I did not say that government, business, or universities are bad - just that people can do extrodinary things on their own.

I found inspiration in what these folks did (and did on their own). If more people did stuff like this, I am pretty sure the world would be a better place.

I think that my original post was pretty clear but for the sake of clarity - what I wanted to do with my post was inspire others to do something or at least be someone who encourages people that take the bull by the horns!

Look, I don't understand how you got what you got out of my post, I had not intended it to be political at all.

For those of you complaining about the jerky video: STFU!

For those of you saying it isn't practical: So What!

I want to take my hat off to these dudes and give them a hearty round of applause and say "Great job guys!"

My point here is these guys had a vision, that led to an idea, that lead to an exparament where a couple of pretty normal folks did something extrodinary. It is the same kind of curiosity that Ben Franklin had when he flew the kite and "discovered" electricity.

Those of you who have offered criticisim, I ask you to reply to this post and tell me what you have done without backing that approximates or bests their very cool accomplishment.

Those of you who have a vision share it, maybe someone will help you make it an idea so, I invite you to share your vision.

For those of you who have an idea, share it and maybe someone will help you make it real.

We don't need government, business, or universities to make the world a better place; just a few ordinary folks who try to do extrodinary things!

Those of you who think this is just very cool, use this thread to virtually offer your applause and (real) encouraging comments!

I like a good bang; it is a good way to end the show. There is plenty of other stuff that happens throughout the show, a minute or two at the end is all the big explosion takes. If Adam and Jamie are reading this (and I think they are geeks enough to know about Slashdot) keep up the good works and keep the big bangs in!

Speaking of good bangs, is Kari really pregnant?

Your current experience counts for something. Your best bet is to leverage what you know. It is hard for me to imagine a job that wouldn't have something to offer a coder. Say you are empting port-a-johns for a living. Write some code that would help that industry. I can see the application planning the route and measuring the level of the truck's tank so that you can maximize the truck's capacity on the shortest route. Use this code to demonstrate your skills and release it open source. That way you have something in your portfolio to show a perspective employer.