Alternative News

An empty building in Montreal may welcome the Bitcoin Embassy soon

"'Thanks to a generous person who will remain anonymous for the time being, we have been given a building that we hope to convert into a 'Bitcoin Embassy'. With three floors to do with as we please, we hope to organize the space to make it easy and fun for people from all over the province to come and learn about Bitcoin, as well provide an office space for Bitcoiners to come do in order to start Bitcoin related projects, so they can work closely with other Bitcoin entrepreneurs, to develop exciting projects that will utilize Bitcoin in new ways!', says the announcement." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAn empty building in Montreal may welcome the Bitcoin Embassy soon

Why the Only Real Way to Buy Bitcoins Is on the Streets

"Buttonwood meetups started in New York a few months ago and fanned out to San Francisco and Los Angeles. Buttonwood is an allusion to the May 17, 1792 agreement, struck under a buttonwood tree at 68 Wall Street, that set down the rules for what became the New York Stock Exchange. The Yerba Buena Bitcoiners see themselves as the modern descendants of these 18th century traders. Like them, they conduct their business in the open and face-to-face. It’s a little unexpected: The world’s pre-eminent digital currency is most safely traded face-to-face. But the Bitcoin phenomenon is itself unexpected." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy the Only Real Way to Buy Bitcoins Is on the Streets

80% dip in India gold imports linked to rampant smuggling

"Customs officials recently apprehended a gold consignment at Delhi's IGI Airport coming from Dubai where the smuggler had converted gold bars into staple pins with silver coating. These pins were stapled on the boxes of TVs he was legally importing. In another case, DRI officials apprehended a consignment where capacitors of picture tubes of TV sets were made of gold. 'Unless you have specific information you can't catch such consignments. Who would break open a TV and look at the capacitor of its picture tube for smuggled gold. Though we have had good success, we believe a lot of consignments are finding their way into the country,' said the officer." Continue reading →

Continue Reading80% dip in India gold imports linked to rampant smuggling

India witnesses spurt in Gold smuggling

"Customs officials foiled the attempt by a passenger hailing from Koyilandy to smuggle 3.99 kg of gold concealed in his baggage. The gold, in the form of gold bars, was hidden in a metal box in the rear side of a TV. The gold bars were detected during the X-ray scan. Assistant commissioner Rohit Kumar led the search and seizure operation. Meanwhile, some of the airports have upgraded the scanners and x-ray machines to detect gold smuggling which has risen following the increase in import duty to 8% and differential in gold prices in India and abroad, market analysts said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndia witnesses spurt in Gold smuggling

Central bank further restricts gold imports in India

"In a late evening development, the Reserve Bank of India has once again tightened gold imports in the country mandating that 20%, or one fifth, of every lot of imported gold has to be used for the purpose of export. Exporters will henceforth be required to retain 20% of the imported quantity in the customs bonded warehouses, and would be permitted to undertake fresh imports of gold only after the exports have taken place to the extent of at least 75% of the gold remaining in the customs bonded warehouse. Any import of gold into the country would henceforth have to follow the 20/80 principle set out by the apex bank." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCentral bank further restricts gold imports in India

Liberty Slipping: 10 Things You Could Do in 1975 That You Can’t Do Now

"1. You could buy an airline ticket and fly without ever showing an ID. 2. You could buy cough syrup without showing an ID. 3. You could buy and sell gold coins without showing an ID 4. You could buy a gun without showing an ID 5. You could pull as much cash out of your bank account without the bank filing a report with the government. 6. You could get a job without having to prove you were an American. 7. You could buy cigarettes without showing an ID 8. You could have a phone conversation without the government knowing who you called and who called you. 9. You could open a stock brokerage account without having to explain where the money came from." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLiberty Slipping: 10 Things You Could Do in 1975 That You Can’t Do Now

California Democratic Party tells Obama to halt medical marijuana raids

"The California Democratic Party approved a resolution over the weekend that called on President Barack Obama to halt federal raids on marijuana dispensaries. The resolution, sponsored by the Brownie Marie Democratic Club of Riverside County, noted that 18 states and the District of Columbia had legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes, while Colorado and Washington state had legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Citing the disproportionate number of ethnic minorities jailed over marijuana, the resolution urged Obama to order the federal government to abide by state laws regarding the drug." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia Democratic Party tells Obama to halt medical marijuana raids

FEMA caught using old flood map data that cost homeowners untold extra insurance premiums

"From Maine to Oregon, local floodplain managers say FEMA’s recent flood maps - which dictate the premiums that 5.5 million Americans pay for flood insurance - have often been built using outdated, inaccurate data. Homeowners, in turn, have to bear the cost of fixing FEMA’s mistakes. It’s unclear exactly how many new maps FEMA has issued in recent years are at least partly based on older data. While FEMA’s website allows anybody to look-up flood maps for their areas, the agency’s maps don’t show the age of the underlying data. Congress has actually cut map funding by more than half since 2010, from $221 million down to $100 million this year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFEMA caught using old flood map data that cost homeowners untold extra insurance premiums

15 Houses in Detroit You Can Buy for Less Than $500

"Don't ever think that a combination of central bank stop and go money printing combined with suffocating government regulations can't push us back into the Stone Age. Detroit today reminds me in many ways of the Bronx in the 1980s. The details of the government destruction causing interventions are a little bit different, but the results are the same." Continue reading →

Continue Reading15 Houses in Detroit You Can Buy for Less Than $500