Earth has perfected organ transplant technology, so someone with access to transplants can live for centuries. The transplants are provided by disassembling criminals, because almost every crime is capital, and execution is by disassembly for transplant stock. Because every citizen considers himself or herself law-abiding, they believe they benefit from more transplant material... and would never become transplant material themselves. They think, "I'll never murder, or embezzle, or repeatedly violate traffic laws, so make 'em all capital crimes. Get rid of the undesirables, and a longer life for me."
Earth has a unified government and a world paramilitary police force: the ARM.
The ARM has three major duties: "mother hunts" (enforcing mandatory parenthood licensing, designed so that each normal adult is allowed to be the parent of two children only -- replacement rate reproduction only), suppressing dangerous technologies (in the hands of anyone but the ARM), and combating organlegging -- black market transplant providers who source their material by kidnapping and murder.
So, the presumption that you can't deny reproductive rights is just silly. You have reproductive rights, but if you're hunted down and killed for attempting to exercise them outside the constraints of a violently enforced law, what good are they?
Oddly, 22nd Century Earth of Niven's milieu isn't generally portrayed internally as a dystopia, because humanity has been conditioned into obedience and pacifism anyway. Most Earth citizens consider the status quo wonderful.
The main reason for the proposed rule change are the problems caused by fraudulent 911 calls made through NSI phones.
This is why we can't have nice things.
I wonder if the FCC will start a crusade against fraudulent 911 calls made through anonymous VOIP services? Maybe all 911 services? 'Cuz they're clearly getting abused.
Whew! I'm glad we're rid of that dirty bathwater. Too bad about the baby, though.
A warship full of foamed magnesium would go up like a flare. It even incorporates its own oxidizer in the foam, in the air spaces. Unless they're forming the voids with inert gas.
Unless they've paid some special attention to the flammability issue, a combat vessel made with this stuff would make the Forrestal look like a birthday candle.
Non-trolls recognize that ineffective cheating is cheating nonetheless and fully punishable.
If there's any irony, it's that the Pats cheat so hard when, frankly, they don't have to. They really are that good. But then they cheapen their reputation by being dirty and underhanded.
It's a huge and deep-seated inferiority complex, masked with bravado, but completely unjustified.... they'd be every bit as successful if they chose to really be the nice guys.
Free Software is free of those, too. If I'm doing what I'm doing because I want to do it, I don't give a metric ratfuck about your ideas of efficiency.
Thanks. I work in a bondage-and-domination efficiency-driven profit-based business culture for my meager pay. Don't try to "improve" my free time that way too.
That's nice. Now you have a head attached to a dying body stuck in an iron lung.
Not to mention that it does nothing for every other organ failing for lack of functional innervation. Which is all of them.
Hell, if you're going to this much trouble, just attach the head directly to artificial life support. More effective, far simpler, and less limited than your preferred solution.
"paralyzed from the neck down" == "suffocating in minutes", since all respiratory impulses are carried on the somatic spinal nerves controlling the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles. Never mind the fact that severed autonomic nerves means no information from or control of any organs: digestive system shuts down, heart never responds to physiologic need and could spontaneously fibrillate... most organ systems shut down.
Sorry, it's absolutely required to effectively re-fuse the entire spinal cord plus the independent segments of the parasympathetic nervous system (such as the vagus nerve) through the dissection plane. Otherwise, you're just attaching a head to a dying body.
Of course they do. They get state laws passed banning aftermarket/DIY electronics, in the interests of (safety|emissions|"The Children"|stopping terrorists|whatever the moral panic of the day is).
After that, all it takes is a state regime of vehicle inspections at registration time, and the ability to detect non-standard parts (electronically, and physically). Plus denying registration for a modded car.
On this, the 5th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, I don't think citing the glowing success of sub-oceanic pipeline technology is going to be a very compelling argument.
Still, spilling fresh water into the sea is probably a little more benign than light sweet crude.
That way you can play the exciting and suspense-filled game of "what's going to break first while I tighten all of this down... the nut, the bolt, or the wrench?"
Or maybe you buy the $5 forged steel wrench, the 25 cent steel bolt, the 10 cent nut, and just 3d-print a fake penis.
Of course not. They said "We asked these five, and they denied it. The sixth is the defendant." What wasn't said was "We asked him too, and he denied it too, but that doesn't matter because he's a lying cheating scumbucket, and his denial is just further proof of his guilt."
Bugs Bunny always pronounced it "Albakoikey" in his faux-New Jersey accent. I don't think Tuscon or Flagstaff or Barstow has the same mispronunciation humor potential. And it's a funny word even when pronounced correctly, TBH.
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Earth has perfected organ transplant technology, so someone with access to transplants can live for centuries. The transplants are provided by disassembling criminals, because almost every crime is capital, and execution is by disassembly for transplant stock. Because every citizen considers himself or herself law-abiding, they believe they benefit from more transplant material... and would never become transplant material themselves. They think, "I'll never murder, or embezzle, or repeatedly violate traffic laws, so make 'em all capital crimes. Get rid of the undesirables, and a longer life for me."
Earth has a unified government and a world paramilitary police force: the ARM.
The ARM has three major duties: "mother hunts" (enforcing mandatory parenthood licensing, designed so that each normal adult is allowed to be the parent of two children only -- replacement rate reproduction only), suppressing dangerous technologies (in the hands of anyone but the ARM), and combating organlegging -- black market transplant providers who source their material by kidnapping and murder.
So, the presumption that you can't deny reproductive rights is just silly. You have reproductive rights, but if you're hunted down and killed for attempting to exercise them outside the constraints of a violently enforced law, what good are they?
Oddly, 22nd Century Earth of Niven's milieu isn't generally portrayed internally as a dystopia, because humanity has been conditioned into obedience and pacifism anyway. Most Earth citizens consider the status quo wonderful.
A perfect example of "solving the wrong problem".
"Astronaut: We want to travel faster than light."
"Scientist: Easily done! I'll just slow down light!"
"Astronaut: You missed the point."
"You're reading it the wrong way."
First Amendment says "Kiss my ass" to export restrictions.
Your Mom isn't much of a "Cyber Criminal" then. I guess she should stick with baking cookies.
True. I've heard her baking is criminal enough.
Orkish technology. It works because everyone involved believes it works. Or doesn't let on otherwise.
I hear the red polygraphs work best.
The main reason for the proposed rule change are the problems caused by fraudulent 911 calls made through NSI phones.
This is why we can't have nice things.
I wonder if the FCC will start a crusade against fraudulent 911 calls made through anonymous VOIP services? Maybe all 911 services? 'Cuz they're clearly getting abused.
Whew! I'm glad we're rid of that dirty bathwater. Too bad about the baby, though.
How flammable is this foamed magnesium alloy?
A warship full of foamed magnesium would go up like a flare. It even incorporates its own oxidizer in the foam, in the air spaces. Unless they're forming the voids with inert gas.
Unless they've paid some special attention to the flammability issue, a combat vessel made with this stuff would make the Forrestal look like a birthday candle.
By all means offer them a choice, but at their expense.
And while we're at it, make sure the externalities of bottling are fully priced in. As a race, we already use and throw away too many plastic bottles.
And if you want to have some good troll-face fun, make sure you're just bottling toilet-to-tap water.
I'm sorry, which candidate do you recommend? Kang, or Kodos?
Non-trolls recognize that ineffective cheating is cheating nonetheless and fully punishable.
If there's any irony, it's that the Pats cheat so hard when, frankly, they don't have to. They really are that good. But then they cheapen their reputation by being dirty and underhanded.
It's a huge and deep-seated inferiority complex, masked with bravado, but completely unjustified.... they'd be every bit as successful if they chose to really be the nice guys.
I just don't get it.
That's a concern of dictators and managers.
Free Software is free of those, too. If I'm doing what I'm doing because I want to do it, I don't give a metric ratfuck about your ideas of efficiency.
Thanks. I work in a bondage-and-domination efficiency-driven profit-based business culture for my meager pay. Don't try to "improve" my free time that way too.
That's nice. Now you have a head attached to a dying body stuck in an iron lung.
Not to mention that it does nothing for every other organ failing for lack of functional innervation. Which is all of them.
Hell, if you're going to this much trouble, just attach the head directly to artificial life support. More effective, far simpler, and less limited than your preferred solution.
"paralyzed from the neck down" == "suffocating in minutes", since all respiratory impulses are carried on the somatic spinal nerves controlling the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles. Never mind the fact that severed autonomic nerves means no information from or control of any organs: digestive system shuts down, heart never responds to physiologic need and could spontaneously fibrillate... most organ systems shut down.
Sorry, it's absolutely required to effectively re-fuse the entire spinal cord plus the independent segments of the parasympathetic nervous system (such as the vagus nerve) through the dissection plane. Otherwise, you're just attaching a head to a dying body.
I'd insist on a genetic test before believing even that, from her.
A genetic test would probably reveal that she is, in fact, a cancer. A walking, talking, lying, murdering, moneymaking malignant tumor.
I think that qualifies as irony. "I don't have cancer, I AM cancer."
"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.
-- Every fascist, ever
In the second scenario, there's really no need to care about people buying things, or really whether or not they starve en masse for that matter.
Well, mostly true, but the Robot Overlords will probably have disagreements with each other, and the peasants make damn fine cannon fodder.
That has no chance of being prevented by this.
Of course they do. They get state laws passed banning aftermarket/DIY electronics, in the interests of (safety|emissions|"The Children"|stopping terrorists|whatever the moral panic of the day is).
After that, all it takes is a state regime of vehicle inspections at registration time, and the ability to detect non-standard parts (electronically, and physically). Plus denying registration for a modded car.
On this, the 5th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, I don't think citing the glowing success of sub-oceanic pipeline technology is going to be a very compelling argument.
Still, spilling fresh water into the sea is probably a little more benign than light sweet crude.
That way you can play the exciting and suspense-filled game of "what's going to break first while I tighten all of this down... the nut, the bolt, or the wrench?"
Or maybe you buy the $5 forged steel wrench, the 25 cent steel bolt, the 10 cent nut, and just 3d-print a fake penis.
Of course not. They said "We asked these five, and they denied it. The sixth is the defendant." What wasn't said was "We asked him too, and he denied it too, but that doesn't matter because he's a lying cheating scumbucket, and his denial is just further proof of his guilt."
Once upon a time, we expected our intelligence agencies to spy overseas but leave our local privacy alone.
Now, spy agencies tap every domestic communications channel, but apparently spying overseas is bad.
"Unbiased" and "Honest" are capitalized. That's cruise control for credible.
You can't explain that.
Bugs Bunny always pronounced it "Albakoikey" in his faux-New Jersey accent. I don't think Tuscon or Flagstaff or Barstow has the same mispronunciation humor potential. And it's a funny word even when pronounced correctly, TBH.