Python and Perl make great data analysis tools.

They have a plethora libraries to handle things: Numpy/Scipy for Python and PDL/GSL for Perl.

They can access FORTRAN and C libraries as necessary for either performance or legacy needs.

THey are probably best because they are high level languages, very platform neutral, and cost signficantly less than other "serious" data analysis tools/languages.

That is an average of $7642/year/student.

In Indiana, it is about $5,000 (for K-6). That is what is used to pay for the teacher's salary, any specialists (like art, special ed, etc.), any administrators (like a receptionist, principal, etc.), any bonds that need to be paid, any utilities, the list goes on.

And you wonder why there are 30+ kids to a classroom? Even if you cut the administration to the bone you still have lots of expenses that a school has to cover as a result of federal, state, and district mandates.

Stop the MCP!
De-resolution is the only solution
EOL

At one school I know of they handle this by giving report cards that aren't grades but rather written evaluations of each student and what they're doing well and what they need to work on, which take whatever factors they are aware of into consideration. Takes a lot more effort for all involved, but it's generally fair and it avoids the problem of a kid being judged by a system that has no way to account for his or her particular obstacles to success.

Exactly.

That it what progressive education is.

Not handing out worksheets and testing the little buggers all the time.

The motivation is the learning process and the acquisition of knowledge in and of itself.

My wife is a student teacher supervisor/lecturer (she helps make teachers) and she is big on discouraging gold starts, food, and other "material" incentives.

She tries to teach her students not to use those crutches.

As you can imagine, it can be a bit of an uphill battle for her.

Not to defend the lameass TSA, but no devices have been detonated under the TSA's watch.

That being said at least 2 instances there have been explosives on planes. The TSA didn't stop them passengers did.

I would say they haven't stopped a single, serious threat in their existence.

Nowadays a bomber won't target the planes, the bomber will target the lines at the security checkpoints.

The rest of your post I can 100% agree with.

An interesting part of the DIY Drones stuff.

http://diydrones.com/profiles/blog/show?id=705844%3ABlogPost%3A44817

Winds might be sort of a problem.

I wonder how easy it would be to make a DIY drone using a powered paraglider.

Well, it does look like it has been asked:

http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/uav-paraglider?xg_source=activity

Cool.

Remember, if you have it bad enough it's not OCD but CDO. ;-)

As a Perl guy, Python(x,y) has a complete scientific computing package. While Perl and Ruby can do these things, Python(x,y) does it in a slick way.

It is a Windows only package as far as I can tell.

Perl, Python and Ruby can deal with Excel and R but Python(x,y) provides a nice interface for everything.

Except that they create nothing of any real value and is of limited utility.

Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE) should not be the engine of any economy. It can support and facilitate it but when it becomes the prime mover. Well, then you're just fucked.

Not sure how Services (flipping burgers, IT support, etc.) fall in there but a service based economy sucks as well.

Death penalty is easy, just dissolve the company. Sorry workers. Maybe you shouldn't work for a company that is negligent enough to cause people's death.

As for incarceration, all profits go to the government for the term of the sentence. If a publicly traded company than any trades are frozen for the term of the sentence.

Other ideas welcome.

Then again, I don't think organizations are people and shouldn't be allowed to participate in our government. That means unions, political parties, any grouping of people. No contributions to campaigns and strict limits on ads and such.

But that's just me.

A very good reason to drop the program is that it was hacked.

I know for a fact that SpaceX has a ton of Purdue grads. Mostly because they have a fantastic propulsion research center.

So, either go to undergrad at Purdue and stay for a masters, or go to your state school, do really well and do your grad work at Purdue.

Blue Origin has a decent amount of Purdue grads as well.

Above all else you need to do excellent work in school have a decent amount of ambition. I did ok in school and "settled" for being happy with life instead having much ambition. :-)

Kris Rusch has been specifically writing about the change in the publishing/writing business for about past 6 months or so.

Very interesting, inspiring and great work.

The $1 billion cost from pharma R&D has been questioned.

Even if it were true, pharma can easily make that in the patent life of the drug. Let alone the derivatives that they will patent after it.