Backwards

[Jim Matthews]

I am afraid I have to disagree with you on private companies doing research. They, in fact, do the vast majority of worthwhile research and development. I could go on forever. It is more difficult to try to think of a product which was developed through original government funding. Government funded research has its place but it is small in comparison to private industry. Nowadays, it is popular to think of corporate America as evil but they were almost exclusively responsible for the products and prosperity we now enjoy. Do a serious study of the history of technology and you will see what I mean.

You're out of your depth, again.
Sahprize, sahprize!

http://blog.ted.com/2013/10/28/qa-ma...el-innovation/

Spare us the Libertarian theology. It's tiresome.

[Mel Fulks]

Just looked at the Ted blog. More preaching to the choir than anything else .The comments about solyndra are nothing but a coat of gloss. No mention of the fact that the law was subverted. Lenders were skeptical and inclined to turn it down.
They were told to approve it. Solar is no longer a new idea,if the venture had been solid they might have gotten the loan
through merit.

[Scott Shepherd]

Like I said earlier, if you want to cheery pick things, we can. The Ted blog doesn't say which key things were developed in what department. The internet, and all those fancy electronic things were invented in MILITARY research. It wasn't some group at the DMV brainstorming about new technology. It wasn't the Department of Transportation figuring out how to make electronic things that will end up being in some new technology 20 years from now.

If you want to use the Ted references, let's use some Ted speeches that talk about how worthless college has become and how it's a waste of time in many cases. Let's talk about how the people in higher education are paying themselves big fat salaries and getting tenure. Want to talk about corrupt oil? Let's talk about corrupt education. It's in the Ted lectures. How kids used to be told "You won't make it far in life without a college degree" and now they've turned that into "You won't go far without a Master's Degree".

[Mel Fulks]

Can't let this wind down without saying I'm sure Shawn's new system was expensive, legal,well intentioned, and sure we all hope it works well and is not hassled by any arbitrary future rules.

[Rick Potter]

Frederick,

To answer your question regarding the law about the tree blocking the sun...........I looked it up. In 1978 CA passed the 'Solar Shade Control Act'. Basically, it says that I am responsible for where I put my panels, if the neighbors have trees. Existing trees are grandfathered in, but assuming I install panels where there is no shade problem from the neighbors, they cannot plant new trees that block more than 10% of my solar panels between 10am and 2PM. If so, I can sue them with legal cause. Again...if the trees are there when I install the panels, the law does not apply. That's my problem for not locating them properly.

My neighbor has no offending trees, thus cannot plant them to annoy me.

Apparently, CA is one of few states to have this law, as they are encouraging solar. The law has been on the books for over 35 years.

Rick Potter

[Jim Matthews]

This thread has veered completely off the rails and shows real disregard for both the TOS and factual history.
It's a cheap ploy, to introduce a digression/diversion/steaming load into a discussion about a given topic.

It's eerily familiar to anyone that gets a steady diet of Fox "news".
Like I said - tiresome.


If you fall into the camp that thinks any and all Government funded research, subsidy or investment is wrong -
kindly turn in your cellphones, turn off your electicity, drive on gravel roads and stay out of hospitals.

No airports or railways for you hardy individualists!

After you've cut your internet wires, you can start buying your beef and produce out of the back of an open truck in the middle of nowhere.



FYI - The DOD and DARPA? They're Government funded - they don't hold bake sales to pay for Fairchild semiconductors, the GI Bill and GPS beacons.

If you don't think that Photovoltaic panels are following the same development arc of every other power generating scheme, you're mistaken.

[Jim Matthews]

Just looked at the Ted blog. More preaching to the choir than anything else .The comments about solyndra are nothing but a coat of gloss. No mention of the fact that the law was subverted. Lenders were skeptical and inclined to turn it down.
They were told to approve it. Solar is no longer a new idea,if the venture had been solid they might have gotten the loan
through merit.

I'm looking at this, and wondering two things :

What does this have to do with the original post?

How did I end up on one of the Fox News commentary sections?

A lot of "if they had..." "they shoulda woulda coulda known better..."
coming from Rear Echelon admirals without portfolio, lately.

[John Keeton]

If it wasn't political before, it certainly is now. The tenor of the thread has changed from an exchange of ideas and opinions to accusatory. Unfortunately, this has veered off the road and serves no further purpose.