Alternative News

Baby Boomers Put Retirement on the Back Burner

"Demographics continue to define conflict in the Middle East. Here’s Egypt’s population by age group. In Western history, we showed in Financial Reckoning Day, the French and Russian revolutions also corresponded with epochs during which large cohorts of young people marauded about the countryside with nothing to do. Even here in the U.S., a restless band of baby boomers wreaked havoc in the 1960s… at least until the draft was abolished. If, as Auguste Comte suggested, 'demography is destiny,' we continue to wonder today what will happen to the West when hordes of those baby boomers, now old, have nothing to do… and no savings?" Continue reading →

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Thailand Bitcoin issues – Not exactly true

"There are reports that Thailand has advised against using Bitcoin. We read the article and in one instance, it stated that the Bank advised against using Bitcoin, then later stated it was banned. Some questions arose as to which is fact and which is made up as we could not figure out how a private company can create Thai law on something it has no clue about. We asked around and could not find any factual statement from a Government agency that what Bitcoin.co.th has said was true. Looking at the business model and the lack of useability of Bitcoin in Thailand, it soon appeared that some statements are not entirely true." Continue reading →

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The Charity That Just Gives Money To Poor People

"We talked to a man named Bernard Omondi who used the money — $1,000, paid in two installments — to buy a used motorcycle. He uses it as a taxi, charging his neighbors to ferry them around. Before he had the motorcycle, he says, he sometimes worked as a day laborer, but often couldn't find any work at all. We talked to several other people who started small businesses. One family bought a mill to grind corn for their neighbors; another started selling soap and cooking oil. All of the people who got money from GiveDirectly lived in mud-walled houses with grass roofs. Many of them spent part of the money on metal roofs to replace the old, grass roofs." Continue reading →

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Is FinCEN Leaking Your Personal Data?

"When citizens file their information with the federal government there is a law in place called the Privacy Act. This law is supposed to protect the information from disclosures. When I visited FinCEN I noticed an unusual link at the bottom labeled 'Google Privacy.' The page states 'This website utilizes Google Analytics to get aggregate metrics on website usage' and goes on to provide links to the Google privacy policy. Of course by the time you see the notice Google already has your info. If you were logged on to your personal account Google now knows you have an interest in Financial Crime networks. FinCEN provides 'opt-out' instructions but, guess what, it is too late." Continue reading →

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Firm says online gambling accounts for almost half of all Bitcoin transactions

"It's no secret that online gambling has been lucrative for a few pioneering companies. Even though it's been illegal in the US since 2006, companies have made relatively large sums serving customers who are either placing bets outside the US, through a VPN, or by simply sending a Bitcoin amount to a fixed address corresponding to a “game” which will return a player's money with various probabilities. One of the biggest Bitcoin gambling sites, SatoshiDice, stays on the up-and-up with US regulators by blocking IP addresses coming to its site from the US, but in January 2013 it reported ฿33,310 in profits in 2012, which at the time reflected $596,231 (although today it would reflect much more)." Continue reading →

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In-person Bitcoin exchanges make a splash in Berlin

"Supporters of Bitcoin spent Saturday engaging in personal exchanges in Berlin, taking place in a mobile art space which supports the cryptocurrency. Its official recognition by the German state earlier this month is only aiding its expansion. Bitcoin Exchange Berlin hosted their third meeting on Saturday at the city’s Platoon Kunsthalle (Platoon Art Hall) to launch a European hub where people can both buy and sell a selection of products using Bitcoin and buy and sell the currency itself in a stock-exchange type climate. Buyers attend with notebooks or electronic devices in order to create an account with the currency and buy it." Continue reading →

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Police Crackdown at Burning Man Alarms the Community

"Workers and volunteers who arrived early to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for the annual art, self-reliance, and free-expression event called Burning Man are reporting an unprecedented police presence on the playa, and whispers of a police crackdown on the event are spreading. Burning Man has historically been a peaceful event with little to no incidents that would merit increased law enforcement. For example, at last year’s event, which had more than 52,000 attendees, a total of four drug-related arrests were made and 13 nonviolent misdemeanor citations were given (in lieu of arrests) according to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. No violent crimes were recorded." Continue reading →

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How Soon We Forget: Bush’s Ratings Rise

"Americans’ views of former president George W. Bush have improved, with 49% now viewing him favorably and 46% unfavorably. That is the first time since 2005 that opinions of him have been more positive than negative. The recovery in Bush’s image is not unexpected, given that Americans generally view former presidents positively. Gallup’s favorable ratings for Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all exceeded 60% when last measured." Continue reading →

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“Public Service” Is Among the Safest “Work,” Alas

"CNN Money presents 'America’s Most Dangerous Jobs' – and surprise, surprise: cops are nowhere to be found on the list. Indeed, notable for their absence are all 'public servants' other than 'sanitation workers.' And many of the latters’ injuries occur because their employer (and no doubt their unions) order them to gather garbage when streets are clogged with 'impatient drivers try[ing] to squeeze past their stopped trucks.' Contrast innovations in the most dangerous private job, log-cutting, and their dramatic reductions in casualties, with municipalities’ stodgy insistence on collecting trash during times that often coincide with rush-hours." Continue reading →

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100+ complaints and only a demotion: What does it take to fire a bad cop?

"Sergeant Patrick 'K.C.' Saulet is a sergeant with the King County Sheriff’s Department in Washington. Throughout his years of service he has managed to rack up an outstanding 120 complaints against him for use of force, conduct unbecoming an officer and not treating people with courtesy. In comparison, the sergeant with the second most complaints has 23. Even though 20 allegations have proven true, it was finally an incident from December 2012 that got him demoted. A family mistakenly drove into an off limits area of a Seattle bus terminal while following their GPS. Saulet threatened the 2 adults with arrest and that he 'could take away your daughter' as well." Continue reading →

Continue Reading100+ complaints and only a demotion: What does it take to fire a bad cop?