Protest over Taiwanese military conscript’s death draws 100,000

“More than 100,000 Taiwanese people took to the streets Saturday in protest over the death of a young conscript who was allegedly abused in the military. Protesters rallied at a square near the presidential office in Taipei, mostly dressed in white — a colour symbolising truth in local culture. It was the second mass protest since Corporal Hung Chung-chiu died of heatstroke on July 4 — apparently after being forced to exercise excessively as punishment for taking a smartphone onto his base — just three days before the end of his compulsory year-long military service.” Continue reading

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The Bitcoin Gambling Diaspora

“Bitcoin gambling is growing to be much more than just SatoshiDice. Of couse, many old-time gambling sites like BitZino and Seals with Clubs have been providing alternatives to SatoshiDice all along, but in the opening months of 2013 the massive success of Erik Voorhees’ juggernaut has prompted dozens of people to come up with alternatives. We now have the roulette-style wheel games SatoshiCircle and most recently BitcoinSpin, the minefield Satoshi Karoshi, the SatoshiDice clone SuzukiDice offering half the fees of the original, and the lottery BitMillions, and new sites are opening practically every week.” Continue reading

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Defiant nuns and monks refuse to give up Kentucky land for gas pipeline

“Two Kentucky Catholic religious orders that collectively own more than 3,000 acres of historic farmland are refusing to give up portions of their lands for a proposed natural-gas pipeline that would channel millions of gallons of pressurized, highly flammable natural-gas liquids through the area. The nuns of the Sisters of Loretto and the monks of the Abbey of Gethsemani have denied surveyors permission to survey the land ahead of the pipeline project and say that they have no interest in helping it along. ‘We’ve been on this property since 1824,’ said Sister Maria Visse. ‘We feel entrusted with this (land). It’s a gift. It’s not a commodity.'” Continue reading

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Courts Quietly Move From “May” Convict to “Must” Convict Jury Instructions Over 40 Years

“The Dougherty case began in 1969 when nine pacifist Catholic priests and nuns broke into the D.C. offices of Dow Chemical Corporation to protest the company’s production of Napalm for the Vietnam War. There were similar antiwar protests being staged elsewhere during the period, including the cases of ‘the Catonsville Nine’ (who burned draft board files), the ‘Baltimore Four’ (ditto), the ‘Harrisburg Seven’ (tried for mentioning the possible kidnapping of Henry Kissinger in intercepted letters), the ‘Milwaukee 14’ (tried for burning draft records), and the ‘Harrisburg Seven’ (tried for planning to arrest Henry Kissinger for waging an illegal war [..]).” Continue reading

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Collapse of Potash Cartel Sends Shock Waves Worldwide

“Russia’s Uralkali quit one of the world’s two big potash cartels on Tuesday, heralding a price war for the key crop nutrient and pummeling the shares of companies that produce it. The break-up of the Belarusian Potash Company (BPC), a joint venture with Belarussian partner Belaruskali, leaves North America’s Canpotex as the dominant potash export venture. It could lead to cancellations of projects by rivals as the industry weighs the effect of lower prices, but may bring better deals for farmers. ‘It is as if Saudi Arabia decided to leave OPEC — oil prices would fall immediately,’ said Dmitry Ryzhkov, equity sales trader at Renaissance Capital.” Continue reading

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Should You Trust Your Instincts on Gold?

“I have yet to see anyone present any logical economic premise that concludes that our country will not eventually see a currency collapse. Instead, I see several clues that reinforce my concerns. Throughout history thousands of currencies have collapsed, but precious metals have held their value. It should come as no surprise to learn that over the last few years China, Russia, and many central banks have been stockpiling gold. Germany and Venezuela quietly announced earlier this year that they are repatriating their gold stores overseas—not coincidentally mostly from the US—back to their shores.” Continue reading

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Zimmerman prosecution staffer files whistleblower suit over testimony on unreleased evidence

“A former employee of Florida State Attorney Angela Corey’s office is suing the prosecutor, claiming he was illegally fired after he testified on behalf of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in the death of black teenager Trayvon Martin. Kruidbos was fired after testifying at a pre-trial hearing on June 6 that he believed prosecutors had failed to turn over to the defense, as required by evidence-sharing laws, potentially embarrassing evidence extracted from Martin’s cell phone.” Continue reading

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