"How funny about the Fieldbus wars. It just seems like yesterday (1996/1997) that I was working in the UK and hearing all about them for the first time.

"Back then, I used to tell laymen that the types of fieldbusses were like swimming pool contractors. They were all building pools, but some might go the route of cement or liners, in-ground or above-ground, each with its own features. End users simply chose the one that met their needs the best.

"The claims to open architecture were a joke, because it didn't exist. A company might partner with another fieldbus protocol, but only if their proprietary equipment was used.

"So it is sad, but really no surprise that they have come no further along. Such a large expenditure of time and effort and funds, only to decide that no one is going to let go.

"And now, the war over wireless standards will go the same route. (sigh)"

Ron Bengtson [Ron@AmericanEnergyIndependence.com] discusses solutions for the Water Wars:

"I see a similarity between the concerns about water and peak oil. And I see a similar solution --> alternatives. The problem in both cases is a political refusal to commit to the alternatives.

"Oil can be replaced with many alternatives, including a combination of improved efficiency, conservation, biofuels, synthetic petroleum from coal and shale oil, and electric vehicles, etc.

"Water is easier. Two-thirds of the earth's surface is covered in water two miles deep. Global warming threatens to heat the ocean. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a viable alternative energy source that can be used to desalinate all the water the world would ever need. The hotter the planet gets, the more OTEC energy we can extract to desalinate more water. Huge solar powered electric or steam motors can drive aqueduct pumps to move desalinated water from the ocean over the continents to anywhere on the planet.

"Private companies may never find a profit in this, but countries that can spend 500+ billion dollars per year for their military could easily do it."

Robert Unseld [Robert.Unseld@elektronikjournal.de] from Germany comments on the problem of high CEO salaries:

"The Infosys-CEO with his $75,000 salary is remarkable, because such things are only known by founders/owners of little small companies that want to grow.

"For sure, the big bucks of American CEOs are not OK. Question: How much money is earned by the, say, 50 leading men and women of a big company, where the CEO is allocated at around $50M? Is that $150 to 200M? Not easy to earn in operations, I think, in addition to the revenue any company must have to make let's say a profit margin of 10%.

"I must say, that this kind of thing reflects on the actual state of the country. This is not just the US with those really huge CEO-Salaries, but also for European companies that are going the same way.

"It's not my intent to criticize these people as if I'm a Socalist. But I'd bet, that nobody's management capabilities are worth those amounts. Surely the worth and/or revenues of the companies those guys are leading are not multiplying at the same rate as their salaries did during past years."