Cynic’s Comments

• Mar 7th, 2011 @ 11:05am

  Re: STOP this Crap people

  on Hackers Claim They Can Unban Banned PS3s While Banning Unmodded PS3s
  "real Americans don't steal from anyone . . ."
  
  Now, THAT's funny.
• Mar 3rd, 2011 @ 2:07pm

  Re: Re:

  on Homeland Security Was Interested In Doing 'Covert' Pedestrian 'Scans' From 30 Feet Away
  "Yeah, that pesky thing called the 4th amendment says I have a right to privacy,"
  
  'Tis a pity the Fourth Amendment does not actually say that: It does not explicity address "privacy", and "search" is such an ambiguous and tenuous term.
• Feb 25th, 2011 @ 4:02pm

  Re:

  on Restaurant Refuses To Serve TSA Agents
  "We could have a discussion of business models, say like Radiohead's choices with their new albums. Instead we get a sort meaningless poke at the TSA, almost astroturfing."
  
  I rather think this is exactly a business model analysis (well, maybe not an analysis, but certainly a discussion). Here we have a monopoly, much like the old telephone and electric utilities with which a statistically large number of [flying] consumers must interact on a regular basis without a competitive option or alternative, other than to not fly. Management does not take into account customer satisfaction or treatment, which by significant accounts, is pretty awful.
  
  So now the question becomes what tools at hand does the consumer possess to effect change or bring in competition besides finding an alternative mode of transportation or not traveling (not practical for many)? Although I tend to believe exploding bags of itching powder would prove personally satisfying, social ostrasization and thus employee exodus seems like a viable (but not likely widely adopted) tactic and thus worthy of discussion as a consumer tool. If it actually works (and I don't believe it will), *that* would be impressive.