It's widely enough used that it's listed as a variant in the link the OP gave.

That said, you're spot on about teleporters.

I've been saying Kirk et al were a bunch of zombies for decades.

"He's no fun. He fell right over!"

If it works out and is economical compared to the old methods (and that's a heck of a big "if"):

There are a lot of illegal opium poppy growing operations that would have to drop their prices, use other means (killing those running brewing operations) or go out of business.

I can't say I'll shed many tears for some of the leaders of those groups.

Fun fact: English is not a dead language. Proper usage shifts over time.

Fear of whoever. You don't try to guess the intentions of other countries. They can change. You figure out their capabilities and then have back up plans.

After Stuxnet and some of the other recent attacks around the world, I'd be a bit concerned about using foreign made technology in critical control systems. Who knows what's been inserted in the silicon.

Even without that, if I were the Russians and facing the uncertainty they are, I'd want to maintain the ability to make my own chips if things soured further with the west, (or the Chinese. Just because things are going reasonably well between Moscow and Beijing doesn't mean they always will be).

"You mean it's where cowards herd together to make themselves feel better?"

So, you're saying Anonymous Cowards are members of sororities?

There are so many levels of Freudian in that.

"handshakes and mandatory dress colors "

I know other groups that have hand signs and colors. They're called the Bloods and the Crips, among other names.

It's the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind!

We've got about the same story. Started working at Paul's TV shop when I was 14 in 1976. Other than playing on my brother's TRS80, my first computers were the IBM mainfame at a community college and the Plato system in the late 70s. (And also did a stint of copier repair. ;)

I've learned at least 4 new careers along the way. The day I stop learning is the day to die.

I've chuckled when youngsters have assured me there was no internet at the time I said I first was on it.

"no one will ever talk about is that there are way to many humans on the earth"

You just proved yourself wrong. ;)

Seriously, that gets brought up regularly. The problems start when you start considering "who" we need fewer of. People have a tendency to assume there will be fewer of the "other" people, but we'll keep the population of "good people like me".

You can insert race, creed, political persuasion, amount of privilege as needed to fit the particular speaker.

In the cartoon world, they call what I did "4th wall breaking". Referring to the reality behind the facade of the comic (or in this case, the fact that the web site we write on indeed is a business.)

Forgive me, but what I thought of during your reply was that it was a wonderful imitation of the studied serious moralizing of Sam the Eagle from the Muppets. ;)

And the mod sayeth: Bad user! offtopic. Thou shalt not comment on the elephant in the room!

No, it's also a thing for two sides to be outraged about and have a flame war. Thus, it's money in the bank for Dice Holdings.

You really should recognize what's important in this world. Short term bottom line and minimizing any legal liability. Occasional intelligent conversation is just a way to lure in the sucker... I mean users.

"Judging others is a surprisingly worthless enterprise."

Unless you have a political difference with them or those who agree with them. In that case there's a huge amount of "worth", read that as "money", involved in judging them. Just look at all of the ad supported news and political sites dedicated to backing up the judgment that "the other side is a bunch of pooty-heads".

No, it's within the limits of the law. The National Guard Military Police units are considered to be troops controlled by the individual state (think the 13 colonies initially). In this case they were ordered onto the street by the state governor.

As for Federal troops, the Posse Comitatus Act deals with using Federal troops in police enforcement and has only been around since 1878. There has been an ongoing tension between what powers belonged to the states and what belonged to the federal government.

Now, in reality, there's relatively little difference between the Guard and federal troops, and the Guard can be "federalized" with an order from the President, and there are several other exceptions to the Posse Comitatus Act. But, it falls within the letter of the law.