The thaw is on. Thank God 

The sub-average temps were really getting to me. Week after week. I was looking forward to temps in the mid to upper 30s this week, and it turns out it's even a little warmer than that. We're supposed to get some rain this weekend. I always like that to wash away the salt and dirt. Country snow is white and pretty. City snow is black and ugly along the sides of the roads and in mountains in parking lots.

The government's just too damned big 

The conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital's annexes are a result of poor planning, sure, but don't you think this sort of thing happens all over the government as a result of bureaucracy and the way any too-big organization has trouble keeping its priorities straight?

You take a manager in any huge organization -- whether it's a business or a university or a government agency -- who gets tired and forgets the meaning behind the purchase order requisition form, and this is what you get.

I don't blame the Republicans. In fact I think Democrats are even worse when it comes to bloat and patronage. Every big organization needs some entreprenuers to shake things up, but they have to be given enough freedom to act. Small teams with decision autonomy can work too.

I've had a story in my head for years about breaking up the U.S. into uptopian micronations formed around interests and lifestyles. LAMP geeks all go to live in, oh, I don't know... New Mexico, and form trade alliances with a Cottage Crafters Nation in Kentucky and Wall Street, which can stay in New York.

Don't go changin' (too much) 

Rocketboom audience demographics came out. Women are a skinny sliver of the pie. I'm pretty sure they were kidding about focusing on things like pink crocheted purses. Hope so. I wonder if crosstabs are available. I'd be curious to see the age breakdown by gender.

I'm not so sure the content has to change that much to attract more women. Well, maybe fewer robots. ;-) I'm sure that the study results already has caused the team to be on the lookout for women doing interesting things in technology -- just having that awareness goes a long way. I do think the new host is more welcoming to women viewers. I never feel like she's looking past me to flirt with some guy behind me.