Its good to be back!

Where was I?

Internet animators star in a new medium, the 'webisode': "Joe Sparks is a minor celebrity to a subculture of college students and cubicle-dwellers who follow his 'Radiskull and Devil Doll' toons from as far away as Japan. From a compact apartment studio full of music mixers, computers and software manuals, Sparks blends simple software animation tools with traditional programming, storytelling and music skills to create shows in the genre of 'South Park' and 'The Simpsons.'"

Economist: "Back in the mists of early Internet history, online publishing was going to wrest power from the inky fingers of old media groups and put it in the hands of ordinary people. Well, it never happened. Yet just when old media began to feel smug again about its old-fashioned paper-based products, weblogging (known as blogging) happened. The question for the big media world is whether to embrace the phenomenon that, in part, claims to undermine it."

Cuba pays homage to America: "Despite its friction with Washington, Cuba's communist government held an unprecedented Fourth of July observance, saying it wanted to show the regime's respect for Americans and their traditions."

Ten things I learned about life and soccer from the 2002 World Cup: "There is a football God, and despite the wild twists and turns of this year's tournament, He's still Brazilian."

The Internet won't sink if WorldCom does: "[WorldCom] handles more than 50 percent of U.S. Internet traffic, including about 70 percent of all e-mails sent within the United States and half of e-mails sent in the world. With KPNQwest in Europe, it handles over half of European traffic as well."

The Internet is 50% down this morning. What's going on?

Ask Slashdot: Options for Adults with Renewed Interest in Math?

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