Hackers in Combat Zones Put Media – and Sources – at Risk

Twitter’s International Intrigue

Sometimes Twitter seems unstoppable.

No matter what the news event, tweeting now plays a key role. Once dismissed as a pedestrian toy for the bored to record what they had for lunch, the social network is now part of the media and political bloodstream.

On Sunday, Twitter users managed to circumvent a French embargo on election results to tell the world that Nicolas Sarkozy had been booted from the presidency. The tweeters used code names to avoid running afoul of the law. Sarkozy was either Rolex (his opulent lifestyle with Carla Bruni) or the wine Hungarian Tokaji (his pere is Hungarian). Francois Hollande, France’s incoming president, was called Gouda cheese, among other things. The hashtag: #radiolondres, for a BBC World War II service.

The reason for the subterfuge: France imposes fines up to $99,000 for releasing election results before 8 p.m.

Days earlier, Twitter users also outsmarted the Chinese regime as the case of dissident Chen Guangcheng played out during Hillary Clinton’s visit to Beijing.

KeepHerHappy Remembers to Buy Her Flowers When You Probably Won’t

You plug in the important dates for your relationship, pay a subscription fee, and it’ll take all that pesky remembering nonsense out of remembering to order flowers.

Each KeepHerHappy subscription is good for three pre-set flower deliveries: one for Valentine’s Day, her Birthday, and for your anniversary. Subscriptions are starting at an introductory price of $99 per year — which, considering how expensive last minute arrangements can be, is surprisingly cheap. Oh! And it includes delivery costs and a free vase with each order.

And don’t worry, guys: Unless you slip up and mention it, there’s no way for your gal to know that the deliveries are part of a pre-scheduled subscription service. KeepHerHappy keeps their branding as far away from the actual deliveries as possible, thereby ensuring you score the maximum number of thoughtful-boyfriend/husband points.

Dumbest Post – A Long Rant About Juice

Last weekend, media critic Michael Wolff was asked to leave a New York City movie theater when he refused to give up a bottle of juice he had with him. The concept of sneaking food into a theater is not unusual. Wolff’s reaction was.

The Number One Killer of Children: Traffic

Every year, 1.3 million people around the world are killed by traffic – 3,500 people a day. Two a minute.

But the impact on children is the most profound. Traffic is the number one cause of death for children aged 5 to 14 around the world, skewed far out of proportion by deaths in developing countries. India alone accounts for 12% of the children killed.