" On Sunday, I got a visit from BrainMedia, which uses compression-decompression technology to deliver streaming music so compressed that it sounds awesome over a cellphone (as long as you use good earphones)."

I'm looking into streaming at the moment. This sounds very nice

947 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 1:40:41 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Esther Dyson's Release 4.0

"Called Vielle, the device is a small plastic stimulator with eight nodules which fits over the finger. Speaking at the ceremony at London's Cafe Royal, Mrs Paul, 49, said clinical tests had proved the device could halve the time it takes for a woman to climax and intensify the orgasm." £9.95 for three! But it looks like 3 pence of rubber. Oh well, on the internet you can sell anything for any price.

946 Also posted to: sexblogs . At: 1:35:22 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Mother invents 'orgasm machine'

All sorts of magazines are hurting right now. The publishing industry isn't healthy. What's my thesis?

The Web is killing publishing.

Think about it. Why would I buy a magazine on Windows development when I can read a weblog like this ... [The Scobleizer Weblog]

Though there's a few that are doing OK too. And some will be linking up with blogs, soon.

 Source: The Scobleizer Weblog; 27/04/03; 9:45:28 pm.
945 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:34:19 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Magazines are hurting with little advertising

"Our facilities and services are fantastic, too. They include:

• our private chef who cooks 5 dinners and 3 breakfasts every week
• a TV room with a big screen television, surround sound, and stadium seating
• a game room with pool, foosball, air hockey, and ping-pong
• our own computer cluster with 6 terminals
• a large, newly-remodeled party room"

I followed a link from NTK "first against the wall when Valenti is president" to an about me, I presume it's a speaker at the Emerging Technologies conf. Absolutely staggering when I look back to my degree level education. Beans, beans and bloody lentils. Rest of my money went on booze, and the attempt to get women. It was the young ones.

944 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:03:08 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Zeta Beta Tau at MIT

"Can you imagine a campsite of bloggers? ...it's hard to imagine that this won't break down into a consensual circle-jerk. Such is the world of blogdom, which relies heavily on its own, synthetic consensus." A list" blogging, looking up each other's arse holes. Been around for a long time. These new netNewsWire " encourge consensus, and clumping. Or, what appears to me to be brown-nosing.

But, there's still plenty of old goat still to come into the blogospere, yet.

Danny O'Brien (and wife) of NTK: "The sizeable British invasion sat around cackling "bollocks" if anyone even for a second tried to pull that Americanocentric ... well, bollocks." and: "From a dazed Esther Dyson, to the feral teenhackers scavenging on the sidelines, you could smell the fear: that they were about to turn up a year late and several hundred dollars short."

942 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 9:58:20 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: The Register: Emerging Technology conference, (review?)

"It's important to remember that there's more than one sort of TrackBack..."

Swimming out deep in trackback land.

941 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:29:01 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Quibbling about TrackBack

"...The internal weblogs I've seen work are those that track an idea's progress from offhand notion to fully matured proposal. I have seen three such blogs, always-on virtual whiteboards that have sped development and kept the status of projects clearer than they'd been before..."

940 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:10:21 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Management by Blog?

"...there will be a million weblogs of communities that are very distinct and very strong."

Blogging communities, that's what it's all about.

939 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 4:23:08 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: About Google's Eric Schmidt

"This appears to have been one of the primary motivations of TrackBack"

The new blog readers like netNewsWire are turning the comments and linkage into a Usenet type of conversation, whether that's a good thing? Who cares? Some will, some won't, There's so many blogs out there, some will need it, some won't.

One thing they will be used for -- powerBlogging.

938 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 12:53:42 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Cohesion

		Above: We tucked into some rather expensive chocolates, that I had for my birthday. Bradley didn't like them, they looked so nice, he'd bite them and put them back. Esme on the other hand kept taking two, just in case the box disappeared. Left: Some pix from the little park. We've got special names for all the local parks and parks in Aberdare. Parks are Esme's speciality, she should be on Mastermind...
	I look a bit Russian here. One of those glorious, dramatic line drawings you'd find on stamps or posters.

937 Also posted to: personal . At: 12:20:36 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: A few more kid mugshots

Using Radio I can post everywhere, anytime.

936 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:58:10 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: My blogging environment

"...the delayed Worldwide Developers Conference is expected to see the launch of 64-bit Mac OS X and 64-bit development tools. At this stage we'd put more money on AMD than on the likelihood Motorola can pull a 64-bit G4 out of thin air...

No, the PowerPC 970 remains the chief candidate. And we'd caution against reading too much into the AMD official's comments. But we think it unwise to rule out the possibility of co-operation between Apple and AMD, particularly at the HyperTransport level."

Nice to see the old OS looking to the future.

Apple: WWDC 2003 Get an in-depth look at the future of the Mac platform and a preview release of the next major version of Mac OS X, codenamed "Panther", at Worldwide Developers Conference 2003, June 23-27, in San Francisco.

935 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:11:24 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: The next gen of Apple Macs

I've been looking at the UK sensus from 1901 and found my Great, Great Grand father, George Hooker, coal hewer aged 35 in 1901, and his son George Hooker, my Great Grand father, 9 years old in 1901 who later became a prizer fighter. My Dad says, "he was a nasty, nasty man. A terrible man."

I also see that my Great, Great Grandmother was Irish. While the rest of the family spoke English and Welsh, she only spoke English. They also lived in Cardiff Road, about a mile from where my Dad now lives. I'd really like to get more into this family history. I asked my Mam about her side, but she couldn't remember, and there are simply too many Thomases in Aberdare - since Thomas is a Welsh name.

Apparently he pushed a policeman into the canal during a strike in the 30's and fled to Derby. Last my Dad heard of him, he had beaten up a man in his sixties, while he too was also in his sixties, and this was circa 1955.

934 Also posted to: personal . At: 2:44:24 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Great, Great Grandfather

"...The purpose of this project: to challenge people's assumptions (both our readers' and our own) about what's really involved in revealing oneself via the blog medium, and to examine our own hang-ups about exposing ourselves on the Web."

And I thought sexblogs was the height of the genre.

930 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 3:43:08 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: The penis blog project

Ah, back in the land of the living, or at least connected. Damn BT, if I could get broadband, I think I'd move back down to Wales in a shot. I've signed up my parents on the BT register for Aberdare, but fear that they live too far away from the exchange anyway, let alone awaiting the rest of the 400 to sign up.

After spending my first 18 years there, I know the town so well. The countryside, I know every tree. All of the old ladies in the street have died now, and some who have moved there I still refer to as 'new.' Even as my mam points out that they've been there 20 years.

Nice to be back on broadband. Pity I'm still in the wrong country.

928 Also posted to: personal . At: 10:03:43 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: In the wrong country

If anybody asks, we've gone to Aberdare. Also going to Porthcawl. All weekend, back Monday evening.

Just zoom out of this Multimap aerial image... Loads-a-countryside.

And nice sunny beaches in Porthcawl? Yes sir, everytime.

927 Also posted to: personal . At: 9:23:25 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Away aberdare

"Traditional beer brewed at Park Brewery since 1875" I've loved this beer since moving up from Wales, 21 years ago, well nearly, 20 and 5 months. Here's the spec. All the old fogies used to drink it in the pubs, this or if they were really poor and old, the mild. Which is nice too. Not all the slopps as they say it is.

926 Also posted to: personal . At: 10:51:18 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Banks's Bitter

So, We had a party! Well, it's for the kids in-it. 40! I had some Simpson's socks, a track suit, so I can get fit, and a 64meg card for my camera. Brilliant, now I can do more videos.

We played in the garden, chase and football mainly, me throwing the ball up on the roof, and generally following Esme's orders, so I can stay out of trouble. We ended up playing musical statues in the lounge, with fights breaking out because Bradley wanted to be first as we danced around in circles.

Now to get shitfaced, and hope 40 and one day will be better the other side. No millions, no lesbo combo, as Mac quoted me as saying on the phone this afternoon.

925 Also posted to: personal . At: 9:57:07 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Wrap 40 and pix

whooo-hooo another test to everywhere. More 40 year old congrats coming in...

924 Also posted to: personal . At: 4:37:06 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: more 40

Happy birthday to me, Mac already picked up on the message about my birthday... How'd he do that then? It only took an hour, less than.

Another test post to all my categories. We will have clean rss! Or else, before I die and being 40 today, it's getting closer.

923 Also posted to: personal . At: 2:10:56 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Test post

40 years old today. And what am I doing? Cleaning up my rss files, that's what! This is a test post across all my categories.

922 Also posted to: personal . At: 12:39:34 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: My 40th birthday

"Documents coming to light in Baghdad directly incriminate Syria as a full partner in the financing, development and concealment of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. A source familiar with the new data reveals that Syria was not only a full partner but active in every stage of these programs to the point that they deserve to be called Iraqi-Syrian, not just Iraqi, undertakings" "...military sources reveal that, from Monday night, April 14, groups of Iraqi military and scientific leaders have been transferred from Syria to France."

It's a strange, strange world. So France is hosting the Saddam gang? Syria, may well be the real problem, as it will have no one to ship these WMD to if it is attacked, therefore, as there are possibly more Israeli haters in Syria than Iraq, they may well use them against US forces, if they attack, certainly against Israel, just over the border from them.

Hmmmm. I really didn't think that there could possibly be an attack on Syria, and I know I need to read DEKAfile with my pinch of salt handy, but, I dunno, it seems plausible enough.

I don't believe that there is a 'great' army in Syria, as there was once, at least a very large army, in Iraq. But, certainly special forces would be on the prowl, along with their Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Look out Assad, Bush ain't one to fuck about.

921 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 9:26:42 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Ultimatum for Assad as US Special Forces Land

""These organizations are just risk averse," says Joshua Micah Marshall, whose 2-year-old blog TalkingPointsMemo.com is a daily stop for more than 20,000 political junkies. "What good does it do them to have someone they are identified with saying things that they can't control, that by the nature of the medium are going to be provocative?""

I'd have thought that they would have started to understand it by now. The journo refs and praises the BBC Iraqi blog, which is dull as dishwater, I also skip the Guardian's weblog, which is also sterile. The Kevin Sites blog showed promise before it was shut down, but I wouldn't say it was a compelling site, just that there wasn't much out there.

The best Iraqi war blog? It would have to be Where's Rael? still I visit hoping that he's OK. Of course the Agonist was useful though very US biased, and the hiccup over pointing to stratfor was a storm in a tea cup, blogs or war showed promise too but became limited and mechanical with not much in the way of commentary, or thought.

Yahoo's directory lists loads of 'war web logs' as they call warblogs.

I've always liked DEBKAfile, though not a blog, more a news site, but I hang on their every word (with my pinch of salt ";->").

Anyway I digress, why haven't media companies got the handle on blogs? Because they aren't real people! They're androids, scared of their lawyers, and shareholders.

920 Also posted to: cyberSaps , warBlog . At: 7:28:17 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Sites are blogged down in controversy

"Worried parents will soon be able to keep an eye on their children at all times via a wearable tracking device and a website that maps where they go."

Using radio instead of GPS. I wonder why they didn't use mobile phone positioning? All three would be best of course, but more expensive. And this seems to only work in London. Pity, it's those out in the countryside that need most such protection, at least to my recollection of past abductions, they all seemed to happen in quiet country villages.

918 Also posted to: Broadband Britain . At: 12:56:28 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Pocket tracker monitors children

"Syria's human rights record is far from unsullied though it has improved since President Assad took over from his late father. Rule by the Ba'ath party - a sister branch of the unlamented Iraqi variety - may be unsavoury, but that's all. "

Of course the US is prancing and proud, it wants to make the most of its' win over Iraq. And sure Assad's late father has left a legacy of the weird and dangerous at the new leader's court. I don't think an invasion is on the cards, but a little light bombing maybe enough to pull together Assad's reformists into a strong enough force to oust the militants. Or, at least that's my hope. For sure there are enough hizbollah nutters in Syria, but the only way is to get the Assad Government to crack down on them.

If he doesn't more serious responses from the US are waiting in the wings.

917 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 12:52:48 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Bush's next move

Nice little resource.

916 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 12:41:56 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Joi Ito's Moblogging, Blogmapping and Moblogmapping related resources as of 3/21/2003 9:00

"Corporate Weblogs aren't exactly sweeping the marketing world, but early adherents say they offer real power to connect with increasingly message-wary and message-weary audiences in a new and engaging way."

The B2B Power of Blogs adds to the story with more links.

I've been saying the same for years. One day everybody will have a blog. One day, every company will have as many blogs as they have employees, more blogs than employees, in fact. Those companies that do will be pushing out all sorts of boring posts as well as fascinating meme inducing posts, about their products and services, and we'll all be interested in those items that rise to the top of the blogosphere.

Of course, it's dangerous for companies to allow employees free reign but essential if they are to make their 'news' interesting enough for you and me to want to read. It's a risk. Sometimes companies will win, sometimes they'll lose. The trick will be in expecting and planning for both. [Via Doc Searl's blog]

915 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:52:20 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Corporate blogs make personal connection

At last a politician with a weblog. Maybe blogs are starting to make an impact on UK life after all.

 Source: WriteTheWeb; 13/04/03; 9:45:04 pm.
914  At: 11:32:03 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: The politician and his weblog

I found this via a comment on John Robb's comments and followed it to another blog at lies.com

"Updating the Jap... You're Next! war bonds poster seemed like an obvious thing to do, so I did a (fairly lame) version of it, which in turn inspired ymatt to produce this much-more-awesome rendition"

But I can't remember where I found this, it's Saddam's burnt out ship in Basra.

913 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 1:46:58 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Rummie and Saddam's boat

We went on everything, and if it wasn't for my camera's battery screwing the disc, I'd have a shot of every ride they took. Best though was the roller coaster! Bradley didn't like it much, screamed a few times and hid his head, nevertheless when he got off, he raised his arms in the air in the customary, "I did it!"

	Then we fed the fish, where Bradley fell head first through a fence and somersaulted onto his back. Esme wanted, "some bluebells for Mommy."

Onto the slide, where Bradley kicked a little girl while trying to force his way into the queue. He doesn't understand queues. Then into the sandpits. Off then for Esme to have a pee in the shop, and Bradley was run over by a bike! Whack just a few feet in front of me. Slammed into and dragged a few feet by a speeding 9 year old.

912 Also posted to: personal . At: 1:46:26 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Sunday and the fair, park...

"And when the negotiations reached a dead end, the Liwaa was surrounded and artillery fired on them, and also Apache airplanes were used against them, and many were killed and injured on both sides. As for the group that was arrested, they were assassinated on the spot, which was only about 20 km from the Republic's presidential headquarters in New Cairo.

As for the Egyptian media, it was mentioned on the news that the shots heard were military manoeuvres with live ammunition, and this is obviously not correct because for more than 50 years there has never been manoeuvres with live ammunition this close to the capital Cairo"

Could be just a rumour?

909 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 9:18:56 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Coup attempt in Egypt

"Leaders of the main countries opposing the U.S.-led military action against Baghdad will meet this weekend and are expected to press for a major role for the United Nations in a postwar Iraq."

908 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 10:47:45 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Chirac to Join Russia-Germany Talks on Iraq

Aa-aaa-Tishooooo! Says I. "Esss-U, Daddy'" shouts Bradley back at me. "Thank you, Bradley."

This is a new trick learnt over the past few days.

906 Also posted to: personal . At: 9:59:03 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Polite Bradley

"Al-Riyadh newspaper raised a question about the fates of the Iraqi human resources and the prospects of the brain drain of the talented Iraqi people.After the silence of the guns, there will be a problem of the human resources inside and outside Iraq. Are they going to be kept for Iraq or will they be incited to emigrate to America, Britain and other countries in order to continue the sanction over this country and prevent it from growing in a way that might threat Israel which is planning along with America to dry out the springheads of the highly professional Iraqi people with any means," the paper said."

What about them running off to Pakistan, Iran or some Russian Mafia boss to be auctioned off to the highest bidder?

Below is a different story. I hope the reasons we started this war can somehow justify what's happened to this little boy. His life ruined, for ever.

Ali Ismail Abbas, 12, who says he was wounded during an airstrike, lies in a hospital bed in Baghdad, on April 6, 2003. Abbas was fast asleep when war shattered his life. A missile obliterated his home and most of his family, leaving him orphaned, badly burned and blowing off both his arms

U.S. media show carnage with a soft-focus lens
During an era when popular culture is filled with depictions of violence and death, the images that many Americans are seeing are remarkably bloodless.

905 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 11:50:00 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Saudi paper concerned Iraqi weapons experts will be pushed to leave country

"In a warehouse outside Baghdad. The U.S. news station National Public Radio, reporting what appeared to be a separate discovery, said U.S. forces found a weapons cache of around 20 medium-range missiles equipped with potent chemical weapons.

NPR said the rockets, BM-21 missiles, were equipped with sarin and mustard gas and were "ready to fire.""

Smoking gun -- coming soon. My guess is that most is hidden in the Iraqi/Syria border area.

North of Karbala: U.S. Army commanders said they have discovered more than a dozen barrels of chemicals in an agricultural facility 30 miles northeast of there that have tested positive as blister and nerve agents.

In a compound south of the central Iraqi town of Hindiyah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad: initial tests of samples from the facility were inconsistent. Some tests did not indicate chemical weapons, while others indicated the presence of G-class nerve agents Ñ which include sarin and tabun Ñ and mustard agent, a blistering chemical first used in World War I.

Washington Post's take on the story and Fox's.

904 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 10:56:21 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: US say may have found Iraqi WMD storage site

I saw them! Fairies! Pink ones! Actually, these are from 6 months ago. Maybe I didn't put them up, because nobody would have believed me.

Some of these I'm printing out in A4 size. I love the grainy quality, the jpeggedness. Like a dream. Gentle fairy music and you'll believe it too.

903 Also posted to: personal . At: 12:01:16 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Fairies in my living room

"The difference now is they have a sense of identity and they have CNN and al-Jazeera. They know they're a part of something bigger. This may make contemporary Iraqis even less willing to accept foreign dominance."

Bit of history, the British were in there basically from 1914 - 1958.

902 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 10:18:37 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: For Iraq: Deja Vu All Over Again

Started off me wanting to visit my old mate in Walsall. His mum's suffering from dementia, and it's taking a toll on him. She's been in hospital for 4 months, awaiting a bed, and 'there aren't any.' Every day his visits, and everyday she gets worse. But, on the motorway across, Esme insist that we visit the park first. I try calling but no answer, suspect he's not wanting a visit from me and the kids. He's 50, a bachelor, no kids and though he pretends they're OK, he doesn't really enjoy them

So we visit the park and we're there for 3 hours. Walsall Park's pretty good except for the bullies and 4 year old sociopaths. Bradley picks up a weird one. Starts off friendly enough, but he pushes Bradley so Bradley says, "no, no." Which the little boy apes and pushes Bradley. This goes on too many times and I pull Bradley away, but the boy has learnt Bradley's name and follows us around, now he has a stick too. I spy his parent, saying something about the stick, but it is to no avail, we move to another part of the park, and eventually lose him - weirdo

[PS] I forgot to add how this little episode started. The little boy, about four, started on Esme first, Bradley spotted this and marched over and told him, "no, no, no!" He protected his big sister. This confused the little boy at first, but Bradley didn't follow through. Gonna have to get him into boxing lessons ";->" I'll give him the tools for his bravery. We head back to Telford, and end up at a travelling fair next to the small park, Amanda arrives too, I call he, she really shouldn't miss these two on the rides, this is the first time Esme has really taken to the rides, and Bradley just follows her on. They had a fantastic time, and ride on nearly everything. Soon, Amanda and I are skinted. We have to go home, and to these two this isn't good news. Esme twigs straight away, and starts weeping, Bradley doesn't get it till we're at the car, "fair, park, fair." He points and cries. "Tomorrow, Bradley, we'll come back then." A sad end to a glorious day.

901 Also posted to: personal . At: 8:15:08 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Walsall Park and Telford Fair

I've got the kids all day while Amanda's out working. Already, they've worn me out. And Esme maybe coming down with something, so she needs extra care.

I think we'll go over to Walsall. Maybe to the town park in Telford, maybe somewhere else. Need for them to be occupied, better to do that out of the house.

900 Also posted to: personal . At: 11:41:02 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: I'm in charge. No! I'm in charge!

"Woolsey described the Cold War as the third world war and said "This fourth world war, I think, will last considerably longer than either World Wars I or II did for us. Hopefully not the full four-plus decades of the Cold War." He said the new war is actually against three enemies: the religious rulers of Iran, the "fascists" of Iraq and Syria, and Islamic extremists like al Qaeda. "

897 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 10:20:58 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Ex-CIA director: U.S. faces 'World War IV'

Top Iraqi officials hiding there since March 23, four days after coalition invaded Iraq, guarded by Syrian commando unit armed with anti-air missiles and Syrian naval missile boats securing port"

I don't think he's still in Baghdad. Saddam has always struck me as a survivor. He'll have had a get-out plan which only he knows. He wouldn't have trusted anybody, not even his sons. He'll have known that many within his government or army would have wanted him dead by now.

896 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 10:09:59 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Saddam gone on holiday

"Mountain View (CA) April 1, 2003 (Routers) - In a move that surprised citizens throughout Blogistan, Google continued its acquisition spree today. Spokesmen for Google confirmed the acquisitions of Seven Together (makers of the popular weblog application Movable Type) and Userland (creator of Radio Userland). Plans are to combine the operations of the two companies into the existing Blogger operation. The combined entity will be known as Movable Bloggerland."

Goodness! What time is it? Hey, this ain't legal here in the UK! Such deals are only allowed before noon.

"Asked whether this was a shot across Microsoft's bow, VP of Microsoft's Platform Group Jim Allnose said "Absolutely not. People are already blogging with Microsoft software. You just download the .NET framework, install some service packs, grab a few things from MSDN, install Sharepoint Team Services, and upgrade everything to Office 2003. Once you do that and upgrade to Windows Server 2003 which ships in the next few weeks, you're ready to go. It's simple, and we think it represents the future of consumer-based blogs.""

Hee Hee!

894 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 10:00:56 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Movable Bloggerland by Google

"BT is expected to reveal details of its much-hinted-at broadband "price cuts" later this week."

Sounds good! What is ADSL BBi now? I think it's £27.99 a month. Telewest's is £25.00. If BT drop to under £20 then some that offer BT ADSL under their own badge at £20 will drop too.

892 Also posted to: Broadband Britain . At: 12:23:55 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: BT to reveal price cuts this week

One in three French backs Saddam Seems to me that it is one thing to be against the war in Iraq--Many Americans are--but quite another thing to root for Saddam to win over America. I had known relations between the U.S. and France had deteriorated. But this is mind boggling." [And discussed in MetaFilter]

I'm getting a lot of news items from Metafilter this morning.

This French thing is serious though. I cannot believe anybody would back Saddam let alone a third of the French population!

 Source: MetaFilter; 2/04/03; 3:45:04 am.
891 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 11:54:29 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: One in three French backs Saddam

"Less of interest here than the IraqFilter context itself - which amounts to the question "Is blogging to Gulf II what TV was to Vietnam and cable was to Gulf I?" - is an established medium caught in the act of visibly sizing up this comer, this new kid on the block, this parvenu we know as "blogging."

Is it a valid new medium of reportage, fit to take its place alongside print and broadcast? Or is it merely parasitic, interstitial, even marginal? Inquiring minds want to know. (Note O'Donnell's hedges and his final & bizarrely misplaced condescension: "Maybe Allbritton will start a trend - bloggers no longer dependent on the mainstream for their material." WTF?)" [And discussed in MetaFilter]

 Source: MetaFilter; 2/04/03; 6:45:12 am.
890 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:41:43 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: None dare call it blogging. Superseding the mainstream media, or "quirky parasites"?

has begun as stratfor has accused the owner of the agonist of plagiarism of news blurbs. This thread is his response along with comments by his readers. While Sean Paul seems to have done his best at sourcing on the fly, I am curious how my fellow mefiers feel about it. Are short news reports copyright protected? Could legal action truly result? How will this affect future blog projects? [And discussed in MetaFilter]

To steal from one source is plagiarism. To steal from many sources is blogging. Someone had a blog button site with that on once.

 Source: MetaFilter; 2/04/03; 9:45:17 am.
889 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:38:41 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Blogtroversy! Trouble in Blogistan!

"...As certain as the sun will rise in the morning, and as bloggers and blog-readers everywhere can attest, media is nothing without criticism and commentary about media."

888 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 12:27:41 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Best Media Blogs

"The five bloggers we've selected here are gleaned from an already short list of famous people who post their personal writings on the Web."

Only five? Mind they said they discounted those that haven't updated in the last month. Great for hardened fans looking for detail.

887 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 12:23:38 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Best Celebrity Blogs

"Tired of WarBlogs? Most blogs are people whining about their life, computers or the war. Not sexblogs. " [MetaFilter]

Well, it had to happen. I was the one who started the original sexBlogs.com nearly 2 years ago. I ditched it because too many were taking out blogs and not paying, traffic was immense and not the right sort, and, well, I got bored of sex, I mean porn. I think there's a burn out period of about 3 months. After that it all starts looking the same, 'seen one lesbo couple, you've seen 'em all.'

 Source: MetaFilter; 1/04/03; 7:45:17 am.
884 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 10:14:53 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: sexBlogs.org

late, late nights and early mornings. I need a lie in soon. So busy at the moment.

883 Also posted to: personal . At: 9:34:41 AM  . .
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"Most importantly, at all the companies we studied, the key issues in building a good intranet portal were political and organizational -- not technical. Basically, buying software won't get you a good portal unless you also manage internal company politics."

May as well get somthing very cheap then? Nope, companies feel comforted by spending millions on software.

 Source: Tomalak's Realm; 31/03/03; 8:45:17 pm.
882 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 1:37:36 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Intranet Portals: A Tool Metaphor for Corporate Information

"The average cost for a three-year SAP deployment is $10m, with consulting accounting for $3.6m, personnel soaking up $2.5m, software licenses another $2m, and related hardware and training costs picking up the rest of the tab."

 Source: The Register; 1/04/03; 12:45:49 am.
881 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 1:28:36 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: SAP costs too much - customers

"A US blueprint to rebuild blitzed Iraq will turn the nation into a 'little America', it was claimed yesterday.

Every aspect of Iraqi life will be affected. There are even proposals to draw up a 'politically neutral' school curriculum and replace the Iraqi dinar with the dollar.

The aim is to create under the USAID agency an open society modelled on Western democracies.

But critics in the region will see it as confirmation that the US wants to turn Iraq into a puppet state.

Dr Azzan Tamimi, an expert on Middle East politics, said: "The US is trying to make a Little America because it needs Iraqi oil." It's arrogant to think America can replicate its society. It's never been successful in exporting democracy. That has to grow from the people.""

Wait a minute. The US is THE biggest exporter of democracy, witness Europe after the WWII. And what's wrong with modelling Iraq on Western democracies? This was always the aim, no longer tribal despots - their 'aving fuckin' democracy and they'll learn to love it. Then, it'll grow from the people.

And education is what I want! Currently, the only place kids in most arab countries can get educated is in religious schools, and we know were that leads, and where it'll lead in the future. If the US is successful in one thing, this has to be it.

And education is what I want! Currently, the only place kids in most Arab countries can get educated is in religious schools, and we know were that leads, and where it'll lead in the future. If the US is successful in one thing, this has to be it.

Why is the Mirror reporting such crap?

880 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 12:41:55 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: United State of Iraq

"The site in northeast Iraq could have been a training ground and may have produced the lethal poison ricin that was found in a London flat in January"

This is a strange story! Only tiny amounts of ricin were found in London, and ricin can be made in this country out of castor beans.

"Some of the bodies that have been recovered, enemy bodies that have been recovered up there, are not Iraqis, they're not Iranians. We don't know for sure, but they're most likely al Qaeda."

How, can they discern that? Can they really tell the difference between a dead Iraqi/Iranian/Saudi? Come on, what's going on here?

Why is Reuters reporting such tosh?

879 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 12:29:30 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Possible Al Qaeda Base Destroyed in Iraq