Verilannow offers free basic Internet access via 802.11b WiFi to a large segment of Portland. They don't give you NNTP or e-mail, but just plain web access will suit many people perfectly well.
Forex, you can use
Google Groups to search the entire history of USENET (sans binary groups), even post to USENET once you establish a
free account with Google.
Or, you can download
Free Agent, a very useful USENET newsgroup reader/e-mail client, and use that with
HotPOP which offers free POP3/SMTP e-mail access, if you're still waiting for your Gmail invite.
A
WiFi Cantenna (
WiFi primer and antenna review here) on top of a bamboo pole feeding a good* WiFi card could provide basic access for a laptop from many homes and other locations. For field ops with line-of-sight to the KGW tower, this could be very useful.
Also, here's a
WiFi HOWTO from Wikipedia, with more
here, and more than you ever wanted
here.
I will put my card back in my laptop and do some experimenting.
* A 'good&…