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Mitt Romney Answers Tech Questions
DesScorp sends a link to a TechCrunch interview in which GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney answers questions of interest to techies. Included are questions on H-1B visas, Internet taxation, venture capital taxation, alternative energy, and carbon emissions. Finally, we learn that Romney is a PC guy, and get a summary of what's on his iPod.
Who cares if he uses a PC? Mitt Romney may be well organized, smart, and have a great telepresence...but middle America will never get around his being a Mormon. Of course, Middle America is never going to vote for Hillary or Barack for that matter, so whomever gets the Republican nod will be a shoe-in for the Presidency. God/Allah/Buddha/RMS help us all.
http://www.htcherocentral.com
What's on his iPod: "Who Let The Dogs Out" ...and whatever else he thinks might be popular with the electorate.
That's not what's on his ipod. That's a question he really wants the answer to. Mitt Romney wants to know who let the dogs out, because Mitt Romney believes the dog(s) should be firmly locked on top of his station wagon, and covered in feces.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
He's basically saying that *if* there are skill shortages, then H1B's are fine. But the problem is that there is no real burden for companies to show a skills shortage: the loopholes are huge. Government inspectors (the very few of them that exist) don't know a software engineer from locomotive engineer.
A more relevant question would be: "Are you for more stringent verification by employers of alleged skills shortages before H1B's are brought in?"
Table-ized A.I.
I still can't figure out why slashdot never posted my submission for Ron Paul's article at http://www.news.com/Technology-Voters-Guide-Ron-Paul/2100-1028_3-6224161.html?tag=st.num which is much more interesting.
It's impressive how slow those pitches were. There wasn't a single hard question among them, and the interviewer clearly spelled out the answers he wanted to hear (and knew Romney was going to give).
On another note, his idea of alternate and sustainable energy seems to be coal liquefaction and "maybe even" nuclear. Forward thinking guy much?
Loosely related to this political thread, here is Obama's technology policy page which is very exciting because it is reasonably in line with general nerd opinion. So here I am, shilling for Obama during a Romney thread. I might be Offtopic but I hope I'm Informative! Here are some exceprts:
Barack Obama strongly supports the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet. Users must be free to access content, to use applications, and to attach personal devices. They have a right to receive accurate and honest information about service plans.
Unfortunately, over the past several years, the Federal Communications Commission has promoted the concept of consolidation over diversity. As president, he will encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation's spectrum.
Obama supports updating surveillance laws and ensuring that law enforcement investigations and intelligence-gathering relating to U.S. citizens are done only under the rule of law.
Making government data available online in universally accessible formats to allow citizens to make use of that data to comment, derive value, and take action in their own communities.
Where are the questions on copyright and patent reform, open standards and open source software, investment into maths and sciences, net neutrality and telecoms industry regulation, etc...
Aside from the usual "don't believe a politician", you might as well just ask this guy. They seem to care very little about national sovereignty, and would gladly hand the whole nation over to hostile countries such as China and India.
No thank you, we have enough as it is from environmentalists wanting to batter the Midwest into compliance. Now if he were to ditch Mankiw the Ivy, and put in someone who has an actual idea of re-establishing our national sovereignty (yes, that means pulling hostile country SWF money in line as well) where Reagan killed it in the 1980s.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
And 45% willing to vote for an atheist...
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
H1Bs slavery
Are you really that stupid? Nobody makes anyone from a foreign country move to the USA to work under H1-B status. Nobody forces any worker in the USA to accept employment if the wages are deemed insufficient by the person seeking employment.
I am grateful that as a Canadian I am eligible to work in the USA under TN-1 status which means: (1) I am not an indentured servant, (2) I have to be treated like a citizen or permanent resident of the USA for purposes of employment, except for government contracts and/or positions which is fair, and (3) I get paid as much or more than a citizen or permanent resident of the USA based on my work experience, education, interviewing skills, and negotiating skills. Oh, and I natively speak fluent English, both the Queen's English and American English.
From where I am outside the USA the media really only gives me a view of Mormons that is as simplistic as cartoon parody which makes it look as if there is no chance - but there has to be more to it. It really doesn't help that the small colony of Mormons in the small Australian city I live in is a very ornate and expensive building with a very large gilded angel on top that can be seen from a long distance, looking like a temple to wealth more than anything else. Are Mormons portayed in a better way once you get away from the exported media like CNN? Are there Mormon charities that help the homeless etc like the Christian and Hindu charities do?
"I hope you notice that candidates in other countries just don't talk in such belligerent terms about their nations position in the world."
He is talking about science and innovation, while acknowledging the obvious - the US is the most powerful nation in the world. Wouldn't call that "belligerent". In the Republican race, I much prefer him over "100 years in Iraq" McCain.
Mandatory preemptive strike: And no, Ron Paul won't get the Repub nomination.
Mormons are just regular people. One of my good friends in high school was a Mormon, and aside from us teasing him occasionally, it never came up. Some of my in-laws have converted and they are pretty much the same as they were before becoming Mormon, minus the alcohol and caffine. I would not characterize it as a cult.
I'll grant you that the origin of the religion is pretty hokey, but is that really such a big difference between that and other major religions? Christianity involves a woman getting knocked-up by an angel, Hindu involves gods with multiple limbs and faces incorporating animal features, etc. Give it 2000 years and it won't seem much stranger than Christianity.
As an aside, I like those Mormon missionaries - I can always count on an American being around to talk to when I'm homesick and in a strange country. They tend to be glad to have an American to talk to as well.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
No, when fascism comes to this country, it will be wearing a smile.
Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory