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Every daylight savings time heart attacks increase by 25%, car crashes increase by 17% (2.75 billion cost over 10 yrs). The only reason people do daylight savings time anymore is because we've been doing it for so long we don't question it anymore. It never saved any daylight, I think a study after world war II showed the policy barely had its intended effect (increased productivity, energy savings) and came with a whole host of unintended consequences. For the love of god we need to quit this idiotic experiment!

Unfortunately at this point there are established interests that want to keep it going. Starbucks knows they get more business when the clocks change, and would resist any proposed law to get rid of daylight savings time. There are dozens of other companies in a similar situation. sources: https://www.reuters.com/articl... http://www.telegram.com/articl...

You're probably thinking of the Kelly Hoose case (here's another story link)where the government used a company-watermarked image of Melissa Bertsch. The British government pulled the same trick using the same exact model two years prior to that. Some state laws that define the requirements for child pornography let the police and prosecutors treat something as child pornography even if only the metadata indicates it's probably child pornography (file name, title, a sticky note on a DVD case that says "kids having sex," whatever.) The overall standards for what is or is not pornography are grossly subjective already; parents have been arrested in the past because of taking innocent pictures of their kids in a bathtub combined with mandatory reporting laws for photo developers that make the developers liable if they fail to report.

The system is set up to make it as easy as possible to accuse someone of possession of child pornography and make it extremely difficult to win in court. The conviction rate for child pornography cases that aren't plead guilty to, dropped by prosecution or dismissed by a judge before going to trial is 100% and that's not an exaggeration. Once you're charged, you either find a bulletproof defense like Kelly Hoose, you plead guilty to avoid prison, or you go to a trial and watch as a jury throws you away because it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting the children.

Kiddie porn charges have become an easy way for the government to strip someone of their rights, shut them up, and get rid of them for a long time. You don't have to be guilty, you just have to seem that way.

Ta-dah!

Family sues Fay School in Southboro, claims Wi-Fi made son ill

Lots of other examples can be found with a quick search.

...to trigger a massive government witch-hunt. We have criminalized learning about chemistry and then we wonder why we need so many H1B visas to supply chemists.

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyn...

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazi...

http://www.telegram.com/articl...

Chemistry sets-one of the epic whirlpool nodes of government lunacy.

It's on the internet, so it must be true!

Here's the rest of the story of "clear shipping bags." http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/...

Unser was charged with a misdemeanor and fined $75, so... not a felony. Oh, the humanity!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

"Honest Services" -- Oops, no example of "honest services" fraud. But it could happen! But it hasn't. (Note: I agree that we should be vigilant against potential abuses, but let's concern ourselves more with real abuses.)

Espionage Act -- Another "didn't happen."

Obstruction of Justice -- the lawyer admitted to a lapse in judgment by helping the church cover up the crime. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12...

Computer Fraud and Abuse Act -- DID happen. My sympathies are with Bret McDanel. Notably, however, the Justice Department admitted error, his conviction was overturned, and a precedent has been set against future misapplication of the law.

Wire Fraud -- Misattribution. Lori Drew was prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, though the conviction was overturned in this case as well. I think we all agree that the woman was knowingly malicious, however, and she did not "accidentally" commit a felony. It was important that the law not be used outside of the scope of its intended use though, which is why I'm glad the EFF filed an amicus brief in support of the defendant, even though what she did was horrible.

Providing Material Support for Terrorism -- Another "no example," of misapplication, but one to watch out for. Though I think we all understand how laws are created and tested at this point.

Making a False Statement to a Federal Official -- Terrible example. This guy was clearly trying to skirt the law and provide material support to militant jihadists. http://www.telegram.com/articl...

Let me pull up http://www.telegram.com/article/20110627/LETTERS/106279960/1055/letters and ad-lib:

The [English speaking world] have a big community. The [corporate world] has a large number of [English-speaking clients]. [These] organization[s] [have to fulfill their obligations as merchants selling goods and services] and should have [English-speaking workers].

As it is now, [English speaking] people have to [bear the costs shifted onto them by working with people with a horrible command of the English language in order to get the satisfaction they are due], and thatâ(TM)s not right.

Look, the issue isn't if those who work at call centers in India are smart or not. The issue is there is a diminished level of service due to language barrier issues that invariably crop up.

In the United States, and most of the world, it is understood on a cultural and legal level that a merchant that sells goods or services is obligated to have some way of communicating with it after the fact to manage post-sale issues. That is the merchant's cost.

The most efficient outcome for everyone involved would be for the merchant to curtail the demand for such support (perhaps by making a product that doesn't suck). The route many companies are taking, however, is to find the cheapest supply of such support, and shift some of the support costs on to their customers. That is efficient for the company, but raises costs for everyone else.

Why not get it straight from the Worcester T&G? Oh right, because the story died already.

Supposed Ban Over

As TFS says, it was just a single teacher...

Sure enough, it wasn't: http://www.telegram.com/article/20101116/NEWS/101119746

The memo explained that students would be issued a pencil for use in class that would be collected at the end of the school day.

The memo cited behavior problems and said any student found in possession of a pen or mechanical pencil after Nov. 15 would be assumed to have the implement “to build weapons,” or to have stolen it from the classroom art supply basket.

and...

“This was an attempt to by a fairly new sixth-grade teacher to make changes that were not warranted. The student who was found with an altered pen was suspended and as far as administrators were concerned, the matter was put to rest,” Mr. Noseworthy said.

So yeah, the teacher had what she believed was a genuine problem with a certain privilege, and attempted to revoke it. She was overruled. Nothing all that insane here at all...

the presence of child porn on his computer had already been verified

No, it hadn't. By the officer's own statement, he witnessed something that might be child porn, which is not the same thing.
The onus should not be on the accused to prove his innocence by showing that it isn't child porn, it should be up to the prosecutor to establish his guilt without forcing the accused to incriminating himnself. Or at least that was the case back when the fifth amendment still had balls.

As for the other case, the question isn't about the guy's guilt, but whether the mere presence of encryption software should be allowed as corroborating evidence against an accused.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20100905/NEWS/9050424/1116

He seems happy enough with it.

Ahh, Worcester. Or, as we natives like to pronounce it, "Wuh-stah". Our proud city is home to various driving innovations, such as the ever-popular but still illegal "left turn on red" (especially useful on Park Ave, for some reason). The speed limit for BMWs is twice that of other vehicles, especially in residential neighborhoods on Halloween while the kids are out. Most of the real danger is on Route 9, as a recent article attested.

Please, for the sake of all involved, before you drive on our roads, please familiarize yourself with our rules. After your visit, feel free to share your experience with others.

I've lived in parts of the US that are most pro-gun (ie, Texas), and in parts of the US that are most anti-gun (ie, Massachusetts). Areas of the US with gun bans or excessive restrictions generally see higher levels of violent crime. Areas that enact shall-issue license laws see lower violent crime. However, removing legally owned guns does make the victim more vulnerable. This is reflected not just in the murder rate, but for other types of violent crime as well (rape, armed robbery, etc).

Violent crime is not deterred by gun bans. Removing legally owned guns does not remove the underlying reasons for the violence. Either the perpetrator obtains a gun illegally, or they resort to another weapon of choice. I live in a US city whose police chief has declared an all-out war on private gun ownership. The result? Knife crime is through the roof. Their reaction? Let's ban the knives! The proposed law would ban knives with a blade over 1.5 inches.

From a city Councilor:

We have a zero tolerance for these weapons in our schools and now we need to extend it out into the community.

Mind you, this same "zero-tolerance" policy in the schools has been a miserable failure.

From the District Attorney:

We need to treat knife violence as serious as violence with guns because it is a more personal crime and sometimes can be more lethal. (Emphasis mine)

As long as we disarm the sheep, the wolves will prosper.

Posting AC because I have already modded in this thread.

b) you end up with government agents raiding your house if you have a LEGAL home chemistry lab (ala Mass.),

I suggest you go back and reread the story and have a look at the comments. It was nothing more than ridiculous sensationalism. No one raided his house, and they cleared out the lab because it was unsafe. Not every exaggerated incident is evidence of a tyrannical government.

Firefighters found more than 1,500 vials, jars, cans, bottles and boxes in the basement Tuesday afternoon, after they responded to an unrelated fire in an air conditioner on the second floor of the home.

Vessels of chemicals were all over the furniture and the floor, authorities said. The ensuing investigation involved a state hazardous materials team, fire and police officials, health officials, environmental officials and code enforcement officials. The Deebs were told to stay in a hotel while the slew of officials investigated and emptied the basement.

Um... You really ought to check the sources a bit closer than that, eh?

The editorial you complain about appeared in this article. KDawson took from that source, not from the original Worcester Telegram article.

In fact the article actually states:

"Mr. Deebâ(TM)s home lab likely violated the regulations of many state and local departments, although officials have not yet announced any penalties. "

I would like to point out that this was a view expressed by the reporter, not a quote from Ms Wilderman or Mr Ferson (both quoted elsewhere). A more relevant quote would be...

Pamela A. Wilderman, Marlboro's code enforcement officer, said Mr. Deeb was doing scientific research and development in a residential area, which is a violation of zoning laws.

... a finding I feel would be hard to enforce, with respect to the materials. His actions may have been against zoning laws, but unless the materials THEMSELVES are prohibited by regulation/law, I feel that confiscating them would require a more firm foundation.

It's amazing how many Slashdotters don't even bother to do a bit of research

Do a bit of research? RTFA. Research?! Are you trying to encourage people to break the law?

A bit of research is fine. A lot of research, say around 1500 vials of it, is not. So I'm only advocating a bit of research this time. :-)

It's amazing how many Slashdotters don't even bother to do a bit of research

Do a bit of research? RTFA. Research?! Are you trying to encourage people to break the law?

No the part I find most troubling is

Firefighters found more than 1,500 vials, jars, cans, bottles and boxes in the basement Tuesday afternoon, after they responded to an unrelated fire in an air conditioner on the second floor of the home. Chemist allowed to go home, sans his lab

it wasn't cop but firemen; traditionally fire fighters have held a special position and had abilities to enter buildings and perform activities that we have prohibited policeman from performing without a warrant, by doing things like this the firefighters are jeopardizing this trust and placing the ability to protect the public safety in danger.

I think you missed that part about the fire.

they didn't need a warrant at all it was a potential crime scene there was a fire. Firefighters found more than 1,500 vials, jars, cans, bottles and boxes in the basement Tuesday afternoon, after they responded to an unrelated fire in an air conditioner on the second floor of the home. http://www.telegram.com/article/20080809/NEWS/808090323/1008/

Liked blog is crap. Here is the real story:
http://www.telegram.com/article/20080809/NEWS/808090323/1007/NEWS05

"Firefighters found more than 1,500 vials, jars, cans, bottles and boxes in the basement Tuesday afternoon, after they responded to an unrelated fire in an air conditioner on the second floor of the home.

Vessels of chemicals were all over the furniture and the floor, authorities said. The ensuing investigation involved a state hazardous materials team, fire and police officials, health officials, environmental officials and code enforcement officials. The Deebs were told to stay in a hotel while the slew of officials investigated and emptied the basement. "

They don't need a warrant if they are called in to respond to a fire.

"Firefighters found more than 1,500 vials, jars, cans, bottles and boxes in the basement Tuesday afternoon, after they responded to an unrelated fire in an air conditioner on the second floor of the home."

http://www.telegram.com/article/20080809/NEWS/808090323/1008/

There are regulations about how much [of various chemicals] you're supposed to have, how it's detained, how it's disposed of.

Depending on the specifics of what this guy's dealing with, he may be subject to rules regarding the safe disposal of certain chemicals, etc.

Many places already do weld the manhole covers down, to prevent theft and damage:

http://www.telegram.com/article/20070809/002-FRONT PAGE/708090875&LID=002

What drives competitiveness these days in not physics but price. Electricity is very expensive in the North East, so solar is very competitive there. http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID= /20070117/NEWS/701170342/1002/BUSINESS

What has only just started is giving the same deal to homeowners that Walmart, Staples, GM, FedEx and others get.

Slashdot users are starting to make a difference in this http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-users -selling-solar.html

From this news article from yesterday:

An investment firm threatening to withdraw its financial support of SCO Group Inc.'s Linux licensing battle wants the company to shake up its management and sharpen its focus on the potentially lucrative legal fight. BayStar Capital Management LLC believes SCO needs to hire executives with more savvy about intellectual property cases and spend less money on its Unix products, BayStar spokesman Bob McGrath said Wednesday.