>They promised to make him rich and powerful, but then altered the deal,
Boy, we just can't get away from the Star Wars thing . . .
hmm, now that I think of it, I used a "Darth" something character as an industry executive in the Naptster trial I used to have my law students do . . .
And here in Las Vegas, we only have one thing to say about that:
Thank God.
Seriously. We had wanted it gone by the early 90's, but even then, there was place else that could host something that large.
It tied up facilities without the usual economic impact. The city was overrun with incredibly lousy tippers who didn't gamble . . . There were constant complaints of hotel "gouging" during Comdex but that wasn't really the case. Prices certainly went up (tripled in some cases), but it was at the opposite extreme from gouging: it was really an attempt to keep the comdexers away, so that they would stay somewhere else, leaving the rooms available for gamblers.
No, it's broader than that--thought that does describe *most* of the cases that qualify.
Easy contrary example: Fred holds the victim for George to torture to death. Or ordering a murder.
When someone is aware that death is a likely consequence, intent is usually satisfied.
With a bunch of handwaving (there is no shortage of exceptions), life without parole in murder cases tends to come from capital cases where either the jury doesn't choose death or the constitutional requirements for the death penalty aren't met.
I am a lawyer, but this is not legal advice. In fact, I cannot think of a situation offhand where a lawyer could provide useful advice in similar circumstances other than, "Don't, stupid!"
Yes, murder. Murder does *not* require "intent to kill." Generally, it requires a "reckless disregard for human life." Additionally, *any* reasonably foreseeable death during the commission of a felony is "felony murder," which is (usually) capital murder.
Voluntary manslaughter is murder with mitigating circumstances (typically heat of passion type things), while involuntary manslaughter is death due to "criminal negligence."
Bottom line is that a death from such a "prank" would be murder, and possibly a death penalty case. (To meet the other balancing tests for the death penalty, however, would be unlikely)
huh? No I wouldn't suggest any such thing. Some days, useful things could pop into people's heads. Besides, it would be a virtually impossible standard.
However, the shaving cream case made it pretty clear that "obviousness" can be difficult to figure out.
Finished? They'd rarely started. It appeared that that they would put up signs for all the projects at the beginning of the season. They would also shut down lanes prematurely--by months.
I'm partial to tying every construction zone to the supervisor's own driver's license, and making it a moving violation (with points) to not have work in the zone . . .
No injury, charges might well be dismissed, or a modest fine; jail unlikely without aggravating factors.
With an injury, the victim is very likely to want the person locked up; for anything but a modest injury, completely escaping jail time is unlikely. For moderate injuries, it's likely to be county jail time (say, 30-90 days), rather than state prison ( over 365 days).
When I was hit and run on my bicycle, the driver behind me stopped to help me, rather than pursuing the scumball. I'd been thrown 20 or 30 feet. The helmet died to save my head, my laptop screen was fractured (back when it was nearly a grand to replace a b&w screen), the diskette knocked *into* alignment, and I limped for months.
Pennsylvania had plenty of "My daddy works here. Please drive safely" signs in "construction zones." Well under a third of these actually had work in any given week.
I kept daydreaming about driving through with my kids and planting "My daddy drives here. Please work." signs in the empty zones . . .
>Even if he had left the scene in the US, that's still just a traffic citation.
No. In most (all?) states, leaving the scene of an accident with serious injury is a felony. Typically, leaving the scene where there was no injury is a misdemeanor, not a citation.
>I say that if something is obvious, even in hindsight, then it shouldn't be patentable.
The shaving cream can was challenged as obvious. The court agreed that it was, *in hindsight*, obvious, but the fact that the competitors had spent *millions* trying and failing to achieve the same thing showed that it was not obvious.
I had it as well. I actually ended up going in for medical treatment. The physician told me that he could send me for physical therapy, but that I could get the same results myself. I was assigned to attach a rubber band to my pinky and ring finger and repeatedly stretch.
In a completely unrelated event (*I* would never tamper with university equimpent!), shortly thereafter I found a piece of plastic that looked a lot like I would speculate the mechanical toggle mechanism from the apple keyboard on my desk would--and, coincidentally, that toggle stopped working and I could use the key to the left of the "a" as God intended. [I was using macbsd]
Anyway, in my case, the stretch was exaggerated--I have large but not huge hands, which meant that I had to rotate my left wrist for my pinky to even get to the control-key-in-exile.
I don't know how well the exercises would have worked, as I switched back to the True Editor in the aftermath as well.
Slashdot Mirror
>Diablo was innovative,
A seriously stripped-down Nethack with level monsters?
hawk
But in North Korea, only old people have floors! :)
hawk
Why, on just his last trip, they lost his shift key :)
hawk
That was the one about the sage old man and the beautiful young nymphomaniac, right?
:) :)
ok, ok. Bonus points for the first to name the last Heinlein novel that *wasn't* about those two
hawk
If you can't express a thought as a single german word without violating any grammar rules, you're just not trying . . . :)
hawk
>They promised to make him rich and powerful, but then altered the deal,
Boy, we just can't get away from the Star Wars thing . . .
hmm, now that I think of it, I used a "Darth" something character as an industry executive in the Naptster trial I used to have my law students do . . .
hawk
Belligerent carnivore that I am, even I would have to draw the line at live cooked animals.
(they bite back!)
hawk
True. Which makes you a poor customer for a hotel that exists to accommodate gamblers . . .
hawk
So don't open email from your wife :)
hawk
>Since COMDEX is no more,
And here in Las Vegas, we only have one thing to say about that:
Thank God.
Seriously. We had wanted it gone by the early 90's, but even then, there was place else that could host something that large.
It tied up facilities without the usual economic impact. The city was overrun with incredibly lousy tippers who didn't gamble . . . There were constant complaints of hotel "gouging" during Comdex but that wasn't really the case. Prices certainly went up (tripled in some cases), but it was at the opposite extreme from gouging: it was really an attempt to keep the comdexers away, so that they would stay somewhere else, leaving the rooms available for gamblers.
hawkk
Sure. But we're going to spread it across 1000 servers!
hawk
By *design*, actual debian is obsolete by release date . . .
hawk, off to find a debian stable machine so that he can use mosaic . . .
No, it's broader than that--thought that does describe *most* of the cases that qualify.
Easy contrary example: Fred holds the victim for George to torture to death. Or ordering a murder.
When someone is aware that death is a likely consequence, intent is usually satisfied.
With a bunch of handwaving (there is no shortage of exceptions), life without parole in murder cases tends to come from capital cases where either the jury doesn't choose death or the constitutional requirements for the death penalty aren't met.
hawk, esq
I assume that this is no longer the case here . . .
In 1990, I called 911 due to a fire in the bins behind my office. She responded by asking for my address . . .
hawk
>Every time an officer sees someone, 'Police' will be the first word out of his mouth.
:)
This may have something to do with the divorce rate for cops:
[sultry] "Hey, honey, look what I put on for you."
"Police, wow."
[confused] "Huh?"
"Police, I like it."
[hurt] "Knock that off!" {*sniff*}
"Police, I can't."
[angry] "Goodbye."
hawk
I am a lawyer, but this is not legal advice. In fact, I cannot think of a situation offhand where a lawyer could provide useful advice in similar circumstances other than, "Don't, stupid!"
Yes, murder. Murder does *not* require "intent to kill." Generally, it requires a "reckless disregard for human life." Additionally, *any* reasonably foreseeable death during the commission of a felony is "felony murder," which is (usually) capital murder.
Voluntary manslaughter is murder with mitigating circumstances (typically heat of passion type things), while involuntary manslaughter is death due to "criminal negligence."
Bottom line is that a death from such a "prank" would be murder, and possibly a death penalty case.
(To meet the other balancing tests for the death penalty, however, would be unlikely)
hawk
huh? No I wouldn't suggest any such thing. Some days, useful things could pop into people's heads. Besides, it would be a virtually impossible standard.
However, the shaving cream case made it pretty clear that "obviousness" can be difficult to figure out.
hawk
Finished? They'd rarely started. It appeared that that they would put up signs for all the projects at the beginning of the season. They would also shut down lanes prematurely--by months.
I'm partial to tying every construction zone to the supervisor's own driver's license, and making it a moving violation (with points) to not have work in the zone . . .
hawk
From a very southwest-centric view:
No injury, charges might well be dismissed, or a modest fine; jail unlikely without aggravating factors.
With an injury, the victim is very likely to want the person locked up; for anything but a modest injury, completely escaping jail time is unlikely. For moderate injuries, it's likely to be county jail time (say, 30-90 days), rather than state prison ( over 365 days).
When I was hit and run on my bicycle, the driver behind me stopped to help me, rather than pursuing the scumball. I'd been thrown 20 or 30 feet. The helmet died to save my head, my laptop screen was fractured (back when it was nearly a grand to replace a b&w screen), the diskette knocked *into* alignment, and I limped for months.
hawk
Pennsylvania had plenty of "My daddy works here. Please drive safely" signs in "construction zones." Well under a third of these actually had work in any given week.
I kept daydreaming about driving through with my kids and planting "My daddy drives here. Please work." signs in the empty zones . . .
hawk
I am a lawyer, but this is not legal advice.
>Even if he had left the scene in the US, that's still just a traffic citation.
No. In most (all?) states, leaving the scene of an accident with serious injury is a felony. Typically, leaving the scene where there was no injury is a misdemeanor, not a citation.
hawk, esq.
>I say that if something is obvious, even in hindsight, then it shouldn't be patentable.
The shaving cream can was challenged as obvious. The court agreed that it was, *in hindsight*, obvious, but the fact that the competitors had spent *millions* trying and failing to achieve the same thing showed that it was not obvious.
hawk
>maybe because it's not, you know, criminal to sue people?
*shudder*
If it becomes so, you'll see me next to the "Why lie? I need a beer." guy [1] with a "Will sue for food" sign.
hawk, esq.
[1] He's been there about 20 years now. I understand that there's a bmw around the corner that he uses to drive home.
Their combined time works out to about 10 minutes per spam . . .
hawk
I had it as well. I actually ended up going in for medical treatment. The physician told me that he could send me for physical therapy, but that I could get the same results myself. I was assigned to attach a rubber band to my pinky and ring finger and repeatedly stretch.
In a completely unrelated event (*I* would never tamper with university equimpent!), shortly thereafter I found a piece of plastic that looked a lot like I would speculate the mechanical toggle mechanism from the apple keyboard on my desk would--and, coincidentally, that toggle stopped working and I could use the key to the left of the "a" as God intended. [I was using macbsd]
Anyway, in my case, the stretch was exaggerated--I have large but not huge hands, which meant that I had to rotate my left wrist for my pinky to even get to the control-key-in-exile.
I don't know how well the exercises would have worked, as I switched back to the True Editor in the aftermath as well.
hawk