The second amendment is really only useful if the majority of the population supports an armed uprising. I have a feeling that, no matter how bad it gets, the government will still make sure that 75% of citizens would rather turn in their 25% fellows and return to watching the latest reality show.
It's not a matter of thought, it's a matter of fact. These scanners ARE a violation of your privacy, by the word of our very own Constitution.
I'm still more worried about the backscatter x-rays than privacy, though - yes, it's less radiation than you get during your flight, but it's all concentrated on the top layer of your skin cells instead of passing through your body like normal. That, and the fact that TSA agents are saving and distributing the naked pictures, are the reasons I won't go through the scanner.
Re:What's the deal with the rush of TSA stories re
on
TSA Pats Down 3-Year-Old
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· Score: 5, Insightful
WTF is up with this "flying is not a right" "driving is not a right" "the internet is not a right" stuff?
The Constitution doesn't tell us what our rights ARE, it tells us what the government CAN'T do. Just because it doesn't mention airplanes, cars, or the internet doesn't mean we shouldn't have the freedom to make up our own damn mind about what we want to do. The right to fly on a plane (if the plane is yours or agrees to carry you) is a part of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The right to drive on taxpayer-funded roads is part of the right to life, liberty, and happiness.
The government doesn't tell us what our rights are or aren't. The founding fathers espoused the belief that our rights are inherent to our humanity, that they transcend governmental decisions, and that they cannot be taken away without due process of law. The Constitution is also very clear about limits on what "due process of law" means - you can't be searched, and you can't have your papers (including computers, documents, or files) searched either, not without a warrant. They aren't allowed to mass-print warrants without evidence that a crime has occurred or is about to occur - *evidence*, not suspicion.
The TSA's actions are completely, utterly, and without recourse illegal under the laws described in the US Constitution. Unfortunately, the Constitution doesn't provide average citizens with any way to punish the people in power who perform these illegal acts or who mandate that these illegal acts be performed. Treason doesn't apply here, as much as I wish it did. We can't bring criminal charges against them, because a) courts won't hear cases brought by private citizens. Only a prosecutor can bring charges, and none of them will. b) any court cases involving these acts will be refused on the basis of national security, which is also illegal to do.
The problem is with our legal system, and with corrupt politicians in office, and with the mass apathy shown by the majority of the populace. I don't see any way out of this, but maybe smarter minds than mine will find something.
Nobody bothered to actually ask what kind of "change" he was talking about. D'oh!
Also, I told you so. I still remember the Slashdot Obama love during the election - got modded down pretty heavily for some comments that, today, would be voted up. The public is fickle:(
When a virtual strip-search or an alternative ball-grabbing is a "small inconvenience", I begin to think you're skewing the picture a little.
What makes you think that search and seizure without a warrant isn't a civil rights violation? The fact that everyone's equally violated doesn't make it okay - it makes it worse!
In the racist days of the deep south, was it okay to segregate black and white people, as long as all the black people were treated equally poorly?
You're right, the victims' families are still grieving, and it was a terrible loss for them. It's also a terrible loss for the families of 2001 car accident victims, or 2001 lightning strike victims - why is it so much more horrible for the families if their loved ones died in a terrorist attack vs. dying violently some other way? Why do we put these people up on a pedestal and ignore the hundreds of thousands of people that die every year from other less-sensational causes?
I'll tell you why. It's because it's politically expedient to USE these poor victims to further the agenda of those in power, namely, to reduce civil liberties and increase the power of people in the government.
I don't think the Constitution provided for those. If it's American soil, the Constitution applies, end of story. If they're saying that airports aren't American soil, then why would there be a problem with bombing them into oblivion?
"I'm not defending the food scanners, I'm saying that you make the choice to buy food commercially. No one is forcing you to get scanned by the government but yourself. You could always grow your own food and raise chickens - as long as you're properly zoned for that, have filled out the right forms, paid the taxes, and been scanned by the government."
I'm sick about hearing how 3,000+ people died. It was TEN FREAKING YEARS AGO! More people commit suicide each year than were killed in the twin towers, but are we mandating backscatter scans at everyone's home to find contraband pills and razor blades?
I sympathize with the families of the victims. I flew the American flag like everyone else did for two years after the event, observed the moments of silence, and attended remembrance ceremonies, but there comes a time when you have to MOVE ON. That time came five years ago - I just don't think anyone else got the memo.
We're destroying our country's freedoms in the name of 3,000 innocent civilians. Do you think they want to be remembered as the people who killed America?
Protests are part of our right to free speech - if all Hamas was doing was protesting other religions, we wouldn't be having a problem.
Religious freedom is still strong in America, and, thankfully, tolerance is starting to be a part of our children's upbringing. Openly gay people walk down the street now, where thirty years ago they wouldn't have dared to admit their orientation. Racism today is nothing compared to what it was for the previous generation, and the internet's beginning to help bring us all together in a global climate of mutual understanding.
However, religious freedom doesn't mean you're free to infringe upon other people's rights. This affects the strict practice of Islam - Sharia law is completely at odds with personal freedom and our country's legal system, as is the murder or forced conversion of those they consider to be infidels. If Muslims can live without Sharia law or violence towards others, then of course they can be themselves in our country. Something tells me they're not going to do that.
You do realize that the only legal fully-automatic firearms cost $50,000+, right? It's supply and demand - there were only a certain number of these firearms in circulation before the automatic weapons ban, so it's only those firearms that are still legal for fully-automatic use by non-government, non-law-enforcement people.
By building his own full-auto sear, he will essentially a) prevent the ATF from knowing he has a fully-automatic weapon, and b) escape having to pay $50,000+ for the privilege of spraying a few bullets rapid-fire at a paper target.
That's one issue I have with those EyeFi cards - they all have the same hardware, but they just software-unlock the features for an extra bunch of money.
Three months is nothing compared to QA times for the T-Mobile Sidekick. Small teams can't afford to wait a year from submission to first profits, especially when you're writing software on spec (not sure if it'll even be allowed onto the platform). When you outsource your QA and pay them per bug they find, you're going to get a lot of non-bugs and a lot of repeats, and the developer is going to get pissed. I know my team and I did.
Welcome to the mobile software industry, where your target platform doesn't care about you because there are 600,000 other developers who'll bend over and take it if you won't.
"The signals are too weak and the data is too obscure, according to Roberti."
Hey, AT&T - what did we learn about security through obscurity? Sorry, I can't hear you over the tone coming out of my Cap'n Crunch whistle. Nobody will ever figure out that your long-distance tone is 2600Hz, it's unthinkable!
If nobody thinks the system is broken, nobody will fix it. Meanwhile, the rest of technology will improve and adapt, until a significant segment of the criminal population will be able to easily read these weak signals and use them for nefarious purposes. It won't happen overnight, but people have a way of doggedly pursuing an answer until it's found, and it won't matter how obfuscated or "obscure" the data is.
Oh, he's so technology-savvy! He's so pro-change! We like change! We like technology!
IT'S THE INTERNET, LET'S VOTE FOR HIM! YAAAAAY!
I'd enjoy watching the segment of our geek/nerd population that voted for him getting shafted like this, but I'm too disgusted - mostly because I'm a geek too, and now I have to suffer along with the rest of you who should have known better than to take someone like him at face value.
Slashdot Mirror
The second amendment is really only useful if the majority of the population supports an armed uprising. I have a feeling that, no matter how bad it gets, the government will still make sure that 75% of citizens would rather turn in their 25% fellows and return to watching the latest reality show.
I'm not contesting that that's how it works right now, I'm contesting whether or not that's legal.
pH
It's not a matter of thought, it's a matter of fact. These scanners ARE a violation of your privacy, by the word of our very own Constitution.
I'm still more worried about the backscatter x-rays than privacy, though - yes, it's less radiation than you get during your flight, but it's all concentrated on the top layer of your skin cells instead of passing through your body like normal. That, and the fact that TSA agents are saving and distributing the naked pictures, are the reasons I won't go through the scanner.
WTF is up with this "flying is not a right" "driving is not a right" "the internet is not a right" stuff?
The Constitution doesn't tell us what our rights ARE, it tells us what the government CAN'T do. Just because it doesn't mention airplanes, cars, or the internet doesn't mean we shouldn't have the freedom to make up our own damn mind about what we want to do. The right to fly on a plane (if the plane is yours or agrees to carry you) is a part of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The right to drive on taxpayer-funded roads is part of the right to life, liberty, and happiness.
The government doesn't tell us what our rights are or aren't. The founding fathers espoused the belief that our rights are inherent to our humanity, that they transcend governmental decisions, and that they cannot be taken away without due process of law. The Constitution is also very clear about limits on what "due process of law" means - you can't be searched, and you can't have your papers (including computers, documents, or files) searched either, not without a warrant. They aren't allowed to mass-print warrants without evidence that a crime has occurred or is about to occur - *evidence*, not suspicion.
The TSA's actions are completely, utterly, and without recourse illegal under the laws described in the US Constitution. Unfortunately, the Constitution doesn't provide average citizens with any way to punish the people in power who perform these illegal acts or who mandate that these illegal acts be performed. Treason doesn't apply here, as much as I wish it did. We can't bring criminal charges against them, because a) courts won't hear cases brought by private citizens. Only a prosecutor can bring charges, and none of them will. b) any court cases involving these acts will be refused on the basis of national security, which is also illegal to do.
The problem is with our legal system, and with corrupt politicians in office, and with the mass apathy shown by the majority of the populace. I don't see any way out of this, but maybe smarter minds than mine will find something.
Nobody bothered to actually ask what kind of "change" he was talking about. D'oh!
:(
Also, I told you so. I still remember the Slashdot Obama love during the election - got modded down pretty heavily for some comments that, today, would be voted up. The public is fickle
When a virtual strip-search or an alternative ball-grabbing is a "small inconvenience", I begin to think you're skewing the picture a little.
What makes you think that search and seizure without a warrant isn't a civil rights violation? The fact that everyone's equally violated doesn't make it okay - it makes it worse!
In the racist days of the deep south, was it okay to segregate black and white people, as long as all the black people were treated equally poorly?
You're right, the victims' families are still grieving, and it was a terrible loss for them. It's also a terrible loss for the families of 2001 car accident victims, or 2001 lightning strike victims - why is it so much more horrible for the families if their loved ones died in a terrorist attack vs. dying violently some other way? Why do we put these people up on a pedestal and ignore the hundreds of thousands of people that die every year from other less-sensational causes?
I'll tell you why. It's because it's politically expedient to USE these poor victims to further the agenda of those in power, namely, to reduce civil liberties and increase the power of people in the government.
I don't think the Constitution provided for those. If it's American soil, the Constitution applies, end of story. If they're saying that airports aren't American soil, then why would there be a problem with bombing them into oblivion?
"I'm not defending the food scanners, I'm saying that you make the choice to buy food commercially. No one is forcing you to get scanned by the government but yourself. You could always grow your own food and raise chickens - as long as you're properly zoned for that, have filled out the right forms, paid the taxes, and been scanned by the government."
I'm sick about hearing how 3,000+ people died. It was TEN FREAKING YEARS AGO! More people commit suicide each year than were killed in the twin towers, but are we mandating backscatter scans at everyone's home to find contraband pills and razor blades? I sympathize with the families of the victims. I flew the American flag like everyone else did for two years after the event, observed the moments of silence, and attended remembrance ceremonies, but there comes a time when you have to MOVE ON. That time came five years ago - I just don't think anyone else got the memo. We're destroying our country's freedoms in the name of 3,000 innocent civilians. Do you think they want to be remembered as the people who killed America?
Protests are part of our right to free speech - if all Hamas was doing was protesting other religions, we wouldn't be having a problem.
Religious freedom is still strong in America, and, thankfully, tolerance is starting to be a part of our children's upbringing. Openly gay people walk down the street now, where thirty years ago they wouldn't have dared to admit their orientation. Racism today is nothing compared to what it was for the previous generation, and the internet's beginning to help bring us all together in a global climate of mutual understanding.
However, religious freedom doesn't mean you're free to infringe upon other people's rights. This affects the strict practice of Islam - Sharia law is completely at odds with personal freedom and our country's legal system, as is the murder or forced conversion of those they consider to be infidels. If Muslims can live without Sharia law or violence towards others, then of course they can be themselves in our country. Something tells me they're not going to do that.
Just hire a few Watchmakers under the table. I'm sure you'd find at least a Mote of information.
You do realize that the only legal fully-automatic firearms cost $50,000+, right? It's supply and demand - there were only a certain number of these firearms in circulation before the automatic weapons ban, so it's only those firearms that are still legal for fully-automatic use by non-government, non-law-enforcement people.
By building his own full-auto sear, he will essentially a) prevent the ATF from knowing he has a fully-automatic weapon, and b) escape having to pay $50,000+ for the privilege of spraying a few bullets rapid-fire at a paper target.
Actually, gorillas (like most other primates) have relatively small genitalia. Humans are an exception - at least, some of them are.
It's not *all* a growing body needs... So, have you met the lady in the red dress yet?
That's one issue I have with those EyeFi cards - they all have the same hardware, but they just software-unlock the features for an extra bunch of money.
We keep trying, but all it seems to do is knock their websites offline.
Home-skillet
I'd rather have someplace outside our solar system be a pristine monument. Maybe somewhere in the horsehead nebula.
You've obviously never been in a Hot Topic, have you?
Three months is nothing compared to QA times for the T-Mobile Sidekick. Small teams can't afford to wait a year from submission to first profits, especially when you're writing software on spec (not sure if it'll even be allowed onto the platform). When you outsource your QA and pay them per bug they find, you're going to get a lot of non-bugs and a lot of repeats, and the developer is going to get pissed. I know my team and I did.
Welcome to the mobile software industry, where your target platform doesn't care about you because there are 600,000 other developers who'll bend over and take it if you won't.
"The signals are too weak and the data is too obscure, according to Roberti." Hey, AT&T - what did we learn about security through obscurity? Sorry, I can't hear you over the tone coming out of my Cap'n Crunch whistle. Nobody will ever figure out that your long-distance tone is 2600Hz, it's unthinkable! If nobody thinks the system is broken, nobody will fix it. Meanwhile, the rest of technology will improve and adapt, until a significant segment of the criminal population will be able to easily read these weak signals and use them for nefarious purposes. It won't happen overnight, but people have a way of doggedly pursuing an answer until it's found, and it won't matter how obfuscated or "obscure" the data is.
Ah, kids these days and their silly moral absolutes...
Oh, he's so technology-savvy! He's so pro-change! We like change! We like technology! IT'S THE INTERNET, LET'S VOTE FOR HIM! YAAAAAY! I'd enjoy watching the segment of our geek/nerd population that voted for him getting shafted like this, but I'm too disgusted - mostly because I'm a geek too, and now I have to suffer along with the rest of you who should have known better than to take someone like him at face value.
Directed acyclic graph.