but interkin3tic "ASSURED" you.

his/her assurance is enough to convince me! /chugs an entire keg like bender, jumps behind the wheel, assured that i'll stay alert/

Your long list of examples omit something important: data. Those examples simply don't have enough impact to trigger laws. You might not like them, but laws like this aren't written to accommodate your dislikes, laws like this are based on data. If putting on make-up was a significant source of accidents, above DWI or cell-phone usage, it would be on the list. It isn't arbitrary that alcohol and cell phone usage are restricted, they cause the most accidents.

I assumed that once I received my Driver's License (in 1986, heh), I was already IN a giant database like this? Why DON'T we have this? Seems like a pretty obvious thing that I would want if I was issuing photo IDs and SS#s. I'd fire any employee who introduced photo ID's and forgot the database part.

And for those banging the Big Brother drum, Given the shit people spill to social networks, this seems completely benign.

non peak time? if/when netflix goes global there will be no such thing.

Brief strawman, because I know it is coming: At some point on this thread, someone is going to claim "but nothing is REALLY new." That is utter bullshit. Burroughs, Matthews, Glass, O'Nolan, Queneau, Danielewski, etc. have all pushed the envelope far beyond this cliche and invented very new topologies for the "novel" format as recent as the 20th century (granted, some of their experiments aren't particularly accessible, but they are inventing).

Of course, it is a matter of preference and personal taste. But...

I assert that OSC didn't lift a finger to push the genre, he just barfed up the SAME story with the SAME tropes without any new direction, IMHO (sub par by Asimov or Heinlein standards... and how many stories did Heinlein write that emphasized the protagonist's wang?). For a fan to claim it is a masterpiece work of art in general, when they've read maybe 10 books in their life (or 100 sci fi pulp novels) is naive since their POV is so limited.

So I don't have a problem with anyone liking the book, we all like different stuff and I'd be a troll to judge, I DO object to huge praise for something that is really "just average" ... IMHO it leads to a race to the bottom everywhere in society.

Rant done.

Now, If you'll excuse me, someone over on Reddit just said that "Thor 2 is going to be the best sci-fi film EVAR!" ... i have my evening cut out for me.

FTFY:

Ender's game = hunger games for 13 year old boys

Yes I read the book, I thought it was garbage pulp fantasy for those of limited breadth and imagination.

I'm in the market for a new car and it is nigh impossible to buy one without a fuckton of useless digital crap.

It is effing stupid because to me the technology is crap, the GUIs are crap, and the functionality is totally unnecessary.

It sucks that every new car appears to be marketed to 15 year olds with ADHD.

So who gives a fuck if the tech is four years old? How about NO years old, just jettison the shit and give me 5 analog dials and a stereo that at least doesn't have a screen saver (and that crashes once a week because the firmware was written by C-minus programmers). /endrant/

"And if you for an instant believe that women need less than a week to recover from a birth, you clearly do not understand the process."

This is /.

I surmise >90% straight teen male, mostly white ... maybe a little more mature than the reddit demographic, but barely.

Of course they don't understand.

Urm, the //c was kinda after the fact. The //e is what took the 80's by storm. Consumer Reports had a PC issue in the early '84 and the //e and C64 were neck and neck. I know, because that's when my parents were shopping for one for me. For a long time //e and C64 dominated, but they were kind 'spensive so your TIs, Atari 800s and Tandys were in there too. The //c was definitely a latecomer to the boom.

"Dogme 95"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogme_95

I'm such a grumpy old luddite who values plot and acting over just about everything.

I'm a dying breed.

Against: 126 house, 21 senate

Sadly it wasn't 100%, but hey, Southern dems gotta get reelected too, and some believed the Powell/Rice Anthrax/MushroomCloud hype as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Resolution

And the difference you don't see: none of them said, "Go to war against Saddam."

That. Is. Crucial.

Let me say it again: Not ONE of those people suggested war.

Crap, I'm angry now. Rant... brewing... like... a ... word turd...

Every dem on your list agreed Saddam was a dictator, but why don't you dig a little deeper and see that they were actually in agreement with air containment (we patrolled their skies), and trying to make UN inspections work (and trying to get Saddam's allies to pressure him, or to enable the citizens to coup).

So, while plenty of Dems agreed Saddam was a threat, ONLY BUSH & CHENEY decided to cowboy up themselves an irresponsible $6 trillion dollar ten year war for something that was being actively managed for much less money and bloodshed. Remember that. The blame is squarely on Bush.

endrant.

Sure, decriminalize them, but impose skull-crushing fines.

Gets me out of the office at exactly 5. It's a fun group of people and the workouts are different every time. Can't beat it (I used to run alone and tried going to the gym alone, but without peers and coaches, it was hopeless). It's a good hard sweat done in ~45 minutes. Been at it for 5 years, started at age 34.

...imagine what Reddit knows. /shudders/