I expect they'll take the IRS "Sry, dog ate our homework. All of it." Defense and expand it to an "Invisible dog ate our records before they were even generated. So...no records." Defense.
Conceded: Windows was, mostly has been (Win2K, 98 eventually and WinXP almost from the get-go, were okay), and currently is, a piece of awful, insecure bloatware; acquired by dubious means and promulgated through pure evil business practices.
Contested: That said, it was OPEN (both bug (security) and feature (user access!)), and, by whatever evile means 'twas done, established a standard OS which accelerated the march of home computing. This was a good thing, even if it was only ever a side-effect of making them filthy rich.
So yeah, the definition of "success" is even more complex than a simple "great product"/"got rich" dichotomy.
More than creating a clever piece of software at an early age, I will credit him with having a mountain of cynical brass. Also, of course, with a paltry character.
But I thought those things when I first heard of him. The latter aspect (lack of a human soul) is only now reinforced though, with this ugly, racist, disrespecting of a dead man.
Self-aggrandizement, seeking undeserved credit, those are not that uncommon, here or in India. Nor is doubling down on a lie when caught out. Cynically playing the race card for personal gain and attacking the recently deceased? Nah, that's reserved for the lowest of the low.
And if I were one of his Indian compatriots, I'd be backpedaling away from this guy top speed and claiming "He must've absorbed the decadent values of the West." (but then, the BJP is somewhere to the right of Marie Le Pen and racist as the KKK)
In fairness to the decision-makers at the DEA, how likely and how dire are they to expect consequences to be when the IRS basically used the "Dog ate our homework." defense and the DOJ and Congress just went "Darn that dog!'
Kind of Levyesque? "Do what thou with shall be the whole of the law."
Mail filtered to the Spam folder is the same as not received...FOR MY GRANDMOTHER. Not for a federal agency, right?
Seriously, there aren't procedures to follow, protocols to implement, some vague internal understanding that there are, you know, industry standards and best practices??
More of a "Give the contract to the bosses' company, they can hack together something." process, apparently.
*shrugs* The gov't doesn't even bother to pretend anymore.
So...are we to really be against censorship, or just censorship that affects works by right-thinking creators? Because it sure seems a point of emphasis here that this work is by a FEMINIST, conveying an approved message ridiculing/attacking/criticizing the patriarchy, (this=rightthink) and therefore the very kind of thing we especially want to protect
Do we really need to appeal to the valorization of victimhood, or apply some "Oppressed Group Membership Scorecard" to work against censorship, when it can be done from first principles and logic?
Why, we just need to vote for a candidate who gives us hope that they'll change things!
Oh hell, I can't really be so partisan...because: If you think the Dems are the good guys in matters like this, you're NOT part of the solution. If you think the answer is to put Republicans in office, you're NOT part of the solution (and a certified moe-ron, to boot).
We have been so sadly and badly misgoverned* for so long that there is no solution that involves either of the duopolistic, crony-kleptocratic parties we now have. *sigh*
*-that's misleading. If the goal were misgovernment, we should have to say it has been achieved very well.
Actually, Snowden was well aware of the fates of some whistleblowers whose unfortunate cases were of recent memory when he was deciding how to proceed. They were attacked, Government service careers ruined, etc., etc.
Look up Thomas Drake's story and see if that wouldn't scare you off even considering "proper channels".
Re: A ruling body that goes after people out of spite...
"...should be making people revolt instead of complacently taking it up the ass."
Amazing, isn't it? How can people be so naive, clueless...stupid?? I mean, they see this happening and instead of concluding the obvious, that it's the party in power, the president in office, and the permanent bureaucracy in DC, it must be a mysterious "someone running things behind the curtain."
Or are you really confused when someone finds it interesting that governments of both proud democracies are comparable in their total lack of commitment to honesty and transparency?? (their clear statements to the contrary notwithstanding)
I don't think it's inappropriate to note, in the context of this story, how Obama's promise to have "the most transparent administration in history" is possibly the farthest-from-honored campaign promise made in my long lifetime.
OTOH, to misrepresent the comment as somehow blaming Obama for the UK govs' actions...that's either the weakest defence of Obama's record ever, or just stupid.
Yes, but they are mistaking congruence for identity.
A=US courts' interest in protecting the economic well-being of high dollar donors to US politicians.
B=US courts' interest in protecting the economic well=being of a rabidly anti-US foreign government.
Safe to say...A /= B. Matter of fact, this level of thinking on the part of the Venezuelan government is consistent with the quality of thought process that would result in a failing currency and economy.
As pointed out above, the new government could hardly be more incompetent or delusional...though democracy kind of ends when the people elect a party that will refuse to peacefully cede power and the citizens of Venezuela may have done that.
All very true, however...the existence of malfeasance on the part of the US govt over the years in South America does NOT preclude the possibility of gross mismanagement of the Venezuelan economy by the Rev Party government. From what I have read over the years, this seems quite plausible.
Indeed, given Chavez' use of hysterical paranoid anti-US rhetoric to gain votes from the Venezuelan equivalent of the Fox News crowd, the ABSENCE of any claim in the complaint makes such machinations even more unlikely.
No, this time, it's pretty much as it appears: The Rev Party tried to sustain itself in power by handouts and government spending that relied on oil revenues with never a concession to the real possibility of price (and revenue) decrease. A government running its' economic policy on wishful thinking, propaganda and censorship doesn't need US meddling to become destabilized.
Sadly, the "all cynical, all the time" stance (as, your post) almost always proves correct.
For those celebrating the FCC vote seemingly for no other reason than that it discomfits corporation and Republicans, I'd ask you to review previous expansions of government power and judge the results (hint: DHS, DEA, NSA, National Zinc, Weasel and Hydrogen Reserve, etc).
I have the uncomfortable feeling these are the same folks who, while proclaiming to champion reason, logic and fact, disregarded all precedent and historical fact in committing to the absolute belief that Obama was that rara avis, the "honest Chicago politician".
Not saying Obama's really worse than any other politician in regard to lying, misleading, flowery, obscurantist pronouncements. Just pointing out that he has PROVEN to be no exception to our well-founded doubts about the veracity of politicians in general.
Lotta comments, and good ones. I doubt this is a sudden epidemic of LEO abuse of citizens, rather an artifact of near-universal reporting.
One thing I notice not one single person has said anything about is how police operate in full knowledge that their union (like, sadly, other unions) will back them up 100%, to the point of fighting for their continued employment no matter the facts of a case.
And don't EVEN go the "That's what unions are supposed to do!" route. Really? Support cops who murder citizens, who throw flash-bang grenades in a baby's crib, who terrify and abuse people who are not charged with any crime?? REALLY?
Fuck that. I know that's what police unions do, and it's a huge factor in the us-vs-them mentality of LEOs and their expectation that they can get away with anything. And, of course, since nobody even dares to bring it up, who's to say they're wrong?
The "Grand Narrative" to which all right-thinking people are expected to adhere says "Unions=good", but come the fuck on...with regard to cops, the union /= good.
On the post: San Francisco Legislators Dodging Public Records Requests With Self-Destructing Text Messages
Re: Re:
On the post: San Francisco Legislators Dodging Public Records Requests With Self-Destructing Text Messages
Re:
On the post: Powerman5000 Takes To Facebook To Complain About Similar Sounding Final Fantasy Song, Fans Rebut Them
Re: Not quite
On the post: Guy Who Pretends He Invented Email Whines At Every Journalist For Writing Obit Of Guy Who Actually Helped Create Email
Re: Re: Re: Microsoft
Contested: That said, it was OPEN (both bug (security) and feature (user access!)), and, by whatever evile means 'twas done, established a standard OS which accelerated the march of home computing. This was a good thing, even if it was only ever a side-effect of making them filthy rich.
So yeah, the definition of "success" is even more complex than a simple "great product"/"got rich" dichotomy.
On the post: Guy Who Pretends He Invented Email Whines At Every Journalist For Writing Obit Of Guy Who Actually Helped Create Email
But I thought those things when I first heard of him. The latter aspect (lack of a human soul) is only now reinforced though, with this ugly, racist, disrespecting of a dead man.
Self-aggrandizement, seeking undeserved credit, those are not that uncommon, here or in India. Nor is doubling down on a lie when caught out. Cynically playing the race card for personal gain and attacking the recently deceased? Nah, that's reserved for the lowest of the low.
And if I were one of his Indian compatriots, I'd be backpedaling away from this guy top speed and claiming "He must've absorbed the decadent values of the West." (but then, the BJP is somewhere to the right of Marie Le Pen and racist as the KKK)
On the post: Want To Report A Dangerous Drug Dealer? Just Enter Your Personal Info Into The DEA's Unsecured Webform
Re: They wouldn't do that
On the post: Want To Report A Dangerous Drug Dealer? Just Enter Your Personal Info Into The DEA's Unsecured Webform
Re: shits given
Kind of Levyesque? "Do what thou with shall be the whole of the law."
On the post: Want To Report A Dangerous Drug Dealer? Just Enter Your Personal Info Into The DEA's Unsecured Webform
Re: Re: Brilliant
Seriously, there aren't procedures to follow, protocols to implement, some vague internal understanding that there are, you know, industry standards and best practices??
More of a "Give the contract to the bosses' company, they can hack together something." process, apparently.
*shrugs* The gov't doesn't even bother to pretend anymore.
On the post: Facebook Prude-Patrol Nixes Another Work Of Art By A Feminist, Entirely Proving Her Decades-Old Point
Do we really need to appeal to the valorization of victimhood, or apply some "Oppressed Group Membership Scorecard" to work against censorship, when it can be done from first principles and logic?
On the post: Administration Pursues Charges Against Another Whistleblower
Oh hell, I can't really be so partisan...because:
If you think the Dems are the good guys in matters like this, you're NOT part of the solution. If you think the answer is to put Republicans in office, you're NOT part of the solution (and a certified moe-ron, to boot).
We have been so sadly and badly misgoverned* for so long that there is no solution that involves either of the duopolistic, crony-kleptocratic parties we now have. *sigh*
*-that's misleading. If the goal were misgovernment, we should have to say it has been achieved very well.
On the post: Administration Pursues Charges Against Another Whistleblower
Re: Lies, lies, and damn lies
Look up Thomas Drake's story and see if that wouldn't scare you off even considering "proper channels".
On the post: Administration Pursues Charges Against Another Whistleblower
Re: A ruling body that goes after people out of spite...
Amazing, isn't it? How can people be so naive, clueless...stupid?? I mean, they see this happening and instead of concluding the obvious, that it's the party in power, the president in office, and the permanent bureaucracy in DC, it must be a mysterious "someone running things behind the curtain."
Yep, pretty clueless "they" are, I'd say.
On the post: UK Government Spends Three Years And Large Sums Of Money To Avoid Revealing The Number '13'
Re: Re: Re: From the Government
Or are you really confused when someone finds it interesting that governments of both proud democracies are comparable in their total lack of commitment to honesty and transparency?? (their clear statements to the contrary notwithstanding)
I don't think it's inappropriate to note, in the context of this story, how Obama's promise to have "the most transparent administration in history" is possibly the farthest-from-honored campaign promise made in my long lifetime.
OTOH, to misrepresent the comment as somehow blaming Obama for the UK govs' actions...that's either the weakest defence of Obama's record ever, or just stupid.
On the post: NYPD Tells Public Record Requester It Will Cost $36,000 To Process A 'Sampling' Of Body Camera Footage
Re: Re:
On the post: Venezuela Sues US Website Owners For 'Racketeering' And 'Cyberterrorism' To Try To Shut Them Up About Exchange Rates
Re: Re:
A=US courts' interest in protecting the economic well-being of high dollar donors to US politicians.
B=US courts' interest in protecting the economic well=being of a rabidly anti-US foreign government.
Safe to say...A /= B. Matter of fact, this level of thinking on the part of the Venezuelan government is consistent with the quality of thought process that would result in a failing currency and economy.
As pointed out above, the new government could hardly be more incompetent or delusional...though democracy kind of ends when the people elect a party that will refuse to peacefully cede power and the citizens of Venezuela may have done that.
On the post: Venezuela Sues US Website Owners For 'Racketeering' And 'Cyberterrorism' To Try To Shut Them Up About Exchange Rates
Re: Re: There is one factor being overlooked.
Indeed, given Chavez' use of hysterical paranoid anti-US rhetoric to gain votes from the Venezuelan equivalent of the Fox News crowd, the ABSENCE of any claim in the complaint makes such machinations even more unlikely.
No, this time, it's pretty much as it appears: The Rev Party tried to sustain itself in power by handouts and government spending that relied on oil revenues with never a concession to the real possibility of price (and revenue) decrease. A government running its' economic policy on wishful thinking, propaganda and censorship doesn't need US meddling to become destabilized.
On the post: Iowa College Grants Hecklers More Veto Power, Resulting In Summoning Of Campus Police To Offending 'Free Speech Wall'
Re:
Because, in the game of "Understand This Article", you have whiffed, airballed, and failed with extreme prejudice.
But good job proving liberals are sometimes as stupid as those they call stupid. Unless you're trolling, in which case, just 'good job'.
On the post: The FCC's Historic Day: Voting Yes For Net Neutrality, Voting No On Protectionist State Telecom Law
Re:
For those celebrating the FCC vote seemingly for no other reason than that it discomfits corporation and Republicans, I'd ask you to review previous expansions of government power and judge the results (hint: DHS, DEA, NSA, National Zinc, Weasel and Hydrogen Reserve, etc).
I have the uncomfortable feeling these are the same folks who, while proclaiming to champion reason, logic and fact, disregarded all precedent and historical fact in committing to the absolute belief that Obama was that rara avis, the "honest Chicago politician".
Not saying Obama's really worse than any other politician in regard to lying, misleading, flowery, obscurantist pronouncements. Just pointing out that he has PROVEN to be no exception to our well-founded doubts about the veracity of politicians in general.
On the post: The FCC's Historic Day: Voting Yes For Net Neutrality, Voting No On Protectionist State Telecom Law
Re:
On the post: Seat Belt Violation Greeted With Spike Strip, Smashed Window And Tasering
"Well...let's just ignore that, okay?"
One thing I notice not one single person has said anything about is how police operate in full knowledge that their union (like, sadly, other unions) will back them up 100%, to the point of fighting for their continued employment no matter the facts of a case.
And don't EVEN go the "That's what unions are supposed to do!" route. Really? Support cops who murder citizens, who throw flash-bang grenades in a baby's crib, who terrify and abuse people who are not charged with any crime?? REALLY?
Fuck that. I know that's what police unions do, and it's a huge factor in the us-vs-them mentality of LEOs and their expectation that they can get away with anything. And, of course, since nobody even dares to bring it up, who's to say they're wrong?
The "Grand Narrative" to which all right-thinking people are expected to adhere says "Unions=good", but come the fuck on...with regard to cops, the union /= good.
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