You're half right, the rules were bullshit but it's because of Air Rage. Some idiot blabbing on their phone next to you throughout the flight a few inches from your head would lead to more air rage incidents. That's why the new rules say that making calls specifically is not allowed, in addition to disabling radio functions.
Another thing that makes me laugh is the new "restrictions" being put on the NSA.
How could anyone trust that any of these restrictions are really being put into place? It's 100% impossible. Obama could say he's ending all spying against everyone but known AK-47 wielding terrorists tomorrow and those words would not be worth the sound waves that carried them. The NSA systematically lies their ass off about what they do, and Obama has shown that he's not above lying to cover the NSA's ass either. Words from US government officials about the NSA are as meaningless as U2 lyrics.
Even if all the NSA's buildings were abandoned and demolished tomorrow it could just be a diversion. There's no way to earn back the trust.
Who said anything about "socialism?" And are we talking the proper definition or the US colloquialism? (I think the latter, based on your conceptions of it)
I wouldn't promote any system that assumes that all government employees are rational actors omniscient of all publicly available information, any that does is doomed to failure.
Coal is by far cheapest and most economical however, and modern coal doesn't even pollute. Modern coal burning process in new power plants alone removes most of the nasties like NOx and SO2 emissions and modern filters can eliminate particle exhaust by turning it into ash which can be kept out of atmosphere.
Yeah that ash collects in a huge ever-growing toxic lake. Thus solving the problem once and for all!
Just make sure that if any dams hold it in, you don't live in the floodplain.
Then there's the unholy amount of CO2 these things pump out, and the huge amount of mining needed on an ongoing basis to feed the coal plant...minor problems right?
When everyone's personal earnings, including yours, bear some resemblance to being in proportion to their personal productive output. Or when we finally move past capitalism, whichever comes first.
Enjoy your time leeching off the work of others, who knows how long it will last, if this ends bloodily it will be in the next decade...right now you'll have no clue you've been doing it, but some day you may understand, and may even feel guilty if it's possible to regrow a conscience.
Yep, that's why when something is no longer scarce, the non-scarce item has to be made artificially scarce to keep the item in the system, or it would break the system.
That's why the system assumes that everyone in it is a rational actor omniscient of all publicly available information. Because "Human" is just short for "Vulcans absorbed by the Borg collective."
That's why we need a system of imaginary property that slams the brakes on technological innovation and the arts.
That's why the best factor for predicting how much a child will make when they grow up is how much their dad made.
That's how over the last 3 decades, only a tiny fraction of the population has seen the gains from massive productivity increases.
That's why that tiny fraction is made up of some of our most destructive psychopaths and some random people with no uncommon talent.
Capitalism "works" to the same extent that it's "BUILT AROUND real-world principles and ideas." As a punchline.
The only real-world principles and ideas it's built around are our worst tendencies as a species. It serves to reward and empower them.
Smartwatches were around for a long time before the iWatch rumor and they'd always been niche devices for hardcore nerds.
I'd have one, but the big problem is that the screen is too small to make it a replacement for my phone. I already carry a phone. If the screen were big enough to be a phone replacement, I could just strap my phone to my wrist instead. I think it's safer in my pocket.
If you just want notifications from your phone...then just get a cheaper, normal-looking, longer-running bluetooth watch instead. They've been out for a long time too.
You bet your ass they won. Bin Laden's intellect in asymmetrical warfare was the real middle-eastern WMD, and he Hiroshima'd the hell out of the US with it.
Notice how he says the Europeans are less competitive because basically they're not so gung-ho on laissez-faire capitalism. Another way to put this is that, to level the playing field, European standards of living should be dragged down to US levels. Efficiency is always good for the productivity of an organization but often bad for the individual (it only takes some of the easiest and most natural actions in capitalism - squeezing employees' pay and externalizing costs to society). It's why it's more ethical to buy from a first-world clothing manufacturer (theoretically...not sure if such a thing exists) than a sweatshop. Yes the sweatshop is "highly efficient" and "more competitive" but there are hidden costs which you are incurring to society by supporting them.
This situation could play out again in a couple of decades, with China taking the role of the US and the US taking the role of Europe....those statist Americans who will resort to bribery instead of "competing." China will just want to level the playing field.
EVs are hardly more expensive than ICE vehicles right now. Yes they're still a bit more, but instead why don't we focus our anger on the fatcats filling their vehicles with hyper-expensive antique dinosaur juice? Such decadence!
Maybe you've heard that they have a Narco-Terrorist insurgency in Mexico? They've had more people killed than the US lost in Vietnam ( 60,000+). The violence spills over the border, and the American side of the border isn't safe in many places for miles into the US. The drugs don't spill over, they flow in. So yes, the US might have a reason or two to have an idea about what is going on in Mexico.
And is the Mexican President personally involved? If not then why spy on his email? If you want some info from him then ask. This is what friends do.
And by the way, did you hear that some of the 9-11 hijackers were from a terrorist cell in Hamburg Germany [bbc.co.uk]? Maybe there is a reason for the US to keep an eye on things in Europe as well.
Most countries have a potential terrorist or two, this doesn't justify spying on everyone. A 9/11 style attack can never happen again due to the change in flight passenger knowledge, it's done and there's no point guarding against the use of commercial aircraft as weapons any further.
Slashdot Mirror
Because The Register already beat it to death.
Hehe.
You're half right, the rules were bullshit but it's because of Air Rage. Some idiot blabbing on their phone next to you throughout the flight a few inches from your head would lead to more air rage incidents. That's why the new rules say that making calls specifically is not allowed, in addition to disabling radio functions.
Pulling in other posts below it :D
That was my first thought too.
For those of you who use NoScript or Ghostery, have you seen a thing called Crazy Egg?
It tracks your pointer. It's everywhere.
Shocking.
Another thing that makes me laugh is the new "restrictions" being put on the NSA.
How could anyone trust that any of these restrictions are really being put into place? It's 100% impossible. Obama could say he's ending all spying against everyone but known AK-47 wielding terrorists tomorrow and those words would not be worth the sound waves that carried them. The NSA systematically lies their ass off about what they do, and Obama has shown that he's not above lying to cover the NSA's ass either. Words from US government officials about the NSA are as meaningless as U2 lyrics.
Even if all the NSA's buildings were abandoned and demolished tomorrow it could just be a diversion. There's no way to earn back the trust.
Who said anything about "socialism?" And are we talking the proper definition or the US colloquialism? (I think the latter, based on your conceptions of it)
I wouldn't promote any system that assumes that all government employees are rational actors omniscient of all publicly available information, any that does is doomed to failure.
Coal is by far cheapest and most economical however, and modern coal doesn't even pollute. Modern coal burning process in new power plants alone removes most of the nasties like NOx and SO2 emissions and modern filters can eliminate particle exhaust by turning it into ash which can be kept out of atmosphere.
Yeah that ash collects in a huge ever-growing toxic lake. Thus solving the problem once and for all!
Just make sure that if any dams hold it in, you don't live in the floodplain.
Then there's the unholy amount of CO2 these things pump out, and the huge amount of mining needed on an ongoing basis to feed the coal plant...minor problems right?
Came here to say this...easy choice.
Taiwan, just do what you usually do: Just keep quiet and let China believe they own you while you do your own thing.
I'd have a much better opinion of Obama if that's his plan. That would be clever and helpful.
Excessive greed is destroying the world.
FTFY.
When everyone's personal earnings, including yours, bear some resemblance to being in proportion to their personal productive output. Or when we finally move past capitalism, whichever comes first.
Enjoy your time leeching off the work of others, who knows how long it will last, if this ends bloodily it will be in the next decade...right now you'll have no clue you've been doing it, but some day you may understand, and may even feel guilty if it's possible to regrow a conscience.
So under your system, if you are born to poor parents, you are screwed for life?
Status Quo Maintained! Mission Accomplished!
Yep, that's why when something is no longer scarce, the non-scarce item has to be made artificially scarce to keep the item in the system, or it would break the system.
That's why the system assumes that everyone in it is a rational actor omniscient of all publicly available information. Because "Human" is just short for "Vulcans absorbed by the Borg collective."
That's why we need a system of imaginary property that slams the brakes on technological innovation and the arts.
That's why the best factor for predicting how much a child will make when they grow up is how much their dad made.
That's how over the last 3 decades, only a tiny fraction of the population has seen the gains from massive productivity increases.
That's why that tiny fraction is made up of some of our most destructive psychopaths and some random people with no uncommon talent.
Capitalism "works" to the same extent that it's "BUILT AROUND real-world principles and ideas." As a punchline.
The only real-world principles and ideas it's built around are our worst tendencies as a species. It serves to reward and empower them.
Trololololol....
Haha that would explain a lot.
Smartwatches were around for a long time before the iWatch rumor and they'd always been niche devices for hardcore nerds.
I'd have one, but the big problem is that the screen is too small to make it a replacement for my phone. I already carry a phone. If the screen were big enough to be a phone replacement, I could just strap my phone to my wrist instead. I think it's safer in my pocket.
If you just want notifications from your phone...then just get a cheaper, normal-looking, longer-running bluetooth watch instead. They've been out for a long time too.
Not a bad idea, just be sure to post lots of pictures to keep people interested :-P
But that doesn't mean that Upstart does.
Dunno about rivaling a nuclear explosion...but it sure looked huge:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_propane_explosion
*where "environmental groups" includes nutbag organizations like Greenpeace.**
**Which is always, apparently :-(
D'oh, beaten.
You bet your ass they won. Bin Laden's intellect in asymmetrical warfare was the real middle-eastern WMD, and he Hiroshima'd the hell out of the US with it.
Notice how he says the Europeans are less competitive because basically they're not so gung-ho on laissez-faire capitalism. Another way to put this is that, to level the playing field, European standards of living should be dragged down to US levels. Efficiency is always good for the productivity of an organization but often bad for the individual (it only takes some of the easiest and most natural actions in capitalism - squeezing employees' pay and externalizing costs to society). It's why it's more ethical to buy from a first-world clothing manufacturer (theoretically...not sure if such a thing exists) than a sweatshop. Yes the sweatshop is "highly efficient" and "more competitive" but there are hidden costs which you are incurring to society by supporting them.
This situation could play out again in a couple of decades, with China taking the role of the US and the US taking the role of Europe....those statist Americans who will resort to bribery instead of "competing." China will just want to level the playing field.
The Cardassians were often seen as a stand-in for Israelis...there are more parallels to support this idea I think.
EVs are hardly more expensive than ICE vehicles right now. Yes they're still a bit more, but instead why don't we focus our anger on the fatcats filling their vehicles with hyper-expensive antique dinosaur juice? Such decadence!
Maybe you've heard that they have a Narco-Terrorist insurgency in Mexico? They've had more people killed than the US lost in Vietnam ( 60,000+). The violence spills over the border, and the American side of the border isn't safe in many places for miles into the US. The drugs don't spill over, they flow in. So yes, the US might have a reason or two to have an idea about what is going on in Mexico.
And is the Mexican President personally involved? If not then why spy on his email? If you want some info from him then ask. This is what friends do.
And by the way, did you hear that some of the 9-11 hijackers were from a terrorist cell in Hamburg Germany [bbc.co.uk]? Maybe there is a reason for the US to keep an eye on things in Europe as well.
Most countries have a potential terrorist or two, this doesn't justify spying on everyone. A 9/11 style attack can never happen again due to the change in flight passenger knowledge, it's done and there's no point guarding against the use of commercial aircraft as weapons any further.