So what’s an Internet denizen to do in these times of worry and despair? Why, you find something entertaining and latch onto it until it becomes old news, of course! Like Nyan Cat, QWOP, and those who came before, what I came across is nothing more than mindless fun, which is important to have from time to time. It gives one some much-needed perspective and reminds us that it’s not all bad.

And so without further ado, I give to you the war between /r/pickle and /r/banana on reddit. Upon first glance, you may be asking yourself why such a thing exists. On the other hand, depending on your sense of humor, you may know exactly why such a thing exists. It’s not about why so much, as it’s about why not. Think YTMND or Tim and Eric – both of which are funny simply because they exist and don’t necessarily need to produce anything of classic comedic value to generate a chuckle or two.

Checking out the posts in /r/pickle and /r/banana, you’ll find the war has been raging on. On second thought, you’re probably going to see this after the dust has settled and redditors have moved onto their next favorite thing, so perhaps what you’re going to see will be akin to a ghost town. A graveyard of old posts, covered in binary dust and withered from the passing of time. Perhaps not, though. Sometimes this sort of stuff keeps going just for the lulz, know what I mean?

At any rate, let’s sit back and enjoy teh funnehs. We may not have very many of them left.

In what is sure to be a turning point in Internet law, U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady has declared that Twitter must hand over the account information of several of its users to the Department of Justice in connection with the government’s ongoing investigation of WikiLeaks. Twitter, who opposed the demand, was forced into compliance on the grounds that the accounts in question were used by key supporters of WikiLeaks.

You read that last sentence correctly. If the government decides that you are an important supporter of a group that they don’t like, they will get access to your information, regardless of how much it violates the Constitution and due process. Needless to say, the ACLU is all over this one. They even took the case before a magistrate judge who, not surprisingly, ruled in favor of the Department of Justice.

You might ask yourself, “well why should I care?”

No matter your views on WikiLeaks, you should care, because this ruling sets the precedent that the government can have access to your personal information whenever they wish it, regardless of due process.

To compare to the real world (and I’m no lawyer, mind you, so this is purely speculative), let’s say you’re being looked at in a fraud case, and the government wants access to your banking information. They call up [Insert Random Bank Here] and request your banking information for the past year – where you’ve spent, how much you’ve spent, when you’ve spent, when you’ve paid, and how much. The bank tells the investigators to take a hike because their privacy policy states that they won’t just give your information to Uncle Sam like that. From what is understood, at this point, the government would need to take you to court in order to get that information, giving you the ability to defend yourself, with the investigators needing to prove legally that they should be privy to that information. That apparently doesn’t apply here.

With an ever-growing online presence for many people, including the places they visit, the people they know and interact with, photos uploaded, contact information saved in one’s account, credit card information in shopping accounts, the time is right for Americans to seriously consider both how much information they store on the web, and their government’s intentions.

Let’s take a look at it: The U.S. Government opposes WikiLeaks’s journalistic status simply because it’s a whistle-blowing entity. They’ve released thousands of documents proving that the United States committed war crimes during the Iraq War and is involved in some really shady back room dealings with foreign nations. The U.S. Government wants to pass online censorship bills such as SOPA and PROTECT IP, which will only serve the interests of corporations. They want so badly to push these laws through, which will give them control of the Internet, that these things get top billing while things like unemployment and the economy take a back seat.

So whose interests is the United States Government serving? Why, whoever gives them the most money, of course. Simply put, the United States Government has become so disturbingly corrupt, it’s going to take a miracle to keep us out of an Internet dark ages.

1. Progress is as Dumb as a Pipe

This may be the year Internet killed the T.V. star. Now, more than ever we can imagine a-la-carte television viewing. Some big content providers may be letting the reins loose on the idea of a roll-your-own cable deal. Now I might be able to simply pay for the five channels I actually watch instead of the hundreds I don’t.

The problem, however, will likely continue to be that the regional ISPs do not want to be dumb pipes for serving content. In all seriousness, they should be so lucky after how they’ve all treated their customers over the past several decades. I’m willing to bet, though, that they will put up a huge fight, and we’ll wind up seeing bandwidth caps for usage just like we’re currently seeing with mobile carriers. After all, why invest some of the billions we’re making in infrastructure when we can just limit the amount of use people can get out of an advertised “unlimited” service?

Oh, and by the way, you can only make thirty phone calls each month on your home phone now. It’s for your own good.

2. Putting Domains on ICE

ICE will continue to take down websites, in the name of stopping terrorism, of course. This will expand to websites that the government and controlling interests deem “rogue.” This definition will never be clearly stated, and we will no doubt see countless websites taken down out of sheer malice.

3. Hacktivism as Terrorism

This may be the year we’ll see a soldier put away for life for the crime of defending the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Bradley Manning will be convicted of various charges stemming from his involvement in the WikiLeaks fiasco. Julian Assange will be handed over to U.S. authorities to be formally charged, and WikiLeaks will continue to be a thorn in Uncle Sam’s side. Anonymous may even make a cameo appearance in this one, although their ranks may be neutered by the government’s ever-increasing interest in stopping Internet activism.

We’ll see how it goes, but I’m not too sure 2012 is going to be a good year for the series of tubes.

Here’s the deal, folks: This bill proposes that, in order for us to deal with online piracy, the government needs to create an Internet blacklist of websites that no American should ever visit for any reason, ever. This is all the more troubling when it’s evident who will be controlling the blacklist and making suggestions as to which websites will be on it. This is the same sort of thing they have is progressive countries like China and Iran – you know, places where the government knows what’s best for the people.

Another ridiculous part of the bill takes aim at services like Google and Facebook, and it proposes that they actively police their users and their search results for any potentially violating content. Didn’t we already do enough damage with the DMCA?

Perhaps I’m off my rocker, but it seems painfully obvious to me that the only reason bills like this are even considered is because the dinosaurs in our government have essentially no understanding of technology, and are being bribed ever-so-handsomely by industry lobbyists that they simply don’t give a crap. What they do is they come up with some draconian and Orwellian bill that is so long and complex that lawmakers will never read all of it, thereby making almost certain that some small clause is in there that can be exploited later, which no one will know about until it’s too late, and will be abused as much as possible. They then give it a cute little name that you couldn’t possibly vote against unless you were a Godless, un-American heathen; something like…the USA PATRIOT Act, which effectively suspended a large portion of the Constitution for many Americans and paved the way for the Department of Homeland Security to trample our rights.

What the SOPA Act will do if passed is put us into and Internet dark ages. This may not happen immediately, or even within the first few months, but eventually some provision of the bill that talks about how file-sharing is linked to drug running and terrorism will come back to haunt us, and pretty soon we’ll be behind the Great Firewall of America, only allowed to use the government-sanctioned portions of the Internet – the ones that don’t promote individual thought or freedom.

Assuming positive intent, this bill is misguided. At its very worst, it is a direct attack on our freedom.

Call your representatives. You have a voice. Demand to be heard.

For more information, visit www.americancensorship.org.

Although, I’ve tried out a wide range of podcasts in the last few years, especially on business topics, there are three that I’ve really been into recently.

The Dave Ramsey Show has long been an iTune favorite, especially in the business category. But Dave Ramesy’s newest podcast, appropriately titled, “The EntreLeadership Podcast” is targeted specifically for entrepreneurs and business leaders. Debuting August 17th of this year, it’s already ranking at iTune’s second position in the business category. Since Dave Ramsey is obviously a successful entrepreneur, his advice on business topics is often priceless. The podcast also involves interview of business leaders like Tony Hsieh and Dan Cathy.

Another podcast I’ve been listening to religiously for the past 8 months is called “48 Days.” The host is Dan Miller, a businessman, author, and friend of Dave Ramsey. The podcast’s title comes from one of Millers books, called “48 Days to the Work You Love,” which advises readers on how to find work that is purposeful and profitable with a guide to landing a dream job. In the podcast, Miller takes questions from his fans and readers, giving helpful answers on a wide range of issues, from starting small businesses to switching careers in a tough economy.

Pat Flynn, author of “The Smart Passive Income” blog, is another podcast host that I’ve taken to liking to recently. Flynn started out as casual blogger several years ago, but turned his side hobby into a profitable business when he lost his job in architecture due to a company lay off. His podcast holds the same name as his blog, and it is packed with useful information on starting and running an Internet based business, with a focus on achieving mostly passive income. Besides sharing all the lessons Flynn has learned during his online business ventures, he also interviews other insightful Internet entrepreneurs during many of his podcast sessions.

Things probably wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the communications companies and lobbyists who gutted the Telecommunications Act of 1996 in order to stifle competition. You can read the stories on it, like this one from CommonDreams.org, and even check out Dismantling Digital Deregulation, a writeup hosted by FreePress.net. These will tell you what you need to know about how this country went from being an innovator and leader in the wired world, to being ranked #25 in the world for broadband access speed – behind South Korea and Romania.

Speed isn’t the only issue here, however. Price plays a large part in the story as well. If you check out OpenData’s chart on worldwide broadband access, you’ll find that the country with the fastest average advertised broadband speed is Japan at 92 Mbps, with an average subscription price of $30 per month. Contrast this with the United States whose average advertised broadband speed is less than 10 Mbps, with an average subscription price of $45 per month, and you begin to see the problem. We’re getting gouged in this country, and it’s a crying shame – the Czech Republic is beating us, for crying out loud! On a personal note, I’m paying roughly $80 per month for my broadband access. That’s just Internet – no phone, no television, no massages.

It’s necessary, though – I need it for my three jobs, and I need it to pay my bills, and I need it to keep in touch with my friends and family. The Internet has grown from being the luxury item it was in the 1990s, to being an absolute need for basic communication and creation. The lack of regulation in our country has allowed the telecommunications companies (Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, Cox) to run roughshod over us just like Ma Bell did with long distance calling decades ago.

Here’s hoping we can make some progress on this front – it’s absolutely vital to future generations if we want to remain competitive and relevant.

Computer

I am in love with my MacBook, and it seems to be quite in love with me. I’ve had it for three years, and have yet to have a single problem (knock on wood). The computer is the focus of every home office, and needs to have the proper programs to accommodate your every need while working. I convinced my mother to make the switch this summer, and it is something she says she will never regret.

Flash Drive

As simple as it may seem, the flash drive is essential to all offices, as it stores all of your precious work, and even allows you to transport it elsewhere. Gone are the days of the mundane, black wand. Many flash drives can be personalized to include anything from your favorite animal, to a surfboard.

Speakers

Speakers for your computer are imperative. Most people like to listen to music while working. Whether it be Tchaikovsky or Lil’ Wayne, speakers will make or break your home office experience. Logitech, and many other mid-level companies offer speakers, with a sub-woofer, for about $50 that produces crystal clear sound.

Business-grade Internet

If you are like me, and depend on the Internet for work, Internet outages can cost you time, money, and maybe even your job. Did you know that if you work from home, you could ask the phone or cable Internet provider to classify you as a business account? In the case of an outage, you will get priority service, and will even get more bandwidth leading to clearer video calls.

Printer

Even on a budget, a great printer with a scanner can be found for only about $50-70. Choose one with high paper and ink capacities, to avoid having to replenish frequently. I have sworn by Brother printers for years now. For about $100, you can get a business level printer with a sleek design.

Surge Protectors

These are very important for home offices, especially in places prone to large thunderstorms. This will protect your computer, printer, television, and other electronics in case of a sudden power surge. One source also recommends an uninterrupted power source. This device gives you at least a couple of minutes to back up what you are doing before all of the power shuts off.

Robots don’t do our work for us, but technology for the home office has rapidly improved, even over the past few years. So, look over your home office, and make sure everything is up to date, functioning properly, and most importantly, helping you to get all of your work done.

At any rate, the more interesting conversation in this threat happened toward the bottom of the comments where the users discussed Turkey’s attempts to get into the European Union and their validity. Civil discussion? On my Internet? Not a chance.

That’s not the part that I want to discuss, however. What I’d like to discuss is a quote from the above-linked Turkish Weekly post:

“If Turkey desires to secure the modern, prosperous and peaceful structure of its society, it should not limit Internet access, which is a part of human rights.”

This. A thousand times, this. Unfettered Internet has become a basic human right, and I’m all about it. If controlling bodies begin to restrict access to the Internet or filter the content that we as are allowed to access, it becomes a very big problem for free communication and free speech. As in nearly all cases of the modern destruction of rights, this one is wrapped in the guise of protecting children.

Hey government, stop it. It is not your job to parent; it’s the parent’s job to parent. Hey parents, quit being lazy and raise your spawn so that everyone else’s rights don’t get trampled. Thanks!

This nemesis, named th3j35t3r (the Jester), is seemingly some sort of a patriot and didn’t take too kindly to LulzSec’s attack on the CIA. You see, the Jester isn’t a fan of LulzSec’s antics and its defense of WikiLeaks. As a matter of fact, he despises their actions and was apparently involved in the DDoSing of the WikiLeak’s website late last year, as evidenced by his tweet dated November 28, 2010.

The feud between LulzSec and the Jester has been ongoing in their IRC channels and on Twitter for some time now, with the Jester having harsh and serious words for LulzSec, and LulzSec responding playfully with the standard “u mad bro?”, as they are wont to do. There is certainly a difference in demeanor with these guys, which is making for some entertaining reading and popcorn-grabbing shows.

A few days ago, however, it seemed as though the Jester contributed to a bombshell of sorts. Courtesy of Web Ninjas (another hacktivist group), it looks like many of the members of LulzSec have been doxed (have had their personally identifying information documented for public release). According to their Twitter feed, however, things are running as normal on the Lulz Boat. Taunting the FBI in this post in particular, it seems as though these hackers are more brazen than ever.

So at this point we’re dealing with at least four different hacker entities: Anonymous, Lulz Security, Web Ninjas and the Jester. For your reading convenience, I’ve compiled a list of all the relevant links for you to follow if you’d like to keep up on the latest involving these groups.

Anonymous: Blog, Wikipedia, Twitter

Lulz Security: Website, Wikipedia, Twitter

Web Ninjas: Blog

th3j35t3r: Blog, Twitter