"Since there is no government of which the concern or the discipline is primarily the health either of household or of the earth, since it is in the nature of any state to be concerned first of all with its own preservation and only second with the cost, the dependable, clear response to man's moral circumstance is not that of law, but that of conscience. The highest moral behavior is not obedience to law, but obedience to the informed conscience even in spite of law."
instead of buying everyone a $30 pocket-sized webcam, they bought an $8,000 webcam that needs wheels and a propulsion system because it weighs 215 friggin pounds. then, perhaps realizing how stupid they had been, they decided to slap some blue paint on it and claim a (non-existent) resemblance to r2d2.
be afraid of president mccain makes a rather compelling case that mccain is an "authoritarian maverick," and exposes many of his worrisome positions. my personal favorite:
McCain said, "I would rather have a clean government than one...where 'First Amendment rights' are being respected that has become corrupt. If I had my choice I'd rather have a clean government." if he views a clean government as more important than our petty first amendment rights (religion, speech, assembly, press, etc) - what does his penchant for associating with lobbyists, and his history with charles keating say about his respect for our freedoms?
What's with all the explosives? Do something harmless, like make some boards with blinking lights and attach them to bridges. What could go wrong? oh come on, who modded this down?
Last I checked we were in a war, which is a state of emergency. I bet if we actually checked, we would see that the U.S. has been in a state of emergency for decades. i was thinking more of an applicable emergency, not a semantic one. i doubt you're right about the US being in a state of emergency for decades, but given the fact that my faith in government has completely eroded (since i became a federal employee, no less), i wouldn't be too surprised.
and those extended student visas will really put the screws on al qaeda. iirc, weren't some of the 9/11 hijackers here on student visas?
regardless of what you think of immigration, education, H1B's, and DHS, why are so many comments about immigration, employers, etc - and not governmental abuse of power?
if anyone would like to explain how using emergency powers in a non-emergency setting isn't abuse, please, step up to the plate.
Well hell, why don't we apply this to ALL areas of life, instead of just cell phones?
Gas station chains that only sell gas to if we agree to enter into a contract to only buy gasoline from their stations, and you agree to buy a minimum of 50 gallons a month! Don't like termination fees? Don't sign a contract agreeing to pay them if you leave. It's not like you have some inalienable god-given right to drive a car. Hence the contract. would you sign that gas contract, or would you bike/walk/take public transportation/get an electric car/find a less restrictive seller of gasoline? in other words, would you bow to the BS contract, or find another way - like you did with your cell phone?
In an ideal world, a competitor would come along to service my needs. In the real world, there are very few companies with the money to buy the spectrum necessary for cell phone use, and those that have have all gotten together and decided that all of them will use this lock-in method. That leaves me with no choice but to pay exorbitant rates for their service without a contract. no choice? what about not having a cell phone, or finding a provider you can live with (making the termination fee a non-issue), or REALLY paying out the ass for a satphone? just because you don't find the options palatable doesn't mean they're not there.
don't like termination fees? don't sign a contract agreeing to pay them if you leave. duh. it's not like you have some inalienable god-given right to a cell phone. hence the contract.
i don't think this should apply to dropping service if the cell carrier isn't holding up their end of the bargain (crappy coverage, non-functioning hardware, refusal to address issues, etc) - then, by all means, the customer should have full right to leave without ANY penalty. but if the customer is leaving because they want the sweet phone on the other network, or just because they feel like it...maybe they should have thought of that before signing.
eBay is wrong and unethical, Google is right to complain. i wonder how many people who view ebay's actions as wrong and unethical will continue to buy through ebay. complaining won't get their attention; dwindling profit will. i, for one, turn my back on our new paypal-shilling wannabe overlords.
Slashdot Mirror
"Since there is no government of which the concern or the discipline is primarily the health either of household or of the earth, since it is in the nature of any state to be concerned first of all with its own preservation and only second with the cost, the dependable, clear response to man's moral circumstance is not that of law, but that of conscience. The highest moral behavior is not obedience to law, but obedience to the informed conscience even in spite of law."
Sometimes common sense, uncommon thought it may be, just has to prevail...
and we're still waiting...
instead of buying everyone a $30 pocket-sized webcam, they bought an $8,000 webcam that needs wheels and a propulsion system because it weighs 215 friggin pounds. then, perhaps realizing how stupid they had been, they decided to slap some blue paint on it and claim a (non-existent) resemblance to r2d2.
huzzah?
DANGER, WILL ROBINSON.
+funny if i had any mod points...
diesel fuel, fertilizer, and a copy of 'the turner diaries'?
and those extended student visas will really put the screws on al qaeda. iirc, weren't some of the 9/11 hijackers here on student visas?
regardless of what you think of immigration, education, H1B's, and DHS, why are so many comments about immigration, employers, etc - and not governmental abuse of power?
if anyone would like to explain how using emergency powers in a non-emergency setting isn't abuse, please, step up to the plate.
Gas station chains that only sell gas to if we agree to enter into a contract to only buy gasoline from their stations, and you agree to buy a minimum of 50 gallons a month! Don't like termination fees? Don't sign a contract agreeing to pay them if you leave. It's not like you have some inalienable god-given right to drive a car. Hence the contract. would you sign that gas contract, or would you bike/walk/take public transportation/get an electric car/find a less restrictive seller of gasoline? in other words, would you bow to the BS contract, or find another way - like you did with your cell phone? In an ideal world, a competitor would come along to service my needs. In the real world, there are very few companies with the money to buy the spectrum necessary for cell phone use, and those that have have all gotten together and decided that all of them will use this lock-in method. That leaves me with no choice but to pay exorbitant rates for their service without a contract. no choice? what about not having a cell phone, or finding a provider you can live with (making the termination fee a non-issue), or REALLY paying out the ass for a satphone? just because you don't find the options palatable doesn't mean they're not there.
don't like termination fees? don't sign a contract agreeing to pay them if you leave. duh. it's not like you have some inalienable god-given right to a cell phone. hence the contract.
i don't think this should apply to dropping service if the cell carrier isn't holding up their end of the bargain (crappy coverage, non-functioning hardware, refusal to address issues, etc) - then, by all means, the customer should have full right to leave without ANY penalty. but if the customer is leaving because they want the sweet phone on the other network, or just because they feel like it...maybe they should have thought of that before signing.