Just as coastlines are vulnerable to erosion by water, so are river beds, hillsides and cliffs, and the fast-flowing nature of waterfalls means that over time, even the hardest rock is worn away and reshaped by the water. Two areas in particular are sure to have gradually evolved over the years - the area near the edge of the waterfall, where the water is at its fastest, and the "plunge pool" at the base of the waterfall, so-called because the riverbed has usually been worn away by the impact of the water to form an abnormally deep area.

Waterfalls are perennial tourist attractions, and many people are willing to travel considerable distances to see some of the world's most famous waterfalls in action. While aficionados and tourist authorities might like to debate the relative merits and heights of different waterfalls, the reality is that all big waterfalls have their own unique character and setting, and any large waterfall presents a truly spectacular and dramatic sight.

The Internet is easily the most fascinating invention human society has ever used. DSL can make a castle out of the humblest of homes. Music from the masters is ours with the click of a mouse. Movies available from the Internet are now better at home than they used to be in the best of theaters. Tentative answers to our most perplexing questions can often be acquired without charge or obligation. Singles from all around the world can congregate in forums to ease and sometimes even remedy their loneliness. Virtual vacations can transport us from the winding roads of Maine to icy palaces in the snow-capped mountains of Tibet. Phone calls to anywhere on earth, with pictures, only cost us a nickel when we make them with the magic of the Internet.
As we navigate the globe, now so easily penetrated, we must also face the fact that there are hackers and crackers out there that are anxiously engaged in creating programs to sabotage your newly acquired freedom and bring you crashing to your knees.

Your life's savings can disappear in an instant. Worse yet, your life's work can be destroyed -- or stolen – usually for no better reason than to brag about it. YOU, your computer, and even your business, are at risk every second you are on line. The FBI has lost sensitive files. The CIA web site has been hacked into, so realistically, the only thing that stands between you and your turn at complete disaster may well be nothing less than the whimsy of fate. One thing is for sure, the more you have to lose, the sooner it could happen to you. Like the skyscraper attracting bolts of sizzling lightning because it inches higher than the office buildings around it, your most prized possessions could well be next on some madman's list -- simply because you ARE on their list of the good, the bad, or the ugly.

You can easily replace your computer, but are you properly protecting its contents?

Niagara Falls

Known by schoolchildren and adults all over the world, Niagara Falls is perhaps the most famous waterfall in the world. Straddling the border between the United States and Canada, Niagara Falls is actually made up of three falls - the Horseshoe Falls (sometimes called the Canadian Falls), the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls.

The landscape seen today at Niagara Falls was formed by glacial movements during the ice age. When the ice retreated and the water began to flow again, the changed landscape forced the water to carve out a new route for the Niagara River.

Niagara itself is thought to derive from the old Iroquois word for the river - Onguiaahra - "The Strait", and the Horseshoe Falls are reputed to hide the spirit of He-No, the Iroquois thunder god, who rescued his true love Lelawala as she paddled her canoe over the falls in an attempt to escape from a forced marriage. The falls are said to mask caves, where He-No and Lelawala lived together happily thereafter.

Today, Niagara Falls is split between two cities - Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. Both cities play host to many thousands of tourists each year, and both the Americans and Canadians benefit from the hydroelectric generation potential of the falls, each operating two hydroelectric power generation facilities that generate up to 4.4GW of power in total.

Indeed, the scale of the hydroelectric facilities is such that flow to the falls is reduced each night and throughout the summer as greater volumes of water are diverted towards the power plants, to be returned to the Niagara River downstream, below the Falls.

Niagara Falls is undoubtedly one of the world's greatest waterfall complexes, despite its relatively modest height, its exceptional width means that at peak flow more than 6 million cubic feet of water pass over its edge every minute - a true giant among waterfalls.