Actually, me too!

If that were the methodology, you would be right. You actually have it backward. They start with a baseline much like you describe then allow for societal influences peculiar to the country in question:

The US has a notoriously high in vitro death rate. That is bcause the US has fairly severe standards for reporting infant mortality when compared to Europe and many (but not all) other nations. This is a matter of record. As for in vitro lowering life expectancy - no. It doesn't. This is a study of "life expectancy at…

Just as in infant mortality, many nations calculate life expectancy differently. Also, crime rates, weapon availability and military service are factors which alter accounting significantly. If you have a large military relative to your population, expect a huge hit. In addition ethnic diversity plays a huge part as…

Actually many countries including the US gathers life expectancy numbers differently. Also, military service is factored in so the larger the military, the lower the average life expectancy. The same goes for infant mortality. The US considers a live birth as being alive at time of delivery. Most nations in the EU do…

You guys picked every single one of my favorites from Gerry Anderson to Halo...

To be perfectly honest, a centered believer (Christian et al) just as with a centered atheist isn't really bothered by those who espouse an opposing perspective - even a smug one. Faith is a matter of trust and it simply doesn't interact with the opinions of others. I would imagine atheists who are satisfied entirely…

I'm...not sure the point was proof on either side at all but one of consideration and perhaps respect.

I don't think you overstated anything. You clearly weren't addressing 'nonsmug' atheists at peace with their own and opposing perspectives. So 'smug' is the subset you were addressing and the title fits.

Most nuclear accidents speak to the robustness of their safety equipment. Chernobyl was not a reactor in any modern sense and Fukushima Daiichi survived both the quake and tsunami in good shape only to suffer at the loss of four exterior sea-facing diesel generators. The technology is robust and has a far better…

While nuclear is the short term-near term solution, solar is and has to be the final stopping point for global power. No moving parts. Little or no maintenance for a technologically mature technology. Admittedly we are talking 300+ years away but solar is the ultimate (literally speaking) source for human power. Until…

Air ambulances can run $35,000 a flight. It can be daunting. Still little of this story adds up.

Actually the fact that it was three airlines points away from discrimination to an actual logistical issue involving regulations, a missing leg and her weight all adding up to the airlines having to break one rule or another to transport her. There must have been a concern that would or could leave them open to…

But because you can...you sometimes HAVE to ;)

HA! Indeed. It's like slowing down for a car accident...or buying a McRib a second time JUST TO BE SURE.

Can we stop using the word Detonate to mean anything other than setting off an explosive charge? How does one detonate a fleet?

Meh?

OK, that makes sense. I speak just enough Portuguese to make out "a capibara". The rest was pretty garbled. Now that you say that, I see the fawn now. The hair did look very uncapibara like. Makes more sense than a cow.

Avatar seems out of place. Its technical achievements aside, it wasn't really trying to do or say anything - at least nothing that hasn't been done or said better elsewhere. While it is an attractive movie superficially, you find that on repeat viewing it doesn't hold up precisely for the same reasons that initially…

The photographer actually says - 'No, it's a capybara' in the opening so I have to assume - without a suitable scale reference - that this is a capybara. Presumably the photographer saw the attack as well.