In essence I agree with everything you say. Do try to understand, though, that the U.S. Government has given people ample cause to be suspicious of their intentions and skeptical of their performance. I don't think they see .gov as the only bogeyman, just the one that happens to have an army and taxation authority.

She. She was a she.

Mooseberries.

Oh, my! Hah ha ha, please forgive me! Ha ha ha ha That's a good one!

Since SCO consists almost entirely of lawyers at this point, its just a question of which lawyers get paid...theirs or yours. Go for the less-lawyers solution.

Seriously, is there no limit to this barratry-fest? Surely the judge must tire of it eventually.

You go first.

Wish I had mod points. +1 for sure.

I always thought something was fundamentally wrong with the universe.

Holy crap, score one for the good guys. I have no idea how much practical effect this will have on the 5 Eyes/NATO/EEC surveillance machine, but if nothing else it gives hope that basic concepts of liberty and privacy are not completely dead.

Could one of our EU folks enlighten an ignorant Yank on the force a national judge's ruling carries with regard to EU-wide law and regulations?

The death of expensive designer watches is nowhere near imminent. Apple will reach it's usual target market of shallow, social-climbing neo-yuppies, but the truly wealthy and stylish will always go for ostentation and style over flavor-of-the-month gadgetry. Two different market demos entirely.

Do you really think Lamborghini fears Google smart cars? Is Lugano worried about Google Glass?

I think not.

After that drunk crashed his hobby-class UAV on the White House lawn, the hue and cry from the SS and the TLA's went up as predicted.

"We must have $xM and uncontrolled executive powers to combat the clear and present existential threat posed by $40 toys!"

The landlord's insurance paid for the cleanup. It really wasn't the most important consideration at the time. Meeting his parents afterwards kinda took precedence.

Some people commit suicide because their life sucks so much they don't want to deal with it any more. People should be afforded the dignity to make their own choices without pseudo-altruistic nannying.

Others do so because they are defective. Selfish, attention-seeking losers who want everyone around them to be part of their pity party. Screw them. The gene pool is improved by their departure.

Oh, by the way, I have personally witnessed a suicide. A roommate blew his brains out in our living room because his "pain management" doctors couldn't manage his pain (neurological disease). I regretted his situation, but I respected his choice. I wished him godspeed as he gurgled his last auto-reflexive breaths.

The battery was not dead. It was just pining for the fjords.