In my experience (admittedly only with recent versions) there aren't any problems that crop up when using XeTeX with the memoir class for simple stuff like ebooks. The only real downside is that the microtype support in XeTeX isn't as good as in pdfTeX, but LuaTeX is pretty close to providing the best of both worlds.
This is awesome. I've been looking for something similar. Quickly add a bit more functionality (photo resize, link it to twitter, add comments, etc...) before other sites copy your idea.
Seriously, that was an awesome take on freelance. I read a lot of these "how freelance is like," type of articles, and they're mostly focused on the freelancer not the work.
But I think he's just writing for that audience. The question isn't how can I be a successful freelancer, but how will my life be different if I choose to freelance. That's probably what most of his readers are looking for.
Bill can be a hero because the stranglehold Microsoft had on computer development is gone with the advent of the Web as the platform. No one is afraid of the big bad MS any more.
Everyone loves character arcs and comeback stories.
Creating new villains means there's room for the old villain to be rehabilitated. Even if neither of them have changed a lot as people over the last 10 years, the media perception becomes the reality.
However, as Jobs is so closely tied to the recent success of Apple, and Gates is still seen as Microsoft even though he hasn't been an employee for many years.
I'm hesitant about the social layers search stuff. Honestly, the data I put on the web is personal, and it deserves its own respect. Its not just a statistic. If my friend wants to know what I think about something they can email me.
I think it would be a brilliant move by Google to combine their separate services into something similar to Facebook. Google has all the parts, like video (Youtube), pics (Picasa), mini-blogs (Buzz), chat, and e-mail. They do all of this better than Facebook, and add Google Voice on top of it. It's just natural for them to start a social network that integrates all of these different parts.
I'm thinking it would be a bigger problem if people can stream from their phones. You would be able to see a lot of different angles, and behind the scenes type of footage.
Unless you want a job in Academia. College is still a big barrier for many professions, and probably the only way you will have adequate training for those professions.
Also, I would not give a 18 year old $10,000 to start a business. You need at least some training or experience working before you head out on your own. If I had $10,000 I would give it to him only if I saw he had a real plan.
