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A L S O__T O D A Y You've got sendmail By Andrew Leonard Eric Allman's free program makes sure your e-mail gets through. Now it's going commercial - - - - - - - - - - T A B L E__T A L K Discuss the programs you can't function without and why in the Digital Culture area of Table Talk - - - - - - - - - - R E C E N T L Y What does technology want? By R.U. Sirius Kevin Kelly talks about his "New Rules for the New Economy" (12/10/98) Is Rio grand? By Janelle Brown With the new MP3 player, the future of online music distribution is here now -- it's just a bit slow (12/09/98) Internet activism, Czech-style By Mark Schapiro The Communists are yesterday's target -- today, it's the phone company's Net-access rate hikes (12/08/98) Car talk By Chip Brookshaw Microsoft puts Windows on a diet so it can fit in your car radio -- and hold a conversation (12/08/98) Event Horizon's Web gamble By Patrizia DiLucchio Can a publisher of blue-chip science fiction for smart readers make it online? (12/07/98) - - - - - - - - - - BROWSE THE 21ST CHALLENGE ARCHIVES - - - - - - - - - - 21st Log Make money fast on the Internet! _______

Mystery misdirected e-mail - - - - - - - - - - - - BY CHARLIE VARON AND JIM ROSENAU Results of Challenge No. 16, in which we asked you to respond to the following mysteriously misdirected e-mail -- with a broken "e" on your keyboard: "Darling, I pine for your kiss, your caress, your tongue tickling my abdomen. Let's kill S.G. We'll leave everything behind -- jobs, spouses, kids, 401(k) plans -- and make a new life together. Meet me at midnight behind Starbucks." - - - - - - - - - - - - J U D G E S'__C O M M E N T S This time we built you a pretty tight creative box to work your way out of. An illicit affair was afoot, a life lay in the balance and the note wasn't even meant for your eyes! All this, and you, without an "e"! But you dug into your bag of e-mail tricks and came out swinging. Some of you did the right thing and tried to stop the crime; others chose to join it. Still others opted to reveal the true identities of the sender, the recipient -- even the mysterious "S.G." Our sleuthing hats are off to all who played along with the Challenge. - - - - - - - - - - - - W I N N E R Dar whovr: No dal. Can't lop, hat coff. Bit m. -- Eli Neiburger - - - - - - - - - - - - H O N O R A B L E __M E N T I O N S Starbucks, Did you think your odd mail would coax this mom-n-pop shop loving chick into drinking your mass-mark-up java? -- Debi Lewis Subject: Midnight won't work Starbucks! No. Foul is a union sprung from Java. Oh, that you had said "mountain" or "orchard" or "trout farm." -- Gena Smith Sir or Madam, Your rqust has a crtain appal. Howvr, your clvr spam attmpt is flawd. I liv in Swdn. -- Jim Gawne I'll drink half-caf, you'll drink mocha. Bring your Glock and your bags. Aruba awaits. -- Darren Barefoot Darling, I got your mail, and am forwarding it to your ISP, and our FBI. Good luck in jail! -- Linda Hildreth I will b out of the offic until Decmbr 7, 1998. All mssags ar bing forwardd to my assistant, Dian for prompt attntion. -- Mark Epstein "Mon amour, I burn for you. Which Starbucks?" -- Brent Shepherd (similarly submitted by many others) "Mom?" -- Mark Kaye vrything is OFF. If you rally card for m, you know I would NVR go to Starbucks! -- Karen Deville Why not? Kid is failing, lady's a boar, and my company won't rplac my lousy kyboard. -- Matt Ramme Thanks. Catch you l8tr!:) s/ NYPD Cop -- David R. Tarvin Jr. Sorry Hon_y, my k_yboard has a vow_l d_fici_ncy so I can't say y_s. -- Jim Gawne I want you so much it hurts, but I just can't kill my dog and skip town with you. -- Kathy Rosenbach I'll do that darling as long as you wash your stomach and brush your mouth out first. -- Fred Durette To: Unknown Your hot. Do you hav a pic? s/Stanley Gutbomb -- Sandra Hess Snookums, S.G. is deeead. Theeereeeee was a noteeee neeeear his heeeeeeeeeead saying "you'reeeee neeeext." I'm scareeeeed. Meeeeeet meee at VD clinic. -- Kurt Gray I'm sorry I can't call you; my fon has no 5 -- Jonathan Silverman My amour, You want to act out our own film noir? I say, "Fin!" -- Mike Sullivan prcious- th bliss w could hav shard, if only you'd askd m to mt you at Dunkin Donuts instad. Farwll. -- Laura Padilla Darling: My mom works at Starbucks. How about back row of parking lot at TGI Fridays? -- Jean Manning "Darling, I'm in Bali with S.G. and our 401(k) plans. Jobs, husband, kids and your hairy stomach stay with you!" -- John Herpel Darling! Mustn't kill Simon/Garfunkl! Both critical to my plans for living in sin! Visit my work; Starbucks' too obvious. -- Samuel "Fogbound Child" Goldstein Brian, stop mailing this crap and finish scooping cat's box. No Starbucks for you, too much fat. Idiot. Grow up! -- Cindy North Thanks for your submissions -- and check back in two weeks for the next Salon 21st Challenge. SALON | Dec. 11, 1998 Charlie Varon is a humorist and playwright. His works include "Ralph Nader Is Missing" and "Rush Limbaugh in Night School." Jim Rosenau is a writer, editor and software designer in Berkeley, Calif. Jim and Charlie are also co-founders of the citizen group Californians for Earthquake Prevention and partners in Mockingbird Productions, which offers a full line of comic services.