Rob

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

I tried watching the pilot and I hated it. It was so bad I didn't even finish the episode. Now Netflix has seasons 1-5 available to watch instantly and I'm wondering if I can somehow skip the pain in the early parts of the series and still enjoy Babylon 5 to the extent that the old school fans did. Is there a list of early episodes that are worth watching or a certain episode where it's worth it to start watching them in order, considering that I thought the pilot was a horrible waste of my time?

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627574.200...

"Parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, which play key roles in vigilance and scepticism when judging the truth and importance of what people say, were deactivated when the subjects listened to a supposed healer."

Apparently it only works on people that believe in "the power of prayer."

One of the scientists involved in the project said "that this explains why certain individuals can gain influence over others, and [he] concludes that their ability to do so depends heavily on preconceived notions of their authority and trustworthiness."

What are the implications for American politics, considering the important role played by the religious right and the influence their religious leaders have over the rank and file?

Obviously the Nazi's weren't going to give women the right to vote. Women had the right to vote in France during a brief period in 1871, under the rule of the Paris Commune government. Why wasn't the right restored at some point between the fall of the Paris Commune in 1871 and the fall of France in 1939?

Especially when Denmark is well known for its extensive welfare sate, including socialized medicine? Is Forbes part of the global socialist communist zionist nazi fascist conspiracy?

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/6/bizcountries09-...

I noticed there seem to be some people on Y/A that still don't believe the Civil War was about slavery. I just thought I would point out that the Vice President of the Confederacy would disagree. On March 21, 1861, he said:

"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that the ***** is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. "

You can read the entire speech here:

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.a...

Still not convinced?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/opinion/29mon1.h...

I'm really looking for opinions from legal professionals, or at least people who have passed a first year law school course in constitutional law, so if you have some legal expertise or training, please mention that.

He's predicted big gains for the conservative entertainment industry (Fox News, Rush et al.) but long term losses for the Republican Party. Here's a link to the controversial blog post:

http://www.frumforum.com/waterloo

Did it have anything to do with his mediocre test scores and performance in high school?

We all acknowledge he was no Einstein, but his lack of intellectual exceptionalism can only explain so much.

http://www.slate.com/id/2243797?obref=obinsite

"Down With the People: Blame the childish, ignorant American public—not politicians—for our political and economic crisis."