Imagine that you are living somewhere in Pakistan, Yemen, or Gaza where the U.S. suspects a terrorist presence. Day and night, you hear a constant buzzing in the sky. Like a lawnmower. You know that this flying robot is watching everything you do. You can always hear it. Sometimes, it
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TaylorOwen.com: The Surveillance Arms Race
There is a new arms race emerging between people who want to communicate freely and securely and governments that want to monitor and limit this communication. In democratic countries, this government interference ranges from the mass monitoring of telecoms to flirtations with cutting off social media flows and shutting down
Continue readingTaylorOwen.com: Crisis Mappers ignite talk
Here is a video of an Ignite talk I did at the International Crisis Mappers Conference in DC. It is a short summary of the historical mapping research that I have done on the US bombing of Cambodia. This Walrus magazine article provides some further background to the project.
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Why wait? Read 2013’s shocking political headlines right now on Alberta Diary!
The Dagny Taggarts, a synchronized skating team from Ottawa get ready to do their popular routine, “Where Is John Galt?” Defence Minister Joan Crockatt is in the front row, second from right. Below: Senator Tom Flanagan; U of C economics student Kim Jong-un, in full Calgary drag; Deputy Premier Thomas
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Oh Silly Droney…
Such naivety.
Filed under: Humour, International Affairs Tagged: CIA, Humour, Petraeus
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Gaza and Western Media – Charlotte Silver
“Since Israel’s brutal 21-day assault on Gaza in the winter of ’08-’09 (dubbed by Israeli politicians as Operation Cast Lead) that led to over 1,400 Palestinian deaths – of which 930 were civilians including many women and children – followed by its deadly raid on a civilian Turkish ship headed to Gaza in June 2010 […]
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Oh those Zany Muslims – Rage Continues?
Here in the West and in the East we have our religious nutters. What is not being covered as much in the media here is the moderate response to the “film” the Innocence of Muslims. Avaaz.org has a great article which I’ve taken bits out of and posted for your
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: So, Tell me again about Islam being the Religion of Peace – Innocence of Muslims
Islam, religion of Peace burns down American Embassy illustrating dedication to rational non-violent ways of resolving disputes. This just in the from insano-delusional land (credit CBC.ca): “Many Muslims find it offensive to depict the Prophet Muhammad in any fashion, much less in an insulting way. This week’s attacks on U.S.
Continue readingeaves.ca: China, Twitter and the 0.1%
Earlier this month I had the good fortune of visiting China – a place I’m deeply curious about and – aside from some second year university courses, the reporting from the Economist, and the occasional trip over to Tea Leaf Nation – remains too foreign to me for comfort given
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Obama – Worse than George Bush and Blair
The overarching apparatus of state is plainly evinced by the actions of one president elected on Hope and Change. Filed under: International Affairs, Politics Tagged: International Standards, Noam Chomsky, Obama, Terrorism
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The DWR Sunday Disservice – “Just say no to Polio Vaccinations, Love Allah”
Watch what happens when you mix broken foreign policy with religion… “One of Pakistan’s most influential clerics has renounced his support for polio immunisation, claiming that the programme is a cover for American spies.” Pakistan needs less of this particular brand of religious stupidity. The stupid is compounded by the
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: No Breathalyser – Mon Dieu!
I’m sure this new legislation in France will impress the hell out of libertarians world wide. The French have identified that statistically, alcohol is involved in some 30% of traffic collisions. The solution? Mandatory breathalysers in every car. Al Jazeera breaks this story wide open: “A new motoring law
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Doing Capitalism Differently – Spain’s Mondragon Corporation
From Alter.net Richard D. Wolffe writes: “In May 2012, I had occasion to visit the city of Arrasate-Mondragon, in the Basque region of Spain. It is the headquarters of the Mondragon Corporation (MC), a stunningly successful alternative to the capitalist organization of production. MC is composed of many co-operative enterprises
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Jailbreak – Bannu Pakistan Edition
Al Jazeera: “Hundreds of prisoners are believed to have escaped from a jail in northwest Pakistan after it was attacked by anti-government fighters armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Some of those who escaped from the facility in the town of Bannu, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, early on Sunday morning were “militants”,
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The DWR Relgious Disservice: The Office of Religious Freedom? – Captain, set the “stupid” to Full!
We believe in spending your money on departments whose focus is the encouragement of illusion over reality. That is all. Where to begin with such a malodorous concept? Starting with irony is always good, so… for instance how about the blinding irony of the Conservatives dedication to ‘austerity and smaller
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: ‘Losing’ the World:American Decline in Perspective
Seeing history from a different perspective is often an enlightening experience. Noam Chomsky is a excellent guide to a historical narrative that makes sense and fits the facts of the situation, as opposed to what we are told by approved sources. It is a long read, somehow sadly classified as
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Afghanistan – Mission Accomplished…(?)
Poking wasps nests with chopsticks seems to be the motive behind much of US foreign policy. The cesspool that is Afghanistan needs only a couple of gentle stirs to spray its fetid lunacy and violence on everything and everyone. Case in point, burning paper turns the people bug-frack crazy:
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Anonymous – A Message to Congress
So, is this how it must be? I’m thinking that we get Anonymous when the structures of your democratic institutions are corrupted and ineffective. When the voice of the people is lost in the swirl of corporate dollars and lobbying, we get Anonymous. When the elites believe that they are
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The Internet Blackout – nothing but Hyperbole and a PR Stunt according to the MPAA
Watch, gentle readers, what happens when elite interests are not given priority. The outcry, the wailing and gnashing of teeth, the injustice of it all. The MPAA CEO Chris Dodd called out the irresponsible websites – Wikipedia, Reddit etc on their egregious behaviour: “A so-called “blackout” is yet another gimmick,
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Bradley Manning – A lesson in Ethics
Ethics are what make people stand against tyranny. Saying “no” to the crowd is one of the most difficult challenges we face as social animals. Bradley Manning had the courage to make an ethical stand, we all possess similar characteristics, we just choose to dismiss these ethical impulses. When
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