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User: whistlingtony

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  1. Re:quickly to be followed by self-driving cars on Are We Reaching the Electric Car Tipping Point? · · Score: 1

    I hate this meme... I really do. As if the paltry amount of property taxes are a huge burden. As if your house is a magic island not connected by roads, electrical grids, sewer lines, water lines, internet... Protected by a fire department, police, rule of law.... All of which* are maintained by the local city and/or state government.

    To reverse it, you seem to want the services but you seem to want others to pay for them. You take your basic infrastructure for granted then complain when the (completely awesome and low cost due to efficiency of scale) bill comes due.

    My yearly property taxes are a week's wages. One out of 52, and look at all the awesome life and business enabling awesome I get for that. My job wouldn't exist without a decent electrical grid, rule of law, water, sewer, etc etc etc.... Hell, my favorite taco cart wouldn't exist without all that stuff either.

    You own your home.... Assuming you actually pay off your mortgage. Your taxes pay for the civilization you get around your home. If you don't pay up for all that civilization, yeah, they get cranky. They should. They delivered services to you, that you knew about, that you can NOT pay if you really don't want to but you're going to have to live somewhere a lot more Shit-tastic.

    There are shit holes where you don't have to pay property taxes.... but you didn't bother to look into that did you? You knew the deal when you bought your house in a nice neighborhood.

    * One could make a case that internet is a private enterprise. One could also make a case that that private enterprise is running over public land, public power poles, etc etc... so I included it here too.

  2. Re:In other news on Google Staffers Share Salary Info With Each Other; Management Freaks · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Uh. That's nothing like this. That's a completely different scenario. What's your point?

  3. 3 years? on Charter Hires Net Neutrality Activist To Make Policy · · Score: 2

    So... They promise to not fuck people for 3 years, but after that they're good. That's just insulting...

  4. Re:Amen brother! on Ask Slashdot: Are There Any Search Engines Left That Don't Try To Think For Me? · · Score: 0

    What have R's done to make anything better for anyone lately? I'm serious. I want an answer. I guess Rand Paul temporarily defeated the bulk collection of our phone records... sort of... but not really.... But really, what have they done?

    It seems to me to be two sides screaming about issues they don't really care about at all in a vague attempt to attention whore while a handful of people who tend to have a D next to their name (Ok, and MAYBE that one R previously mentioned even though he's a "get rid of the EPA" weirdo) actually try to make things better for everyone.

  5. Re:I Predict... on FCC To Fine AT&T $100M For Throttling Unlimited Data Customers · · Score: 1

    You People. Always.... "Well, fines don't work because the company will just pass it on to the consumer!"

    Fine... Fine them a HUGE number, and suddenly they CAN'T "just" pass it on because it makes them more expensive than their competitors...

    but I'm curious, what is your alternative. We should just not punish companies that do bad things? Is that it? 'Cause that doesn't work for me....

  6. Re:$100,000,000 on FCC To Fine AT&T $100M For Throttling Unlimited Data Customers · · Score: 1

    a corporation is a fake person used for paperwork/liability purposes, and we can tax them if we want to. There's no "fair" in it at all. We made them up. We can tax them if we all choose to. There's no contradiction. We made them up and we can grant or revoke "rights" as we see fit.

    Are you honestly saying that corporations are not represented in government? If so, you can !@#$ing !@#$ your !@#$ing !@#$. :D

  7. Re:Welcome to Fascist America! on Trade Bill Fails In the House · · Score: 1

    I don't think we actually know that. And I don't think you can chain those suppositions together. In three paragraphs you went from "you want to rule over over people." to "We don't want to live under Stalin and Mao mass murderers!". I don't think your logic chain actually links together.

    I'm just an innocent bystander, but I do want to tell you that you may be shooting from the hip and missing. Your arguments come off a bit Crazy. But hey, you're anonymous, what do you care?

  8. Re:Republican Hypocrits on TPP Fast Track Passes Key Vote In the Senate, Moves On To the House · · Score: 1

    And if you want someone to tell you how Obama is a Bad Man, this liberal will gladly tell you all of the reasons. The only difference between us is that my reasons are REAL, and so many reasons spouted by "you people" (And I'm totally generalizing, and generally being an asshole here) are made up fantasy "invading Texas"/ RFID chips/Obama started warrantless wiretapping nonsense bullshit.

  9. Re:Republican Hypocrits on TPP Fast Track Passes Key Vote In the Senate, Moves On To the House · · Score: 2

    Most of our Republican Reps and Senators are for TPP.

    Obama is going against the majority of Dem Reps and Senators in seeking Fast Track Authority for the TPP... http://www.commondreams.org/vi...

    So, MOST of the Rs are for it, and SOME of the Ds are for it, and in your mind, they're equally bad.

    Now, I absolutely agree with you that the mere secrecy surrounding this thing should be enough to reject it, but I have to say; You seem to have your opinions, and then you mold facts to them. Yes. I'm sure those Republicans are being duped into supporting Obama...... Sure they are... It wouldn't have anything to do with how they keep getting campaign contributions from giant companies. Noooo..... They're being tricked!

    As an aside, I'm amazed how the Rs can't have Obama doing deals with Iran that move us toward peace.... They need to be able to tinker with the sanctions! Obama is overstepping himself? Oh, you want fast track authority to sneak in giant corporate giveaways? Give it to him, give it to him! The hypocrisy is amazing....

    Anyway, yes, there are Slimy Democrats trying to get his passed. But let's not equate the handfull of Ds with the vast majority of the Rs trying to get his past us.

    And whatever you believe, I at least take heart that you can see that the TPP is a Bad Thing.

  10. Re:That's IT. I've had it with the politics on /. on Ireland Votes Yes To Same-Sex Marriage · · Score: 1

    Uh. There are Nerds that are gay. This is big news for them.

    If you don't like it, no one made you read it. No one made you click reply. No one made you type. No one made you hit preview. No one made you hit submit.... Or is this one of those "If we allow gays, they might spread gayness" things? Did the gays make you hit reply?

  11. Re:More than PR on What Was the Effect of Rand Paul's 10-Hour "Filibuster"? · · Score: 1

    Naaahhh... It's because we think getting rid of the EPA is bat shit crazy STUPID. It does a valuable job. There's a reason the EPA exists... We Americans set a river on fire for fuck's sake. A River! On Fire! Getting lead out of gasoline is a good idea. Our natural resources need to be protected, and not because of hippy dippy feelings, but because a lot of us happen to make our living from them!

    Liberals would be a lot happier with Libertarians if they'd stop trying to kill basic protections so the magic free market could make all the decisions. We've done that before in US history. It did not go well......

  12. Re:More than PR on What Was the Effect of Rand Paul's 10-Hour "Filibuster"? · · Score: 1

    As a Liberal, I find your post controversial, problematic, and inflammatory!

    :D

    But really, I see it as one side wanting to help people, create basic infrastructure, and get on with the business of governing... and the other side is infested with religious zealots who hate basic science and education. Ted Cruz is on the committee that decides funding for NASA. I mean... Come On!

  13. Re:ENOUGH with the politics! on Los Angeles Raises Minimum Wage To $15 an Hour · · Score: 1

    Private medicine is NOT outlawed in Canada. You have no idea what you're talking about, or you're just trolling.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Canada#Private_sector

    I have family in Canada. They're quite happy with it.

  14. Re:Thank God for Gov't Oversight on Verizon, Sprint Agree To Pay Combined $158 Million Over Cramming Charges · · Score: 1

    Oh shut the !@#$ up... It's all the government's fault, so you say. Yes. Bad corporate behavior is enabled by government. And I'm sure that without government around, they wouldn't have done it? B. !@#$ing S.

    You need to go back and look at history some more to see what companies got up to when there wasn't government insight. There's a nice little historical place in my home state, a canyon that held a mine. The workers in that mine were not paid very well, and they had to rent their barracks, and they had to buy food and equipment from the company store at inflated prices. There was only one way out of this canyon... and it had a gatling gun covering it, that conveniently pointed inwards.

    Now, I'm pissed as anyone else that I'd get years in prison if I stole this much, and let's not mince words here.... The phone companies STOLE, and someone should be in prison. But don't go blaming this on the !@#$ing government. That's just your own little petty hatred.

    When the cops aren't doing their job well enough, the solution is NOT to get rid of cops! Criminals will self regulate! Suuuuuuuure. No. The solution is to get rid of the dirty cops and get some cops that will do their job. I hate this !!@#$ing "government bad, let's get rid of it!" mentality. That doesn't work, and it should be !@#$ing obvious to anyone with half a !@#$ brain.

  15. countries migrate toward freedom, and we wack back that freedom if it suits us. Take Iran.... they went to nationalize their oil. The big oil company at the time, now BP, complained to the UK government. They complained to the U.S. We overthrew Iran's government and put the Shah in place.

    Our strategy has nothing to do with Freedom, and everything to do with Economics.

  16. Oh, so we didn't occupy. We just help people overthrow democratically elected governments all over the world. But hey, we don't "occupy". I'm sure that'll make all those people give us a pass, right?

    You are purposefully ignorant.

  17. Ahahahahah! Someone needs to study up on history. Read up. You are woefully ignorant.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_United_States_foreign_regime_change_actions This'll be a good start.

  18. Re:To think I once subscribed to this site on Two Programmers Expose Dysfunction and Abuse In the Seattle Police Department · · Score: 1

    Oh !@#$ off..... The left assumes that the people that abuse the system are the people actually benefiting. Who abuses it more, welfare recipients or defense contractors? It sure looks like those defense contractors to me....

    Really, we know people abuse the system. We're not morons. We just don't automatically assume it's the poor abusing the system.

  19. Re:"If you have nothing to hide..." on Inside the Military-Police Center That Spies On Baltimore's Rioters · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Have you ever noticed how some people say the government is out to get them? They get guns, they have a standoff with police, etc etc....

    The difference of course is that the old white dudes are usually complaining about some imaginary slight and they are called patriots. They have a standoff and the cops usually show restraint. When poor inner city folks who actually do get crushed by the police regularly complain, well, they're just uppity thugs and vandals.... the cops move in, bash some heads, and it all goes to hell in a handbasket.

    Nope, no double standard here!

  20. Re:"If you have nothing to hide..." on Inside the Military-Police Center That Spies On Baltimore's Rioters · · Score: 1

    They may be vandals and thugs as you say, although I'd dispute you on that. They certainly aren't terrorists, and using a program to catch non existent terrorists against your own citizens is certainly heinous.... Why are you arguing otherwise?

  21. Re:EPA has exceeded safe limits, needs curbing on Senate Advances "Secret Science" Bill, Sets Up Possible Showdown With President · · Score: 1

    Remember the hole in the ozone layer? If you had your way, it never would have been regulated (It's new!) and we'd barely have an ozone layer now. Your way would literally be killing us right now.

  22. Re: he's just a bill on Capitol Hill on Think Tanks: How a Bill [Gates Agenda] Becomes a Law · · Score: 3, Insightful

    yeah, because presidents write law, not congress..... look, I don't like Hillary either, but let's not be stupid about criticisms, eh?

  23. economic interests on German Intelligence Helped NSA Spy On EU Politicians and Companies · · Score: 3, Interesting

    " European businesses such as the giant aerospace and defense company EADS, best-known as the manufacturer of the Airbus planes, targeted, so were European politicians"

    Why would you spy on private companies and your allies? The only reason that comes to my mind is economic gain... The NSA, etc serve economic interests, not safety.

  24. Re: Earthworks, not robots... on Drought and Desertification: How Robots Might Help · · Score: 1

    Oregonian here.

    What we NEED is colder winters. We save our winter snow in the snow pack on the mountains(By We, I mean it happens naturally). That melts in the summer, providing ample water for our rivers and hence for us. Our winters are getting warmer (Statistically speaking, everyone's winters are getting warmer) for some reason on a trend line, almost like a hockey stick, if only we knew what was going on....

    Just in case anyone reading is stupid and doesn't get it, it's global warming, which I'll call Climate Change because some people are too stupid to understand that when you pump a bunch of energy into a closed system it creates lots of weird effects that are varied depending on local geography. More wind, more rain (Yeah, I live in a temperate rainforest thanks to an ocean and a mountain range), and even sometimes freak snow even though the global average temperature goes up.

  25. Re:Shocked he survived on Gyro-Copter Lands On West Lawn of US Capitol, Pilot Arrested · · Score: 1

    " telling people that they're not allowed to say things during an election is a direct violation of the first amendment. Period."

    Exactly! But..... Exxon Mobil is NOT a person. I don't feel guilty restricting the MONEY they spend.

    Look at our political system. Congress needs money to get elected. They get huge campaign donations, with the implied threat of no more donations if they don't vote a certain way.

    This needs fixing. How are you OK with this?