These weapons we tout aren‘t futuristic; they announce our lack of a future. But everywhere around us, we can spot people who are volunteering to live simply so that others can simply live. And that choice is, in reality, open to each of us.
Daily Archives: 18. April 2014
Dear Web Developers: Thank You, You’re Awesome, and Wow Did That Really Just Happen?
Two days ago, we asked web developers for help.
EFF and Sunlight Foundation published an open call for help testing a tool and populating an open data format that would make it easier for everyday people to contact members of Congress. We already had a prototype, but we needed volunteers to conduct tests on each and every Congressional website.
We expected the project would take about two weeks to complete, but feared it might take a month or longer. We worried that web developers wouldn’t want to spend hours working on a boring, frustrating, often technically complex task.
Instead, volunteers conquered the project in two days.
Within hours of publishing our blog post, we were flooded by offers of support. People from all over the world contacted us, and many immediately jumped in and started contributing. By 2:30 AM the day we launched, 70 people were already hacking on the project and had submitted over 420 commits.
The following morning, we found even more people had gotten involved. More than a hundred people were helping us write the code after hearing about our project on Hacker News, reddit, and BoingBoing.
Today, we’re declaring victory. Thanks to the hard work of over a hundred volunteers around the globe, we’re incredibly proud to announce the first-ever public domain database for submitting emails to members of Congress.
Two quakes strike near zinc mine in Alaska: USGS
It said the quakes, which struck minutes apart, were centered just a few miles (km) southeast of Red Dog Mine, the world‘s largest producer of zinc, which is operated by Canadian mining company Teck Resources.
Obama signs law to bar Iran diplomat from serving in U.N. post
President Barack Obama signed a law on Friday that effectively bars an Iranian diplomat from serving as an envoy at the United Nations because of suspicions he was involved in the 1979-81 Tehran hostage crisis.
Demonstranten in der Ukraine weisen die Forderungen des Genfer Abkommens zurück
Weit davon entfernt, die Lage zu stabilisieren, riskiert das Genfer „Abkommen“ jetzt eine Eskalation der Gewalt, da die interimistische Regierung der Ukraine zweifelsohne den Standpunkt einnehmen wird, dass es an ihr liegt, mit Gewalt die Bestimmungen des Abkommens gegenüber den Demonstranten durchzusetzen.
Algeria‘s Abdelaziz Bouteflika, ailing but still president
Algeria‘s Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who won a fourth presidential term on Friday with nearly 82 percent of the votes cast, was victorious despite frail health preventing him from even campaigning.
The ailing 77-year-old had to vote from a wheelchair on Thursday after not appearing in public since May 2012.
SpaceX cargo mission blasts off to ISS at last, defying latest hurdle
The capsule, named Dragon, is scheduled to rendezvous with the space station on Sunday.
Wide area of Mexico hit by earthquake; preliminary magnitude put at 7.2
The United States Geological Survey said the quake at about 9:30 a.m. local time had a preliminary magnitude of 7.2, which would make it one of the stronger temblors registered in Mexico City in several years.
Obama administration delays decision on Keystone XL pipeline
The Obama administration has delayed a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project, perhaps until after November’s midterm election.
A further delay in the evaluation of the pipeline, which already has lasted more than five years, is necessary because of a Nebraska state court decision in February that invalidated part of the project’s route, the State Department said in a statement.
Nato‘s action plan in Ukraine is right out of Dr Strangelove
by John Pilger
The genius of Stanley Kubrick‘s film is that it accurately represents the cold war‘s lunacy and dangers. Most of the characters are based on real people and real maniacs. There is no equivalent to Strangelove today because popular culture is directed almost entirely at our interior lives, as if identity is the moral zeitgeist and true satire is redundant, yet the dangers are the same. The nuclear clock has remained at five minutes to midnight; the same false flags are hoisted above the same targets by the same „invisible government“, as Edward Bernays, the inventor of public relations, described modern propaganda.
On Nazis, Jews & Ukraine ‘de-escalation’
by Pepe Escobar
…And then Kerry, alongside EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton at the press conference, had to condemn the “grotesque flyers that have no place in our 21st century,” as in forcing Jews in eastern Ukraine to ‘register’. Translation: the State Department accepted what bears all the hallmarks of a CIA-style psy-op as a true story. A not-so-subtle push to imprint in misinformed layers of public opinion the toxic tie-up between Russophobia and anti-Semitism.
Making sense of the latest Kerry Lavrov deal
The attempt to put down the eastern Ukraine appears to have petered out and the chance to turn the Donbass into a „East Banderastan“ lead by a clique of neo-Nazi freaks are as small as ever.
In other words, chances are the at least the current phase of the Ukrainian civil war is over.
All in all, that is pretty good news, I think.
Japan to arm remote western island, risking more China tension
Japan is sending 100 soldiers and radar to its westernmost outpost, a tropical island off Taiwan, in a deployment that risks angering China with ties between Asia‘s biggest economies already hurt by a dispute over nearby islands they both claim.
Die Amerikaner wollen Russlands neuestem Spionageflugzeug keine Überflugerlaubnis erteilen.
jetzt haben die Russen offenbar einen neuen Sensor am Start, der die US-Militärs so in Sorge versetzt, dass sie das nicht mehr zulassen wollen.
State-Mafia links trial stays in Palermo
The ROS officers are accused of acting as go betweens between the Mob brokering a deal to end bomb attacks by the Mafia in return for less harsh conditions for Cosa Nostra bosses serving sentence in maximum security prisons.
US Has A ‚Secret Exception‘ To Reasonable Suspicion For Putting People On The No Fly List
Over the past few months, we covered the bizarre trial concerning Rahinah Ibrahim and her attempt to get off the no fly list. In January, there was an indication that the court had ordered her removed from the list, but without details. In February, a redacted version of the ruling revealed that the whole mess was because an FBI agent read the instructions wrong on a form and accidentally placed her on the no fly list, though we noted that some of the redactions were quite odd.
However, earlier this week, the court finally released the unredacted version, and we‘ll have a few things to say about the choice of redactions in a later post.
US Government Is Paying To Undermine Internet Security, Not To Fix It
The federal government spent at least $65 billion between 2006 and 2012 to secure its own networks, according to a February report from the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. And many critical parts of the private sector — such as nuclear reactors and banking — follow sector-specific cybersecurity regulations.
But private industry has also failed to fund its critical tools.
Ukraine-Krise: Timoschenko will sich mit Föderations-Anhängern in Donezk treffen
Sie möchte über die Forderungen dieser Menschen, über ihre Erwartungen aus erster Hand erfahren und hoffe darauf, dass die Gespräche konstruktiv sein würden. „Wichtig ist, ein Konzept herbeizuführen, das es ermöglichen würde, Harmonie zwischen Ost und West in der Ukraine wiederherzustellen“, sagte Timoschenko.
Kiew verspricht „Sonderstatus“ der russischen Sprache in der Ukraine
„Wir werden einen Sonderstatus der russischen Sprache und ihren Schutz, aber auch einen Sonderstatus für eine beliebige andere Sprache festschreiben, die auf dem Territorium der jeweiligen Region gesprochen wird. Dabei lassen wir uns vom Wunsch leiten, dass in der Ukraine Ruhe einkehrt“, erklärte Jazenjuk in einem Appell an das ukrainische Volk.
Open Source Saatware: Initiative gegen Patente der Landwirtschaftsindustrie
Freier Austausch um die genetische Vielfalt von Gemüsesorten zu bewahren – Akademiker stellen ihre Entwicklungen für die Allgemeinheit zur Verfügung.
Joint Press Release; China-Australia on G20 and APEC
Reflecting their close cooperation, China, as host of APEC in 2014, and Australia, as host of the G20 in 2014, sponsored a symposium in Shanghai on 14-15 April to explore opportunities for synergies between the two forums in the pursuit of regional and global economic growth and resilience. The symposium was hosted by the Shanghai Institute of International Studies and the Australian National University, and attended by the APEC Ambassadors, G20 sherpas and senior academics from China and Australia, and senior academics from a number of other regional economies.
China, EU pledge free trade deal
(03.04.)
Upset About A Controversial Narco Deal, Mexico Reaffirms It Will Not Extradite Drug Kingpin El Chapo Guzmán To The U.S.
After a top Sinaloa Cartel “narco junior” secretly pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court and is now cooperating with U.S. authorities, Mexico’s Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam reaffirmed that Mexico has “no intention” of extraditing drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to the U.S., where he faces multiple criminal charges in several states.
Präsident Rohani bei einem Treffen mit dem Weißrussischen Außenminister
Bei einem Treffen mit dem weißrussischen Außenminister Vladimir Makey in Teheran am Montag Abend, hielt Präsident Rohani Teheran-Minsk Beziehungen als freundlich, herzlich und stark und betonte die Notwendigkeit, die vorhandenen Potentiale der beiden Ländern zu verwenden sollen, um die bilateralen Beziehungen in verschiedenen Bereichen zu verbessern.
Russia’s Arctic oil rig to boost country’s role on world energy markets — Putin
Prirazlomnaya offshore platform project, which is located in the Sea of Pechora, will give an impulse to the expansion of Russia’s presence on global energy markets, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. (..)
Putin witnessed the loading of the first batch of oil from ice-resistant oil rig Prirazlomnaya on the Arctic shelf during a link-up conference with Russian energy giant Gazprom chief Alexei Miller, who was at the oil platform at that time.
Meeting with Shell CEO Ben van Beurden
Vladimir Putin met with Chief Executive Officer of Shell Ben van Beurden. Mr van Beurden briefed the President on Shell’s current projects in Russia.
TAFTA/TTIP: What Are The Benefits? What Are The Costs?
As we draw near to the conclusion of TAFTA/TTIP‘s first year of negotiations, the detailed differences are starting to emerge between the US and EU. But one thing they both take for granted is that it‘s a good idea. „Good“ in this context is essentially about money: the argument is that concluding a trade deal between the US and EU will boost both their economies, increase companies‘ profits, create employment and generally make people better off. Of course, since all of those are in the future, the only way to justify those kind of claims is to model the likely effects of TTIP on the various economies — of the US, EU and rest of the world.
That‘s precisely what a study entitled „Reducing Transatlantic Barriers to Trade and Investment; An Economic Assessment“ aimed to do (pdf).
Obama Political Guru Helping Britain’s Labour Party
David Axelrod will spend the next several months serving as the party’s “senior strategic advisor,” in an effort to get British opposition leader Ed Miliband elected as prime minister in May 2015. In a statement Friday, Axelrod said he had been impressed by Miliband’s ideas and says he has solid vision for the country’s future.
USA lockern Iran-Sanktionen
Die Freigabe erfolgte nach der Mitteilung der Internationalen Atomenergiebehörde (IAEA), dass der Iran sich genau an seinen Verpflichtungen im Nuklearbereich halte.
„Alle Seiten halten sich an die erzielten Vereinbarungen“, so Harf.
Mehr als 16.500 Menschen wollen TV-Sender Russia Today auf Deutsch
Mehr als 16.500 Menschen haben auf der deutschen Plattform für Bürgerinitiativen www.openpetition.de eine Petition für die Einrichtung einer deutschsprachigen Auflage des russischen TV-Senders Russia Today (RT) unterschrieben.
Ostermärsche starten / Ukraine-Krise alarmiert Friedensgruppen
Vor allem die drohende weitere Eskalation der Ukraine-Krise bestimmt die jetzt beginnenden Ostermärsche der Friedensbewegung. Die beiden größeren Zusammenschlüsse „Bundesausschuss Friedensratschlag“ und „Kooperation für den Frieden“ appellieren in einer gemeinsamen Erklärung für „Gemeinsame Sicherheit statt Konfrontation“ (dokumentiert u.a. unter http://www.ag-friedensforschung.de/bewegung1/ostermarsch2014/om-erklaerung.pdf . und warnen vor einer „Wiederkehr nationalistischer und chauvinistischer Tendenzen auf allen Seiten“.
Überflüssig, unwirtschaftlich und hoch riskant: AKW Brokdorf muss abgeschaltet werden
Zeit zum Abschalten! Mit einer Protest- und Kulturmeile protestieren am 26. April anlässlich des Jahrestages der Atomkatastrophe von Tschernobyl AtomkraftgegnerInnen aus Norddeutschland für die Stilllegung des AKW Brokdorf. Der andauernde Betrieb ist nicht nur ein unverantwortliches Risiko, sondern auch überflüssig. Die Atomkonzerne selbst klagen über das Überangebot an Strom und die sinkenden Preise. Atomkraftwerke sind nicht mehr rentabel. Deshalb hat der Betreiber des AKW Brokdorf, E.on, bereits die vorzeitige Stilllegung des bayerischen AKW Grafenrheinfeld beschlossen.
Teilerfolg für Hungerstreikende in Paraguay
Aber auch die zunehmende Solidarität im In-und Ausland setzte die paraguayische Justiz unter Druck. Viele Menschen kamen täglich zu den nächtlichen Mahnwachen vor dem Militärhospital, in das die Angeklagten gegen ihren Willen verlegt worden waren. Unter ihnen befanden sich sowohl Prominente aus Kunst und Kultur des südamerikanischen Landes als auch Studierende, Politiker linksgerichteter Parteien und Vertreter kirchlicher Organisationen. Am vergangenen Wochenende ketteten sich mehrere Angehörige der Inhaftierten an die Gitter vor dem Militärkrankenhaus und drohten ebenfalls mit Hungerstreik.
Russia, Kazakhstan,Belarus to create single financial market regulator
A supranational body to regulate the integrated financial market of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus within the Eurasian Customs Union will be created in 2025, the chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan Kairat Kelimbetov said.
Alaska students hold silent Capitol demonstration
A pack of 18 youths walked the halls of the state Capitol on Wednesday in a silent demonstration asking for more education funding.
U.S. Navy delays submarine commissioning, says more work needed
The submarine, built jointly by General Dynamics Corp and Huntington Ingalls Industries, is returning to drydock for the additional work, according to the submarine‘s Facebook site. It said no new commissioning date had been set.
Londoners say UK politicians, media getting Ukraine crisis wrong
I think there is a tendency now to simply echo what politicians‘ views are, and that’s what the media tend to very uncritically do and pass it off as fact. In the prevailing circumstances, that has proved to be pretty disastrous and has included some explicit Russia bashing, and people on the ground don’t buy it,” she continued.
In eigener Sache: Radio Utopie aktiviert HSTS alias Force HTTPS
“HTTP Strict Transport Security” HSTS sichert via ssl und dessen Weiterentwicklung TLS verschlüsselte Verbindungen im World Wide Web, dem mit Abstand größten Teil des Internets. Trotzdem ist das ursprünglich “Force HTTPS” genannte Protokoll bis heute in Deutschland weitgehend unbekannt.
Ukraine’s acting head orders 24/7 protection for 3 presidential candidates
The three candidates who will be guarded 24/7 are former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, former Governor of the Kharkiv Region Mykhailo Dobkin and tycoon Petro Poroshenko.
Ukraine continues importing Russian gas
Ukraine has about seven billion cubic metres of gas in its underground facilities, he added.
Geneva Statement on Ukraine
The Geneva meeting on the situation in Ukraine agreed on initial concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and restore security for all citizens.
All sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions. The participants strongly condemned and rejected all expressions of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-semitism.
All illegal armed groups must be disarmed; all illegally seized buildings must be returned to legitimate owners; all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated.
Amnesty will be granted to protestors and to those who have left buildings and other public places and surrendered weapons, with the exception of those found guilty of capital crimes.
It was agreed that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission should play a leading role in assisting Ukrainian authorities and local communities in the immediate implementation of these de-escalation measures wherever they are needed most, beginning in the coming days. The U.S., E.U. and Russia commit to support this mission, including by providing monitors.
The announced constitutional process will be inclusive, transparent and accountable. It will include the immediate establishment of a broad national dialogue, with outreach to all of Ukraine’s regions and political constituencies, and allow for the consideration of public comments and proposed amendments.
The participants underlined the importance of economic and financial stability in Ukraine and would be ready to discuss additional support as the above steps are implemented.
Geneva Statement of April 17, 2014 agreed by the ministers of foreign affairs of Russia, USA, Ukraine and the EU High Represantative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
The Geneva meeting on the situation in Ukraine agreed on initial concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and restore security for all citizens.
All sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions. The participants strongly condemned and rejected all expressions of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-semitism.
All illegal armed groups must be disarmed; all illegally seized buildings must be returned to legitimate owners; all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated.
Amnesty will be granted to protestors and to those who have left buildings and other public places and surrendered weapons, with the exception of those found guilty of capital crimes.
It was agreed that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission should play a leading role in assisting Ukrainian authorities and local communities in the immediate implementation of these de-escalation measures wherever they are needed most, beginning in the coming days. The U.S., E.U. and Russia commit to support this mission, including by providing monitors.
The announced constitutional process will be inclusive, transparent and accountable. It will include the immediate establishment of a broad national dialogue, with outreach to all of Ukraine’s regions and political constituencies, and allow for the consideration of public comments and proposed amendments.
The participants underlined the importance of economic and financial stability in Ukraine and would be ready to discuss additional support as the above steps are implemented.
Lawrow: Einmarsch in die Ukraine liegt nicht in Russlands Interesse
Russland hat laut Außenminister Sergej Lawrow nicht die Absicht, seine Truppen auf das Territorium der Ukraine zu verlegen. „Das würde den ureigenen Interessen Russlands zuwiderlaufen“, sagte Lawrow am Donnerstag in Genf nach den Ukraine-Krisengesprächen mit Vertretern Kiews, Washingtons und Brüssels.
Zeichen der Entspannung
Vom Krisentreffen der Außenminister der USA, Russlands und der Ukraine sowie der EU-Außenbeauftragten Catherine Ashton geht nach stundenlangen Verhandlungen in Genf ein Zeichen der Entspannung aus. Zuvor haben Bundeskanzlerin Merkel und US-Präsident Obama wegen der Ukraine-Krise telefoniert.
Readout of the President’s Call with Chancellor Merkel of Germany
The President and Chancellor Merkel of Germany spoke today regarding their deep concern about the situation in eastern Ukraine. The President commended the government of Ukraine’s approach to today’s discussions in Geneva, where it put forward constructive proposals to expand local governance and ensure the rights of all Ukrainians are protected. The leaders stressed that Russia needs to take immediate, concrete actions to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine, including by using its influence over the irregular forces in eastern Ukraine to get them to lay down their arms and leave the buildings they have seized. The President and the Chancellor agreed that the United States and Europe are prepared to take further measures if this de-escalation does not occur in short order. The leaders also stressed their support for Ukraine’s May 25 presidential elections.
Kerry: Kiew wird bei Verfassungsreform mit allen Seiten in der Ukraine kooperieren
Die ukrainischen Behörden haben sich nach Angaben von US-Außenminister John Kerry bereit erklärt, im Zuge der Verfassungsreform mit allen Vertretern der ukrainischen Gesellschaft aktiv zu kooperieren. „Das hat uns der ukrainische Außenamtschef Andrej Deschtschiza heute versichert“, sagte Kerry am Donnerstag in Genf nach vierseitigen Ukraine-Krisengesprächen.
Obama Rules Out Military Option in Ukraine
Obama told reporters in Washington that if Russia fails to take steps to defuse the crisis in eastern Ukraine, the United States and Europe will respond with tough measures, but he ruled out a military intervention.
Obama: USA prüfen nicht Möglichkeit für militärische Lösung der Situation in der Ukraine
„Unter den Varianten gibt es keine militärische Lösung“, hieß es weiter.
Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Turkish side’s initiative.
The leaders exchanged views on current issues in Russian-Turkish cooperation, including in the energy sector.
Other topics of discussion included aspects of Crimea’s reunification with the Russian Federation, including issues pertaining to the Crimean Tatar community.
The President of Russia gave his assessment of the crisis in Ukraine.
Putin und Erdogan erörtern Probleme der Krim-Tataren
Der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin und der türkische Regierungschef Recep Tayyip Erdogan haben in einem Telefongespräch Probleme der krimtatarischen Diaspora auf der Schwarzmeer-Halbinsel Krim nach deren Wiedervereinigung mit Russlands erörtert. Das teilte der Kreml am Donnerstag nach der Unterredung mit.