I am I am

Marvellous

This is a test comment. :)

This is exactly what I was hoping to find when browsing under identify plants. Submitting a photo for an expert to identify would be better for me. Is there such a site as that?

I quote...
"instead of having the child waste it all on a Lexus SUV and some oversized McMansion."

So what happens if your son/daughter does not become wealthy? I'll tell you what... he/she is screwed.
What if he/she ends up working at burger king?
You did not state any exceptions, so poor people would be forced to lose money.

I think that in this day and age it is important to recognise the benefit of stress relief. The fact this idea may have been tried in Japan shows it's feasible but to introduce it in the UK might help to relieve some of the "uptightedness" that we are branded with from birth. This could even be developed further with some kind of scale system to register how much stress you have "relieved" measured by volume and length of scream.

This is a nice idea, I like the permanancy aspect but in some ways is this not what post office boxes are for? maybe I'm missing the point?

The electricity generated by human powered machines is very small. It would be difficult to power even the readout gadgets on the machines this way.

Surely you have sadly misunderstood the private school system - people send their children there to keep diversity at bay. Parents wishing to introduce their children to diversity could always just send them to state schools.

your last comment, that the loss in ticket sales would be made up for in album sales, doesn't work. The people selling CDs are not the same people that own arenas. And, the artists themselves have always made much more money from touring than from CD sales.

I think all the ideas that will be created and implemented are awesome! I would love to find out the outcome of each innovation from this article.

Oh' and I don't agree to the bias of gender. Women do have knowledge of computers and programs. I for one enjoy working on computers and finding out new innovations.

Thanks.

Female from Kansas

This idea entirely represents an absolutely personal view of the author and views expressed here in are not views of any organization with which the author may be connected in any manner.The same would hold good for all submissions of future ideas to this site.

When editing a Word document, for example, you can use "page layout view", which shows all the margins etc., or "Normal" view, which still puts a dotted line to indicate the position of the page breaks. All that is needed is a similar facility in Explorer, Netscape, etc, which shows the page breaks. The user could then easily decide whether the last page (or sometimes the first page!) was superfluous.

You are of course right... this is exactly what needs to happen... and I think is happening or at least being attempted by the likes of Itunes, DX3 etc etc... I think the fundamental problem is tthat music as an artform has been somehow de-valued and therefore suffers from a certain consumer apathy, whether this id down to the rise of P2P applications or the plethora of poor quality material released by the major labels... well I leave you all to decide...

canada is currently installing a wireless system throughout its library system...this idea is a must

You could sell horn sounds on the internet much like mobile phone ringtones or even record your own.

A truly great idea and it could put a stop to road rage all together as every driver would laugh at other horn tones.

I would say this idea should happen more than once a year and be compulsory in all election campaigns.

Thank you for this post. Kay F Gibbs

the amount of biomass with 400 tons/hectare seems unbelievably high. The palm-tree gives only 10.000 litres of palkm-oil per hectare, which is already enormous. Please your explanations on this?
Joseph Meyer

I like the idea. How do you keep people's standards of living at least equivalent, though? Most people need to work 40 or more hours a week to stay afloat.

I just came across this website the other day. I've always thought something along these lines should exist. Glad to have found you guys. I expect great things to come from the Global Ideas Bank.

I would need to know what culture in the Caribbean is less prudish than any other. The US Virgins are certainly not amongst these. These most-prudish of islands, recently closing their naturist beaches, have the worst rape, child-abuse, spousal-battering, and murder rates in the United States. They also have the lowest SATs! They are the unbuckled buckle of the Bible Belt. They fit perfectly into your theory -- with which generally I am obliged to agree though might I suggest that social policies delaying sexual consent for males are about as antisocial and costly as social policies can be. What more stupid policy than having sexually frustrated teenaged boys on the streets? I believe your theory shows up in similar form in UnNatural Selection.

There's gotta be an easier way.

This SWIFT program could be ideal for Australia -considering the amount of devastating bushfires that occur. This is a good opportunity for non-violent offenders to be introduced back into the commmunity.

This would be a good idea for the Guinness Book of Records too. There must be endless records that could be made up - they can't all fit into one book.

I read a book recently called "The Future of Money"by Bernard Lietaer ISBN 0-7126-8399-2. In it he tals about a city in Brazil called Curitiba where they tried something like this. The garbage trucks could not access parts of the city, so people who brought out a bag of sorted waste were given some kind of credit which they could use on public transport.As the buses etc were already running only half full, the extra cost to the city of another passenger is almost 0. The citizen got free transport and a cleaner city, and the city got cleaner and achieved a higher rate of recycling very cheaply. I imagine it also generated a good feeling for all concerned. Could this idea of recycling credits not cover a whole range of possible payback methods, each depending on local/national conditions?

VERY GOOD IDEA! And how do you think it would work to locate sea animal habitats by posting signs with large images of cars - Saturn, Toyota, Prius, Chrysler, VW, etc?

Actually I think the first idea is the best, but we might test it out by asking people to vote.

the author is quite accurate in his observations in that preparing to provide for survivors is "good death" it is also only part of a good death, the having one's house in order is major part of a good death: that house encompases spiritual, physical and emotional

and include in the definition of terrorism (which i think is 'acts of terror against civilians not carried out by nations') to include the sort of thing the USA and the UK are currently perpetrating in Iraq.

I too am from Canada, Toronto specifically and I truly hope we can introduce this idea to this great city. I think people in Canada are open to a greener, environmentally-responsible substitutes and life changes. I am already part of the 'bike-nation'!

So what is time then in your understanding?

In this world we tend to see things as a duality between either public ownership or private ownership, and becasue one particular for of common ownership is not working, does not necessarily mean the other is appropriate.

By accomodating privatisation we allow the debate to wander into dangerous territory. What we need is public organisations with the strength and direction of private bodies. As you yourself mention - there has been an increase in development. And that will be just the tip of the wedge. Effectively, land has still been given over for the purpose of profit, even if people do have access rights, that land now serves capital.

The alternative - campaign for a moratorium on any profit based activity that threatens nature. Don't climb down to a lesser position of acceptance or thinking nothing else can be done. Look at the Zapitistas. Take heart.

How about a compromise? Yes we need far more public transport, and yes, most car parks are horrible tarmac deserts. But we won't get miracles overnight. Instead of tearing up all the tarmac and planting picnic areas, approx. one third of each area could be given over to good landscaping (the new park and ride sites in Winchester are an excellent example of what a car park can look like). That way, wildlife can use the flowerbeds, trees etc., the trees make the air cleaner, there can be shady benches for sitting (if not acres of green for sprawling) and there's still enough parking space to make the move to sustainable transport seem less threatening.

What does this mean? Are you just saying people should be nicer to gay people, and children should be taught in schools to be nicer to gay people? Or is there some deeper meaning mixed up in all that socio-babble?

Yeah, I agree on the internet voting, and maybe the apathy does go deeper than it just being a weekday..... by the way, online voting is, needless to say, an idea in the GIB....do a search above.

sorry, should have made it clear that the method only works with a manual gearbox.

You could buy your own park plot - just like an allotment - every plot owner paying towards the park upkeep.

In Patrick Tilley's "Amtrack Wars" books, the post-apocalyptic populace theorises that roads, whose remnants still exist, were formed from the accumulated trails of giant snails, used as transport and beasts of burden by their pre-apocalyptic ancestors.
If we're going for GM supersnails, I think tarmac secretions would be a splendid addition to their usefulness.

Ofcourse, this is fantastic idea. we can even contact to electricity company and tell them to provide this type of facility. They may be charged little cost for that but it would be worthful. TARANG ARDESHNA

Maybe instead of criticizing, people like justice@hand could offer an alternatve to using numbers for an ID system that would preserve one's privacy.

firedancer

Why not make it a national idea forum? It could be monitored by neutral parties to weed out inflamatory and trivial posts, then the results of public evaluation of leading ideas can be periodically released to the media.

Thanks for the reply. That is exactly what I hope it would be--a national debate forum. However, I would like this to be so big that it would probably not be feasible to have neutral third party monitors. However I believe we could create a survival-of-the-fittest system that naturally weeds out inflammatory and trivial posts.
For instance, before you are able to post an idea you may have to evaluate two other ideas. This would promote enough evaluation to "naturally" weed out inflammatory or trivial post. Or if you are going to disagree with an idea, you may have to evaluate the best two reasons to agree with that idea. Of course for this to be possible people we would have people classify their comment either a "reason to agree" or "disagree" with that idea. With this classification two columns could be created beneath each idea with the best reasons to agree or disagree with an idea at the top of their respective list.
This would be beneficial because it would force an individual to do more evaluations, It would also force them to confront the best ideas that appose them. For instance, if you wanted to post a reason to disagree with a particular idea, you would have to evaluate the validity of the top ideas from the list of reasons to agree with that idea.
This system would also make the website easier to navigate by putting the best ideas at the top. This would eliminate the need to "weed out" trivial post. They would just go to the bottom of the list--they would just get worse real estate in our survival of the fittest system.
However, I would not completely abandon the conversation thread concept. It is tedious because you have to see each conversation in all of its gory details. This is annoying because there are an infinite possible conversations that could be had about one topic. It is also annoying because each new post has the possibility of bringing up a new topic. It is also tedious because even if you do have procedures to weed out offensive or trivial post, once your to an idea, there is not system of organizing, evaluating, or putting the best subsequent post to the top--they only make sense in a chronologic (post, 1st response, 2nd response, 3rd response, …) order. With all of these negatives of an online-"thread-discussion board" at some point (after an idea has been thoroughly investigated with all of the reasons to agree and disagree listed) each of these post deserve to be investigated. True this does lead away from the original post, but at some point the topic of discussion can change in a threadlike way to each of the other post. For this to take place I would simple re-use the existing system. So once you click on a response, you could see all of the reasons to agree or disagree with it. These of course would be organized into columns that are organized according to the online community's collective opinion of each idea.

can you guarentee my land is not part of the sea? as the population increases do we get less than one acre? if my land is on mars am i guarenteed oxygen when i get there?

keep the standard of living the same by in effect double your pay - or keep it the same but half the work. think about this: before WW2 a man would go out and earn a family income while his wife stayed home and looked after the domestic stuff, since we now live in a more equal world it makes sense to split both the work and domestic stuff - both need to be done. But what has happened is that slowly man's wage deecreased while womens increased until we both get the same but both do full time work - only the business's benefit society hits a decline. money as a mees rather than as an end would just meen business's must except they cant make as much profit as they have been used to. it's all abpout quality of life

there has to be an easier way!

can't we go the other way and allow people to take drugs to enhance their sport? we could have drug free events, drug taker events and combined

I believe this website could eventualy be turned into my dream merger of a debate forum and a stock exchange. I don't have the ability to do it myself, and so I thought I would just try and explain it.

Robert Hanson of DARPA fame is trying to develop this idea. However instead of betting on what will happen, I think people should bet on what SHOULD happen. That way if you have stock in something and more people buy stock in the same idea, then that stock's value will go up. However this stock will be a belief. It will be weather something is right or wrong. It won't just be weather people think something will happen or not, it will be weather something should happen or not. That way if someone makes a really good argument for something, its stocks should go up. The website won't be a typical investing website evaluating an idea stock's performance. It will be an idea website, evaluating the reasons to agree or disagree with that idea.

I don't see enough of a problem with the current system (parent gives cash, child spends it) for everyone to adopt a new one. I think most kids would be mature enough to handle having a few dollars in their pockets, and take responsibility of said lucre anyway. And if extortion an issue, in all likelihood the perpetrator would be reported using the 'silent-witness' programs that have been springing up in public schools of late.

I don't know the ratio of deaf people to hearing, but I'm sure it's not great enough to make this necessary in our schools. You might as well teach kids German to improve communication between an American and every German they happen upon (not many). Or, better yet, set up a basic language and make it a mandatory course for the proposed years.

Any way you cut it, there will always be someone who will not be able to communicate with another, due to differences in language, intelligence, ability, or whatnot. I don't see this going away anytime soon.

I'm with scienceman on this one. A policy such as this is far more befitting a dictatorship than a democracy. And taking a look at history, being told what to think doesn't seem to go down well with most people. Restrictions of this sort could result in far more dangerous effects than a few kids going home with the idea that they can contribute to the world.

Why is it that inexpensive, low tech ideas are not usually exploited? I would think of spraying on a seed that might grow shady leaves rather than some sort of altered molecule. "Air plants" already exist that need no soil.
Small buildings cost energy also. Here's something any inventive person who lives in a house where there are hot summers can do to save energy...
I knew a house in Lawrence, Kansas USA where, every spring, the owner would string up a thiry foot lattice for growing a whole wall of morning glories to shade the sunniest side of his house. I heard that he saved over 80% of his air conditioning bills during the hot summers. He paid for this cooling usually during the time before the flowers had not yet climbed up to work as intended. I've done this myself to shade a hot porch in summer - and it works great! Simple but elegant - and it would work for a larger building but it would take sun.

There's quite a lot going on in terms of phone credit and the like, where you can pay for stuff via your phone. But I like this: a whole new kind of phone banking.....

Would this be localideasbank?

Schools should be an educational recource for the whole community. Parents should be able to use the gymnsasium, weight rooms, and other school property. Of course a schedule would have to be worked out.

Norfolk unemployed could pay say £5 a week to be part of a Norfolk investment club. The money could be invested as the club decides - could be in shares, loans, gifts, or any other idea.

I think you are right that we need to improve people's pride in their work. But if people cared about their descendants they would look after the environment and do many things differently. On the whole modern western people only care about their own immediate needs, so if you are going to apply a negative, punative idea like this you will have to apply it to them, not the next generation.

The only doubt that would be raised would be about contacting emergency services.

Would it be possible to text or 'call' mobile owners on their entry to libraries and cinemas with a request to switch off their mobile?

They could also loosely script the information from the first lesson of each course and make this information available on a website.

To ask people to submit ideas just to keep their job would be a bad thing (c/f M&S). So people need to feel financially rewarded for an idea at work. This site is different - I think?

The alteration you have put forth is definitely worthy, but I have to say the only way I can see people becoming ever-aware of the faux pa of ringtones would be to force the silent function then possibly alert them to the change by a text message. Otherwise the call to ask them to silence their cell would defeat the purpose. If you could clarify the bit about emergency services, though, I might have a bit more insight into your train of thought.

I'd like to know more details as well on this intriguing substance. It must be better than wood.

This could be done by using the Salary Sacrifice system in the UK. The employee would pay less tax, the employer less NI.

Legal issues are of course something to think about, although i certainly wouldn't subscribe to the view that everything that's legal must necessarily be enlightened.

I personally would take issue with the assertion that you're not in control of your vehicle (in the case of a manual) while coasting as you can still steer it, and you can still brake it (for me the two most important factors in avoiding trouble). The only aspect of which you have less control (see initial post) is the capacity to accelerate out of trouble, but how many times are you in that situation in town? For me it's safer to be travelling slower in the first place, safer to be looking further ahead, safer to not be so uptight when driving, safer not to be driving in haste, safer to be slowing down more often rather than accelerating constantly.

'Speed Kills' not lack of acceleration.

Brilliant idea.

I would very much like to help.

I think what is interesting about what you are seeking to do is that you will be challenging the rights of big business to own our public spaces. In the same way as you are not actually allowed, in fact will be laughed out of the building, if you try to put any ‘political ‘ message (ie one which goes against the rights of Big Business to do as it pleases) on TV, it would be interesting to see what laws pertain when you tried to do the same with the ‘public space’ currently dominated by ad-contractors and ad-agencies.

If you have permission to do it then that is great, maybe you will start a trend and we can have ‘peoples billboards’ fighting the incredible volume of ‘egotistical consumerism is the route to happiness’ messaging.’

My own feeling has always been that when you look at billboards as they stand at the moment, we look at the messages they carry and say ‘that’s ok, they are only pointing out the advantages of their in a competitive environment’, but miss the major point that billboards are visual pollution to an extent that would not be tolerated if it were noise pollution we were talking about. And that irrespective of what is being said on the billboards, the meta-message is ‘consumerism will make you happy’. This is the real insidious perniciousness of advertising bill-boards, that you can’t even go to work in the morning without letters two feet high shouting capitalist messages as loud as they can. Better 48 sheet posters did not exist, but as they do exist (and there are too many heavyweight vested financial interests involved for them to be banned), sticking a spanner in the works has got to be a good thing.

Vis the actual messages to put on the board. I can’t immediately see any problem (although please see point 2 below). In addition to offering the space to legitimate NGO’s or the Green Party (who would probably take the space if it was available and up-and-running) you could create your own radical messages and post those up. Also, recently with improvements in printing techniques it is quite possible to create one-off 48 sheet posters (something which was previously prohibitively expensive). Design and artwork, easily done on a Mac, would, I am sure, be donated for nothing.

I say let’s take the war to them, but answer a few simple questions at the outset:

1. Can you do it? I would suspect that there is some sort of deal going between poster contractors and councils. I don’t know for sure, but why would councils allow contractors to install and profit from such visual pollution if there was not payment involved? Unlikely. Their first line of defence against your application would probably be that you have to put bill-boards up in blighted spaces – building sites, disused spaces, on arterial roads (incidentally just the place contractors want them) etc. So, if so, we’d have to find out what the current rules and agreements were. and if high costs were an issue, look for funding, perhaps through charging the radical groups posting the messages a token fee, or donations. But very interesting to find out.

2. What would be the limits of the messaging we could carry? Again I’d suspect that there would be limits to what you can say. Specifically these would probably come under the terms of ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) guidelines, although I doubt these rules would actually prohibit stating the truth (the fundamental basis of radical communication), there is the issue of libel to bear in mind.

All this is really ‘suck it and see’ territory. Where I think what you are doing would be interesting is in discovering the limits of the possible. What hurdles will ‘they’ have in your way, what limits are placed on your rights of free speech? Are commercial interests given rights over and above people’s rights to oppose lies (half-truths/quarter-truths if we’re being kind)? And what that means for society as a whole?

There has been an occasion when I've called the police and they've had to call me back, but on reflection I don't think there would be a problem there.

I have seen people having loud conversations oh mobiles in libraries without any embarassment.

From 'Culture Jam' by Kalle Lasn, p89:

'Consider: When the Exxon Valdez spilled its load of oil onto the Alaskan Coast, $2billion was spent tryng to clean up and minimise the ecological damage. That money then circulated throughout the AMerican economy, resulting in a significant increase in the GDP. When the Gulf War broke out, America's GDP rose again. Money changed hands. The country became 'healthier'. Indeed, every time there's a car accident or a newly diagnosed cancer patient, whenever societal or personal catastrophes occur, the GDP goes up and the economy 'gains'.

What you write about is real, and the great thing is that you are not alone. If enough of us start making and stressing this connection and not giving up in promoting it, something must give way.

Economists are idiots, or calling scores on such a narrow fraction of the game that their opinions are redundant straight out of the gate.

The idiocy of GDP does need to be challenged, and fundamentally.

...although it is still a religion.

The Bah'ai religion, from Iran, had a prophet - Bah'u'lah - in the 1900s - who was persecuted along with his followers for his beliefs.


They believed that each age has a prophet who is right for the time. Krishna, Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Muhhammud, all were the prophets of God, apposite apostles for their time, all speaking the word of God.


Thus Bah'u'lah, the prophet of the 20th century preached the message of God, but adapted to his times (and ours, more or less). Amongst other things, he believed that humanity is one tribe, one nation, and that if education can only be offered to one member of the family it should be given to the wife because she is closest to the children (quite an advanced feminist perspective for the times).

Maybe you could become a Ba'hai?

The citizencard organisation give away free photo ID cards to children under 18.

Hey, erysian it seems this idea is similar to mine. Great minds think alike?

See http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideaId=3916

Wouldn't the G-forces on take-off kill them?

Why not simply make them pay for the items they have stolen?

I would rather have the money to buy new than my old stolen items back.

I often have the same problem when giving money to the homeless - that you are never sure that your money is going to support shelter for the evening (which is good) or the maintenance of a drug habit (which is unfortunate and not a good thing to support).



Sometimes you know you're actually being mugged but pass it off as an instance of 'well if they didn't need it they wouldn't be asking' or the buddhist argument that it's a revolutionary statement to give away money (even to someone who is 'undeserving').


I would like the option, vouchers from 50p to £20 would be a good idea.

Now most of us have recycle bins we cut the grass and throw out tons of grass each week. Why not feed a goat?

I had a similar idea whereby if you look at someone wearing 'Good looking' glasses (with inbuilt infrared receiver) - they would register your vote for them - as good looking.

They could plug in their glasses via USB and review their admirers.

http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/search.aspx provides war graves database for all commonwealth soldiers.

They should just keep it the same, adding a sixth ring would raise awareness because most dont even know what the five stand for...

a very arrogant attempt to regulate child behavior.

The varying factors that make homelessness and the feelings that go along with it not so easy to categorize or copy. The hard part would be to actually make these variations and feelings available for realized awareness and a more empathetic human.

You can find most drugs through search engines anyway, but I also think it would be in the interest of drug companies to sponsor the forums as well.

Great! 'Bout time! Now I feel not so alone in the world. I am male, 43, and have never wanted children. Told my mother at age 10 when she asked about having grandchildren, that I had no idea where she would be getting them from(I'm an only child).

I guess the above is kind of like a weblog or the software the e-mails you when a webpage is amended to. So the technology's there....but is the will in our short-termist media?

In our country 104, 105, 107 calls to different services.
But anyway, they call each-other if they think it is necessary.

I like the 911, or 999 idea, as it helps ME (the one in trouble) in the crucial time of finding out which number to dial.

I hope we can have same kind of places in the UK.Some one please help people of UK.To start with have some trial chairs from www.londonrockingchairs.co.uk

I like the ideas surrounding security measures, but I use geometric patterns (currently starting in the lower left hand corner) so moving numbers would be even more confusing than the current differences between keyboard and pinpad number orders.

Can see all the obvious problems about getting any government in the pocket of Big Business to go about it though. And you would have to watch that industry did not get pollution of rivers, excessive use of resources etc put down as 'reversible damage'. But then why not have two numbers for irreversible and reversible.

Either way, I'd support it.

Yes, reversible also, great idea.
Then it comes, HOW MUCH it is reversible, but need to think on this.

How about in towns with blocks surrounded by streets, an area be designated the block "farm", a tiny integrated permaculture and small livestock area, and be cared for and harvested by the block residents?

Tesco to introduce traffic light system on products showing how much salt, sugar and fat.

Tesco Director Tim Mason said. ``We think the eye-catching traffic light system may be an easy, open and honest way of labeling our products so customers can see exactly what they're eating.''

Changing culture is dangerous, I almost wish that someone could find something fundamentally wrong with my solution.

I've solved the problem of finding a reasonable path to a sustainable information age economy at least in theory. I've found I can answer everyone's questions. Not only should everyone involved do better economically we will be making history at the same time. The pilot can prove the basic concepts in 5 - 6 years but total program won't be completed for a least 10 possibly 15 years. My expertise is original analytical thinking. My particular role will be as a facilitator with a point of view outside normal culture. I also will be teaching math, science and chess.

As far a biz goes I completed a feasibility study at a high level using Industry/occupational averages, population, consumer expenditures, unpaid labor, science etc. Can't do much more that others can't do better, MBAs accountants etc.

here's a general overview.

The basic concept underlying the business is to use the capitalist system guided by current science to transform the global culture into a sustainable one through the enhancement of early childhood development. Complexity theory is the framework linking the business aspects with cultural evolution, brain development and the biosphere.

According to complexity theory, our species can achieve it's best performance by insuring that each individual has the greatest range of choices. Maximizing choices begins by insuring each child will have the emotional, social, intellectual and physical stimulus needed during the first six years of life to fully develop their potential. Next to avoid cultural damping, the children(6 to 12) will need some isolation and a supportive environment so they won't feel like freaks/geeks. The system which developed will need to accomplish these goals better and faster while making it affordable for all parents.

The business plan for a complex system is specified by initial conditions, constraints, drivers, dampers, feedback loops and goals. The basic initial conditions needed are a strongly coupled subculture, a general plan and sufficient financial resources. The other operating parameters are expressed in the mission, values and principles. The goals will be set the benchmarks for early childhood development, sustainable living and a membership of 10,000.

The real question becomes is humanity ready to go to the next stage of cultural evolution. Are there enough people who believe we need to change ourselves to fund a probe to explore cultural space?

Theory in anthropology says to evolve we need an isolated subculture which can build upon the current culture by working out innovations. In modern society it is impossible to go into isolation and bring along industry. This implies that if we don't change through a conscious effort we will keep going until the system collapses forcing us to change.

Member profile for initialization phase
Single
Female
No children but wants
Single by choice - subculture
Green cultural creative - subculture
4 year degree

Member profile for development phase
Single
Female
No children but wants
Single by choice - subculture
High school degree

Member profile for commercial phase
Female
High school degree

For the duel parent family we will use a different approach based on co-housing.

Economics

Initial Investment goal 1 billion - social venture capitalist

Real estate 500 million
Renovation 100 to 250 million
Recruitment first 250 members - 10k to 100k/member
Information system 100 million
Reserve remaining

Continuing Investment and/or membership fees.

minimum net/member - $5,000
typical net/member - $20,000

25 to 100 million net each year with full membership on initial site.

Total contributions( income - work expenses + unpaid labor) - Sustainable expenses(housing, food, clothing) - modern expenses( insurance, transportation, communications) > $5,000/member


The major weakness of the plan is the lack of specific details usually included in a business plan. This is due to both the sensitivity to initial conditions of complex systems and the degrees of freedom needed for cultural evolution. To lend the needed credibility to the plan a large accounting firm is needed to crunch the numbers - Earnest & Young, one of the business leaders in complexity theory. The cost of business plan writing is estimated at 20k - 100k for initial plan depending on level of detail required by investors. I plan to have as much as possible written by independents with overview and completion by E&Y .

Profit for investors

To get money from investors they need to see how they are going to make money. Once the innovations are out of the way - to live in my neighborhood will cost 10K/yr (basic living expenses) for a single mom while median income in USA is about 26K. Our median will be 40 to 50k.

What's funny here is that money is going to disappear in 30 or 40 years, as soon as everyone can produce more than they use.

After system is fully developed have basically three options for expansion, self funded, franchising or going public. Whichever way we decide to go our product will be a system that lets children skip K-12, while still developing the emotional and social development.

Losses for non investors

Here is something that's also new.

Changes will be causing shifts in behavior patterns. Those investors with us will have access to information regarding potential changes.

For example today the single family home market is driven by parents who want good schools. We will be determining which schools are going to be the best by where we open up our commercial centers. So for example in Chicago what we would be looking for is reasonable real estate in a ok neighborhood next to a good one. Within 6 years the ok school becomes the best in state.

Another example is the falling population. Everyone's business plan is based on growth. As the female population becomes more educated the fertility rate drops.

It's credible that such a fuel could be made and used, but the 60% drop in pollutants is very hard to believe - in real conditions. In particular, the question of CO2 pollution has been missed completely - there can be negligible improvement there.

This would also be helpful when searching for sites relevant to your interests. (Which can be very time consuming with search engines.) Someone who shares a site with you is likely to have other sites on that topic listed in their favourites.

Israelis on English speaking democratic soil is appealing. The new diaspora would assimilate. But required emigration visas are not to be had. I wish they were. Israelis may one day marry gentiles and live in 2 homes--1 in Israel 1 outside. OK by me.

Area of upper Mississippi, Louisiana,Arkansas could be an alternate site. After ten years at either site, another Metropolis would have been formed by an industrious gathering.
Wonderful idea!

Yes, let's improve this... What if you could have a company send a regular email of a your intentions to be a donor to your next of kin for you? Most people don't talk of such things ...until suddenly the relatives have to decide.

Quiet time to do nothing may instill the desire. Those who are really stressed out can take a nap. Channel teen angst against habit & learn how reactions work & the "non-doing" of stillness in action by teaching Alexander Technique also?

Raabs, I bought one from them, they are friends of my friend.So I enjoyed good discount.

the model of management of curitiba needs to be publicised for all to follow. scheme may be altered to suit local circumstances

The Tower construction is meant to resemble Iccahbod Crane, "out of kilter, out of sync"; like a disturbed life yet in a quite positive way.

Free service allowing people to access and use archived versions of past web pages.
...search and view the collection of web sites, dating back to 1996 and comprising over 10 billion web pages:
http://www.archive.org

After seeing a program on the Beeb about this subject about 4 years ago I tried it and it works, Ive thrown my Ventolin away and my Nebulisa,but still use Becatide as directed

This is something I've often thought, and talked about.

What is harder to factor in is driver reaction time, and road conditions. But these days, with in-car computing power, it could be. Contact me if you want to know how. coshipi@go.com.

"What would people unfamiliar with public transport do"

Learn fast? Or are car drivers too stupid to cope with public transport? I'll admit that I've seen plenty of evidence to support that theory.

Wouldn't this 2 or 3 tier approach be expensive? Who would collect and maintain this data on a local level?

There could also be a directory of people. If a person was associated with a particular area (Say, Ken Livingstone with London) you could search for them and find out what sites they frequent or what sites they think are relevant.

a)The is basically old-school liberalism.b)Systems cannot dictate and establish values/culture,needs do.c)People don't need to be equal,because inequality doesn't exist-it is merely an imperialistic judgement.d)How would a needs-based system work?

Dear OfficialJoe: Which part presents an old idea in any way? My system does not dictate anything; it gives freedom that enables the people to find real values. If people were not equal, someone would try to eat you. A need-based system works fine.

(Wellington New Zealand) - but it might be hard to get an 'atmosphere' going for anything other than the *most* important and exciting game, as you're fixed in your seat, every one's sober etc. But that's an advantage too! Outdoor screenings maybe?

You can get one of these from Citibank. I'm not sure this is as good as it seems. Losing a credit card can lead to serious identity theft problems, and your picture may add to the trouble. Besides, a smart thief would be charging online or via phone.

The description of the process in the first paragraph is confusing for the uninitiated: The central bank does not lend *money* to the government but agrees to to increase the government's overdraft. Else, the bank would not *create* money.(jabel)

I'm gonna have to vote against this. Sunday is when Christians go to Church and on Saturday, Jews go to synagogue. There is almost certain to be some type of descrimination in this method. The internet would be great, but if only there were a way.

If the amount of "speeding" is not unlimited, this seems okay - another way of looking at it: speed limits vary from time to time, lower at peak times.

Difficult to operate, except where traffic is heavy enough to justify electronic signs.

I think the moustaches are not designed to scare, but make policeman look smarter and be respected more. Not sure whether this would work in other countries.... ;0)

I think this is a great idea! Sign me up! (..as long as my email address isn't in a big list for spammers to collect.)

If you get a possible harsh sentence for a lesser crime then why not go for it and commit the larger crime? Talk about give someone a persecution complex. It's just too negative.

Excellent idea to monitor your own nutritional choice in food. I definitely would like to see this system used in Australia.

Making a system like that work would be very difficult. Most people work from 9-5 because although they work in one place, they most probably deal with other people who work elsewher, making it inpractical to split the workforce into day/night groups

This problem can make you a millionaire! I saw this on Oprah. NEVER spend your change. Put it in a special pocket - then in a piggy bank. Bank it once a month and invest once a year. If you are young it will grow lots. (Or put it in the charity box)

Negotiation is a good parental model for teenagers. But their skills are not yours. This imbalance usually means contracts are drawn that heavily bias towards the parents wants. Always specify behaviours that are DESIRED. Positive language motivates

But if it worked at 80 mph for the average person, it would work at ~55 mph for some people, and for some it wouldn't work until ~95 mph.

jews would plant a cedar tree for a boy and a myrtle for a girl when a couple would marry they would use their trees for the canopy
a roman empress sparked a revolt when her retinue chopped down a tree to repair the axle of her carriage
-Josephus

Ever read it? Essentially, it teaches remembering problem solving techniques by linking them to the body's structure.
Some bright ideas on how to make society accept new ideas is sorely needed!

I've never built a complete new house, but I've done major alterations and extensions to existing houses this way. It needs more thought than using new, but thought's not so expensive! Results definitely more interesting, too. No quality problems.

Every old person on the planet may not want to do this, but that doesn't mean no one would. If the elderly can watch TV they could do this. They wouldn't have to go to court. Have you ever seen a security camera? They record what happens.

I agree with the idea in general, but specifically the simplistic "2 lifestyle/day and night" thing is essentially unworkable. What might work is computer-mediated time slots only minutes apart based on where you are, where you're going etc...

You could have judges, just like Olympic events, that are trained at using the lie detectors. They could rank a statement, on a scale from 1 to 10 that reflects weather they think the person is telling the truth.

MSG and Aspartame and all derivates should be marked AND taxed also.

As raised by Mr GIB himself:
http://www.220.jp/~d2ac/java/wirehang/

Well, maybe two plugs...

http://www.kempt.co.uk/clients/ministry/ohpinball/

GPS isn't accurate enough for this purpose. Direct communication between vehicles and radar could supplement GPS; that would work.

There are civil liberties issues about the central database, and it's not actually an essential part of the system.

It's not Islamic cultures that treat children harshly, quite the contrary, the true Islamic traditions encourage, in fact it if of utter importance, that children should be treated nicely and gently in order for them to be raised properly.

I only put that bit about being private because I wasn't concentrating, and couldn't be bothered to think what to put in the box - I'm quite chatty really...

Automating vehicles on pavements has a large number of problems. Not only are the automating components not completely reliable but there is the difficulty of changing environmental factors. rain snow, and grade interractions. too unreliable.

There's since been a general air of "calm down". See <A HREF="http://globalideas.blogs.com/the_global_ideas_blog/2004/06/grey_goo_and_th.html">this piece</A> in the Global Ideas Blog for more.

Yes, of course artificial mountains would cause relief rainfall. But they'd have to be awfully big - MUCH bigger than the pyramids. The energy spent building them would be better spent desalinating water...

Thanks for writing. I've no proper scientific knowledge so I'm interested to read what you say. So, the idea would not be viable in its own right, but what about combining the concept (new shape) with other ambitious architect projects eg.in Dubai?

It's being compulsory that is so alienating. When I arranged for some unenthusiastic students to be able to read magazines (at their request) instead of being taught, they soon decided to rejoin the group and after that we all got on fine.

I used to drive in excess of 100,000 miles a year and cannot believe many drivers are unaware of how close they are. Anyway it is dependent on the speeds of the vehicles. If a variable device could be produced this could also be used in parking.

Whittier, Alaska has such a building.

If people don't pay attention to the traditional ten commandments, why would they care about a subsititute?

Tobacco companies may make 100 billion annually, they would get their money back on these ads in any case, in Australia TV ads have been banned for decades and smoking rates have dropped to about a third. Best to keep them banned.

You never hear of train drivers falling asleep. Do they use a dead-mans handle?..maybe a similar type of device could be fitted to lorries

If we were to close ring roads in UK cars would jam our streets in towns and cities. Maybe a better solution would be to make the inner roads traffic free and build more ring roads!

And at the same time, get US citizens to pay for my social security as well, only because they are the most powerful nation of the world.

how long does the oil last?
I've seen vegtable oil disapate very shortly from on top of oil. In Texas the temp drops off too. Thus. a solar pond could be used to heat water to flow into a pit
distiller. using a tarp with a stone in it.

I am 100% behind this suggestion. In fact I would go further than this. If volunteers could be found to take a carrier bag and collect tins, packaging etc in their immediate neigbourhood and make their environment a much nicer place.

Sounds a good idea until you realise you are voting for an individual first and not the party he represents although maybe you have a point and it is the party we should be selecting.

they're not insoluble. Reliability certainly is a problem, but again, not insuperable. Agreed that fixed controlled pathways would make it much easier, and have other benefits - but there's a "how do we get there from here" issue there.

Asking political leaders to think on their feet? Interesting concept, but when issues of national security are at stake, then proper considered negotiation should be the way forward, not some cheap form of entertainment. Agree with Kwickham too!

Would the computer actually override the manual inputs of the driver if the distances were unsafe? I think this has dangerous repercussions. Audible warning yes, but nothing more. Rear sensors could warn of car too close behind, awareness means safer

Would it project a steady pace, the pace the current record holder ran at? a runners planned pace? Too complex with having front runners and strong finishers to cater for. Also takes away from learning to pace yourself and th skill that involves.

War is a manifestation of a total breakdown in communication. While there is communication there is hope. Which form of cheap entertainment would you like,
a televised debate or war? Obviously intented to be in addition to other diplomacy.

Also, there was a study that found that babies whose mothers had drugs at birth, were far more likely to take drugs as teenagers, than those whose mothers didn't.

If that suggestion by Iraq had been taken up the world would probably be a safer place today! The debates for President are accepted it seems but not between leaders of different countries which I think is more important. History will show this!

Colin Powell defends the actions of invading Iraq today and cites the mass graves under Saddam....but what about the thousands of innocent Iraqis killed by American rockets and bombs..is their any justice?

I remember Mr Plod was once on holiday and Noddy locked every one up. Of course, the crime rate goes down if lots of people are locked up (2million+ in the US), so what.

There is something in the zero tolerance idea, though as this post implies, i

Adobe Acrobat does something similar, though binding is still an issue.

You may achieve savings in fuel costs and more satisfaction but this is achieved at a cost to other motorists who have to follow behind you. Your 'marching out of step' could create havoc!

I prefer this idea to the protest campaign detailed in the idea before (at www.nomoreaolcds.com) This idea seems to be about solving the problem, rather than making a point about it....

Excellent idea in theory but the logistics of the multi-storey would mean many lost spaces. It could however be used quite successfully in open plan car parks and could be quite desirable.

I agree about the dangers of passive smoking. Here in the UK it is taken seriously and many bans put in place. But I see the real offence is to smoke around young children in the home. The UK has the highest rates of Asthma in the world..any link?

We can use the same idea for home too. Suitable dynamo and battery charger is required. If the house is having Solar panel then this can be an addtional generator.

I consult public schools in the areas of recruitment and communications. Diversity is always a tricky idea. You commercial idea is a bit risky in regards to the message but you are on the right track.

My name is Mike and I am a retired carpenter due to two mental illneses.I almost gave up on my dream to be an inventor someday until I came across GIB.My hope and dreams have come alive again and I hope someday to be able to function in society as a viable citizen and not a zombie.I read about other brilliant people who struggled with social interaction and mood swings as I do and I found out they may have been considered mentally ill by today's standards.Instead of being put in a box they stayed focused and pursued thier dreams.This is my dream to do the same.I encourage and appreciate any feedback.Sincerely,Mike

There is no doubt who calls the shots when it comes to world foreign policy. The problem is Bush + the misguided neo-cons have split world opinion to make many countries ungovernable mostly in the Middle East. Bring back the Clintons!!

Kay, your ideas are very good. An internal prison system to counteract institutionalization only serves to continue the cycle of institutionalization. We have a private, transitional housing facility north of Houston. www.Wholeway.org

Woodland burial is better. Corpses float, and many would end up on beaches. There aren't enough large scavengers in the sea to eat them all! The only problem with burial is the loony idea that you have to mark the site forever. Put me in the compost!

Did you ever find that focus article? It hasn't reached me yet.

I have to admit it! Many times during the course of my work fell asleep at the wheel. Motorway driving is the worst. The long boring stretches dull the senses and drifting off is gradual. More rest places are required..20-30 miles is too long!

Excellent idea! Maybe at the same time eliminate BST (British Summer Time)changes when we have to alter our clocks and watches by one hour twice a year so we are continually out of step with Europe and the world. Plays havoc with timetables!

If we only use 10% of our brain what are missing? Try using only one finger for an hour and see how little you can achieve. Then think about how much people who can only use a single toe do achieve.

You shoe a horse ! foot at the time, anything else is just asking for a mess to happen! I dont want my doctor to do needlepoint while he operates on me!

Excellent idea! In fact many planes I believe are fitted with an autopilot for landing in fog and poor visibility so it would just require an extension of this but in a mode that cannot be overridden by the pilot.

I think you're wrong, and most of those caught in speed traps are deliberate speeders. They're not "turned into lawbreakers" by the cameras, they're criminals already. The cameras should be hidden, so people obey the law all the time.

You may have a point! They do say an interviewer with a CV in front of him will consciously decide to hire an individual from the opening conversation. Why prolong the agony for the job hunter!

Nice idea. A similar idea has been used in some international airports in Asia (def'ly in Japan), wherein departing international travels can donate to charity all of the smaller denomination coins instead of keeping them or converting them.

It is quite clear that many drivers are deliberately speeding. You see them brake when they reach the camera and then speed up again afterwards. It was a retrograde step to paint cameras yellow, since it only encourages this sudden braking, which i

Not sure I see anh1965's problem. On a motorway a safe distance is 70 yards. Surely there's nothing wrong with a car moving into a gap that size?

You can drive 30 miles in 15 minutes if you want, i do it all the time. broadcasting your horn to other cars would cause a rucus. All the teens beeping their horns constantly to scare other possibly causing a collision.

An original idea however I believe it is overly idealistic for the world we live in . The process of organising such a scheme would we cluttered with codes of practice, legislative requirements compounded with the need to integrate the community.

Ray Belonge' came up with the idea of an urban monorail, with the cars being privately owned self-contained apts. Then traditional monorail junctions would apply, and anyone could go wherever they want to within urban areas.

There's a whole website dedicated to this idea...with lots of for and against opinions. It's a nice idea in theory, but quite frankly the american political system is messed up, it would never work - see next post....

that is the common idea but do you really think life as we know it would stop? ambition has far more to do with the quality of life than the quantity. but i got my answer: humanity IS sick and greedy!
go down in flames, but dont forget your wallet

A few points (the Global Ideas Bank also runs the Natural Death Centre, Uk experts on burial law): woodland burial grounds could not cope with the demand at present, but with re-use strategies, faster degradation and realistic burial leases they could; land burials do NOT have to be on consecrated ground: many private land burials take place each year; if we buried large numbers of people at sea, it could have a massive effect on the marine life ecosystems.

Least said, soonest mended. I really must implement my mobile phone zapper - a simple pocket device that burns out the circuitry in every mobile phone within range. Actually not all that difficult to make. (Destroys trannie radios, too!)

Would you still only get one vote? That would be interesting, having to decide whether to vote for one party or, in the on vote against, support all the parties not voted against.

It's been over ten years since Eve contributed this "exposé" on the experiment known as Kerista. I've been anticipating her subsequent book, it would make for good reading today, and I wish for her to have no worries about money :)

I was a member on two different "go arounds" meaning I joined in the winter of '87, left, returned and left for the final time six months before the confrontation with Jud that signaled the ending of the end.

As Eve so righteously put it, others no doubt will have different perspectives. From my perspective I believe the underlying demise of the "trip" was inequality, which was covered in the second of their 88 standards which comprised the "written social contract."

That standard read:

"2. Equality. No special privileges accorded to any member. Shared leadership, rather than one person being "The Leader," is always used. Sophisticated approach allows appreciation of differences between individual people (differences of skills, talents, temperament, and so forth) without interfering with the basic sense of equality. Emotions or behavior emanating from an inferiority/superiority coomples are encountered and contained by all members.

This simply was not true in reality nor was it practiced universally.

Historically, experiments of this genre, (meaning "intentional communities", and acknowledging Kerista's coining of the term "polyfidelity") have reached a critical point of development and failed. In all cases this failure is due, in great part to inadequately distributed leadership responsibility.

Obviously, as the last manifestation of Keristan lasted over 21 years, you can get people to agree enough to make it work. It really is more a consideration of what one defines as a "working" model.

Kerista's "model" was based on a "written social contract" and that model is sound. The entire social contract hinged on a truly democratic decision making process and objective equality. Since neither was "purely" present in this experiment it ultimately collapsed under it's own weight.

As Eve pointed out, the communal fund was running in the red for quite some time, and this too is a misnomer. The mathematics of collective endeavor are sound, just look at any successful company. What occured with Kerista's shared income scheme was denial and neglect, period.

The challenges of such an undertaking are as abundant as it's potential rewards. Moreso than simply complex, they are "compound complex." Nevertheless, one can only imagine what could have been if the integrity built into their own social contract had passionately been embraced and adhered to by all involved.

Just for the record, I think if anything about the "trip" was a "bust" it's the bullshit about "intentional friendship", and "current intention of lifetiime involvement", as I truly have NOTHING going on with any of these people any longer.

C'est la vie!

Sol

studies in Australia have shown a link between passive smoking and asthma
also sids
and ... and ... etc.

one new thing i learnt recently,
heavy smokers are very prone to arthritis

I teach how to generate discoveries about learning any movement skill (beyond trial & error) with easy but apparently "uncontrollable" juggling toys. Also, you must check out the creative thinking course taught to school age kids by Edward de Bono...

Just to make it clear, I was thinking that SOLVING the crime would receive more attention. The sentence would be the same as it always was for such a crime.

Would be interesting at pop concerts too.
In the 'quiet' carriage on trains, perhaps a text could be sent on entry to remind people to turn off their mobile.

What a pity your post was not understood..most of us think in utopias like and end by itself, instead of considering the way that leads us to a better world. If I give you a lesson in spanish and you teach me english, there is no $ involved (example)

What we need to do is figure out what the purpose of education is before we rate schools

Great idea! Fortunately it exhists. One such organization is the International Moms Club http://www.momsclub.org/links.html There are chapters all over the world providing support groups and "play dates" for new moms, moms and children.

This reminds me of Apotekracy.

but its feasibility is limited by what drives the banks and venture capitalists....profit...still, it can't hurt to try anything at this point!

Hmmm. Major corporations and ideas. This makes for interesting reading:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3839193.stm

I am still not convinced of this. I have just returned from a driving holiday in France covering 2000 miles without seeing 1 speed camera and only a handful of traffic cops. How do the drivers achieve such good driving habits and what can we copy?

1. You need to limit the calculation to those who don't go to college afterwards.
2. As well as considering different time periods, different schools' levels should be put into consideration as well.

Excellent idea in theory. In was tried recently in the UK. It resulted in overwhelming support for education cuts which the rich were able ignore but seriously affected the lower classes. An extension of Thatcherism!

A big problem (with my doctor) is people booking appointments and failing to turn up.

Do we have to wait for rogue nations to aquire these before making them illegal weapons?

Check out the Woodcraft Folk
at www.woodcrfat.org.uk
and their sust'n'able camp in 2001 http://sustnable.woodcraft.org.uk/index2.htm

Of course you are always welcome to send your fund raising ideas to them.

See:
http://www.cyberbus.co.uk
http://www.caetano.co.uk/conv/kidd.htm
http://www.thisisstourbridge.co.uk/cgi-bin/htsearch?config=archive_the_black_country&restrict=&exclude=&method=and&sort=revtime&words=Cyberbus

This idea would be initially limited to Express Highways such as Interstate Highways in the US or Auto Strada and Auto Bahn in Europe....idea is to use all asphalt or concrete evenly.

any one interested in finding out more, please visit the ESSA website: www.studentvoice.co.uk

I think you may have a point here. The Sunday Times has about 7 sections and I regularly throw 3 sections away.

Referring to driving in France...a driver does not continually have to check what speed should be doing. Entering a village is 50kph and the exit sign from the village is so marked. The confusion that exists in Britain is totally unproductive!

I don't think it is ever a good idea for governments to have an incentive to police social issues (like obesity) Free will (to do the right thing) is the most important thing in any free society, and microregulation hinders this free will.

There has to be an alternative to the current model of EverExpandingEconomy.
EEE promotes active reduction in a products quality or functionality to justify/elevate a more expensive product. The world has its brakes on someone needs cut the cable

I think Mr Snow has an excellent point: The language we hear and use shapes how we think. As a person who writes for my county, it is a point I will incorporate into my future work.

I remember discussing this idea with Nick Saunders many years ago. To my shame I've never actually tried it :( you could use a secondhand alternator from a car, or better, from a truck. It'd need gearing up - old washing machine pulleys and belt.

Yeah, I too am ashamed I've not tried it yet -- that's why I posted the idea so that atleast someone with more get-up-and-go might try it :-) I'm sure most parts could be obtained from a scrap yard for an initial experiment.

Are you talking about nationwide certification as 4 digits would only cater for 9999 max no of citizens to be used or have I misread your article?

If you stick to the law, you don't need to worry about cameras. And as long as the signs aren't obscured, it's no problem keeping track of speed limits - unless you're completely stupid, I suppose. If he's that stupid, how did he pass his test(s)?

Im in the banking industry so I see alot of fraud issues. What I do since Im aware of this is I put on the back of the card on the signature line "CHECK ID". 99% of the time Im asked for my id. Personal vigilance is more effective than systematic.

I think crime relates to poverty more than DNA.

I know Ruth's idea will work, because it worked for years. There were no such things as disposable diapers when my kids were little, and I had this service before I got a washer. It included pickup and delivery and it worked like a charm!
Maxine

As a student of Economics I do agree with you wholly and think that your comments are insightful. I also think that poverty is avoidable. Excellent idea.

what a good idea. I hope you can make it work, it would save hours of searching and form filling! good luck, Chris.

totally agree with all your suggestions! If only it could happen...

Chris

to say 'our environment' makes it sound as though we own it. We are just blips on the history of the planet, and Gaia will go on long (and probably better) after we go.

I like this. Being in IT I can see it would be very benificial, but also I can see it would be an uphill struggle to persuade most people that it's a good idea, unfortunately.

Instead of legally mandating exercise at work, a federal fund should be set up to provide large companies with money for rewarding employees for exercising. These rewards could range from increases in health care benefits to employee parties.

I think your problem is already solved.
Take a look at RFID technology.
Begin with:
http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/rfid/
Renato

In London some years ago there was a fixed balloon that would carry sightseers to see the view. A balloon such as this could be part of the travelling museum.

Forgive me if I'm missing something obvious (economics was never my thing!) but wouldn't this mean the government is just paying money and not getting anything back, making the Exchequer much worse off?

The success of the American economy is much envied throughout the world.
"Materialism and morality have an inverse relationship — when one increases the other decreases" Mahatma Gandhi

Whilst I agree with the need to reduce speed would a driver see or take any notice of a flashed message -and how do you enforce it? Would it not be better to equip cars with an electronic speed limiter system controlled by roadside transmitters?

...to discuss this further. Write to me from my site at www.franis.org/868 Or, use the top right hand column of this page where it says "contact the author."

Excellent idea! Would be great fun to watch and much more practical and interesting than the Olympic Games.

It's not just the 2 stated above.

http://geocities.com/moonwindstarsky/programs

http://geocities.com/moonwindstarsky/purposebooks

you have to look around a little though

These books would also be good for libraries, as library books often have pages torn out or scribbled on. The libraries would be able to replace single pages.

My suggestion was for a specific Idea Camp. Although there are many fantastic other camps out there (moonwindstarsky, et al), they aren't in the speicifc business of helping kids come up with creative ideas and how to go about honing the skills required to do so at will. The kids would be out in nature, of course, but Idea Camp would not be a "nature camp" per se.

It couldent work in the real world. Here's why. The youths you speak of DONT CARE!. If you postponed there "comming of age" 20 years they would still mess up out of rebellion if nothing else. There are 18-80 year olds who still are not mature adults.

Lets face it, kids are giong to be kids. But as long as they have not got into real trouble, ie, vandelism,theft,violent crime etc, Then YES, give them a tax break,and a collage tuition break too! It just might make a real differnce! It cant hurt any

Most projects are too big to handle. Too time consuming, too demanding. This is easy! I celebrated my son´s birthday with 100% love and fun but 50% money (less money on presents and food). 50% to charity. GREAT FUN! Eve, journalist, Finland.

Yer those free CD's, especially AOL ones! Grr they annoy me... an excellent suggestion, environmentally sound. It would be down to the local councils to implement such a scheme I guess??

If we keep bringing the great minds from the past, I feel that it will limit us from being able to accept new changes. I would prefer to be on the lookout for the future great minds and let the greatness of the past be a source of inspiration.

the idea could be easily extended to specialise in the fields of occupational, academic, relationship, curiosity or stress due to unfulfilled desires. There will be no dearth of volunteers wh would like to comfort the visiting youth.

such ideas need to be propagated and make clubs to exchange knowhow by implementing

Studies in Australia have found a strong link between asthma in children and passive smoking.

In Australia, voting is compulsory, and it works ok. A few people pay a small fine rather than vote, and some people choose to vote 'informal' i.e. for no-one. (The voter can fill the slip how they want)

I didn't explain myself very well (250 word limit problem). What I meant to say is that we are a product of both nature and nuture. A clone of a genius is not guaranteed to be a genius though it may be more likely they are.

A good idea for the future!
A minus point..have you heard of killer bees? Genes were inserted into the ordinary strain to produce the killer bees which are spreading throughout the world. GM needs to be treated with caution.

The problem is stated well, but the solution doesn't follow: the only "fair" way is to resolve it in a court of law. International Law, that is; it must be invented. It can't be said to exist in the absence of police, laws, and courts.

Great idea. Even better: have a secret scholar community forge some new "Dead Sea Scrolls" proving that Jerusalem is actually on Mars. (It could be true). We'd have another "terraformed planet" very soon, and of course, the Conflicts wouldn't follow.

Get real.Since Sherman's march, war against civilians has been "normal". Defining terrorists is useless. Better to provide political machinery to deal with, what is usually, valid political complaints , in a fair and impartial way.

Community gradens are a great idea. Another great thing is that people save energy by growing food near their homes instead of having it trucked in from other areas.
A solution to getting land is to have landowners lease it for $1/year.

I agree with Goncalo - we don't need to have a revolution, we just need to start living the dream. The problem with monetary value is that it doesn't consider the intrinsic value of something. That's why although a planned economy wouldn't be as efficient, it would be more creative!

Dear john treadair. we have have the same idea. mine is called 'pluralist structures' see 'most new ideas' I live in Surrey BC

Kids from poor/deprived upbringings are the ones most likely to commit crime and at that age taxes and college have little relevance to their lives. I suspect this will simply reinforce divides that already exist, with little effect on crime figures.

I know people who resented windmills going up but became attached to them later. Let the local community say how they are decorated. Some communities have been forming cooperatives and buying their own windmills, a grant scheme would encourage this.

I enjoy pop psychology, but despair at the practice of quantifying everything. The old cliche "follow your heart" is relevant here. Are you happy? Do you have great experiences together? Can you be the person you want to be? Love is not objective!

Hello John, thanks for the comment, the power of the telescope/laser is one aspect I was unsure about, I did hear though that some advert had been written on the moon with a laser (presumably visible with the naked eye)... or was that an urban myth?

Great idea, very revolutionary although has been suggested that we could turn the upper (Lords)chamber into a kind of jury-service, randomly selected. This way, the commons is more administrative, needing political skill, but the upper chamber (in this case the real commons) is a forum for new ideas to be debated.

My understanding of the motoring law in the UK is that speeding is not a criminal offence - it is a civil offence (like a parking ticket). Therefore there is no problem as the people caught and fined for speeding are not 'Criminals'

Is also another book, by Mandy Koedyk Tyler.

see: www.livingroofs.org, and visit www.birmingham-sustainablebuildings.org (not a spam catch - I promise!!) check out London Docklands they have already done this.

Economic progress through retail, putting people in poor jobs in shops which neither fulfills or inspires but promotes a need to fulfill material desires. this is not progress- social community enterprises are, yet they don't get the funding needed!

The Knights of Gaia Academy: Saving the World 101:
A New University:
http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideaId=4270

Good idea. Two possible starting points

Utsira, Norway, has Europe's first self-dependent energy system, using wind and hydrogen- www.hydro.com

Promoting Unst Renewable Energy is developing in the Shetlands - www.pure.shetland.co.uk

The principle is right, but perhaps the focus should be on finding means acceptable to different groups. For example, what would young men find acceptable? One existing example used with some older people is dogs - stroking them reduces stress.

Do Me a favour and have a look at "Bubble Powered Turbine" (via search) to see if it could play any part in the plan...

...Do you think (know) if it could work?

Thanks

Lotteries DO fit into this idea -- and better than casinos.
A state-/nation-run lottery could so act for all lottery gamblers who provide their identity. And lotteries should provide MANY more, SMALLER-amount awards, benefitting far more citizens!

This is a great idea. But I think, ordinary explosives will be too weak, so maybe atomic bombs would be needed. And - maybe - not to absolutely avoid earthquakes, but to start and conduct them in a controlled way. more earthquakes=smaller earthquakes

there are key strokes for that, in IE just type the domain and hit Cntrl and enter and it will add the www and the .com

those CD's cost .01 to make in bulk. The cost to ship those back to the ISP would make this not cost effective and thenthey would have to be verified working, like not scratched. It would never work.

The human nature is driven to have a better and better life. What incentive would a factory worker have to work overtime if he wasn't getting paid?

Bank Of America had been doing this for 5 years. oh wait I got an idea, how about a plastic card you can charge products on.

it's called www.cduniverse.com they have sample clisp of almost all the songs I ever had an interest in.

Childlessness is good for the environment? No. In developed countries the problem is that people are having fewer children. European social security systems are under serious strain as a result of so many pensioners.

Olympics (summer & winter) should include all possible sporting events for disabled as well as old-age people, so as to bring them in societal mainstream. Currently these events are organized separate from the highly visible mainstream championships.

Refer to item on 'positive thinking'

The large trunked trees (with a bigger diameter) move too thus generating a lot of torque. my idea is to attach a pole along trunk and pivot just point underground attached to huge flywheel - employ a gearing effect and you have mass kinetic energy!

I've seen this experience first hand, and as a teacher it is soul destroying trying to negotiate through it.

What a great idea. I am sure everyone reading this will agree that Britain has the worst litter problem in the world (especially those of you who travel to other countries) and I believe the youngsters are the worst for this.

Really good idea. All thrid world countries including India should try this or modify suitably to use the students force to collect recycleable materials and should be rewarded suitably to get fees for their conveyance/text books/school fees.

Children can learn intrinsically and autonomously.

http://geocities.com/moonwindstarsky/unschooling

http://ourcry.tripod.com

http://geocities.com/moonwindstarsky/unschoolingbooks

http://geocities.com/moonwindstarsky/lifestyle

It's good advice, but not practical. Why? because most people cannot or will not accept who and what they are. How many people do you know who will admit that they have prejudices, are bias, gullible, do dumb things, etc.

Richard

The politicians will never go for it though in the U.S. They would never give up that money for the good of the people. I do agree there should be limits to there fat cat day's though.

GREAT IDEA! Im with ya John, I always had that idea myself, just couldent figure out how to make it feasible though.

Good idea but I would take it a couple of steps further. If all businesses were to be open for 12 hours a day then you could stagger employees starting times so that all employees would be at work for a core period in the middle of the day

This week it was reported that people can be tracked by satelite technology giving exact location of wearer using a tag. Although designed for criminals the use could also be extended to the above group!

Tho' I give the submitter a strong nod for posting a tool to improve voter awareness & involvement, the sad truth is -- esp'ly in the U.S. -- that pol. races are already "reality" TV, full of contrivance, posturing, & editing. Why seek even more?

The only danger that I would see is getting landed with a stubborn Telemachus.

To do nothing is NOT an option. I rembember only a short while ago 50 vehicles involved ina pile-up on the M4 motorway with many dead. The relatives must be asking why more was not done to prevent this..only fools do not learn from tradgedies!!!

It is no secret that certain genes inherited from both parents enable the offspring to follow them whether sporting or intellectual. Imagine 100% gene transfer from one parent (now experimently possible) and the prospects for humanity.

Wont the Israelis ever learn? Another tradegy yesterday. Tit for tat. You cannot bomb terrorists into submission..there are others to take their place! As in Northern Ireland the solution can only come from appeasement and discussion!

The space elevator is already
invented.
see this link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

You got that idea from Star Trek!!!! :)

there are parents who don't know this stuff, and it's THEIR job to teach it...what kids need to learn is how to implement their ideas...these practical skills remain largely ignored.

Singaporeans have so little interest in politics despite the government actively encouraging them to play an active role. So why not? Also, it often takes much resources to campaign for an election. This show will ease the way for the poor to participate too.

I support this.

More broadly <a href="http://www.knowledgeboard.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=122627&d=1&h=417&f=418&dateformat=%o%20%B%20%Y" target="_blank">I train</a> 12th grade expertise in email as being about how to find your own 10 best mentors through life

Maybe it would allow people to switch off their engine if they know a long wait is likely. This would cut fuel costs and improve air quality.

More employers could locate to the edge of the city so that the employees do not have to travel through as much (slow) urban traffic.

I like the idea, especially if each one is painted in a slightly different way. Uniformity is irritating to the eye and not necessary.

Actually, I see no evidence of a creative anything. Most people don't know it, but ALL so called discoveries, radium,etal, are the result of accident or happanstance. However, the person involved in solving the problem has to recognize it's value.

When I was working, I was surplused at least once every year. I was educated as an E engineer, but over the years I sold, picked peaches, worked on oil rigs, houses, plumbing--you name it--I did it.

Edward de Bono promotes these ideas:

Let's consider the POSITIVE
the NEGATIVE and the
INTERESTING of any topic.

It's amazing what comes out of these discussions and it shows there are never any straightforward answers anyway.

It's a proven fact that laughter is the best cure!! Next time I'm in hospital, perhaps I'll start this off. :)

If you observe humans and yourself objectively, you'll find that personal opinions or bias are part of our defensive mechanism. Set opinions are as important to a person as his arms and legs. people only discuss subjects they're familiar with.

I can see you've never built a house. You'll find there are rules and regulations that have to be followed, and the rules are different in each city. There are already several different pre fabs on the market, and all are built by code.

I think this would be a good exercise as people would have to face up to things they did'nt want to write down, ie, realising the things they may not like about themselves, such as I know I can be greedy but don't want to admit it- make sense?

I think anything that links people together is a great thing. And in this case it's to help people make informed choices at difficult times, even better!

I think this is a great idea and something that could really work. I feel it's about seeing your community as a collection of people with interests and passions and therefore the community with, currently, hidded potential! fantastic!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3635972.stm

Not only could we have immediate access to "the dissenting opinion", but with I.T., a super quick and simple voting/rating system for each idea/opinion, publically available.Bias may appear "natural", but humans are actually wired to transcend nature

Singapore already has it.

Somebody may correct me but the chances of winning the lottery are 14 million to one even though the 6 digits are unique and not repeated.
The total number of english words including plurals or extensions must be a very small proportion of this.

I have no doubt regarding the benefits ot this technique after attending few courses. There is a videotape (or VCD)available on vipassana mediation in Tihar jail. Its so effective that it can touch many. I wish to give a example for this. In one of the courses my friend attended, a fellow particpant (who, it seems was not serious in the course)asked my friend (his second course) what did you find in this as you come for the 2nd time. My friend replied" I liked it and hence I came" On that day (10th day of the course) that guy watched the movie on Tihar jail and at the end he is weeping. After seeing this, my friend asked him" what did you find in this that you are weeping. he replied" Sir, I wasted valuable 10 days here without serious practice and certainly i will attend one more 10 day course and get practice this technique properly.
Like this I heard many examples. So.. I suggest anybody who reads this to attend atleast one 10 day course.

But that is the idea! In the animal world to copy a great horse such as Shergar would be a major feat. Why is it so undesirable for humans? The 'twin' is long dead!

The author of the "Conversations with God" series has written what he calls the 10 Committments of God.

Seen in this way, the 10 Commandments are diagnostic tests to see if oneself has came to enlightment.

www.cwg.org/en/00/communion1.html

I don't think that is what we need more comercials....
Only traffic info or emergency info.

Many people fear this option because of the unlikely radiation fallout and remember Chernobyl. They seem to discount a threat from the Normandy coast where 4 reactors are sited and with a prevailing SW wind poses more threat than a British operation.

It seems when it comes to financing an illegal war decisions are made within months but when trying to get finance for a project such as the Severn Tidal project which could supply up to 10% of our needs we plead poverty. What a waste?

To make this idea for a broad audience work, there should be a simple form or computer programm, where the unskilled household could fill in its figures. And then there is the fact, that most people don´t like to juggle with numbers ...

Does it have to be a government thing? Independence is always preferable and if we supply the money we have more control? Like a credit union?

It is a good idea,but how many mature young people are out there? Enough to warrent something like this?

Yes I think this is a good idea. I think the right to vote is one of the more important 'freedoms' or in this case responsibilities. Your argument went a bit pear shaped by reverting to the out dated patriachial language of referring to all humans

Isn't this what taxes are for? and isn't a flat tax (ie 1%)what's called regressive? Wouldn't it be better to call for an increase in taxes, with a higher percentage in the higher income bracket and monitor government to ensure that they are spent

This university's official name is:
The Knights of Gaia Academy for Conservation & Peace

The KOGA campus will be located near the city of Kurupukari on the edge of the rainforest in the country of Guyana. Guyana is on the South American continent: north of Brazil and south of the Carribean, and its culture reflects both.

Sufficient, esp if you are one of them yourself. Today increasing numbers of young adults develop maturity well before their predessors. Do we risk stopping another potential Bill Gates from starting a project because he is "underaged"? I believe not

check out www.quovix.com. they are building custom build-to-order applications using a community of developers. The community helps decide how to attack each project.

History was not my best subject. The dates made it boring, but I did enjoy one teacher who gave vivid details. Your idea is valid, but only part of the solution. How it's taught needs improvement, hands-on and living history are much more fun.

It involves a few phone calls and some kindliness from people to move equipment round england (even over seas is easy enough nowadays really)...I think this is an excellent idea!

For a website the is very near this try the Scarman Trust www.candoexchange.net

A great idea - to start the idea try the idea using "six degrees of seperation", sending birth data to six people who send it to six, etc, and within six sendings a match should result - normwain6@hotmail.com

This sounds like a great idea, and I'm sure that some one out that had already had done it, of something similar to it. In my opinion, you could leave the camera in operation for as long as you wanted, you would get the same result as everyone else.

I concur with the proposal but would drop the "incentive". We pay for permits and licenses to drive, build, hunt, fish etc. I think the $100 "fee" would adequately cover parenting classes taught by the Catholic churches who encourage large families

Margie named 3 way different types of people: common criminal; paedophile; terrorist. As for the first one, I might agree w/ her,maybee.But for the last two, these people need to be locked up and the key needs to be thrown away forever.Then teachthem

You did not mention any other common factors, such as: early balding, hairy chests, men who speak spanish. What a stupid study, very unscientific, where is the "control" group, the one where all the males have large balls and small balls? DUMB!!!

For most of history people lived w/ out money, they traded, goods, cattle, etc.What this ends up being is a "survival of the fittest", if you don't have any "goods" to offer anyone, your not worth anything, so your as good as dead. Sound like today?

Who is great?To some Adolf Hitler was great,while to others (most) he is hated. Who decides on who is great enough to be one day cloned,and if one person is not good enough,but another person is.Who decides who is "good enough" or is not good enough!

Why paint them? The least obtrusive way to make windmills is to use clear plastic for as much of the construction as possible.

another interesting example is http://www.nabuur.com (goal is to assist communities in underdeveloped countries)

This sounds wonderful, however, for the majority of America that lives in cities, the thought of a "forest garden" is simply out of the question.
Not to mention the cost involved in planting and buying all of these trees and plants, expensive!!

Your not the first one to come up w/ this idea. Missionaries all over the world have had this dream for years, only one problem, no one wants to pay for it.

In that case, I only see a few things wrong with this: First of all, at least here in the "States", the large trucks do not cause any of the "rush hour", plus, most warehouses, stores are closed at night, thus causing logisical problems all around.

Can you post something that explains the percent boxes with each idea? What are they for and how do the ideas get rated?

At present 'fog' warning lights on motorways tell you there is fog. So what? You don't even need a sign to tell you that! You need real time information of crashes or stationary traffic ahead which will determine your current speed.

This is a great concept and one that the Tutor/Mentor Connection supports by using GIS technology to create maps showing where tutor/mentor programs are in Chicago. The challenge for local residents is obtaining the technology to map community assests, share the information, and maintain the data on a continuing basis. That requires dollars/talent that most inner city organizations find difficult to obtain on a regular basis.

A similar scheme could be applied to say India, Pakistan or the West Indies. Many of the early immigrants in the UK may wish to return to their homelands and see long lost relatives with the priviso that they could come back to UK at some time.

Do you think if we removed too much weight from the earth, the earth would be put out of orbit, and all life would be destroyed?

I'm an RN for a busy med/surg ward, and we use alcohol swabs, which are proven to reduce transmission of germs in this setting, when used appropriately...after each use.

If its urgent then stand.
The solution is really to have more standing room on public transport with seats only for elderly, pregnant, infirm and children. Then everyone gets on not just the wealthy.

When I have done litter picks it soon seems to inspire others to join in. Showing that you care makes others care do something with their own feelings about litter.

Wind turbines kill some birds and this will only encourage them to try to nest on them or forage for nesting material or food from them. The anti camp plays this up and opposite for the pro's. But you dont want to kill too many in an ecosystem.

Rape is the most degrading of human acts. Unfortunately only women are the targets. I saw a spray of chillies that women could use when in distress. More such products should be brought in market. Why not an orange smoke signal that will automaticalr

Great idea and pretty simple but powerful. An australian inventor has done this (see http://www.abc.net.au/newinventors/txt/s1076405.htm)

I've been working on an idea to create an SMS service where you could use a mobile phone to SMS the car rego to a data base - but i like this more - just send your SMS to a friend! Saved me a lot of thinking.

I am voting for the Coke man this year, and I'll perhaps keep Mercedes as a back-up vote. Maybe BP will lose the by-election, but Cardy will keep us warm as we run through to the election day.

Or how about looking at it more collectively, rather than just individual businesses. The maximum income (100% tax rate above this) can only be 15 x the minimum wage in the country.

site the windmills near airports...if they manage to kill the birds it will make it safer to fly!

This sounds very nice on a small scale, but if taken too far, it could deprive native wildlife of needed food. Walks should include info about leaving some for birds and other wildlife, and for plant regeneration.

A testiment to how millions of people can be suckered by a con artist. This guy should be in jail, not mingling with heads of state. And if those heads of state allow this sham to continue, they too should be thrown behind bars for complicity.

testament, not testiment.

I think the RRS network is fantastic. I was a member in High Wycombe in the early 90s, and went from never having run for a bus to completing a half marathon - slowly, but I did it! Would love to find a group in Manchester if anyone knows one??

This site is a great idea. I too just happened on it. I searched 'idea' and your site came up. I will let others know. This site makes you feel connected.

Do you think the recycling credit consultation that is ongoing at the moement will make a differece now that they are looking to include re-use? or is the material generally from commercial sources and therefore not open to this income source?

Many of the richest men in society are driven by wealth (as this means power). To put a cap on this would stifle many entrepenurs once the limit is reached. That is why a low tax economy is always more successful!

They thought of this many years ago. They built a new town up the M1 called Milton Keynes.

very thought provoking, where will funding come from. reply to Dave_doniese@juno.com

Yes. This could also be operated by LETS Groups
.... you can check out this website too.
http://www.kindredspirit.co.uk/ARTICLES/4027_lets.asp

There is a web site which encourages the swapping of wants and resources run by the Scarman Trust. Free.
www.candoexchange.org
Take a look its just had a makeover.

It's a beautiful vision but I guess the question is where the money comes from. Even with energy efficiency in the long term, the start up costs would be huge. The UK government doesn't allocate a lot of money for old people!

Perhaps you could have an array of dashboard buttons ranging from "I'll just go and flog myself!" to "Asshole!!!!"

I think we can find a way to use our waste (even nuclear waste). We have to make our way of life a closed cycle like nature itself. Waste = Food. Although, I think we should launch Bush and his neo-con friends toward the sun. Just kidding. :)

I used to work with kids, and I was not allowed to touch them because if I did, parents would be afraid that I was molesting them. How would this be any different?

Children need the issues explained by their parents. The parents would explain them in such a way that children will vote the same way as their parents. This will mean that parents with more children will have more political power.

id cards should be issued to those that want them ,in exchange the posser no longer deals in money .they would have acess to everything via the id card.
but would also have acess to areas refused if they comit a crime a a rule of the no money sceme

everybody would do a minium number of hours each week.in what ever trade they decide or they would not be included

I'd prefer most people to wear muzzles instead, dogs are only doing whats natural; its the owner's responsibility to clean up after them, so if they don't do it now, they're not likely to put a number plate on their dog to help them get caught!

Wouldn't this scheme just pass more buyer power to the supermarkets who are out-competing the newsagents? We would be left with far less consumer choice, and find the same bland fruit/veg whether we shop at supermarkets or local independent stores.

Wy not also u's a spelng systm we'r yu cut al letrs not pronaunsd and chanj al wrds with unusual pronaunsiashns? American [nashnalitys dont chanj] studnts of German cn spel 6 tyms betr in German thn in English. AND WY NOT ONLY U'S CAPS LYK TH ROMANS?

The # of boys with no positive role model and only the media as a guide is the problem. Better to reinforce through mentoring fatherless boys than making people raise kids right. How could that be enforced, anyway?

My fella is rubbish at eating veg and i have to force feed him multi vitamins or sneak fresh herbs into his food. However you can have too much of some vitamins. Top idea though.

An alternative less bureaucratic solution for car emissions would be to levy a huge fuel tax on vehicles..the UK has done this but needs more until the pips squeak without upsetting the motoring lobby too much.

Do you not see the point or do you not see how it would work? The point is to not "punish people for working harder". The point is to encourage hard work. People who make more per hour live a beter life than people who make less per hour.

I see two assertions 1. That it would be difficult to figure out how many hrs someone worked in a year 2. That the system would be open to fraud. Re #1 It would be easy Re #2 how would this be open to fraud any more than the current system?

What would happen if a country of a million people grew or shrank in size? Ethiopia's fertility rate is 5.5 children per family, and at the other extreme, Italy's is only 1.2.

This has been studied check:
http://www.thiaoouba.com
A special forum for people who have read the spiritual realm of Thiaoouba Prophency and The freedom of choice has been created http://www.goldenplanetforum.com

I'm not sure that state-sanctioned pedophilia is the way to go, and besides, brothels are for sad-cases. (though there are a lot of sad cases, so maybe they have their use. As long as there's no sex-slavery) And yes, I agree with you Mark, totally.

I appreciate your concern lui, but as I've said before, instead of essays every year, they may instead be written in one year of junior high, and a follow up into senior high and college if necessary. These essays may then be analyzed for trends.

The world population and each and every countries population is in my opinion unsustainable, having degrees in Applied Science and Communication I understand that politicians cannot state the facts that the earth is growning under the pressure of the

Taxing "hours worked" must somehow include hours that professionals spent in college making $0, unpaid sales hours for consultants, unpaid business development hours... That's why I'm not sure it will be accurate.

I totally support this - I have lost count of the number of passwords I have of different formats for different sites or applications. Impossible to remember all of them, so they get written down - how secure?!

the only real problem i can see in instaling a new system is that the population would be to keen to start i feel it would take alot of arranging ,i have many ideas and i believe they would work .and if people are serious i would try to get it going

The Gun buyers law is a riot! I'd love to see this idea fruition in my lifetime. HAHAHA!!! I'm still laughing. I love the concept!

We have 'ranking' in Australia. Preferential voting - see http://www.eca.gov.au/systems/single/by_category/preferential.htm
Putting some people in the last box is very satisfying, although there is much competition on my form for that box.

A good idea, but not an easy one. Wouldn't 'laws, constitutions, bills or rights, charters' be written in legalese and be difficult for most people to understand? Also, full disclosure of all connections between the people proposing the bills etc and any company would be good.

Perhaps, on the language issue, children studying other languages could write in those languages if any enterprising language teachers wanted to get double value.

Esperanto is too complicated for most people to learn. My plan is to make a new Latin that is as simple as possible.

The best solution I have come across is to have a fixed term marriage certificate after which time either party can walk away from the marriage. If children are involved a satisfactory solution is also necessary.

?????????????????Anybody there?

Sorry Siaffa, but I'm right. Freedom from violence is more important - WAY more important - than freedom to commit violence. Hence, parents should have no freedom at all to let their kids think otherwise. Remember, innocents may suffer. That's all.

sound comments,i have been putting up with other peoples smoke for years.I am a boiler engineer by trade and some of the homes that i work in were terrible,i could hardly breath with the smoke,but not anymore,thanks.

The main cause of garbage is packing material in the products you buy. The cure isn't personal awareness but the manufacturers who create this packaging. Try putting all the packaging in a separate bag from the rest of your garbage instead.

All great ideas.

A little biased to high tech.

Visually impaired readers ought to try the Opera browser, which has a font size button built in!

The problem is that people who aren't sensitive to gender issues aren't likely to be made so by a class-- especially a mandatory one. There are a lot of good ideas which cannot successfully be legislated, & I think this is one of them. <3

Wait, so it's more environmentally friendly to telecommute with an SUV in the garage than with a hybrid?? (This idea sounds to me like a way for corporations to sneak out of making real changes.) <3

Evidence has been mounting that common business practices can damage their employees, especially change and bullying. Why let them keep on leaving society to pick up the pieces? They exist because we exist, not the other way around.