I'm aloft somewhere between Rome and Cincinnati, jetting back towards my crazed, stupefied, dangerous country after three days in Berlin. I dread coming home. You know things have taken a paradoxical turn when Germany feels safe, sane, and free by comparison with the United States of America. But that's how it looks to me.

That's how it looks to the Germans too. The idea that we might actually re-elect George Bush is unfathomable - indeed, inexcusable - to them. As one of them put it to me, "We can forgive you for electing him once.

I have fought software patents for years, and am equally appalled at the creeping (creepy?) unlimited enforcement of copyright. Staford law professor Lawrence Lessig recently had this to say:

Tuesday sharpened the definition of the ongoing legal struggle to satisfy both proprietary and open source advocates through equitable intellectual property regulations.

I just saw Howard Dean speak, and though I've liked him - and have planned to vote for him - for some time now, I'm finally jazzed enough to start telling people about him. He spoke on the economy, foreign policy and education, and then answered questions.

My friend Mitch Ratcliffe sent me an email today asking if I could help create some technology for the Dean campaign. There's a lot to do - a lot of great opportunities for coders looking to create effective community action.

It's all volunteer for now.