Dennis Yang's Favorite Posts of the Week

from the i-used-to-post-here dept

Sat, May 11th 2013 12:00pm — Dennis Yang

Hello Techdirt! I'm Dennis Yang. I was one of the original folks that helped Mike get Techdirt started way back when. Now, I'm working on something a little bit different called Bureau of Trade, which, despite its official-sounding name, has actually nothing to do with anything remotely governmental. That said, it's been a long, long while since I've posted anything on Techdirt, so when Mike asked me to do a Favorites post, I leapt at the opportunity.

This week started off with nicely with Tim Cushing's post about Time/CNN's oft-tweeted poll about Americans being less willing to sacrifice civil liberties to combat terrorism. In light of recent events, it's nice to see that more Americans are not willing to trade their civil liberties for the appearance of security.
Google Glass has clearly reached the public consciousness, with SNL doing a parody of it this week. So, as to be expected with any new (scary) technology, fears of its misuse start to surface, as evidenced by Mike's post about the White House petition to ban Google Glass. The petition's supporters are asking for Google Glass to be banned until "clear limitations are placed to prevent indecent public surveillance." Thankfully, the petition has only garnered 34 signatures thus far.
I was quite concerned about this week's news about the senate's approval of an online shopping sales tax. That said, having it approved by the senate was a great reason to re-read Mike's earlier post about the concerns of the "Marketplace Fairness Act."
I certainly laughed quietly to myself when Timothy Geigner found Disney specifically wanted to trademark the term Dia De Los Muertos for use on fruit snacks. Disney has long kept their lawyers quite busy with IP cases, and this was no exception.
In the post about EA no longer officially licensing guns in its games came my favorite Techdirt oneliner of the week: "EA may find gun makers willing to test the legal waters and attempt to pry EA's unlicensed guns from its cold, injunctioned fingers."
And finally, I was very happy to see that Mike posted about Zach Braff's Kickstarter project. There have been numerous posts deriding Braff's use of the platform to raise money for his film, and as a proud supporter of the project, I appreciated this post greatly. Sure, if people don't like Braff's project, then they don't have to support it. But to call it a misuse or exploitation of his fame/talent/whatever is ridiculous. I will happily be attending the special screening of the movie (just for supporters) when it comes out.

And, that's it for this week -- thanks to the Techdirt team for writing a great flight of posts this week.

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out_of_the_blue, 11 May 2013 @ 3:44pm

After 3 hours 40 minutes, charity comment:
Funniest, accidentally, this week was Timothy Geigner, aka Dark Helmet, with characteristic overly-contrived attempt to turn a phrase:
"Everyone by now is also aware of how afraid the Chinese government is of their citizens getting their hands on any information or news that the government hasn't scrubbed more clean than someone with OCD after exiting a sewer."

Timmy wants to father a joke there, but after a few key strokes he's giggling at his own wit and loses his little diction.

Mine^ is wit done right: punnish, based in fact for an effective barb, and re-usable too, in any social setting. -- Go ahead and steal it, kids. Every time you use it without attribution, conscience will prick you, ha.

[Reminded of a DND-type book glanced into at least 20 years ago: "Her thoughts were as confused as those of a woman with PMS." -- After reading it over a few times in stunned disbelief, of course I put it back on the shelf. NEVER put acronyms into DND novels, spoils the illusion of milieu. Nor into jokes unless required and topical; otherwise just STOPS the flow.]
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Beech, 11 May 2013 @ 3:57pm

Re: After 3 hours 40 minutes, charity comment:
Since we're quoting, here's a quote relevant to your comment, Mr. Blue.

"ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER, DO YOU SPEAK IT?"
-Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction
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Rikuo (profile), 11 May 2013 @ 10:14pm

Re: After 3 hours 40 minutes, charity comment:
Wow, talk about being conceited. Btw, what was your comment? You left that out, retard.
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Beech, 12 May 2013 @ 5:18am

Re: Re: After 3 hours 40 minutes, charity comment:
Well, to be perfectly fair, " " is probably the smartest/wittiest thing he's ever said.
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Anonymous, 12 May 2013 @ 5:30am

Re: After 3 hours 40 minutes, charity comment:
So you see yourself as The Punnisher, do you?
If PMS is an acronym, what does that make DND?
And dude, you said prick. Huh-huh-huh...
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 6:15am

Brown Nosing Google
It is preposterous that people are actually excited about being spied upon daily by any Yeehaa dick#ead wearing spy glasses making normal activity like buying milk at a convenience store an opportunity for some sick f#ck to watch you bending over picking up a newspaper and later finding it has gone viral on you tube. I f#cking hate spies.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 9:00am

Re: Brown Nosing Google
Did you know that cellphones with cameras exist?
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 10:29am

Re: Brown Nosing Google
If bending over reveals more anatomy that you are comfortable with, perhaps you should change your style of clothing.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 11:02am

Re: After 3 hours 40 minutes, charity comment:
Mine^ is wit done right: punnish, based in fact for an effective barb, and re-usable too, in any social setting.

Not only that, but in the proud tradition of comedy, you know how to tell everyone that you're funny and explain why. What a pro!
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 11:49am

Re: Re: Brown Nosing Google
yes, and all female victims of rape were 'asking for it' because of what they were wearing !!...

/sarc
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 1:19pm

Re: Re: Re: Brown Nosing Google
Those two situations could literally not be any different.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 6:57pm

Re: Re: After 3 hours 40 minutes, charity comment:
When trolls wonder why out_of_the_lube gets blocked and start singing his praises, this is why. Copyright enforcement's best and brightest.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 11:10pm

Re: Brown Nosing Google
I hate to agree with the anonymous jerks but I have to agree. The difference between a cell phone and the glasses is that the glasses don't normally come off. Someone who is recording everything with a cell phone is very much going to make a spectacle of himself carrying it around and will likely be told at least once to stop (or at least will inconvenience themselves to where they may not record for extended periods of time).

But the glasses? They don't come off. Any errant embarrassing movement in public is now immortalized in the internet.

I hope you don't try to check your fly while someone is wearing these douchegoggles or you may find yourself part of a new Reddit meme. I suspect people merely wearing these glasses will be accosted by many angry bypassers once they realize what exactly the glasses are doing.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2013 @ 11:15pm

Re: Re: Brown Nosing Google
Okay AC, I'll just tell everyone that they aren't allowed to have wardrobe malfunctions or wear anything that is not a burqa in public anymore because some douchenozzle wants to wear his creepy spy glasses and pleasure himself to all the captured footage he finds when he gets home later.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 May 2013 @ 5:56am

Re: Re: Brown Nosing Google
dont worry, ze googles do nothing
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