MikeL

LOL, Nick. I admire your candor and strength of character.

And seventy-something is the new thirty-something?

I agree that she made the right decision. A cancer diagnosis (or near certainty of a future diagnosis as Angelina Jolie faced) frequently leaves the patient with a choice between surgery and watchful waiting (frequent testing and long term monitoring). The younger the patient, the more appropriate radical surgery is. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 80. He opted for watchful waiting and eventually died of another disease. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer the same year at age 55, relatively young for prostate cancer. I opted for radical surgery and, although the surgery didn't cure me, have lived nearly 16 very good years, which is probably 10 years longer than expected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doogie_Howser,_M.D. Oh, to be young again.

Don't hesitate to join Alcoholics Anonymous. They have an amazing track record and it's all about alcoholics helping each other avoid the temptations. My family has a history of alcoholism. My father broke that cycle and I am forever grateful. You can start a new tradition. I'll be praying for you.

One wonders what sort of clocks are used in Australia. December already has 161 days. How long is an hour?

If you think he's evil now, wait until you read the final chapter.

Happy Birthday, Patricky!

Yep, Methodwriter. Those are all possibilities...depends on the state. See the "summary table" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States for a taste of the complexities. Each state's sales tax laws can be complex...not just different from other states. For example the Tennessee plain English guide for merchants and taxpayers runs 53 pages. Check out page 18-19 for details on which foods qualify for the reduced sales tax rate of 5.25% and which foods are taxed at 7.00%. A hint: Candy is not food, but baked goods (defined as anything which contains flour) are food. So, a Hershey bar is not food, but a Twix bar is. A further complication...each of the 95 counties in Tennessee sets its own sales tax rate.

Sales tax laws vary significantly from state to state. If I order from walmart.com and pick it up in the store, I pay sales tax. Tennessee law requires that if the internet merchant has brick and mortar stores in the state. Lugh's example indicates Virginia's laws are different. When Amazon opened fulfillment centers in Tennessee several years ago, they reached an agreement with the state to begin collecting sales taxes on shipments to Tennessee residents in 2014. In the interim they have been providing customers in the state an annual report of purchases, so that taxpayers can remit the taxes due directly to the state. I'm geared up for the change in the law. It will level the playing field. I expect Amazon will still beat local merchants on price more often than not. I will continue to make purchasing decisions on a net/net basis comparing the total price including taxes and shipping charges. Just this week I purchased a tablet for my wife from an Ebay merchant, not because it was sales tax exempt or shipped free, but because the price was $50 less than Amazon or Best Buy. The change will present one headache for online merchants due to varying state laws. Not all classes of merchandise are taxable in every state. The exemptions are all over the lot. A GA Premium Membership would not be taxable to a Tennessee resident, but would be to members in some other states. So, the level playing field will be a little bit rocky.

Under US law it does. Enforcement is sometimes spotty.

A trained whale, escaped from Seaworld, becomes the hero?

Poor goat! One catastrophe after another. Is there any chance of your telling us how the garage door got wrecked? While we all look forward to the final chapter, we need you to know one thing...our patience has been thoroughly tested. Put another way, cliffhangers grow with time. Hope you have a better week than last.

Most American Christians are not so judgmental and condemning. The few who are apparently find a receptive audience in parts of Africa, eastern Europe, and the Caribbean as the article concludes: Most of these anti-gay "missionaries" seek only to enhance their standing back home in the US. My compliments to you, Pavel, and to all who read The Economist.

Little Red Riding Hood escapes again. Why would anyone not like that?

Big brother downsizes... https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cyjKOJhIiuU Consider the possibilities.

Watch the "making of" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_2My_HOP-bw

Hi, I'm Mike and I'm always glad to meet someone who is older than I.

Nor have I. The goat has been very busy.

Thanks, Rec, for a great ending to a great story...a most satisfactory ending. It is with some foreboding that I noticed where they were having dinner following the concert just two months before it and the World Trade Center were tragically destroyed.

Welcome, Wilde-man. Look forward to reading your novel.

It's amazing how little errors get by the editors and beta readers of a story. This one escaped notice for eighteen months after publication. I think we all read what we expect to be there. Congratulations and thanks, Albert.

Mean girls are everywhere. The only surprise to me is that she restrained herself long enough to get elected chapter president. If her sisters knew how mean she was but elected her chapter president in spite of that, her characterizations of them are pretty accurate.

Happy Birthday, Yang!