Yearly Archives: 2013

Man who created own credit card sues bank for not sticking to terms

"Mr Argarkov's version of the contract contained a 0pc interest rate, no fees and no credit limit. Every time the bank failed to comply with the rules, he would fine them 3m rubles (£58,716). If Tinkoff tried to cancel the contract, it would have to pay him 6m rubles. Tinkoff apparently failed to read the amendments, signed the contract and sent Mr Argakov a credit card. Earlier this week a Russian judge ruled in Mr Argakov's favour. Tinkoff had signed the contract and was legally bound to it. Mr Argakov was only ordered to pay an outstanding balance of 19,000 rubles (£371)." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan who created own credit card sues bank for not sticking to terms

HBO says Game of Thrones ‘piracy’ is better than an Emmy

"According to Time Warner CEO Alan Bewkes the 'piracy' buzz around Game of Thrones is a good thing, so good that it's better than an entertainment industry award. The firm was talking about its latest financial results when it was asked about the so-called 'piracy' problem. 'I have to admit it, I think you're right. The much discussed fantasy series is HBO's most popular TV show, and if you go to people who are watching it without subs, it's a tremendous word of mouth thing,' he said, according to the Game of Thrones website White Harbour. In April, HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo said that 'piracy' should be taken as a compliment." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHBO says Game of Thrones ‘piracy’ is better than an Emmy

Scott Brown’s brother arrested with weapons arsenal after impersonating officer and commandeering boat

"Bruce W. Browne told officers responding to the call that he was the owner of the vehicle, and he admitted to wearing battle dress uniform (BDU) pants and carry a 9mm weapon. Inside of the vehicle, officers located three 9mm handguns, two sets of handcuffs, 12 fully-loaded magazines and over 200 rounds of ammunition. Browne also had law enforcement gear, including a tactical bullet-proof vest with the word 'POLICE' on the front and back and a metal TSA badge. Browne had IDs from when he worked for the TSA and Coast Guard, but the Connecticut State Police determined that he was no longer affiliated with those agencies." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingScott Brown’s brother arrested with weapons arsenal after impersonating officer and commandeering boat

Hunger-striking California inmate on 27 years in solitary

"The core demand is an end to indefinite solitary confinement in Security Housing Units, known as SHUs. Some inmates have been in such cells for decades. Strike leaders – an unusual alliance of whites, African Americans and Latinos – say the conditions amount to torture and that the system for selecting those for segregation is callous and capricious. A condition of release into the general jail population is to 'debrief' – inform – against gang members. Authorities reject the criticism and say the strike is an attempt by gang leaders to regain the ability to terrorise fellow prisoners, staff and communities throughout California." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHunger-striking California inmate on 27 years in solitary

Common Core Exams: New York Schools Get an F

"No one knows what to do. They are in panic mode. Watch the videos. Parents are outraged. School officials are in hunker-down mode. The top educational official in the country is the Secretary of Education. She says this: no problem! Parents should not be alarmed, she says. The test results will 'give a clear picture of where our students are on the trajectory toward college and career readiness.' Yes, they do. The kids are not ready. Then, she added, don't blame tax-funded education. No, no, no. 'The lower proficiency rates that we will see . . . do not reflect that teachers are teaching less or students are learning less.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCommon Core Exams: New York Schools Get an F

Connections Between Michael Hastings, Edward Snowden and Barrett Brown

"When the FBI raided the Dallas home of journalist Barrett Brown in March 2012, the travails of the Vanity Fair and Guardian contributor didn’t get much ink — that is, until Michael Hastings published an exclusive on the Brown raid on Buzzfeed. The story included a copy of the search warrant that revealed why the government was so interested in Brown: Along with colleagues at the research wiki he started, ProjectPM (PPM), Brown was looking into a legion of shadowy cybersecurity firms whose work for the government raised all sorts of questions about privacy and the rule of law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingConnections Between Michael Hastings, Edward Snowden and Barrett Brown

Send Mail To Bradley Manning (And Any Other Patriot In A Federal Dungeon)

"He is a political and persecuted prisoner just as our brothers and sisters overseas are. Indeed, most of the USSA’s inmates fall into that category since they have committed no crime: the only thing of which they’re guilty is angering a politician or bureaucrat because they persist in buying or selling plants Our Rulers dislike, or they consider their money their own rather than the IRS’s, or they’ve defied the totalitarian State in some other way. I don’t know whether the tyrants running this country have taken a page from North Korea and Saudi Arabia to deny Manning his mail, but no matter: writing him reminds the brutes that we are out here and we’re watching." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSend Mail To Bradley Manning (And Any Other Patriot In A Federal Dungeon)

The courage of Bradley Manning will inspire others to seize their moment of truth

"The critical moment in the political trial of the century was on 28 February when Bradley Manning stood and explained why he had risked his life to leak tens of thousands of official files. It was a statement of morality, conscience and truth: the very qualities that distinguish human beings. This was not deemed mainstream news in America; and were it not for Alexa O'Brien, an independent freelance journalist, Manning's voice would have been silenced. Working through the night, she transcribed and released his every word. It is a rare, revealing document." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe courage of Bradley Manning will inspire others to seize their moment of truth

Detroit city officials misplace $1 million check for a month

"Officials in the financially beleaguered city of Detroit misplaced a $1 million check made out to the city’s school system for a month. According to Bloomberg News, the fact that the check languished in a drawer, forgotten, for weeks from late February to March is another sign of the city government’s staggering inefficiency and bureaucratic incompetence. A spokesperson for Emergency Manager and Washington, D.C. bankruptcy lawyer Kevyn Orr blamed the oversight on the fact that the city’s technology is not up to date. 'Nobody sends million-dollar checks anymore — they wire the money,' Bill Nowling told Bloomberg." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDetroit city officials misplace $1 million check for a month

The Security State’s Reaction to Snowden Shows Why It’s Doomed

"Networks, when attacked, become even more decentralized and resilient. A good example is Napster and its successors, each of which has more closely approached an ideal peer-to-peer model, and further freed itself from reliance on infrastructure that can be shut down by central authority, than its predecessors. Hierarchies, on the other hand, respond to attack by becoming even more ossified, brittle and closed. Hierarchies respond to leaks by becoming internally opaque and closed even to themselves, so that their information is compartmentalized and they are less able to make effective use of the knowledge dispersed among their members." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Security State’s Reaction to Snowden Shows Why It’s Doomed