Slashdot

The Register is reporting that in a closed door meeting at Cybercrime 2003 , Jophn Sullivan stated that "We don't make you [law enforcement] show a subpoena, except in exceptional cases." He goes on to say that clicking on "I agree" in the user agreement gives them the right to give out any and all information about you to legal atourities without any judicial oversight. ( submitted 9/20/03)

An eye for an ey, a tooth for a tooth. That seems to be the way things are handled in the middle east. Palestinians blow up isralies, israelis blow up palestinians, shiites get revenge on sunnis for pas transgressions and vise verse. Im sure all the pwople who got revenge for the loss of a family member or some other slight feel much better now. Yeah right, revenge wont bring people back, it just leads to more heartache as the person you killed's family kills you or one of yours. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The only problem with that is pretty soon everyone is blind and toothless.

There are well over 6 billion humans on the planet today. In all of human history there have lived perhaps 12-15 billion humans on the planet. Its quite plausible to say that half of the humans that have ever lived are alive today. Civilization started about 8000 years ago as far as we know. I was out looking at mars tonight and I wondered: What was earth like the last time mars was this bright in the sky? Think of all that has changed since then. I saw planes flying by, lights obscuring my view, a pneumonia stricken bum coughing nearby. 60000 years ago the spot where I was standing was possibly covered with miles of ice, or roaming with wolly mamoth and proto humans. Then I turned my gaze forward: What will life be like in another 60000 years? All of human civilization rose in 1/6th fo that time. How many civilizations will rise and fall? How many wars will be fought and won, fought and lost over a little corner of this rock? What religions will be created, what religions will fade into myth and from myth into obscurity?Will we even still be here? or will we have destroyed ourselves? I hope that the next time mars is this close to the earth there will be people on Mars wondering what mars was like 60000 years ago when it was this close to earth. And just maybe they will be thinking the same things I am now.

Following on the heels of Salam Pax and his friend G, Riverbend, a young woman in Baghdad, has started a blog on her daily experiences. Her latest posting tells how she lost her job at a local software company after the war due to her femaleness. I think this was the most heartbreaking blog entry I've ever read. Submitted to the main page 8/25/03

Apart from our friends in the southern hemisphere, ski slopes that are open in July are unusual. According to this article from the boston globe, skiing in July may get a bit more common. A small ski area in New Hampshire is experimenting with a Japanese snow making machine that works regardless of the temperature. Opening day was July fourth weekend, with temps in the 90's (submitted to the main page 7/28/03)