[sepia]

It already amazes me, the brain grid.
As a child, computers were unheard of, they were special things in secret places like NASA.
When I was in my teens, I asked my parent if I could take a programming course--1978. I was told this whole home pc thing was never going to happen and that computer programming was not a sensible goal, or even a class to be bothered with. My step-father felt it was something men in the gov't need worry about (I guess he failed to recall that one of the main computer languages was developed by a female military officer.)
Now, I go to sites, talk with people, talk with my kids friends, and they are all well versed in all things related to the computer--the only thing that seems to frighten them (yet the only thing I love) is working with binary numbers. Children in elementary school can work their way around computers easily. I think this is fantastic. It would seem that despite gov't reports, to me, our children are increasing their learning potentials and are smarter--at least many of them.
The whole Matrix/Logan's Run thing is a frightening thought to me. But, reality is an odd thing, not always what we think it is.

Your write up is excellent TankGirl. Thank you, gives me something to ponder and reread again after a bit more pondering.