Why is any of this a surprise? Do we expect children coming up in the system to be interested in writing code when that job function has been outsourced at every opportunity (or the cheap labor insourced via H1B/L1 visa)?

There was a time when children were taught to sew and mend clothes as well; however, when that industry went global those skills became (or at least were considered to be) obsolete. It may well be the case that programming and software development become similarly obsolete (or less valued). In the age of `disposable tech people` it would seem that, from a practical perspective, students might be better off learning other skills that might keep them more gainfully and more permanently employed.

`By the same argument then we should not be allowed to import foreign cars because it hurts the Americans who work in the auto industry.`

It actually does, but nobody cares at this point given the Big 3 made garbage for a long time because they had a monopoly on the market. Introducing the foreign manufacturers was a result of people in the gov't getting pissed off with the Big 3 and the Labor Unions who they collaborate with. Had the Big 3 built cars that were worth a crap they probably wouldn't have the competition they do, they just got greedy in a big way and got cut for it.

`Similarly, made in China products should be banned because they hurt the American factory worker.`

They actually do, not to mention hurting people who buy crap with lead paint and pet food that's tainted.

`Yes, allowing foreign workers in the US hurts the people in the tech sector here. But, you can't simply ignore the huge pool of people in India and China who are trained to be engineers.`

Of course we can, especially since the ones in In-juh tend to be trained so poorly. Did you ever ask yourself why so many of them over there are trained to be engineers? Uh, that's so that they can try and attempt all the work that was outsourced from here. Stop the outsourcing and you'll find more people here will actually go into STEM fields/careers.

`This is capitalism and the low cost of labor will put an enormous pressure on the way the systems work by artificially restricting them.`

No, it's crony capitalism where a few people benefit from huge profit margins off of using cheap foreign labor while a lot of workers, taxpayers in general, and the government suffer from loss of income tax revenue ... big difference.

`Also competition makes us all better. Why are we afraid of a little competition?`

Says the guy who hasn't gotten it in the rear from it. It's not competition, it's cronyism, and if you're not the one directly benefiting from it you're probably getting screwed by it.

We all need to keep in mind that `transparency` is a relative term (0-100%), and that being served a mandate to make things `transparent` does not necessarily determine how `transparent` things actually are, nor does it mean that incompetence (or intentional malfeasance) can't change just how `transparent` things actually become.

... but what they won't tell you is that the real purpose of the new `space station` will be to provide a haven of last resort for all the government officials when things on earth go to hell.

`Sorry sir, this spaceship is full ... stand aside!`

So the rationale for this legislation is that some state representative is distressed by the potential for losing a popularity contest with a person who claims she owes them money? For that they're going to start spying on everyone in the state?

If she has an issue with this individual, the courts provide redress for her to sue him on the basis of slander (if it's not true); if it is true, then the person who's putting up the information has a rightful claim to make it in a public venue (like the internet). So pay the bill lady or take it to court ... either way, keep your friggin' grubby paws off the internet!

Exactly my point ... thank you for helping me make it.

BTW, I don't think the corpse was driving, it managed to get out of the driver's seat. The corpse was the gal sitting on the other side who was left there by Teddy.

Fact: all my guns are safer than a car driven by Teddy Kennedy (or even a less lecherous drunk).

Guns are tools like any other; it's the people who make them dangerous or not ... but I'm sure you've heard that before (because it's true).

You know, if you just went ahead and put everyone into a concentration camp, the job of the police would get very easy and very safe ... just sayin'. The fact of the matter is that the safety of any law enforcement personnel is not and should not be a motivation to impune civil liberties. If you don't like having a job with some risk, find another job.

I guess if you don't want to pay for programming help this is an alternative, especially when you can't import half of India on H1B visas like Bill Gates would like to do.

Did you ever consider that scientists change their `findings` to stay (the most) gainfully employed just like software engineers change programming languages? If someone who works for a `climate denier` (such a biased, loaded term ... tsk tsk) and thinks they can do better professionally and financially working for a `climate hoaxer` (good for the goose, good for the gander) do you think they're not willing to `reevaluate` the `research` to position themselves to do so? I'm simply pointing out that there are other things at play here and the scientists who supposedly are doing the work have their own, self-centered agendas. To think they're perfectly unbiased (in either direction) is, I would claim, both very naive and very, very flawed.

I guess calling for unrestricted H1B visas wasn't enough? Now Bloomberg figures he can use the taxpayers' money to school up software engineers (without a college degree = even cheaper labor) for his IT operation, along with the financial companies that won't pay Americans enough to go work in NYC, without having to change immigration law. It's actually quite the good (but evil) scheme on his part.

I don't care what kind of hardware or architecture they adopt, but the damn thing better well play all my PS3 games which I have spent A LOT of money on. It was bad enough going to the XBOX 360 and finding out not all my titles were compatible ... there's enough horsepower in the hardware today to at least guarantee that older titles can run in some emulation mode, even in a different hardware family.

I understand the reference to the Countess of Lovelace, but given Ada is best known (in this country, anyhow) as being something of a dead language I'm not sure I'd have gone with that name.

The women obviously prefer to get paid! Right on! :)

The more chicks the more better ('specially if they're hot!). :)