I'm not what others would call a libertarian. More of a liberal. However compared to people around the world, most Americans have a libertarian streak in them. 

Yuck, a malicious steggo. That is hard to deal with. Do I need to shut off image loading? Would that even do it, or is the PNG read but not displayed in that case?

I'm starting to think that the "ban" applied only to two posters in this thread. 

For what it's worth. Many of us pay no attention to the trust system anyway. There are a million unavoidable ways to game that system, so it has to be taken with a grain of salt.

Your case is going to cost tens of thousands of pounds and is very unlikely to produce anything but lawyer bills. And even if you win. What have you really accomplished?

Now that is a realistic view. Even without evidence I can understand the argument about how much stranger it would be if this was the only place life existed. I was more thinking of the person who sees a strange light in the sky and assumes the least likely possibility. And it's not just aliens. We all see blogs about mermaids, bigfoot, vampires, etc. They all sport a collection of blurry photos and completely unsupported claims.
Something like 33% of Americans do not "believe" evolution is real. That's shocking when you consider that it underpins all modern biology and medicine. I'm guessing everyday someone visits their doctor for gene therapy, someone who refuses to believe in the very procedure they are undergoing.   

As a scientist I find it fascinating that so many people are certain of the existence of space aliens.  There is no real evidence to support this position yet we see that a majority of people here still believe. At the same time many well founded, even proven, theories are dismissed because of a "belief" they are not true.

I'm curious as to why. Why would someone believe in say aliens, when there is no science behind it? On what is this belief based?   

I used bitinstant all the time. It was a good service and I appreciated it.

Hang tough bro.   

Invest in a hedge fund? Are you kidding?

I like the idea of physical BTC, but they are far easier to counterfeit/scam.  

I'm glad I'm not that guy from Wisconsin.

I tell them it is not a ponzi, but that I could care less if they want to believe it is. Good ideas don't need my help or explanation. Perhaps in five years when everyone they know is using it, clarity will come.
It's kina like bigfoot. I know no such thing exists, but I don't care when some fool thinks otherwise.

Oh I think they could. It might turn out to be a big win for them. But right now their business does few things that bitcoin couldn't do better and cheaper. If people start sending money around the world and shopping online for pennies per transaction, PayPal is going to have to do something different.


One day they just announced they were done. 
No hack, or problem. They said something like "more professional sites should take their place".

Overstock.com has become my go-to place for general shopping. Tiger Direct for computers, Amagimetals for gold, www.grasshillalpacas.com for the best socks ever, etc.
I also check to see who is accepting bitcoin at websites like gunbroker. Just search for bitcoin and make sure you are searching all text and not just the title.

Never use PayPal for anything involving bitcoin. It is just that simple. PayPal stands to be the biggest looser if bitcoin catches on. Why would they want to help us?

Well, you elected officials who passed laws compelling you. You gave them the right.
Of course, this means we could elect new officials who undo the laws. It is really up to your participation in government.
Gavin was invited and could refuse. That would be a very wrong move in my opinion. There will be regulation. That is 100% certain. What is not certain is if the community will engage with regulators or hide and just hope the regulators do a good job. We need to make our voices heard. And not by preaching to each other, we need to contact our elected officials, regulators, law enforcement, etc.  

Amagimetals seems to have the best prices. They are not lightning fast in my experience. But they are trustworthy.

Wow, I'm surprised. This could turn out to be huge news.

I have a miner friend who almost burned down his house twice. One time the wire burned and fell on the yard setting the grass on fire. He finally had to get commercial wiring. 

I use it at least once a week for purchases online. And no, I have never bought drugs or anything illegal with it. I think it is true that many/most are speculating. But it doesn't have to be that way. Using bitcoin has been the key to financial success for me.

If I were Satoshi, my bragging would have long ago exposed me.   

Hey, me too!
I live on a planet in space. My species has space ships and has even explored other worlds. We humans have become aliens. It would be cool if we met some others, but so far no real evidence of that.