Havoc 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (41) comment rss

  • On the post: Fox Decides To Drive Fans To Piracy, Rather Than Giving Legitimate Options

    Havoc ( profile ), 27 Jul, 2011 @ 10:20am

    I disagree

    But it's not to Fox's benefit. As long as OTA broadcasts continue, who could possibly care?
    Fox needs to cut off broadcasting, going to cable ONLY to truly get their target audience and find out what the network is actually worth. It'd be an unpleasant surprise.

  • On the post: TSA Agrees To Take The Naked Out Of Naked Scanners

    Havoc ( profile ), 21 Jul, 2011 @ 09:45am

    Re: Likely fail

    "Every passenger's life is sacred, no matter the cost."
    Ah, TSA mantra, however misguided. Fact is, for all the problems, for all the exposure(X-ray & naughty bits), all this crap has stopped nothing, and it seems as though the public has no voice in this due to our electeds' post-911 'spend whatever we want and claim it's for national security' mindset.
    And so, here we deservedly are. We let this happen.

  • On the post: Are There Any Politicians Who Know What PROTECT IP Is About? Senator Hutchison Thinks It's About Net Neutrality

    Havoc ( profile ), 19 Jul, 2011 @ 06:31pm

    Re: Communication

    Well, you've answered my main question about all this discussion: It's common now for people to say "I wrote" when in fact they mean "I emailed". I NEVER expect to get anything more than a canned response when emailing- the volume's just too huge. Anything that matters- really matters- deserves a letter, and we deserve more than a canned response from our elected representatives.
    I get the occasional letter from my elected idiots, even though I REFUSE to give any money to re-elect anyone, but I write at all levels. I just don't expect to get email responses from anyone at any office higher than county.

  • On the post: Re-Inventing The Wheel (For Real)

    Havoc ( profile ), 14 Jul, 2011 @ 10:36am

    Re: Totally impractical. Too bulky and complex.

    Don't forget though, that many inventions from 20 or 100 years ago were impractical due to technology and/or need. Materials or the ability to mass produce some items decades ago made them impossible, or they died simply because there was no perceived need or market. Both of those conditions may change over time; my favourite example being Peltier junctions (from the 1860s) that serve as common beer coolers and submarine A/C now along with numerous other products. Technology and need had to catch up.

  • On the post: Re-Inventing The Wheel (For Real)

    Havoc ( profile ), 14 Jul, 2011 @ 10:28am

    Re: Mr Skin

    That's the part that got me. For my few little patents, there have been numerous ideas, but before anything got past the drawing stage a deep patent search was done. Some things were killed at that point, others went back on the drawing board for review and/or improvement. Many of those were before patent searches became as easy as they are now, but it's simply the practical side of development.

  • On the post: When You're About To Fly, Who Do You Fear More: Al Qaeda… Or The TSA?

    Havoc ( profile ), 29 Jun, 2011 @ 11:57am

    Re: Re: 2 extra questions

    "TSA has the force of law behind it."
    And, as American citizens, we SHOULD be able to change this, but we can't.
    Remind yourself how much YOUR VOTE MATTERS.

  • On the post: When You're About To Fly, Who Do You Fear More: Al Qaeda… Or The TSA?

    Havoc ( profile ), 29 Jun, 2011 @ 11:02am

    Re: Well since you asked..

    The problem here is that in reality nothing- absolutely nothing- has changed since September 10, 2001, except that the perception you've been fed and subsequently adopted as 'necessary' was successful.
    There are NO more terrorists than before, we are in NO more peril than before.
    Mission accomplished, George!

  • On the post: Duke Nukem PR People Publicly Threaten Those Who Give Bad Reviews

    Havoc ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2011 @ 10:45am

    Re:

    Thank you, Axman 13!

  • On the post: Miami Beach Police Tried To Destroy Video From Bystanders, Holding Them At Gunpoint

    Havoc ( profile ), 07 Jun, 2011 @ 10:20am

    Re:

    Problem is, there's no one keeping law enforcement in check. If you think Internal Affairs(a police staffed division of the police department) is the answer, then I know you've never dealt with IA. Cops guarding/defending cops.
    This coupled with the fact that almost every week, a state or federal court is backing the erosive efforts of said law enforcement on our Constitutional rights as 'free' citizens.
    Any reasonable person will see that this whole mess isn't going to end well.

  • On the post: Senators Reveal That Feds Have Secretly Reinterpreted The PATRIOT Act

    Havoc ( profile ), 26 May, 2011 @ 11:35am

    Re: Older and Wiser

    An older & wiser moment:
    Remember when Berlin had the wall? When the USSR had barbed wire fences to keep their people in, not keep others out?
    It was so much easier to tell the good governments from the bad ones due to the walls.
    Seems the walls are gone, perhaps just renamed as "Acts".

  • On the post: Senator Schumer Wants To Censor Google & Apple; Displays Ignorance Of Law

    Havoc ( profile ), 20 May, 2011 @ 11:20am

    Re:

    On your technical question, the answer is 'yes', there's nothing to stop that. Now, to a larger question you didn't ask: "have indiscriminate roadblocks stopped drunk drivers?", the answer would also be 'yes', but nationwide the figure is .01%. That's right, of ALL the drivers stopped and quizzed for 'safety', less than 1/100th of 1 per cent were arrested for DUI. Further, 2% were arrested/ticketed for other offenses unrelated to the stop, thereby invalidating the roadblock's alleged purpose of catching drunk drivers. Protecting the children/general public from drunk drivers, OR a cash cow. Figures on money don't lie.

  • On the post: New Bill In Connecticut Would Make It Illegal For Police To Stop You From Recording Them

    Havoc ( profile ), 11 Mar, 2011 @ 11:00pm

    Re: Re:

    Civil action I generally despise, but will work nicely here. The reason most red light cameras are civil and not criminal(I'm sure you know this, I just hate breaking a train of thought) is the burden of proof shifts to the defendant. Sucks in camera cases, would work well on this- except I want all abusive cops- minority that they are(in numbers, not race) to go to prison. Fines, court judgments that wreck their credit, those really scare no one. Jail does.

  • On the post: Another Attempt To Make TSA Searches Open To Sex Offender Charges

    Havoc ( profile ), 11 Mar, 2011 @ 11:00am

    Re: Insane!

    "It's just crazy that these are the lengths that we have to go through to stop this TSA mandate."
    What, comments on an article, or a tiny state passing tiny laws that won't stop a damn thing?
    I can't stress this enough: write or call your Congressman AND the White House. No one cares who you voted for; this mess started under the previous administration but the current one hasn't made it any better AND WE ARE NOT SAFER.
    Write or call(emails get ignored generally) and let the ones you pay know that this is unacceptable.

  • On the post: New Bill In Connecticut Would Make It Illegal For Police To Stop You From Recording Them

    Havoc ( profile ), 03 Mar, 2011 @ 11:52am

    Re:

    'Gut interpretation'? Care to provide a link to a page where that shows this is a necessary(and legal) part of law enforcement? I understand your point, but remember that police are being trained to go right to the very edge of violating our waning rights, and some step over the line. I, for one, have written my Congressmen, requesting they support a return of our recording rights at the federal level, removing the various states' gameplaying involving wiretapping laws to protect the police unions' 'privacy' concerns.
    I would ask that all write(not email, they'll never read it) and make it known that, although you're not a lobbyist, you matter.
    Threadjacking over.

  • On the post: Texas Governor Blocks Reporters He Doesn't Like From Reading His Tweets

    Havoc ( profile ), 02 Mar, 2011 @ 12:31pm

    Re: Re: Douchebaggery

    Thanks for reminding me of that. Though Gov. Goodhair claims to have no national political aspirations, I pray that he DOES leave and go for a spot on the ticket w/ Ms. Palin, so neither will ever be heard from again. Ever.
    In an aside, I find it remarkable that no matter how many people I ask, no one admits to voting for this man. Just odd.

  • On the post: 'Consumer' Group Wants Netflix To Tax Customers To Give To Telcos?

    Havoc ( profile ), 25 Feb, 2011 @ 10:23am

    Cool!

    I can fix this. Netflix is now a service, $8 per month. Change it to a membership fee, $96 per year, free streaming. Not a service, but a club.
    Oh, and sue the FCC- for anything. It's 'Big Government', and that kind of thing will fly right now. We'll get Congressional panels and hearings and in the end, 5 years from now, it all just goes away because we've all forgotten.

  • On the post: Kuwaiti Blogger Sued After Negative Benihana Review

    Havoc ( profile ), 24 Feb, 2011 @ 01:13am

    Re: Re: The Spiral

    "not be dining at a Benihana for the reasons above and not will advise others not to go"
    Thanks, my head hurts now. What does all that even mean?

  • On the post: ICE Finally Admits It Totally Screwed Up; Next Time, Perhaps It'll Try Due Process

    Havoc ( profile ), 21 Feb, 2011 @ 04:58pm

    Re: Guilty by association

    If, and that's a big question here, If they were doing something wrong. By simple seizure they have been completely denied any rights or due process.
    By seizure they are automatically guilty and must prove their innocence. Not how the system's supposed to work, but it is the reality.
    For the children, or is it for continued funding?

  • On the post: ICE Finally Admits It Totally Screwed Up; Next Time, Perhaps It'll Try Due Process

    Havoc ( profile ), 21 Feb, 2011 @ 11:50am

    Re: Re: ICE Seizure Checklist

    or [x] Prophet.

  • On the post: Musician/Comedian Faces 20 Years In Jail For Silly Video No Different Than Done On TV & In Movies

    Havoc ( profile ), 21 Feb, 2011 @ 11:20am

    Becoming typical now

    It is far worse than out of control, prosecutors trying new 'expanded' definitions of various laws to make a name for themselves, looking for re-election. None is so foolproof as 'protecting the children', because, win or lose, they always claim they were trying to protect the children. The sheep buy it. Worse, they re-elect them.
    Past time to make frivolous prosecution a felony, prison time the only option, also making judges responsible for even trying these 'expanded' laws.
    Maybe that'll rein in some of this stupidity.

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