"Beat 'em with BATNA."

BATNA = Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement.

People often have a limited view of a situation.

This includes powerful people, who have layers of security and gatekeepers which keep them from hearing alternative viewpoints.

Without such communication, the worst-case scenario is more likely to become the reality.

From Wikipedia:

"The 2007 Pew survey of Muslim Americans finds two-thirds of the Muslim Americans are foreign-born. Among the foreign-born, most have immigrated since 1990. Of the roughly one-third of Muslim Americans that are native-born, the majority are converts and African American."

The percentages indicated mean that less than 1% of born-Americans are Muslim.

These demographics, and the emotions involved, add up to the likelihood of a Muslim being elected President virtually nil, and not worth consideration.

This does not, however, discount the value of the Presidential race as a great forum for discussion. Thus, a Muslim candidate could have impact without being elected.

Yes, with one caveat:

A religion should not be forced to alter a fundamental precept to accommodate a societal norm.

Thus, if a civil union is insufficient for a couple, they should find a denomination, sect or religion which is able to accomodate them.

"In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread."

-Anatole France

Sight has an entire lobe of the brain dedicated to processing vision.

Loss of hearing affects a much smaller proportion of the brain.

Thus, hearing loss consumes a smaller percentage of our sensory resources.

(This is species-specific. Some dogs have about as many neurons involved in smell as humans do for sight.)

Classical music is at its best when the listener is able to fully listen without distraction, to immerse in the emotions and themes.

While some was written to be background music, most was composed to be presented to a captive audience, who in turn expected a complete performance.

Organic tastes better.

Sub: this refers to unprepared food, such as carrots.

It is critical to be able to acknowledge that someone you disagree with has a good point, or has made a well-structured argument.

It is most likely impossible, in the projected life-span of the universe, to evaluate all the arguments for the game of Go.

And that's just one game.

Hillary understands the game is 'last person standing.'

She has almost enough delegates for a nomination.

Something unforeseen (a skeleton in the closet, a brain tumor...) could waylay Obama, and the Democrats would still have a strong candidate in the running.