Average $1.3 billion per shuttle launch. That doesn't count the cost of the instruments and staffing to create those instrument . Nor support staff who work for years prior to launch. What the public sees? Pretty pictures and a MacArthur or Nobel fellow now and then if we're lucky.

Sorry. Again.

Same director insisted on two wolfhounds and a hawk in the first scene of King Lear.

o.O. I would like to suggest that these directors learn about the magic of this awesome little thing called "suspension of disbelief".

(animals on stage storytime!)

For one production of Annie, not only did we have Sandy (who was a big flat-coated retriever and AWESOME), but we had two other dogs for street scenes. Wrangling 3 dogs and 15 pre-teen orphans was a bitch - no pun intended. Then we used one of those dogs for Wizard of Oz (a Sheltie), but he had been traumatized enough by Annie that he would run away from the Munchkins, which led to the phrase "Toto has left the building" being uttered over the headsets on more than one occasion.

French fries are patriotic again! YAY POTATOES!

Drink everytime McCain says American workers are the best innovators.

McCain's done. People simply aren't listening to him anymore. The audience reaction is only ever mildly positive. Obama hits the ceiling on a regular basis.

Ooh! He says "NUCLEAR"!!!

Is McCain calling Brokaw "Tommy"?

Trudy - it's a red light, green light thing!

Just wave!

Yes! Lights!