Care to cite where you are getting this info from? I seriously doubt the masses are buying $50,000 cars. I live in upper middle suburbia, and the vast majority of cars are well under $50,000. Even the BMWs are mostly below that price range. If the "masses" are buying these expensive cars, I'd like to know where and how many.

One difference between houses and cars: cars depreciate rather quickly, so interest is only a small factor in what you end up paying for your car usage where with houses, interest is a major cost.

Be appalled all you like, but I am appalled that you would read what I wrote and jump off to a wild conclusion that I am against mathematics in schools. Perhaps you didn't have enough reading comprehension and logic in yours. The bottom line is that the comparisons between countries are not apples-to-apples and that having a pissing war over who has the average highest score is a bad metric.

The problem with averages is this: Only a small percentage of the population are in jobs that require advanced algebra, trigonometry and calculus. Although I went through differential equations in my undergraduate, and still enjoy math, I do not need it for my IT Management job. Statistics I use infrequently. Algebra I use somewhat (but not advanced). When you are measuring the US population average against other country averages (and in many cases just a subset of those other countries) you are not getting to the crux of the issue -- how does our top 2%(or whatever the appropriate number is) compare against other countries' top 2%. If our universities are producing engineers with much worse scores than our counterparts, then I will worry.

On a side note: When trying to make fun of another group's intelligence, you should write a post that doesn't make you sound like a 9 year old who forgot his ADHD medication.

I actually logged in for this response...

Do you REALLY think that is accurate? Do you really think Boeing put the plane together with a bunch of non-spec'd parts? Do you really think that a plane would get off the ground with that type of engineering? Seriously?

An MBA put his two cents together and came up with a penny and you bought it. Most likely there was a lot of back and forth over specification early in the project as prototypes were being built. That does not translate into substandard final designs.

The 787 is cutting edge and the result of some seriously advanced engineering. I would think Slashdot of all places would appreciate that.

I like your post and think it is the best put synopsis of the situation, including my own.

I am not sure that is true. You will never see my name in the news, but I have spent and continue to spend a significant part of my life investing in those that others would not. I don't care to be famous, but for those around me I want to make a positive impact.

He was originally faced with 6 months. The 30 years was not a realistic sentence.

If he couldn't handle being incarcerated, then perhaps he should have complied with the first request to stop accessing the network.

He is no hero. Sorry.

Yup, it is. I wouldn't have said a word if folks weren't trying to turn him into a hero and if folks weren't crying about folks enforcing the law.

Clinging to a life with zero quality? Aren't you being a bit dramatic about Aaron? Seriously? Or are you mistaking my argument for saying that suicide is NEVER good? If so, you need to learn about context.

Oh dear God, are you serious? Suicide is bravery? I will echo the AC's sentiment when I say that you and the mod who voted you up should seek professional help.

Yup. Basically you have a child who was socialized to believe that as long as he felt he was right, his actions are justified and would not carry consequences. Even if he is morally right with his belief that this information SHOULD be free (not saying he is), he either has to comply with the laws or be willing to suffer the consequences to sand up for his beliefs.

Aaron is not a hero. Faced with adversity, he took the coward's way out.

Why is that? Right now, North Korea is a nice bargaining chip for China. The US doesn't want a direct conflict with China so cannot directly attack North Korea. When the time is right, China will reign in North Korea (for a time) in exchange for some concessions from the US. It is a poker game with an element of risk, but North Korea is a high face card in China's hand.

Apparently you missed his username.

1) What you say is not true. Anonymous targets folks they disagree with.
2) One can define "actively messing with other people" however they want. A jihadist would use the exact same term to describe what they do.
2) Even if what you said were entirely true, what you are describing is "vigilantism". In the movies this is great. In the real world you end up with a might makes right society. You and the jihadist are in complete agreement that this is acceptable.

This could be worse than Y2K!