Brian Gongol
Technology is an inseparable part of the free market -- and what's marvelous is how technology is already helping people living under oppressive governments work their way out. A Chinese-developed web browser includes some tricks that help users get around government censorship of the Internet. Thank the capitalist instinct -- the browser is being made by a small company that's out to make money.
Of course, technology can be used badly, too -- as when governments spend tons of money on things like traffic-speed cameras that don't even work. Of course, the failure here isn't the technology itself, but rather the choice that governments make to use that technology for dubious purposes.
Making money and having fun are all about deal-making, and it's always good to find helpful tips about negotiation. One of the best suggestions is to remember that if there's some way you can help the other party get some of what they want, you're more likely to get what you want. (Get more links like this at the brand-new CommerceBucket.com.
A little side note: We are short on rain, but some precipitation this weekend has helped a little -- the National Weather Service has a great map showing total rainfall across the country (zoomable to the state level).