I like your deck and Trident gum analogy, though I prefer Bubblelicious. I wouldn't accept Trident as payment, I want a case of Bubblelicious.

From your link:

I agree with your sentiment, namely that true patent trolls, those that buy patents, don't produce a product and then sue others is abhorrent to common decency. Intellectual Ventures is the type of corporation I think both of us can abhor. They are parasites.

Eric, first off think about what you just wrote: "The current patent logic is to hand out patents left and right and let the courts 'figure it out' but what it's really resulting in is a whole mess of cases like this, which reinforce the idea that patents like this are OK." What is your source for this belief? …

Eric, this is complete and utter bullshit:

A responsible company, and I mean responsible to its shareholders, play the game as it is. They don't sit around and complain about the way the game should be. They play it as it is and they build their roster with the tools they need to win. There is no could'a should'a would'a. Compete on the field with the…

Yes, and that was 10 years after the Newton and 24 years after the Apple graphic tablet, not to mention the fact that Apple's prototypes predate MS' tablet.

Cloning is not innovation. Innovation is something new and unique. Look what MS did for Window's 8. You may or may not like it, but its different than anything else out there.

"Samsung willingly infringed upon multiple Apple patents, the jury says"

Well, she has is exceptionally easy on the eyes, no?

Stick around. I've got some dumber ones I haven't unloaded yet. :-)

Dave, I'm guessing you are a Eunuch? Just a guess.

Wow, is she a beauty! Enjoy it Kate, doesn't last long. BTW, love the sophisticated and subtle troll there Ms. Upton.

As our society imps along closer to an oligarchy favoring the 1%, I can't help but think of Joel Tenenbaum as a sort of Jean Valjean from Les Misérables.

I'd star you if I could but then again, stars are gone.

In my state, they call it an educational expense and its not covered.

Yes, I knew about that one.

My son has autism. I'm unaware of many insurance plans that cover anything for autism. Can you name a few?

Thanks for sharing your story. I enjoyed reading it.

"Another was stealing cash from the store's safe during nightly counts, which went on for several weeks, but was discovered by a manager who had to open the store the next morning and promptly fired the staffer."