Before I get known as the pro-file-sharing, anti-industry anarchist, let me state for the record: If invention gets ahead of industry, industry shouldn't try to shut down invention. A “group representing copyright owners” (whatever that means!) recently shut down Pirate Bay, again!

Folks will hop over to any number of other BitTorrent sites, so shouldn't the record industry spend its money thinking up new ways to stay relevant? Put those Pirate Bay guys on the payroll instead of in jail.

Here in California, consumer electronics industry higher-ups say that, even if we give them till 2011, they can't make flat screen TVs 30% more energy-efficient because the change will hurt industry.

But innovation is a good thing, even when it's forced. Because of innovation-driving legislation in California, we haven't increased our energy consumption since the 1970’s despite our increasingly energy-sucking habits. And lo and behold, the electronics industry has done just fine.

I look forward to the day when we can say, "Well son, back in my day we used to blow up a whole mountain for a little electricity"…but I'm not holding my breath, just in case.