Brian Gongol
Hong Kong civil liberties take a big step back
Covert surveillance and phone tapping gain new ground; the government says it will help counter crime, but everyone knows that won't be the end of it. It never, never is. Ironically, it's the non-transparency of the mainland Chinese government that's to blame for the fact that a H5N1 bird flu death happened in Beijing in 2003, but we're only finding out today.
Clean air: Overrated
"The prospect of a city abandoned by families, with their vast SUVs and equally disproportionately sized baby strollers and dogs, is tantalizing. We should be careful what we wish for, lest we receive it. A blue sky will not come without cost."
Technology disrupts religious oppression in Saudi Arabia
Women and men aren't allowed in movie theaters together -- but cell phones and wireless devices mean they can hook up with one another nonetheless. Technology is a powerful disruptor of totalitarian governments. Ironically, free governments tend to be stupid about technology, too -- the UK's plans for high-tech biometric passports look sketchier than ever, now that it's clear they can be hacked.
Blimps back in military service
Airships were used in World War II for reconnaissance and convoy-escort service
Possible connection between allergies and Parkinson's
Researchers think people with chronic allergies are three times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease
Fox outsources web advertising to Google
Something about the 4-year, $900 million agreement seems a little too 1999: Both parties are counting on continued explosive growth at MySpace and other properties, which everyone knows is like throwing darts while blinded. Four years is longer than an eternity in the Internet universe.
Heavy rains cause treatment bypasses in Iowa
Babbitt's Wallpaper