>Regarding your sidenote. It is an interesting question.
>From about 1996 until March of this year I strictly telecommuted (visiting an office at most once per week, for just a fw hours). I nver thught of moving to the countryside, but I guess many will as the trend grows fast and soon.

My telecommunist years stretch only to 2002, but I wouldn't leave the city. I can still get through a month on just one tank of fuel (and about half of that is picking daughter from school couple of times a week, to save her an hour), and if need be I could even switch (back) to bicycling for most of the groceries. That's because of the zoning ;) so we live in a content free area - anything that serves any other purpose than residence is outside of it, but still not too far. Living out of town on this continent - only if you grow your own food, or at least enough of it to be self-sufficient without having to go out procuring.

We may start a rickshaw grocery service ;).