Audacity is a free audio editor for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux.

Gaim is a free messaging program for Linux, BSD, MacOS X, and Windows. It is compatible with AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, and Zephyr networks.

Nonviolence in Czechoslovakia, 1968 is a fascinating article about how the inventive Czechs resisted Soviet occupation through the use of civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. It's from Fragments, an interesting site that points to a bunch of cool stuff, such as Urban Control: The Ecology of Fear

Skype lets Windows users make free worldwide phone calls over the internet. Get it while you still can. Tip: you probably need a microphone for your computer. Don't buy the cheapest one.

Spyware removal tools reviewed and explained. Windows users, you need these now.

This week I read that Microsoft had been releasing new security patches every 6 days this year. Now even they think that's too often for us to all patch all our machines, so they said they'll try to cut down to one big one per month. This means, your machine probably needs an update. Use Windows Update buried somewhere in your Start menu to get them.

Another thing: turn off the dang messenger service that makes those popups appear on your computer even when you're not surfing the web. Now it's not just annoying, it's also a back door into your computer for malicious software.
How to Disable Windows Messenger Service

One-Term President - Hey look, free stencils.

Today's teenage generation is now the biggest the world has ever seen, but an estimated 6,000 youth become infected every day with HIV/AIDS -- that is one every 14 seconds, most of them girls in developing countries like India.
? 6,000 youths infected every day - The Times of India

Macdonough's Song
"As easy as A B C"--A Diversity of Creatures"

Whether the State can loose and bind
In Heaven as well as on Earth:
If it be wiser to kill mankind
Before or after the birth--
These are matters of high concern
Where State-kept schoolmen are;
But Holy State (we have lived to learn)
Endeth in Holy War.

Whether The People be led by The Lord,
Or lured by the loudest throat:
If it be quicker to die by the sword
Or cheaper to die by vote--
These are things we have dealt with once,
(And they will not rise from their grave)
For Holy People, however it runs,
Endeth in wholly Slave.

Whatsoever, for any cause,
Seeketh to take or give
Power above or beyond the Laws,
Suffer it not to live!
Holy State or Holy King--
Or Holy People's Will--
Have no truck with the senseless thing.
Order the guns and kill!
Saying --after--me:--

Once there was The People--Terror gave it birth;
Once there was The People and it made a Hell of Earth
Earth arose and crushed it. Listen, 0 ye slain!
Once there was The People--it shall never be again!
[written in 1912]


Keo, the graffiti writer who did US presidential candidate Dean's backdrop a couple of weeks ago was hunted down and busted for a NY train he allegedly painted in 1999.

Officials in Vancouver are warning that a form of graffiti known as "acid etching" is appearing at glass bus shelters around the city. The chemicals in the etching cream are dangerous and can cause deep, penetrating burns to the skin, eyes and lungs. The city says people should avoid touching any graffiti made by the cream.

Cool Tools

There's a certain beauty to being sad, something sweet about being alone. It's related to the comfort of self pity, a breed of emotions that can only exist at times of longing and that specific surrender. These feelings have a tendency to enlighten such things as songs and literature - such things as art - with an otherwise overlooked value and sharpness. It's that minimal side of pain that would've never known life were it not for optimism. It can be great, it won't betray you, as millions of people have endured this wonder for too many years. But the moment that the enticing wonder is answered, is satisfied, is the moment (no matter how short) that explains pleasure in suffering. That one moment of reply untangles everything and joins with all the previous enjoyment of hurting and multiplies and magnifies everything good and everything bad to equal, at last, happiness. When all else fails resort to beauty; art breathes beauty.
- el don skeam

ADUni.org is an online university course where you can teach yourself for free. So is MIT OpenCourseWare Don't let money get in the way of your good education.

You can teach yourself almost anything you want to learn, especially now that the internet has so much to offer for free. But check out your local library too. Books are still better at providing in-depth knowledge. Education doesn't have to be the tedious bore that highschool is. Just follow your own interests and appetites and you'll learn a whole lot.

optical illusion art is very powerful stuff. Check it out, by A.Kitaoka.