roboneal

An appropriate partial quote of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged:

“Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken."

<snipped>

"But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt."

It's how I used to feel about viewing 95% of the output of Hollywood as a "wacky" political conservative.

I got over it and learned to judge the work on its merits.

In summary: You've registered a domain name, spent 3 weeks noodling the problem since Sandy Hook, have no hardware engineering background, and have never fired a gun.

Why is this on HackerNews?

So your idea solves the problem of someone "cracking" or knowing the combination to my gun safe and removing the gun without my knowledge?

Please explain how many of mass shootings over the last 15 years or so this would have prevented?

Let's assume you get past the obvious problems like politics, privacy concerns, massive improvements in battery technology to implement GPS tracking of guns, etc.

With the estimated 200 Million privately owned firearms in the United States alone, you seem to have a 20 Trillion dollar ($100 a firearm) problem to solve.

That's greater than the US debt (at the moment) and the entire US GDP for the most recent year.

Emotional impact aside, there are a lot more serious problems that could be solved with that kind of money that impact more people with greater efficacy

To sum up the comments: Stop generalizing about my generalizing.

Google already has a Terms of Service and felt that this video did not violate it. A position the Obama administration disagreed with. Ultimately, I'm glad that they had a broader view of free speech than the current Administration.

And for the record, delaying or shifting speech is "hindering" it.

How riled up will they be when they see the White House-approved full length feature film of the killing of Bin Laden? Will same principles apply?

"I'm very pro free speech, but...."

Let's expand on your thought process a bit....how about we just suppress all video that criticizes Islamic sensibilities just on the anniversary of 9/11? Well and maybe through Ramadan too. Just temporarily of course. Until "they" settle down and we get our security stuff straightened out.

Yeah, that's what the framers of the Constitution thought when the wrote the FIRST Amendment.

Is the takeaway message..that the Obama administration says we have permission to put whatever we want on Youtube as long as it doesn't offend Islam?

I have to disagree. You and I are pretty much stuck clicking "Flag" on Youtube.

The White House gets to use the power of the bully pulpit to make such a "request" and Al Qaeda storms a few embassies and murders diplomats to make their "request".

No I didn't mean "could".

Of course, the White House "could" ask for any video to be censored/suppressed. The question is "should" they on the same "it incites" Middle Eastern mobs premise.

They could have quietly clicked "Flag as inappropriate" as anyone else.

Instead, they made a public "request" whose intent was to put pressure on Google outside it's normal "review process".

Not sure what confused you. It's a rhetorical question using essentially the White Houses "incitement" argument.

On the same grounds, should the White House have asked Youtube to censor the numerous clips of Kerry and Biden praising the killing of Bin Laden at the DNC last week?

I'm sure the Islamic world might have taken offense.

Does the Obama administration really want to enter the business of suppressing every "inconvenient" video that might offend the sensibilities of Middle Eastern mobs?

Comcast claims that the app turns the XBox into essentially a set top box and that all data is streamed over Comcast's "private" network capacity and do not use any of the traditional public facing internet infrastructure.

Standard usage of "On Demand" programming from a DVR or other set top box do not count against the existing data cap quotas.

If this app essentially allows an XBox to plug into this private network capacity like any other set top box, I think this is an important distinction.

Being ex-military and not a sociopath -- he lost me when he said that the "vast majority of us are straight up sociopaths"

We constantly made decisions that increased the risk to ourselves while trying to minimize the risk to civilians. That is not a mindset of a sociopath.

Are you seriously arguing that "many" people are against the "rule of law" and some form of government "approaching a democracy"?

If so, why all the dead or deposed dictators?

Amazing the shift of perspective...

How many who voted for Obama (or at least against John McCain) would expect their vote would elect a President who would violate the sovereignty of Pakistan with a special forces operation, murder an American citizen without due process, and enter into armed conflict with Libya without the consultation of Congress and eventually assassinate a sitting head of state?

My definition of "civilization" is a society "ruled by law" and something approaching a "democracy". I can't think of a country in the Middle East remotely qualifying -- maybe Israel.

Trying to equate "religious pandering" in the US to the various REAL theocracies and military juntas that inhabit the Mideast is "shame"ful.

Europe, like America, is run by politicians with a 2-4 year election cycle "accountability" making long term multi-generational fiscal obligations (i.e., here is a tiny raise now, but we'll promise to give you free healthcare benefits 20 years from now)

Europe will play the "austerity" game for a bit (cut this & that, raise taxes, etc), but it will only kill economic growth and make the problem worse.

Inevitably, the "social contract" will be broken. Current working age generations are not willing to live with both "ruinious taxation" AND government "austerity" -- just to maintain the status quo of retiree benefits and government largess.

Old people might vote....but young people fill streets and use firebombs

Sorry, I meant "tethered" weather balloons. Which I assume would solve the "recover-ability" issue. No idea on "stability".

What about mounting infrared cameras to weather balloons?

He seems to have a problem "lingering" over the right area.

I moved to Houston from Milwaukee last year.

Primary reason was economic (more robust job market and the nearly 6% savings on state income taxes).

Secondarily, I was tired of shoveling my weather. Never underestimate the hidden costs of snow...from the countless hours lost removing snow, wear & tear on your vehicles, and random catastrophic "drive times".

Don't get me wrong...for 3 months a year it's "jungle hot". But in trade, I have 9 months of awesome weather. That ratio was basically reversed "up north".

Safe to say that anyone carrying an iPad while talking on an iPhone sipping a Starbucks is middle class.

In many, ways middle class is better defined as access to disposable income (at least from a marketing/retail perspective). What defines disposable income varies at all income levels, regions, social situation, etc.

Considering the article cites Census data broadly collected across the country - not sure where you are getting those mortgage/food price numbers?

$1800 would buy you a 5 bedroom/2.5 bath/2400sf house in Houston.

A "small" house for a couple making $50K gross would run easily under $1000/mo.

While prices are higher, I'm not paying double over 2008 prices....otherwise I'd be paying $6 for a gallon of milk or $4 for a loaf of bread.

Honest question: Based on the general sentiment here, is there anything that a government should be legitimately allowed to keep secret?

An organization, say like the EFF, should coordinate mass "opt-out" travel at peak travel times.

A little "gridlock" might highlight the absurdity of the situation.

There is a difference between being a Citizen and a subject.

You are not obligated to sit meekly while your rights are being nibbled at or outright violated by "people just doing their jobs".