+1

Where are my mod points when I need them?

Microsoft already gave that up for you

You left off the part where he spent his time after retiring from the marines lecturing "against war profiteering, U.S. military adventurism, and what he viewed as nascent fascism in the United States"

I think part of the problem is the hierarchical federal bureaucracy, where a few predators up in the higher levels, use fear, uncertainty, and doubt to put those at the lower levels into a "OMG, we have to DO SOMETHING" mentality. The normally rational actors quickly fall into the herd mentality and carry out tasks of the predators. I love the sig that says, "a person can be smart, people are stupid", this is especially true when FUD is used to paint the picture of the unknown, be it muslim, computer hacker, pot smoker, etc.

I personally couldn't stand it when we had granite counter tops. Dish or plate hits it just a little too hard? If you are lucky, it only chips, if not, get the broom out. We must have lost 1-2 pint beer glasses a month.

You? Feel free to to put in whatever type of counters you want.

You might also want to look into the venture capital arm of the CIA, In-Q-Tel, an early funder of google.

Wikipedia has an interesting list of the electronics, software, biotech, video processing, telemetry systems, and data center tech companies they have funded.

How am I supposed to differentiate between GM and non-GM foods? They aren't labeled, so I can't make a decision based on how they taste. I reject them because I am concerned about the lack of tests on the short and long term affects they have on my body, the environment, and the crops around them. If you want to eat it, go ahead, I'm not here to convince you what to do, I'm just asking that I have the information available to make an informed choice.

huhwhat? Mandatory labeling of GM ingredients in packaged food would do EXACTLY that.

I'm not using sustainable in the environmentalist, you-shouldnt-hurt-the-mother-earth sense. I'm talking about the ability to grow crops without requiring a high-tech herbicide and pesticide regimen being needed just to bring a crop to harvest when fighting against the resistant breeds of pests and weeds we are indirectly breeding.

How many different pesticides and herbicides do you think are out there to discover? Can you imagine the point where it becomes too time consuming and expensive to find that next new thing? Drug companies are running into a similar problem, why do you not believe there are limits in pesticides and herbicides?

As there is no labeling of GMO foods in the US, how would you suggest I avoid them?

I can and do buy fruits and vegatables from local farmers. I can and do buy locally produced meat as well.

If it's at the grocery store, I have to hope that the store is labeling their meat and produce correctly. If it isn't fresh meat or produce, I have to assume some part is GM.

On the large scale, This doesn't seem to be a realistic way to have a stable, sustainable food supply. If we have to keep upping the pesticide resistance, and then raising pesticide use in an ever escalating battle against more and more resistant bugs and weeds, where does that lead? More and more pesticide runoff in the water. More pollinators dying from the ever increasing levels of pesticide.

Possibly by some definitions of "better". Higher yield, longer storage life, possibly. Better tasting, more nutritious, that's arguable.

That doesn't seem to be the case. Pesticide use ramping up as GMO crop technology backfires

Do you believe I have a right to grow non-GMO crops, and save my own seeds? If so, how do you propose to keep nearby GMO versions from contaminating my crops?

Depending on the crop, nearby could be defined in miles/kilometers.

Great. Maybe we can then get more court cases questioning the validity of EULAs.

In the US, minors cannot enter into a contract, which brings up some other questions.

Will XB1 game sales be limited to adults with proper ID?

What happens if an XB1 game is given to a minor? Or the adult that purchased the game has a minor press the "I agree" button when the EULA is presented on screen? A minor cannot legally agree to, and be bound to the terms of, a EULA.

Will an adult have to sign a contract when a game is purchased? How does that work when making an online purchase?

I believe they have an internal bitcoin mixing service. See here, "Bitcoin wallet that mixes all incoming and outgoing coins so as to obscure their origin".

Or here "Silk Road has a built in coin mixer. When you add coins to your account, they are sent through a bunch of dummy transactions, split up and recombined with the coins of other people."

There is likely more detailed info on the SR forums.

I don't see your suggestion of some other way for him to defend himself.

[citation needed]

Nevermind, I gotcha here. The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives doesn't agree with you.

My emphasis added. NFA would be the National Firearms Act, and it applies to machine guns, machine gun parts, short barreled shotguns/rifles, silencers, etc. It doesn't apply to your standard handgun, rifle, or shotgun.

I don't understand how his use of some tool changes your ability to use your own similar tool for some other use. Sure, go ahead and tell me about how 3D printers are going to be outlawed, it's been a busy morning and I need a laugh.

I wonder what those guys are digging up on shows like Gold Rush, and Bering Sea Gold. Must be fools gold.

While I understand that fraud and corruption in regards to public utilities are a problem, that's not what I'm talking about here. If some office or store didn't exist, then there would be less car traffic of customers and employees. There would be less need for other infrastructure that is only required because of the increased demand caused by the commerce. This commerce then financially enriches the capitalist. I don't have a problem with charging capitalists for the infrastructure that is used in their commercial ventures.

Having hidden, tax sheltered accounts is another way to increase the return on their capital. If it wasn't saving more than it cost, it wouldn't be happening. The natue of a capitalist is that they must keep getting "much in return", if not, they have to either change in some way or they become former capitalists.

Use of those tactics in no way excludes the use of others. Buying lawyers, lobbyists, regulations, and contracts are just expenses with expected paybacks. Decreasing costs (lowering tax obligations, decreasing benefit and salary) and increasing revenue by buying favorable treatment, both increase the bottom line.