Brian Gongol

UK's #2 politician says he backs a missile-defense system

Government has been using "emergency" powers to snoop on bank records
And, of course, most of the records being spied upon have nothing to do with terrorism. Either this is a long-term war like the Cold War, or it's an emergency. But to suggest that it's both seriously damages the government's credibility and erodes freedom and liberty.

A history of Schulien's
A great Chicago restaurant that closed in 1999

USDA computers hacked
26,000 users' details exposed

ABC claims 11 million viewings of online TV shows in May
Content quality plus media agnosticism is the future. Radio stations aren't radio stations; they're content providers. Same goes for TV, newspapers, magazines, and websites.

"US may have been abused during formative years"
The best of this week's Onion

Another reason to favor small government for its own sake
Watchdog groups are worried that members of Congress are voting for projects that can have positive effects on their personal pocketbooks -- but that's what you get when government does too much

Hysteria over being "tough on crime" is "like putting a plaster on a broken leg"
Overreactions in both US, UK aren't really about solving problems of petty crime or immigration, but more about getting votes

British Airways raided
UK, US officials think they've been price-fixing

How soybean hulls can clean up lead
Dosing soybean hulls and cornstalks with citric acid makes them ion-exchange media, making them useful sponges for heavy metals in water

Group arrested over plans to blow up the Sears Tower

Markets are more powerful than planning
Despite efforts to force-feed urban planning, the DC area is growing in the opposite direction from "smart growth" designs