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User: Vegeta99

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  1. Re:The first thing that came to my mind was the KK on EFF, Apache Side With Microsoft In i4i Patent Case · · Score: 1

    Amen, man. I'm a first year law student. NOBODY says they want to be a criminal defense attorney.

    Every time we hear a speaker talking about a criminal case, they say the same thing: "Well, I didn't want to be a criminal defense attorney, but then..."

    Kinda funny how jaded class can make a person, even only 7 weeks in.

  2. Re:Free speech. on Amid Controversy, EA Pulls Taliban From Medal of Honor Multiplayer · · Score: 1

    While I'm with you on considering the First Amendment sacrosanct and probably our most important right, you're reading too much into it.

    All it says is the government won't infringe upon that right. Here, some people bitched, whined, and moaned about it, saying it should be banned. However, EA voluntarily removed the Taliban from the game.

    The courts of the United States will not infringe on your right to free speech except in very limited circumstances. The Court of Public Opinion, however, is and should remain free to not only ask that your game be banned, but to ask anything of you - that's their freedom, guaranteed. Another part of the First Amendment says that one is free to ask the government to infringe upon the rights of others. Whether the Gov't does it or not is a different can of worms.

    You are absolutely correct that the freedom goes both ways here. However, EA is a corporation, a person of legal fiction. They are not guaranteed rights by our Constitution. As of right now, the only things that gives them personhood are court opinions and statutes. As such, some would argue that corporations are not entitled to the right to free speech.

  3. Re:How? on PS3 Hacked Using Official Controller · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You are 100% correct, in fact, a great bit of them did not have a law degree. However, once you're a member of the Supreme Court, you are a member of the bench, and thus, a lawyer. At the very least, you are not a member of the legislative branch.

    My only point was that law is very rarely clear, and if you think it is, you're not thinking enough.

    PA homicide law:
    A person is guilty of criminal homicide if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or negligently causes the death of another human being.

    Intentionally seems clear. It's defined as: Killing by means of poison, or by lying in wait, or by any other kind of willful, deliberate and premeditated killing.

    So what if I'm hiding in the woods with my 30-06, lying in wait, hoping a deer crosses my path. I hear a noise, line up at the brown figure moving ahead of me, pull the trigger. Was that intentional?

    So what if I'm driving on I-80, moving along at the speed limit of 65MPH, and *pop* out pops a kid crossing the freeway from the woods, 50 feet, or about half a second away from me. I have enough time to know it is a human being, and my vehicle contacting him has caused the death of him. Am I guilty of criminal homicide, because I knowingly killed a human being?

    Of course, courts in the first instance would not find me guilty of intentionally killing someone, even if my actions met the definition of lying in wait. And in the second, I would probably not be found guilty of anything, even thought I knowingly killed a human being, in violation of the statute.

    So, why does the parent poster think lawyers shouldn't "make the law mean something else?"

  4. Re:How? on PS3 Hacked Using Official Controller · · Score: 1

    Aren't they lawyers? They're certainly not part of the legislative branch of the government.

  5. Re:How? on PS3 Hacked Using Official Controller · · Score: 1

    So, who's right when the politicians don't write the law clearly?

  6. Re:Why does this still exist? on Digital Radio Mondiale, a Better Standard Than US-Adopted IBOC? · · Score: 2, Informative

    No, antenna size is not a function of distance you want to cover. It's a function of wavelength, at 2.4GHz it's 12.5cm, and at 1000kHz, smack in the middle of the US AM band, it's 300m.

  7. Re:Get Out of Contract Free Card on Verizon Confirms Plan To Switch Away From Unlimited Data Plans · · Score: 2, Informative

    I have AT&T with an unlimited data plan, and when I upgraded to the iPhone 4, they specifically ASKED if I'd like to keep my unlimited data plan.

  8. Time Warner too busy on In France, Hadopi Reporting Begins, With (Only) 10,000 IP Addresses Per Day · · Score: 1

    Time Warner thinks it's too much work? To keep people from, you know, "stealing" Time Warner stuff?

    Shit, what a bunch of babies.

  9. Re:so what on Afghan Government Turns To Iran For Internet · · Score: 1

    How's the broadband? And I swear to god if it's better than what I have, I'm moving.

  10. Re:Do people still flash lights in the US? on Criminal Charges Against Speed Trap Tweeter · · Score: 1

    I clarify: As far as I know, nobody has taken a ticket for illegal high beams far enough for a court to form an opinion on it. But the PA Supreme Court seems to be pretty liberal, a young guy just fought a ticket on the tint law. The law states you must not have tint that prevents someone from seeing inside, but regulation stated 70% translucency - the cops get out the meter, and if you're below that, you got a ticket. The cop could read 8pt font on the NY Times in the front seat, so the Supreme Court let it pass. IIRC, it was 35% translucent. That's what I have now that I live in AZ, with 5% in the back windows/windshield. 35% really isn't horribly dark. However, the limo tint in the back windows makes it hard to see a moron on a bike without a light behind you or a car with its lights off at night.

  11. Re:Do people still flash lights in the US? on Criminal Charges Against Speed Trap Tweeter · · Score: 4, Informative

    I think most have given up. There was a recent case in PA where the judiciary made it specifically legal to do in the daylight, but at night, you can be cited for wrongful use of high beams.

    I still do it, but nobody else does. When I was a kid, everyone still did it, but by the time I got my license, nobody did (I'm 24).

  12. Re:You like this car? on Intel Wants To Charge $50 To Unlock Your CPU's Full Capabilities · · Score: 2, Informative

    I had a SAAB back in the day with a computer-controlled turbocharger. I don't remember the specifics, but it was a 900 model. I had a black turbo controller. If you had the red box, you got a few extra pounds of boost. That was the only difference between two trim levels as far as the engine was concerned, same internals.

  13. Re:well thats that then on HDCP Master Key Is Legitimate; Blu-ray Is Cracked · · Score: 1

    Kinda funny, but off topic, but I just watched a show about counterfeit goods a few days ago. The cops went over how dangerous some of them could be, toys with lead paint (but this happens with the genuine thing, too), counterfeit car parts (which it seems anyone could end up with), and counterfeit drugs (ch34p v14gr4 ads mostly).

    But all their little sting operations or busting the "counterfeit kingpin" were people hawking fake designer bags and clothes. They even busted a guy for fake Ed Hardy shit. Oooooooooohhh harmful!! Hell, they even admitted most people who buy the shit knew it was fake and didn't care.

  14. As an expatriate of PA... on PA's Dept. of Homeland Security Shared Oil-Shale Protester Info With Companies · · Score: 1

    Most of the protesters are full of it. They protest every last thing the companies do, and most of them have been pretty open about what they do. They bitch about the environmental effects, but every single chemical (not just fracking) they use is public.

    I was a Central Pennsylvanian. There are no jobs, no future, no industrial base to speak of. That's why I left. No point in staying. And here come the gas companies, paying royalties to everybody and their brother, and handing out jobs with paid training hand over fist.

    Yes, they have fucked up a bit with the environment. But all the water used for fracking is removed from creeks, and the dirty water is trucked out for processing, not just dumped back. IIRC, they are now paying an environmental tax. The old tards who think its a bad idea for industry in PA can go to hell.

  15. Wow, old news on Astronomers Find Diamond Star 4,000 km Wide · · Score: 1

    So old, I heard it in a stand-up comedy show first!

  16. Re:Speeding Fee on Gubernatorial Candidate Wants to Sell Speeding Passes for $25 · · Score: 1

    It's different in every state. In PA, 31 over is "loss of license"... but if you take a "points test", you don't lose it. If you get more than 6 points (about 2 speeding tickets), you have to take the test. Next time, you lose your license for 10 days (Pay $25, say "I cant find it", wait for the letter that says go nuts again), but you might get a little meeting with an angry DOT bureaucrat that, while angry, will stamp your file "NO ACTION NEEDED", and give you the license back.

    In my experience, it's the insurance company that gets pissed. But they only ever check if you get in an accident or change providers, otherwise they never find out.

  17. Re:Cops can make traffic worse. on Gubernatorial Candidate Wants to Sell Speeding Passes for $25 · · Score: 1

    I lived my whole life in PA, and just moved.

    At least we know how to drive!!! I'm in AZ now, and people look at me like I'm insane when I keep going the limit when it rains, and they're all going 10-15 under.

    You've never met anyone that fell for the "driver pulled over trick?" In my old town (Williamsport), they would "pull over" and undercover car, and the undercover would have some bacon in the front seat with a radar gun. Next highway overpass had cops waiting. And our speed limits suck! Here in AZ, there's two-lane roads that are 65MPH, some of which PA wouldn't even call 45. When I worked for PENNDOT, though, I found out many highways are designed for 85MPH+.

  18. Re:due process and equal protection on Gubernatorial Candidate Wants to Sell Speeding Passes for $25 · · Score: 1

    Under your analysis, I have a claim if I'm fined for driving without being licensed. Sorry dude, driving is a privilege, not a right.

  19. Re:For somebody from Germany... on Gubernatorial Candidate Wants to Sell Speeding Passes for $25 · · Score: 1

    When I was younger, I just HAD to see why my car had a speedometer that went up to 160.

    I got to 155 before I chickened out. Why? I passed a car. It was just downright scary passing someone going 90MPH slower than you. I'm sure I took a year or two off that guy's life expectancy.

  20. Re:WOOHOO on Gubernatorial Candidate Wants to Sell Speeding Passes for $25 · · Score: 1

    There's already hooker permits in NV!

  21. LOL on Snoop Dogg Joins the War On Cybercrime · · Score: 1

    He must be smokin' more than just the ganja now.

    He's doing a liquor-bottle signing at a state-owned Wine and Spirits store in Philadelphia soon. WTF?

  22. Re:US prisons are failures? on Building Prisons Without Walls Using GPS Devices · · Score: 1

    Your comment would be funny if it weren't true. Around winter time, all the homeless in my town would go nuts, exposing themselves, getting in fights. Why? Prison's got better amenities than homeless shelters.

  23. Re:All cars meet the Clean Air Act? on EPA Proposes Grading System For Car Fuel Economy · · Score: 1

    When NEW, they do. Hopefully your state has an emissions inspection...

  24. Re:15,000 miles per year? on EPA Proposes Grading System For Car Fuel Economy · · Score: 1

    Jeez, I do a good 30k a year, and I'm just a student! I'm guessing you're not an American?

  25. Basic. Electronics. on What 'IT' Stuff Should We Teach Ninth-Graders? · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When I was a high school student, we had to take either an Introduction to Computers class or Basic Electronics.

    I know we're talking India here, but the picture I'm getting is these kids can probably "operate" a computer just fine - enough to be an office lackey. But what about if it breaks? My parents used to go on and on about how "good" I was with computers, and they now do the same with my sister who's 10 years younger than I. Well, there's one difference. In high school, I took Basic Electronics instead of "Introduction to Computers".

    Intro to Computers was basically a how-to-use-Windows class (all the computers were Apple until this class). They taught you basic use, how to not "catch a virus" - you know, not click Yes without reading. Nothing exciting. In Basic Electronics, it was even less exciting. We had textbooks. We learned the basics of electronics theory, did fun little diagrams of circuits with an arrow, "What's the voltage and current HERE?" and by the end of it, we were building digital alarm clocks, strobe lights, etc. We learned first hand why you didn't use an underrated capacitor, and we learned what happened when you plugged one in backwards. We learned to solder (and do it correctly), we learned to use resist pens to make cheap-o circuit boards, and once the school had the money, learned how to do it with a laser printer and transfer paper.

    My poor sister has to come running to me when it's anything worse than a blue screen on her computer. She'll never be taking out the soldering iron. But what's that class meant to me? I'm a law student with a bachelors' in human development. It's certainly not going to be used by me at work. But:

    * When my dad's cursing about the damn car with a check engine light on, and how back in the old days they walked uphill both ways to the parts store and could tell what was wrong just by listening, I break out my scanner and a multimeter, and the car tells me more clearly than a good ear ever could.
    * I've never once had to pay for a repair man. When I was younger, I was shocked how much a family friend would want to pay for me to fix their VCR.
    * I have never had to hire a company to run the LANs at our student housing properties. In fact, I usually return over school breaks to fix whatever nonsense the students at Penn Tech thought would get their internet connection working again (torrents are blocked).

    I could go on, but you see my point. You could help your students greatly with just some bare-bones technical know how. They might find it a little boring at first, but it just may help out their employment prospects a little later down the road. The basics is where its at. Just like literacy. You don't teach them the alphabet and then throw a dictionary at them and tell them to get crackin'. You teach the alphabet, then a little bit of sentence structure, and you let them pull themselves up by the bootstraps.