Things that are WAAY overdue

[HappyMartin]

I would like to see a device in a car that hooks up to the drivers breath or whatever and checks for alcohol. If the car detects any alcohol at all it comes to a halt on the side of the road, or fails to start, and then tazers the driver until the police arrive. Surely this technology already exists?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by kazbates

The prosperity I have is based upon the generations of my family that have come before me...

Prosperity isn't the issue. The issue is whether or not there are enough resources to go around for nearly 7 billion people... and either way, whether or not we are hoarding our share. We buy our products from global sources. We need to think about the global population, and stop acting like the world outside of our hedges doesn't exist.

This is a common attitude with those who have, but ultimately it is counterproductive to society as a whole. It is a diamond-encrusted crutch. And sooner or later, the have-nots are going to yank that crutch and smack the haves in the head with it. (And the children will not be spared.)

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

I would like to see a device in a car that hooks up to the drivers breath or whatever and checks for alcohol. If the car detects any alcohol at all it comes to a halt on the side of the road, or fails to start, and then tazers the driver until the police arrive. Surely this technology already exists?

Except for the automatic tazer part, yes. Wouldn't you settle for knock-out gas, or a nice porn video to keep the driver occupied until they're sober?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by balok

If rationally managed, the planet is capable of supporting twice its current population, according to many estimates.

Those estimates are far too optimistic, and in order to manage it with current or higher numbers, everyone on the planet would be living the way they do in a typical third-world country. Better to reduce the population, and allow everyone to live new-world style.

[Peverel]

Originally Posted by balok

What are you, Hitler? Are you even human?

That is monumentally insulting and uncalled for.

As for Sweetpea's comment I also have no children through choice as I don't particularly like children.

[pshrynk]

Folks, let's keep this discussion civil. Name calling and allusions to Hitler and Nazi totalitarianism are uncalled for in polite society.

pshrynk (moderator)

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by balok

What are you, Hitler? Are you even human?

It seems to me that liking children is hard-wired into every human. It's like one of the three laws of robotics, but for humans.

No, I just don't like children. They are noisy, demanding and highly self-centered. I like children when I can give them back to their parents at the end of the day.

When my first nephew was born, my mother put him into my arms, expecting me to say things "ohh, how sweet". The only thing I could think of was how to get rid of him... Don't get me wrong, I love my nephews, and they're always welcome. But I know they'll go home again after some time.

[jinlo]

As I read through this particular thread, I'm reminded of a scene from the movie Stripes. The last line pretty much sums up my feelings.

[balok]

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

...and then tazers the driver until the police arrive.

I love it! What a great idea.

I also think we should re-think the restriction on cruel and unusual punishment in the case of drunk drivers. I'm not talking about torture, just public ridicule, like having them stand naked in the middle of an intersection for 12 hours, with a sign that says: "I got caught driving drunk".

[balok]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

They are noisy, demanding and highly self-centered.

Except for the noisy part, you just described a typical childless adult. So you should also dislike adults who don't have children.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by balok

Except for the noisy part, you just described a typical childless adult. So you should also dislike adults who don't have children.

I'm not demanding the time of the ones I'm living with. And yes, maybe I'm self-centered, maybe that's one of the reasons I don't like children. But at least I wont start crying and yelling if I don't get any attention...

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Waay overdue: Getting off the child question, I think.

How about... uh... Oh! Oh! Working from home! The 10-step commute for all office workers! Yeah!

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Another thing that's waay overdue: Repackaged goods that cost far more than they should, by virtue of a "convenience" package, must be stopped.

Example: Microwave popcorn is exactly the same as the standard popcorn that you can buy, unpopped, for $1 a pound. Yet a single bag of microwave popcorn, holding approx. 5 cents worth of popcorn or less, sells for $1 a bag... you're buying a 95 cent paper bag to nuke 5 cents of popcorn in!

(And No, nuking it isn't any faster than air-popping it!)

[pshrynk]

Packaging that is environmentally friendly and can be gotten into by the average citizen without a razor sharp knife and three different types of pliers.

[balok]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Working from home! The 10-step commute for all office workers! Yeah!

Sure, except for the "all" part. Lots of (most?) office workers will slack off if you don't keep an eye on them. I know I do, since I'm writing these words at the office.