Big when folded, giant when unfolded is what will sell.
Even better: small when folded, giant when unfolded. I'd like a phone that lets you unfold it at least 3 times, doubling the screen area with each unfold. Or maybe unroll a rolled-up screen, like this one.
Congress put aside $1.4 billion for the fence, but the whole cost, including maintenance, was pegged at $50 billion over 25 years, according to analyses at the time.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security canceled Boeing's border fence program Friday [January 14, 2011], putting an end to a five-year-long project long plagued by delays and technical problems. . . . It was originally envisioned to stretch the 1,969-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico but initial phases of the $1 billion project took longer than anticipated to complete and covered just a small portion, 53 miles, since the project began.
This web page lists everyone who voted for the "Secure Fence Act of 2006. Notice that the "Yea" votes include "Biden, Joseph", "Clinton, Hillary", "Obama, Barack", and "Schumer, Chuck".
I've taken online programming classes that were text-based (you read the lessons), and classes that were video-based (you watch a video of the teacher giving the lecture).
I much prefer text-based classes.
- You don't have to take notes,
- there's no misunderstanding of what the teacher said (misunderstanding the spoken word),
- you can do a search on a word (ex: inherit) to find and read what the teacher said about that subject,
- you can easily go back and re-read a paragraph that you didn't understand,
- the sample code is embedded right there in the lesson, and
- there's much less bandwidth with text than with video.
I've only found two schools that offer text-based online classes that aren't super expensive: https://www.freecodecamp.org/ and https://ed2go.com/. (ed2go is cheap but not free.) Unfortunately, neither of these schools teaches more advanced stuff like Java Servlets.
ed2go is mostly text-based, but if necessary, they supply a video. For example, I took an ed2go class in Photoshop. The lessons contained text and images, but they also contained short videos. "Click here, then click there. See how the color changes from blue to red." Those short videos really helped.
Does anyone know of any other school that offers online classes that are text-based (not video-based)?
We need a computer that's small and light enough to carry easily, but can be stretched out, or unfolded, to a full-sized screen and keyboard. Then when you're done using it, you fold it back again to its small size, and put it back into your pocket.
Also we need to work on fighting fires.
1) Chemists and biologists should figure out a better way to put out a fire. Maybe an improved fire-fighting foam, powder, or gas. The foam or whatever shouldn't cost much, or be bad for the environment. And it should be light and not too bulky, so that it can be carried to a fire.
2) Mechanical and electrical engineers should figure out a better way to deliver fire-fighting foam (or whatever) to the fire. Maybe use drones, or develop robots that can climb steep, rocky hills.
3) Chemists should figure out a way to capture the smoke that a wildfire emits. California's Camp Fire put out smoke that covered a huge area. I wish there had been a way to put something (I don't know what) over the fire, which would have trapped or absorbed the smoke.
If a company can afford it, here's how to help find good software engineers:
1) Put good software engineers in the HR department. Hire them, if you have to. Call them "software evaluators".
2) State that every software engineer who applies for at job at the company must send in some code that they've written (or state the URL of where to find the source code).
3) The "software evaluators" in HR read the code that was submitted by the job candidates. For each candidate, the software evaluator tells their opinion of how hard the code was to write, how well the code was written, and how well the candidate's skills match up with what the company needs.
This is a better way of evaluating job candidates, than checking whether the right keywords were included in the resume.
Being a software evaluator like this would be a good job for someone who wants to work at home, or who wants to work part-time.
Here are some other ways to spend $1.8 billion on education:
1) Set up low-cost schools that teach people basic school skills, such as basic math, science, and grammar. (Don't forget the people who need help in these areas.)
2) Set up schools that concentrate in one area - for example, music, auto repair, or STEM. One of these STEM schools doesn't teach PE or women's studies. It just teaches STEM classes. These schools wouldn't force you to take classes unrelated to your major.
3) In these schools, make sure that the teacher does a thorough job of grading your homework. For example if you turn in code, the teacher should check whether your code is efficient, well-structured, etc.
4) Buy the rights to outstanding educational books, an then distribute the books freely online.
5) For books with outstanding authors (people who explain things well), if the author is willing to do so, set up a website for each book. Pay the author to answer questions that were sent in by people who read that book. (This is an alternative way to learn.)
6) Pay researchers to find out how universities have been spending their money for each of the last 25 years (to show the trends), and publicize the findings. Taxpayers might ask, "My tax money has been spent for that?!" That might help bring down the tuition prices.
7) Pay for this project: Ask thousands of hiring managers to write some questions and answers (which will be peer-reviewed). Ask the manager to categorize the questions (ex: Java / beginning / inheritance). Collect the questions and answers into a database. Then if a company is willing to consider hiring a self-taught entry-level Java programmer employee, the company can use beginning Java questions in the database to test the job applicant. If you're self-taught, then you can prove what you know by the projects that you did, and by passing the test.
8) To encourage employers to hire student interns, pay part of the interns' salaries. (A student job really helps you see what the "real world" is like. Also, the student and employer get a chance to check each other out.)
9) Remember, not everyone want to go into IT. Some people prefer to drive trucks, or to be a professional cook. Remember to set up truck-driving schools and cooking schools.
10) Also remember that the basic goal is not helping the student to go to a particular school. The basic goal is to teach the student. If the student can learn in ways other than by going to the particular school (ex: by individual study), then fine. Let's help the student do individual study.
Same with air-filtering machines. I have one of those machines that sucks air through a hepa filter, then blows the air back into the room. It works fine, but it's hard to get a machine or filter while a major fire is burning.
Last year I needed a replacement filter, but since wildfires were burning nearby, the filters were sold out locally. So I had to order the replacement filter online, and it didn't arrive until after the wildfires were out.
I've been a poll worker three times in California. We had several printouts of the names and addresses of registered voters in our precinct. We had to put one of those printouts outside the polling place. Once an hour until 5 pm, on that public printout, we had to cross off the names of the people who had voted.
I asked someone why the list of voter names and addresses, and whether they'd voted, should be made public like that. She replied that it was to help political party workers get out the vote.
For me, that's not a good enough reason. My name and address, and whether I've voted, should be kept private.
Apps like these, and public voter printouts, hurt people's privacy.
The North Dakota Democratic Party posted a misleading ad on its website and on Facebook that suggests state residents should reconsider voting in this year's election if they have hunting licenses in other states. . . . A look at the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party's claim:
CLAIM: "By voting in North Dakota, you could forfeit your hunting licenses." - posted on the Democratic party's website this week.
Because there is no accountability (ie. massive fines, etc.)
Right. The courts should impost a massive fine, then split up the fine among the people whose information was stolen. Then stockholders and the company management would care about security - not just that company, but all companies.
I'm reading "Java, The Complete Reference" (Tenth Edition) by Herbert Schildt. I studied Java years ago. This is a good book for me. It reviews what I learned previously, and (later in the book) will teach me what's been added to Java recently.
I wouldn't recommend it. Too much chance of unexpected baggage becoming attached to the naming, which could hurt either NASA or the company that sold its name.
Suppose 3 months ago, NASA had named a rocket the "Nike" rocket. It seemed perfectly safe and harmless 3 months ago. But today, NASA would be tied up in the Colin Kaepernick controversy.
Suppose Company XYZ sold its name to a rocket, which later on blew up. Then that explosion would be known as the "Company XYZ disaster".
Thanks for the description on Musk smoking the marijuana. You're right - it was very brief. But he shouldn't have smoked it in the interview; it increases doubts about his judgement. In case anyone wants to see it, it starts at 2:09:30 of this video (the video that was referenced in an earlier post).
Musk's companies have a lot of potential to help people. Tesla, with its solar roofs (which are attractive) and powerwalls, might help reduce energy consumption. And Neuralink might develop 'devices to treat serious brain diseases'. (But not the flame thrower - the Boring Company should stop selling it.)
My big concern about Musk is that he isn't getting much rest these days. But I generally have confidence in him and his companies.
1) Have more certificate programs (classes only in the major, and no general education classes required). If I don't have to take an art class, and if an art major student doesn't have to take a programming class, then the other student and I save time and tuition money. If I want to take an art class, fine. But I don't want to have to take it.
2) If a school takes taxpayer money, then it should have to publicly state where it spends its money. Donors (including the government) might say they'll donate to the school, only if the school pays at least 75% of its funds on current teacher salaries (not pensions or non-educational programs).
3) This public breakdown of expenses should be for each of the last 25 years, so that we can see the trend. (For example, 25 years ago, a hypothetical school spent 90% of its funds on current teacher salaries. 10 years ago, it spent 60%. Last year, it spent 40% on current teacher salaries.)
4) Have a variety of ways to get an education: trade schools, 4-year schools, online schools, individual and group study, 30 students get together and hire a teacher.
5) Have a variety of ways to prove your skills. This includes 4-year degrees, certificates, standard tests like the Oracle Java Certification tests, student projects, and student contributions to open source code.
6) Let students take different classes from different schools. Let me take class A from school A, because school A's teacher is good. Let me take class B from school B, because school B charges the least tuition. Let me take class C from school C, because only school C teaches class C. If I do this, I won't get a certificate or degree. But I can prove my skills in tests and in my student projects.
Ah, I see you're going with the "rock music did it" angle.
I was thinking about the stress of constant noise. I should have said loud noises, which includes loud music, heavy footsteps, doors banging, cars honking, and loud motorcycles. That kind of constant noise would drive me nuts.
I love classical music, especially Beethoven. But there's no way I'd want classical music played constantly. I need peace and quiet.
I'm not a psychologist, but I'd guess most people would get stressed out by 24x7 noise.
2) Kids should be taught self-control. (If you're angry, then count to 10 or 100 before you say anything. If you're losing control, then walk away so you don't hurt someone.)
3) Kids need to see their parents acting ethically, and using self-control, as a good example.
4) Kids should be taught that if you lose a game or a job or a girlfriend etc., then it's not the end of the world. Young people need to be told that; they haven't lived long enough to experience loss and recovery from loss.
When they're extremely upset over something transient, they should be told, "A year from now, this won't matter. Five years from now, you won't even remember it. If you can't see this, then just trust me on this one." That's what my parents told me, and they were right. I remember them reassuring me with these words, but I don't remember what I was so upset about.
5) I wonder if shooters like this grew up surrounded by crowding and/or constant loud music. I can't imagine a kid who plays on swings, makes forts out of snow or cardboard boxes, and lies on his back looking at clouds, growing up to be a killer.
So Apple is supposed to ban "prohibited content including pornography, gambling and counterfeit goods." That sounds ok, but I wonder what the other prohibited content is. Does it include private free speech, without the Chinese government able to listen in?
The same WSJ article says,
Apple depends on China for about one-fifth of its revenue. When sales in the market fell 26% in the three months ended in March 2016, Apple’s stock tumbled to a low of $90.34 within months.
I wonder if Xi is trying to scare Tim Cook, hoping Cook will pressure the US government into backing down on tariffs against China.
Slashdot Mirror
Big when folded, giant when unfolded is what will sell.
Even better: small when folded, giant when unfolded. I'd like a phone that lets you unfold it at least 3 times, doubling the screen area with each unfold. Or maybe unroll a rolled-up screen, like this one.
They never supported a 2,000 mile wall that would cost billions to build much less maintain. But keep on with your strawmanning.
According to Wikipedia,
Congress put aside $1.4 billion for the fence, but the whole cost, including maintenance, was pegged at $50 billion over 25 years, according to analyses at the time.
Why wasn't the fence built? According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security canceled Boeing's border fence program Friday [January 14, 2011], putting an end to a five-year-long project long plagued by delays and technical problems.
. . .
It was originally envisioned to stretch the 1,969-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico but initial phases of the $1 billion project took longer than anticipated to complete and covered just a small portion, 53 miles, since the project began.
This web page lists everyone who voted for the "Secure Fence Act of 2006. Notice that the "Yea" votes include "Biden, Joseph", "Clinton, Hillary", "Obama, Barack", and "Schumer, Chuck".
I've taken online programming classes that were text-based (you read the lessons), and classes that were video-based (you watch a video of the teacher giving the lecture).
I much prefer text-based classes.
- You don't have to take notes,
- there's no misunderstanding of what the teacher said (misunderstanding the spoken word),
- you can do a search on a word (ex: inherit) to find and read what the teacher said about that subject,
- you can easily go back and re-read a paragraph that you didn't understand,
- the sample code is embedded right there in the lesson, and
- there's much less bandwidth with text than with video.
I've only found two schools that offer text-based online classes that aren't super expensive: https://www.freecodecamp.org/ and https://ed2go.com/. (ed2go is cheap but not free.) Unfortunately, neither of these schools teaches more advanced stuff like Java Servlets.
ed2go is mostly text-based, but if necessary, they supply a video. For example, I took an ed2go class in Photoshop. The lessons contained text and images, but they also contained short videos. "Click here, then click there. See how the color changes from blue to red." Those short videos really helped.
Does anyone know of any other school that offers online classes that are text-based (not video-based)?
an automated machine accidentally punctured a 9-ounce bear repellent can
I'm glad the machine didn't puncture a person. Hopefully the people and the robots are separated, to protect the people from the robots.
We get it, the left fucking HATE Tesla / all things Elon.
Not just left-wingers. Right-wing Breitbart only says negative, sarcastic things about Musk and his companies.
I don't know why. Maybe Breitbart thinks his companies currently get government subsidies.
But besides subsidies, I think there's some emotional reason that they don't like Musk.
We need a computer that's small and light enough to carry easily, but can be stretched out, or unfolded, to a full-sized screen and keyboard. Then when you're done using it, you fold it back again to its small size, and put it back into your pocket.
Also we need to work on fighting fires.
1) Chemists and biologists should figure out a better way to put out a fire. Maybe an improved fire-fighting foam, powder, or gas. The foam or whatever shouldn't cost much, or be bad for the environment. And it should be light and not too bulky, so that it can be carried to a fire.
2) Mechanical and electrical engineers should figure out a better way to deliver fire-fighting foam (or whatever) to the fire. Maybe use drones, or develop robots that can climb steep, rocky hills.
3) Chemists should figure out a way to capture the smoke that a wildfire emits. California's Camp Fire put out smoke that covered a huge area. I wish there had been a way to put something (I don't know what) over the fire, which would have trapped or absorbed the smoke.
If a company can afford it, here's how to help find good software engineers:
1) Put good software engineers in the HR department. Hire them, if you have to. Call them "software evaluators".
2) State that every software engineer who applies for at job at the company must send in some code that they've written (or state the URL of where to find the source code).
3) The "software evaluators" in HR read the code that was submitted by the job candidates. For each candidate, the software evaluator tells their opinion of how hard the code was to write, how well the code was written, and how well the candidate's skills match up with what the company needs.
This is a better way of evaluating job candidates, than checking whether the right keywords were included in the resume.
Being a software evaluator like this would be a good job for someone who wants to work at home, or who wants to work part-time.
Here are some other ways to spend $1.8 billion on education:
1) Set up low-cost schools that teach people basic school skills, such as basic math, science, and grammar. (Don't forget the people who need help in these areas.)
2) Set up schools that concentrate in one area - for example, music, auto repair, or STEM. One of these STEM schools doesn't teach PE or women's studies. It just teaches STEM classes. These schools wouldn't force you to take classes unrelated to your major.
3) In these schools, make sure that the teacher does a thorough job of grading your homework. For example if you turn in code, the teacher should check whether your code is efficient, well-structured, etc.
4) Buy the rights to outstanding educational books, an then distribute the books freely online.
5) For books with outstanding authors (people who explain things well), if the author is willing to do so, set up a website for each book. Pay the author to answer questions that were sent in by people who read that book. (This is an alternative way to learn.)
6) Pay researchers to find out how universities have been spending their money for each of the last 25 years (to show the trends), and publicize the findings. Taxpayers might ask, "My tax money has been spent for that?!" That might help bring down the tuition prices.
7) Pay for this project: Ask thousands of hiring managers to write some questions and answers (which will be peer-reviewed). Ask the manager to categorize the questions (ex: Java / beginning / inheritance). Collect the questions and answers into a database. Then if a company is willing to consider hiring a self-taught entry-level Java programmer employee, the company can use beginning Java questions in the database to test the job applicant. If you're self-taught, then you can prove what you know by the projects that you did, and by passing the test.
8) To encourage employers to hire student interns, pay part of the interns' salaries. (A student job really helps you see what the "real world" is like. Also, the student and employer get a chance to check each other out.)
9) Remember, not everyone want to go into IT. Some people prefer to drive trucks, or to be a professional cook. Remember to set up truck-driving schools and cooking schools.
10) Also remember that the basic goal is not helping the student to go to a particular school. The basic goal is to teach the student. If the student can learn in ways other than by going to the particular school (ex: by individual study), then fine. Let's help the student do individual study.
Re. the fire's name:
Butte County's deadly Camp Fire was named after Camp Creek Road, the location where the fire started.
Wildfires are often named after their places of origin. For example, last year's deadly Tubbs Fire was named after Tubbs Lane in Santa Rosa.
Same with air-filtering machines. I have one of those machines that sucks air through a hepa filter, then blows the air back into the room. It works fine, but it's hard to get a machine or filter while a major fire is burning.
Last year I needed a replacement filter, but since wildfires were burning nearby, the filters were sold out locally. So I had to order the replacement filter online, and it didn't arrive until after the wildfires were out.
I've been a poll worker three times in California. We had several printouts of the names and addresses of registered voters in our precinct. We had to put one of those printouts outside the polling place. Once an hour until 5 pm, on that public printout, we had to cross off the names of the people who had voted.
I asked someone why the list of voter names and addresses, and whether they'd voted, should be made public like that. She replied that it was to help political party workers get out the vote.
For me, that's not a good enough reason. My name and address, and whether I've voted, should be kept private.
Apps like these, and public voter printouts, hurt people's privacy.
Interesting how all the voter supression and election fraud comes from the Republicans.
Nope. According to The New York Times,
The North Dakota Democratic Party posted a misleading ad on its website and on Facebook that suggests state residents should reconsider voting in this year's election if they have hunting licenses in other states.
. . .
A look at the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party's claim:
CLAIM: "By voting in North Dakota, you could forfeit your hunting licenses." - posted on the Democratic party's website this week.
THE FACTS: The ad is false.
Good. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
Hopefully we can connect a thin, foldable keyboard to it.
From the Bloomberg article:
In fact, since 2010 there is no difference in the age of our U.S. workforce, but the skills profile of our employees has changed dramatically.
He said, "U.S. workforce", not "total workforce". How many over-40 Americans have been replaced with younger non-Americans?
Because there is no accountability (ie. massive fines, etc.)
Right. The courts should impost a massive fine, then split up the fine among the people whose information was stolen. Then stockholders and the company management would care about security - not just that company, but all companies.
Good thing they removed that pesky do no evil thing!
I wonder if they ever meant to be ethical and follow the "Do no evil" code of conduct, or if it was always just meant as a marketing slogan.
I'm reading "Java, The Complete Reference" (Tenth Edition) by Herbert Schildt. I studied Java years ago. This is a good book for me. It reviews what I learned previously, and (later in the book) will teach me what's been added to Java recently.
Heh - I didn't know that!
I wouldn't recommend it. Too much chance of unexpected baggage becoming attached to the naming, which could hurt either NASA or the company that sold its name.
Suppose 3 months ago, NASA had named a rocket the "Nike" rocket. It seemed perfectly safe and harmless 3 months ago. But today, NASA would be tied up in the Colin Kaepernick controversy.
Suppose Company XYZ sold its name to a rocket, which later on blew up. Then that explosion would be known as the "Company XYZ disaster".
Thanks for the description on Musk smoking the marijuana. You're right - it was very brief. But he shouldn't have smoked it in the interview; it increases doubts about his judgement. In case anyone wants to see it, it starts at 2:09:30 of this video (the video that was referenced in an earlier post).
Musk's companies have a lot of potential to help people. Tesla, with its solar roofs (which are attractive) and powerwalls, might help reduce energy consumption. And Neuralink might develop 'devices to treat serious brain diseases'. (But not the flame thrower - the Boring Company should stop selling it.)
My big concern about Musk is that he isn't getting much rest these days. But I generally have confidence in him and his companies.
Some ideas:
1) Have more certificate programs (classes only in the major, and no general education classes required). If I don't have to take an art class, and if an art major student doesn't have to take a programming class, then the other student and I save time and tuition money. If I want to take an art class, fine. But I don't want to have to take it.
2) If a school takes taxpayer money, then it should have to publicly state where it spends its money. Donors (including the government) might say they'll donate to the school, only if the school pays at least 75% of its funds on current teacher salaries (not pensions or non-educational programs).
3) This public breakdown of expenses should be for each of the last 25 years, so that we can see the trend. (For example, 25 years ago, a hypothetical school spent 90% of its funds on current teacher salaries. 10 years ago, it spent 60%. Last year, it spent 40% on current teacher salaries.)
4) Have a variety of ways to get an education: trade schools, 4-year schools, online schools, individual and group study, 30 students get together and hire a teacher.
5) Have a variety of ways to prove your skills. This includes 4-year degrees, certificates, standard tests like the Oracle Java Certification tests, student projects, and student contributions to open source code.
6) Let students take different classes from different schools. Let me take class A from school A, because school A's teacher is good. Let me take class B from school B, because school B charges the least tuition. Let me take class C from school C, because only school C teaches class C. If I do this, I won't get a certificate or degree. But I can prove my skills in tests and in my student projects.
Ah, I see you're going with the "rock music did it" angle.
I was thinking about the stress of constant noise. I should have said loud noises, which includes loud music, heavy footsteps, doors banging, cars honking, and loud motorcycles. That kind of constant noise would drive me nuts.
I love classical music, especially Beethoven. But there's no way I'd want classical music played constantly. I need peace and quiet.
I'm not a psychologist, but I'd guess most people would get stressed out by 24x7 noise.
1) Kids should be taught to have a conscience.
2) Kids should be taught self-control. (If you're angry, then count to 10 or 100 before you say anything. If you're losing control, then walk away so you don't hurt someone.)
3) Kids need to see their parents acting ethically, and using self-control, as a good example.
4) Kids should be taught that if you lose a game or a job or a girlfriend etc., then it's not the end of the world. Young people need to be told that; they haven't lived long enough to experience loss and recovery from loss.
When they're extremely upset over something transient, they should be told, "A year from now, this won't matter. Five years from now, you won't even remember it. If you can't see this, then just trust me on this one." That's what my parents told me, and they were right. I remember them reassuring me with these words, but I don't remember what I was so upset about.
5) I wonder if shooters like this grew up surrounded by crowding and/or constant loud music. I can't imagine a kid who plays on swings, makes forts out of snow or cardboard boxes, and lies on his back looking at clouds, growing up to be a killer.
Good point about threatening companies in a swing state. But I was thinking about Tim Cook paying lobbyists to lobby Congress.
So Apple is supposed to ban "prohibited content including pornography, gambling and counterfeit goods." That sounds ok, but I wonder what the other prohibited content is. Does it include private free speech, without the Chinese government able to listen in?
The same WSJ article says,
Apple depends on China for about one-fifth of its revenue. When sales in the market fell 26% in the three months ended in March 2016, Apple’s stock tumbled to a low of $90.34 within months.
I wonder if Xi is trying to scare Tim Cook, hoping Cook will pressure the US government into backing down on tariffs against China.