I was interested to read 
this review of The Art of Unix Programming. It argues that the Unix and "Windows" traditions of programming boil down to cultural difference between those who program for programmers and those who program for end-users. It was an interesting enough review that I'm going to have to read the book now.
At the last Apple seminar, our technical representative demonstrated a new java-based videoconferencing application. I saw Christopher Dede speak at a conference a couple of years ago and I liked what he said about video conferencing. He said (something like), "It's like everything else bad that's come down the pike. People figure, 'Hey! It didn't work for business. It must be good for Education!'" I wish there was a MacOS X version of the access grid software. It, at least, is open source.
Each year in kindergarten, the children write, illustrate, and bind handsome books. (Charlie wrote The Adventures in Space)Alisa tells me that at school the other day Daniel's kindergarten teacher was describing the story writing that they're going to be doing.
"You can choose the topic," he said. "You can write about whatever you want!"
"Can we write about toilets?" Daniel asked.
"Well, maybe there are some things you can't write about," the teacher clarified.
That's my boy!