Over the past two years, so-called wireless "smart meters" to measure electricity have been installed in millions of Northern California homes by PG&E, our utility company. The company claims … [Read more...]
Social Issues and Debatable Topics
Internet Privacy in a Sea of Web Cookies
Worried about Internet privacy, web monitoring, flash cookies and who’s watching your website activity? Need better privacy protection in your life? Read on. Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal published the first article in a series called “The Web’s New Gold Mine: Your Secrets,” a comprehensive piece describing how ad networks and Internet tracking companies are [...]
Finding Solutions in the Fortune Cookies of Our Minds
After having Chinese food tonight, I opened up two fortune cookies. The first read: “Your life will be prosperous if you use your creativity.” Kind of what you’d expect from a “fortune” cookie–nothing brilliant or earth-shaking. Tossed that one aside. The second one, though, caught my eye: “You will find your solution where you least [...]
Reality In a Land of Dreams and Nightmares
I awakened the other morning while still in REM dream sleep. Although I don’t recall if my eyes opened into reality from a dream or nightmare (it could have been a mix of both), I was uncomfortable with the experience. You’ve probably experienced a similar occurrence as your alarm clock went off. You’re in a [...]
South Dakota Public Radio Memories on the Fourth of July
On the fourth of July, 1976–200 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence–I stood in a corn field on a farm near Brookings, South Dakota. I had just arrived to become Program Coordinator of KESD-FM, an NPR station located on the campus of South Dakota State University. Little did I know that someday [...]
Health Care Reform for the Good of All
Well, the 2010 mid-term elections are over. And it’s still clear to me that democracies are wonderful but they suck when it comes to reaching consensus on critical issues like health care reform. Once again, the Wall Street Journal, reiterates tired, trendy phrases for many of its readers. In today’s editorial–”the ObamaCare Crossroads–we read: “In [...]
Living in Silicon Valley: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Something is terribly, terribly wrong in Silicon Valley. Probably the rest of the nation too. But, as they say, everything starts in California then heads east. So whatever’s happening here will soon hit your home town if it hasn’t arrived already. This morning’s paper is filled with new and continuing stories related to the economy: [...]
Can Silicon Valley and Wall Street Learn from Wyoming?
Wyoming, population 533,000, is experiencing its 8th straight year of population growth. What does Wyoming know that Silicon Valley doesn’t? Slower economic growth, less dependence on technology and adopting green energy has kept its unemployment rate at 6.8%. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts concluded that the American Clean Energy and Security Act, passed early [...]