For my netbook (first gen/2008 Acer AspireOne), LXDE (formerly Xfce in a prev. ubuntu netbook distro).
For my VM on my gaming rig, Unity or GNOME. Largely this is due to not being particular about what's running and why. I'll admit that I wasn't a fan of Unity initially, but I've grown to appreciate it (read: not care about its issues or style difference).

I've noticed so far that there's a lot of border spacing around posts and the comments system. Overall I don't mind the more open, less 'condensed' approach, but think that the beta page's spacing may need to decrease about 25% overall. Now that I think of it, it reminds me bit of viewing a 'mobile-version' of the site, but on a desktop display (21.5" wide screen LED backlit LCD monitor).

I'm kicking myself in the head for this. Another excellent core series to read is the Dune franchise, by Frank Herbert (and the subsequent complementary work by his son, Brian Herbert, and his collaborator, Kevin J. Anderson). Space Fantasy not being locked down by rigid technological detailing, if I ever saw one. Concepts focused are on apex human evolution, parallels in historical patterns/fallbacks to feudalism and matters of ecological and resource-based monopolies. Religious tones interestingly used to push an exotic, spiritual experience without being stuck up its own proverbial rear.

Person recommendations (with short-form reason[s]):

The Quantum Thief (and I'd assume, the sequel "The Fractal Prince"), by Hannu Rajaniemi - the story dives into topics of personal security, public access memory, intra-stellar colonization,and hitting one or more Singularity events in technology and social splintering. Pacing is quick, detailing incredibly potent, yet giving you time to see parallels in where we are and where we could be, in the not-so-distant future. A wake-up call started decades ago by previous and existing speculative fiction authors and thinkers.

Sprawl Trilogy novels (Neuromancer (1984), Count Zero (1986), and Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988)), by William Gibson - cyberpunk literature that looks at the embedding and transformation-strong elements of technology alongside its own and society's deterministic properties. Puts to task the idea of isolation of the self and the integration of society into a ubiquitous whole through cyberspace, and its physio-socio-psychological backbones. Admittedly, Gibson's writing style can be very sparse/minimalist at times (especially with the more recent literature in the Bigend Trilogy) but the ideas are there and strong, nonetheless.

Heck, anything from William Gibson (including the Bigend Trilogy, in the last decade or so) is a good read.

Last, but not least, is More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon. This focuses on the idea of a potential future evolutionary adaptation, where a consummate human being, a gestalt, comes into being through a variety of children - should one be lost or removed permanently, another will be compatible elsewhere in the world. Individually, the children have limited abilities. In tandem as the gestalt (still physically separate), their abilities amplify.

There are more, but their names escape me, which tells me that they're not as crucial or best suited for this post.

I take public transit, you insensitive clod! This doesn't apply in a direct sense unles I'm the driver or transit commission!

You might want to gripe at the News stations, not Toronto. We make a fuss when it's slushy as heck, not when the weather is crazy, as usual. :)

I've posted the converted version for Celsius, waiting for approval.

The Canadian Celcius
Temperature Guide

+10 New Yorkers turn on the heat: Canadians plant gardens.
+4.444 Californians shiver uncontrollably: Canadians sun bathe.
+1.667 Italian cars won't start: Canadians drive with the windows down.
0 Distilled water freezes: Canadian water gets thicker.
-6.667 Georgians wear coats, gloves, & wool hats: Canadians wear T-shirts.
-9.444 Californians begin to evacuate the state: Canadians go swimming.
-17.778 New York landlords turn on the heat: Canadians BBQ before it’s cold.
-23.333 People in Nashville cease to exist: Canadians lick flagpoles.
-28.889 South Texans fly to Mexico: Canadians throw on a light jacket.
-40 Hollywood disintegrates: Canadians rent videos.
-51.111 Mt. St. Helen's freezes: Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door to door.
-62.222 Canadian Boy Scouts put off "Winter Survival" camping till it gets cold enough.
-73.333 Santa Claus abandons the North Pole: Canadians put on their toques.
-113.889 Ethyl alcohol freezes: Canadians get frustrated – their screech kegs won’t thaw.
-177.222 Canadian cows complain of farmers with cold hands.
-273.333 Atomic motion stops: Canadians start saying, "Cold nuf for ya, eh?"
-295.556 Hell freezes over: the Stanley Cup returns to Toronto!