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User: Mullen

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  1. Re:Why is it even a discussion? on Republicans Introduce a Bill To Overturn Net Neutrality · · Score: 3, Insightful

    > Damn near a century of being limited to voice-over-landline under government regulation, and once regulations were lifted look what happened - internet, smartphones, ubiquitous mobile devices.

    No, not correct at all. Cell phones are just a natural progression of technology. They have nothing to do with phones or government regulation or lack of it. Someone, invented a phone that allowed you to make a phone call on the golf course and it sold to be people who had money and wanted to be reached when not in the office. They just got smaller and adding the Internet to it is just a progression of the technology.
    If anything, regulating the phone markets made cell phones possible since it allowed companies other than AT&T to get their own switching stations.

    > Long distance calls were an expensive, big deal where everyone gathered once a week to talk to relatives for a short time.

    Yes, and the government broke up AT&T and then long distance calls got a lot cheaper. You think AT&T would have ever lowered their price? Nope, the government forced them by splitting them up. You know, Regulation. Oh ya, that happened on Ronald Reagan's watch too.

  2. Re:Why is it even a discussion? on Republicans Introduce a Bill To Overturn Net Neutrality · · Score: 1, Informative

    > or shut down sex services like they did with phones using Title II

    The government has never censored sex related business on phones. You can still call sex chat lines today, although there are not many of them. In fact, there are cases where the phone companies wanted to deny service to DRUG dealers but the government said they had to treat everyone equal, even people committing crimes.

    What is with you Republicans that telling the truth or not lying is just impossible?

  3. Re: We need More Pork! More! on How the Pentagon Wasted $10 Billion On Military Projects · · Score: 1

    > were still in a recession

    We're not in a recession and have not been for some time and unemployment is at 5.5%.

  4. Re:Won't work in many countries on The Unlikely Effort To Build a Clandestine Cell Phone Network · · Score: 1

    It would be a nightmare to check ID's for little junk pre-paid phones and SIM cards in the store. No one really cares anyways.

  5. Re:Doomed on Bitcoin In China Still Chugging Along, a Year After Clampdown · · Score: 1

    > The prospect of a secure, trust-free and cost-efficient way to buy directly, that's BTC's niche

    I have that too, it's called a credit card. Seriously, Bitcoin brings nothing to the table in that space.

  6. Doomed on Bitcoin In China Still Chugging Along, a Year After Clampdown · · Score: 1

    "That doesn't mean bitcoin is gaining steam as a currency used to buy goods. Since the government clampdown, the Chinese bitcoin market has matured into one that's focused on speculative trading, said Bobby Lee, CEO of BTC China."

    If your currency is nothing more than a Get Rich Quick Scheme, then it is doomed to failure. The currency must fill a niche that can not be filled with paper cash (Or bank transfers and credit cards), whether that is get around currency controls, buy stuff on the dark web or just transfer money without fees. If a currency is nothing more than a get your friends together and buy low and sell high, then there is no use for the currency.

    Bitcoin has a real problem ahead of it, a legitimate use.

  7. Re:Let them sell cake on Gen Con Threatens To Leave Indianapolis Over Religious Freedom Bill · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > While a business shouldn't be allowed to not serve a segment of society, a business shouldn't be forced to contribute to something to which they object (on any grounds, but religious grounds for this argument).

    Business are not people, so stop speaking of them as though they have Natural Rights like you or I. Businesses are artificial constructs of a society and thus have to follow the rules of that society. Businesses don't get to decide anything, they are allowed to function within a certain set of rules and one of those rules is they don't get to discriminate.

  8. Getting it Right on Stanford Study Credits Lack of Non-Competes For Silicon Valley's Success · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is where I think the Right Wing and Republicans get it wrong when it comes to business. They look at it as, what is best for business is what will drive business, but in the case of California, it is what is best for employees is what drives business. Who in their right mind would want to work in a state where business can keep you from leaving by creating non-compete contracts? People with talent are going to go where they think it is best for them. In the case of California, weather and not being locked into a company is what is best for them.

    On a side note, I left a company in California that was based out of New Mexico and they told me I could not work in IT for three years because of the non-compete I signed with them. I laughed at them and told them to come to California and try to enforce it. Needless to say, I kept working in California.

  9. What is the point? on How Police Fight To Keep Use of Stingrays Secret · · Score: 2

    I don't see the point of this device. If you use a Stingray to catch a criminal, then can't the criminal simply request how the device works and once that is denied, the evidence used to catch the criminal is simply thrown out. The whole point is gather evidence but if that evidence is unusable, then the whole point of the device is gone.

  10. Re:Homeland Security? Everyone is a terrorist on Silk Road 2.0 Deputy Arrested · · Score: 5, Informative

    All of the financial costs related to heroin use comes from enforcement and criminalization of heroin, hardly any of the damage comes from use of heroin.

    All crime related to heroin addiction comes from the cost of getting heroin. If it was legal or could be purchased if the buyer could be proven to be an addict, then the cost would be lower and the addict would not need to steal. All of the violence from addiction comes from the ability to not get heroin legally.

    OD'ing comes from heroin purity not being controlled. If all legally sold heroin was the same purity, then addicts would OD a lot less.

    AID's and the spreading of disease of heroin users comes from sharing needles and lack of access to medicine. If heroin was legal or medically dispensed, then addicts could also have access to clean needles.

    Addicts are forced to operate in the shadows and out of the eye of government and medical professionals. If you made heroin legal or medically accessible, then addicts could start working on getting clean or at least not getting worse.

  11. Re:Biased Institutions FTW on Parents Investigated For Neglect For Letting Kids Walk Home Alone · · Score: 1

    > There .. fixed that for you. Don't believe what the media tells you, it's really not that bad over here.

    Seriously, stop watching Fox News. Japan is insanely safe for adults and children and the crime rate over there is tiny compared to the US. 99% of Japan is safer than the anywhere in the US at anytime. The only place I would advise against walking alone is Roppongi in a back alley on a Sunday morning at 3:00a.

  12. Professional Mass Emailer on Ask Slashdot: How To Unblock Email From My Comcast-Hosted Server? · · Score: 2

    At the company I work at, I run several large high volume mass mailing servers that send million of messages a month (50 million last month). Here is what I recommend you do:

    1) Get forward and reverse DNS setup and most importantly, the forward and reverse DNS information must match.

    2) Set up and use DKIM for all outbound traffic.

    3) Have the SPF information in your DNS records. Don't put your block of IP's in SPF record, just the one IP that you use for sending email. Make sure there is a "-all" in the records so that it makes it clear that all other email claiming to be you is discarded by other server.

    4) You will need to setup Feed Back Loops and proper SWIP (If possible) contact information. You will need to go to the big 10 ISP's and submit the FBL information to them and get put on their White Lists. Don't lie to them, just tell them your personal email server that is having issues sending mail to them and you want to get on their White List. FBL's are usually for people who send high volumes of mail, include Newsletters and some "spammy" mail, but I find it helps regular mail servers if you set up FBL information.

  13. Re:This is great news! on Silicon Valley Swings To Republicans · · Score: 1

    Let's cede the argument that Bush made a mess in Iraq. If Obama's planned and announced withdrawal of troops basically took the bandage off the wound and it took the scab with it, then there's plenty of blame to go around if it gets infected. Public calls for a withdrawal could have taken a backseat to ensuring gradual stabilization of the country and reduction of forces. Obama was still adored by the masses and could spare a little political capital to go along with the military and intel leaders. But he slowly replaced those leaders with "yes" men who painted a withdrawal with no consequences.

    Say it real slow to yourself, the US can't post troops in countries without a forces agreement. Iraq did not want to agree to an agreement that would have kept US troops in the country. This is not a Obama or Bush issue, it's a Iraqi government issue. When it is time to go, it is time to go.

  14. Re:Why at a place of learning? on Creationism Conference at Michigan State University Stirs Unease · · Score: 1

    Creationism is Religious subject and Evolution is a Scientific subject. You can't compare one with the other and Creationism does not belong in a science classroom since it does not pass being a working hypothesis. There is nothing to debate and pretending that Creationism is debatable subject in the context of Evolution is a insult to Science.

  15. Re:His Peace Prize will solve everything on Former Department of Defense Chief Expects "30 Year War" · · Score: 1

    You don't decline a Peace Prize. You gain nothing by accepting it but you lose a lot by declining it.

  16. Re:Nope they are clever on Apple Locks iPhone 6/6+ NFC To Apple Pay Only · · Score: 1

    > You regularly use NFC for payments? You must be some kind of wizard.

    I use Google Wallet all the time: Pete's Coffee, 7-11, Whole Foods, Home Depot, Target (I'm pretty sure I used it at a Target last time). With the Target hacking, most of the Payment Terminals are being replaced and support Google Wallet.

  17. Stupid Blame Game on Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is Elliot Rodger being put into the Nerd category? I have not seen anything on this guy that would put him in the Geek or Nerd category. What languages did he code in? What con's did he attend? What was his comic book/manga collection like? What technical degree's did he hold? This discussion has nothing to do with "misogyny entitlement nerds" but a genuine crazy kid.

    Just because some guy is a Asperger social reject does not put him into the category of nerd or geek. Elliot has major issues and he blamed women and people who had social skills for his troubles. He was an entitled little shit who thought having a BMW, traveling the world and wearing $500 sweaters would automatically get him the girls. It turns out he lacked the one major component in the Get The Girl Formula that you really need, a personality. He found an outlet in Men's Rights/The Red Pill/Misogyny but he could have found an outlet in any of the other shitty beliefs that exist in our society like 9/11 conspiracies, Little Green Men and the Black President is from Kenya. Blaming a sub collection of a sub portion of our culture is not going to find the answer to the complex problem of what to do with truly mentally ill people.

  18. Re:California is dead, TEXAS is where it's at... on Could High Bay-Area Prices Make Sacramento the Next Big Startup Hub? · · Score: 0

    > Look, I am not a Texas cheer-leader or anything, but I will say, at least we have jobs, and a much lower unemployment rate than the average. All of my kids are in private schools, because of the education thing... still our cost of living is significantly lower, and our lifestyle significantly higher than when we lived in California.

    I would be willing to bet that high property taxes, huge electric bills and funding private education for your kids (Depends on how many you have), that your Total Taxes + School Fees + Electric Bills are not any lower than my California Taxes and Property Taxes. I don't need private education or have $500 electric bills.

    Plus, Rick Perry.

  19. Re:California = 1D10T Errors on California City Considers Restarting Desalination Plant To Fight Drought · · Score: 5, Insightful

    > Rather, it is all about killing agriculture in the southwest to free up more water for California urbanites.

    Agriculture uses about 70%, with industry using 20% and urban populations using 10% of the water. Agriculture, you know, that stuff you eat from those greedy bastards in California.

    > Nevada rancher stand off...

    Bullshit. It's about some welfare rancher not paying his grazing fee's. Pure and simple. He has no intellectual or legal argument, so he is whipping up the dummies over on Fox News to call out the Tea Party morons to protest his desire to rip off the Tax Payers.

  20. Re:Pretty big differencfe on For the First Time Ever, the FAA Is Trying To Fine a Drone Hobbyist · · Score: 1

    Technically, the sky does cross state lines.

  21. Forget Cars! on Google Using Self-Driving Car Data To Make Cars Smarter · · Score: 1

    People talk about cars as the next big thing, but in reality, it's trucks. Google 18 wheeler will be able to get on the highway and travel across the country in a couple of days. The big transit points and warehouses are already next to the freeway, just load up Google 18 wheeler, have it take off and two turns later it is on the highway trucking across the country. Just need to make gas stations with attendants that will fill up the trucks gas tanks and check the tires.

  22. Re: Congressional fix? on How the FCC Plans To Save the Internet By Destroying It · · Score: 1

    Well, the USA does not. To get a heart you need to go before a panel to decide if you are "worthy" and you will survive. If you will not survive or you are not going to take care of yourself, you will not get that heart. I'm pretty sure that the "insurance will pay for a heart transplant while you are laying in bed with inoperable brain cancer which is expected to kill you within 2 months" is Right Wing propaganda bullshit.

  23. Re:Austin, great but not my kind of town... on Tech People Making $100k a Year On the Rise, Again · · Score: -1, Troll

    What they are doing is using "code words" for what they don't want around them. They don't want it to be diverse; White's Only. They don't want ANY Gay people around. They don't want any "Femanazi's" around (*Gasp* asking for equal pay for equal work is like cutting off my penis!!!!!). They want Bible to be the main focus of education in their schools.

    Don't be fooled with the polite code words, they want to go back to 1950's.

  24. Re:Lobbying aside on Intuit, Maker of Turbotax, Lobbies Against Simplified Tax Filings · · Score: 2

    It would not be hard to make it clear to people how much "The Man" is taking.

    For example, this is what the IRS might send you:

    You make: $X
    Your deductions: $Y
    Your Tax: $Z
    Percentage Paid: %R

    For the vast majority of the people in the US, the IRS knows everything it needs to know about you to do your taxes. There is no reason why a voluntary system like this would not work.

  25. Re:How to Falsify Evolution on Kickstarted Veronica Mars Promised Digital Download; Pirate Bay Delivers · · Score: 5, Insightful

    > Same with evolution. Point out a fossil that doesn't fit, and win a prize. except you can't, so you don't.

    I always say to people that don't believe in Evolution that if they can collect the data, then make it reproducible and can write a good paper explaining it all, then they can win a Noble Prize and completely and utterly change a major branch of science. Their name will go down in history one of greatest minds ever in the entire length of mankind.

    For some reason, none of these people ever take me up on my offer.