... Nothing?

Ah yes, Judge Learned Hand's famous BPL formula.

Damn, I can't +1 you again.

Ok I thought so but I was honestly so taken by surprise that I couldn't help responding... You know people who think that way?

I'm sorry did you just say that we shouldn't use our imagination? Should all storytelling simply be retelling true stories? Just because the actual world we live in is amazing doesn't mean that there is no value or interest in telling a story that goes beyond what actually exists, nor do such stories in any way…

Woah. And you use all of those regularly enough to justify carrying them?

Minimalist, ha. My bag has books for class, a laptop, an iPad, charging cables for both, post it flags, food, advil, mini first-aid kit, earbuds, stapler, papers, folders, pads... I'd call that pretty close to the opposite of minimalist. I wish I could carry a light bag full of air.

Dang, missed this one. One of these days I'm really going to enter...

I hear that. I guess I assumed you meant on a national scale because you gave the example of the US giving money to football instead of science programs.

What I'm saying is that he seemed to be asking the question because he was noticing a pattern, not because he just had a general idea in his head that Jews are smart. I'm not saying that any stereotypes are good, what gave you that impression?

Einstein grew up in Germany in a time when that country wasn't exactly famous for allowing Jews to rise based on their intellect. There was no Jewish state which could make what you said at all true until after WWII. I don't think it's magic, but I also don't think you're right in this instance.

I was (poorly) saying that, while I can respect that you don't accept stereotypes, I find that to be the exception rather than the rule. Most people I meet end up revealing in some way that they believe stereotypes on some level, no matter how good of a person they are.

I can't speak for other cultures but Jews have tended to value knowledge for its own sake, encouraging new ideas and different ways of looking at things and expanding upon existing knowledge (though many would say that that mentality has declined of late), rather than using knowledge purely as a means of financial…

I believe he's talking about the number of Jews who are Nobel Prize winners: [www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org]

As a culture we tend to place a lot of emphasis on education and knowledge, which probably has a lot to do with it.

True but most of the Trek movies weren't really at all similar to the episodes themselves anyway.

... what?

Yes, because a few hundred dollars aren't really all that much in the face of a failed marriage.

Not funny, I've seriously pissed off my wife while trying to secretly buy presents for her because I was too stupid to tell an outright lie and instead just said something that made no sense.

Yeah what is the deal with Apple not letting me sync more than one of my Google Calendars to my iPad?