i know the answers to questions that you ain't even bothered to ask yet.

Yes you are. You choose to obey the laws of where you go. Maybe you think sales tax shouldn't exist because it subjects you to taxes you did not vote for/couldn't have voted against, but since it is the law of the land and you go to that land you are obligated to pay them and it does not infringe upon liberty. Our forefathers did not fight wars to bring anarchy to the land. They did it for governance that ensures you have a say and are protected. If you are against that, that is fine, but is not according to the constitution of the US.

As for Pennsylvania/unions/smoking I have nfi what you are talking about. You clearly are ranting about something I have no knowledge on and I am not going to get roped into some argument about it. I am not going to let an idiot drag me down to their level, as the saying goes.

Because smoking has extreme negative externalities for other people. So just like companies that pollute you pay extra for the right to do it :P

smoking does not have extreme negative effects on people. gadzooks man, anything that takes 40 years to kill just plain ain't that gawd dang lethal.

and no i don't choose to obey the laws of where i go, heck 1/2 the time i don't even know what the dang laws are that i have to obey where i go.

and you probably need to gain 1/2 a gross of IQ points to come up to my level, but since i'm usually under the influence when i'm on here, i probably came down to your level while the alcohol was in effect.

It's not just southerners. Most Americans cannot find the United States on a map. I didn't believe that until college American History and a "Free A" locating fluff on a map caused half my classmates to drop.

Incidentally, if you're standing in Texas and you ask who we fought for independence, Mexico is an acceptable answer.

Most of us non-smokers don't like smelling smokers, regardless of health issues. I would ban it just from that POV. There should also be a fine for having extreme BO, that can be applied at any government doorway....

why should i have to pay a fine simply because your nose can't tolerate my odor? why can't you pay a dang fine for having over-sensitive olfactory organs?

Same reason you have to pay a fine if your motorcycle is too loud: it irritates the majority.


Tyranny of the majority!

what? the majority don't give a dang if my motorcycle is too loud. they just don't want me riding it around them.

Dibs, we don't want you around, motorcycle or no motorcycle.

you sure ain't paying me enough to disappear.
put your money where your mouth is beach.

Err... we don't pay people to disappear here in the south, we just haul them off to the backwoods and leave them for dead. A few well place gunshots makes the leaving much quicker, if you are so inclined.

And obviously the scores are so low because most southerners they interviewed were sure to have answered "the north" or some variant thereof first.

Based on what the news story of how the Texas Department of Education has adjusted that states history text books lately I would say that the answer is "not much".