E-mail wiretap case can proceed, court says

Tech News on ZDNet: "In a closely watched case governing Internet privacy, a federal appeals court has reinstated a criminal case against an e-mail provider accused of violating wiretap laws. "

DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2005

DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2005�: "PROTESTING SOLDIER MOM CHANGED STORY ON BUSH
Mon Aug 08 2005 10:11:07 ET

The mother of a fallen U.S. soldier who is holding a roadside peace vigil near President Bush's ranch -- has dramatically changed her account about what happened when she met the commander-in-chief last summer!

Cindy Sheehan, 48, of Vacaville, Calif., who last year praised Bush for bringing her family the 'gift of happiness,' took to the nation's TV outlets this weekend to declare how Bush 'killed an indispensable part of our family and humanity.'

CINDY 2004

THE REPORTER of Vacaville, CA published an account of Cindy Sheehan's visit with the president at Fort Lewis near Seattle on June 24, 2004:

''I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis,' Cindy said after their meeting. 'I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith.'

'The meeting didn't last long, but in their time with Bush, Cindy spoke about Casey and asked the president to make her son's sacrifice count for something. They also spoke of their faith.

'The trip had one benefit that none of the Sheehans expected.

'For a moment, life returned to the way it was before Casey died. They laughed, joked and bickered playfully as they briefly toured Seattle.

For the first time in 11 weeks, they felt whole again.

''That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together,' Cindy said.'

CINDY 2005

Sheehan's current comments are a striking departure.

She vowed on Sunday to continue her protest until she can personally ask Bush: 'Why did you kill my son?'

In an interview on CNN, she claimed Bush 'acted like it was party' when she met him last yea"

Berners-Lee on the read/write web

BBC NEWS : "In August 1991, Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the first website. Fourteen years on, he tells BBC Newsnight's Mark Lawson how blogging is closer to his original idea about a read/write web. "

Reeve's widow says she has lung cancer

Reeve's widow says she has lung cancer - MORE MOVIE NEWS AND FEATURES - MSNBC.com: "NEW YORK - Christopher Reeve's widow announced Tuesday that she's facing a battle with lung cancer and is looking to her husband "as the ultimate example of defying the odds with strength, courage and hope."

"I hope before too long to be sharing news of my good health and recovery," said Dana Reeve, who won worldwide admiration for the steadfast support of her husband during his nine years as a quadriplegic.

Christopher Reeve, the star of the "Superman" movies, died last year."

iTunes Late Bloomer

It's me... the late bloomer... and for this new cool sharing technology, I was one of the last in our office on the bandwagon. For months, my cooler, more hip colleagues had been freely sharing their iTunes library... burning CDs for each other... uploading each other's CDs and jammin' to some cool tunes... all unbeknownst to moi.

Yes, it was a bittersweet day when I asked one of my colleagues to send me this way cool Beastie Boys/Beatles mix (yes, it is pretty cool by any standard), and he came in to set my iTunes up for sharing... wow! A whole new world opened in an instant. I was connected to all my colleagues libraries... and they could see my library as well. You would have thought I had smelled a rose for the first time.

Then I was talking with another colleague, and she said, "Yeah, we've been sharing music for many months now... since {NAME DELETED - a former colleague who no longer works here} was here." That was in March... and it's August. I had been missing out... all this long while, music was flowing freely all around me, and I had no idea. I was the last one to know.

While I lamented and licked old wounds of being the last kid in the class to be in on the latest news (yes, this was familiar and uncomfortable territory for me), my colleague said something else that just lifted my spirits... "But Michelle, since you started using iTunes, it's kind of given it a new life..."

I guess that's a nice way for her to say... "Yes, we enjoy your old geezer music too."

What's so cool about sharing our iTunes libraries is you get to see even more into the personalities of your colleagues. Like me, for example... I have some of that fun mixed music of the other colleague, some Nine Inch Nails, an Alien Ant Farm tune, a little Beastie Boys, some Jimmy Buffett, some Enya, some of my favorite Broadway hits, a lot of Chopin & Lizst and, of course, a huge collection of Frank and the Rat Pack. Something for every mood... and everyone else gets to listen in as well. In fact, I smile every time I shut down my computer at night, and I get the error message saying that someone else is connected to my iTunes library.

I guess it's better to be late than never to arrive at all, but I am particularly grateful to my colleague, Steve, who recognized early on that deep down inside this little techy nerd is a cool girl who just wants to play a little.

So... rock on... and bravo!

Sharing iPods to the max

Sharing iPods to the max - Digital Life - MSNBC.com: "Hi-fis and stereos were the big thing when I was in high school. So were covered wagons and outdoor plumbing, but that's a saga for another time. Teenagers either wanted to own the best stereo around or be invited to listen with friends to the best stereo around.
Today, music listening is much more intimate and way more portable. iPods are the item that every teen must own (and heavens forbid that you have a portable MP3 player that doesn't say Apple anywhere on it. It's just not cool.)"

ABC News anchor Peter Jennings dies at 67

ABC News anchor Peter Jennings dies at 67 - TV NEWS AND INFORMATION - MSNBC.com: "NEW YORK - Peter Jennings was the face of ABC News.
The urbane Canadian-born broadcaster delivered the nightly news to Americans over five decades. He was there for every big story, be it war or weather.
Jennings, who announced in April that he had lung cancer, died Sunday at his New York home, ABC News President David Westin said in a statement. He was 67."