As always, Scott nails it. I don't like pop-up ads any more than the next person, but they let me access my favorite sites at $0 direct cost to me, so I'll tolerate them.

They are a necessary evil, but I don't like the site that has like 10 pop-ads when you log into it.

There are "NO" free lunches in life! When did America decide they want FREE "everything" no irritations??? Haven't they had children....now there is a case for no free lunches.

RJ - Amen as far as favorite sites go, but it is a handy feature in almost all other situations. I use AOL and just updated it. It's customizable, so for example, I can allow popups from DrudgeReport and FoxNews ... And, as Justin points out, I think everybody has stumbled into sites that are little more than Hells Of A Thousand Popups ...

I've already enjoyed the warm fuzzy feeling of blocking popups from Reuters and NY Times which, as everybody knows, are America-hating Eurotrash lefty mouthpieces ... but ocassionally have articles worth reading. No more three-tenths of a cent from my visits anymore, HA HA HA HA

--

Some other possible future upgrades ...

DELUXE LOGIN-BYPASS TOOL FOR PORN SITES

CELEBRITY HATE-MAIL SPAMMING TOOL
(peacenik celebs only of course)

GRADE-HACKING SOFTWARE FOR STUDENTS

SATELLITE-HIJACKING SOFTWARE FOR AMBITIOUS WEBCASTERS

And most eagerly anticipated ...

AOL STICKS IT TO BIG MUSIC WITH NAPSTER-WARE

Related follow-up headline:

COURT RULES MUSIC INDUSTRY LAWYERS MUST DEFEAT AOL LAWYERS IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT TO RESOLVE DISPUTE

Keith, you are truly my Role Model. Thanks for the laughs.

Cheers!

Allah be praised, you infidels can continue to try to mock His AOL. AOL remains a strong multi-media play, and has several valuable franchises, even valuing its maligned on-line arm at naught. Allah continues to laugh, and, as we all know, Allah lasts laugh.

Ah, pop-ups. The bane of the internet. And yet ... they still aren't as common as junk mail trying to talk me into getting another credit card I don't need. Gotta love it!

Damn. Guess I can't afford to watch CNN any more.

The subject of unsolicited internet pop-up ads brought to mind another unsolicited travesty about which I recently read. It seems that many, and I mean MANY college students are paying between 3 and 8 dollars to an organization called PIRG (Public Interest Research Group). This organization is run by Ralph Nader (the man whose opinions are unsound at any speed)and the money that it extorts, flim-flams, and weasels from these college students and their parents funds Nader's many liberal causes. Here's how the scam works. When the student registers for classes each quarter or semester, he or she rarely notices a small box which allocates the previously mentioned sum in the form of a fee to PIRG. Most pay it no attention and poof! the money is gone. Some in some schools have noted it and the various universities and colleges have been forced to go to the reverse check mark system. You know this one; if you don't eliminate the existing check mark, poof! goes your money. Oddly enough, Nader and PIRG are staunch crusaders for political finance reform. I say oddly because guess where the poofed money goes. You got it! Into a political campaigning fund run by? You got it again! Ralph Nader! And we thought the only extortion game in town was the one run by the Sopranos.

The subject of unsolicited internet pop-up ads brought to mind another unsolicited travesty about which I recently read. It seems that many, and I mean MANY college students are paying between 3 and 8 dollars to an organization called PIRG (Public Interest Research Group). This organization is run by Ralph Nader (the man whose opinions are unsound at any speed)and the money that it extorts, flim-flams, and weasels from these college students and their parents funds Nader's many liberal causes. Here's how the scam works. When the student registers for classes each quarter or semester, he or she rarely notices a small box which allocates the previously mentioned sum in the form of a fee to PIRG. Most pay it no attention and poof! the money is gone. Some in some schools have noted it and the various universities and colleges have been forced to go to the reverse check mark system. You know this one; if you don't eliminate the existing check mark, poof! goes your money. Oddly enough, Nader and PIRG are staunch crusaders for political finance reform. I say oddly because guess where the poofed money goes. You got it! Into a political campaigning fund run by? You got it again! Ralph Nader! And we thought the only extortion game in town was the one run by the Sopranos.

morpheuss@hotmail.com