STILL #1

THE ECONOMIST (2007) 7/6

(29) The USA military is exhausted, stretched with perhaps low morale. Yet it is #1 in the world.

When compared to other countries, America has more troops than all the other top powers combined. Further, they have more nuclear warheads then all other rich countries and emerging countries except for Russia. Yanks spend more on defense than all other countries, and as much as the entire rest of the world. They don't spend quite as much as the rest of the world on world GDP.

However, there is a comparable comparison. The U.S. has 4.5% of the world's population.

At home, the biggest expenditure historically was during world war 2. Today, the part of the pie that goes to war is about the same as the late 40's.

(47) Gay life in USA is becoming more suburban and dull. Once gays came out of the closet, a number of high profile sons and daughter of the political class changed the minds and hearts of Americans. This was especially true when the parents were conservative. Most but not all studies suggest that it is brained based behavior. Gays are still part of the culture war, but not to the extent of abortion.

(49) Australia is coming down hard on aborigines. Although a few percentages of the population, most Aborigines have too many problems that drag the culture down. What they lack is

not genetic, but identity. It has to come from within. The magic bullet is yet too be found.

(58) Young East German women are better students than their male counterparts. After graduation, they want an occupation with good salary and a neat educated male. So they go to west Germany.

This leaves East German men with less women and not much in the way of work. Some males are useless, so women who stay in the East prefer single motherhood.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

(89) When astronauts are traveling, the crew has tendency to have low mood swings and little energy. It happens more with poor quality of interaction. Some suggest sending all females, or a mix, or robots, but something is wrong.

(90) It is crappy for the kids, but if both mom and dad are out screwing around once in awhile it helps the group genetically.

(91) New studies suggest that females give AIDS to others than previously thought.