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Comment Re:Government is more efficient than private indus (Score 1) 585

by localtoast (#40342343) Attached to: Sen. Rand Paul Introduces TSA Reform Legislation
Double boogers. 5/10. I voted for this and would do so again. The state had no business to be in the liquor business in the first place. State run liquor is merely a remnant of prohibition. The argument you made is framed under privatization, but it doesn't make sense here, because liquor is a retail business, not a function of government. If my taxes went towards universal intoxication for all citizens (human rights violation to have to confront life's problems sober) and that got more expensive when privatized, then you would have an argument. Even if Freddie's does a huge markup, I can shop elsewhere. Prices will come down when more players get in. Why be limited to making special trips to dirty stores with lame hours and surly employees.

So, this is an example where privatization costs the public much more in the short run, AND increases the likelihood of an income tax, which will cost the public much more in the long run.

We need to confront the need to feed government, not just look for ways to satisfy the beast whenever it is hungry.

Comment Re:Dying from lack of surprise... (Score 1) 765

by localtoast (#38888865) Attached to: White House Refuses To Comment On Petition To Investigate Chris Dodd
Why was parent modded troll? Yes, he took took the flamebait, but his opinion is shared by many. It's a legitimate complaint against the party that promised "to be the most transparent administration [in history]" (Obama) and "dredge the swamp [of corruption]" (Pelosi). The trolls here are too busy correcting each others grammar.
Microsoft

Microsoft Can Remotely Kill Purchased Apps 389

Posted by samzenpus from the killing-distance dept.
Meshach writes "The terms of service for Microsoft's newly launched Windows Store allows the seller to remotely kill or remove access to a user's apps for security or legal reasons. The story also notes that MS states purchasers are responsible for backing up the data that you store in apps that you acquire via the Windows Store, including content you upload using those apps. If the Windows Store, an app, or any content is changed or discontinued, your data could be deleted or you may not be able to retrieve data you have stored."
Earth

World Emissions of Carbon Dioxide Outpace Worst-Case Scenario 760

Posted by Unknown Lamer from the drill-baby-drill dept.
Layzej writes "The global output of heat-trapping carbon dioxide jumped by the biggest amount on record in 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy calculated. A chart accompanying the study shows the breakdown by country. The new figures mean that levels of greenhouse gases are higher than the worst case scenario outlined by climate experts just four years ago. It is a 'monster' increase that is unheard of, said Gregg Marland, a professor of geology at Appalachian State University, who has helped calculate Department of Energy figures in the past. The question now among scientists is whether the future is the IPCC's worst case scenario or something more extreme."
Technology

Pumping Fluid With No Moving Parts 75

Posted by timothy from the all-sounds-very-zen dept.
RogerRoast writes "In a study published in Physical Review B (abstract; full version is paywalled), researchers demonstrate for the first time an approach that allows ferrofluids to be pumped by magnetic fields alone. The invention could lead to new applications for this mysterious material. Though numerous industrial, commercial, and biomedical applications for ferrofluids have since been created, the original goal — to pump liquids with no machinery — remained elusive, until now. The ferrohydrodynamic pump method works when electrodes wound around a pipe force magnetic nanoparticles within the ferrofluids to rotate at varying speeds. Those particles closest to the electrodes spin faster, and it is this spatial variation in rotation speed that propels the ferrofluid forward."

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