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User: tinkerghost

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  1. Under your standard, blackjack is also not a gambling game.

  2. Quick, what is a Y chromosome and what effects does it have on a human which possesses one vs a human that doesn't?

    By itself? A Y chromosome has almost no effect on the development of a human fetus. The SRY1 gene which normally resides on it is responsible for penis growth - which occurs even if the SRY1 gene has transposed to the X chromosome. If your trying to argue there are only 2 sexes, you're ignoring that there are at least 6^12 major combinations of sexual genes which result in not 2 sexes, but a multidimensional spectrum with 2 clusters we call 'male' and 'female'.

    A person can have a penis, testicles, and a womb (one father of 3 found that out going in to have his "tumor" biopsied). You also see drug interactions that are often associated with 'male' occurring in 'female' patients. "Male" and "female" are convenient categories, but the reality is NOT as binary as many people think.

  3. It's about frame of reference..... on Making Trains Run on Time (economist.com) · · Score: 1

    If the schedule says the bus will arrive at 9:05, then 9:05 is when the bus arrives.

  4. Re: How did they ever solve a case on FBI Director: Without Compromise on Encryption, Legislation May Be the 'Remedy' (cyberscoop.com) · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Before smart phones, your entire life wasn't on a single, easy to read device - a device that happens to keep things you delete so that even years later that document you deleted can often be retrieved - not something that could happen with that letter you shredded and tossed in the trash a year ago.

  5. if my current 100MB/s could support 2 5MB/s streams at a time without buffering.

  6. Re:What The F---?? on Appeals Court Rules: SCO v. IBM Case Can Continue (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 1

    Their lawyers were prepaid through the end of the case (lump & contingency). SCO only has to pay for the filings and paperwork - not the actual legal work.

  7. Re:What The F---?? on Appeals Court Rules: SCO v. IBM Case Can Continue (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 2

    Um, SCO is in bankruptcy and has been for at least 3 years. As of the last filing with the bankruptcy court, they don't have enough money left to pay their bankruptcy lawyers let alone their creditors or for any filings on this case - or to appeal the case where they already owe Novell for slander of title.

  8. Re:Wrong approach on Twitter Users Blocked By Trump Sue, Claim @realDonaldTrump Is Public Forum (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 5, Informative

    actually, his communications officer has declared it to be an official communication channel. Which by the way, means deleting tweets from it between his first and last day in office is a violation of the communications preservations acts.

  9. I'm old enough to remember that we stopped having trade wars because the only winners were the bankruptcy lawyers and the people who could afford to buy foreclosed properties.

  10. Actually, the lawyers don't want to do anything. They signed a contract to get paid up front through the end of the case. They have been working on their own dime for years now. What I want to know is who in the bankruptcy court authorized them to spend money to file the paperwork?

  11. Re:YES!! on EFF On Why FBI Can't Force Apple To Sign Code (boingboing.net) · · Score: 1

    Even if that fell under "free speech", you are completely free to design and even BUILD a car without that stuff. What you can't do is drive it on public roads with other drivers.

    Applying the car analogy back to the current topic: perhaps Apple can create an unhackable iPhone, but would they be allowed to let it emit radio signals?
    The radio spectrum, like most roads, is public property.

    If congress passes a law that says all phones have to be crackable, then the answer is no. Until there is a law or regulation on the books somewhere that dictates that FCC compliance and licensure requires some means of access by the State, Apple is free to sell an "un-crackable" phone.

  12. Re:Good, finally some common sense in copyright la on Hollywood Escalates "DVD Ripping" Case To International Incident (torrentfreak.com) · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's not being ignored, nor is it being stolen. A company makes software that allows people to do format shifting. In the US, format shifting is legal under the DMCA. What's not legal is selling the software to do it.

    Antigua does not have such an obvious contradiction in their legal system. The software is legal where it is produced, it is legal to use for it's intended purpose. Hollywood doesn't like that because they have to actually find and sue people who are actually infringing on their works rather than just banning a technology. They also don't like it because if there is software available to perform format shifting, you (as a consumer) aren't forced to buy a digital copy if you've already bought a DVD.

    Just because the US entertainment industry would like the entire world to drop and suck, doesn't mean that the wold's legal system should comply.

  13. Re:Jurisdiction on Hollywood Escalates "DVD Ripping" Case To International Incident (torrentfreak.com) · · Score: 5, Funny

    Finding out what actually is being asked for is left as an exercise to the reader. Invasion

    Antiqua doesn't have any oil so it doesn't need any freedom.

  14. And which "competing systems" would you have them teach? Economics isn't a course on various forms of government, they were teaching you how the system you lived under actually operates.

    We don't actually live in a purely capitalist society. Patents & copyrights are embedded into our constitution and are anti capitalist in that they create a monopoly based on the force of law rather than a free market.

    Utility monopolies in areas - ie cable, telephone, power ... again quasi socialist concepts - the state own a monopoly on the right of way and sells it. The populous has little to no input and the leases are essentially as long as the company exists.

    Emergency medicine is absolutely not a free market item - nobody does research and decides which hospital to go to for their heart attack based on cost/benefit ratios.

    Even back to the 1700 & 1800s, there have been consumer protection laws in effect that curtail the ability of businesses to market and sell products - thankfully we no longer have lollipops flavored with horse piss.

  15. Re:Marketing costs? Do me a favor on AMA Calls For Ban On Direct-To-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs (ap.org) · · Score: 1

    seriously, does

    1. not work right anymore?
  16. Re:Marketing costs? Do me a favor on AMA Calls For Ban On Direct-To-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs (ap.org) · · Score: 2

    Advertising a drug? How pointless. You're not going to take it unless prescribed anyway, and then you just ask for the generic version by defaiut, so what does advertising get them? Nothing.

    Quick question... exactly what color is the sky on your planet?
    Follow up question .... do unicorns really fart rainbows?

    1. Sexy woman poses for the camera.
    2. Offers a stiffer dick.
    3. Thousands of idiots rush to their Dr demanding pill of the week.
    4. $$$$

    If you don't believe it, just think how effective SPAM is - and we KNOW whatever junk is being peddled by random emails is junk, but people buy shit from the places paying SPAMers by the truckload.

  17. Re:Worthy of consideration on AMA Calls For Ban On Direct-To-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs (ap.org) · · Score: 1
    Actually, until the 70s, it was illegal for drug companies to advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers. Not because that allowed them to keep the drug costs high, but because it keeps stupid people from seeing a drug advertised on the television and running to their doctor for it.

    Most countries have rules in place that forbid this, and it would actually keep costs DOWN. Right now, drug companies spend 2-3X as much on their advertising as they do on research (which is the actual cost center they claim makes drugs so expensive.)

  18. Re:The cure on Massachusetts Boarding School Sued Over Wi-Fi Sickness · · Score: 1

    Fortunately I have patented a cure for this affliction (AKA Electrodamper) consisting of a large plastic box with a heavy battery, a switch and blue LED light. All the sufferer has to do is to flip the switch to build a bubble of electro-protection around themselves - relief should be immediate

    Hah, Mine is better, it produces both 2.4 & 5GHz fields with wave cancelling effects. That way, ONLY WIFI signals are blocked.

  19. Re:What does Science have to say about this? on Massachusetts Boarding School Sued Over Wi-Fi Sickness · · Score: 1

    I doubt anyone is suggesting blinking LEDs actually cause the problem (dear God, I hope not).

    actually, blinking lights have long been proven to give people headaches & even seizures - but that's not the issue under discussion as those are epileptic in nature.

  20. You're missing the point..... on Massachusetts Boarding School Sued Over Wi-Fi Sickness · · Score: 1

    People this stupid and anti science have enough money to send their child to a boarding school AND bring a frivolous lawsuit.

  21. Re:Worst summary ever on Swedish Court Orders Seizure of Pirate Bay Domains · · Score: 1

    You might want to rethink that statement. In most places, the property will be sold at auction after 90 days. If the person is not found guilty, or wins the case to have their property returned - in the case of property seized without charges, then they will be refunded the proceeds minus impoundment fees and auction fees. (IE usually you owe the government for the privilege of them taking your stuff)

  22. He's an Angel on Online "Swatting" Becomes a Hazard For Gamers Who Play Live On the Internet · · Score: 4, Funny

    His mother, Brenda Willson, says her son is innocent and does not smoke, drink or have tattoos. "He would never swat," she says.

    He's a perfect angel - his mother says so.

  23. Re:Best money Tom Steyer ever spent on Obama Vetoes Keystone XL Pipeline Bill · · Score: 1

    The original plans went through at least 2 reservations. The governing councils were NOT amused at the idea of eminent domain being used on tribal lands.

  24. Due Diligence? on Antitrust Case Against Google Thrown Out of SF Court · · Score: 1

    So, now Google counter sues both complainants and the Lawyer for failure to do due diligence prior to filing the lawsuit?

  25. Re:Brigid? on Paramedics Use Google Translate While Delivering Baby · · Score: 3, Funny

    Brigid, or in the local spelling "Mhroughairidd".

    I'm sorry, there are vowels in that. It's obviously misspelled.