] Cisco Systems, Inc., today announced a definitive
] agreement to acquire the business of privately held The
] Linksys Group, Inc. of Irvine, Calif. Linksys is the
] leading provider of home networking products with a broad
] line of wired and wireless products for consumers and
] SOHO (small office/home office) users. This acquisition
] represents Cisco's entry into the high-growth
] consumer/SOHO networking market, which is expected to
] grow from $3.7 billion in 2002 to $7.5 billion in 2006
] worldwide (sources: compiled from Dell'Oro Group,
] Synergy). Home networks allow consumers to share
] broadband Internet connections, files, printers, digital
] music, photos, and gaming, all over a wired or wireless
] LAN (local area network).

Very Cool!

Cisco Systems Announces Agreement to Acquire The Linksys Group, Inc.

] Monica Lewinsky, the former presidential mistress who
] alternately runs from and toward celebrity, has signed to
] host Fox's next reality series, "Mr. Personality."
]
] The show gets the coveted "Joe Millionaire" Monday time
] slot, starting April 21.
]
] In "Mr. Personality," a young, beautiful single woman
] will court several eligible men who must rely strictly on
] their personalities to captivate her. That's because each
] man will have some sort of mask or hood on throughout the
] "dating" process.

Monica Lewinsky Fills The Bill for Fox

In a statement, CEO Steve Jobs noted that Gore is an avid Mac user who edits his own videos using Final Cut Pro. However, Gore's support of the Mac has not been unwavering, with the politician having said three years ago that he had switched from a Mac to a PC. Gore was chosen as a director at a meeting of Apple's board earlier Wednesday.

"Al brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to Apple from having helped run the largest organization in the world--the United States government," Jobs said. "Al is going to be a terrific director, and we're excited and honored that he has chosen Apple as his first private sector board to serve on."

Internet Inventor joins Apple Board of Directors

] Early in the documentary "Welcome to North Korea," which
] airs on Cinemax tonight at 7:30, Dutch journalist Peter
] Tetteroo aims his camera out the window of his hotel room
] in Pyongyang to film a policewoman directing traffic.
] She's in constant motion, gesturing to vehicles coming
] from one direction, then pivoting crisply and signaling
] to vehicles coming from another direction.
]
] It all looks perfectly normal, except for one thing:
] There's no traffic. North Korea doesn't have very many
] cars, and none of them happens to be driving by. The
] policewoman's choreography is all a surreal charade.

'Welcome to North Korea': A Surreal, Sad Game of Charades

] The French military could help the United States if Iraq
] uses biological or chemical weapons against U.S.-led
] invaders, the French Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
]
] France has led opposition to U.S. war plans in Iraq, but
] the Foreign Ministry said Iraqi use of biological or
] chemical weapons in a war could change France's position.

France May Help U.S. in Case of Chemical or Biological Warfare

] Drinking small but regular amounts of alcohol--between
] one and six glasses per week--may reduce the risk of
] memory loss in old age, researchers said Tuesday.
]
] Previous research has also pegged light drinking as
] protective of the cardiovascular system.
]
] The findings are published in the March 19th issue of the
] Journal of the American Medical Association.

More Evidence Light Drinking May Cut Dementia Risk

] Microsoft has unveiled Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM)
] 2004, the latest version of its event and performance
] management suite for Windows-based servers and
] applications.

MOM is going to be doing a lot of clean up work.

Microsoft has unveiled Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2004

Online auctioneer eBay Inc. (Nasdaq:EBAY - news) plans to close its Half.com Web site at the end of 2004, by which time it will have merged all the items for sale on that site into the appropriate categories on the eBay site, a spokesman said on Thursday.

EBay Will Close Half.com Site by End of 2004

Despite the languishing poor on the streets, however, Baghdad's stock exchange is doing a vibrant business. Shares in more than 90 companies are traded twice a week, though the currency collapse has left some shares almost worthless.

Investors in suits and ties line up in the new stock-exchange building, and sometimes use opera glasses to keep tabs on share prices that cover a gamut of companies. Brokers charge around the floor, wiping prices off white boards with ink-stained hands, and writing in new bids.

The activity here, with a modest volume that can reach $67,000 each session, contrasts with the lethargy on the streets.

---

I was wondering how the Iraq stock market was doing. Sounds like they are having a rally!

For Iraq's Educated Elite: Tales of Stock Market, Kitsch Market

"The fighters here say that the weapons of the United States and Britain may be lethal, but they are martyrdom-seekers. In this case, they say, the U.S. forces may confront a case that is very unusual to them," al-Umari reported. "Those martyrdom-seekers aspire to change the shape of the looming war."

--

Stand tall outside the city gates of Bagdad and show your stuff.

Hussein Opens Training Camp for Homicide Bombers