Well played, sir, well played!

That... That is a whole lotta derp right there, I tell you what.

The Defendant made multiple, public videos claiming responsibility. What Would you like to cross-exam on that? What proof are you looking for?

Odds wise, I think you're probably right. In all honesty though, even if and when that technology becomes available, I don't think as many people will use it as you fear. I'm guessing even one is too many for you, but I don't think it will be as rampant as is envisioned. But, that's just my own hunch.

For starters, as I said, I'm not buying any of the conspiracy theories, or making it any more than it is. As for what is shown in court... I have been participating in trials for a decade. What the facts actually are, and what gets shown in court are very different. You assume that the reason the facts aren't shown is because they are damaging to our side. The reason the facts aren't always shown in court is because they can be construed as too prejudicial. I have worked on trials that were "close" only because so many of the facts were excluded.

My preference would have been for him to have been taken alive and put on trial. But I'm not going to feel bad because that didn't happen.

As for whther or not he was actually the mastermind, he took credit for it. Many, many times. He suffered the consequences of that decision. Again, I'm not going to lose any sleep over that. Especially not if your rationale is that he is just a pawn in a larger conspiracy.

Indeed. The analogy I was initially going with was that the US is the High School Freshman who ends up Quarterbacking the varisty team to the championship and then becomes an insufferable ass.

The problem with the analogy, and with simply calling the US arseholes, is that it is both very true, and very untrue. The US is far more conflicted than that.

We are self-centered, assholes, bullies, and ignorant hate mongers. We also really, honestly, want the world to be a better place. We want things like democracy in places that are ruled by tyrants. When disasters strike we donate our time and resources to help. We have good and bad, but, for the most part, we are more good than bad.

I also don't think you can have it both ways. The rest of the world looks at us and our rose-colored glasses and wants to slap us for being so naively unrealistic. But if we behave like any other country, suddenly we're help to that same standard we were previously being mocked over.

It is far, far more complicated than that.

True, but my humor hinges on puns. I rely on them for the only laughs that are routed my way. In fact, listening to me without them would simply be murder...

Murder Trial May Turn On Missing Router

If the router is missing, how will you know whether it is actually turned on or if it's still off? Or are they implying that the antanae will be raised? (giggity)

There you go using facts again! You're right. I read the transcript and earlier when he says, "Killing or capture," it is a general directive to the CIA, not specific a specific order to the mission.

On a personal level, it doesn't bother me at all. When I try to think about us as a coutnry, I'm torn. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to express it, but will hopefully JE in a little bit.

In his speech, Obama said that he gave the order to capture or kill Bin Laden. Frankly I think that is what the order was. However, I am also pretty sure that capturing him would not take precedence over their own protection. Once Bin Laden picked up a rifle, they were not going to try and capture him. If they had entered teh compound and he had thrown up his hands and surrendered, they would not have simply executed him there.

There is the Hollywood archetype of the SpecOps soldier who would, "Do the right thing," and "End this. Now," but I think the reality is different. If they had been ordered to take him alive at all costs they would have. You don't get to that level of profeciency without an iron discipline. Giving the order to capture him unless he resists, or you feel you cannot, gives them the latitude to get the job done, and I think is more likely the reality. Especially since everyone is going to assume, right fromt he get go, that Bin laden would resist.

He uploaded the 120 dpi image instead of the 300 dpi image and is surprised the OCR sucks. Really? Lossy isn't the concern when you're OCR'ing bloack text on a white background. Seriously. Think about what the image is actually going to be used for, then make your decision.

And, seriously, how effective of OCR'ing are you really imagining you're going to get off of a camera phone pic, anyway?

I'm told both PSN members were quite upset...

In all seriousness though, Microsoft actually gives you a good service for what they charge. I play Reach through Live when my stepson comes over and it's a blast. At $10 a month that is way more hours of entertainment than what a movie ticket would cost. There are very few issues with annoying players, and even then they're pretty easy to mute. Or mock :-)

What I'm looking for is that every time a new Monarch was crowned that his entire realm was thrown akilter as every last measurement was changed. I get you're not from the US and am guessing you're German. In teh US the only citation I have ever seen similar to what you posited is in Math books. Specifically, Math books in the section discussing the Metric System. I have not seen references to Kingdoms, Empires, or any other Political unit having engineering difficulties because of a new ruler having short feet. That's what I'm looking for. Did units evolve over time? Sure. How long is a Cubit after all? It is the extremeness of the example that I find doubtful.

The mere fact that the USA call their measuring system imperial is a kind of joke or not?

I mean you make a kind of revolution to get rid of the empire ... and 200 years later you still use "empire" units. Albeit badly transmogrified ones. And on top of that you call the "empire" units now "imperial".

In all honesty we don't think of them as Imperial at all. We think of them as the measures we know and use and grok. They are only referenced as "Imperial" in discussions like this as a way to differentiate them from the Metric System (which is what I was raised to call it) or the SI measurments.

The USA, the land of miracles ... no one wil ever understand you.

Obviously I'm from the US and there is much, much truth to what you say. This is a land of miracles in many ways. It is also a land of ignorance. A land of hate. A land of fear. And a land of beauty, and kindness, hard-work, and charity. It is a great many things which really have no business co-existing next to each other, but somehow do.

I'm guessing from the ".de" that you're German. I would also be very surprised if much of what I just wrote isn't also true to your country. Sure we have our stereotypes of what Germans are like, but I would be shocked if Germany did not ahve just as many contradictory levels as the US. Or any other country.

Generally speaking, the reason why the US has never embraced the Metric System is that there has never been a need to. We are also a very fundamentally practical people. And tend to be more individualist, too. Our units work. Why change?

I've never actually read any of her stuff. I'm thinking of reading Atlas Shrugged though just because of how often it is cited. I'm not sure what I'll think of it, but it has become so ingrained into our culture and political debate it's probably worth the read for just that.