Slight flaw in your otherwise epic plan: the noose will still be present afterwards. Since it's a fantasy, I propose using a noose made out of magnesium with some sort of fuse, so that it burns away after you've done the deed! :)

I use AnchorFree Hotspot Shield to anonymise my browsing (read: access US-only media content). The ads are a bit painful, but easier than always trying to manually hunt for a proxy that works.

Can't give you advice on the bag, but this will probably be of interest to you! :)

Have you tried looking for a BIOS update for that computer? If you're lucky there may be a newer version you can install that offers the 'boot from usb' function. Might save you from having to come up with this more-complicated solution! :)

I'm theorising here, but I'm sure you could use Calibre ([calibre-ebook.com]

I haven't used any of these, but there may be something that meets your needs in one of them:

Check to see whether the Apple Mobile Device service is running: Start > Run > type 'services.msc' (without quotes) > Look for the service and start it if it isn't running. Restart iTunes and re-connect your device.

Geezus! You deserve a medal for baring/daring to deal with legacy systems like that. I'd ask for a raise, as I'm guessing the company can't function without those systems and you're the only guy who knows how to keep the ship sailing, I bet.

Do's & Don't for packing:

The thumbs up only seems to promote discussions, not approve commenters. I usually have to switch to the the uk. or ca. subdomains to approve someone.

Sounds like it might be a case of your hardware drivers being out of date. Check to see if there's new versions of the drivers for your hardware, especially graphics card. Device Doctor is good for doing that ([www.devicedoctor.com] Also, make sure you've got the latest version of flash, shockwave, etc. If all that…

I have the same problem with putting my Win 7 laptop to sleep. The screen goes off, but the rest of the PC stays on. I reckon that it's just some bug - haven't been motivated to investigate the root cause yet.

Haha, y'know I've never thought about it like that! It's just my nickname in l33t speak.

Lastpass allows you to select the criteria for the password you're generating, namely length and character composition. (Tried posting a screenshot, but you can't attach images to comments any more it seems, only links to images.)

Haha! +1

I expect you'll have to re-validate your copy of Windows, yes. About a year ago the graphics card in my laptop blew. I bought the exact same spec laptop and swapped the hard-disks (to save myself time reinstalling, copying data, etc and I had to use the over-the-phone Windows activation because it detected a hardware…

Perhaps the Intelligence team that located Bin Laden, can locate the old Gizmodo now that they've finished their main assignment...

Here's a link to a comparison of two pretty awesome styli (Alupen & oStylus). [goo.gl] Not sure if the oStylus is available yet.

I use Sennheiser CX 400 IIs - I've been using these for 3 years now (well, upgraded from the 300s last year). I'm no audiophile, but I find these isolate out all noise most of the time, have great audio range and are pretty cheap off Amazon - usually less than £20. [goo.gl]