I can't believe it's not a democracy!

If Credo is behind this, then I'm getting a new mobile phone provider:

Telecoms firm hails 'significant victory' as judge blocks FBI's data demands. The Guardian reports: The Californian telecoms company thought to be behind a stunning court victory that has blown a hole in the FBI's highly secretive system for collecting US citizens' private data has hailed the "significant" legal breakthrough.

Credo, based in San Francisco, spoke out after a federal judge ordered the US government to stop issuing what are called "national security letters" – demands for data that contain in-built gagging clauses that prevent the recipients disclosing even the existence of the orders or their own identity.

In a carefully worded release, the firm fell short of revealing itself as the instigator of the legal action that resulted in Friday's development. But it is understood by the Guardian that the telecommunications firm was indeed the unnamed litigant behind the action.The Californian telecoms company thought to be behind a stunning court victory that has blown a hole in the FBI's highly secretive system for collecting US citizens' private data has hailed the "significant" legal breakthrough.

Click the link to read the whole thing. The judge gave the government 90 days to appeal, and given the Obama administration's laser like focus on punishing whistleblowers and continuing W's destruction of the 4th amendment by treating citizens as criminals (see FISA, Sen. Obama's vote in favor thereof), I have no doubt that the administration will throw everything they can at the appeal. I mean, you can't have an effective police state unless you can get whatever you want whenever you want without restraint, right?

I must say that before reading this article, I assumed CREDO was like Move On, a seemingly good idea that either was co-opted by political consultant whores or was the means by which closeted political consultant whores made themselves useful to the democratic party by convincing progressives that clicking a link or signing an online petition was the same thing as actually protesting bad policy or actually engaging in the political process. But if Credo was behind this case--and it looks like they are--I'm going to choose them as my cell phone provider. I mean, they actually did something spectacular. Kudos Credo.

Wow, a man of god who is actually principled:

Desmond Tutu quits seminar in protest over presence of Tony Blair: Archbishop pulls out of South African event over former prime minster's support of Iraq war. Click the link and check out the photo that accompanies the article. Maybe it's me, but I find it hard to believe that was the only photo they could have used.

Ecuador stands up to a bully:

Julian Assange: Ecuador grants Wikileaks founder asylum. Will the UK violate international law to do a favor for its American master? And for those who doubt that the charges against ASsange, and the UK's role in the whole filthy matter, have nothing to do with the US wanting to completely silence Assange, Wikileaks, and any others who would dare do the same thing, then tell me that you really believe the UK government would do the following in order to secure someone for extradiciton who was accused of sexual assault in Sweden: The UK Foreign Office had warned, in a note, that it could lift the embassy's diplomatic status to fulfil a "legal obligation" to extradite the 41-year-old by using the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987.

Why yes, I think I will vote for the Dr. Jill Stein for president:

Green Party nominee arrested in Philly bank sit-in. Why the sit-in? To protest housing foreclosures. Meanwhile, Obama blah, blah, blah....

I guess Obama will have to declare war on Ecuador:

Julian Assange seeking asylum in Ecuadorian embassy in London. You know the U.S. will do something shitty to Ecuador if they offer asylum to Assange, who, I believe, is being railroaded. If you have followed this case you know that something smells very bad. It is obvious that the U.S. wants to punish Assange to deter future activists who believe in transparency, truth, and decency. And god bless Bradley Manning, too.

If the Nobel committee wants to redeem itself it would give the Peace Prize to Julian Assange on behalf of Wikileaks and Bradley Manning:

WikiLeaks publishes e-mails involving global risk company Stratfor.Reuters reports:

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told Reuters: "Here we have a private intelligence firm, relying on informants from the U.S. government, foreign intelligence agencies with questionable reputations and journalists. What is of grave concern is that the targets of this scrutiny are, among others, activist organizations fighting for a just cause."

* * *

WikiLeaks also said Stratfor had a network of spies in governments and media companies, and had "secret deals with dozens of media organizations and journalists" including Reuters.

I hope the e-mails lead to something that even the stupid and lazy find offensive. It's hard to remain concerned about the injustice in the world when so many who are suffering from it don't do a fucking thing to get this country and this world on a kinder and more rational track.

Stupid fucking cops fucked with the wrong broad:

Filthy pigs try to arrest Ellen Barkin for walking. Ok, they were actually trying to intimidate the Occupy folks who were engaged in various Occupy New Year's Eve events, including protesters at 13th and 6th Avenue. Ellen Barkin was walking in that area (near Union Square) and was targeted by the filthy monster cops. Read the story to see her tweets of righteous outrage. But the best bit was that the asshole fucking thug cops didn't realize that her boyfriend, the director Sam Levinson, was recording the whole thing including Barkin "getting pretty badass when a cop touched her patronizingly: 'Take your motherfucking hands off of me,' she growled."

Creative people, particularly famous ones, like living in New York City because people don't bother them. But no one likes living in a fucking police state. If the cops' filthy criminal behavior is not ended soon, I wouldn't be surprised if a bunch of actors and writers, musicians, etc. just pick up and move. And that will kill much of the energy in this city. Thanks, Bloomberg. Or as Ellen Barkin tweeted: "Fuck all of u,Bloomberg & every1 goose-stepping behind u.I cannot believe what I am seeing.U protect nothing.U ARE the violence in my city."

Thanks to John for the link.

Did you read about Anonymous hacking a security "think tank"? Here's why they did it:

Why Stratfor was Really Hacked. If you read about this story, you know taht Anonymous hacked Stratfor and using the credit card numbers of various clients made donations on their behalf to the American Red Cross, Save the Children, etc. Anonymous was shocked that Stratfor didn't even bother to encrypt the credit card information. Using the cards to make the donation was for fun. Hacking Stratfor was for a higher purpose, however. According to Barrett Brown:

Stratfor was not breached in order to obtain customer credit card numbers, which the hackers in question could not have expected to be as easily obtainable as they were. Rather, the operation was pursued in order to obtain the 2.7 million e-mails that exist on the firm's servers. This wealth of data includes correspondence with untold thousands of contacts who have spoken to Stratfor's employees off the record over more than a decade. Many of those contacts work for major corporations within the intelligence and military contracting sectors, government agencies, and other institutions for which Anonymous and associated parties have developed an interest since February of 2011, when another hack against the intelligence contractor/security firm HBGary revealed, among many other things, a widespread conspiracy by the Justice Department, Bank of America, and other parties to attack and discredit Wikileaks and other activist groups.

At least someone is working on providing the transparency that liar in the White House promised his desperate base. If the Nobel Committee had any decency, they would make up for their shameful award of the prize to Obama by giving the peace price to Wikileaks and Anonymous. Now, that would be one interesting reception, no?

An early Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I'm going to go to S. Jersey after work tomorrow, so that I can get upcoming xmas crap done.  Mostly some buying--in cash, so the credit cards companies won't make a fucking penny off of my purchases--and wrapping.  And relaxing.  There's that.  

So, posting will be light, etc.  

And this Thanksgiving, I will give thanks for the principled and brilliant students at UC Davis.  If they represent our leaders of tomorrow, we are in good hands.  Have a lovely holiday. 

Inspiring video of UC Davis students giving the Chancellor the silent treatment:

She said she wanted silence, and she got it:

  

The kids are alright.