Monday 27 December 2010
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'
Exiled Surfer
The Unified Statesmen of Anonymous
Anonymous Report: Everyone Runs
Exiled Surfer @'ArtificialEyes.TV'
Tiny Mixtapes: Favorite Albums of 2010
01. Zs New Slaves
02. Ariel Pink Before Today
03. Swans My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to The Sky
04. Flying Lotus Cosmogramma
05. Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
06. Oneohtrix Point Never Returnal
07. Joanna Newsom Have One On Me
08. Emeralds Does It Look Like I’m Here?
09. Deerhunter Halcyon Digest
10. Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
11. Titus Andronicus The Monitor
12. Infinite Body Carve Out the Face of My God
13. Sun City Girls Muneral Mariachi
14. Women Public Strain
15. Future Islands In Evening Air
16. James Blake CMYK EP / Klavierwerke EP
17. Dirty Projectors & Björk Mount Wittenberg Orca
18. Sean McCann Open Resolve
19. Four Tet There Is Love In You
20. Sleigh Bells Treats
21. Yellow Swans Going Places
22. Kurt Weisman Orange
23. Keith Fullerton Whitman Disingenuity b/w Disingenuousness
24. Erykah Badu New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
25. Lower Dens Twin-Hand Movement
26. Marnie Stern Marnie Stern
27. Graham Lambkin & Jason Lescalleet Air Supply
28. Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz
29. Harvey Milk A Small Turn Of Human Kindness
30. Sam Prekop Old Punch Card
complete list HERE
The 'Exile' charts for 2010
The editors here at 'Exile' digging HerrB's choices!
BrandDNA
Weirdly my fave album was an EP not an album. Although given it ran 59 mins I'm classing it as an album.
Album: Sufjan Stevens – All delighted people
My best album for the year however was the Deutsche Elektronische Musik compilation.
Reissue: Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching for the young soul rebels
Song: Sufjan Stevens - Impossible Soul
Don't believe the hype: Ariel Pink
Dray
Bit of a problem for me cos I while I listen to loads of stuff most of the music I liked came out the year before... oh well here goes...
Album of the Year: On - Something That Has Form and Something That Does Not
Album of the Year: On - Something That Has Form and Something That Does Not
Vinyl Album of the Year: Thomas Koner - La Barca
Song of the Year: Alva Noto/Blixa Bargeld - Ret Marut Handshake
Live Song of the Year: Swans - I Crawled (Live @ Birmingham)
Best thing I discovered this Year: Catherine Ribeiro
Band of the Year: Grinderman
Honourable mentions and respect go to King Midas Sound, Richard Skelton, Quantec
Comeback of the Year: me obviously LOLThings to look forward to for 2011: Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972; and a SLAB album or two...and perhaps a TRNSND v MOSESMAN mix
HerrB
...as mona didn't accept my first edition because she didn't think I was serious...So here we go:
Track of the year: 4'33 - The Secret Adrian Sherwood Master Mix
Album of the year: 4'33 - The Album
Compilation of the year: K-tel presents the Best of 50 Years 4'33 Cover Versions
Reissue of the year: Of course the original 4'33 John Cage version digitally remastered by Brian Eno
Hype of the year: see the entries above...
Track of the year: 4'33 - The Secret Adrian Sherwood Master Mix
Album of the year: 4'33 - The Album
Compilation of the year: K-tel presents the Best of 50 Years 4'33 Cover Versions
Reissue of the year: Of course the original 4'33 John Cage version digitally remastered by Brian Eno
Hype of the year: see the entries above...
Jacqueline_Anon
Album of the year: Mike Patton - Mondo Cane
Track of the year :Laurie Anderson - Only an Expert
Cover Song of the year: Beck and Thurston Moore sodomizing Yanni's 'Santorini'
Remix of the year: Grinderman - Super Heathen Child
Reissue of the year: David Bowie - Station to Station [Deluxe Edition]
Bootleg of the Year: Iggy And the Stooges Raw Power Live at Hammersmith 2010
Hype of the year: Neil Young - La Noise
Martin
Always hard remembering what came out at the beginning of the year, tend to focus on what I heard yesterday , great year for music, too much almost, so here goes
Band Of The Year: The Swans, still killing live and with a record up there with their best
Album Of The Year: Shackleton- Fabric 55, must be listened to as a piece, so 2010 but so 1980 but not like that contrived hauntogical sound
Cassette of The Year: Dem Hunger-Caveman Smack, like Flylo in hell.
Reissue Of The Year: Crass-The Crassical Collection, anarchy in hifi and Penny's not getting any younger Comp. Of The Year: Soul Jazz Records-Future Bass, does what it says
Track Of The Year: The Bug-Catch A Fire, just lovely but sinister
No hypes, hopefully past them now, really wanted to love the Darkstar one more than I did, maybe listen to it more. A whole year without any Skullflower releases that I won't listen to saved me a bit of cash, loads of free reggae out there which I've enjoyed discovering and expanding my mind and the FACT mixes which have never disappointed. A little more listening time next year would be great thanks.
Mona
Album of the year: Swans
Track of the year: Darkstar/Gold
Compilation of the year: Afro-Beat Airways (Ghana & Togo 1972-1979)
Reissue of the year: Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching For the Young Soul Rebels
Hype of the year: Exile on MAIN Street
Track of the year: Darkstar/Gold
Compilation of the year: Afro-Beat Airways (Ghana & Togo 1972-1979)
Reissue of the year: Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching For the Young Soul Rebels
Hype of the year: Exile on MAIN Street
Surprise of the year: MGMT Congratulations
trnsnd
Best Artist: Soom-T
Best Live Show: Guided By Voices
Best Posthumous Comeback: Notorious B.I.G.
Album of the Year: absolutely nothing, sorry.
The "hip" world has become completely awash in music that I don't "get."
This is not to say that there aren't still great bands and great music getting made, but there is so much noise and so much hype and I'm currently disconnected from contemporary trends to the point that I rarely hear anything that even makes an impact on me anymore. I'm currently withdrawing into 4'33" of nature sounds. Cheers!
P.S. Honorary mention for the Swans new one. Michael Gira is definitely keeping it REAL.
Saturday 25 December 2010
domknight A poignant reminder that the Coalition don't take a holiday from politicising other people's desperation. http://j.mp/iaqqXh
That snow outside is what global warming looks like
There were two silent calls, followed by a message left on my voicemail. She had a soft, gentle voice and a mid-Wales accent. "You are a liar, Mr Monbiot. You and James Hansen and all your lying colleagues. I'm going to make you pay back the money my son gave to your causes. It's minus 18C and my pipes have frozen. You liar. Is this your global warming?" She's not going to like the answer, and nor are you. It may be yes.
There is now strong evidence to suggest that the unusually cold winters of the last two years in the UK are the result of heating elsewhere. With the help of the severe weather analyst John Mason and the Climate Science Rapid Response Team, I've been through as much of the scientific literature as I can lay hands on (see my website for the references). Here's what seems to be happening.
The global temperature maps published by Nasa present a striking picture. Last month's shows a deep blue splodge over Iceland, Spitsbergen, Scandanavia and the UK, and another over the western US and eastern Pacific. Temperatures in these regions were between 0.5C and 4C colder than the November average from 1951 and 1980. But on either side of these cool blue pools are raging fires of orange, red and maroon: the temperatures in western Greenland, northern Canada and Siberia were between 2C and 10C higher than usual. Nasa's Arctic oscillations map for 3-10 December shows that parts of Baffin Island and central Greenland were 15C warmer than the average for 2002-9. There was a similar pattern last winter. These anomalies appear to be connected.
The weather we get in UK winters, for example, is strongly linked to the contrasting pressure between the Icelandic low and the Azores high. When there's a big pressure difference the winds come in from the south-west, bringing mild damp weather from the Atlantic. When there's a smaller gradient, air is often able to flow down from the Arctic. High pressure in the icy north last winter, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, blocked the usual pattern and "allowed cold air from the Arctic to penetrate all the way into Europe, eastern China, and Washington DC". Nasa reports that the same thing is happening this winter.
Sea ice in the Arctic has two main effects on the weather. Because it's white, it bounces back heat from the sun, preventing it from entering the sea. It also creates a barrier between the water and the atmosphere, reducing the amount of heat that escapes from the sea into the air. In the autumns of 2009 and 2010 the coverage of Arctic sea ice was much lower than the long-term average: the second smallest, last month, of any recorded November. The open sea, being darker, absorbed more heat from the sun in the warmer, light months. As it remained clear for longer than usual it also bled more heat into the Arctic atmosphere. This caused higher air pressures, reducing the gradient between the Iceland low and the Azores high.
So why wasn't this predicted by climate scientists? Actually it was, and we missed it. Obsessed by possible changes to ocean circulation (the Gulf Stream grinding to a halt), we overlooked the effects on atmospheric circulation. A link between summer sea ice in the Arctic and winter temperatures in the northern hemisphere was first proposed in 1914. Close mapping of the relationship dates back to 1990, and has been strengthened by detailed modelling since 200...
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George Monbiot @'The Guardian'
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