techdescartes 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (484)

• On the post: Monkey Selfie Case Reaches Settlement — But The Parties Want To Delete Ruling Saying Monkeys Can't Hold Copyright

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 12 Sep, 2017 @ 02:00pm

  With (next) friends like these, who needs enemies?

  "[I]n certain limited circumstances, a nonparty may be bound by a judgment because she was adequately represented by someone with the same interests who was a party to the suit." Taylor v. Sturgell, 553 U.S. 880, 894 (2008) (citation, internal edits, and quotation marks omitted).

  In addition, "a party bound by a judgment may not avoid its preclusive force by relitigating through a proxy. Preclusion is thus in order when a person who did not participate in litigation later brings suit as the designated representative or agent of a person who was a party to the prior adjudication." Id.

  You don't get to sue as "next friend" and then say "oops, never mind, not really a friend" when you lose badly.

• On the post: Court Says 'Possible' Just As Good As 'Probable;' Lets DEA Keep Evidence From Warrantless Search

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 11 Sep, 2017 @ 03:39pm

  Wait a second...

  Accordingly, I dissent, and I’m off to Costco to buy some food.

  ...did Judge Kozinski just admit that he's running off to do a drug deal?

• On the post: Tesla Remotely Extended The Range Of Drivers In Florida For Free… And That's NOT A Good Thing

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 11 Sep, 2017 @ 01:58pm

  Tesla (Re)Coil

  The first thing you need to understand is that while Tesla sells different version of its Model S, with different ranges, the range is actually entirely software-dependent. That is, it uses the same batteries in different cars -- it just limits how much they'll charge via software.

  So one's a Model S and one's a Model-less?

• On the post: Police Chief Says He'll Decide Who Is Or Isn't A Real Journalist

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 07 Sep, 2017 @ 10:31pm

  Re: Re: Today's Lesson: The Importance of Proper Comma Usage

  AAC, when practicing, use blanks:

  And tighter grouping. Next Lesson: How to Bury the Lead

• On the post: Police Chief Says He'll Decide Who Is Or Isn't A Real Journalist

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 07 Sep, 2017 @ 06:04pm

  Today's Lesson: The Importance of Proper Comma Usage

  Compare this:

  Domagalski, armed with facts, and the law...

  to this:

  Domagalski, armed, with facts, and the law...

  Next Lesson: Effective Use of Bullet Points.

• On the post: Spotify Finally Realizes That Streaming Isn't Reproduction Or Distribution

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 06 Sep, 2017 @ 08:18am

  Troll-kien

  One license to rule them all,
  one license to find them,
  One license to bring them all
  and in the darkness bind them.

• On the post: Al Jazeera Gives A 'Voice To The Voiceless' By Killing News Comments

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2017 @ 02:55pm

  Re:

  As a side note, I'm still not entirely sure why Techdirt finds these stories of news sites closing off comments to be such a big deal. I know we're all big fans of free speech here, but doesn't that include the right to decide whether or not you publish comments on your website?

  TechDirt isn't reporting on the closing of the comments section (the "Tech") as much as they are reporting on the false narratives accompanying the closing of the comments (the "Dirt"). Here, the website claims:

  [W]e will be working hard over the coming months to figure out how best to bring back debate to aljazeera.com.

  Why not figure it out before closing the comments, rather than months after (which most certainly will not happen)?

• On the post: Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Hurricane Harvey Is Proof We Need To Militarize Our Police Forces

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2017 @ 12:40pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Military Equipment for Houston

  And yet they are out there trying to help people, and you are sitting around typing things.

  Said the AC sitting around typing things.

• On the post: Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Hurricane Harvey Is Proof We Need To Militarize Our Police Forces

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 31 Aug, 2017 @ 10:28am

  Re: What about the fire ants?

  Spelling matters. Which makes me think of a TLDR for the post:
  
  We don't want the military enforcing any ordinance and we don't want the police touching any ordnance.

• On the post: FDA, Homeland Security Issue First Ever Recall, Warnings About Flimsy Pacemaker Security

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 31 Aug, 2017 @ 04:03pm

  21st Century Diseases

  Algorithymia: improper beating of the heart, whether irregular, too fast, or too slow, due to hacking of a pacemaker

• On the post: Court Dumps Lawsuit Against Zillow Over Its Inaccurate 'Zestimates'

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 31 Aug, 2017 @ 01:55pm

  Carolina Reaper Realty

  Goldman also points out no serious person is likely to confuse a Zestimate with an appraisal… at least not if they expect to be taken seriously.

  Without any context, "zestimate" sounds like a measure of how spicy something is, while "Scoville unit" sounds like a condo in suburban Chicago. Just don't combine the two.

• On the post: Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Hurricane Harvey Is Proof We Need To Militarize Our Police Forces

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 31 Aug, 2017 @ 08:18am

  Military Equipment for Houston

  Wait. Law enforcement in Houston needs surplus military equipment to rescue people?

  No, they don't.

  Last I've seen it's been tons of good hearted people using boats of all kinds going around and rescuing people. I don't see much need for military equipment.

  What about...

  • 12,000 Texas National Guard troops, who presumably didn't walk to Houston but drove in Humvees and other vehicles
  • the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship capable of launching helicopters and loaded with supplies
  • the USS Oak Hill, a dock landing ship
  • six Navy MH-60s already in Houston
  • three Air Force HH-60 rotary wing aircraft
  • a US Navy P-8 surveillance airplane providing imagery to FEMA
  • numerous Coast Guard helicopters
  • etc., etc., etc.

  There is a massive need for military equipment in Houston. Operated by the military. Not by law enforcement.

• On the post: No Immunity For Cops Who Arrested Man Recording Them For Obstruction

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 30 Aug, 2017 @ 04:47pm

  Re:

  Cop: I was scared. Really scared. I deserve some QI. 8th: No, no you weren't. No QI for you. Cop: Now I'm scared. 8th: Yes. Yes you are. Of course, the victim hasn't won anything other than the right to try his case. He'll need a jury to decide against the cops as well. And even if he wins, his kids will never be able to unsee watching their dad being arrested for no reason.

• On the post: Gov't Must Pay Legal Fees In Court Battle Over 'Secret' Drone Docs Gov't Couldn't Stop Talking About

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 30 Aug, 2017 @ 12:28pm

  Silver Linings

  Good thing that Obama's was the most transparent administration ever. Imagine how long they would have had to wait if the administration was trying not to be transparent.

• On the post: Deputy Attorney General Trots Out All Sorts Of Silly Analogies About 'Intellectual Property'

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 30 Aug, 2017 @ 08:00am

  Excellent post...

  ...but someone needs to go check on Mike. I think he broke the Ctrl+B and Ctrl+I key combos on his computer pressing them so hard.

• On the post: Court Calls Out Government For The 'General Warrant' It Served To Facebook

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2017 @ 07:59am

  So what you're saying is...

  ...the "good faith" exception is a euphemism for the "ends justifies the means" exception.

• On the post: Warrant Affidavit Shows How Easy It Is To Bilk The Government Out Of Excess Equipment

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 28 Aug, 2017 @ 07:55am

  "Free Market" Forces

  The government sets up a fake entity and nets only $1M in free gear but a citizen does the same and nets $11M in free gear?
  
  The free market clearly is more efficient than the government at scamming the free government-surplus market.

• On the post: FOIA Lawsuit Filed Over DOJ Data Complainant Is Pretty Sure Doesn't Even Exist

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 17 Aug, 2017 @ 08:30am

  Re: A way of life

  Delay itself is a reason. The DOJ may hope that Wittes gives up. Most requesters do. And, even if DOJ ultimately has to give up the information, it will be so long after the original statement that it's no longer news.

• On the post: Stories Claiming DNC Hack Was 'Inside Job' Rely Heavily On A Stupid Conversion Error No 'Forensic Expert' Would Make

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 16 Aug, 2017 @ 07:56am

  Pai in the Sky

  No Internet service provider, such as a hacker would have had to use in mid-2016, was capable of downloading data at this speed.

  As everyone knows, "10Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream is all one needs."

• On the post: Defending Hateful Speech Is Unpleasant But Essential, Even When Violence Is The End Result

  

  techdescartes ( profile ), 15 Aug, 2017 @ 01:49pm

  Re: Re: Re: Charlotte?

  Sherman burned all of them, right? Basically the same.

  No, Sherman marched from Atlanta to Savannah, burning a wide swath of Georgia. He then passed north through South Carolina and North Carolina on his way to Richmond, Virginia, passing well east of the tiny town of Charlotte.

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