Mandatory sterilization for anyone on welfare for more than 6 months.

@E.J.: The only times I've been spanked for wearing that "dress," I enjoyed it

I was only spanked once, and it was never needed again

Generally, I'm aware that I'm being tracked by major companies when I use their services and don't mind as long as they're rewarding me for it. For instance, Kroger pumps useful coupons out at me almost every time I scan my Plus Card. They sell more product, I get pizza buy 2/get one free, everyone's happy.

As for the privacy issue, I see less of an issue than others. In this case, I'm unsure of why this teenage girl was keeping her pregnancy a secret from her parents. I understand not wanting that publicized to everyone in town, but it sounds like the coupons were sent directly to her house, in which case they're almost doing her a favor. If she's a teenager living in her parents' house, her rights to privacy from her parents are pretty minimal.

It only bothers me when our private data is accumulated by independent companies and sold off to whoever wants it. This tends to happen more with your online comings and goings than with big business like Target who probably want to hoard all your purchasing trends to themselves.

Darwin strikes again!

What

Right around 6:25, I think I got a good glimpse of the sun and possibly a dark spot that I like to think is Venus. Of course, it might have just been the spots from looking at the sun

@harrumph: I think we're both right. Industry. Wants to maximise profits, and smart businesses can maximise long term profits by taking steps to avoid government regulation.

Hope the weather clears up in time to see it! Forecasts are saying it should clear up some late afternoon. A nice sunset would be icing on the cake.

Also, I'm gonna go ahead and mention Uranus before @slickmcdight .

This is good news for everyone. Kids benefit by being less influenced to eat junk food, families benefit by feeling a little more comfortable letting their kids watch tv.

Disney reinforces its family-friendly brand, comes off as socially conscious, and gets good press for its trouble. More companies should follow suit. If industries regulate themselves, government is less likely to interfere and mess things up.

@Follow the Money: Make your own post for this stuff

Didn't check the article, but ordering a water instead of a fountain drink can save a ton of money. Many restaurants don't list the prices in the menu for such a drink, but they often cost $2 or more. You might as well get a beer or glass of wine, if you care to.

This will also cut deep into your calorie and sugar intake, helping to justify splurging a little on an unhealthy meal.

If you're at a restaurant that charges for water, I recommend leaving immediately and dining elsewhere.

When closing my driver side door last week, I managed to yank the plastic panel right off the door frame. Stupid cheap piece of crap Mercury.

Anyway, I managed to bolt the panel back on using some creativity, parts from the door itself, and a couple of screws from Normal Hardware. The fix is pretty precarious and delicate looking, but it seems to work okay.

Now I'm afraid of pulling the panel off again, so I've taken to opening up the window and closing the door by pulling on the window frame

Interesting that the organization isn't "One Million Moms and Dads." Maybe there's something closeted that these ladies aren't telling us...

Big Brother knows best, those NYC folks are lucky. I just wish the ACC government was good enough to regulate my soda intake. I'm obviously an idiot and have no idea how to do it myself.

They should also monitor my pizza, candy, and alcohol consumption. Please, government, take care of me!

How is it that Athens is so far behind other more conservative Georgia cities as far as alcohol regulation?

@Shalmaneser: I think something like this might be a good compromise. Though I dislike the concept of a government-mandated marriage license, there's something to be said for having a legal framework for how to deal with things like divorce, childcare, shared income, and the like.

@E.J.: Basically, all of the above. I think a traditional marriage works, and it's probably what I'm interested in. As a Christian, I also believe my marriage will include a union with God. I think this is what would make me most happy, and I think it's the setup that would allow me to make my partner most happy. I also think it's a reliable setup for raising children.

As far as I'm concerned, anything goes as far as relationships, as long as all the participants are consenting and no one else's well-being, especially childrens', is at stake.

@E.J.: Because I may (or may not) want it. I don't mind social or religious expectations in marriage, but I think it's outrageous the government get to legislate anything about it.

If I want to marry a man, a woman, a dozen of each, a rock, a tree, or myself, what business is that of yours?

Good news if this is true, but it seems hard to believe Athens of all places has such a low rate.

Very exciting, both for the future of space travel and of American ingenuity and entrepreneurship.

@BoogittyBoogitty: So you don't think terrorists would use white people, or atheists, or Hindus to further their own goals?

Also, does this make it OK to grope a 4-year-old Lebanese Christian boy?

More importantly, who's that in the foreground of the second picture?