Wonky post. Stuck in my head thanks to Sterling Newberry, the three dynamics to measure the potential of your project by:

1. Accessability: is your project equitably available? Will it only work for a select "elite" few, or is it something that is open to any and all qualified participants?
2. Sustainability: how dependent is your project on external sources of support? Can it operate under its own power?
3. Scalability: can you scale? Can your idea go national or global and still be a great project?

This isn't a "check all that apply" type metric. More like axes to think along when evaluating what you're up to. Some things need to be closed and private. Some things only work when they're small. Some things are ephemeral.

That's all cool. When thinking about a project, these are just useful lines of evaluation to help entrepreneurs and instigators brainstorm effectively. However, Institutions, particularly public ones -- including State institutions, the Academy, the Press, and the Non-Profit Sector -- should almost always seek to maximize along all three vectors.

The Market -- as an Institution in its own right -- should also be judged on these criteria. How easy is it for new players to break in? How sustainable is the system? Can the it continue to scale (globalize) as is, or are different tactics necessary? These are hard questions which social scientists (economists, economic sociologists) are truly trying to engage. The finance, public policy and political communities are lagging pretty badly.

Creepy paralells with how the war in Iraq was sold.

In other news the Army will close down Abu Ghraib, though actually what they mean by "Close Down" is "Relinquish Control." The prison will remain in operation, but with Iraqis in charge. I'm sure this means no one will ever be torture there again.

And finally, Rummy proclaims that "if civil war breaks out," the US will pretty much let the iraqis handle it, this is in line with reports last year that the strategic focus for the US to step up air operations. Basically if the shit hits the fan, will do the bombing, and Iraqis mostly the street-level fighting.

They think that will work. Others disagree. I think it's unlikely to work out. If we start blowing shit up, we could face a popular uprising, and our supply lines are vulnerable to that sort of thing. Could get ugly.

There are 102 new billionares worldwide this year. No word as to how the rest of the income spectrum is doing, though this is pretty neat.

It's a little lo-fi, but it's def. listenable. Jigsaw Gentlement Podcast from the Pordland Mercury. That's the band my friend John Henry sings/fronts. Hopefully their new CD will be buyable online.