They even have moved beyond energy to own stuff ranging from fast-food chains to dog-food factories.

FORBES: Out of Energy

"I think we are putting the cart before the horse here to get this stuff rolled out very fast, " said Ed Skoudis, a co-founder of InGuardians, a network security research and consulting firm.

CNN: 'Smart Grid' may be vulnerable to hackers

Unable to stuff the ballot boxes fast enough to steal the election outright, Mr Milosevic has half-stolen it by claiming enough votes to force his opponent, Vojislav Kostunica, into a run-off in two weeks' time.

ECONOMIST: Milosevic��s last stand

Money may be a lever: the collapse in oil prices, plus rapidly dwindling Syrian production of the stuff, confronts Mr Assad with a fast-approaching budget crisis.

ECONOMIST: Arab diplomacy and the Palestinians

Silver and copper are smaller markets, but their adherents argue that the industrial demands for the shiny stuff by nations that must build out their infrastructure products such as the fast speed transportation system in China or the ports of India, Thailand another emerging markets clearly suggest a shortage of silver and copper, possibly iron ore as well.

FORBES: Smart Money Is Long Gold, Silver, Copper, Oil And Zero Coupon Treasuries

The 'modern' stuff goes straight for the jugular with opening track Free Speech For The Dumb - a fast and furious re-working of the 1982 song from second generation punks Discharge.

BBC: Garage Inc - Metallica

African advertising agencies are upping the ante and fast catching up with their contemporaries in the U.S and Europe in churning out creative, captivating stuff.

FORBES: Funny African Commercial Of The Week: Trust Condoms