Usually we discuss the e-mails and phone calls later, but Earl wrote in and asked about Benjamin's choices and suggestions for news sites.  Benjamin obliged with commentary about www.drudgereport.com, www.wnd.com, and especially, the customizable http://my.yahoo.com .  He also mentioned CNN.com, CBSnews.com, abcnews.go.com, and news.google.com.  Balancing out the spectrum, he had suggestions for various political leanings (noting that the ones above also have political leanings), as follows:

- Progressive / Liberal folks like DailyKos.com and AlterNet.org
- Conservatives like NewsMax.com and Townhall.com
- Libertarians favor places like Reason.com, and the only newspaper to make the list... OCRegister.com

Benjamin opined on the whole concept of a "cyberwar", and noted that the media is reporting more on what they don't understand, than actual fact.  In an odd twist, the media appears to be hyping something that didn't exist before the hype, but ultimately creates the hyped item... a creation of madness and mayhem. 

Benjamin covered malware, and noted that recently it seems that even normal sites can be dangerous.  Watch those ads, pop-ups, and messages that look like they might be legitimate... they could be a trap!  He also mentioned another trap, from a computer show, where folks were selling cool software packages... that were available online for...  FREE!  What a scam!

Benjamin discussed Open Source Licensing, and covered a fascinating point about how copyright protection is getting stronger for the owner and author of a work, even if he's giving it away.  Sounds like a good plan!

A number of newsworthy topics were covered by Benjamin as well, such as a recent survey studying preconceived notions from e-mail addresses, from the narcissistic to the meek.  Sales figures and statistics were foreboding when it came to Microsoft's favored Windows Vista, and the changing face of the Internet, from simple e-mail to research on-line.  Benjamin also covered some background on Russian activity on the 'Net, revolving around making your computer into a 'bot.

David asked if the Internet could really be crashed, as in Die Hard 4, to which Benjamin noted that no hacker is likely to crash everything, but could do some distinct damage to internet speeds for a short while.   Doug's friend told him not to install Windows XP Service Pack 2, and Benjamin almost died...  XP Service Pack 3 is out, and it's doing just fine.  Run Windows Update NOW, and get your system patched before you get a virus!

Jesse asked about how to dial back his mouse sensitivity, and Diana needed some help understanding computer specifications, and help in choosing a computer for purchase, and Benjamin came to the rescue.  He can help you too, just be giving a call, or contacting him via the contact page...

Remember to tune in next week and to listen to this week’s show right now by using the links below!