That's very doable and could probably be put in one or maybe a couple of packets of data. Given that I know nothing specifically about airplane systems, still one would expect you could install a stand alone black box that gathers and transmits this data w/o even integrating it into any systems besides onboard power. Relative compass heading and airspeed are easily derivable from last GPS positions. I can't understand why it would REQUIRE 100K per plane to do this.

However, what is important (to taxonomists) is it has a new name.

Do you suppose we could suggest house sparrows, grackles, or starlings as research birds in the wind tunnels? There are certainly enough of them in most major cities.

Well, given the diet of the young in the last 20 or 30 years...I think HFCS is the correct analysis. The future beings will assume we were like hummingbirds.

My dogs face every which direction while pooping, it appears to be purely random from my observation.

You don't want to know what 'kinds', it's censored.

However, if you asked the local baker for his recipes....I think you'd hear a different story.

Yes, I know how that is...you try to get it to plot a course to nearest Best-Buy while you're out in an unfamiliar neighborhood, but you have to check or it'll route you to the Best Buy headquarters 4 states away (or something innane). I wouldn't want the navigational system to start giving me directions without confirming that it had locked on to the address that I REALLY wanted to go to.

I'm ready for the next (or next-next) gen display, holographic display hovering in midair. Preferably with sensors that can detect my interactions with them. Wonder how far out THAT is now ?

I wouldn't say Linus is mean (at least in person). I don't know him closely, but I've met and talked with him a few times. I certainly don't find him offensive just because. And...it does seem his method works.

I agree totally..and I also want to use a quote from Mary Poppins, (the church believes) 'A spoonfull of sugar makes the medicine go down'.

Yes, I suppose you're right (excellently thought out post btw). I seldom do anything I'd call hacking these days either. I do more 'system integration' and still nerdy stuff on occasion, but far far less frequently than back in the day, when we lived/breathed/and didn't eat it.
I was just learning PERL when Rob first put up the site and I was impressed at what he'd done with it as CGI. Nowdays, I write in PERL on occassion for quick and dirty scriplets, but not often. And you're right, Slashdot was a great place for tech exchange (Ask Slashdot) when there weren't many places (beside old USENET).
Mostly things these days just work (as you point out). However, I'm still glad to have the insight into how to diagnose varying issues, from all that experience of years gone, when you had to do that sort of thing with everything you did.

I'm sad to see the changes...and I will agree that SlashDot is not what it was. I've been considering frequenting it less. I seldom post, but I do read a lot of articles (and quite often commentary).
Course, I'm not what I was 15 years ago either :)