The Church - The Blurred Crusade
1 hour ago
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Egypt's real state of emergency
blakehounshell
New rule: If you take to the Washington Post op-ed page instead of the streets, your pro-democracy cause is in bad shape.
Monday, 27 December 2010
27th chaos communication congress
newsbrooke good to see a talk on one of my pet peeves: copyright as the new censorship. Major driver for attacking freedom online #27c3Thanks to the Mission Angels, you’ll be able to interact with the talks going on at the 27c3 and more! While you watch the streams from one of many Peace Missions throughout the world, Mission Angels will be monitoring IRC and Twitter for questions to be asked in selected events during the 27c3.
To ask a question in a session on IRC join #27c3-Saal-1, #27c3-Saal-2, #27c3-Saal-3 on Freenode or use the corresponding terms as a Twitter hashtag to put your question to the session.
If you’re in a Peace Mission, you can even sign up to give a Lightning Talk!
See the Peace Missions entry on the 27c3 wiki for more information. We’ll be updating the entry as we add more communications methods. If you’re at the bcc, consider volunteering to be a Mission Angel!
HERE
Armenian police target teenage rock cult
"It was offensive and frightening at the same time," said Masha, a schoolgirl in the Armenian capital, clearly upset by the experience.
Police in Yerevan have been conducting a campaign against the capital's small but controversial emo community since the recent suicides of two teenagers who were rumoured to have been emo fans.
They claim that the subculture represents a threat to young people's welfare.
Officers have visited schools, searched pupils whose distinctive clothing marks them out as possible 'emos', and mounted surveillance on public places where young people gather.
Several fans have been detained for questioning, despite the lack of any specific legislation against the musical genre or its followers.
In a recent newspaper interview, Armenia's Chief of Police, Alik Sarkisian, claimed that emo could "damage our gene pool". "We should fight against such phenomena because they are morally harmful to our people," he said.
Emo -- an abbreviation of 'emotional' -- is a more melodic and melancholy form of punk rock. It has origins in the United States but has become a well-established global subculture in recent years.
Masha and her friend Ani, also 13, say they started dressing in the unconventional emo style in an attempt to stand out from what they call "the grey masses".
But they now feel that they have to disguise themselves in ordinary clothes for fear of detention or harassment by other youths. "They point and laugh at us. Or even worse, they sometimes beat up our boys," Ani said.
Sensationalist media reports in Europe have suggested that the gloomy lyrics of some emo songs can influence teenagers to harm themselves or attempt suicide, although fans have consistently rejected the accusation.
Emo devotees in Britain and Russia staged protests two years ago against what they saw as negative stereotyping.
Some people in Yerevan not only believe that emo can cause suicidal depression, but also see it as a degenerate Western influence on traditional Armenian values.
One teacher in a Yerevan suburb, who asked not to be named, said the directors of some schools supported the police action, and had even been actively encouraging officers to search pupils who dressed unusually and check them for signs of self-harm.
"We suspected one female pupil of being an emo. We invited our district policeman and the pupil's parents to come in, and explained how dangerous the consequences of this could be," the teacher said.
A local human rights activist compared the police's behaviour to a Communist-era witch-hunt.
"It is like the repression in Soviet times, when law enforcement agencies were chasing hippies, punks and rockers -- all those who refused to live within society's limits and be like everyone else," said Mikael Danielian, chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia.
But the police say they are only intervening to protect vulnerable youngsters. "We are simply doing our job," said the police colonel responsible for youth affairs, Nelli Durian.
"We are conducting explanatory, preventative work among teenagers and their parents to prevent children from becoming hooligans and from thoughts of suicide."
However, she said that she could not blame emo music for the reported rise in teenage suicide attempts in Armenia this year.
Young fans like Masha and Ani have been worried by the anti-emo campaign, but they insist that they will not be pressured into abandoning the subculture that they love.
"It is impossible to ban youth movements using repressive methods," Ani said defiantly. "We will not stop listening to our music and dressing how we like. This is my choice."
@'France24'
ids:001 Mick Pressure
Irishdubstep.com’s maiden podcast comes from outa Carlow from [nakedlunch] boss Pressure.
Micky set up the label two years ago after returning from Holland.
He’s put out records from Cosmin TRG, Jus’wan, Scuba, Breakage and the latest from Instra:mental is out later this month on 10″. This first mix clocking in at just under ninety minutes is a good snapshot of things at the minute, a few unrealeased bits and plenty of wot do you call it moments…
Your five release in now, Are you looking to go in any particular
direction or sound with [NakedLunch] or just concentrating on putting out
stuff you like ?
I don’t have any direction in mind for the label , im just putting out stuff that I really
like and which I am confident will sell… so far I have been right,
lets hope i can keep it consistent.
Are you feeling all the cross pollination going at the moment ?
Everybodys playing and making things that maybe they wouldn’t
have few years back.
I think its a good thing and its good to know music listeners are
open minded , but playing multiple genres in a club is hard as
dancefloor punters tend to be very narrow minded… in the majority of
cases they want full on mid-range wobble all night and im to old for
all that shite.
Whats gonna happen next , Any tips on who we should be watching this year?
Just keep watching instra:mental they got some serious music in the works,
what you’re hearing now is the tip of the iceberg
Whats your favorite cheese ?
Anything except cheddar , im sick to death of it… is it to much
from a man to ask for a bit of red leicester or double gloucester to
be in the supermarket??
ids Podcast 001: Download
Augustus Pablo – East Of The river Nile //Shanachie
Clouds- Timekeeper Dave Aju Remix // Ramp
Joy Orbison – Brklyn Clln (Michna’s Brooklyn Bridge remix)
Unknown – Untitled
Thriller- Hubble // Thriller
Kowton – Clack Clack Clack
2000 And One – Funk That // Intacto
Badawai – DstryPrfts Feat Vengeance Tenfold (Shackleton Remix) // The Index
Jack Sparrow – Terminal // Tectonic
Unknown – Untitled
DVA – Ganja // Hyperdub
Roska – Holograph // white (Fantastic 4 EP)
Doc Daneeka – Drums In The Deep // Fabric
DJ Sdunkero – Choosinglove // Sdunkero Sounds
Mosca – Gold Bricks // Fabric
Unknown – Untitled
Shackleton – Moon Over Joseph’s Burial // Perlon
Instra:mental – Vicodin // [Nakedlunch]
Pariah – ?
José James – Warriors (jus wan remix) // Brownswood
Sigha – Untitled
Ramadanman – I Beg You // forthcoming Hessle Audio
Unknown – Untitled
Lv & Untold – Beacon // forthcoming Hemlock 007
2562- Narita – Tectonic
Sigha – Shapes // forthcoming Hotflush
Ramadanman – No Swing – forthcoming Hessle Audio
Illum Sphere – Titan – 3024
HERE
One of XLR8R's top podcasts of 2010
German Interior Minister: 'WikiLeaks Is Annoying, But Not a Threat'
SPIEGEL: You're saying that the vociferous public debate in Germany about terror and the palpable level of tension that followed your Nov. 17 warning about a possible attack in Germany were a mistake?
De Maizière: By no means, but the possible negative consequences are the reason why, for nearly a year, I carefully considered the issue of whether and when I should issue a public warning. Terrorism is also a form of psychology. In retrospect, for instance, we know that the threat in the run-up to the German 2009 parliamentary elections was just a psychological ploy. Also the fact that al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the parcel bombs mailed from the Arabian Peninsula six weeks ago, and the way they claimed responsibility, was primarily intended to have a psychological effect: Look here, with a few thousand dollars, we can attack international freight traffic. We shouldn't support these psychological tactics with a public debate...
Continue reading
Holger Stark and Marcel Rosenbach @'Der Spiegel'
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Assange signs $A1.5m book deal
Assange told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that the money would help him defend himself against allegations of sexual assault made by two women in Sweden.
"I don't want to write this book, but I have to," he said on Sunday. "I have already spent 200,000 pounds for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat."
The Australian said he would receive the equivalent of $A800,000 from Alfred A. Knopf, his American publisher, and a British deal with Canongate is worth about $A500,000.
Money from other markets and serialisation is expected to raise the total to 1.1 million pounds, he said.
The latest project of Assange's whistleblower website is the gradual release of tens of thousands of US diplomatic cables.
Since this latest project began Assange, who is on bail in Britain fighting a bid by Sweden to extradite him over the sex assault claims, has faced problems financing WikiLeaks.
Credit-card companies Visa and MasterCard and the internet payment firm PayPal have blocked donations to WikiLeaks, prompting Assange to label them "instruments of US foreign policy".
The Bank of America, the largest US bank, has also halted all transactions to WikiLeaks.
Washington has been infuriated by WikiLeaks as the site slowly releases the cache of about 250,000 secret US State Department cables. The US is believed to be considering how to indict Assange over the the huge leak.
Assange has been staying at a friend's country mansion in eastern England since his release from jail on December 16 on strict bail conditions that include reporting to police daily and wearing an electronic tag.
A court in London is due to hold a full hearing on the Swedish extradition request starting February 7.
@'SBS'
"I don't want to write this book, but I have to," he said on Sunday. "I have already spent 200,000 pounds for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat."
The Australian said he would receive the equivalent of $A800,000 from Alfred A. Knopf, his American publisher, and a British deal with Canongate is worth about $A500,000.
Money from other markets and serialisation is expected to raise the total to 1.1 million pounds, he said.
The latest project of Assange's whistleblower website is the gradual release of tens of thousands of US diplomatic cables.
Since this latest project began Assange, who is on bail in Britain fighting a bid by Sweden to extradite him over the sex assault claims, has faced problems financing WikiLeaks.
Credit-card companies Visa and MasterCard and the internet payment firm PayPal have blocked donations to WikiLeaks, prompting Assange to label them "instruments of US foreign policy".
The Bank of America, the largest US bank, has also halted all transactions to WikiLeaks.
Washington has been infuriated by WikiLeaks as the site slowly releases the cache of about 250,000 secret US State Department cables. The US is believed to be considering how to indict Assange over the the huge leak.
Assange has been staying at a friend's country mansion in eastern England since his release from jail on December 16 on strict bail conditions that include reporting to police daily and wearing an electronic tag.
A court in London is due to hold a full hearing on the Swedish extradition request starting February 7.
@'SBS'
(GB2010) Metropolitan Police face legal action for kettling children during tuition fees protest
In what is believed to be the first lawsuit taken against police in connection with the violence, lawyers from human rights group Liberty have notified the Metropolitan Police of legal action involving minors who suffered "inhuman and degrading treatment" during a protest on 24 November.
The organisation claims the treatment of children amounted to a breach of their human rights after they were "kettled" by officers during the demonstrations for up to nine hours in cold conditions, without food, and were denied medical help despite some of them suffering injuries, including at least two fractures.
The claim is on behalf of three young protesters, one of whom is a 15-year-old whose foot was broken after allegedly being struck by an officer when trying to leave a police kettle and who claims she was subsequently refused medical help. Another is a 17-year-old London student who became so distressed inside the "kettle" that her father said she came away suffering from shock. The third is Rory Evans, 19, whose ankle was broken during a crowd surge among protesters contained between police lines.
Lawyers believe the Met breached the European convention on human rights on at least four counts. The case is believed to be the first of what many observers believe could be a number against police over the protests.
The 15-year-old claimant, a GCSE pupil who was wearing her school uniform, describes how she became anxious while "kettled" and decided to go home. The teenager was climbing a gate to leave when an officer pulled her down and struck her.
A letter to Scotland Yard's legal team states: "The police officer continued to pull her down, causing her to fall on to the floor. She picked herself back up and the police officer then hit her hard on her foot with a baton. She was then alone in the 'kettled' area and barely able to walk unassisted." "She was extremely cold and frightened and in a great deal of pain," the letter adds.
The 17-year-old, an A-level student, joined the protest and was kettled within 15 minutes of arriving in Whitehall. For six hours she unsuccessfully asked officers to allow her to leave because she was desperate to go to the toilet. At 6pm, portable toilets were delivered outside the "kettle", but after the teenager was allowed to use them she was escorted back inside the crowd. She has described seeing a woman pleading to be released because she felt nauseous. Later she was escorted from the kettle, vomited by the side of the road and was taken back into the kettle without receiving any medical attention.
After seven hours police said she could leave when her father turned up.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the Observer: "It's disappointing that young people had their opportunity to express themselves taken away. There are not many positive things for young people who are categorised as yobs and will be forced to pay ridiculous amounts for university. The police tactics made a mockery of pluralism in democracy."
The final case involves Evans, a recent school leaver who described how people "kettled" in Whitehall resembled a "large tide" against lines of police with officers pushing back. He said people started to fall and he became trapped, with other demonstrators falling on his ankle and causing it to break. Evans noticed young people in school uniform who had also fallen. In serious pain, the teenager was eventually released from the kettle but, although he asked police, they did not seek medical attention for him nor know where to find assistance.
Emma Norton, legal officer at Liberty, said: "Policing demonstrations is no easy task but the police must distinguish between the law-abiding majority and the handful intent on violence. Our three young clients came away from November's march distressed, and, in two cases, with broken bones.
"The tactic of 'kettling' large groups so that peaceful protesters and passers-by are trapped for hours alongside more troublesome elements exacerbates tensions and creates a risk to public safety."
Scotland Yard has justified "kettling", saying it was crucial to contain people and the threat of disorder while minimising the use of force. Last week the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, said officers had to deal with "unrestrained violence" at the protests. Discussing his officers' actions, he said "things happen in violent disorders" and he regretted any injuries caused. He said any complaints about police conduct would be investigated.
Wikileaks reveals pressure on US drug wiretapping
Fresh US diplomatic cables released via Wikileaks suggest governments have pressed the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to extend wiretapping services.
Publishing the secret cables, the New York Times said governments wanted information on political adversaries.Panama and Paraguay are two of the nations cited.
Panama's government says President Ricardo Martinelli's request on wiretaps had been "misinterpreted" by the US envoy.
In a cable from August 2009, President Martinelli is reported to have "sent the Ambassador a cryptic Blackberry message that said: "I need help with tapping phones."
Then US Ambassador to Panama, Barbara Stephenson, says: "He made reference to various groups and individuals whom he believes should be wiretapped, and he clearly made no distinction between legitimate security targets and political enemies."
The Panamanian president's office has issued a statement saying the government "regrets the misunderstanding by the US authorities. The request for assistance was made for the struggle against crime, drug trafficking and organised crime".
"We never asked for help to tap telephones of politicians. Any interpretation to such a request is completely wrong," it says.
'Faked incineration' In a cable from February 2010, the DEA tries to resist a request by the government in Asuncion to spy on the Paraguayan People's Army insurgent group, accused of a number of kidnappings.
The New York Times says that when US diplomats baulked, Paraguay Interior Minister Rafael Filizzola threatened to shut the service down.
Diplomats finally agreed to allow wiretapping for anti-kidnapping work under certain circumstances.
"We have carefully navigated this very sensitive and politically sticky situation. It appears that we have no other viable choice," a cable says.
The Times says the DEA has 87 offices in 63 countries and that many governments are eager to take advantage of the advanced wiretapping technology the agency uses.
DEA spokesman Lawrence Payne said on Saturday it could not comment as the cables were considered classified.
A number of cables reveal the extent of the involvement of senior officials in the drug trade in some countries.
In one cable dated March 2008, US diplomats in Guinea report that a supposed incineration of drugs was faked.
The cable says: "The event was a real eye-opener and a facade. The incineration was a ridiculous attempt by the [government of Guinea] to prove that a law enforcement campaign against narcotics exists. If anything was proven, it was that the traffickers' influence has reached the highest levels of the government."
The Wikileaks website - together with several major media organisations - is currently publishing tens of thousands of leaked US diplomatic cables.
@'BBC'
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