I'm an American, and you cannot conceive of how much I agree with your position!

Best of luck!

(Expose and excise Corporatism. Businesses are NOT a component of "The People", at least as the US founding Fathers meant.)

Hah! You've only been getting $7K? You need contacts in the "Black" world, $5K hammers make this $50K software!

"I've managed people in the past, and it struck me that Management should really be a support role. My most valuable contribution as a manager was making sure my people understood what was expected and getting them the information and resources they needed to do their best work. This involved a lot of spreadsheets and scheduling, which had nothing to do with the job I was promoted from (mechanic). The second most valuable contribution was protecting my people from the whimsy and downright predation of higher management, who felt that their purpose in life was to crack whips and make sure everyone below them knew they were being watched."

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You must have been living my past life!

Congratulations on your view point and the protection of your staff. It's more rare than you probably realize. (Oh, and it won't do you any good in the future either...)

Wow! Where are you from?

I'm 47 and can either starve, take a minimum wage job (if I can get one), or go back to complete the only BS degree within reach (2 years, I have an Associates) in a likely worthless discipline.

If I choose to go back I get to wipe out my savings, as my wife works and we have assets. $30K minimum for the remaining 68 credit hours, plus my lost wages (say another $30K/yr).

The degree, if I can navigate the "new and improved" education system, has little direct marketability. If I'm lucky the B.S. ******* University on my CV will at least get me an interview, and if I'm lucky more than a minimum wage job.

At any rate, the return will likely not be positive before my daughter enters college.

Want to live here?

Yes it has, and worse.

I was in the aviation / aerospace area which has simply been obliterated.

24 months ago I made $78K / Yr. 18 months ago I made $95K / yr. sliding to $58.5K / yr as my employer slid into bankruptcy and eventually liquidation.

Having worked a whopping total of 4 months this year, $8/hr begins to look reasonable, especially the closer I get to the unemployment benefit expiring. (I'm at the top end of my states UI benefit range, which equals roughly $9.75 / hour. Take taxes and basic catastrophic medical coverage out of it and you're left with $5.65 / hour. If my wife was not still employed, my children would be going hungry.)

Harsh reality, but at least here in Indiana I estimate the REAL unemployment rate at above 25% including those who are either relegated to part time only work, or massively underemployed.

As for me, I have been under-degreed / over-compensated for years. In all probability my future is handyman and home networking odd jobs.

This for a middle aged guy with children WAY to close to when they SHOULD be preparing for college. Oh, and the same thing is happening to higher education costs which have already transpired in the US medical industry...

The US is in a real mess, with no realistic escape avenues. The most probable outcomes are either hyper-inflation and societal meltdown, or energy disruption (either a cut off of our suppliers, or self inflicted through "environmental protection") and further contraction of what is left of the economy.

The only bright spot is that in certain regions the US is now becoming a reasonable manufacturing location as real wages offset by transportation costs have made our citizens competitive with "third world" workers.

I am REALLY becoming concerned what my children will face. Historically, societies which experience our most probable futures have nasty and violent reorganizations. Based upon the continued expansion of Corporatism and the further stratification of our society I fear a French Revolution type of outcome.

I absolutely agree! I assume by your comment then that you'll be doing your part to reduce the overpopulation and finding a way to excise yourself from humanity?

This sort of thing isn't just limited to the US. I don't know if they still do it, but some years ago, the Dutch state publisher claimed copyright on public government documents, including laws.

> Because US states are sovereign entities too?

Yes, as a matter of fact. They are.

You know, it is possible to loathe the UMD format while simultaneously loathing digital distribution even more.

A thousand additional points for starting with Asimov's "The Edge of Tomorrow". The stories are short, and most have a clear moral or social context. They also provide entry to many of the Asimov basics such as the three laws of robotics, and the "thinking computer".

NASA will soon launch a satellite to directly monitor for the locations of ground level point sources of CO2. http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/oco-20081112.html

I suggest a moratorium on all of the "lets 'STOP' Global Warming" hoopla and gather some meaningful data. Let's find out where this evil CO2 is coming from and develop programs and incentives to reduce the actual sources.

If U.S. autos are a huge source, there is data to support moving to something else. If the U.S. Electrical power industry is one of the major sources, there is additional emphasis to stop pi**ing away money on Tokamaks and get serious about developing truly net positive fusion.

If the problem is China's factories or power generation, well the Chinese can clean up their mess.

As an incentive, let's suppose Chinese factories and power generation is a large component of man-made emissions. Consuming nations should make a decision if they can produce the goods they purchase from this high emission region at lower emissions. If so, imports from high per item emission producers should be reduced in favor of local production in lower emission areas.

One last comment, just because it bothered me so.

I recently saw the remake of the classic Sci-Fi B movie "The day the Earth stood still". I was disturbed by the omission of an epilogue which described the results of the closing scenes of the movie.

"... and with the loss of electrical and other power sources, industry shutdown, and all that depended upon mechanization died with it. Within weeks Billions of the Earth's inhabitants were starving. The cities became hunter killer grounds as those who could, took from those unable to protect themselves.

Within months humanity had retreated to a Medieval life style, as disease and starvation continued to reduce the numbers of humanity to a tiny fraction of those alive on the day of landing.

The forests were denuded as those left alive sought fuel to guard against the cold of the Northern Latitudes. Coal once again became a primary fuel source. Recovered from the ground as it had been 400 years before, by children working until their early deaths."

Yeah, just what I want for MY children! (Sarcasm intended)

To those who thought the ending of that movie was nirvana, I have a suggestion. Pool you money, buy a small country, move there and institute your "no carbon emission" fantasy. After your gone we'll come around to reclaim the land if we feel like we need it.

I for one DO NOT want to see my childrens future (economic, educational, or standard of living) eviscerated to fulfill someone else desire to "fight Global Warming".

Instead of generating completely unrealistic Carbon caps and Carbon reduction targets, which in reality will simply become the next economic weapon (and a HUGE moneymaker for those trading in "carbon credits"). Let's get serious about fixing the problem.

We need a new, continuous, throttleable energy source and a new high energy density, safe liquid fuel of low or 0 carbon emission. I'd feel much better about my standard of living being decimated if the reduction was being spent to develop these things, than to "conserve our way to Carbon nirvana".

In case you haven't noticed, you can't conserve your way to prosperity.