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The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

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Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#161
post #72

It’ll end by me bending over at some point. Karma for this: http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/14/aaron-swartz-asking-for-hel...

What a bitter man you are. So my grudge and distress you're on the lookout for karma justice. Still got no balls to say you're sorry and move on. Truly, one of the biggest egos I have met.

Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#162
post #85
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nice to have you back Ed. Stick around. :)

I never left. I love Hacker News. And I'm not proud of grandparent comment, but I couldn't resist. I'll try to revert to making comments that provide value to my fellow hackers.

So happy to have insight like your GP comment, and have it being voted to the very top.

Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#163
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a subtly but critically different idea: unless you're nice to people, they will be distinctly not nice to you. This is a unfortunate fact in general: even if somebody is not particularly nice to you, you should still be nice in return. However, it is only a real problem if the distinctly not-nice person is in a position of power as in this example.

Unless they hold power over you, don't be nice to anybody who isn't nice to you. Iterated prisoners dilemma: if you aren't willing to defect, they will every time. If they hold power over you, smile until you stab them in the back.

If you aren't nice to someone that isn't nice to you first, and they do the same, who would ever be nice to one another?

Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#164
post #85
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nice to have you back Ed. Stick around. :)

I never left. I love Hacker News. And I'm not proud of grandparent comment, but I couldn't resist. I'll try to revert to making comments that provide value to my fellow hackers.

It is good to have you here.

Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#165
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe, but it's also just as likely to have resulted in a ticket after confessing.

Not sure why you're getting downvoted, because you're absolutely right. In fact, the parent's anecdote is just that: an anecdote. The reality of the matter however is that you should never, ever admit wrong-doing under any circumstances. Use the minimum amount of words for basic communication with the cop, be polite, and then deal with whatever ticket is written (either pay it or contest it in court).

Jeez... what do we teach kids these days?

If you've done wrong, admit it. Don't lie about it.

If you get a ticket, accept it as deserving punishment for putting other lives at risk.

Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm wondering, isn't asking for your criminal history during job interviews the same as discriminating based on age or race? I mean, even if you were convicted, you've paid the price by doing your time and after that you should have equal opportunities at a job like anyone else, right? Maybe I'm just too idealistic but I never understood why we hardly give these people a second chance. And then people wonder why reci…

If I'm hiring an accountant I probably want to know if they have a history of dishonesty charges. You are free to give such a person a second chance, I'm less keen. I probably don't care if they had some drug charge 20 years ago though. Not sure how that's racist or ageist?

Because the US justice system disproportionately punishes black crime, and older people are more likely to have had an encounter with the law.

Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#168
post #161
post #72

It’ll end by me bending over at some point. Karma for this: http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/14/aaron-swartz-asking-for-hel...

What a bitter man you are. So my grudge and distress you're on the lookout for karma justice . Still got no balls to say you're sorry and move on. Truly, one of the biggest egos I have met.

The hate is strong in this one. Act like an adult and rant to Ed in private. I'm sure you feel aggravated by his comment but your anger serves no purpose in a public forum. If you feel the comment is inappropriate then simply downvote it and move on. Nothing is ever solved by offensively arguing in public.

Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure why you're getting downvoted, because you're absolutely right. In fact, the parent's anecdote is just that: an anecdote. The reality of the matter however is that you should never, ever admit wrong-doing under any circumstances. Use the minimum amount of words for basic communication with the cop, be polite, and then deal with whatever ticket is written (either pay it or contest it in court).

Jeez... what do we teach kids these days? If you've done wrong, admit it. Don't lie about it. If you get a ticket, accept it as deserving punishment for putting other lives at risk.

Particularly in the US, talking to the police is a bad idea. There's a famous video about it.

Re: The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today

#170
post #138

Hiring a lawyer will get your boat back. It will not fix the problem. The problem is too much government. Perhaps you should consider this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism We don't need to eliminate government, of course. Someone still has to throw parties for foreign dignitaries and say stupid shit on TV. We do need to trim it down to the bone and get it out of our daily lives. You just had a run-in with…

Blah, blah, blah. The problem isn't some vague platitude about how there is "too much government". This wasn't caused by Social Security or other defined benefit programs (which make up most of "government"), or by the Veterans Administration, or by the Postal Service, or by FDA. It was caused by one specific agency, created by W, which should never have been created, is duplicative by its very nature, and which has…

> And no, this isn't evidence that we are heading for a Gestapo society. No. The Gestapo was highly organized, disciplined, and effective. Homeland Security, by contrast, is a bunch of minimum-wage flunkies, unable to get a job anywhere else because of malfeasance, complete lack of job skills, illiteracy, or a combination of these, which fails to accomplish anything of note whatsoever.

What about the NSA/CIA who have managed to wholesale wiretap everyone domestically without hesitation or meaningful resistance?

You're full of shit when you suggest that the problem is with a single, disorganized agency.

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