Pakistanis want their YouTube TV

Tech:  Another day, another battle won for freedom of speech. The BBC reports that Pakistan has lifted the ban it imposed on YouTube last Sunday. According to the BBC, Pakistan Telecom allegedly “hijacked” the Web server address of the popular video site — causing a near global meltdown — in protest over “a trailer for a forthcoming film by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which portrays Islam in a negative light.”

Nation: Eyewitness News reports that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force raided two Memphis-based Mid-South truck driving schools yesterday. “Sources say the feds are looking for information about truck drivers who illegally obtained their commercial drivers licenses.” The raids included the FBI, “Tennessee Highway Patrol, the ATF, the United States Secret Service and federal immigration officials.”

Science: The Washington Post reports that a “Doomsday” Seed Vault has opened in the Arctic to serve as a backup to all the seed banks around the world. The Post reports it can store up to 4.5 million seed samples from across the globe — a veritable “frozen Garden of Eden.”

Tech: MySpace and Facebook users beware. Computerworld reports that hackers are targeting the image uploader used by both Web services. According to Computerworld, Darren Kemp, the Symantec analyst who authored the advisory said, “Attacks begin when users receive spam or an instant message with an embedded link. The link takes users to a bogus MySpace log-in page, which tries to steal members’ credentials as it also silently probes the their computers for vulnerabilities in Uploader, Apple Inc.’s QuickTime, Windows and Yahoo Music Jukebox.”

World: Der Spiegel reports that a day-care center in Munich was shut down for fear the children there were being indoctrinated into the “principles of Scientology.” Germany’s government considers the religion a cult and considers it “a threat to its democratic system.”

O P I N I O N

From the notebook…
     In an industry first, bloggers went on strike  at Gannett’s Honolulu Advertiser, Editor & Publisher reports. And the news for Gannett gets worse. A Minneapolis law firm is investigating “possible wage and hour violations within Gannett,” Gannett Blog reports. Will Gannett bloggers and strikers be the Upton Sinclairs shining light on the jungle of megamedia worker abuse across the nation? Let’s hope so!

     If you’ve been watching MSNBC’s political coverage, then you know that tonight is the “Alamo of Debates” for Sen. Hillary Clinton. Geesh, these people are talking as if she has already withdrawn from the race. (Remember, this is the network whose political reporter accused the Clintons of pimping out their daughter Chelsea.)
     Saturday Night Live’s depiction of last week’s CNN debate was hilarious and on point. Remember when the lines between reporting and opinion were drawn crisply?