A very interesting set of challenges facing our economy over the next 25 years and some strategy for addressing those challenges.

I like most of the recommendations being made here, but I find the predictions to be ominous. Our productivity growth for the last 20 years has been based on having more people with higher education levels. Eventually you reach a point where you max that out, and then growth slows.

One of the more interesting conclusions here: The powers that be are strongly incented to create as much upward social mobility as possible.

How Will America Work in the 21st Century? (LARGE PDF)

Santa getting taken out Sept 11th style.

santa2.jpg (JPEG Image, 576x432 pixels)

flynn23 wrote:
] Decius wrote:
] ] Much like those kids in Florida, this appears to be a case of
] ] someone's paranoia getting the better of them.
]
] Just wait til the secret court system, and the President's
] power to indict US citizens on his own, and the CIA's ability
] to kill any American that is linked to terrorism without a
] trial start kicking in.

Holland is sounding better and better all the time...

RE: Al'Q Software Drama

] "(Barlow) now believes Congress won't take technologists
] seriously until they organize themselves and "take out"
] one of Hollywood's elected lackeys in an upcoming
] election."

More information about what went down at Comdex. Barlow's quote here is the most interesting part. RMS writes good code but he is not a good person to put in a debate.

The Real Battle at Comdex: Intellectual Property vs. Internet Protocol

] "Ever leave your coffee cup behind, lick an envelope,
] squash a cigarette into an ashtray, or toss out a wad of
] gum? If so, a sample of your DNA could be nestled right
] now in a plastic tube on a shelf at a company like
] Genelex in Redmond, Wash."

This is worrysome article. A bunch of companies have been keeping databases of samples of DNA they have received for various reasons. Charges that the information is being misused have been levied. The response is that we ought to store everyone's DNA so there is enough political pressure to make sure that the information is used properly. Yeah, sure...

This is literally the wolf asking permission to guard the hen house.

U.S. News: As DNA banks quietly multiply, who is guarding the safe? (12/2/02)

] "Federal agents late Thursday night raided a Quincy,
] Mass., company that provides critical software to major
] U.S. agencies and is suspected of having ties to Usama
] bin Laden and Al Qaeda terrorists.
]
] But shortly before noon Friday, the government said Ptech
] Inc.'s software was safe, after studying its code for
] evidence it might do anything other than advertised, such
] as allowing insiders to read or steal sensitive data."

Much like those kids in Florida, this appears to be a case of someone's paranoia getting the better of them.

Al'Q Software Drama

I figure a few people on this site might get a kick out of this. This is a talking Bush doll. He says things like "You're working hard to put food on your family."

Talking Presidents dot com

] "In this paper we review the existing evidence of the
] usability of open source software and discuss how the
] characteristics of open-source development influence
] usability."

This is a detailed paper. Just read the bullet points. It makes observations that need to be made. In general, computer geeks tend to think they are better then tech writers, usability people, artists, etc... this is a common theme. It was, in fact, the point of a presentation at Phreaknic which was discussed here. It causes problems. This is one of those problems.

Usability and Open Source Software

] "Canada, Uzbekistan and Vietnam were the only countries
] in which a majority of respondents had a favorable view
] of their nation's condition. Vietnam was the only country
] in which a majority of respondents -- 51 percent -- said
] they had a positive view of the state of the world.

There are several interesting factoids in here... Why is everyone in Vietnam so happy?

CNN.com - Survey of 44 nations shows growing discontent over U.S.

] "Get good and drunk before you post to MemeStreams!"

FYI, I created a MemeStreams Beer Mug. Also, I have reduced the prices on all MemeStreams stuff. I only make $1 when you buy something from the store.

MemeStreams Beer Mug