lopezyignacio's comments

lopezyignacio | 8 years ago | on: As the U.S. fantasizes, the world builds high speed rail

The distance between Chicago and Minneapolis is slightly higher than the distance between Paris and Montpellier.

For those cities in France, the time travel from city center to city center is about 3 hours and half by train, with 2 stops on the way. It beats both car and air travel, since you can just to show up at the station 5 minutes before the train departs, and don't need to go through security.

Also, the cheap tickets cost less than 50 euro, and you can get between 25% and 50% discount if you are less than 25 years old.

lopezyignacio | 8 years ago | on: Trump administration has plan to scrap ‘startup visa’ rule

France is currently working on improving conditions for tech entrepreneurs. They recently created the tech visa: http://visa.lafrenchtech.com

lopezyignacio | 9 years ago | on: How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacular crash

I can't provide you with exact sources, but I recall the same thing happening in Mexican indigenous villages with coca cola. Coca cola would subsidise the drink so that it is much cheaper than local drinks. Villagers give up their local drinks for coca cola. Once it has a monopoly, coca cola raises the prices. Villagers are unable to get back to their local drinks which no one makes anymore, and keep buying Coke.

These kind of things generally happen over many years, and you generally take it as one of the good things in life. Unfortunately before you know it, you are already paying top dollars, you have a multinational making huge margins on your back, and not many ways to get out of it.

lopezyignacio | 9 years ago | on: UK government considering a “cut-off date” for EU citizens’ rights to residency

Also EU citizen living here for 2 years (so not entitled to the permanent residency). I own a UK company and pay my share of taxes. Still I'm scared I'm going to be asked to leave at some point.

Also, if I go visit my family on the continent, am I going to be able to come back ?

lopezyignacio | 9 years ago | on: Ask HN: What Keeps you from moving?

As somebody who has been moving every year or two since I was 10, I am trying to force myself to stay in the same city/country for at least 5 years. Being in the same location enables you to develop a social network. Most of your basic needs are already solved (housing, job, visa, friend...), and you get to spend time focusing on other issues or hobbies. Moving places is an exciting thing. But you get lots of advantages by sticking somewhere.