Strangely enough, I didn’t start going on real backpacking trips until recently in life. While I’ve done a bit of camping, I never went so far as to carry everything I would need for several days attached one way or another to my own body. The experience was everything I had hoped it would be.

While I have yet to do it, I have thought a lot about going it entirely alone. All of my backpacking adventures have included at least a couple of other people. The idea of going solo seems like an engaging, and perhaps risky challenge. I’ve thought about this a lot. I’ve even wondered what it would be like for extended amounts of time.

However, it wasn’t until just a few days ago that I thought about another paradigm altogether. In the vein of conversations about building intentional communities, I thought about a pro-longed “survival” type experience with a relatively large group of people. Said another way, imagine two dozen or more people backpacking around the world as a cooperative group.

I’m sure it would be much like a Burning Man camp, only for a much longer period of time – as much as a couple of years. Like BM, you would have a whole range of challenges from practical logistical problems to social drama. I wonder if it would be as rewarding? I also wonder if I’m the only person who thinks this is a fun idea?

Ars is reporting that Boxee is gaining an apps store (has a new API for Plugins!) and is getting it’s own hardware next year.

quick intro to boxee from boxee on Vimeo.

I’m sure Boxee is not the only project of this nature in the works right now. I’m also sure that there’s about to be a whole new marketing opening up in front of our televisions soon. If only I had a rich investor friend. ;)

I recently started exploring home theater computer systems such as LinuxMCE and Boxee. I had a vague sense of what I wanted before I started looking. These applications were interesting, but not the experience I was looking for. I wasn’t searching for a TV replacement. I did want to consume media, but that’s not all I wanted to do. It came to me while Nino’s mom was visiting. I fired up the Wii so Nino could show off Raging Rabbids. Meanwhile, I found myself playing with the news and weather applications. I sat there watching the view jump around a map of the earth while related news items were shown at the bottom. That was the trigger that brought it all together in my mind.

So the next gadget to change our lives (one of the next) will be an appliance that hooks up to our televisions. Like a console, it will run a custom operating system and developers will be able to create software specifically for this system. Like your home PC, it will most likely have a keyboard. However, it will also have a unique control device not entirely unlike the Wiimote.

The machine will be extremely inexpensive. The company that creates this machine will not be profiting from selling the hardware itself. Instead, the company will profit from 1) the sale of software for the machine and 2) a percentage of e-comerce transactions that occur on the machine.

Unlike a game console system, the device (probably) will not contain any kind of CD/DVD reader. All software and system updates will be installed over the Internet from an online application store. Just like the iPhone app store, Android app store, and the soon to be Pre app store – developers will be able to publish thier software entirely digitally. This same model is showing up on console systems as well.

While existing console system (Xbox 360, PS3, & Wii) are a close match technically, this revolutionary new system will not be gaming centric. There will be a wide variety of software available for the system. Some of it will support commercial transactions. App developers will have access to easy-to-use e-commerece APIs. Simple, secure, and effective microtransactions will be realized.

While this new system may include a Web browser, the Web will not be a primary focus. Much like smart phones and other mobile devices, custom apps will replace popular Web apps. You already see this method in practice; the iPhone uses custom apps to replace the Web interfaces for Google Maps and Youtube.

Here are some apps I imagine we will see:

• Media consumption (news & entertainment in video, audio, and text)
• Interactive weather – imagine updated radar loops applied over Google Earth, imagine zooming in on your city and seeing animated weather matching the weather outside your window.
• Calendar connected to all the other calendars you and your family use (Google Calendar, Yahoo, Outlook, whatever…)
• Games from casual to hardcore.
• Unique social software, well beyond what we see in app like Facebook today.
• Video phone tech that will replace the house phone.
• Home automation connected to the “smart grid” monitoring home energy usage and turning on your coffee pot in the morning.

The news and weather applications built into the Nintendo Wii are perfect examples of user interface innovation that can happen when application developers escape the limitations found inside of a Web browser. Still, the Wii feels like a toy. We can do better.

You may choose to put touch screen displays all through your house and hook them into the system. Your home security system will likely be connected (very much like LinuxMCE).

It will start as a simple set-top box that covers tasks currently performed by your home PC, game consoles, and media appliances (blue ray, dvd, etc). However, it will evolve into the “ships computer” of your home, RV, and automobile. You’ll be able to interface with the system with your wireless computing device (that we’re now calling “smart phones”)…

I can’t wait to see it when it happens.

Intro

The story behind marijuana and the law is long winded and rather upsetting. For a good overview, I recommend watching Grass. We somehow decided that alcohol and tobacco are ok, but pot is not? At the end of the day, it’s just a plant!

There’s little reason to preach anymore. I have a hard time finding people who think marijuana should be illegal. I’m sure there are DEA agents who would disagree (unemployment?!), but even law enforcement is starting to get behind a legalization movement. Well, some law enforcement. Derek would think otherwise.

My biggest concern is that my tax money is being spent to put people behind bars that I really don’t think should be there. Lives are destroyed because of marijuana laws. And I’m helping to pay for this? I feel dirty!

It seems that rallies and protests don’t really DO much anymore. So what would? I have an idea!

The Idea

The idea is a peaceful protest that sends a message. Only, the message is directed at those in jail, not the government itself.

We could use public records to build a list of people who’ve been put in jail for nothing more than Marijuana based crimes. Growers, dealers, whatever… so long as they didn’t slaughter a bus full of nuns.

Then we take the list and start by sending apology letters on behalf of concerned American citizens. We say, “look, we’re sorry you’re in the slammer and we’re actually paying for you to be there… we’re trying to get the laws changed but until we do, we wanted to at least let you know we’re thinking about it…”

As a step further, maybe folks would want to send gifts – comfort items. Bags of Cheese Puffs?

While the message would be directed towards inmates, I think it would send a bigger message of compassion. It’s a break away from the stereotypical “we’re going to march on Washington and show our anger” approach that obviously didn’t work.

I wouldn’t know where to start to organize something like this, but I would definitely contribute to such an effort. Maybe the folks at NORML could make it happen?

On the flip side, there’s a huge trend of folks moving to freelance work. NPR did a piece on it, referring to it as gig work. Some of their guests cited it as a new kind of work culture. My own recent project, Webcraft, was an attempt to move that direction myself.

I found the technical details of running a freelance business to be a hindrance. I didn’t like having to file paperwork declaring the business. I’m currently trying to find a good accountant to help me deal with my taxes. I had to probe around for a long while to find good invoicing and financial tracking tools. I also had to setup my website, email, and other services. The whole time, I was eager to get to work on something.

I believe there’s an excellent opportunity – right now – to start a co-op to support freelancers. Here’s how I see it:

• The co-op is a corporation of some kind. A biz/legal/accountant type person could probably choose the best structure.
• Leadership roles (i.e. CEO) would be filled be “elected” employees. The co-op, at large, would vote to hire/fire leadership staff. The co-op would also vote on pay, benefits, etc.
• The co-op would provide freelancers with key services: health benefits, accounting, legal council, server hosting, etc.
• The co-op members would meet regularly and be active in evolving the overall structure of the company.
• Members could leave/join the co-op at any time.
• Members would perform their normal freelance work with their clients.
• Members would be required to pay some level of fees to the co-op for operation expenses (probably tiered).

The co-op could decide to go so far as to put together community offices or other utilities if the group voted for it. Where most businesses are top down and a CEO makes all of the calls, this company would be flipped upside down. The freelancers themselves would choose the direction of the company.

I’ve been mulling over this idea for the better part of a year. The “employees in charge” notion was actually inspired by a story I heard about such a company existing in a foriegn country. I wish I knew more about it so I could research it. Either way, had I a bit more free time, I’d love to research this whole idea a little further. If this strikes your itnerest, I’d love to chat about it.

EDIT Looks like someone beat me to the punch: http://www.freelancersunion.org/