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Comment Inspiration is Individual - Growth is Collective (Score 1) 67

I suspect the inspiration behind many of the big silicon valley companies is individual, when someone has a great idea, it's not likely because of a chance encounter... BUT, the funding, execution, and atmosphere of growth in which that idea is born is a key to whether it will succeed or not. That atmosphere is highly encouraged in Silicon Valley, but it's spreading everywhere, the question is, can we leave the toxic aspects behind?

Comment Re:Isn't she supposed to be gone? (Score 1) 141

I don't know, I hear a lot of criticism of her at this point. I don't quite understand how Yahoo! is still in business, other than they got a pile of cash early, spread it around, and now everybody knows the name and thinks they may actually do something on the Internet. I don't remember the last time I intentionally went to Yahoo.

Comment What does Yahoo do? (Score 1) 141

What does Yahoo actually do now? Are they a holding company for other companies? Do they provide any services? WTF Yahoo.

You want to make a cool company? Build a public utility cloud. Offer free service to non-profits to generate buzz. Give away Internet access capped at 10 mb/s and charge a nominal fee for more. DO SOMETHING BOLD, don't just try to re-tread old ideas.

Cheers,
Andrew

Comment Re:The Science In a SciFi movie... (Score 1) 163

I'll admit I haven't seen the move or read the book, but where in hell does he get the seeds and fertilizer to grow plants in Martian soil? From what I gather from the trailers, this wasn't a colonization mission, so why, if they sent seeds and fertilizer, did they send seeds and fertilizer?

If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, why nitpick at this level?

FYI, the stranded astronaut is a biologist, specifically assigned to attempt to grow some plants on mars and test the conditions there. The potatoes are sent along for a special thanksgiving feast on the planet.

Comment Re:For starters... (Score 5, Informative) 842

I know you're trolling a bit here, but if you want specific evidence of something Carter has done right, check out the Guinea Worm Eradication program. The Carter Center is a major part of this initiative, that is reducing (with the goal of eliminating) a painful and debilitating parasitic condition. Cases of Guinea Worm have dropped from over 3 million yearly in the early 80's to less than 100 so far this year (W.H.O. stats). The Guinea Worm life cycle requires human infection, so once this thing is gone, it's totally gone.

Comment Re:Boeing 707 was also louder (Score 1) 345

I just flew in a 787 from California to South America. Significantly more comfortable and pleasant experience! The engine noise was minimal, climate control was more comfortable, and the vibration was greatly reduced, compare to the 777 and 747. Definitely hope to fly on the 787 whenever possible!

Cheers,
Andrew

Comment Re:Summary sucks (Score 1) 345

Compare it to cars, as I did this math recently. We're considering a new sedan for my wife. We found a '95 Buick Roadmaster with around 28,000 miles on it for $8700, contrasted with a new Chrysler 300, at about $35,000. It will take more than 120,000 miles at twice the fuel economy to break-even, and given that the Buick is actually easier to work on and simpler it will probably have a lower total cost of ownership.

I've been thinking about this as my oldest son is approaching 16 years old. We have a beat up old Subaru that I was thinking of saving for his first car, but when comparing the features and functionality to a new vehicle, there's quite a bit missing: side curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, back-up camera, lane departure warning, crumple zones (maybe not missing on '99 subi), and more. Is the increased risk (particularly for a teenage driver) worth saving a few thousand dollars compared to buying a newer used car?

Comment Re:Supporting Students / Kids (Score 1) 268

I really, really like this idea. Community colleges and smaller universities in particular offer scholarships to needy students and will allow donators to specify the criteria. I served on a scholarship adjudication committee once and it was so fun to find people who needed the funding to continue their education.

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