Alternative News

Internet Explorer 0-day attacks on US nuke workers hit 9 other sites

"Attacks exploiting a previously unknown and currently unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser have spread to at least nine other websites, including those run by a big European company operating in the aerospace, defense, and security industries as well as non-profit groups and institutes, security researchers said. The revelation, from a blog post published Sunday by security firm AlienVault, means an attack campaign that surreptitiously installed malware on the computers of federal government workers involved in nuclear weapons research was broader and more ambitious than previously thought." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInternet Explorer 0-day attacks on US nuke workers hit 9 other sites

Hacker encourages Florida motorists to ‘smoke weed erryday’

"A clever hacker broke into an LED highway sign in Winter Park, Florida on Saturday night and reprogrammed it to read: 'Smoke weed erryday.' The sign was clearly visible from Minnesota Avenue. It originally displayed a message about a pending road closure. Road signs like this are frequent targets for mischief-making hackers thanks to their ease of access and complete lack of basic security. Although they can be password protected, most road crews do not bother, leaving the default password as 'DOTS.' If they ever do, however, it won’t make much difference: all of the signs have a fail-safe that resets the password back to DOTS." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHacker encourages Florida motorists to ‘smoke weed erryday’

Vermont Becomes the 17th State to Decriminalize Marijuana

"State lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a measure that will decriminalize possession of limited amounts of marijuana in Vermont. The bill will now be transmitted to Gov. Peter Shumlin, who is expected to sign it into law in coming weeks, at which time Vermont will become the 17th state in the nation to decriminalize or legalize marijuana. House Bill 200, introduced by Rep. Christopher Pearson (P-Burlington) with a tripartisan group of 38 co-sponsors, will remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine, similar to a traffic ticket." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVermont Becomes the 17th State to Decriminalize Marijuana

Tommy Chong claims cannabis helped cure his prostate cancer

"Tommy Chong, the veteran star of the dope-fuelled Cheech and Chong films, says he has beaten prostate cancer with a combination of cannabis use and a special diet. Chong, 74, was diagnosed with cancer in June last year following a three-year period in which he said he had been drug free. He now says he is 99% free of the disease after a Canadian doctor helped him change his diet to include a variety of special supplements, as well as hemp oil. He then sat for a number of sessions with a practitioner named Adam Dreamhealer, described as a 'world-renowned healer'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTommy Chong claims cannabis helped cure his prostate cancer

Monsanto: Big Guy on the Block When it Comes to Friends in Washington

"Justice Clarence Thomas was on the bench, hearing the case with the other justices. Thomas worked as a corporate lawyer for Monsanto in the 1970s. Thomas has participated in at least one other case involving the company, Monsanto v. Geertson, which resulted in a favorable decision for Monsanto. Clarence Thomas aside, Monsanto has plenty of other ties to Washington. Eight lawmakers own stock in Monsanto, including Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Reps. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Jim Renacci (R-Ohio), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.)." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMonsanto: Big Guy on the Block When it Comes to Friends in Washington

Monsanto wins patent lawsuit against farmer who bought grain from elevator

"A long-lasting court fight over patented soybeans is over, and agribusiness giant Monsanto has won. In a decision issued today, the US Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that Monsanto must be allowed to patent its seeds—and it must be able to punish farmers who try to dodge the patents. Monsanto sued, saying that even though the farmer didn't sign a contract, by reproducing its patented seeds he had committed patent infringement. Bowman lost in the lower courts and was ordered by pay $30,000, which has now grown to more than $80,000 with interest. Last year, the Supreme Court agreed to take the case; oral arguments were held in February." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMonsanto wins patent lawsuit against farmer who bought grain from elevator

Affordable Care Act Summary for Self-Employed, Unemployed, and Early Retirees

"Much of the discussion around The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) aka Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare has been about politics. For most full-time workers that wish to keep their employer-provided health insurance, little will change. However, things will be very different for the self-employed, unemployed, uninsured, and those seeking semi-retirement or early retirement. You can use it even if you already have employer-provided insurance, although you may become ineligible for certain tax credits. There’s way too much information to cover everything, but here’s my summary of the developments." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAffordable Care Act Summary for Self-Employed, Unemployed, and Early Retirees

The First Obamacare Tax That Went Into Effect

"Slipped into the bill by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) behind closed doors in the middle of the night, the Obamacare 10 Percent Excise Tax on Indoor Tanning replaced the planned Obamacare 'Botax' on cosmetic surgery and has been in effect since July 2010. Industry estimates from the Indoor Tanning Association show that 30 million Americans visit an indoor tanning facility in a given year, and over 50 percent of salon owners are women. There is no exception granted for those making less than $250,000. Obamacare taxes will eventually impact everyone. It is estimated that Obamacare will result in more than 20 new taxes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe First Obamacare Tax That Went Into Effect

Four Obamacare Taxes That Hurt Mothers Most

"1. The 30-35 million Americans who use a pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA) at work to pay for their family's basic medical needs face a new Obamacare cap of $2,500. This will squeeze $13 billion of tax money from Americans over the next ten years. Now, a mother looking to sock away extra money to pay for braces will find herself quickly hitting this new cap, meaning she would have to pony up some or all of the cost with after-tax dollars. 2. Americans facing high medical expenses were allowed a deduction to the extent that those expenses exceeded 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI). Obamacare now imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFour Obamacare Taxes That Hurt Mothers Most

FBI Monitors G-Mail, Yahoo, Hotmail, and Facebook Accounts

"If you store your emails for over 180 days, the FBI says it can legally monitor them without a warrant. It took a Freedom of Information Act inquiry to find this out. This defies a ruling made in 2010 by a federal appeals court. An FBI 'Operations Guide' makes exemptions for any email that stored by a service provider for more than 180 days. G-mail is a third party. Outlook isn’t. The FBI has to get a warrant to look at Outlook emails. I use Outlook. I don’t use G-mail. I never have. Why not? Because of exactly this reason. I did not want a third party to store my emails. In a statement, the FBI insisted its methods are constitutional." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFBI Monitors G-Mail, Yahoo, Hotmail, and Facebook Accounts