Diversity is not the problem. The problem is they're encouraging people to program despite ability, or perhaps we should say inability and disinclination.

I don't want a surgeon because she's black and female to operate on me. I want a surgeon to operate on me because she is skilled and experienced, because she has a high success rate, because she's the right surgeon for the job.

Picking programmers to fill diversity quotas is a nonsensical way of doing business. Pick the programmers who are excellent.

Political correctness needs to die.

I don't trust my data to anybody but myself. I maintain control. I keep all my data moving forward on multiple copies of my latest hardware.

Realize that when you put your data out in the cloud it is subject to both corruption and scrutinization. How do you know you are getting your data back? You don't.

Call me a control freak, please, but at least I have my data. In the cloud you are nothing but a wisp of smoke that dissipates with the whims of the server owners.

"This is likely one of those cases where the manufacturer is not to blame, instead it is likely federal regulations"

Nope. You've not got a clue. It has nothing to do with federal regulations and everything to do with the software and hardware companies carefully guarding their profits. I speak with the insider knowledge of both a farmer, a programer, an engineer and a developer. Don't throw red herrings out like this.

The solution is rejection. Reject the proprietary solutions that lock you in. You have choice as the buyer. Hack your own solution, put together open source solutions or use existing open source solutions. There are open source solution groups working on this sort of problem. Support their projects instead of John Deere and other lockers.

"Most 'farms' in america are part of multinational food corporations like Cargill and ADM."

Said the person who has no clue... You are wrong. Most farms are small farms that have nothing to do with multi-national food corporations. You're confusing Numbers Of Farms with Percent Of Production.

Paris what?
Kardainsky?
Sorry, I've never heard of those scientists.

Thank you. It is interesting how few understand that based on the comments here.

By the way, to the top comment about the big rigs, I fully understand that, but you have limited vision if you think that is the only way. There was a time before the highways when we used the rail system. It's more efficient. Undoubtedly some highways will remain, but I expect in another 30 years things and people will move differently. Sixty years ago they moved differently as they did 120 years ago from then too. Change is accelerating. Be ready for it.

Not all that new. We've been LISPing out poetry and prose using List Processing since the 1970's. It looks like it was written by a person. We even made algorithms that mimicked specific famous individuals's style of writing. Most people just listen and not but can't tell the difference.

Unfortunately too many of the camera makers do an either or situation with the lower end cameras being dumbed down to fully automatic. I want a very compact (shirt pocket), dust proof (no moving lens), splash proof (rain, light water) camera that has full manual controls. The old Casio Ex-V8 has this but it has not been updated in closing in on a decade. The camera makers seem bound and determined to offer either a high end camera which is bulky and too expensive to carry around in my pocket or a low end environmental resistant camera that lacks manual controls. They're killing their own market by not offering what we want. So of course people just use the 'other' camera they have in their smart phone or ipod touch.

We homeschooled our kids. It was a wonderful experience for them and for us. Two of them are now adults and the third is still homeschooling and doing great. All of them are both socially and academically far advanced of public schooled kids their ages. They also have better ethics and morals without having to go through the destructive parts that we hear so many people complain about public education.

In our state the rate of homeschooling is very high and it is not about religion or that sort of thing - a common misperception. In fact, of the many families that we know who homeschool, only one is strongly religious. All the others are heavy on the science end.

Public schools are a mess. We can't fix the public school system - people have been trying and failing for decades. Study history, please.

Homeschooling isn't for everyone but it worked great for us and a lot of other people we know.

And no, you do not have to be a 'teacher' to homeschool. That's hogwash.

Hopefully people will stop traveling so much so we won't need as much transportation infrastructure in 30 years. It has already dramatically decreased because of teleconferencing. Conventions have taken a huge hit because of this.

Hopefully products will stop traveling so much so we won't need as much transportation infrastructure in 30 years. We already have rudimentary 3D printing. In 30 years I hope we can print everything we need where its needed instead of wasting time, money, fuel, packaging and other resources moving stuff around. Then when you're done with that item you throw it in the de-constructor which recycles the parts. Need more raw materials? Shovel in a few scoops of dirt. Sure, occasionally you'll need to add some essential elements you might have but think of all those local landfills to be mined!

No, in 2045 we should not need much of DOT. The world will change.

"you've lost the argument claiming the problem doesn't exist."

I never argued that. You're a classic, putting words in other people's mouths in an attempt to further your own views. Maybe you're like "Most People". Sad.

"Most X Support Y" is such a lame argument for doing anything.

Most people here would like to kick your ass but that doesn't mean we should.

Most drivers on the freeway would like to speed but that doesn't mean the should.

Most kids support not brushing their teeth but that doesn't mean they should skip it.

Most people would like a double-wopper-hopper burger with extra fries but that doesn't mean they should eat it never mind every day.

Most people supporting something is a lame argument for anything.

Stop rationalizing and get rational.

"The bad news for us is that most companies can't afford to simply refuse the rules and write China off."

Actually it is _very_ easy to just write of China. I've done this with unreasonable customers no matter how big they are. There are plenty of other customers who are reasonable. Just say no to totalitarianism.

Dang! In December we finally got broadband access in our area and now they've taken it away. Oh, well. I'll go surf another bitch.

I've had an Apple pPod implant for several years. Love it. Best thing is direct access to the the Apple Store 24/7 and no bugs or malware*(^&&^*&^%-system-i98798-breach......

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2012/0...