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User: boristdog

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  1. Re:Restrictive Gun laws on In Paris, Terrorists Kill 2 More, Take At Least 7 Hostages · · Score: 1

    France: 3.01 gun deaths per 100,000
    USA: 10.3 gun deaths per 100,000

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...

    So according to you, if their gun laws weren't so restrictive they could have had over three times as many deaths!

    And before you flip out and call me a "gun grabber" I happen to own about 8 guns. Which admittedly is a ridiculous amount. Though I have grabbed them on occasion.

  2. Re:Not Click Bait on In Paris, Terrorists Kill 2 More, Take At Least 7 Hostages · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is directly related to a story about people who want to censor certain information.

    Freedom of speech is as important to geeks as it is to journalists. We design, build and maintain the code and the hardware that journalists use to put out the stories to the public. Back in the print days most people didn't give a crap about what was printed in one country, or even in the next town over. Now we, the computer nerds of the world, have enabled a huge revolution in communication that is affecting entire countries, societies and religions. And we keep creating new ways to share information every day. Control of information, censorship, freedom of speech and the press are hugely intertwined with our nerd lives and livelihoods.

    Remember when anti-free-speech advocates tried to censor music lyrics? I do. Remember when they tried to ban many video games? I do. Remember wen they started shooting people who published satirical cartoons? Computer nerds like us are all about moving bits of information around. We thrive on information, data and ideas. It's what we're all about. And these shootings are a direct result of people trying to restrict the free exchange of ideas, which is the foundation of modern society.

    Any computer nerd, in fact anyone who appreciates their modern life, should want to know about anyone who is threatening the free flow of information.

  3. Re:False impression? on CES 2015: FTC Head Warns About Data Grabbed By Smart Gadgets · · Score: 1

    Of course, it works two ways.

    Someone who knows what data is collected and sent can easily spoof the gadgetry. In fact, I can see a business model for this.
    Have people pay you to take their phones, cars, etc. to the library or church while they go to the strip club, bar, brothel, etc.

    Then when discovery is done in the divorce case all they can get is "Well ma'am, it looks like your husband spent a lot of time studying and praying when you said he was out whoring."

    It just means smart people won't get caught. The usual idiots will continue to be busted. Much like every time in history.

  4. Re:America... fuck yeah on WSJ Refused To Publish Lawrence Krauss' Response To "Science Proves Religion" · · Score: 1

    Infidel. Only my invisible tyrant is valid! YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!

  5. Re:How about ignoring it? on Colorado Sued By Neighboring States Over Legal Pot · · Score: 1

    I remember this Nancy Reagan talking point. Proved to be 100% bullshit.

    Look, I believed all the BS I was taught in my childhood as well. I believed it until I was in my late 40's. Then I finally tried the devil weed.
    My life has improved greatly since I became a regular "pothead" at age 48 ( I'm now 51). I'm happier, I sleep better, I get more things done, I'm a nicer person. I smoke weed almost every evening after work.

    You should try it.

  6. Re:How about ignoring it? on Colorado Sued By Neighboring States Over Legal Pot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I remember this Nancy Reagan talking point. Proved to be 100% bullshit.

    Look, I believed all the BS I was taught in my childhood as well. I believed it until I was in my late 40's. Then I finally tried the devil weed.
    My life has improved greatly since I became a regular "pothead" at age 48 ( I'm now 51). I'm happier, I sleep better, I get more things done, I'm a nicer person. I smoke weed almost every evening after work.

    You should try it.

  7. Re:Terrorists Win on Top Five Theaters Won't Show "The Interview" Sony Cancels Release · · Score: 2

    These "terrorist" fellows seem to know how to get the US to do what they want!

    They've got moxie, I'd like to be one of those guys!

  8. Re:Tired of this shit on Virtual Reality Experiment Wants To Put White People In Black Bodies · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    No one is accusing you of oppression or repression, they are only stating that you have privileges that you don't see. You just can't see your privilege because like everyone, you only live in your viewpoint.

    I am a straight, white male raised by two educated, middle-class parents who valued education. This gives me an ENORMOUS advantage over 95% of the population. I work hard, but honestly I have NOT had to bust my ass too hard to become a successful, upper-income, white male. I get out of bad situations easily merely because I am not seen as a threat by anyone in power, but rather an ally, just because of the color of my skin.

    You have to realize that the reason that YOU think your life is not privileged is because you live in the middle of it. You think that if you have problems you are not privileged, but even the 1% has problems. I have only in the past few years come to realize the advantages I have had all my life, and when you get older you will hopefully see the same thing.

    So no one is accusing you of anything, they are just letting you know that you have it better than you realize.

  9. Re:Really.. on Apple and Samsung Already Working On A9 Processor · · Score: 1

    Yep, I work for a company that actually makes flash memory and a lot of it is sold to Samsung. This gives Samsung a second source if they need increased volume without investing in another flash fab, and some of our product types (yes, there are many types of flash memory and implementations of it) are not made by Samsung so it's cheaper for them to buy it from us.

  10. Cool research on How Birds Lost Their Teeth · · Score: 3, Funny

    Interesting reports like this can be rare as hens teeth.

  11. Re:I knew it! on Apple Accused of Deleting Songs From iPods Without Users' Knowledge · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My neice tried to load a thumb drive of MP3's from my music library into her Ipod a couple years back. Itunes instead reformatted the thumb drive. I thought she just screwed up, so I reloaded the thumb drive from my PC and we tried again. Itunes gave some message about "scanning media" and reformatted the thumb drive again.

    I said then that I would probably never buy another Apple product. I still feel that way.

  12. Re:Lord, save me from buzzwords on IoT Is the Third Big Technology 'Wave' In the Last 50 Years, Says Harvard · · Score: 1

    But we already do that. I work in a highly automated factory and I've been doing that for the past 15 years.

  13. Re:Investigation a Crapshoot on FBI Seizes Los Angeles Schools' iPad Documents · · Score: 1

    Yeah, $1500+ per iPad is probably a bit high, even with custom software. This looks like a backroom deal between the Superintendent and Apple/Pearson.

    Remember when Apple used to give discounted products to schools and students?

  14. Re:Lord, save me from buzzwords on IoT Is the Third Big Technology 'Wave' In the Last 50 Years, Says Harvard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yeah, I have had a coffee maker for 20 years that will make my coffee 10 minutes before my alarm goes off and I will have hot coffee in the morning.
    I rarely use that feature, even though it is awesome and only requires me to dump in coffee grounds and push a button at night. Otherwise I have to do that and wait 10 minutes for my coffee in the morning. Big whoop.

    So why would I use 95% of the promised IoT benefits, most of which are not as awesome as having hot, fresh coffee first thing in the morning. How lazy am I supposed to be?

    Yes, there are some cool things which I will use in the IoT, but most of what is touted as revolutionary is just stuff that isn't hard to do anyway.

  15. Re:Wait till they see water! on Scientists Have Finally Sampled the Most Abundant Material On Earth · · Score: 0

    Really? I don't see the N word used in the comments to tech articles on Reddit, just Slashdot. /. needs better moderation.

  16. Re:is it really bad in the first place? on Breath Test For Pot Being Developed At WSU · · Score: 1

    Overcorrection and weaving are the best ways to identify a drunk or texting driver.

  17. Re:is it really bad in the first place? on Breath Test For Pot Being Developed At WSU · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have only once had to drive while high, to get a dog to the emergency vet.

    No matter how hard I TRIED to go faster (I was taking the dog to the emergency vet after all), my body would not let the car go over about 50-55 on the highway and not over 35-40 on the smaller roads. About 10 miles under the speed limit in both cases. It's like my brain and body knew how fast it could handle things.and refused to go any faster.

    Whereas the one time I drove while even slightly alcohol impaired (after a dinner and two apparently strong drinks) I immediately ran into a parking lot bollard and dented my truck. I stopped right there and went back inside the restaurant to have a dessert and sober up a bit.

    So I can believe what you say.

  18. Re:Put your money where your mouth is. on Does Being First Still Matter In America? · · Score: 1

    There was once a time when most members of congress listened to scientists and other learned minds in their fields.

    Now scientists are viewed with suspicion and distrust by much of our congress and much of our public.

    Why? Ask the media, who under the guise of "fair" reporting give equal time to anyone who disagrees with science, making their crackpot claims seem equal in weight.

  19. Re:a reprogrammable protein factory on Researchers Use DNA To Record a Cell's Life History · · Score: 1

    It will give "Terrorist Cell" a whole new meaning!

  20. Not surprising on AT&T To "Pause" Gigabit Internet Rollout Until Net Neutrality Is Settled · · Score: 4, Interesting

    AT&T has found a new excuse to not invest in their infrastructure.

    I'm not an AT&T customer, so I can only assume that AT&T does not ask its customers to pay for bandwidth (e.g. it gives its services away for free), and AT&T relies on content providers for all of its profit? That's the only situation I can imagine where such behavior makes sense.

  21. Re: Lol. on US School Installs 'Shooter Detection' System · · Score: 1

    Has anyone studied how to spoof this thing? Firecracker in a piece of iron pipe?
    You know the kids are going to try. I know I would have.

  22. Re:Target, TJ Maxx, Home Depot on Espionage Campaign Targets Corporate Executives Traveling Abroad · · Score: 2

    Doesn't matter. The exec will have all his passwords taped to the bottom of his laptop.

    Seen it too many times to be shocked.

  23. I had a recruiter bitch me out on the phone because I wouldn't take a job that she sent me on an interview for. Why? The pay was $10K less than I said I would take, and they only offered me slightly above my current salary.

    She (the recruiter) told me she would make sure I never got a good job again.

    Oddly enough, two months later I got another job at the salary I requested.

  24. Re:It's Own Encrypted Secure Channel on Smartphone App To Be Used As Hotel Room Keys · · Score: 2

    And then anyone can steal my underpants.

    And guess what? No matter how secure the system is, the underpaid housekeeping and maintenance staff can still go in whenever they want.

  25. Re:how many small businesses has Obama killed? on Statisticians Study Who Was Helped Most By Obamacare · · Score: 1

    Let me see...In the past two years, almost every person on my street has started a side business. Two of them have quit thier jobs and now just work on their small business. I hope to quit in a few years when mine is built up enough, it's doing well so far, I've gotten an effective 20% raise for a few hours a week extra work. One neighbor's business has failed, but his idea was stupid.

    The fact is that MOST small businesses fail in a few years. Blaming "Obamacare" is just covering for your stupidity.