I agree...not quite as vociferously as you....

Einstein once said something to the effect " A society that holds excellence in plumbing in disdain, while accepting shoddiness in philosophy will have neither theories or pipes that hold water"

NOT a direct quote... I am sure he put it much better....

I do respect the work done "in the trenches" but the fiber optic line laying here is going soooo slowly! Cant complain too much tho...when my car blew a coolant hose I had to stop by one of the work crews.... turned out they were from Oklahoma.... a friendly fellow let me use his cell phone..

some of us researcher types do run risks in the line of work too.... If I am not careful I could be blinded... or electrocuted, or fall a few stories, and if I have a heart attack or some other critical health event at the summit I am almost certainly dead... (don't worry according to the tests I had to take before getting hired my heart is in GREAT condition...:)

Everyone that works makes our lives a bit better..(lawyers excluded of course)