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Snowden DID use those channels, and the NSA ignored him:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
http://www.theguardian.com/wor...

Not only that, but there were people speaking publicly about this for YEARS prior to Snowden and they were also ignored:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/... (warning, auto-start video)

The NSA tried to portray those people as crackpots until Snowden came along with proof. Remember, he didn't reveal anything new... he just provided details and corroborative evidence so the NSA could no longer ignore/deny it.

To this day, the NSA claims what they are doing is Legal. How on earth could Snowden have gotten anywhere without bringing this to the public's attention? It's going to take congressional action to even begin to limit what they are doing. There was no other way for that to happen than for him to go public. I'm not even sure if he went far enough.

> I think we should just ban face to face interviews and then colour won't be an issue, or maybe everyone can wear masks.

Better also hide their names too. And no smalltalk about anything because cultural knowledge also informs biases. Any geek whose ever got the social cold shoulder because they didn't know shit about about sports should understand that.

This has repeatedly been shown to be impossible. People who continue to argue that he should have gone through legal channels need only read this: http://www.usatoday.com/story/... [usatoday.com]

I'm not sure how many more times this question needs to be asked and answered. The NSA, or any other unaccountable power structure, will not self-regulate.

They didn't have access to the documents Snowden did, did they? Or they didn't leak them. I think we are talking about IF you are going to leak proof of your claims, then HOW.

Did Snowden's representative get a copy before he took it to the world stage? His state's senators? His governor?

Supreme court judges? Some lawyers? State Bar? Shit, how about neighboring governments like Canada and Mexico, leaking to their diplomats makes more sense to help America than what Snowden did.

I'm sorry, but the gulf between the "legal channels" and "international media" is big enough to fit.. an Earth sized planet in there.

I'm not sure how many more times this question needs to be asked and answered. The NSA, or any other unaccountable power structure, will not self-regulate.

the internet is not a "crime scene"(for this) any more than the postal system and newspaper opinion pieces were 30 years ago..

A crime scene is a location where a crime took place or another location where evidence of the crime may be found.

Crime scene

Rodger's e-mails and posts to the Internet would be admissible as evidence of premeditated murder.

Once again, a self-made video, uploaded to the world via YouTube, is at the heart of a horrific news event.

Elliot Rodger, the 22-year-old man who authorities say killed six people in the Santa Barbara, Calif., area before fatally shooting himself late Friday, posted at least two self-pitying videos to the video-sharing site shortly before he went on his rampage.

The videos --- in which Rodger calmly and chillingly discusses his sexual frustrations and intent to ''slaughter'' those he claims harmed him --- were removed by YouTube after viewers flagged them. But they were repeatedly re-posted on the site as copies spread across the Internet.

Videos are routinely flagged by YouTube's users; the company reviews videos that have raised concerns and removes them if they violate its community guidelines. Among other things, the guidelines prohibit videos displaying ''predatory behavior, stalking, threats, harassment [and] intimidation ... and inciting others to commit violent acts. ... Anyone caught doing these things may be permanently banned from YouTube.''

Law enforcement authorities in Santa Barbara said they are analyzing Rodger's videos, which he apparently has posted online since 2012.

Elliot Rodger video removed by YouTube

Finally, when exactly did the angry rants of a mass murderer become rightfully characterized as a manifesto? Although Rodger's document is a manifestation of emotional disturbance, it hardly qualifies to be called a manifesto. A true manifesto reflects the political ideology of a formidable leader of men, a political force to be reckoned with. Nowhere in his 141 pages does Rodger describe his manuscript in such a way.

So why should we?

Why mass killers need to explain their plan

Pretty much. I'm sure people are going to froth at the mouth and all the rest until you post stories like this.

And that, my friends, is why CAFE[1] standards are a stupid way of reducing emissions.

Except this isn't about CAFE at all, but a specific ZEV mandate in CARB standards for the 6 largest automakers.

These rules gave us the GM EV1, Nissan Leaf, the Toyota Prius, the Chevy Volt, and more. I'd say those vehicles are indications that the regulations are highly effective. You're free to disagree (once you get onto the correct subject), but I think the above list stands on its own.

While there are a number of other "compliance cars" that aren't as noteworthy, they're still helping support ZEV R&D, and amortization of the costs.

A web search for "compliance car" turns up numerous insightful write-ups:

http://www.greencarreports.com...

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

Missouri proposed using propofol, then abandoned the idea after the manufacturer warned of export restrictions that could cause shortages for medical use. http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

because there are no more speeding cars and reckless drivers

Except there won't be and most likely there is a good chance there will be more reckless drivers as they get frustrated at being caught behind cars driving the speed limit.

Years ago Virginia wanted to raise the cost of their speeding tickets to around $1,000 but only if the person was caught going 20 miles over the posted speed limit. People were howling about how awful it was, how it wasn't fair and couldn't the state just raise their taxes so they could continue to speed.

See this article for some comments, particularly this one:

"It's outrageous," says traffic court attorney Thaddeus Furlong of Springfield, Va. "When Mr. and Mrs. Middle Class find out what they have to pay, there's going to be a backlash like you've never seen."

something that makes the world better instead of being a necessary evil.

It's only a necessary evil because, to throw words back in people's faces, people refuse to live in a civilized society and not do things which endanger other people's lives such as speeding, talking on their cell phones while speeding, stiff-arming the steering wheel while speeding and talking on their cell phones, robbing, raping, and murdering people, to name just a few things.

That's how you keep them out of trouble and not going back to prison, just because they had to steal since they couldn't get a half decent job

By having the prison system so "relaxed", Its also how you encourage them to go back into prison and have the easy life.
All paid for by the tax payer (eg: me and you).

8 in 10 released inmates return to Del. prisons
http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

Yeah, systems working great.... Keep the movies going, pirated if you can to save the tax payer some money.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

Faster than my first two computers, too, but neither of them weighed thirteen tons! Also, storage access would have been a much bigger problem than clock speed, seeing as how they used mercury switches to store bits.

I found this article about Univac fascinating, an account of Univac vs. humans.

...Those circumstances set the stage for the election night dramatics of the Univac â" perhaps the most significant live TV performance ever by a computer. It might just be technology's equivalent of the first Elvis appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Except parents didn't worry that computers were going to destroy the moral fiber of the nation's youth, which shows you how much parents know.

In a few hours on Nov. 4, 1952, Univac altered politics, changed the world's perception of computers and upended the tech industry's status quo. Along the way, it embarrassed CBS long before Dan Rather could do that all by himself...

It also mentions that a musical Hallmark card has more computing power than Univac did.

"Sir, I don't have a gun. Would you please don't shoot at me until my associates arrive?"

Yes, that's pretty much how it works. As others have noted, it works because guns are the exception rather than the rule. But another advantage: when a gun is in the picture, the beat cops back off and call the professional shooting-people cops, who're actually trained in the art of shooting people, as opposed to the American beat cops who will shoot kids with water pistols, black men reaching for their wallets, miss and shoot bystanders, shoot themselves in the foot, etc.

The average American doesn't even spent $30,000 on a car, so the price range of these new vehicles is still in the realm of the rich for toys and games.

The average price of a new car in America is $31,252. A $40,000 vehicle is not remotely out of reach for a large percent of the population.

A Volt is $35K - tax credit ($7.5K to $9K depending on the state). So the actual cost of buying a Volt is less than the average cost of a new car.

The average American doesn't even spent $30,000 on a car, so the price range of these new vehicles is still in the realm of the rich for toys and games.

The average price of a new car in America is $31,252.

Averages can be misleading

The average price of a new car in America is $31,252. A $40,000 vehicle is not remotely out of reach for a large percent of the population.

Well, in absolute umber it may seem close, but you have to realize that the average car loan is now upwards of 5 years in length (65 months) at 4.27% rate (http://press.experian.com/United-States/Press-Release/experian-automotive-interest-rates-for-auto-loans-hit-all-time-low.aspx?&p=1). This means that the monthly car payment for a $40,000 car will be $690.38 vs $535.05 for a $31,000 car. Extra $150 a month is a significant difference for an average household, especially if you consider that the reason the loan term has now exceeded 5 years is because few people can afford the monthly payment for shorter term loans. So a $40,000 car is hardly as mass market vehicle.

The average American doesn't even spent $30,000 on a car, so the price range of these new vehicles is still in the realm of the rich for toys and games.

The average price of a new car in America is $31,252. A $40,000 vehicle is not remotely out of reach for a large percent of the population.

Who gives a damn what the average cost is when the subject is what's affordable for lower-income people. A $40K car, being above average in cost, is not going to be affordable for someone who only makes enough to get a $20K car.

Maths is hard.

The average American doesn't even spent $30,000 on a car, so the price range of these new vehicles is still in the realm of the rich for toys and games.

The average price of a new car in America is $31,252. A $40,000 vehicle is not remotely out of reach for a large percent of the population.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that the Department of Education should do studies on how to teach kids & how to motivate them to do better ... how public vs. private vs. charter schools affect them, etc.

And study what the long-term effects are of just paying the kids when they get good grades:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com...

Because the short term seems to be that they do better ... and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than most other things that people come up with. (but then again, the money doesn't go to some corportation with a great 'solution' to the problem)

Appeal to who? According to this, the court making this decision is the highest in Europe:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

Be careful what you wish for. It looks like Holder is going to actually try and jail some bankers.

However, these banks will not be accused of laundering money for terrorists, except under an extremely flexible definition of "terrorist". Most likely they will be accused of evading sanctions and/or helping naughty Americans avoid tax (let's ignore that some of these Americans had left America). Unfortunately last time the USA went on the war path over sanction-evading banks it turned out that the countries the financial activity was happening in didn't have those sanctions. Another minor detail for the US Govt. Jurisdiction doesn't seem to matter to them.

I do feel like we're entering dangerous new territory with this constant beating up of banks, often under deeply questionable covers. The DoJ and Treasury dept have realised that bankers are so politically weak they can be made to do anything because people automatically assume they're guilty, and just the threat of prosecution under bogus laws can cow them into subservience - which is a problem because by seizing control of the banks they seize control of the people, who cannot do without bank accounts. Hence Operation Choke Point.

Frankly, I do not believe bankers are a part of some cigar smoking Al-Qaeda terrorist conspiracy and I'd rather they were left alone than we go down this path .... it can only lead to even more gross abuses of power than what we've already seen.

Gas isn't gasoline. It's Natural Gas. A building-sized bomb: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

Where are people getting the idea that the media isn't talking about the lack of male teachers? I hear about it constantly. In fact, I suspect you might have to be particularly plugged-in to tech news to be hearing significantly more about women in tech than male teachers.

Here's one: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/m...
Here's another: http://www.sciencedaily.com/re...
Another: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/s...
Another: http://www.dallasnews.com/news...
Another: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com...

You're not the first to suggest this - a surtax on earnings above the government salary is a *really* good way to deal with this.

University of Tennessee law professor and blogger Glenn Reynolds is one of the more outspoken proponents of this approach (he suggests a 50-75% surtax on earnings above the government official's salary for five years after leaving office.)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit...

Although it's just a small step in eliminating cronyism and corruption, it's a meaningful and effective one, and we should all make sure that this is a major issue in every congressional election until it passes.

Ideally, this would apply to both elected and unelected officials, but the chances of getting congress to limit thier own feed trough is pretty slim given the heinous corruption levels we already have. (How *did* Harry Reid (and many others) get to be a multimillionaire *after* becoming an elected official?)

Here's a good graphic showing the FCC heads revolving door.

Obama nominated Thomas Wheeler as head of FCC in 2013: "Wheeler is currently the managing director at Core Capital Partners, a venture-capital firm based in Washington, D.C.. He has also been a top lobbyist for the wireless and cable industries. From 1979 to 1984, he served as president of the National Cable Television Association and before that he was CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association." -- http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/29/tom-wheeler-confirmed-fcc-chairman/3309333/

I'm sure MIT would be thrilled to hear your opinions; they're really floundering and could use all the help they can get. Email them, they've hired people of your caliber before.

Idiot.

I keep seeing people talking about revenge-style columbine-like school shootings. Has no one here heard that wasn't the case with columbine? The shooters were not bullied into revenge. It was not a mission to take out a specific few people who bullied them too much. They were psychopaths, plain and simple. The truth came out years after the shooting, and a quick Google search will reveal this.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com...

According to this and several other articles and books later written about the subject, the main kid was well liked by everyone, a common trait of sociopaths. The whole bullying narrative was assumed by the media, who had only the smallest snippets of data from which to draw conclusions, and of course, they did. Wait around and report the facts? Nope. Let's give everyone a narrative that makes sense, and get it out there first! Once they'd reported this motivation, they couldn't go back and correct themselves, they'd lose face. So everyone stuck with the story, and since then, we've always attributed what happened to bullying.

Not to Godwin the thread, but the new government in east Ukraine is actually registering Jews right now today.

America learned once why it can't let dictators like Putin just invade their neighbors with impunity. How quickly we forgot where this all goes. It will take more than a sternly worded letter, or laughable sanctions, to stop this shit. And it must be stopped. It's on all of us, otherwise.

This is an unusual event because its part of a series of 4 lunar eclipses in a row (in subsequent 6 full moon cycles), a tetrad which occurs once per 33 years on average. The term 'blood moon' is sometimes used for a lunar eclipse, but it's been popularised for this tetrad by John Hagee to promote his book and claim that it means the end of the world.

http://news.sciencemag.org/hea...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/...
http://thebulletin.org/threate...
http://armscontrolcenter.org/E...
http://thebulletin.org/unaccep...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm...
http://www.pathobiologics.org/...
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1...
http://news.sciencemag.org/sit...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/n...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/...
http://thebulletin.org/threate...
http://armscontrolcenter.org/E...
http://thebulletin.org/unaccep...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm...
http://www.pathobiologics.org/...
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1...
http://news.sciencemag.org/sit...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/n...
http://news.sciencemag.org/hea...

What more carbon - global warming will do.

CLimate change will devastate agriculture.

As far as comparing man made vs. natural man is affecting the CO2 BALANCE - we're throwing nature off and causing unnatural warming.

Really.

Name an ACTUAL GOP official that's said Obama's a "Kenyan Marxo-islamic fascist communist"

I won't hold my breath.

Now let me show you ACTUAL DNC officials who've called the GOP racist

http://www.breitbart.com/Breit...

http://content.usatoday.com/co...

That said, naming names of an engineer is a really bad precedent. What is the goal GM is trying to achieve here. Do they want people to go break the guy's windows? Burn down his house? Call him in the middle of the night or deliver pizza? Apart from potentially removing the guy's livelihood for the remainder of his life because no-one wants to hire 'that guy' ever again, and a lot of abuse being targeted his way, what will this achieve?

In all fairness the company didn't name the employees.

Reading the first article in the summery; right after they are named, the next paragraph has a link from "GM was first aware of a switch problem in 2001, then in 2004 Altman experienced the ignition-switch problem firsthand."

Following that link it's mentioned:
GM didn't identify the two suspended engineers, but people familiar with the matter said they are Ray DeGiorgio, the switch engineer for the small cars in the recall, and Gary Altman, the chief development engineer from 2000 to 2005 for the cars.

Whew thought I had posted already - no need for you to search for a link - http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

Actually I think you're misinformed. How exactly does it follow that just because people die of dysentery, all hygienic practices in the US not done in other countries are aimed at preventing dysentery?

Furthermore, as stated, European countries often don't have the same health regulations as the US. And, contrary to popular opinion, Europe is full of western countries.

Again, Dysentery is mostly caused by amoebas, and a bacteria called shigella. Shigella is naturally found in humans and apes and you contract it by drinking water with human feces in it. (Which is why when you're in an asian or african country you shouldn't be drinking tap water).

That's completely different then unpasteurized milk, or food that's been left out in the heat.

Furthermore, if you google what I said you'll get all kinds of links on the first page. Like link 1:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com...

extraordinary claims deserve extraordinary evidence

you can't blame Dem's for Bush's policies

NSA warrantless wiretapping started under Bush, everyone knows this: http://yahoo.usatoday.com/news...

From 2006: NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls

Bush started the NSA warrantless wiretapping programs. These are in no way, shape or form "Obama's programs"

Bush started the NSA warrantless wiretapping program...and the metadata program...Ron Wyden exposed it by talking about it openly in Senate speeches....Obama ended many of the programs Bush started

Bush started the NSA warrantless wiretapping/spying program

that's why I "blame" him for it

here's the evidence: http://yahoo.usatoday.com/news... from **2006**

"NSA Has Massive Database of American's Phone Calls"

Last year, Bush said he had authorized the NSA to eavesdrop — without warrants — on international calls and international e-mails of people suspected of having links to terrorists when one party to the communication is in the USA. Warrants have also not been used in the NSA's efforts to create a national call database.

The DMV in New Jersey was fine before Christie was elected. Since election he put through a series of budget cuts that have de-staffed the DMV to the point where you can count on long lines and excruciating service.

There is an interesting map regarding economic class mobility by state that I think is the ultimate reason why you don't want a Republican state government.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com...

The big lie is that Republicans want to encourage class mobility. The truth is that wherever they are in power the opposite happens.

When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a positive pressure personnel suit, with a segregated air supply, is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a level four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a biosafety level 4 (or P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.

wiki

Diseases that are out there in the wild, it seems stupid to suggest there's more of a risk from studying it than dealing with it if it happens. Smallpox, which has been eliminated in the wild and that we have a vaccine for, you could definitely make the case, however there would still be smallpox sources out there., it could re-emerge. There is no antiviral drug approved for smallpox. If we get wind that someone is making a smallpox bomb, or if it re-emerges naturally, we'd probably want to start testing cidofovir or some other drugs ASAP. And sticking all our labs dealing with it in the middle of the ocean is a good way to make sure that's as slow as possible.

Indeed, like many other car companies, Volvo has probably started building their vehicles down to a price, thus can't do the 6 car thing anymore.

Either that or Volvo knows their roofs are that strong and use more powerful presses during testing.

I don't reply to AC's(don't even read them normally), but I'm impressed with Tesla's safety record. With as many cars on the road as long as they've had them, their 'no fatality/no permanent disability' record is becoming impressive.

The press thing was only one of the safety results I remember.

Oh, and for the number of Teslas the roof can withstand - we know it's a minimum of 4, since the press broke at that point, it's probably higher.

I was thinking of the recent rise of measles cases in the US. It's not pandemic though, sure, as the herd-immunity threshold is exceeded.

From the USA Today article:

The country's safety net has become more porous in recent years, as like-minded parents who refuse vaccines have clustered in the same communities. In August, for example, a visitor who had traveled abroad infected 15 people at a Texas megachurch.

I was thinking of the recent rise of measles cases in the US. It's not pandemic though, sure, as the herd-immunity threshold is exceeded.

From the USA Today article:

The country's safety net has become more porous in recent years, as like-minded parents who refuse vaccines have clustered in the same communities. In August, for example, a visitor who had traveled abroad infected 15 people at a Texas megachurch.

Besides, we where talking about the false narrative that says the Republicans wanted to destroy NASA. I don't think that is true.

FALSE NARRATIVE? Good look at the budget for NASA over the last 4 years. Why do you think that we send to to Russia than to private space? Obama and the dems oppose it. The tea* CLAIMS that they oppose this, but vote right along with you fucking neo-cons.

ppl like Coffman, Shelby, wolf, Rogers, Hatch, etc have gutted private space for the last 4 years in an attempt to keep the SLS going with money to their districit. These assholes would much rather send DOUBLE the money to Russia, then to spend 1/2 of that on private space. Totally twisted.

Here are some:
Here.
This is even more to the point on house neo-cons with pointing fingers (though also playing their excuses)
Here is more.


I have worked for NASA decades ago. I have been following this mess that the neo-cons have made with it. All they are interested in is wasting money on THEMSELVES. The neo-cons/tea* are destroying America. Total Fucks.

Maybe it's better at NSA (very doubtful), but have you been paying attention to how things have gone for VA medical records?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/...
http://dailycaller.com/2014/02...

Ever seen comments about the looks of a male CEO?

Yes. In fact, here's a fucking article full of comparisons of male CEOs: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com...

Care to help set up a support group for the short balding men with round faces, because they're statistically disadvantaged on pay and seniority.

Incidentally, I don't see women being paid less for equal hours/effort/experience/seniority/skill and I don't see them ridiculed any more than men for it.

Crimea has been autonomous within the Ukraine precisely because it is more ethnically Russian than Ukrainian,

How Russians Became Crimea's Largest Ethnic Group, In One Haunting Chart

Crimea may have a majority Russian population today, but it hasn't always been that way.

The peninsula's dark history of ethnic cleansing is visible in the following chart from Reuters.

The chart shows a collapse in the population of native Crimean Tatars from 34.1% in 1897 to zero in 1959, marking brutal harassment leading up to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's forcible deportation of the entire population in 1944, with nearly half dying in the process. It took decades for the population to climb back to 12% by 2001.

While the population of Ukrainians and especially Russians rose, the percentage of the population falling into an unlisted category also fell from more than 20% in 1921 to around 5% in 1959. This was a consequence of the deportation of Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks, and other groups.

Who are the Crimean Tatars, and why are they important?

Whatever the Tatar grievances against the Ukrainian state may be, when faced with the choice of being under either Russian or Ukrainian control, the Crimean Tatar leadership has consistently and unequivocally chosen Ukraine. Since the Soviet period, attempts to split the Crimean Tatar movement and persuade some of the Tatars to support a pro-Soviet, and later pro-Russian, agenda has not borne fruit.

Crimean Tatars fret over Russian domination again

Crimean Tatars living in Turkey said Monday they worry of a return to the terrible oppression they suffered in the Ukraine province the last time it belonged to Russia and the Soviet Union.

"We've seen this movie before and we don't want to see it again," said Celal Icten, 59, head of Crimean Tatar Association of Istanbul, whose parents were born in Istanbul and Romania but both draw direct lines to the ancient city of Bakhchisaray, the pre-Tsarist capital of Crimea.

Once Victims Of Stalin, Ukraine's Tatars Reassert Themselves

Yes, entire construction industries wiped out in California because they were forced to compete with illegal workers being used for roofing and other dangerous jobs without permits, insurance, or even paying taxes. When the police and the attorney general refused to do anything legitimate businesses dissolved.

Here's an article emphasizing similar points:

Illegal immigrants might get stimulus jobs, experts say

Our family hosted some summer teenagers performing missions to Tijuana about seven years back and this one young lady from a Michigan dairy farm couldn't understand why anyone had a problem with any immigrants coming to American illegally to better themselves. Five years later, I spoke with her father about their business and he had to fire American workers and hire illegals in order for him to "compete" because illegals would work for food, shelter, and $10 a day. This is 2012, mind you.

I was merely pointing out the actions of a rather notable atheist, much like you were pointing out the antics of some rather notorious religious figures.

Actually, none of the people shown in the pictures I posted were "notorious religious figures". They were just ordinary miserable wretches in the throes of a murderous superstition.

And I'd rather have a chapter of Westboro Baptist Church in my town than one such as he.

Funny you bring that up. It appears from today's news that God hates homophobes.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

I'm surprised that you believe that the millions who died under Stalin were killed due to Stalin's lack of religious belief rather than his being a cruel and despotic tyrant. Do you believe that religious belief is some sort of inoculation against becoming a tyrant?
 

i agree - silently dropping MMS is a killer

afaict, AT&T and verizon refuse to send the data to google so there's nothing technical that google can do, ie this has nothing to do with google being stingy and everything to do with AT&T and verizon being a virtual duopoly and using their market position to exclude competitors

here's an article talking about it. and from the google engineer's google+ page (emphasis mine) ...

T-Mobile has allowed MMS messages from their users to be sent to Google Voice users.