Yearly Archives: 2013

BitPay Surpasses 10,000 Bitcoin Merchant Transactions, Zero Cases of Payment Fraud

"The key benefit that companies are starting to realize with bitcoin is the fraud mitigation. With credit cards, one out of every 167 transactions turns out to be fraudulent for domestic orders, and for international orders the rate is one out of every 50 transactions (source: Cybersource 2012 Online Fraud Report). Every day, more companies are starting to see the value that bitcoin can bring to their business, whether it’s reducing risk, expanding international sales, or improving efficiency." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitPay Surpasses 10,000 Bitcoin Merchant Transactions, Zero Cases of Payment Fraud

Google reports ‘steady increase’ in gov’t requests for user data

"Google on Wednesday reported a 'steady increase' in government requests to hand over data from Internet users in the second half of 2012. The Web giant’s semiannual 'transparency report' showed the most requests came from the the United States, with 8,438 requests for information about 14,868 users. In releasing details of requests in the United States, Google said 68 percent of the requests it received from government entities were through subpoenas, which 'are the easiest to get because they typically don’t involve judges,' according to Salgado." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGoogle reports ‘steady increase’ in gov’t requests for user data

Library of Congress to archive Americans’ tweets

"The Library of Congress, repository of the world’s largest collection of books, has set for itself the enormous task of archiving something less weighty and far more ephemeral — Americans’ billions of tweets. The venerable US institution is assembling all of the 400 million tweets sent by Americans each day, in the belief that each of the mini-messages reflect a small but important part of the national narrative." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLibrary of Congress to archive Americans’ tweets

EU panel seeks power to fine, censor and fire journalists

"A series of recommendations issued Monday (PDF) by the European Union’s 'High Level Group' proposes the establishment of 'media councils' in every member state that would be monitored by the European Commission and given the power to fine, censor and even fire individual journalists if deemed appropriate. Another recommendation pertaining to media councils advises that they be staffed 'with a politically and culturally balanced and socially diverse membership,' with lawmakers — not journalists or publishers — making the nominations." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEU panel seeks power to fine, censor and fire journalists

Forbes Deletes Popular Story Linking Psychiatric Drugs To Murders

"In 2000, New York legislators recognized the ubiquitous and unambiguous connection between violence, especially gun violence and mass murder, and the widespread prescribed use of psychiatric drugs. Since that time, there have been at least 12 additional high-profile mass murders linked to the use of psychiatric drugs, about one a year. And, in virtually every mass school shooting during the past 15 years, the shooter has been on or in withdrawal from psychiatric drugs. Here is a partial list of 24 such horrific events that occurred since 1998, not including the Virginia Tech shootings and the recent Sandy Hook shootings where the authorities continue to suppress information." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingForbes Deletes Popular Story Linking Psychiatric Drugs To Murders

Beaufort County (NC) Calls For Gun Law Nullification And Constitutional Convention

"The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners calls upon the Governor and General Assembly of the State of North Carolina to immediately pass an act to nullify the implementation within the State of North Carolina of any Federal law, executive order or regulations restricting the right to keep and bear arms, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the County Manager be directed to see that no county paid staff participate in nor allow any county resources be used in the implementation of any Federal law, executive order or executive directive that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBeaufort County (NC) Calls For Gun Law Nullification And Constitutional Convention

65% See Gun Rights As Protection Against Tyranny

"The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of American Adults think the purpose of the Second Amendment is to make sure that people are able to protect themselves from tyranny. Only 17% disagree, while another 18% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) Not surprisingly, 72% of those with a gun in their family regard the Second Amendment as a protection against tyranny. However, even a majority (57%) of those without a gun in their home hold that view." Continue reading →

Continue Reading65% See Gun Rights As Protection Against Tyranny

The Pentagon Targets the “Far Right”

"A paper published by West Point’s Combatting Terrorism Center suggests that the Pentagon considers the Posse Comitatus Act to be a dead letter. The paper claims that people who 'espouse strong convictions regarding the federal government, believing it to be corrupt and tyrannical,' are potential terrorists akin to al-Qaeda. Similar assumptions were woven into a recent homeland security drill in Portsmouth, Ohio, in which elements of the Ohio National Guard’s 52nd Civil Support Unit play-acted an incident in which two school employees angered by the government’s crackdown on gun rights plotted a terrorist attack." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Pentagon Targets the “Far Right”

Women join ranks of Assad’s new paramilitary force in Syria

"The force is voluntary and the fedayat serve four-hour shifts in the morning from or in the afternoon to permit the women to carry on with their normal profession. Etidal Hamad, a 34-year-old government employee and mother of three girls, says while her husband also encouraged her, her primary motivation to sign up three months ago was 'a desire to support the army and defend the fatherland'. In the stadium parade that marks the end of the training, the women shout at the top of their lungs: 'With our blood and our souls, we sacrifice ourselves for you, O Bashar!'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWomen join ranks of Assad’s new paramilitary force in Syria