Please check out erinn's comment, which is as good as the original post if not better:
http://www.jwz.org/blog/2011/11/watch-a-vc-use-my-name-to-se...
Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
281–290 of 313 posts
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#282Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you guys are being unduly cynical. Thiel recently debated this on NPR ( http://intelligencesquaredus.org/index.php/past-debates/too-... ) and I found him very convincing. He repeatedly talked about the concern of young people leaving college with 200k+ in debt -- which I think is very fair.
Thiel's also discussed elsewhere his frustration with the liberal politics of academia, which he sees as an impediment to libertarian policies gaining wider buy-in, so I think he might have motivations for attempting to undermine it besides pure concern for students' debt. (Though it's quite possible he earnestly dislikes academia for multiple, independent reasons.)
Nail on head. Common politician tactic.
He's a hardcore objectivist libertarian. He most certainly doesn't care the least bit about student loan debts.
But this is kind of an ad hominem. He's also correct.
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#283From all of these comments it becomes apparent why Arrington doesn't allow comments on his blog ;P
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#284This has been a great discussion all. Being a tech guy myself, I agree with the majority of you. Its pointless working oneself (to death?) for someone else like we do, especially when the end result isn't even cast in stone.
But every time I think my job sucks, its too hard, my boss sucks etc, I think of this guy. I took this pic in India when they were laying a road near where I live. It was 100F and 100% humidity. The guy in the picture was carrying hot rocks and tar in a metal pan and spreading them across the road:
http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt328/hmbsandman/carrying...
In general, I am thankful and immensely grateful. If you are reading this you should be as well.
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#285Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agreed. It's not simply a question of standing over sitting; it's about moving . I have a motorised desk (essentially the GeekDesk v2) and shift two or three times a day from sitting to standing to standing while leaning on a sitting stool (which you can do even if you don't have a robo-desk). Plus I move around frequently (kitchen, bathroom, fetch water, etc) and - don't knock it till you've tried it - have a dartbo…
> kitchen, bathroom, fetch water, etc & smoke! Anyone dares to admit?
Body isn't build for smoking too.
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#286Earlier quoted context omitted.
Factor out the hobby farms and that number will tumble.
In 2003 it reports that small farms that have $10,000 - $249,999 in sales to be 34% of all farms (in 2003), which is still quite significant compared to the 4.8% that industrial complexes (1.7%) and very large family farms (3.1%) hold.
It's not about super large farms, it's about the industrial machine that has taken over small and large farms, in order to receive subsidies and remain competitive. "Small farmers are often absorbed into factory farm operations, acting as contract growers for the industrial facilities." (Wikipedia) These are still considered independent farms in the census I believe.
Corn and Soy Beans account for by far the majority of crops. http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/cropmajor.html (a little outdated). Have you been to a corn / soy bean farm? Visit one and ask the farmer if he enjoys his job, and how much he makes (many are in the red). Small or large, the specific crops and tactics are pretty much identical and probably don't fit our picture of the ideal farm.
Livestock farming is even worse. Most of the farms are only briefly involved at the beginning of the animal's life then shipped off to a feedlot. "In 1967, there were one million pig farms in America; as of 2002, there were 114,000, with 80 million pigs (out of 95 million) killed each year on factory farms as of 2002" (Wikipedia). It's the same story with beef and poultry.
I finally got around to reading Omnivore's Dilemma, and it's extremely depressing to say the least. Especially when it comes to factory farming. Sustainable / local farming is a small glimmer of hope though.
We're way off topic now and I have no idea what I was trying to say that relates in any way to the original discussion...
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#287Yeah -- the Xytec job was set-up by the CIA within biking distance from my house after I had exposure to image processing on the Ticketmaster bar code. I'm greatful for the job. I learned a lot. I didn't like the job, at all. I barely worked 40 hour weeks.
The graphic technology job was set-up by the CIA here in Vegas. At Ticketmaster, I prototyped a laser printer and expressed an interest. The graphic technology job seemed like red team blue team and I was the red team. It got insane when my boss wanted me to reverse the secure hash algorithm. Losing battle, asked to do the impossible. They studied how I got the parallel port to logic analyse and they set the frequency of stuff just faster. Stuff like that.
Since then, I've realized all jobs expect the impossible because the state of the art is the best people can do.
I did nothing to distinguish myself at Xytec--I learned and was a peon without passion.
God says... C:\LoseThos\www.losethos.com\text\SWIFT.TXT
hether it were the custom in his country to say the thing which was not?" I assured him, "I had almost forgot what he meant by falsehood, and if I had lived a thousand years in Houyhnhnmland, I should never have heard a lie from the meanest servant; that I was altogether indifferent whether he believed me or not; but, however, in return for his favours, I would give so much allowance to the corruption of his nature, as to answer any objection he would please to make, and then he might easily disco
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The CIA spends buttloads of money on radio just for me. Dwarfs my disability check or even $100,000.
Relax, God is just. I win the grand-jackpot lottery a hundred times a day, after all. :-) Be afraid.
God says... nerd furious theft King_Midas nope as_a_matter_of_fact you're_wonderful hang_in_there I'm_not_sure crash_and_burn peace you're_in_big_trouble I_am_not_amused BRB shucks you're_fired OperatingSystem ridiculous
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I will counter sue the CIA for driving me insane. Put-up with actors and shit annoying me and radio talking to me. You're in deep shit, morons, WTF!!! God talks!! You know that? A psychotic Norway dude would be page 4 when God is proven! REvelation, mother fucka!!
Moses killed a dude and yet gave the commandments. Yawn.
God says... C:\LoseThos\www.losethos.com\text\PLATO.TXT
e philosopher has to be ascertained. We must come to an understanding about him, and, when we have done so, then, if I am not mistaken, we shall also acknowledge that such an union of qualities is possible, and that those in whom they are united, and those only, should be rulers in the State.
What do you mean?
Let us suppose that philosophical minds always love knowledge of a sort which shows them the eternal nature not varying from generation and corruption.
Agreed.
And further, I said
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I know the mormon dude's claim to own a world. I underastand what "born again" means. God talks in riddles, just like in the Bible and all that tenderkindness stuff has been confirmed. Book 1984 makes sense. Tons of movies have been written about me--perks by the CIA. We won't get into what I've done with my little world.
God says... C:\LoseThos\www.losethos.com\text\BIBLE.TXT
he mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the LORD.
33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up un
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Evil CIA fuckers nuked serial ports so you can't connect a generic terminal device--they need a specific USB driver. Try hooking-up a little microcontroller. It's not like the old days with hyperterm.
God says... C:\LoseThos\www.losethos.com\text\2CITIES.TXT
d of feet; some, as it seemed, under the windows; some, as it seemed, in the room; some coming, some going, some breaking off, some stopping altogether; all in the distant streets, and not one within sight.
"Are all these footsteps destined to come to all of us, Miss Manette, or are we to divide them among us?"
"I don't know, Mr. Darnay; I told you it was a foolish fancy, but you asked for it. When I have yielded myself to it, I have been alone, and then I have imagined them the footsteps of t
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#288"Those who work hard make good" is a profoundly American theme that dates back to Horatio Alger and before - it can hardly be said to originate from a cabal of VCs trying to "put one over" on hapless founders and startup employees in Silicon Valley. No doubt Mr. Arrington adds his peculiarly abrasive touch to the debate (toughen up, don't whine, and let's applaud Zynga for what it did to its employees), but he did so…
This isn't some highschool debate wankery. The arrington/jwz/arrington exchange is exactly as jwz characterized it: Arrington plus vcs in general selling a story to engineers that is pretty damn unlikely (a lottery, in fact) in order to enrich primarily themselves. jwz doesn't stand to benefit from people following his advice, while Arrington certainly does. Further, the fact that you don't include Arrington giving a…
...stupid.
I really don't think name calling is necessary. I mostly try to read HN without reading names, but some people, like grellas, earn a reputation by repeatedly making insightful comments. Plus, I don't think any of us here deserve to have our opinions called "stupid." You've been here a bit longer than I have, so I know I don't have to remind you, but in case others are reading, let's try to be slightly more civil.
As an aside, this is the second post I've made in as many days defending the comments of HN regulars. It almost sounds like I'm trying to appeal to the local "cool kids" for some strange reason, but in reality I just don't want to see some of HN's valuable contributors chased off by lowering the level of discourse when things get tense.
This exchange between Arrington and jwz strikes at the heart of the mythos that drives the HN community, so I realize things can get heated. As a startup founder myself it made me think carefully about some of my goals. Let's not allow that to lower our standards.
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#289Earlier quoted context omitted.
This isn't some highschool debate wankery. The arrington/jwz/arrington exchange is exactly as jwz characterized it: Arrington plus vcs in general selling a story to engineers that is pretty damn unlikely (a lottery, in fact) in order to enrich primarily themselves. jwz doesn't stand to benefit from people following his advice, while Arrington certainly does. Further, the fact that you don't include Arrington giving a…
...stupid. I really don't think name calling is necessary. I mostly try to read HN without reading names, but some people, like grellas, earn a reputation by repeatedly making insightful comments. Plus, I don't think any of us here deserve to have our opinions called "stupid." You've been here a bit longer than I have, so I know I don't have to remind you, but in case others are reading, let's try to be slightly more…
1 - you'll note I didn't call grellas stupid, so watch your accusations
2 - some opinions are stupid
3 - This has nothing to do w/ standards or whose side I'm on, except that running around looking after
4 - grellas believes everyone should be free to express his or her core beliefs "without being accused of nefarious motives". Sorry, bs. Some people are looking out for number one, are in a position to exploit others, and should be called on it.
5 - I have a sincerely held belief you all owe me $10k. Each. See? Stupid.
Re: Watch a VC use my name to sell a con
#290Earlier quoted context omitted.
This isn't some highschool debate wankery. The arrington/jwz/arrington exchange is exactly as jwz characterized it: Arrington plus vcs in general selling a story to engineers that is pretty damn unlikely (a lottery, in fact) in order to enrich primarily themselves. jwz doesn't stand to benefit from people following his advice, while Arrington certainly does. Further, the fact that you don't include Arrington giving a…
...stupid. I really don't think name calling is necessary. I mostly try to read HN without reading names, but some people, like grellas, earn a reputation by repeatedly making insightful comments. Plus, I don't think any of us here deserve to have our opinions called "stupid." You've been here a bit longer than I have, so I know I don't have to remind you, but in case others are reading, let's try to be slightly more…
"You're stupid." = name-calling, of course, but you consider "What you did there was stupid." to be name-calling? I don't think everyone would agree with that.