I often wish there existed a 'student course materials bill of rights'. At a minimum, it would require professors to indicate which version(s) of the texts are acceptable, and would require them to provide this information ~2 weeks before the start of the term, allowing students time to order used books online.
The current-1 edition of a textbook, purchased used on Amazon, is often 25-50% of the cost of the new textbook in the college bookstore...
Of course, open-source textbooks would be even better.
Cat bonds were developed by insurance companies to offset the potentially large losses associated with natural disasters.
Investors purchase cat bonds, which pay interest as long as no predefined trigger conditions are met. If the trigger condition, such as a damaging hurricane, occurs, investors forfeit their principal, which is used to pay claims arising from the catastrophe.
Investors like them because they offer enticing, uncorrelated returns, and insurers like them as an alternative to reinsurance.
Would it be possible for companies to eventually become accredited?
Or, alternatively, would the preponderance of nanodegree programs and "Google Schools" diminish the value of a traditional degree to the point that accreditation would be unnecessary?
I agree that the increasing investment and quality of alternative higher education models will diminish the role of traditional accreditation agencies to some degree. However, there will always be some need for some third-party oversight to ensure educational institutions are delivering what they advertise.
A few years ago, I opened and closed a company there with no problems. Did it again recently (post the various money laundering laws) and it was much more paperwork. When I flew to HK to get the bank account opened, they stressed I might not get it and that many foreigners could not get an account opened. 4 weeks later, HSBC denied me an account so the company lies empty until I decide to close it.
In a previous thread, someone said they managed to open an account so maybe it's on a case by case basis.
The online application (€50) was very easy to fill out, and I received status updates via email. My e-Residency was granted 51 days after submission, and the card was ready to be picked up 8 days later.
I picked up my card at the Estonian consulate in NYC over the summer. You just have to bring ID, and they will fingerprint you while you're there.
I think it was the most pleasant interaction I've ever had with a government.
I agree. I'm curious, however, to know what the D&B replacement will be for these types of operations in the future.
I believe CoinsSource provided a trust index for altcoin developers at one point [0], and it looks like Bitrated has a web-of-trust-based system for bitcoin-denominated transactions [1].
After reading some of the surge-related threads on UberPeople.net, it sounds like drivers say "don't chase the surge" because surge pricing immediately results in drivers saturating the surge area, causing the surge pricing to disappear.
I would be interested to learn more about the profit-maximizing strategies Uber drivers employ, such as whether or not to "chase surge." Any idea where to look?
The best thing is to just learn your clientele. I was regularly driving 30-ride days on Lyft where 75% of my rides were at elevated pricing. I do have a PhD in chemistry and a degree in math though, so I had somewhat of a career in analytical thinking and pattern recognition prior to becoming a driver.
If you have questions, feel free to drop a line (contact in profile), I drove in two cities for about a year (I do contract coding now)
[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=731923.0