Capital Markets, the Web, Human Well-Offness and ButtKickers

This morning's LA Times includes "Answer to the fuel crisis (maybe) can be all yours ... The rights to a motor conversion technology are for sale on Ebay. No minimum bid -- but it does need some work ... Would you like to own the rights to technology that will free this planet from having to rely on oil -- foreign or domestic? It's for sale! On EBay!"

Why not? Buy and sell intellectual property rights on the Web and cut out some more middlemen. Actually, middlemen and other specialists will always be on hand where they can add value. It's just that their fees will now be facing new pressures.

Anything that reduces barriers between investors and inventors is to be welcomed.

Speaking of an improved quality of life, the WSJ's Walter Mossberg writes about the ButtKicker: "A Killer Amp --for Your Desk Chair ... Device Attaches to a Seat To Let Users Literally Feel The Vibes of Music, Games ... Is this a Great country or what? Thanks to technology, you soon will be able to not only hear your favorite music and the sound effects of videogames, but to actually feel these sounds, and not just in your heart and soul."

In a busy shared office space, these would go well with the headphones.