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Response To California's Large-Screen TV Regulation
An anonymous reader writes "It's great that unelected bureaucrats in California are clamoring to save energy, but when they target your big-screen TVs for elimination, consumers and manufacturers are apt to declare war. CEDIA and the CEA are up in arms over this. Audioholics has an interesting response that involves setting the TVs in 'SCAM' mode to meet the energy criteria technically without having to add additional cost or increase costs to consumers. 'In this mode, the display brightness/contrast settings would be set a few clicks to the right of zero, audio would be disabled and backlighting would be set to minimum. The power consumption should be measured in this mode much like an A/V receiver power consumption is measured with one channel driven at full rated power and the other channels at 1/8th power.' This is an example of an impending train wreck of unintended consequences, and many are grabbing the popcorn and pulling up chairs to watch."
Cute, really!
It's my opinion, which will outrage Lou Dobbs, that everyone who has lived and worked in this country for a period of one year should become a citizen. As of now. Don't like it? Too bad - you shouldn't have bought things from stores that employ illegals, you shouldn't have used illegals to mow your lawn, you shouldn't have rented apartments to illegals. So you bought the problem and punishing the people who came here to make a better life for their families and children is asinine. On the other hand, this amnesty must be matched by a decisive and enforced set of laws with regards to immigration. Maybe open immigration is the best policy; I have some suspicions in that direction. People who want to come here and be successful and add to our GDP ought to be allowed.
As to democracy, I think the history of experiments with democracy have demonstrated it is an unstable, untenable form of government. I really, truly believe in some kind of Constitutional Autocracy. The trouble is finding the correct autocrat, and setting up a line of succession not based on accidents of genetics. But people imagine democracy is the solution to all civic troubles; it's misguided. Better to live in a just monarchy than a corrupt democracy.
When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.
I think nothing could be better for the people of California. Tell the Federal Empire which robs us blind, kills our young men, and embroils us in endless overseas conflict to get lost. California would save tens of billions a year not paying taxes to the Empire, which we could turn around and use on our own infrastructure and defense. We have the eighth largest economy on our own, we don't need the American albatross hanging around our neck.
Okay, humor aside...Save tens of billions? Kali has a budget shortfall. Currently, the entirety of the American people are helping to prop up this '8th largest economy'.
Bearded Dragon
California has a long history of mandating higher fuel efficiency and lower vehicle emissions for cars sold in the state. In doing so, it's played a positive role in setting national (CAFE) standards.
In this case, California is mandating electricity usage instead of mileage and pollution, but the action taken (and anticipated results) are similar enough to be considered analogous.
With that in mind, let's re-phrase the comments thus far:
You're right. Fox News and ill-informed rants it is. I guess the Sarah Palin book tour is having an effect. ;-)
America is a country of all heritages.
Which is why polish, german or italian are official languages at the same level as english in the US.
I don't remember who said it first or who I'm quoting, but population problems have a horrible way of correcting themselves.
Free Martian Whores!
I consider myself green because I don't even own a car
Well, my carbon footprint isn't large so much because of the car, but because I eat a lot of beans.
Never eat more than 239 beans at a setting. Any more than that and you're 240.
Free Martian Whores!