I'm not sure how you think I am going to go into a full discourse on this entire issue here on slashdot. I'm not, I've offered some great reading and information for you to check out and it may or may not change your opinion. You are trying to massively simplify something that is extremely complex which is why it is impossible for me to go into any detail without a massive effort. BRIC along with Africa will be a very large and powerful force to be reckoned with and they know it, they already are but are laying back and waiting for the right time to begin to impose their will more freely which is smart. I work for a global company with very secret and military technologies at its core and we have a very large Asian presence, I see a lot of the changes and groundwork happening that supports many of the theories and thoughts on how these rankings and economic standings will effect everyone.
I could type forever and not convince you. The only thing I can say is to educate yourself on the main history and current theories at play here and decide if you want to believe them in whole or in part. These changes will happen in our lifetime so we will certainly see and feel the repercussions no matter which way things shift. Everyone will be impacted whether from an economic/power standpoint or a resource standpoint. You and I will be affected, to what extent and exactly how... we will see soon enough.
I am an importer, I've dealt in tea for about 12 years or so now. Upton's best would be about my lowest grade tea, there are better alternatives at the same or close in price that are exponentially better in quality, freshness, and flavor. I mostly work directly with the estates and growers and have a number of great friendships with some of the best, I also use a large percentage to give back to the workers and the communities around the tea estates.
It does seem expensive but when you break down the costs it is actually quite affordable for all but the very top expensive teas. It can be hard spending $25-100 on only 20-40g of tea, but most can be had at $20-40 for 100-250g at a high enough quality that you can suppliment it with a treat of the higher-end stuff once in a while and still not break the bank.
And this is why I specifically mentioned BRIC, China being the top dog in the group. It's not some guess or B.S. the actual numbers don't lie. Use any projection you like.
Just this year China surpassed Japan as #2 officially and even the most conservative estimates show China at parity with the US in 9-10 years. Most show 5. I'm saying 3-5 because with the rest of BRIC they can begin flexing their might in about 3 safely, and 5-10 for full effect.
I'm not a doom and gloom soothsayer, I'm an intelligent investor that has a lot of business experience and research in this area. Could I be wrong? Sure. We will know in our lifetimes, so we'll be able to see.
I'd be interested to know how you think the US will avoid losing resources to India and China, and how we will compete with an almost purely service-based industry at home with only global corporations? China holds a lot of our debt and has a number of other key strategic pieces in place as well.
I actually deal in and drink high-end teas from Japan, China, and India. Hand processed and crafted. Tea history and trade is indeed interesting and I've got a soft spot for it:) Shincha, Gyokuro, Puer, Shui Xian, Huo Shan Huang Ya, Bi Lo Chun, Darjeeling, and the like. If I'm sick or just in the mood my low-end cuppa of choice is either PG Tips or Luzianne.
Have a look at the long-selling book "Japan as Number One" well over 30 years since it was published it is still a top seller and extremely highly rated. Also realize that Japan has the most, oldest, businesses still in operation.
I'm in solid agreement with you mostly, but there is a difference. Greed. Not just greed but artificial constructs such as the current stock market. Many European companies have endured and lasted perfectly fine on stability and flat/zero growth or very low percentages. And there is nothing wrong with that, but many US companies force massive, unsustainable, double digit growth in the name of stock prices and lining executive pockets and once they are run into the ground or fail spectacularly those execs simply move on to another company to rape. This has left many American businesses extremely weak and badly broken which is something that is a much deeper and serious. I think the US can and could innovate again, but first the infrastructure would need to be rebuilt and the desire to do so which we currently lack.
I actually don't care about patents and "secrets" as they are of marginal value anyhow in the grand scheme of things, it ultimately comes down to sustainability and the product. Every culture has gotten too big for it's britches at some point and most go supernova as a result, innovation be damned.
You will see soon enough how much damage it truly has done. As a long-time investor, researcher, and currently in charge of a large global voice and data network for a global corp, I see it first-hand. A lot of research and many great books have been written on this topic, you should check some out and then see if your opinion holds. Japan as Number One, China Inc., and anything on the topic of BRIC are decent starting points in normal prose.
My personal opinion is that we are heading for a large fall and one that we will not quickly or easily climb out of. My best guess is that in 3-5 years China and BRIC (as well as allies they bring in as they get closer to #1) will start to flex their muscle, you can see the framework in place now. I am also guessing the quickest we could begin to recover will be 10-15 years, with 20 seeming not out of the question. Positions/rankings may not be important to you but they mean quite a lot in terms of resources and where they go, and many of the countries with the resources will go where the growth and numbers are... which is not the US, a number of those ties are already strained or deteriorating. Again, this is my opinion, but it is based on a lot of information. No one has a crystal ball, but I would be very shocked if I'm completely wrong.
As Japan did before and rose to great heights. We never learn and instead have simply handed over almost all of our technology and manufacturing to them, and not surprisingly they are in the #2 spot now and poised to eclipse the US along with the rest of BRIC in as short as 3 years.Hopefully that will finally be enough to start to get our act together again, but IMO it will be too late.
Seriously, I'm no fanboy for any company or technology but Apple gets almost everything right and that is what no one can touch. They design the OS, the hardware, and the actual product design and do them all with real effort and one unified vision. Until another company does this, they will not beat Apple at their game. They may be able to do well at their own game but not Apple's.
The only possible companies I see are HP, Dell, Asus, or possibly Google with the ability to even try to compete. However, to do it they need to create a fully realized ecosystem, not utilizing and relying on some other technology/OS. Asus could cut Windows and Linux and do their own thing and if they could make solid inroads in China and Asia, it could catch on. They already have an aversion to MS or foreign operating systems and hardware. Dell and HP have dipped toes in this water but gave up far too quick. HP has some design ability, Dell does not. Google could cash in and really tightly create and integrate a full system, but they have floundered with disconnected and aborted starts and products time and time again, they lack the vision and leadership.
As much as I may not agree with Jobs and his visions, at least there is one captain at the helm and everyone marches to one beat to create one product with one goal and the least wasted effort and time. Chaos and Bazaar mentality will never get you there. The last thing I want to say is that companies need to realize that no one wants their logo obtrusively displayed. I refuse to buy a product with the company name or logo on the front unless it is subtle or well designed. Xoom is not. The Nook does OK there, Apple generally does excellently, and a few companies get it, many still do not.
If it's any consolation, I couldn't care less about that either.:)
You know that this kind of thing in the typical management hands is going to become a nightmare in a "fun" wrapper. I'm not a mouse running a maze to get a little nibble of cheese for a right move. The average IT/IS type is so concerned with ego and showing off their knowledge that we are so easily manipulated as it is, it's why we are where we are now. So many do the overpromise, overly optimistic deadlines, etc. and then suffer time and time again. We've already marginalized ourselves, and there is a current trend in Fortune 500s to completely eliminate CIOs and leave IT be everyone's bitch... I've worked in this field for 16-17 years now and I've watched the entire rise and fall to where we are now. "Gamification" is not the answer.
I live in the real world, I may choose to work in IT but I am not a stereotypical nerd/geek and I also have ZERO interest in bullshit like this. I don't want fucking achievements and "points" or other inane things, I want to be treated as a professional and I want to do my job. That is already almost impossible in IT as it is never given respect and seen as purely a cost/drain as it is. If any company I would work for would implement something like this, I would resign instantly.
Sure, but DC power isn't that complex, if anything it is simpler. Since most places have UPS' it would be trivial to begin to offer DC ports directly from the UPS. This would be scalable from small individual units to the larger enterprise ones. Network gear already can be easily powered via DC, and it could be the same for all computers with little effort... at least data centers. It removes one more point of failure from computers, servers, and equipment. It decreases ewaste. It cuts down or out completely even 20% waste on energy. Things could be smaller, no more wall warts, etc. There are so many benefits. A 20+% energy savings on all of the computers in the world would be massive alone.
Your anecdotal sample of 1 (and a generally reliable brand at that) is not indicative of the wider spectrum, and also many brands use different OEMs amongst their ranges so while the mid or high end PSU from a company could be very reliable, the lower end one may not. Also, time and heat and dust buildup can alter these efficiencies to where even a decent 80 PLUS PSU can drop in efficiency. There is actually quite a lot to how PSUs are made and the components used inside and other environmental factors as well.
And as for the average IT dept (university or not) is generally hit or miss as far as systems techs. I have worked for a private university and the entire tech team were indeed average college-age or a year or two older gamer types.
I've said the same thing... it makes perfect sense vs converting AC to DC (battery) and then back to AC to supply the device. Half could be DC ports half could be AC and the AC/DC/AC conversion could be halved. Delivery is still AC if that is the concern.
That is the claim but many fail that and don't actually get close until 50% or higher, a few sites have done real world testing and have proven it. The other thing is that people always way over estimate the draw of components or simply go for the "bigger is better" mentality. I've seen so many 1KW PSU's in systems drawing 200watts or less. The wiki page gets into it all a little bit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_PLUS
Actually, the 80%+ thing is partly bullshit. You need to run the PSU at a fairly high percentage of the wattage rating for that 80%+ to kick in, almost every computer I see is not coming close to hitting this level of efficiency from their PSU. The reality is about 30-50% is being wasted.
We all have houses full of DC powered devices but no DC power. How many wasted AC/DC converters is that per year? Computer power supplies, etc. wasting 30-50%+ of the input AC due to inefficiencies and poor sizing for the task. Office buildings full of DC powered computers and gear and yet we still just keep on going with pure AC power.
Not at the moment, but what exactly would China be "fucking up" by choosing to in 3-4 years time if BRIC continues to grow as slated? They will easily be able to supplant us and also keep us beholden to them in a number of key areas. The U.S. has far more to lose at this time than any other in history.
And they will achieve it. My estimate is 4-5 years they will fully assert their dominance. They are #2 now and at any time could flex their economic and political muscle and severely cripple an already reeling U.S. With the rest of BRIC, the U.S. has already slipped from the top, it just isn't official yet. It's either corrupt corporations or China, neither is a great option.
That's exactly it. But honestly it's a bit misguided because anything would have the same effect, dropping in a spoon, some sugar, even just jostling the mug a bit can be enough. The safest bet is to just heat the water for a sane amount of time roughly 2-2.5 min max in a home microwave and 1-1.5 in a commercial one. That is plenty hot for almost anything and almost no chance of danger, I see people put water in for like 4+ minutes... that is asking for trouble.
I once worked for a university and one of the companies handed out free mugs that looked like beakers and made of their lab glass... because they were so super smooth inside people were getting hurt left and right. I'm guessing that was a solid marketing fail.:)
They've "invented" nothing more than the same concept behind the Mentos/Coke thing, nucleation. If you give enough surface area for the bubbles you can vary the amount from the average can/bottle opening to the geyser. A few trial and errors would get you there for something trivial like beer, not complex math and modeling and academic journals.
This is also the reason why super new mugs/glasses can "superheat" water in a microwave for the opposite reason, they are too smooth.
Oh, and Nitrogen is what does the trick for Guinness, not simply some bubbles. And forget what you've been told, drinking your Guinness while it is leveling is where it's at, not letting it sit and topping off. That was done back in the day when people were poorer and felt like they weren't getting a proper pint for their money, the extra ounce is not worth it compared to drinking it as it should be.
I work for a company that works with radioactivity, and the reality is shocking. I have been told that since there is no "standard" level deemed harmful, that they can get away with all kinds of shit. Because a small amount of radiation could cause cancer and some can be exposed to large amounts without issue, that they can do basically whatever they want. It was found that a wall that was supposed to be shielded was not and that workers on the other side of it had been getting nailed for years... they covered it up and covered their asses ASAP. I would trust NOTHING when it comes from a corporation or government agency on this subject.
This is a real shame and greed once again rules the day.
I mainly read and watch Deutsche Welle for my news. AJ/BBC are usually decent though. How sad is it that we have ZERO real news in America? Not even NPR which is as close as we come. We need a real news channel and outlet, not political or sensational bullshit. Just news.
I have been offered three positions with different tech institutes/training centers to be an instructor and in the end turned all of them down. I can only speak from the prospective employee side but the experience was very similar at all three and it was slimy/dirty feeling from every angle. Some of the outrageous things that were said or demanded of the instructors as well as how the "students" were regarded and spoken about put me off completely. Years later I now hire tech candidates and see many resumes and get calls from these places, the signal to noise ratio is so high it is often not worth my effort to go through 10-20 candidates to find 1 good one (which is roughly what I have found to be the case). Go to a decent community college for an associates, if you want to further it then transfer to a solid state school. You will be far better off.
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I'm not sure how you think I am going to go into a full discourse on this entire issue here on slashdot. I'm not, I've offered some great reading and information for you to check out and it may or may not change your opinion. You are trying to massively simplify something that is extremely complex which is why it is impossible for me to go into any detail without a massive effort. BRIC along with Africa will be a very large and powerful force to be reckoned with and they know it, they already are but are laying back and waiting for the right time to begin to impose their will more freely which is smart. I work for a global company with very secret and military technologies at its core and we have a very large Asian presence, I see a lot of the changes and groundwork happening that supports many of the theories and thoughts on how these rankings and economic standings will effect everyone.
I could type forever and not convince you. The only thing I can say is to educate yourself on the main history and current theories at play here and decide if you want to believe them in whole or in part. These changes will happen in our lifetime so we will certainly see and feel the repercussions no matter which way things shift. Everyone will be impacted whether from an economic/power standpoint or a resource standpoint. You and I will be affected, to what extent and exactly how... we will see soon enough.
I am an importer, I've dealt in tea for about 12 years or so now. Upton's best would be about my lowest grade tea, there are better alternatives at the same or close in price that are exponentially better in quality, freshness, and flavor. I mostly work directly with the estates and growers and have a number of great friendships with some of the best, I also use a large percentage to give back to the workers and the communities around the tea estates.
It does seem expensive but when you break down the costs it is actually quite affordable for all but the very top expensive teas. It can be hard spending $25-100 on only 20-40g of tea, but most can be had at $20-40 for 100-250g at a high enough quality that you can suppliment it with a treat of the higher-end stuff once in a while and still not break the bank.
And this is why I specifically mentioned BRIC, China being the top dog in the group. It's not some guess or B.S. the actual numbers don't lie. Use any projection you like.
Just this year China surpassed Japan as #2 officially and even the most conservative estimates show China at parity with the US in 9-10 years. Most show 5. I'm saying 3-5 because with the rest of BRIC they can begin flexing their might in about 3 safely, and 5-10 for full effect.
I'm not a doom and gloom soothsayer, I'm an intelligent investor that has a lot of business experience and research in this area. Could I be wrong? Sure. We will know in our lifetimes, so we'll be able to see.
I'd be interested to know how you think the US will avoid losing resources to India and China, and how we will compete with an almost purely service-based industry at home with only global corporations? China holds a lot of our debt and has a number of other key strategic pieces in place as well.
I actually deal in and drink high-end teas from Japan, China, and India. Hand processed and crafted. Tea history and trade is indeed interesting and I've got a soft spot for it :) Shincha, Gyokuro, Puer, Shui Xian, Huo Shan Huang Ya, Bi Lo Chun, Darjeeling, and the like. If I'm sick or just in the mood my low-end cuppa of choice is either PG Tips or Luzianne.
Have a look at the long-selling book "Japan as Number One" well over 30 years since it was published it is still a top seller and extremely highly rated. Also realize that Japan has the most, oldest, businesses still in operation.
I'm in solid agreement with you mostly, but there is a difference. Greed. Not just greed but artificial constructs such as the current stock market. Many European companies have endured and lasted perfectly fine on stability and flat/zero growth or very low percentages. And there is nothing wrong with that, but many US companies force massive, unsustainable, double digit growth in the name of stock prices and lining executive pockets and once they are run into the ground or fail spectacularly those execs simply move on to another company to rape. This has left many American businesses extremely weak and badly broken which is something that is a much deeper and serious. I think the US can and could innovate again, but first the infrastructure would need to be rebuilt and the desire to do so which we currently lack.
I actually don't care about patents and "secrets" as they are of marginal value anyhow in the grand scheme of things, it ultimately comes down to sustainability and the product. Every culture has gotten too big for it's britches at some point and most go supernova as a result, innovation be damned.
You will see soon enough how much damage it truly has done. As a long-time investor, researcher, and currently in charge of a large global voice and data network for a global corp, I see it first-hand. A lot of research and many great books have been written on this topic, you should check some out and then see if your opinion holds. Japan as Number One, China Inc., and anything on the topic of BRIC are decent starting points in normal prose.
My personal opinion is that we are heading for a large fall and one that we will not quickly or easily climb out of. My best guess is that in 3-5 years China and BRIC (as well as allies they bring in as they get closer to #1) will start to flex their muscle, you can see the framework in place now. I am also guessing the quickest we could begin to recover will be 10-15 years, with 20 seeming not out of the question. Positions/rankings may not be important to you but they mean quite a lot in terms of resources and where they go, and many of the countries with the resources will go where the growth and numbers are... which is not the US, a number of those ties are already strained or deteriorating. Again, this is my opinion, but it is based on a lot of information. No one has a crystal ball, but I would be very shocked if I'm completely wrong.
As Japan did before and rose to great heights. We never learn and instead have simply handed over almost all of our technology and manufacturing to them, and not surprisingly they are in the #2 spot now and poised to eclipse the US along with the rest of BRIC in as short as 3 years.Hopefully that will finally be enough to start to get our act together again, but IMO it will be too late.
I would take a cut of 10-15% without even batting an eyelash if I were able to.
Seriously, I'm no fanboy for any company or technology but Apple gets almost everything right and that is what no one can touch. They design the OS, the hardware, and the actual product design and do them all with real effort and one unified vision. Until another company does this, they will not beat Apple at their game. They may be able to do well at their own game but not Apple's.
The only possible companies I see are HP, Dell, Asus, or possibly Google with the ability to even try to compete. However, to do it they need to create a fully realized ecosystem, not utilizing and relying on some other technology/OS. Asus could cut Windows and Linux and do their own thing and if they could make solid inroads in China and Asia, it could catch on. They already have an aversion to MS or foreign operating systems and hardware. Dell and HP have dipped toes in this water but gave up far too quick. HP has some design ability, Dell does not. Google could cash in and really tightly create and integrate a full system, but they have floundered with disconnected and aborted starts and products time and time again, they lack the vision and leadership.
As much as I may not agree with Jobs and his visions, at least there is one captain at the helm and everyone marches to one beat to create one product with one goal and the least wasted effort and time. Chaos and Bazaar mentality will never get you there. The last thing I want to say is that companies need to realize that no one wants their logo obtrusively displayed. I refuse to buy a product with the company name or logo on the front unless it is subtle or well designed. Xoom is not. The Nook does OK there, Apple generally does excellently, and a few companies get it, many still do not.
If it's any consolation, I couldn't care less about that either. :)
You know that this kind of thing in the typical management hands is going to become a nightmare in a "fun" wrapper. I'm not a mouse running a maze to get a little nibble of cheese for a right move. The average IT/IS type is so concerned with ego and showing off their knowledge that we are so easily manipulated as it is, it's why we are where we are now. So many do the overpromise, overly optimistic deadlines, etc. and then suffer time and time again. We've already marginalized ourselves, and there is a current trend in Fortune 500s to completely eliminate CIOs and leave IT be everyone's bitch... I've worked in this field for 16-17 years now and I've watched the entire rise and fall to where we are now. "Gamification" is not the answer.
I live in the real world, I may choose to work in IT but I am not a stereotypical nerd/geek and I also have ZERO interest in bullshit like this. I don't want fucking achievements and "points" or other inane things, I want to be treated as a professional and I want to do my job. That is already almost impossible in IT as it is never given respect and seen as purely a cost/drain as it is. If any company I would work for would implement something like this, I would resign instantly.
Sure, but DC power isn't that complex, if anything it is simpler. Since most places have UPS' it would be trivial to begin to offer DC ports directly from the UPS. This would be scalable from small individual units to the larger enterprise ones. Network gear already can be easily powered via DC, and it could be the same for all computers with little effort... at least data centers. It removes one more point of failure from computers, servers, and equipment. It decreases ewaste. It cuts down or out completely even 20% waste on energy. Things could be smaller, no more wall warts, etc. There are so many benefits. A 20+% energy savings on all of the computers in the world would be massive alone.
Your anecdotal sample of 1 (and a generally reliable brand at that) is not indicative of the wider spectrum, and also many brands use different OEMs amongst their ranges so while the mid or high end PSU from a company could be very reliable, the lower end one may not. Also, time and heat and dust buildup can alter these efficiencies to where even a decent 80 PLUS PSU can drop in efficiency. There is actually quite a lot to how PSUs are made and the components used inside and other environmental factors as well.
And as for the average IT dept (university or not) is generally hit or miss as far as systems techs. I have worked for a private university and the entire tech team were indeed average college-age or a year or two older gamer types.
I've said the same thing... it makes perfect sense vs converting AC to DC (battery) and then back to AC to supply the device. Half could be DC ports half could be AC and the AC/DC/AC conversion could be halved. Delivery is still AC if that is the concern.
That is the claim but many fail that and don't actually get close until 50% or higher, a few sites have done real world testing and have proven it. The other thing is that people always way over estimate the draw of components or simply go for the "bigger is better" mentality. I've seen so many 1KW PSU's in systems drawing 200watts or less. The wiki page gets into it all a little bit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_PLUS
Actually, the 80%+ thing is partly bullshit. You need to run the PSU at a fairly high percentage of the wattage rating for that 80%+ to kick in, almost every computer I see is not coming close to hitting this level of efficiency from their PSU. The reality is about 30-50% is being wasted.
We all have houses full of DC powered devices but no DC power. How many wasted AC/DC converters is that per year? Computer power supplies, etc. wasting 30-50%+ of the input AC due to inefficiencies and poor sizing for the task. Office buildings full of DC powered computers and gear and yet we still just keep on going with pure AC power.
Not at the moment, but what exactly would China be "fucking up" by choosing to in 3-4 years time if BRIC continues to grow as slated? They will easily be able to supplant us and also keep us beholden to them in a number of key areas. The U.S. has far more to lose at this time than any other in history.
And they will achieve it. My estimate is 4-5 years they will fully assert their dominance. They are #2 now and at any time could flex their economic and political muscle and severely cripple an already reeling U.S. With the rest of BRIC, the U.S. has already slipped from the top, it just isn't official yet. It's either corrupt corporations or China, neither is a great option.
That's exactly it. But honestly it's a bit misguided because anything would have the same effect, dropping in a spoon, some sugar, even just jostling the mug a bit can be enough. The safest bet is to just heat the water for a sane amount of time roughly 2-2.5 min max in a home microwave and 1-1.5 in a commercial one. That is plenty hot for almost anything and almost no chance of danger, I see people put water in for like 4+ minutes... that is asking for trouble.
I once worked for a university and one of the companies handed out free mugs that looked like beakers and made of their lab glass... because they were so super smooth inside people were getting hurt left and right. I'm guessing that was a solid marketing fail. :)
They've "invented" nothing more than the same concept behind the Mentos/Coke thing, nucleation. If you give enough surface area for the bubbles you can vary the amount from the average can/bottle opening to the geyser. A few trial and errors would get you there for something trivial like beer, not complex math and modeling and academic journals.
This is also the reason why super new mugs/glasses can "superheat" water in a microwave for the opposite reason, they are too smooth.
Oh, and Nitrogen is what does the trick for Guinness, not simply some bubbles. And forget what you've been told, drinking your Guinness while it is leveling is where it's at, not letting it sit and topping off. That was done back in the day when people were poorer and felt like they weren't getting a proper pint for their money, the extra ounce is not worth it compared to drinking it as it should be.
I work for a company that works with radioactivity, and the reality is shocking. I have been told that since there is no "standard" level deemed harmful, that they can get away with all kinds of shit. Because a small amount of radiation could cause cancer and some can be exposed to large amounts without issue, that they can do basically whatever they want. It was found that a wall that was supposed to be shielded was not and that workers on the other side of it had been getting nailed for years... they covered it up and covered their asses ASAP. I would trust NOTHING when it comes from a corporation or government agency on this subject.
This is a real shame and greed once again rules the day.
I mainly read and watch Deutsche Welle for my news. AJ/BBC are usually decent though. How sad is it that we have ZERO real news in America? Not even NPR which is as close as we come. We need a real news channel and outlet, not political or sensational bullshit. Just news.
I have been offered three positions with different tech institutes/training centers to be an instructor and in the end turned all of them down. I can only speak from the prospective employee side but the experience was very similar at all three and it was slimy/dirty feeling from every angle. Some of the outrageous things that were said or demanded of the instructors as well as how the "students" were regarded and spoken about put me off completely. Years later I now hire tech candidates and see many resumes and get calls from these places, the signal to noise ratio is so high it is often not worth my effort to go through 10-20 candidates to find 1 good one (which is roughly what I have found to be the case). Go to a decent community college for an associates, if you want to further it then transfer to a solid state school. You will be far better off.