I'm not a detractor and I think hes been broken. Ceding to the 'chain of command' to disavow bad action by the organization is one of the ways fascism grows unchecked.

Its a good thing its just Snowden that would be the cause. And totally not an out of control power hungry paranoid organization that finds enemies in every crevice; that is hell bent on hiding its activities while co-opting the privacy of those they are allegedly supposed to protect. Because if it was that, it would be a horrible commentary on the state of affairs of our failed political system.

My first machine had memory measured in K...

Wait, I'm thinking about my Mac 512ke. That was actually my second computer. My FIRST computer was a Texas Instruments TI-99/4A. That had 16K of memory, and a cassette deck for storage.

I has an old.

What if I were to threaten to build a moon based silo to fire ballistic puppies at the earth?

I don't believe for a second that the $60 price point from big studios will change. This is built solidly into their business model. The money from the used game fee is going to be all for extra profit.

For an example all we have to do is look at Sony. It was asserted that CD prices were high because of fabrication costs, and when those come down prices will drop. That never happened, its been 30 years. We are well entrenched into the the business model in which any efficiency or savings or new income becomes profit and never saving for the consumer. Well ok that's not exactly true; but that only because the person who bought the xbox isnt the consumer. They are yet another product that can be resold to advertisers.

Its worse than that. When monsanto's "patented" pollen contaminate non GMO plants, the offpring is suddenly monsanto's property.

As I understand patent law, as it stands now, a patent holder can sue *anyone* who is involved in patent violation. That includes end users who by a disputed wi-fi router. There appears to be no limitation.

Dear sir,

As this is the OED, and you are quoting HHG another British work, the line was 'torch' not flashlight.

psh...

amateurs.

Making the argument about Card based on a straw man of what are now cultural anachronisms isn't valid. Lets go with what stupid things hes espoused based on his 'belief'

"How long before married people answer the dictators thus: Regardless of law, marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down, so it can be replaced with a government that will respect and support marriage, and help me raise my children in a society where they will expect to marry in their turn"

Thats right kids, he wants to *destroy* a govt that doesn't conform to his opinions on how that govt should oppress others.

So if I parse your logic here, if someone believes it to be sacred *in the present*, then classifying it as being equal to other passe religious material is bigotry?

I then ask is it 'bigotry' to merely claim it to be untrue? If so, they asserting any other 'sacred' belief of anyone, at any time, to be untrue is also bigotry.

Is this the new tack taken against atheists (presumably by apologists), calling then brave, sardonically?

Just because you have a democratically elected govt does not mean that their actions are in the spirit of or advance the cause of democracy.

My experience is this:

1) High level person talks to middle IT (and usually incompetent IT manager) about a bunch of buzzwords they read in an in-flight magazine
2) IT middle manager doesn't bother to say (or know) that buzzword won't work or is inappropriate for location.
3) Peons who actually work on the stuff tell MM all the issues, and as he doesn't understand plows forward anyway.
4) Bid gets put out and approved because its buzzword capable, and its what was the requested specifications.
5) Thing of dubious value gets installed ( or not)

6*) [Bonus!] actual needs aren't met because there no money left becuase of shiny new toy that makes upper level ppl happy that they are "cloud enabled"

Thank you for this information. I was looking for a way to see how much of Michigan was covered... and now I see that the entire state is affected. Guess it's time to spread the word :p