If Geology Is Destiny, Then Russia Is in Trouble: The problems of "petrostates" summarized:  political underdevelopment, overvalued currencies, economic swings from erratic oil prices, low employment, polarized distribution of wealth.   9:37:29 PM    

Head Out (Wirelessly) on the Highway: Hundreds of truckstops are offering WiFi for truckers.  Key value is ease of access, and privacy, when using a laptop in the truck cab without even going out.  Business uses include checking road and weather conditions, and sending photos: "Mr. Tindall, a Persian Gulf war veteran from Edwards, Mo., also travels with a digital camcorder for shooting pictures and movies that he views, edits and e-mails from his laptop computer. In the event of an accident, he can easily transfer photos of the damage to the laptop and e-mail them to the company "so they can see the damage right away and decide where to get you fixed," he said.

Martin Fisher, a 39-year-old Canadian trucker who sometimes works as a photographer, recently picked up a load of damaged goods, but he did not have to worry much about lost time or disputed claims. "I was able to take pictures and send it to my dispatcher right away," Mr. Fisher said. "

  9:33:01 PM