Think of it as a warning shot. They're letting state legislatures know that they don't approve of these bans, so the local governments will have a chance to decide now whether they will back down or fight. Any court battle with the feds would be un-winnable, since the constitution clearly gives the feds the authority to set policy in this matter. By changing their rules now, the can avoid new federal rules and maintain some level of control over car sales in their state.

Just because you're doing it yourself doesn't mean you have to do it by hand. For example, you can get a lot of attachments for a bobcat that can help you out with your firewood problem. Granted, you'd need to already have a bobcat to make this worthwhile. These 3D printers will eventually server a similar purpose if they can learn to make them work in more than just plastic. If you want to make a plate by yourself today, you'd need a pottery wheel and a kiln, plus the know-how to make it by hand, but with a 3D printer, you can just download a design and print it out (if you don't mind that it's going to be plastic). That might beat going to the store because you can match the rest of your decor without shopping around. If they can get the kinks worked out so that anyone can use them, 3D printers might get more people interested in making and maintaining their own things.

Is this the Dianne Feinstein version?

Right now we have a consumer culture that doesn't really teach people to make and repair their own things (which is what a 3D printing would mostly be useful for). So while a 3D printer might someday be useful for a mechanic who needs to make car parts or a shoe salesmen who needs to make a custom shoe, most people are still expecting to go to someone else to get those things. As the technology improves and can make more things (metal parts, rubber, glass, composites) and people get more used to it, we may see the market for the technology grow, assuming it isn't outlawed first.

I've been upgrading my iPhone about every two years since the first one was released. But I felt guilty about replacing my 4S with a 5S because it was still in perfect condition and it was totally adequate for all of my uses. So when it comes time to upgrade again, I will likely skip it unless there's something really fancy and new about the 6S.

American employers are so yearning to motivate young people to work in manufacturing and the skilled trades that many are willing to pay to train and recruit future laborers.

Good, let them. The "education" system couldn't be worse at teaching useful skills.

Until the IRS upgrades to the '90s and lets you use their website to file, I'm not really interested in filling out a million questions on some scammy website, or going to an accountant to fill out some basic paperwork anybody could do. It's easy enough to fill out the paper forms and mail in a check (though that is the only thing I am likely to write a check for, or put in the mail this year).

I was trying to figure out why people would say that she's connected to the NSA. I was wondering if they'd say that about anyone who served in the White House (Al Gore is on Apple's board). I guess to people subscribing to a team mentality, any member of the republican leadership must be working to promote the NSA, and all the brave democrats are fighting against it.

But in reality, it's pretty silly to think that she's going to advocate turning over all their data to the NSA just because she's on their board and has worked with the NSA in the past. It's also pretty silly to think the NSA hasn't already got that data without her help.

Ever heard of the placebo effect?

Yes, because it makes a whole lot of sense not to think of cars as technology, and Slashdot never reported on electric cars before Tesla.

This is from 2009, so they've probably done it by now.

After reading this article, there can be little doubt as to why doing things in NJ is so expensive.

You wouldn't ask why the mob is so influential, would you? This is the same kind of thing. A group of shady criminals demanding "protection money" from politicians.

The thing is this basically is a tariff war. There is no way this law would have been passed if Tesla built cars in New Jersey.