About four years ago, I bought a little flowering vine and planted it in my yard. The first year it sprouted a few flowers, then it appeared to have died, but then it sprouted again. And every year since it has grown bigger. It's starting to take over, and soon will need to be trimmed back.

Like that Clematis near my house, another vine is taking over my life and the lives of most people I know. It's called information technology. When it began to grow, only a few years ago, we all watched in amazement. Since then it has created millions of new jobs, made communication much easier, enabled us to do library research from our homes, and made it possible to communicate around the globe instantly, without cost, and even with video images. PDAs, iPods, cell phones, BlackBerries and additional pieces of technical gimmickry are ever-evolving and increasingly sophisticated. They let us make purchases online, pay bills, access information, download videos, and even exchange text messages or check ...