I agree with almost everything you said.

"Just as the world went through a biplane phase, we have to go through a rocket phase."

During the "bi-plane phase" there were numerous builders, some even home built, that pushed the technology along. Before the war was the commerce and thrill seekers that funded these efforts and out of them we got some amazing innovations, and some deaths (it was prize money that sent folks across the Atlantic, not national pride).

This is the topic We get trouble by these days and I don't get it. Lindbergh was the first to cross the Atlantic (solo), but we don't talk about the many who died trying. Those that died in the early BeeGee racers were test pilots like the Yeagers to come later in military life. Bottom line, there was a lot of dying going on as the aviation technology grew, in part because the cost of entry was less expensive, and our society did not wring our hands over each death.

Along comes NASA, Government funding, cold wars and soon our position changes from low cost to unaffordable. Never was there a prize for commercial or individual achievements in space flight for the world wrapped "War" around the purpose and that is the most fleeting of reasons for growth. We also get the sense that even one life is too costly, because we've tied it to national pride, national image and By God if those boys die then it reflects badly on our country. Bullshit! The people who died in Columbia were not heros, they were astronauts doing their job. Had they even survived they still would not be heros for they used training to figure out how to survive (or equipment). I respect human life, but we got to stop this direction that space and those who attempt to go are gods, protected at all costs. No, I would not put my ass in some home grown experiment and get launched into space (I prefer my technology use more mature). but I will applaud anyone who takes the chance, weighs the options, and goes. Even that failure would teach us more then we learn at the glacial pace taken today.

My hats off to SpaceX, I wish them success, but I also wish more people tried or were encouraged for out of 100 or 1000, there might be one that finds a working model for the next step in space.

I'm confused...In the State of California, coffee is know to cause cancer or when in the State of California, coffee causes cancer. That is some pretty selective cancer and one state I think I'll avoid in the future....Whew!

And yet extreme Muslims still went ahead and started destroying these artefacts contrary to world and Muslim leaders. Granted, the P got the origin wrong, but the essence of the statement still has merit. Leaders, from whatever group, eventually reap what they sow. There is enough Muslim radicalism that at some point, it will be taken so far that the same leaders who condemn are the one's responsible for feeding that type of action (I wanted to say hate...maybe).

Look at the US and the current Republican party. The leaders set about to make Obama a one term president which was fertiliser for the budding Tea Party. 2010 was the storm clouds on the horizon of the Grand Old Party, 2012 may be the storm that does major damage for seat after seat is going to TP candidates and their extreme, almost destructive action in congress. So now leaders try to say one one hand "Stop, this is not the way to govern", yet continue the fan the flames by exclaiming provocative statements to the press, even on area of agreement.

Once you start a ball rolling downhill, the path is out of your control. You cannot stop it by crying "Please, don't roll any more", but only by destroying the ball or getting directly in its way...even then you'd most likely be crushed.
 

That renewed my faith in teaching....Wonderful. Also proves the point that you're never to old to learn for I had not known that about plants. Thank you.

I seen various posts about how this was not that special, a sailboat has done it before...but has anyone looked at the size of this boat. 102 ft long 55 ft wide...seriously folks, have you ever been on a sailboat, especially the ones they sail for speed? Space and comfort are the first to go. You could play tennis underneigh the panels in this thing and I figure the berths were a little drier then on anything less then then a luxury yacht.

The advantage with this over sail is that the operation is vastly simpler then sailing, less people required to make it go. Yes Yes, computer control can take care of some of the trim, but at the end of the day, this ship is just a powerboat on steroids, and can be run with less specialised skills in sailing. I think this is an amazing accomplishment, knowing what it takes to go across the ocean. I also feel that not only have they shown how well panels can work in pretty harsh conditions, but they open the door for more research into improving solar technology for marine use.

FFS, has /. sunk so far that we don't use our imagination for scientific potential any more? ...Kids!....meh.

Do you use those words everyday, every time you talk about a program or programming? Most likely you just design and develop without even thinking much about the definitions. I did not say I don't use those practices in building a OOP, I just don't focus on the definition. When I go into an interview I would hope the interviewers want to focus on how I solve problems, deals with design questions, or interact with people, because skills can be taught or refreshed, but thinking...teaching that takes a lot longer then companies want to spend money on.

So yes, I still think they are esoteric terms that have very practical use in day to day development, but show little value when trotted out for defining in an interview. Anyone can memorise a sentence.

See, I felt the opposite and feel he was turning it around on assholes. Asking a brain teaser at an interview is just plain stupid. Unless the job is solving brain teaser or alien languages what value is a question like that? None. It is a job and 99% of the time the job function will be mundane and routine.

Now a good interview would ask about current events, thoughts on direction in the industry of choice or any other manner of questioning that gets into who the person is, what they think about, and will they fit with a group. The next time I get asked what are the principles of Object Oriented Programming are, I may just sum it into one phrase "get the job done well", as to whether I know encapsulation, polymorphism, or the rest of the esoteric terms has no value to my work.

well said. You comment at the end resonants with me. I think you voice the deep down inner thought many of us have, we vote for the least scared politician. What is equally sad is that were there to be a voice of strength, shining light on the banalities of our systems, and encouraging all of us to think beyond our own small box, that person would be torn apart by the mob (aka media) before the message ever got far enough out to be heard by the masses. Good politicians have learned that to survive, it is best to be as quiet as a mouse in a church.

See, I like this thinking. Now for implementation...aye, there's the rub. It would be something to see in the future, growing plants on Mars.

I checked out the site and the question in my mind is how well does that scale. Sure, you can get better yield with grow lights, but now take that thought to the back 40, 50, or 1000 acres and explain how it works. DO you have a lens that some how transforms the sunlight across a pasture?

You make a bold statement, but show little in fact. If this is a monsanto buster, show your cards for a got some local farmers that would be very interested in your thoughts.