Thanks again to wondrous Ed for the very amusing stick-man kung fu. Clearly, this guy has too much time on his hands, but it's almost as entertaining as The Matrix, to which it clearly owes a lot of its inspiration.

On a less cheerful note, Slashdot pointed out an article about an impending war between AOL and Microsoft. Summary: AOL provides web-based services, and wants to be an Applications Service Provider in the impending, horrible world of network applications, where all software is rented as a service -- ick, ick! Microsoft is making Windows XP, which by including HailStorm (and .NET) is the key element in getting applications-as-services off the ground. Microsoft also owns MSN, which is set to be the major (and, tellingly, the default provider of applications in Windows XP. We all know what happens with default applications, and to their competition, ever since Netscape bit the dust.

So AOL has a bunch of strategies for competing with MS. But the most worrying concept is the fact that in a war between AOL and Microsoft, one of them is going to win. And they're both evil! So it looks like your next operating system is going to make you a slave to the whims of either AOL (which doesn't have a charismatic leader) or Bill Gates. Run away! Run away! Get your ass on a Linux box before it's too late! I had until recently been of the opinion that, despite the moral superiority of Linux, I would continue to use Windows because it was, well, easier, and I had more important things to do with my computer than getting it to work.

But that's changed now. Neither of these companies have shown a lot of respect for privacy, security, or technological superiority, and it's time to stop giving them my money before I end up storing it all in MSN's myWallet.

Incidentally, BetaNews (no, not a site about video tape formats) appears to rock.