Terrorism as Pretext:

“Terrorism, however, is more than violence. It is also the ultimate publicity stunt, and it did not take long before advertising and PR executives began to look for ways to use it as the ultimate news hook. Advertisers are using flags and patriotic imagery to sell everything from women’s fashions to cigarettes and fast food. Think tanks, lobbyists and Bush administration are using the terrorism as a pretext to justify their long-standing shopping list of bad ideas and corporate welfare measures…” PR Watch

Good (or Unwitting) Neighbors Make for Good Internet Access

“Many of the free rides these days are the result of bandwidth bleeding from private networks that are intended to let their owners connect to the Internet without being tethered to a fixed spot in a home or office.

Because the great majority of these wireless networks have not been secured, it is easy for neighbors and passers-by to use them undetected — although if enough freeloaders download large enough files, legitimate users will notice their own connections are been degraded.

The popularity of 802.11 has also begun to inspire the construction of networks that are intended to be shared, either free or for a fee.

” NY Times

What the heck is emo anyway?

Swiss Vote to Join UN, but EU Still Long Way Off: “Switzerland basked in a rare moment of international solidarity on Monday after voters abandoned centuries of political isolationism and narrowly agreed their neutral country should join the United Nations.” Reuters