The way that certain images, videos or concepts can suddenly spread like wildfire across the web, using email and social websites to propagate, is one of online culture's most unique phenomena.

Now Spanish researchers claim to have found a way to accurately predict how quickly and widely new "memes", as they are called, will spread. The ability to forecast this "viral" behaviour would be of great interest to sociologists and marketeers, among others.

'Infectious' people spread memes across the web - tech - 12 August 2009 - New Scientist

Two researchers for Hewlett-Packard have created a browser-based darknet, an idea that could make it easier for businesses to keep eavesdroppers from uncovering confidential information.

Darknets are encrypted peer-to-peer networks normally used to communicate files between closed groups of people. Most darknets require a certain level of technological literacy to set up and maintain, including taking care of the necessary servers. However, HP researchers Billy Hoffman and Matt Wood plan next week to demonstrate a browser-based darknet called "Veiled," which they claim requires little proficiency to set up and run.

oohh this sounds familiar -- first entry on digg 8-)

HP researchers develop browser-based darknet | Security - CNET News

The last British survivor of the World War I trenches, Harry Patch, has died at the age of 111.

BBC obituary

BBC NEWS | UK | WWI veteran Patch dies aged 111

There seems to be two opinion camps with regard to this Gates affair.

1. Racial: Gates was arrested because he was black - a white person in similar circumstances would not have been arrested. This speaks to the racism in this country.

2. Authoritarian: Gates was not arrested because he was black - he was arrested because he talked back to the police, as well he should be. People who don't respect the authority of the police deserve whats coming to them.

My perspective falls into a third column:

3. Gates was not arrested because he was black - he was arrested because he talked back to the police. The police ought to understand that someone whose house has been broken into is going to be in an agitated state, particularly if they are confronted with an officer of the law who at least initially thinks they might be the criminals who did the break-in.

I agree with Obama's observation that:

The Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home.

This was petty muscle flexing on the part of the officers. This is not a racial issue. This sort of unnecessary exercise of power by government officials is an everyday problem that occurs in all kinds of different contexts.

I don't understand why none of the public commentary on this issue that I've seen takes this position. Its interesting to see the President speak out on something like this, but inevitably the policy responses will be targeted at solving the wrong problem.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Black scholar arrest angers Obama

Can you speak Lest-oh?
Do you know your cob from your cob on or your cardi from your okey? Check out our Leicester dictionary and send in your own contributions.

English as spoken on the council estates of my home town

BBC - Leicester - Voices 2005 - Can you speak Lest-oh?

... maybe

In ur quantum box

Frank McCourt, author of best-seller Angela's Ashes, has died of cancer in a New York hospice.

RIP

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Best-selling author McCourt dies

hehehe

Piled Higher and Deeper

The Arduino open-source microcontroller platform can be programmed and equipped to perform a nearly endless list of functions. It's likely the best all-around centerpiece to a modern electronics project. But one of the tasks Arduino is best used for is straight-up fun - the open design means there's an Arduino board suitable for almost any project, and a wealth of add-on "shields" extends its abilities with ease.

it's never too soon to think about x-mas.

--timball

Arduino gift guide

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as James Wenneker von Brunn, born in 1920, from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, NBC News reported. NBC said he may have had connections to hate groups or anti-government groups.

For those who started something when the terror book came out about right wing groups, this and the Tiller murder are the sort of thing it was talking about. How many lefty attacks have there been? Oh that's right, none.

Reality does have a liberal bias, and it's because of people like these guys.

Gunman, guard shot at Holocaust museum - Crime & courts- msnbc.com