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Comment Re:That time of the month? (Score 1) 97

Thats a nice off-topic dance you did around my points. I found a nice little article to bakc me up here. "At, say $10 a watt, you're looking at a $46,000 cost for a very small solar power system. " http://www.ehow.com/about_5347941_average-put-solar-panels-house.html
No date on when this estimate was made. :(

"I still don't own a car: does that prove that cars are useless and unchanging?" Do you see new cars on your way to work or in your neighborhood? Do you see them changing and improving? My personal lack of ownership was a small portion of my argument. I also noted everything else I see as a source.

Comment That time of the month? (Score 1) 97

Wow. Has it been a month already, since the last amazing breakthrough I heard about, concerning solar panels. Seems like i've been hearing stories like this since the late 90's. And, yet I still cant afford them. Sure, they are in my calculators... They are not in my car nor my house, nor any other car or house I see. I live in a pretty average middle-class neighborhood. What gives? I must have read over 30 articles like this in the last 5 years. (One every two months, I know) Why do I see rolls of these things in home depot for the price of a cheap carpet?

Comment Respect (Score 1) 298

I thought a major point was made recently in a slashdot post about techie employees. They dont respect ignorant people. This often would be people ignorant in their field. I personally would hate my boss if I couldnt talk to him about my work. Argument: Well, he understands about how to manage people. Drawback: He doesnt understand how to manage the project, though.
Am I right?

Comment Re:All offenses (Score 1) 316

This is a valid concern, i would say. http://www.sharinganswer.com/2010/03/07/featured-on-unsolved-mysteries-identical-twin-was-convicted-of-murder-but-swears-his-brother-is-guilty/

I would say if the DNA evidence is the ONLY evidence and the individual has a twin... hope this guy has a good defense. This is going to happen regardless of mandatory DNA filing though. I wouldnt expect to see an increase of wrongful arrests/convictions. Not that we would necessarily know. Unfortunately all it may take is you having no alibi "I was at home alone" and your close relative paying some friends to say he was somewhere else. This is getting a little too specific and crazy for such a general topic, though. Im fairly certain only identical twins (not even siblings of the same parents) are difficult to impossible to tell apart genetically. I dont have a source :( Couldnt find anything on how different siblings DNA is. All i found was that identical twins are from the same zygote, thus have identical DNA.

Comment Re:All offenses (Score 1) 316

How did you come to that conclusion?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2004/sep/09/sciencenews.crime
This sort of backs up your argument. But basically increasing the number of markers in DNA increases the chances of a false positive. According to this article "The chances of two unrelated people having the same details for all these 10 markers - and hence the chance of a false identification - is said to be about one in a billion." There are only 6 Billion people in the world. Stop making up bullshit. Thanks.
The jury will be given sufficient background into what DNA evidence actually says, as far as it not being 100% accurate. The jurors will have to decide whether or not DNA evidence is enough along with whatever other evidence there is (if any) for their vote of guilty or not guilty. Yes, you are still relying on uneducated CSI watchers and morons. Guess it sucks to be an American. Hope you have a good defense.

Comment Re:All offenses (Score 1) 316

Whatevs. Ill gladly submit my DNA if pulled in.
Im an avid reader of 2600. The Patriot Act still scares the shit out of me. There are a lot of large governmental things going in here and abroad that I disagree with and wouldnt take part of but this isnt something Im against.
Point taken on Arrest != Conviction though. But Arrest + DNA may equal exoneration. I realise we are talking about arrests for minor convictions. Say I get arrested for heavy speeding in a school zone. Why are they taking a DNA sample? Oh, this matches the DNA of the child rapist/murderer. Case closed. The streets are safer. I have no fancies or disillusionments that this would be some sort of cure all nor do I subscribe to the theory that once the government has your DNA they own you or other such conspiracy theories and nonsense. The government has all of my information. I had to give up my fingerprints to be a security guard for a Wal-Mart (true tory). *gasp* So what?
I welcome a rebuttal. Thank you for your reply.

Comment All offenses (Score 1) 316

If you are arrested you lost your right not to have your DNA sample taken and put on record. That's how i woudl have it. I figured a lot of people wouldn't agree but I am a little suprised Anybody who is Arrested came in dead last even after Everybody but me, and Everybody. Im just as willing to side with everybody. There was an "artist" who recently publicised his (fulll?) gene sequence. I dont see big deal. What the hell is anyone going to do with that? Stop being paranoid. Scared to give out your full name, birthday and SSN onine? Of course. You can take that info and do anything with it, especially screw up my entire life. You have my exact sequence of genes? You can... what? Make a clone of me with about a hundred years of genetic and biological research? (Note: You dont actually have the cells/samples. Just the sequence.) So who cares, and why?
Please enlighten me.
Government

Submission + - White House Ready to Rumble With Cyberbullies (foxnews.com)

merlock18 writes: President Barack Obama will take a firm stance against cyberbullying at Thursday’s White House Bullying Prevention summit. The conference will bring together students, teachers, parents and experts to discuss ways to stop bullying, with a new focus on the Internet.

"You may stop me, but you cant stop us all." — Hacker Manifesto

Comment Re:It is the cost of "participation" (Score 1) 323

Why can't they just generate a bill or refund based on the numbers they have and then let us file an appeal if we disagree?
Scumbags need to be able to not pay their taxes for years and dispute the total amount due, paying pennies on the dollar. Then they can complain about tax breaks for the rich while receiving an Income Tax Credit the next year. Redistribution of wealth to the oh-so-poor and helpless lower class is important.
AI

Submission + - Talking to computers? 4

merlock18 writes: "Is it un-natural to talk to a computer? After discussing the outcome of the Jeapordy game with some colleagues, they seem to think it is mildly 'scary' to talk to a computer and have it competently talk back. Is this what everyone thinks? I was thinking to myself how much I would like to be able to even tell my computer to open programs by telling it vocally. A simple idea that I am fairly surprised is not common. Am I a minority in this one? Do people just not like the idea of talking (without cursing) to a computer, let alone have it act or reply? Would anyone else be interested in building their own mini-Watson, or is this just 'scary?' Price is an obstacle. We can't all afford multpiple servers to get an answer in milliseconds but I can afford a pretty robust set of hardware and I dont mind waiting 45 seconds for an answer. Discuss"

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