Saturday 25 December 2010
WikiLeaks financial details
The Wall Street Journal has a report out today with details on Wikileaks' financial inner workings, from the foundation in Germany that pays the organization's bills. Odd that this long-sought information would come out on Christmas Eve, but here's the short version of the story: spending is up, because they're paying salaries now (including $86K/year to Julian Assange), and they're "facing potential legal issues" (understatement of the millenium). Snip:
Xeni Jardin @'Boing Boing'
Wau Holland Foundation says it has collected about €1 million ($1.3 million) in donations in 2010, the year in which WikiLeaks exploded into public prominence thanks to its release of thousands of classified U.S. documents. WikiLeaks said in August that it had raised about €765,000 until that point in the year. The data from the foundation, which is a major but not the sole conduit of funding for the website, suggest donations to WikiLeaks have tampered off some since the organization landed in the headlines. The Wau Holland Foundation provides key back-office services for WikiLeaks' operations by collecting donations and paying its bills. Last summer, WikiLeaks said it operated on about €150,000 a year. Now, however, the foundation says it has paid about €380,000 in WikiLeaks expenses, with some invoices for the year still unprocessed. Some of that total is for hardware, Internet access and travel, Wau Holland spokesman Hendrik Fulda said. But a big factor in the leap is a recent decision to begin paying salaries to staff.WikiLeaks is said to have committed to paying half of the estimated $100K that Bradley Manning's legal defense is expected to cost, but a spokesman recently said the organization will now only donate around $20K. They have not yet contributed these funds. The WSJ reports that Wau Holland is said to be waiting for legal advice on whether such a donation is permitted under German law.
The primary beneficiary of that decision--which has been hotly debated within WikiLeaks--is Mr. Assange, the controversial founder and public face of WikiLeaks who is currently under house arrest in the U.K., where he faces possible extradition to Sweden
Xeni Jardin @'Boing Boing'
Best Coast/Wavves - Got Something For You
With the holidays comes great warmth of spirit. Especially when it comes from coastal California. Best Coast and Wavves are two fresh indie-pop bands from the sunshine state, who bring timeless sunshiny melodies in this ode to all things Christmas. Tap your toes and dream of surfing in the snow.
Download @'Target'
Download @'Target'
Hemorrhoid
This is the story of a man who suffered from a hemorrhoid. Not a lot of hemorrhoids. A single, solitary one. This hemorrhoid started out small and annoying, but very soon it became medium-sized and irritating, and in less than two months it became big and really painful. The man continued to live his life as usual: he worked long hours every day, took time off on weekends and fucked on the side whenever he had the chance. But this hemorrhoid, which was clinging to a vein, kept reminding him at every long meeting or painful BM that to live is to suffer, to live is to sweat, to live is an ache you can’t fucking forget . And so, before every important decision the man would listen to his hemorrhoid the way others listen to their conscience. And the hemorrhoid, like any hemorrhoid, would give the man some asshole advice. Advice on whom to fire, advice on aiming higher, advice to pick a fight and with whom he should conspire. And it worked. With every passing day, the man became more and more successful. The earnings of the company he headed kept growing, and so did the hemorrhoid. It reached a point where the hemorrhoid outgrew the man. And even then, it didn’t stop. Until eventually it was the hemorrhoid that was Chairman of the Board. And sometimes, when the hemorrhoid took its seat on the chair in the board room, it found the man underneath a little irritating.
This is the story of a hemorrhoid that suffered from a man. The hemorrhoid continued to live its life as usual: it worked long hours every day, took time off on weekends and fucked on the side whenever it had the chance. But this man, who was clinging to a vein, kept reminding him at every long meeting or painful BM that to live is to yearn, to live is to burn, to live is to fucking screw up and wait for fate to turn. And the hemorrhoid would listen to the man the way people listen to their stomach when it rumbles and asks for food – passively but acceptingly. And thanks to this man, the hemorrhoid tried to believe it could live and let live, it could learn to forgive. It could conquer its urge to look down on others. And even when it swore, it didn’t mention people’s mothers. And so, thanks to the irritating little man under him, everyone came to value the hemorrhoid: hemorrhoids, people, and of course, the company’s satisfied shareholders all around the world.
(Etgar Keret (born August 20, 1967) is an Israeli writer known for his short stories, graphic novels, and scriptwriting for film and television.)
@'The Outlet'
This is the story of a hemorrhoid that suffered from a man. The hemorrhoid continued to live its life as usual: it worked long hours every day, took time off on weekends and fucked on the side whenever it had the chance. But this man, who was clinging to a vein, kept reminding him at every long meeting or painful BM that to live is to yearn, to live is to burn, to live is to fucking screw up and wait for fate to turn. And the hemorrhoid would listen to the man the way people listen to their stomach when it rumbles and asks for food – passively but acceptingly. And thanks to this man, the hemorrhoid tried to believe it could live and let live, it could learn to forgive. It could conquer its urge to look down on others. And even when it swore, it didn’t mention people’s mothers. And so, thanks to the irritating little man under him, everyone came to value the hemorrhoid: hemorrhoids, people, and of course, the company’s satisfied shareholders all around the world.
(Etgar Keret (born August 20, 1967) is an Israeli writer known for his short stories, graphic novels, and scriptwriting for film and television.)
@'The Outlet'
PLEASE KILL ME (The infamous t/shirt)
(Thanx Steve Rovner!)
PS: Richard Lloyd Anybody notice that I am using a slide bar? It's polished stainless steel, but I much prefer brass. It "grabs" better.
'He’s become the one-man global McDonald’s of leaks'
Bruce Sterling on WikiLeaks
"...The chances of that ending well are about ten thousand to one. And I don’t doubt Assange knows that. This is the kind of guy who once wrote an encryption program called “Rubberhose,” because he had it figured that the cops would beat his password out of him, and he needed some code-based way to finesse his own human frailty. Hey, neat hack there, pal..."
"...The chances of that ending well are about ten thousand to one. And I don’t doubt Assange knows that. This is the kind of guy who once wrote an encryption program called “Rubberhose,” because he had it figured that the cops would beat his password out of him, and he needed some code-based way to finesse his own human frailty. Hey, neat hack there, pal..."
Friday 24 December 2010
davidallengreen I like to think "a scumbag, a maggot, and a cheap lousy faggot" were the real names of the Three Wise Men.
jeremyscahill .@PressSec besides Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq & Afgh., where else are we bombing/killing people on regular basis?
Thursday 23 December 2010
More of that James Bond fun stuff
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Wednesday that his website is due to release thousands of documents related to Israel, particularly dealing with the Mabhouh assassination in Dubai and the Second Lebanon War, Channel 10 reported Thursday.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Assange said that only very few files related to Israel were published so far and that WikiLeaks intends on releasing many more documents over the next six months.
Assange, who was recently released from a British prison, said that he holds 3,700 more files related to Israel, and the main source of them is the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv.
Assange said in the interview that WikiLeaks plans on releasing cables that were classified as top secret regarding Israel's month-long war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
Moreover, he also claimed he holds documents indicating Mossad involvement in the assassination of Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in January.
Assange said that WikiLeaks had not had any direct or indirect relations with Israel, but said he was sure Israeli intelligence is monitoring WikiLeaks' activities closely.
@'Haaretz'
Adrian Sherwood receives "Golden Ear" Award + Tackhead - Cinderella (live)
Amateur movie showing Adrian Sherwood (On-U Sound) receiving "The Man with Golden Ear" Award for the best producer from hands of Maciej Werk and Marcin Tercjak (Art Industry Foundation) -- the main organizers of International Festival of Music Producers and Sound Designers Soundedit in Lodz, Poland. The ceremony took place on 10th Sept 2010 in Wytwornia club . Right after the stage was taken by Tackhead -- legendary group of American musicians (first time in Poland!), mixed live by Adrian. Here you can see a part of their great reggae cover of 'Cinderella'.
johannhari101 The BBC gets a man who has provably facilitated the rape of thousands of children to do Xmas Thought For the Day http://tinyurl.com/23lodmp
Yay!!!
BBC6MusicNews 100 club is saved. We spoke to owner who told us a "secret investor" is stepping in and it's a brand, though name of venue will not change.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
