I'm pretty uncomfortable with this. People should be held accountable for what they do. Getting in trouble for talking about doing it is creepy.
If we criminalize planning to commit a crime, the next step will be thinking about a crime. Or being the kind of person that might think about committing a crime.
I think if someone fantasizes about killing people that should be legal. If they write down these fantasies that should be legal. If they carry them out, or start actually threatening people it is time to involve law enforcement.
I'd much rather have a miniscule chance of getting shot by a nutjob than a more miniscule chance in a fascist police state.
That makes sense. We definitely need to be aware that cellphones can and do affect ability. I know a lot of people who think they drive fine on the phone, but what I see contradicts their opinion. Awareness that it is dangerous just might help.
I think drivers can adjust to many things, mild drunkenness among them.
I've known many people who drive after a few to several drinks with no problems. My uncle drove drunk for 30 years every night, never got in an accident.
The people in the test are likely to drive with cellphones in real life, so they should have already benefited from experience.
I'd like to see a larger study with real cars. Maybe a device that logs when the phone is in use, close calls, and accidents. Testing the effects of alcohol might have problems in this context though.
Here's an example from Ft. Collins, CO. I'm aware of dozens of other cities with similar laws.
(1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle while wearing earphones.
(2) For purposes of this Section (1), earphones includes any headset, radio, tape player or other similar device which provides the listener with radio programs, music or other recorded information through a device attached to the head and which covers all of or a portion of the ears. Earphones do not include speakers or other listening devices which are built into protective headgear. (Ord. No. 016, 2003 1)
Sadly things seem to be going in the other direction. Thoughtcrimes, legislating morality, etc.
It's grating to see aggressive or inattentive drivers cause accidents with no criminal penalty while someone with.08 BAC who never hurt anyone faces very stiff penalties.
It's only a matter of time until someone loses a kid to a cellphone impaired driver and starts MAC-D.
I'll keep bitching about things until they get around to banning that too.
What white powder induces hunger? All the white powders I've heard of suppress appetite.
I had a roach infestation once and spread boric acid everywhere. It was a white powder but I didn't try any. Quite an effective insecticide, and it uses a truly cruel mechanism.
Seriously though, they could just slip the date on this "upgrade" along with Vista. I'd be a little surprised if Vista didn't end up getting released 31 days after this change.
Well you could have a system with no USB or CD, but it would cost more than a standard system. Most modern systems have USB for kb/mouse so that is a difficulty. It also makes administration and troubleshooting more difficult. I've seen cases where certain users have more permissions, e.g. professors can use USB/CD but students can't.
The universe is estimated to be 78 billion light years to the edge. It is expanding faster and faster. The observable universe contains 100 billion galaxies. Any civilization would find it impossible to keep up with expansion, even moving at the speed of light. If we reach singularity tomorrow and start expanding at light speed we'd never even come close to 1% of the universe.
The volume of the universe today is ~1.9x10^33 light years. If there are 1 billion civilizations all 1 billion years old all expanding at light speed they'd only inhabit 1/quadrillionth of 1% of the universe.
I'd say it's possible there isn't any intelligent life in our galaxy that reached spacefaring fluency in the last million years. Any more than that assertion is hubris.
I'd guess that spacefaring life is a rarity since we've seen no evidence of it. But I'd be surprised if there were just us.
It's true that sweepers often aren't very good. I've seen some that put tons of dust in the air - that doesn't seem helpful in the least. There used to be some in Santa Barbara that were surprisingly effective, but they used quite a bit of water.
I used to pick up systems at a recycler for $99 - including pc, monitor, kb, mouse, modem. Windows preinstalled. Last I was there 2 years ago it was PII-300, with w2k. Probably a PIII-1ghz by now.
Heck, I see PCs in dumpsters all the time, and an ad on craigslist would find free equipment easily.
Most people aren't buying their first computer these days. You can get free gear and save it from the landfill. All most people need is websurfing, word processing anyway.
This doesn't help. The public computers I've used are: library, coffeeshop, and school. None of those boot from anything but hd, and if you do anything weird (like get near the back of the machine or power it off) you will be evicted.
In the parent's defense, I also think of external modems as "rare and expensive."
Not because they are rare, or expensive, but because in 20 years of hacking around w/hardware I ended up with a box of say 15 internal modems and 1 external modem. I try to get the internal ones to work because I have so many. It hurts to spend money on something as idiotic as a modem when I have 15 of them.
Another problem is a modern dearth of serial ports. Many mobos don't have one. Or they have one, but it is in use.
Plus, I'll never give away my US Robotics 9600 external modem. I used to browse USENET on a televideo 955 with that.
Laptops consume much less power. Perhaps that is part of their calculations? I'm running boinc on about 50% laptop, 50% desktop (with HT) so in my case 50W is ballpark.
The problem with this theory is how big space is. FTL isn't a given, and even if it is possible, space is really big. There could be millions of spacefaring civilizations randomly sprinkled around and still a giant bubble of emptiness around each one.
"Vote fascist for a third glorious decade in total law-enforcement"
"Become a government informer. Betray your family and friends. Fabulous prizes to be won"
If you tip at a non-chain (hell maybe at a chain too, I don't know) you will often get better service.
I've been waved to the front of long lines, been given free stuff, and been treated extra nicely just because I toss occasional coins and the rare bill in there.
Maybe it's since I worked in service jobs during high school and remember how good a tip made me feel, and how far a buck goes when you're making minimum wage. Maybe I'm just cannily selfish. Your call.
Denver got a new mayor who campaigned partly on improving downtown parking. After making the meters less expensive and expanding free parking times/days the city had to make up a multimillion dollar budget deficit from the change.
The city had raised parking prices and instituted ticket quotas in an attempt to balance the budget a few years back. It seemed to drive people away from downtown, worsening the problem.
Scam or not, one time I was moving my car at 3am or whatever time it was and this fleet of street sweepers came barreling over the hill, nearly crushing me.
So they really do streetsweep.
I still prefer not to have a car in SF though. Nothing but an albatross. An albatross that costs $30/night to park.
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If we criminalize planning to commit a crime, the next step will be thinking about a crime. Or being the kind of person that might think about committing a crime.
I think if someone fantasizes about killing people that should be legal. If they write down these fantasies that should be legal. If they carry them out, or start actually threatening people it is time to involve law enforcement.
I'd much rather have a miniscule chance of getting shot by a nutjob than a more miniscule chance in a fascist police state.
I think drivers can adjust to many things, mild drunkenness among them.
I've known many people who drive after a few to several drinks with no problems. My uncle drove drunk for 30 years every night, never got in an accident.
The people in the test are likely to drive with cellphones in real life, so they should have already benefited from experience.
I'd like to see a larger study with real cars. Maybe a device that logs when the phone is in use, close calls, and accidents. Testing the effects of alcohol might have problems in this context though.
Here's an example from Ft. Collins, CO. I'm aware of dozens of other cities with similar laws.
(1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle while wearing earphones.
(2) For purposes of this Section (1), earphones includes any headset, radio, tape player or other similar device which provides the listener with radio programs, music or other recorded information through a device attached to the head and which covers all of or a portion of the ears. Earphones do not include speakers or other listening devices which are built into protective headgear. (Ord. No. 016, 2003 1)
...but the cell-phone drivers and the drunks were the same people. All participants tested in all 4 categories of driving.
It's grating to see aggressive or inattentive drivers cause accidents with no criminal penalty while someone with .08 BAC who never hurt anyone faces very stiff penalties.
It's only a matter of time until someone loses a kid to a cellphone impaired driver and starts MAC-D.
I'll keep bitching about things until they get around to banning that too.
I got it from an old-fashioned pharmacy for $8/kg.
I had a roach infestation once and spread boric acid everywhere. It was a white powder but I didn't try any. Quite an effective insecticide, and it uses a truly cruel mechanism.
Profit!!
Seriously though, they could just slip the date on this "upgrade" along with Vista. I'd be a little surprised if Vista didn't end up getting released 31 days after this change.
Well you could have a system with no USB or CD, but it would cost more than a standard system. Most modern systems have USB for kb/mouse so that is a difficulty. It also makes administration and troubleshooting more difficult. I've seen cases where certain users have more permissions, e.g. professors can use USB/CD but students can't.
The volume of the universe today is ~1.9x10^33 light years. If there are 1 billion civilizations all 1 billion years old all expanding at light speed they'd only inhabit 1/quadrillionth of 1% of the universe.
I'd say it's possible there isn't any intelligent life in our galaxy that reached spacefaring fluency in the last million years. Any more than that assertion is hubris.
I'd guess that spacefaring life is a rarity since we've seen no evidence of it. But I'd be surprised if there were just us.
It's true that sweepers often aren't very good. I've seen some that put tons of dust in the air - that doesn't seem helpful in the least. There used to be some in Santa Barbara that were surprisingly effective, but they used quite a bit of water.
You could install keyloggers, munge security settings, reset admin passwords, make goatse wallpaper, etc.
I'm certain these have all happened (even goatse) and are the reason for the policy.
Heck, I see PCs in dumpsters all the time, and an ad on craigslist would find free equipment easily.
Most people aren't buying their first computer these days. You can get free gear and save it from the landfill. All most people need is websurfing, word processing anyway.
This doesn't help. The public computers I've used are: library, coffeeshop, and school. None of those boot from anything but hd, and if you do anything weird (like get near the back of the machine or power it off) you will be evicted.
Not because they are rare, or expensive, but because in 20 years of hacking around w/hardware I ended up with a box of say 15 internal modems and 1 external modem. I try to get the internal ones to work because I have so many. It hurts to spend money on something as idiotic as a modem when I have 15 of them.
Another problem is a modern dearth of serial ports. Many mobos don't have one. Or they have one, but it is in use.
Plus, I'll never give away my US Robotics 9600 external modem. I used to browse USENET on a televideo 955 with that.
Laptops consume much less power. Perhaps that is part of their calculations? I'm running boinc on about 50% laptop, 50% desktop (with HT) so in my case 50W is ballpark.
The problem with this theory is how big space is. FTL isn't a given, and even if it is possible, space is really big. There could be millions of spacefaring civilizations randomly sprinkled around and still a giant bubble of emptiness around each one.
My computer will be on running emule anyway. I don't think it costs much extra to use every cpu cycle.
"Vote fascist for a third glorious decade in total law-enforcement"
"Become a government informer. Betray your family and friends. Fabulous prizes to be won"
Please masturbate as much as possible. You're saving them from a much more horrible death.
Interesting, I did not know that. Seems a buyer can offer to use another payment type.
I've been waved to the front of long lines, been given free stuff, and been treated extra nicely just because I toss occasional coins and the rare bill in there.
Maybe it's since I worked in service jobs during high school and remember how good a tip made me feel, and how far a buck goes when you're making minimum wage. Maybe I'm just cannily selfish. Your call.
The city had raised parking prices and instituted ticket quotas in an attempt to balance the budget a few years back. It seemed to drive people away from downtown, worsening the problem.
So they really do streetsweep.
I still prefer not to have a car in SF though. Nothing but an albatross. An albatross that costs $30/night to park.