I spent my career in IT. In the '70s, the 'big thing' was shrink wrap software. It was as transformative as Uber-ish companies are today. It took the 'custom software only' model, and made it 'commodity software.
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Uber took the 'establishment hack owners' that had all been vetted, insured, regulated, taxed, all in the name of public safety, and threw it out the window, because the customer wanted a lower cost option, and was willing to take risk for the sake of flexibility.
Market disruptors ALL take on new/change everyday. The latest round is just same song, next verse.
Data centers are now 'cloud service centers' because of a perceived difference due to a name change.
Easy to install software (typically at consumers request) is called an 'app' rather than software or an application. The biggest change is many are developed in basements and garages and starbucks, and uploaded to stores rather than heavy development teams.
Many more examples can be thought of quickly. Again, just more examples of same song, next verse.
Folks with REAL product/service ideas, not just 'me-too'ers that have solid business plans and financials should be OK. Others with more fictionalized efforts, will hopefully die early deaths.
As a techie, that does have trouble understanding some scientific principles (at least deep ones in many fields), I do like to still TRY to understand the things I don't. Following up on references in open papers and books, where even government sponsored research is published and put behind commercial pay-walls I find tough to stomach as a taxpayer who helped pay for the research and publication. Yes the scientist still has access to their own work, and many 'people that matter' have access either by paying or agreement with supporting associations, but it still leaves the Joe-Blow-technophile in the dark other than a few line summary of teaser.
Most of us have worked for bad bosses. Over time, the only ones left are the ones without options.... I stayed because I had a morgage, wife at home, 2 kids to finish high school and put through college while trying to safe for some kind of retirement.
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Finally one kid got a full ride at a good school, wife found a job that paid OK but we had to move, and we could make it on what she brought in.... Now I am retired, she still loves her job, wifes employer furnishes house (requirement of job to live on site), and my kids are out of college for 5 years on their own.
If I had seen a 'way out' in the market then, I would have left. It took 6 months after leaving last job to finally decompress (IT for a regional bank in TX). Wish I could have left sooner, but to old (getting IT jobs after 50 is very hard, even with 25+ years of experience. Yes, age discrimination but hard to prove so I just tried to let it go.)
In the 1960's the scientists were talking of the coming man-made Ice Age. In the 2000's to now, we hear of Global Warming, turning PC to be "Climate Change". Check the records and we surprisingly find "CHANGE HAPPENS". Ice melts. Ice forms. Oceans go UP and DOWN more than just tidal changes. Continents move and oceans change in it all. Some life adapts. Some doesn't and goes away. Few living today will see 2100, but we all need to have a health, but not alarmed concern.... If you need to go to the store and get groceries, or go to work, DO IT. Make local decisions that effect global systems. That includes electing 'reasonable individuals' to political office. Be a good consumer (buy what you need, but don't over do it... insist on sustainable packaging, agriculture, etc, etc). Be a good steward of what God gives you (no matter what name, if any, you give to Him).
Skeet shooting is normally focused in the 20 to 30 yard range, but some work as far as 200 yards using #9 shot.
For those metrically oriented, think of meters instead of yards, a meter is about 10% longer than a yard.
That means 'normal folk' do sport shooting 60 to 100' away without much problem with a 'choke' on their shotgun to keep the pattern clustered. 200 yards would be 600', so anywhere in the legal flying range, they are susceptible to shotguns. Even though I would have trouble hitting the broad side of the barn from the inside. --grin--
Yes, I don't like the attitude that has been started, so, if you fly, fly in YOUR authorized area, and stay on good terms with your neighbors. Let them know what you are doing (invite them to join in!). It is much easier to deal with friends than folks that think you are just trying to take pictures of their daughters!
Clarkson was at fault. BBC is at fault. Society is at fault. We like to watch Clarkson BECAUSE he is not above being non-PC if he thinks he has a reason. Then he lets the rest of us judge him after the fact and laughs all the way to the bank because we (indirectly) pay him for the privilege.
If you don't like him, don't watch him.
Personally, I think BBC shot their golden goose, but hey, they have tax money to fall back on so who cares! (BTW, I might not be right, but I really don't care.)
Thank your 'local' politicians and media trying to cover their own at the expense of the public. I really doubt Amazon cares, but they are obligated to follow laws no matter how idiotic. I can't see BBC stuff from the US without subterfuge, that I don't do.
Plugboards to program car collating machines and sorters?
Yep, they were old but still in use in early 1970's when I first fell in love with computers.
Washington has just been cashing lobbyist cheques for years and not watching the results of their actions. Who knows, if BO and his cronies wake up and actually DO SOMETHING, I MIGHT consider a vote for that side of the isle, but I am still skeptical.
BTW, Republican's aren't 'correct' either (even if they are on the 'right'). They just currently seem to have less wrong than the Dems do, and that I how I have seen politics for a long time. No love for ANY party.
I agree. For some the 'dial phone' is a wonderful example. It is a great advancement from the 'ring the operator' days, but much simpler to use for those that have trouble with re-learning than ANY of the 'smart phones' that must be changed every few years.... Some of my 80-something friends go for the simple, large button, feature phones instead anyway. They use a camera for pictures, AOL to go online (I still don't understand that, but they love it - it is what they learned 'back when' and is still the way they think of the internet). Changing their view of the world is almost inhumane. They brought us from the dust bowl through horrific wars and went to the moon and beyond. We still live on their backs, and they deserve our respect and to give them support they need to live good lives without having to live like we choose to. .
Enough preaching. Changing just to change doesn't make sense. The cost of re-training users is born by the consumer AND the vendor. If you drive away more (users, revenue, views, whatever you want to measure) than you get the 'new' method is a step back.
I wonder if that is it, or if it is the bird just can't do it! My guess is the 'built by committee' issue is at fault. In any case taxpayers pay.
Let's all hope something reasonable can be salvaged from this project. Then it might be the 'Flight of the Phoenix'.
Yes, it is the most ubiquitous and 'easy default' for those that don't trust M$ either.
Users are free to choose their own search engine.
On M$ machines BING is put up front unless overt action is taken to force google or some other engine to be the default. Most desktops are still owned by M$/Winders. I have no clue what Apple does... They probably don't care if they can't make a buck off it or it doesn't sway public opinion toward them. Android uses either Google and Chrome or Opera as the browser (chrome is the default I believe, so Google would be the default). But Android does allow the users to choose their poison.
I am sure that some chinese black hat would love you to use their preferred service machine, and it will be tooootalllyyy secure (best sarcastic voice) that someone would rather use than Google or M$!
I like your hopeful thoughts, I have been watching these kids work to 'provide monetary enhancement to shareholders' (and bonuses to management) way to long to believe they are altruistic in their actions.
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There is only one person to pay for everything. The end user customer.
All other 'customers' must pass through the costs as a cost of doing business, or go out of business eventually..
Companies EOL lots of products. IMHO, the world would be good if companies would put support information (files, designs, STL files, etc) in escrow for 5 years after EOL is declared, then allow them to be used for 'support and maintenance purposes', even if it keeps competitors from building on their IP, or better yet, open source the information after some time.
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Future peripherals
Replicator
Holographic Storage (basically infinite)
Transporter
closet turned into a 'tardis holosuite' (bigger in the inside than out! Not just seeming like it is =8
Future software/hardware with enhancements
Truly secure hardware and software while being easily accessible from anywhere and obviously networked! With fast, light speed encryption/decryption.
And a 'you know what I mean' compiler, so it will do what I want and not just what I tell it to.
Reasonable robotic avatar, similar to the Robin Williams 'robot' in "Bicentennial Man"
A way to transmit 'upon death' my life program into my robotic avatar to keep family and friends from missing me.
Fiber available, but 1G is good everywhere, including to access points inside monolithic dome built like a faraday cage. If cable or fiber is available, consider it over using satellite (but that will work if required). Have internal caching DNS and cloud storage so not dependant on outside network for most things.
Have all cabling in conduit so it can be re-pulled as new tech comes along (better cable or fiber or whatever is next). 'Home Runs' to the 'cable closet' where server(s)/cloud/etc lives. Power done 'home run' rather than daisy chained.
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Plumbing / main wiring via a 'utility corridor' to make maintenance easy.
Solar power with emergency generator, NiFe battery.
Both vapor barrier and air block membranes throughout, 2x the recommended insulation as well.
Prefer Monolithic Dome (monolithic.com) built to be FEMA near tornado proof (wrong term, but ultra hardy in all kinds of weather and storms).
Rainwater catchment system with option for potable water use from it.
Concrete (properly sealed) or wood hard floors.
Cool using indirect evaporative air conditioning or mini-split if refrigeration is the only way.
4 car garage/shop with heat and air separate from living space (but nice covered walk between. (half of area is 'shop')
Easy to mow with 'robot mowers' (design for it, not back into it).
Ceiling fans (we love them) throughout. Prefer similar to BigAss Fan Haiku series.
LED lighting throughout. Projection video to inside of dome surface!
Lots of outside light, directly or with solar tubes like Solatube in prescribed areas.
Home control system that is understandable and works without much 'input' from users (btw Haiku fans now do some of this themselves!)
Energy efficient appliances & windows.
Parking/driveway with permeable concrete or pavers. Allows water to soak in if not collected. Permeable concrete can also collect water if put over impermeable area.
Yes, I dream of a lot. Even more if I think about it. Most is doable. But I am starting to get of the age it isn't going to get done.... Oh well.
Sorry to re-iterate the now obvious. Learn to live on much less. Yes, it is hard to do.... After your 3 or 6 months of living expenses stashed away in T-bills or cash equivalents you can get to on a moments notice, another 6 months in 'emergency' funds.... Then stash all the left over nickles into investments. If you don't know what to do for investments, you could get over 50K available in cash, get with a money manager (I found Fidelity Professional Asset Management good, but there are others that are good. Just vet them first.... I have found the expense more than worth the service, and that is after years of DIY.)
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I told my kids to give away 10% (biblical yes, but I have found it helped me not to focus to much on money as the reason for life - life is for living, money is a tool, like a screwdriver or a hammer, to make life easier), save 20% (ROTH, IRA, 401K, with 1/3 tax paid, 2/3 tax deferred), save another 10% for short term savings (vacations, new car - pay cash, car insurance, house down payment, etc), live on the rest. If there is any left over, put it in short term savings. Don't take money out of IRAs or 401Ks for life expenses even as loans.
All this is very fatherly advice, but it helped once I figured it out, it helped me and my family greatly. I hope you find what is best for you and yours.
Business is a no-holds-barred contest. This is true in all countries, where communist, socialist, or capitalist controlled.
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Play by the rules, (mainly don't run out of cash), secondarily, follow laws where you are and where you market, thirdly, take care of employees AND customers.
Balance it all, and you stay in business. Don't, and you are gone.
Mandriva is gone. Why? Sounds like they ran out of cash and couldn't pay people, and follow the laws (including paying court defined costs of doing business), keep people happy, and paying customers happy to pay enough to support it all.
Point fingers anywhere you want. They are gone due to lack of cash, why? Any number of reasons, and at this point assigning blame doesn't fix the problem, Mandriva is still gone.
I have been paying taxes for many years (longer than most have been living), and can't get broadband where I live without excessive fees ($20K to $40K for install depending on when I ask) from cable companies, and the phone company says 'no', we don't serve you. Even land line modems are at best 20kbaud, where it worked nicely at 56kbaud where I was before I moved here. (The copper has degraded since then too.)
And we all have been paying about $0.50/month for each line so that 'rural' areas can get broadband and good phone service since the 1980's. (That money is federally allowed, but not REQUIRED to be put into rural infrastructure, like the law was advertised that it was to be used for. The money is also not forwarded to the governments, but retained by phone line providers for more profit, IMHO.)
So I say NO to 'free obama-band' till you live up to what you already 'provided for' in statutes that are already in place.
If using high-power DC needs to go over a few feet, then AC will win IMHO. AC can travel longer distances over smaller wire (meaning, lower cost wire due to reduced copper needed) with the same losses.
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Calculate your DC requirement to have bigger battery (by 20%) if running AC, vs cost of 'new' appliances and larger wire needed for the same power in DC. Whoever wins in that equation should (and in the long run will, IMHO) win.
This is true for solar panels and power from them to the battery charge circuits too. The further the DC power needs to go, the more it costs in losses of power or cost of wire.
... Sounds like it is the design equivalence of the 'pilot error' excuse. Not that pilots or mechanics don't make mistakes. I think they are less than we seen blame placed on the laps (in the case of pilots, normally deceased pilots)
Return on Energy Employed, and Return On Investment -- They are not just terms, they are basis for comparing investing.
Wind, like solar, is a temporal energy and not 'available on demand'.
I am not going to downplay them, but we need a way to power the 'grid' of power we use today and in the future. Adding supply methods, like wind and solar, are good. But we also need to invest in non-renewable energy that is reasonably clean.
To me, Thorium based nuke power is preferable to uranium/radium based. It can consume our current stockpile of waste (and plutonium). The byproducts from thorium reactions are shorter lifetime and less radioactive. Thorium is not limited to just 'rich countries' and is no worse to collect/process than uranium. It is almost impossible to generate weaponizable materials. If built right, they could be built into 'containers' and drop shipped to current/old coal power plants to provide the hot water for the same turbine generators.
The first Thorium reactor was turned off for weekends when it wasn't needed at Oak Ridge TN for years. If built correctly, it CANNOT 'melt down'.
Currently India and China, and to a minor extent Canada, are actively developing the technologies with production coming soon. The USA did the basic research and now it will probably be sold back to us for us to be a consumer rather than a producer nation.
We need to research and support ALL the directions to make inexpensive energy available. Support renewable (solar and wind), higher efficiency living (insulate, water/vapor barriers, Energy Star or better ratings, and non-uranium based nuclear engineering.
Slashdot Mirror
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Uber took the 'establishment hack owners' that had all been vetted, insured, regulated, taxed, all in the name of public safety, and threw it out the window, because the customer wanted a lower cost option, and was willing to take risk for the sake of flexibility.
Market disruptors ALL take on new/change everyday. The latest round is just same song, next verse.
Data centers are now 'cloud service centers' because of a perceived difference due to a name change.
Easy to install software (typically at consumers request) is called an 'app' rather than software or an application. The biggest change is many are developed in basements and garages and starbucks, and uploaded to stores rather than heavy development teams.
Many more examples can be thought of quickly. Again, just more examples of same song, next verse.
My question is 'what next'?
Folks with REAL product/service ideas, not just 'me-too'ers that have solid business plans and financials should be OK. Others with more fictionalized efforts, will hopefully die early deaths.
As a techie, that does have trouble understanding some scientific principles (at least deep ones in many fields), I do like to still TRY to understand the things I don't. Following up on references in open papers and books, where even government sponsored research is published and put behind commercial pay-walls I find tough to stomach as a taxpayer who helped pay for the research and publication. Yes the scientist still has access to their own work, and many 'people that matter' have access either by paying or agreement with supporting associations, but it still leaves the Joe-Blow-technophile in the dark other than a few line summary of teaser.
.
Finally one kid got a full ride at a good school, wife found a job that paid OK but we had to move, and we could make it on what she brought in. ... Now I am retired, she still loves her job, wifes employer furnishes house (requirement of job to live on site), and my kids are out of college for 5 years on their own.
If I had seen a 'way out' in the market then, I would have left. It took 6 months after leaving last job to finally decompress (IT for a regional bank in TX). Wish I could have left sooner, but to old (getting IT jobs after 50 is very hard, even with 25+ years of experience. Yes, age discrimination but hard to prove so I just tried to let it go.)
In the 1960's the scientists were talking of the coming man-made Ice Age. In the 2000's to now, we hear of Global Warming, turning PC to be "Climate Change". Check the records and we surprisingly find "CHANGE HAPPENS". Ice melts. Ice forms. Oceans go UP and DOWN more than just tidal changes. Continents move and oceans change in it all. Some life adapts. Some doesn't and goes away. Few living today will see 2100, but we all need to have a health, but not alarmed concern. ... If you need to go to the store and get groceries, or go to work, DO IT. Make local decisions that effect global systems. That includes electing 'reasonable individuals' to political office. Be a good consumer (buy what you need, but don't over do it ... insist on sustainable packaging, agriculture, etc, etc). Be a good steward of what God gives you (no matter what name, if any, you give to Him).
Tax equity, going back to the moon, walking on Mars, End of War, all these will happen 'soon' also!
For those metrically oriented, think of meters instead of yards, a meter is about 10% longer than a yard.
That means 'normal folk' do sport shooting 60 to 100' away without much problem with a 'choke' on their shotgun to keep the pattern clustered. 200 yards would be 600', so anywhere in the legal flying range, they are susceptible to shotguns. Even though I would have trouble hitting the broad side of the barn from the inside. --grin--
Yes, I don't like the attitude that has been started, so, if you fly, fly in YOUR authorized area, and stay on good terms with your neighbors. Let them know what you are doing (invite them to join in!). It is much easier to deal with friends than folks that think you are just trying to take pictures of their daughters!
This has been known for many years. But doing away with them or their 'high fiber' diet isn't practical either.
If you don't like him, don't watch him.
Personally, I think BBC shot their golden goose, but hey, they have tax money to fall back on so who cares! (BTW, I might not be right, but I really don't care.)
Thank your 'local' politicians and media trying to cover their own at the expense of the public. I really doubt Amazon cares, but they are obligated to follow laws no matter how idiotic. I can't see BBC stuff from the US without subterfuge, that I don't do.
Plugboards to program car collating machines and sorters? Yep, they were old but still in use in early 1970's when I first fell in love with computers.
Washington has just been cashing lobbyist cheques for years and not watching the results of their actions. Who knows, if BO and his cronies wake up and actually DO SOMETHING, I MIGHT consider a vote for that side of the isle, but I am still skeptical. BTW, Republican's aren't 'correct' either (even if they are on the 'right'). They just currently seem to have less wrong than the Dems do, and that I how I have seen politics for a long time. No love for ANY party.
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Enough preaching. Changing just to change doesn't make sense. The cost of re-training users is born by the consumer AND the vendor. If you drive away more (users, revenue, views, whatever you want to measure) than you get the 'new' method is a step back.
I wonder if that is it, or if it is the bird just can't do it! My guess is the 'built by committee' issue is at fault. In any case taxpayers pay. Let's all hope something reasonable can be salvaged from this project. Then it might be the 'Flight of the Phoenix'.
Yes, it is the most ubiquitous and 'easy default' for those that don't trust M$ either. Users are free to choose their own search engine. On M$ machines BING is put up front unless overt action is taken to force google or some other engine to be the default. Most desktops are still owned by M$/Winders. I have no clue what Apple does... They probably don't care if they can't make a buck off it or it doesn't sway public opinion toward them. Android uses either Google and Chrome or Opera as the browser (chrome is the default I believe, so Google would be the default). But Android does allow the users to choose their poison. I am sure that some chinese black hat would love you to use their preferred service machine, and it will be tooootalllyyy secure (best sarcastic voice) that someone would rather use than Google or M$!
.
There is only one person to pay for everything. The end user customer.
All other 'customers' must pass through the costs as a cost of doing business, or go out of business eventually..
Companies EOL lots of products. IMHO, the world would be good if companies would put support information (files, designs, STL files, etc) in escrow for 5 years after EOL is declared, then allow them to be used for 'support and maintenance purposes', even if it keeps competitors from building on their IP, or better yet, open source the information after some time.
3D Scanner
CNC machine
3D Printer
.
Future peripherals
Replicator
Holographic Storage (basically infinite)
Transporter
closet turned into a 'tardis holosuite' (bigger in the inside than out! Not just seeming like it is =8 Future software/hardware with enhancements
Truly secure hardware and software while being easily accessible from anywhere and obviously networked! With fast, light speed encryption/decryption.
And a 'you know what I mean' compiler, so it will do what I want and not just what I tell it to.
Reasonable robotic avatar, similar to the Robin Williams 'robot' in "Bicentennial Man"
A way to transmit 'upon death' my life program into my robotic avatar to keep family and friends from missing me.
Thanks for the license to dream...
.
Plumbing / main wiring via a 'utility corridor' to make maintenance easy.
Solar power with emergency generator, NiFe battery.
Both vapor barrier and air block membranes throughout, 2x the recommended insulation as well.
Prefer Monolithic Dome (monolithic.com) built to be FEMA near tornado proof (wrong term, but ultra hardy in all kinds of weather and storms).
Rainwater catchment system with option for potable water use from it.
Concrete (properly sealed) or wood hard floors.
Cool using indirect evaporative air conditioning or mini-split if refrigeration is the only way.
4 car garage/shop with heat and air separate from living space (but nice covered walk between. (half of area is 'shop')
Easy to mow with 'robot mowers' (design for it, not back into it).
Ceiling fans (we love them) throughout. Prefer similar to BigAss Fan Haiku series.
LED lighting throughout. Projection video to inside of dome surface!
Lots of outside light, directly or with solar tubes like Solatube in prescribed areas.
Home control system that is understandable and works without much 'input' from users (btw Haiku fans now do some of this themselves!)
Energy efficient appliances & windows.
Parking/driveway with permeable concrete or pavers. Allows water to soak in if not collected. Permeable concrete can also collect water if put over impermeable area.
Yes, I dream of a lot. Even more if I think about it. Most is doable. But I am starting to get of the age it isn't going to get done. ... Oh well.
.
I told my kids to give away 10% (biblical yes, but I have found it helped me not to focus to much on money as the reason for life - life is for living, money is a tool, like a screwdriver or a hammer, to make life easier), save 20% (ROTH, IRA, 401K, with 1/3 tax paid, 2/3 tax deferred), save another 10% for short term savings (vacations, new car - pay cash, car insurance, house down payment, etc), live on the rest. If there is any left over, put it in short term savings. Don't take money out of IRAs or 401Ks for life expenses even as loans.
All this is very fatherly advice, but it helped once I figured it out, it helped me and my family greatly. I hope you find what is best for you and yours.
.
Play by the rules, (mainly don't run out of cash), secondarily, follow laws where you are and where you market, thirdly, take care of employees AND customers.
Balance it all, and you stay in business. Don't, and you are gone.
Mandriva is gone. Why? Sounds like they ran out of cash and couldn't pay people, and follow the laws (including paying court defined costs of doing business), keep people happy, and paying customers happy to pay enough to support it all.
Point fingers anywhere you want. They are gone due to lack of cash, why? Any number of reasons, and at this point assigning blame doesn't fix the problem, Mandriva is still gone.
I have been paying taxes for many years (longer than most have been living), and can't get broadband where I live without excessive fees ($20K to $40K for install depending on when I ask) from cable companies, and the phone company says 'no', we don't serve you. Even land line modems are at best 20kbaud, where it worked nicely at 56kbaud where I was before I moved here. (The copper has degraded since then too.) And we all have been paying about $0.50/month for each line so that 'rural' areas can get broadband and good phone service since the 1980's. (That money is federally allowed, but not REQUIRED to be put into rural infrastructure, like the law was advertised that it was to be used for. The money is also not forwarded to the governments, but retained by phone line providers for more profit, IMHO.) So I say NO to 'free obama-band' till you live up to what you already 'provided for' in statutes that are already in place.
.
Calculate your DC requirement to have bigger battery (by 20%) if running AC, vs cost of 'new' appliances and larger wire needed for the same power in DC. Whoever wins in that equation should (and in the long run will, IMHO) win.
This is true for solar panels and power from them to the battery charge circuits too. The further the DC power needs to go, the more it costs in losses of power or cost of wire.
... Sounds like it is the design equivalence of the 'pilot error' excuse. Not that pilots or mechanics don't make mistakes. I think they are less than we seen blame placed on the laps (in the case of pilots, normally deceased pilots)
Wind, like solar, is a temporal energy and not 'available on demand'.
I am not going to downplay them, but we need a way to power the 'grid' of power we use today and in the future. Adding supply methods, like wind and solar, are good. But we also need to invest in non-renewable energy that is reasonably clean.
To me, Thorium based nuke power is preferable to uranium/radium based. It can consume our current stockpile of waste (and plutonium). The byproducts from thorium reactions are shorter lifetime and less radioactive. Thorium is not limited to just 'rich countries' and is no worse to collect/process than uranium. It is almost impossible to generate weaponizable materials. If built right, they could be built into 'containers' and drop shipped to current/old coal power plants to provide the hot water for the same turbine generators.
The first Thorium reactor was turned off for weekends when it wasn't needed at Oak Ridge TN for years. If built correctly, it CANNOT 'melt down'.
Currently India and China, and to a minor extent Canada, are actively developing the technologies with production coming soon. The USA did the basic research and now it will probably be sold back to us for us to be a consumer rather than a producer nation.
We need to research and support ALL the directions to make inexpensive energy available. Support renewable (solar and wind), higher efficiency living (insulate, water/vapor barriers, Energy Star or better ratings, and non-uranium based nuclear engineering.