The Null Device
2000/3/17
Colombian politician, under pressure from US drug warriors, proposes killing US drug users:
Q: Colombia does not wish to be drug free?
A: Please. My brother Alfredo and his wife, they enjoy their marijuana. Maybe two or three times a month. Me, I enjoy wine with dinner. I see nothing wrong with any of this, but if the gringos wish to live drug free, the Colombian people would like to help.
Q: Do you envision a key role for paramilitary death squads?
A: Yes, and here we owe you a deep debt of gratitude. Throughout the Third World your CIA and special forces have worked with local armies and intelligence agencies to hone the death-squad technique. If political activists, labor agitators and peasant organizers can be eliminated, why not drug users?
Q: Who will man the squads?
A: Yankees. Colombians who have trained at the School of the Americas will return to the School to instruct your soldiers.
More robot pets from Japan, including boxy-looking robot fish that look like steampunk vehicles and several simpler, cheaper brands of robot dogs. (BBC News)
It turns out that, after oppressing them for a few centuries and laughing at them for a bit longer, Britain loves the Irish. At least as a theme, anyway. (BBC News)
While consigning the stereotypes to history, the Irish may find themselves saddled with a reputation built on theme pubs and squeaky-clean boybands.
A detailed cryptological case study, using the Cyber Patrol cypher as an example, and revealing many tricks and principles of cryptanalysis. (Note: may be illegal in the US.)