That seems to depend alot on where in the country you are. I've also never lived in a house built after 1950, but I'm in New York and in an area where architectural preservation appreciated. I'd imagine that if you go down to somewhere like Texas, where land is cheaper and there's alot of sprawl and tract development, the houses would seem not to be intended to last as long.
@ Jimbo: people will still get cancer even if there is a cure you'll still need someone to administer it won't you? Also, cancer isn't one disease, there are tons of different kinds, some can already be cured, some can't.
On a related note, here's Obama in appearing in a japanese manga. Neat! http://www.dannychoo.com/detail/mac/eng/image/3544/Barrack+Obama+in+Air+Gear.html
@cheeseduck It's a collection of some of his unpublished short stories. Almost all of them deal with war and most recall the firebombing of Dresden. I like Vonnegut's writing, but after reading this new collection, I didn't feel like it was up to the level of his published stuff. His son's intro and the letter from 1945 were good to read though.
No one bats and eye... if you feel threatened or uncomfortable with the stranger next to you who was carrying a gun, would you really confront him about it?
Nothing against capitalism, I just have a visceral reaction to the super-rich lifestyle. Fleets of cars, jets, etc... The fabulous waste and consumption is what I feel is objectionable. Given the problems with poverty and the environment that the world has to grapple with, I read the article and that was my first reaction. Yeah, I get that spending money drives the economy and creates livelihoods. I just feel that the economy is just one factor to be conscientious of.
They tell you exactly how they made this picture: "The ring of light that the solar storm generated over Antarctica glows green in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, shown in this image. The IMAGE observations of the aurora are overlaid onto NASA’s satellite-based Blue Marble image."
http://www.dannychoo.com/detail/mac/eng/image/3544/Barrack+Obama+in+Air+Gear.html
I guess that explains how Texas has such a low crime rate. Oh wait...
"The ring of light that the solar storm generated over Antarctica glows green in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, shown in this image. The IMAGE observations of the aurora are overlaid onto NASA’s satellite-based Blue Marble image."