I agree that a phone call is inherently intrusive either at home or on the go. As a rule I don't answer my stupid cell phone unless I recognize the number. Business calls will leave a VM if it's important. Once I stopped hearing a phone ringing as an automatic "Answer me! I'm important", I looked at other means of communication. And I don't feel I'm at the beck and call of a device in my pocket. Don't text or want to pay for it, so that's not an option.
All of my family still have a phone but only 50% have a computer. So email isn't for everyone, but that's what I tend to use. If I had a smart phone, I suppose Twitter or SMS would replace that, but email however 20th century still is my fallback. If I need immediate communication, a phone call is still the only thing.
The whole "nothing to hide argument" has been fought back and forth between legal scholars for years. I may truly have nothing to hide but that's none of your beeswax. And making the rational decision to opt-out of being scanned and being patted down should not be required. I think TSA is in for a fun time on Nov 24 when the "OPT OUT" crowd shows up at America's airports essentially shutting them down.
Personally, I'd be happy to be patted down while wearing my kilt commando. Just so long as the guy doing it is hot. I'll even bring my own lube for a cavity search if it goes that far.
If I haven't seen the movie, chances are I decided "wait until video" when it was in the theaters. I'm most likely not going to buy that movie anyway. That's why it's on my Netflix list. I either see movies in the theaters or via DVD rental.
If I've already seen the movie, loved it, and want to own it so I can watch it again and again, I'll wait until it's in the stores and not bother renting it. There are very few movies in this category. I don't own many movies for this reason.
Such release windows don't influence my buying behavior because I don't usually buy DVDs.
My condo association was able to go from 2yd^3 bins for trash to 2 2yd&3, 1 for trash and one for paper. It cost us less per month for the paper+trash so we did it. It requires the residents be mindful and separate their trash from their paper recycling. Every once and a while we get some lazy-ass renter throwing everything in the recycling bin and have to yell at the landlord. I don't see an easy way to enforce the lazy-asshole element to recycle except charging more per-pickup up front (make recycling bins free but don't empty them if there's obviously trash in them and charge slightly more per trash bin 66%).
Various cash strapped cities in the SF Bay area are considering doing away with the free Sunday parking. I've already paid more in parking tickets than I care to in San Mateo taking my sick mom around. And don't get me started on the City. I haven't been up there in 3 years because parking got so bad. Looks like it's Netflix from now on and to hell with theater.
I'd have liked to see the judge impose a "with prejudice" clause on this case so that the teacher would have to pay the student's court and attorney costs.
Actually, "it's all true" isn't a defense against a claim of libel. So be very careful what you post that's critical. Someone doesn't like it, they can sue regardless. Stupid, I know.
Then again, the attorney that's fighting this case for the MD sure saw her coming. I wonder if she's a real blonde 'cause she sure is acting like one. I wonder if the attorney told her that discovery for the case would probably be worse than an unsedated colonoscopy and last for much longer. And IMO, the upside of litigating this is very small. If you win, you're the MD that sued their critics on how bad your skills are. There's is no upside to the Streisand Effect.
Sounds like the attorneys hired by the site practice law by boilerplate. Rather than specifically stating the issues, they threw everything into the suit, thereby making the presiding judge decide what's relevant. If it's a small shop, I can see how this might work well. Here's hoping the judge dismisses the entire suit with prejudice making the Dr. Data clowns pay for this. And their law firm walk away with nothing.
All this just means leave the personal laptop _and_ phone at home (that's searchable and savable too). Period.
Use an in-country rental for whatever you need and sanitize it before you return it. I haven't used an iPad, but if it can't store stuff, then use it with remote storage for whatever you'd need a laptop for on a vacation.
Corporate execs must have sanitized corporate laptops for overseas work. IT would transfer what was "safe" to it prior to the trip. Anything company proprietary could be saved onto corporate servers to be accessed via VPN. If the Gustapo find porn on that laptop, that exec is toast anyway.
I see posts on Slashdot from time to time from IT people asking, rather foolishly, what to do when they're told to do something unethical or out-and-out illegal by their boss. Writing a letter outlining the reasons why "this wouldn't be a good idea" to the boss and the boss' boss, cc'ing the CEO, will most likely get you fired for refusing to play along. Quitting while dragging your feet is another option. Reporting the as-yet-performed illegal activity to Wikileaks, Interpol, the FBI, Software Business Alliance, etc. will get you branded as unemployable.
How does this relate to topics to be discussed at this forum?
Careful, the US will just take over ICANN and the whole Internet
I can see this happening very easily. All the root servers become US property and taken to the nearest US Embassy. Then Cyberwarfare is easy. Just redirect all China's traffic to LOLcats.
The problem a former student mentioned is that those students that put tape over the camera or tried reloading the OS with a clean copy of MacOS were threatened with expulsion. And accepting the laptop was manditory, not optional. All students were expected to have them like their school issued textbooks.
This sort thing is taken to an extreme in Cory Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER where such laptops are standard everywhere. The hero's solution, a hacked PS3 running an ubersecure Linux. I'll bet Cory's laughing his ass off right now. He should sue the district for copyright infringement. They stole his idea.
At $10.50 a pop here in Silicon Valley, I've very picky about what I'll go see in the theater. Anything less than a good/great review I put on my Netflix list. That averages out to less than 1 movie/month. If the prices go any higher, I'll only see a couple a year and go 95% Netflix.
I used to complain to ISPs that hosted spammer's web sites that they were hosting this crap. Most ignored me. Some replied "So what? We (the isp) didn't spam you. And these are legitimate paying customers."
Maybe now when I email ISPs and apprize them of the risk of hosting spammer's content, they'll listen and take it down. Suing the ISP for hosting the crap is going to far. But, if you shoot 1 politician a month for being a crook, maybe the others will find another line of work or, wonder of wonders, actually be honest politician.
I didn't buy this game, but if I had and it stopped working because the company "remotely turned it off", I'd be back at the point of purchase (aka my local game store) to complain. If they won't give me another game of equal value or a full credit-card refund, I'd contact the credit card company and request a charge back. I'd tell that to the owner of the store and all my friends. This might possibly result in the owner's credit card processor putting their account on hold, thereby limiting their ability to take credit cards. If I bought it from an on-line store, same thing. If enough people return the game as defective (it's got DRM that doesn't work), maybe Ubisoft might take notice. The game store owners surely will.
And yet, when a reporter did just this to the trash of a local judge, DA, and police chief and published a long article documenting the items found, there was such a hew and cry. Both the DA and police chief wanted the reporter thrown in jail. The judge knew better and just asked for her personal property back.
Unless you can cite significant case law to support your opinion, it remains just that--your unfounded and uninformed opinion.
I'd love to have everyone on the IL AG's entire staff past and present submit to a rigorous financial audit crawling so far up their GI tracts that you can see daylight. It's only fair. If they're going to "get the whole picture out there", it should go both ways. A little corruption, graft, and duplicity is good for the soul.
On the post: Phone Calls Are So Last Century
Still stuck in the 20th century
All of my family still have a phone but only 50% have a computer. So email isn't for everyone, but that's what I tend to use. If I had a smart phone, I suppose Twitter or SMS would replace that, but email however 20th century still is my fallback. If I need immediate communication, a phone call is still the only thing.
On the post: Botched TSA Pat Down Leaves Traveler Covered In Urine
This Pistole guy needs to go
On the post: TSA Threatens To Sue Guy For Not Agreeing To Having His Groin Touched By TSA Agents
Re: Deal with it.
Personally, I'd be happy to be patted down while wearing my kilt commando. Just so long as the guy doing it is hot. I'll even bring my own lube for a cavity search if it goes that far.
On the post: Warner Bros. Claims That Annoying Customers With 28-Day Rental Delay Is Working
Re: They need to get over themselves.
If I've already seen the movie, loved it, and want to own it so I can watch it again and again, I'll wait until it's in the stores and not bother renting it. There are very few movies in this category. I don't own many movies for this reason.
Such release windows don't influence my buying behavior because I don't usually buy DVDs.
On the post: Big Brother In Your Garbage Cans
keeping the bums at bay
On the post: Is Free Parking Costing Us Billions?
no parking = no business
On the post: Teacher Loses Defamation Lawsuit Against Student Journalist
What about costs?
On the post: Plastic Surgeon Sues Online Reviewers Who Gave Her Bad Reviews
Re: Re: libel v malpractice
Then again, the attorney that's fighting this case for the MD sure saw her coming. I wonder if she's a real blonde 'cause she sure is acting like one. I wonder if the attorney told her that discovery for the case would probably be worse than an unsedated colonoscopy and last for much longer. And IMO, the upside of litigating this is very small. If you win, you're the MD that sued their critics on how bad your skills are. There's is no upside to the Streisand Effect.
On the post: Quackwatch Sued For Suggesting Medical Lab Quackery
crappy lawyer == cartoony lawsuit
On the post: Court Says Border Patrol Can Take Your Laptop For Off-Site Search If They Have Reasonable Suspicion
Corporate vs. personal laptops
Use an in-country rental for whatever you need and sanitize it before you return it. I haven't used an iPad, but if it can't store stuff, then use it with remote storage for whatever you'd need a laptop for on a vacation.
Corporate execs must have sanitized corporate laptops for overseas work. IT would transfer what was "safe" to it prior to the trip. Anything company proprietary could be saved onto corporate servers to be accessed via VPN. If the Gustapo find porn on that laptop, that exec is toast anyway.
On the post: New Webinar: What IT People Need To Know About The Law
Legalities won't help if the boss is a crook
How does this relate to topics to be discussed at this forum?
On the post: Are Domain Disputes Suffering From Arbitrators Arbitrarily Cutting & Pasting Decisions?
Careful, the US will just take over ICANN and the whole Internet
On the post: Laptop Spy Scandal Administrator Just "Loved" Violating Students' Fourth Amendment Rights
Re:
This sort thing is taken to an extreme in Cory Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER where such laptops are standard everywhere. The hero's solution, a hacked PS3 running an ubersecure Linux. I'll bet Cory's laughing his ass off right now. He should sue the district for copyright infringement. They stole his idea.
On the post: Hollywood Seeks To Kill Off 3D Golden Goose With Much Higher Prices
Raising 2D also?
On the post: Troubling Ruling Against Web Hosting Firm: Your Liability Just Went Up
I've complained to sites selling spammer's crap
Maybe now when I email ISPs and apprize them of the risk of hosting spammer's content, they'll listen and take it down. Suing the ISP for hosting the crap is going to far. But, if you shoot 1 politician a month for being a crook, maybe the others will find another line of work or, wonder of wonders, actually be honest politician.
On the post: Ubisoft's 'You Must Be Connected To This Server' Annoying DRM Servers Go Down
Re: Damnit
On the post: School Spying Scandal Gets Even More Bizarre: Student In Question Was Disciplined For Eating Candy
Re: Re: Re: Constitutionality?????
Unless you can cite significant case law to support your opinion, it remains just that--your unfounded and uninformed opinion.
For which I say "Thank you for sharing"
On the post: School Spying Scandal Gets Even More Bizarre: Student In Question Was Disciplined For Eating Candy
Re: Constitutionality?????
On the post: Pharma Patent Nuclear War In Action
What about all those awsome new products from J&J
On the post: Chicago Prosecutor's Office Leaks Old, Unsubstantiated, Discredited Internal Memo To Smear Innocence Project Founder
Re: IStates Attorney's Offices