NBA Power Rankings

The Celtics are hot, the Rockets are hotter and the West is a big, wonderful mess. Let’s try to sort things out a bit with our weekly power rankings. \

1. Celtics

(50-12) By winning more than twice as many games as last season, Boston’s provided a blueprint for all bad teams. Just trade for an All-Star, then swing a deal for a Hall of Famer, all without giving up your own All-Star. It’s so easy, why doesn’t everyone do it?

2. Rockets

(43-20) Is Houston really the best team in the West? Probably not, but when you win 19 straight games, including the last 10 by double digits, you move to the head of the class.

3. Lakers

(44-19) Starting Friday, they play four straight road games against the Hornets, Rockets, Mavericks and Jazz. That's when we'll find out if the Lakers are truly superior – or just one of many Western contenders.

For complete ranking - click here

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Can the government see what Web sites I visit?

Imagine you're shopping at a mall. You browse different stores, make a few purchases and move on. Then, you notice that a man you don't know seems to be following you. You even catch a glimpse of him taking notes on what you're looking at and buying. The entire time you've been shopping, you've been spied on!

Many people fear that a similar thing is happening on the Web. They're worried that someone, usually the government, is recording and analyzing their Web browsing activity. They argue that these acts are an invasion of privacy. Are they right to be worried? Can the government keep track of all the Web sites everyone visits, and would it be able to act on that information?

It's easy to understand why some people are worried. The United States Patriot Act expands the government's ability to perform searches and install wiretaps. It doesn't seem like a big stretch to add tracking people's Internet activity to the list. These people fear that they'll be spied on whether they've done anything to justify it or not.

In some ways, fear about the government's ability to keep tabs on Web activities has reached the level of a conspiracy theory. In the most extreme version of the theory, the government is tracking not only Web site activity, but also is building a database of potential suspects for crimes ranging from corporate sabotage to terrorism. Other theories don't go that far, but still suggest the government is treating everyone like a suspect -- even if people aren't doing anything illegal or questionable.

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