dan

I keep seeing solar power touted as a better power source than coal/oil/etc. If the whole problem is that CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere, how is it that solar, which converts as much light as possible directly into heat and electricity (eventually heat) could be that much better from a purely global warming perspective?

Please stay on topic, but I am a little curious how much worse nuclear fission is in this scenario too.

I know wind power is indirect solar, but that isn't creating a more solar absorbant region of the earth in order to harvest, so for this question it is irrellevant.

I live in Ohio, and the city I live in has stopped subsidising the public transportation system. People have frequently offered to pay me to borrow my bicycles. So often that I have bought two bicycles for the sole purpose of renting them out. I have startedbrenting to people I don't know, and would like a conveinient way of protecting myself in the event of theft.

What credit card services would allow me to charge a security deposit that I could refund when the bike is returned? So far I haven't found anything useful on the topic. This would need to be held anywhere from one day to a few months, but should not be cost prohibitive to someone looking to rent a cheap bike as opposed to paying bus fare.

Without looking in a dictionary, please describe to me, as simply as you can the following forms of government:

10 pts goes to the most complete seeming answer.

Republic:

Democracy:

Socialism:

Fascism:

Communism:

Anarchy:

As with any law, there are costs in enforcement and regulation. I'm curious, if anyone has done a detailed study of what compliance with income tax laws in USA actually cost in terms of man-hours and dollars spent in all aspects of legislation, enforcement and compliance?

For instance: I just spent a total of 4 hours filing my federal tax return. Much of that time was answering questions and copying w-2's on H&R block's website, logging in to my online accounts with various banks for my 1098s and making sure that my whopping $27 return was correct (i do like not overpaying too much during the year). However, this time spent is added to by the HR department and accountants where I work, payroll company they use, IRS agents and oversight agents to make sure we all got it right, the audits and resulting trials of some cases, the time and money spent in training for everyone involved... all due to the time spent generating the legislation that produced the nesessity of this work load on all the rest of us.

How about sales tax? When it is calculated automatically at a cash register and sent off to the governmental agencies in each state there isn't much time spent. But when companies deal with sales across state lines and outside the country I know things get much more complicated. There are 4 full time accountants where I work that do nothing other than process orders and apply sales and transportation related taxes (including researching laws).

I'm looking for an LED fixture to replace the old ceramic sockets in my basement. Ideally I'd like something direct wired that would attach to a 4" round box just like the cheapo sockets do, and as flat to the box as possible so I don't hit my heat on them (I've broken a couple bulbs this way, and it isn't fun. Even worse if I were to use CFL.).

Whoever supplies a link for a product that closely resembles what I have in mind, gets five stars, points, eternal gratitude, and a hug from the next stranger you see.

I am apparently failing at simple algebra.

I'm trying to find the radius of a circle based on an impression left in a soft material. The depression is circular (assumed) and measures 0.262 deep and 2.544 wide.

Using a^2+b^2=c^2 with the available data, I have:

(2.544/2)^2 + (c-0.262)^2 = c^2

(substituting the difference from c as b, that being the depth of the impression.)

My algebra skills are so rusty I need some help solving for C. Sad, I know.

I want your opinion, not so much the widely available statistics and skewed questions. Please relist the following drugs in the order you think is most to least hazardous to health and safety. Feel free to add any comments after your list. I'll let voters award the best answer. Feel free to omit any you are unfamiliar with or add any you'd like.

This list is randomly ordered.

Opium

Cannabis

Heroin

Alcohol

Amphetamines

Nicotine

Petrochemical inhalants (solvents)

Psychedelic mushrooms

Caffiene

LSD

MDMA (Ecstasy)

Barbiturates

Heroin

Cocaine

Crack cocaine

Crystal Meth

DMT

DXM

PCP

Ketamine

Extra credit:

Which of these do you think should be legally banned, restricted, or legalized/unrestricted?

Have you been through this?

1. Find an interesting question.

2. Write out a thoughtful answer.

3. Proof read.

4. Check links and citations.

5. Submit.... Only to the the "Sorry, something has gone wrong" page??

How frustrating!

I have a recipie that calls for 2 Tbsp maple syrup. I have granulated maple sugar. How much maple sugar should I use?

I'm assuming they are nearly the same volumetricly.

I'd like your opinion on why and how prices continue to climb, yet pay rates remain largely unchanged. Am I missing something? At some point I expect the law of supply and demand to kick in and prices to fall due to lack of demand (affordability), or pay rates for producers to increase due to increased profit from constant price hikes.