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1). Stop! You're Both Right Cyberspace has certainly shrunk the margin of error ... Colloquialisms used to take quite a while to become embedded in a local vernacular. For example, the Americans expunged the British from the colonies in 1789, but based upon personal letters exchanged between the two countries which have been noted by historians, it took until the... 2). FBI Raids: Pertinent or Paranoid? Business always moves faster than government ... It's no surprise that a great deal of lawmakers' time is spent reacting to advances in commerce and science. It's also no surprise that one of their favorite tactics is to call on their enforcement agencies to bring scrutiny against any topic about which they're struggling to understand.... 3). Cockney Rhyming Slang Sir Winston Churchill once observed that Americans and the British are 'a common people divided by a common language' ... Never was that as true as when describing the Cockneys. You've certainly heard their accent, made famous in everything from movies based on Dickens and George Bernard Shaw novels to computer-generated g... 4). Strange Exchange Just when you think the sports world has produced every possible bizarre trade imaginable, they still manage to top themselves ... A broadcaster for a rabbit. And a cartoon rabbit, at that. When baseball journeyman Harry Chiti got dealt to the New York Mets for a player to be named later, little did he know that player wou... 5). Modern Wonders Apparently, it's time to turn the page on the original Seven Wonders of the World ... Since only one of them is left standing, and since most people can't remember what the rest of them are, anyway, this is a good idea for someone who has too much time on their hands and the ability to raise money. In this instance, that w... 6). Friday's Girl A centuries-old mystery has crossed my path again ... I mentioned in a recent article that there was a dispute in many academic quarters regarding the actual Viking deity being honored by the name, 'Friday.' The cold, hard fact is that unless someone unearths a runic stone that confirms the issue --- and that's not likely --- only a pr... 7). Wanted: And It Had Better Be Alive! Pakistan did the USA a favor recently ... All they got for it was a surprise rocket attack on their own soil. The situation is well-explained by London's Sunday Telegraph in its 29 Jan 06 edition: Pakistan 'delay let bin Laden escape US raid' By Massoud Ansari in Karachi (Filed: 29/01/2006) ... 8). Niche Jerk Here is the first rule anyone learns who is even remotely concerned with marketing ... "Sell the sizzle and not the steak." In other words, an appeal to what excites the consumer is much more effective than the properties of the product. This is not necessarily deceptive. In many cases, products can be so similar that the ... 9). Ramones Forever Immortality is so much better when you can stay around long enough to realize it ... In that respect, the Ramones endured to at least have a hint it was being bestowed upon them. Once again, you've got a chance to see why. If you were among the many who missed them in their heyday, you can now relish their legend --- in so... 10). Nice Twist The legendary George Carlin made a career out of calling attention to the difference between how words and phrases are perceived as opposed to what they're 'actually' saying ... He would ask wonderfully rhetorical questions, my favorite of which was this: - Would you really get on a non-stop flight? And yet, t... 11). The Math of the Aftermath Comedian Chevy Chase, when he anchored the first Saturday Night Live faux-news desk, had a running joke that satirized, post-mortem, the endless medical updates provided by the public relations machine of a dying dictator ... "Here's a bulletin from Spain: Doctors are reporting that Generalissimo Francisco Franco is holding fast in his... 12). Hi-Yo, Silver Fund! "Stay long precious metals" ... I'm beginning to think that's Graeme Irvine's mantra. He's the business columnist on Longer Life's Bourse page, and I'll leave it to you to discover his reasons for this four-word chant. Amidst Graeme's siren calls, I've taken notice of his recent daily listings of silver transfers. It seems... 13). What Cyber-Price for a National Identity? This is a case of 'let the seller beware' ... The tiny Polynesian island nation of Niue is beginning to think it's been had. Frankly, it's clear they didn't do their homework before they did their deal. Ironically, it seems the buyer hadn't really done his, either. Anyone who has been inundated by... 14). DXCafés: The New E-conomy Is Coming It seems they've been busy on the isle of Vanuatu ... That's where a company called Global Digital Transfers Inc ('GDT') placed their headquarters for DXinOne, the e-currency exchange system that is the main topic on Longer Life's Opportunity page. Since I last looked at the DXiO website, I've seen a number of new developm... 15). The Game Is the Name Shakespeare could wax poetic about 'What's in a Name?' because he didn't have to contend with sports mascots ... It's the politically-correct issue in America that refuses to subside. I consider myself to be an enlightened cyberbeing, but I contend there are just some topics that blur the bigger picture of an ethically responsible soci... 16). Chain of Fools It seems the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval has been replaced by Oprah Winfrey when it comes to a validation of credibility ... Having said that, if I'm not mistaken, all the former ever meant was that the product or service in question paid to advertise in Good Housekeeping magazine. Still, in the vast anonymity of th... 17). Rock-&-Roll Surrogate Years ago, upon my first-ever arrival in Paris, there was no doubt as to where I would begin my itinerary ... I went immediately to the Père Lachaise cemetery. That's the final resting place of such luminaries as Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Sarah Berhhardt and Chopin. If I had been there during daylight, I'm sure I would have t... 18). Misspelled Scriptures One way to confirm that cyberspace is the great equalizer is to observe the quality of editing that exists ... I am truly amazed at the mangling endured by the English language on a significant number of sites. It's fair to assume that this malady has its roots in short attention spans during the school years. As a result, accuracy is ... 19). Compromised Positions There is no denying that the sports business these days is awash in bright lights ... Quite often, though, the same can't be said for the people or practices involved. The passage of time, the fading of origins and the constant superseding of slang can combine to cause some curious contemporary contexts. To st... 20). The Inertia of Power I hate it when Saddam Hussein gets proved to be right ... Buried in all his pre-invasion bluster was a promise that Iraqis would give the Americans 'another Viet Nam' if they tried to occupy the country. To many, this sounded like just another empty threat, but I took note when he said it. The reason for my attention had n... 21). Beer Through the Years No one really knows exactly how the first beer came into being ... Suffice it to say that, around 10,000 years ago, somebody let a primordial barley and hop concoction stand long enough for it to ferment. The result not only made anonymous history, it was the genesis of beer's own special influence throughout the ages. Her... 22). Dinar Quagmire Online speculation regarding the 'investment opportunity' the new Iraqi Dinar represents is becoming a virtual cottage industry ... However,I'm already on record as believing it's a great way to acquire wallpaper one note at a time. With that in mind, I've noticed that a recent statement from the USA government has announc... 23). Hidden Riches From a historical perspective, 'The DaVinci Code' is good fiction ... I do think the book has provided a very real cultural benefit, though. By weaving many tales of medieval Christian mysticism into its story line, the book has stimulated a multitude of readers to look beyond the veneer of printed words in search of higher meanings. T... 24). Must See Hockey I think I've just seen another miracle on ice ... The National Hockey League is back on one of the major American broadcast networks. Some would call that a miracle in itself, but I'm taking higher ground. Specifically, I'm referring to the quality of the broadcast. It's one of the best-produced sports programs I've seen. ... 25). Viking Trekkies History weaves its influence into pop culture via many avenues ... One of the strangest is the Viking influence on Star Trek, especially The Next Generation. Ever since that series found the airwaves, I've often wondered if one or more of its writers were descended from peoples who endured raids from the North and then used this show t... 26). Top of the Pops Before Hitting the Shops It was only a matter of time before cyberspace prevailed in the music industry ... 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley made history by becoming the Number One song in the United Kingdom's singles charts without one CD being available in stores. Over 31,000 legal downloads were compiled after the song was featured on BBC's Radio One. ... 27). The Ultimate Cyberphone I saw the latest press release from Nokia the other day, announcing their new additions of 'smart' phones or, as I prefer to call them, cyberphones ... They're adding to their N-Series, which, frankly, needed the reinforcements. I'll be interested in seeing how these units perform, but so far, my recommendation for the true cybernaut i... 28). Map Quest Historians teach that the USA emerged from its isolationist ways when it entered World War I ... Geography teachers may dispute that point. Whenever an American media outlet wants to re-emphasize the issue, they merely find one of many studies that show a significant percentage of high school students can't locate major fo... 29). Online Purchase Parameters Fortified and Simplified An interesting ruling was made in the British Court of Appeals recently ... The justices determined that British customers who use a credit card abroad or on the internet will be given the same protection as those who shop in Britain. This decision allows purchasers to reclaim funds from their card company if the product t... 30). Phishing with a Net When geeks gave us the Internet and the means to use it, they also gave us a new segment of vocabulary ... I've often thought it a shame that a few of them didn't make their way to a campus literature or marketing department and see if a student of poetry or sizzle could assist them in assigning names to their innovations. For example,... 31). Gnash of the Titans The Winter Olympics and America seem only to be fair weather friends ... Underwhelming television ratings for the recently completed games in Turin indicate that the USA is only inclined to watch when their athletes are winning. Specifically, they watch when they expect to see certain athletes winning. Those would be the athletes who h... 32). Cashing the Czech Whether Robert Maxwell committed suicide or was murdered may never be known to the public ... Suffice it to say the disgraced publishing magnate cheated so many people and financial institutions to such an extent that there wouldn't be a paucity of suspects if it was the latter. Born in Slatinske Dòly to poor parents as Jan Ludvick Hoc... 33). Fuel for Thought I see the following call to arms over high gas prices in the USA is making the rounds again ... Here's a message I received recently from someone I know, who felt the need to transmit it to their entire e-mail address book: GAS WAR-- An Idea "This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came f... 34). Virus Strains What we need is the Dewey Decimal System to go digital ... Specifically, someone needs to coax their keepers into putting some logical order into how computer viruses are sorted. Recently, warnings abounded about the Kama Sutra virus quickly proliferating cyberspace, joining the Grew.A and Nyxem.E as serious threats to com... 35). Katrina Cash Crisis Continues The need to continue giving aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina must remain a priority ... It's now months after the American Gulf Coast was devastated. Billions have been spent in relief, but billions more are needed. Such is the scope of a storm that ranks among the most severe in modern North American history. To th... 36). Superchery The best way to cheapen anything is to overuse it ... I recall a sports clip from many years ago, where a veteran basketball player near the end of his career was reminiscing about his prime and comparing it to the supporting-cast status he was about to assume with his latest team. He made a comment along the lines of "I've been a supe... 37). The World's Coolest FranchIce Samuel Johnson said it almost 300 years ago, and I still believe it today ... "If you're tired of London, you're tired of life." I enjoy many locations around the world, but none so much as London. It's the center of civilization, as far as I'm concerned. If something is 'happening' there, then it's worth taking note. 38). Spoonman I've always taken pride in having an open mind ... So, when the invitation came to visit Uri Geller at his estate in the English countryside back in the summer of 1987, I couldn't pass the opportunity to personally experience the phenomenon he represents and/or channels. Uri Geller has made a career out of being controvers... 39). Ur bin Legend I may be repulsed at the deeds orchestrated by Osama bin Laden ... But I'm even more repulsed at the ineptitude displayed in the attempts to stop him and his cause. I mean, the guy's a murderous criminal. He's an anti-Muslim, as any credible scholar of the Koran would attest. He's been disowned by his family and disavowed ... 40). Spin Cycle It's possible that a seminal moment in the history of electronic news occurred when a comedian confronted commentators ... Not long after Jon Stewart --- host of the Comedy Central cable channel's amusing newscast, The Daily Show --- appeared on CNN's staid Crossfire and roundly scorched its principals in a well-publicized confrontatio... 41). Eternal Wit Whoever said, "You can't take it with you" was obviously not referring to a sense of humor ... Here is a list of actual epitaphs from departed souls who clearly had more to say than the time to say it, or from their next of kin, who wanted to be sure they literally had the last word: On the grave of Ezekial Aikle in East D... 42). Traffic Tracking Satellites Are Here Space-age technology has given us a number of modern mainstays ... Now, it's about to give us a traffic ticket. Satellite tracking has come to the highways. The United Arab Emirates has begun the process of deploying 700,000 black boxes in their citizens' vehicles for the purpose of tracking them to collect roadway tolls a...