James Carmichael 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (114)

• On the post: DailyDirt: Better Living Via Chemistry… Just Got A Bit More Complicated

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 16 Dec, 2010 @ 06:08pm

  Re: Yes another science lesson needed..

  "So the next time you hold a bit of lead in your hand you can say that element is older than the earth, and its older than the sun."
  
  Yep, pretty amazing trivia. Chances are, a few atoms in that piece of lead also went through Julius Caesar's lungs at some point in time. Sweeeeet.

• On the post: DailyDirt: Better Living Via Chemistry… Just Got A Bit More Complicated

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 16 Dec, 2010 @ 06:06pm

  I love science; thanks again for the great links!

• On the post: US Is Apparently Torturing Bradley Manning, Despite No Trial And No Conviction

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 16 Dec, 2010 @ 02:34pm

  Re: Re: Re: @ Mike

  "the single largest act of treason against the US in history"
  
  That's the biggest exaggeration in the history of the Universe.

• On the post: Columbia Journalism School Staff Warns Obama That Prosecuting Wikileaks Will 'Set A Dangerous Precedent'

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 15 Dec, 2010 @ 02:17pm

  Re:

  Good find Dave! American journalistic integrity is pretty bad; in a reasonable country where common sense is upheld, Fox News would have been shut down or warned by the government several times by now... they're one of the biggest source of misinformation out there, but I suppose the First Amendment works both ways!
  
  I'm surprised to see Canada directly below the US, but as with education and social security, the northern European countries are leading the way.

• On the post: US Is Apparently Torturing Bradley Manning, Despite No Trial And No Conviction

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 15 Dec, 2010 @ 01:05pm

  Re: @ Mike

  His post makes it pretty clear that he's against torture in any way shape or form. He's only protecting himself from retarded commenters by saying that Manning may possibly be in the wrong here, and may possibly deserve to be incarcerated, but NOT before a getting a trial, and certainly NOT with torture involved.
  
  In other words, Manning's actions are debatable.
  Torture is not.

• On the post: US Is Apparently Torturing Bradley Manning, Despite No Trial And No Conviction

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 15 Dec, 2010 @ 01:03pm

  Re:

  Thanks!

• On the post: DailyDirt: Materials That Make You Go Hmmm

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 15 Dec, 2010 @ 09:15am

  Love these posts, keep 'em coming!

• On the post: US Response To Massive Decline In Foreign Travelers: Keep Crazy Policies, But Set Up Ad Campaign

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 15 Dec, 2010 @ 09:04am

  Doesn't North Korea have a similar tourism strategy?

• On the post: Homeland Security Gets Walmart To Tell You To Inform On Your Neighbors

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 08 Dec, 2010 @ 04:29pm

  Culture of fear

  Wow, that's low. Hey, I have an idea! How about setting up a website where people can report illegal activities their neighbors did?! Some place where people can be exposed for their secrets. Some kind of... wiki... where people would submit, post, or... leak information. It would allow us to better ourselves by encouraging good behavior and teaching accountability.
  
  It would be called Wikiflow, and the government would LOVE it.[/sarcasm]
  
  So the US Government is trying to have people critic their neighbors instead of their government? Wow you guys are screwed... I hope Canada doesn't drop onto Mexico when the US finally sinks.

• On the post: French Hosting Company Asks Judge If It's Okay To Host Wikileaks

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 03 Dec, 2010 @ 01:22pm

  Common sense ftw.

• On the post: The Inevitability Of Wikileaks

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 03 Dec, 2010 @ 01:21pm

  Silencing the truth is the only means of defense that cowards and liars have at their disposition to stay alive.
  
  You can't have disinformation with silencing the truth.
  You can't have a fear campaign without disinformation.
  You can't have the GoP without a fear campaign.

• On the post: Russian Press And Pakistani Courts Apparently Have More Respect For Free Speech Than Joe Lieberman

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 03 Dec, 2010 @ 01:11pm

  Complacency

  Complacency is the worse position to take while dealing with this sort of story. Things won't change unless people revolt, and I refuse to accept censorship of that nature. I'm Canadian, but I can't help but feel outraged at this kind of story.
  
  The USA has been in neutral gear for decades because most of their citizens are comfortable enough in their life to not participate or care about their government anymore. They're rich enough that they don't feel anything more can be done to improve their country, and that is perfect enough as it is.

• On the post: Russian Press And Pakistani Courts Apparently Have More Respect For Free Speech Than Joe Lieberman

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 03 Dec, 2010 @ 01:04pm

  If you ask people in North Korea about their rights and the quality of information they receive on a daily basis, many of them would say that they are doing just fine. Of course it's clear to anyone outside the country that they are clearly being raped of their basic rights on a daily basis.
  
  The exact same thing happens in the United States all the time, of course to a much lesser extent, but many would still never consider the fact that their own country lies and hides things from them all the time.
  
  My point is that people in any country are subject to way more propaganda and censorship that they would find 'acceptable' in any other country, but since they are too close to their own censor, and are already used to their own system of censorship, that they just don't see it as a big deal.
  
  If you had to start your own country from scratch, which words, if any, would you want to ban from television? Would those words be different than what's currently banned today? Why do we tolerate laws that don't make sense, only because "that's they way we've been doing things for a while"?

• On the post: While TSA Looks At You Naked, Child Finds Loaded Gun Magazine Left On Southwest Plane

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 24 Nov, 2010 @ 07:20am

  CHILDREN ARE A THREAT!

  No children allowed on planes from now on, they are clearly a threat to our national security.
  
  Also, no in-flight magazines anymore. You heard me.

• On the post: Dutch Court Says That Copyright Owners Are Better Off When People Are Downloading From Unauthorized Sources

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 24 Nov, 2010 @ 05:55am

  Common Sense

  Wow, common sense in the courts... although that 'you must be a criminal' tax is NOT a fair way to go about it.

• On the post: TSA Does Full Grope Search On Screaming Three Year Old [Update]

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 17 Nov, 2010 @ 03:58pm

  Re: Re: Urethra search

  Good remark. If only understanding statistics was within the reach of the common man...

• On the post: USPTO Refuses To Respond To Senators' Questions On Legality Of ACTA

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 17 Nov, 2010 @ 03:38pm

  I sincerely hope Sanders and Brown follow up on this one. I mean, that letter is insulting to say the least.
  
  Is there anyone in the ACTA that's not obviously sided with trade organizations and corporations? Because otherwise, why would anyone want to implement an agreement that's been entirely written by a bunch of corporations? In other words, how is the ACTA any different from the UN's numerous non binding agreements?
  
  I'm not that surprised that such a document has been written, what surprises me is that anyone anywhere might take it seriously. Are lobbyists across the world THAT powerful?

• On the post: TSA Does Full Grope Search On Screaming Three Year Old [Update]

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 17 Nov, 2010 @ 03:27pm

  Urethra search

  Shoes, water bottle, nail clippers... I can't wait until some guy tries tries to smuggle something in his urethra just to see how they'll handle this one at the security gate. Or how about "I'm feeling lucky" flights where there's no security control at all? Hell I don't mind taking the chance, what's the probability of having a plane hijacked? About the same as the plane crashing from a mechanical error?

• On the post: AFP Still Not Giving Up On Its Bizarre Claim That Twitpic Images Are Freely Licensed To Anyone

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 16 Nov, 2010 @ 04:49pm

  Grammar Nazi

  "seemed to realized" second to last paragraph. I make this one all the time...
  
  As for the article, what are the damages being claimed here? I can totally picture the AFP people all sweaty in a board room, trying to sort this one out... "Is that the best we can come up with!? Well we don't have a choice. It's either that or admit the fact that maybe we made a mistake."

• On the post: Georgia Voters Agree To Allow Human DRM: Non-Competes Made Enforceable

  

  James Carmichael ( profile ), 16 Nov, 2010 @ 04:36pm

  Re:

  There's a list of 'Related Stories at the bottom of the right column. At least I see four of them for this article, but they're right below the ads so they're hard to see. It might not be there for everyone... though I agree that the "Related Articles" feature could be revamped... I'll bet it'd increase pageviews!

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