What does a million dollars buy you (not much in Silicon Valley unfortunately)

When I was in Mountain View, I met a guy who bought a home in Palo Alto in the 1960s told me that before that area became Silicon Valley it was farming land-its why many of the homes and apt buildings are not built with modern conveniences (double paned windows, thick walls.) They were never designed to be million dollar homes or even executive style accommodation lol Make me wish I were alive to have bought up a bunch of homes in the 1960s lol

The place I rented back in Mountain View best described the no upgrade necessary for the very high rent mentality of most landlords!

-Myabuy Man

Myabuy

What does a $1+ million home in Silicon Valley look like....

Very average...honestly $1 million gets you so little in Silicon Valley-if you owned a home there before the Internet boom (when the homes were probably priced at their physical value-materials, land size, design) than your sitting on a fortune that will not go down in value...Its weird what $1 million gets you in an area that is not near the water, or beautiful scenery....

Well its the type of area where nothing is what it seems...

-Myabuy 4 life

The difference between Silicon Valley myth and reality!

Wondering when Silicon Valley will understand that people who work there (unless their an employee of a huge company) cannot afford to live there. I remember living in Mountain View and talking with people working downtown who had to live about a 1hour drive away (some had to take a few buses) to get to work. I went to mountain View for Myabuy but learned a lot about the difference between the myth of Silicon Valley and the reality of living there.Income inequality does exist even in 1 of the richest parts of CA.

Just an observation from a former Mountain View resident, who did make some good friends while living there....

Facebook=Experian. 'Nuff said

How Facebook has become Experian.

Both have become a vehicle for data collection

Both solely exist to collect personal communications and profile information that they sell to any type of business (no matter how sleazy, disreputable or crooked)

Both are very large and head by a CEO who's a huge hypocrite-preaching how we should be open but desperately guarading their own personal info and communications from others

Both would soil themselves and sue if a rival corporation perpetrated the crap they do to us

Both do not care what happens to you, me or anyone else-we are like ATM's to them (well our personal communications and actions are)

They are a match made in heaven, that unfortunately does not care if it makes the lifes of other’s hell...They may as well merge and cut out the facade that they are benefiting society.

What's wrong with the FTC-look at the Facebook settlement. Shameful by any legal standard!

Is anyone else disappointed in how inefficient U.S. government and the FTC has been-waiting this long and willing to accept "settlements" from companies like Facebook that relish in exposing everyone (except their own executives) information as part of their culture and original business model. I guess that is a type of business model in the way that cos I never heard of, posting your information and then asking you to "claim this profile". That there is no financial punishment to a company that has been doing it blatantly since it's founding (in legal terms punitive damages) indicates that the laws and congress are for sale, through corporate lobbyists-Facebook has a big lobbying unit in Washington D.C.

Its a shame because without punitive damages there is no incentive for anyone to respect privacy until they are forced to (which in Facebook's case was 5 years plus) I cannot imagine in private sector lawyers would work and spend years only to settle for such weak terms (no financial or punitive damages) It is a settlement between a watchdog and a private, for profit company being treated like a misunderstanding that has been going on for over 5 years! I can understand why FTC and other government agencies cannot attract top level talent nowadays. If I were a lawyer and spent all this time and effort to get nothing tangible (financial or personal satisfaction) I would feel like the whole thing was a waste of my time and expertise.

-A "faceless" Myabuyer

Musing on Thailand (my homeland)

I am perplexed and angry about what is going on in Thailand now. While I am not in the country I follow the Thai news keenly on Thai newspapers, including Bangkok Post and Nation Newspaper, the idea perpetuated by Western media that has no idea about what's going on in Thailand. First The Puen Thai government (which is not being led by the PM Yingluck but her older brother on the run, ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra) were not voted for by the contributing parts of Thailand. The Southern region, where all the tourist and natural beauty area) and most of Bangkok (the capital where all the GDP revenue is generated) They also happen to be areas where the people are more educated (perhaps this is circumstance but probably not)

Unfortunately the North contributes very little to GDP yet have many people. This is also the region which voted for the Puen Thai government (bribes and cash handouts are used as extra incentives) So the government now is representing a region of Thailand (the North) and everywhere else in Thailand (particularly the Southern Region and Bangkok) has to endure a lesser government for 4 years (god I hope they are not in office for that long) This type of democracy is not really representative democracy but more domination of one part of the country that happens to be the worse educated and not much of a contributor to the Thai economy.

Of course now that there is an election, regardless of the competency of the current Thai govt Western media will ignore the country. It does not make news unless there is coup or natural disaster. This is not unique to Thailand but is similar to many non-Western countries. They are forgotten quickly until a big disaster strikes. It is sad but all I can do is try not to think about the mess and hope that Thailand succeeds somehow, whether it be with the current govt (although that is probably not likely) or a better one that replaces it. This may be off-topic but it matters to me and many other people who care about Thailand.

Thanks for reading!

-A Myabuy guy

Beauty is under rated online-why?

I am amazed at how beauty is under rated when it comes to websites and "Social Networks" It is not how the real world works. I do not want to sound superficial but the thought that some of the ugliest and most unfriendly to look at websites are heavily visited is disturbing. It is not the design in so much as the ugly practices and need for websites to devote 40% of screen space to the most tacky "Sponsored ads" and garbage imaginable...

How any business that is looking to maintain a good reputation would be willing to associate themselves, knowing their profile will be seen and matched alongside ads for dollar stores, dubious dating sites, crappy for profit unis (basically all the sad business entities that do not care about customers or the quality of their wares)

Life online is not like the real world. Unfortunately good businesses that rely on ugly websites and "Social Networks" with even uglier business practices will be lumped together-it just does not work (business wise) for the reputable party. It is time for some businesses to wake up and see that not all websites or social networks are equal-to pretend otherwise is delusional.

-Myabuy team