I plugged my iPad into the USB charger in the plane ...

What planes/airlines have built-in USB ports? That aside, it's interesting that it's more than just a dumb USB-shaped port (akin to the wall dongles that merely convert a wall-outlet into a USB port). The fact that you got that message implies there's actually a computer on the other end in addition to just power.

I guess it's good to know that I can respect a well-crafted response, even when it comes from a source I don't respect.

That should have been obvious. Occasionally, people I generally strongly disagree with say or write something I do agree with -- just like a broken clock is right twice a day.

More likely that Google would build an office in SF (raising land prices even higher). Some tech companies have done that already.

They've already done that but it's nowhere near as big as the Googleplex in Mountain View. That aside, at least then they're paying SF city taxes. Also, I don't know if they have employee shuttles for their SF office or if their employees just take Muni like everybody else.

It would be ironic if a Google employee waiting for a Muni bus on his way to the SF office was delayed by a Google bus blocking the bus stop while picking up for a trip to Mountain View.

It easily beats having those people all driving themselves.

True, but what I think the protesters are thinking is that if companies eliminated the shuttles (or shrank their radius so that SF was outside of it), then most workers, rather than endure a multi-hour commute each day, would simply move closer to work (and, more specifically, outside of SF city limits). It might increase traffic in/around Mountain View, but the companies could run local shuttles with a 10-mile (instead of 35-mile) radius to alleviate that problem. But it would no longer be SF's problem.

It is legal for their buses to use the bus stops.

No it's not. It's not legal for any vehicle other than a city bus to use a city bus stop. At least that's the way it's been up until very recently. Now, the bus operators will have to pay to use the stops.

This program, 215, has the ability to stop the next 9/11 and if you added emails in there it would make it even more effective.

So terrorists will simply use snail mail. I don't think they're in that much of a hurry.

The article is really about a "Panic" button, not a 911 call.

I'm aware of that. I was simply responding to the parent poster who did post about 911.

You'd be surprised to learn that there's even dumber reasons people call ...

Why don't they tack on a $100 "911 call charge" to the caller's phone bill for every call? That ought to make the idiots learn pretty quickly.

The charge would be waived if any emergency personnel are actually dispatched.

Look at the unregulated sections of autobahn. Unlimited speed limits, safer than U.S highways.

Just a guess, but German drivers are probably better trained and follow conventions (such as not driving in the passing lane or moving over when somebody behind you flashes his headlights) than American drivers.

I see so many people who drive in the passing lane for no reason and others who are mystified as to what a headlight-flash means. Either that, or they're just being jerks. Either way, I can't see unregulated speed limits working in the US.

I think the average beheading is pretty much against the law.

The act is, but photos or videos of it are not; so while your statement is true, it's irrelevant. However, even photos or videos of child porn (i.e., after the fact) are also illegal.

Facebook should be in the business business. If they can make more money by making the site more family friendly, at the cost of kicking out some of the dregs of 4chan, they should do so. Hell, they have an obligation to their shareholders to do so.

They can accomplish the same thing by allowing people to self-tag posts as "adult." (Or they could even have several tags such as "violence", "sex", etc.) Minors wouldn't be able to see such content (based on what tags their parents allow them to see). At worst, adult content that's not self-tagged as such would simply be tagged as such by Facebook if/when they're alerted to it. Adults who've chosen not to filter their content will get to see everything. It's a win-win and it's certainly better than outright banning.

If it's on a page you've "liked," unlike the page and stop following it. If a friend posts something you don't like, either learn to accept your friend is his or her entirety, or simply unfollow or unfriend your friend. Facebook shouldn't be your nanny.