tryd

Not at all. They have refused to sponsor a politician that wants people to boycott Apple and to harm Apples business by making it harder for them to compete. They are acting responsible as a company, seeking to optimize  profit for their owners. They are doing exactly what they should do. 

When have they given computers to the (i.e. sponsored) Saudis, politicians in India, China etc...? Apple is a company. They sell computers, they don't give them away. They can sponsor things they agree with, but why should they sponsor policies they don't agree with and which may actually harm them as a company? 

It is interesting, and a little scary, to follow this discussion. 

How is it possible to compare this to selling computers in any country? Apple has decided not to sponsor a candidate that has openly said that he will implement policies that will most probably  influence Apple (and any American company) negatively. Where has Apple ever said that they will not sell computers to republicans? That is what you are implying. Or are you implying that they are giving computers to heads of state in Saudi-Arabia, India, China and other countries that you do not like? 

If I could vote, I would vote for Clinton since there are only two real candidates. I'm sure there are lots of issues with her, but at least she is predictable and responsible. Trump is a loose cannon. Neither responsible nor predictable. The problem is not, for me, what he would do to USA, but what he can do to the rest of the world. USA today is a trigger-happy war-machine that influences not just itself, but also the rest of the world, and recently not in a good way.

I think the normal starting point for teaching kids to program is Scratch. They often then move on to Python. If you are into Java, you may use Greenfoot (greenfoot.org). None of these are available on iPad as far as I know. There are lots of kids that have iPads, and if you can offer them a fun way to use their iPads to experience and learn a modern programming language, I'm all for it.
From what I see on Apple's pages, you can start your code on the iPad, and then move it into Xcode and continue there if you want. This looks really promising.

ihatescreennames said:

Great. Another artist I'll have to tell Siri "Never play this again."

You don't have to like them, but there are few bands that have had a greater influence on the developement og pop-music. Just listen to the other artists from the same period, and also listen to the development they went through in the short time they were recording (october 1962 - 1968). Listen to what they managed to do with just 2 tracks. Their main albums (Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road) were done with just 4 tracks. They also introduced new instruments (sitar, moog ++), end a lot of effects (like backwards recording). The guitar solo in "I'm only sleeping" on Revolver was written backwards to fit the music when played "backwards". They introduced the use of classical instuments - a string quartet in "Elinor Rigby", Helter Skelter is called the first heavy metal song, "Sgt. Pepper" the first concept album (even though i probably wasn't - that price goes the The Pretty Things' "S.F. Sorrow")  and so on... One of the most inventive and influential bands ever.