Solving the Afghan poppy surplus problem

Here's someone thinking outside the box. What a great idea. Buy opium farmer direct and make medicine out of it. Much cheaper than bombing and occupying, plus the world needs the meds. Cut out the middle man and maybe your repressive theocracy goes away too.

Win, win, win.

Because the opium finances the repressive forces in Afghanistan, this problem needs to be tackled head-on in order to stop the war.

Election night photos in Chicago

My photos of the election night rally in Chicago didn't turn out as well as these did, but this slide show shows the crowd and the new first family, and it gives you a real sense of what it was like on the ground. It is being reported that 250,000 people were there at the rally in Chicago with us, although most of those folks would have been outside the park itself where you can't see them. This wave of humanity you can see is the first 40,000 or so who made it inside.

It was a trip leaving the park. Everyone was especially polite -- in a state of shock really. Optimistic shock, but definitely stunned. We walked for a dozen blocks in a crowd as far as you could see of quiet happy people. No cars. Every once in a while a wave of happy shouting would pass over us. I've never seen so many happy, relaxed, well-behaved cops in my life. I've never felt safer in a big crowd.

Now, perhaps, a change for the better is in the wind. Let's all hope so.

Google offers $10 million for ideas that can change the world

You ever have a great idea and think, dang, I wish I could tell someone who could make that happen? Well, here's your chance.

The link above goes to the Google page for the project.
CNN's article

The plan is to attract good ideas from as many people as possible and to fund the ones they think will do the most good. You don't have to have the expertise to make your idea work, either, and you can submit more than one idea. Some people and ideas will be connected with charitable organizations that can help implement them also.

"People are encouraged to submit their ideas, in any of 25 languages, on http://www.project10tothe100.com/index.html through October 20. Entrants must briefly describe their idea and answer six questions, including, "If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the most and how?"

"Google employees, with the help of an advisory board, will narrow the submissions to 100 semifinalists by January 27. Between January 27 and February 2, the public will vote online for their favorite ideas. A panel of as-yet-unnamed judges will then review the top 20 ideas and announce up to five winners in mid-February.

"Funding, from a pool of $10 million, will be awarded in May. If the judges decide to reward five winning ideas, each will receive $2 million. If only two ideas are chosen, each will receive $5 million, and so on."

Wikipedia vs Gilligan's Island: A sea change in human activity

... television watching? Two hundred billion hours, in the U.S. alone, every year. Put another way ... that's 2,000 Wikipedia projects a year spent watching television. Or put still another way, in the U.S., we spend 100 million hours every weekend, just watching the ads. This is a pretty big surplus. People asking, "Where do they find the time?" when they're looking at things like Wikipedia don't understand how tiny that entire project is ....

We live in a disruptive time. As humans turn away from TV and begin to participate in making media, community, tools and meaning, we have a surplus of brainpower and time to apply to making a better world together. Viva la difference!

A time to look back at how far we've come

"Racism and sexism have not taken their leave. But
the fact that Barack Obama is the presumptive
nominee of the Democratic Party, and that the two
finalists for that prize were a black man and a
white woman, are historical events of the highest
importance. We should not allow ourselves to
overlook the wonder of this moment."

[...]

"This election year has been a testament to the
many long decades of work and sacrifice by men
and women - some famous, most not; some still
alive, many gone - to build a more equitable and
just American society.

"When the night riders were fitted for their
robes, when Wallace stood in the schoolhouse
door, when lowlifes mocked and humiliated those
who were fighting for women’s rights, they were
trying to forestall the realization of this type
of moment in history.

"We’ll see whether Senator Obama gets elected
president. But whether he does or not, this is a
moment of which Americans can be proud, a moment
the society can build upon.

"So a victory lap is in order. Not for Senator
Obama (he still has a way to go), but for all
those in every station in life who ever refused
to submit quietly to hatred and oppression. They
led us to a better place."


Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

There's more. Go read it for yourself.