Hmm... just thought of another way of putting that:

I'm waiting for the spam
Pack of face masks in my hand
Down to Mexico, via I5
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive
I'm waiting for the spam

Hey, white boy, what you doin' uptown?
Hey, white boy, you chasin' our women around?
Oh pardon me sir, it's the furthest from my mind
I'm just lookin' for a deal, a cure for flu of swine
I'm waiting for the spam

Given how much mileage the media is getting out of this, I'm expecting others to jump on the bandwagon. In particular, spammers. Look forward to years of spam trying to take advantage of people's interest in the disease or trying to sell flu remedies and face masks.

So performers will collect for 20 more years from the date of performance

Really? Or do the record companies collect more money? There was an attempt to ensure that extra profits went only to artists, but it was defeated. From the Open Rights Group article:

A key amendment to ensure benefits accrued only to performers was also rejected.

My first Linux encounter was with Slackware. A friend had it on 5 1/4 inch floppies, and showed me an installation. I was interested, but didn't see it as practical for me compared to DOS and Windows. I didn't switch my own computer over until quite a few years later when I got Redhat on CD from a computer swap meet - I have no idea what version it was, but it was a few years before Fedora Core. Over the years I've gradually changed from being interested in every technical detail and willing to configure endlessly to just wanting something that works - now I'm annoyed if a distro doesn't just automatically detect and work with all my hardware. I use Ubuntu at home and at work, and I'm still impressed by how smooth it all is.

My first experience with a Unix like OS running on a PC was a then new OS called Minix. The lecturer for our Operating Systems subject at uni showed it to the class and encouraged us to try it out. I looked at it and it thought it was cool, but that was about all.

At some point in the foreseeable future, I can imagine that very long life is only available to the wealthy. When first world countries decide they can no longer support the aged at all (no health care, no pension, etc.) only the very lucky or very rich will have the extended lifespans that seem common now.

For me personally I can already see that a very long life is unlikely, so 60-80 is probably the best I'll be able to manage assuming I don't go earlier due to misadventure. I'm forty now, but financially I started again from zero a few years back - no house, no superannuation, and savings wiped out. I work in software so unless the IT industry grows out of its current ageism or I learn a valuable new skill I won't have massive amounts of money saved by the time I'm no longer considered employable. By that time I certainly won't be able to rely on the state to keep me going, and I don't have anyone else I can expect to support me.

I really don't fancy dying from cold and starvation (due to lack of money) in my sixties after having slaved my life away so at present the best options seem to be:

1. Just hope that I'll be lucky somehow - maybe one of my skills or talents will keep me afloat;
2. Live very large and unhealthily now, and feel satisfied enough with life that i won't mind an early death due to heart attack, stroke, or if I can manage it death by snu-snu;
3. Retire to a third world country where my meager savings will last me a lot longer and afford me a more comfortable lifespan. That might require illegal immigration and would risk a shortened life due to less developed medical care, but it does seem like an attractive option.

This seems to me to be not just about getting better internet connections, but about ending Telstra's monopoly on wired communications.

At the moment, Telstra has a monopoly on the phone network due to their control over the copper lines, but as a company that's about the only thing it's got going for it. They sell access to the network both as a wholesaler and retailer. This new broadband network proposal won't be controlled by Telstra, so once users have an attractive high bandwidth alternative Telstra's business model might be in trouble.

Micro SD cards are nice and small. I imagine that with the right kind of protection around one you could swallow it and let it pass through your digestive system. If you're brave enough to hang around and film the police, you're probably dedicated enough to try this.