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Fischer-Tropsch is the future of energy in the U.S. It produces oil from coal and generated $20/barrel oil in plants in South Africa that they used during their period of economic isolation. It is a simple process that converts coal to H2+CO and then into any kind of oil you want. It can also be used to produce fertilizer and plastics. It scales, it's simple and the U.S has the largest coal reserves in the world. This is really our ace in the hole in the upcoming global energy crisis. Expect their to be a coal to oil gold rush in the next 5 years. Apparently some people are catching on. Unfortunately for the environmentalists this is not what you wanted to happen when we started running out of oil but this is by far the most practical realistic solution that will work to give us time to find alternatives.

Economist Morris Bechloss offers a more balanced view of the transitioning "post-industrial" manufacturing sector of the United States. You can read his September 24, 2004 article here

>Technical people foisted this abomination on us. Bad people with a big brother political agenda, IMO.

Here in California... the Democrat party and the ACLU FOISTED this up our collective asses. There was not a single Republican in charge of even the smallest dog pound out here when not 5 minutes after the 2000 vote, every Democrat went screaming into the streets - "We must have e-voting or else the poor minorities will get disenfranchised!"

and thus it happened - and they bought Diebold.

It is NOT a Republican conspiracy - as much as some would like to believe it.

and don't even get me on how useless your vote is in California.

sure, after ya dispose of the bird carcasses... environmental group sue two wind energy companies

I totally agree...
Seen from a returns point of view the same amount of money invested in earthly(or earth orbital) projects should give better returns. There are tons of more immediate problems here waiting to be solved. Then on top of it there is the question of manned missions to mars... I am not saying that these missions are absurd but only this that more importance should be given to the more deserving projects.

Perhaps instead we should try to improve the way to launch satellites, find newer techniques of space propulsion, utilise space better from an communication and remote sensing point of view.

Lets clean the mess we have made in our backyard instead of looking for newer places to colonize. We have even trashed mt. everest.

Although locating another more technologically advanced race during the mars/moon expedition wouldnt really hurt... ;) unless its the good old world domination story again.

Better yet, rig a medium-calibur gun onto police helicopters and watch a chase quickly end as your engine block turns to swiss cheese in seconds.
However, this approach also has the ability to turn you into swiss cheese in seconds. This would be a PR nightmare the first time a 15 year old carjacker has a closed coffin funeral due to severe maiming of his body. Weeping mother sues the state and chaos insues. I personally am for the use of stop sticks .

yes, I was the original poster. I came to libertarianism from the Left/Greens, so personal freedoms are slightly more important to me than freedoms for "Big Business". That's why I can't bring myself to vote Republican. I gave up on the Left/Greens because they don't recognize how an efficient, competitive market can be used to create good.

I won't vote for the Libertarian Party presidential candidate because I would rather get Bush out of office. I will vote for other LP candidates.

As you pointed out, tax cuts without spending cuts (or with spending increases we have now) are actually tax INCREASES for future generations.

Regarding Republican spending, here is a news article about a USA Today study that shows that Republican-controlled state legislatures spent more than Democrat-controlled state legislatures from 1997-2002. If the state with a Republican-controlled state legislature also had a Republican governor, then they spend even more. most frugal combination: a Republican legislature and a Democratic governor.

"USA Today Study: GOP state legislatures beat Democrats in spending"

Well, I do agree with you, but I guess some parents feel differently. Found this article about how great cells in schools are. A few good points, but I still think they are too distracting and annoying.

Whether or not the parent post gave complete credence to their business plan doesn't matter. Your cut and paste from the fine article does not change the fact that movie theatre profit is generated principally from concessions, and should their model prove successful, others will copy it but won't mind paying the "high cost" of popcorn serving.

It is documented concessions are the principle motivator in the venture of showing feature releases. If there is sufficient demand for popcorn when the bodies arrive, it will be understandable when they will sell popcorn.

I am very afraid to tell you that, yes we do... Bush approves quarantine for mystery illness

The balance sheets don't include enormous subsidies to California such as the 300 billion gallons of water that it has been stealing from Nevada.

Oh yes, we'd much rather be like Australia. Let's take away everyone's guns (and while we're at it take away their rights). Now that only criminals have guns, Australia's crime rate has soured.