akp 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (192)

• On the post: NSA/GCHQ Use Lolcats To Discuss What They Learn By Spying On All Of Our YouTube Views And Facebook Likes

  

  akp ( profile ), 27 Jan, 2014 @ 03:14pm

  I'm going to apply for a job at the NSA.
  
  I'd like to be paid for playing WoW, Angry Birds, watching YouTube, and reading blogs all day.
  
  So, basically, the same thing I do now, except as a Highly Paid Professional.
  
  Sign me up!

• On the post: NSA Helped Destroy Trust In US Internet Firms, But Would Going Overseas Be Any Better?

  

  akp ( profile ), 22 Jan, 2014 @ 11:37am

  Re:

  The US Government has murdered 55 million unborn babies, and that's just inside its own borders. That ignores what is happening in Iraq, where the USA set up abortion mills / death camps before bothering to feed the people they conquered.

  
  
  Uh, what? Just because abortion is legal doesn't mean the US Government "murdered babies."
  
  Last I checked, we had no forced abortions in this country, and each one was the choice of the mother.

• On the post: Administration Finally Responds To A Petition… About Something A Child Said On The Jimmy Kimmel Show

  

  akp ( profile ), 14 Jan, 2014 @ 09:03am

  Re:

  I know I hesitate for a few minutes every time I think about signing one of those. I've had that same suspicion, which is why I have a throwaway email address just for stuff like that.

• On the post: Advertising Done Right: Archer Promotes New Season On Reddit GoneWild

  

  akp ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2014 @ 09:21am

  Re:

  3 piece, $6.99!

• On the post: Every 'Threat' The NSA Spreads FUD About Seems To Be Something The NSA Itself Is Actually Doing

  

  akp ( profile ), 03 Jan, 2014 @ 01:48pm

  Re: LOL

  It's almost a good outcome, actually.
  
  Once US companies start losing money because of all this, they'll start putting their massive lobbying dollars to work.
  
  They may not care about the privacy of the average American, but they sure as hell care about their company reputation and bottom line.

• On the post: Cost-Benefit Analysis On Why We Should Just Do Away With The TSA Completely

  

  akp ( profile ), 02 Jan, 2014 @ 09:36am

  Re: We can all do our part and get rid of the TSA the easy way

  This is just not an option. Too many people have to fly for business (and there are sooo many jobs out there..) and thus have no choice.
  
  Consider also those of us who live in Alaska and Hawaii. We have no other (reasonable) way to access the rest of the country. Where the rest of you have the option of bus/car/train travel (which also could get the TSA treatment), we simply don't.
  
  I do have a right to travel within my country, and if I don't do it by air, I can't.

• On the post: Cost-Benefit Analysis On Why We Should Just Do Away With The TSA Completely

  

  akp ( profile ), 02 Jan, 2014 @ 09:32am

  Re:

  They've already sort of done that.
  
  One of the immediate reactions to 9/11 was to mandate reinforced cockpit doors that lock. That single change, if in effect on 9/11, would have prevented the hijackings.
  
  They also expanded the Air Marshal program, which is another change that probably would have prevented the 9/11 attacks.
  
  Likely, we could have stopped there. The real security hardening of commercial air flights did happen, and we didn't need to extend any additional screening to passengers.

• On the post: Shia Labeouf Brilliantly Parodies Intellectual Property With Plagiarized Apologies And Defense Of Plagiarism

  

  akp ( profile ), 02 Jan, 2014 @ 04:18pm

  I've been following this somewhat, and I think you're giving Shia far too much intellectual credit.
  
  He may be trying to make a larger point about re-mixing, but we here all usually still agree that trying to profit off of someone else's work that you haven't transformed is still a douchy thing to do.
  
  The kid can't even seem to form a proper English sentence. I don't think he's trying to parody anything, I think he's trying to make excuses for things he's actually done wrong.
  
  He's thumbing his nose at everyone who thinks he should apologize, but that doesn't mean he actually shouldn't apologize.

• On the post: TSA Agent Hassles Actress For Carrying 'Knuckle Duster' Purse, Accuses Her Of Buying A Knockoff

  

  akp ( profile ), 31 Dec, 2013 @ 11:03am

  Re: Why brass knuckles?

  Being able to attach your handbag firmly to your fingers in this manner could prevent theft of said handbag.

• On the post: How To Solve The Piracy Problem: Give Everyone A Basic Income For Doing Nothing

  

  akp ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2013 @ 10:33am

  Re:

  I'm just happy that the world is starting to finally ask these questions.

• On the post: How To Solve The Piracy Problem: Give Everyone A Basic Income For Doing Nothing

  

  akp ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2013 @ 10:30am

  Re:

  Why are these apparently worthless, easy and unproductive professions always singled out as somehow deserving of subsidies from the rest of us?

  
  
  Maybe they aren't, but with the freedom from being a wage slave those people may have the time now to actually get better, and then create something you'll value.

• On the post: How To Solve The Piracy Problem: Give Everyone A Basic Income For Doing Nothing

  

  akp ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2013 @ 10:27am

  Re: Re:

  I would totally sling coffee part time, and make art the rest of the time on a basic monthly income.

• On the post: How To Solve The Piracy Problem: Give Everyone A Basic Income For Doing Nothing

  

  akp ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2013 @ 10:20am

  Re: Re: Yes, Math is Hard

  He was doing the math for the US, maybe?

• On the post: How To Solve The Piracy Problem: Give Everyone A Basic Income For Doing Nothing

  

  akp ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2013 @ 10:18am

  Re: Re: Canada did it too

  Considering we're at a very high unemployment right now, I don't see the problem.
  
  Unemployment is going to get worse and worse while we start automating many jobs that used to go to lower income people.
  
  We, as a society, are going to have to do something about all the people who are jobless because of advances in technology. This is not a bad thing.
  
  I firmly believe that if we had a basic income for all, that we'd see a new Renaissance. An explosion of art like the world has never seen.
  
  Will there be a portion of the population that just do "nothing," and accept the basic income forever? Of course! But how is that any different than now, when we're supporting those people already (but not as well as we could be)?

• On the post: Chicago Sandwich Shop Emails Employees On Dec. 23rd To Say Merry Christmas And You're All Fired

  

  akp ( profile ), 26 Dec, 2013 @ 09:22am

  Re:

  That's illegal. Labor laws (in the US) require an employer to provide final paychecks within 3 days.
  
  I worked part time at a small retail store, and the store did eventually close. The owners tried to skip out on that final paycheck for myself and the maybe two other employees.
  
  We went to the Labor Department, provided all the information, and the owners had their wages (in their new jobs) garnished until we were all paid.

• On the post: Ed Snowden: I'm Still Working For The NSA; They Are The Only Ones Who Don't Realize It

  

  akp ( profile ), 24 Dec, 2013 @ 09:25am

  I'll say it again

  "Treason" has a very specific definition. Almost no one hyperbolically accused of treason around here is actually a traitor (even if they did what we say they did).
  
  "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort."
  
  You can argue that Snowden is a criminal, but you can't argue treason.
  
  Clapper isn't a traitor. Our Senators aren't traitors. Someone who lies to the government isn't a traitor.
  
  You've got to specifically renounce your citizenship, and wage war to actually be guilty of treason.
  
  Stop using that word. It doesn't mean what you think it means.

• On the post: Feds Insist It Must Be Kept Secret Whether Or Not Plaintiff In No Fly List Trial Is Actually On The No Fly List

  

  akp ( profile ), 06 Dec, 2013 @ 03:19pm

  Re: Re: Re: Damages?

  ..and they'd rather you did get stopped at the checkpoint, so they can get the money of the other 20 people they overbooked for your seat.

• On the post: More Schools Reconsidering Zero Tolerance Policies And On-Campus Law Enforcement

  

  akp ( profile ), 05 Dec, 2013 @ 11:13am

  Re: Re:

  Also a time-honored practice called "civil disobedience"

• On the post: Stopping 23andMe Will Only Delay The Revolution Medicine Needs

  

  akp ( profile ), 26 Nov, 2013 @ 05:20pm

  Re: Re: Hello, industry shill

  Mike, you're usually a lot better about doing your homework on things like this.
  
  I highly recommend you read the FDA's actual letter regarding 23andMe. They are not trying to stamp out consumer DNA testing, they're trying to stop a specific company from defrauding their customers with misleading information.
  
  23andMe has had a long time to report the efficacy of their testing, and has been unwilling to do so. They cannot provide any proof that their results are accurate. In the meantime, they scare the crap out of people by reporting not only false positives, but false negatives.
  
  It's complete snake oil, and I'm surprised you let their shill have the floor.

• On the post: Stopping 23andMe Will Only Delay The Revolution Medicine Needs

  

  akp ( profile ), 26 Nov, 2013 @ 05:17pm

  Re: Public access genomics is damn premature

  It's not only fraud, it's harmful fraud. If they tell you "omg you're at risk for cancer!", and you freak out and go to your doctor waving a piece of paper around insisting you have cancer and need to be treated... You're going to have a bad time.
  
  False positives are bad. False negatives are even worse. Both are apparently rampant with 23andMe's "service."
  
  It provides no useful information, and only makes people worry.

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