statism

A patent on watching ads online? No problem, says top patent court

"The Electronic Frontier Foundation started fighting against the Ultramercial patent in 2011, filing a brief with the appeals court stating that '[m]erely filing a patent application covering an idea that takes place on the Internet (especially without explaining any of the programming steps) does not somehow make an abstract idea (which is unpatentable) somehow not abstract (so it is patentable).' In its reaction to the ruling Friday, the EFF said, 'It's time for the Supreme Court to step in and tell the Federal Circuit once and for all that abstract ideas—such as a process for viewing ads before accessing copyrighted content—are unpatentable.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA patent on watching ads online? No problem, says top patent court

Sen. Lindsey Graham: Support immigration bill since with it “we’ve practically militarized the border”

"Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Sunday encouraged Republicans to support comprehensive immigration reform because a recent amendment 'practically militarized the border.' According to Roll Call, a so-called 'border surge' amendment would double the number of border agents to 40,000, complete 700 miles of new border fencing, deploy drones and other sensors, fully implement E-Verify and increase tracking on visas. 'I’ve been hearing for years, let’s secure the border, let’s regain our sovereignty.' 'This whole border security amendment, I think, is the most aggressive attempt to control the southern border and regain our sovereignty.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSen. Lindsey Graham: Support immigration bill since with it “we’ve practically militarized the border”

Ghana arrests 124 Chinese citizens for illegal Gold mining

"Local police arrested the suspected illegal miners in the country's capital, Accra. Many of them are likely to face deportation. Ghana, the continent's second-largest gold producer, has forbidden foreigners from working in its small-scale mines since the 1980s. Locals have criticised Chinese miners for taking local jobs, polluting lakes and rivers, and wielding weapons such as AK-47 rifles to ward off robbers. More than 50,000 Chinese gold miners have been to Ghana since 2005. Two-thirds of them come from Shanglin, an impoverished county in southern Guangxi province where news of the gold rush spread by word of mouth." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGhana arrests 124 Chinese citizens for illegal Gold mining

New Gold Import Tax In Sri Lanka

"Sri Lanka has announced a 10 per cent tax on gold imports in what observers said was a bid to curb smuggling to India as global markets trading in the precious metal reported sharp price drops to 2010 levels. Earlier this week India — the world’s largest consumer of gold — hiked import duty on the precious metal to eight per cent to stem surging demand and reduce the country’s ballooning current account deficit, as consumers sought to exploit the fall in prices. Local industry watchers say the new tax in Sri Lanka would push up local prices and claimed the government move was aimed at curbing local traders who smuggle gold into India." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Gold Import Tax In Sri Lanka

IRS Targeted Progressive Groups, Too, Documents Reveal

"The Internal Revenue Service targeted progressive groups applying for tax-exempt status in addition to conservative ones, according to IRS documents released by congressional Democrats on Monday. The documents and an internal IRS report being sent to congressional committees reveal that the tax agency used terms that included 'progressive' and 'occupy' to flag progressive organizations for extra scrutiny before the 2012 elections. The revelations greatly complicate the political scandal that has engulfed the IRS over the past few weeks. A request for comment from the IRS was not immediately returned." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS Targeted Progressive Groups, Too, Documents Reveal

Dutch Government Investigates Inaccurate Photo Speed Tickets

"Innocent motorists are getting tickets in The Netherlands from average speed cameras that are miscalculating the speed of some vehicles by as much as 18 MPH. National Ombudsman Alex Brenninkmeijer announced his office had opened an official investigation into the matter. Several members of parliament called for the system to be shut down until the problem is resolved, arguing there are many who just pay the fines of around 220 euros (US $290) without knowing whether they are legitimate. Fredrik Teeven, State Secretary for Security and Justice, rejected that proposal outright on Tuesday, saying a 'software update' would take care of the problem." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDutch Government Investigates Inaccurate Photo Speed Tickets

Australian Taxation Office targets Bitcoin users

"The Australian Taxation Office is taking aim at Bitcoin users who could be attracted to the burgeoning virtual currency by the possibility of hiding transactions and dodging tax. Despite the ability to trade virtual currencies like Bitcoin anonymously, the ATO is confident it can track users in efforts to stop fraud. 'Bitcoin is no more anonymous than physical cash and the ATO has experience in working with earlier forms of ­anonymous electronic money systems, and with physical cash, which are relevant for responding to new and emerging ­systems,' ATO senior assistant ­com­missioner for the cash economy Michael Hardy told The Australian ­Financial Review." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAustralian Taxation Office targets Bitcoin users

Government Trained Killer with 2,746 Confirmed Kills: “They’re just another pencil mark.”

"With 2,746 confirmed kills, Sgt. 1st Class Dillard Johnson is the deadliest American soldier on record[...] 'It’s sort of sad to say, but they’re just another pencil mark,' Johnson told The Post, referring to his journal notations. 'I didn’t think of the numbers . . . That’s not a boast I would make[...] He counted the dead by tallying rifles — and human heads — among the mangled or charred wreckage left behind[...] His past never haunts him. 'I killed when I needed to . . . I was brutal when I needed to be, but I was compassionate when I needed to be,' he said.[...]" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovernment Trained Killer with 2,746 Confirmed Kills: “They’re just another pencil mark.”

“Homelanders” To U.S. Expatriates: Don’t Come Back… Ever

"The 2008 amendments levy an 'exit tax' applies to both U.S. citizens and long-term U.S. residents—green card holders who have resided in the United States for at least eight of the 15 years prior to expatriation. The tax is predicated on the legal fiction that you sell all of your worldwide property at its fair market value on the day before you expatriate. But that’s only the beginning. In 1996, Congress enacted the 'Reed Amendment' to the Immigration and Nationality Act. The amendment gives the US Attorney General the discretion to deny entry into the United States to a former US citizen who renounced US citizenship in order to avoid US taxation." Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Homelanders” To U.S. Expatriates: Don’t Come Back… Ever

Obama’s crackdown views leaks as aiding enemies of U.S.

"President Barack Obama’s unprecedented initiative, known as the Insider Threat Program, is sweeping in its reach. It has received scant public attention even though it extends beyond the U.S. national security bureaucracies to most federal departments and agencies nationwide, including the Peace Corps, the Social Security Administration and the Education and Agriculture departments. It emphasizes leaks of classified material, but catchall definitions of 'insider threat' give agencies latitude to pursue and penalize a range of other conduct." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama’s crackdown views leaks as aiding enemies of U.S.