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Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#45051: Dec 25th 2012 at 1:54:37 AM

DVRs can now spy on you.

Sounds, actions, food choices, and your ethnicity — all tracked by the DVR — will influence what you see in your commercial breaks. Google TV, Microsoft, Comcast and Verizon all signed onto it.

edited 25th Dec '12 1:55:10 AM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#45052: Dec 25th 2012 at 1:58:22 AM

[up]

Looks like the NSA has competition.

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#45053: Dec 25th 2012 at 3:54:00 AM

Aaaaand private industry once again manages to achieve what government law enforcement finds difficult to do, and people who want advertisements aimed at them will actually enjoy a 'smarter' computer.

Solution - tell Verizon to fuck off and not buy their stuff, perhaps? You could also just put tape over the camera.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#45054: Dec 25th 2012 at 9:43:55 AM

[up] Thats what I'll do. I'll probably put some glue on the microphone too.

EDIT- or, you know, not buy verizon. Also I'm pretty sure that privacy laws would mean you'd have to be able to opt out at a minimum.

edited 25th Dec '12 9:45:58 AM by Joesolo

I'm baaaaaaack
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#45055: Dec 25th 2012 at 1:52:01 PM

Anti-Piers Morgan petition tops 60K signers

Bush senior spends Christmas in hospital

Bill McBride, 2002 Democratic Nominee for Florida Governor, Dies at 67

edited 25th Dec '12 2:27:01 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#45056: Dec 25th 2012 at 7:59:53 PM

They got a hundred thousand to sign a petition for texas to secede. that site's been hijacked by right wing nut jobs at this point.

I'm baaaaaaack
TuefelHundenIV Night Clerk of the Apocalypse from Doomsday Facility Corner Store. Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Night Clerk of the Apocalypse
#45057: Dec 25th 2012 at 8:06:22 PM

Joe: More likely Hijacked by the internet who doesn't take it seriously at all.

Considering someone from another state can sign a petition for another state I don't put much stock on the number of people who show up on the site.

Who watches the watchmen?
carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Collector Of Fine Oddities
#45058: Dec 25th 2012 at 8:11:17 PM

Yeah, all of the nuttier conservatives I know were passing that petition around on Facebook, and not one is from Texas.

Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#45059: Dec 25th 2012 at 8:24:53 PM

[up][up] Fair enough. especially considering the number that signed the petition to replace the current legal system with "motor cycle riding judges that serve as judge jury and executor all in one".

I'm baaaaaaack
TuefelHundenIV Night Clerk of the Apocalypse from Doomsday Facility Corner Store. Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Night Clerk of the Apocalypse
#45060: Dec 25th 2012 at 8:30:38 PM

Or the petition to build a Death Star.

I would so sign the judges one. >;3

Who watches the watchmen?
Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#45061: Dec 25th 2012 at 8:35:03 PM

[up] Disappointingly, they seem to have removed that one. Death Star's still up for those of you who want to sign it.

I'm baaaaaaack
TuefelHundenIV Night Clerk of the Apocalypse from Doomsday Facility Corner Store. Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Night Clerk of the Apocalypse
#45062: Dec 25th 2012 at 8:41:46 PM

Drats. I was hoping we would get swaggering cops shoutingn I AM THE LAW at every opportunity....oh wait.

Who watches the watchmen?
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#45063: Dec 25th 2012 at 11:09:48 PM

@ Serocco... reminds of The Truth segments from the Assassins Creed series.tongue

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Skatepunk Since: Feb, 2011
#45064: Dec 26th 2012 at 12:36:11 AM

So Obama's already going back to Washington.

If he's this eager for a deal, I have a bad feeling about this.

At this point, I'm starting to feel this is mostly drama. Just do as De Fazio says: go over the cliff, THEN make a tax cut deal for the middle class.

If that happens, then SS will be spared. But Obama looks eager to grab the scissors...

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#45065: Dec 26th 2012 at 12:47:09 AM

The Congress is supposedly going back to work on Thursday. Obama has to at least put up an appearance of talking with them. Plus. Well. Thursday is the twenty eighth and it's Friday and the weekend. how often does Congress do work over the weekend? Even if he's there it doesn't seem like very much will get done on Congress's part.

RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#45067: Dec 26th 2012 at 11:46:19 AM

For having one of the most important jobs in determining the future of our nation, our congress doesn't seem to work much.

Morven Nemesis from Seattle, WA, USA Since: Jan, 2001
Nemesis
#45068: Dec 26th 2012 at 1:42:57 PM

Well, they set their own hours and vacations. So not surprising!

A brighter future for a darker age.
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#45069: Dec 26th 2012 at 2:04:57 PM

Petition to deport CNN’s Piers Morgan over gun control is countered by one saying the UK doesn’t want him back

Man, you Brits hate this man.

Treasurer Geithner: US Hits Debt Ceiling Monday

edited 26th Dec '12 3:03:37 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Lawyerdude Citizen from my secret moon base Since: Jan, 2001
Citizen
#45071: Dec 26th 2012 at 3:07:49 PM

Congress officially has a 3-day workweek between January and October or so, with multiple 1 to 2 week vacations in between. Then Congress can be recalled back into session in November and December if necessary. Depending on how you define "work", members of Congress actually do work a lot. A big part of being in Congress is staying in touch with your home district and fundraising. A lot of members spend Mondays and Fridays traveling so they can spend their weekends palm-pressing, going to town hall meetings and raising money.

Before airline travel, Congress was in session pretty much from December to August, when they all went home during the recess. The current schedule is actually quite taxing. Would you want to spend every weekend on an airplane, flying halfway across the country to ask strangers for money?

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#45072: Dec 26th 2012 at 3:35:13 PM

Congressmen should hire their own "faces on the ground" to walk around carrying laptops with wifi connected to Skype, so they can stay in Washington while asking for money.

RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#45073: Dec 26th 2012 at 4:03:53 PM

I think the "asking for money" part is the problem.

From the comments thread of the Esquire article I linked:

If there are any real patriots left in the Republican House caucus, there's a way they could make themselves heroes (and, incidentally, ensure easier re-election in 2014) on Jan 1.

The best thing Boehner and the remaining GOP technocrats in the House could do for themselves and for America would be to switch parties en masse and join the Blue Dog Caucus of the Democratic party.

When I look just at how the open primary system has shifted the balance of power in California, I see a slew of Republicans there who would benefit from party-switching. Add to this the number of Republican House members nationwide who barely survived teabagger primary challenges and then barely survived Democrats challenging them in the general, and the number of popular senior GOP incumbents who could easily switch parties and still walk all over the teabagger that would have been a serious challenge in a 2014 GOP primary, and it looks to me as if the moment is ripe for a mass defection in the House.

Unfortunately, this might also result in Steny Hoyer being elected Speaker instead of Pelosi, but I can imagine worse outcomes.

...feasible or no?

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#45074: Dec 26th 2012 at 4:10:58 PM

Somehow I doubt that would make them heroes to the people who elected them, what with that being also a massive betrayal to the party and the expectations of the people who voted for them.

Trivialis Since: Oct, 2011
#45075: Dec 26th 2012 at 4:14:22 PM

Interesting reads, Taoist.

Switching to Democrats would cause leadership conflicts, though. It would probably be better to split into a third part and form a coalition, rather than assimilating into Democrats themselves.


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