ATM machines do the same thing day in and day out - millions of times. The same ATM machine can be used in all 50 states. The “Get Cash” button is always in the upper left. Incremental refinements.
Elections happens once every 1 or 2 years – and each time it is different. Heck, often each ward is different. And each state has it’s own little quirk.
And if a banks messy up? Go to a branch the next day and it is usually fixed – if not the bank has lost a little good will. Small errors can be tolerated. No so much in an election where every vote counts. You need to beat the error rate of 0.007% in a well-run election.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Senate_election,_2008
Actually, there is a disproportional amount of evidence (IMF, World Back, academia, etc.) that show that lower tax rates increases private investment. Investments grow the pie, so the economy is larger, so that is good – everybody has gotten richer. The problem, at least in American over the past 40 years, is that most of the benefits have flowed to the top.1%. Short term tax breaks to the lower and middle class does cause a short term stimulus effect. Downside, you have to pay it back, which slows future growth. There is a fierce debate on what the overall effect is. Here are 2 good ones.
And the type of taxes are important. The mortgage interest deduction stimulates consumption by encouraging people to build bigger houses – however most of the benefits of the mortgage interest deduction flow to people who have big loans on their houses – the rich. Cutting capital gains tends to stimulate long term investment. An example - I wish I could something better - but you get the point.
The rich invest abroad. O.k. So what? Trying to draw artificial lines in the sand has had a host of negative unintended consequences. Better to reform the tax code from a residential to a territorial format. Besides, we are greying. You can only throw so much capital at a ever shrinking base. Ask the Japanese.
Your making the assumption that the cost reduction in using fewer materials offsets the new manufacturing process – which we don’t know (could be high, lower, or the same).
For years we have been able to manufacture cars that get better gas mileage by switching from steel to aluminum, carbon fibers, etc – but we have never done it because the cost of the lighter materials (both in manufacturing and maintenance) are higher.
The UN bureaucracy is the type of bureaucracy that gives bureaucracy a bad name. It is a bloating gold-plated nepotistic thing. Having low accountability, it is better at making grand statement, pushing paper, and corrupt official lining their own pockets.
It galls people that UN officials are running around Africa in luxury cars administrating food aid. One wonders if they are running a efficient organization.
And I know some good people who are doing good things with the UN, so I am speaking of (major) reform not removal.
Lt’s say you have a self-important person who gets called into jury duty on a big, long trail – say Bill Gates (back in the 90s) or Warren Buffet are called in for a murder trial. Do we: A: Pay them a week’s worth of income or B: Exempt them from jury duty because they are rich?
I don’t like either choice.
It is not just money that makes a system civil and just – it is the time and energy that average citizens put in. Citizens 100 years ago – who are much poorer than we are today – seemed to find the time. I have lived in small towns where one sees the impact of citizen involvement. I have lived in large cities where I know, but can’t see, the impact of citizen involvement.
If you don’t think society is civil and just I am o.k. with that – I know the system is not perfect. But if you say society is not civil and just so don’t brother putting in the time – I think that is kind of my point from a negative aspect.
And yes, I am assuming that jury duty of 1 to 2 weeks every 10 years is reasonable. If you can’t make that time commitment to society you are doing something wrong. If it is longer than that – that would give me pause about compensation.
People get the government they deserve. If you can’t take time out of your life to ensure that we have a civil and just society, don’t expect society to be civil and just.
I love Joss Whedon, but I am not sure he is the right guy. He has got that light, culturally hip thing going. Star Wars is from a long time ago, so the culturally hip thing does not work.
I would vote for Christopher Nolan. Maybe Zack Snyder – he has done some wonderful stuff.
Fredprado: The number of items that HTC can differentiate itself is small, and those points are basically hardware.
For example, Sliding Keyboards. People loved their BlackBerry because it had an excellent physical keyboard – but it’s not much of a moat. Anybody could do sliding keyboards. Heck, Apple could do sliding keyboards if they wanted to.
I am going to argue that the OS is different. Anybody can use Android – there is no moat. I understand Microsoft is a bit picker. iOS, of course, is just Apple. I know people who have an extensive collection of IPhone apps. It would take a lot for them to switch to an android phone. I know a person who really likes the tiles on the windows phones. His choices are limited. We have a little stickiness here.
So, if the difference is basically hardware, people can switch with low cost. If HTC does not have the best hardware for value then it’s fall with be as it’s rapid rise.
As for Iserlohn, I have heard that the Nokia 920 was, by far, the best Windows phone out there – and that they had a 6 month to 1 year lead over everybody else. Am I wrong here? (I am getting my information second hand.)
A lot of business writing is poor, but Michael Porter is the exception to the rule – and I think his 5 force analysis comes into play here.
Basically, HTC is in a highly completive market with low barriers to entry. It’s hard to make their phone unique – anybody can use Android – so basically they are in a commodity market where they have to compete on price. (and by price I mean value. Honda and Toyota thrived for years offering basic, commodity cars. Nothing exciting but they did give you value for your money.)
On the other hand, Nokia offers the best Windows 8 phone. If you like that OS you almost have to go with Nokia. Gives them a little pricing power.
Using “scrap” for fuel is fine. Every bit of efficiency that can be wrung out of the system is great.
The point that the report was making is that if we use current technology and used everything – new and scraps – we would not even hit the 5% mark.
That is, we are currently using x units of nitrogen fertilizer, etc for our inputs. Let say 50% of the output waste and can be converted. Yeah efficiency! Now, let us saw we redeploy all of our units of nitrogen fertilizer away from food and into fuel – we still fail to hit the 5%.
Which means we need to figure out how to make ethanol more efficiently.
I am confused. I am confused. I am looking at table 6, corn based ethanol has a net energy value of 1.08. So while, technically, ethanol produces more energy than it takes to produce, it is not exactly a brilliant number – and I suspect other methods would be better – or am I missing something?
There are IQ tests that are geared towards 2 year olds. Oddly, what you mentioned are not the big factors. IQ is set early in life – say before 5. What matters is improved:
Prenatal health. More folic acid, less drinking by mom.
Better environments: Less lead in the paint, more calories to eat - even empty.
Better early childhood education. See Planet Money for a good story.
i.e. the big gains are not coming from boosting the top 20% - It is doing a lot of small things. IIRC the removal of lead paint and gas is responsible for a 1 to 2 point increase in IQ in America over the past 40 years. Young children no longer get high fevers that cook their brain, eliminating a who vector for mental retardation. Etc.
As an American, I can say that we have both. It’s the minority that believes in the 518400 seconds, but they tend to be loud. The split is mainly along class lines.
And the Catholics, which are number one, don’t. Ergo your arguments fails, and we can concluded that Christian don’t believe the bible is the literal truth. Or, do you have evidence that Protestants, as a whole (which are then number one) do believe that? Or do you believe that American Christian close cleave to voted resolutions in matters of faith?
Or maybe you are painting broad strokes on a nuanced issue.
It is not a weird thing to keep two parties in power. It is a run off method, so it shares some characteristics of the IRV. There is a better chance that an independent will win then FPP, so less likely to enforce the 2 party system.
Heck, there is even a chance that 2 people from the same party will be running against each other – and I like that idea. I am a moderate Republican who lives in a congressional district which is deep blue and where the Democratic primaries are controlled by the hard left. Our current hard left representative is barely running and has a 2 digit lead over his opponent. On the downside I have little say on who my representative is – that is the way the cookie crumbles. On the plus side I don’t see any bad t.v. commercials. With the WA run off system there would be a good chance that I would have a choice between 2 democrats, and I could pick the more moderate one.
There is this neat field called Public Choice, which combines economics and mathematics. Take a look at it. Some of the voting methods result in counterintuitive results. Now, I like FPP because it encourages elections with 2 distinct moderate choices.
There are plus and minus with America's first past the post system. What I like about it is that I get a clear chocie between 2 moderate people. I don't have to worry what type of deals they will cut to get into a political coalition - I have less to worry about political hacks cutting inside deals. I am voting for an individual.
That being said, I am sadden by the recent trend of extreme left / right people hijacking the primaries.
Which means I am looking at WA top 2 primary voting system, where the top 2 winners - from whatever party - go to the primary pole. This means that in a deep blue state voters should still get a decent choice.
No – it makes complete rational sense. You want other hospitals to do autopsies – you want other people to bear the expense, the time, the embarrassment of mistakes gone wrong (and the potential lawsuits) to do the basic research that will help you.
It is a classic (and I mean classic) of things not getting done because the positive externalities are not captured.
I am being serious. If you say the vested interests are too power to overcome – guess what – you just granted them that power.
I have issues with the peace protestors, tea parteries, etc. But I will give them a certain amount of respect because they put forward a cognizant argument, stand up and get organized, and try to move the ball forward. I know I picked martyrs but I don’t think anybody has to die over IP.
There are times and situations where anonymity is useful.
However, saying that you can watch the latest Game of Thrones for free so a anonymous bit torrent is the answers is a weak, whiny argument.
We need to come up with argument and plan of action – or nothing will change.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, and Henry David Thoreau would disagree.
If you want to change an unjust society, somebody has to step forward with pride and dignity to defy the system. If nobody does then we know then digital pirates are just selfish freeloaders who want to watch free movies.
I could buy that - expect that the "Comic Book College of Knowledge", which is located in Minneapolis, has not recived a letter to shut down their.... errr... text book store on 4 color sequential art
Slashdot Mirror
ATM machines do the same thing day in and day out - millions of times. The same ATM machine can be used in all 50 states. The “Get Cash” button is always in the upper left. Incremental refinements.
Elections happens once every 1 or 2 years – and each time it is different. Heck, often each ward is different. And each state has it’s own little quirk.
And if a banks messy up? Go to a branch the next day and it is usually fixed – if not the bank has lost a little good will. Small errors can be tolerated. No so much in an election where every vote counts. You need to beat the error rate of 0.007% in a well-run election..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Senate_election,_2008
Actually, there is a disproportional amount of evidence (IMF, World Back, academia, etc.) that show that lower tax rates increases private investment. .1%.
Investments grow the pie, so the economy is larger, so that is good – everybody has gotten richer. The problem, at least in American over the past 40 years, is that most of the benefits have flowed to the top
Short term tax breaks to the lower and middle class does cause a short term stimulus effect. Downside, you have to pay it back, which slows future growth. There is a fierce debate on what the overall effect is. Here are 2 good ones.
http://www.nber.org/papers/w18423.pdf
http://www.nber.org/papers/w16311.pdf
And the type of taxes are important. The mortgage interest deduction stimulates consumption by encouraging people to build bigger houses – however most of the benefits of the mortgage interest deduction flow to people who have big loans on their houses – the rich. Cutting capital gains tends to stimulate long term investment. An example - I wish I could something better - but you get the point.
http://www.economist.com/node/21564609
The rich invest abroad. O.k. So what? Trying to draw artificial lines in the sand has had a host of negative unintended consequences. Better to reform the tax code from a residential to a territorial format. Besides, we are greying. You can only throw so much capital at a ever shrinking base. Ask the Japanese.
Your making the assumption that the cost reduction in using fewer materials offsets the new manufacturing process – which we don’t know (could be high, lower, or the same).
For years we have been able to manufacture cars that get better gas mileage by switching from steel to aluminum, carbon fibers, etc – but we have never done it because the cost of the lighter materials (both in manufacturing and maintenance) are higher.
What about nuclear, hydroelectric, and tidal power?
And before I get modded down as a troll, let me point out that the OP drew some arbitrary lines that in the real world tend to be fuzzy.
Sure, I can tell you why.
The UN bureaucracy is the type of bureaucracy that gives bureaucracy a bad name. It is a bloating gold-plated nepotistic thing. Having low accountability, it is better at making grand statement, pushing paper, and corrupt official lining their own pockets.
It galls people that UN officials are running around Africa in luxury cars administrating food aid. One wonders if they are running a efficient organization.
And I know some good people who are doing good things with the UN, so I am speaking of (major) reform not removal.
Lt’s say you have a self-important person who gets called into jury duty on a big, long trail – say Bill Gates (back in the 90s) or Warren Buffet are called in for a murder trial. Do we:
A: Pay them a week’s worth of income or
B: Exempt them from jury duty because they are rich?
I don’t like either choice.
It is not just money that makes a system civil and just – it is the time and energy that average citizens put in. Citizens 100 years ago – who are much poorer than we are today – seemed to find the time. I have lived in small towns where one sees the impact of citizen involvement. I have lived in large cities where I know, but can’t see, the impact of citizen involvement.
If you don’t think society is civil and just I am o.k. with that – I know the system is not perfect. But if you say society is not civil and just so don’t brother putting in the time – I think that is kind of my point from a negative aspect.
And yes, I am assuming that jury duty of 1 to 2 weeks every 10 years is reasonable. If you can’t make that time commitment to society you are doing something wrong. If it is longer than that – that would give me pause about compensation.
People get the government they deserve. If you can’t take time out of your life to ensure that we have a civil and just society, don’t expect society to be civil and just.
Oh, and vote next Tuesday.
Does this mean we can get Secret of Monkey Island VI first?
Google the image "Darth Darth Binks". Makes much more sense the being a Jedi.
I love Joss Whedon, but I am not sure he is the right guy. He has got that light, culturally hip thing going. Star Wars is from a long time ago, so the culturally hip thing does not work.
I would vote for Christopher Nolan. Maybe Zack Snyder – he has done some wonderful stuff.
That's o.k. - They still have Minitel.
Fredprado: The number of items that HTC can differentiate itself is small, and those points are basically hardware.
For example, Sliding Keyboards. People loved their BlackBerry because it had an excellent physical keyboard – but it’s not much of a moat. Anybody could do sliding keyboards. Heck, Apple could do sliding keyboards if they wanted to.
I am going to argue that the OS is different. Anybody can use Android – there is no moat. I understand Microsoft is a bit picker. iOS, of course, is just Apple. I know people who have an extensive collection of IPhone apps. It would take a lot for them to switch to an android phone. I know a person who really likes the tiles on the windows phones. His choices are limited. We have a little stickiness here.
So, if the difference is basically hardware, people can switch with low cost. If HTC does not have the best hardware for value then it’s fall with be as it’s rapid rise.
As for Iserlohn, I have heard that the Nokia 920 was, by far, the best Windows phone out there – and that they had a 6 month to 1 year lead over everybody else. Am I wrong here? (I am getting my information second hand.)
A lot of business writing is poor, but Michael Porter is the exception to the rule – and I think his 5 force analysis comes into play here.
Basically, HTC is in a highly completive market with low barriers to entry. It’s hard to make their phone unique – anybody can use Android – so basically they are in a commodity market where they have to compete on price. (and by price I mean value. Honda and Toyota thrived for years offering basic, commodity cars. Nothing exciting but they did give you value for your money.)
On the other hand, Nokia offers the best Windows 8 phone. If you like that OS you almost have to go with Nokia. Gives them a little pricing power.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_five_forces_analysis
Either – does it matter?
Using “scrap” for fuel is fine. Every bit of efficiency that can be wrung out of the system is great.
The point that the report was making is that if we use current technology and used everything – new and scraps – we would not even hit the 5% mark.
That is, we are currently using x units of nitrogen fertilizer, etc for our inputs. Let say 50% of the output waste and can be converted. Yeah efficiency! Now, let us saw we redeploy all of our units of nitrogen fertilizer away from food and into fuel – we still fail to hit the 5%.
Which means we need to figure out how to make ethanol more efficiently.
I am confused. I am confused. I am looking at table 6, corn based ethanol has a net energy value of 1.08. So while, technically, ethanol produces more energy than it takes to produce, it is not exactly a brilliant number – and I suspect other methods would be better – or am I missing something?
There are IQ tests that are geared towards 2 year olds.
Oddly, what you mentioned are not the big factors. IQ is set early in life – say before 5. What matters is improved:
Prenatal health. More folic acid, less drinking by mom.
Better environments: Less lead in the paint, more calories to eat - even empty.
Better early childhood education. See Planet Money for a good story.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/10/19/163256866/episode-411-why-preschool-can-save-the-world
i.e. the big gains are not coming from boosting the top 20% - It is doing a lot of small things. IIRC the removal of lead paint and gas is responsible for a 1 to 2 point increase in IQ in America over the past 40 years. Young children no longer get high fevers that cook their brain, eliminating a who vector for mental retardation. Etc.
As an American, I can say that we have both. It’s the minority that believes in the 518400 seconds, but they tend to be loud. The split is mainly along class lines.
And the Catholics, which are number one, don’t. Ergo your arguments fails, and we can concluded that Christian don’t believe the bible is the literal truth. Or, do you have evidence that Protestants, as a whole (which are then number one) do believe that? Or do you believe that American Christian close cleave to voted resolutions in matters of faith?
Or maybe you are painting broad strokes on a nuanced issue.
It is not a weird thing to keep two parties in power. It is a run off method, so it shares some characteristics of the IRV. There is a better chance that an independent will win then FPP, so less likely to enforce the 2 party system.
Heck, there is even a chance that 2 people from the same party will be running against each other – and I like that idea. I am a moderate Republican who lives in a congressional district which is deep blue and where the Democratic primaries are controlled by the hard left. Our current hard left representative is barely running and has a 2 digit lead over his opponent. On the downside I have little say on who my representative is – that is the way the cookie crumbles. On the plus side I don’t see any bad t.v. commercials. With the WA run off system there would be a good chance that I would have a choice between 2 democrats, and I could pick the more moderate one.
There is this neat field called Public Choice, which combines economics and mathematics. Take a look at it. Some of the voting methods result in counterintuitive results. Now, I like FPP because it encourages elections with 2 distinct moderate choices.
Mod parent up.
There are plus and minus with America's first past the post system. What I like about it is that I get a clear chocie between 2 moderate people. I don't have to worry what type of deals they will cut to get into a political coalition - I have less to worry about political hacks cutting inside deals. I am voting for an individual.
That being said, I am sadden by the recent trend of extreme left / right people hijacking the primaries.
Which means I am looking at WA top 2 primary voting system, where the top 2 winners - from whatever party - go to the primary pole. This means that in a deep blue state voters should still get a decent choice.
No – it makes complete rational sense. You want other hospitals to do autopsies – you want other people to bear the expense, the time, the embarrassment of mistakes gone wrong (and the potential lawsuits) to do the basic research that will help you.
It is a classic (and I mean classic) of things not getting done because the positive externalities are not captured.
I am being serious. If you say the vested interests are too power to overcome – guess what – you just granted them that power.
I have issues with the peace protestors, tea parteries, etc. But I will give them a certain amount of respect because they put forward a cognizant argument, stand up and get organized, and try to move the ball forward. I know I picked martyrs but I don’t think anybody has to die over IP.
There are times and situations where anonymity is useful.
However, saying that you can watch the latest Game of Thrones for free so a anonymous bit torrent is the answers is a weak, whiny argument.
We need to come up with argument and plan of action – or nothing will change.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, and Henry David Thoreau would disagree.
If you want to change an unjust society, somebody has to step forward with pride and dignity to defy the system. If nobody does then we know then digital pirates are just selfish freeloaders who want to watch free movies.
If you want to be heard, stand up and be counted.
I don’t know. In every game of laser chess I played mirror beats laser. Now we just need to figure in lizards and Spocks.
I could buy that - expect that the "Comic Book College of Knowledge", which is located in Minneapolis, has not recived a letter to shut down their .... errr ... text book store on 4 color sequential art