I don’t pretend to understand all the intricacies of it. Wars have been fought over water in the west and people have died over water. It’s extremely important in an arid climate. Farmers and ranchers have had to deal with these issues for years (I have ranching kin in CO) and it seems that it is just now trickling down (pun intended) to your average homeowner in the city and suburbs. When populations in the west were small it didn’t matter if a guy in town was saving his rainwater but when there are millions of people saving that rainwater it becomes an issue to those downstream who actually own the important and expensive water rights. Right or wrong, it’s money out of their pockets.

If it were possible to collect the evaporation off the oceans and prevent rain (more or less) would ownership start there?

The theater reminds me of the Historic Orpheum Theater in Memphis that was restored a couple of decades ago.

That’s heartbreaking to me. I’ve worked Victorian proscenium houses all over this country for three decades, and I love ‘em all dearly. Some of my favorite spaces in the whole world. I’d live in one if I could, and did, in fact, in my starving-artist days.

I always hate to see one come to that.

#4 Mike Leatherwood

Pirates > Ninjas anyday.

I’m with Mike on this one. Pirates are the highest being one can attain.

– RAmen

More than half (53.9) of all people aged 12 to 20 engaged in underage drinking in their lifetime, ranging from 11.0 percent of 12 year olds to 85.5 percent of 20 year olds

Hmm…something tells me prohibition just ain’t “working”

Of course, the 20 being “underage” ONLY apples to the US! Most countries are 18 or less, unless absolutely prohibited by law for anyone of any age.

If I could have bought a beer at 18, would I have spent those years sneaking around drinking bottles of MD 20/20 and causing trouble? I think not.

Anywho, on the underage drinking, I’ve been drinking since I was around 3. My grandfather would hand me a plastic cup with about 1/2 – 1 ounce of beer in it at every family gathering since I have the use of reason. When I was 10 or so, I started to get my own beer (just one) at family gatherings and I was allowed to have a glass of wine with dinner if my mother was having one (my dad has never had a drink, that I know of). And, you know what? It taught me limits and boundaries. I learned that you don’t have to binge drink to feel a little drunk and that moderation was the answer. When I was in HS and all my friends were binge drinking and getting drunk, I was usually the voice of reason and the one who wasn’t acting a fool.

Why not let a parent decide so long as the child isn’t abusing alcohol?