> there is nothing more heartbreaking than to tell some girl those
> pictures of her dead mother are most likely gone forever because
> her laptop got trashed and she didn't have backups.

1. Console sad girl over lost pictures
2. ??
3. PROFIT!!

> You can't hand someone cash over the web.

That is, in fact, the single-most important shortcoming of the much-touted 'e-commerce'. What would I give to have in-browser pre-loaded wallet (let's say, 20 bucks), where I could instantly buy something off a web site...without having to register first, type my address and all that other cumbersome and privacy-invading nonsense. Imagine a TRUE one-click purchase via instant anonymous e-cash transfer! The way we buy things...and the way people sell things...would change dramatically. But only, if the pricing is correct...which it will be eventually, when artists (among others) can sell directly and get ALL the proceeds without middlemen-skimmers a la Apple, Record companies, Publishing houses etc.pp..

Gen. Keith Alexander also denied the existence of Gen. Keith Alexander, thought to be NSA's Chief General. When questioned upon this subject, Alexander said: "If such a person would be at NSA, I could not comment upon that.". When asked, however, by a curious Congressman Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, whether "NSA" might stand for "No Such Alexander", Gen. Alexander did not hesitate to confirm with "Yes", marking the first time a high-ranking NSA-official has made such a revealing statement publicly. Yet the astonished Congressman Johnson, new to Congress and unfamiliar with such sensitive matters, asked the NSA's envoy once more in, what was perceived as too direct a fashion: "But General Alexander, if such a Person does not exist at NSA, then who are we talking to today?" After the gasps of horror subsided, Gen. Alexander answered in his usual humorous fashion, that he became well-known for ever since serving in Germany: "I could tell you, but zen you wudd be dedd! HA HA HA".
After the meeting adjourned, another member of Congress sighed (under condition of anonymity), that he still doesn't know who they questioned today. "I mean, there's really no such person working in no such agency (and I have no reason to doubt that this is the case), but still you sit there and listen to this person from that agency and it's like totally freaking you out, man!"
Congressman Johnson was unfortunately unavailable for an interview. He was found dead the next morning in the Potomac river, having died of accidental causes according to, strangely, Utah Police. A spokesman said "You know, we get that a lot over there in D.C...that people drink a little too much, stumble around with their feet in some fresh concrete and then jump in the river to cool of from the intoxication, where, tragically, they get pulled to the bottom by the now solid bricks encasing their expensive shoes." The NSA was unavailable for comment...

> Kid: "These two kids beat each other up in the shower."

> Parent: "Did you just say two kids beat each other off in the shower?!?!?"

Kid: "And one even DIED from it!!"

TFIFY. :-)

> like you're going to have a readable printed piece of paper (printed
> photograph, canvas, whatever) 10,000 years from now.

An interesting point. Are the EB books printed for longevity (without acid or corrosive inks etc.)? How long would such a book, under normal conditions, roughly last?

> You can download the entirety of Wikipedia and read it on your
> Kindle, Ipad, etc. as a physical book.

How would you go about that?

I wouldn't mind having the entire set nicely as EPUB's on my e-reader. That'd be something I'd pay a reasonable amount for...do they have it?

Ditto for Wikipedia, btw...for offline access.

> Google and Facebook were just NSA and CIA fronts.

Well, it was nice knowing you, man! Such a bright future ahead of you and now all for nothin'. Because you couldn't keep your mouth shut! :-/

> I just hope the person performing the surgery isn't a reptile. He or she or it might kill me on the operating table. You know how They are. They are always
> plotting against us, and they have been slithering around in the highest offices for so long...

I am a reptile and would like to subscribe to your surely intriguing newsletter! :-)

> Will it blend?

Sure Will, but it will also explode big time because you made a phone call!

> All NSA is doing here is trying to get secure voice over IP on a
> smart phone.

About time that SOMEBODY does! Go NSA.

> > "Until SETI improves its resolution, this is all just masturbation."

> Well, then, count me in!

Is this what they call the Slashdot effect? :-P

Hey Peter...thank you and the rest of the folks at the EFF for such great and important work! Beer's on me if we ever run into each other! :-)

> Nope, I expect that 99% of end users will not have this extension
> installed in the first place ...

You might be wrong. It's been, surprisingly, a very popular plugin even for non-technical folks. At least from what I see. But do your part anyway and install it on people's machine's whenever you get the chance to.

> I'll be the first to agree if you end up with some incompetent boob,
> you want that on him

Yes folks...you ALWAYS want such boobs on the other guy! :-P