According to the movie, this is the year we should be orbiting Jupiter and checking out what’s the deal with Io.  It seems that we are about as far from that as we can be.  We’re navel gazing as we try to figure out where the money and jobs went and worrying about nebulous threats from people we don’t understand.   UGH, I wonder if we, collectively, can get any more pathetic and depressed.  I can’t say that my state of mind matches the collective depression.  I still maintain there’s too much that needs to be done and this level of unemployment and collective “meh” is completely unnecessary.  We also need to try a new strategy when dealing with the folks that don’t like us (showing fear, dropping bombs, reacting in a knee-jerk fashion, infringing upon civil liberties, and randomly fondling people at the airport aren’t working well).   I wonder will 2010 be the year some brave leader steps forwards and says, “SNAP OUT OF IT!!! Let’s hire some people to solve some of these tough problems!

Here are some things that have me excited that I would love to work on:

• Perfecting e-readers and tablet computers — technology, UI, UX, and media distribution
• The future of the newspaper — let’s really put the power of the Internet to work!
• Dreaming up “bone headed” ways we can save our environment
• Dreaming up fabulously cool ways we can save out environment — some of the wild ideas about creating synthetic plants to process CO2 and light into energy and water sound cool!
• 3D that doesn’t make my head hurt!!!
• Infrastructure —  both physical and Internet!!!
• Figuring out EFFECTIVE ways to deal with our enemies (we could start by not making more of them…as well as change US management culture, use the full power of the Internet, cultural diplomacy, cultural transfer (AKA some clever and innocuous propaganda — Movies, music, and books are powerful things…and when combined with the Internet, spreading culture couldn’t be easier … our enemies are doing it, so what’s stopping us from a countering.)

Anyhow, if you are a person with some influence, be a brave leader and kick things off.  Come on, don’t you want to be the beacon that leads us out of this foggy funk?  I know you do :).  You’ll go down in history as our savior.  Hahaha!!!  Putting it that way, it sounds drop-dead easy for a company with deep pockets to jump and hire 5000 people for something dreamy.  I like a recent seed from Rahul Sood:  “Want to find technology to help create a fully renewable green server farm, runs off the sun, and re-cycles the heat into power. Ideas?”  (http://twitter.com/rahulsood)

Now, everyone, find a groove to dance to and shake it!   Hellz Yeah! 2010!!!  And if that doesn’t make you happy, then you are truly hopeless ;p