Monthly Archives: September 2013

Underground — And Illegal — NYC Dinner Parties

"It may look like a dinner party, but it’s really an underground supper club. The diners are a mix of New Yorkers and tourists. CBS 2’s undercover cameras captured one experience — eight people who didn’t know each other eating a meal in a stranger’s home. That hostess, Naama Shafi, writes about food but is not a chef. Leitner found her through a website, which connects amateur foodies and professional chefs in 20 different countries with people who want unique dining experiences. Clandestine dinner parties like the one Leitner attended are completely unregulated. If caught hosting an underground dinner party, the hosts could be fined $2,000 and ordered to shut down." Continue reading →

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Pirate Party Crashes Spy Drone in Front of German Chancellor Angela Merkel

"As Merkel and members of her team stood on stage, a small object could be seen in the sky. After hovering around for a while onlookers could see that the UFO was in fact a small drone. It proceeded to swoop down just a few feet in front of Merkel, apparently taking photos and recording video of the event. Seconds later with its Pirate Party operator apparently having been approached by the police, the drone crash-landed into the stage and was taken away by an official. While Merkel seemed to be amused, Germany’s defense minister in the dark suit to her left looked rather less impressed. The party later confirmed that the stunt was a protest against the EU’s use of surveillance drones." Continue reading →

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California poised to become first state to impose full ban on lead bullets

"California is on the verge of becoming the first state to impose a full ban on hunting with lead bullets -- with environmentalists and gun-rights advocates squaring off as Gov. Jerry Brown decides whether to sign the legislation. The state already has a ban on lead-bullet hunting in eight counties with an endangered condor population. But the new proposal, overwhelmingly approved this month by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly, would impose a statewide ban on all hunting. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has until Oct. 12 to decide whether to sign the legislation, which would not be fully implemented for at least several years." Continue reading →

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‘Sovereign citizen’ pays fines with 70,000 pennies

"Fourteen months and about 70,000 pennies later, James Sanders has finally paid off a pair of citations he received last summer in Clinton County. But the most difficult part of paying the fine wasn't coping with the impact it might have on his budget. It was figuring out how to carry it from the car to the courthouse. 'As far as I'm concerned, they are stealing this money from me,' Sanders said. 'If they want it, this is how they are going to get it.' Using two large buckets and a utility dolly usually used for moving furniture, Sanders and a neighbor loaded up the coins and carted them into the courthouse." Continue reading →

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Gypsy Uses Gold for Bail? Judge Says It Seems ‘Fishy’

"There were Liberty gold coins and Krugerrands, and a gold chain so thick that had it been used as a restraining device, it might have done a fair job of keeping Tom Eli behind bars. After centuries of being chased from country to country, the Roma, sometimes called Gypsies, have developed an aversion to traditional institutions, including banks, and have their own internal economy. He said he feared that his client was being treated differently from similarly situated people because of his background. Mr. Kenniff said that many who live in the United States still follow ancient traditions, including passing down gold coins and necklaces as heirlooms, and owning those pieces communally." Continue reading →

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Farmers Market: Bitcoin Haven or Bitcoin Bust?

"A couple of weeks ago, we visited the Salt Lake Farmers Market. We were amazed at the receptiveness of the vendors there to bitcoin. It was the smoothest experience we have had in the month and a half we have been living on bitcoin in persuading people to accept bitcoin. These were very open minded folks! Five different vendors accepted bitcoin from us for their products." Continue reading →

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New Heights in Disgraceful Asset Forfeiture (Seizure)

"The U.S. is seizing 650 Fifth Avenue, the 36-story Piaget Building, from Iranian interests. I’d guess the value is several hundred million dollars. All asset seizure procedures are an utter disgrace, totally unlawful and unjust. This one is triply disgraceful, based as it is on undeclared economic warfare against Iran, phonily done in the name of anti-terrorism, and based on as about as unlawful a 'law' as Congress has ever manufactured." Continue reading →

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Here’s What Happened When Google Went Public

"I arrived at Google in late 2003, prior to our S-1 being filed in April 2004. There was already lots of internal and external speculation about our trajectory but until the document went public, no one understood just how powerful a business model the company had created. During my interview process Google HR was very secretive about the value of my equity. In fact they told me only the number of shares I had been granted. Without knowing the number of shares outstanding or the enterprise value of the company, a grant total was totally useless but they essentially said 'trust us.' What changed once we went public and how might these same shifts impact Twitter?" Continue reading →

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Google argues for right to continue scanning Gmail

"Attorneys suing Google say the firm violates privacy and takes personal property by electronically scanning the contents of people's Gmail accounts and then targeting ads to them. 'This company reads, on a daily basis, every email that's submitted, and when I say read, I mean looking at every word to determine meaning,' said Texas attorney Sean Rommel, who is co-counsel suing Google. But in a federal court hearing Thursday in San Jose, Google argued that the case should be dismissed, and that 'all users of email must necessarily expect that their emails will be subject to automated processing.'" Continue reading →

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