The New Media Diva

_{Memphis train station off S Main circa 1987-88. I have no idea if it survived.}

I’ll be away from the internet until around mid-March. Ahhhhh.:-)

Crossposted at sapuna.

This week I interviewed my colleague from the Crisis and Risk Network Jennifer Giroux on how the task of protecting critical energy infrastructures (pipelines and such) is evolving.

Increased media access for insurgents, the blurring of lines between political and criminal intent, and a plethora of other issues plague governments and energy companies as they try to protect pipelines, researcher Jennifer Giroux tells the ISN.

You can listen to the podcast here.

Forget MREs. Terrorists in the Caucasus reportedly keep their tummies full during the winter by downing Snickers bars.

Acccording to a post on RFE/RL’s Transmissions blog, Wahhabbi militants snowed under in the Chechen region get their nutrition from that peanut, caramel and chocolate concoction that has kept American schoolkids bouncing off of rec room walls for decades.

[...]A few tens of militants may hide in Chechen gorges. Now when mountain passes are covered with snow and delivery of food from abroad is impossible, bandits eat snickers bars.

(Are Snickers halal? This person says yes. This site says no. This site says…well I’m not sure.)

But there’s a down side to succumbing to the scent of Snickers. According to the post, folks seen purchasing five bars or more are under “special control” by authorities.

Whether that’s security control or weight control, I’m not sure.

Image: Mike Chaput-Branson/flickr

Crossposted at the shop.

Liebfrauen Kirche is one of my other hiding places. (Einsiedeln is the main one.)

Liebfrauen is near my office. I sneak out sometimes to ground myself.

Even though e-waste is considered a problem by some, Dr Mathias Schluep of EMPA tells the ISN that unwanted electronic items can offer citizens in developing countries a plethora of opportunities.

Check out the podcast here.