But the DHS only used terrorism as a reason for its creation.

The truth is that terrorism is such a very very minor ACTUAL threat, it could never justify the creation of such an agency.

So obviously, they have to use it elsewhere.

If only people would remember this sort of thing, everytime the government demands extraordinary powers to combat terrorism/pedophiles etc... It will always be used elsewhere.

Gee, I wonder if anyone could use the SHIELD Act to prosecute Karl Rove or someone for leaking Valerie Plames CIA cover.

Oh that's right. It's not a crime when Republicans do it.

It's famous, but it's hardly a yardstick for antiquity.

Newgrange in Ireland is older than Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

But 10,000 years old? The Aborigines seem to have them all well and truly beaten.

Actually, even on The Pirate Bay, a fake torrent can get listed with thousands of seeders.

The thing is, the company the MPAA are outsourcing this pirate hunt to, aren't the brightest.

They'll create torrents for Iron Man 3, or The Walking Dead episode 1x07 or something.

And they'll create a dozen torrents with thousands of seeders each, in under 10 minutes.

It's really really not difficult to avoid fakes.

And yeah, anyone who downloads software from a Torrent site, is asking to be owned.

"You and I didn't have a say in it at all"

Sure you did. In 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010.
But as normal, you all picked Dems or Republicans, so nothing changed.

It's a Gordian knot of a problem.

And should be solved accordingly.

As a society, we're reverting back to superstition and ignorance.

Oh please. Something like 90% of Americans still believe in God for pities sake. And I highly doubt that the slashdot readership is entirely immune to that particular superstition either.

The enlightenment was over 200 years ago. It never really took off in America.

I could go into the text and replace Nigger with Klingon. It might be funny, but it won't be Mark Twain.

Forget Wednesday. Is it still 2011?

You should be aware that "Redneck" is a racist and culturalist epithet on a par with "The N word"

Oh really?? I must have missed those large tracts of American history 101, where they told us about the war to free the Rednecks, the Jim-Bob Crow laws, and the Redneck-only drinking fountains....

This is the point where, as a people, globally, we just need to stand up and kill the top 3% of the people running the planet that have these stupid ideas.

The sheep and cattle have never risen up to slay the farmer.

The sheepdog ensures that they stay in a pack, easily led.
Any sheep that gets ideas, is nipped by the dog.
If it still gets ideas, it is torn to pieces by the dog.

Heck, Oliver North committed treason, and there were plenty of people who wanted him to be PRESIDENT.

then why would anyone take extra precautions?

This only models a viral outbreak which is both unannounced, and virtually symptomless.

That's when Amazon takes it upon themselves to update books on your Kindle, without your knowledge.

They'll probably sell it as a feature, first. Science text books for college, for example. Every year, we'll upgrade your copy to the latest version, etc...

But one day, it will be "Those historical facts no longer represent the current thinking of the administration. So remove those historical facts from this text book, and replace them with these approved-facts."

Just because London is colder, doesn't mean the globe is getting colder.

London is colder, because the Jet Stream is not as powerful as it once was, and is now being overshadowed by the effects of Siberian winds coming in from the East, instead of warm air coming from the far far south west all across the Atlantic.

If the Gulf Stream stops completely, or changes direction (both of which are possible from global climate change) then London and its surroundings will lose their main source of mild winters.