Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 20 Jun 2018 @ 8:58am
Even worse
The thing about net neutrality is that much of the bandwidth usage that is under attack, either from the idea of zero rating or use my stuff not the other guys stuff or pay a lot more if you use a little bit more is that the stuff that is likely to cost more is mere entertainment. Yes there are other uses for the Internet (and I value those), but they tend to be lower bandwidth usages. The big usage, at least for now, is entertainment, videos, gaming, etc..
If we think about what human needs are; food, clothing, and shelter, we notice that entertainment doesn't even come up. Now I am not anti entertainment, but the ISP's, and the MAFIAA's tend to think that entertainment is of much greater importance than basic needs. Or other like to have's that aren't entertainment, or are entertaining but don't require Internet.
It hasn't happened to a great extent yet, but when consumers are faced with Internet or food, or Internet or clothing, or Internet or shelter, are they going to buy entertainment, instead? From the broken window fallacy perspective, there are things that might be more important than Comcast, or AT&T getting you to use their entertainment system, such as say transportation, or the infrastructure to use transportation. In addition, there are forms of entertainment that don't require a whole lot of Internet; the beach, or a lake, or a hiking trail, or going to a restaurant or bar, or a bike ride, or visiting a museum, or vacation travel, or going to see a live performance, or if it were worth the cost (questionable at current prices in my mind) a movie, and so on. There is more to the entertainment ecosystem that just movies and tv shows and music displayed over the Internet (which is just a transportation medium that is replacing over the air transmissions and we might be surprised when technology is found to make over the air transmissions more viable than cables and wires and fiber optics again). Over the air was 'destroyed' in favor of hardlines, and hardlines may yet be 'destroyed' by the next iteration, which might be satellites or something no ne has thought of yet.
Then there is that whole control thingy. It is not just about getting your money (though that is paramount in the short term), it is also about putting corporations in positions that may be able to influence how you think about things (even unduly) with the likelihood of their own benefit, rather than yours in mind. How you vote, what you purchase, where you live, what work you do, what other things interest you, etc..
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 20 Jun 2018 @ 8:06am
Re: Re: Re: Re: Watching too many films
Yeah, I am not convinced that the Star Trek utopia is even possible. There are human things such as greed and a desire for power that are not explained by such a system, for example.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 19 Jun 2018 @ 7:51pm
A couple of things
First, but only because it is shorter, happy hour is rarely only an hour, and if it were trademarked, the argument would be over which hour the 'happy' was applied to. It is my contention that the 'happy' would apply most to the last hour of happy hour, unless one was severely depressed at the beginning of happy 'hour' and became more so over the extent of the happy hours.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that Beverage Managers in hotels I worked at were willing to foot the cost of free food buffets during happy hour(s) in order to draw increased customer counts. While beverages (alcohol) have a higher percentage of profit than food, typically, (but a lower average check) the sheer fact of having more drinkers in the bar, even at discounted 'happy hour' pricing gave them enough gross profit to pay for the food, and show an improved net income after expenses.
Well, maybe shorter.
As to the trademark of 'Taco Tuesdays', Timothy lays out a variety of valid reasons as to why it should not be a valid trademark, anywhere. I would like to add that anyone who has visited Mexico and sampled the huge variety of tacos available there, which differ in the various regions of that country, would have no inclination to associate the tacos of Mexico with the stuff served in the US as tacos. At least in any restaurant (or home) that I have experienced them (in the US) in. That there might be some better exhibition of them in Australia seems like it might be possible, but unlikely. I suspect (though I do not know) that what is served in Australia is more like the crap that is served in most American restaurants rather than the large variety, and quality served in Mexico. The best tacos I have had in Mexico did not have crunchy taco shells, and more importantly the tacos were made 'a la minute' (a French term meaning at the moment) and were soft (I prefer the maize rather than the harina (corn vs wheat)). The point is, they should not call those things tacos.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 19 Jun 2018 @ 7:18pm
Re: Re: Watching too many films
And that is why I am surprised it has not been called Starfleet, a la Star Trek. (The things missing are the United Federation of Planets, but only because they have not made contact with us yet...at least not publicly, and we haven't cured the need to have 'things' but strive on self improvement, instead).
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 19 Jun 2018 @ 7:13pm
Re:
Can you express some ethical/legal necessity for the separation?
Even if the parents are in the US illegally, what is the need for the separation? Is it a cost thing? More expensive to keep families together rather than in large cages with like ages/sexes? Is that sufficient for the behavior of law enforcement?
What if the parents are granted asylum? Is the separation still legitimate?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 19 Jun 2018 @ 6:36pm
Re:
Well, Republicans are supposed to be for tax cuts and smaller government...right?...Well aren't they?
This Space Force means one of two things. Either cuts to other military services, when we are engaged, but not at war, in several instances (it is hard to keep count these days), and expending huge sums on those. Or, a tax increase. Or is the administration planning on taking this out of some other budget departments...like Social Security or other lifeline type programs where they don't have enough now?
Sounds to me like a contract on republicanism. Both higher taxes and bigger government, while (likely but only supposed or expected) attacking the funding of social programs so the impact on other military branches is mitigated.
So how does one go about defining the new republicans? Bigger government along with bigger taxes, and a world that could have been friends but are now enemies do to an unnecessary trade war, started by us? Are the parties going to switch sides...again? Or are we gonna get a whole new variable of which is the worst evil?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Jun 2018 @ 7:35pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: When privateering was halted officially...
You might be right, but I wasn't aware that quote marks were recognized as a part of markdown. A quick look at the markdown rules and quotes (open or close) are not mentioned.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Jun 2018 @ 6:38pm
And where would the money go?
Let's see. The lawyers collect the money (the legitimacy of that is another discussion) and give it to associations who in turn give it to, presumably, rights holders. Who gives it to the creators that are so vaunted by those that decry piracy so much?
Another question is, how much in 'administrative fees' do the various levels...levy?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Jun 2018 @ 5:25pm
Re: When privateering was halted officially...
["In the Age of Sail, a letter of marque and reprisal, or, simply a letter of marque (in France, a lettre de marque or sometimes a lettre de course) was a government license that authorized a person, known as a privateer or corsair, to attack and capture enemy vessels. Once captured, the privateer could then bring the case of that prize before their own admiralty court for condemnation and transfer of ownership to the privateer. A letter of marque and reprisal would include permission to cross an international border to effect a reprisal (take some action against an attack or injury) and was authorized by an issuing jurisdiction to conduct reprisal operations outside its borders.]"(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque)
These guys see themselves as privateers. They forget two things. The first is the sea. The second is they are not private. Their imaginations, however, are not surpassed by Hollywood, though many of us wish it was so, then Hollywood would produce better, and these guys would fall down more.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 14 Jun 2018 @ 4:26pm
Re:
Agreed.
But from their point of view that legal activity was not done on stage, under bright lights, in front of witnesses, on camera, after having asked permission from 1) your mother 2) your clergyperson 3) the FBI 4) other unnamed applicable authoritarians who will only become apparent at the time of seizure and then immediately disappear.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 12 Jun 2018 @ 6:33pm
Re: Today's Big Lie
Your dislike for some individual does not make your expression of that dislike persuasive to anyone else. Dislike him all you want, but unless you have something substantive to refute thing he says, just go into your corner of hate and stew.
We certainly don't want to hear it, nor do we recognize it as anything worthwhile. You will be both flagged and ignored until you find some way to be positively expressive, with corroborating evidence of some opposite point of view.
Don't bother responding, unless you comprehend the above, no one will hear you.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 12 Jun 2018 @ 6:23pm
Re: When laws become really inconvenient to follow...
I, in some ways, fear what is coming. Governments think they are in power. They have a lot to learn. I don't expect it soon, but I do expect it. I am probably too old to still be around when it happens, and when it happens it's gonna happen in a lot of places. Many places that think they have everything in hand. When they don't.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 12 Jun 2018 @ 5:12pm
Re: Re:
"especially not any experiences with sexual assault."
Do you have any citations for that? What makes you think that adolescents who are in their prime of hormonal development, regardless of experience (or maybe because of their lack of experience) don't commit sexual assault? Or, have sexual assault committed upon them by similar aged or by older people?
Your lack of observation, along with your lack of sensitivity, combined with your lack of appropriateness makes one think that you might have actual knowledge of high school sexual assault. IMHO. Why do you deny the possibility so strongly?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 12 Jun 2018 @ 4:19pm
Re: Re: Between this and GDPR...
What do we expect when they succeed? The citizens will be incensed, but the government agencies will probably claim they are committing things considered issues of national or international security, and act accordingly. I foresee very full prisons in the EU. At least until the courts get involved, then the mess that is the EU government will become even more of a mess.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 12 Jun 2018 @ 3:55pm
Half Hearted
One wonders if the DOJ took action in the least useful manner. Were there other arguments they could have made that might have been more effective? And, one wonders, where is the FTC in all of this? Aren't they supposed to be protecting...us?
One argument is that more than one is considered competition. Whether it is effective competition is a bigger question. To me, three or four is not effective competition. 10 or 15 or 25 might be better. And consolidating one industry into another because there are 'competitors' out there means squat when the consolidation is into the delivery system. I know this is hard for highly paid (by the consolidators) bureaucrats to discern, but it is not that hard out here in the boonies.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 12 Jun 2018 @ 2:54pm
Constitutional Laws
Hmm, just as the 4th Amendment mandates. What is it about the Constitution that often causes Congress to omit consideration? I am glad to see them consider it on this occasion.
Or just maybe they are concerned about what might be found out if the FBI is allowed to meander in any cellphone they like.
On the post: President Trump Directs Pentagon To Create A 'Space Force' In What Is Surely Not Any Kind Of Distraction From Crying Children
Re: You really have no idea what you're talking about.
The Constitution does not require political parties, nor allowing corporations to bribe legislators.
It's not the existence of the military, it is the use of the military in ways that some reasonable people find disturbing.
What social programs do I like? I mentioned social security and lifeline programs. Should we just let those people die?
On the post: Net Neutrality And The Broken Windows Fallacy
Even worse
If we think about what human needs are; food, clothing, and shelter, we notice that entertainment doesn't even come up. Now I am not anti entertainment, but the ISP's, and the MAFIAA's tend to think that entertainment is of much greater importance than basic needs. Or other like to have's that aren't entertainment, or are entertaining but don't require Internet.
It hasn't happened to a great extent yet, but when consumers are faced with Internet or food, or Internet or clothing, or Internet or shelter, are they going to buy entertainment, instead? From the broken window fallacy perspective, there are things that might be more important than Comcast, or AT&T getting you to use their entertainment system, such as say transportation, or the infrastructure to use transportation. In addition, there are forms of entertainment that don't require a whole lot of Internet; the beach, or a lake, or a hiking trail, or going to a restaurant or bar, or a bike ride, or visiting a museum, or vacation travel, or going to see a live performance, or if it were worth the cost (questionable at current prices in my mind) a movie, and so on. There is more to the entertainment ecosystem that just movies and tv shows and music displayed over the Internet (which is just a transportation medium that is replacing over the air transmissions and we might be surprised when technology is found to make over the air transmissions more viable than cables and wires and fiber optics again). Over the air was 'destroyed' in favor of hardlines, and hardlines may yet be 'destroyed' by the next iteration, which might be satellites or something no ne has thought of yet.
Then there is that whole control thingy. It is not just about getting your money (though that is paramount in the short term), it is also about putting corporations in positions that may be able to influence how you think about things (even unduly) with the likelihood of their own benefit, rather than yours in mind. How you vote, what you purchase, where you live, what work you do, what other things interest you, etc..
On the post: President Trump Directs Pentagon To Create A 'Space Force' In What Is Surely Not Any Kind Of Distraction From Crying Children
Re: Re: Re: Re: Watching too many films
It is nice to think about removing need however.
On the post: More Taco Tuesday Trademark Stupidity, This Time Down Under
A couple of things
Imagine my surprise when I learned that Beverage Managers in hotels I worked at were willing to foot the cost of free food buffets during happy hour(s) in order to draw increased customer counts. While beverages (alcohol) have a higher percentage of profit than food, typically, (but a lower average check) the sheer fact of having more drinkers in the bar, even at discounted 'happy hour' pricing gave them enough gross profit to pay for the food, and show an improved net income after expenses.
Well, maybe shorter.
As to the trademark of 'Taco Tuesdays', Timothy lays out a variety of valid reasons as to why it should not be a valid trademark, anywhere. I would like to add that anyone who has visited Mexico and sampled the huge variety of tacos available there, which differ in the various regions of that country, would have no inclination to associate the tacos of Mexico with the stuff served in the US as tacos. At least in any restaurant (or home) that I have experienced them (in the US) in. That there might be some better exhibition of them in Australia seems like it might be possible, but unlikely. I suspect (though I do not know) that what is served in Australia is more like the crap that is served in most American restaurants rather than the large variety, and quality served in Mexico. The best tacos I have had in Mexico did not have crunchy taco shells, and more importantly the tacos were made 'a la minute' (a French term meaning at the moment) and were soft (I prefer the maize rather than the harina (corn vs wheat)). The point is, they should not call those things tacos.
On the post: President Trump Directs Pentagon To Create A 'Space Force' In What Is Surely Not Any Kind Of Distraction From Crying Children
Re: Re: Watching too many films
On the post: President Trump Directs Pentagon To Create A 'Space Force' In What Is Surely Not Any Kind Of Distraction From Crying Children
Re:
Even if the parents are in the US illegally, what is the need for the separation? Is it a cost thing? More expensive to keep families together rather than in large cages with like ages/sexes? Is that sufficient for the behavior of law enforcement?
What if the parents are granted asylum? Is the separation still legitimate?
On the post: President Trump Directs Pentagon To Create A 'Space Force' In What Is Surely Not Any Kind Of Distraction From Crying Children
Re:
This Space Force means one of two things. Either cuts to other military services, when we are engaged, but not at war, in several instances (it is hard to keep count these days), and expending huge sums on those. Or, a tax increase. Or is the administration planning on taking this out of some other budget departments...like Social Security or other lifeline type programs where they don't have enough now?
Sounds to me like a contract on republicanism. Both higher taxes and bigger government, while (likely but only supposed or expected) attacking the funding of social programs so the impact on other military branches is mitigated.
So how does one go about defining the new republicans? Bigger government along with bigger taxes, and a world that could have been friends but are now enemies do to an unnecessary trade war, started by us? Are the parties going to switch sides...again? Or are we gonna get a whole new variable of which is the worst evil?
On the post: CBP Agrees To Hand Back Almost All Of The $58,000 It Stole From A 64-Year-Old Man At A Cleveland Airport
Re: Re: Re: Re: When privateering was halted officially...
On the post: Danish Anti-Piracy Lawyers Jailed For Real, Actual Stealing From Copyright Holders
And where would the money go?
Another question is, how much in 'administrative fees' do the various levels...levy?
On the post: CBP Agrees To Hand Back Almost All Of The $58,000 It Stole From A 64-Year-Old Man At A Cleveland Airport
Re: Re: When privateering was halted officially...
On the post: CBP Agrees To Hand Back Almost All Of The $58,000 It Stole From A 64-Year-Old Man At A Cleveland Airport
Re: When privateering was halted officially...
These guys see themselves as privateers. They forget two things. The first is the sea. The second is they are not private. Their imaginations, however, are not surpassed by Hollywood, though many of us wish it was so, then Hollywood would produce better, and these guys would fall down more.
On the post: CBP Agrees To Hand Back Almost All Of The $58,000 It Stole From A 64-Year-Old Man At A Cleveland Airport
Re:
But from their point of view that legal activity was not done on stage, under bright lights, in front of witnesses, on camera, after having asked permission from 1) your mother 2) your clergyperson 3) the FBI 4) other unnamed applicable authoritarians who will only become apparent at the time of seizure and then immediately disappear.
Now, if we all played by these rules...
/s
On the post: AT&T Defeats DOJ In Merger Fight, Opening The Door To Some Major Competitive Headaches
Re: Today's Big Lie
We certainly don't want to hear it, nor do we recognize it as anything worthwhile. You will be both flagged and ignored until you find some way to be positively expressive, with corroborating evidence of some opposite point of view.
Don't bother responding, unless you comprehend the above, no one will hear you.
On the post: Ending The Memes: EU Copyright Directive Is No Laughing Matter
Re: When laws become really inconvenient to follow...
On the post: High School Student's Speech About Campus Sexual Assault Gets Widespread Attention After School Cuts Her Mic
Re: Re: Re: Re:
You might consider your tone in the future, or use '/s' to indicate sarcasm where it might be confused.
On the post: High School Student's Speech About Campus Sexual Assault Gets Widespread Attention After School Cuts Her Mic
Re: Re:
Do you have any citations for that? What makes you think that adolescents who are in their prime of hormonal development, regardless of experience (or maybe because of their lack of experience) don't commit sexual assault? Or, have sexual assault committed upon them by similar aged or by older people?
Your lack of observation, along with your lack of sensitivity, combined with your lack of appropriateness makes one think that you might have actual knowledge of high school sexual assault. IMHO. Why do you deny the possibility so strongly?
On the post: Ending The Memes: EU Copyright Directive Is No Laughing Matter
Re: Re: Between this and GDPR...
On the post: AT&T Defeats DOJ In Merger Fight, Opening The Door To Some Major Competitive Headaches
Half Hearted
One argument is that more than one is considered competition. Whether it is effective competition is a bigger question. To me, three or four is not effective competition. 10 or 15 or 25 might be better. And consolidating one industry into another because there are 'competitors' out there means squat when the consolidation is into the delivery system. I know this is hard for highly paid (by the consolidators) bureaucrats to discern, but it is not that hard out here in the boonies.
On the post: High School Student's Speech About Campus Sexual Assault Gets Widespread Attention After School Cuts Her Mic
Re: Re: Re: Re: Your notion of Public Forums is not consistent except with YOU!
On the post: Legislators Reintroduce Pro-Encryption Bills After FBI Destroys Its Own 'Going Dark' Narrative
Constitutional Laws
Or just maybe they are concerned about what might be found out if the FBI is allowed to meander in any cellphone they like.
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