?hub=Health&subhub=PrintStory

She just wants to be normal. But if you are to believe people like Amanda Baggs, autistic people should be happy to be autistic. Sorry, but I just don't buy that.

I've come across quite a few people with this attitude, and there seems to be this fear that, if autism was cured tomorrow, they would suddenly become dumber or less talented. They can't seem to imagine that they might be just as intelligent or talented... but that they would also be able to take care of themselves without having to rely on people to accomplish basic daily care tasks.

Hmmm... I'm not sure if I would like being inside and looking out. It would be like being in an apartment... that was built like a house. Too high!

Sure looks cool from the outside, though.

I'm the opposite, actually. I hate being the only white person in, say, a Chinese restaurant. Especially when they bring you a fork because they think you're too inept to use chopsticks. :P

I visited the Winchester Mystery House when I was a kid. It was pretty cool. The tour guides point out all the neat things (like the staircases that lead to nowhere and the doors that open onto nothing). I don't remember much about it, other than I thought it was neat.

America's Most Obese City?

I guess they're eating too many Bacon Cups...

What are we supposed to say to that? Congratulations?