The fact that the Court almost always splits along 5-4 partisan lines on any case involving liberal vs. conservative politics these days should tell you that politics is their primary concern, not the Constitution. If you think that the Justices in SCOTUS see the Constitution as anything more than a tool to advance the agenda of the party whose President appointed them, then you are truly naive. Just look at how Citizen's United broke down. This was a case where the Republican Party stood to make a major gain from it being overturned (since they benefit the most from Corporate donations). Sure enough, the 5 justices appointed by Republicans voted to overturn and the 4 justices who were appointed by Democrats voted to uphold. You think anyone in the Court that day gave a rat's ass about the Constitution? No, they were representing their POLITICAL PARTIES--period, end of story.
I'm pretty sure a lower court judge can't just throw out a case because the Supreme Court will probably make a decision sometime later in the year that MAY OR MAY NOT contradict his own. The author of this article makes it sound like, just because some Justices expressed some reservations in their questioning of the case, that it's a foregone conclusion they're going to rule GPS tracking unconstitutional. Personally, I find it highly doubtful that such a conservative court is going to do any such thing. I suspect they'll either come up with some dodge of the issue (overruling on some narrow technicality or something) or outright uphold United States v. Antoine Jones as constitutional.
The present-day SCOTUS is little more than a rubber stamp for the President and Congress. And even when they do make the rare controversial ruling, it's for some conservative political end (like the Citizen's United case), not in some noble defense of citizens' Constitutional rights. I would frankly be surprised if anyone in that chamber has even *glanced* at the U.S. Constitution since they took a required class on it once in law school. The fact that Barack Obama can all but abolish habeas corpus and due process with the stroke of a pen without them so much as raising an eyebrow should let you know where those nine stooges stand on the U.S. Constitution.
Exoskeletons and robotic limbs are kind of like self-driving cars. Every few years, you see a news report on supposed progress made. Some prototype is demonstrated. And nothing ever comes of it.
So we're always hearing about some great new advancement for paraplegics or amputees and yet every time you walk into a hospital, they're still using the same basic wheelchairs, hooks, and simple artificial limbs they've been using for decades (with a few advancements like electric wheelchairs and improved gripping on the hooks).
I think the main problem with the duels in the new films was the decision to make the Jedi so cold and monk-like. With the exception of a very few choice moments from Ewan McGregor, there is very little emotion or soul in those fights. They come off as more academic exercises than "I'm fighting for my life here" battles.
Who wants to bet that the top of the list of "flagged" sites will be comprised of EU government and law enforcement sites? I guess we'll only know for sure if they refuse to release a list of the top sites flagged. In fact, I dare say that the list will be so cluttered with joke flaggings that it will be difficult to determine what, if any, sites identified are actually "inciting terrorism" (not helped by the fact that one man's terrorist is another man's political leader).
But then again, I suspect the goal of this really isn't to actually identify terrorist sites. I suspect that this is just more of the same sort of security circus show that has the TSA making me take off my shoes at the airport, even as they load a hundred suitcases of largely unscrutinized baggage on the same plane. It could also be another step in getting Europeans used to the idea of law enforcement dictating terms to ISP's and of "flagged" websites being blocked--almost all of which will of course end up being torrent sites, proxies, Wikileaks and other leak sites, etc. that have nothing to do with terrorists.
When I said "see them" I didn't mean through a telescope, I meant "see them in person" as in "go there." Also, if you believe Einstein, and you realize that the nearest planets with coincidental intelligent life using radio waves could be hundreds of thousands of light years away (if not millions), how exactly do you propose communication? About the only message you could send would be "By the time you get this message, our species will probably be long gone."
I think the trouble with finding truly alien life wouldn't just be the distances involved, communication, etc. I think it might prove difficult for two radically different alien lifeforms to even PERCEIVE one another. Sort of a "Sir, it turns out that those things we thought were rocks were actually intelligent lifeforms that just move REALLY slow" kind of thing.
The whole nonsense of even using the term "earth-like" is a joke, born of the press and PR-minded astronomers. Calling a planet "earth-like" implies way more than correlation with earth's size and it's orbit around the sun. There are so many characteristics which may well make the earth a very unique planet. It's not just the presence of water, either--it's also our magnetic field, the presence and effects of our moon, the nature of our core, etc. It could very well be that true earth-like planets are VERY rare in the universe. Though the shear size of the universe suggests it's likely there are other planets out there like ours and other life out there, it's probably a LONG way to our nearest earth-like neighbor--and likely a much longer way than even that to the nearest planet with similar intelligent life living coincidental with us.
Much as I hate to say it, having grown up on space dreams and science fiction, the more I learn about space the more I've become convinced that, for all intents and purposes, we're basically alone on this little blue ball. When I used to dream otherwise, I really had no real appreciation of just how vast and empty space really is, for one thing. I think the popular perception is that the next solar system begins close to the edge of our own (I certainly thought so when I was a kid watching sci-fi movies). In reality, every solar system is a tiny isolated island in a giant lonely ocean. A space probe that takes 9 years to go from earth to Pluto would take over 100,000 years to get to even our closest neighbor, a mere 4.2 light years away. And that's in a universe that's 15 *billion* light years across. It's a big place, with an unimaginable number of other planets. But mostly it's just a giant, empty void.
So there are probably indeed other earth-like planets out there. But barring some incredible technological advances (probably thousands of years worth) and a complete overthrow of Einsteinian physics, no human is ever going to see them or even be able to communicate with them.
This is usually the part where I make a joke, but somehow I just feel lonely and sad now.
I read somewhere once that fries are where most fast food restaurants really make their money. I guess that makes sense. Potatoes are a lot cheaper and easier to raise than cattle. They don't have as much personality, though.
If we all just eat junk food and do whatever we want, there can't be any negative consequences!
Yes, that was exactly the point of my comment. It's like how someone saying "It's okay to drive a car" is also *really* saying "It's okay to drive at 140 mph and disregard all other cars, FUCKIN' AY!!!!" Thank you for so eloquently clarifying what I really meant.
Sometimes I think the western medical profession never really lost that Augustinian "If it's pleasurable, it's sinful" mentality it seemed to pick up in late Roman era. If I drink, smoke, watch TV, or eat anything other than cardboard and distilled water--every organ in my body will implode and I'll be lucky to live to the age of 4. The last time I went to a doctor, she flew into a mad rage after I told her I had been to a Cinnabon in the mall. I left about the time she started turning over furniture, informing her nurse on the way out that I would henceforth be seeking all my medical care from the local faith healer. Anyway, I had no desire to take any more shit from her for not eating the ORGANIC cardboard.
As for the statistics, well, I have it on good authority that 99% of all studies find exactly what the author(s) wanted them to find all along.
Slashdot Mirror
Hell, even suggesting a new world currency to replace the dominance of the dollar can get you that.
The fact that the Court almost always splits along 5-4 partisan lines on any case involving liberal vs. conservative politics these days should tell you that politics is their primary concern, not the Constitution. If you think that the Justices in SCOTUS see the Constitution as anything more than a tool to advance the agenda of the party whose President appointed them, then you are truly naive. Just look at how Citizen's United broke down. This was a case where the Republican Party stood to make a major gain from it being overturned (since they benefit the most from Corporate donations). Sure enough, the 5 justices appointed by Republicans voted to overturn and the 4 justices who were appointed by Democrats voted to uphold. You think anyone in the Court that day gave a rat's ass about the Constitution? No, they were representing their POLITICAL PARTIES--period, end of story.
I'm pretty sure a lower court judge can't just throw out a case because the Supreme Court will probably make a decision sometime later in the year that MAY OR MAY NOT contradict his own. The author of this article makes it sound like, just because some Justices expressed some reservations in their questioning of the case, that it's a foregone conclusion they're going to rule GPS tracking unconstitutional. Personally, I find it highly doubtful that such a conservative court is going to do any such thing. I suspect they'll either come up with some dodge of the issue (overruling on some narrow technicality or something) or outright uphold United States v. Antoine Jones as constitutional.
The present-day SCOTUS is little more than a rubber stamp for the President and Congress. And even when they do make the rare controversial ruling, it's for some conservative political end (like the Citizen's United case), not in some noble defense of citizens' Constitutional rights. I would frankly be surprised if anyone in that chamber has even *glanced* at the U.S. Constitution since they took a required class on it once in law school. The fact that Barack Obama can all but abolish habeas corpus and due process with the stroke of a pen without them so much as raising an eyebrow should let you know where those nine stooges stand on the U.S. Constitution.
At least he can't regard the Kinect with any less aloofness than he already does me.
Once you understand the basics of politics, learning a new ideology is trivial really.
Exoskeletons and robotic limbs are kind of like self-driving cars. Every few years, you see a news report on supposed progress made. Some prototype is demonstrated. And nothing ever comes of it.
So we're always hearing about some great new advancement for paraplegics or amputees and yet every time you walk into a hospital, they're still using the same basic wheelchairs, hooks, and simple artificial limbs they've been using for decades (with a few advancements like electric wheelchairs and improved gripping on the hooks).
It's roughly translated to "Woman Read Chairman Mao To Inspirational Music In Front of Picture of Chairman Mao." And I hear it looks *amazing* in 3D.
"We're doing this to fight terrorism" has become the 21st century equivalent of "We're doing this to protect the children."
I think the main problem with the duels in the new films was the decision to make the Jedi so cold and monk-like. With the exception of a very few choice moments from Ewan McGregor, there is very little emotion or soul in those fights. They come off as more academic exercises than "I'm fighting for my life here" battles.
In all fairness, that was probably due way more to Alec Guinness' age and lack of swordsmanship than David Prowse's.
Who wants to bet that the top of the list of "flagged" sites will be comprised of EU government and law enforcement sites? I guess we'll only know for sure if they refuse to release a list of the top sites flagged. In fact, I dare say that the list will be so cluttered with joke flaggings that it will be difficult to determine what, if any, sites identified are actually "inciting terrorism" (not helped by the fact that one man's terrorist is another man's political leader).
But then again, I suspect the goal of this really isn't to actually identify terrorist sites. I suspect that this is just more of the same sort of security circus show that has the TSA making me take off my shoes at the airport, even as they load a hundred suitcases of largely unscrutinized baggage on the same plane. It could also be another step in getting Europeans used to the idea of law enforcement dictating terms to ISP's and of "flagged" websites being blocked--almost all of which will of course end up being torrent sites, proxies, Wikileaks and other leak sites, etc. that have nothing to do with terrorists.
When I said "see them" I didn't mean through a telescope, I meant "see them in person" as in "go there." Also, if you believe Einstein, and you realize that the nearest planets with coincidental intelligent life using radio waves could be hundreds of thousands of light years away (if not millions), how exactly do you propose communication? About the only message you could send would be "By the time you get this message, our species will probably be long gone."
that actual cattle are involved
Well, they're cattle *compatible*.
And a Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Scrooge!
Christmas and contemplating the scale of the universe always gets me down.
I think the trouble with finding truly alien life wouldn't just be the distances involved, communication, etc. I think it might prove difficult for two radically different alien lifeforms to even PERCEIVE one another. Sort of a "Sir, it turns out that those things we thought were rocks were actually intelligent lifeforms that just move REALLY slow" kind of thing.
I remember the old joke about aliens visiting earth, only to send a report back to their home planet that said "No intelligent life found here."
The whole nonsense of even using the term "earth-like" is a joke, born of the press and PR-minded astronomers. Calling a planet "earth-like" implies way more than correlation with earth's size and it's orbit around the sun. There are so many characteristics which may well make the earth a very unique planet. It's not just the presence of water, either--it's also our magnetic field, the presence and effects of our moon, the nature of our core, etc. It could very well be that true earth-like planets are VERY rare in the universe. Though the shear size of the universe suggests it's likely there are other planets out there like ours and other life out there, it's probably a LONG way to our nearest earth-like neighbor--and likely a much longer way than even that to the nearest planet with similar intelligent life living coincidental with us.
Much as I hate to say it, having grown up on space dreams and science fiction, the more I learn about space the more I've become convinced that, for all intents and purposes, we're basically alone on this little blue ball. When I used to dream otherwise, I really had no real appreciation of just how vast and empty space really is, for one thing. I think the popular perception is that the next solar system begins close to the edge of our own (I certainly thought so when I was a kid watching sci-fi movies). In reality, every solar system is a tiny isolated island in a giant lonely ocean. A space probe that takes 9 years to go from earth to Pluto would take over 100,000 years to get to even our closest neighbor, a mere 4.2 light years away. And that's in a universe that's 15 *billion* light years across. It's a big place, with an unimaginable number of other planets. But mostly it's just a giant, empty void.
So there are probably indeed other earth-like planets out there. But barring some incredible technological advances (probably thousands of years worth) and a complete overthrow of Einsteinian physics, no human is ever going to see them or even be able to communicate with them.
This is usually the part where I make a joke, but somehow I just feel lonely and sad now.
Enterprise captained by Sulu and Kirk will be pitching manure in Iowa.
You say that like it would be bad.
there is no such thing as western medicine.
Oh great, now you've made Hippocrates cry.
Obviously it only took one to supershrink my brain.
I read somewhere once that fries are where most fast food restaurants really make their money. I guess that makes sense. Potatoes are a lot cheaper and easier to raise than cattle. They don't have as much personality, though.
Everyone has the right to be a retard!
If that's a revelation to you, then you're obviously new to /.
As for socialized medicine, I don't believe in it. I believe in faith healing, as I thought my original comment made clear.
If we all just eat junk food and do whatever we want, there can't be any negative consequences!
Yes, that was exactly the point of my comment. It's like how someone saying "It's okay to drive a car" is also *really* saying "It's okay to drive at 140 mph and disregard all other cars, FUCKIN' AY!!!!" Thank you for so eloquently clarifying what I really meant.
Sometimes I think the western medical profession never really lost that Augustinian "If it's pleasurable, it's sinful" mentality it seemed to pick up in late Roman era. If I drink, smoke, watch TV, or eat anything other than cardboard and distilled water--every organ in my body will implode and I'll be lucky to live to the age of 4. The last time I went to a doctor, she flew into a mad rage after I told her I had been to a Cinnabon in the mall. I left about the time she started turning over furniture, informing her nurse on the way out that I would henceforth be seeking all my medical care from the local faith healer. Anyway, I had no desire to take any more shit from her for not eating the ORGANIC cardboard.
As for the statistics, well, I have it on good authority that 99% of all studies find exactly what the author(s) wanted them to find all along.