Are you feeling lucky?

Welcome our new overlords: Google is creating a new holding company called Alphabet, saying the new structure will give more independence to many of its wide-ranging and ambitious projects.

This just might give Google’s World Domination Project the kick-start it needs.

The Internet wants to be free: Columbia House, the mail-order company that sold LPs and later CDs on the gullible-consumer-ensnaring “negative option” model, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Chalk it up to the digital revolution: How can the kids today possibly be enticed to shell out 1 cent for eight CDs when they can get all the music they want for free on the Web?

Don’t know much about history: On this day in 1984, President Ronald Reagan joked during a mic check that he had signed legislation banning Russia, “and we begin bombing in five minutes”.

The generals at the Strategic Air Command weren’t laughing, however. “Five minutes? He’s dreaming,” one exclaimed. “We need at least 15.”

— Mark Carlson, Herald staff

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