The vendors have assured us that their servers are secure!

Adblock Plus, Ghostery, NoScript, HOSTS - need I go on? We all know that the web is exploited by a bunch of assholes who view us as sources of revenue. So - arm yourself to stop the flow of revenue. You're right, I don't go back to a restaurant where an ignorant ADHD waiter ruins my meal. So, I don't keep going back to annoyingadserver.USA The damned thing is blocked, first on my router, then on my computer, then in my browser.

Basically, you believe that the ends justifies the means. In this case, the ends are to extract money from the masses. And, the means involves lying.

This has damned near nothing to do with enforcing copyright law. Perhaps you didn't notice the name of the corporation involved - Rightscorp, acting on behalf of BMG. Or, you've forgotten how they've made news in the past. They dwell among the scum of the earth. They have been shot down time and again for exploiting loopholes in the law. And, oh yeah - perhaps you've also failed to notice that in this case, they are indeed exploiting a loophole in the law.

Rightscorp has no intellectual property to protect. It is nothing more than a remora, living off the larger shark, BMG.

Scum.

If you have any real intellectual property to worry about, are you willing to allow a remora like company to attach itself to you, so that it can milk money out of your property?

Who the hell can "afford" that health care? Uncle is paying a healthy subsidy on almost all of those "plans". The real "plan" is to rape the taxpayer endlessly. Wait until those subsidies are no longer being paid. I'll be longing for the day when my health insurance ONLY cost 8 grand a year. 8 THOUSAND and change, for health care that I've never used, and probably won't use until I get some debilitating condition. But, just wait and watch. It won't be long until the last subsidy is paid, and EVERYONE will be paying 16, 24, maybe 50 thousand per year.

Can't afford that? Well - it's off to court for you, so that Uncle can take every dime you've got so that he can help you pay for your unwanted health insurance.

I could hate you for bringing me back to reality. But, you're right. The ultimate goal, is to get mankind out there among the stars. And - that may never happen. Every attempt may fail. We MAY not even establish any self sustaining colonies here in the solar system. But, I sure as hell don't want to accept that idea as likely. I suppose you've seen this little video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

That's the short take from a longer video, which is somewhat less "exciting" I guess the term might be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he can eat for a lifetime.

I would if I could - we ALWAYS seem to have mod points here, but not me, not today. I agree with AC. Like him, I grew up relatively poor, in a rather wealthy town. It wasn't until I walked the streets of Djibouti that I saw genuine soul grinding, body destroying poverty. No, rich people don't understand poverty - and in fact, there are only a small percentage of Americans who probably have seen it face to face.

I'm well aware of fake "philanthropy". Some of the more respectable philanthropy even fails. Supposing that some billionaire actually funds the lab that finds the cure for cancer - he has bought and paid for his brand of immortality. The world doesn't need or want any more pyramids, so cancer will do the trick.

All the same - if enough people are competing to accomplish something is space, SOMEONE is going to succeed.

Yeah, I buy it. Hell, I'd work for little more than a pretty meager wage if I could be reasonably sure of ACCOMPLISHING something meaningful in space.

Uhhhh - wow. That one looks pretty damned slick. The backlight shines THROUGH the keys, right? Double shot mold, you've got the clear plastic inside, opaque outside, so the letters/numbers will never wear off. You've got me seriously tempted on that one. $150? Not right now, right after Christmas, but maybe in a month.

Yeah, I touch type all the time, but sometimes, I do lose my place on the keyboard. So, I keep a light on beside the desk because the monitors aren't bright enough to show the faded out letters on my keyboard.

Lighting for the sake of cool doesn't cut it with me, but THIS lighting looks useful.

One last question - that thing feels like an IBM springy while you're typing - or close to it, at least? I'm almost sold here. Thanks for the link!

I clicked the link, and looked at the keyboards being touted. Power users? Really? WTF? Whatever happened to the concept of KISS? They've got frigging LIGHTS under the keyboard!!! WTF needs LIGHTS to type with? And, why introduce yet another component that can go bad?

I'll second the IBM/Unicomp model M nomination for POWER USERS!

Seriously? Lights? That makes me think of the posers who put lights on their car's wheels. "Oh, look at me, I'm so cool!"

Cite the policy. Please, cite the exact policy.

The real policy is, that officers will not obstruct the airway - that is they won't "choke" people. The hold used by the officer in question did not obstruct the airway. There was no "choking" taking place.

Some fat slob resisted arrest, he was taken down to the ground so that he could be cuffed, and his medical problems killed him. The cop didn't kill that fat man, his own medical conditions coupled with his unwillingness to cooperate with police killed him.

I am not arguing semantics here, not at all. There is a very definite meaning of "choke hold". No choke hold was used here.

Talk to any wrestler, talk to any martial arts expert, talk to any cop. Get any of those individuals whom you have trust in to demonstrate the difference between a choke hold, and any number of other holds.

A reasonably healthy person can be held all day long in any hold which is not a choke hold, and he may suffer some pain, but his life will NOT be in jeopardy.

A choke hold, by definition, is a life threatening hold, which WILL kill the healthiest of men within minutes.

Semantics my ass.

Go look at that video again. It wasn't a "choke hold". FFS - did you never wrestle as a kid? Have you never watched collegiate wresting? PLEASE don't cite any of the professional wrestlers - they are all as queer as a three dollar bill. You may cite just about any martial arts expert with a belt. Ask Chuck Norris, if you like.

It wasn't a choke hold.

Yep - seems a no-brainer to me. Anyone who ever went to school knows that the bully isn't going to hammer the snot out of you while the teacher is watching. He waits until Teach has gone back inside to grade paper!

Apparently, Ghostery is pretty effective at blocking doubleclick. I do not get those personalized advertisements. The ONLY place where "ads" are even somewhat accurately aimed at me, is Amazon. If/when I clear cookies, and browse without signng in, their limited accuracy disappears.

If the cops actually have to do their JOB to get the job done, they aren't so eager to infringe on your rights.

All nations who trace their laws back to English Common Law supposedly require warrants before they invade your privacy. Funny how many of those nations have been ignoring that requirement.